Chapter Text
The New World. 980’s.
Five year old Astrid Mikaelson observed her siblings. Her eldest brother Finn, age nine, her second eldest brother, Elijah, age seven, her twin and younger brother by more or less an hour, Niklaus, her younger brother, Kol, age two, and her baby sister, Rebekah, age one.
She was sure that somewhere, someone, had a horrible sense of humor, for one, she hated the Viking age. She hated everything about that age, EVERYTHING, except for her siblings. Her parents, she tolerated to a certain degree, but even they annoyed her most days. She hadn’t been cut for the plebeian life or any kind of life that involved her before the invention of indoor plumbing. But she endured, she had to, in this way of living it was fight or die and she had no intention of dying anytime soon, if anytime at all.
When her sister had been born, Astrid had taken to spending most of the time that she was not chasing for Niklaus, attending her baby sister, or helping with Kol. She adhered somewhat to her role during the age that she was living, but she was also a ‘daughter’ of Mikael, who was a viking, so since she had turned four she had begun learning the ways of the sword.
Her relationship with Mikael was a surprise to her, because the man actually seemed to like her. It was weird, because he seemed to dislike Niklaus a little too much for her tastes so that got her in trouble with him. She was a lot like her brother, both blonde, blue-eyed children that easily fit in Mikael’s brood. She was thankful that she hadn’t taken after Ansel, because that would have been a problem.
Apart from Niklaus, her favorite brother was probably Elijah. He was always proper and always had time for his siblings, unlike Finn who always was with their mother. Elijah always made time for her and for that she loved him, and if she cajoled Niklaus into her times with Elijah. Well, she needed their brothers to have an unbreakable bond.
As she continued to grow, so did her siblings, with patience and persistence, she managed to pry Finn from their mother’s skirts. Granted, he only paid attention to her, but it was a start. Niklaus remained her best friend, as it always was going to be, he was her twin, two halves of a whole monster, and while she was not going to turn into a Cersei Lannister, ever… just ew. She could appreciate the twin bond that she and her brother shared.
As she turned fifteen she realized that part of her problems would begin. She was a pretty one, which meant that many boys from the village would be interested in her, so she was even more interested in her sword and in beating all of her suitors.
“You should give one of them a chance, sister,” Elijah said as he sat next to her on the trunk of a fallen tree, she snorted at him.
“As if, if I marry it will be because I want to, not because any of those crybabies that ask my father for my hand,” she said, Elijah smiled at her and patted her head.
“Where’s Nik?” Astrid asked, Elijah shrugged.
“He was taking Rebekah and Kol around, they shouldn’t be far,” Elijah said.
“Henrik and Finn?”
“Both with mother, although I believe Henrik wanted to go with Niklaus,” Elijah said softly.
“Nik’s inability to say no to Henrik will get him in trouble one of these days,” Astrid said.
Elijah smiled at her, “What about his inability to contradict you, sister?”
Astrid smirked at her brother, “I’m the clever one, Elijah, Nik would do well to heed my counsel.”
“Of course, come, I wish to show you something,” Elijah said, offering his hand to his sister.
She followed him through the forest, minding her steps and her skirts. They ended up in a small clearing that had a lovely view of the falls.
“This is a beautiful place, Elijah,” Astrid breathed as she took in nature in front of her.
Elijah smiled at her and pointed downwards. There was a small pool of clear water that Astrid lost no time in getting her feet in.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“I love it; when I die of old age I would like to be buried here, under that tree,” she said pointing at the biggest oak tree that surrounded the area.
Elijah smiled at her and nodded. He sat on a boulder watching as she enjoyed the water.
When she turned eighteen she almost killed a man and thus almost triggered her curse. She had been scared to death about it and Mikael had taken her tears of fright as tears of loss and promised her to never try to marry her off again after he had killed her ‘one true love’. She had spent the night huddled on her bed with Rebekah. Her body trembling with fear. Since she was a woman Esther hadn’t taken precautions with her as she had with Niklaus.
When Niklaus, Elijah, Kol and Finn had returned from a hunting trip she had all but jumped into her twin brother’s arms. She had explained to her brothers that one of her suitors had been close enough to defeat her and that Mikael had stepped in and killed the young man. She was glad for it, but she had been scared for her life.
As her twenty-first birthday approached she realized that so did the end of her mortal life. She tried her best to keep an eye on Niklaus and Henrik, but it seemed that things were just meant to be. When Niklaus returned one morning with Henrik’s mauled corpse she did her best to console her brother, assuring him that it hadn’t been his fault. She and Rebekah stayed by his side as Mikael raged and told Esther to look for a way to protect his children. She used that excuse to draw Kol into the fold and Elijah was drawn in by himself but was too busy being in love with Tatia to care much.
There was one thing that Astrid had managed. It was to keep Niklaus away from the doppelganger.
“Elijah got to her first, brother, stop looking,” she had told her twin once and he had given her a betrayed look.
“Why? Is it because I am a lesser man”
She hit him on the back of his head.
“Are you listening to yourself?” she asked, “Elijah is our brother, and while I don’t commend his horrible taste in women, you can keep yourself from it, you deserve better Niklaus, you both do, so I won’t watch my brothers tear away their bond for the town’s whore.”
Niklaus had looked at her wide eyed, but thankfully had respected her words enough. He trusted her that much. So he had desisted from his affections for Tatia and had tried to pursue another girl.
The New World.
Autumn 1001.
Astrid had been given the wine laced with Tatia’s blood. She and her siblings had enjoyed a plentiful dinner done by her mother. Esther had explained the spell to them, but not all. Astrid had been seated by Rebekah and Niklaus when Mikael arrived and drew his sword to kill his children. Rebekah was the first to go, followed by Astrid and then Niklaus.
Astrid was the first to wake up, feeling groggy she looked at her siblings next to her and moved to shake Niklaus up.
“Niklaus, brother, get up,” she said as she moved his body. He opened his eyes blearily and she smiled tiredly at him before they both moved to help Rebekah up.
“What’s this?” Rebekah asked, patting the blood of her dress.
The three blonde Mikaelsons exchanged glances, Astrid stood as Niklaus pulled Rebekah into a hug promising that everything would be alright.
“I will find Elijah and Kol,” Astrid announced. She was about to walk out of their home when Mikael walked in holding a blonde woman. She moved to the side and watched as he sliced the woman’s hand and allowed Rebekah to drink the woman’s blood.
Astrid helped Niklaus up as Mikael had pushed her brother back, he held him as they watched Rebekah drink, as she was done, Mikael turned to her.
“Drink, you too,” he ordered, Astrid approached the woman carefully and drank as little as she could.
She closed her eyes as she felt the transformation complete. She looked at Niklaus and nodded at him, offering him the woman’s wrist. Mikael had left as she had been drinking.
“Be careful with her, brother,” she warned Niklaus, he nodded before he too drank from the woman, she carefully pushed him back and smiled at him, “No need to kill the poor creature.”
Niklaus nodded and she motioned to where Rebekah was, he understood and moved to comfort his youngest sister. Astrid looked at the woman in the eyes, “leave, now.”
The woman stood up and left the shack, Astrid took a deep breath and organized her thoughts. She was an Original Vampire now, her entire life had been leading up to this moment. She glanced back at her siblings.
“Stay with her, Nik,” she said, Niklaus nodded and she headed out of the shack.
Everything seemed louder, the noises, the people, she did her best to push it aside and set out to find her brothers. She found Kol first, screaming into the nothingness, the loss of his magic heavy in the air, she was quick to pull him into a hug.
“Hey, hey, Kol, darling, shhh,” he murmured into his hair as he held onto her with all of his newfound strength.
“I can’t feel it, Triss, I can’t feel my magic anymore,” he cried into her neck.
“I know, sweetheart, I know, but it will get better, it will,” she promised him as she tightened her hold on him, “Kol, look at me, Kol.”
His brown eyes found her blue ones, she pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“We will surpass this, together as a family, you, me, Rebekah, Nik, Elijah and Finn, whatever Mother and Father did to us, we will overcome this,” she promised, “Aye?”
“Aye,” he said softly. She pressed her forehead against his for a moment before she helped him to his feet.
“Rebekah and Nik are in the main house, have you seen Finn and Elijah?” she asked, Kol shook his head, “Go to them, father made you drink blood?”
“Yes, he brought one of the girls from the village,” Kol explained, Astrid nodded at him.
“Go now, I’ll get Elijah and Finn,” she told him and Kol ran in the direction of the main house.
Astrid continued walking, she needed to find her brothers, pronto. She found Finn and Elijah as they were finishing turning, Finn also looked distraught by the loss of his magic. She joined them as soon as she had seen Mikael leave.
“Brothers,” she said as she ran towards them and pulled them into hugs.
“Are you alright?” Elijah asked, Astrid let go of them and nodded.
“I sent Kol to the main house, Rebekah and Nik are there, he’s distraught, he lost his magic, Finn?” she asked, looking at her eldest brother.
“I can’t feel it either, I feel broken,” Finn admitted softly, Astrid placed her hand on his arm, comfortingly.
“As I told Kol, I expect it to get better,” she told him, then turned to Elijah, “How are you holding up?”
“I am feeling strongly, I can hear everything, it is too much,” Elijah said, suddenly clutching his head.
Astrid stood in front of him and grabbed his arms carefully, he let go of his head and looked at her, “Focus on me, solely on me, brother, listen to my voice.”
Elijah kept his attention on her and he began to let go, his body untensing slowly.
“Better?” she asked, Elijah nodded, “Let’s go then.”
She grabbed both her brother’s hands and led them to the main house. Kol was already there with Rebekah and Niklaus, the six Mikaelson children sat down to discuss their new status. Astrid found that listening to her siblings made it better for her to concentrate on other things beside the hunger that she felt.