Otherworldly (Hope Mikaelson)

8-Are You Going To Flip The Switch Or Not?

"Can you help me with my memories?" Lucy asked after what felt like an eternity of silence. Mundus was a patient man. He could wait on his daughter forever, if that's how long it took. The man may have been a devil, a master of shadows and darkness, but he did love his daughter. She was a powerful being, or she would be, once she opened herself to her full potential. She was beautiful, like her mother, and very smart. Even if she denounced him entirely, he would never stop trying to win her over. They shared the same blood, and in that was a special bond that Mundus would die for, if he could die.

Mundus thought about it for a moment, setting down the book he was pretending to read while waiting on Lucy. "How do you mean?"

"When I Fell.. I lost my memories. My instincts and my core knew certain things... like my name, but.." Lucy rubbed her eye with the palm of her hand. Even mentioning her amnesia brought on a dull ache in her head.

Mundus nodded. "Most Fallen do. I'm sure I can at least recover your more recent ones prior to Falling."

"You said I was letting the darkness into my heart?" Lucy hated how soft and quiet her voice sounded. She wanted to be feisty and powerful like her mom, but all she felt currently was lonely and weak.

"You did." Mundus nodded again.

"Why?" Lucy asked after a brief moment of silence.

Mundus sighed and pulled up a chair to sit near her. The shadow cage still separated them.

"Your brother was trying to destroy Heaven. The only way you could truly stop him was by using both sides of you, the light and the dark."

Lucy let the information sink in, allowed it to settle into her bones. She wasn't evil or corrupted, she was trying to do what only she could do.

"So I'm not.. evil?" Lucy asked.

Mundus cackled. "You couldn't be evil even if you went full demon. Your mother's grace flows through you as much as my shadow magic. Never forget that, my dear. You are the best of us both."

"So then how do I do it? How do I access and control both parts of me?" Lucy asked, looking up at her father. Despite the cold darkness that surrounded him, she could sense just the smallest bit of light, hidden deep within. Mundus was a devil, but he was a devil that cared; about her, anyway.

Mundus made the cage disappear. "You have access to your angelic side already, although it does seem to be limited. We'll figure that out. For now, I can tell you that all you have to do is open yourself to your demonic side."

~~~

"My blood made him come back as a Vampire." Hope told the two Warner girls. "I know saving him doesn't make up for killing your mom, but just know... I didn't have my humanity on when I killed her. Had I had it, I wouldn't have attacked her. I truly am sorry."

To Hope's surprise, Lexi threw her arms around her and hugged her tight. The dark haired kitsune was relieved beyond measure that her father was still alive.. or undead, rather, but he was still here.

"The three of you should follow Hope back to the Salvatore school. I'm going to go look for Lucy." Zach said as he stood to his full height.

"What? No! I'm coming with you!" Hope argued, desperate to find the blonde angel. Being here instead of out there looking for her was driving the tribrid insane.

Zach leveled Hope with one look. "Take them back to the school. Leave them with Caroline. If I find Lucy, I will bring her back to you."

Before Hope could so much as blink, the Nephilim was gone.