Ch.10

Lexi was already there waiting for me when I arrived as it was already six in the morning. We'd been gone almost a full day since we'd left. Sighing I refilled the tub this time as it wasn't enough to worry the pool with and she happily drowned me for various reasons.

I smiled sardonically when I got out of the tub leaving the black oil behind. No skin had come off as I was beyond that now or so I hope. It did feel like I was squeezing evil toothpaste out of my pores but then it had always felt like that.

After I washed up and dumped the oil I spent several hours transferring gold, jewels and dark artifacts from one pocket dimension to the other while Lexi watched. When she asked. "Why do you need so much gold and stuff."

I sighed. "We'll need it to fund the slayer organization if they're still alive when we return. I left all the wealth I had there when I left but it wouldn't have been enough to last them for a hundred years. Slayers joined and popped up all over so it will be necessary for more significant funding once we return."

She smiled at my optimism and I sighed telling her. "We've two cures now and a lot besides. Now I need to go rob the Maritime Museum in New York and retrieve the Phoenix stone so I can drain it. A simple invisibility spell made a well placed distraction should do as I can't be seen on camera."

She sighed. "I'm going as well."

Chuckling I took her in my arms and teleported us to the bathrooms in the museum. There I cloaked us in a invisibility spell and we set about robbing the place. She actually laughed as I broke the display case and took the stone.

I pocketed it and teleported us out of there while the alarms went off and the humans went wild from a mass hysteria spell. It was a bit chaotic but certainly funny and mostly harmless as it wore of moments after we were gone.

Back at the house I prepared the pool and began absorbing the power of the Phoenix stone. I hadn't yet acclimated the magic of malivore and it's creatures but it wasn't anything to worry about as it was already purified.

The Phoenix stone however contained tons of magic and all of it was tainted with malice. While not dark magic per say it had a psychic imprint of hate and anger towards me and all vampires. Sacrificial magic like this always carried such things and it would take a while to acclimate the psychic energies into my own reinforcing my will but it could go with the energies I'd collected from the hell copy.

As for the magic and souls inside, I devoured them equally as the vampires souls would be crushed under my will and turned into essence to fuel my own soul. The magic would be purified and added to the mass once I finished draining it all.

The damn thing had a will of it's own and tried exploding to stop me but I forced it into submission just as the first cracks appeared. I drained that as well and crushed it into psychic energy to bolster the rest.

With that all done I jumped into the pool and focused on crushing the souls now inside my mind scape. All but a few had held no resistance as they'd already given in to the stones power. The rest however fought in vain as I killed destroyed them all including Julian.

My head throbbed as Lexi fished me out of the swirling black and red pool. I laid on the ground for a while simply absorbing the psychic energies. My minds scape expanded and grew much stronger than ever before.

As I finished my thoughts became clearer and much much less strained from holding and using the magic's. I felt the seal loosen a bit but let it be as I stood and grabbed a shower before emptying and cleaning the pool.

Lexi took the pack to Rebekah and told her and Matt to split it evenly while I went into meditation to wrangle the new magic's under my control and add them together. The planet was already completed but the moon wasn't nearly before. Now though it was as big as another planet and moved to circle the sun in orbit with the first instead.

One whole planet was locked now while the other was fully unlocked and half the sun like structure with it. I felt vastly more powerful than ever before as my will effected the environment around me.

I reigned it in after the second day as what was available was now under my full control. Standing I headed to shower before joining Lexi in bed. Over the next week I took in all the magic from the dark and regular magical objects while purifying and acclimating it all.

My power skyrocketed as three planets and another star joined the rest. My power nearly doubled what it was before as a whole Star or sun of power as it were was made available to me along with one and a half planets worth of power.

I felt that if I wasn't careful I could easily destroy this planet now so I sealed the Star away with the other and one of the unsealed planets as well. One and a half planets was more than enough power for now. I returned the ascendant along with my thanks and regards to the coven.

I also, at their request, gave them Bonnie's number. I spent some time reading through the grimoires I'd gained from the prison world before turning them over to Bonnie.

She was more than happy to take them off my hands and learn more. I told her about a possible Gemini coven contacting her for trade and bargaining. I made sure she understood that she could contact me if she needed help or felt bullied by them.

With that I told her to be careful of the dark magic ones and showed her which were which before helping her lock them away with the rest of the dark magic grimoires I'd given her. She would eventually use them as references if need be but she knew better than to play with them.

She'd seen me purify myself and had Lexi help her do so a couple of times while using healing spells to keep her skin. She knew it was necessary and while she'd grown powerful she stuck to her own magic and that of nature.

She didn't rely so much on the spirits like her tv show self did. Her own magic and psychic powers were growing daily as she truly reminded me of Willow in talent and Tara in pure heartedness. I felt bad for taking away her possible future with Enzo so I promised myself that if the other side should come into jeopardy I'd revive him or do so after Niklaus and them left.

I checked in on Rebekah and found her selling massive amounts of metals to companies all over as she'd started her own supply company. Matt was the same though he required them to pick up and deliver it as he could not do so himself.

I helped them as planned and refined all the metals into the best graded forms with magic. After that all they had to do was bump up the prices and sell high. Rebekah took the over seas markets as she was more familiar there and Matt took the both American markets and Canada.

With a strange thought I felt the earth and it's pollution and decided to act. I unsealed the sun for a bit and fueled the earth with magic as I degraded all the garbage dumps and waste plants full off garbage into natural plant nutrients and turned the worlds garbage into fertilizer.

After that I reached into the ocean and did the same to the debris there. And one last act I purified the atmosphere of the entire planet and bolstered it from degrading, freezing the polar caps solid once more.

The air smelled fresher and cleaner all over the world now. Even places like China were cleared of smog and the worlds weather systems changed to less drastic as the planet was no longer fighting to survive.

I felt my mother's presence and satisfaction by my actions as I withdrew. The sun had shrank a little but not nearly anything drastic as I sealed it away once more. Lexi looked to me and frowned before asking. "What did you do? I felt a massive amount of power from you before the planet seemed to sigh in happiness."

I smiled. "Witches all across the globe felt me doing it as well. I wasn't exactly subtle in my actions but don't worry, they can't divine who did it or follow the trail back to us. I healed the planet of pollutants and got rid of all the trash in the garbage dumps. Hopefully they'll be more responsible now."

With a smile I reached into the earth and used my planet sized magic and my plant ability to grow trees in all the deforested areas across the globe. All the trash dump places became forests as well while places like canada, Russia Africa and South America became paradises where nature thrives.

With one last spell I left a massive fertilization spell on the animals of the world besides humans. Nearly every animal fish or not went into heat. Smiling I felt my mother's approval once more and the varying feelings of witches all over as they realized what I'd done and how powerful one unknown witch truly was.

I withdrew my magic as the spell took hold. It would last ten years as the animals went into heat a month after giving birth or laying eggs and doing it all over again. This worlds dwindling species will be renewed and nature would become stronger in the meantime.

I felt a world seed begin to form because of all the magic I'd pumped back into the earth. It was currently forming in my basement as I heard my mother's voice in my head. "It is good to see you again my child. I'd thought you gone permanently from your actions. While I cannot say they were good or bad it is good to know you survived after all. This world will flourish now thanks to your actions. It will begin to produce more energy than before as well. The seed can be locked away elsewhere and protected at your discretion."

I wanted to ask about my wives or twilight but as quick as I felt her she was gone again. Sighing I told Lexi what I'd done and heard. I then began storing and shaping all the diamonds into ward stones including the two massive ones I'd retrieved as well from the prison world.

They began charging extremely fast with the rest as the seed was nearby. It didn't slow the seeds forming one bit either as it seemed to form depending on the strength of nature rather than the magic in the earth itself. I smiled as I'd halved a planet using so much magic.

Even with it being apart of my nature that was still billions of plants all across the globe plus a massive spell on every animal on the planet besides humans, vampires and werewolves. I'd excluded them for a reason. Witches were human so they didn't count and vampires, other than myself and Niklaus couldn't produce children.

I'd only. E able to now because of the massive amount of magic in my system and my nature as a god of well, nature. Even with my essence depleted I was still considered a god, fallen or not.

When I finished my explanations I sent Damon a vision while he slept of the location of the cave tunnels where I'd once etched my name beside Rebekah and the rest of them. Where a legend of the white oak that made up Whickery bridge lay.

I felt him on the move the next day and unburying it in the Lockwood family estate. I spent the next couple days relaxing while helping Alaric decipher the words on the walls. It was rather easy as I read and spoke the language.

Elena took that information and used it to get Rebekah on her side while planning and plotting against Niklaus. Damon and Stefan both got caught by Mikael as he was now in town. Sighing as I couldn't care less about the drama I came around with Lexi to Klaus's hybrid party.

I asked him as he kissed Lexi's hand. "Have you decided on releasing your siblings yet?"

He stilled before saying. "I fully intend to release the rest once Mikael is in the coffin I've prepared for him. Stefan has provided me with proof of his demise."

Sighing I shook my head. "Whatever. Have fun Niklaus and be careful."

I sent him a telepathic message that Mikael may not be as dead as Stefan claims but that I'd help if he required it. He gave me a warm smile and nodded before saying to Lexi. "Have fun and do save a dance for me. I'd love to get to know my sister in law, no matter if he's left the family or not. While I envy him that at times I seem to envy him more each time I see you."

I growled and he smirked before waving off the hybrids telling them. "You'd all just get killed. Besides, he's family and as such is protected by you as well."

Sighing I took Lexi to the dance floor where we remained for a long while until I heard the disturbance out front. I sent her inside before coming to stand beside Niklaus while he faced Mikael outside.

When he saw me at his side Niklaus smirked before saying. "Tonight you die Mikael, once and for all."

He had the hybrids not compelled to back off and nodded to me. I sighed and made those compelled have their heads explode all at once. All that remained was Mikael, Damon and Stefan.

I told the brothers. "I've warned you before if Niklaus dies so do all those of his sire line, including you and Lexi. I will not let that come to pass."

Niklaus looked at me with a frown. "You never said such to me."

I shrugged. "I always assumed that's where your arrogance came from. Now, Mikael, I once promised you that you'd see me once more before you die. This is that time. Goodbye and may the gods favor your soul."

I bound him in vines as he struggled and snatched the stake from Damon before tossing it to Niklaus and nodding. He stabbed Mikael with a smile and sighed in relief as Mikael's body burned up. The white oak stake gone with him.

He looked to me and smiled once more and I sighed. "Let the Salvatore brothers be as you've taken liberties with the doppelgänger. I've told you before she was under my protection. If you need her blood than at least pay the girl as any self respecting man should. That way it can be treated as a donation to a blood bank of sorts and she stays happy and safe."

He frowned before muttering and sighing. "You do have a point. It seems I've acted the beast long enough. With Mikael dead and the last of the white oak gone I need not be so crass as before."

I chuckled. "You certainly have the money to do so Niklaus and while she remains in Mystic Falls she under my protection, they all are. All I ask is that you treat them like people and not means to an end."

I turned to Damon saying. "Go home. Stefan has fled with Katherine and I do not intend to pursue or help those that may. Tell Elena that she will be compensated generously for the blood Niklaus has taken and should she agree she will be paid handsomely for more blood. Her college education will be paid for as well thanks to Nik here being sorry for the pain and suffering she's already experienced."

Nik didn't argue but just said. "I'll have the money transferred and sent to her post haste. Tell her to inform me of the college she wishes to attend as well. The fighting ends here, it is a time for peace and celebration."

The next day Nik showed up on my doorstep asking me to locate Stefan and the coffins. Sighing I did a scrying spell and found resistance. I pried a bit and let it go telling him I'd take care of it. He looked less than pleased until I sighed. "I'll personally handle it Niklaus. I've no reason to want them locked away than you would. Besides, didn't Elena give you Rebekah? You should handle that one as soon as possible as she'll be on the warpath herself."

He wasn't amused but then I teleported away to Bonnie's place. I found her reading up on spells and asked her. "Do I want to know why you're helping Stefan hide the coffins?"

She looked at me worried now before asking. "Does Klaus know?"

I shook my head. "No, and if you're smart you'll release the spell and return them. He's not the only one wanting to see them again."

She sighed. "I owe Stefan a favor, a debt if you will. He called it in and I've no choice but to help him hide them."

Frowning I told her. "Then consider your debt fulfilled. I'll shatter the spells and take them by force that way he cannot say you didn't hide them with the best of your abilities. He cannot fault you for being weaker than me right now."

With a snap I shattered the spell revealing two coffins. Frowning I asked her. "Where's the third?"

She bit her lip before saying. "He had me hide it with a lot stronger spell elsewhere. I had to use dark magic and anti-magic to conceal it as was the most important to his words."

Frowning I sent these two to Nik and teleported away before trying to feel for it. I found nothing which pissed me off a bit. I scried and still not a hint.

Finally I gave up and told Niklaus. "Stefan has it and it's hidden by anti magic wards. I can't find it so you'll have to do so in your spare time. For now there's Finn and Elijah. You already have Rebekah so all that's left would be Esther and she's dead already so I'm not worried. Even if she came back I'd kill her and send her back to the other side in agony."

He frowned. "Whose the witch that was so powerful as to fool you?"

I growled. "Watch your words Nik, no one fooled me. And the witch in question was once my apprentice. She owed Stefan and as you're well aware such things aren't easily dismissed. She was forced to use a powerful dark magic and anti magic spell to cloak it and him as compensation for said favor. No, you will not go about harassing or harming her as she is under my protection and while I'm willing to help you there is no way I'll allow her to be harmed."

He seemed miffed before asking. "Then what do you suggest we do to find it?"

I shrugged. "He requires blood to survive. Send your minions out in search of him. If some don't make it back narrow down the search each time. Use radios and grid searches or compel the police to help. He cannot simply run around and I highly doubt he's invisible and able to move around as that would require constant power to which she's not supplying. You'll find him eventually and once you do bleed then compel the truth of it's location from him."

He nodded before sighing. "Do you want the honors of releasing them then?"

I snorted. "Fine, go hide so they don't beat the crap out of you for the insult. I'll let Rebekah up last as she is bound to kill your hybrids out of spite."

I removed Finn's dagger then Elijah's. I set the daggers in their hands before putting blood bags beside them on their pillows. I removed Rebekah's last as Klaus was long gone now and I'm sure his hybrids were in hiding or else out looking for Stefan.

I heard them start to wake and told each of them. "You're invites into my home."

The didn't respond but the jolts stopped as their skin returned to normal. Rebekah would be the worst to handle as she was pissed at Elena for using the dagger on her. When they each woke up in turn I greeted them before letting them feed in peace.

As they were in my home I needn't fear them getting violent but Rebekah did get loud demanding. "Where is that doppelgänger bitch? I'm going to pop her head off as I strangle her!"

Sighing I told her. "You're not. For one she's not here and for two she's under my protection so long as she's in this town. If you move against her while she's under my protection I'll drop you in a prison world."

She frowned before saying. "So if she leaves town then-"

I shrugged. "She's none of my business. I'm not her keeper as I only protect her while she's in my territory."

Finn asked. "What has happened in all this time?"

I frowned and entered his mind. I found it a world of pain and misery as he was stuck between here and the other side with Esther whispering in his ears the entire time. Sighing I gave him all the information of this world up to date. I included my bargain with Rose and that she was waiting for him with the amulet.

I asked him mentally if he'd like me to remove the years of torment and lonely feelings and she declined saying it made him understand some things. Sighing I revealed what I thought of Esther and why I thought he shouldn't listen to her. Mainly as she was a hypothetical bitch.

He argued that she was protecting the family and I argued that she was protecting herself. I'd she really valued family she would have fought despite the odds of winning and done everything possible to get her daughter back not curse those she gave birth to later or cheated like a common whore and hid that making Niklaus weak with her starling necklace crap.

She should have stood up for him and revealed it instead of letting him suffer at the hands of Mikael and splintering our family as she had. He became confused and I relented as I told him to find the truth and not listen to lies or excuses. I left him with one warning as well. If he sided with Esther and she returned I'd kill them both to protect the others.

He looked me over as I exited his mind and nodded solemnly. He knew I wasn't lying in my threat. I turned to Elijah and Rebekah before saying. "Niklaus would be here right now but he's run off on business. It seems Stefan has taken Esther's coffin and is hiding with it under spells of anti magic and the dark arts. I can't or more like won't waste the power necessary to break the spells so he's busy with a rather long search ahead of him."

I sighed. "He's creates his hybrids and Mikael is dead by white oak. Any further news you want you can find out on your own. Rebekah, Matt is waiting to send out more materials with your help. Might I suggest you go into business together and combine your companies? Just a suggestion, nothing more."

I turned to Finn saying. "You and Elijah are more than welcome to stay in the guest rooms but the basement and my bedroom are off limits. Rebekah, the same if you'd like a less hostile place to stay. Just remember to treat Lexi with respect or I'll get very upset with you all and none of you want that. Oh, by the by, the wards will protect her above you as she is my mate. It will of course protect you as well unless it's her or myself attacking you. So behave and don't piss Lexi off and nothing bad will happen."

I left them there saying. "Blood is in the fridge and my room is noticeable by smell. Use your senses."

I sat beside Lexi in the living room watching some random movie she was enjoying with her. Elijah and Finn came out followed by Rebekah who immediately left. Elijah asked. "Could I perhaps find out how long I've been under?"

I shrugged. "Nearly a year if you went under right after the ritual. Niklaus left town and went on a wolf hunt to make hybrids with Stefan. Rebekah came back with Stefan a few months ago and she's been down a week or maybe a little more. As for you Finn, it's been nine hundred years give or take. You know that already though."

He grimaced and nodded. "I need to go. I have some things to do."

I flicked my finger changing his clothes into far more modern wear. A suit he looked rather less boring in. He thanked me and left in a blur.

Elijah however asked a few more questions and I told him finally. "After Mikael's death he finally relented and decided it was time you all awoke. He was finished running and he had his prize. Hopefully he'll learn from it and grow now. I've no more interest in Niklaus until it is time for him to truly begin to change. You'll know when I promise. Until then if you feel frustrated you can kick his ass a bit for being a dick."

He smiled. "Oh, I do believe I will at that."

I chuckled and Lexi told him. "Make sure Stefan isn't killed or things will get bad."

I sighed telling him. "She's right. If you decide to help Nik, save Stefan. If not save Stefan anyway. He is somewhere hiding in Mystic Falls and thus under my protection. If it comes down to it I'll seriously injure Nik to protect those in my territory. By the by tell the Nik to have his hybrids start drinking bags or using the snatch, eat, erase method. No bodies drop or I'll start dropping them."

He left in a blur not long after that. I learned later that Damon compelled Jeremy to leave town finally. A bit on the happy side of that myself. There's no need to worry of him becoming some badass hunter as Silas was dead now and so the hunters were released from their burden.

For the next month I merely helped Lexi with her magic and donated the extra spell books that Bonnie already had to Bree. She happily took them to further her own craft while inviting Lexi and I over for drinks.

We ended up staying with her another month just partying until I received a very disturbing phone call from Elijah. (Mother's back and she would like a word with you. She's asked that we each beg of you to be lenient on her for her past mistakes.)

I heard from each of my former siblings as finally Klaus invited me back to Mystic Falls for a ball in our family's honor. Sighing I told them I'd be there before hanging up. I then asked Lexi to be my date for the evening.

When we arrived back at the house we showered and changed before heading to the estate Niklaus built for them. We arrived just as Elena and the Salvatore brothers did. I didn't wait as I simply went upstairs where she had Finn at her side. I growled. "Esther. I take it the power your channeling is that of the Bennett line?"

She smiled and asked. "Can you not call me mother?"

I snorted. "Not without cleaving you in two. I may have agreed to stay my hand at their requests Esther, but you were never my mother. Merely the whore who squeezed me out and cursed me before doing a spell and having Mikael slit my throat. Ironically the last of which I don't actually hate you for."

She looked saddened as I asked. "So, what have you come back to do? Because I've killed less humans as a vampire than I've killed as a man and if you are here to judge me for those I slaughtered in africa then you will find that the Bennett line will turn against you."

She shook her head sadly. "Of all my children, you were the least monstrous. Even Finn here cannot lay claim to that as he's contributed to the plague that is the vampire species."

I snorted. "Spare me your sorrows whore, I've no pity for you. I was never a monster only a trapped being stuck in a shell of what I should've been because of your tampering. You feared my power without reason and gave yourself said reason by acting as you have. I am not your son, and I may not be able to kill you without killing my silly apprentice but if you act against me, you'll find your power is nowhere near mine even with the Bennett line backing you."

I unsealed all of the power I could inside myself and the world trembled. She paled as I spoke. "Spirits of the Bennet line, I'm warning you now, if you side with her against me I'll destroy the other side band tear your souls asunder. Ayana, bitch that you were to me, if you continue down this road not even Qetsiyah will be able to protect you. I'll destroy and absorb ever witch, vampire and werewolf soul over there, turning you all into fuel for my power."

My gaze never left Esther but the scream she let out was enough confirmation I needed. I reigned in my power. "Wise decision. Her tricks and spells cannot kill me either way and even if they could, the other side could not possibly hold me for long."

I turned my gaze to Finn now. "You need to decide what side your on. If you continue with this road you'll get the death you desire and nothing more. But if it's life you want, a life of your own, then find her and be happy for once."

I turned to Esther. "You have this night to live and no more. By dawn I will reach across this world and crush you like the bug you are."

I turned and left out the door. Lexi waited on the other side for me asking. "What happened? I couldn't hear then an earthquake hit. Is everything ok?"

I sighed. "It will be."

I saw Elijah, Niklaus and Rebekah waiting not far away and told them. "She intended for link then kill us all. She thinks us abominations still and would see us dead."

Rebekah has tears in her eyes now as I sighed. "I've given her this night on earth before I toss her soul so deep into the other side it'll be a very long time before we hear a whisper from her."

Niklaus nodded with tears brining while Elijah's eyes were red as well now. I took Lexi's hand before telling them. "Go, enjoy the ball and find someone to lighten the mood. Just don't kill anyone."

I took Lexi down there and we danced to the music as the first dance of the night came about. When it was time to switch partners Elena was my next one then Becca.

She was still sad while we danced so I told her. "If you'd like I know how to do a body possession spell. It won't be ideal, but you will be able to be mortal for a time and if you do desire, marry and have children. You would be returned to your original body when your mortal one dies but you could experience it all including becoming a mother and grandmother."

My words touched her as she cried in my shoulder before saying. "I'd like that very much, thank you."

I nodded. "It's not a problem. If you want I can even seal your original body in the room you've chosen at the house to protect it from would be assassins. That way you would be safe even from the worst case scenarios like Esther."

She nodded and we danced to the music till it stopped. She wiped her eyes as I told her. "I'll go body shopping with you tomorrow and you can choose one then. Just no one that'll be missed by those I call friends or my mate's friends."

She smiled and I returned it before leading her off the dance floor. I made the same offer to Elijah, Finn and Niklaus as the night went on. Niklaus refuses as he was familiar with the spells and Elijah had no use for such tricks.

That left Finn who didn't want to be a vampire at all or ever return to said body. But then he was still debating so I let his musings go until he decided on his own.