AN: This fic is AU, most of the characters are as we met them in season 1. I have most of it written already and it's all from Klaus' POV, so if you guys like it, it will be updated šretty regularly. All that aside, I hope you enjoy this chapter. On with the story.

-CK-

From childhood's hour I have not been. As others were, I have not seen. As others saw, I could not awaken. My heart to joy at the same tone. And all I loved, I loved alone.
(Edgar Allan Poe)

-CK-

Chapter 1

"How much longer are we going to wait here brother?"

The voice echoed in a small room, a hint of irritation laced in a normally calm voice. The person it belonged to leaning against the grey wall that had seen way to many years of abuse and time scratch its marks upon the surface.

After all this place brings comfort, for this is the only place he doesn't have to revert to who he was. Even now he can still smell their burning bodies and fresh smell of blood lingering in the air. Here he can ignore the noise and close his mind.

"Have I neglected to tell you how unsanitary this place is? It is below us. To growl in a cage."

The anger could be clearly heard in the voice, yet the person on the bed simply scoffed and a steely accented voice flowed through the confidents of the chamber.

"Uh put a sock in it Elijah. I don't have time for your self-righteous ways. I have heard 'em a thousand times before. Just keep it to yourself."

The man paid no mind to the irritation of the speaker. It wasn't something he hadn't heard before anyway. It was the only sound that still resonated, the one he simply couldn't quiet down.

This place was home, after all this time he has made it so. His mind was free to roam wherever it pleased and he had more than enough in there to keep himself occupied. The time long forgotten by others still burned in him and kept him as close to reality as he could be.

The haggard look didn't suit him. Rumpled from tossing and turning and simply being in one place for such a long period of time that he couldn't actually place when did he change his now fitting uniform. The small light on the celling was the only source of brightness in the room but it was enough to reveal a pair of ancient eyes that looked as far away and lost as a book that had been cast away by the test of time. Still it contained the wisdom within its pages.

"Because you never listen to me! Niklaus it is enough!"

The eyes moved to meet the gaze off a distraught Elijah lost in his anger and rage. So out of sorts from the big brother. Really unlike him. Still as always his words rattled him. He never could stand Elijah's condescending consideration of his actions.

"Watch your tone, brother. Maybe you have forgotten what I am capable of."

The older brother only smiled. Smug was the word he was looking for.

"You haven't been capable of anything in a while brother. Nothing but a wolf without its fangs. A helpless animal in a cage."

The rage surged through him. Nobody addressed him as a lower creature. He will show him. His tired body lunged towards his brother as he grabbed him by the neck Klaus whispered slowly with venom laced on his lips.

"I dare you to repeat that, Elijah!"

With that he banged his head on the back wall. Suddenly the small window on the steel door opened and a disgruntled voice followed into the room.

"Talking to yourself again boy. You should waste here like a rabid animal that you are. I hope your mind lets you go soon."

He looked towards the voice and then back to Elijah to see that there was no one there. The small vial of blood shattered on the floor and the footsteps could be heard as the person walked away.

"Now lick that blood off of the floor like the animal that you are. Soon your mind will follow and I will keep you here for another thousand years..."

As the footsteps disappeared his hunger couldn't be ignored. No matter how many times he tried to fight it he always lost. Falling to his knees he let his face change as he frantically tried to scrape what little blood he could. It will have to keep him for days.

"Who would've thought that my brother would be reduced to this?"

The voice returned and no matter how many times he ignored it in the past it brought comfort to him. His brother was always the calm, controlled one. As he continued to lap his brothers words echoed in his head.

"By his own father nonetheless."

The only sound in the room was a vicious growl.

The light was cast unexpectedly into the room and the voice of malice was back again.

"I have come over a curious bit of information boy. Not only will I be able to put an end to you and your supposed family but end this wrenched line of vampires once and for all."

The glee could be heard and the pounding in his head increased. He tried to get up but felt too weak to do anything more than whimper as the exhaustion took over.

"It was an idea that came from your mother."

That was more than enough to alert him back to present. Isn't that why he was rotting away in here? Because he needed to pay for the murder of his own mother. He was the monster for killing Mikael's love. No matter that she was the one wanted to kill her own children. No, he was the monster in spite of it all.

At least his family wasn't here to witness this. They will be smart enough to stay hidden and away from him. The next sentence filled him with dread anyway. It seemed it was all he could feel these days.

"Fin has been locked in a coffin for almost as much time as you were enjoying this place. Also, I had managed to get my hands on Kol and dagger the imbecile. He always was a lost cause. There only remain two to be found."

The ever familiar friend, anger knocks on his door and the dread joins him once more. Damn the devil before him. If he ever finds a way out of this hell hole he will see to Mikael's end. Let him rot under the ground, the ville demon. He will be even bigger devil just to have that chance at ending the man he called father.

"Do not worry brother. Kol was an over grown man child, never actually taking things seriously. He was bound to be caught. Remember, he was always careless even when we took him to hunt with us. Fin on the other hand, couldn't live without Sage and once father got his hands on her he also had the rains on him so to speak. Shame, real shame."

He slowly calmed himself. Elijah was right. Where Klaus was rash his brother was composed, action was always preceded by a plan. He will protect Rebekah no matter what. Father was here only to torture him with his imagination. To put horrors inside his head. As if that wasn't all he saw his entire existence.

Still, to hear about his brothers demise brings a new wave of anger and anguish. How he longed to tear him apart. He will survive all of this just for that chance. The hope. He needed to show he still couldn't be broken no matter how many times he was before. Bending but never breaking.

His bones moved slowly, every movement hurt but he needed to look the devil in the eye as he once more defied his will. Bracing his frail frame with both hands on the door he looked him in the eyes, the smile of a maniac on his face as he spoke.

"You will never get them father. No matter what you try they're too smart for you. Elijah will always be one step ahead of you. You will never succeed and I will enjoy your failure no matter what you do to me. Their freedom will be my victory. You lose in the end, old man."

There, he stood proud. But instead of anger, Mikael's face matched his smug smile and a hand circled around his neck squeezing the life out of him. The calmness in which he spoke once more assured him why he was still here after all this time.

"That is where you are wrong, boy. Just imagine how happy they will be when they hear that you are alive and waiting to be rescued. I can taste their joy when they hear you've been held captive by some witches and all they had to do was get past them to get to you. Splendid isn't it?"

The horror was back but also the rational thought if he could call it that. Ration is mostly closed around Elijah's words in his head.

"He is bluffing. I would never believe his ploys. He is playing games with you."

That is right. He will always try to get inside his head. Well too bad for him that his head is already full.

"Bullshit. You are bluffing."

He could feel the hand of comfort on his shoulder from his brother as the devils hand squeezed the life out of him. Poetic isn't it?

Instead the hand threw him to the opposite side, smashing him into the wall and on to the makeshift bed, the impact making everything foggy, his abilities so constrained that they barely healed anything. He looked with a drowsy look towards the door that let out a heave whine as they opened after all this time.

"You are going to join the world of the living Niklaus. As fleeting as that life will be."

Why did that small comfort sound like the final nail in his coffin? Even Elijah didn't sound to thrilled about his release. If that was even what this was. There was always a catch.

"I don't like this one bit brother. It doesn't sound right."

Well didn't he always claim Elijah was the voice of reason. He should heed his warning. Looking at Mikael he knew this will be a new brand of hell. One he couldn't afford to be in.

The fist that followed left his world in the darkness and for the first time he was afraid if he would ever wake up. Didn't know if he wanted to.

-oo-

AN: So what do guys think so far, any questions, theories? Is ghost Elijah as awesome as the real one?