{1.10 | There's a World Where Your Dreams Come True | part 2}
WISH NUMBER TWO
"I WISH THAT THERE WAS NEVER A SALVATORE SCHOOL TO BEGIN WITH"
"Babe, baby, babygirl," Elara rambled into the cell phone that was pressed against her ear. She pressed her back against the brick wall, doing her best to blend in. "Light of my life, sun to my moon--"
"Yes?" A sweet voice on the other end of the line responded, drawing out the word as she cut off Elara.
"You know I love you, right?"
"Mhm." She heard shuffling on the other end.
"As much as I love that brain of yours and say 'yes' to a lot of things--"Her eyes scanned the students as they walked past her into the school.
"Elara," the voice interrupted again. "Please, get to your point."
Elara kept her voice low as not to draw attention. "Why do IÂ have to scout the school for our target? This place is a nightmare."
A laugh reached her ears, a joyous, care-free laugh that she had grown to love over the years.
"It can't be that bad."
"Human high schoolers are actual heathens, Hope," Elara countered, noticing a car pull up in front of her. "The wolves aren't even this bad, I swear. I've been here ten minutes and have already seen one wedgie pull, a kid getting shoved into a locker, and a couple making out next to that locker."
"I've seen the wolves do that before," Hope argued, her voice calm, but Elara could practically hear her smiling. She knew her girlfriend better than anyone. "You'll be fine, baby. It's only a couple of hours."
"Yeah, well," Elara grinned as an idea came to mind. "I don't have to worry about the wolves asking for my number."
"What?" she barked.
Elara let out a laugh of her own. "I'm kidding."
She paused. Her eyes followed three people that walked past her. Two teenagers, one dressed to the nine and the other dressed more casually, and with them was an older man. He was a history teacher at the school, and Elara needed to keep an eye on him.
Alaric Saltzman was her target, after all.
And he was about to leave her eyesight. Crap.
"About the wedgie pull."
"Elara-"
"GottagoIloveyoubye!" Elara spit out, tapping her phone to end the call. She pushed herself off of the wall, unintentionally catching the eye of one of the twins.
Lizzie blinked in confusion. What was she doing there?
A ringing hit Elara's ears as the car pulled up to the school. The Mystic Falls Homecoming dance had arrived, and their purpose for being there was simple: find Alaric Saltzman and his daughters. They didn't need Elara to infiltrate the school, again. Going as a team made it safer for them in case anything happened. She hadn't shown it earlier, but Hope had worried about Elara being alone at the school. She knew her girlfriend wasn't the best at lying, and if she'd been caught, she couldn't compel her way out of there.
But it had been Mr. Laurent's idea, and Hope's own father liked the idea although he wasn't there to see it in person. They were planning something.
Elara sat in the passenger seat while the alpha, Jed, the vampire, Kaleb, and the witch, Pedro, sat in the backseat. Hope put the car in park, turning to look at her with concern.
"You alright?" she asked, noticing Elara's pained expression.
"I am," Elara answered firmly. She leaned forward, checking out the sight in front of them. It was her second time at the high school that day, and it looked the same as it had before. The homecoming decorations stood out more in the night. "But someone else isn't."
The ringing grew louder, and she narrowed her eyes. Her father had explained its purpose, how it was basically a danger sense. The danger could've ranged from someone trying to attack her or someone about to die, but either way, she knew something bad was about to happen.
An echo of scream hit her ears-- all of their ears. Hope jerked the car into drive and accelerated towards the school's entrance. Whatever had happened needed to be fixed.
They pulled up to the open doors, opening the doors of the muscle car quickly. Elara was the first to climb out, watching everyone carefully. Human high schoolers were heathens, yes, but she knew she could take down any of them without so much as breaking a sweat.
Lizzie's jaw practically hit the floor as the four Mikaelson students approached them. Elara walked with a confidence that Lizzie thought wasn't possible for her, and she noticed the protective way her eyes scanned the crowd.
Next to her, Josie was practically drooling.
"Looks like you guys could use some help," Hope announced as they marched into the school. Elara walked next to Hope, watching the Saltzmans carefully, and Hope caught someone else watching Elara carefully.
"Uh-uh," Lizzie said, shaking her head. Elara had learned her name on the car ride over. "No, we are all good."
They paused their march, as Alaric spoke, awe-struck. "That M. Mikaelson. Like the boarding school?"
"You'd be correct, Dr. Saltzman," Elara answered, smirking.
"Kaleb," Hope began, commanding the members of their team, "compel the students to forget what they've seen."
"On it."
"Jed, establish a perimeter. Lock the place down.
"Copy."
"Pedro, call in the chopper."
Pedro nodded, bringing his hand to his ear. "Green light, Maverick."
Elara paid no attention to each of them as they walked off. It was her job to act as a bodyguard, and she couldn't do that by getting distracted.
Lizzie, who looked like she was in shock, sputtered for a response. "Uh, I-I said that we're good. Okay?" She grabbed onto Josie's arm. "Josie and I do not want to be superheroes."
Hope and Elara exchanged a glance as if having a silent conversation.
Superheroes? Hope's eyes seemed to say. Her girlfriend simply shrugged.
Josie pushed Lizzie off of her, eyeing Elara up and down. "Yeah. Speak for yourself."
"We're not here for you," Hope swiftly declined, narrowing her eyes at the twin. She turned her attention to Alaric. "We're here for him."
The mentioned man seemed stunned, blinking, but her attention was caught by a hand slipping into hers. Elara's brows drew together, noticing Hope's hands firmly intertwined with hers. She opened her mouth to quietly ask her what was wrong, but she didn't need to. All she had to do was look at Hope to see her and Josie holding a challenging look between them.
"Well," Elara said, clearing her throat and drawing Hope's attention back to her. "Shall we be off?"
Having regained her jaw off of the floor, Lizzie looked between the three girls, her brows drawn together. Of all the things in that reality that Lizzie found strange, that interaction was one of the strangest.
"Make yourselves at home," Elara offered. She would've gestured if Hope wasn't latched onto her arm. Josie had kept making attempts at flirting with the werewolf, and Hope did not like that whatsoever.
The others followed suit, taking in the grand appearance of the school. Elara had grown familiar with its grandeur. She'd been going there since she was six, and it had become her home.
"This place," Alaric began, looking around, "it's like a dream come true."
"Perhaps you've heard my father has had a checkered past," Hope started to explain. She and Elara turned to face the group, and Hope remained attached to her. "But when he had me, things changed. There wasn't a school he could send someone like me to, so he built this one."
"And as you may have noticed, it's quite the success," Elara beamed.
"My father is currently overseas establishing our European branch, and although Mr. Laurent has done well in overseeing the school in his absence, we're in need of a more permanent headmaster" Hope finished.
At the mention of the name, Lizzie's eyes widened. Elara's father was alive? She spoke lowly as if to herself. "I think I'm gonna be sick."
"Sorry if the chopper ride was too bumpy."
Elara pointed with her free hand. "Bathroom's down the hall."
Lizzie didn't seem to appreciate her directions. "I know where it is," she grumbled.
She stomped off past them, and Elara watched her leave, curious. There was a blue shimmer, faint and nearly transparent, that flowed around her like a cloud. Josie was standing off to the side, twirling her hair with a flirty smile.
Clearing her throat again and feeling Hope tighten her hold on her arm, Elara addressed Josie. "Uh, if you'd like, you can have a look around. Get a bit familiar with the place."
"Oh, I'd love to. Are you offering--"
"She isn't," Hope cut in. "She has other things to attend to."
Josie lifted a brow. "Like?"
It was Elara who answered, catching on to what was wrong with Hope. "Helping my girlfriend deal with some very important and very necessary paperwork. Boring stuff, but all the better with her."
"Exactly, so let's go?" Hope asked except it came out as more of a command, and Elara was smart enough to not argue.
Hope tugged Elara to one of the hallways. When they turned the corner, her shoulders finally relaxed, and Elara finally realized what was wrong with her.
"You're jealous," Elara said, a small laugh coming out.
"I'm not," Hope grumbled, letting go of Elara's arm to cross her own. "You do have other things to do that don't involve her."
"Mhm," the werewolf hummed. "What about when we were at the high school? You're hardly the affectionate type when we're on a mission, and then, suddenly, when the target's daughter is eyeing me down, you're affectionate."
Hope shrugged. "Maybe I changed my mind about that."
Elara smirked, stepping closer to her girlfriend and wrapping her arms around her waist. "There's nothing wrong with a little jealousy, baby. As long as you don't kill her and scare off her dad, it's completely fine."
"I'm not going to kill her," Hope scoffed in annoyance, but she still wrapped her arms around Elara's neck. "I just might hit her if she makes googly eyes at you one more time."
"Well, she can make googly eyes all she wants because I'm not looking at them. All I see is those beautiful, beautiful eyes of yours."
"Really?"
"Really. Besides, how could I possibly do any better than you? Spoiler alert: I can't."
Hope smacked her on the shoulder. "You flirt."
"Guilty," Elara grinned. "But I'm serious, Hope. I'd be an idiot to choose anyone else over you. No one, and I mean no one, replaces you. You're my girl."
Hope's irritation had vanished by then, and she smiled widely. "And you're mine. Always and forever, right?"
Elara's smile widened. "Always and forever."
~-~-~
WISH NUMBER THREE
"I WISH HOPE MIKAELSON WAS NEVER BORN"
Cedric Laurent sprinted through the forest, panting hard.
Running, he had been running for ages, and he didn't have anything to help him. His supernatural powers disappeared the moment his daughter was born, and he became a human all over again.
The Supernatural Railroad was his last stop. In the past two years, he had done everything he could to avoid the headquarters. His presence was a threat to everyone there. Triad was hunting him, and he had run out of options.
He broke through the tree line, relief flooding his body at the sight of the rundown building. From afar it looked as it seemed, run down and abandoned, but he knew the truth. Inside, an old friend of his helped the supernatural escape from Triad.
Night was falling, and he didn't have time.
He had to warn them.
It didn't take long for him to reach the inside. A few of the people recognized him, letting him pass through without much fuss. He weaved through the manor, and he finally found the man he had been looking for in what had once been a mill.
"Ric!" he called out.
The named man turned his head away from what he had been looking at, and a bittersweet, thin-lip smile reached his lips. His friend, a man he'd known for years, was back. Then, he remembered why Cedric had gone on the run in the first place. He disappeared with Elara the moment Triad made their appearance, intent on remaining hidden.
"What are you doing here?" he questioned firmly.
Cedric marched over to the table, an air of urgency about him. "Triad's coming."
"We know. Triad got wind of our location. We're planning on taking a stand." He took a deep breath. "Josie's gone."
Cedric let a moment of silence pass in honor of her. "I'm sorry."
Alaric waved him off. "We need to put this to an end once and for all."
"You can't."
"No, but we can sure as hell try--"
"No, Ric," Cedric said, his voice shaky. "You can't. Everyone is going to die."
Alaric said nothing, asking him what he meant with a single look.
He spoke lowly. "They've got her."
"Her? Who's her?"
Both men turned their attention to the small voice of Lizzie Saltzman, who looked at Cedric as if he was a ghost.
"Lizzie. Did Penelope let you out?" Alaric questioned. "We've been working on getting the right dosages for you."
Lizzie shook her head, looking up at Cedric. "Who's her?"
"Elara," Cedric answered with a rasp. "Triad caught her."
They took her right from under his nose, and he failed. He failed her.
And they were all going to pay for it.
He nodded towards Alaric. "I will stand with you, Alaric. 'Til the end." Then, he disappeared into the mill.
Lizzie's eyes darted between Alaric and the rest of the room. She followed after him.
"What are we doing? Are we hiding?" she asked.
"No, we're fighting," Alaric answered. "Triad got wind of our location. With Josie gone, we decided to take a stand and put an end to this once and for all." A look of defeat briefly passed over him. "But now that they've got Elara..."
Lizzie, the witch known for being a bit of a bitch, was worried for her frenemy. "Why do they have her? Are they going to torture her?"
Alaric shook his head. "No. Death would save her... and us." He stopped to talk directly to Lizzie, dropping his voice. "Lizzie, if you see her, do not approach her. Run. Elara's gone, and it doesn't care about the people from her life."
It was Elara. Just Elara, and Lizzie didn't need to be friends with her to know that Elara wasn't a monster.
"But- but she's just a werewolf--"
"Not anymore," he interrupted. "The Hellhound is all that's left, and it's gonna do whatever Triad wants. Even rip her friends to pieces."
Hellhound? The Hellhound?
That didn't make sense to Lizzie. Elara was just a werewolf. An angsty, impulsive werewolf with an inclination to be a loner. Not whatever the hell the Hellhound was. But Cedric wouldn't have risked his life-- which was still around in this reality-- to warn a group of people instead of chasing after his own daughter.
She didn't want to believe it. Elara was violent, yes, but she was always in control. The two didn't get along well and bickered, but never did Lizzie feel like she had to walk on eggshells as to avoid an explosion. Elara would never have hurt her. Hell, she wouldn't hurt anyone who didn't hurt her first.
But Elara was gone, and the Hellhound was in control.
With his hands firmly holding an attempt of a quarterstaff, Cedric waited. He stood next to Alaric on the frontlines as a sense of deja vu ran through him. They had fought side by side many time before, unaware and afraid of what was going to happen, but not this time. He knew this fight was their last.
"You might do a little better if you used a ranged weapon," Alaric lightly poked. He was trying to show any positivity.
Cedric let out a weak chuckle. "I've trained with this thing for nearly a hundred years. I may be human now, but I've still got a few tricks."
The howling of the Hellhound caught their attention, and then the thundering of the soldiers charging them did.
"I'll see you on the other side."
And they charged.
Cedric clashed with an armed soldier. He whacked him in the stomach, then jerked his knee into his face. Then another charged him, and Cedric jabbed him in the face. Then another came. Then another. Then another.
The world moved quickly around him. Witches fought with whatever spells they could, and the vampires used their speed and strength to overpower the soldiers. They fought, and they fought, but it was impossible. There were too many of Triad's mercenaries.
His head jerked to the side as he heard Alaric yell, seeing a soldier bring a baton into his knee, but then a body collided with his.
Lizzie appeared on the battlefield with the Jinni, staring at her surroundings in shock. Her eyes saw Cedric first, and the creature towering over him.
It was a black wolf, larger than any werewolf Lizzie had seen before. Its eyes, which should've been gold, were a burning orange. An almost unbearable heat radiated from its body. It pinned Cedric down with one paw, growling viciously, and Lizzie realized who it was.
Elara, or rather the Hellhound that had taken control of her.
The Hellhound lifted its head, its eyes scanning the field, and they landed on her. Its eyes seemed to narrow as if observing her. In a panic, Lizzie turned to the Jinni. She wanted the urn, but Lizzie wasn't going to give it.
She was going to win the stupid game.
"I wish that you had never met the monster that sent you to Malivore."
Then the Jinni granted her wish, taking away her memories of their journey from the twin's conscious. Lizzie couldn't warn Elara about herself. She couldn't answer the questions the girl had about what she was. She couldn't figure out how to stop the Merge. She couldn't warn Josie.
The memories were gone, but the truth... the complicated, difficult, painful truth?
That remained, lying in wait like a hunter for its prey.