Chapter Nine: The Unplanned and Horrible Rule

"What? I don't get a hello?" Mikael asked; still at their entrance.

Everyone were speechless. No one knew how to react or what to say. Their last hope was crushed at Mikael's entrance. Everyone somewhere deep down hoped that Mikael wouldn't show up and that they'll go on continue living their lives. But Mikael was there. In front of them; ready to fight. Who could react to someone who possess a threat of killing them?

Eventually Kol replied to Mikael,

"You certainly haven't travelled for a sweet hello father now, have you? This half hearted greetings won't do us any good. So why not get on to what we all are here for and just get it over with?"

"My child, aren't you forgetting something?"

When Kol looked utterly confused, he wandered his eyes onto others in a hope that they remember what Mikael was trying to say. But when no one showed any sign of remembrance, he asked again,

"Have you all forgotten?"

"What are you leading upto father?" Elijah asked.

"A feast, of course!"

Everyone had absolutely forgotten about the rule of having a feast before a war. Having a bare amount of encounters with supernatural beings, the Mikaelsons thought it's foolish, baseless to have a feast before killing mere humans.

Well, there were other reasons to demolish this tradition.

Henrik was sitting in front of the fireplace. No drink in his hand, just sitting there on the warm, brown couch; remembering Dacre. And how he just so obliviously said that they'd meet again. Henrik, as a matter of fact wanted to believe everything would happen as how Dacre described. But he knew better than dreaming of future when he knew there was a possibility of not having a future.

"I believe that you'll come back, drop all your bags at your apartment, reach Green Lantern, look for me and once I am visible, you'll come and kiss me so hard and then, you'll say hi and that's when our story will start"

Henrik chuckled while remembering what Dacre had said. For Henrik, it would be fun to do as Dacre had put it.

Suddenly he heard voice of the person whom he wanted to avoid the most having a conversation with.

"Have any idea why Father is stalling?"

Henrik sighed and asked in return,

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he is here with the intention of killing us all, but first wishes to have a feast? (Clicks tongue) That's suspicious."

"He can hear you, you know?" Henrik asked showing his back to Kol.

"So what? He is going to kill us all no matter what, so why not just say what we want to say."

Henrik finally turned and asked with wonder,

"Are you so sure that he will kill us? You don't have the slightest bit of hope that we'll somehow survive this? Don't you have anything in your life that's worth fighting for your life?"

Kol shook his head. Said nothing and just shook his head.

"That's crazy."

"What is?"

"We have lived for over 1000 years. And yet you haven't found anything or anyone worth fighting for. Are you ready to just stop living?"

"I have grown tired of living Henrik. It's just loneliness and nothing else. There's no one in my life for whom I wish to continue living."

Henrik felt sad for Kol.

"You have this family, don't you?"

Kol sputtered and said,

"What family? Father wishes to kill us, things with mother are beyond repair, Finn have never considered me as his brother, Elijah cares for no one besides Niklaus, we all know how we feel towards Niklaus, Rebekah always favors Elijah or Niklaus and you… how long has it been since we have talked like this? (Henrik was speechless) So you see, my family is just a family for a namesake. For everyone, I am second or third. No one cares for me. Everyone leaves me just like you did after I refused helping you with Kollen. You just stopped seeing me. I was like totally invisible for you."

Henrik saw the pain in Kol's eyes. Something in him did say that there was something more than just Kol's refusal for Kollen. But he didn't say anything. Instead he just shut him off from Kol. Before that, Kol has been so good to him but this one thing got him completely dismissing

Kol. If he hadn't been like that, maybe Kol wouldn't be feeling like this. Henrik did what he felt the only thing he could do. He left Kol and the conversation. While Kol stood teary-eyed.

"How problematic are we!" Rebekah exclaimed.

"Yeah, I really wished they'd settle their feud now. It's been long enough." Elijah expressed.

"I really thought Henrik would give in after Kol's whole speech. But instead he just walked away."

"It wasn't wrong of us to eavesdrop, was it?"

"Not at all! I mean we hear everything. Sometimes it's too difficult to avoid hearing. And we care for them, all we want is for them to mend whatever needs to be mended. (Elijah nods) Speaking of caring, remind me to kick the shit out of him after we're done with this stupid fight.

How dare he say we don't care about him?"

"Not to defend him but we have placed him second in terms of our priority many times."

"He should understand that Nik had much more troubles than him. So obviously he was our first priority but that doesn't mean we love him any less."

"It's tough to understand this for someone who has felt he had lived in someone else's shadow constantly." Both of them were silent for a while.

"Where are we with this feast anyways?" Rebekah asks in annoyance.

"I don't know. It's been over a couple hours. Father did compel few chefs from many of the most prestigious restaurants. No idea what they're doing still." Elijah answers in the same calmed manner even though he too, wanted to get over this fight as soon as possible.

Another hour had passed before they were all called for meal. Everyone has expected it to be grand and full of every kind of meat, numerous desserts. And it was exactly that. The dining table was filled with dishes almost making it impossible for them to choose what to eat first. They all would have preferred if it was something intimate. As if the food wasn't enough and they all had to share. This seemed more formal rather than appealing and warm. They all were tired of each other but they couldn't stop expecting more from them.

"Welcome. To this grand feast. I have put out almost everything that will help me a great competition from you all. And for the perfection,

(Mikael's signals one of the chef's) I have also given you the best thing a vampire could use before a fight."

Just then, a chef enters with a tray of eight glasses of human blood.

"I have kept off of drinking human blood father." Finn informed dismissively.

"Finn, this might be the last of the taste of human blood for you. So drink it up. Here is the perfect amount that you'll be needing to stay strong for afterwards.

Now, shall we?"

Everyone had taken their seat. It was just as how it was before. Mikael sitting at front, on his right sat Rebekah, Finn and Henrik and on his left sat Elijah, Niklaus and Kol. Esther sat facing Mikael. All of them were quietly eating their meal.

"So, how's everyone?" Mikael asked all of a sudden.

Everyone stopped eating or chewing and just stared down at their food.

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad."

"What are you trying to do Mikael? First this feast and now you're trying to have a conversation with us? We are literally moments away from tearing each other apart and now you want to talk?" Esther shouted; irritation palpable in her voice.

"That's the reason." Mikael began speaking.

"The last time we fought, not much of time had passed at that time, but now it's been too long for things to be okay. And just like that you have said now, we are moments away from our death, so why not say how we are irrespective of how others would feel to that. I see everyone here and I could just say without any hesitation that you all are screaming on the inside on many topics. So why not talk it aloud?"

"Yes father!" Nikluas began to speak with a firm voice.

"Yes, we are not okay, but…."

Rebekah interrupts, "And we all know the reason to that, don't we?"

Everyone looked at her. Everyone knew what she meant. Even Nikaus. "What do you mean, Rebekah? What's the reason, or who, is the reason?" Mikael asked, knowing where this was going.

"It's Klaus." Rebekah answered nonchalantly. This left Niklaus shattered.

"Rebekah how can you say this?" Elijah asked.

"Why Elijah?" Henrik interfered.

"Rebekah is only telling the truth."

Niklaus completely broke. Even though Henrik and he had last talked long ago but he accounted as one of his siblings who actually cared for him. And then hearing that from Henrik, he had lost all hope of love from any of his siblings.

"The root of all our problems is Niklaus. Even you Elijah, no matter how much you ignore it, you know it too that Niklaus is the main reason why we all are like this. Stuck. With no strong companion with us since we have lived and that is about more than 1000 years. He is solely responsible why we all, are tired of living." Henrik continued.

Niklaus has stopped eating. He just stared down at his plate of food. Who could eat after listening all that?

"I have Dani." Elijah said.

"I love her and she is my companion."

"Then why haven't you turned her yet?" Rebekah wondered.

"Do you even plan to? Turning her? Because soon, she'll die if not of age then something else. What kind of companion is she if she won't be with you forever?"

"Oh, it's just Elijah playing his gentleman persona. He would never turn his love without her wish. Isn't that right Elijah?" Finn asked. Elijah maintained silence to which Finn chuckled.

"That's so dumb." Kol says.

"The whole point of loving someone is to be with them forever. And if you have the power to do that, why not use it?"

"Oh, you're one to say about being with your loved one forever. Isn't it ironic that you believe that but also refuse to help in doing that?" Henrik said.

"Why are we fighting with ourselves?" Niklaus muttered.

Mikael chuckled after a few seconds of silence and says,

"It's funny. You all left me to supposedly have a better life. But now looking at you, it seems you have turned out to be far worse than before."

"We left you." Esther says in a low but firm voice. "We left you Mikael. Because you treated Niklaus so terribly. I couldn't watch what you did to him for more than a minute so I cannot imagine Niklaus' condition at that time. And not only you were traumatizing to Niklaus but to rest of your children as well.

You thrashed Niklaus continuously and you made your children watch it. What kind of sick, twisted and senseless method of punishment you had going on? Only a soulless person who is devoid of loving anyone can do something like that. (To Henrik) Niklaus is not the reason why we all are the way we are.

It is because of Mikael."

"How dare you?" Mikael says with subdued anger in his voice.

"You think you can say these things to me and I'd just sit silently? Esther, you sit there and call me the cause effect of your present situations, where in reality, it's because of you, we are like this."

"What?" Esther asked.

"Oh, it's true! If you hadn't slept with a wolf, we would have been with each other. Totally okay altogether." Mikael replied.

"I thought we were all here for a meal, why are we talking?" Finn asked, hoping to end the conversation.

"Because I want answers Finn. I am sure I raised them well enough for them to talk aloud everything they feel instead of burying it inside them." Mikael answered to Finn.

"What exact answers are you looking for?"

Elijah asked in the same tone as Mikael's.

"What questions do you have? Like why are we the way we are? That's because we grew into like this. Yes, you taught us to speak what we feel but that doesn't mean it was right.

We all have this question. Who is at fault behind our current situation. And I say, it's us. We are responsible for our life. Every decision that we, have made has drawn us here. We are the reason why we are like this. We, and not anyone else."

Silence spread again amongst the dining table. They all have been called out. Some blamed Niklaus for every bad thing that has happened, just to avoid that in reality, it was them who led the situation to this. And some really did blame Niklaus and thought it's because of him they're suffering. But something struck Rebekah.

"If that's so Elijah, then how come I was unable to bear a meaningful relationship while I was still with Niklaus and you? (Elijah inhaled deeply) Because as I remember it, I didn't do anything to any of the suitors. I don't even remember killing any one them. Do you know why? (Elijah was about to say something) Because, Klaus killed them."

"Rebekah, you very well know the reason I did that, so why start that topic now?"

Rebekah banged her hands on the table and shouted,

"You told me that you, thought they weren't right for me. Since when do we choose partners for each other?!"

"Rebekah, you are saying this as if I have killed every one of them."

"Oh, yeah. You have either killed them or banished them to ever see me again."

"Who is this you're speaking about?"

"Marcel!" Rebekah shouted at an instant as if this name on her mouth was ready to be spoken out.

Niklaus was infuriated. No one was allowed to speak of that name. But she did. Rebekah did. Niklaus knew that if anyone was ever to repeat that name amongst them, it'd probably be her but he expected Rebekah to respect Niklaus enough to never mention him.

"How dare you mention that ungrateful swine?"

"What did he do? He did nothing but stood loyal to you! You called him your family and then banished him from us just because he loved me!

Didn't even think how would that make me feel!"

"Rebekah, I don't wish to speak with you now." Niklaus refused to see Rebekah at all.

"Why? What have I said? Or what did I do? Nothing! You snatched

Marcel away from me…."

Kol interrupted,

"Rebekah, please! Give us a break!" Rebekah looked at him confusingly.

"I have heard enough of misery for Marcel. Yes, he was a part of our family and yes, you loved each other. But at the end of it all, he was a son of a man who wiped horse's ass for a living. Not defending Klaus, but he was not the best suitor and not just him, but everyone of us knew that. Klaus was just the one who did something about it. And why are you complaining now? You have a beautiful life with a young and intelligent man in Paris. You're living the life you wanted. What else do you want?"

Before Rebekah could say anything, Mikael asked amused,

"Oh, is that so? (Everyone looked at him) You have got yourself a young man now?"

"Oh, yes!" Kol answered. "Everyone of them has got someone."

"Well, not everyone…" Finn murmured.

"Well, then how did you'll convince yourself to leave them to come fight here for Klaus?" Mikael asked.

"We aren't here to fight for him." Henrik said.

"We knew you're hunting all of us and since last time, we'd promised ourselves on fighting together whenever the next time will be. For greater chances of surviving. And so, we came here."

Klaus had lost hope on any kind of feeling for him from Henrik.

"Yes, the last time…" Mikael remembered.

"Almost 800 years ago. What a fight that was. And it was my mistake to underestimate you all."

"Oh, yeah. You ran!" Esther exclaimed.

"You ran at the slightest bit of feeling of you losing to us. Perhaps you couldn't face the fact that your sons could beat the shit out of you." Mikael crossed his eyebrows.

"This is what you do isn't it? Get scared of not being the one to control whatever happens and you run. And then, haunt us because we know you'll come. Sooner or later, but you will. And to be perfectly honest, that's some messed up thing to do."

"Esther, please just…."

"Yes father." Niklaus interrupted.

"Why are you like this? You obviously knew where we were and what we are doing in our lives. How but? (Mikael smiled wickedly) You knew all this and still act amused when you hear they are with someone in their lives? What is it that you're trying to do here father?"

Mikael looks at everyone and notices that all of them are waiting for his answer.

"Finding you all wasn't the toughest job. As a matter of fact, it was quite easy. For most of you all. Most of you did nothing significant so that the internet could fetch me your location. And so, I grabbed a little witch. She helped me find the most of you through the persons whom you have feed upon.

And so once the ritual started, it didn't take the witch two minutes to find where Kol was. (To Kol) The amount of women you fed upon was exhausting! I also came to know that most of them weren't even alive.

What happened Kol?"

Kol sighed and answered,

"If they knew too much about me, I would kill them. Because then, they'd ask all these questions and so better to just wipe them away."

"What would happen exactly Kol?" Rebekah asked.

"I'd tell them lies about my life. And if they came close towards finding the truth, I'd had to kill them. And then clean them up, compel everyone they knew to forget them."

"Ugh, too much work!" Elijah disgusted.

"Yeah, better stay away from them girls." Finn suggested and joked. "You don't know anything!" Kol shouted. "You have never been in a relationship. Never have you been with a girl's company. You have been with yourself this whole time. I have to be with them to avoid something else."

"Someone else." Henrik said. "Ayana." He continued.

Kol sat silent; not looking at anyone.

"Finding Kol in Texas was the easiest. (To Kol) You should be careful though. (Kol just are his food)

Coming next, I get to know about Klaus. I reckoned Elijah would be with him as well. And since, Rebekah lived in an apartment with her boyfriend, Finn and Esther living in an apartment as well, I knew you all would come here to fight with me."

"How did you know about us?" Esther asked.

"Well, (to Kol) you were wrong son, your brother Finn has been in the company of a couple of women over the years. Just casual. One night stands as they say. Nothing serious. In all the time I spent with you, Finn never strayed away from Esther. And so why would he stop now?"

"What about me?" Henrik asked in arrogance.

"You." Mikael began.

"It was the hardest to find you. Because in all these years, you haven't once fed upon people."

This revelation shocked everyone.

"You're one of the two to whom I haven't taught how to control the thirst urges and yet you're the one who turned out to have mastered the course. And so, the witch was unable to trace you.

But you are the one who is known even by the internet. I came across an article about the people helping the needy and in them, your name came. BabyLove DC. Your donations helped me find you.

You know, you are the only one whom I can proudly call my son. You are the one who is perfect among them. Not Elijah, not Finn but you are the best one and it's a shame I have to kill you. Actually, it's a shame I have to kill you all just because I have to kill Niklaus. Only because you chose his side, I have to do what I must do."

"How about this?" Rebekah began to say in anxious state.

"What would you do if we say we regret leaving you back then?"

"Rebekah!" Elijah warned.

"Oh, come on Elijah! You know you regret it too." Rebekah retaliated.

"Rebekah, Klaus is right here." Finn said.

"So what?! Let him hear what we think and feel. After all, he should feel that he deserves it. Because he does. He does deserve every bit of anger and frustration that we have for him." Rebakah's voice was soaring high.

"In all these years, he hadn't been a good brother, let alone a good person."

Niklaus was silent. Looked down and couldn't even eat his food. He just wanted to go.

"Rebekah, if the matter is anger or frustration, then I am angry at all of you."

Mikael wiped his hands, stood up and started walking around the table after saying that.

He continued as he stood behind Rebekah,

"I am angry at you for never standing upto Niklaus when he ended your life with each one of your suitors."

He walked a little and stood behind Henrik,

"I am angry at Henrik because he never considered anyone in this family more valuable and worthy than Niklaus."

He walked a little and stood behind Finn,

"I am angry at Finn because he always chose his mother and. Ever once considered his father's side."

He then stood behind Esther and said,

"I am angry at your mother because instead of having a conversation, she stepped outside our marriage. I know I did mistakes and sleeping with Josephine was unjustifiable. But she should have talked to me. It wouldn't have mattered if we'd have to separate. If she knew what I have done was wrong, why did she repeat that mistake with someone else? (To Esther) I was a bad husband to you but you were the sensible one out of the two of us. And so you have made a mistake of mating with someone else. Just know that."

After that, he stood behind Elijah and said,

"As the one who was given the responsibility to handle everything, Elijah has failed in that miserably. He had the opportunity to sort everything wrong between you all anytime in those 1000 years but he remained silent."

He stood behind Niklaus and said,

"I am angry at Niklaus as he destroyed so much that none of you feel anything warm towards him. Everyone is at cross with him."

Finally standing behind Kol, he said,

"I am angry at Kol because of all the lives of innocent women he has taken. Instead of owning of to the responsibilities, he has chosen to be a complete monster. Those girls that you have killed may own a great importance to anyone's life. And if not anyone then surely his parents' life. (To Kol) Just remember that you have killed someone's daughter countless times."

Standing behind his place, he continued,

"I may be wrong to correct Niklaus back then but instead of all of you coming and begging me to stop, or even just asking, you all flew away. Never thought that to me for whom this family was everything, what would this do. You left me and never came back. I can understand why Niklaus didn't but why you all? Why didn't any one of you tried to trace me? I waited. I waited for you all until my love for you transformed to pure hatred.

(To Niklaus) You asked me what was I doing. I just wanted to address to all of you how destroyed and miserable you are. You ran away from me so that you could have a better life. But now, you are even at a worse stage. Killing people nonchalant, not finding yourself a meaningful relationship, destroying the great and genuine bond among you all. You ran away from me. Me, who could've taught you every little thing that a vampire has to learn. If you would've been with me, I would've kept you at being a vampire only. But now, you have become what everyone calls you. A monster!"

Everyone was silent. Not able to say anything to counter as everything that Mikael was saying was true. They had indeed destroyed everything intentionally or not.

"I thought why not spill out everything and talk the last time we can before any one of us dies. I may have been a bad husband but you all turned me into a bad father. A father who met his children almost 800 years after only to fight them. You made me do this. Each one of you. Last time, you all begged me to not to fight but at that time, I was furious. Nothing could stop me. But now, no one has asked to leave or told me to stop. It seems all of you want to fight with me because you all are tired of living. And you seek to end it all. Am I right? If not then why haven't you asked me to stop?"

This was the most intense moment for everyone. Mikael was saying so much and everyone was just mute. They couldn't think anything else because every phrase of Mikael's resonated in their mind. "I know the reason. It's because you know there is nothing left to save. It's either going to be you or me who's coming out of this. At the end someone's going to die.

You think there is nothing left to mend because you left it all to die and get lost into the doom. We, on paper, on record are a family. But in reality, no…. We are just remaining baggage on each other's shoulders at which we are tired. We want nothing more than to get rid of it. Now you'll find someone to blame. For the mess we are in, you'll think someone is at fault here. But you are wrong! If someone destroyed this, it was your job, to mend it. Everyone who were silent, be it at the time of suffering or post that, they are at fault too.

Why should you be alive? What is it that you have done for me to forgive you or show mercy to you? Because let's be clear, you all have been selfish at some point of time. So why should I show mercy to those who didn't think of anyone else but them? So yes, you all deserve to fight for your life, because the truth is, you all are wasting it."

Once Mikael was done speaking, he looked at everyone. Everyone was silent and morbid. He then looked at their plates. The food in it even looked cold. So he said,

"I assume no one's eating anything. Does anyone want to say anything?"

"I do." Klaus said with a broken yet strong voice.

Everyone looked at him.

"Let's get this fight started."