~Recap from Chapter 5~

"Nooooo!"

Bonnie and everyone else turned in the direction of the scream and saw Faith running towards the flame.

As Faith passed her, Bonnie instinctively stopped her from rushing into the flames.

Klaus turned away from the fire and saw Bonnie struggling with a girl who was screaming.

Recognition and disbelief fell on Klaus' face.

"Faith?

~TGITW~

Chapter 6: Truly, Madly, Deeply (Part 1)

"Truly, madly and deeply, as the writer said." – Beauty, Fables

MYSTIC FALLS. 1000 A.D.

Faith's POV

Dear diary,

Today, I had another dream. The whole Mikaelson family was in it. They were hosting a ball. There were many people all dressed up in amazing gowns and suits. But there were none more beautiful and handsome than the Original family. The Mikaelson brothers looked dashing in their suits. Esther and Rebekah looked like royalty in their gowns. Strangely, Mikael was nowhere in sight.

The dream ended with everyone entering a ballroom with a partner. I could vaguely remember smiling faces as they danced to a waltz.

I stared at the words that I've written down. I was sitting on the grass with my back to the tree. In my hands was a leather-bound book made up of parchments. Though the pages felt rough, I loved having something to write with. I didn't even know they had writing tools here until Elijah had bought it back with him from their trip.

I continued jotting down my thoughts. I liked these moments where I could be alone and process all the things that were happening. The quiet helps me gather my thoughts and not be influenced by the people or busyness around me.

Like my other dreams, it was hard to differentiate what was real from what wasn't. Lately, I've been feeling as if things were enfolding too much like a story or a play. And something deep in my gut was telling me that this world was not real and that I did not belong to it.

Perhaps I've been mistaking dreams for memories? But it was hard to deny it all. I could feel the grass beneath my hands. The sounds of water bubbling down the stream. With all the sights and sounds around me, how could I even think that this world was false?

This secluded spot under the oak tree by a small stream had become my favourite spot. Here, I spent days thinking about my family back home and how I could return to them. It was here too that I wrote down all I could recall.

More and more memories were coming back to me. I now remembered who the Originals were. I remember the events leading up to their vampirization. Assuming my dreams and memories were real, why was I having them?

Why was I here? Where did I come from? How do I know so much about the Mikaelsons? Are these memories of the past or things that will happen in the future? Something was not making sense. If I was from the future and I knew them from the future, why was I in the past? And why do I have this insane sense of déjà vu? As if this has all happened already. Or to be more accurate, as if this was all just a dream?

I don't remember all the details, but I do remember that things did not end well with the Mikaelsons. And it all started when Henrik was killed off by the werewolves.

For weeks now I've been trying to figure out the best way to stop the future tragedies from happening. I contemplated all the different scenarios from what I could remember. In the end, I realized the best thing to do was to stop everything from happening in the first place, stop them from being the Originals.

It was a real struggle at first. I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I was in a different world, maybe even a fictional one. I thought I was dreaming or in a coma or have gone mad. Weeks passed and I had to accept that this was my reality now. I was living in Mystic Falls in 1000s with the Originals.

As I accepted my reality, I began opening myself up to these people. I had kept my guard up at first, afraid to truly interact with them. I feared that I would end up confusing fiction with reality. Moreover, this was not my world. I would eventually have to leave – not sure how yet. To build relationships that I would have to leave behind, that frightened me.

In lowering my guard, I started to see the Mikaelsons as real people. They weren't just characters from a story with scripted lines and fixed destinies. They were living, breathing people, each with their own share of hurts and joys. I couldn't deny their existence. Now, more than ever, I wanted to change the future of this family. For they have become real to me.

Mikael and Finn were kind to me. Henrik was sweet and innocent. Kol loved showing off his magic. Esther was stern and protective.

Rebekah was a true friend, teaching me everything I needed to know about this world. In turn, I captivated her with stories about the future which I passed off as stories from a strange land. Rebekah was captivated by my every word. She enjoyed the stories about women who can choose to be anything they wanted to be. Women who can be strong, independent women. She admired the women in my stories and would question me about every detail of their lives.

Niklaus was different from I expected. He was happier, except when under Mikael's scrutiny. Then he would withdraw into a shell. The confident man would become a nervous boy. I can't help but feel pity for him. At the same time, I love that he can still smile despite the setbacks. He and Elijah would often fool around with the village boys. And of course, they both pursued Tatia like lovesick fools.

Elijah was charming. Unlike the serious man I see in my memories, he was full of life. He smiles and laughs freely, never holding back. He looked differently too. Obviously, he is dressed differently and has long hair. But he still had that same dreamy, handsome look. Even before coming here, I was already drawn to him. Now, meeting him in person, is making me even more attracted to him.

I let out a deep sigh.

What am I doing? I can't be attracting to this guy! For one, we're from completely different worlds! For another, he's in love with Tatia!

I sighed again and brushed the thoughts from my mind.

~TGITW~

I don't know whose idea this was, but it was horrible idea!

Who decided to drag us all into trekking these woods so early in the morning!

One word: Ugh!

A small group of us led by Elijah and Niklaus (of course!) was heading to one of the mountain peaks. Elijah and Niklaus had discovered some amazing spot where you could see the beauty of the land as the sun rose over the horizon. They managed to persuade half the Mikaelsons and a couple other village youths to join them on this "adventure".

All I can say at this point is that this view better be worth it!

And by the grumblings muttered by the others, I'd say they thought the same thing.

Rebekah walked beside me, panting, but that did not stop her from chatting about the village's latest gossips. Seeing Elijah and Tatia flirt ahead of us, the conversation quickly turned to them.

"Ugh! Look at her!" Rebekah whispered disgustedly. "She has all the boys in the palm of her hand! Honestly! I don't see what Elijah and Niklaus and the rest of the boys see in her!"

"She's beautiful." I commented in between catching my breath.

"Can men really be that shallow?" Rebekah's nose twitching in distaste.

"It can't be helped. Beauty is what naturally attracts us."

"Well, Niklaus I can see it, but I thought Elijah at least would be different."

"He's just a man too." I whispered as I watched Elijah helping Tatia over a difficult bit of path.

There must have been something in my voice or a look on my face because Rebekah stopped walking altogether.

I turned back and looked at her questioningly.

"You like him," Rebekah realized.

"Shhh…shhh…" I immediately hushed her as I felt myself blushed.

Rebekah ignored my pleas and started to tease me as we continued walking.

"It doesn't matter anyways. He likes Tatia." I said in a dejected voice, tilting my head in the direction Tatia and Elijah were.

Rebekah grunted in disgust.

"I'd pick you any day over that skank. She thinks she's so pretty having every man wrapped around her fingers. But in truth, she's nothing without her beauty."

"We're here!" Niklaus shouted to my relief. I didn't know how to respond to her without sounding jealous or wallowing in self-pity.

We were on the edge of a cliff overlooking the land. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the land seem to come alive as the light fell on it.

It was beautiful.

The land spread far and wide before us. It was full of life. Vibrant and green. There were numerous trees. Trees of all shapes and sizes. Diverse yet harmonious. All part of the scenic picture of nature. There were empty spaces here and there where we could see families of animals waking up to the morning. The sun slowly rising had brought the forest creatures out of hiding. The blue sky was clear except for a few clouds and birds. The wind blew gently all around.

We all paused to enjoy the sight before us. Soon, the sun was up in the sky and we could feel its warmth.

I closed my eyes and extended my arms towards the sky. I could feel myself be bathed in the sunlight. I breathed deeply in and out, savouring the moment.

Sensing eyes on me, I opened my eyes and looked around. I found Klaus looking at me with a curious look. I raised my eyebrow at him wondering what he was thinking.

Grinning in his wolfish trademark way, he came towards me and stopped about a foot away. His eyes glinting with mischief as if he were hiding a secret.

"Are you enjoying this?" He asked.

I smiled and answered, "Yes."

Then as if on cue, a wind blew past us causing my hair to fly all around me.

Niklaus caught a loose strand of hair and did the most unexpected thing. He held it up to his lips and kissed it ever so gently. His eyes closed and oblivious to everything else.

I froze. He then opened his eyes, smiled at me, and tucked the hair behind my ear. My mind went blank and before I could respond, Niklaus walked away to help the others set up camp. But not before giving me a sidelong glance of longing.

Still in shock, a movement to my left drew my attention. I turned and found Rebekah and Elijah watching. Rebekah's jaw was dropped in shock, but she quickly recovered, and her face lit up with impish glee. On the other hand, Elijah looked uncomfortable but was quickly drawn away by Tatia. Embarrassed at having been caught, I went in the opposite direction and found things to busy myself with. All the while, one question screaming in my head.

What the heck just happened?!