Always and Forever... For the Last Time (The Originals: Season 5 Fanfiction)

Chapter 7: A Tale of Two Brothers

Several days later...

While Roman was being held captive by Hope as she tortured him in an attempt to rid her mind of the voices from the Hollow's power, Klaus sat on the stairs, drinking a glass of bourbon. 

'So this is the new parenting style?' Elijah said. Klaus gave him a side-eye and said nothing for a moment. 'Allowing your daughter to mercilessly torture that boy.' 

'That boy held her and Hayley hostage, almost killed her and succeeded with her mother. So if my daughter decides to end his life, then that would make her someone who vanquishes her enemies, following in the footsteps of her father... and her uncle.'

'She was supposed to be better than us, Niklaus,' Elijah replied. 

'She's ill,' Klaus replied with a brief smirk. 'If this brings her some relief, then nothing else matters.' 

'And then what? When she's done with him and the darkness returns?' Klaus stood. 

'I'm sorry, but I have to ask,' he said, beginning to walk up the stairs, 'as much as I enjoy your withering judgement, do you really have Hope's best interest at heart?' 

'What are you accusing me of?' 

'I'm not blind, Elijah! I have my own family to worry about and that boy is collateral damage.' 

'You are leading your daughter down a path that will erase her humanity. And if she loses that, Niklaus, the consequences will be devastating for everyone.'

'Just don't.' 

'Don't what?' Elijah snapped. 'Counsel you against your own worst instincts? A thousand years, I have desperately tried to sway you towards some kind of - reason.' 

'And for a thousand years, I've trusted you,' Klaus replied. 

'So now what?'

'Our lives may be forever, but our allegiance is not.' He turned and walked away. 

Several hours later... 

Antoinette Sienna walked into St. Anne's Church, the crowd of Greta's followers parting to allow her through. 

'I asked you here because you've all been loyal to my mother's cause,' she said. 'Her son, my brother, has been taken prisoner by the half-breed Klaus Mikaelson, and together, we are going to liberate him.' The crowd cheered in agreement. 

'We're going to do more than that,' Emmett said, stepping up to the stage and unzipping a bag. 'We are going to end the Mikaelson rule, once and for all.' He held up a vial of Marcel's venom. 

'Like my mother, we must, tonight, embrace a vision of our species that we're willing to die for.' 

'I must confess,' Elijah said, and the crowd turned to see him at the door of the church, with me by his side, 'that we ourselves have had a change of heart.' We stepped inside, and the doors shut behind us. 'Tonight, we go to war,' he added. 'But for those of you who are not resolute in the belief that we are the one and the only true species...' and at this he and I both came to stand next to Antoinette, 'the time for you to leave is now.' 

'We're with you,' Emmett said, and the others in the room chorused their agreement. 

'Now, Greta died in the name of purity, and thanks to the unwavering conviction of her followers,' Elijah said, 'particularly those of you who chose to lead while she was gone, her message lives on. So now, for those who stood by her, you will share her fate.' The crowd began to murmur and yell in panic, and they turned as the doors burst open, Hope and Klaus walking through. 

'What are they doing here?' Emmett hissed, turning to Elijah and Antoinette. 

' "The road to redemption is long and winding, but worthy",' Elijah quoted. Emmett went to run for the vials, but Hope's magic got there first and destroyed the vials with ease. 

'You betrayed us!' Emmett exclaimed. 

'We told you what my mother thought,' Antoinette replied.  

'And we never said we agreed,' I added with a sickening smile. 

'You can leave them to us, now,' Klaus called out, apparently also very pleased to be joining in the fun. Elijah, Antoinette and I sped off, and Marcel walked into the room with the hapless victims of the Hollow's followers waiting to be slain. 

'I'm going to enjoy this,' Marcel said. Klaus walked over to his daughter. 

'Go on, sweetheart, let it all out.' She stepped forward, and her eyes flashed a bright, glowing blue, searing with fury. She screamed, a blue wave of the dark magic inside of her burning, destroying the followers of the Hollow with ease.