𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 - the past

━━━━━━━

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐀𝐘 began normally, Ophelia had awoken and gotten herself dressed in a white dress that had small black stars dotted about here and there. It reached mid-thigh and had a rather deep plunge, but for her, it didn't show all that much off. A pair of heeled knee-high boots covered most of her revealed legs and clicked as she walked. Her entire body smelt strongly of rose, seeing as she had decided to neglect the vanilla body mist for once.

She had decided that the little awkward spell that had transpired between herself and Elijah the night prior didn't happen. Well, it did, but she was going to simply pretend as if nothing had happened and spare the pair of them any... tension.

Somehow, the second she was dressed and ready to begin the day and face whatever it decided to throw at her, Rebekah burst into the siphon's bedroom. The blonde looked as brilliant as ever; hair curled beautifully; eyes framed by her thick black lashes that scarcely needed the help of any make-up, and she was dressed in designer jeans paired with a simple shirt, jacket, and pair of heeled ankle boots. They certainly looked like quite the pair when stood next to one another.

Rebekah's glossed lips parted with excitement, "Ophelia, do you have any idea what day it is today?"

"...Tuesday?"

"No!" Rebekah exclaimed as she pouted, "Well, yes, technically." the blonde sighed as she picked up the bottle of rose-scented spray that Ophelia had placed down, spraying some on herself with a hum of approval, "It's the Casket Girl's festival, and I need a dress. You have impeccable fashion sense, come."

Ophelia blinked in response. Rifling through dresses in the middle of the streets in New Orleans did sound far better than waiting to be dragged into whatever nonsense the others would most likely have going on. So, with a smile, Ophelia grabbed her jean jacket and slid her arms in, and shoved her phone inside her pocket. "Can't think of anything better."

"This is why I like you."

"Because I look nice."

"That trait attracts more than me."

"What do you mean?" Ophelia questioned as she shut the bedroom door behind them, the pair walking side by side towards the stairs of the compound.

A cheeky smile erupted on Rebekah's face and before she could respond, her cerulean eyes caught sight of Elijah on the lower floor. Her pace picked up; the mischievous and matchmaking side of her coming to life, she most definitely wanted to see her brother's reaction to how stunning Ophelia looked.

They reached the ground floor, Elijah looking up from the book that he held in his hands and Rebekah got the exact reaction she had hoped for. Elijah's eyes traveled from top to bottom, lingering on the olive skin of her exposed thighs, the slightly more revealing neckline making his mouth feel dryer than a desert.

The man cleared his throat as he laid his book face down on the seat as he stood, readjusting the cuffs of his suit jacket, "Good morning sister... Ophelia." he presumed that the atmosphere between the two would have been awkward and filled with tension like it had been the night before but was fortunately surprised when Ophelia smiled in response. Her dusty-pink lipstick covered lips revealing her white teeth. "Off to somewhere?"

"I need Ophelia's help in finding a dress, she always looks absolutely stunning." Rebekah chimed lightly, innocently before her grin turned crooked, "Don't you agree?"

Ophelia blinked at Rebekah's comment, she was spurring Elijah on to compliment her and she really didn't know how to feel about it. Did the blonde know that the two had a... she didn't know how to describe whatever it is that they had. As much as she disliked the fact, it wouldn't have surprised her if Rebekah did know; she was a perceptive girl with a sharp eye, and from the things Elijah had said about his little sister, she was well versed in romance. Either Rebekah knew, or the blonde was playing matchmaker for her best friend and her brother.

Elijah, though he had been determined to stay away, flashed a dazzling smile, "I do."

The reaction made both girls gape just slightly. Rebekah hadn't expected her big brother to be so open especially after he had practically begged her to keep his growing feelings to herself. Ophelia on the other hand, couldn't quite think of what she could say. Every time Elijah and herself interacted, she could feel that odd bubbling sensation within her stomach, clawing at her to allow herself to feel something, anything.

The silence stretched on for far too long, making all three of them awkwardly aware that somebody needed to say something, and so, Elijah did. "Have a wonderful day Rebekah, you as well Ophelia. If you need rescuing from Rebekah, do let me know."

Ignoring the small scoff from Rebekah, Ophelia smiled at the man once again and offered a nod, "Will do."

⋆⋆⋆

"For centuries, people have come to New Orleans looking for a fresh start. Looking to find adventure, fortune, and even love. Young society women imported from France with the promise of marrying a proper New Orleans gentleman like the legendary Casket Girls.

Little did they know that the men who awaited them were far from proper, and not at all gentle. They would shake at the carriages, scream for the women to emerge so that they could have their way, alcohol running through their veins and spurring them on.

I wouldn't have it. Girls must stick together, and so, I killed the men; drained them, and tore them apart for trying to harm those women. I coerced the young girls from their transport and promised them that I'd keep them safe.

They followed behind me, trunks in hand as we left behind the carnage. Later, I turned them into vampires; they wished to be strong so that they could protect themselves, so I granted their wishes.

The Casket Girls legend lives on, now celebrated in typical New Orleans fashion with stylish costumes and supernatural flair. It's a yearly reminder of how women can be oppressed by selfish men and how they can triumph when brave enough to fight for themselves."

Ophelia listened intently as Rebekah recalled and recited the 'story' of the Casket Girls and how she had been the one to help them escape the grimy grasp of the men that surely threatened their lives. The siphon looked to Rebekah in a new light; she was a powerful woman, a girl who stood up for what she believed in and she was a good friend.

"A whole parade dedicated to the women you saved, how flattering." Ophelia teased as she pulled Rebekah towards one of the street shops that was lined with gorgeous white flowing dresses, Rebekah following obediently with her arm woven through the siphons.

The blonde grinned, a finger coming up to move away the hair that obscured her view from the slight breeze, "It reminds me of my... humanity I suppose. I see all of this and know that this whole day is dedicated to women who have been oppressed and threatened. I look at this and know that despite the bloodshed, I've done some good."

"You aren't at all what I thought you'd be."

"What did you think I'd be like?"

"I'm not actually sure... Beasts I suppose. The way people describe you, but they do that because they fear you... no, they fear your power. People will always fear those who are stronger than them, no matter whether they've done good or bad."

"It sounds as if you're familiar with the fact."

Ophelia's hasty hands paused, admiring the soft and sheer lace of one of the dresses before dropping the delicate fabric. The sun caught her eyes as she looked up at the taller woman, honey meeting sapphire, "I am."

Rebekah, despite the topic at hand, felt honored. The woman before her had shared details of her past to nobody except Elijah, but she was opening up to Rebekah and the original couldn't help but feel a tightness in her throat that somebody trusted her with something that had clearly scarred them.

Her eyes lit up as she pulled the dress that Ophelia had been observing from the rack, hanging it over her forearm, "Gather some more and then we are going treat ourselves to some cocktails and sweet treats."

"Yes ma'am." Ophelia chuckled with a mocking salute before rifling through more of the dresses.

She was content, happy. The day, though still young, had already been joyous. Rebekah was somebody she could be herself around and it was easy to get along with the woman. They were all too similar, strong women with strong personalities, girls who were seen as beasts no matter what they did. They had one another, Ophelia could see the pair growing closer, like sisters.

Damn that family for worming their way into her once icy heart, damn them for chiseling away at her shield. But at the same time, there was no way she could ever push them back. It had been hard enough with Elijah and the second she had, she regretted it.

⋆⋆⋆

The girls had taken a tremendous amount of time laughing and perusing the streets of New Orleans, admiring the parade and the extravagant dresses. Their arms were full, paper bags almost bursting with fabrics. Each of them had picked out a vast selection of white dresses, symbolic to those that the Casket Girls wore.

But once they had been satisfied with the number of dresses they had gathered, well, there was nothing stopping them from entering different stores and trying on whatever they could find. The variety of clothing they found piled up in the changing rooms, each of them snapping the curtain open and assessing the other with a grin, a thumb held up, a bark of laughter, or a look of confirmation.

Ophelia didn't need even a single article more of clothing to clog her wardrobe, neither did Rebekah for that matter. But nonetheless, each girl practically skipped down the bustling streets with multiple heavy bags on their arms.

People looked in their direction as their chimes of laughter filled the air and mixed with the bountiful tunes of the music that drifted through the joyous air. They drew attention to themselves, but every head that turned their way lit up upon seeing their contagious and beautiful grins. The women were stunning, even more so as pure happiness stretched their lips.

After another couple of hours passed, the inseparable duo found themselves at a gorgeous café; the table and chairs that rested in the warm glare of the sun were white with the faintest of chips in the paint covered metal and the girls looked like they were in a scene of a movie. Brand new sunglasses perched on their noses, bouts of laughter and giggles drifting from their parted lips whilst vibrant and fruity cocktails were gracefully gripped within their fingers.

"So," Ophelia hummed after swallowing a small mouthful of the berry flavored alcoholic drink, "What was that-" she gestured vaguely with her free hand, "-all about this morning, with Elijah?"

The blonde sighed wistfully in response as she swirled the glass in her hand, the orange liquid rippling, "You and my brother, there's something there, I know that you know that, and I know that he knows that." she paused for a moment as she placed the glass down on the coaster, biting her lip in contemplation before eventually sighing, "My brother doesn't allow himself the chance at happiness, especially with a woman, and you know why."

"Celeste."

"Yes, exactly. But the way he acts around you it- it makes me happy. Seeing my big brother who so dutifully dotes on his siblings be truly happy and completely taken by you... I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. And you, Ophelia, you have been so kind to my family. You promised to help bring Elijah home and even after his return, you stuck around. You almost found yourself in the jaws of a wolf when you saved Hayley, you helped break the link between her and Sophie, you promised her you'd help her family... you even jumped at the chance to come shopping with me. I know it sounds silly, but I've never had a- a friend, not like this. I was turned when I was just seventeen... and I've never felt like a teenager, but you, you've made me feel so carefree and happy today."

Ophelia was stunned into silence, her hand slowly lowering her beverage, her eyes unmoving from the somewhat sheepish and embarrassed Mikaelson. "Rebekah, I-" her words failed her, a frustrated sigh slipping from her lips as she stared out into the streets. How could she possibly word what she wanted to say? The fact that she was scared to let herself be... herself. Scared to live the truth.

"Ophelia, we haven't known each other long but I swear to you, you can trust me. You're my friend and I'm yours... I could tell you were upset yesterday; you were so cold and detached. We were worried, myself and Elijah."

Screw it.

"Rebekah, I've done things, terrible things... I've not been honest with anyone and I don't know how to be. I'm... I care for you; I care for Davina and... I care for Elijah. But the things I've done, I don't think anyone could look at me the way they do now."

"Ophelia, love, look who you're talking to. I have committed atrocities in my time, Nik is a ghastly little beast, you know that... and Elijah, no matter how clean and expensive his suits are, no matter how charming and gentlemanly he can be, he's done monstrous things too. We are a family who wouldn't judge you, I swear it."

The blonde reached her hand out, covering Ophelia's with her own delicate touch. Her tone was softer than silk and offered a feeling of comfort that nobody had ever given the siphon.

Ophelia could see so much within Rebekah's glistening eyes, she trusted the girl's words, trusted that she wouldn't judge her, "The things I'm about to say-admit... you need to promise me that you won't speak of them."

"I promise." and Rebekah meant it. The fierceness of the promise burned in her iris's.

A deep breath of fresh air was sucked in by the siphon as she mentally prepared herself for the story that none but herself and her family knew of. The café was quiet, a handful of customers inside sipping away at hot drinks and nibbling on pastries. The streets still bustled, though certainly not as much as the main area from which they had come. It was a safe place to speak, no prying ears or eyes.

"You know that Elijah showed me his memories of Celeste, in return, I showed him the day I discovered my abilities. I'm a triplet, just so you know, the youngest of the three. My older sister Josette and my-my brother Kai... the three of us were celebrating our birthday; playing with our baby siblings, blowing up balloons and eating until we felt sick. Then it came to our birthday cards, one of the more boring parts to a teenager's birthday; and yet it ruined my life.

My mother gave Jo her card and then she handed me mine, I reached out and brushed my hand against her... my hand started to glow this weird and vibrant red and before I knew it, my mother screamed in pain; I had siphoned her.

Dad was furious. You know witches hate us... well, from that second, my family hated me. He dragged me away and threw me into my room, bastard even got ready to smack the living daylights out of me, before Kai interrupted that is.

Kai grabbed my father and just like me, his hand lit up and siphoned our dear old dad. From then on, we were shunned. We lived out years with no skin on skin contact, our parents afraid that we'd siphon and use the magic against them because of course, every siphon is an abomination, a monster in their eyes.

They hated us. They abused us relentlessly. I-my skin was black and blue for the better part of six years. I'd step in, act as a shield for Kai when they'd raise a hand to him. It wasn't just physical either, the emotional toll it took on Kai was... terrifying.

Our family... I'm a part of the Gemini coven."

Rebekah gaped, her eyes widening at the name. Throughout history the Gemini coven was known as one of the strongest, most fearsome covens in existence, they rivaled even the Bennett's... at first. Rumors spread that their power grew with each generation, a ritual taking place to strengthen them.

"You've heard of us, obviously. You see, every generation a set of twins must be born, or triplets... our coven partakes in something called 'the merge', the twins, or two oldest of the set of triplets partake. The coven gathers beneath the solar eclipse and harnesses its power when the two are of age, sending the two participants into a... well, battle of sorts. During this, the stronger of the two would claim their twins' power and they would emerge stronger than ever. The weaker of the two would die as a result.

Of course, the coven couldn't let a siphon become the leader. So our parents, the moment they discovered what we were, began to pump out children until another set of twins were born.

We had no idea that they had planned to restrict Kai from the merge, and were aiming to instead use the twins. When we did find out... chaos ensued.

Kai was manic, his emotions were almost vacant. He was a borderline sociopath. He wanted to be the leader, he craved it... and he deserved it. He was more powerful than Jo and therefore, the crown should have fallen to him.

When Kai realized what our parents were planning, he came to me. His eyes were erratic, anger pumped through his veins with each intake of breath; he was utterly terrifying. He asked me to help him ensure that he would merge with Jo. I agreed. He was my brother, the only person I had for six years of my life, I loved him despite some of the things he did. If I didn't love him... I'd of had nobody.

The night before the solar eclipse we enacted his vile plan. We were going to kill them all." Ophelia muttered; her eyes glued to the table in fear of Rebekah's reaction.

"We were going to kill all of them until it was just us triplets left. Four of our siblings were killed that night, Kai got three of them, I killed the other... sliced their neck with a kitchen knife. Then I murdered my own mother when she began to mutter a spell directed towards Kai. I came up behind her and stabbed the knife into her heart.

Kai had gotten Jo, stabbed her in the stomach, letting her live. He went to go after the twins when Jo finally agreed... She promised to go through with the merge as long as we let the twins live. So, covered in blood, with matching smiles, we agreed."

Ophelia finally allowed herself to look at Rebekah. The siphon's eyes were entirely clear of tears, she couldn't bring herself to cry, because no matter her crimes, her disgusting acts... she didn't feel remorseful, not completely anyway.

Rebekah met her eyes with a look neither of the could quite decipher, but true to her word, there was no malice, no hatred. She understood. She understood because of Klaus.

Her brother had been treated so viciously by their father that it was no wonder why he turned out the way he did. And Rebekah could still remember the pit in her stomach and the water in her eyes when she had to watch her brother be bruised by the man that should have cherished them.

The original's voice was utterly soft. A delicate whisper, "Finish the story, my love."

"We didn't know it, but Jo hid her magic inside of an object, and so, when it came to the day of the merge... well, the coven was there, deathly silent when they should have been chanting away. But neither myself nor Kai even noticed, far too happy and proud that he was finally getting what he deserved.

The merge began. But nothing happened. Kai began to yell, demanding to know what was happening. That was when our father emerged from the dark woods, light glinting off some trinket in his hands. His mouth was moving fast, indecipherable words escaping his mouth and the coven joined in.

Before I knew it, I was here, in New Orleans. The streets were silent, not even the sound of birds chirping filled the air. I was the only one there. I tried to leave the city, tried with everything in me to find my brother, but the city was surrounded by a barrier that burned to the touch. I spent days on end trying to siphon the barrier, trying to find a weak spot... but I couldn't.

My father had sent us both to a prison world. A world entirely vacant of other living beings. I was stuck there for nineteen years. I'm not twenty-two, I'm forty-one." She chuckled humorlessly, "I was pulled out by the magic of the Harvest eight months ago. I woke up and felt this tugging sensation, followed it to Lafayette. I saw visions of girls being slaughtered and then suddenly I was here. In the cemetery with life around me. That's when I saved Marcel and Davina... And here we are now."

It felt elating to get everything off her chest, tell someone of everything that constantly weighed her down, everything that made her question whether she deserved happiness, whether she'd drive it away... or if happiness would turn away from her just as her family did.

She felt somewhat lighter and when she looked to Rebekah who held a small smile, her throat tightened. Rebekah laid her hands out, stretching them across the small table with her palms up and Ophelia immediately placed her own on top, her strong façade almost cracking as Rebekah squeezed her hands.

"I'm going to tell you the truth. I won't lie, you don't deserve that. Trauma... abuse like that takes its toll, it does, it reaches deep and clutches you so tightly you think you'll never breathe again. You retreat from people who show kindness and love because you feel you don't deserve it, you feel scared that they'll leave and take that love with them. Ophelia, those things you did were awful, but I'd do them too if it were me in your position and either of my brother in Kai's. I'd do anything for my family. Anything. You're torturing yourself with this, keeping people away, not allowing them to get close..." She let out a deep sigh, her grip further tightening on Ophelia's hands before she looked up only to see tears welling in the women's eyes.

"You stood up for yourself. You stood up for your brother. You hurt people in the process and whilst many would say that's inexcusable, they made your life hell, and then you were sent away; forced to live in pure isolation with awful thoughts as you relived those memories over and over again for nineteen years. And even then, the second you got out, you saved a child's life, kept her safe. Now you're at my family's side the moment we need you. You have hurt others, but you did it with reason. Reason that I see as justifiable. But you've saved people too, Ophelia; you saved Davina... you've saved my niece. I don't care what anybody else says, that makes you good."

Ophelia couldn't bring herself to say a word and for the first time in a long time, her lips parted in a sob, her head ducking as tears fell from her eyes and onto their conjoined hands, just the mere thought that someone believed she deserved happiness and love was all it took for her to shatter. The sound of a chair scraping against the ground sounded out as Rebekah shifted herself to sit beside the siphon. The blonde broke her hands free and pulled the brunette close, hugging her without feeling a single flinch beneath her touch.

Tears sprang to her own eyes as she hugged the woman tighter, as she hugged her sister tighter.

━━━━━━━

07/12/2020