So, I finally get to publish my favourite episode of the whole bloody show. I love the Casket Girls, I think the legend itself is incredible, I love Rebekah's role in the episode and I also seriously love the ending montage! I love the music, the scenes and just the whole realisation of everything that happens with Celeste, Hayley and Sophie. I think that this chapter will contain a little Aria/Kol fluff and bonding. Honestly, I had so much fun writing it.

Now, let's get on with it!

I own nothing.

~*•°•*~

For centuries, people have come to New Orleans looking for a fresh start. Looking to find adventure, fortune, and even love. Young society women imported from France with the promise of marrying a proper New Orleans gentleman like the legendary Casket Girls.

And even now in the present, The Casket Girls legend lives on, now celebrated in typical New Orleans fashion with stylish costumes and supernatural flair. It's a yearly reminder of how woman can be oppressed by selfish men and how they can triumph when brave enough to fight for themselves.

Or so Rebekah Mikaelson says.

Then again, she is a thousand years old and was around in the time of the Casket Girls. It might as well have been a festival in her honour. So in this case, it seems she does know best.

~*•°•*~

Cami screamed in pain as Aria and Davina stripped the compulsion from her mind. With nothing better to do, Josh looked around the room and focused in on the little, scattered notes that had been left around the apartment.

"Oh god, it hurts!" Cami cried out as Aria knelt down in front of her.

"I'm so sorry, Cami. It's the only way to break Klaus' compulsion."

Josh spoke, "Believe me, I know what it's like. You're okay. And hey, all these notes that you made? It's very 'Momento' of you. Nice work."

"We've been at this all night. I don't understand what's happening to me, I don't understand any of this-"

Davina took over, "But you will. Aria and I will unlock every stolen memory, undo every piece of mind control that any vampire has ever done to you. When we're done, you will understand all of it, and you'll be free." She murmured.

"We can stop, if you want us to." Aria suggested as Cami shook her head.

"No, don't stop. I want to remember everything."

~*•°•*~

Cami screamed again and Aria dropped to her knees, taking her friend's hand sympathetically as she and Davina stopped to give the girl a break.

"You should start to feel, like, a weight lifting." Davina murmured.

"And your cheat sheets are about to make a lot more sense." Josh joked as he tried to lighten the atmosphere. He had no idea what had gone on between the two witches having left the room before Davina started explaining why the witches wanted her, but he knew enough to know what whatever reason Aria was angry at Davina for, had to have been serious. He shook off the thoughts and bent down to drop the files onto the floor before quickly yanking his hand back in pain as the sunlight streaming into the room from the window burnt him.

"I promise, as soon as the world stops hunting me, I will find the daylight ring spell." Davina promised.

"I know, just… don't worry about that right now."

Aria watched as Cami slowly picked up a photo, "I remember why I wrote this," Her tone sounded awed and Aria found herself smiling slightly, "I found a picture of Klaus and Marcel from 1919. Klaus compelled me to go out with Marcel, to spy on him. That's what he said yesterday, before he told me to forget. I'm remembering."

"Let's take you back more." Aria spoke as Cami nodded. The woman's nose began to bleed but she didn't waver and gave Aria a smile as she and Davina once again began chanting.

~*•°•*~

Davina poured some water into a glass and set it on the kitchen table in front of Cami as Aria and Josh stood next to them, "Keep drinking. You need the Vervain in your system so you can't be compelled again."

"Hey Cami, you don't have any like... human blood in your fridge, do you?" Josh asked awkwardly as Davina sighed, "For crying out loud, here." She held her arm in front of Josh's face and after a moment of hesitation, he took her wrist. Before he could feed however, her vision blurred and she was overwhelmed as she saw Sabine and Sophie doing a spell. Cami stood up and walked over to her, concerned.

"Davina?"

"Someone's practicing magic. They're trying to find me." She looked over to Aria who was sitting in the corner of the room after having asked no one to disturb her, "They're trying to find Aria."

"Then we have to run." Cami said without any pause as she rushed to her room, Davina following her as Josh walked to the other side of the room leaving Aria alone.

"And why do you seem so upset, little witch?" Kol asked as Aria ignored him, "Come now Darling, it can't be that bad. You were happy not hours ago."

He frowned when she once again didn't answer and moved to stand in front of her, breaking her out of her trance and making her lose the focus she had on a singular spot on the wall.

"They lied." Aria murmured after muttering a quick spell so Josh wouldn't hear her under her breath.

"Who?"

"Davina, dad… everyone. Everyone's been lying to me."

"…About what?" He asked after hesitating for a moment.

"The witches don't just want me because I'm powerful."

"What other reason could there be?"

Aria looked him in the eye as a lone tear slid down her cheek, "They want to kill me."

Kol tensed and looked at her with a newfound sense of confusion and urgency, "Kill you? What do you mean? Why?"

"Sixteen years ago, under a full moon, Davina's coven combined the elements so that the Harvest might be able to succeed when they tried it. They thought it would create an object or something because… because that's what it's always created before but." She choked back a sob and looked down, "It created a baby."

"It created you." Kol finished as she looked up to him tearfully.

"I'm an abomination. They want to kill me in the Harvest." A sob left her throat as she looked back down and murmured her next statement, "I'm a monster."

"No."

Aria looked up, surprised by the amount of forcefulness in his words, "No." He repeated, "You, Aria Gerard, are a witch. A damn powerful witch who, I'm not going to lie, scares the hell out of me and I'm already dead. You are many things, kind, powerful, beautiful, smart. But you are no abomination and to hell with anyone who ever tries to tell you that you are."

Aria looked at him, her expression shocked. Before she could say anything, Josh, Cami and Davina walked back into the room.

"Aria, you guys seriously need to go, like, now. Plane, train, automobile, whatever. Davina has the keys to my car. It's parked down at the docks. I'll text you the where."

Aria sighed and stood up, "Put your number in Cami's phone. Most of the Quarter is shut down right now, we'll have to walk. And the sun is taking forever to go down..."

"Hey, no tears." Josh said with a small smile, "I've just been through this whole thing with Davina."

"Promise you'll met us as soon as it gets dark out?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me. Just don't let them find you."

"Aria-" Davina began before Aria raised a hand to stop her.

"Not now D just… Please, not now."

She spared Josh a sad smile before the three girls and a ghost left the apartment together.

~*•°•*~

Aria, Davina and Cami walked hurriedly down the street, weaving in and out of the crowds of people who were gathering for The Casket Girls Festival. Davina wore a black masquerade mask and an antique wedding dress to disguise herself and Aria wore an identical one only her own mask was a dark crimson.

Aria let out a sigh of frustration, "Damn it! There's people everywhere."

"Just keep walking, no one knows it's you." Cami soothed.

"Aria!" Davina said suddenly as she stopped and pointed into the crowd towards where Klaus was.

Cami panicked, "We have to get off this street."

~*•°•*~

"We should keep moving. How long do we have to wait?" Davina asked once they were safely tucked away inside the church.

"Give it a few minutes, then I'll check to see if the coast is clear." Cami murmured before answering her phone.

"Josh, sorry I missed your calls." She said before pausing, "What?"

"Look, I didn't want to tell you, but I know Klaus. If Davina doesn't show up, he'll kill Tim.

"We'll think of something. Make your way to the Quarter. Stay hidden. We'll text you when we have a plan." She said before hanging up.

"I have to go." Davina said frantically.

"Davina, wait-"

"I can't let Tim die." She said forcefully as she felt another flash of magic.

"What's wrong?"

"It's the witches. Isn't it?" Aria guessed, unease clear in her tone as the front doors of the church slammed open and three witches all dressed in black stormed into the church. Aria narrowed her eyes as they all began chanting and walking towards herself and Davina, throwing Cami backwards and knocking her out in the process.

"NO!" Davina yelled as she threw her arms out in front of her and pointed them to the witches. The church foundation began to shake and Aria ran over to Cami as she watched Davina levitate the witches into the air before violently flicking her wrists and snapping the necks of all three of them before they dropped to the ground.

Aria eyed Davina slightly warily as she ran over to herself and Cami, "Cami?"

"She's unconscious." Aria murmured as she stood up, "We have to keep going."

"Aria-"

"Not now Davina."

"ARIA!" Davina yelled as Aria turned to her, "I get that you're angry with me. But I promise you, Marcel said it would be too dangerous if you found out why the witches wanted you."

"It would've been easier if I knew what I was up against. If I knew why I was wanted by them."

"Exactly! And that was what I always told your dad. I swear. But I didn't know any better. I just wanted you safe, believe me. You're like the sister I never had, Aria." She admitted as Aria sucked in a harsh breath and raised her head up to blink away the moisture gathering in her eyes, "I wanted you to be safe and Marcel said that you not knowing was the best way to do it. You're the most important person in my life, 'Ari." She murmured as Aria turned to her.

"Please. Believe me." Davina begged as Aria sighed and ran over to her, holding her close in a hug as she let the tears flow.

"Of course I believe you, D. I'm sorry." She mumbled as Davina tightened her arms around her before Aria pulled back, "Now let's go save Tim, shall we?"

~*•°•*~

Aria and Davina walked through the streets before they both found themselves pulled slightly into s side alley.

"Hey, it's just me, guys. Don't, like, melt me." Josh chuckled.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to be hidden." Aria pointed out.

"Yeah. So are you two, remember, but you're both kind of working that whole 'girls on a mission' look that makes me nervous. Are you sure that you really want to mess with, like, the baddest dude in all of history?"

"He messed with us when he took Tim. I'll kill him, all of them."

"Originals can't be killed."

"Maybe they can. I have so much power, I've never felt anything like it before. It's growing, gathering inside me. I'm strong, Josh. And Aria." She shot a small smile over her shoulder, "Is just as if not more powerful."

"If you kill them, then-" He paused and hesitated as Aria frowned in confusion.

"What?" She asked as Josh gave them a tight smile.

"If you're gonna do it, don't hold back. You guys hit them with all you got." He said as the duo walked away.

~*•°•*~

Aria and Davina walked up to the compound just in time to hear Marcel talking, "All that matters, is I got it covered. When Aria and Davina get here, you two need to let me do the talking." He said as Aria let out a shaky breath and Davina grabbed her hand gently as she smiled sympathetically at her.

Klaus began to speak, "Well, I'm sure you'll have your chance." He turned around to look at them, "Hello, loves." He turned to look up somewhere and Aria frowned before she realised, with a sinking heart, that Tim was up there, "Silence is golden, Timothy. Thank you."

"Davina?" Tim asked, confused as he looked down at them.

"You got us here. Now let him down." Davina growled.

"Well, first, we have to have a little chat about you two returning to the fold."

Marcel turned to Klaus, annoyed, "What did I say, Klaus? I got this." He turned back to Aria and Davina, "Guys, what happened? Why'd you run? Talk to me. Hey, I can make it right."

"How, by threatening our friend?" Aria questioned bitingly.

"Actually, that was my idea." Klaus offered, "Apologies. I've been known to go too far to make a point, But I do always get results."

Aria narrowed her eyes, "You pretend to be so confident, but we know the truth. You're afraid everyone can see what you really are."

Davina took over, "An animal." She held her hands out and Klaus groaned in pain as he was brought to his knees, "A beast. Why don't you show us your real face?" Aria asked as she began to twist her hands as Klaus began to transform, causing him to yell out in pain before she scoffed and snapped his neck, "That's enough of you."

"Aria, Davina, you don't have to do this." Elijah murmured as Davina turned to him, eyes blazing.

"You! You looked Aria and I in the eyes and lied to our faces! Pretended you wanted to help us."

Elijah gave the duo a nervous look, "Listen to me-"

Davina cut him off, "You call yourself the noble one, but you're a killer just like your brother. For one thousand years, you've fed on innocent blood. Why don't you choke on it?" She asked as he began coughing up blood violently before collapsing, unconscious. Aria then turned to Marcel who looked mildly frightened. She felt a pull at her heart before she looked at him, the emotions she was feeling clear as day on her face, "And you! I trusted you. I loved you! You raised me, called me your daughter. But you knew what I was all along, didn't you?" She asked as understanding dawned on Marcel's face. Instead of looking guilty, he looked even more frightened and Aria choked back a sob, "You did. You knew what I was."

"Aria, listen-"

"How long?" She asked, her voice deadly quiet.

"Aria-"

"HOW LONG?" She yelled as she walked closer to him.

"Only since the Harvest." He swore, "I promise you, Aria. I only knew from the Harvest. The way the witches were looking at you when we went to rescue Davina… I put it all together."

"But you lied."

"Aria listen-"

"Did you ever even love me?"

"Yes! I did-I do! Aria, I raised you. Called you my daughter because blood or not, that is what you are I swear." He promised.

Davina took over, "When you lost to Klaus, you handed Aria and me over like trophies. Maybe I should boil you in bronze." She suggested before his eyes widened and a wrought iron poker was shoved through Marcel's chest from behind him. Aria let out a strangled sob of surprise as he fell to the ground revealing Rebekah behind him.

"Come on now, my loves. Don't tell me you were falling for that. Isn't it time for us girls to have a chat?" She asked as she looked around at the temporarily unconscious bodies of Klaus, Elijah and Marcel, "Now, that is impressive. And well deserved, in my opinion." Davina looked at her suspiciously and she backtracked, "Now, before you two turn on me, I have a surprise for you." She said as Josh entered the courtyard.

"Josh, what are you doing? Get out of here." Davina said immediately before Rebekah snuck up next to him and grabbed him by the throat.

"Now, if I were Klaus, I would rip Josh's head from his neck, feed it to a nightwalker, and that would be the end of your friend. But hurting people is such a boyish thing to do, like how Klaus compelled your fiddler on the roof. And, while I am many things, I'm certainly not my brother. It's okay, Timothy. You can come down. No one's gonna hurt you."

Tim looked down warily, "He told me I couldn't climb down off this beam."

"Then don't climb, silly! Am I the only smart one in the room? Jump." She said as he gave another wary look down to the floor before doing just that, Rebekah catching him before gently setting him on the floor. Aria watched with a small smile as Tim immediately rushed over to Davina.

"Davina, how did you do all that? How did I even get here?" Tim asked shakily as Davina gave him a watery smile.

"I'll explain everything, I promise." She turned to Rebekah, "Why are you doing this?"

"Seems to me that you're the one holding all the cards, but you don't know who to trust. I've just proven that you can trust me. Now I'd like to show you one more thing. Won't take long. You can bring your friends." She said before leaving the room.

~*•°•*~

The group of people walked into Marcel's Garden, the air making them shiver slightly. Catching the look on Tim's face, Josh chuckled slightly, "Oh, don't worry. They're not really dead, just really hungry... and I'm not helping."

"You think my brother Nik is awful? Marcel learned from the best. This is how he treats his so-called friends who betray him. Most of what these poor souls did is no worse than what Josh did."

"Oh my God." Davina mumbled as Aria looked around, taking it all in.

"Dad never let me in here. Whenever he did he made sure I'd go through a certain way. I never knew how many vampires…" She trailed off.

Rebekah began to speak again, "Take Thierry, for example. He was Marcel's most trusted friend. Klaus tricked him into breaking one of Marcel's rules. Marcel knows this, and yet he keeps Thierry locked in here day after day, suffering."

"T!" Aria murmured as she ran over to where her pseudo uncle was trapped. She was vaguely aware of Rebekah telling Davina that they needed to know who they were dealing with and who they would need to trust but she wasn't focusing on them.

Thierry gave her a weak smile, "Hey kid. It's good to see you again."

"I've been working to get you out, T, I swear I have."

"I believe you. When you want something, you're down right terrifying until you get it." He said as Aria smiled slightly.

"I've been trying to work out how to get you out. I know you had no other choice when you killed that vampire. Someone's been helping me. They told me to try looking in the Jardin Gris. I think I've almost got it." She smiled.

"Remind me to thank this girl." He said as Aria bit her lip.

"It's not a girl." She said as his face adopted a whole new expression.

"Well then in that case, remind me to give him a protective uncle speech." He amended as Aria giggled slightly.

"Does he really think he can scare me?" A voice asked from her left.

Aria gave Thierry another smile before walking away, sending a small nod Kol's direction as he scoffed, "Wait till he knows I'm an Original." She heard him murmur underneath his breath as she stopped beside Davina just as she took a sip of water.

"Aria, Davina, both you two and I have been lied to and taken advantage of by Marcel and Klaus. Now, I don't doubt that Marcel loves you two, but he's been horribly misguided. Maybe together, we can get a little payback." Rebekah began before Tim let out a sudden groan of pain and started coughing as he fell to his knees.

"Tim?" Davina asked suddenly.

"It was Klaus. He made me do it. I didn't even know what I was doing until I made you…"

"Made her what?" Aria demanded.

"Drink." He said before he began coughing again, "Tim?"

"Klaus poisoned the water." Rebekah murmured, her tone horrified.

"Tim?" Davina asked frantically before she herself was overtaken with a bout of dizziness as she fell to the floor in a coughing fit.

Aria was beside her in an instant, "Davina? Oh, no." She said as Rebekah's phone began to ring. She answered immediately.

"Rebekah, where are you?" Klaus asked from the other end. Aria snarled and Josh held her back from lunging at Rebekah and grabbing the phone herself.

"I'm with Aria and Davina, and the latter is dying because of your treachery."

"Well, I tried to talk to her and Aria, out of respect for Marcel, but they both made it quite clear they are not our friends. My apologies if you thought either of them were yours."

"Just tell me how to cure her. Vampire blood isn't working."

"No. It wouldn't. You see, the poison I compelled Timothy to feed her is quite potent. It's just a matter of time for her."

"For both of them, you diabolical bastard. They're children. We could've dealt with her fairly."

"There is no dealing with those who threaten us. Davina sealed her fate when she stood against me. This was her choice, not mine. And remind Aria, she'll be getting sorted out soon enough." He said before hanging up.

Aria began pacing as she tugged at her hair in front of Davina. She couldn't die. Not now. Aria wouldn't let her.

"Calm yourself, little witch." Kol murmured. She gave him a look and he spoke again, "It'll do no good if you keep pacing like that. Look." He pointed behind her and she turned so suddenly she almost got whiplash as Davina sat up, gasping for air. She looked around as if she didn't know where she was before she turned to look at Tim beside her. She gently shook him as Aria got to her knees beside her.

"Tim? Tim?" Her voice broke, "Tim? Tim, wake up. Tim, please wake up! Open your eyes. Oh, no, no. Please wake up! Please don't leave me alone!" She sobbed as Aria pulled her closer into a hug. The Harvest witch curled into her friend's embrace as loud, raged sobs were torn from her throat. Aria exchanged a look with Rebekah and Josh who only looked at them sadly as they moved back over to Thierry to give the girl space.

"Is there anything I can do?" She murmured; Davina too distraught to hear her talking to the ghost as Kol shook his head sadly.

"I'm afraid not, little witch."

"I'm so sorry, D." Aria whispered as Davina cried louder, grabbing onto Aria's dress tighter. Aria gently rested her chin on Davina's head as the two girls drifted from the physical world.

~*•°•*~

It is said that this is a man's world, and sometimes it is. For every Casket Girl that was saved, countless others were not.

~*•°•*~

Marcel watched Aria and Davina sadly, both who were seemingly sleeping in their beds. He barely moved when Elijah joined him.

"They'll never trust me again. My own daughter hates me." Marcel murmured.

"Perhaps. You must never surrender the fight to reclaim that trust. And she does not hate you. If she did, she wouldn't have had such a hard time trying to hurt you."

~*•°•*~

But women are more resilient than given credit for.

~*•°•*~

Elijah looked over to the corner of the room and noticed some charcoal sketches. He furrowed his eyebrows and moved closer to them.

"These drawings, what are they?" He questioned.

"Davina drew those the whole time she was in the attic. Said they're different than what she draws when she senses magic. These ones, she called them evil. Aria had nightmares whenever they were in the same room as her. Woke up screaming bloody murder. She managed to snap a vampire's neck because her power was released too much. Take them if you want, or I'll just have to move them."

~*•°•*~

And some women, well… let's just say their oppressors had better watch out.

~*•°•*~

"I, too, am resilient, and I'm tired of being oppressed. For one thousand years, my brother has taken what he wants in whatever way he wants, regardless of the consequences. Marcel seems determined to allow it, and Elijah stands right by his side, futilely awaiting the day that he'll change." Rebekah spoke, looking at Thierry. She was standing in the Garden.

Thierry gave her a confused look, "So, men suck. What do you want me to do about it?"

"Despite your dire warnings to Marcel, he just can't seem to quit my brother. The two of them stand side by side ruling this city whilst you're left in here to rot. I want you to help me take New Orleans right out from under all of their noses, and I have something they won't see coming. Two someones on the inside. She's quite the resilient girl herself, your adopted niece." She said as Thierry smiled fondly.

"Sounds like my Aria. Incredibly powerful and very dangerous. Especially when crossed."

"She's been a little more than crossed."

Thierry smiled slightly, "She likes you. Probably looks up to you even if she doesn't realise it. Just don't break her trust. Because if you do… You'll have an even bigger problem on your hands. She's incredible but… well, Marcel and I raised her."

~*•°•*~

"You okay?" Hayley asked as she walked into the room Elijah was in. He was looking over the sketches Davina drew as he arranged them.

"I'm better now." Elijah smiled as he turned back to the drawings, "How was your day?"

Hayley sighed, "Killer. What's with the artwork?"

"Davina's sketches. I wonder if they represent some kind of premonition. They seem to suggest something is coming. Something sinister." He muttered, as he finished arranging them. Elijah's eyes widened as he looked down at the drawings.

It was Celeste Dubois.

"Oh, my god. Isn't that..." Hayley trailed off before leaving the room with a flustered expression on her face.

~*•°•*~

Hours later, in the darkness of Aria's room, long after she and Davina had fallen asleep, Kol sat on a chair looking at Aria's prone form as she slept.

"I'm sorry, my little witch. Truly, I am." He murmured.

~*•°•*~

So there it is. Again, I love the actual ending in the episode, the song, the Cami standing up to Klaus, Rebekah ranting to Thierry, Sophie finding Celeste's bones and Elijah realising his old lover is probably evil incarnate. Not to mention Davina's literal ten second scene where she glares at the door right after Marcel leaves. I mean, come on! I can't even express how much I love the episode. But the whole thing is just so climactic!

Alright, rant finished. I hope you guys liked the chapter.

As always, SecretMidnightRose.