I am an ESL teacher who also happens to have a History Degree and a love for The Originals and The Dark Series. Anything that is familiar is not mine.

1369

The ground trembled and lightning split the sky. Hail poured down in intermittent intervals looking at times like it was the colour of blood. It wasn't, merely reflecting the blood moon in the sky. The ground shook again, and despite the strength in his stance his immortality granted him, Elijah found himself stumbling slightly, the force of the shockwave nearly sending him to his knees. Because it was a shockwave, of that he was certain. And it originated just on the other side of the mountain he was on.

With a burst of speed he wasn't even aware of using anymore Elijah was over the crest of the mountain and was standing in…a warzone. Trees were levelled, craters were feet deep in the earth and blood was splattered everywhere. He walked through the carnage slowly, watching with wide eyes as some of the blood was absorbed by the ground. A little further along he came across a pile of ash, being blown away in the wind. It left behind a faint outline, and as he crouched down Elijah saw it was in the shape of a body. A human body.

The snap of a twig had his head shooting up; the feeling of someone watching him coming across almost instantly. He cast his eyes around and…there, behind a tree. Or rather the remains of a tree. Elijah sped over to where he saw the shadowy figure and found…nothing. Frowning ever so slightly he turned around again, stretching his senses. He picked up the soft sound of liquid falling, and an even softer, irregular thumping noise that was getting fainter and fainter.

He sped silently towards the two sounds, anxiety growing in his chest. Something that made his brain stutter briefly. Anxiety? Elijah stopped suddenly as the soft thumping faded away, leaving him feeling oddly bereft. Something glinted on the ground and he knelt down, gently moving leaved and twigs aside and uncovered…a necklace. It was a crescent moon, silver with intricate knot work and hanging from the top of it was a beautiful ice blue gem.

He stood up slowly, carefully cupping the jewel in his hand, his gaze wandering around. Everything around him was completely destroyed, except for the one patch where the necklace had been lying. On that spot, in an outline that matched the jewel and the chain it was suspended on, was lush green grass and tiny spring flowers.

A chill ran down Elijah's spine and he turned around slowly, fully expecting to be looking at someone.

But no one was there.

1546

Kosice.

The city had barely changed since the last time Elijah was in this part of the world. Absently he ran a finger over the pendant hanging around his neck. It was only a few miles from this city that he had found the necklace, nearly two hundred years before. And for some reason, completely unknown to him, he had kept it with him that whole time. It was only his sister Rebekah who had noticed, and for once she had kept quiet about it.

His hand dropped to curl around the railing and he looked out across the city. Feeling abruptly restless Elijah vaulted over the railing and began to walk down the street. The sun had only just set and the streets still retained its warmth. But the hustle of the city was starting to feel oppressive so he waited until the street was clear and put on a burst of speed, running out of the city and into the forest. Suddenly he could breathe again. The woods were silent, the only noise, barely too faint even for him to hear, was the wind. Elijah closed his eyes and simply walked. No speed, no vampire senses, he just let his feet guide the way.

For some reason he could feel his chest tightening slowly, almost as if he was…grieving. Which was not possible, he had no reason to be grieving. A howl split the air and his eyes flew open suddenly. The wolf was close, as was the second, third. Oh great. A wolf pack. He was deeper in the forests than he had initially realised. Not that he wouldn't be able to take down the pack; he just…didn't think he could. The wolves sounded sad. Like they were mourning. And then there was another sound, voices murmuring.

The wind picked up suddenly around him and the sky seemed to come alive with swirling clouds, rumbles of thunder and cracks of lightning. Elijah crested the hill he had been climbing and could have sworn he had been thrown back a hundred and seventy-seven years. The other side of the hill was covered in…well there wasn't much left. It was just a crater, blasted into the ground. The destruction went on and on. The only thing that was different this time was the figure standing around in a loose circle. Even as he watched, the figures almost seemed to melt away until he was the only one left, asking himself if he had even seen anyone there in the first place.

Elijah left Kosice three days later, with no explanation for what had happened on the hillside, or for the lingering sense that something was missing. It was a feeling that would stay with him, hovering on the edge of his consciousness, for the next four hundred and sixty seven years.

2013

There was the time old saying that New York never slept. The same could be said for New Orleans. Even now, at 3 o'clock in the morning, parties were still in full swing and people were cruising along the streets. As the years progressed the city had expanded, especially the French Quarter. And with that expansion came larger, wilder parties which, despite the fact that it was nearing two in the morning, showed no signs of slowing down. The streets were still packed with people partying, either spilling out of the numerous clubs and pubs that lined the streets, or taking part in the numerous street parades and parties that seemed to encompass the entire Quarter. Everywhere he turned, Elijah saw humans throwing caution to the wind and having the time of their lives.

This was what he and his family had been working towards all those years ago. Even now as he walked down the street Elijah could see the results of so many years hard work. Right out in the open vampires, witches and werewolves were mixing with the humans, and for once there was no bloodshed. Everyone seemed just that little bit more relaxed and co-operative since the fall of the Mikaelson parents and their crazy aunt Dahlia. It had seemed like a very long time since there had been a cause for celebration but with the latest threat to their family destroyed, it seemed like the perfect time to hold a celebration in the compound.

Which was why Elijah was out walking the streets, instead of being in the family compound. The threat had been against his niece Hope, and with that threat vanquished, her parents deserved to spend all the time they could with her, to focus only on her and not on any remaining…issues. Like the one that currently had Elijah estranged from Niklaus. He would not be able to forgive his brother for some time after he compelled Gia to kill herself and then stab him with that blasted knife of Papa Tunde, just as he knew Klaus would not forgive him for choosing to 'side' with Freya over the whole Dahlia incident and stabbing Klaus in the chest with Kol's dagger. No, it was best to leave the hornet's nest alone for one night. All of their issues would be addressed in time. They always were.

Lost in thought Elijah didn't see the imminent collision until it was too late. It was bound to happen, with the amount of people in the street. The crowd surged suddenly and a figure stumbled into him. He automatically reached out to steady her, for the wealth of black hair was enough to convince him she was a woman, his hands resting gently on her elbows whilst hers were braced against his chest. He heard her swallow slightly before tilting her head slightly to look up at him. Elijah caught a glimpse of large eyes swimming with emotion, but was unable to take anything more in before she dropped her gaze again.

"Sorry, sir." She tore herself away from his grasp and disappeared back into the throng of people around them, leaving him standing alone in the crowd. But Elijah had forgotten all about those pressed in around him. Indeed, everything seemed to melt away from his mind entirely; all that was left was the feel of the woman against his hands, the smell of her hair as it was buffeted by the breeze, the shape of her eyes, although for some reason he had been unable to tell what was going on behind those eyes, or even their colour. All he knew was that they were unique. The soft sound of her voice felt like what he imagined a punch to the gut would feel. Granted it had been more of a whisper than anything else, but it caught his attention nonetheless. He realised suddenly that he was still standing on the sidewalk, one hand on his chest, resting just below the knot of his tie where, and only he and Rebekah were aware of it, a precious jewel he had stumbled across centuries ago.

The woman's voice echoed in his mind again and he suddenly found memories from years ago resurfacing. Acres of destruction, songs of mourning, a profound sense of loss. For four hundred and sixty-seven years there had been something…missing. Since he had left Kosice for the second time. He had also felt it a hundred and seventy-seven years prior to that, but the grief, a completely unexplained feeling, had been nearly overwhelming in the sixteenth century. And yet now he felt…not complete. No that wasn't the right word at all. But that gaping, empty space had suddenly been filled. Not entirely, there was still something missing.

Elijah's hand dropped and his head rose up, eyes scanning the crowds surrounding him on all sides. He needed to find that woman. She held answers; answers that Elijah had been seeking, albeit unconsciously, for nearly five hundred years. He also had her scent, could feel it swirling around him as he started to move in the direction she had taken. This was indeed a mystery; she was no vampire because he had felt her pulse, and the rush of blood pumping through her body when he held her. So why was her mere presence stirring memories that lived in the deepest recesses of his mind? This was something he needed to find out. And fast.