Hope and Jade walked through the hallway of Mystic falls high, stopping once they heard an announcement. "Jade Wolf and Hope Marshall to the principal's office." The two girls shared a glance before Hope sighed, "Let's go."

They entered the office, Hope closing the door behind her. Jade scoffed before she asked, "P. A. system? It's a little dramatic, don't you think?"

"Not as dramatic as the message Landon left me, saying he had something urgent to discuss. Anything you want to share?" Alaric asked them. "Only that I'm pretty sure the monsters are after him this time." Hope said as Alaric frowned, "And you didn't think that that's something I should know?!" He growled at the Marshall.

"Hope, Jade. You both need to go back to the Salvatore School. Not for your sake— For theirs. Maybe Landon isn't that important to you guys. But if Malivore wants him, we need to want him more." The headmaster insisted as the girls share a worried glance. "Look, I will take care of it, but from a distance." He added, but they don't look anymore relaxed.

Alaric eyed the duo, curiously. "Okay, what am I missing here, Hope? Jade? Hmm? You told me the truth, and everything worked out fine." He said. "Not the whole truth." Hope awkwardly admitted, wishing they weren't about to have this conversation. "Hmm?"

"It's not Landon I'm bothered about." Hope began. "Mazikeen and I... we were together. Not for long but... ever since we became friends again and roommates... I fell for her, hard." She explained before scratching the back of her head. "I... had this feeling that maybe Mazikeen and I would have... an epic love. If that even exists." The Mikealson sighed heavily, as her eyes filled with tears.

Alaric absorbed this information, before he wondered if perhaps, Hope was Maze's anchor. "I can assure you it does." He nodded, finally responding to her unsureness about epic love.

"Now she's going through something difficult that I'm not fully sure about, and I can't be there for her as I'd like to because now we're nothing to each other." The Mikealson admitted, as a tear rolled down her cheek. "And I'm just afraid that if I tell her, she's gonna hate me forever... or I'm gonna hate myself because I made us all miserable. So I can't tell her or any of them. Not yet." Hope sighed.

Jade's face fell, as she stepped forward and placed her hand on Hope's shoulder. The Mikealson gave a teary glance before she stepped forward and embraced Jade, needing the comfort. Alaric looked sadly at the girls, wishing he could do more to help them.

❤︎︎

"Sorry, demon hunter coming through." Ari called out, as herself, Josie and a samurai walked through the crowded hallway of the Salvatore school.

"A demon hunter... is that a new faction?" Mazikeen asked jokingly, stopping in front of the pair. Ari laughed, as Josie even tried to stifle a giggle before she shook her head. "It's.. a long story." The Saltzman admitted. "Is there a shortened version?" Mazikeen asked, still seeming intrigued.

Ari looked between the two cousins, surprised that they seemed to be civil. What they didn't know, is that Josie had used black magic and hurt somebody, being Ethan... and it seemed for the first time ever Josie seemed to understand Mazikeen in that aspect. In her books, that was as good as an apology. Even though it wasn't, Mazikeen wanted to be trusted by Josie and Alaric, though they had been awful towards her.

"He is a samurai and a demon hunter who lost his oni and the only way we can kill it is with this demon bashing sword before it carries Landon into Malivore." Josie explained to the Parker, who blinked in surprise as she processed this.

"Well... I'm always saving Landon, it seems. So of  course I'll help." Mazikeen decided as Josie looked at Maze awkwardly, "I um... wasn't asking for your help." She admitted.

"Of course you can come!" Ari said, linking her arms through Maze's and Josie's with a look of satisfaction, that she'd finally get to spend time with both of the people she adored.

❤︎

Jade glanced over her shoulder, before spinning around. All morning she'd felt as though she was being followed... but she'd told herself she was paranoid.

The Hale continued to walk, but upon hearing a noise again she turned around once more, this time swifter, as her nails lengthened into werewolf claws.

"Aah!" Landon panicked, as Jesse who stood beside him quickly stepped forward to protect his boyfriend.

Jesse's werewolf eyes shone as he glared at Jade, not recognising the girl as his sister. Jade's werewolf eyes shone back in response, as her claws retracted.

"You're a werewolf!" Landon blurted, looking at Jade in surprise. "Yeah, what about it?" Jade asked causally, "It seems as though your boyfriend is one too."

Jesse signed to the brunette, "Who are you?" Jade's expression softened as her eyes landed on her brother. "I'm Jade."

"I'm Jesse." Jesse signed back, as Jade felt quite deflated by the fact that her own brother truly didn't recognise her.

Landon stepped beside Jesse, as her took the Hale's hand in her own before intertwining their fingers. "We're um.. looking for Dr Saltzman." He spoke up. "Oh— I'll uh.. take you to him. I don't want to go to class anyway." Jade shrugged.

With that, Jade lead the boyfriends to the Saltzman's office. Little did they know, a certain redhead huntress was watching them.

Chasity stepped out of the shadows, before taking her recording voice. She spoke quietly into it, "Targets acquired."

❤︎

Now standing in Alaric's office, Mazikeen and Josie looked at Landon, who had just told them he wanted to sacrifice himself to the Oni. "No." Josie decided, shaking her head. "I'm gonna go and find the others, including Jesse who would be furious with you. We're gonna all come up with a much better solution— Maze stay with him." The Saltzman ordered, before racing out of the office to find her Dad and the other students.

Mazikeen glanced at Landon, still processing his words. "Landon, we'll come up with a better idea.." She insisted, speaking softly to her best friend. "We'll figure this out, together."

As the siphon witch turned to face the Kirby, he hit her over the head with a heavy book, knocking her unconscious. With the few moments he had, he raced away.

Minutes later, Josie led the group, minus Jade and Jesse, back to the office. "Maze!" Ari blurted, as Hope rushed over to the Parker's side, and cradled her in her arms.

"Maze!!" Hope said with panic, shaking her gently. Mazikeen's eyes fluttered open, seeing Hope holding her in her arms.

"Maze... what happened?" Ari asked, as Maze sat up, Hope loosening her grip on the blonde.

Remembering what had happened, Maze's eyes widened with worry. "Landon.. He's gone— and possessed!" She stated, panicked for her best friend. "But that's impossible!" Ari and Josie stated in unison.

Alaric shook his head, "Kurutta must have been possessed after Rafael attacked him." He suggested. "The oni waited to be alone with Landon... took control of him and then—" Hope trailed off as Alaric turned the chair, to reveal Kurutta, dead. "Sayonara samurai."

Ari frowned, uneasy by the sight. "Okay well.. where would he have gone?" She asked. "I mean.. my guess would be the portal." Mazikeen suggested, thinking about the odd connection Landon had to the portal.

"Could you do a locator spell?" Mazikeen asked Ari, Josie and Hope, as she didn't want to perform black magic. "Yeah.. we could do that." Ari replied, before looking to Josie, hoping to do the spell with her.

❤︎︎

Night had fallen, and nothing had gone as planned. Kuruta, the samurai had been killed, and the oni had been jumping from body to body. Landon decided to play martyr and sacrifice himself, believing that he could put an end to this. Meanwhile, Jade and Jesse had been kidnapped from right under everyone's noses as everyone believed they went to the Salvatore school.

"Landon!! Maze!!" Hope called  out, as herself, Josie and Lizzie raced towards the duo. They found Landon sprawled out in the grass, unconscious meanwhile Mazikeen was chained to a tree.

"Maze?" Lizzie blurted, "Are you okay?"

"No, Lizzie... I'm losing my fucking mind!" Mazikeen cried out, as her veins flickered with darkness again, frightening the group. "The demon's in me!" She declared, as her eyes flashed red suddenly. "Oh my god—" Hope blurted, her face filled with concern.

"Mazey" Hope stepped towards her but the Parker growler at her in response. Hope took a step back, surprised. "Oh god... that is embarrassing." Mazikeen admitted awkwardly.

Lizzie walked past Hope, approaching her sister.

"If the oni is in you, how are you talking, Maze?" She asked, softly, taking Maze's hands, as she could feel the darkness flowing through them. She hoped by trying to distract the Parker girl, the darkness would ease a little.

"I don't know, but I-I can feel it in my head, trying to take over. I don't know how much longer I— Never mind. It's gone." Mazikeen declared.

Josie stepped forward to unchain her, but Hope held out her arm, stopping her.

"You can untie me. I didn't say that. It did, okay? Still in me, so don't listen to me. I'm fine." Mazikeen rambled, as she spoke for the both of them. "We should probably get out of here before we— Okay. You have got to stop me. Please. Otherwise, this thing is gonna win." Mazikeen begged them.

"She's fighting the demon somehow." Lizzie stated, stepping away from Maze to discuss a plan with Hope and Josie. "Just like Kurutta did." Josie responded.

"I already know I'm crazy, okay? You don't have to rub it in." Mazikeen huffed before Hope shook her head, "You're not crazy." She declared. "Kurutta was not crazy and neither are you." Lizzie added.

Mazikeen looked over at the Saltzman twins, "Where's Dad? I just want Dad." She said, her voice breaking. "Kurutta fought the Oni for years, okay? If you can just give us a little bit of time, then we can—"

"No. I can't live like this anymore." Mazikeen cried out, her eyes glossing over. "I'm a witch who is scared to use their own magic!" She began. "I'm scared to hurt people in the way I hurt Dad and Molly."

"And... I've been having dreams about this beautiful girl... and then I met her in person!" Maze added, her eyes darting to Hope for a moment. "I'm crazy... I hate my brain."

"Mazey, Mazey, it's okay, okay?" Lizzie said softly, before Josie added, "We're gonna fix you."

"No. There's no fixing me, Jo. I am just completely broken. The pieces are too small to put back together." Mazikeen decided, before looking between Lizzie and Josie. "Tell Dad that I love him. But you have to end this."

"What?" Hope asked, not following. "With that sword!" Mazikeen responded. Hope shook her head, "Whoa, there's no way that we are gonna let that happen!" Hope demanded, as it was evident to the Saltzman twins that Mazikeen really meant something to Hope.

Maze growled now, "You have no choice. This will not stop until you give me the boy." Her voice sounding inhuman. Lizzie flinched in surprise, practically jumping back into Hope's arms. "Maze?" Josie asked, her eyes widening at how terrifying her voice sounded. "Maze.. you've got to fight this!" She insisted.

The petrified blonde looked over at the twins, "I would never say that! Landon is my best friend, you can't have him demon!" Maze hissed before she looked to her cousins.

"Jo, Liz, you got to do this. For me. Okay?" She asked, as both Lizzie and Josie looked lost for words. Their eyes were glossed over with tears, as they hated to see Mazikeen like this, but they didn't want to stab her either.

"It's coming back. Please. You got to do it. If Lizzie or Josie won't do this, then you have to!" The Parker declared, her eyes darting from the twins, to Hope.

Josie sighed hesitantly, before she bent down to pick up the sword. "There's so much black magic in it, it hurts to hold." She admitted, before looking up to Lizzie and Hope, who were looking at her with concern.

"Probably won't feel much better getting stabbed by it..." Mazikeen admitted, looking to the sword that Josie held. "Josie, no!" Hope demanded, stepping forward to slap the sword out of her hand.

Josie lifted the sword, as she closed his eyes and gripped it, absorbing its magic. Black magic fill her veins.

Josie's eyes were completely black, as she chanted a spell that none of the witches had ever heard of. "Harae-tamai Kioku Yomigaerashi-tamae!" Mazikeen, struggled against the chains, feeling the oni exit her body, reluctantly, as it evaporated. It's spirit slowly moved towards a small black pit, being the remainders of Malivore.

With the spell finally complete, Josie hunched over in pain, as Mazikeen gave her a grateful look. "Thank you, Jo." She said, with a pained smile. "You better be thankful." Josie huffed in pain.

Mazikeen then looked to Hope, her eyes widening in realisation as she suddenly remembered the Mikealson. "Hope." She blurted, freeing herself before her feet began moving for themselves, towards the tribrid.

Noticing the recognition on Mazikeen's face, Hope's face lit up, and she opened her arms to catch the Parker as the siphon engulfed her into a hug.

"You're my Hope." Mazikeen managed to say, her eyes filling with tears as she hugged Hope tightly. "I missed you so much." Hope said, now glossy eyed as well.

The girlfriends broke apart, though Hope kept Maze in her arms. The blonde couldn't believe the tribrid was here, infront of her... it felt so right.

Hope's face melted into a bright smile, upon seeing the hopefulness in Mazikeen's eyes, before she leant forward to kiss her. Maze picked up on this, and leant closer to Hope, until their faces were only inches apart.

But unfortunately, neither of them had the chance to close the gap between them, as Josie let out a scream of horror. "Jo!!" Lizzie cried out, panicked for her twin.

Mazikeen and Hope broke apart, and turned to face Josie, whose veins were blackening over from siphoning the magic.

"Jo!" Maze blurted, rushing towards her cousin. Without hesitation, she took Josie's hands in her own, and began to siphon the dark magic from the Saltzman.

"Maze, what are you doing?" Both Hope and Lizzie asked in unison. "I'm taking away the darkness." Maze said, as Josie looked to her with tear filled eyes. "Why?" She asked, not understanding why the Parker would do this, after Josie had been so horrible to her.

"Because... you don't want to be drawn to the darkness, like me." Mazikeen admitted, not wishing the burden she faced, on anybody else... even if it meant carrying the darkness for them.

Mazikeen's veins darkened with the magic, as she siphoned it from her cousin. When it was all gone, Maze let go of Josie's hands, as Josie gave her a guilty, thankful look.

Mazikeen returned the smile, hoping that there was hope they could fix things between them, before Maze's veins darkened more, spreading all across her body.

"Maze! Maze, are you okay?" Lizzie asked, catching Mazikeen's attention. "I'm fine, Lizzie." Mazikeen insisted, though her physical state said otherwise.

The Parker's eyes suddenly blackened over, as the ground began to shake under her feet. The dark veins covered her entire body, as she no longer seemed in control of herself.

Magic began to leave her fingertips, in a beam of colourful chaos. She raised her arms, before she began to fire the beams of light in allsorts of directions, destroying anything it touched.

"What is happening to her?!" Hope asked, never seeing her girlfriend in a state like this. "Oh no... it's like last time!" Josie cried out, as Lizzie couldn't tear her eyes away from Maze, as she tried to think of ways to help her.

"What? Last time? What happened?" Hope blurted, not realising that while she'd been gone, Mazikeen had been falling apart. She knew the siphon had gone through something, but she had no idea what. Mazikeen had needed Hope, and she hadn't been there.

"Bianca, go!" A voice demanded, as Hope and the twins turned around to see Alaric, with Bianca by his side.

"Why is Bianca here? She hates Maze!" Lizzie snapped, feeling like the presence of Bianca may fuel Mazikeen's rage more. "Let me concentrate!" Bianca hissed before she chanted a spell quietly, unbeknownst to the witches.

Alaric watched Mazikeen in fear, as she turned to face him. Her eyes landed on her adoptive father, before she suddenly disappeared, right in front of them.

Hope, Lizzie and Josie stared at the spot that Mazikeen had been standing in only moments earlier, as they tried to process what had just happened.

Alaric raced towards the twins, engulfing them in a hug. After a moment, Lizzie pulled away. "What did you do to Maze?" She demanded, not trusting her father in this moment.

"Where the fuck is Maze?!" Hope growled, looking to Bianca. She'd never liked the Harris, but now she absolutely despised her. "She's somewhere far away from here." The Harris spoke. "Now everybody will be safe from that psycho."

"What do you mean? Mazikeen isn't a psycho!" Hope snapped, her werewolf eyes flashing for a moment as she wanted to fight the redhead.

"You sent her away.." Lizzie blurted, in some form of realisation. Alaric didn't say anything, but his silence was enough of an answer. Josie let out a gasp, as tears filled her eyes, "This is all my fault." She told her twin.

"I had to do what was right." Alaric said, not being able to meet his daughters eyes. "I need to keep you both safe."

❤︎

AUTHORS NOTE

Woah, this was a big chapter. Part of me wanted to split it into two, but I decided against it.

In upcoming chapters, we'll learn about where Mazikeen is (though I'm all sure you can guess) and where Jade and Jesse are too.

Shameless self promo but, you guys should check out my new Legacies fic, Solace! It follows the story of Luna Lockhart, her faceclaim being Ryan Destiny <3