Katherine lounged on the massive four-poster bed, one leg dangling lazily over the edge as she examined the colorful cards spread across the silken comforter.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the tall windows of their shared room in Klaus's mansion, casting golden rectangles across the polished floor.
"I still don't understand the appeal," she mused, holding up a card depicting a massive blue dragon. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon? Seems rather straightforward for a game of strategy."
Across the room, Lucien sat before a small easel, paintbrush moving in careful strokes. He didn't look up from his work as he answered.
"It's not just about the monster's power. It's about how you use it," he explained, dipping his brush into a small pool of crimson. "The strongest card is useless without the right strategy."
Katherine rolled onto her stomach, propping her chin on her hands as she examined another card. This one showed a golden dragon.
"And this one? The Winged Dragon of Ra?" She traced the holographic surface with one manicured nail. "One of the Egyptian God cards, yes?"
"Mm-hmm," Lucien confirmed, his focus still on the canvas before him.
Katherine arranged the three God cards in a row - Obelisk the Tormentor, Slifer the Sky Dragon, and The Winged Dragon of Ra.
She placed them alongside the five pieces of Exodia, creating a tableau of power.
"You never did tell me why you wanted these specific cards," she said, glancing toward him. "The servant looked quite confused when you requested them two days ago."
Lucien's brush paused momentarily. "Inspiration," he said simply, before resuming his work.
Katherine smiled, a knowing curve of her lips.
She rose from the bed with fluid grace and moved to stand behind him, her hands settling on his shoulders. She kneaded the tension she found there, fingers working with practiced skill.
"Always so cryptic," she murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to the crown of his head. "One might think you enjoy being mysterious."
Lucien leaned into her touch slightly, though his eyes never left his painting. "One might be right."
Katherine's fingers worked their way up to his neck, massaging gently. "How are you feeling about this morning's meeting? Rebekah's offer was... quite substantial."
This time, Lucien did pause, setting his brush down on a small tray. "It was unexpected."
"Was it?" Katherine's voice held a note of skepticism. "Klaus orchestrated it, of that I'm certain."
"Of course he did," Lucien agreed. "The question is why."
Katherine returned to the bed, picking up the Swords of Revealing Light card and holding it to the light. "A century of loyalty from an Original vampire is no small thing. Especially one as... passionate as Rebekah."
Lucien turned in his chair to face her, wiping his hands on a cloth. "I've been thinking about the specific terms she offered."
"As have I." Katherine set the card down. "Tell me what you understood from it. I want to make sure you're not missing anything... important."
A small smile touched Lucien's lips. "Testing me, Katerina?"
"Always." She matched his smile with her own. "You've been studying magical contracts with me for days now. Show me what you've learned."
Lucien leaned back in his chair, his expression becoming more focused. "Rebekah offered her strength, knowledge, and connections at my complete disposal. She offered to be my protector, but not that of my family."
"Continue," Katherine encouraged, arranging the cards into neat stacks.
"She won't harm my family, but if they try to harm me, she'll defend me with minimal harm to them - unless I specifically ask otherwise."
Lucien's fingers tapped a rhythm on the armrest. "She won't plot against or kill her siblings, but if they attack me first, she'll protect me without killing them."
Katherine nodded. "And what can you do with these terms?"
"More than one normally realizes," Lucien replied, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Her strength includes her wealth, her influence - all of which she's placed at my 'complete disposal.' I can use those resources however I see fit, including to protect my family."
"Clever boy," Katherine purred. "The only limitation is that her physical strength won't be at your disposal when it comes to protecting your family or allies against her siblings. But in all other cases..."
"I can use her however I see fit," Lucien finished. "Including her wealth to hire protection for my family, her connections to keep them safe, her knowledge to prepare them."
A comfortable silence fell between them as Lucien returned to his painting.
The brush moved with careful precision, adding details to whatever was taking shape on the canvas. Katherine watched him for a moment before returning to her examination of the cards.
"The Dark Magician," she observed, holding up another card. "He reminds me of you, in a way. Not the appearance, but the... essence, I suppose. Power through knowledge."
Lucien glanced over his shoulder. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"It was meant as one." Katherine arranged the five pieces of Exodia in their proper formation. "When combined, these five pieces instantly win the game. Interesting concept - fragmented power that becomes unstoppable when united."
Lucien's brush stilled again. "Like I said. Inspiration."
Katherine rose once more, moving to stand behind him. She draped her arms loosely around his shoulders, her chin resting atop his head. "You truly always think of them, don't you?" she murmured, her voice soft.
The brush in Lucien's hand paused mid-stroke. For several heartbeats, he remained perfectly still, the question hanging in the air between them. Then, with deliberate care, he continued painting.
"Of course," he said finally. "They're my family. I'm willing to die for them, as they are for me." His voice was steady, matter-of-fact. "Just because they favor each other more than me doesn't make that any less true."
Katherine's arms tightened slightly around him. "Is that what you tell yourself?"
"It's what I know." Lucien continued adding details to his painting, "Yes, I know you love me more than my own family does. But them not loving me like you do isn't... wrong. They have their own circumstances."
Katherine remained silent, listening.
"For you, I represent a way out of... well, anything bad." Lucien's voice remained even, though Katherine could feel the tension in his shoulders. "But for my family, I've brought nothing but more bad to their doorstep."
He added another stroke of black to the canvas. "My mom caring more for Adam is, in a way, a good thing. I love her, and her caring for me too much would mean she'd never be at peace. She's not like me or my older siblings, all too deep in this fucked up supernatural world."
Lucien dipped his brush in water, cleaning it before selecting a different color. "Her caring for Adam more is honestly her protecting herself, a protective measure her heart has chosen to use to save herself from the hurt that comes with loving me."
His brush stilled, and he set it down carefully. Leaning back in his chair, he tilted his head up, staring at the ceiling. "I'm honestly, in some ways... relieved by it. It would hurt them so much more if it was someone besides me who had to run away, who was in this situation."
Katherine moved around to embrace him from behind, her arms encircling his shoulders. "And is that not a protective measure of your own?" she asked gently. "To deal with them not loving you as much as you love them?"
A soft chuckle escaped Lucien. He turned his head, kissing her arm where it rested on his shoulder. His eyes met hers, a mixture of pain and acceptance in their depths.
"Maybe it is," he admitted. "But it doesn't make me feeling this way any less real."
Katherine's gaze drifted to the canvas, and her eyes widened slightly. "Is that...?" She studied the completed painting. "Your Qareen?"
The image depicted a towering figure in black armor, reminiscent of Darth Vader, but composed entirely of smokeless black and red flames.
The helmet gleamed with an inner light, and where a lightsaber would be, a blade of pure crimson energy extended from a hilt of darkness.
"Yes," Lucien confirmed. "That's him."
"Why are you painting him?" Katherine asked, her fingers trailing along his shoulders.
Lucien smiled enigmatically. "You'll know soon enough." He rose from his chair and moved toward a cabinet on the far wall.
Katherine watched as he retrieved an ancient leather-bound book and several small containers of various materials - herbs, powders, crystals, and what appeared to be bone fragments. He arranged them carefully on the table beside his painting.
"What are you doing?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
Lucien glanced at her, a hint of excitement in his eyes. "Didn't I tell you? I've been inspired."
Katherine furrowed her brow, watching as he crushed the ingredients into a fine powder and transferred them into a ceramic bowl. The pieces weren't connecting in her mind until he turned to her, hand extended.
"I need you to give it to me," he said simply.
"Give you what?" Katherine asked, confusion evident in her voice.
"An Idunn apple," Lucien replied. "I know you have more than one."
Surprise flickered across Katherine's face. "How did you - I never told you I had more than the one I used to save your life."
Despite her confusion, she moved to retrieve her pouch from beside the bed.
The small leather bag appeared ordinary, but when she reached inside, her hand extended far deeper than its dimensions should allow.
From within the veil where her Qareen Nura had their treasures, Katherine received it from her and withdrew a perfect golden apple, its surface gleaming in the afternoon light.
She placed it in Lucien's outstretched hand, then flopped down on the bed, resting her chin in her hands. "What exactly are you planning to do with that?" she asked.
"You'll see," Lucien replied, placing the golden apple atop the powdered ingredients in the bowl. "I've given you enough hints."
Katherine frowned. "What hints?"
"Didn't we literally watch Yu-Gi-Oh episodes last night after dinner to help me relax? It was literally your idea, since you knew I liked them." Lucien asked, arranging the remaining materials around the bowl.
Katherine's expression remained puzzled as she watched him work.
"Are you sure about what you're doing?" she asked after a moment. "I don't know what this is, but it seems... big. We don't want to antagonize Klaus."
Lucien shook his head. "Don't worry. I asked Klaus about doing spells, and he agreed. The mansion has protection magic inside all the rooms - it will protect everyone if something misfires."
Katherine nodded slowly, accepting his explanation though wariness remained in her eyes.
Lucien stood silent for a long moment, taking a deep breath, centering himself.
He closed his eyes, extending his hand over the golden apple in the bowl. The temperature in the room dropped noticeably, a chill settling over everything.
He began drawing life force from the apple.
Force lightning crackled from his fingertips, striking the powdered ingredients beneath the apple.
The mixture ignited immediately, blue-white flames beginning to consume both powder and apple.
Lucien simply continued to draw and draw and draw life force from the flames, for what seemed like minutes, with each second the room turning... colder.
Then, he began to chant:
"Ex anima mea, corpus fiat,
Umbra vitae, manifestum apparet-"
Outside, the weather began to change. Dark clouds formed over the island, gathering with unnatural speed.
"Per sanguinem meum, per spiritum meum,
Forma ex informi, visibilis ex invisibili."
Lightning crackled in the sky, thunder rumbling in the distance.
Katherine's eyes widened as she saw this from open the window, understanding dawning. "Lucien-"
He continued, his voice growing stronger:
"Essentia divisa, nunc coniuncta,
Surget potentia mea in carne et umbra.
Anima divisa, nunc integra."
-----------------------
Throughout the mansion, the Originals sensed the disturbance.
Klaus looked up sharply from his desk, his eyes narrowing.
Elijah paused mid-sentence in conversation with Finn.
Rebekah dropped the book she was holding.
Kol smiled, a predatory gleam in his eyes.
As one, they sensed where it was coming from all moved from wherever they were.
All towards Lucien's room.
-------------------------
Sweat beaded on his forehead, his face contorting with effort as he pulled the life force from the burning apple, combining it with the essence of the spell.
'Finally, step one done,' thought Lucien with gritted teeth, as he saw the floating orb of gold and blue liquid like thing.
'Now, comes step two,'
With telekinesis, he slowly began directing the swirling energy toward his painting of Vader.
The door to the room burst open as the Originals arrived, finding it locked and breaking through, as the life force reached the painting.
They froze in the doorway, witnessing the scene before them.
'Step two, done, step three now begins!' Though Lucien to himself a wide excited grin forming on his face - uncaring to the Orignals arrival.
"What the hell is going on?" Rebekah asked, the only one speaking up, everyone else, seeing a spell being done, but not willing to interfere - interested about what the boy is doing.
Self-assured that nothing can harm them.
"Dark knight of flame, my mirror soul," Lucien began chanting again. The sky thundering louder, lightning beginning to strike the island itself.
"From shadow's depths, I bid you rise whole-"
Suddenly the windows of the room cracked, and burst open, as howling winds entered, causing everyone to block their eyes.
"What is the boy doing?!" Yelled Finn over the loud thunder and wind, now worried.
"Something interesting!" Yelled back Kol with a excited laugh.
"More like something insane!" Rebekah yelled in counter.
Elijah and Klaus were the only ones silent, merely observing, still unconcerned, but growing interest.
"Transform thyself from ember into might,
To guard my path through darkest night."
The painting began to glow with an intense red light that grew brighter with each word.
Klaus in interest instinctively took a step forward, only to be held back by Elijah's restraining hand.
"Open your black wings wide and soar," Lucien continued, his voice strained with effort.
"Cross through the veil from distant shore.
Shroud the heavens with your shadow's pall,
And cast your wrath upon them all."
The red light intensified, forming a pillar that shot upward, breaking through the ceiling and into the sky above.
The clouds parted as the beam of crimson energy pierced them, creating a hole in the gathering storm.
"Unlock the power we both share,
As master and shadow, the perfect pair.
By Force and will, by blood and bone,
Protect what I have claimed as own."
Lucien's voice rose to a crescendo as he delivered the final lines:
"Appear now at your master's word,
Vader, my Qareen, my shadow guard!"
With the final word, he brought his hands together in a thunderous clap. The pillar of light collapsed inward, condensing into a single point of blinding brilliance before, he extended his right arm and rose his hand, and instantly extinguished it completely
Where the painting had stood now knelt a figure.
Vader, Lucien's Qareen, made manifest in physical form.
The armor was just as depicted - formed of black and red smokeless flames, solid yet seeming to shift and move like living shadow.
The helmet gleamed with inner light, and at his side hung a weapon that resembled a lightsaber hilt.
Lucien stood before this manifestation, hand extended palm upward, breathing heavily. Despite his exhaustion - sweat soaking his clothes, legs trembling with exertion - his face shone with triumph and excitement.
The room fell completely silent.
Then, breaking the stillness, came the sound that completed the transformation - the deep, mechanical breathing of Vader.
Khhhh-purrrr. Khhhh-purrrr.
The Originals stared in stunned silence as the shadow made flesh rose to its full height, towering over everyone in the room, its featureless mask turning slowly toward them.
Khhhh-purrrr. Khhhh-purrrr.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the chapter.
Do tell me how you found the chapter.
So... Lucien finally summoned Vader at will.
What do you think now will happen?
I'm interested in your thoughts. I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)