Elijah's Eternity: New Orleans (Complete)

Chapter 21: While Waiting

By: eternityunicorn

The Kirin Shrine was a well hidden place, deep within the forests of Mount Kurama. There was a great, long staircase that lead up the modest place of worship that doubled as Kaname's home, and at the top of the stairs was the large red torii gate that one had to pass through to get to the shrine. Beyond that was the water basin where worshipers would purify themselves before going on to the main building of the shrine to pray to the gods.

Though this was the traditional use of a Shinto shrine, Kaname's home wasn't quite a place of worship. No, that was only a cover. Instead, Eternity's cousin secretly helped the desperate, whom dared to make the long and dangerous journey to the shrine, in order to ask her, sometimes plead with her, to heal their illnesses or even resurrect their dead. The latter was something that the miko reserved for any children brought to her by grieving parents, who took a great risk to even bring the corpses to the Kirin Shrine.

Kaname told Elijah all this as they climbed the stone steps to the shrine, but he was rather distracted by the loss of his lady to the unknown. She was missing, out there somewhere, beyond his reach and it killed him to be so helpless to aid her, to even find her. He found it was difficult to breathe, not knowing where Eternity was or if she was in need of him.

Yet, her cousin remained completely unfazed by her unknown plight. She was ever confident that the immortal queen would be back soon, unharmed and victorious against whatever or whomever had taken her.

"Do not worry, Mr. Mikaelson," Kaname reiterated once they had reached the top of the stairs and were heading to the main house. "You will see your lady soon."

"How do you know?" He asked her softly.

Kaname turned back to grin at him, "Because I have bore witness to Her Majesty's might a time or two. I have seen with my own eyes, just what she is capable of - the wonders she can achieve. I have faith in her abilities, as should you, sir, especially if you truly love her."

"I do love her," he said defensively.

"Then have faith," she responded quickly. "Besides, this turn of events gives us a chance to speak. I wish to ensure you are nothing like the last husband. I won't let my cousin make the same mistake twice." A dark scowl crossed her face briefly, before it faded away as swiftly as it came as she looked back at him.

Elijah shoved his hands into his pants pockets at Kaname's pointed look of which she then gave him. He didn't like the idea of being thought of as being similar or the same as Loki. He was nothing like that maddened fool, whom no doubt was responsible for Eternity's disappearing act just now. That was what worried him the most - that she was at the Trickster's mercy.

"To begin, let me say that even before Eternity told me, I knew who you were, Mr. Mikaelson," Kaname told him in all seriousness. "I have heard the tales of the Originals; the bloodbaths, the killings, the mayhem, the destruction. Though much of that is contributed to your siblings, you are certainly not innocent; killing, maiming, torturing whomever dares to threaten your family or who is a means to an end for whatever reason you deem necessary.

"You are as cruel and monstrous as your more notorious siblings, particularly Niklaus Mikaelson. Yet, you pretend to be of civility with your suits and your candor. Surely, my cousin has seen all this, but she still fell in love with you. Why is that?"

Elijah's eyes narrowed on the miko, unsure as to where she was going with her words.

"Ah, I know," she carried on with a smile. "There is a measure of light in you, buried beneath the darkness of your monstrous ways. Like your siblings, there is a chance for redemption, for change - to be better than you are. Instead of remaining creatures of darkness, you lot can rise into the light and use the burden of being made into vampires for good.