Ch.12: The Dark Original

        They all were still on the street. Since she and Klaus weren't from or tied to any fairytales, the Darkness kept him in Storybrooke. To be cautious with what would happen, Kat told them, "Anyone without magic, go home. Just in case. You've never seen what he's capable of. I have," she instructed. Then she took a few steps towards where he was. 

        "Klaus?" she stated, which made him turn around to look at her. 

        "Katerina," he replied. 

        Regina stood in the background, ready in case he did anything that would cause anyone harm.

        Kat saw that for the moment, he was in control, so it was safe for now to get close to him. 

        She went to stand in front of him, where she rested a hand on the side of his face. 

        "I'm sorry, Klaus. I didn't know it was going to come after you," she replied. She had hoped it would've been someone less unkillable. If anything went wrong, white oak didn't exist here. Plus, she didn't want to have to kill the hybrid that she'd fallen in love with in the past year.

        "It's not your fault, Katerina," he assured her. "You were trying to help a friend."

        When he looked at open air, seeing something, she realized that he was seeing something she couldn't. 

        "What is it?" 

        "I've got something in my head once again. Something that looks like your friend," he replied, not keeping anything from her. She always found everything out, after all. He couldn't keep any secrets from her.

        "I'll find a way to get this thing out of you," she assured him. "I did it with The Hollow with Rumple's help back then. I can do it again."

        "I think we both know that the only way to destroy it is to kill me, luv," he reminded her. 

        "Well, one, there's no white oak in Storybrooke. Two, I'm not killing you. You're in control. Even if you weren't, I think I can control you. Without the use of any dagger. I know you too well. Remember that," she replied.

        Regina picked up the dagger from the ground, just in case, and put it in her jacket. 

        "We need to do something other than hope he keeps up his good behavior. We need to find something that'll hold him. There's no telling how long until he loses control. He does that, and he might end up killing an innocent person." 

        "Well, aren't you miss doom and gloom," Kat had to comment to that. "I know him better than anyone in this town. I can handle him, Darkness inside him or not."

        "I sure hope so," Regina replied, not very helpful.

        It had been about a month since the Darkness had gone into Klaus. He had tried his best to control it, but hadn't fully succeeded. Despite everything though, she stayed at his side. He wasn't fully surprised at that, since they were so much alike, though. And because they'd forgiven each other after so long of hating each other. Recently, Rumple had finally awoken, perfectly fine. Also, Regina had found out about the existence of the Excalibur sword, so it was in Storybrooke now. Katherine wasn't too concerned about him, but Regina was, so putting Excalibur back together with the dagger was her way of being able to take care of him. Just in case. If Klaus went off the deep end, she had it in her possession to either control or kill him. Even if he couldn't be killed for good, because of being an Original. Not without the one thing that actually could kill him. She didn't want it to come to that, but she'd known a Dark One for centuries. 

        Klaus was in semi-control at the moment, but while Katerina was elsewhere, he felt like he was ready to do it. Something that he should've done back when Marcel had been easily killable. Now, as the new Dark One, they would be evenly matched. He'd magically make Marcel come to town. Then he'd get his vengeance. Marcel was the only person now that he wanted vengeance on. Besides, considering she'd forgiven him for a thousand years, Rebekah would eventually forgive him for this, too. Marcel had nearly killed them all. It was time to finally finish off Marcel for good. And so, that's exactly what he did. He brought him to Storybrooke with the help of the figment that was still in his head. Katerina was the one that knew real magic, after all. Klaus had never had the luxury, despite how powerful his b***h of a mother had been.

        Kat was heading down the street, on her way back to their place, considering they were still staying at Snow and Charming's place, when she got ambushed. She was surprised he was in town, but had to assume that since she knew he'd never leave the city he cared about, it had to have something to do with Klaus. They'd spent a lot of time together, but he hadn't told her exactly what had happened before they'd both ended up in the Enchanted Forest, and she hadn't needed to tell Klaus about Marcel and her being enemies. She wished that she had told him now, though.

        Marcel pinned her against an alley wall, arm against her. 

        "Long time no see. It's been centuries," he commented. 

        "What are you doing here?" she wanted to know. 

        "One minutes, I'm in New Orleans. Next minute, I'm here," he informed her. "Doesn't matter how now though, since it seems I can finally pay you back for what you did." 

        She realized from his explanation, that it had to be Klaus. He was the only one that would bring Marcel here. After all, he had Dark magic, even if he usually didn't use said magic. But he was learning. 

        "Klaus," she commented, knowing it had to have been him, and didn't care if Marcel knew that Klaus was here.

        "Klaus killed himself for all of us. The Hollow was too much for him," Marcel replied. 

        "Think again. He and I ended up in the same place. I got it out of him, but now something else is in him. I've been trying to help him keep in control," she informed him. 

        "It doesn't matter. Right now, all that matters is you. I can finally get rid of you." 

        "It's been at least a century ago that I broke a couple of your rules. Besides, last time I checked, you have a rule about killing humans, and that's what I am now." 

        "I'll make an exception for you," Marcel replied to her. 

        Despite her situation she was in, unlike most people, she wasn't afraid. She knew Klaus would come, and then he'd save her from him. It was what Klaus did. Save her when she needed it. 

        Everything was growing gray for her, when Marcel was thrown off her. She assumed it to be Klaus, but with the state she was in, she couldn't be sure of anything. 

        When he'd tossed Marcel off of her, he knew that he had to be quick. He couldn't just prolong his suffering if he wanted Katerina alive. 

        "You'll pay for that," he commented to his former friend. After everything that had gone down years ago, he'd long since abandoned the notion that they were still friends. Friends didn't try to kill their friend's family. Or their friend. 

        "You look well for someone that's supposed to be dead," Marcel replied. "You know you can't kill me," he added. "Besides, Katherine and I were long overdue for a showdown. She broke a couple of my rules back in the day. I never got the chance to punish her for it." 

        "Whatever rules Katerina broke of yours, she doesn't deserve this. Anyone that hurts Katerina now, has to deal with the new me," Klaus replied. Then pinned him against a wall in a blur. "You couldn't be killed back in New Orleans, but perhaps this will do the trick," Klaus added, as the Excalibur sword magically appeared in his left hand. The other he had around Marcel's throat. "It's kind of a special type of sword." He then told Marcel, "You tried to kill the lot of us. I've let you live long enough. It's time I put a stop to you." 

        Before Marcel had a chance, Klaus drove it through him, killing him, and let him go. Then, with it still in his hand, blurred over to Katerina, where she was on her back, no longer awake. 

        "Katerina."

        After a few moments of debating on how to save her, since he knew a couple people here could heal her, and him if he could get a handle on magic, but also the fact that he could try and heal her with his blood, he decided to do the quicker way. She was too close to dying for blood to work for her. He never would've wanted to inflict this Darkness on anyone, but he felt justified enough to do this. Besides, he knew Katerina would understand his reasoning. They were too much alike. 

        He rested a hand on the side of her face. 

        "I'm sorry, Katerina, for what I'm about to do." 

        After a moment, he hovered the sword above her to save her, using it to turn her into a Dark One. Blood would've either healed or put her in transition at this point, and he didn't think after all of this time that she'd be very happy being a vampire, once again. So, this was his solution.

        When she awoke after a while, she was in bed at their place. She was healed, but she felt that something was off. Then saw what looked like the Enchanted Forest version of Rumple. She knew it wasn't really Rumple, though. He didn't look like that anymore. 

        "Welcome aboard. As they say, the more the merrier," the figment told her. 

        "What's that supposed to mean? What happened?" 

        "Well, you're one of us now. A Dark One, dearie," the figment told her. 

        She realized, as she sat up, what the figment meant. She realized that she was a second Dark One. It just wasn't as bad for her, since she'd always been great with control. And because she'd been a demoness before, so Darkness was almost like a companion to her. It wasn't a bad thing exactly for her. But it was for Klaus. He had too much darkness on his own. He couldn't control it like she could. Most would've been angry, but she wasn't. This she saw almost like a blessing. A way that could help him. 

        "Where is he? Where's Klaus?" she questioned the figment. 

        "He's doing what we've requested. Soon, we'll be free to wander this world. We'll be able to do whatever we want," it told her. 

        Suddenly, she realized what it meant. Klaus had the Excalibur. And after he'd most likely gotten his vengeance against Marcel when he'd rescued her, the only other thing for him to do was to let the Darkness get what it wanted. To be free. Get rid of Light. She couldn't let that happen. She had to save him. Save both of them. If she could find a way to get the Darkness out of both of them, then she could stop all of this. 

        Klaus stood not far from the river, Excalibur in his hand, ready to help the Darkness, even though there were parts of him that didn't want to do it. He just didn't have the control that he wished he had. This was too much Darkness for him to control, even with some of it inside Katerina. 

        "What are you waiting for? Do it," a former Dark One from the darkness said, standing not far from him. 

        The portal from the underworld began to open where the river was, before Klaus could make up his mind of whether or not he could stop this. He'd fought so hard to be the person that Elijah had wanted him to be. That he wanted Hope to see him be. Now, he felt like he was back in the position he once was. No choice, but to do what he was told to do, just as he'd grown up with a thousand years ago. 

        Suddenly, he saw Katerina half a distance away from him. 

        "You can't do this," she stated to Klaus. "You do this, Dark Ones from the past will all have free rein to do whatever they want. You'll put everyone in danger. Are you okay with that?" 

        The past Dark One that had spoken to Klaus earlier, stepped forward a few steps, before using magic to keep her quiet, magically choking her. 

        "I may not be able to kill you, but I can keep you from interfering," it stated. 

        "Stop!" Klaus immediately growled at it. 

        "What do you think you're doing? You can't stop us," it told him. 

        "Yes, I can," he replied, and raised the Excalibur, making all of the Darkness go inside the sword. Not wanting anything to happen to Katerina had given him enough strength to do the right thing. It took all of his strength to keep it inside the sword though, as he spoke to her. "I won't be able to keep the darkness in this thing for long. This has to be done." 

        "Klaus, no," she protested. 

        "There's no time to argue, luv," he reminded her. 

        "Then we do this together," she replied.

        "Katerina," he stated. He was sure that if he died with this sword in him, only the Darkness would fully be killed. He, as an Original after all, normally could only be killed for good with White Oak. But he wasn't entirely sure, since he was in a town of fairytales and fairytale magic. Katerina without it in her though, would die for good, he knew. That, he didn't want. 

        "I've died before more than once, unlike you. What's one more time? Besides, I don't want to lose you," she replied. "So, let's do this together." 

        Sometimes he hated how stubborn she could be, but since they didn't have the luxury of time right now, there was no time for him to be standing here arguing with her. And so, all he could do was go along with her plan. If they both died, then they'd be together. If he awoke after dying, and if she didn't, then he'd find a way to bring her back. 

        "Fine, Katerina. You win," he replied to her. 

        When everything was said and done, Regina was the one that found the aftermath, and realized what had happened. Rumple was the one that had a plan as usual, though. He'd be going to the underworld to get Katherine. Or, if both of them were there, then he'd be fetching both of them. Rumple knew after all this time, no matter what happened between those two, that you couldn't have one without the other. 

        "I'll go with you," Regina volunteered herself. 

        "You don't know what you'll be walking in on," he warned her. "Everyone that we've ever killed is there. I'd hate for something to happen to you while Katherine's there. Besides, who's going to be in charge while you're with me?" he then reasoned with her. 

        For once in a long time, she saw his reasoning, and she decided that she was best suited to be here, despite wanting to make sure that Rumple did what he said he'd do. 

        "Bring her back safely," Regina stated. 

        At that comment, he knew what she'd decided, and told her, "If anything happens to Belle while I'm gone, I'll hold you responsible." 

        She watched, as Rumple left to head to the underworld. Then she looked at the aftermath again. She assumed since Excalibur wasn't there, that it didn't exist anymore, since the Darkness had been destroyed.