It was the best summer ever.

Spending time with Hope's family was as healing as the tribrid thought it would be. Her aunts spoiled her rotten, practically adopting her and considering her to be one of them. Kol had found the swords, and had even built a stand for her to place them on the wall of her room (another room all to herself! It was unbelievable) to display to anyone who walked in.

Marcel had taught her everything she needed to know about US history, and had helped her ace her test to get out of the class. Vincent had given her the tools she needed to pass psychology, and with a little help from him, Freya, and Keelin (who was an ER doctor), she'd learned enough science to end up at a high school level for the following school year.

Her friends were doing well, too. MG had been living with Kaleb over the summer, something he greatly enjoyed. Lizzie was spending most of her time shadowing Caroline as she prepared the school for the next year, while Josie, apparently, had comforted Landon after the breakup and seemed to be getting close with him. Hope didn't mind it, having found the same solace in Raf, who just wanted both her and Landon to be happy.

"You're tense," said Rhysaenya, striking hard as Hope tried to whirl her staff at her abdomen. She blocked and twisted, kicking her leg up and knocking her down. "I shouldn't be able to overpower you. What's going on?"

"It just feels wrong," said Hope, springing back up and attacking again, slow enough that Rhysaenya was able to shield herself until she found an opening, swinging the staff at Hope's thighs and ducking under to avoid a hit, once more throwing her to the floor. "Talking to Raf, now knowing he's liked me since Landon and I were together. Landon is mad enough, what if he feels... betrayed? I don't want to ruin their bond."

Rhysaenya helped her to her feet. "Trust me, if they're still talking, everything is fine. You wouldn't be the first person caught between two brothers. And that, my dear, I learned from you." She made a hit that Hope barely blocked. "You can't let it get your guard down, though. What if I was an enemy and I just–" she caught Hope's staff, pulling her forward to headbutt her. "Disarmed you?"

"If you were an enemy, we wouldn't be sparring," said Hope pointedly. "I'm a tribrid, I'd just wave my hand and I could make your own throat jump out so you'd be dead."

"Yeah, well, not that long ago, we were not able to use our magical abilities. You agreed we both needed this and let's not forget you bet Marcel you could beat him in a fistfight, which means no tribrid powers."

"I'm going to win anyway! I'm the strongest vampire alive. I already beat him and my Uncle Kol in arm wrestling. It's enough proof that even newly turned I'm stronger than them. Aunt Rebekah taught me to control my strength and my other abilities are better than ever."

Rhysaenya narrowed her eyes, tossing the staff back. "You went to see the Crescents this morning. I think your frustration is about more than just Raf. Spill."

Hope's lip twitched, and before Rhysaenya knew it, she'd been flung to the floor, unable to defend herself. The tribrid moved too fast for her to perceive. "Fine," said Hope, panting and holding the staff against Rhysaenya's throat, keeping her pinned down. "They want me to be Alpha."

"It's your birthright," said Rhysaenya. "But... you don't want it?"

"It's not that I don't want it, I'm not ready for it! There has to be more to this than just... settling down to lead a pack of wolves. Nick Lang has been Alpha since my mom died. His brother, Aiden, was one of Jackson's Betas. He's done a good job and he's happy there. He can hold down the fort until I figure it all out. If I just become Alpha, I neglect the witches and vampires. There was a time when everyone thought I'd destroy them, but I think there's more that I can do. I'm just... not sure. And not ready for it. So I don't want to stay here pretending that's the only thing that I can do with my life. I have a lot to learn, still, and I don't want it to be over. I'd be bored as Alpha. I want to fix things everywhere."

She managed to roll to the side as Hope slammed the staff down, using her own momentum to capture Hope's legs in hers and bring her down with her, climbing onto her and pressing her staff over the tribrid's heart.

"Then just tell them that," said Rhysaenya, keeping Hope unable to move. "Why beat around the bush? They'll understand. You're a tribrid, you can speak up for yourself. I know you feel you have a lot you have to do. Unite the factions, lead the wolves, help the twins figure out more about the Merge. You're taking on so many things because you think that's your purpose and maybe you are here to save the world, but how can you do that if you're losing your mind over little things and letting yourself get overwhelmed? A few weeks ago, you died, Hope. You made me kill you. And I think there's more that you haven't processed, even when you claim you did. So go on, why do all these small things have you wound up?"

Hope threw her off, flipping them around so she had Rhysaenya pinned again, sitting directly on top of her with the staff pressed down to her neck, making her gasp for breath. "I died, you're right," said Hope, agitated. "And now I'm immortal. White oak is fatal to my Aunt Rebekah and Uncle Kol, but it's all gone now. A cursed dagger will kill Marcel, but he has control of it. My Aunt Freya and I have been trying to find out what my weakness is for weeks and I don't know it. I have no idea what can be used against me and I hate that. I hate that someone could find it before me and have that control and I hate... I hate that I'm immortal."

She stood up, walking away. "I hate that I... I made that choice! I knew I had to save everyone, that was my destiny and I understood it, but now... I won't have kids. I won't grow old. I'll always look like this. And I may never die. I might never..." her voice broke, "I might never see peace. I might never see my mom and dad again. I already knew it would be a really, really long time before I ever saw them... but now it might be even longer. What if this isn't what they wanted for me? What if they're disappointed that I made such a rash decision? And what if they think what I'm doing with Raf is wrong, what if my mom feels hurt that I won't lead the wolves, what if my dad is disappointed that I'm not being better than him by going out into the world and fixing things instead of returning to that... that school where I don't even have anything to offer anymore?"

Rhysaenya felt a hand on her shoulder, beckoning her to stay still instead of rushing forward to comfort Hope. Rebekah walked past her, followed by Freya, and hugged her niece from behind.

"Oh, little one," said Rebekah, leaning her head on Hope's shoulder. "Do not say such things. Your mother and father would never be disappointed in you."

"She's right," agreed Freya, standing in front of her. "They would want you to be happy, sweet girl. And they would be so proud of you for being selfless and choosing to save the world. I know this transition may have come too soon. And it's okay to take time to find your place in the world before you go around trying to fix it. Everything will work itself out in time. We will not stop our search for your weakness and when we find it, we will make sure you are safe. One day, a long long time from now, you will see your mother and father again. And they will be so pleased... provided they know you lived a life that was fulfilling to you."

"Immortality is both a blessing and a curse," said Rebekah. "When your emotions are heightened, being a vampire can be indescribably beautiful. The sights, the sounds, all beyond the limitations of the human experience. But what's the point if you don't appreciate it? If you jump right into the fray and suit up for battle, you won't be enjoying the good that can come with this transition."

"Then why do you want to be human again?" muttered Hope.

"I've lived as a vampire for over a thousand years. I've experienced everything the world has to offer. Except those experiences that being a vampire makes impossible. I was envious when Niklaus and Hayley had the miracle that is you. But... that being said... I would gladly give up that dream. The cure will come to me when Damon Salvatore is on his deathbed. I would give it to you, if you wanted it."

Hope blinked. "You... you would?"

"Yes. In a heartbeat."

"There is always a way out," promised Freya. "No one will hold you to this if you don't like it. You do not have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. It's too much. You are strong enough to handle anything, but you don't have to. You can still be strong without having the powers of a tribrid. It may be intimidating to be involved in this now, given the family's reputation."

Rebekah nodded. "The Mikaelsons have done terrible things over the centuries. We've come to realize that, no matter how powerful we are, our greatest strength is family."

"Your father made us see that," said Freya. "I named my child after him for a reason, and the name he gave you has meaning, too. Maybe you'll understand that if you ever choose to become a parent."

Hope made a face. "No... I don't get that choice. It was taken from me when I turned."

Freya smiled knowingly. "Hope, why would you think that?"

"Because vampires can't have families! That's why Aunt Rebekah wants the cure!"

"That's true," said Rebekah. "But as Freya has pointed out to me... your father had you. He was a hybrid and you are a tribrid."

"You are literally Nik's blood," said Freya. "So it would seem just as possible for you to conceive like Hayley did. Your Uncle Kol and Aunt Davina have been researching the possibility on their own. We could work something out for you, if it was what you wanted."

"Emphasis on what you want," said Rebekah. "Hope, you are still young. Enjoy yourself with your friends. Get used to this new body in a low-stress environment. You love that school. The world can wait. Nothing is falling apart at this very moment and needing immediate attention. The Crescents will be fine and so will we. We've kept peace in this city for many years. We can continue to do so. And, only if you wish to try and unite the factions across the world, we will be here to help you. You are not alone. You have us, your family, and your friends," she turned back to smile at Rhysaenya, "who will support you. Always and forever."

Rhysaenya agreed. "Sērȳz ȳ Āetño." (T: Always and Forever.)

Hope's spirits improved during the remaining weeks. Instead of worrying about getting stronger or refining her magic, she decided to go with the flow. Marcel easily got them access to events all around the city, small music festivals and even things as simple as rowing through the Bayou.

The tribrid still spent a lot of time with her aunts and uncles learning and testing the limitations of her magic, but she did it now because she genuinely enjoyed it, not because she felt it was a requirement. Rhysaenya felt her magic became stronger then. Especially following days that she and her Aunt Keelin would roam around the Bayou in wolf form for a few hours.

Summer came to an end. The two girls packed their things (including the swords that Rhysaenya planned to display in her room at the Salvatore School), heading back to Mystic Falls in a private jet and moving in just as the other students were arriving with their luggage, too. Their usual rooms had been preserved perfectly, and the first thing Rhysaenya did once she got settled in was let know that he ought to come by whenever he had a chance. She encouraged Hope to go and talk to Raf, who was a lot shyer in person despite the many texts over the summer that indicated he had one-hundred-percent fallen for her.

"You have got to be kidding me," said Rhysaenya, yanking up from his bed. "She is waiting for you to go down to the docks and talk to her. And you're here sulking?"

"I don't know what to do!" he said, pushing her away. "Look, Lan says he's fine with it, but–"

"Landon is occupied with Josie! It's been two seconds and I already heard that Lizzie saw them making out during a movie night out in the woods. So what? People move on, it's been months. Are you ready for a relationship, Raf? Be honest."

"I-I think I am. But what if I do it all wrong? What if I mess it up big time?"

"What kind of boyfriend do you want to be? Come on, tell me all the things you intend to do."

"Um... respect her, obviously, I mean, she's told me all about her history and she's been through so much, if she needs space I will give her that, I won't pressure her to talk about anything she doesn't want to. I understand the choices she's had to make, it isn't easy, and I'm not going to bitch about that because in the end she's super powerful and there's a reason she's had to do things no one else could. I want to make her feel special and I want... I want to give her little flowers every day and tell her she's beautiful and I want to do stupid moonlight dances out on the docks, I want to stay up for hours talking to her just like I did in the summer but in real life this time."

"Then what are you afraid of? Go for it! As long as you do those things and communicate with her... you're all set, Raf. Don't chicken out."

Jed gave her an update on Raf and Hope's informal date later in the evening.

"Oh, yeah, one of the wolves saw them holding hands and talking," he said, examining the new tattoos on her wrist. 'Fire and Blood' had been written on her right wrist, and on the left, 'Born to Burn.' "Those look super cool. Who gave them to you?"

"Hope's kind-of-uncle Vincent," she said happily. "He talked me out of getting the crests of my families on my back, he thought the three-headed dragon would look weird with the Lāvasȳ volcano and Īgñividus sword through a flaming meteor with phoenix wings."

"That's still crazy to me that the meaning of your family's name Īgñividosi is phoenix. Maybe the phoenix that Malivore ate to make Landon is related to you."

"That would be silly but I wouldn't write off the possibility. It would make sense why the Īgñividus family made their motto 'Born to Burn' and chose to fight with fire."

"Yeah, the only thing I can think of that would say otherwise is that phoenixes are said to originate in Egypt. I'm thinking maybe to you, Westeros was around where Britain and Ireland are and Essos was where Asia is. Which might mean Tērragoñh is where South America was. It would make sense with the tropical climate you described, the kind of place dragons would thrive in, plus a lot of the words Tērañguis resemble Latin American languages... though given they're from Latin, that could also mean you were from where Africa is and then it could tie into phoenixes."

She giggled, sitting up to look at him properly. "You have given so much thought to this."

"You can't blame me for being curious. I was also looking into why you can breathe fire, biologically, and there's a bunch of different theories. You could have a gland that makes a liquid that spontaneously combusts when it comes in contact with oxygen, you could have two glands with hypergolic propellants that ignite in contact with each other, or you could have methane bacteria that you store and expel with fire, which would react with your mouth like a piezoelectric crystal and produce a spark with mechanical stress to ignite the methane gas."

"You are so hot when you talk about things I don't understand," she said, cupping his face.

"Se iksā bāne skori ao ȳdragon hae bisa," he murmured, leaning up to kiss her. (T: And you are hot when you talk like this.)

Caroline led the first assembly the day before their classes started. She let them know that she'd left everything settled for them to have a new Headmaster that wasn't her or Alaric. The paperwork had finally gone through to establish a new European branch of the school, and she needed to handle it (which those in-the-know also knew meant she was continuing her research to find a way out of the Merge for the twins). She promised she would be their Headmistress permanently come January, but in a week would be handing the reins over to a colleague of hers named Rupert Vardemus, a very capable witch who she was sure would help the school a great deal.

Alaric had started a job as principal at Mystic Falls High, keeping him close to his daughters and still able to check in at the school every now and then. He seemed sad to see them moving on without him, but it was for the best, given the fiasco with the skull fountain.

Rhysaenya was pleased with her new schedule to accommodate all the classes she'd done well in. Her plans were currently to be an engineer, which meant she had a lot to catch up on before she went to college, but Caroline and Emma assured her it was doable if she remained focused. The only thing she wasn't a big fan of was that she'd been signed up to lead tours for the new students, a requirement she had to fulfill for some 'community service' hours.

It was fine, for the most part, but one of the new parents included Damon Salvatore, who had colorful comments about everything, given he used to live in the house. Elena had to keep pinching him, reminding him that some of the parents actually did want to get information from the tour. Not to mention his comments were clearly pissing Rhysaenya off (though he seemed to enjoy that until Freya, Keelin, and Vincent appeared, wiping the smirk off his face). Stefanie was glad to meet little Nik Mikaelson-Malraux, who was pleased to be going to the same school as his cousin.

Professor Vardemus arrived a week later, dressed in a suit and tie that didn't seem to match very well in Rhysaenya's opinion. She also didn't understand why he had a chain dangling from his shirt when it wasn't attached to anything. Everything about him was confusing, and she couldn't shake away a bad feeling that lingered in her stomach whenever she looked at him for too long.

"I'm just saying," she whispered to MG as they sat down for the assembly, "the guy is weird."

"You just haven't been exposed to enough people," said MG. "You've been here and New Orleans, that's it. Try to be nice. He seems really chill. You should see how he redecorated Alaric's office. It looks so sweet."

"I heard he wants to change the mascot because he didn't like 'Salvatore Stallions.' What the hell else would it be? Scorpions? Scones?"

Kaleb let out a snort. "What do you have against this dude?"

"I don't know, he just seems... strange," she insisted, staring at Vardemus as he took the podium. "Nothing about him seems right."

"I think you just wanted Caroline to stay because you think she's hot."

"Okay, she is, but that's besides the point. Vardemus sounds like Voldemort." She made a face at Kaleb when he raised his brows. "Yes, I finally read Harry Potter and Percy Jackson over summer."

"You're the only one that has a problem with him, Rhys. Just let it be. It's okay to not like change, but you'll see it won't be so bad. Besides, thought you were mad at Dr. Saltzman. Isn't this a better option?"

"At least Dr. Saltzman is familiar."

Professor Vardemus tapped his cane on the floor, calling their attention. "Welcome, students. This school has survived a difficult year. There were monsters, and Triad, and frankly, the headmaster you trusted to keep you safe ended up putting you in more danger. But this semester will be different." He began to walk through the middle aisle, "It's high time this place ran with a little discipline and order. I expect you to work harder than ever before. To be rigorous, to push yourselves, to be perfect. Because I believe every one of you is extraordinary. The students in this room have the power to literally change the world. To whom much is given, much is required, and I am requiring of you to be better than humans ever could. Because the day is coming when we will step out of the shadows, when you will no longer hide yourselves. Because the future is..." he slammed his cane down, releasing a blur of blue mist and standing up straight, "supernatural."

"Then what is the point of the cane?" muttered Rhysaenya as the students clapped politely. "I don't like all his 'pep.'"

"You are such a buzzkill," muttered Kaleb.

"To that end," continued Professor Vardemus, returning to the podium, "I would like to award our Salvatore Medal of Freedom to the student who single-handedly defeated Malivore, Miss Hope Mikaelson."

Rhysaenya clapped this time, smiling as Hope shyly walked up, accepting a gigantic medal. "There you are," said Professor Vardemus, shaking her hand. "Well done, young lady. Now this is the prime example of humility, of service."

"Listen," said MG, before Rhysaenya's temporarily good mood could be put out, "Lizzie is apparently in a new mood to say 'yes' to everything and Kaleb was thinking I could invite her up to the Old Mill for some... Old Mill and chill."

She raised her brows. "Okay, do it. There's your opening..." she nodded to Lizzie, who was lingering by the witches, apparently on a mission to stop one of their own from getting a pixie cut. "I have to get to class. Good luck."

She struggled to stay awake during Supernatural Biology, where Vardemus was going on and on about how their knowledge of all species had changed, given what they'd learned about Malivore.

"He is such a pompous ass," she heard Josie muttering to Landon.

"At least he hasn't tried to kill us all yet," said Jed from beside Rhysaenya.

She nudged him under the seat, but Josie replied hotly, "My dad wasn't trying to kill anyone, he was–"

"Jo," said Landon, warning her not to get mad before the Professor noticed.

Jed just shrugged it off, purposely scribbling over Rhysaenya's paper to ruin her notes. She made a face, blowing out of the corner of her mouth and sending a spark at his finger, making him scribble harder.

Suddenly, one of the witches in front of them burst up, holding her nose as blood began to run down it. Professor Vardemus turned immediately to Josie, who for some reason, was smirking.

Rhysaenya certainly wouldn't have taken her for the jealous type. She turned to look back at Hope and Raf, who were unbothered, apparently both taking notes out of the textbook, which let her know they hadn't done their prep work for the course.

She had lunch with Jed, given MG was busy on a study date with Lizzie. She went to her last class of the afternoon once she'd completed her pre-lecture notes, then returned to the library to meet with Kaleb so they could get an update about MG and Lizzie's date.

"Lizzie," MG practiced, "I had so much fun with you today. And I know you had fun with me, too. We have great chemistry, we're both single. We should seize this opportunity and take our relationship to the next level."

"Does this sound cult-y to anyone else?" murmured Rhysaenya.

Kaleb gestured to her, indicating she was right. "You're not recruiting her to your multi-level marketing company. Come on, man, try again. Alright, you know, just... feel it."

MG huffed, giving it another try, trying to sound cool, "Uh, you alright, Lizzie?"

Kaleb tossed a handful of popcorn at him. "What the hell is that? Come on, man. Just... how do you... when you look at her, how do you really feel?"

"I... I feel like I know her, man. All of her. The good, the terrible, the bitchy, the funny, the fragile. I know her favorite episode of her favorite TV show. I know who she is when no one's watching. I like all of it. She deserves to be with someone who sees her for who she is."

"Then tell her that," said Rhysaenya. "That, right there, sounded better than 'oh, we had a good time and have great chemistry.' At this point, being completely honest is better than trying to sound smooth."

"Agreed," said Kaleb. "Even the pessimist here knows how to talk to people. How do you think she got Jed to be nice to people?"

She snorted. "I did not make him be nice to anyone."

"Not intentionally, but you being nice to him and giving him attention means he's in a good mood. If there's anybody we should listen to, it's the girl who calmed Jed down."

"It's not that serious, besides, if I'm someone you should listen to, why does nobody acknowledge my bad gut feeling about Professor Vardemus?"

"That is because you are still too new here. That guy has got nothing wrong with him. You're suspicious because you had just settled into this place and someone is trying to change things, so it makes you worried that you'll get hurt or be unsafe but it's okay, Rhys. Just let him do what he needs to do for the semester, then Ms. Forbes-Salvatore will come back and everything will be fine. Promise."

Reluctantly, she let it go.