[*The Aftermath of Darcella's Death - Flashback*]

~ Music ~ Everglow ~ Coldsplay

Niklaus Narrative

Niklaus rested his eyes upon the leaves, fluttering in the vast green space. In the light of day, you could never tell of the storm they had suffered moments before, of the winds that howled and tore their brethren from branches to ground. They reflected the soft sun rays, gave of their colours with that quiet joy nature sings of, that silent music we love to hear. Yet he also saw the plucked leaves, swirling in her gusting wake, the subtle "tells" of the suffering they have been encased in.

At that moment, he wondered what people would make of him, of them; would they see the signs of their storm? The way their eyes were slow and mouths heavy at the corners? Would they see the tears in his eyes un-cried, or would they see his now youngest brother tears soaking his cheeks as he clutched his deceased twin sister to his chest, hear his pleas for her to come back to them? Or how their little sister sobbed at his side, clasping her older sister's hand, the very sister who braided her hair and made-up stories to read to her and Henrik every night so that they could sleep without fear? Not that Darcella never minded, not if it made them happy. That's all Darcella wanted, their happiness. And she always strived to make that possible.

Niklaus watches as Elijah and Finn come to rest at their sides, falling to their knees. Even with them, he could see the tears trickling down their gaunt cheeks, their gazes switching from Henrik to Darcella, not knowing what to do or where to place their hands as Rebekah takes up placing Henrik's head upon her lap and brush the brunette locks away from his face. Seeing the action caused his heart to clench, all familiar with remembering Darcella's calming touch.

Memories run like the plague in the blonde's mind. Flickers of their times with Darcella leading up until her final moments, of the time when Darcella was merely ten years old and had asked Elijah and Finn to teach her how to sword fight, so when Father raised his to them, she knew how to protect them. Despite their refusals and worries that their Father would catch on and would punish her, believing that a woman should not duel or raise a sword, Darcella was relentless.

But most of all, she hated standing aside watching Mikael show his hand to his children and witness their Mother do nothing but live in fear and watch on the sidelines. After countless times of begging, Elijah and Finn gave in and taught her how to fight, not just with weapons either. Once she learnt the ropes, she encouraged Niklaus and Kol to participate, raising their self-confidence. In turn, when Rebekah and Henrik became of age to understand and wanted to aid in their roles, she taught them how to fight and defend themselves.

From that point, Darcella made it her mission to protect her family, at least the ones who did not feel confident to stand up to Mikael.

Every time a sword was poised at Niklaus' throat or a fist raised to his cheek, Darcella was there blocking Mikael's path. Often forgetting she was just a child herself, especially when she started placing the blame on herself and taking beatings in their family's place. And then the abuse will turn back on Niklaus when their Father turns his aggression onto Darcella. Back and forth it would go, both siblings fiercely protective of the other.

Mikael had a firm belief that children should stay in their place. Meaning, he's the Alpha of the family, and his children should know their roles very well, and if one took a step out of line, they would receive their punishments. Again, with a weapon or his bare hands. And whilst their Mother stood and observed, Darcella was there intercepting his foreboding. Mainly because she knew she was their Father's weakness, and she used that knowledge as a power against him.

Darcella was a stubborn, deviant, and a reckoning of a young woman to work against. She may be young and slight in form, but her emotional and mental aptitude often worked in her favour, turning the tables around that would leave you shaking in her shadow. You hit. She would strike back harder, and not in physical aspects. She would use your weaknesses and pick you apart from the seams, leave you shrivelling in her chills.

Even though there were trying times, there were other memories of happier moments. Darcella was the light of the family, keeping the darkness away. Smiles and laughs were near-constant.

Without her, they are a canopy of dark times waiting to strike.

Without her, they were mix-matched jigsaw pieces, never fitting or slotted in the wrong place.

Without her, they were tears and broken hearts. Without her, a part of their soul was severed.

Without her, they were bloodlust and destruction waiting to happen.

Without her, the other half of her in years to come would wither away, starved of her constant support and reassuring words. Kol would go by his time without his soulmate by his side, truly alone in the world because there's nothing like not having your twin at your side, learning, and discovering new things together and then having it snatched away with a click of someone's fingers. In many years due to the loss and his heightening vampirism sensations. Blood and suffering would be trailing in his wake—all their wakes.

Whilst Rebekah will have Niklaus and Elijah. Kol would be on his own. It was supposed to be him and Darcella and their pact; Family above all. But that was broken when she was taken away from them.

You, see? Without her, they were a colossal mess and continuous fights. She was the string that kept them attached. The glue that held them together. Deprived of those, they are nothing but empty shells. Walking around in aimless paths with no sight set forward.

Without her, Finn would be locked in a box for almost all of his vampire years because he aided their Mother's bidding and come in time, he would learn to be ashamed of himself for believing in such behaviours. He would come to realise that he would rather be a vampire than watch the fate his little sister would have to go through. All because of their Mother's unforgiving ways. Although no one can really blame him, their Mother can be very forceful and incontrovertible with her ways.

Without her, Elijah would be forced to become the nobleman of the family. The one who tries to keep them in check. He would attempt to take over Darcella's role of protecting the family and keep them together as can be. He will strive for them to be together as their motto, Always and Forever. As time cultivated, he became abashed watching his younger sister defending their family and not having the choice to act in fear of the beatings turning on him. Her strength and family loyalty will breed his.

Without her, Rebekah would not have her only sister at her side. Darcella was not just her sister; she was hers and Henrik's mother figure. Even though they were nearly two and four years separate in age, Darcella was much advanced and mature for her age, seeing as she had to grow up earlier than what was required. Darcella would braid her hair, conjure up stories and turn them into fairy tales for bedtimes just so Rebekah and Henrik could sleep peacefully and not fear their Father punishing Niklaus. Still, they would be awoken hours later due to Darcella's cries as she nursed Niklaus' wounds, and Kol would be at her side tending to her neglected scars. And whilst that would be happening, Rebekah would have to comfort Henrik, knowing him seeing their brother and sister in such a state upset him greatly, more so they all lived in dread of stepping up to Mikael.

Yet, they could not fathom how Darcella could stand up to him and would not shed an ounce of terror. She remained strong and composed. But what no one knew, whilst everyone gradually fell into a deep sleep, Darcella would linger awake, and in those moments, she would beat herself up for not being enough for her family, how she could not stop her Father from laying his hand on her siblings. How she could not get her mother to come out of her shell and protect her children as a mother should be doing. She would often observe how Kol, Rebekah and Henrik would result in soundless sobs watching from the sidelines as their Father laid into her as she took their punishments. Nevertheless, she continued to do it every day because she loved them all dearly and had believed they did not deserve to warrant such treatment.

It was Darcella who taught Rebekah about self-love and the fantasy of finding her own ever love. Through their bedtime stories, Darcella often made-up fantasies about Princesses' finding their own Princes' and whisking them away to happily forever after. Growing up, they would share their desires of what traits they would like in their husbands. Darcella wished for her husband to be strong, fierce, and protective and show her deep loving. In comparison, Rebekah dreamed of a husband who provided her with love and a family of her own. Without Darcella, a gaping hole would reside inside her. Not having a guiding hand or the familiar sense of love and acceptance would take a toll on Rebekah. She would grow envious and bitter for what she once desired she could no longer have.

It wasn't just Darcella they had lost. They also lost the youngest and most innocent of them all, Henrik. From the moment Henrik could walk and talk, he attached himself to Darcella's side. Growing up, he saw her as his role model and wanted to be just like her, strong and protective. In ways, Henrik was a mini version of Darcella; both shared similar personality traits, compassion and family allegiance. Wherever Darcella went, there was no doubt that Henrik would be following in her shadows, though the siblings think it's a place where he most felt safe. And who could blame him? They all would fight for her devotion and affection.

Even the oldest of them all craved her acceptance. Although, they weren't aware of her yet. But from the tales she had heard, she wished to be in Darcella's comforting presence, for she grew up with the absence of love.

Although Mikael raised his hands upon Darcella, he did love her. Perhaps he showed it a wrong sense, but he truly did. There was something about the girl that made him soft. He could not deny her of her desires. She held the family together. If she was a magnet and they were the metal pieces, imagine them in different directions, and all family members were present, they would be zip-zapping to be attacked upon her limbs and refuse to disembark. They bask in her lightness. In a world of black and white, they would be on either side of the spectrum, yet Darcella remained neutral. She chooses grey, leaving them no choice but to jump sides.

Growing up, Darcella may think her siblings did not have watchful eyes or earwigging ears, but they most certainly did. You see, their dear sister was ascended for extraordinary things before she entered this world. They don't know how she ended up being Kol's twin, but somehow it happened. Whilst he got the better half of their life, Darcella lived a life of suffering. Kol was granted his magical abilities, whereas Darcella's was taken away the moment she was born. However, Nikaus won't learn why until Esther completes her immortality spell.

However, Darcella claimed she was happy and did not have any ill feelings towards Kol having his magic. They could see the pain and misery of her not being able to join in withholding magic and producing spells alongside her twin, Finn and their mother. Whilst she could understand and read spells, and if she could, she would be able to perform with no hesitations. Instead, she stood by Kol's side, supported and guided him through his discovering's and learning. It was their dream to make their own magic and creations, maybe even travel the world to discover new magic.

After Darcella's and Henrik's death, Kol's sole purpose would be to seek knowledge of the Otherside and afterlife in finding ways of bringing a soul back to earth. He would carry on his and Darcella's dreams.

And if Finn had time out of his box, he would have taken part too. Except he would succumb to their Mother's wishes. Who knows, maybe he'll see the light before it's too late?

Niklaus and Darcella were not just brother and sister. Whilst he referred to himself as a "bastard child", Darcella saw him otherwise and was his therapy pillow. Mikael listed him as worthless and a waste of space cause. And it's no surprise from as young as he can remember, he came to believe those were true alongside being Mikael's physical, emotional, and mental punching bag. Any child would grow up thinking and feeling the same, especially if it was ingrained early.

Niklaus often felt unloved, a Father who detested him and a Mother who never intervened or told him such statements were untrue. Seeing as Niklaus and Darcy are two years apart in age, they nurtured up very close and was in tune with each other's emotions. If one were sad, angry, or perhaps joyous, they would distinguish those feelings in a heartbeat. Their connection was strong, another form of two peas in a pod. They weren't just siblings; they were best friends. And through Darcella, Niklaus learnt about self-acceptance and love.

Whenever he had beaten himself up over being referred to as worthless, a waste of space or the term "bastard", Darcella would be swooping in to pick him back up again. There would be no hesitation in telling him he's loved. Because no matter what Mikael claimed him to be, it was not and would never be true. He is loved because she loves him no matter what. She just wanted him to be happy and be who he is.

However, now she's gone, those old thoughts are already taunting and corrupting Niklaus' fragile mind. It does not help when he can feel Mikael's murderous glare stabbing into his back from over the court way. Hear his yells for Ayana to bring them back or the very least Darcella seeing she was a witch it could be possible, or the exclaims as he blames their Mother for not allowing Darcella her magic, for if she had her abilities, she might have succeeded in healing herself. She would not be laid at their feet dead.

Through all this, he can feel his body consume in hot shakes, anger and frustration eating at himself for allowing his sister to die while trying to protect him and Henrik. Weakness taints his soul for not saving them himself. What kind of brother is he allowing his little sister to fight his battles for him? Heck, he's the oldest of the two. The roles should not have been reversed. A coward is what he believes he is.

Nevertheless, Darcella was there each and every time. And now? She's dead, and it's all his fault.

If only they did not go to see the Wolves, none of this would have happened.

Not even an hour later and the family is already falling apart at the seams.

Niklaus lifts his head from the ground as Kol stands up with Darcella in his arms. Panic consumes him, causing him to stumble to his feet, his siblings following his actions. They watch as Kol turns and strides away from them, taking their sister and their hearts with him.

"Kol, stop!" Elijah exclaims, running after him. "Where are you doing? Where are you taking, Darcella?"

"A-away from here... she deserves a proper burial."

"Please, Kol. Could you not take her yet? Allow us a little longer with her...please," Rebekah pleads, attempting to latch onto his arm and hold him back. She lets out a loud cry when he shrugs her off and lengthens his steps. "I beg of you, don't take her away!"

Kol ignores them, proceeding to cut across the courtyard towards Darcella's favourite tree she loved to sit at and watch nature beam around her. Surrounding the tall oak tree are several shrubs and blooming flowers that Kol had grown for her with his magic. It's also their spot where they broaden his abilities. "She didn't deserve none of this. Nothing of it. Yet, it's always Darcella who pays for our consequences."

"Kol!" Niklaus roars, barrelling past Elijah and Rebekah, his eyes passing over Esther and Mikeal as they had caught on and begun to run over, bringing Henrik's body along as he pursuits after Kol. Behind him, he can hear the thundering steps, harsh breaths and broken sobs of his siblings following, causing his un-shed tears to fall. He slows his tracks as Kol comes to a stop, placing Darcella down on an old rag she used for bathing under the sun. Niklaus' gaze tracks as Kol tugs on his shoulder-length brown hair whilst looking around with the identical colour eyes he shared with his twin, seemingly searching for something, before latching his hollow glower onto the blonde male.

"We're not ready to say goodbye yet," Finn begs, stopping a pace behind Niklaus. "Don't take this moment from us. She may be your twin, but she's our sister too."

"Please, brother, must you do this?" Niklaus attempts again, taking a step forward. He halts as Kol's stare turns cold and calculating his body tense, stepping around Darcella, breaking their view.

"My twin! Not yours. And now she's gone, gone because she was too selfless. Darcella cared too much than we all deserved. Yet, our dear sister paid no mind as long as we were happy and content because that's all that mattered. It was us before her, always has been. For all our selfish deads, we failed her. Failed to give her the love she so desperately sought. Except, she was too busy saving our arses. And now she's gone. And you, Nik. How foolish could you be to take them to see the wolves? Why would you risk that? Now, she's never coming back. The one person I could ever confide in and not feel like an imposter. The only one who was by my side guiding me, praising me, being joyous for ME, is gone! She may be your sister too, but to me, she's my other half. Without her, there's no me. I'm nothing without Darcella by my side. I'm good as dead too! So forgive me for wanting to give her a proper burial with my own bare hands. I can't bear to see her laying on this dirt ground, looking like she's nothing when she's anything but that. She's so much more, and she deserves the best."

"Let's this day be of mourning. Let it be a day to reflect on all Darcella had done for our family. Let this day be of remembrance," Elijah avowed, bowing his head solemnly, clutching Rebekah's shaking form into his arms as she continued to sob. "She was not just our sister."

"S-she was a mother," Rebekah croaked.

"She was a father," Finn alleged.

"She was a best friend," Niklaus declared.

"She was my soulmate," Kol whispered. "But most of all, she was our fierce protector."

"She was a warrior," Mikeal claimed, announcing his presence.

"She was the heart and the light of us all. She will be loved. And together, we shall lay her to rest with Henrik," Esther said, bending to her knees to lay Henrik's body next to Darcella's. Wiping her eyes, she stood to her feet to meet Kol's burning stare.

The mourning siblings turned around, eyes straying from the sword in their Father's grasp and to the items gathered in Esther's hands. They glanced at each other, taking a step back, feeling uncomfortable and fearful under the vacant gazes their parents bestowed upon them. Kol followed Esther's stare down to Darcella and stood in her path.

"This is all your fault!" He spat, taking a threatening pace forward. Mikeal raised his sword, the point meeting Kol's throat. He let out a chilling laugh, sending cold shivers down his siblings' spines. "She's not even dead an hour, and you're already threatening to slay your sword about. Call yourself a father? Weak, that's what you are. You're pathetic!" Splaying his arms around, he turned his head to the side, eyes locking with Esther's. "And you, you should be ashamed of yourself. You're no Mother. The moment Darcella was born, her life was miserable. Yet, you stood aside and watched her wither away. You took away the one thing that could have made her truly happy...What did she ever do to you? What did Darcella do to deserve such fate? D-Did you... detest her that much?"

"You speak nonsense, my boy," Mikeal rumbled, digging the sword point sharper, causing a cerise welt to appear in the crease of Kol's neck. "Show your Mother some respect."

Anger boiling his veins at watching the scene unfold before him, several flashes of Darcella replacing Kol's place attacked Niklaus' conscious. His body had a mind of its own as he pushed Kol aside, briefly watching as his brother crumbled to the ground in broken sobs as he stood before his Mikeal.

"Kol is correct, Father. Darcella wanted nothing but her abilities. Time after time, she expressed her desires, but Mother denied her requests countless times. Why is that, Mother? Why deprive her of something that could have made her happy?

Tears cascaded like a waterfall down Esther's face as their words stabbed at her core. Fear and anxiety gripped her insides. "I love Darcella with all my heart. I never meant to hurt her. I took her magic away for her best interests. I was protecting Darcella from her. Everything I did was to make sure she was safe. Please understand that. I made a mistake, and now we're paying for those consequences."

Niklaus shared a cautious glance with Elijah and Finn. "What did you do, Mother?"

"I made a grave mistake. I backed out on a sacred promise, and I'm afraid my actions can't be reversible. Darcella was the price, so I took her magic away."

"What did you do, Esther? What happened to Darcella?" Mikeal demanded, his grip tightening on his sword.

"Darcella was always ascended for greater things. She was always meant to be a special girl, and she was always meant to be a powerful force."

"And you took that away for your own selfish reasons?" Kol was back up on his feet, launching forward before Finn enclosed his arms around his chest and held him back.

Esther was quiet for a few moments, staring down at the dying grass resting at her feet.

"Mother, tell us. Please, for Darcella, tell us what happened. Why would you curse her with such a fate?" Rebekah pleaded.

"That's just it, my children. Following my actions, Darcella was placed upon an unforgivable curse."

"A curse!" A series of outcries sounded. "What is it?"

"I'm afraid we will never know about what curse she was put under. She wanted Darcella and her magic. I backed out and took away Darcella's magic. Please understand I did it to keep her safe. No more than that. Will you ever come to forgive me?"

What should have been a day of remembering all the good deads Darcella had committed and laying her and Henrik to rest turned a dark turn. From this very day, the Mikealson's were never the same. Torn and shred to pieces. No longer was their glue holding them into place. The string had cut down the centre, casting them into different directions. There was no longer a magnet for them to attach to. The light and love were erased, gone and never to be replaced.

It wasn't supposed to end this way. They were supposed to be together always and forever.

*•*•*•*•*

I cried writing this chapter. Darcella and the Mikaelson's have my heart. The gist of this chapter, I wanted you to see what impact Darcella had on her family. She was loved and held close to their hearts, but also their downfall.

Comment your thoughts and inputs. I love seeing your theories.

I know I promised you an update with Stefan and Darcy's relationship. Unfortunately, I hit a case of writer's block. Luckily the Mikaelson's are my go to if this happens. Another update will be up on Sunday.