Horizons: A Klaroline Story

A Time For Change

Whitmore College

Bonnie Bennett and Elena Gilbert sat on Caroline's empty bed. They were worried about Caroline's sudden disappearance. A map was laid out between them, Bonnie was chanting a locator spell whilst holding Caroline's old hair brush. A thin line of blood trailed from Mystic Falls to New Orleans. Bonnie's eyes popped open.A look of confusion spread across her face. "Well? Did you find her, Bonnie? Is she okay?" Elena asked, anxiously eyeballing the map. "She's in New Orleans, with Klaus. I saw her talking to Klaus." The witch answered. "What? That doesn't make any sense. Why would she go to New Orleans?" Elena asked. "Elena, she was talking about having a fresh start. With him, in New Orleans. I think she's gone for good." Bonnie sighed.

Elena shook her head, in denial. "No. Caroline wouldn't do that. Not with Klaus, not without saying goodbye first. He's a monster, Bonnie, she wouldn't willingly go to him." Elena said. "We all said the same thing about you and Damon, Elena. And we all know they have feelings for each other. They slept together the last time he was in town." Bonnie said as Elena got up and began pacing back and forth in front of the bed. "But what about Stefan? She has feelings for him. She turned off her humanity because she felt like he didn't care for her the way she cares about him. We have to go to New Orleans. We have to talk her out of this, Bonnie." Elena argued.

"If Caroline didn't want to be with Klaus, she wouldn't have left, Elena. I think she just needs some time to think. I'm sure she'll come back when she's ready." Bonnie said as she got up and placed a comforting hand on her friend's arm. Frustrated, Elena pushed Bonnie's hand off of her arm. "She's not thinking straight, Bonnie. I know what it feels like to turn off your humanity and do horrible things that you regret later on. She just feels trapped and we're her best friends, we have to help her." Elena insisted. "Elena." Bonnie started to argue. "No, Bonnie. I'm calling Stefan. If you won't be a real friend and help Caroline, then I will. I know what she's going through. I'm not going to let her go through this alone or with Klaus." Elena snapped as she got up and stormed out of the room. Bonnie sighed and thought to herself for a moment. Her face lit up with an idea. She grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen, and begun writing.

Caroline, it's Bonnie. Elena and I are worried about you. She's on her way to New Orleans to find you and bring you back home, she's bringing Stefan with her. Please just call me and let me know you're okay.

Bonnie crumbled up the piece of paper and closed her eyes, muttering a spell under her breath. The balled up note was set ablaze and vanishes into thin air.

Whitmore College

Elena was walking around campus on the phone with Stefan. She was still upset about Caroline. "But we can just leave her with Klaus. Who knows what she'll do right now. She's hurt and she needs us, Stefan." Elena complained. "Maybe Bonnie's right, Elena. When Caroline is ready to talk about it, she'll come back home. Klaus won't do anything to hurt her. We both know he's in love with her." Stefan said. "Klaus may be in love with her but he has a temper, Stefan. He had a grudge against Katherine for five hundred years, he killed both of his parents, he bit Caroline, he made Tyler bite Caroline, he killed Tyler's mom, and the list of Klaus's victims can go on forever. He's got a thousand years worth of innocent blood on his hands. What if he tries to make Caroline act like him. She's really vulnerable, Stefan. What if we never get her back?" Elena said in a huff.

Stefan sighed. He felt like Elena might be right. "Okay. Elena, we'll leave tomorrow morning. Just pack your bags and try not to worry. I'm sure Caroline is okay." He said. Elena sighed in relief. She was glad Stefan was going to come with her to New Orleans. "Thank you, Stefan, for understanding. I just want to make sure she's okay and let her know she's not alone." Elena squealed. She hung up the phone, a light smile crossed her face.

The Mikaelson Compound

Caroline was sitting beside Klaus, drinking a scotch on the rocks. "So your aunt Dahlia wants to take your daughter away from you forever so she can have her power? How does she even know about Hope?" Caroline asked. "Apparently she can sense Hope's magic." Klaus sighed, a worried expression flickering across his face for a moment before it was replaced with a stony glaze.

"So how do you even know what Dahlia wants from Hope? Did she tell you that herself or did Esther send a message somehow?" Caroline inquired, confused by the shocking information she was being given. She simply did not understand any of what was going on. "Do you remember the story of our family's origins, Caroline?" The hybrid asked. Caroline nodded, "Yeah, your parents lost a child to the plague in the old world so they moved to the new world, had more children, lost one to the werewolves and turned the rest of you into vampires to protect you."

Klaus sighed and paused before speaking, "Well, apparently my mother lied to my father about our oldest sibling's death. She was taken at the age of five, once she started to showcase her magical abilities. Dahlia came for her and Esther let her take her." Caroline's jaw dropped, she was shocked. "Esther told you this?" She asked, leaning forward. A small chuckle escaped Klaus's lips as he shook his head. "Actually, it was our long, lost sister Freya who told the tale of her miserable existence with Dahlia. She is the one who came to warn us of our impending doom." He answered. "Freya? Wait, how is she alive? Wasn't that over a thousand years ago?" Caroline asked, her head spinning.

"That is exactly what I said, sweetheart. Apparently Dahlia is powerful enough to grant Freya and herself immortality. Freya found this out after trying to off herself with a bottle of Dahlia's most potent poisons. It didn't work obviously." Klaus said. "Immortal witches? How is that even possible?" Caroline asked, shocked. "Well they are bound by a century-long sleep which preserves their youth and health. They only get to awaken for one year of life every one hundred years." Klaus explained to shocked young vampire. "So you can keep Hope safe by just avoiding Dahlia for the rest of the year." Caroline said in a simple matter-of-fact tone.

"Well that would be simple enough if Dahlia wasn't so powerful that she could wipe us all off of the face of the Earth with a single wave of her hand. There is no running or hiding from her, Caroline. The only option here is bloodshed and death. Her blood and her death." Klaus said with a dark chuckle. Suddenly a note appeared in a blaze of fire beside them. Caroline reached for it but Klaus was faster. He read over the note and smirked before tearing it to shreds. "What was that? Was it Dahlia?" Caroline asked, curious about the note.

"No. It was Bonnie Bennett, it seems that Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore are worried about your safety and are on their way here now." Klaus smirked. Caroline's eyes widened in surprise. "What?! I need to use your phone." She demanded. "Feel free to grab it from my pocket, love." Klaus smiled, gesturing towards the crotch area of his jeans. Caroline rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I'm only kidding, love." The original hybrid chuckled as he handed the phone to the blonde and left the kitchen to strategize on his own. Caroline quickly dialed Elena's phone number.

Elena sat on the couch of the living room of the Salvatore boarding house, waiting for Stefan to get home. Her phone rang and she, confused by the unknown number, answered it. "Hello?" She said warily. "Elena! Don't come to New Orleans, I'm fine. And definitely don't bring Stefan, things are awkward enough as it is." Caroline shouted into the phone. "Caroline?! You're okay? How did you even know we were coming to get you?" Elena asked, shocked and excited to hear from her friend.

"Bonnie sent me a magical note. Really, Elena I'm fine. I just need a little time to myself. And I want to explore things with Klaus for a little while." Caroline explained. A young dark-haired woman entered the kitchen, interrupting Caroline's conversation. The blonde vampire turned to the woman. "Hold on, Elena." She said before addressing the woman, "Can I help you?" The woman stared at Caroline in a daze and mumbled, "Where is what was promised to me, so long ago? Where is the child?" Caroline looked confused. "What? Are you Dahlia?" She asked. "I am Dahlia, I am everywhere. Now give me the child!" The woman demanded. Caroline's vampire face began to show and she flashed her fangs at the woman in an aggressive manner. "If you want that baby, you're going to have to go through me." She snapped.

"Very well." The woman said simply before raising her arm toward Caroline. The blonde vampire fell to the ground screaming, a horrible pain shooting through her.