"Are you going to tell Caroline the truth?" Katherine asked Astrid cryptically. The two girls were sitting in the living room around five am, being so old, neither vampire required much sleep anymore.
"I don't know. I haven't decided." Astrid responded and narrowed her eyes at Katherine. She briefly glanced up the stairs at the hallway that lead to Caroline's room but looked away just as quickly.
"Drop the look, Baby Mikaelson. You're too little to look threatening." Katherine taunted.
"Watch it." Astrid snapped. "I can do a lot more damage to you than you could do to me."
Katherine rolled her eyes at Astrid's irritated behavior and crossed her legs delicately. "Tell her, at some point she's going to question why you picked her out of this godforsaken town and turned her into a vampire."
"I will." Astrid decided after a long moment. "But not today."
"Well, on another note." Katherine said in her purr-like voice. "When are we calling your egomaniac brother here?"
"When Damon gets me that moonstone." Astrid responded. "What are your plans with the Salvatore brothers?"
"You know me, mind games always." Katherine responded. Astrid laughed and leaned her head back on the chair, pulling her legs up to her chest.
"What are your plans for my brother." Astrid whispered. Katherine flinched and looked anywhere but Astrid.
"Which one?" Katherine said, ignoring Astrid's indignant stare.
"Don't be a hypocrite, Katherine." Astrid responded. "Tell him."
Caroline and Astrid were sitting in one of the many rooms of the mansion, both sat cross legged in the middle of the floor surrounded by various books.
"I don't understand what we're doing here." Caroline said, tugging on the new leather jacket that was hanging on the back of her chair this morning.
"Supernatural history lesson." Astrid retorted. "If you're going to be a vampire, you should understand how vampirism works, as well as any other supernatural creature."
"Like what?" Caroline asked.
"Here." Astrid said simply and handed her a book off a shelf, which looked more like a journal, all hand written in a neat script. "Read this, I have errands to run today."
"You're just leaving me here?" Caroline asked. She cocked a hip and placed her hands on it, looking indifferent.
"Katherine's home." Astrid responded. "You're not confined to the house, but I suggest you stay here since you're a new vampire and haven't learned to control your bloodlust."
"Got it, read and don't kill anyone." Caroline mocked saluted. Astrid winked at her and left the room.
She needed Caroline to catch up on all things supernatural and fast, so the easiest way was to let her read through the journals Astrid kept over the years of all the things she encountered.
With Caroline occupied, her and Katherine needed to start setting their plans in motion. She was going to find Mason Lockwood, while Astrid was on her way to pick up a friend, then talk to Stefan Salvatore.
Astrid hopped in her car and cruised through the small town. It was hard not to fantasize about what life would've been like if she was normal after passing by all the cookie cutter houses. What it'd been like to grow up with her siblings, without all the death. She spotted a mom walking with her four kids, three little boys, two with dark hair, the other blond and one blond little girl. It was like looking at a younger version of Elijah, Klaus, Kol, and Rebekah. It tugged on Astrid's heart remembering all the collective memories she had made over the years, and it was one of the rare moments she regretted walking away from them. But if everything went to plan, they'd be back together soon.
Astrid drove herself to the airport and onto a private landing strip where her long awaited guest was. Astrid got out of her car, slapping dark sunglasses onto her face and making sure the clicking of her red bottom heels echoed.
"Long time no see, Addy."
Bonnie, Elena, Stefan, and Damon were all sitting in the Salvatore's living room trying to come up with a plan to fix the current predicament they found themselves stuck in.
"You heard her." Damon snapped, flexing his fingers where the dark spot was starting to spread again. "If we try to get Blondie back, she'll kill us."
"We can't just leave Caroline with them!" Elena argued. "How do we know they won't kill her?"
"They won't." Stefan reassured her. "Or at least Astrid won't."
"Do we know what they wanted her for?" Bonnie piped up. Looking between Damon, Stefan, and Elena, mostly glaring at Damon.
"Other than just to be a bitch?" Damon asked snarkily. Stefan glared harshly at his brother.
"Stop it." Stefan snapped, sending an indifferent look towards Damon. "We need to get her back and find a way to lift that spell."
"That's all on you, Witchy." Damon said and looked pointedly at Bonnie who sarcastically smiled at him.
"Maybe I shouldn't lift the spell and let your sorry ass rot." Bonnie snipped, slamming the grimoire in her lap shut. Elena placed a hand on her arm and squeezed lightly.
"Bonnie, please." Elena asked. Bonnie yanked her arm back and looked horrified.
"They traded Caroline, Elena." Bonnie pointed out. "Why should we help them?"
"Because!" Damon exclaimed and got closer to Bonnie. "She wasn't made to be a vampire. You all think she's already a shallow, neurotic control freak. Imagine that multiplied by a million."
"Damon." Stefan warned, pushing him away from Bonnie and Elena. Stefan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, we can't sit around here all day doing nothing. Bonnie please try to find a way to lift the spell. I'm going to see Astrid and Katherine."
"What about me?" Elena asked, looking wearily between the three others in the room.
Stefan sighed and rubbed her temple, showing off his infamous brooding expression. "I think Damon needs to be as far away from Astrid and Katherine as possible."
"What does that mean? We can ship him off on a plane?" Bonnie asked with a little too much excitement.
"It means," Damon interjected and smiled deviously at Elena, "that we are taking a little road trip."
Caroline slammed the diary shut and ran a hand through her thick blond curls. She had been reading for at least three hours, gone through four journals, and learned that the world was a lot scarier than she ever thought possible. Caroline hadn't realized how much her life had changed in the past two days and having a moment to herself was forcing her to start thinking.
Two days ago she was the head of nearly every Mystic Falls committee, she had the perfect boyfriend, and her whole life was planned to the detail. Now she was a vampire, eternally young, beautiful. She flipped her whole life upside down and put her trust in someone she just met, but despite that she still couldn't seem to feel like she made the wrong choice.
What also seemed to come to mind was how she felt about her friends, if she could even call them that anymore. They spent almost a year lying to her, not only about the supernatural but also how they really felt about her. Becoming a vampire had put things into perspective for Caroline about who she was, she knew she was insecure and shallow before, but after she turned, it was like all that melted away. Astrid's short speech about being strong, ageless, and fearless rang out in Caroline's head, knowing that's exactly who she was now.
She was so angry with Bonnie and Elena, thinking back on the way they used to treat her. They whispered behind Caroline's back about how self absorbed they thought she was. They always counted her out and didn't value her opinion. On some level Caroline didn't think she'd ever trust them the same again. Then there was the Damon of it all. He showed her an ounce of attention and then used her for his own personal gain, abused her.
It was in that moment that Caroline had completely accepted her new life with Astrid, and with Katherine by extension. It made her feel free and liberated.
Caroline was snapped out of her thoughts when the door slammed open and an impeccably dressed Katherine stood in the doorway. "Get up, Barbie. Field trip."
"Stefan Salvatore." Astrid said smugly and walked to stand next to him. She found him at a high school party, looking among the sea of drunk teenagers, a serious expression plastered to his face.
"Astrid." Stefan answered, trying not to look worried. "I've been looking for you."
"Little old me?" Astrid mocked and placed a perfectly manicured hand to her chest. "What could I possibly have done to bring out brooding Stefan?"
"Cut the crap." Stefan snapped. "Where's Caroline? Why are you and Katherine back in town?"
Astrid's head snapped her head to look at him and narrowed her eyes. "We made a deal, stop asking about Caroline. As for the second part, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."
"What are you trying to get at?" Stefan asked. "What could possibly have made you come to a high school party?"
"I just came to warn you." Astrid answered in her sweet tone. "The clock's ticking away on Damon and I'll be coming to collect my debt soon."
Stefan watched her walk away, her heels dug harshly into the floor and her aura was dark. He remembered how she used to be in 1864. She was lighter, softer, and sweeter. She kept to the shadows and casted spells for entertainment, he remembered how she would run through the fields on the plantation and let her dress flow freely behind her. There were even glimpses in time when he admired the sisterly bond her and Katherine shared.
He supposed it was all a façade now, watching the way she acted now was still her, just colder. She even warned him that she had always been this way, but Stefan also couldn't help but think she was this way because of what Damon had done.
"Where are we going?" Caroline complained. Katherine had told her to get in the car and they just started driving without any context.
"Will you calm down." Katherine snapped.
"Not until you tell me where we're going." Caroline said defiantly.
"Astrid went to pick up an old friend of ours earlier, we're gonna go meet her." Katherine said shortly and slapped on a pair of dark sunglasses. A clear sign that she wanted Caroline to stop talking, so the blond turned her head and looked out the window instead.
They passed rows and rows of houses. Caroline stared at them and couldn't help but feel indifferent about them now. Before they were always just the neighboring house she grew up near, almost like a representation of what her future would look like. But now, she was eternally young and beautiful, she now had the chance to live a million different lifetimes.
After a short drive they pulled up to the edge of town, there sat a large victorian style mansion, not completely dissimilar to the one Katherine, Caroline, and Astrid lived in. Astrid's familiar expensive car already in the driveway.
"So," Caroline drew out. "Does this mysterious friend have a name?"
"Vivian Claire." Katherine answered shortly. "She's another witch."
"Do you ever talk in full sentences?" Caroline quipped. Katherine turned around and glared at her, at that moment it dawned on Caroline that she probably shouldn't snap at the five hundred year old vampire.
Quietly, the unusual pair walked up the long porch and knocked on the door. A moment later it swung open and they came face to face with Astrid.
"Finally, you're here." Astrid said exasperatedly and moved aside to reveal a beautiful girl who looked no older than sixteen, her long strawberry blond hair flowing down in waves behind her. "Invite them in, please?"
She let a soft smile and threw her hand dramatically in a welcome motion. "Come on in." Caroline noted that she had a slight southern accent.
The four girls moved further into the house and settled in the victorian styled living room.
"Well, well, pick up another stray?" Vivian quipped, looking at Caroline curiously.
"She's not a stray." Astrid corrected. "Vivian, this is Caroline Forbes."
"Forbes?" Vivian questioned. She shared a look with Astrid and Katherine, who both shook their heads. Caroline knew better than to question it, she may have a newfound friendship with them, but they were a lot older than she was and held a lot more secrets.
"I've got brothers to attend to, so let's speed this meeting up quickly, hmm?" Katherine said, pouring them all glasses of wine and turning the stereo on.
"What exactly are we having a meeting for?" Caroline asked. "No offense, but why did we move to a whole new mansion to have this conversation?"
"Well, this is technically my mansion." Vivian corrected, motioning towards a large portrait of herself on the wall in a dress from the nineteen hundreds, which made Caroline question how old Vivian actually was. "Also, it's a backup house."
"We need a back up house?" Caroline laughed, the idea sounded ridiculous to her.
Katherine looked at her with a serious expression. " A back up house is always necessary when you're going to war."
"War?" Caroline asked, a little shock and disbelief seeping into her voice.
"That's what we're here to talk about." Astrid answered, she reached out and rubbed the top of Caroline's hand. "We need to talk about strategies."
"Well, first things first, I think we need to let our little Care Bear here in on all the dirty little secrets." Katherine interjected. "Can't have her blind sided and screwing up the plans."
"Wow, Katherine, I think that's the most consideration you've ever had for me." Caroline said in a sweet tone. Katherine simply smirked back at her.
"Settle in, Doll, it's gonna be a long one." Vivian warned with a light tone.
Astrid then turned towards Caroline and held onto both her hands. "I need you to answer me this first, Caroline. Do you trust me? Know that I wouldn't ever put you in harm?"
"Of course." Caroline agreed automatically. She was starting to get weary about what she was about to hear.
"This is not a story I share lightly." Astrid warned, her tone adopting a cold feeling. "When I gave you my journals to read, how far into the myth of the originals did you get?"
"Not very." Caroline said hesitantly. "Katherine came in and we left before I could really read into it. I got as far as knowing they are the originators of all vampires and it's a family of seven, but two died and weren't turned."
"Well that family lived a thousand years ago." Astrid said, a far away look in her eyes. Then she looked unnecessarily serious, "it was my family."
"Your family?" Caroline asked, confused. She didn't really question Katherine's or Astrid's age, but she wouldn't have guessed Astrid was a thousand years old. "You're an original?"
"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner." Katherine mocked in her usual biting tone.
Astrid sighed and nodded. "It's a complicated sort of family history though. It's started with my birth mother, Esther, who was married to a cruel man named Mikael. Together they had six children, Finn, Elijah, Kol, Rebekah, and Henrik."
"That's only five?" Caroline said tentatively. "I thought she had seven kids?"
"Eight technically." Astrid said. "The eldest one died in the old world. While one of her sons was a result of an affair Esther had with a werewolf, a son she named Niklaus. She claimed he was Mikael's in order to protect him, but that didn't last as long as she'd hoped." Astrid explained and stood up to walk the length of the room as she talked, fingering trinkets placed randomly.
"Esther didn't have just one affair, though, didn't she?" Caroline asked.
"No she didn't." Astrid confirmed. "She also had an affair with a man that was the leader of a special coven called the Gemini's. Although most witches are born with their own powers, some of the Gemini were not, they had to siphon it away from other things."
"He was your father." Caroline didn't phrase it as a question, she didn't need to know the answer.
"Esther gave birth to me while Mikael was away and told him I died, but she'd sent me away to live somewhere else." Astrid explained. "She was already living in constant fear that Mikael would find out about my bastard brother and kill him, she didn't want him to find out about me or else we'd all for sure be dead."
"So how did you all become vampires?" Caroline asked.
"Esther wasn't just an ordinary woman, she is what people call the original witch, a title she gained as we are the original family." Astrid told Caroline. By this point Katherine and Vivian were just as entranced by the tale despite having heard it before. "On the other side of the village they lived in, it was home to werewolves. On one fateful night my youngest brother Henrik begged Niklaus to take him to see the wolves change. He died that night, they'd gotten too close and the wolves attacked Henrik."
"When Esther used the spell to turn her kids into vampires, she killed a girl and used her blood." Katherine stated, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder, "that girl looked exactly like me."
"I don't understand." Caroline said in a confused tone. "How could she look like you?"
"It was a sort of contingency." Vivian said. Caroline had also forgotten she was there. "Katherine is a doppelganger, that's also why she looks like your friend Elena. Their blood has special properties to it and that's why my mother used Katherine's blood to create vampires."
"Which brings us to now." Katherine smirked, pouring way too much bourbon into her glass. "Not only did Esther turn her kids into vampires, she also bound Klaus' werewolf side."
"Why would she do that?" Caroline asked, "why take away half of who he is?"
"It's not important right now." Astrid waved off. "What's important is that he wants to break the curse and I've figured out how to do it."
"How do you break his curse?" Caroline asked, she was starting to put the pieces together, but there were still too many gaps for her to get the whole picture.
"He needs to sacrifice a witch, a werewolf, and…" Katherine trailed off, pointing to herself. "The other copy of me."
"Elena?" Caroline questioned. "He needs to kill her? I may be mad at her but I don't want her to die. This isn't what I signed up for."
"She won't stay dead." Astrid corrected, waving off Caroline's concerns. "Nik thinks she needs to stay dead in order for his curse to break, but I know what he wants, what he truly craves. For that to happen, Elena can't be dead."
"Then how are you going to keep her from dying?" Caroline asked hesitantly.
"Me, I can bring her back." Vivian cut in. "I was born and raised as an ancestral witch, and for us to maintain our power, we have a harvest ritual."
"I'm still confused about witch lore." Caroline said in a tired tone. "Harvest ritual?"
"They pick four girls from the coven and sacrifice them to the ancestors." Vivian said in a short tone, it sounded like it didn't even affect her. "I was one of them back in the 1500's." She shrugged. "They do this to appease our ancestors and keep the power flowing, everyone knows that in the ritual after we're sacrificed, we're supposed to be reborn."
"But something went wrong, didn't it?" Caroline asked, she tilted her head to the side and winced.
"One of the girls didn't want to be a part of the ritual, she wanted to die a human and live in a peaceful afterlife, because as ancestral witches, we never truly die. She ended up giving up her powers, it's completely rare and almost unheard of, but she placed her powers into an inanimate object." Vivian explained, then pulled out a necklace from around her neck, an old large opal gem on a gold chain. "She put it in here and gave it to me before the ritual. She hoped it was a loophole into giving up her magic and allow us to still be resurrected."
"What ended up happening then?" Caroline asked slowly.
"In the ritual the power flows from one girl to the next, meaning after you die your powers belong to the next girl. In the end, the three of us who kept our powers were still resurrected." Vivian said. "But we weren't the same as before. Not long after we came back, the coven was in a panic because they didn't know why only three of us came back, not only that but the other two girls died a day later."
"But you didn't." Caroline said. "Why?"
"I was the last one to be sacrificed and as a result I died with all of their magic in my system. Combine that with the botched ritual and I came back as a witch with only one power." Vivian answered in a dark tone. "I bring people back from the dead."
Caroline rubbed her temple from exhaustion. "So, from what it sounds like, you have all your pieces in place." Caroline pointed out. "What comes next then?"
"It means all the originals are coming out to play." Katherine smirked.