Mystic Falls | Old Lockwood Cellar

Trudging through rock, dark tunnels, and winding paths, Elena followed behind Alaric Saltzman, her high school history teacher and vice-principal. Trecking through the Lockwood's underground tunnels wouldn't have been the first thing Elena would suggest for a class trip, but for the sake of everything in her life except for school, the trip needed to be made. 

"So, the Lockwoods really have no idea that these tunnels are underneath their property?" In her hand swung a flashlight she highlighted whatever she stepped onto. 

"Careful where you shine that thing. Bats hate the light." 

"Wait, what?" Right at the girl's exclamation, Damon appeared from the dark. "Elena!"

Fright consumed Elena when her flashlight turned to hit the vampire, who played off her reaction. On his free day, hanging with a student and hundreds-year-old vampire who acted worse than his students wasn't something Alaric planned for his day off, but the greater discovery they searched for was totally worth it—if he didn't have to deal with Damon, whom he planned to ignore. 

Focused back to their walk through the underground tunnels, the paths they took allowed smooth access for the three beings. A few rocks were slippery, some times they tripped, but it was smooth sailing. All until Damon hit a wall. Elena flashed light to Damon, who hit an invisible barrier. 

"So, you really can't get in?"

"No. Seems even the ancient Lockwoods were anti-vampire." Damon sighed, unable to take another step. He could only train his eyes to what lay ahead. 

"What do you mean ancient?" Elena turned back to the vampire, who gestured behind her. Simultaneously turning, Alaric and Elena illuminated drawings, words, and phrases etched into the cave walls. In all their brilliance, art and knowledge of human survival from centuries past were known to the little trio in its caves. As the historian he is, Alaric studied the drawings up close, barely allowing his fingers to grace history right before him. To Elena's question of curiosity, of what they were looking at, Alaric had his answer ready. 

"Well, as far as I can tell, it's all a story. In simple, archeological terms, it's a really, really old story," His finger guided her line of sight against the cold wall before he motioned to two drawings. "That right there is the moon cycle, and these two are a man, a wolf--"

"A werewolf." Elena answered, still eyeing the drawing. 

From behind her and the barrier, Damon spoke up with a chipper smile, "Yeah, it's the 'Lockwood Diaries: Pictionary-Style'." 

Elena was the only one confused by the whole thing, "I don't understand. I thought the Lockwoods came here with the Original Founders in the 1860s."

Soon standing behind her teacher for an answer but also to analyze another set of drawings, Elena turned to him for solace, "I don't know. Maybe the Lockwoods did, but according to this wall, these werewolves have been here a lot longer than that."

"How long?"

"Long, but it gets better. Show her, Ric." In the dark, Damon crouched himself to the knees. The tone of his voice was just less happy than it was before. With this signal, Elena knew whatever she was to be shown was more serious. Elena followed Alaric into another part of the cave with a flatter rock wall. His flashlight and dominant hand graced Elena's attention from him to the next text. 

"Names. They're not native, but are written in Runic—a Viking script." Alaric then stopped to point at a list of names. From a young western mind, Elena had no clue who or what was written, but she was more shocked they were Vikings.  but with his knowledge, spoke them with ease. 

"This name here," Alaric pointed to a first of many, "I translated it and it reads Niklaus."

"Klaus." Elena repeated. The full name of the vampire who haunted her dreams. The dreaded name of the Original hybrid who she planned to finally destroy. 

But Alaric wasn't done with the translated names. The following underneath Klaus' he read out, "And Elijah...and Rebekah."

900 | New World

"Are you certain that you do not need any aid?"

"I am quite alright, my dear sister. If I were in your place, I would stand back for you would injure yourself in case this blade fell."

Pressing her back against the cold cave wall, Ivonna-Rosalie let a sigh past her lips. Her eyes danced between Rebekah and the wall she carved her name into. The blue dress Rebekah wore contrasted beautifully with Ivonna-Rosalie's red dress. She wished to stand by her sister, but Rebekah worried her dearest sister would be cut by rock. The weapons she used were bound to injure her with the slightest mistake, which she warned her dear sister about, but her young defiance and pride refused her help. All she could do was teeter her head side to side until Niklaus joined her side so they could watch their sister together. In silence with nods they agreed Rebekah was struggling. The soft grits and groans she made only made Ivonna-Rosalie worry more. Niklaus was the first to move and reach for the tools. 

"Rebekah, let me at—"

"Quiet, Niklaus! I am to have more concentration if I am not to slice off a finger."

At the back-and-forth she was forced into with her brother, Rebekah remained steadfast in her carving. It was the only thing she could do without family supervision she found freedom in.  Niklaus took strong hold of the sharp items before staring into his sister's eyes, "Father will not like you handling a blade, sister." 

Ivonna-Rosalie peeked her head into their sight, "Sister, if you were to hurt yourself with a blade—"

"I understand your concern, but if I want to wield a blade, I shall wield a blade!" The young woman in red covered her mouth at Rebekah's retort, "Father need not know."

Niklaus rolled his eyes at his youngest sister before resting his hands on his hips, "He will find out. He always does." His voice dripped with somber mood. 

"That is because you and Ivonna always tell him." Rebekah lifted her gaze up to her brother and sister in red. Ivonna-Rosalie, in response, ducked her eyes to the ground before muttering under breath, but loud enough for her siblings to overhear. "I cannot help it. He frightens, intimidates and threatens me to tell him."

"He does frighten me as well..." Successfully with the blade back in her hand, Rebekah had a new name in mind as she side-stepped her brother. She then found comfort standing next to her older sister, who's name she wished to carve. 

"He frightens us all. That is why we stick together as one, always and forever. Right, traitors?" Rebekah lifted the spirits dancing in the air. Niklaus and Ivonna-Rosalie mirrored her expression and smiled back. "Right." 

Happy with their resolution, Rebekah suddenly perked her head up. A previous promise sworn over her proved more important than her current predicament. Without warning, Rebekah swapped the carving tools to her brother's hands for her sister's hands.  

"Here, you finish it. Ivonna and I are to help mother with the meal."

Niklaus held the dagger with proud finesse, "Yes, go tend to dinner and leave the blades to the men, little sister." Ivonna-Rosalie furrowed her brows at the statement but quickly bit her lip when Rebekah slammed the blade into their brothers palm, blade down. She stifled a laugh at his scream, hiding her toothy smile behind a hand. 

"It's just a little blood. Be a man about it." To counter their sister's dry reaction, Ivonna-Rosalie quickly stopped laughing to rip the ends of her dress. With the ripped fabric, she wrapped it around Niklaus' bleeding wound. His eyes could not stop themselves from wading up her figure until they stopped at her shoulders, then he narrowed his sight. Her shoulders were bouncing up and down and just barely audible could he hear her stifling a breath.

"This should be a lesson to you that saying those words are quite rude for a man to say. Am I right, Niklaus?" The soft hum of her voice forced the young man's attention. A light smile, even if he gestured through the pain. 

"You are right."

~ ivy ~

"These are the names of the Original Family?"

Brows raised nearly to her hairline, Elena read the translated names listed under Niklaus'. From raised to bunched, her brows conveyed every emotion coursing through her: bewilderment, shock, and slight confusion. From behind her at his desk, Alaric spoke up in his seat. 

"They were carved into a cave that's been here since way before the founding of Mystic Falls, or even the entire New World, for that matter." Elena's eyes went wide and she even stepped back to look over the larger drawing. Damon peered over to sneak a glance at the larger drawing before raising a brow. 

"Okay, this has gotta be one of Klaus' fakes—"

"Which is what I said—"

"That could be true, Damon and Elena," Alaric held up a hand." But, two names up here make me think otherwise." Following the history teacher's line of sight, the vampire-human pair fell silent in understanding and contemplation. Elena moved closer to her teacher, curious as to who the other names were. Alaric crossed his arms and nearly whispered: Ivonna and Mikael.   

Elena furrowed her brows before her eyes her widened in realization. The names set off a pinging in her ears with flashing red lights, "Isn't Ivonna that—"

"Ivy-Rose? Yeah." Damon crossed his arms as he tossed his head back. I heard sometime in the  1900s she changed her name because Ivonna-Rosalie sounded like an old woman, but it's funny because she actually is really old—"

"And Mikael is the vampire hunter that wants to kill Klaus, right?" With a quick wave of the hand, Elena cut through the blabbering vampire's words. The two names were highlighted on the printed photographs. Like he was put under a spell, Damon followed Elena's new train of through, "Yup. I now like to call him 'Papa Original'."

Scanning the names and drawings spread out on his desk and pinned to boards, Alaric switched between crouched positions and tall stances; his feet offered him support whilst he leaned back. Slowly but surely studying the images, Alaric found his camera and snapped pictures of each of the caves segments.

~ rose ~

Just like the teenage girls that ran past in shorts way too ludicrously short and tops too tight to get any work done, Rebekah watched her sister judge all that passed them by. Ivy-Rose lounged on the grass with her legs stretched before her and arms holding her body up. From the vampire's perspective, her darling sister looked the most free in a long time. In the midst of high school students, Ivy-Roses blended in perfectly—her eternal youth shone out of the masses. Out of all the skinny girls, blondes, and popular cheer girls, Rebekah's puppy shone brightest. Even the smile she offered Rebekah, even if it was the most casual gesture, made the vampire's heart flutter. 

"I'm still curious as to how you convinced Niklaus to let me come with you to school," Rebekah shrugged her shoulders. "With everything, he believed I'll fall into a trap, like I don't when I'm with him. The only time I've shown my hand was when I daggered myself, accidentally, mind you. Plus, Bekah, I'm the one always protecting him." 

Ivy-Rose harrumphed with a puffed out chest. Rebekah finally peeled her eyes from her sister's glowing hair to stare at her with a raised brow. Memories of the rather confusing night flooded into the sisters minds accompanied with resounding laughs and echoed frustrations. 

"It was Kol's doing, first of all. Secondly, he went around going on about this joke he planned. You, my lovely sister, walked into a walking and talking trap and in a span of five minutes, laid dead with a dagger in your chest."

Elijah, Kol, Rebekah, and Klaus had stood around Ivy-Rose's dead body in shock. All were shocked the only working witch in their family was fooled by the most unserious of them all. For the first few hours, neither knew what to do until Elijah rescued his sister from death. Waving her hand from their memories, Ivy-Rose picked flowers and pinned them to her hair. Whether she could be doing such didn't matter, but feeling somewhat rebellious (less than a teaspoon amount, to be honest) gave her the smallest rush ever. Rebekah soon jumped to point a finger in the air, twirling shapes in the air. 

"Also to answer your previous question, I told Nik that I would vamp out at anyone that neared you."

"But I can protect myself—" Suddenly with raised brows, Ivy-Rose turned her head to find Elena walking down a cemented path towards them. Rebekah noticed her sister's distant look, followed her line of sight to watch the teen. A smile sprouted on her face, "You! Goody."

"I was hoping we could all talk. The three of us all together." Already separated from most cheerleaders on the large lot of grass, the sisters and human girl had privacy to talk about whatever.

It was Rebekah who started for them, watching the girl's folded arms fall to her sides, "About what? Stefan? Don't worry, I'm off him until he starts treating me better. In fact, you should probably take a page out of my book, if I'm being honest—"

"Actually, I'd rather talk about these, Rebekah." Elena produced printed pictures from behind her back—photographs of the cave they carved their names in so long ago. "I'm curious as to why you, Klaus and Ivy-Rose have spent a thousand years running from your father."

At the sight of the printed photographs, the sisters stared at one another, knowing what this centuries-old discovery could lead to. To the naked eye, none would believe Mystic Falls High School stood on once bare land that the Mikaelson's called home or that Lockwood Mansion was once bare land and trees. A whistled sigh past Ivy-Rose's lips. Pressure as annoying as the girl built itself atop her chest and with their once-hidden cave discovered, a fight sense ingrained into her DNA told her body to stand up. About to do so, Ivy-Rose's was grabbed at the ankle by her sister. She didn't say a word to the girl. 

"Well, if you look at the time!" Rebekah spoke with faux surprise, releasing her sister. "It's time for this pup to get home before she misses her evening tea and I should head back to the girls since Homecoming is around the corner—"

But of course, peace rather shine its light on sinners than the Mikaelsons. When Elena's mouth opened, Ivy-Rose and Rebekah forced their primal nature not to best their minds. 

"Well then, maybe I'll ask Mikael when we wake him." The magnitude with which Elena spoke would never be understood by the girl. The sheer name of the hunter froze the sisters blood in their veins. Their touch went cold even if they breathed hot fire or rubbed them father than light. 

"You're bluffing! You don't know where he is." Rebekah spat out, caught off-guard. Ivy-Rose just shook her head, words stolen from her lips. 

Elena lifted a brow, "So, then who's rotting in that old cemetery in Charlotte—"

"No! If you wake Mikael, we are all doomed. Not just us, but everyone and everything. You don't know what you're dealing with, girl, so I suggest you leave." Ivy-Rose's fists clenched with a heavy breath after she finally spoke. Her eyes, not wavering from Elena's, bore holes into the kid and would have burned her from the inside. Attempting to stand her ground to the dark stare, Elena flitted her eyes to ground before redirecting them to Rebekah's; her stare was just less lethal. 

"So then, tell me." Ivy-Rose stifled a laugh as she looked away. Rebekah grabbed her sister's hand to calm her rather than herself. The laugh the hybrid let out was the last thing many heard before they met her maker.  

'If I see her again when I blink, I'm going to punch her.' 

'No, you won't, Ivy,' Rebekah squeezed her hand tighter. 'Just don't speak. She's already suspicious.'

Ivy-Rose didn't downplay the urge in punching Elena. Such a move would leave the girl eternally dead. It also reminded her why she hated the doppelgängers: their undying defiance and crazed nature could never be tamed. But as Rebekah advised, Ivy-Rose kept her mouth shut quiet while Rebekah acted as their spokesperson, "Why do you want to know?"

Elena crossed her arms, "Why don't you want me to wake him?" 

'Bekah—'

"Ivy should be heading home now and I need to get back to girls." Rebekah avoided talking about the hunter, turning away from Elena. Gripping the hybrid's hand tighter, the vampire tucked them behind the bleachers for breathing space. Elena, still holding the photos, only grew more suspicious of the sisters hesitancy in even speaking the man's name. Expelling a large breath she was holding, Ivy-Rose feigned a punch the teen's direction, letting a growl escape her sharp canines, "She talks as if she knows him, Rebekah. Does the girl not know the danger he holds— "

"Nothing's going to happen, Ivy, I promise you. No one's going to bring him near us— heck, I doubt they know where he is, but for now, just head home and relax. Your heart's pumping faster than it should be."

"I-I have to stop her," Ivy-Rose's eyes flickered to gold shade when she looked up from the ground. Her hands curled "Just let me get my hands on her, then this will all be done—"

"No, Ivonna!" Rebekah cupped her older sister's cheeks, "Nik orders you back home now."

Immediate guilt settled in the pit of Rebekah's stomach once she spoke. She watched her sister's eyes grow dull and felt her body went rigidly still. Silence passed through the passing air before Ivy-Rose's eyes returned to normal and she walked away like she walked on air. Never had the hybrid looked back as far as Rebekah could see. Left behind the bleachers, Rebekah itched her arms. Having to use the one vice holding her sister back in life—to their far past—the deeply ingrained spell in her mind pained her, but it was the only to stop anyone from getting hurt. In the shade, she calmed herself down and pressed a smile to her face as if everything was fine before heading to the troop of cheerleaders waiting for her. 

900 | New World

"Ivonna! You called us in such a panic. What is the disturbance?"

Relieved at voices of her younger brother and sister, the young woman in red rose from her crouched position. Rebekah and Henrik ran to their sister the moment they heard her panicked voice call for help. What else could they have done? Ivonna-Rosalie pointed ahead at the tree clearing to their two brothers, yet her voice wavered with unseen fear.  

"They are fighting and I do not know what to do. I warned them in case he comes, but . . ."

Over her shoulder were Elijah and Niklaus sparring with wooden sticks. Any passing villager would see two brothers playfully fighting, but to the sons and daughters of Mikael, they could feel the oncoming wrath even with the joy they were surrounded in. Nothing was peaceful in their large family, even if they prayed every day and night.  

"Oh look, Rosalie has brought over our siblings to watch my fast approaching victory."

With glorified glee on his face when he caught Ivonna-Rosalie's stare, Elijah felt as the winner of the world until his younger brother extended his imitated sword forward. 

 "On the contrary, Elijah. They come to laugh at you!" Niklaus laughed. His sister's sight was a distraction for his win. 

Even as she smiled, Ivonna-Rosalie gnawed on her bottom lip, feeling the raw skin that reminded her she was living in the moment. Rebekah and Henrik's cheers did help center her spirit but she could never stop thinking about the what-ifs or the when's of their fun squirmishes. Yet nothing had happened during the sparring's duration and into Niklaus' victory. Overcome by joy, Ivonna-Rosalie draped her arms over Niklaus' shoulders, a hug he gladly accepted. 

"Heed my warnings when you fight, Niklaus. I need not to fear every moment you brandish a sword in the daylight." Her hands cupped his sweaty while her eyes scanned his face for visible injury. Niklaus felt no shame in expressing his large smile when he spun them around, still holding weapon. 

About to speak about his proud win and his fearlessness in battle, Niklaus' brows came together when he noticed Ivonna-Rosalie's face become stricken with quiet fear. Her hands immediately fell from his face and her body caved in itself. Only one presence had the power to dim the greatest light in his world.  

Mikael emerged from the trees with his wife when his icy stare fell to the center of a fighting circle. His hands formed into tight fists at the sight. 

"Relax, Mikael. Niklaus means well." Esther spoke from behind her husband, hoping for calm. Her eyes gathered his simmering rage without hesitation. 

"That is precisely my problem."

Laughter from Niklaus remaining siblings finally ceased when he turned around. To protect his dimming light, he acted as a shield to Ivonna-Rosalie even when she hid behind Rebekah. Guiding his eyes from the ground, Niklaus noticed his father standing tall before him too late. 

"So, why don't you teach me that trick, young warrior?" In one motion, Mikael grabbed Elijah's fallen sword and twirled the weapon while circling Niklaus. Nerves built themselves in the young man's throat and words were harder to speak then ever before, but he couldn't reveal his weak hand. 

Unfortunate for him, Mikael never had to try hard to reveal his children's fears. 

"F-Father, we were just having fun—"

"We fight for our survival! And you find time for fun? I want to have fun! Teach me, come on!" Panicked as she watched the scene unfold, Ivonna-Rosalie held Rebekah's hand tightly. Her greatest wish was to pull Niklaus away from the impending abuse he was too face, but she could not in fear of Mikael.

"Father, it was nothing . . ."

Quickly disarmed with a strike, Niklaus felt the breath knocked out of him when his body was slammed to the ground ground, back-first. About to move his head up, his head was forced to the ground and forced down when a metal blade was pressed to his throat. 

"You are foolish and impulsive, my boy. What? No more laughter?" Mikael stared into the quiet gaze of his son, hearing no answer. Before his actions could produce results, his body was lifted by his wife who witnessed fear cripple her dear son.  

"You've made your point, Mikael."

Not allowing for peace, the dagger in the man's hand was stabbed next to Niklaus' head in the dirt before the he stood tall. Mikael's figure acted as a haunting shadow over Niklaus' fallen body until he was finally pulled away. 

| Salvatore Boarding House

"You can try all you want, Bekah. I'm not drinking."

Another groan escaped Rebekah as she held a glass of champagne in her sister's direction. For the past hour Rebekah had been begging her dear puppy to drink, to loosen up and join her in the fun. Ivy-Rose simply shook her head and motioned to her cup of tea. Of course it was tea, Rebekah shook her head, she always speculated something was spiked in that drink to make her sister drink it so much. Gin? Whiskey? Some medicinal herb? Whatever her puppy had in that drink to keep her calm throughout the day, Rebekah wanted some. 

"Come on, Ivy. Last you drank was literally a hundred years ago. You're not a nun. Can you please go back to your old days?"

"Me murdering people while crazy drunk was fun?" Ivy-Rose looked to her sister with a raised brow and curt laugh. Bloodlust was soothing to the eye?

"You said so yourself back then and I liked you more. Now Nik forces you to— "

"The doppelgänger is here." Not glad the girl was here but that the conversation ended, Ivy-Rose fully faced her sister. Still with two glasses of champagne in-hand, Rebekah felt her chest grow light when she stood tall, "If she tries anything, you can do anything to those girls. A bit of bloodshed wouldn't ruin my day."

Curtly laughing as she playfully nodded, Ivy-Rose attempted to relax in the recliner while she opened the door with a twist of a hand and listened into the conversation in the foyer. Following faux giddy laughter and steps into the house they were invited to as guests, Elena was brought into the main living room with a drink in-hand. 

"All right girls, have at it!"

Lined up on the other side of the room, six girls in different coloured dresses walked together to show their outfits. The clicks of their heels resounded in one chorus with each and every step they took. Rebekah's happiness was soaring the more her impromptu fashion show was turning out, "Okay, now, twirl please."

Elena turned an eye to the vampire with curiosity etched with disgust, "You compelled your own fashion show?"

"She needs models to help pick Homecoming dressed and wanted some other opinions. I said she should wear the red dress. What do you think?" From her seat, Ivy-Rose sipped from her cup before turning an expectant gaze to Elena, who shifted under her stare. 

"I'm not here to help someone ship. I'm here to talk about why guys don't want me to wake up Mikael."

The glass shattered in Ivy-Rose's limp grasp before her throat cleared with an annoyance base. The witch crossed her right leg over her left. With such done, the girl in blue struggled to breath. No sign on the hybrid showed how her magic was done—a skill practiced for years—but the more she looked to Elena, the most the human in blue was pulled in the air and choked to breathlessness. 

"I asked you a question, Elena. Choose a dress." If anything was more obvious, it was Ivy-Rose's patience growing thinner with each passing second. Once she saw the model dangling in the air, Elena's voice scratched and stuttered before she chose a colour: the red dress. The model suddenly fell to the ground and a smile replaced the hybrid's scowl. 

"There. It wasn't so hard, was it?" Rebekah clapped her hands before compelling the models out of the house and to forget everything. Once the house was empty sole for the trio in the living room, all barriers and shutters were removed. 

Blue eyes pierced through Elena with crossed arms. Rebekah pressed her lips in a line with a popped her hip out. Her stare scattered shivers up the teen's back. 

"You do not threaten me, girl. You do not especially threaten my sister. You will learn what we allow you to learn. Is that clear?"

Quietly nodding at the vampire and hybrid, Elena watched the sisters past her and walk up the stairs into Stefan's bedroom. They first walked as if they knew the place like their own home, but once they reached his room, they turned into tourists and marvelled at everything they pulled from his drawers and picture frames on his dresser.  

"How fun is this?" Rebekah asked aloud with a matching smile on her face.

Elena watched them with a dropped jaw, "We shouldn't be here—"

"Course we should! Come on, like you've never wanted to snoop." Rebekah opened a drawer holding underwear and held up a pair of Stefan's for her and her sister to see. Times like these revealed how much of history the Mikaelson sisters had missed, "Look, boxer briefs. A lot has changed since the 20s."

"Indeed, and since when were there so many rips in jeans?" Ivy-Rose held up a pair of ripped jeans to her legs, which garnered confused looks from both the sisters. Wouldn't one be too cold with such cuts? They're ugly anyways. It was Elena's voice from behind the that the women out their gazing. 

"Are you gonna loot through his stuff all night or are you gonna start to tell me your story?" Silently staring at one another, Ivy-Rose and Rebekah debated on who would speak first before the youngest took the lead. In her stead, the eldest to continuing learning about this new future through Stefan's room.

"You're rash and no fun. What do you want to know?"

"Well, Elijah said that your father was a landowner in Europe. How did you guys end up here?" Ivy-Rose fell on Stefan's bed back-first and patted Rebekah's back, encouraging the vampire to speak. Both leisured on his bed while forced to open about their history. 

"My parents had just started a family when a plague struck their homeland. They a lost a child to it. They wanted to escape and protect their future family from the same fate." Elena leaned her head to the side as she listened to Rebekah explain their story.

"So, how did you guys end up here? This part of the world hadn't been discovered yet."

Rebekah once again pressed her lips into a thin line when she eyed a photograph on Stefan's dresser. She offered a smile smile to it before answering. 

"This part of the world hadn't been discovered by anyone in your history books. My mother had known about a witch named Ayana, who heard from spirits of a mystical land where everyone was healthy and blessed by the gift of speed and strength. That led us here, where we lived amongst those people."

The 17-year old tapped her chin as the words were stuck at the tip of her tongue were halted, allowing her mind to suck in the information, "The werewolves?"

"To us, they were just our neighbours. My family lived in peace with them for twenty years, during which my mother took in Ivonna—my peachy Ivy-Rose, as one of us and had more children which included me."

Elena wouldn't have known Rebekah's muscles spasmed and caved into themselves when she sharply exhaled. It happened every time the hybrid's full name was used—a vice and family joke. Time had long passed to be called names of the past and hers was too long and carried too many memories for disgraceful ears to hear. Elena quickly switched her stare between the blonde and raven-haired Mikaelsons, narrowing her eyes before speaking.  

"Why did you take her in? She's a werewolf?"

"My gene hadn't awakened." The werewolf, herself, sat up to explain her known history. "Mother found me not far from their camp and I was too young to remember anything. No one wanted say anything about my existence, which spurred her in keeping me. The rest is now history."

The two sisters smiled at one another as the Gilbert watched them. Even if it filled them with pain or melancholy, their minds replayed memories of their human days in the meadows, forests and trees that were once innocent.  

"You make it sound so normal." Elena quietly spoke, catching Rebekah's attention, who simply nodded. 

"It was normal, darling. Everything was normal for a while."

900 | New World

"Once a month, our family—even Ivy, retreated into the caves beneath our village. The wolves would howl through the night and by morning we would return home."

"You should not be touching those, Rebekah."

Unconsciously staring at the different talismans that hung on the witch Ayana's window, Rebekah stuck her tongue out to Ivonna-Rosalie, who warned of the jewels dangers, when she grazed her fingers on the jewels. Innocently touching a blue stone, Rebekah released a sudden yelp from the burn. Her sister only laughed at her before they laughed amongst themselves. Then an even louder scream tore through the air. It was for their mother. 

"Mother!"

"One full moon, Klaus and our youngest brother, Henrik, snuck out to watch the men turn into beasts. That was forbidden, and Henrik had unfortunately paid the price . . ."

"No, no! What happened?"

Chest tight with pain, Esther ran out to Niklaus. In his arms lay her youngest son covered in a bloodied mess. Esther crouched to both of them, who were covered in blood. Behind her ran her daughters who gasped at the sight. Rebekah quickly covered her sister's eyes before they hugged each other, already at terms with Henrik's fate.

"The wolves! I am sorry, I am so sorry!" Niklaus yelled in shock. Esther cried helplessly, holding the body of her dying son. Not far stood the witch Ayana who watched the sight unfold.  

"We must save him. Please, there must be a way!" Casting her gaze to the distraught mother, Ayana brought her lips together with a shake of the head.  

"The spirits will not give us a way, Esther. Your boy is gone."

Esther's head pounded and it seemed her world was crumbling. The only way she could release her grief was in a painful scream, pain pounding on her chest every second, "N-No, no!"

"And that was the beginning of the end of peace with our neighbours."

~ monroe ~

Suddenly vibrating in her pocket to surprise her, Elena's attention was pulled away from Rebekah's story on the Original family—their emergence in the New World and how they came to be now answered.  

"You should probably answer that before he calls twice. Damon may be wondering where and what you're doing."

Elena narrowed her eyes on Ivy-Rose, who joined her sister in roaming Stefan's room. A pinch of her felt disgusted her privacy was invaded, but she then remembered the woman was a witch with no bounds of morality or philosophy. She could do whatever she wanted without guilt.

 'If she asks any more questions, I will strangle her.'

'Calm, Ivonna—' Ivy-Rose let a long sigh past her lips. Her shoulders tensed and her breathing hitched for a moment. 

'Stop.'

'I'll keep calling you that if you don't calm your temper down. The girl isn't saying anything bad, so she's in the clear.'

Ivy-Rose could only lock her fingers within the confines of her dark curls, twirling the coils to calm herself down. Whether the girl isn't saying anything good or bad didn't matter, just telling her their history was worse enough. No one outside their name, their clan, had to know anything about them. If she were honest, Ivy-Rose rather be a myth or fabled legend than friendly neighbours with anyone. Anyone could stab your back if they knew the right amount of your life. While Rebekah read excerpts from Stefan's journal, Ivy-Rose fell back on his bed. Shortly after did Elena re-emerge, having ended her call with Damon.  

"Are you two done your snooping yet? Can we get on with the story—"

"Honestly, I don't get you two as a couple." Suddenly caught off-guard by Rebekah's words, the teen gulped as she searched for words, "Why would you? You don't know anything about who he really is."

Rebekah set the book down and rolled her shoulders back; Rebekah was quite surprised at how innocent the teenager was. Poor girl's using naivety as a power. 

"I know who he is. The three—"

"Two." Elena glanced at Ivy-Rose, who rose her brows. Love was easy to decipher from lust. 

"Two women out of three he has loved over time are gathered in his room right now, if you haven't noticed, so I'm not sure why you feel like what you two have is special. He's a vampire. We're a predatory species."

Rebekah flashed Elena a sadistic smile as she leaned her face forward, having sped to stand right in front of her, "We don't have time to care about humans and their silly, little lives."

A gasp that came out like a curt breath. The doppelgänger moved her gaze away from the sharp blue eyes as she pursed her lips.

"Is that why you did that runaway earlier? Because you don't care about the Homecoming Dance?" Elena pursed her lips before narrowing her eyes, "You know what, I'm just gonna go."

Elena turned to leave when Ivy-Rose's voice called out, it's alluring base and melodic pitch turning her feet around before she even realized. 

"You haven't heard half the story yet."

"And the two of you are not going to tell me. You," Elena motioned to Rebekah, "are just bored and looking for someone to push around? Find someone else to play with, or maybe you can compel yourself a friend."

"The necklace wasn't Stefan's to give. It belonged to the Original witch." Rebekah spoke. Elena focused her eyes on the vampire with a dropped jaw at the familiar name.  

"The one who put a curse on Klaus?"

Ivy-Rose sat tall in the bed as she stared at Elena, "Not just the hybrid curse. She's the one who turned them into vampires and what I am today. Our parents wanted to protect us in a way of keeping their children alive and safe'"

"Couldn't you guys just leave instead of being turned into vampires? Were they afraid or something?" 

Rebekah thought back to the last moments of her human life bordering her vampire life, shaking her head as she opened her mouth to speak, "Pride. Our father didn't want to run anymore. He wanted to fight and be superior to the wolves. Where they could bite, we had to bite harder. Where they had speed, we had to be faster. Agility, strength, senses. He forced the decision into her hands."

"Into her hands? How could she do anything?"

"It was because our mother was a witch."

Ivy-Rose crackled her knuckles before the stretched her arms out behind her. She repositioned herself next to her sister before the three of them left the bedroom and walked through the grand hallways until they reached the library. Sometime along their brisk walk did Elena react with a single and rather confused what? 

"The witch of the Original Family? Do you not know that she is the Original witch?" Rebekah was surprised at the girl's surprise. Even to a blind beggar they would know the correlation to the Originals to the witch.  

While Elena sifted through her confusion, Ivy-Rose grazed her eyes over the abundances of literature and historical text to hopefully satisfy her during past-time. Her mind exhausted with catering her words and actions to Elena would find pleasure in reading. She left her sister and the girl to finish their oral history.

"If all of your family, besides your mother, are vampires, why isn't Ivy-Rose one? She did grow up with you and all."

Elena moved her sights to hybrid before her voice fell to a whisper. She didn't know if the hybrid was listening or paid her any attention. Rebekah offered her puppy her brother loved a simple gaze. 

"Our mother knew Ivonna was a werewolf when she was found, so to keep her werewolf gene from being awakened, she wore a necklace, which also protected her from our father. After Henrik's death, our mother grew worried that Mikael would find out about Ivonna, so she gave her ability to siphon along with vampire abilities in hope of keeping her safe. She's the first of her kind—a werewolf-witch hybrid."

As she listened to Rebekah, a net of truths, stories, and facts was mapped out in her head about the Ivy-Rose Mikaelson. In the most matter-of-factly way, Rebekah answered the girl's questions with a never-failing smile; in her bout of adoration, Elena was learning more about the elusive hybrid Mikaelson feared throughout supernatural history. 

"And you said her and Klaus are married?" Rebekah rose a brow at the girl's deep interest in her sister more than anything, "When did that happen? I don't mean to pry—"

"Spain. He's jealous, controlling, possessive monster. She has to be by his side 24/7 because she's compelled to that bastard who can't protect himself for a bloody minute."

It made Rebekah's skin crawl when she thought of her sister's marriage. It was a gradual process, if she could ever admit. 

For the longest time she's called Ivy-Rose her blood-sister and nothing, not even their father or judgmental eyes could dissuade her. But when Klaus revealed to the rest of them his plans to marry her puppy, their differences were forced into sunlight. They weren't sisters, Klaus would tell her, but two different people growing up together. There was no taboo he was crossing, no boundaries he overreached, and everything he was putting Ivy-Rose through to marry him was all apart of the process. There was no white dress or grand feast Ivy-Rose dreamed of. No flowers thrown or festivals held in their honour. Rebekah broke a tear when her brother dropped the license and returned with a finger on her heart finger. It was something forced onto Ivy-Rose and she had no other choice but to accept—is what Rebekah believe. She made it her goal to remind Klaus he was their brother, not solely hers. 

Ivy-Rose's voice pulled Rebekah from her dark mind. As if she read her thoughts, her puppy's smile was more radiant than the sun or rare jewel in the world. Her dark eyes were precious jewels she was blessed to see everyday crinkle in her direction. 

"I plan to indulge myself in these. Reading helps the mind think better. I'll bring them tomorrow, if anyone asks." In the hybrid's two hands were thick books stacked to her chin. Ivy-Rose resembled a short girl carrying stacks of paper in her arms with no one to help her. Rebekah's heart bled at the sight. 

"I'll come with you!"

With vampire speed, Rebekah took half the books from her sister's arms as they walked out of the library. Before she stepped out, the vampire shot a single stare at Elena before the sisters trapped themselves in their own conversation. Elena now understood more of the Original family than she did before, and more especially, on the infamous Mikaelson sister—the Blood Twins, the Fang and Claw. Forcing herself to be the most silent until she was sure both women were out of earshot, Elena turned and popped her lips, a smile crept on her face when she spoke the first and best thing that came to mind. The best thing that would support her plan.  

 "So, the only way to kill Klaus is to get rid of Ivy-Rose first."

~