Fighting For A New Future

Chapter 60

Third Person's POV

In the study, Esther is burning some sage. There's a knock on the door.

"That'd be the girl." She muttered to herself. She walks over to the door and opens it, revealing Elena standing there alone. "You're alone. Wise choice." Elena walks in and notices Esther holding the sage. Seeing her curious stare, the witch explained "It's only sage. I've spelled it so we can speak freely without fear of being overheard." She placed the sage in a bowl. "You must have a million questions for me, Elena. Please." Esther gestures towards the sofa and they sit on it.

"How are you alive? Are you a ghost? Or..." Elena questioned.

"Not exactly. When I died the witch Ayana preserved my body with a spell." Esther reminisced. "She was a close friend of mine, an ancestor of your friend Bonnie and Bianca."

"So that's why only Bonnie and her grandmother could open up the casket."

"They complete the Bennett bloodline. I drew power from them and their ancestors who were with me on the other side."

"So you've been on the other side for a thousand years?"

"Nature's way of punishing me for turning my family into vampires. But there is a way for me to undo the evil I created."

"You're gonna help us kill Klaus, aren't you?"

"One thing at a time Elena. For now, I simply need your help." Elena furrowed her brow. Esther stood and she lit some candles. "I understand you know the story of my family." She stated. "How I upset the balance of nature by turning my children into vampires."

"Yes Bonnie read it somewhere and told us but it didn't go into detail."

"I did it to protect them from the werewolves." She started. "But in no time at all, they began to feed on human blood. They ravaged the town with no remorse. Eventually, Niklaus turned against me."

"How are you gonna kill him? He's immortal."

"It will take time, magic, and your assistance."

"What do I have to do with it?"

"My children believe I'm holding this ball to celebrate our reunion. Even if they have somewhat ignored me, I believe they are angry at me for letting their father hurt them but I am their mother." She spoke thinking back to her children's behavior to her. She had a feeling Klaus and Bianca had a factor in their changes. "In truth, I've gathered them together to perform a ritual. The first step requires blood from the doppelgänger. Only a drop. Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening. Will you do it or shall I?" Esther is holding a long thin knife in her hands. Elena looks taken aback, but after a moment's consideration, she removes her glove and gives her finger to Esther to prick. Esther pricks it and squeezes the blood into a glass chalice that's filled with liquid.

"What are you going to do?"

"Elijah is more suspicious than the others, so he may need more persuasion. But they must all drink at the toast in order to be linked as one."

"What do you mean "linked as one"?"

"You said yourself Klaus can't be killed. But tonight's spell links all my children together, so that if one goes, they all go."

"What?" Elena was shocked she had never met a woman, a mother who wanted to kill all of her children. But she understood, the Mikaelsons were monsters and they needed to die for everyone to be safe.

"I love my family, Elena, but they are an abomination." Esther stated. " I betrayed nature when I created them. It's my duty to kill them."

Meanwhile, downstairs, the ballroom was buzzing with energy as people mingled and danced. In a corner was Bonnie and Caroline. They had been cast aside by their dates and hadn't been on the dance floor as no one asked them. They felt insignificant.

"What do you think she wants from Elena?" Bonnie asked, her eyes on the stairs, hoping her friend would be okay.

"I don't know." Caroline replied, sipping her drink nervously. "But it can't be good, considering she's the mother of the devil himself."

Bonnie nodded, her gaze flicking over to the Mikaelsons. "It's like she's playing god." She looked at her sister who was surrounded by the Mikaelson siblings and her group. She looked radiant, both of them. She had never heard of a duplication spell.

"I saw those dresses in a catalogue. It's expensive." Caroline's eyes went to the gowns of the three females in the group. "The designer only made three dresses and called 'Golden dreams'."

"Really?" Bonnie whispered in shock. "What is going on here?" They looked over to see Elena, who had just returned being cornered by Elijah and Klaus. They made their way over to their friend.

"So how was my mother?" The noble original asked as they stood beside Elena. They gave her a look, wanting to know also.

"Intense." The doppelganger swallowed as her eyes shifted from one original to the other.

"And for what reason did she need to speak with you in private?" Klaus questioned her as he offered her a glass of champagne. Elena notices Esther on the staircase looking at her.

"Elena? Should I be concerned about my mother's intentions?" Elijah stared at the teen girl, both brothers noting how her heartbeat sped up but said nothing.

"She just wanted to apologize for trying to have me killed." Klaus chuckled at the lie told to them.

"So it's true, then? She's forgiven Klaus?" Bonnie and Caroline's eyes widened at what they heard, but before they could say anything, Elena shot them a subtle look. One that both brothers caught.

"It's true."

"Isn't that wonderful, brother?" Elijah turned to Klaus only to find him staring at Bianca, both of them. "Please forgive him, he's reluctant to let her out of his sight. He infatuated." Elijah then caught sight of Jeremy and smiled. "Can't say I blame him." He looked back to the three teenaged girls. "Thank you, Elena." Crystal rings. Esther addresses the guests from the staircase. She has a glass of red-tinged champagne in her hand.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass." Esther greeted. "It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening." She raised her glass. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" The masses repeated. Everyone drinks from their glasses, including all the Original vampires. Elijah turned to Elena.

"Cheers." Elena and Elijah clink their glasses together. Elena smiled not knowing that she had lost her only chance of saving her friends. As the glass touched her lips, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over her. The bubbles tickled her nose and she took a sip of the sweet liquid. It was like any other champagne she had ever tasted. But she knew it was far from ordinary.