The Originals One-Shots

The Swan Lake (Finn and Sage, Fairytale AU)

 Prince Finn wished more than anything that he could be anyone else.
 The ball was tomorrow night. His parents thought he was old enough to get married and obviously wanted him to, but Finn wasn't sure who he wanted to marry. He didn't know any princesses besides his sisters. He wished he could find someone; he knew the right woman had to be out there somewhere.
 Finn had gone out into the woods with his brothers Elijah and Klaus, and they could tell something was on their brother's mind.
 "What is it, Finn?" Elijah asked.
 "Nothing. It's nothing." 
 Eventually, Finn walked off on his own, giving an excuse about needing time to think. 
 After a long time walking, and the sun had set, he saw a flock of birds, swans, flying overhead. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and drew his bow, and aimed at one of the swans.
 But it was so beautiful...he couldn't bring himself to let go of the arrow.
 He watched the swans land by the nearby lake, and stared as, one by one, they transformed into women. The one he had nearly killed was the most beautiful of them all. 
 As he stepped out from behind the trees, the most beautiful saw him and gasped. The maidens began to run away.
 "No, wait!" he cried. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just-who are you?" 
 The one whom he thought the prettiest, who appeared to be leader, stepped forward. "My name is Sage. I am the Swan Queen. This is the Swan Lake. Who are you?"
 "My name is Finn. If you do not mind my asking, how did you...you were swans."
 "Yes, we are," Sage said. "A spell was cast upon us by an evil magician, Lucien Von Castle. We are swans by day, and at night, here by the lake, we transform into our true selves once again."
 "Is there any way this spell can be broken?" Finn asked.
 "If I can find someone who would truly love me forever, then the spell will break."
 Someone who could love her forever...Finn was already entranced by her. He was about to say that perhaps he could help her somehow when he heard cackling and a voice say, "Sage, you sly girl. Who is this you're hiding?"
 "Who is that?" Finn asked as the man appeared beside the lake. 
 "That is Lucien Von Castle," Sage replied.
 "Well, well, Sage," the magician said, "this is quite a specimen you've caught. Any ideas yet as to how I can scare him away?"
 "Go away, Von Castle," Sage said coldly. "My speaking to Finn does not concern you in any way."
 "Oh, on the contrary, my dear, I believe it does."
 "Leave her be," Finn said. He began to pull another arrow from his quiver when Sage took him gently by the arm and said, "Do not hurt him. If he dies before the curse is undone, then it can never be undone." 
 "She's right, Prince Finn," Von Castle said. "Yes, I know exactly who you are. I'll be watching you." With another mad cackle, the magician disappeared.
 "You didn't tell me you're a prince," Sage said.
 "I was going to. I want to help you, Sage. I want to help you break free from him."
 "Then come dance with me, and let me know you better."

 Finn stayed at the Swan Lake the entire night. Before he left, just as the sun was rising, he invited her to the ball.
 "I will come once night falls," she said. "Watch for me."
 His parents were so busy that Finn was able to get back into the castle without them knowing he'd been gone all night, but his siblings were harder to fool.
 "Elijah said you walked off on your own and never came back," his sister Freya said. "Where were you?"
 "I found the Swan Lake."
 "The what?"
 "The Swan Lake, deep in the woods. I-just wait until the ball tonight, Freya. You'll see."
 At the ball that night, Finn barely spoke to or even looked at anyone. The only person he looked for was Sage. Finally, she did arrive, and he immediately made his way towards her.
 "I'm happy you came," he said. "Will you dance with me?"
 "Of course, dear Finn."
 As the two danced, Freya asked Elijah, "Have you seen that girl before?"
 "I can't say I have, though I must say they look very happy together. Have you ever seen her before?"
 "No, I haven't. I wonder where Finn knows her from." 
 Everyone was surprised when, at the end of the dance, Finn announced to everyone that he planned to make the strange woman his wife.
 "Oh, I don't think so, Prince Finn," a voice boomed.
 The ballroom seemed to suddenly darken, and the magician Von Castle appeared.
 "Why are you here?" Finn demanded. "Your curse has been broken."
 "On the contrary, dear prince, the girl you just proposed to is actually my daughter Aurora."
 Finn watched as the spell wore off and another young woman stood before him.
 "Come, Aurora," Von Castle said, holding out his arm. "We will take our leave of foolish Prince Finn."
 As the pair disappeared, Finn realized how Von Castle had tricked. "Sage!"
 He ran out of the castle and off to find his love, the sound of Von Castle's cackling following him.
 
 Finn found the Swan Queen on her knees crying by the lake. 
 "I am sorry, Sage," he said. "Von Castle tricked me. I didn't know it wasn't you. I love you, not anyone else."
 Sage stood and looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "It cannot be undone." She stepped backwards, closer to the edge of the lake. "Do you love me, Finn? Do you?"
 "Yes, I do." Finn stepped closer. "Please forgive me, Sage."
 "If you love me," Sage said, grabbing him by the hand, "join me."
 She fell backwards into the lake, pulling Finn with her. They both drowned.

 That was the end of the Swan Queen.




 Well, that was depressing.

 This is based on the story from Tchaikovsky's ballet. There's actually an earlier version in which instead of the magician Von Rothbart it was Odette's stepmother who cursed her, but I decided to go with the one most people know. But spoiler alert, I'm pretty sure Siegfried and Odette die in every version except the Barbie one.

 I decided to give Finn and Sage starring roles as Siegfried and Odette because people hardly ever write about them. Lucien as Von Rothbart and Aurora as Odile just seemed fitting.

 I do want to write more Fairytale AUs. I have plans for a Cinderella story, and I think I'd like to do one based on the Arthurian legend Tristan and Iseult. There are a lot of fairytales out there and plenty of ships in the world of TVD+TO, so there's plenty of possibilities!