Forgotten [Book Two of The Twins series]

Eight

HOURS LATER

"There's, uh, something I want to ask. You know, when we were fighting, how'd I know to throw that bolt to you?" Alaric asked me as we went to go retrieve the dead troll after school. "It was like muscle memory." He added. "We've fought together before, haven't we?" He asked. "What? That seems totally impossible." I said scoffing. "Yeah, except I live in a world where a creature named Malivore can erase people from your memory." He stated. My smile disappeared. 

"I'll take that as a yes." He said. "Even if I told you, it wouldn't change anything. Okay? It wouldn't bring your memories back. It would just be words. Leaving will be easier if you don't know." I explained. "Well, then, don't leave." He voiced. "You told me that the monster attacks had stopped, and right when I show up, things start happening again. I'm pretty sure I'm the reason. So, I can't stay and put all of you in danger." I told him before going to get the troll.... well...the missing troll. "Um..." I said. "Okay...so...not a troll." Alaric pointed out.

The two of us walked the square looking for signs of the NOT troll. "Okay, so if it's not a troll, then what else could it be?" I asked him. "I don't know. But it's here." He said. "Somewhere." He added. "Question is, why?" He asked. "I'm not sure." I answered. "I mean, the pattern is that I wound it, and then it runs and hides from me. So, it must be sticking to the shadows, waiting for it to get dark." I explained. 

"Well, when the monsters came last time, they were always after something. See if we can figure out what it's looking for." Alaric offered. "Okay." I said. I looked around before my eyes immediately found Landon with Hope and Josie with the new guy. I sighed looking away and catching up with Alaric.

NIGHT

I stood in the square and found the monster heading towards a bench. On the bench sat Josie listening to music, reading a book. "Icaeus." I exclaimed. The monster was sent flying back through the air. It got to its feet before I ran at it. I jumped into the air pulling my fist back before smashing it into its face and landed on the ground. I turned around before it knocked me aside and I flew backwards. 

It stalked over to me and grabbed me by the throat, lifting me into the air as it laughed. It raised its fist into the air to end me when a bolt soared through the air in hit its hand. The monster dropped me as Alaric ran at it and hit it in the gut, swinging the crossbow into its head with cry of effort. "Incendia!" I shouted aiming my hand at the monster. 

Flames enveloped its head as it roared out. Its hair was incinerated before revealing one giant eye in the center of the forehead. "New theory. Cyclops." Alaric announced. "No! Really?! Never would've guessed that." I said sarcastically. "You didn't." He pointed out. "Oh....right." I stated walking to Alaric's crossbow. I picked it up and aimed it at its head. I pulled the trigger and the bolt landed dead center in the middle of the cyclops's eye. It tipped back before falling backwards onto the ground. 

"You think it's really a...?" Alaric asked before the cyclops disintegrated into ashes. "Yep." I answered looking at the ashes rising into the night sky. "Great." Alaric stated. "Let's get out of here." He told me grabbing the crossbow out of my hand. I looked around at the glowing ashes before turning to leave. I froze when I made eye contact with Josie. She was on her feet and staring at me. She pulled the ear buds out of her ears as I broke the stare before walking away and caught up with Alaric. 

"Surprising amount of overlap between troll and cyclops." Alaric told me with a laugh. "Yeah, there really is." I admitted chuckling. "Look, I, uh, I know you're not gonna stay." Alaric breathed. "Here." He added handing me his collapsed crossbow. I looked down at it. "Take it." He told me. I took it from his hands with a bit of a heavy heart. "Be safe out there." He said one last time. 

"You're good at this, you know?" I asked him. "Monster hunting?" He questioned. "Helping kids." I answered. "Ah." He sounded. "You should keep the beard." I said finally with a smile before I walked away leaning the crossbow against my shoulder.

I was leaning on a bench staring at the daylight ring on a beaded necklace. It was my dad's daylight ring...from before he unlocked his werewolf side and had to deal with the sunlight. I gently rubbed my thumb along the beads before sniffling. I let out a breath before wrapping my hand around the necklace. 

"Hey." A voice called out. I looked to my right and found Josie holding a drink in her hand. "Hey." I answered. "We saw each other earlier, right?" She asked. "Yeah. Uh...I was just out on a walk to clear my head." I told her as she walked closer to me refusing to look away from my eyes. "Rough night?" She asked. 

"Uh, yeah, actually, uh...Relationship trouble." I stated with a brief nod of my head. "Must be contagious." She stated. "Why? You, too?" I asked her. "Yeah. I'm with this really amazing guy, but all of a sudden, everything's super complicated." Josie explained sitting down beside me. "Huh." I sounded not sure what to say. 

"You?" She asked. "Oh, uh...Uh, old story, I guess, uh...Fell for a girl who doesn't even know that I exist." I said with a smile. "Huh. That's classic." She said flashing a smile. "Yeah." I sighed. "He is really great, but I just feel like I want it to be perfect, and..." She said. "Yeah." I finished with teary eyes, holding them back. "...and I want to be the perfect girlfriend, and he's trying to be the perfect boyfriend, and it was really effortless, but now it feels so...off. I don't know. Sorry." She explained. 

I shook my head blinking away tears. "No, uh...You know, um, a very smart girl once taught me that sometimes you have to be brave enough to be imperfect with people...even if it's scary." I told her trying not to cry in front of her. "Yeah." She scoffed with a smile turning away. I bit my tongue to keep from crying out as I swallowed hard. Josie sighed rubbing her eyes. 

"Of course, you're gonna have to take your own advice and tell that girl of yours that you exist." She told me. "Uh...Oh." I said wiping a tear away. "I don't know about that." I answered. Josie looked over at me. "I hope your night gets better." She said with a small smile. "Thanks." I breathed. "This'll help. Mint dark chocolate swirl, whipped cream on the bottom. It's probably all melted by now, but, um..." She said offering me her drink. 

"Oh." I sounded. "I don't even know why I ordered it. I didn't have any of it. I didn't want a milkshake. It just seemed..." She explained getting to her feet. "Thanks for listening." She finally said before walking away. I looked away as I started to sob in silence.

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL

I slowly entered Alaric's office knocking on the door, my eyes red from crying so much. Dr. Saltzman looked over at me closing a book. "Um...My name's not Niklaus Marshall. It's Stiles Mikaelson. Niklaus is my middle name. I'm Klaus and Hayley's son. And I know you don't remember this, but, um...you were basically my father. And the entire world has forgotten that I exist, and the girl I love has moved on, so I have absolutely no idea what to do next." I confessed as tears streamed down my face. 

Dr. S got to his feet and looked at me as he sighed. "It's okay. We'll figure it out together." He told me before I stepped forward and hugged him as he returned it rubbing my back as I quietly cried into his shirt. "Don't worry. Everything will be okay. Everything will be fine." He whispered.