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"𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚟𝚒𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚊, 𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚊."
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Azalea's body was laying in a coffin, in the middle of a circle of salt. Her eyes were shut, and it looked like she just slept. She was alive. Little did all of her friends know, she was different now.
Kol, desperate to bring her back, made a deal with his mother, since Klaus kept her body in a coffin, they stole it, and Esther fulfilled her promise to her son, leaving out the fact that she would only retain the memories from her life as a mortal.
Klaus walked back into the compound, after getting the orchid in order to wake Elijah. Klaus stopped in front of the coffin, picking up the note on top of it that read "a gift from your mother." Slowly, he opened the coffin, surprised to see Azalea alive. He dropped to his knees, lightly shaking her shoulders to try and wake her. When she woke up, she was very scared, immediately trying to scramble away from Klaus.
"Who are you? Where have you taken me?" She demanded, looking around. "Alexander! Help!"
"Aza..." Klaus tried, his eyes glistening with tears when she didn't recognize him.
"How do you know my name? Where's my brother?" She asked, scared.
"You don't remember me?"
"Answer my questions! Who are you?" She yelled, upset.
"Klaus." He answered, helping her up. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"I- Alexander and I fought, so he left me to walk home alone, and I got distracted talking to a friend, so I was late, and I went to sleep." She said. "Wait- Niklaus? Why do you look different from yesterday? And where are we?"
Klaus sighed, compelling her. "Azalea, go sit over there and wait until I come back."
Azalea got up, following his instructions as he left to go wake Elijah up. That's when Marcel and Hayley walked in, dragging Kol and Finn behind them. They all looked at her in surprise. Marcel was the first the speak up. "Aza?"
She scrunched her eyebrows together, confused as to who he was. Marcel put Finn in Hayley's care, running over and hugging her. She hugged back just a little. "I thought you died."
"What?" She asked, in surprise. "Who are you? How do all of you know who I am?"
"What the hell?" Marcel asked, looking back at Kol. "What did you do, Kol?"
"I didn't have anything to do with this. I would've had her remember me if I brought her back. It was our mother." Kol explained.
"Did Mother forget to mention Azalea would only keep the memories she had as a human until she got what she wanted?" Finn smiled in triumph.
"Well, can you give her her memories back?" Marcel asked him.
"Not with these chains around my wrists."
"Just a moment- what? You speak of me as if I'm not here. What are you talking about?"
"Aza... I promise we'll explain as soon as we get back, okay? We have to go get Klaus and Elijah."
"Elijah... Niklaus's brother, and you're Kol," She said, looking at Kol, "but you didn't look like that."
"We'll be right back." Marcel said, grabbing Finn again, before going into another room. She sat back down, eyes wide. Klaus came in the room with Elijah at his side from the same door Marcel exited in.
"Azalea." Elijah whispered. She stood up.
"You're Elijah." She said, with a small smile. "You look... different than I remember."
He didn't say anything, instead he stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. Slowly, she hugged him back.
"Could someone explain to me what's happening now? I don't have the slightest clue." She asked as Elijah let go. Klaus took her hand and led her in the ballroom, where Kol and Finn now stood, chained to the stairs.
"Finn, if you even try anything, you'll pay with your life." Klaus warned.
"Why would you kill him?" Azalea asked, turning to Klaus.
"I'll explain everything soon, Aza."
She nodded, looking back at Finn and Kol. Marcel unshackled Finn. He raised his hands up towards Azalea, chanting in a foreign language. She screamed in pain, her hands shooting up to her head, in an attempt to stop the pain. It only got worse as he continued. She fell to her knees as the pain grew, until finally, she passed out. Elijah caught her before she hit the ground, as Marcel shackled Finn again.
"You're welcome." Finn snapped. Klaus rolled his eyes, before starting to walk out of the room.
"Nik!" Kol called, making him stop and turn around, raising an eyebrow. "Promise me you'll let her see me when she wakes up."
"Frankly, I don't think you deserve the privilege, little brother. Running around with Davina Claire and all."
"No! Nik, you better not tell her! I didn't do anything!" Kol yelled, trying to get free. Klaus smirked.
"Sleep well." He said, before leaving them by themselves. He walked upstairs to find Azalea laid in his bed, with Elijah and Marcel at her side. "She hasn't woken up?"
"She'll wake up soon." Elijah told him, not looking away from her.
"But what if she doesn't?" Marcel asked, looking between the brothers.
"Then we will dismember Finn until he tells us what he's done to her." Elijah said simply, looking at Marcel.
Azalea began to stir, slowly opening her eyes. She sat up quickly when she realized where she was. "Holy hell! Elijah, oh my gosh, I love you."
Azalea sat up onto her knees and hugged him, laying her head on his shoulder until she let go of him. "Wait a second-"
She looked around for something that could draw blood. She saw a pen and picked it up, stabbing herself in the palm. Her eyes held a glint of satisfaction as she watched it heal.
"Oh thank God." She looked up at the three. "I'm still a vampire. Oh! I've got to go see Kol."
"I don't think that's the best idea." Klaus said, blocking her way when she tried to leave.
"Why not? I know he's not his normal body." She asked, stopping.
"While you were... indisposed, Kol started flirting with a witch, Davina." Klaus explained, watching as her face fell.
"You're lying. You have to be lying!" She rushed past him, going down stairs and finding Kol.
"What did you do, Kol?" She said in a loud voice, as she stomped into the room. "Tell me you didn't do it."
"Azalea, I-" Kol started. Azalea slapped him as hard as she could in the face, causing his whole body to jerk to the side.
"You actually did. I hate you." She said, anger evident in her voice. She turned around, walking past Elijah and Marcel as the followed her. Elijah walked towards Kol.
"You never were the brightest, but this? When you knew our mother was going to bring her back?" He walked closer to Kol, getting about a foot away, and looking him in the eyes. "I will make you pay, if Azalea and Niklaus don't."
"I'd like to see you try, Elijah. Kill me in this body, I'll just find another." Kol said, yanking the chains that kept him there once more, to no avail.
Klaus stopped Azalea before she could leave the compound. "Aza. Stop."
"I can't, Nik. I want to rip his heart out right now! I want to be able to cry, but I can't." She took a deep breath, putting her head in her hands.
"Then let out your anger." He suggested.
"What?" She asked, looking at him in confusion.
"Let out your anger on me." Klaus put his hands behind his back. "Come on, then."
"Alright then." She accepted, picking up a chair from the table. She adjusted it in her hands, running towards Klaus and swinging the chair at him. He was quick to catch the chair, throwing it away from them. She growled, throwing punches at him. After landing a few, he caught her fists, pushing her back.
"Come on! Fight!" He yelled, as she stumbled backwards. She ran back at him, grabbing his arm and breaking it, causing him to yell in pain. As she held his arm back, she swept his feet out from under him, causing him to fall to the ground. She got on top of him, holding him down by the throat.
Azalea breathed heavily, looking him in the eyes. "Does this mean I'm better than you now? Or were you just trying to spare my feelings?"
He flipped her over, making the roles reverse. "Which one do you think?"
"Definitely the first. Now, get off of me."
"Do you feel better?" He asked, doing as she said.
"A little bit. I just want to go to sleep." She shrugged as he helped her up.
"Your wish is my command." He said, leading her back to his room. She jumped onto the bed, as Klaus went to the other side and sat down, putting his legs on the bed. She scooted over, laying her head on his lap.
"You're, like, the greatest best friend ever, you know that?" She said, looking up at him.
"I try to be. You deserve it all, my little flower." He smiled at her.
"Sometimes I would do this with my brother." She starred up at the ceiling. "We used to sit outside, just looking up at the night sky and talking. I was only about fourteen when he stopped, though. When our father died, he changed. Alexander was the closest to Father, so when he died, Xander's world came crashing down."
"That's when he started training for the Vatican and their battles." Klaus guessed. Azalea nodded.
"I never really understood what he saw in the Vatican, but the day he received hunter's sword, my nineteenth birthday. He confided in me."
"That's the night Kol told us about.." He realized.
"He was scared vampires were in our midst, and I literally told the vampires about it." She laughed, grabbing his arm lightly.
"To be fair, you hadn't the slightest clue."
"Why were you so cruel to me back then?" Azalea changed the subject, looking back at him.
"I wasn't cruel!" Klaus defended. She made a face of confusion.
"You were literally so mean to me. Come on, just tell me why. The rest of your family loved me, maybe even Finn." She teased.
"Fine. I was... surprised by you and I didn't want my siblings to be around you." He admitted.
"So you were afraid? Of a nineteen year old girl?" She laughed. "How were you surprised by me?"
"You spoke your mind. That wasn't common back then. I was afraid you'd make Kol and Rebekah want to leave."
"What's your excuse for the remainder of the century?"
"You were a bit annoying. Always kissing Kol. Everywhere. Do you know how awkward it was to walk past you two in the hallways as you kissed and fed off of each other?"
"Yes. You did it, too. All the time. You probably still do. With Caroline Forbes." She snickered, reaching up and messing up his hair. He swatted her hand away from him.
"Alright. It's past your bedtime." Klaus concluded, lightly pushing her back over to the side of the bed. He stood up to leave.
"Wait, Nik. Can you stay?" She frowned a little bit. "I don't wanna be alone."
He nodded, closing the door with a sigh. "Of course."
"Thanks." She watched him go over to his canvas and begin painting, before she fell asleep.
✿
Klaus shook Azalea awake at eight A.M. She woke up with a yawn. "Nik. Oh, no. I took up your bed, sorry."
"It's quite alright. You were upset, and I'm your best friend. It was my pleasure." Klaus excused. She smiled.
"Um- I need to change. Do you have any clothes that would fit me?"
"Hayley has some clothes here. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you borrowed some for the day." He told her. She got out of bed, allowing him to lead the way to Hayley's room.
"Thanks." She said, before closing the door. She put on a pair of dark gray jeans, with a white top tucked in and a black, tie dyed jean jacket. To top it of she wore a pair of black combat boots.
She ran down the stairs, going to the dining room, where the four brothers already sat. "You waited on me. How kind." She smiled, before taking a seat next to Elijah. She looked across the table at Kol, who looked slightly sad.
"You're still upset?" He asked.
"Yeah, but I'm sure I'll get over it in about a decade." She said, crossing her arms and sitting back in her seat.
"Right. As I was saying." Klaus clapped his hands together. "Today, a new future awaits. Forget your animosity toward Elijah and myself. Instead, join us against she who truly deserves your ire-- our mother."
Kol rolled his eyes, and Finn just looked bored with the conversation. "Do this, and we will welcome you with open arms!"
"Well-" Kol started, reaching for a plate of beignets with his shackled handed, but Azalea pulled it out of his way. Kol sighed and rolled his eyes again.
Klaus smiled "But, if you continue to oppose us, a denial of pastries will be the least of your concerns."
"If all you wanted was my allegiance against Mother Dearest, you should have said so! Save me a night shackled to the wall." Kol remarked.
"Yes, this was Niklaus. My recommendation was to remove your limbs, one by one, until you comply." Elijah commented, making Azalea smile.
Klaus laughed and stood up. "We've--we've no desire to torture you."
"Some of us." Azalea muttered as Klaus stood behind Kol and Finn and squeezed their shoulders with his hands.
"Provided you vow to stand beside us as brothers." Klaus finished Finn shrugged out of Klaus' grip and looked at him with skepticism.
"Brothers... Does that word even apply to us? After all these centuries of betrayal? And, has loyalty to you ever rewarded? If so, tell me, Niklaus-- where is our sister, Rebekah?" Elijah glared at Finn as he continued. "She was blindly loyal to you for a thousand years, and now? Nowhere to be found. Where did our sister go? And, how did she escape your vile machinations?"
Klaus, whose back has been turned to him, laughed fakely before he turns to face them. "Hah! You think me vile? What, then, do you make of the one who cursed us?"
Finn began to get frustrated. "She was trying to make you mortal again!"
Elijah grabbed a knife off the table, clearly suspicious and annoyed by Finn's words.
"And, you both refused her. It only proves how far you've fallen. But, I expect Rebekah will have a different response to her proposal. See, unlike the two of you, she always did cling to her humanity." Finn commented with a laugh.
"Rebekah is off-limits to you. You pursue her, and you will suffer." Elijah threatened. Everyone in the room was taken aback by Elijah's out of character actions.
"Do not let him goad you, Elijah. Neither he, nor Esther, will find Rebekah unless she wants to be found. And she does not."
"Esther is quite determined." Finn assured him.
"She's been searching for Rebekah since the day she returned. I imagine it's only a matter of time." Finn guessed. Elijah completely lost his temper, grabbing Finn by the collar, and slamming him onto the table before vamping-out and feeding on him. Azalea pulled him away quickly, pushing him back against the wall and giving him a stern glare.
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