The Mikalesons stood among the blood and the stiff bodies that they just minutes before made them lifeless. They all were feeling so proud and so happy. They felt so powerful that they had that stinging want of not stopping the bloodshed and mishap.
Esther came out from the forest along with her elder sister Dahlia and saw their children's faces. Instead of feeling guilty and remorse, they seemed perfectly fine. She asked Mikael if he had any ideas about it. Mikael couldn't answer as he turned off their children's humanity; which is a big thing, without even consulting Esther.
"Mikael, what's wrong with our children?" Esther asked worriedly.
Mikael couldn't answer.
"Mikael, why aren't you answering me?"
"It's because he turned off their humanities."
Josephine replied.
"How are you alive? We saw you.... Wait! What did you say? (Looks at Mikael when Josephine looks at him too) Want to tell something dear?"
"I had to Esther. They would've been in grave guilt if I hadn't done it." Mikael tried to explain his actions but Esther shouted.
"You know what you did?! We both know how hard it is to turn back a vampire's humanity! What if in the middle of turning on their humanity, they get out of control or run away from us? Do you have any idea of the havoc creating because of them?!"
"Esther it's better to work on it rather than arguing." Josephine reasoned.
Esther looked at Josephine and gave a glaring look back at Mikael,
"She knew about it but I didn't... (Mikael seemed guilty) This isn't over! For now, go bring back my sons!"
Mikael went to his sons and saw them licking the blood on their hands.
"Had fun, boys?"
"Yes, father. But we don't think we had enough." Finn said.
Mikael realized the grief situation as Finn was the one willing to hunt more.
"That's enough for now, Finn. We'll hunt people some other time." Mikael said
"This wasn't enough father!" Elijah complained. Niklaus, Finn, and Kol agreed.
"Listen, children, you are not in your perfect minds right now. Let me help you." Mikael tried to take control of the situation.
"We are in the most perfect minds father! What are you blabbing?!" Kol shouted.
"You should help Mikael, Esther," Josephine said.
"How can I? I am a human and they are inhumane vampires. Which are monsters! They'll kill me in a second!" Esther said.
"Not Finn. He adores you. I am sure if you'll try, he'll turn back on his humanity. And once he is okay, he'll help you with others." Josephine explained.
"You're right, I should go. I am going." Esther started to walk when Dahlia holds her hand.
"I am coming with you." Esther smiled and they both started walking. Dahlia stopped at a distance and Esther called out Finn.
"Mother, look at father! Not letting us enjoy!" Finn complained
"That's because enough blood has been shed. Finn, please listen to me and to what I am saying. Please do what your father is asking you to. For you, for your brothers and me."
Finn seemed calmed and then Mikael looked in his eyes and firmly said, "Turn it on." Finn closed his eyes and then opened again but this time, his face had the usual righteousness. Then Mikael did the same to Elijah, Niklaus, and Kol. All of them had regained their humanity.
The Mikalesons hugged each other and Mikael and Esther too. Rebekah came out along with Henrik and they hugged too. Rebekah was so peaceful when she found his brothers in his arms; not dead.
"Children," Esther tried to gain her children's attention.
"This is my elder sister and your Aunt Dahlia. (Mikaelsons' eyes got big in surprise) She helped us win this fight. If she wouldn't be here, we all would've been dead."
Niklaus stepped forward and took her right hand in his hands and said emotionally,
"Aunt Dahlia, this is the first time we are seeing you, and you have left us with such a big debt to you. We were fighting today because of the mistake I had done. So many were dead today because of my one mistake and that same mistake could've been the death of all of us. But you saved us. We are so thankful to you."
"That's okay Niklaus. You are my family and family always comes first. Now can we please eat something? I am hungry!"
"Yes if you'd follow me," Josephine said.
"Madam Josephine, how are you alive? I saw you being killed by Tayata with my own eyes." Elijah asked wondrously.
"Is that the reason why you fought more furiously after that? I know that because even though I died, I saw everything. One of the perks of serving The Great White Oak. And didn't I tell you we can never die? We are the Order and serving it grants us immortality with no means of being killed." Josephine said.
"Yes but how? Was it just like asleep? You die and then wake up. And is this is so, how come you are up, while the rest are still dead?" Kol asked.
"It's pretty simple. We have this young witch with us named Ayana who does a simple ritual with Great White Oak and we relive. But different people take different times to wake up depending on how they died. The more they died painfully, the more time they take. I was just out by a spell that is why I got up so soon." Josephine explained.
They reached the castle and got inside. Josephine excused herself and got away. Elijah frowned at that but cleared it off. Every Mikaelson got a way to do stuff of their own and the only people left were Esther, Mikael, and Dahlia.
"Mikael, where was Ulrich?" Dahlia asked.
"What do you mean?" Mikael asked.
"I meant, where was Ulrich? I mean if I could come, then why couldn't he?" Dahlia asked.
"He was busy with some work," Mikael replied dismissively.
"What work?" Dahlia asked with her eyebrow crossed.
"It was some work! And if you think he didn't come here because of you then you are wrong!"
"Why would I think that? It's been fifteen years since that happened. I just wondered where he and his precious brotherhood was when you were at your most extreme danger." Dahlia said with an angry tone and left.
It's been three days since their victory. The last dead person woke up and now everyone from the Order woke up. Mikael and his family stayed at the Order's residence because their house still wasn't mended. Everything was going at ease.
Everyone was having their breakfast at the table when suddenly Josephine grabbed everyone's attention,
"Everyone had woken up from their sleep. (Elijah chuckled) So now, we can have that awaited celebration. So please join the grand hall for the ball after sunset then later for the grand feast."
"But madam, how can we be so sure that it is over?" Finn asked.
"What do you mean young Finn?" Josephine asked.
"How can be sure that The Equilibrium won't come back for us?"
Josephine chuckled,
"Finn, I overestimated you a little. I should've known you are new to this. Well, we all know The Equilibrium is all about balance. So, they believe if their army loses; meaning dies, then God wants to let things be how they are and no longer meddle into it." She explained.
"They're crazy." Elijah couldn't help himself and so he said this out loud.
"Well said, Elijah. Well said. That, they are!" Josephine said and they all laughed.
Sun was set and it was time for the ball. The Order arranged dresses for Mikael and his family and for Dahlia too. Finn, Elijah, Niklaus, Kol, and Henrik were wearing black suits but each had different textures and designs. Each of them carried their look with pure elegance. Rebekah wore a fuchsia-colored & sleeveless gown with pink-colored handwork all over it. It was deep neck so her cleavage was visible. She also wore pink-colored long gloves with light golden-colored shoes. Esther wore a purple-colored simple gown and her hair was open. Mikael too wore a black suit. Everyone commended one another with true praises.
"Has anyone seen Dahlia?" Esther asks.
Dahlia is walking on the last floor of the castle. She didn't find it difficult to walk in that tight red dress but she wished she had a different outfit. Some strands of her hair started to fall out from the bun but she didn't care. She had to rush. No one can see her. She opened the door of the room of abundance and saw the pile of dead bodies of The Equilibrium. Then she remembered what Josephine had said to them earlier,
'Our witch does this ritual where after everyone wakes up as Elijah says: from their sleep, we burn the bodies of the ones we fought with the help of The Great White Oak. That will give us more power and also, we all could enjoy the dead together.'
There she searched for Minen. And then she recognized his burned face.
If she wouldn't have burned Minen in her love for Esther, she would've recognized Minen earlier and could save her time. As the longer she takes to do the job, the longer people will have time to notice her absence.
She lifted off the boundary spell and reached to the burned Humen. She tried to take his necklace off of his face which was the same when it was when Minen used it. She tried to take it off but the bodies above him made it difficult. She then realized the body was burned and when she applied pressure, his face turned to ashes, and hence his face fell. The necklace was in her hands.
She smiled looking at the necklace in her hands and said with a smile, "Finally I have you, the thing which got me here is now in my hands."
"That's why you are here." A familiar voice said behind her.