(act two, chapter twenty-one: the sun also rises)

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Buffy paced furiously, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her voice dripping with frustration as she glared at Klaus.

"Why, out of all places in this bloody town, did you choose to sacrifice my sister in a bloody forest in the middle of the freaking night?" She snapped, her hazel green eyes blazing with anger as she carefully watched where she stepped.

Klaus raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her outburst as his usual smirk was playing on his lips. "The forest has a certain charm, don't you think?" He said smoothly, his tone infuriatingly calm. "It's quiet, secluded... perfect for a ritual of this magnitude. Besides, I wasn't exactly expecting company." Klaus glanced at the back of her head. "Not scared of the dark, are you, my love?"

Buffy let out a sharp, humorless laugh as she spun around to face him, her arms dropping to her sides. "You wish." She shot back, her voice dripping with defiance. 

"I can't believe I'm going to ask you again." Buffy continued, her voice firm and unyielding. "But can you really not find another way? There has got to be a loophole. Everyone knows that something involving witches always has one. There has got to be a way other than sacrificing my sister. There just has to be."

Klaus chuckled softly, clasping his hands behind his back as he observed her. "Ah, Buffy. Loopholes do exist, yes, but this ritual is ironclad." His smirk softened into something almost apologetic, but the look in his eyes revealed that he was deep down feeling sorry for her. If he could, he would stop, but he had to break this curse.

"Don't give me that crap," Buffy snapped, taking a step closer to him. "You're a thousand years old. You've had centuries to figure out another way to break this curse. Don't tell me you've been so busy terrorizing people that you forgot to use your brain."

Klaus mouth opened so that he could speak, but before he could, Buffy's voice raised again. "And if you think I'm going to stand by while you use Elena as some pawn in your twisted game, you're dead wrong."

Klaus chuckled softly, his hands clasped behind his back as he regarded her with a mix of admiration and amusement.

"Oh, fuck you." The girl snapped, already turning her back toward him again, her tone making it clear she wasn't in the mood for his games.

"Well, if you offer." Klaus said loudly enough for her to hear, his smirk widening, the playful glint in his eyes unwavering.

Buffy stopped dead in her tracks, turning just enough to shoot him a look of pure irritation. "You are insufferable." She muttered before storming off again, muttering curses under her breath at Klaus.

"And yet, here you are." Klaus called after her, the amusement in his voice making it all the more infuriating.

"Because you made me come here with you." Buffy yelled back. She threw her hands in the air, exasperation coming from her. "You dragged me into this! You practically kidnapped me again! That's twice now! If I had a choice, I'd be anywhere else right now."

"Anywhere else?" Klaus echoed, pretending to be wounded. "Come now, Buffy, I thought we were getting along splendidly."

"We're not getting along! You ruined my night, you ruining my sister's night, and now you're ruining our lives!" She snapped, jabbing a finger in his direction before continuing to walk away again.

Klaus chuckled quietly, following a few paces behind her. "You keep things interesting, Buffy. I do enjoy our little chats."

Buffy stopped short, her breath catching as her eyes fell on the ritual site ahead. Circles of fire blazed ominously, casting eerie shadows against the trees.

Greta stood firm, her expression resolute. "My duty is to Klaus," she declared, her voice steady and unwavering. "The new order."

The sound of footsteps broke the tense silence as Klaus strode forward, his commanding presence impossible to ignore. A confident smirk danced across his lips as he took in the scene before him. "Glad to know I still have a dance partner." He quipped, his tone light yet laced with menace. 

His sharp eyes scanned the clearing, landing on Elena, Jules, and the unnamed vampire bound in preparation for the ritual. His smirk widened, anticipation etched into his every move. "Hello, my lovelies." Klaus greeted them, his voice deceptively warm. "Are we ready?"

Elena's glare burned with defiance, though her fear was evident in the tightness of her jaw. Jules growled low, caught in the throes of her transition, her primal instincts warring against her chains.

Buffy's glare didn't leave Klaus's back as she spoke through clenched teeth. "You're sick." Her voice was cold, cutting through the air like ice. She glanced over at Greta, then back at Klaus, the disgust clear in her eyes. "I liked you much more when I was drunk."

She turned her attention to the ritual site again, her body tense and ready to strike. But as her eyes scanned the clearing, something caught her attention.

A figure was lying motionless near the altar. Her heart stopped.

"No." Buffy whispered under her breath, her voice barely a sound. Her legs moved before her brain could even process the sight, each step carrying her closer to the figure sprawled on the ground.

She pushed past the flames, her breath shallow, a knot tightening in her stomach. As she approached the altar, her eyes went wide with horror.

It was her mother.

Jenna's body was crumpled on the ground, her breathing shallow, her face pale and lifeless. Buffy's heart raced as she dropped to her knees beside her, hands trembling as she gently reached for her mom's wrist, feeling for a pulse.

Buffy's heart hammered in her chest as she knelt beside her mother, shaking her gently. "No, no, no!" she gasped, her voice raw with panic. Desperately, she grabbed her mother's wrist, her hands trembling as she searched for a pulse.

Klaus's voice, smooth and mocking, came from behind her, sending a chill down her spine. "She's not dead, my love. Just a little too close to Maddox while he was bringing the wolf here."

Buffy's breath caught in her throat as she pressed her fingers against her mother's skin. A pulse. Weak, but there. Relief washed over her like a tidal wave, and for the briefest moment, she allowed herself to believe things could be okay, but she knew that nothing about tonight was okay and they wouldn't become okay either.

"Please, don't kill her." Buffy begged as she looked down on her mother.

"I won't. I promise." Klaus spoke and Buffy nodded shortly.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Klaus stood atop a nearby hill, retrieving the moonstone from his pocket. His expression was a mixture of triumph and hesitation as he stared at the object that had consumed five centuries of his life. "I've got the moonstone," he said, his voice tinged with an odd sense of regret. "I spent 500 years looking for this. I hate to part with it."

He handed the moonstone to Greta, who accepted it with a nod and turned her gaze upward, scanning the night sky. "The moon has passed its apex." She informed him calmly. "Remember everything you need to do?"

Klaus smirked faintly. "I remember."

Without hesitation, Greta dropped the moonstone into a stone bowl filled with flames. The air crackled as the stone disintegrated, releasing a burst of fiery sparks. Greta began chanting in Latin, her voice echoing ominously across the clearing.

Nearby, three figures remained trapped within rings of fire. Jules lay on the ground, writhing in pain, her groans filling the tense atmosphere. Elena stood close by in the circle next to Jules'.

Meanwhile Jenna had woken up, hovered protectively next to her daughter as she scaredly watched her niece, who kept telling that it was okay. But both Buffy and Jenna knew that it wasn't. Buffy sat with her hazel-green eyes wide with horror as the events unfolded. 

Jules turned her yellowed eyes toward Elena, her voice weak but filled with raw emotion. "Everything I did... I was just trying to help Tyler." she said, her words trembling.

Elena's brow furrowed in confusion. "Are you Jules?" She asked softly.

"I didn't want him to be alone." Jules whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. "I really thought that Mason was dead."

Klaus descended from the hill, his footsteps deliberate as he approached the ring of fire containing Jules. He looked down at her with no remorse. "Shall we?" He asked.

With a gesture, the fiery barrier around Jules disappeared. She hesitated for only a moment before her werewolf instincts kicked in. Her yellow eyes burned brightly as she used her supernatural speed to lunge at Klaus. However, he was faster than her. 

Effortlessly, Klaus intercepted her, gripping her tightly before plunging his hand into her chest. Jules gasped, her body convulsing as he ripped her heart from her chest in one swift, brutal motion.

Jules collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face as she took her final breath. Klaus stood over her lifeless body, holding her bloody heart in his hand.

Elena and Jenna stared in silent horror, but it was Buffy who caught his attention. She wasn't looking at the gruesome scene but at him, her face pale and her breath shallow. The faint trace of a smirk returning to his lips as he turned to his witch.

Greta's chant echoed through the clearing as Klaus held Jules' heart over the ceremonial bowl, the blood dripping into the flames. Each drop sizzled, sending up bursts of sparks that illuminated his face. "Does that mean it's working?" Klaus asked, his voice calm but laced with curiosity.

"It's working," Greta confirmed, her tone focused and unwavering.

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A little while later, both Jules and the unknown vampire were laying dead on the ground next to the fire. Jules' heart was ripped out and her squeezed heart was lying next to her head. And the vampire had a stake pressed into her heart as grey veins dressed her face.

Buffy hesitated for a moment, her body tense as she stared at the bodies of Jules and the unknown vampire. The gruesome scene was enough to make her stomach churn, but she couldn't look away. She could feel Klaus's presence behind her, as if his pull was drawing her in despite the horror surrounding them.

"Buffy, come here for a second, love." Klaus's voice called out, smoother than ever, though there was something dangerous and almost affectionate in his tone.

She turned to face him, her heart racing. The sight of him, his dark eyes glowing with a mix of satisfaction and something unreadable, sent a chill through her. She didn't want to move closer, but she couldn't help herself.

"Buffy, no." Her mother spoke, pulling her back but Buffy shook her head. 

Something told her if she didn't go over there, he would come over here and she wanted to keep her mom out of Klaus' grip. So, reluctantly, she stepped forward, her footsteps soft against the cracked earth. Her eyes never left the bloodied scene on the ground, the bodies of Jules and the other vampire lying lifeless. The air around them felt thick, suffocating, and Buffy's breath caught in her throat as she approached Klaus.

He turned toward her as she drew near, his expression softening just a fraction. "I know this is difficult for you, but you need to understand the gravity of what's happening." He said, his voice lower now, as his hand brushed against her arm.

"I will never forgive you if you go through with this." She snapped her eyes away from the dead bodies and looked up at him.

Klaus's gaze softened, his hand lingering for a moment longer on her arm before he pulled it back. The tension between them was palpable, and for the first time, his usual composed demeanor flickered with something less controlled. "You don't have to forgive me, Buffy." He said quietly. "You just have to understand."

"No." Buffy shook her head. 

"Love, I need your blood." Klaus said to her.

Buffy's heart skipped a beat at his words, her blood running cold. She took a step back, her mind racing as she tried to process what Klaus was implying. "What?" Her voice was sharp, her tone laced with disbelief. "You need my blood?"

"It won't work without your blood."

"Well, than, goodbye. Have a nice life." Buffy spoke, already walking back to her mother, but Klaus's figure appeared in front of Buffy in the blink of an eye, blocking her path, his eyes dark with an unsettling intensity. His words were sharp, almost cold, as he spoke again. "I will take it willingly or not, Buffy."

She refused to show fear, but her pulse quickened, her instincts screaming at her to run.

"Let me pass, Klaus." Buffy demanded, her voice steady but sharp, her anger simmering beneath the surface.

Klaus's lips curled into a dark smirk, his eyes glinting with something almost predatory. "You think you have a choice, love? You don't." He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming as he loomed over her.  He nodded and Buffy frowned in confusion at what he was nodded and before she knew what he meant,Before she could react, a sharp pain surged through her arm. She gasped, her body jolting as she felt the cold metal slice into her skin. Blood trickled down her arm as the wound stung, the crimson liquid staining her sleeve.

She looked up, meeting Klaus's gaze, as Greta slowly withdrew the small, sharp knife she had used. "Fuck." The girl cursed. 

"I'm sorry, love." Klaus spoke as he spoke took out of jacket. 

"What the fuck do you need another stake for?" Buffy spoke and her question was quickly answered.

Buffy froze, her breath catching as Klaus sped away, the scene unfolding in an instant. One moment, she was clutching her bleeding arm and the next, Stefan, who she hadn't even noticed had arrived down in the quarry, was on the ground, motionless. Klaus stood over him.

"No! Stefan, no!" Elena cried out as she saw her boyfriend hit the floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Buffy screamed, her voice breaking with a mix of anger and disbelief.

Klaus turned back to her, his face unreadable, though a glint of amusement sparkled in his eyes. "I needed to make a point." He said simply, shrugging as if he'd just swatted away a fly.

Buffy's hands shook as she clenched them into fists. "A point?! You just—" Her voice cracked as she glanced at Stefan, her mind racing. "Ugh!"

Klaus's smirk deepened as he shifted his gaze toward Elena, who was standing frozen, her expression filled with fear and helplessness. "I have other plans for your boyfriend." He said casually, gesturing toward Stefan's motionless form. "I want him alive. But for now, he'll be fine over here."

Meanwhile, Greta had begun her work, carefully mixing Buffy's blood with that of the werewolf and the vampire in a ceremonial bowl. The liquids mixed together as Greta chanted softly in Latin, her voice growing louder with each word.

Klaus approached Elena, his expression calm yet filled with sinister intent. "It's time," he said. The circle of fire surrounding Elena disappeared, and she looked up at him with hate in her eyes. Ignoring his extended hand, she walked past him, heading toward the altar where the two lifeless bodies laid. 

"Please, Klaus." Buffy's voice broke through the tense silence, trembling as she sat on the ground beside her mother. "Please, she's my sister. Don't do this."

But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Klaus didn't even spare her a glance as he turned to Elena, his predatory gaze sharp and unyielding. He grabbed Elena's face, forcing her to look at him.

"Thank you, Elena," Klaus said, his voice laced with mockery.

"Go to hell," Elena spat, her defiance unwavering even as Stefan stirred weakly on the ground, struggling in vain to rise.

Buffy's hands balled into fists as she watched helplessly. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to intervene, to stop what was coming, but her legs wouldn't move. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest as Klaus sank his fangs into Elena's neck.

"No. No. No," Buffy whispered, her voice barely audible, growing weaker with each repetition. She clutched her mother's shoulder, her nails digging into Jenna's skin. Tears blurred her vision as she heard the sickening sound of Klaus draining her sister's life.

When Elena's body fell to the ground with a hollow thud, Buffy's composure shattered. Her cry tore through the air, raw and unrestrained. She covered her ears as if that could block out the sound, her head bowing low. Her sister's lifeless body now lay crumpled, discarded next to the other victims, as if she was nothing.

It became a whole lot darker when the fire in the ceremonial bowl extinguished completely, leaving them surrounded by suffocating shadows. Buffy instinctively turned her head, desperate to see her sister one last time, but Jenna grabbed her, her hands shaking as she forced Buffy to look away.

"Don't look," Jenna whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of her grief. Tears streamed freely down her face as she tried to shield her daughter from the horrifying sight.

Buffy shook her head violently, sobbing uncontrollably. "I need to see her. I need to see her!" she cried, her voice raw and choked with anguish.

"No, Buffy," Jenna said firmly, though her composure was barely holding. Her arms tightened around her daughter, trying to steady her even as her own heart broke into pieces. "Don't. Please, don't."

Buffy fought against her mother's grip, her thoughts spiraling out of control. This can't be real. This isn't happening. Elena can't be gone.

Her sobs grew louder, almost drowning out the silence around them. "She can't be dead!" Buffy wailed, collapsing against Jenna's chest. Her tears soaked through Jenna's jacket as she clung to her mother, trembling.

Jenna pressed her lips to the top of Buffy's head, her own tears falling silently as she looked at her dead niece. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." She murmured, her voice breaking, barely keeping it together for both of them. "I'm so sorry."

But no words could reach Buffy in that moment. Her grief was too overwhelming, too consuming. She stayed curled in her mother's arms, her body shaking with each broken sob as she whispered her sister's name over and over again.

Klaus staggered down the stone steps, his breath coming in heavy gasps. His eyes lifted to the full moon overhead, a triumphant grin spreading across his face as he felt the shift begin within him.

"I can feel it. It's happening." He said, his voice filled with exhilaration.

Suddenly, his bones cracked and contorted, his body shifting painfully as his transformation began. His eyes glowed yellow like a werewolf's, though the veins under them betrayed his vampire nature.

"Yes, yes!" Klaus shouted, reveling in the power surging through him.

But before he could fully embrace the transformation, his body was hurled violently through the air. He crashed into the rocks, the force extinguishing the flames in the ceremonial bowl. 

Greta froze, startled by the sudden interruption, only for the flames to reignite moments later. Her eyes darted to the hillside, where Bonnie appeared, chanting a spell. Greta barely had time to react before Damon came up behind her and snapped her neck.

Damon knelt down, lifting Elena's limp body into his arms. Meanwhile, Bonnie's chant grew louder and more powerful, her words resonating with ancient energy.

"Phasmatos Infero Eseri Gratas, Disasustos Vom, Mas Pro Je Ta Sue Te. Victamas Veras. Phasmatos Tribum, Niha Sue Exilum, Disasustos Vom, Mas Pro Je Ta Sue Te. Levam, Mina Sue Te, Disasustos Vom, Mas Pro Je Ta Sue Te. Phasmatos Veras. Fes Matos Tribum, Mas Pro Tes Unum. Victas Ex Melam, Phasmatos Vanem. Mas Pro Je Ta Sue Te." Bonnie intoned, her voice unwavering.

Klaus writhed on the ground, his body contorting in unnatural shapes as he screamed in agony. "No! You were dead!" He shouted, disbelief mingling with pain as he watched Bonnie.

Damon carried Elena's body down to where Stefan lay. He placed her gently on the ground beside him. Stefan, weak but conscious, reached out and grasped Elena's arm as Buffy and Jenna came running over to them.

"Elena." he whispered, his voice thick with anguish.

Damon knelt beside him and pulled the broken remnants of the stake from Stefan's back. Stefan winced, gritting his teeth against the pain. As Damon reached out to help him up, Stefan grabbed his jacket, his grip surprisingly strong.

"I need you to get them out of here." Stefan said firmly to his brother as he looked down at his girlfriend before nodding towards the two Summer girls.

"What about you?" Damon asked, hesitation in his voice.

"I'm not leaving until he's dead. Go!" Stefan commanded.

Damon hesitated for only a moment before nodding. He gently lifted Elena into his arms and turned to leave, motioning for Jenna to follow. Jenna cast one last, tearful glance at Stefan before following Damon.

But Buffy didn't move. Instead, she knelt beside Stefan, sliding an arm around him to help him to his feet.

"Buffy!" Damon and Jenna hissed urgently, their voices sharp but hushed as they stopped to look back at her.

Buffy shook her head, tears streaking her face as she steadied Stefan. "I'm not leaving until I see his dead body. Please, get my mom out of here, Damon." she said, her voice trembling but resolute.

Damon's jaw clenched in frustration, but he didn't argue. With Elena in his arms, he turned and disappeared into the darkness, Jenna reluctantly followed after him. Buffy stayed behind, standing beside Stefan.

Bonnie's chant reverberated through the air, growing stronger with each word. The intensity of the spell caused the ground beneath them to tremble, and trees around them began to groan and fall as if the very earth was reacting to her power. Klaus screamed, his body writhing in agony as he lay slumped against the jagged rocks, struggling against the pull of the magic.

The moonlight was nearly blinding now, casting long shadows that twisted and writhed as if alive. Elijah appeared from the darkness, his face cold, unreadable. Bonnie faltered in her chanting, her attention drawn to her old friend, but she didn't stop—she couldn't.

Klaus' strained voice broke the tense silence. "Elijah?"

"Hello, brother," Elijah responded, his tone sharp, his eyes fixed on Klaus.

Stefan and Buffy made their way over toward Bonnie as Elijah's fist plunged into Klaus' chest, gripping his heart with unyielding force.

"In the name of our family, Niklaus," Elijah's voice was a bitter whisper, but the hurt and sorrow behind the words were undeniable. His eyes, usually filled with calculated coldness, flickered with something deeper—something far more painful than Klaus could have ever expected. The years of betrayal, the weight of their fractured bond, all came crashing down in that one moment.

Klaus' breath hitched, his face contorting in agony as he gasped. "I didn't bury them at sea!" His voice was hoarse, pleading.

Elijah's brow furrowed in confusion and his hand stopped moving. "What?"

Klaus' words tumbled out in a rush, as if the weight of them could somehow save him. "Their bodies are safe. If you kill me, you'll never find them."

"No!" Stefan shouted. "Elijah, don't listen to him!"

Klaus' voice softened, almost pleading. "Elijah. I can take you to them. I give you my word...brother." Elijah hesitated, his hand tightening on Klaus' heart, as though he were weighing the words—his brother's final promise.

Bonnie's voice was fierce, filled with raw determination. "Do it, and I'll take you both out."

Elijah turned his head, briefly meeting Bonnie's eyes. "You'll die."

Bonnie didn't flinch, her voice unwavering. "I don't care."

"Please, Elijah, whatever he is saying is a lie. He'll say anything to escape death." Buffy's voice reached Elijah's ears, and he turned to look at his mate. His eyes softened as he quickly took in her state—her clothes were torn and covered in dirt, a cut marred her arm, and her mascara had streaked down her face, leaving dark trails of emotion in its wake. The sight of her, broken yet still standing strong, hit him harder than anything else could.

Elijah's grip on Klaus' heart faltered for a moment as his gaze lingered on Buffy. He saw the raw pain in her eyes, the plea for him to understand, and it pulled at something deep inside him—something he hadn't felt in a long time.

But he looked back from his brother to Bonnie, Buffy and Stefan, torn between the family bond and the three begging him not to listen.

His gaze lingered on Buffy a moment longer. The depth of emotion in her eyes was undeniable, and as her quiet plea echoed in his mind, Elijah felt the weight of his choices. The bond with his brother had been stretched to the limit, but this... this was different.

"I'm sorry," Elijah said quietly, his voice thick with regret. His eyes never left Buffy as he spoke, his words a soft admission of the difficult choice he'd just made. It was mostly for her—he knew the pain he would cause, the trust that would be broken, and now, the one person who had swore to never hurt, would be left with a heart broken.

Before they could stop him, Elijah's body blurred and he took Klaus with him. The ground shook once more as they vanished into the night, leaving nothing but the shattered remains of trees and the echoes of their footsteps.

"No." Stefan whispered and Bonnie stood motionless beside him, her face a mask of shock and disbelief.

"No!" Buffy yelled, her voice raw with anguish, as she ran forward, her feet pounding against the earth, her heart racing with desperate hope. She reached the place where the two brothers had just been, but all that was left was the dying fire and the lingering smoke. The darkness had swallowed them whole, leaving no trace of their presence behind. They were gone.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Buffy paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, her mind still reeling from the chaos of the previous days. The fire, Elijah's betrayal, Klaus' escape—it all felt like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. Her heart was heavy, the weight of loss crushing her from every side, but there was one thing she couldn't stop thinking about: Elena.

On the way back to the Gilbert house, Bonnie and Stefan had explained all about John's plan, but they hadn't heard back from Damon. Buffy had kept quiet, her mind racing with questions. Elena had fallen, lifeless. The blood, the silence—it all replayed in her mind like an endless loop. She had watched her sister die.

And now... now, all she had was this gnawing feeling in her gut that there had to be more. There was no way Elena could be gone. Not like that. Not without a fight.

She needed answers and she needed them fast. 

The door creaked open, breaking Buffy from her thoughts. Her head snapped up, her heart leaping into her throat as she saw Damon and Jenna step into the room. Elena was in between them, being held up by both. Her breath caught in her chest as her eyes locked with Elena's.

"Elena!" Buffy gasped, her voice a mixture of disbelief and relief as she rushed over. She pulled Elena into a tight embrace, her heart hammering in her chest. The moment their arms wrapped around each other, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. For a second, Buffy could barely breathe, the reality of Elena's survival sinking in.

Elena winced slightly, but she squeezed Buffy back, the warmth of her sister's arms grounding her. "I'm okay," Elena whispered, her voice shaky but soft. "I'm here."

Buffy pulled back just enough to look into Elena's eyes, her hands still gently cupping her face. "How... how are you even here? I saw you—" Buffy's words broke off, her throat tightening. "I thought we lost you."

"John." Elena sadly smiled back at her sister.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

The writers did us dirty with Jenna's death.

Words: 4670

Posted: December 14, 2024

Thank you so much for reading again! Be sure to comment. I love reading them and it keeps me motivated! I love you guys!!

Mwah mwah Katherine