Researching my own work, I found what works and what doesn't. Having a character too tied into the main cast or destiny is not my style, I need some one free of those ties... this is that story.

So few male VD ocs... they are always girls that get with Klaus, Kol, Elijah, Stefan or Damon all terrible choices. I much prefer my planned partner for him...

If you guess it you get a cookie.


Austin's head ached once more as he attempted to get out of bed. His vision was blurry, almost red as his head screamed with haunted memories of the night before.

" Nightmares again..."

He shivered, thinking of the horrible images that haunted him night after night for the last few months. Fire, blood, and violence muffled into an unclear image of calamity. Normally he'd ignore it,... any sane person would, but Austin wasn't sane of that he was sure. He was pretty sure he was psychic or a witch, something to that effect. Why would he think that? Well, every damn night after those nightmares, his trailer would be a mess. Things fallen from shelves, windows cracked open, lights shattered, and so on like a damn earthquake had happened. Sitting up as the pain faded, he groaned and saw that his trailer, like it nearly always was lately, was a mess. He knew it was him, he had made the trailer shake that much.

Groaning, he quickly left his bed and started to clean up, thankful that the mess wasn't as bad as it had been the first time. It only took a few minutes to clear up the mess, giving him enough time to get dressed and eat some food. He always felt better after some food, more centered, calmer. It was a nice feeling, one he rarely had lately.

"Come on, Austin, get yourself together. Today is a good day, we get to start college. After a lifetime of misery and loneliness, we finally got a break. We are out of high school, which was hell, and are going to actually get a degree for the first time in this family. Mom and Dad can't ruin this, my creepy but awesome powers cannot ruin this. I will not let some silly nightmares make my life hell."

Leaning back, waiting for time to pass until it was time to get on the bus, Austin lifted his hand and focused. Immediately fire burst into existence, dancing merrily on his palms without searing his flesh.

"Gods I love this. Wonder how the hell I can do it, but I do love it."

Focusing some more, he watched as the fire lifted from his palms and contorted into a beautiful butterfly before fading into nothing, the strain too much on his mind. He was sweating, tired but excited nonetheless. Whatever this was, whatever allowed him to do stuff like that, it was awesome even if it was a tad creepy and causing him night terrors. No one else he knew could do thing like that, far as he was aware.

It made him special, unique and powerful which was always a beautiful thing as far as he was concerned. In a town like Mystic Falls, where only those born to the Founding Families mattered, having any sort of extra anything was awesome. It was a rare thing to feel important, the town was obsessed with it's shitty past and those born into the right families no matter how douchey those people could be, how entitled or rich or spoiled. Austin hated most of them, only a handful of them were worth anything.

The Lockwoods were the worst as far as he was concerned, Tyler was a bully, his dad a douche, his mom a drunk. Caroline Forbes was a nosey, entitled, whiny bitch that put her fingers in everything. The Gilberts were just judgy and annoying, especially dull as dishwater Elena. They all made Austin sick, living on generational wealth and earning so little no matter the cost to others. Austin had to earn everything, having lived on his own since his parents split when he was fourteen... no one tried to help him, despite being abandoned and alone. He had to get a job at fourteen, pay all his bills and live in a small camper by himself.

Still, he had never let it get him down, he took care of himself, graduated early and was not in college on a full ride! He wasn't entirely sure of what he was going to do, but he was going to get his prereqs while he worked at the stupid Grill until he had enough money to leave the shithole town and no one could or would say otherwise!

He had a plan and it would work damn it.

It had to...

;;;

"... and I expect you to have read chapters three and four by next class. Active discussion is required in this class." Sheila Bennet declared, giving her sternest glare at her newest students. It was rather effective at quelling errant children, even her strong willed Bonnie could be quelled with that look.

As her students hurried out of class, muttering and chatting, one boy caught her eyes. Austin Smith, a young boy from Mystic Falls. She remembered him well enough, he was friends with Matt and Vicki Donovan and like them, he had been deeply screwed over by Mystic Falls in general. Tall and pudgy with curly hair and kind green eyes, the boy looked exhausted. She had heard, from Bonnie, that the boy had graduated early by a few years and now was in college. She hadn't expected him to take her class, but she was pleased. The few times she had met him, through Bonnie's school functions, the boy had been sweet and well-spoken.

However, what caught her eye wasn't the exhaustion or the surprise of seeing a kid of sixteen in her class. No, it was his presence. The boy, to her shock, was a witch and not a weak one. She could feel his aura, and it was potent. Like waves of comforting heat emanating from his body, it was untamed and new, the boy was clearly a new witch and untrained. It was odd though, she had been around him before but never had sensed a trace of magic from him beyond the slivers most people possessed.

She wondered, if he had a teacher but doubted it... so, naturally, Her instincts, being a mother and grandmother, took over and a smile crossed her face.

"Austin, can you step into my office for a moment?" The boy startled, but nodded and followed her into her office without a word. Sheila smiled and focused, and the candles on her desk all lit themselves. The boy jumped back, eyes wide.

"You too?" he asked, almost breathless.

She nodded. "Yes, me too. How long have you been aware of your powers?"

"Three months or so... " He sighed, and it was clear this was weighing on him. "I started having these weird, fuzzy dreams and well... I'd wake up to a disaster, my camper torn apart. I wasn't sure what was happening, so I did some internet research. I looked up what was going on, and someone made a joke that I was a witch or a psychic. I tried to see if I could control it and I could. I could levitate things, dirty clothes mostly when I was cleaning. I started trying out other things... " He lifted his hand and a small blaze started. "I was amazed at what I could do, but I knew to keep quiet less I end up on a slab."

" Honey, do you know what you are?"

"A witch or Psychic, not really sure."

She laughed a little. "You are a witch, a strong one though untrained. I knew both your parents, neither had a trace of magic about them but you seem to have the spark, the gift. We witches are like family so if you'd like, I would like to teach you. I have been practicing for decades, I have a lot to show you if you accept."

The boy's eyes lit up and her heart broke. She knew it had been far too long since anyone took interest or care towards the boy. "I would love that... but um... how'd you know I was a witch?"

"All witches can sense things. Disaster, truth, pregnancy... touching another witch is always a means to sense magic or truth. I channel the power of the Spirits, a collective of witches in the afterlife. That has given me more experience in sensing foreign magic."

"Oh... so you can sense my magic?"

"Yes, I can... I sensed it when you walked into my class and I sensed it when you were leaving class."

"Wow... Now that I am closer to you, I can kind of feel your powers, sort of like a heat washing from you." he frowned. "Yean, like a hug. It's sort of telling me to trust you too... are you doing that on purpose?"

"No, it's an instinct, that allows witches to identify and connect with each other. It is how covens are started, and it is what allows us to channel each other. Now... I have class in a few minutes as do you. So here is what we will do. I will give you my number and my address. You come over tonight and I will asses your skills. Then, when that is done, we will start out practicing. I will give you some supplies and we will start writing you a Grimoire, which is a book of magic. That way you can practice should something happen to me."

The boy's smile was radiant and it lifted Shiela's spirits to see. "Thank you... I... I... I loved my powers, but not knowing... it was haunting me. I was afraid I would be caught and hurt for them. People aren't great about things they don't understand."

"My ancestors were burned at the stake for witchcraft, trust me I do know what you mean. Now... we don't have a lot of time, so let's be quick about this and get together tonight."

""""

Austin was almost floating as he left Whitemore college, he wasn't even worried about his shaft at the Grill. "I'm a witch... I am going to learn magic... and I will finally have a means to control my powers... this is freaking awesome. Finally more good news. I wonder if mom or dad had powers, she said they didn't. Maybe it's recessive? Maybe an Ancestor had my powers... gods this is great. I cannot wait to practice and learn. Really it is about time life gets good for me damn it."

Jittery, he almost missed his stop and therefore work, so he had to slap himself a few times to center himself enough to get ready for work. He had a long shift ahead of him and he did not want to miss it... he couldn't afford to, bills were expensive.


Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

This was fun, I really enjoyed it. Too many people drag out the exposure to magic or whatever, I wanted to dig into it immediately.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.