Chapter Text
Lizzie lets the Mikaelson’s have their reunion. She sits in the front seat on the way back so Hayley can sit with Hope in the back. She’s telling Hope all about what’s been happening in their lives since she’s been gone. Klaus chimes in every so often but mostly just sits in silence and listens. He looks more calm than Lizzie thinks he’s probably ever been in his life. She’d even dare to say he looks happy.
When they get back to the Mikaelson home, they show Lizzie to a guest room, stock her up with blankets and then make their way to their own beds. It’s been a long night. And when all is quiet, Lizzie slips out of her room and down the hall and finds Hope’s room, knocking on the door lightly.
Hope opens it immediately and pulls her inside and into her arms. They didn’t kiss back at the warehouse in front of her parents, but they do now. Deeply. With all the memories and emotions of over a thousand years of loving one another. When they pull back, Lizzie rests her head against Hope’s.
“What do you remember?” Hope asks.
“Everything. All of it. You?”
“Every detail.”
Lizzie pulls back to look at Hope. Her face, her eyes, her hair in the moonlight. “How did this happen? Why do we remember?”
“I don’t know. We remember now, that’s all that matters.”
“Not exactly.” Lizzie says. “Malivore is back.”
Hope nearly stumbles back, but Lizzie holds her steady. “How?”
“I don’t know. But he’s been sending monsters to our school all year. He’s planning something. I don’t know what, but it can’t be good.”
“We have to stop him.”
“I know.” Lizzie strokes Hope’s arms. “But sleep first.”
“Is it weird that I feel tired?” Hope laughs.
“A little bit, yeah.” Lizzie laughs with her.
#
“We didn’t die.” Hope says.
“That much is obvious.” Klaus points out.
“It’s impossible to kill a god. I’m guessing that’s why Malivore put us in human bodies and wiped our memories.” Lizzie says.
“Which is a kind of death in itself.” Hope acknowledges.
“If it’s impossible to kill a God, how can we kill Malivore?” Hayley points out.
“We’re not doing anything.” Hope says, to which her parents both glare at her. “I’m a God now.”
“You’re still our daughter. Which means we’re not going to let you do this alone.” Klaus states.
“We can discuss who’s part of the murder club later. Right now we need to come up with an actual plan.” Lizzie says.
“You said your school had been dealing with monsters sent by Malivore for months now,” Hayley points out. “Have you figured out some way to stop him?”
“No, we—” Lizzie suddenly feels like an idiot. She catches Hope’s eyes. “We don’t need to kill him.”
“We don’t?” she asks.
Lizzie smiles. “We just need to do to him what he did to us.”
“But how? We don’t know the spell he did and I don’t think it’ll just be lying around.” Hope points out.
Lizzie bites her lip and looks around. She shoves her hand into her pocket and meets the coin she shoved in there days ago. She pulls it out and holds it up.
“I know how we can find it.” She says.
#
They summon the little worm using the coin. He appears in the middle of the compound in moments.
“What is that? Who is this?” Klaus asks. Lizzie curses herself for not explaining things beforehand. Now she’s accidentally put him on edge.
“It’s an old god trick.” Lizzie says.
“Acolytes used to pledge themselves to us and, in return, get a coin or other small thing that would summon them whenever and wherever needed.” Hope finishes the explanation.
“This one is Malivore’s. He came to me when I got my memories back and told me he could help.” Lizzie says.
“And I can.” Clarke smiles. “I knew you’d figure it out eventually.”
“I already hate this guy.” Hope says.
“Ouch!” he puts a hand on his chest. “I’m only here to help.”
“If you don’t betray us first.” Hayley says skeptically. “This guy works for Malivore?”
“I did. I’ve served him for centuries, but. . . when I started, he promised to raise me up, to give me powers of my own. He—”
“Didn’t give you any of that?” Lizzie crosses her arms.
“No. So if you’re planning to take him down, I will help you. No charge necessary.” Clarke tells them.
“And you remember this ritual he performed on us?” Hope asks.
“I do.” he nods.
“Then tell us what we need.” Klaus says.
#
With their extensive resources and abilities, it doesn’t take too long to get the stones and the herbs and the spell. They do, however, have to make a return to Mystic Falls. They need to lure Malivore into a trap and they need space to do it. Besides, Lizzie needs to see her family. She disappeared from the school without a word. They must be worried sick.
Lizzie isn’t sure how to act anymore. What’s the appropriate way to act when you tell your father and your sister, hey, sorry I disappeared on you, I found out that I’m actually an ancient god from long ago and I had to find my ancient girlfriend who turns out to be Hope freaking Mikaelson and now I’m back but only because we need to lure out Malivore—who is also an ancient god—so we can trap him in a human body like he did to us?
She’s a bundle of nerves the whole time they’re travelling, and even though Hope tries to help, tries to comfort her, it doesn’t really work. By the time they reach the Salvatore School, Lizzie is firmly in the camp of lets-just-turn-around-and-do-this-without-the-family-reunion!
That is, until she sees the sheriff’s car driving down the road away from the school. Then Lizzie gets worried.
Hayley drives a little faster, just for her, and Lizzie tumbles out of the still moving car to get to the doors. She finds her father and Josie at the door, talking, and no obvious signs of danger.
“Lizzie!” Alaric breathes in relief as he pulls her into a hug.
“Is everyone okay? I saw the sheriff’s car. What happened?” Lizzie asks.
He pulls away, hands still on her shoulders. “You disappeared.”
Oh. So it was for her. Well, at least no one’s hurt. That makes Lizzie relax a bit. “Sorry. But, I’m not hurt, I promise.”
Josie pulls her into a hug next. “We were so worried. None of our locator spells were working. We thought you were dead.”
Lizzie hugs her tightly, then pulls back and nods. “Which is why you had the sheriff here.”
Her dad takes a deep breath and looks her over, making sure she’s got no visible injuries on her, healed or new.
“You’re really okay?” he asks.
“I’m okay.” Lizzie assures.
“What happened? Where did you go?” he asks next.
“I was—”
The door opens behind her. From the way her dad’s eyes narrow, the Mikaelson’s have walked in.
“She was with us.” Klaus says.
Alaric seems to bristle. He doesn’t look away from him when he asks her, “why were you with them, Elizabeth?”
“She was trying to find me.” Hope speaks up.
She takes her place next to Lizzie and takes her hand. Josie raises her eyebrow at it, but says nothing.
Ric looks around at all of them with suspicion. He says, “someone explain to me what the hell is going on.”
So they do.
#
It takes several tries to convince Ric that Lizzie isn’t under some sort of Mikaelson family thrall. It takes taking them to the forest she leveled when she unlocked the memories of her past to convince them she was telling the truth about being a god. After that, it’s a matter of planning. Which takes them half a day because Ric keeps trying to fight everything Klaus says. Eventually, they figure something out.
“I’ll put the last artifact in.” Josie says.
“No.” Ric says immediately.
“I agree. We don’t know what will happen when you do. We don’t know what Malivore might do to you.” Lizzie says.
They’re in Ric’s office now, discussing the finer points.
“I’ll do it.” Hayley offers.
“No.” Klaus looks at her. “If you go, we’ll do it. Together.”
Hayley smiles.
Hope shakes her head. “It should be one of us. We need Malivore to come where we are, which means he needs to know that we’re here.”
“So send me.” Clarke pipes up.
He’d been so quiet, so invisible in the back of the room, Lizzie had almost forgotten he was even there. Everyone looks at him now, and he shrinks under the weight of all their eyes.
“I can wake him, tell him you’ve come back into your memories, and bring him to you. He’ll think he’s got the upper hand and is catching you by surprise.” Clarke explains.
“Or you betray us and raise your master, telling him all our plans.” Klaus points out.
“So I’ll go with him.” Josie says. “Please, I want to help. I can do this. I’ll stay hidden and I’ll send you a message if he does something against us. That way he won’t know and you can prepare.”
“I’m alright with having a guard dog if it means we get this done.” Clarke shrugs.
“I still don’t like it.” Ric shakes his head.
“You have to let your children grow up sometime.” Hayley says in a soft voice.
“Easy for you to say, your daughter’s a god.” Ric snaps.
“Hey!” Lizzie exclaims.
“Sorry. You know what I mean. Josie’s not as indestructible as you now are.” He says.
“But I’m not incapable. I’ll be careful.” Josie promises.
Alaric thinks it over more, but finally sighs and says, “okay. But if anything happens—”
“I’ll tear Clarke apart.” Lizzie growls.
“And we’ll make Malivore pay.” Hope agrees.
“Okay.” Alaric nods. “Okay.”
#
While Josie and Clarke leave for the Malivore pit, Ric and Hope’s parents stay in the school, probably trying to decide if they should kill each other or not.
Hope and Lizzie go out to the forest she decimated and link hands. The two of them lean down into the dirt, press their free hands to the ground, and begin chanting. Within moments, they return the forest to its lush greenness; the trees sprouting up around them tall with thick trunks.
Hope smiles at Lizzie when they’re done. They don’t let go of each other’s hands.
Together, they bury the stones in grass, under leaves, so that Malivore won’t see the trap. They keep the last one with them, safe. Buried around, they plant the herbs needed, chant a moment to set in the trap, per Clarke’s instructions, and then head back to the school.
“What will you do when we kill him?” Hope asks her. “Will you stay here at the school?”
Lizzie looks toward the building, small in the distance, and shrugs. “I’m not sure. I think so. I feel. . . weird now. Like I used to be just a teenage girl and now I have all these memories of all these other lives. I’ve never really had a girlfriend before, but I remember destroying armies. . .”
“Well, wherever you go, I’ll go with you.” Hope says softly. “We’ll figure it out together.”
Lizzie stops just to kiss her. Softly on the lips. Then once on the cheek.
When she pulls back and they begin walking again, Lizzie says, “even if it means you have to stay at the school with me?”
Hope shrugs. “It wasn’t so bad the last time.”
“Maybe this time we could be roommates!” Lizzie suggests happily.
Hope laughs. “Slow down a little, maybe. We’ve still have to get through this.”
“We will.” Lizzie nods. “I know we will.”
“I like your confidence.” Hope says.
#
Josie messages them with a fire spell a day later, saying they’ve successfully raised Malivore and that he’s on his way. Things move pretty quickly after that.
Josie, following Malivore’s path as he makes his way to them, messages them once again when he’s near the school. Lizzie and Hope go out to the forest and make like they’re just out taking a walk. Everyone else hides in the forest, lying in wait.
It isn’t long before they’re confronted by him.
He’s not a man this time, but a construct made of mud. So he doesn’t speak, he just runs forward, surprisingly fast, and strikes out.
The rest of them come out of their hiding spots to help, and with all of them, it’s pretty easy to take Malivore down. He’s strong, and he dodges Klaus and Hayley. But with Lizzie’s telekinesis and Hope’s blood magic, he takes hit after hit and falls.
“Now!” Hope screams.
They all back up, out of the predetermined space, and Hope and Lizzie drop the last stone into place. Malivore hits the barrier, but it holds. They chant, reciting the words that once took them down. When it’s done, a bright light flashes, sending them all flying. In the aftermath, Hope stands. Breathing hard, she holds out a hand to help Lizzie up.
“Is it over?” Lizzie asks. Malivore isn’t with them anymore. His mud body turned to clay and shattered into pieces around them. “Did it work? Can we be sure?”
“It worked.” Clarke confirms.
“What happens now?” Hope asks.
“You live your lives the way you want to.” Clark shrugs. “It might take a while for Malivore to be reborn, but I’ll keep an eye out for it.”
“And then?” Hayley questions.
“And then I’ll do a ritual to take his power.” Clark says matter of fact.
Several standing questions Lizzie had come back to her then. She pieces it all together while the rest of them talk.
“We’re just supposed to let you have this power? After serving Malivore for years?” Klaus narrows his eyes, as paranoid as ever.
Hope puts out a hand to pacify him. “As long as you don’t cross us, you can take whatever power of his you wish.”
“Hope’s power and memories came back when she was dying and mine—” Lizzie starts, thinking out loud.
“I triggered yours to find her.” Clarke confirms.
“Right. But if her power came back when she was in danger, won’t his?” Lizzie asks.
Clarke shakes his head. “Hope was an extraordinary circumstance. She has vampire blood in her already, so when the Hollow was threatening to kill her, she had enough time for her latent god magic to save her life. That won’t happen to him. He’ll be human—or close to human—enough that I can do the ritual without triggering anything.”
Hope nods, satisfied. The only one who doesn’t seem okay with all this is Klaus.
“When you find him, tell me. I want to make sure I have eyes I trust on him.” Klaus says it kindly, but they all know it’s an order.
Hope silently tells Clarke to agree with her eyes. “He won’t get in your way. He just wants to make sure you do what you say you will.”
“I will.” Clarke promises. “And I’ll tell you when I find him.”
Agreed and with nothing left to discuss, they all go their separate ways.
#
Lizzie lets Hope have her goodbye with her parents in private. She assures her own father and sister that she’ll be staying at the school. It seems the best place to figure out how to deal with being a god. She even gets them to agree to let her and Hope room together, taking Hope’s old room and leaving Josie room for her own space (or a roommate, if they get more students, but Josie seems happy enough to have a space of her own for even just a little).
Lizzie is packing up her things when Hope finally comes in and finds her.
“So I was thinking,” Hope starts as she closes the door behind her and then crosses the room to help Lizzie pack. “There’s a spell that will help us. . . forget, in a way, being gods.”
Lizzie wracks her brain for the spell Hope’s talking about, but she comes up blank. “Remind me of it?”
“It won’t be total amnesia. We’ll still be aware of our past and our powers, but the spell will mute it. We’ll be able to think like, well, teenagers, without centuries of life spilling in. And it’s totally reversible. We’ll be aware of what we’ve done and how to undo it.” Hope explains.
“But we can start over. Together. As Hope and Lizzie.” Lizzie supplies. “I like it.”
Hope smiles. “I thought you might.”
They pack the rest of Lizzie’s things in comfortable silence and then move it to Hope’s room, which remained, amazingly, empty while she was gone. They didn’t have any incoming students they couldn’t put somewhere else, so Ric had kept all the things she left where it was. Lizzie’s things fit seamlessly into the space, as if some part of Hope had always kind of been waiting for another person to come and fill the gaps.
When they have everything settled, they do the spell together. It doesn’t take very much magic and doesn’t take very long, but at the end of it there’s a little door in her brain. Lizzie can metaphorically peek through it and find all her old memories, but when she closes it she doesn’t have to worry about it all overshadowing her mere 16 years on this Earth.
“How do you feel?” Hope asks.
“Like myself again.” Lizzie breathes. “You?”
“Same.” Hope smiles.
That night they share a bed, and Lizzie marvels at the fact she gets to relearn who Hope is. Vætta. Her soulmate for a hundred thousand years and a hundred thousand more. And then she marvels at how they don’t have to be all of that right now. They can just be two teenage girls, tripping into love for the very first time.