Light thinks it travels faster than anything, but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it."
― Terry Pratchett-

No sooner had they strode over the manor's threshold and onto the near empty streets, dizziness swept through Arsetti. Taking a few calming breaths, she remained unfazed by all appearances.

However, on the inside she was beginning to panic. They still had to march three more blocks until they could make it back to where her car was parked. She could feel exhaustion creep its way up her spine and found her energy quickly draining.

Perhaps she had over done it, just a bit. Using that much power so soon after gaining them had probably not been the best idea and Arsetti found herself beginning to regret it. Carefully, she looked around at the French Quarter witches, trying to discern if they had noticed her energy fluctuations.

Yet, they all remained facing forward, marching like a well-organized army. Each step synchronized, arms sitting stiffly at their sides in a show of not only solidarity, but power. They were out to make a clear statement to anyone watching, don't fuck with the French Quarter witches.

Despite her tiredness, Arsetti smiled softly at the display and fought harder against her body to keep the façade. She wanted to prove to them that she was a strong leader. It was one thing to showcase the power she held but another to show them that she could handle that power, and she desperately wanted to demonstrate that. It was vital that the voodoo queen illustrate that she was worthy of holding the power that ran through her veins.

Yet, as strong as her will and mind were, exhaustion was starting to win the battle. All around her the world began to spin; buildings, people, and lights all blended in blurry disarray. Faster and faster, her world twirled and danced to the rapid beat of her heart. Her head grew light, as if it were filled with helium and at any moment would disconnect from her body and float away.

It seemed that Arsetti's little show of power, at the Mikaelson manor, was about to come collect its due. She had done too much too fast and in response her body was about to shut down completely. Smiling softly, she hoped the French Quarter coven wouldn't be too upset at her unintended show of weakness.

Fe' who had been closely keeping an eye on the young queen, sense the moment her body was about to give out. Acting quickly, but nonchalantly, he moved closer to her. Eyes shining a preternatural cinnamon, he delicately placed his hand in hers. He had more than enough energy to share with his little cousin and even more to give to his queen in her time of need.

"Oh, no, baby. Now, we can't have none of that." He chided, barely above a whisper. "Hold that head all the way up, Setti. We witch strutting for the masses." He giggled as he gave her a playful wink.

Waving his free hand out to the small crowds of tourist and patrons alike, that had begun to gather along the sidewalks to watch the display.

"You betta strut Miss Queen. Strut like you a new AKA just after crossing over. Stroll Setti!" Laughed Fe' jovially. "Strut for all these peasants. Let they asses see what royalty look like up close."

To the outside world, and even the other witches that march with them, it looked as if the flamboyantly fabulous man was simply trying to get his cousin to loosen up a bit. However, that was not the case. He was discreetly feeding her his power in order to keep her conscious. Like Arsetti, Fe' wanted to drive home the sentiment that the voodoo queen was the strongest of them all.

Relief flooded the young queen as her vision cleared and the dizziness, she had felt crashed down upon her, began to vanish. Finally, able to properly take in the scene before her, she looked around at the small clusters of people watching.

Some were drinking fruity drinks with brightly colored straws and loaded with equally bright candies brimmed in sugar. While others, stood compliantly wearing stoic expressions laced with curiosity.

Yet, all remained rooted in their place watching the witches' display in both fascination and mild entertainment. Unsure if what they were seeing was some sort of established New Orleans tradition, or just happenstance.

Her eyes fell to Fe''s, an appreciative smile adorning her queenly face. Nodding his head, he pulled her in closer for a quick side hug, an unspoken conversation between the two. She said nothing, simply reached into her blouse and handed him the keys to her car.

Still holding hands, the cousins ambled contently back to Saint Louis cemetery. After a brief speech thanking everyone for their participation and plans for the next meeting held by the regent, they made their way to Arsetti's car.

As agreed, in their unspoken conversation, Fe' drove them back to the manor.

"Fe', I think I'm going to have to give you a rain check on Love and Hip-Hop Hollywood. I'm just to damn tired." Yawned Arsetti as she trudged up Le' fleur's cobblestone steps.

"That's alright. Guess I'll call Lemont, see if his wife went to work yet." Shrugged Fe' nonchalantly as he unlocked the manor doors and walked inside. Taking out his phone, Arsetti watched as he sent a quick text to someone. Who, she automatically assumed, must have been Lemont.

Too tired to do anything more, Arsetti made her way to her bathroom.

Deciding against a bath for fear of falling asleep in the tub, she took a quick shower. Cleaned and dressed for bed, she collapsed onto her bed; and before her head had hit the pillow was sound asleep.

Yet, as soon as her eyes had closed, she found them open once more. Only, she wasn't in the safety of her room. Instead, she stood in the middle of Bourbon street.

Inquisitively, she took in the scene before her. The French Quarter sat in ruin.

Gone were the bright lights of the bars and the panoply of touristy liveliness. In its place was a run down, dull, boarded up place that had seen better days and had no one left to tell its rich history.

Alarmed, Arsetti cautiously walked the street, determined to find at least something or someone who could tell her what happened there. Just as she passed Saint Louis Cemetery number 1, she could make out the outline of a person. Walking briskly, she made her way to the shadow until she could make out who it was, and the air was knocked from her lungs.

"MeMaw?" Whispered Arsetti disbelievingly.

The Former voodoo queen simply nodded her head and smiled softly. Needing no further prompting, the young queen ran into her grandmother's waiting arms and began to cry.

"Shhhh. It's alright Setti." Sadie cooed comfortingly, rubbing soothing circles on her granddaughter's back. Once her cries began to ebb a bit, Sadie's expression turned grim.

Wiping her eyes, Arsetti met her grandmother's eyes with confusion. She had so many questions that she had no idea where to even began. However, Sadie shook her head sadly, explaining.

"Now is not the time, Setti. Come, you need to see this."

In the blink of an eye, the duo stood back in the center of the French Quarter.

A chill swept through Arsetti, unlike anything she had ever felt before. Like the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when something wasn't quite right, it nagged at her. Causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand at attention, she remained alert; eyes scanning around for anything that seemed out of place.

It was when she skimmed past a dark alley for the third time that she noticed something she hadn't before. A tall shadowy figure slightly hunched over something smaller. It was hard to make out and she strained to catch a better glimpse. She tried to take a step forward but found herself unable to move.

Her grandmother held tightly to her hand, silently urging her to stay put. Just when she was about to ask why, the shadowy figure lifted its head.

Deep blood red eyes met her steely blues in pure malice and Arsetti was taken aback for a second.

Its face was still obscured, but from what she could make out the thing appeared to be grinning at her.

She watched in morbid fascination as its vermilion eyes flashed and its grin widened incomprehensibly and inhumanly. Twisting and turning into something downright terrifying, it pointed its bony finger at her.

Bones with bits of rotten flesh still attached began to pour from its twisted grin, oozing out onto the street to pool at Arsetti's feet.

At first, she thought they were some sort of animal bones but as they continued to cascade towards her in heaps, she realized that they were undeniably human. Not only were they human but they were much too small to belong to any adult.

Visibly disgusted, Arsetti cringed.

Giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, Sadie presaged gravely. "Setti, they are trying to bring him back. To bring back the darkness and cast us all back into the shadows. If you aren't careful history will repeat itself and he will finally finish what he started."

Turning away from the horrid image and trying to ignore the brush of bones sliding and scraping at her skin, the young queen met her grandmother's grim stare. "Who is this, MeMaw?" She queried more than a little confused.

However, instead of an answer like she expected, the former voodoo queen merely clapped once and the scene before them vanished.

In its place stood an old shanty. Its dry rotted wooden planks stripped of any paint as its tin roof sat rusted by years of sun and rain. The grass that grew around it was dry and quite sparse. The soil cracked and hard, resembled the riverbanks when they've dried out from lack of rain.

Perplexed, Arsetti turned to ask her grandmother the meaning of this but found only empty air greeted her.

Before she could dwell on it for too long, a pained moan from inside the old shack gained her attention. Without hesitation, she made her way inside only to stop in horror just beyond the threshold.

There were candles everywhere.

All circling what appeared to be some sort of pentagram. Black salt and various crystals outlined the chalked symbol. At each point, sat a sacrificed animal. Their entrails flayed open and oozing to the pentagrams center.

Yet, it was what set in the center that brought tears to Arsetti's eyes and fiery rage burning through her veins.

She watched at the woman's black blood mixed with the animals, as the gaping hole in the center of her stomach openly displayed the bottom of her still beating heart.

Steely blues met agonized hazels, and she watched as the woman struggled to breathe. The retched sounds becoming more garbled and waterier with each inhale.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other; both knowing what was to come and unable to stop it.

"Momma," cried the young voodoo queen brokenly, reaching a shaky hand out towards her supine form. Yet, she received no answer.

She had always known her mother had died a gruesome death, though the details of that night had been kept from her.

She realized now that her mother's last moments had to have been excruciating, both physically and mentally. To die alone, like she had, seemed almost unfathomable to the young queen and her heart bled for her mother's final moments.

A watery sigh slid out before she could stop it, as a fresh crop of tears trekked paths down her cheeks.

However, before she could utter another word the candles began to flicker as a dark presence entered the room. Dressed in dark purple robes, the being hovered over her mother's prone form.

His skull mask was the only thing Arsetti could make out of him beyond his hooded robes. She watched helplessly as he withdrew a wicked looking knife that resembled a scythe.

Coupled with the robes, and his skull mask, it gave off the impression that he was the grim reaper himself. There to collect her mother's soul.

Panic swept through Arsetti as he drew closer to her mother. Garbled voices filled the room, overlapping one another as the candles flickered and their flames began to turn black.

Suddenly, her mother's eyes found hers.

"He's coming Setti." She screamed. "The reaper man is coming!"

Laughter filled the room as her mother began to scream. Her body began to shrivel up as her eyes turned white. Soon nothing remained of her but a mummified hollow shell and then even that disappeared into nothing but dust.

Triumphantly, the dark being stood tall and then for the first time since she had been there, turned to face her.

Once again, the distorted voices overlapped each other coupled with laughter. Everything around her began to spin, yet the robed being remained still.

Raising his arm, he pointed his scythe-knife at her.

Panting, Arsetti shot up from the comforts of her bed.

Sweating and shaking, she tried to still her rapidly beating heart. Wiping her brow, she glanced around until her eyes found the clock on her dresser. 2pm. She had slept until the afternoon. Before she could dwell on the idea of sleeping in, she heard the rush of heavy feet.

Flinging open her door, Fe' rushed to her bedside. "Oh, thank God your finally up." Began Fe' filled with relief. "I was starting to worry about you."

"I know. I'm sorry I had you worried cousin. I guess I was a lot more drained than I really understood." She supplied weakly, still disturbed by the images she had seen. "In the future, I'll try my damndest not to sleep till noon."

"Noon?" Came Fe' confused response. "Setti, baby, you been out for 3 days. If it wasn't for your study heartbeat I woulda thought you was dead." Shaking his head, Fe' rid himself of that thought.

Instead, he prepared himself to deliver some more unpleasant news. Gently, he brushed away a few strands of hair from around Arsetti's face that had been dangerously close to getting in her eye.

"Setti, I know you just woke up and all from your unintended coma, but I gotta tell you something. And baby, I don't think your gonna like it much." He began carefully. "See, while you were out of commission, somebody's been going round snatching up kids. Not just any kids, either. Setti, somebody been abducting kids from the different covens."

Horrified, her mind began to supply her with the images her grandmother had shown her. The dark being, her mother, and the mounds of children's bones flooded back to her, and she had to stop herself from becoming physically ill.

Instead, she tried to focus on the bigger picture. Nodding, she eyed Fe' carefully, judging his reaction to what she was about to reveal.

"MeMaw came to me while I was out." She began meticulously. Watching as her cousin's eyes widened a bit.

"Go on," he urged. "What did she say?"

"Fe', who's the reaper man?" she asked watching as Fe''s concerned face fell and became hauntingly pale and lost in his own memories.