A car pulled up to the new Mikaelson Mansion, where a ball was being held. Music could be heard from the street and was overheard by chattering voices of the men, women and children of Mystic Falls. Elena stepped out of the vehicle and looked before her with slight anxiety. She knew what was waiting for her inside and knew that her 2 self-proclaimed bodyguards were there, not knowing she was attending as well.

"Care to be escorted in, Elena?" A voice asked from beside her. Elena turned around and looked at the person next to her. They were dressed in a black tuxedo with a golden mask on their face that only left their mouth and chin uncovered.

"Uh… I'm fine… But you know that this isn't a masquerade ball, right?" Elena stuttered as the person beside her smirked in response.

"Ah but one must always have an escort to such events, sister mine." The person smiled as Elena's eyes widened in realization. "And I do have a rather unforgettable face."

"Lex! You're here!" Elena screamed as she tackled Lex into a bear hug. The twins smiled and hugged one another before Lex offered an arm for Elena's rather dramatic entrance to the ball. The two walked in unison as they entered. The doors opened and all eyes went to the duo, girls envious and men rather possessive.

"Go." Lex urged Elena as they saw Damon and Stefan walk towards them. "Go."

On the other side of the hall, the Mikaelsons stood watching the duo.

"Urgh. The dopplewench is here." Rebekah stated, rolling her eyes before looking at Elena's escort. "And who is that?"

"Does he know it's not a masquerade ball?" Klaus asked rhetorically, taking a sip of his champagne. Kol looked at them before strutting towards the unknown figure.

"Kol Mikaelson. Pleasure to meet you. And who might you be?" Kol smirked at the masked figure, leaning against the pillar they were up against.

"No-one of terrible importance to you." Came the cool reply. "I bid you adieu."


"Follow me." Finn stated, escorting the mysterious masked figure to a room upstairs. "My mother is just through there."

"Thank you." The figure nodded before entering the room in question. Esther was sat on a couch, sage still burning next to her.

"Alvis. My Lord." Esther greeted, nodding solemnly. "Thank you for coming."

"It's fine. The mask made it a lot easier for you to find me."

"I…require your aid. I am linking my children together and I cannot have interruptions."

"And with this link, you plan on doing what exactly?"

"Correcting the balance of nature, of which I had disrupted 1000 years ago."

"Very well then." Alvis's eyes glowed gold and Esther could feel the magic in the bottle of champagne.

"Thank you." Esther stated, Alvis nodding in response. Turning, Alvis left the room and closed the door behind them, smirking.


Esther stood at the top of the staircase, glass of red-tinged champagne in her hand.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

A pair of eyes glowed gold as they were handed a glass of champagne, turning it into Coca-Cola to their eyes alone. Another flash of gold appeared in their eyes as the Mikaelsons and company sipped their champagne. The figure stood, watching the Mikaelson siblings split up before heading towards the back door. The figure watched as Damon snapped Kol's neck and as Stefan ran out of the door.

"Damon! Are you crazy?" Stefan's voice called out, causing the Mikaelsons not present and Elena to come out of the opened door.

"Maybe a little." Damon replied before looking at Elena. "Far be it from me to cause a problem."

"So…" The figure's voice rang out. "The Salvatores are volatile and liabilities. Well then. Mikaelsons, you may want to take your brother back inside before the vast majority of humans see. You know, considering that the Founder's council are here too."

"Who are you?"

"That is not of importance right now." The group barring Elena, growled and went to attack the figure. They simply raised their hands up in response. "Now. Now. Calm down. If you truly want to know who I am, meet me at the Gilbert plot tomorrow. 12pm. Goodbye."

The figure then turned away, heading back into the crowd and disappearing from view. The group then split apart. The Salvatores and Elena left the ball while the Mikaelsons remained outside for a moment.

"We're going, aren't we?" Rebekah stated looking at her brothers.

"Indeed we are." Elijah replied at the same time as Klaus spoke.

"They're a threat!"

"Niklaus…"


Mystic Falls Cemetery, Gilbert plot October 23rd 2010, 11:58 am

"So, you all came." A masked figure appeared on the tombstone before the gathered group.

"Why are we here?!" Damon exclaimed, not even attempting to calm himself.

"Did you look at the grave?"

"What?"

"Did. You. Look. At. The. Grave?"

'Here lies Alexander "Lex" Lucifer Gilbert

Child, Sibling and friend

June 22 1992 – May 23 2009

"Life is too short, so love the one you got."'

The figure lifted their mask up and looked at the group in front of them.

"Lex." Elena smiled before running up to her twin. Lex jumped off the grave they sat upon and allowed Elena to pull them into a hug.

"But… you're dead." Stefan and Damon stuttered in unison.

"Another doppelgänger?" Klaus smirked while Kol groaned.

"Elena, you said they left?" Elijah asked Elena, bemused.

"To answer any questions, yes, I was dead. I was brought back by a witch. Yes, I'm a doppelgänger but I'm different. And finally, Elena said I left. Like I left the 'mortal plane' and not just left the country."

"Fine! But why are you here?"

"I said I was resurrected by a witch. That witch just so happens to be Esther, your mother." Lex explained, pointing at the Mikaelsons. "She needed my help linking you Mikaelsons together with the champagne."

"So what are we going to do now?"

"Well, I'm going home and you lot do whatever. See ya!" Lex smirked before disappearing before their eyes.


"They're coming, Mother!" Finn warned.

"No, it's too soon, the moon is not high enough. Go! Quickly!" Bonnie and her mother retreated into the Old Witch House as Kol, Elijah and Klaus walked up. "My sons, come forward."

"Stay beside me, mother." Finn held his arm in front of his mother.

"It's okay. They can't enter." Esther explained, moving Finn's arm down.

"That's lovely. We're stuck out here, while the favourite son plays sacrificial lamb. How pathetic you are, Finn." Kol sneered as he attempted to walk into the pentagon before him, causing the torches to flare up.

"Be quiet, Kol. Your brother knows virtue you cannot even imagine."

"Whatever you think of us, killing your own children will be an atrocity." Elijah spoke up.

"My only regret is that I did not let you die a thousand years ago."

"Enough. All this talk is boring me. End this now, Mother, or I'll send you back to Hell." Klaus growled.

"For a thousand years, I've been forced to watch you. Felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood. Even you, Elijah, with your claim to nobility, you're no better. All of you. You're a curse on this Earth. Stretched out over generations. If you've come to plead for your life, I'm sorry, you've wasted your time."

"And you have wasted mine, Esther. Did you really think I would help you?" A figure walked into the clearing, golden mask on their face.

"My Lord?" Esther questioned.

"Killing your 'creations' and you think that nature's balance will be restored? You are delusional! Magic came with a price, kill them and their entire sireline dies with them. You would be committing genocide! And for what? To keep the balance of nature that has been fixed already!" Alvis explained, glaring.

"What?" Came the response from everyone in the clearing.

"I. Am. The balance. Nature yields to me!" Alvis shouted, eyes flashing golden with their arms wide open.