Author's note: This story will have a slight AH setting.

So I thought I should give this a shot. Writing a TVD story that is. I've looked around at what people had already wrote to get an idea of what is already out there. And I also did some research on supernatural things and then it hit me that no one has written one involving magic, beliefs and supernatural creatures from other parts of the world haha

So in addition to pitching my slice of the pie to the fandom, I also hope to be able to highlight some traditions and beliefs from Asia, which I am hoping the readers will enjoy. I'm guessing most people who will probably read this is from the west and hope they won't be turned off by the Asian influences I will be putting in this.

I hope I will have your support. This will be my first time attempting a story for a TV series instead of an anime or manga. Hopefully I won't stumble over my own foot.

~Eastern Sun In The Western Sky~

A friend is never known till a man has need

-Chinese proverb-

Elijah enjoyed music as much as he enjoyed literature.

The lulling melody that carries you off to a dream, the beats that make your heart race in anticipation of the overture.

It has been a long time since he took time to listen to any of the melodies that pervaded the world. With so many things going on with the Gilbert family, the Salvatores and even his own family, Elijah hardly had the time to relax and just enjoy music for awhile now.

But with the recent turn of events marked prominently by the return of all his siblings and even his mother, Elijah really felt the need to just relax. Relax his thoughts that have not rested for ages, and to contemplate the events in a tranquil manner. He was overjoyed at the fact that perhaps his family has a chance to be one again, but there was this nagging feeling in him that would not leave him alone, that not all is what it seems.

He needed to take his mind off things.

He appreciated the creation that modern man had invented, an MP3 player. It allowed him to enjoy music on-the-go, something he could not have done in the previous ages. But even then, Elijah enjoyed the raw music and sounds from a live performer much more than a well studio-produced piece can ever provide.

So it was to his greatest pleasure that he had come across a flyer being handed out on the streets of Mystic Falls, by students of Whitmore College that was located a mere several hours away.

He thanked the young girl and looked at the flyer in his hand with mild interest and curiosity.

It was a flyer for a school event held by Whitmore College's music department, featuring student performers from their very own college as well as other visiting schools.

It was to be held two days from now on, and Elijah thought that he could really use a break from all the constant bickering of his siblings and the watchful eye of his mother, as much as he loved his family.

Even a 1000 year old immortal like him had a tipping point.

He did not know whether he will expect good music there or not, but he nevertheless also believed in giving everything a chance. It was time he caught up with what young musicians were doing nowadays, in any case. He had been quite the music connoisseur back in the day, but he had lost touch with that world over recent decades.

Returning back to the Mikaelson mansion, as they now call it even though Niklaus was the one who built it, the sharp eyes of his younger brother Kol quickly caught sight of the flyer in his hand.

"What is that?" The mischievous one of their family asked, raising an inquisitive brow at him.

Their sister Rebekah looked up momentarily from the magazine she was reading before quickly deciding that she was not interested.

"This, dear brother, is a flyer." Elijah could not help the upturn of his lips when Kol narrowed his eyes at him.

"I am quite aware of it being a flyer, brother dear," the ever present impish grin of his brother returned as if it was never gone, "but for what?"

Elijah passed the flyer to his brother, not needing it anymore for he already had all the details in his head. The mind is one man's greatest treasure.

He watched as Kol's eyes quickly scanned over the contents before asking. "Interested?" He already knew the answer to that though.

"Not really, no." Kol grinned back at him before crumpling the piece of paper and throwing it into the tiny trash can that stood on the other side of the room.

The piece of paper went in with a soft plop.

Elijah shrugged and straightened his suit. "Suit yourself."

Kol quirked a brow at him whilst Rebekah shook her head at Elijah's unintended pun. He never did quite understood what constitutes a good joke or pun, never having fully acquired full out laughter from the people he presented them to. It was something he was still mastering, sadly, even after having a thousand years to practice.

The day of the event came by leisurely, with nothing new or hectic going on in Mystic Falls that got in the way of his attending. He had half expected something to happen, that will force him to cancel his plans. But nothing did. It was almost suspiciously calm, considering how things never rested in Mystic Falls.

The event was as Elijah imagined, with a mixture of loud music and moving ballads from musicians all over the country.

The louder ones caused an unpleasant feeling in his sensitive ears, particularly if they were not so talented to begin with.

But he silently appreciated each and every one of the performers, applauding their courage to perform, whether they were good at it or not. A thousand years of living might have had made him nearly immune to all feelings of nervousness, but these young humans had barely started out on their lives yet they found tremendous courage to walk up onto a stage with hundreds of eyes on them.

Elijah appreciated such courage, even if he did not appreciate their singing.

As his sharp eyes and ears noted the flaws and talents of each performer and group that came and went, his interest was particularly peaked by one group. Or rather, that group's singer.

Their group was named Oriental Blue, and Elijah figured it might have something to do with the mixture of ethnicity in their members, quietly noting the physical features of the singer and the guitarist. They were of eastern descent, with their prominent ebony hair and eyes and peachy skin. The guitarist however, he had slightly darker skin than that of the singer whose skin reminded Elijah of sun kissed peaches.

They performed a ballad that they had written, and Elijah felt a sense of tranquility and peace wash over him as he listened to their song. More particularly, the voice of the lead.

A young woman with ebony hair and similarly dark eyes of short stature. But despite her small figure, her voice carried a power that surprised Elijah and brought back a sense of nostalgia and memory. It awakened in him a calm that he could not possibly experience on his own.

He had not heard this song before, no. But he had heard a voice just like hers before.

Many, many years ago, in a land far, far away from here.

Though the features of this woman now was different from that of the one he knew centuries past, the lulling voice that brought out strange emotions within even a controlled 1000 year old immortal was unmistakable.

A seedling of something akin to suspicion dug itself into Elijah's stomach, and he felt the urge to approach the girl, to talk to her and confirm his suspicions. Where he usually thought things through thoroughly before acting, Elijah acted before thinking it through as he weaved through the mingling crowd towards the girl.

For in his mind, cogs and wheels were already churning, weaving goals and intents that was not known to Elijah's consciousness. But his subconscious already knew what he wanted, even though his suspicions could be wrong.

"Miss Jay?"

Jay started from the sudden sound of her name, a drop of juice threatening to run down her chin. Quickly wiping her chin, Jay turned around to find a man dressed in a dark suit.

"Oh yes, that's me." Jay smiled, extending her hand to shake the man's hand but was surprised when he raised it to his lips instead. She blushed, not expecting such a formal act.

"Elijah Mikaelson. I voted for your group tonight."

"Oh, thank you so much for your vote . It means a lot to us." Jay said, hands folded neatly in front of her before bowing her head and torso slightly in thanks.

"Please, just Elijah. And not at all. Your group deserved it." Elijah replied, noting the way she bowed her head in thanks to him. "Where are your other members, if I may ask?"

Jay laughed as she thought up of an answer. She had a habit of laughing to buy time whenever she didn't know how to approach a situation. "I'm not really sure…they are probably around somewhere." Jay replied, feeling nervous and silly in front of this man for a reason she wasn't quite sure of.

He radiated an aura of power that demanded respect from those around him, and frankly, Jay did not know how she was supposed to act around people like him. Dressed in a neatly pressed dark suit, with equally neatly kept hair, this Elijah Mikaelson had a regal air surrounding him, one that contrasted starkly to her normality.

As inconspicuously as she could, Jay ran her fingers through her hair which was loosely pulled into a ponytail, hoping that her light make-up had not melted between the time she performed and now.

Elijah gave a short smile at her answer.

A part of Jay's mind found it curious that a man of his status, whatever it was it certainly wasn't a mere commoner like her, took an interest in speaking with her beyond commenting on her group's performance. He asked various basic questions like where she came from, her studies and reasons for choosing America, and her culture. He was especially keen on talking with her about the cultures of the world and her interest in music, asking about her musical history, which wasnt' much to be honest. She learnt the violin when she was young, but beyond that, her talents lay in singing and writing lyrics.

But Jay was used to questions like these. Being a foreign student, she gained a bit of attention from others around her who were curious about where she came from and why she was here. But they usually lost interest after a while when they discovered she was just as normal as them and had satisfied their curiosity or answered their stereotypical questions about her ethnicity.

And Elijah Mikaelson seemed no different from those to her at first, until she noticed he seemed genuinely interested in discussing with her about culture and music, constantly going back to the topic and bringing up questions that dug deeper and deeper.

"It isn't often I get a chance to talk with someone else from another part of the world and learn about their culture." Elijah answered her unasked question, noticing the confused but nonetheless happy looks she occasionally gave him.

"Oh, um, sorry." She laughed, the initial nervousness of talking with him having faded as they talked more. It came to her mind that he must be a very knowledgeable man, who constantly sought to explore and expand his knowledge of everything. She was about to ask him about his interests and why he was at the event here tonight when the emcee took to the stage, announcing that the votes had been tallied and they were going to move onto the awards ceremony.

Knowing that it was their time to head back to their respective seats and areas, Elijah took out a card and handed it over to her. "Here's my name card. I have some research and books I have collected which I very much would like you to see, if you have the time."

Jay took the card politely with both hands, staring at the name printed in beautiful cursive.

Elijah Mikaelson

"It has been nice speaking to you Miss Jay. I hope we'll have the chance to speak again."

Jay watched for a moment as the mysterious and respectable man walked away before she began heading towards the seating section reserved for performers.

Joining up with her group members, she greeted them and together they waited anxiously as the award ceremony proceeded.

Ryan, who was the drummer of their group, shook his legs and tapped his fingers against his knees rapidly, a bad habit of his that occurred whenever he was nervous or bored. The guitarist of their group, a Korean exchange student who used the name John Kim slapped Ryan's knees, mentioning that it was rude and bad luck to shake his legs like that, that all of his money will fall away with each shake of his legs. Their keyboardist Clementine laughed at John, making fun of his superstitious behavior whilst Cecilie their bassist just rolled her eyes.

Jay was listening intently to the words of the emcee, fingers tapping her arms impatiently as she wondered and hoped that her name would be called. Earning an award will give her a serious advantage to her award-less history, having only started seriously pursuing singing in the past year.

And when it did, her heart leaped.

"Performer number 034, Jay of Whitmore College!" The emcee called and Jay was ushered onto stage excitedly by her band members.

She had received the award for Best Singer while Oriental Blue took second place for Best Group.

As Jay stood on the stage alongside the other groups and performers, soaking in the claps and cheers from the audience, she made out the figure of the one called Elijah Mikaelson in the far back.

Their eyes coming into contact, Jay nodded and smiled giddily. Elijah returned it with a regal upturn of his lips in.

And Elijah was not surprised she took home that prize. For that voice she owned held a power that was clearly unknown to the owner herself. A voice that can sway kings and rulers, and even the world, should she choose to.

"I can't believe we took second place at that thing last weekend!" Ryan exclaimed with disbelief as he dumped his bag onto the table, settling himself beside John who had his head buried in his engineering books. "I swear that thing is rigged. We shoulda have taken first!"

Jay shrugged her shoulders, poking at her lunch. "Really? I thought we wouldn't get anything."

"Says the one who received [Best Singer]." Cecilie dragged out, head lolling on her arms lazily.

"Oh come on guys, we should just appreciate the fact that we at least went away with two prizes!" Clementine the ever optimistic one said. Clementine moved over to Whitmore from Indianapolis. There were great universities in that area such as Purdue, which Jay failed to get into with her horrid math grades, which a smart girl like Clementine could easily get into. Clementine claimed that she just wanted to move far away from her home for at least a couple of years, thus choosing to come all the to Whitmore instead. She was always optimistic, which bothered Cecile at times.

"Speaking of which, this guy gave me his card that night…" Jay said, retrieving the card from her purse and showing it to her friends. They all leaned in, eyes peering curiously at the card.

"Elijah Mikaelson? What a weird name." Ryan said with a quirk of his brow. Ryan was from Mystic Falls, which Jay heard was not too far away from Whitmore College. After graduating high school, he had applied to Whitmore and was now staying at the dormitories here. The drummer of their group, Ryan was always energetic although he was immature sometimes, dealing with everything like a kid would. Go with the flow, he would say. Until the deadline for his project was a two days away, then he started regretting it and begged the others for help.

"Why'd he give it to you for?" John asked, finally closing his books to take part in their conversations. John was from Korea and came to the United States to pursue a degree in engineering. Or at least he was thinking of it. He has yet to fully decide between being a musician and doing what his parents wanted him to do, which was become an engineer. No one could pronounce his name right, so he chose the nickname John to be used, a situation that was similar to Jay.

"I dunnoe. Said something about wanting me to look at something for him I think…" Jay said, taking a bite of her apple.

"You gonna call him?" Cecilie asked, her head propped against her arm. Cecilie, like Clementine, is an American. Jay could not really remember which part of America she was from as she had yet to fully understand the geography of this gargantuan land. Perhaps she was from Mystic Falls as well? Or was it Virginia? She couldn't remember, and would have to ask though she feared the repercussions. Cecilie comes off as a very lazy girl at times, finding the need to sleep at every occasion. But she had the temper of an extremely angry lion when her buttons were pushed.

The four of them got to know each other through the college's music department during the start of the year. They had seen flyers for the event they just performed at, and the music department were looking for students interested in performing and attending the event. They had went to sign-up individually, at first, but one of the teachers came up with the idea to group them together, thus introducing them to each other. It has been several weeks since then, and they had spent a lot of time together as a group during the weekends and their free time, practicing for the event and perfecting their original song.

Honestly, Jay thought Clementine was crazy when she suggested they perform an original song, since that is what most of the other performers will be doing. The problem Jay saw with that is is the fact that they hardly knew each other as a group and they did not have a whole lot of time to rehearse a song and write one. But they did it, which honestly surprised Jay. Though considering the long hours they put into practicing, perhaps the surprise has been diluted.

That and the fact that the three of them were amazingly talented at what they did. People at college really took things to another level.

"Thinking." Jay furrowed her brows, passing the card over to Ryan who wanted to take a closer look.

"He could be a kidnapper, you know?" Ryan said, handing the card back to her.

"Why would a kidnapper attend an event like that?" Cecilie rolled her eyes at the lack of intelligence Ryan displayed.

"If it was my home country, he would most likely be a scammer." Jay said dryly, staring at the card in her hands and the phone number written below it.

But Elijah seemed to be a really honest person and sincere. Then again, that is how most scammers and top-notch criminals looked. Still, she can always make a quick getaway before meeting him at the location if she deemed the place hardly safe. She was relatively street smart.

She supposed giving a call wouldn't hurt.

"So I'll pick you up later, alright?" Ryan called out after Jay as she stepped out of his car.

"Yea, I'll let you know an hour ahead. Thanks for the ride!" Jay smiled in gratitude at the boyish 19 year old in the car.

"Yea, no probs. I'm just gonna go hang around town, probably at the grill. See ya."

Shutting the door, Jay watched Ryan drive off for a moment, wondering what 'the grill' was. But she assumed it was some sort of restaurant, and quickly dismissed it as hardly important since she won't be here for long.

Mystic Falls.

She wasn't familiar with this place, being a foreign student and all and this is her first time visiting. She thought that the name of the place strangely gave her a Twilight-ish feel that caused her to grimace.

Ryan had been nice enough to drive her over, saying he didn't really mind since he gets a chance to see his other friends and his parents. Jay groaned to herself when she realized she could have asked Ryan to drive her all the way to the address, but the thought slipped her mind and obviously did not cross Ryan's either. The both of them had slightly dimwitted tendencies to them.

Fishing out a piece of paper from the pockets of her navy blue shorts, she read the address that was given to her by Elijah over the phone. Deciding against spending hours getting lost in search of the place, Jay hailed down a taxi and showed the driver the address.

"So you're headed to the Mikaelson's place, eh?" The taxi driver asked rhetorically, looking at her through the back mirror.

"Um, yea." She replied with a small smile, not having much to say.

"You lucky girl, being in league with them. Those people are loaded." The taxi driver said with a laugh.

"I'm not really in 'league' with them…"Jay trailed off as the driver just went on talking with himself about the latest developments in the economy.

As the cab drove up the driveway of the mention, Jay's eyes went wide and pressed her face to the cab window to get a better look at the 'Mikaelson's place.'

'Holy crap, they are loaded!' Jay thought to herself in disbelief. Paying the driver, she got out of the car and looked around, amazement filling her at the grandeur of the driveway and front door itself. All thoughts of Elijah being a possible human trafficker flew out of her mind. She resisted grabbing her phone and taking shots of the place, for fear of being sued for violation of privacy.

Wiping her palms against her shorts, Jay took shaky steps towards the front door. Her heart thudded in excitement and nervousness. Going to a stranger's place which also happens to be expensive beyond her imagination, Jay was naturally filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement. Her family back home was rich, or at least upper-middle class, but this Elijah Mikaelson was on another level.

Flexing her nervous fingers and quickly checking over herself to make sure she was presentable, she pressed on the doorbell.

No one answered for awhile, and Jay rolled back and forth on her heels nervously. What should she do now? Should she ring again? Would it be rude? Would it bother the high class residents of this magnificent abode? She always imagined rich people did not like the doorbell.

Biting her lips, she was about to ring again when the door opened and she was met with sinfully alluring eyes.

"Ah…" Jay started in surprise, suddenly forgetting how she was supposed to act.

The man before her had dark hair and even darker eyes which roamed over her figure shamelessly. His lips lifted upwards into a playful smirk at the sight of her and one of his brows raised questioningly at her.

"And you are?" He asked with an accent that Jay could not help but find incredibly wonderful to hear. She absent-mindedly remembered that Elijah too had an accent, but the one she was hearing now sent tingles around her ears.

"Oh! Um, right. Sorry!" Jay squeezed her eyes close in embarrassment before forcing them open again and sticking out her hand to the man before her. She hoped that it wasn't sweaty.

"I'm Jay. I'm looking for a Elijah Mikaelson…?" She introduced herself before stating the reason of her visit though she suddenly felt doubtful of everything she is doing, wondering if she was at the right place.

The man smiled charmingly at her, taking her hand only to lift it up to his lips and brushing them against the back of her hand. "Kol Mikaelson."

Ah, she is at the right place then, remembering the similar gesture Elijah did when they first met.

"Nice to meet you ." Jay said with a smile, pulling her hand back to herself only to find that Kol Mikaelson wasn't releasing his hold just yet.

"Please, just call me Kol." He flashed a charming smile at her, finally returning her hand to her. "You are looking for my brother, Elijah?"

"Oh, yes. I was asked to meet him here." Jay replied nervously, unused to being gazed at blatantly in such a way. Her hands wrangled amongst themselves behind her, as she started to sway slightly from leg to leg unconsciously. Another bad habit of hers that reared its head when she was especially nervous.

"Is he home?" Jay asked without really processing her thoughts. She smacked herself mentally. Of course he should be home, why else would he ask her to meet him at his mansion at this time?

Before Kol could say anything, another figure came to the doorway. This time, it was Elijah.

"Ah, Miss Jay. Forgive me for causing you to wait." Elijah said in apology, eyes flickering to Kol who stood beside him, a smirk still plastered on his face.

"I see you met my younger brother Kol."

"Oh, he's your younger brother?" She had figured as much, now noting the slight resemblance in their features. Similar dark hair and eyes, the chin and jaw structure…not to mention their family name.

"Please, come in." Elijah said quickly, realizing that their guest was still standing out on the porch.

"Thank you."

She stepped into their foyer, mentally grimacing the fact that her shoes probably left some dirty prints on their impeccably clean floor. The door closed with a resounding thud behind her and she turned around to see Kol leaning against the now closed door.

"So what is she doing here brother?" Kol asked with amusement, eyes flickering to his brother but finally resting on the short Asian woman before him.

"Miss Jay here is quite knowledgeable about music as well as Eastern traditions and culture." Elijah said, placing a light hand onto her shoulder. "I invited her here so that I may show her some of the research I have collected during my travels and hope to receive her opinions on them."

"I'm not that knowledgeable." Jay said with a nervous laugh. "And please, just Jay will do."

"Very well, Jay," Elijah extended an arm out to his side, indicating the direction they would take. "Shall we then?"

"Yea, sure." Jay turned to give a small smile and to wave goodbye at Kol, who returned her gesture with an amused smirk and the light wiggling of his raised fingers.

"See you around." Kol said with a chuckle as she walked away on her short Asian legs.

Interesting. Very interesting indeed.

Reviews are very much appreciated :3