The Last Petrova

The Doppelganger

 Family. It is a great power, that which is stronger than hate or fear... But it is also a person's greatest weakness. During the course of my long life, I have seen all the horrors the word 'family' can offer. Cities have burned, kingdoms have fallen, countries have warred... All for the sake of this one word. Family...

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I woke up with a loud gasp of air. I looked around- I was in my room, lying on my bed, with a pool of blood surrounding me. A small distance away from me, Niklaus, Rebekah, and a man whom I hadn't seen before were surrounding someone cowering on the ground... I realized with a start that it was Hazel.

"Answer my brother's question," Rebekah snarled at Hazel, forcing her to stand up by grabbing her shoulders. "Who is the real Queen?" Rebekah snapped.

Hazel slowly lifted a trembling finger in my direction. All eyes turned to me.

"So do you mean to say," Niklaus began, "That I just put the Queen- the real Queen, on the verge of death?" he yelled. Then he began to laugh, as something was extremely funny. He buried his face in his hands, and walked over to the large windows at the very edge of my room. He then grabbed a polished oak chair, and threw it towards Hazel's direction. With a scream, she fell to the ground as it hit her with great force across the chest.

"Do you realize," he said in a shaky voice, "What you almost cost me?" he yelled, stomping over towards Hazel with a deadly furious expression on his face. "Nik, that's enough," Rebekah said, trying to stop her brother. Shoving her aside with his shoulder, Niklaus stomped down hard on Hazel's leg, causing her to let out a scream.

I could only watch as he repeated this over and over again... What did he and his siblings want? How had they managed to attack the castle, when it had been them and a few of their guards against the king's entire army? Why had Niklaus looked so panicked... Almost scared, when he had yelled, 'Do you realize what you almost cost me?'

"Niklaus- Niklaus, that is enough!" the unfamiliar man said, grabbing Niklaus's arm and pulling him aside. "I'm sorry, Elijah, did you want to kill her for me instead?" Niklaus said in a voice full of sarcasm.

"These two girls were only trying to protect each other, for the sake of love and friendship, which are two concepts you, sadly, are unable to understand," the man named Elijah said in a warning voice. A feeling of guilt washed through me as I remembered the thought that had rushed through my head when I had felt in danger-

'No one cares about what happens to Hazel...'

Two minutes. That was how long it had taken me to decide that my life's value was larger than my friend's.

"Control yourself, brother," Elijah said, holding up a hand. "The girl is safe. That is the only thing that matters," he said, glancing my way. I frowned. Why on earth were these people so bent on keeping me safe? Who even were they?

Niklaus stared at Hazel. "Go," he said. I stared at his eyes- his pupils seemed to be dilating at an impossible speed. A strange tingling sensation washed over me.

"Rebekah, tell Kol and the others to prepare for our departure. I want us out of this bloody place by the time the sun has risen tomorrow morning," Niklaus said. Rebekah nodded and hurried out after Hazel.

"And you," Niklaus said as he turned towards me. I immediately moved away from him- I was terrified, and I had absolutely no trouble admitting that. "Get up. We're leaving," he said. I noticed that his pupils were dilating yet again. "What? No," I said nervously. Niklaus's eyes widened in shock. He turned towards his brother, as if he didn't know what to do.

Elijah frowned and stepped over towards me. "You will board our carriage with us and leave this place," he said in a calm voice. That strange tingling sensation came at me once more- and although it was hard to tell for Elijah's eyes were dark brown, his pupils seemed to be dilating as well.

"No, I'm not leaving," I said in a trembling voice. Elijah and Niklaus stared at each other. "She was a witch, wasn't she?" Niklaus muttered under his breath. "Yes, I believe so. Her father's family were traveler witches..." Elijah said, uttering words that made no sense to me.

"Well, we'll just have to take her by force, then, won't we?" Niklaus said. He grabbed my wrist- and though he was considerably more gentle than before, I still let out a scream. "August!" I shouted. "August! Help me-" my voice was cut off when Niklaus clamped a hand over my mouth.

"Stay behind with Beatrice, make sure all traces of our presence have been erased before following us," Niklaus said to Elijah as he carried me out of my room.

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Four hundred years later.

I stare out the window of my room, looking at the trees as their leaves turn into a shade of crimson red.

"What do you want, Klaus?" I say, staring at his reflection in the window. "Watch your tone," he warns. I turn around to face him. "Is it not bad enough that you have brought me back here, to France? Must you continue to torture me with your incessant nagging?" I snap.

In the blink of an eye, he is standing right in front of me. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood today, your majesty," he says with a smile. "Pack your bags," he says as he turns around to leave. 

"Why? Where are we going?" I demand.

I don't expect him to give me an answer. But to my surprise, he actually responds to me for once.

"A quaint little town in North America," he says. "My birthplace, actually."

I narrow my eyes. "Am I supposed to believe that you are taking me there to introduce me to your hometown?" I ask sarcastically. He smiles at me with a look of satisfaction on his face. "I'm taking you there to tell you that, despite all your efforts to foil my plans, I have finally located your latest descendant- and who should it be, other than the prophecized doppelganger herself?"

I'm frozen in place by shock. "That's right, love," he says, stepping forward and turning around so that he is right behind me, "It only took me seventy years to locate this doppelganger," he says, stressing the word 'this'.

His right hand grips my shoulder while his left hand moves downwards so that he can feel the rapid pace of my heartbeat. It's growing faster, and faster, and faster...