"THE ORIGINAL HERETIC. SHE IS, IN A WAY, like us witches." Aurelia sat in the shadows, watching quietly over the children at the other end of the room, with the elder sitting in front of them. Faces illuminated by the occasionally wavering fire a few feet away from them, the vampire made sure to watch over the pair of twins she had come back to check on every few years.

She had last seen them in secret—without Niklaus and Rebekah—when they were newborns. They were six as they sat there with curious looks on their faces, cute and innocent smiles pushing their cheeks up like apples. "Has she not passed?" Chuckling once at the quick question from one of the two blonde twins, Aurelia looked at the elder who had the same reaction as she had.

"Gemina, dear, let me tell the story first." Giggles filled the group at the woman's sweet comment, and Gemina sat back with folded arms, ignoring as her brother nudged her with stifled laughter. "As mentioned, she is like us. But she isn't entirely."

Aurelia had heard this story a few times from witches she had met while with her family, but sat back and watched. She enjoyed all different versions of the fable.

"Legend has it, that she had no magic of her own. She was a special kind of witch, and the first one to be as such." Sighing through her words, the elderly began to shake her head. "Of course, witches are quite peculiar about their magic—an entirely different witch for whom no explanation could be offered was terrifying. Their only solution was to shun her, to let her know that she was weak." A small pause ensured when the woman's lips turned up into an unreadable smile. "They were wrong. You see, this special witch could absorb magic from anything that had magic."

"Absorb?" Aurelia hadn't looked in time to see who questioned the storyteller, too caught up in the explanation.

"Yes, Seraphina, absorb." The answer was kind and slow, showing that she was patient with her words. "Say, your amulet. Or a... ground with strong, violent magic. She could simply put her hand on it and take the magic away, storing it within her to be used up. This...cryptic, mysterious being was more powerful than the normal witches when she absorbed magic." A small chuckle followed. "This was why the witches were so bent on making her feel weak."

Aurelia had to stifle a laugh at how this story came closer to the true story than any other had, even to the point where it made the witches seem like the villain of the story.

"WAY TO GET HER HOPES UP for something that's never happened on the history of vampirism." Damon dryly remarked, gaze focused on the empty glass sitting on the kitchen counter in front of him as he opened up a bottle of whiskey he had found in one of Elena's kitchen cabinets. "If you were gonna be so wishful, you should've just..." Trailing off, he poured the bitter drink into the glass, the satisfying glug of the liquid filling up the sudden silence.

"You know what," Stefan finally spun around to face his brother, tired of hearing the comments and chaffs his brother had been throwing around all day. " You weren't there that day when she looked me in the eye and told me she absolutely never wanted this." Sending a glare towards the older of the pair, Stefan nearly spat his statement out with venom.

"Well," Damon exhaled, looking at the younger with a spiteful expression. "If you're so defensive about this, then you shouldn't have let her die." He arched an eyebrow as he spoke, before raising the glass to his lips. "Right now, your words are as confusing as that mini earthquake last night."

"What the hell do last night's tremors have to do with this?"

"I don't know, I was just incorporating a comparison so my point would get through your very clearly thick skull."

"I never meant for her to die." Stefan snapped with clenched teeth. "When the truck went down into the water, I found her with Matt underwater. She asked for me to save Matt and so I saved Matt." The statement, although meant to ease the mood and prove his stance, only made Damon roll his eyes.

"And now the world has one more quarterback." He retorted sharply, still pissed. "Bravo, brother." With his sarcastic comment, he gulped down the contents of the glass withing mere seconds. "People should take morality lessons from you! Think of a class you're teaching, "Two people are dying; one of them is close to you, the other is an insignificant little nuisance! Who do you save?" And your answer would be—" The raven-haired brother's mockery only agitated Stefan.

"Stop."

"You'd say, "Of course, save the insignificant one just because the dying loved one asked."!" He finished, harshly placing the glass back on the counter. "Wonderful choice! A plus grade!"

"SHUT UP—" As Stefan began to start his outburst, there were harsh knocks on the main door of the Gilbert Household, repetitive—almost irregular and rough, as if someone was weakly scratching at or hitting the door.

It had been perfect timing, really; Stefan's outburst could easily turn from verbal to physical. "Do you wanna get that or—"

"I'll... get it." Stefan cut Damon off, walking away hurriedly, all while his irritated aura continued to surround him. "Who would it even be?" He quickly mumbled, wrapping his fingers around the handle in order to pull open the white wooden barrier.

When he focused on the uninvited guest, however, all of his anger dissipated into pure shock and disbelief. There was no possible way for the figure in front of him to be in front of him at all. "Stef, who is it?" Damon's call from the kitchen went unanswered as Stefan continued to stare at the woman in incredulity, forest green eyes widening as the view sunk in. "Stefan?!"

"S-Stefan..." Her voice came out incredibly raspy and hoarse, matching her disheveled appearance well; her usually well-kept pale hair was sticking out a little, visibly tangled and knotted. Her skin was no longer the rich, gently tanned colour it had been—it was leaning closer towards a grey hue that made her look frazzled and sick, while her cheeks had hollowed slightly, enhancing her already prominent cheekbones, but in a discomforting manner. "You're o-okay..."

"Aurelia—" And she collapsed by falling forward into his arms, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she lost consciousness completely. Stefan simply caught her in a hurry, looping his arms around her waist as he lost balance and fell to the floor, pulling her down with him. "'Rel, you..." He gently moved her body upwards so that her head rested on his shoulder, and so she was in a position that would make it easier for him to carry her when he stood up.

"What the heck—" Stefan heard his brother's voice as it was accompanied by his footsteps. "Aure—she's supposed to be in a coffin? Why—Wha—How?" The Elder Salvatore found himself unable to come up with a comprehensible sentence as confusion and surprise washed over his form at the sight of Aurelia Parker in his brother's grip.

"She's alive..." Stefan mumbled into her hair as he gently rubbed her back. "She's okay, Damon. I don't know how, but she's here and she's alive." He began to smile softly as he felt tears of joy prick at his eyes. "She's here." He shut his eyes and pressed his lips to her head silently and slowly. "She's..."

"Oh my God." Elena's voice matched Damon's mood as she walked down the stairs, where she could get a clear view of the door. "Aurelia?"

"THERE ARE MANY WAYS PEOPLE BELIEVE this story went," She had continued. "One said she died of a disease, another that she ran away, but I believe in another, lesser known depiction." This was when the children began to keep their stares on the storyteller rather than turn her heads to talk to each other. "A family of age-old vampires settled in town." Cocking up an eyebrow, Aurelia leaned forward, almost forgetting about revealing herself to the group. "Are any of you willing to make a gamble on who it was?"

"The O-Original Family! You've narrated their story, too!" A laugh came from the apparent grandmother, who looked upon and smiled at the boy.

"Yes, darling, the Original Vampires." She confirmed. "All the witches knew who they were, except the special witch. She hadn't been told any tale like you are; no one wanted to speak to her. She hadn't the faintest clue of vampires." A small pause. "The Original Family, however, took a liking to her. They seemed to have found something in the girl, something special in her. And it wasn't her magic." Implying the highlights of Aurelia's personality, it only made the subject of the conversation smile from a distance. "They took her in with no hesitation, loving her like a sister, a best friend. The witch was happy for weeks and months after she met them, but then came another stroke of luck."

Aurelia then parted her lips with a silent gasp of surprise, furrowing her brows in wonder and curiosity. How had she gotten so close to the story? The elderly hadn't even come into existence when she had turned.

"She found love." Another kind smile engulfed her lips. "She loved him with all of her being. Her father, though forbidding it to keep her in her cage, had no knowledge of how they simply hid and grew closer—with only the eyes and knowledge of the Original Vampires. Eventually, he impregnated her. The two were young of course, though not much younger than the age of marriage. Childbirth out of wedlock was an embarrassment for the coven. When her father found this out, he had instantly drawn his sword on her lover. When it ended, she was the only one who came out unscathed by the blade; he was not fortunate enough to have done the same."

That was when Aurelia felt a tear trail down her cheek.

THE FIRST THING THAT AURELIA FELT as she stirred awake was the constant and overwhelming migraine that she could only groan at. It wasn't nearly as bad as what she had felt while in the coffin, but it was definitely something that hurt. "Shit—" She hissed, raising her hand to press it on her head.

"She's... awake." Flinching at the voice, she groaned loudly once again, not bothering to quieten it down as she sat up—much too quickly for her throbbing head. "Hey, hey, hey—" As the distant and muffle voice tried to calm her down, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. "Aurelia, look at me." In response to the plea, the vampire hesitantly opened her eye—only to shut it once again at the overly bright light in the room.

"Turn it off." She mumbled, now covering her eyes with both hands she her head snapped right away from the source of light. "I said turn the damn lights off!" When her repetition came out through a more threatening and aggressive yell, she heard multiple footsteps scramble around in panic.

"Where's the switchboard—"

"Stefan!" Another voice hissed next to the first, more feminine and alert. "It's almost noon! There's no switchboard to look for; the sunlight's bothering her." Another moan left Aurelia's lips as she rubbed her face groggily, her eyes remaining closed. "Draw the curtains, it's hurting my head too..."

Just moments passed by when Aurelia heard the familiar swish made by the curtains, and the overall room turning a tab bit darker through her fingers. "Is it any better?" Ignoring the question directed towards her, the previously dead individual slowly opened her eyes to peer through the spaces between her fingers.

"Where..." She cleared her dry throat, finding it hard and uncomfortable to speak. "Where the hell am I? I—I was at the school, last I checked." She let her fingers trail down to her throat, gently rubbing against the skin as she only felt the discomfort grow.

"Is she awake?!" A sudden raise in volume drew out a frustrated yell from her suddenly, making the other two individuals in the room jump as Aurelia covered her ears and maliciously growled at the door to the room. "Stefan?!"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" She screeched, scratching at her ears, curling her body up to bring her knees to her chest. "STOP SCREAMING! IT'S HURTING ME!" She paid no attention to how she screamed much more than the voice from downstairs, only to the almost unbearable aneurysm in her head.

"Aurelia—" She turned her head to see a hand reach towards her, before raising her head to meet a familiar pair of chartreuse irises that gently and worriedly stared down at her. "It's me, Stefan. You're at Elena's place and you came here by yourself." His voice was soft and comforting as it grew closer to her shaking form. "Where does it hurt?"

"M—My head..." Her own voice had decreased exponentially to match his, her hands staying on her ears as she maintained eye contact with him. "It r—really, really hurts..." Pressing his lips together, Stefan neared her more, making sure to keep his movements calm and flowing in order to keep from provoking her.

"Can I sit here?" He almost inaudibly asked, slowly gesturing to the empty space on the bed, just in front of her. "Would you be fine with it?" Hesitantly nodding her head, Stefan climbed onto the soft mattress to accompany her. "Here, give me your hands," He held his own out in front of her, only earning a curious and perplexed look from her, but no movement whatsoever. "Come on, Aurelia; I'm not going to hurt you." His assurance began to induce a sense of comfort in her, and she gradually left her grip on her ears to slip her hands into his.

They were soft, fingers gently wrapping around her knuckles with the thumb leisurely rubbing the back of it up and down—he was trying to soothe her, he was trying to let her know that it was a safe environment, that they were of no harm to her. "Stefan...?"

"Yes, yes, it's me." He began to smile sweetly, enveloping her hand entirely as he leaned in closer towards her. "Do you know w-what happened? At the school." She hadn't answered immediately, of course. Her eyebrows furrowed in deep thought as she tried to recall everything, but relaxed instantly as she looked at him with a less perplexed visage.

"Alaric...killed me after getting rid of my ring." She briefly answered. "You and Damon were knocked out. Elena..." Her eyes diverted to the brunette standing at the other end of the room, behind Stefan but near the curtain covered window. "She... tried to save me." Elena looked down quickly when they made eye contact, but Aurelia's gaze stayed strong on her. "But he killed me."

"And do you know how you came back?" Stefan asked, gaining her attention again. "Without the ring?" Aurelia looked away from him once again, fixing her stare in no particular place, her eyes going out of focus for a few spare moments.

"ALAS, LIFE HAD TO GO ON, AND SHE WENT ON to birth two beautiful children. Twins." Her tone saddened as she spoke. "Unfortunately, she had passed during birth, at the age of seventeen. She had been close with my mother, and I was only a child in her womb at the time."

"How would your mother have known her, though? Father says you only came here a few years ago." Through her wrinkled skin, she smiled yet again.

"My mother was a witch of your coven." She replied. "She passed, but I have had children and grandchildren who have travelled to the different parts of the world, the country. After letting them go, I came back here to find closure in my family history. As you would know, this special witch was a part of this coven too, shunned away because of the traditions. My mother was her sister."

That was when Aurelia began to wipe away the tears on her cheeks as she watched the woman reveal her true identity to the group in the four years she had been here. The children only stared at her in awe, unable to put words together.

"My mother hadn't known of the true story, and neither do my children. I looked around, I found people in my long life who could tell me what happened. And what I discovered was that the special witch never passed. Before she closed her eyes and gave in to death, one of the Original Vampires fed her his blood, thus giving her the chance to live on—but as the undead. After reading and looking for years, I found that there was one thing about her that made her special. Her absorbing. She had no magic of her own, which meant there was no magic to take away from her witch soul after dying."

"So she was left with her absorbing?"

"Yes, and no." She replied. "She was left with it, but it stays benign, waiting for one powerful, magical mishap. It will only ever come out with something so truly miraculous, that even our all-knowing coven will not know what explains it. I've speculated that it is something like complete death as a vampire."

The first thing that Aurelia hadn't known about came up, and that was when her niece looked up, in the same place she had been sitting the entire time. Her eyes instantly focused on her figure in the dark shadows, somehow spotting her.

Much to her surprise, the storyteller smiled knowingly. "If she ever was to pass as a vampire, it would trigger a kind of magic the supernatural world will never have seen. Even the hybrids she creates will be inferior to her when she gains control of this power. She will become her truest self as the Original Heretic."

"I—I THINK I KNOW HOW I CAME BACK..." Stefan looked at Aurelia expectantly as those words slipped from her mouth, leaning forward to listen carefully to her. "There was this time, c-centuries ago, I had to..." She trailed off, her mind quickly recalling the memory and the words, but she couldn't word them out properly.

The familiar sound of a beating pulse was what pulled her attention away from the topic. "Hey, you can tell me..." Stefan spoke quickly when he noticed her pause, trying to get a good look at her face in order to figure out where her mind was going. "Aurelia?"

"I..." She couldn't speak any more than that, her eyes fixating themselves on the vampire in front of her—particularly the beating jugular in his neck. She could smell it, as she smelled vampire blood in her centuries of living.

The problem was how tempting it was. She desperately wanted a taste of it at the moment, and she forgot about her throbbing head too quickly to focus on the source of blood in front of her. "Hey, are you okay? Where does it hurt right now?" When she heard him speak again, he sounded muffled and distant; his voice was the last thing she was interested in.

She could only think of how euphoric his blood would taste, just if she had a drink. It was like she had been starved for decades and her solution was just sitting in front of her, ready to be drained of blood for her satisfaction. "Stefan—" She cut herself off, her hand snapping to her face in order to press down on her nose so that she could stop the ever-so-tempting scent from wafting into her system like a delicious stack of hot pancakes and honey for breakfast. "Stefan, get away from me. Please get away from me." She began to crawl backwards on the mattress, her eyes wide and her pupils dilated with thirst and desire.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything!" She burst, her breath becoming uneven quickly when she felt her back hit the headboard of the bed harshly. "I told you to GET AWAY! Just listen to me!" She began to yell and scold him, scaring him into