Prologue

Her heart was racing and everything burned. From fingertips to toes, every inch of her body inside and out felt like it was on fire. But she couldn't stop, she had to keep running.

"You won't get away."

A block of solid, inhuman muscle appeared before her, clipping her shoulder and causing her to stumble to the ground. As she slammed into concrete something stabbed into her palm while she tried to catch herself, earning a piercing shriek that shattered the silence. There was no time to nurse her wound, in an instant she was up and bolting through the darkness. Tears streamed down her dirty cheeks, leaving streaks on the pail face as the fire intensified from the blood trickling from her hand. 6 months of running had taught her one thing: never slow down.

Everywhere was dark, all the lights that might have been on in the dank street seemed to have faded out. Sprinting through the streets blind didn't faze her, she could still hear everything. Her own heavy breathing, the clap of her worn out sneakers slapping against pavement, and the sound of something whizzing through the air after her. Nothing made sense; then again, nothing had made sense for the last 40 years. Something, someone was hunting her. Whatever it was definitely was not human, and knew she wasn't either.

She couldn't keep running, the burning was getting to be too much. She'd tried so hard to keep going, that had been her motto but she couldn't keep it up. Ducking into an alley way, she slumped into the filthy wall and held her bleeding hand to her chest. Salty tears continued to fall down her face as she crumpled to her knees. Everything was one erratic mess; her mind was racing and she convulsed with adrenaline and pain. Sobs wracked her body as soft footsteps approached her.

"Please, stop, just stop." Her words were barely recognizable as she choked them out between sobs. For a moment, she cracked open her eyes to view whatever was coming towards her. The second she saw the shocking, yellow eyes in front of her she shot backwards.

Before she could move a foot the figure reached out and grabbed onto her leg, pulling her to it. "Shut. Up." It growled into her face. With its other hand, the figure grabbed the side of her head and smacked it against the concrete wall. In one swift movement, the figure had swooped her unconscious body up in one arm and the other was digging in its pocket for a phone.

"The Phoenix is caught."

"Damon, I promise you I've almost got her." Klaus had been arguing on the phone with the older Salvatore brother for almost an hour.

An exhausted sigh came from the other end of the phone. "Look, you've been saying that for the last six months. Klaus from what you've told me everything you been chasing after has only been a myth."

The hybrid growled and ground his teeth together; in his thousand years of living he had never met a more stubborn vampire. "And how many other things that you thought myth have I proved real? Hm? Listen, if you want proof then be here at the end of the week and I'll give it to you." With that, he ended the call and tossed the phone over into a nearby chair.

Since January he'd been chasing this whisper of a conspiracy that had turned into the possibility of fact. The idea that there was a new revolution in the making among the supernatural community had caught Klaus's interest. From his entail within the witches there was a movement going on, something that was not in favor of beings like him. Creatures that nature deemed unnatural and wrong were not going to be on the right side of this battle, never the less Klaus was determined to come out on top.

It had been in Mystic Falls on a visit to see his sister when Klaus had heard this rumor. The Bennett witch had talked about the spirits that were communicating to her, speaking of things that taunted his curiosity. From there his quest had taken him from east to west across the States. There had been so much hunting and tracking down leads, no matter how tedious the task it brought back excitement to Klaus's otherwise boring life. He'd been travelling around aimlessly the last few years and this new event had brought his interest back. Only a few months ago when the myth took on a physical form had Klaus fully regained his former ferocity. With what was left of his hybrids he had tracked it down, more specifically her. This being that could be used as a weapon or would possibly just be another misunderstood creature formed from the foolishness of a witch had been running from Klaus's clutches. No matter, it gave Klaus fire once more. The killing and the hunting gave the ancient hybrid life once more.

The door to loft Klaus had been staying at the last few months flew open, revealing one of Klaus's hybrids holding a dirty, little creature. No words were exchanged as the hybrid continued swiftly into the kitchen with Klaus close behind him. Klaus brushed the plates and various papers off the kitchen table allowing his hybrid to set the creature down on it. The moment the hybrid put it down he stepped back and tried to brush off the invisible dust and grime that the small being had left behind. With cautious care, Klaus examined the thing on the table as it laid curled up into itself.

"Is this it?" Needless to say, Klaus was a little unimpressed. After all the chasing and waiting, he expected some powerful being. Something that shook him to the bone and maybe something that even threatened him. This was quite the opposite, and that both disappointed and irritated him.

"I've literally been chasing her through sewers and alleyways Klaus; she was already roughed up when I first spotted her. Pretty sure she's been on the streets for awhile." There was a flash of pity that was quickly covered up by disgust and aggravation. "I'm going to clean off." He growled then stalked off.

Klaus waved off his hybrid and bent over the "girl" that was lying across his table. She was quite filthy, tear-stained face and clothes that obviously had not been washed in quite some time. Weak and pathetic were two words that quickly came to mind as he stared down at her. "So this is the so called Phoenix…" He muttered to himself as he continued with his examination. Sighing, Klaus propped up the young woman and shook her lightly. "Come now sweetheart, wake up." He couldn't help but have a jump in excitement as her eyes opened. Bright, blue, vibrant, and beautiful eyes. The only thing not dirty about her.

She blinked lazily, becoming aware of her surroundings. "Go fuck yourself." She hissed.

A second later Klaus's hands we're around her neck and snap. Then she was slumped on the ground, eyes glazed over. Klaus pursed his lips together, not receiving the outcome he had hoped for. He stormed over to the fridge and took out a blood bag and hungrily sucked out its contents. Another dead end, Klaus could not take another one of these. It was absolutely infuriating.

"Jesus Christ Klaus what did you do to her…"

"I didn't do-". Klaus's voice dropped, as he looked to where the woman had previously laid. He dropped the blood bag and rushed over to his hybrid's side as they stood over what once was the girl. The dirty skin and clothes had literally begun to crumble inward, like a porcelain doll cracking under heat. Klaus bent down and gently touched her dirty cheek, instantly the skin cracked in every direction and seemed to shatter at his touch into a pile of ash. "And from ashes the phoenix rose…"

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first little bit of the story! I'd really enjoy reviews or any critiques, input is always welcome (: