ᴍɪssɪssɪᴘᴘɪ ʀɪᴠᴇʀ.
ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅ ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴀɢᴏ.

A crewless, abandoned vessel drifted, a dark chocolate, long haired male stood on the upper deck. Covered by the shadows, he wore black leather boots, charcoal trousers under an traditional claret coloured tunic. An dark walnut brown trench coat, hung loosely on his figure, soot framed the coat, small grains of the shadowy power lay, sleeping in the seams.

His light pink lips and pale skin stood out against the black night. His dark eyes lay fixed on a gold, English pocket-watch, that rested in his palm. His head snapped up at the sound of oars, breaking the untouched water. His watch closed with a small click as he moved his head, towards the origin of the sound, before quietly vamp-speeding from his spot.

"Where the hell is everyone?" A deep masculine voice spoke as the small party of men entered below deck.

"Deserted." Replied one, shining his lamp around "Which makes everything in the hold legally forfeit." He briefly turned to the party behind him "Take what suits you."

"What do you make of that?" The man who was first to speak, inquired to the one beside him who held the lantern up, illuminating two black coffins, lined with white tiny crystals, baring a golden crest on the lid.

"Open it up."

One of the party of man obliged, opening the lid to reveal an handsome brunette man, who's complexion was light grey. Vains ran over the skin like pathways on a map. A dagger stood tall, it's tip buried in his chest, sitting squarely in the gentleman's heart.

"What the hell?" A gasp fell from the lantern holder's lips.

The sound of boots scrapping across the wood startled them, it happened again. The talkative pair spun around. Eyes wide, mouths gasping as a slight fear twisted at their insides. Suddenly one of the four remaining man was grabbed, and dragged into the shadows. At an unnatural speed.

The remaining three glanced at each other petrified, before two of them fled from the room. But only one made the mistake of stopping, to look back. He to was grabbed, before getting pulled upwards. The one who didn't make the mistake, ran on to the deck only to stop at the sound of a scream.

He turned his head to look back. Only to find nothing. He turned once more and ran. Only to skid to a halt as a man appeared in front of him. The tall, lanky brunette simply stared at him with a void of emotion. Slowly his face shifted. The whites of his eyes turned red as vains sprawled over his cheeks. And...the mortal man did only what he could do: scream.

The scrawny fellow opened his mouth, showing off sharp, long canines, before grabbing the mortal and tearing into his jugular savagely.

"Hello." A light blonde woman attired in light blue greeted, whilst wiping the corner of her slightly bloodied mouth with a white cloth. She smiled at the gentleman before her, pleasantly "Lovely to see such a handsome face after a long journey. Can I eat him, brother?"

"I rather you didn't, sister." A noble sounding man said stepping out of the shadows, as if it were a common occurrence while the mortal spun around. His brown eyes settled on the human "There's no need to be afraid. You'll do exactly as I say." He inched forward "You'll remember nothing."

"I will remember nothing."

The blonde woman observed as her relation spoke "We have had a very long journey where in which, unfortunately, we lost all of our crew. Therefore, I would ask you to kindly transport our belongings to the shore."

"What kind of hell demons are you?" The human cried.

"We're vampires, darling." He spun around to face the smirking blonde "The Original Vampires. Rebekah, Elijah." She glanced and nodded in her brother's direction before glancing at the coffins "Our brothers Finn and Kol, may they rest in peace."

"Are we saving the best for last?"

Rebekah's face fell, into a 'curled lip' impression expression "And our brother and Half-brother Alvaro and Niklaus." She turned, looking up to the upper deck as she spoke. Niklaus held a dead body in his arms, Alvaro stood unmoved, dark orbs eerily pricing thought the souls of the individuals who dared to meet his gaze. Blood coated the corners of both of their mouths. Niklaus' more than Alvaro's.

"Ignore them. Nik is a beast, and Alvaro is a brute." She said making Niklaus laugh, proudly showing off his teeth and crimson mouth before letting go of the body. Rebekah moved her head to the ground as it fell with a loud thud before meeting her brothers' gazes.

"We fled Europe and survived the seas." Niklaus titled his head "Would you rather we arrive hungry, on the shores of our new homeland?"

"Niklaus, Alvaro, both of your manners are, as always, without equal." Elijah turned his attention back to the human "Sir, would you be so good as to tell us where it is that we have landed?"

"The French colony of Louisiana. Off the shores of a town they've named New Orleans."

"Well thank you so much." Elijah walked towards the stairs, only to suddenly halt and turn back to the male mortal "Oh. I do recommend that you find yourself further assistance for the luggage. My sincere apologies." He smiled brightly at the human beside turning back to the stairs.

Alvaro turned away from the opening in the deck, and wondered towards the railing. Placing his hands on it as his eyes inspected the shore. Wondering what lay in store for him.

______

ᴍʏsᴛɪᴄ ғᴀʟʟs,
sᴀʟᴠᴀᴛᴏʀᴇ ʙᴏᴀʀᴅɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴜsᴇ.
ᴘʀᴇsᴇɴᴛ ᴅᴀʏ.

"She's still in no-humanity zone." Stefan sighed in defeat to his brother, a glass of well needed whiskey in their possession.

Damon furrowed his brows "How hungry does she have to be before we can torture some feelings back into her?"

"A lot hungrier than she is now, apparently." Stefan stated, just as defeated as Damon felt, and fed up.

"So. What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" The ravenette Salvatore questioned as the younger brother took a sip from his glass.

"Maybe I can provide a little excitement."

Stefan turned as Damon's face fell into a baffled expression, both brother gazed up at the smirking doppelganger equally admonished. Had she finally losed it? "Katherine." Stefan voiced.

"The one and only. Sort of." Her smirk only fell for a second before walking forward, further into the room "So, when's the welcome home party?"

The brothers turned as she made herself a drink, Damon narrowed his eyes before speaking "Wow. Look who went and got bold. Last time I checked, Klaus was plotting your eternal demise." He drew up his glass, only to pull it away at her shocking comeback.

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore." Katherine said cheerfully, beaming at the pair, before walking forwards "Because Klaus is gone."

The two turned, eyeing her through narrowed eyes as Stefan asked the question, that played in both of their minds "Wait, what do you mean he's gone?"

She spun around "Let's just say that werewolf girl, Hayley, turned out to be just the thing we needed...to get Klaus out of our lives for good." She arched her eyebrows as she took a sip.

Stefan and Damon shared a look. There was no way what she saying was ture. And if it were, the remaining Mikaelsons and their other-half's were still present in town.

______

ᴍɪᴋᴀᴇʟsᴏɴ ᴍᴀɴsɪᴏɴ.

Ambrose, Prudence, Morgana, Alvaro, Elijah and Rebekah were all gathered in the dinning room, discussing the recent discovery. All members feeling differently to the topic at hand.

"Well, the French Quarter witches are not to a lot to be trifled with." Rebekah said making the Satanic/Hecate worshipping ones throw a pointed look at her, to which she replied with "Not by us vampires, anyway. You don't surpose they've found a way to kill him once and for all, do you?"

"Rebekah, in the name of our family, you might try to dial down your glee." Elijah scolded his smiling sister.

"What family?" She questioned "We are four distrustful acquaintances who happen to share a bloodline. I hope they've found a way to make that traitorous bastard rot."

"You say that now." Ambrose muttered.

Rebekah glared at him as Elijah walked towards the door. Alvaro straightened himself, having just been leaning against the chair the Morningstar sat in. His brows knitted together above narrowed orbs "Where the heaven are you going?"

Elijah just continued to walk on, barely glancing at the four individuals who observed him as he answered his younger brother "To find out who's making a move against our brother. And then..." He halted briefly, thinking to hisself "I'll either stop them or I'll help them." He shook his head "Depending on my mood."

The four watched baffled as he walked away.

______

ʜᴇʟʟ,
ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴғᴇʀɴᴀʟ ᴄᴀsᴛᴇʟ,
ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴀʏ.

Alvaro marched through the hallway of the golden building, phone to his ear with a unimpressed scrowl on his features as he made his way to his chambers, which he shared with the mother of his unborn uncanny offspring "Your telling me that corrupt, ungrateful swine is alive and well, after all these fuckin' years."

"Quite." Elijah repiled from the other side, which only made the newly crowned king scrowl even harder "Our brother seems to have wondered into a war zone, and I haven't been able to find him."

"Does Rebekah know?" He questioned, slightly concerned that Ambrose might have a rival for his sister's heart.

"Yes, and was quite sour at the notions."

"Hm, that explains why she was slightly unhappy when she, Prudence and Ambrose departed for their summer holiday trip." Alvaro humed, turning a corner.

"Marcel, who Klaus sired and brought up beneath his own wing, now rules a menagerie of savage vampires running wild, killing in public for any human to come upon. Witches are held in subjugation."

"Aw," he cried mockingly as he entered his and Morgana's room, she turned in her chair and looked at him questionably "how horrible. Who gives a fuck?"

Elijah sighed at his brother's distaste for wiccan witches "I doubt Niklaus had any idea what he was walking into."

"And, why does all this concern me?" He questioned

"Always and forever, Alvaro. That is what we once swore to each other."

"Well, I've went back on my word many times over the centuries." He shifted his weight, placing a hand on the back of Morgana's chair as she inspected his facial expressions. His eyes were dull.

"Oh, I'm aware. And yet when our father found us in this every city, you showed up and helped."

"I know very well what I did." Alvaro snapped "I stuck with Klaus and Rebekah for a few weeks, and then 17 years later. Nik turns up out of the blue, and shoves a sliver dagger in my chest. You know why? Because I had the nerve to live my life without him, and he'd had had enough of I, having the guts to disobey him." He took a deep breath "Do recall Elijah, I have a girlfriend, child and entire realm to look after. And I find myself, sticking to my own interests once more. Which is them."

"I believe our brother is in trouble." Elijah said "So whatever is going on between Marcel and the witches, it's dire enough that they'd risk bringing an Original back to town. The witches have lured him here. I'd like to know why."

Alvaro arched his head, blinking as Elijah hung up on him, he rubbed the side of his face. There truly wasn't such as a thing called peace with his family was there.