thirteen

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Normal Family Of Mine

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THE LAST FEW DAYS HAD BEEN boring for Athena. First, Klaus had ended up leaving both her and Rebekah, making them move in with the Salvatore brothers, then Rebekah had started high school, leaving Athena alone for hours as she read in the library at the Boarding House (though Klaus did call her a few times to check up on her, feeling guilty for leaving without her or Rebekah). Soon after that, some of the dead supernatural creatures came back to help with the many ongoing situations.

And this was all happening while Athena stayed at the Boarding House. She spent most of her time there, mainly in the library, reading for hours on end. But she also spent some time in the woods, shifting and getting used to her wolf form.

Rebekah had apologized many times that she was sorry she wasn't around much. Athena always told her it was ok even though it did hurt her feelings. She wondered why Klaus didn't take them with him; if maybe she had done something wrong to make him leave.

To ease her sadness of not seeing her pack mate for days, Athena let her mind wander to the red-headed boy from her dreams. Despite what she hoped, his face was never shown. But she heard his voice every time. However, when she woke up, she forgot what his voice sounded like. Athena came to the conclusion that she must have known the boy during her time on the Other Side.

It made her upset though because - with the boy - she got the same feeling she got with all of her other pack mates, but it was stronger as if he was something special to her pack. As if he was something special to her.

Athena had thought about what Gloria had told her about the two Nyxs. And with that information, she felt as if the red-headed boy in her dreams was the male Nyx. But, if that was the case, why didn't she feel the void in her chest of him being dead?

---

Elena, Damon, and Alaric looked at the drawings on the cave wall with curiosity.

"What is all this?" Elena asked.

"Well, as far as I can tell, it's a story. In simple, archaeological terms, it's a really, really old story," Alaric explained. He pointed at the wall while Elena held the flashlight at the drawings. "That right there is the moon cycle." He pointed to another drawing. "A man, a wolf."

"A werewolf."

"Yeah, it's the "Lockwood Diaries: Pictionary-Style"," Damon smirked.

Elena ignored him as she expressed her confusion. "I don't understand. I thought the Lockwoods came here with the Original Founders in the 1860s."

"I don't know. Maybe the Lockwoods did, but according to this wall, these werewolves have been here a lot longer than that," Alaric told her.

"How long?"

"Long. It gets better. Show her, Ric," Damon said.

Alaric shined a flashlight on some writing and Elena followed his gaze. "Names. They're not native. They're written in Runic, a Viking script."

"Vikings?" Elena questioned.

"This name here, I translated it and it reads Niklaus."

"Klaus."

"And Elijah...Rebekah... and Athena."

---

Flashback

A little Athena tried to reach to her sister as Rebekah used a knife to carve her name in Runic on the wall. Klaus stood behind them, holding a torch.

"Bekah it's my turn," the little girl whined.

"Rebekah, let our sister have her turn!" Klaus whispered.

"Quiet, Niklaus! I am to have more concentration if I am not to slice off a finger. I will give our sister her turn in a moment."

The youngest sibling let out a sigh, clutching her sister's dress. "Father would not like you holding a blade."

Rebekah stopped to look down at her sister. "If I want to wield a blade, I shall wield a blade, Ena. Besides you want to hold one as well. Father need not know."

"He will find out," Klaus spoke up, looking worried for his sisters. "He always does."

Rebekah finally finished and Athena frowned at her brother. "That's because you always tell him, Nik. You spoil the fun!"

"I cannot help it...he frightens me."

The two sisters stood side by side as they stood in front of Klaus.

"He frightens us all," Rebekah pointed out, picking up her sister and settling her on her hip. "That is why we stick together as one, always and forever." She smiled at her siblings. "Right, traitor?"

Klaus smiled back. "Right."

Rebekah held out the knife. "Here. You finish it and do our sister's." Athena pouted, looking sad. "I do not feel comfortable with her holding a blade so young. We are to help mother with the meal."

Athena started to cry. "But Rebekah!"

"Shh now. You know Kol will have a fit if you start to cry."

"Yes, go tend to dinner, and leave the blades to the men, little sisters," Klaus smiled.

Rebekah smiled mischievously and set the knife blade-side down into his palm, slicing it open. Athena laughed and Klaus winced.

"Agh, Bekah!"

"It's just a little blood. Be a man about it," Rebekah smiled.

He shook his head, smiling and turned as his two sisters exited the cave. Athen looked at her sister as Rebekah held her.

"Will I ever get to hold a blade?"

Rebekah smiled and kissed the top of her sister's head. "Maybe one day. But you know how Kol will feel about you potentially putting yourself in danger. None of us want that. We want to protect you at all costs."

Athena laid her head on Rebekah's shoulder. "I love you, sis."

"I love you as well."

End of flashback

---

"These are the names of the Original Family?" Elena realized

"Carved into a cave that's been here since way before the founding of Mystic Falls. Or even the entire New World, for that matter," Alaric explained.

"Okay, this has gotta be one of Klaus's fakes."

"That's what I said," Damon spoke up from the cave doorway.

Alaric nodded. "That could be true, except the last name up here made us think otherwise."

Elena stepped forward to look at the name he shined his light on. "What's the name?"

"Mikael."

"Mikael...Mikael, as in, the vampire hunter who knows how to kill Klaus?"

"Yep," Damon confirmed. "I now like to call him "Papa Original"."

---

Flashback

Rebekah and Henrik were talking when their youngest sister came running up to them.

"Bekah, Henrik! Nik and Elijah are fighting, come on!" she exclaimed, giggling as she tugged on her siblings' hands.

They all ran to the scene to watch and Klaus and Elijah's sword fight. Athena laughed and Rebekah picked her up, setting her on her hip. Rebekah pointed at them for Athena to see and the girl smiled wide.

"Oh look, our sisters have arrived to watch my fast approaching victory!" Elijah gloated, sending a smile to his sister's before turning his attention back to Klaus.

Klaus grinned. "On the contrary, Elijah..." He swung his sword and cut Elijah's belt off his waist. "They've come to laugh at you!"

Athena giggled, clapping her hands together in excitement. Rebekah laughed and so did Klaus. Elijah smiled. Esther and Mikael approached their children as the children all laugh together. But they all saw and Athena clutched to her sister, knowing that their father was angry.

"Relax, Mikael. Niklaus means well," Esther told her husband softly.

"That is precisely my problem," he replied.

Esther looked as if she was about to argue when she shut her mouth closed, holding the basket to her side. She looked over at her youngest child who was still clutching to Rebekah. Athena's head dug into Rebekah's chest as her eyes were wide with fear.

Mikael approached the boys and took Elijah's sword and turned to Klaus.

"So, why don't you teach me that trick, young warrior?" Mikael sneered.

He swung at Klaus and Athena gasped, trying to burrow herself closer into Rebekah. Elijah hurried over and took his sister in his arms. Athena shook and she wished that Kol was here. Her older brother was usually the one who comforted her when she was afraid.

Klaus dodged Mikael's sword. "Father, we were just having fun."

But Mikael swung again, and again. Klaus continued to dodge him. "We fight for our survival! And you find time for fun?! I want to have fun! Teach me! Come on!"

"Father, it was nothing..." Klaus trailed off.

Mikael yelled in fury and swung, disarming Klaus immediately. He slammed the older son on his back on the ground, setting the sword to Klaus's throat. Athena felt tears prick her eyes and she wrapped her arms around Elijah - and on instinct - he tightened his grip on her protectively. Now she really wished Kol was here. Her heart was pounding fast and the tears began to fall.

"You are foolish and impulsive, my boy. What? No more laughter?" Mikael questioned Klaus with a strong glare.

Esther saw her daughter's frightened look, tears streaming down her youngest child's face and spoke sternly, "You've made your point, Mikael!"

Mikael stabbed the sword into the ground; it sticking right next to Klaus's head. "Some days, it's a miracle you're still alive, boy."

Athena started cried and Mikael got up and left. Elijah held her close as she cried.

That was the second time she had witnessed violence.

End of flashback

---

The forest was quiet minus the on and off sounds of the forest animals. Athena walked, not focused on anything but her thoughts. It still seemed to nag at her: the fact that despite him being dead (if the red-headed boy was truly the male Nyx), Athena didn't feel the void in her chest like Gloria said.

So there was only one conclusion: the red-headed boy was not the male Nyx.

Athena removed her dress from behind a tree and then transformed into her white wolf. Her paws hit the ground and she ran, not noticing the red-headed boy that had transformed into his wolf, following after her.

---

Rebekah and Elena were at the Boarding House in Stefan's room. The vampire was combing through Stefan's stuff when Elena stopped her.

"Are you gonna root through his stuff all night or are you gonna start to tell me your story?" Elena snapped.

"Ah...you really are no fun. What do you want to know?" Rebekah asked.

Elena walked into the room from where she stood in the doorway. "Well, Elijah said that your father was a landowner in Europe. How did you guys end up here?"

Rebekah explained as she looked through Stefan's stuff. "My parents had just started a family when a plague struck their homeland. They lost a child to it. They wanted to escape and protect their future family from the same fate."

"So, how did you end up here? This part of the world hadn't even been discovered yet."

The Original laughed. "Not by anyone in your history books. But my mother knew the witch Ayana, who heard from the spirits of a mystical land where everyone was healthy...blessed by the gifts of speed and strength. That lead my family here, where we lived amongst those people."

"The werewolves?"

"To us, they were just our neighbors. My family lived in peace with them for over 20 years, during which time my family had more children, including me."

She moved on through the room as Elena replied, "You make it sound so normal."

"It was."

---

Flashback

The youngest Mikaelson frowned at her mother. "But I don't understand. Why must we leave?"

Esther crouched down to look at her daughter. "Because the people we live with turn into creatures once a month, and they can be dangerous. Do not fear, Athena. We shall be back in the morning."

Athena nodded and her next question was cut off when she heard her brother, Klaus, scream.

"Mother!!!"

The two raced out and the young girl cried out when she saw the body of her youngest sibling.

Henrik

"Henrik!" she cried, running over, Esther following her.

"Mother!!!" Klaus yelled.

Athena fell to Henrik's side and wept. Although she wasn't as close with Henrik as her other siblings, it still felt like a piece of her died.

"No, no!! What happened?" Esther asked Klaus.

Elijah ran over and picked up Athena, holding her as the girl sobbed. Everyone in the village watched with wide eyes.

"The wolves! I am sorry, I'm so sorry!" Klaus sobbed, bringing his knees to his chest.

Esther looked at Ayana. "We must save him. Please, there must be a way!"

The witch put a hand on Henrik's forehead and shook her head lightly. "The spirits will not give us a way, Esther. Your boy is gone."

"No! No!!!" Esther sobbed, clutching her youngest son's body.

Athena fell to her knees as she sobbed.

That was the first time she had witnessed death.

End of flashback

---

"And that was the beginning of the end of peace with our neighbors," Rebekah explained to Elena. She turned around to face the doppelganger. "And one of the last moments my family had together as humans."

Before Elena could say anything, her phone vibrated, snapping Rebeka out of her memory. The blonde cleared her throat. "You better get that. That'll be Damon checking up on you."

---

Later on, Rebekah lied on Stefan's bed, going through one of his diaries.

"Did you get your fill of snooping yet? Can we get on with the story?"

Rebekah looked over at her. Elena was sitting at the desk and the blonde got up, picking up a photo of Elena and Stefan from the table.

"Honestly, I don't get you two as a couple," Rebekah admitted.

"Why would you? You don't know anything about who he really is," Elena snapped.

"I know exactly who he is. He's a vampire. We're a predatory species." She leaned close to Elena's face, glaring. "We don't have time to care about humans and their silly little lives."

"Is that why you did that runway show earlier? 'Cause you don't care about the Homecoming Dance?" Rebekah leaned back. "You know what, I'm just gonna go."

Elena got up but Rebekah stopped her by calling out, "You haven't even heard half the story."

The doppelganger stopped and turned around to face her. "And you are not going to tell it. You're just bored and looking for someone to push around. Find someone else to play with...maybe you can compel yourself a friend."

Elena started to leave again when Rebekah spoke up.

"The necklace wasn't Stefan's to give. It belonged to the Original Witch."

Elena turned around. "The one who put the hybrid curse on Klaus?"

"Not just the hybrid curse. She's the one who turned us into vampires."

---

Flashback

Athena tried to keep quiet as she sat in the room across from where her parents talked with Ayana. The girl hadn't been the same after Henrik's death, none of them were. Even Kol could not make the little girl smile.

"Please, Ayana! I implore you! You must call upon the spirits before the next full moon," Mikael stressed.

"I will not! It is a crime against nature," Ayana argued.

"Ayana, we have already lost too much," Esther told her. "We cannot lose any more...The spirits can help us find a way to protect our children."

Athena did nothing as she laid her head back onto the wood.

End of flashback

---

"I'm thirsty. Do you want a drink?" Rebekah asked Elena, exiting Stefan's bedroom and going to the library. Elena followed after her.

"So, vampirism was a form of protection?" Elena questioned, as they walked down the steps.

"What else would it be?"

"A curse?"

Rebekah sighed. "My parents only saw a way of keeping their children alive."

"Yeah, but why stay, if they were so afraid of the werewolves? Why not...leave?"

The blonde vampire stopped and turned to her. "Pride...My father didn't want to run anymore. He wanted to fight and be superior to the wolves. Where they could bite, we had to bite harder. Where they had speed, we had to be faster. Agility, strength, senses."

---

Flashback

"Everything could be heightened. Our family could live forever," Mikael explained, going over to stand next to his wife.

"At what cost? This magic you speak of breeds consequence. This is the makings of a plague, Esther. The spirits will turn on you," Ayana warned.

"Please, Ayana," Esther pleaded.

Athena wrung her hands together as she brought her knees to her chest. Her parents seemed desperate which only made Athena question as to what they were planning.

"I will have no part in it," Ayana told them, leaving the house.

Mikael closed the door and turned to Esther. "If she will not protect our family...then it is in your hands alone, my love."

And that was when Athena rose up from where she sat and bolted. Tears pricked her eyes as she ran.

End of flashback

---

"In her hands? How could she do anything?" Elena asked as she followed Rebekah.

"Because my mother was also a witch," Rebekah revealed.

"What?"

"The witch of the Original Family. The Original Witch?"

Elena blinked surprised and they arrived in the library. Rebekah started to look through the shelves and spoke to Elena.

"Where do they keep their best vintage?"

"But if your mother was a witch, then..." Elena trailed off.

"Am I? No, a witch is nature's servant; a vampire is an abomination of nature. You can either be one or the other, never both." She brought out a bottle and set it down. "My mother did this for us. She did not turn."

"How did you turn?" Elena asked.

Rebekah walked further into the room, still holding the bottle and a glass cup. "She called upon the sun for life, and the ancient white oak tree, one of nature's eternal objects, for immortality. That night, my father offered us a drink laced with blood. And then he drove his sword through our hearts."

Elena stood stunned. "He killed you?"

The blonde turned to her. "And he wasn't delicate about it either."

She took the bottle of wine, broke its neck off with one motion of her hand, and threw it into the fireplace.

---

Flashback

It was like a nightmare that she couldn't escape. Never had she felt so scared, so alone. Athena felt powerless as she sobbed, curling into a ball on the floor. Her white nightgown clung to her sweating body, blood soaking her stomach where she had been stabbed by Mikael.

The girl was scared of what she had become. Esther had assured her youngest daughter that it was for the best, that this way their family would be safe. But it did not ease Athena's worries in the slightest. In fact, it only made her more terrified.

What would her family think of her? They had been all turned into these beats, monsters. But she was so young, so pure, so innocent. What would her family think of their youngest sister being a monster?

"Athena..." Klaus trailed off in worry.

Rebekah was still unconscious as she lied on the floor nearby. Athena started to sob, trying to reach for her brother. Klaus brought her to his chest.

"You will be alright! We will all be alright."

But not even his comfort calmed the girl down. Athena held her brother's arm and she glanced around at the lifeless bodies of her siblings. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, wailing in agony as she truly realized what she and her family had become.

Nothing would be the same. Nothing would. There was no going back from this and this would only make things worse. There was a price to these sort of things and Athena and her siblings were forced to pay it.

Mikael came into the room, smashing through the door, carrying a girl. He looked frantic and Klaus only drew his sister closer.

"What are you doing?" he asked, fear lacing his tone.

Even he knew that their parents' choice would only end in pain. And it started as soon as Mikael took the blade in his hands, not hesitating to jab it into any of their hearts. Esther was hesitant. She did not want her youngest child who was only the age of thirteen to suffer. But this was the only way to protect her family from the wolves ever hurting them. She would not let her another one of her children fall victim to the werewolves claws and razor-sharp teeth.

"We must finish what we started!" Mikael exclaimed. He pushed the village girl onto her knees in front of them. The girl didn't seem to struggle in his hold. "You have to drink if you want to live." Then he slit the girl's wrist open, blood pouring out of the wound immediately.

Athena's breath hitched and Mikael looked at her.

"Drink!" he told her. But the girl hesitated, starting to cry even more. Klaus tried to stop him, moving Athena away and pushing Mikael back. But then Mikael only pushed him to the side. The father held the girl's bloody wrist under Athena's chin. "Drink!" The little girl sobbed and then dug her mouth into the girl's wrist, drinking the blood. "Drink!!!"

Athena drank more and then all of a sudden she craved more. Klaus watched in horror as his little sister, drank vigorously from the girl, dark veins appearing under her eyes. She lifted her head and let out a sigh of content.

The feeling she got was incredible. Her whole entire body felt like it had transformed; like she was a new person. Athena felt the power coursing through her veins, everything seemed heightened. She could see even the smallest dust particle, smell the animals that slept in the woods, hear the soft breathing of the other villagers; it was euphoric.

But as the days passed, Athena and her siblings found that the spirits had punished them for Esther's decision. One day, the youngest Mikaelson wanted to venture outside from having been stuck in the same cottage for days. However, once she passed one of the windows, she was burnt. Athena screamed in pain and flashed into the dark corner, gaping in shock.

Esther and the rest of her family ran out of the rooms and went to her. Her mother looked concerned.

"What's wrong, Athena? What happened?"

"It burned me." She held her hand that was burnt, though it was slowly starting to heal. "The sun burnt me."

Esther was quick to dive into her spell books, looking for ways to keep things like that from happening again. Mikael had covered all of the windows, making sure no sunlight was left. So the young girl was left sitting in a dark corner, watching the sun's rays peek through the windows.

Things only began to get worse once Esther found a loophole for the sun: daylight rings. Now the people Athena had grown up were afraid of her and her family. If they saw any one of the Mikaelson children, they would run back to their homes, knowing that they couldn't come inside without an invitation.

And the once flowers that Athena picked with her sister Rebekah now burnt them at the touch, as well as preventing them from compelling (though Athena never did compel).

In addition, the tree that gave her and her family immortality could take it away from them. So Athena watched and she and her family burned the tree to the ground.

Though in all of this, there was a catch; something, not even her parents could fathom.

Blood

The Mikaelson siblings' lust for blood was something none of them could control. Athena tried so desperately to keep her thirst at bay. But she could only hold off for so long before she flashed to the people she grew up with and drained the blood from their body.

End of flashback

---

"Why did Mikael start hunting Klaus?" Elena asked curiously.

"When Nik made his first human kill, it triggered his werewolf gene. With that, he became my father's greatest shame," Rebekah told her.

"Yeah. Elijah told me this part of the story. Your mother had had an affair with one of the werewolf villagers. Klaus wasn't his son."

"She tried to make it right. She put the hybrid curse on Nik to suppress his werewolf side, and then she turned her back on him. But Mikael's greatest weakness as a human was his pride. As a vampire, that was magnified. He went on a rampage and killed half the village. Then he came home and killed her."

Elena stood stunned once again. "Mikael killed your mother?"

"He said she broke his heart so he would break hers. He tore it from her chest as Nik watched."

"But I thought Athena went missing after your mother put the curse on Klaus."

Rebekah nodded, looking sad at the mention of the memory she and the rest of her siblings never liked to look back on. "She did. The last person she was with was my brother Kol. But then she left... and she never came back. My siblings and I thought she had fled, but it didn't make sense why she would. So then there was only one thing that could've happened: Athena was killed."

"But she was in a coffin when we found her. So someone put her in there." Elena shook her head. "I just don't understand why you would still love Klaus after all he's done."

Rebekah let out a humorless laugh. "He's my brother. And I'm immortal. Should I spend an eternity alone instead?" She saw the look Elena gave her a glared. "You've heard the story, it's time to go. I said leave, Elena! I don't know what you're up to, but I'm no longer playing along."

"I'm just looking for one good reason why we shouldn't wake Mikael."

The Original scoffed, growing angry. "And I've given you a thousand! But you will anyway. I know you want him to help you kill my brother, I'm not stupid."

"It's no secret that I want Klaus dead. He has a hold over Stefan's life, and over mine."

"Do what you need. Wake Mikael at your own peril. But make no mistake, if you come after my brother or my sister, I will rip you apart. And I get my temper from my father. Now leave!"

---

Athena let out a sigh as she flashed back to the Boarding House, now fully dressed and in her regular skin. But then she felt something off.

Then she heard the crying.

The girl flashed into the Boarding House to see Rebekah sobbing on the floor.

"Rebekah!" Athena fell to her sister's side. "What's wrong!"

"He lied to us, Athena! Klaus lied!" Rebekah yelled, tears streaming down her face. She looked up at her sister who looked confused. "He killed our mother."

Athena gaped in shock and shook her head. "No. No, no Nik wouldn't."

"He did, Ena. He killed her."

She couldn't process what was happening. But all she knew was that she wrapped her arms around Rebekah, starting to cry.

And that's how the two sisters stayed for the rest of the night; in each other's embrace, crying at the broken family they were a part of.

---

I hope you guys don't mind that Athena was only really in the flashbacks this chapter. I just couldn't find a place for her to be in the last two episodes so I just skipped forward and summed up what she had been doing at that time.

And I figured since this episode had tons of flashbacks, I wanted to go into more detail about Athena's relationships with her siblings.

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