Misha closed his eyes, preparing himself for what he was about to encounter as he slowly pushed the half-open front door of the Salvatore mansion the rest of the way and crossed the threshold into the dark foyer.

He opened his eyes and looked around, assessing the surroundings as he made his way quietly down the hallway looking for Damon.

It didn't take long.

As he passed the first room along the corridor, Misha immediately stopped as he encountered the cell phone Damon dropped just outside the French doors, his breath catching as he looked up and in through the glass and took in the sight of the older Salvatore brother on the floor in the center of the room, still clutching Stefan in his arms.

"Damon…" Misha said in a low voice, announcing himself as not to startle the vampire

But, Damon didn't flinch or even acknowledge the warlock's presence

"Misha!"

Misha turned back quickly as he watched Klaus rush through the front door, Rebekah and Kol hot on his heels.

"What the Hell is this?" Misha asked, confused as the originals moved down the hallway towards him

"We were worried," Kol said, "Bekah and I saw you leave—"

"So we followed you and then we saw you're parked outside," Rebekah interjected, "What are you doing here? What's going on?"

Suddenly, all three of the siblings stopped when they reached the warlock's side at the threshold of the back parlor and took in the sight before them.

"Oh, my God…" Klaus whispered, his face paling at the sight of the younger Salvatore with a stake protruding from his chest.

"Stefan…" Rebekah whimpered softly, her voice breaking before she brought her hand to her mouth in shock

"What happened here?" Kol asked, turning to Misha, a stunned expression crossing his face

"I'll tell you what happened…" a voice suddenly rose from the center of the room and the originals and Misha all turned, their eyes quickly focusing on the source.

It was Damon Salvatore.

His eyes were red and his lip trembling as he peered at them over his shoulder, still holding his brother's body.

"It was a vampire hunter…he killed..." Damon stopped for a moment, closing his eyes as he struggled to say the words, "He killed my brother."

"It was Dominic…He's back," Misha added in a low voice, looking to the stunned originals with a knowing look

"How is that even possible?" Rebekah asked, lowering her hand from her mouth, still in shock as she looked to her brothers, their minds also visibly reeling.

"Ask the warlock," Damon said bitterly as he lowered Stefan gently to the floor and stood to face them

"Damon…" Klaus said softly, seeing the brooding anger in the vampire's eyes and stepping forward to meet the older Salvatore as he started walking intently toward Misha

"You knew…" Damon said, his eyes focusing on the warlock harshly, "You called me…you knew he was coming!"

"Hold up, Mate!" Klaus said as he intercepted Damon, placing one hand on his chest to slow him and taking hold of his arm with the other

"You were who he was talking about—his message—he knew you'd find me, that's why he killed Stefan—you're brother he was talking about! You and Kaspar! What did you do?!" Damon screamed, struggling against Klaus, "Let go of me!"

"Damon—"Rebekah said, stepping forward

"Zip it, Barbie!" Damon snapped at her, then looked back to Misha, "My brother's blood is on your hands, Warlock! Don't deny it!"

"I didn't know until it was too late…really…Damon, I'm so sorry," Misha said softly, moving forward, holding his hands out in a sigh of remorse.

But Damon just scoffed, pulling himself hard out of Klaus' grasp, turning and walking back toward his brother's body.

"Damon," Rebekah said, tears coming to her eyes as she quickly walked past Klaus, following Damon to the center of the room and grabbing him on the shoulder, "Please, listen—"

"Don't," Damon said, shrugging away, his eyes so sad it made Rebekah's heart crumble and slowly pull her hand back, "Please…don't….just leave me alone…"

Then he turned away and fell to his knees again at his brother's side.

"You should know," Rebekah whispered, closing her eyes, whether Damon heard her or not, "That Misha isn't to blame for what Dominic is…"

Then she opened them, looking back over her shoulder to Klaus and Kol as the tears started to stream down her cheeks.

"We are."

# # # # # #

NEW WORLD, 1044 A.D.

"Well done, today, Dominic," Elijah said with a smile, grasping his young apprentice's shoulder as they exited the ferrying barn on the far side of the village, "Now, tomorrow, we'll work more on clipping the hooves. It's important to remember—"

"Ah…right on time as usual," Misha interrupted, smirking as he approached the pair with Dominic's twin, Luka, at his side, "I could always set a sundial by you, Elijah."

Dominic eased himself out of his mentor's grasp and trotted over to meet his twin, taking a pack from Luka's hand and chatting away with his brother.

"Going on another camp out in the woods?" Elijah asked, stopping in front of the warlock and surveying the supplies on his friend's back.

Misha sighed, rolling his eyes good naturedly.

"Ah…you know…brother bonding," he shrugged then slapped Elijah playfully on the arm, "You should try it."

"With my brothers?" Elijah scoffed with a smile, "Are you joshing me? Finn's with Sage all the time, Kol isn't exactly warm and fuzzy these days, and Ioan and Nik don't like to sleep on the ground. Besides, I'm spending enough time teaching them to control themselves and not kill villagers…"

Misha's eyes softened, "It will get easier."

"I hope so…" Elijah smirked sadly then watched his friend turn to his teenage brothers, rough housing with each other

"Heidere to! Slutt med det!" Misha shouted and they instantly stopped, Dominic releasing Luka from a headlock, then smacking him on the back of the head with a giggle when Misha turned back to Elijah.

"We'd better head out before it gets too dark…" Misha said, looking up to sky and the crescent moon starting to make its appearance in the orange autumn sky, then rolling his eyes again, "Or they kill each other."

"Just try to bring my apprentice back tomorrow in one piece," Elijah teased then smiled, looking around Misha as someone else came into view.

Misha followed Elijah's gaze over his shoulder to Liliya, standing about fifty paces away with a water bucket under her arm and a gentle smile, waiting for him to walk her home.

"Speak for yourself…" Misha said in a low voice, turning back to his best friend and giving a wink

"Watch your tongue," Elijah chuckled, before moving past the warlock to his meet his fiancee.

# # # # #

Misha lay on the grass by the fire, looking over to Luka and Dominic already asleep a few feet away, then up to the stars in the sky with wonder, working his mind, trying to find the constellations.

Suddenly, a cold breeze blew over them through the trees…

A strong one…

So strong it blew out the camp fire.

Misha immediately sat up, his mind and heart racing, his hand quickly moving to rest on the sword sheathed at his hip as he took in his surroundings.

But, he didn't see or hear anything unusual besides the creepy, cold, and super strong wind.

And then it happened.

Luka's eyes flew open, his eyes turning completely black as his body went rigid.

"Luka…" Misha said in a low voice, confused as to what's happening, trying to get to his feet and move to his brother's side

But before he could, he heard a scream.

"Dominic…" Misha whispered in realization, looking over to his brother's twin as he now writhed in pain, his eyes also flying open and completely consumed in black.

He ripped the front of his white tunic shirt as he continued to scream in pain…

Soon, Misha didn't know where to look or what to do as Luka followed suit, also writhing on his back and tearing at his shirt and vest.

Misha moved quickly to their side, kneeling down between the two teenagers, but it seemed like there was nothing he could do to help.

What was happening to them seemed invisible…

Then, suddenly, it wasn't.

Misha's eyes widened in shock as he watched markings—tattoos really—start to appear on his brothers' skin, snaking down their arms and chests simultaneously, burning into their flesh.

Luka and Dominic continued to writhe and scream, Misha bringing his hand to his mouth in stunned silence, his eyes moving from one brother to the other, not sure what to do.

As the markings continued to make their way down the brothers' bodies, they arched their backs off the ground, then when the markings ceased, then lowered themselves hard onto the ground with a thud.

Finally, they stopped screaming and their eyes cleared.

Misha surged forward toward Luka.

"Luka!" he cried, taking his brother's face in his hands and studying it, taking note of the tattoo that was now spiraling down the left side of his face as his brother came groggily out of the state he was in.

When his eyes connected with Misha's, the warlock smiled…but, Luka didn't.

His face remained placid for a few moments, searching his older brother's face almost as if he didn't recognize him.

Misha noticed that Luka looked different…older somehow…

It was then that Misha realized something was wrong.

Luka narrowed his eyes and suddenly, in an instant, with speed and agility that matched any vampire, Luka was out of Misha grasp and on his feet on the other side of the fire pit, his tattoos reflecting in the moonlight.

Moments later, also moving with inhuman speed, Dominic was at his side.

Misha rose slowly, studying his seemingly 'new' brothers

"Luka…" he said, looking from one brother to the other, "Dominic…are you alright?"

The teens studied their respective bodies for a moment then looked to each other, their eyes locking for a few moments as if sharing a silent secret.

Finally, Luka closed his eyes moved his head from side to side fluidly, breathing in the scent on the night air.

When his eyes opened, Misha saw something unnatural and predatory in them.

"Vampires are nearby…" Luka said in a steady voice, a voice that sounded different than his own—much older and wiser than his eighteen years—as he quickly looked back over to Dominic.

His twin gave a short nod then their eyes darkened as they simultaneously swung their heads around to look at Misha.

Misha's face fell and fear rose into his throat.

Absentmindedly, he lowered his hand to the sword on his hip.

Seeing him make his move, the brothers struck.

At his side in an instant, Dominic knocked Misha's hand from his sword, pulling it behind his back, then kicking his feet out from under him as Luka snapped their older brother's neck cleanly and the warlock fell to the ground.

Then, gathering their weapons, including Misha's sword and ankle knife, they armed themselves and ran off into the night.

# # # # #

Misha coughed hard, then sucked in a deep breath as his eyes opened and he rolled over onto his stomach, bringing himself unsteadily to his hands and knees as he took in his surroundings with blurred vision.

He looked down to the eternity ring on his right hand and smirked, then blinked hard for a moment before finally pulling himself to his feet.

The campsite was abandoned and Misha sighed when he brought his hand to his belt and realized they had taken his sword.

He brought his hand to his aching head, his mind reeling.

They had actually snapped his neck...

Tried to kill him...

How long had he been out?

Suddenly, a realization hit him as he brought his hand down slowly from his head.

"Vampires are…nearby…" he whispered, remembering his brother's words, his eyes narrowing for a moment before widening, "Oh…oh…no…"

Misha turned quickly toward the woods in the direction of the village.

"Elijah…" he said softly

He didn't know how much of a head start his brothers had, but immediately he knew that he had to do something…warn them all that they were in danger.

Misha spun in a circle, looking around the camp, then out into the woods on the far side near the quarry.

That is when he saw it…about a two hundred feet in the distance…his salvation...

The old watchtower.

# # # # # # #

Liliya gasped, a small smile crossing her lips as Elijah rolled them over and she fell back naked on the bed and Elijah came down slowly on top of her, hitching up her left leg with his strong hands and changing the angle of their connecting bodies.

The original doppelganger moaned as he kissed up her chest to her chin, then captured her lips as he continued his ministrations, their mouths tangling as they worked toward their climaxes.

After a few moments, Elijah pulled his lips away from her, caressing his hand softly down the side of her neck as he moved above her, watching her eyes flutter and her chocolate irises dilate.

"Elijah…" she whispered in a wanting voice and watched her lover's face instantly change at her words—the veins protruding under his eyes dark eyes and his fangs extending—causing her to let out another gasp and close her eyes in pleasure as Elijah moved swift and precise to the side of her neck, sinking his fangs in and drinking deeply of her blood as she clutched hard at his bare back to gain leverage.

Then, as if reading her mind, he sat back, pulling her up with him into his lap as he continued to drink from her, but letting her take control of their movements, her body moving slowly in time with his thrusts.

Suddenly, Elijah pulled himself away from her neck, breathless, stopping his movements as his eyes narrowed—the veins beneath them slowly receding and his fangs retracting.

"Do you hear that?" he asked softly, meeting her gaze

Liliya turned her head, listening intently as she tried to catch her breath.

After a few moments, she immediately turned back to her fiance when she, too, picked up the distant sound.

"It sounds like a… bell?" she whispered, her eyes widening

"It's the watch tower…" Elijah said in sudden realization, gently removing her from his lap before leaving the bed with vampire speed to retrieve his clothes, "We're under attack!"

"From who?" Liliya asked, her eyes worried as she watched him dress quickly, wrapping the sheets around herself and smoothing her hair, "It's not yet the full moon."

Finally, when he had pulled on his trousers and his boots, Elijah turned back to her.

"I don't know, but to be safe, I need you to get my Mother, Ayanna, Rebekah, and the others to the caves…can you do that?" he asked

"Of course," Liliya nodded solemnly as she slid to the end of the bed and watched Elijah grab his sword belt and walk back to her.

"I love you…" he whispered, leaning down and giving her a passionate kiss on the lips before swiftly placing his bet around his waist and racing off with vampire speed into the night.

# # # # # # #

Klaus' eyes opened quickly and he sat up straight in his bed, his eyes focusing as his vampire hearing picked up a sound in the distance.

A bell.

"The watch tower…" Klaus whispered, suddenly remembering the old watch tower in the woods, used by his people to warn of impending enemy attacks.

He immediately shifted out of his own bed and turned to Kol, sleeping in the bed next to him

"Kol!" he shouted as he pulled his linen shirt over his head and grabbed his sword belt hanging on the bedpost

"Five more minutes…" Kol grumbled, turning over under his quilt.

"Blimey, Kol!" Klaus cried, pulling the quilt swiftly off his brother and across the room, "Someone's ringing the warning bell. The village is in danger. Get up!"

"Niklaus! Kol!" Mikael shouted, suddenly throwing open the bedroom door, his sword at the ready, "We need you outside! Hurry!"

Then in an instant, he disappeared.

"Kol!" Klaus turned back to his younger brother, shaking his shoulder

"I heard…I'm awake… I'm awake…" Kol groaned, his eyes fluttering open and pulling himself up in bed as Klaus finished tying his sword belt around his waist and took off with vampire speed out of the room.

"Damn werewolves!" Kol whined as he slid to the edge of the bed and reached for his boots

# # # # #

"Nik!" Elijah shouted, running up to his brother's side as Klaus walked out the front door of the Mikaelson home toward the center of the village where the men in town were assembling.

Klaus eyed Elijah's half-naked figure for a moment, then smirked.

"And just what were you doing?" he asked in a playful voice

Elijah rolled his eyes as he took the second sword Klaus handed him and spun it around expertly with his wrist.

"Can we talk about this later? We're in the middle of something serious right now," he replied

"Talk about what?" Finn asked, appearing on the other side of Elijah, throwing his bow quiver over his shoulder and stringing his bow as he walked next to his brothers

"Elijah's escapades—" Klaus started with a wicked smile, but Elijah interjected

"Niklaus!" he reprimanded

"Alright! I'm awake. I'm here..." Kol groaned, appearing with vampire speed at Klaus' side, spinning his sword in one hand and an axe in the other, "So what's happening?"

"Elijah!" a voice sounded nearby and the Mikaelson siblings immediately stopped in their tracks as Hammer Lochvud, a known town lycanthrope, called to them as he raced past, fifty paces away

"So…it's not the werewolves after all?" Kol whispered, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he looked over to his brothers

"We need more men on the east side of the village!" Hammer called and Elijah nodded

"You heard him…" Elijah said, turning toward his brothers, "Niklaus and I will head to the east side with Hammer. Finn, gather the other archers and stay back near the center of the village in case they get past us."

Finn nodded and took off.

"Kol," Elijah said, turning toward his youngest brother, "I need you to head to the caves and stand guard, in case the village is taken, to protect the women and children,"

"But—" Kol protested

"Kol…" Elijah interjected, "Please?"

"Fine," Kol relented, then sped off

Taking in a deep breath and sharing a look with Klaus, Elijah turned, his brother on his heels as they headed toward the east side of the village.

When they arrived, they found their Father standing among the twenty some-odd village men who formed a torch-lit line on the eastern boundary, looking out into night and to the tree line of the surrounding woods.

"Why isn't anything happening?" Klaus asked, studying the wooded tree line

"Silence," Mikael reprimanded, "Listen…"

Klaus fell silent and cocked his head, mirroring Elijah as they both listened with their vampire hearing.

"Footsteps…" Elijah breathed, "But, no more than maybe…"

"Two people?" Klaus interjected, his eyes narrowing in confusion

"Well, whoever rang that warning bell thinks they are two very dangerous people," Mikael whispered, his eyes still glued to the tree line.

Then, suddenly, as if on cue, two figures stepped out of the tree line into the field facing the village.

Mikael straightened and Klaus and Elijah watched the villagers rustle with curiosity, talking among themselves at the sight.

"Is that who I think is?" Klaus said, narrowing his eyes as he took in the figures of Dominic and Luka standing at the edge of the woods.

"Yes," Mikael said, raising his sword, "But, I sense that something is not right."

# # # # #