✓ | 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂, Stefan and Damon

Chapter 1

Everyone please read the cast and quotes. Also, I get that people don't usually read the prologues, but that is important to the backstory of Astrid!

While I have been daggered by betrayal many different times in my life, this time was on my own terms. We were being hunted and the magic I had to fake my own death. Mikael had to think I had killed myself using all of that magic. He never understood that wasn't exactly how magic worked for us Siphoners.

The day that I asked Nik to dagger me would be etched into my memory for all time.

Wednesday, October 13th, 1895

Austin, Texas

"Are you sure that you want me to do this, Astrid?" Nik asked me, the sharp dagger in his right hand. I could tell by the teary look that he didn't take any pleasure in fulfilling one of my requests. Normally he would give me whatever I pleased.

Astrid Mikaelson, the first Original to ask to be daggered.

"It's not about want, Nik, it's about need," Nik shot me a glare before I sighed. "Yes, I want this Nik. Stop trying to talk me out of this and just dagger me already."

I had always been the most loyal to my brother. Even when our other siblings would plot against the Original Hybrid, I would stay by his side. Always and Forever was what I promised, and I would not go against my word. Just like Elijah, my word holds value.

I never lied to him, I never kept anything from him. We were in this together. Nik was not the only Original that daggered their siblings, although our kin would hate to acknowledge that fact. In fact, the first time that I had been daggered, it had been by Elijah, the noble one, who believed I was going off the deep end. It may have been for my own protection, but that betrayal will never be forgotten by Nik and I.

"Striddy," Nik pleaded with me, even managing to use his old nickname for me. I shook my head and walked closer to him, my hazel eyes opening up to look into his blue ones.

I gripped the hand that held the dagger and whispered, "You know I wouldn't ask you to do this unless I had already thought it through. You need to get out of here. Mikael is coming and he will kill me if he finds out I am undaggered. He hates me just as he hates you, Nik, and he will stop at nothing to put me . . . put us down."

"There has to be another way, little one." I smiled at the nickname. I was always the littlest daughter. Maybe I was not the youngest of our kin, but I was definitely the smallest, standing at a mere 5"2.

"There is not, Nik, if there is another way, do you not think it unwise for me to ask you to dagger me where I stand now? Please, Nik, just-" I had no time to finish my sentence as the searing pain of the dagger ripping through my clothes and flesh struck me. I whimpered as I let myself fall into Niklaus, and then into the darkness.

Tuesday, March 18th, 2010

Mystic Falls, Virginia

Light flooded into my vision as I let out a gasp of much needed air. I didn't know how much time had passed since I asked my loyal brother to do the unthinkable. My eyes were open as I stared at the ceiling. Alone, I was alone in the room.

I sighed before dragging myself out of the coffin where I laid for an unknown amount of time. The room that I was in was a bedroom, with dazzling gold and baby pink bed sheets. Nik still remembers my favorite colors, it seems. I laughed to myself as I rushed over to a bag of blood that lay on an ancient looking white wood nightstand and drank it in just a few gulps. I had forgotten how hungry you could get after being daggered.

While I regained my strength on the bed, I heard multiple voices from outside my room. I could decipher two of the voices, the female voice being Rebekah and the male voice being my favorite brother (don't let Kol or Finn hear me say that) Nik.

The last voice was calm, collected, and undeniably sexy. His voice drew me in. Something deep in my chest, inside my inner vampire, begged me to let them meet him. I made sure to keep myself as quiet as possible, knowing that I was probably failing due to the mere fact that my siblings are vampires.

I tiptoed down the hallway and into the kitchen where I saw my sister and brother chatting (more like bickering. Just the usual in the Mikaelson household). Both of them cocked their heads to see me. I could tell that it was Rebekah who had picked out the clothes that were currently on my body. She was always the fashionista and knew the kind of things I liked to wear.

On my body was a simple light blue dress. The style was alien to me. I had gotten so used to corsets and those things that made your ass look bigger than half your body itself. The dress had small embellishments on the sides and right where a belt would be, drawing attention to my hips and breasts, which were somewhat smaller than those of my older sister's. I wore some small black flat shoes that I could tell would be my new favorites.

"Hello, love, I see that you have finally woken from your beauty rest," Nik jokes, sipping on a glass of bourbon. I laughed and sped myself over to the table, taking my seat and giggling. Why other vampires would not just speed run themselves everywhere is beyond me.

"How long have I been out, Nik?" I asked, my voice hitching at the impending answer. I had been out for at least a century from the change in clothing. The drastic change in clothing.

"Over 100 years, love, but I promise that all is well now. I have so much that I wish to tell you," Nik gave me a rare smile as he passed me a plate of food and a glass of bourbon. I smiled back and looked at my only sister.

"It is good to have you back. I was daggered for nearly as long as you, so you aren't alone in the confusion. Niklaus over here," She waved her hands dramatically at my brother who was casually sipping on his bourbon, "Decided that he needed to dagger me in the 1920s. He claims that it is 2010. Can't wait for the new 20s, wonder what they'll come up with."

"Sounds fun, Bex, but I would like to ask, why did it take you so long to undagger me, Nik? You said you would undagger me once it was safe," I questioned. Nik lowered his head. He never did like it when I was upset with him.

"I never wished to upset you, Astrid. It was not safe for a long time. It has only become safe once more very recently." I frowned. He was keeping something from me.

"What changed?"

"I broke the curse that has kept my werewolf hidden for over 1000 years," Nik cheered, putting down his glass so he could come over to me. He placed a warm kiss on my head and threw me over his shoulder. I cried out in protest as he ran me to the living room of the house we were in. With my vampire hearing I could hear Rebekah's scoff from the other room.

"Oh Nik I'm so happy for you!" I got off of his body and proceeded to give him a huge hug. I heard someone clearing their throat from behind me. I whipped my body around only to see one of the most handsome men I have ever seen. That's 1000 years of men.

Only one word came out of my mouth, "Mate."