The Boy King's Journey in TVD/TO As A Mikaelson

Three months had passed since the de Martels' resurrection. While Castle de Martel settled into its new rhythm, other forces were stirring.

Henrik sat in his chambers, candlelight flickering across the grimoire he'd been studying. The Original vampire blood sealed within him -- yet to be activated because of his youth, not desiring for him to be eternally a child -- had changed him in unexpected ways - enhancing his natural magical abilities beyond what even Esther might have imagined.

Where once he could barely light a candle, now power flowed through him like a river.

But tonight was different. As he reached for his quill, a vision seized him with unexpected force:

A woman with golden hair and eyes that held centuries of pain. She stood in a gray realm that shifted like smoke, watching scenes from their family's past play out before her. Henrik saw her weep as she witnessed Esther's cruelty toward their family, saw her smile in fierce satisfaction when Vali finally ended their mother's life.

"Sister," Henrik whispered, though he'd never met her. "Freya."

In the vision, she turned as if hearing him. "Little brother," her voice echoed across the veil between worlds. "Find me. Time moves differently here in my cursed sleep, but I've seen everything. I've seen what mother did to you all, what she tried to do..."

The vision began to fade, but her last words rang clear: "Tell Father I live! Tell Vali only he can cut the thread of slumber!"

Henrik gasped as he returned to himself, nearly knocking over his inkwell. Outside his chamber, he could hear Mikael's voice - his father had returned from another fruitless search.

For months now, Mikael had been sending compelled scouts across the land, searching for any trace of Dahlia or the daughter stolen from him. Each failure only drove him to search harder, his determination fueled by Finn's revelation about Freya's fate.

But now, Henrik had seen her. Not in the physical world, but in that gray realm where she slumbered under Dahlia's spell. He'd felt her love for their family, her particular sympathy for Vali after witnessing his childhood through the Other Side's strange lens of time.

He needed to tell them. All of them. Their sister lived, and she had seen everything.

Henrik rushed through the castle's corridors, his heart pounding. He found Mikael first, his father's imposing figure silhouetted against the evening sky as he questioned his latest returned scouts.

"Father!" Henrik called out, his voice trembling with excitement. "I saw her - I saw Freya!"

Mikael turned sharply, his eyes narrowing. "What did you say?"

"In a vision," Henrik explained, words tumbling out. "I saw her in the Other Side, watching us through time itself. She's alive, Father. She's under some kind of sleeping spell, but she's alive!"

Mikael's hands gripped Henrik's shoulders, his voice urgent. "Tell me everything."

As Henrik described his vision, other family members began to gather. Finn arrived first, drawn by the mention of their sister's name. Then Rebekah, Elijah and Kol, followed by Klaus who had finally begun emerging from his chambers now that Aurora had returned to life.

"She said only Vali can cut the thread of slumber," Henrik finished, looking around at his gathered siblings. "Where is he?"

"Here," Vali's voice came from the shadows, the mark pulsing steadily on his arm.

"Though the thread of slumber..." he paused, his black eyes distant with thought. "The First Blade might be what she means."

"The blade?" Mikael questioned, still gripping Henrik's shoulders. "What does that have to do with freeing your sister?"

"It can kill anything," Vali explained, the mark pulsing steadily. "Including, theoretically, magical bindings. The problem..." he paused, considering the implications, "is that its power isn't selective. If I attempt to sever Dahlia's spell, the blade's killing force might not discriminate between the magic and Freya herself."

"Then we cannot risk it," Finn stated firmly, but Vali shook his head.

"Indeed," Vali said simply, surprising them all with the lack of hesitation in his voice. "We'll find another way if this proves too dangerous, but first, we need to locate her physical form."

"Always the protector," Klaus remarked, his voice carrying a mix of admiration and lingering hurt from their recent confrontation. Feeling guilt over his lack of belief in his brother's intentions -- hidden purposefully behind a mask of apathy or not.

"Family is family," Vali replied coldly. "Nothing more needs to be said."

The mark pulsed again as he turned to Henrik once more. "Did she say anything else? Show you anything that might help us find where Dahlia keeps her?"

Henrik dejectedly shook his head.

"Then we continue the search," Mikael declared, his voice carrying new hope. "But now we know exactly what we're looking for - a sleeping woman, preserved by magic."

"No, that doesn't narrow it down enough." Vali stated as he turned silent, falling deep in thought, while the others became silent, as well, waiting for his next input.

"Kol," Vali said suddenly, his eyes gleaming with dark purpose. "Mother's grimoire. Bring it. The one with the veil-piercing rituals."

A slow smile spread across Kol's face as understanding dawned - despite losing his ability to practice magic after their transformation, his mind remained sharp when it came to magical theory. "And you'll get the Travelers' grimoire we took from the scholars? The one with the soul-anchoring spells?"

"Exactly." The mark pulsed steadily as Vali turned to the others. "There might be a way to reach her before we find her physical form."

Within moments, the brothers had spread both ancient texts on a heavy oak table, their fingers tracing complex magical formulae as they worked.

The others watched in fascination - though both were now vampires, Kol and Vali's deep understanding of magic remained undiminished. Where Finn had studied magic for power and Esther had wielded it with fear, these two had always approached it with genuine scholarly interest.

"Here," Kol pointed to a passage in Esther's grimoire, his excitement evident. "A projection spell, meant to pierce the veil between worlds. Mother used it to commune with spirits, but with modifications..."

"Combined with this," Vali added, indicating the Travelers' text, his black eyes scanning the ancient symbols. "A protection ritual that shields the soul during transit. The Travelers used it to protect their essence during spirit walks."

"You mean to send someone to the Other Side?" Elijah asked, comprehension dawning.

"Not just someone," Vali replied, his black eyes finding Mikael. "Father. He can speak to Freya directly, while I maintain a connection from this side, protecting him from whatever spirits might take offense to a living soul in their realm."

"The witches," Henrik whispered, remembering his vision. "They're everywhere there."

"They won't dare approach," Vali stated coldly, the mark pulsing with dark promise. "Not while I guard the passage. The mark's power will ensure that."

"Henrik will need to perform the actual spell," Kol added, already writing down the modified incantation, combining elements from both grimoires into something new.

"His enhanced magic makes him perfect for this. The vampire blood sealed within him has given him capabilities beyond what even mother possessed."

Henrik stepped forward, both excited and nervous. "I can do it. I've seen her once already - I can find her again."

The mark flared as Vali and Kol finished transcribing the hybrid spell, their combined knowledge creating something entirely new. A way for the living to walk among the dead, protected by the power of the Mark.

The brothers worked methodically, their knowledge of magic complementing each other as they refined the hybrid spell. Kol's scholarly precision balanced Vali's intuitive understanding of darker powers.

"The base will be Mother's projection spell," Kol explained, sketching magical symbols on parchment. "But we'll need to modify the anchor point. Instead of just piercing the veil..."

"We create a protected pathway," Vali finished, the mark pulsing as he added his own annotations. "The Travelers' soul-shielding ritual will form the outer layer, but strengthened by the mark's power."

Mikael watched intently as his sons worked. "And this will allow me to reach her?"

"More than reach her," Kol replied, not looking up from his work. "You'll be able to walk the Other Side itself, protected from its denizens by Vali's power. But there are risks..."

"The Other Side isn't meant for the living," Vali explained, his black eyes meeting Mikael's. "Even with my protection, you'll be vulnerable. Time moves differently there, and the dead aren't kind to intruders."

"I don't care about the risks," Mikael stated firmly. "She's my daughter."

Henrik studied the complex spell taking shape before them. "The incantation... it's in three parts?"

"Yes," Kol confirmed. "First, you'll open the veil using Mother's spell. Then, the Travelers' protection ritual, modified to work with Vali's power. Finally..." he glanced at his brother, "Vali will need to add his own element."

"The mark's power will form the final barrier," Vali explained, the crimson brand pulsing steadily. "Between the dead and Father's living soul."

Vali's fingers traced the complex symbols they'd drawn, the mark pulsing in rhythm with each line. "The connection needs to be absolute," he muttered, more to himself than the others. "Any weakness in the barrier..."

"And the spirits could slip through," Kol finished, understanding immediately. "Not just the benign ones either. Everything in the Other Side would sense a living soul."

"How long will Father have?" Elijah asked, studying the intricate spell work.

"As long as I can maintain the barrier," Vali replied, his black eyes distant with calculation. "But the longer he stays, the more attention we'll draw. The Other Side has its own guardians, and they won't appreciate our interference."

"Guardians?" Klaus questioned sharply. "What aren't you telling us?"

"The Principal Guardians," Kol explained, Vali having told only him about his meeting with Silas and what was shown. Kol being Vali's most trusted brother, and vice versa, this being so since the day he risked his life to save him from drowning.

"Heaven's warriors. They monitor the boundary between life and death. If they notice us piercing the veil..."

"Let them come," Vali stated coldly, the mark flaring. "They're not the only ones who can claim divine authority." After all, he already did once enter the Other Side, and they were too cowardly to even show a hint of themselves before him.

Henrik looked between his brothers, absorbing the complex magic they were creating. "The incantation needs to be precise," he said. "One mistake..."

"Could trap Father on the Other Side," Kol confirmed. "Or worse - leave him vulnerable to whatever lurks there."

"Then we do this right," Vali declared, the mark pulsing with finality. "Henrik, copy these exactly as we've written them. Father..." he turned to Mikael, "you'll need to be prepared for what you might see there. The Other Side shows truth in its rawest form."

"The ritual will need certain elements," Kol said, consulting both grimoires. "Blood from those with connections to both sides - Henrik, who saw her in his vision, and Vali, whose mark bridges the gap between life and death."

"Salt from the dead sea," Vali added, reaching into his collection of magical components. "Black candles infused with grave dirt. And..." he paused, his black eyes finding Mikael, "something of Freya's. Something that carries her essence."

Mikael's hand went to a small pouch at his belt - one he'd carried for decades. "Her first tooth," he said quietly. "I kept it, even after..."

The mark pulsed as Vali nodded. "That will do. The connection to her physical form will help guide you through the gray realm."

As they began arranging the components in a precise pattern, Kol continued explaining to Henrik. "The candles form the barrier's foundation. The salt creates the circle of protection. Your blood and Vali's will mix at cardinal points, creating anchors for the spell."

"And Father stands in the center," Henrik concluded, studying the diagram they'd drawn.

"Yes," Vali confirmed, the mark pulsing steadily. "But remember - once the spell begins, you cannot break concentration. No matter what you see, no matter what happens, you must maintain the flow of power."

"What do you mean 'no matter what happens'? I thought you already said you'd be able to protect them." Klaus demanded.

"I can and I will. Stop with your continued doubt of me, Niklaus." Vali snapped, annoyed at his constant interruptions.

"Forgive, Nik, Vali, but do please explain this part." Rebekah requested.

Vali sighed, "Besides the Guardians, it is possible that The Other Side itself, the dimension will resist," Vali explained coldly. "It doesn't like invaders, and those who take from it. The witches may not dare, but they are as earlier told, not the only things that lurk there.

It may therefore send the other dead to try and break through into here, temporarily, to disrupt the spell. That's where I come in."

"And what of Dahlia?" Finn asked suddenly. "If she's as powerful as Mother claimed, won't she sense us reaching for Freya?"

"Most likely," Kol answered, glancing at Vali. "But that might work to our advantage. If she reacts..."

"She might reveal where she keeps Freya's physical form," Vali finished, the mark pulsing steadily. "But first, we need to establish the connection."

They began arranging the ritual components in a precise circle. Black candles at eight points, their flames burning with an unnatural stillness. The dead sea salt formed intricate patterns between them, and at the cardinal points, small bowls waited for the blood offerings.

"Henrik," Vali instructed, "you'll stand here, at the northern point. Father will be in the center with Freya's tooth. Kol and I will monitor the spell's stability while maintaining the protective barriers."

"And the rest of us?" Klaus asked.

"Guard the perimeter," Vali commanded. "If anything tries to break through - anything at all - destroy it immediately.

They'll be vulnerable to physical attacks, by entering into the living plane. Do so with your utmost best, for we can't risk the spell being interrupted once it begins. If it does, we not only will possibly lose our sister, but will lose our father as well."

"I- I don't think I can do this," Henrik suddenly states, as the full scope of the risks dawn on him.

Henrik's sudden doubt hung in the charged air, the weight of the task before him pressing down like a physical force. The room fell silent, each other sibling save Vali processing the gravity of what they were about to attempt.

"You can, Henrik," Mikael reassured, his voice steady and filled with paternal authority. "You've seen her already, you know the way."

Henrik swallowed hard, looking around at his siblings, each ready to play their part. "What if I make a mistake? What if I can't keep the connection?"

"You won't be alone," Vali interjected, his voice carrying the assurance of one who had faced death and darkness and emerged unscathed. "The mark will help guide you, and I'll be here to support the barrier. Trust in your magic, and in us."

Rebekah moved to Henrik's side, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We've faced worse odds before, little brother. You're stronger than you know."

Kol, ever the scholar, added with a hint of mischief, "And if anything goes wrong, you can blame Vali. He's the one with the grand plans, after all."

A faint smile tugged at Henrik's lips, bolstered by their encouragement. He returned to his position at the northern point of the circle, taking a deep breath as he prepared to begin the incantation.

"Once we begin," Vali warned, addressing their father, his black eyes reflecting the candlelight, "there can be no interruption. Henrik will channel the power, I'll maintain the barrier, and Father..." he paused, meeting Mikael's determined gaze, "you must focus only on finding Freya. Don't let anything distract you."

"What should I expect?" Mikael asked, stepping into the circle's center.

"The Other Side will try to disorient you," Kol explained. "You'll see things - memories, spirits, fragments of what was and what could be. Focus on Freya's essence. The tooth will guide you to her."

Henrik took his position at the northern point, the combined grimoire open before him. His hands trembled slightly as he began the first incantation, his enhanced magic responding to the ancient words.

The candles' flames suddenly shot upward, and the salt patterns began to glow with an eerie blue light. The mark on Vali's arm pulsed crimson as he added his power to the spell, creating a barrier between worlds.

As Henrik's voice filled the chamber with ancient words, the veil between worlds began to thin. The mark on Vali's arm blazed crimson, its power radiating outward to form a protective dome around them all.

"Sanguis vitae, sanguis mortis," Henrik chanted, his voice carrying power that surprised even himself. The mixed blood at the cardinal points began to move, forming intricate patterns in the air.

Mikael stood perfectly still in the center, Freya's tooth clutched in his hand. The air around him started to shimmer, reality warping like heat waves over desert sand.

"It's beginning," Kol warned, his eyes fixed on the magical barriers taking shape. "Father, remember - follow the connection. Don't let anything else draw your attention."

The chamber's temperature plummeted as the Other Side's presence grew stronger. Shadows deepened in the corners, taking shapes that seemed almost alive. Outside the circle, Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, and Finn tensed, ready to defend against any intrusion.

"Henrik," Vali's voice carried over the building supernatural energy, "the final incantation. Now."

As Henrik began the last part of the spell, Vali's eyes turned completely black, the mark's power flowing through him like a river of darkness. The barrier between worlds thinned further, and Mikael's form began to fade.

The crossing had begun.

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(Author note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! This is the fourth chapter in a row today, hope you all like the back to back chapters, and that they remain interesting.

So, Henrik is unique, I don't think I'll make him a vampire. Two witches, Freya and Henrik I think is quite cool. 

So yeah, tell me how you all found it, do please comment and review,

And I'll see you all later,

Bye!)