nineteen

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To Be Equal

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THE NEXT MORNING, Athena stayed quiet. Something was going to happen, she knew that. And to add to that, the events from last night unnerved her. It wasn't the fact that she felt familiarity when she saw the boy, but the fact that he was trying to warn her about something. And maybe, just maybe he was trying to warn her of what Esther was up to.

She walked down the stairs the next morning to see Klaus on the couch sketching and Kol nearby. Both saw her enter and both instantly became concerned when they saw the way she was acting.

"What's wrong, Ena?" Kol asked going over to her.

Athena shook her head, not looking into his eyes. "Nothing. Just didn't get that much sleep that's all."

"Don't tell me you regret giving Damon Salvatore a piece of your mind?"

She cracked a smile. "I don't." She sighed and then looked around. "Do you really think mother wants to be a family again?"

Both of her brothers were silent and before either of them could say anything, Rebekah walked in, after hearing her brothers' concern.

"I believe that mother does want to be a family again. But she might be a bit skeptical." She looked at Klaus. "After all, Nik did kill her."

Elijah walked in holding burnt sage. "No, Athena's right. Mother is acting rather strange."

"She's been dead for a thousand years, Elijah. What's strange for her?"

He walked down the steps and showed his siblings the sage. "Burnt sage." Klaus got up and took it. "She was doing a privacy spell."

"Why would she need a privacy spell?" Athena questioned.

"That's because she wouldn't," Kol replied.

Rebekah rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Why don't we ask Finn? He's been doting on her."

"I don't trust Finn," Elijah revealed. "He hates what we are, he always has."

Athena knew he had a point. Days after they had been turned, Finn had refused to drink from innocent humans. He fought his urges until it became unbearable. Though Athena did the same, she eventually would give in and then feed while Finn wouldn't so Esther had to force him to.

"That's not true," Rebekah defended. "Mother returned for one reason, to make our family whole. She loves us. What trouble are you looking to find?"

Rebekah left the room and Athena looked at her brothers.

"Do you think she's right?"

"I hope so," Elijah replied.

Athena didn't say anything else and left the room as well. Her brothers watched and they knew they were all thinking the same thing.

She was hiding something

---

Come to find out that Elijah had formed a plan to find out what Esther was up to. Rebekah was with Elena in the caves, waiting for Elijah's call saying that she could kill Elena. Klaus and Kol had gone to the Grill for some bonding. They had asked Athena to join but the youngest sister declined, opting to take a run in the woods.

But she didn't get far before she heard a twig snap. Her sense immediately became aware and her violet eyes appeared, along with her fangs and veins. Athena heard breathing and went to flash to the person when they grabbed her and then sped off.

When she was let go, Athena spun to see Finn, Esther, Abby, and Bonnie.

"Mother?" Athena questioned, worry lacing her voice. "What am I doing here?"

Esther went over to her daughter (but not too close) and sighed. "I'm going to fix my mistakes, Athena. Please forgive me."

Athena looked confused. "What?" She went to walk toward her mother when she realized she couldn't move any further. Athena went wide-eyed when she looked down and saw that she was stuck in a pentagram. "Oh my... oh no. No. No. No."

Bonnie and Abby frowned and Bonnie spoke up.

"I thought you said you weren't going to hurt her?"

Esther turned to her. "I'm not." She looked back at her daughter who was starting to cry. "You do not need to cry, my child. I am going to fix you."

Athena looked up at her with the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Fix me? I don't need to be fixed, mother."

"You will thank me, Athena." She nodded to Finn who began to light the torches. "The pentagram represents our connection to magic. The salt is a symbol of the Earth."

Bonnie looked at Athena as the girl fell onto the floor and brought her knees to her chest. "What about the torches?"

"Five torches. One for each of my children."

"What's the spell you're doing?"

Esther also looked over at Athena and then replied, "As the witch who cast the spell that made them vampires, I can also reverse it." Finn finished lighting the torches and stepped away from the pentagram. "When they become human again, they can be killed. As they are linked as one, my brave Finn will be the sacrifice. With his death, will come theirs."

"And you're just willing to die?" Abby questioned.

"My mother has released me from an eternity of shame," Finn told them. "It's not a sacrifice, it's a gift."

Athena suddenly stood up and flashed to the barrier of the pentagram. "You think fixing me is going to erase what you did? You think killing my siblings is going to change anything?" Her violet eyes shone. "We do not need to be fixed. You are the one who did this to us. It is your fault!"

Esther forced her face to be unemotional. "Which is why I must end this once and for all. The rest of my children will die and you will still be a hybrid. Once they are dead, I will release you to find him. And then the two of you can live happy and normal lives without any of this."

"Him? You mean the guy that's supposed to rule beside me?" Athena scoffed. "You're sick."

Finn then gasped and fell to the ground dead. Esther saw and looked around confused.

"Something's wrong."

---

Klaus was about to attack Damon when Elijah appeared and yelled, "Leave him! We still need them, Niklaus."

The Hybrid listened and turned around to face him. "What did mother do? What did she do, Elijah?"

Elijah walked down the stairs toward Damon, holding a phone. "You tell me where the witches are or I'll have my sister kill Elena right now."

Damon looked up at the clock tower and saw that it's 8:30. "You told me we had until after nine."

"I'm sure Rebekah will be more than happy to start her work early. After all, our little sister is missing. And if we find out that she was harmed in any way, you will all suffer."

---

When Finn woke up, he stepped into the pentagram with Athena who was ready to snap his neck. She couldn't believe that her brother was willing to go through with this. Her own brother was willing to sacrifice himself to kill the rest of her siblings.

However, Esther saw this and stopped her. "Athena! Do not make this difficult. Behave yourself."

Athena glared at her but listened. There was no point anyway. Even if she did snap his neck, Finn would only heal and then come back to life.

Footsteps approached and they all turned to see Kol, Elijah, and Klaus.

"They're coming, Mother!" Finn called out.

"No, it's too soon, the moon is not high enough." She turned to the witches. "Go! Quickly!" Bonnie and Abby hurried back into the house just as the three Originals arrived. Athena went toward them and stopped at the barrier. They saw Athena and became worried. "My sons, come forward."

"Stay beside me, mother," Finn directed.

Esther walked into the pentagram and Athena stayed where she was.

"It's okay. They can't enter," Esther told him.

Kol approached the pentagram and the torches flared up, making him step back. Athena looked down with a sad look. She wasn't worried for herself, she was worried for her siblings. And to think that they were reunited once more to only be driven away. Esther had led them to believe they could be a family again. But they couldn't.

"That's lovely," Kol taunted, he glared distastefully. He was angry because his sister was in danger. She didn't deserve this, he knew that. "We're stuck out here, while the favorite son plays sacrificial lamb. How pathetic you are, Finn."

Esther stayed calm. "Be quiet, Kol. Your brother knows virtue you cannot even imagine."

Kol continued to glare and Elijah took a step toward the pentagram.

"Whatever you think of us, killing your own children will be an atrocity," he said.

"My only regret is that I did not let you die a thousand years ago."

Klaus rolled his eyes. His patience was wearing thin. His sister was in a pentagram and he knew that she was not linked to the spell, which meant Esther had other plans for her. "Enough. All this talk is boring me. End this now, Mother, or I'll send you back to Hell."

Esther walked to the barrier and stood beside her daughter who was ready to attack at a moments notice. But Esther was not looking at her, she was looking at Klaus. "For a thousand years, I've been forced to watch you. Felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood. Even you, Elijah, with your claim to nobility, you're no better. All of you. You're a curse on this Earth. Stretched out over generations. If you've come to plead for your life, I'm sorry, you've wasted your time."

Athena shook her head. "If we're such a curse? Why not let me die with them? If my siblings are going to die, I want to go with them. You can at least give me that."

"No, Athena," Klaus protested.

Esther looked at her daughter. "How many times do I have to tell you? You cannot die." She closed her eyes and began the spell. Athena started to gasp and fell to the ground.

"Athena!" her brothers outside the pentagram yelled.

Athena screamed and it felt like her entire body was on fire. Esther continued with the spell but then her link broke. Her eyes snapped open. "No! Sisters! Do not abandon me! She must be ready!"

The torches flared up and Athena screamed louder, tears working their way down her face. Finn grabbed Esther and the brothers outside the pentagram stepped away so they wouldn't get burnt.

Flashback

"Come on, Thomas. I'm bored," Athena whined, tugging on the redhead's hand.

Thomas smiled. "You're always bored, Ena. Can't you just sit for a moment?"

She gave him a look. The two had spent their time on the Other Side exploring and getting to know each other. Thomas had found out that Athena was awfully energetic. The girl was always doing something. Whether it be climbing trees, turning into her wolf form and racing, or just talking to him. He didn't mind though. Thomas liked to hear her thoughts.

"Please Thomas! Let's go for a run or something."

He shook his head. "Fine. But only because it's what you want."

Athena grinned and then jumped onto his back. She laughed and Thomas did as well.

Neither knew that they were the King and Queen of werewolves

End of Flashback

When the flames died down, Athena's screams ceased. She stayed on the floor, completely silent. Her brothers looked over and saw a figure that lied where their sister was. But this couldn't be their sister; it wasn't possible.

"Athena?" Kol whispered.

The girl lifted her head to look at her brothers who looked utterly stunned. She looked down and put her hands in front of her face. But her reaction was odd. Athena smiled and looked at her hands in wonder. She touched her hair and smiled. The younger hybrid looked at her brothers.

"She fixed me."

---

Sorry for the short chapter! But it is a major one.

Can you guess what Esther did?

This is the ship name for Rebekah and Athena!

Rena (Rebekah and Athena; LittleBird24601)

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