•|•
Elijah's phone rang, and he answered it when he saw that it was Isabel calling from the Bayou.
"Isabella."
"We caught scent of Aurora out here in the Bayou. So if you could come out thats be great."
"Yes. We will see you soon." Elijah hung up and turned to Klaus with a smile. "The Crescent wolves... They found Aurora."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
It was early in the morning, and the sky remained dark as Isabel walked toward the abandoned train car where Aurora and Aya were plotting earlier. She walked into the train car, which had a sign indicating it was formerly a post office car, and hesitantly walked though the hallway inside, making her way toward the main room while old-fashioned jazz music playing on a gramophone player nearby. She finally ripped the curtains open, but was shocked to find that there was no one in the room, though the creaking floorboards nearby seem to indicate she was not alone.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Isabel nervously turned back to leave. However, when she sensed something nearby, she found a hidden door and opened the lock to find someone's body was inside, which immediately slumped forward onto her. Curious, she lifted the person up behind the hair to see their face, revealing it to be Lucien, who had been bound, gagged, and was very desiccated as though he'd been starved for quite a while.
"Lucien." She hissed.
Outside, Aya and two members of the Strix have put Aurora's unconscious body in the back of an SUV, as her astral self was still in the chambre de chasse. When Elijah and Klaus approach them, Aya does not look at all surprised by the sight of them as she slinked in their direction.
Aya in a sing-song voice said, "hello, gentlemen."
Klaus smirked. "I had planned on taking a different head tonight, but yours will do just fine." Aya quickly drew Aurora's white oak bullet-filled gun and aimed it at him, and Klaus glared at her angrily. "I am getting so tired of having that vile weapon pointed at me."
Aya made an amused face and shrugged before she aimed it at Elijah instead. Elijah, despite visibly angry by this, maintained his fake smile and equally amused demeanor.
"Creator destroyed by his own creation. I suppose there's a certain poetry to that, wouldn't you say, Niklaus?"
Inside the train car, Isabel removed Lucien's gag, and he panted for breath weakly, his skin still gray from being starved. "Get... Klaus... out of here."
Isabel frowned in confusion and made a concerned face.
Outside, Aya was still aiming the gun at Elijah, who does not seem to buy her bluff. "Shoot me, and you die."
Aya shrugged, not caring. "True. For now."
Cynthia walked forward out of nowhere and began to cast the chambre de chasse spell as she thrusted her hand forward. "Lo cosu om a din la chambre. Lo cusu om a din la chambre..."
Klaus and Elijah's muscles seize up, and they both groan in pain as the wind starts to howl around them. Finally, they both collapse to the ground as their astral selves are sent to the chambre de chasse with Tristan and Aurora.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Isabel brought Lucien back to the compound, where he was frantically gulping down several blood bags to replenish himself in the courtyard while Marcel and Isabel argue about what has happened to Klaus and Marcel in front of him.
"I had no idea that Aya was gonna take Klaus and Elijah down! And regardless, why the hell are we trusting this guy all of a sudden, huh? He's the one who ran off with Aurora the first chance he got."
Lucien looked at him weakly. "You can hardly fault a man for following his heart. Yet, the moment she started raving about firing white oak into Klaus, well... Words were said, hearts broken, veins drained."
Isabel turned back to Marcel. "You're one to talk about trust- who was it that handed my dead husband's heart to the people that helped murder him?"
"I bought your life with that heart. But hey, you know what? You called me here, so if you have another plan? Please, let's hear it."
"Well how about we storm the coven house, stop the Strix from completing the de-siring spell. Period."
"Okay. Well, that's easy for you to say. You're not sired by anybody, are you?" He asked frustrated.
"It's not just about de-siring... We've got to stop an execution," Lucien said.
Marcel made a face and walked over to him with a skeptical look. "What are you talking about?"
"A lovesick teenage witch with a runner-up heart is somehow going to break the sire link? I'm sorry, but your darling Davina is in over her head, and Aya knows this. She will let Davina de-sire both brothers, then test the spell's success by firing a white oak bullet into Klaus' heart. I mean, it's win-win for her- if you live, Marcel, we'll, she's won. If not, at least she's eliminated the rival sireline, including me."
"That girl." She rubbed her head. "His prophecy witch said she saw Klaus die and his entire sireline burn."
Marcel looked extremely worried as Lucien quoted Alexis' words from her prophecy.
"'She watched us fall, she watched us burn, every soul Klaus ever turned.' When Aya tests this spell, Klaus will fall either way. And, if Davina fails, as she likely will, the two of us will die as well."
Just then, Stefan walked down the stairs and into the courtyard. "Actually... make that the three of us."
Isabel turned around quickly stunned as she heard the familiar voice. "Stefan?"
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
In the courtyard, Stefan looked at a blueprint of the Davilla Estate while Lucien stood over his shoulder.
"Could use one of these access tunnels to slip into a back room," he said pointing at an area.
"Hmm." Lucien frowned.
"What?" Stefan asked, sarcastically. "Worried about getting a little dirt on your thousand-dollar shoes?"
"Actually, I'll be doing most of the heavy lifting, since the vampires we're facing are, what? Seven times your age?" He replied. Lucien then turned to Marcel, who was sitting on the staircase and had just hung up his phone, looking frustrated and unhappy. "Is this really the best help we can get?"
"Doesn't matter," Marcel said. "We're not getting their bodies back. Strix from all over the world are flying in to make sure this spell goes off. They're guarding every entrance and exit."
"Well, you're their leader. Call a meeting. Schedule a retreat. Order them to stop." Lucien suggested.
Marcel shook his head vigorously in protest. "Nah, nah, nah, nah. I do that, Aya has no problem staging a coup."
Lucien sighed. "Marvelous. I guess it's on me to come up with our grand plan, then."
Just then, Isabel and Freya walked in to join them having left Hayley with the kids for a while.
"No need, Lucien. Freya figured out a way to get the boys out of the chambre. She just needs a strong enough power source."
"I'd channel Finn, but he's all for letting our brothers perish. So, I'll channel Lucien. The older the vampire, the better the battery."
"So that means we're going to buy her some time, keep the Strix occupied."
Lucien scoffed and turned to Marcel. "Wait, so you want me here holding hands with the leftover sister while you take the toddlers and tackle the Strix? You must be jok-"
Freya smirked and flicked her wrist, telekinetically snapping Lucien's neck and watching in amusement as he fell back against the couch.
Stefan turned to Freya and gave her a hilariously impressed look. "Huh, that was impressive."
"Well, I work better with quiet." She replied, smiling.
"Wait, so the plan is that the three of us are gonna keep one hundred of the world's most ancient vampires occupied?"
"Well, there could be another way..." Stefan suggested.
Marcel gave Stefan a curious look.
"All you have to do is get us to the front door."
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Marcel is driving a black car down the road to the Davilla Estate. In the trunk are Stefan and Isabel, the latter of whom is looking at her phone to keep track of where they area
"Are we close?"
"A few more minutes." Isabel replied. She swiped left to exit the GPS map and ended up on her home screen, where Stefan saw the picture of Isabels kids as she smiled at the wallpaper.
"They've gotten so big." Stefan commented. "Rose is beautiful."
Isabel smiled more."Yeah. She is."
"I'm guessing Hope is the reason you're doing this."
"Going into a fight we may not win? She's not the only reason, but yeah. Maybe I just don't want her to grow up without her father."
"Hmm. Guess that depends on the father. I could have done without mine. You know if it weren't for my brother, I probably wouldn't have survived the guy."
Isabel never really learned a whole bunch about Stefan or even Damon's past so that was news to her. "So, now your paying him back by saving him." She thought for a moment before saying, "you know, I never understood your brotherly bond with Damon until I met Nik and Elijah. They hurt each other more than anyone, but... They're vicious when it comes to each other."
"And the ones they care about?"
Isabel smiled and looked back at him. "So, found anyone to put on your homepage?" She asked.
Stefan chuckled quietly and pulled out his phone to show her his wallpaper, which was a photo of Caroline smiling brightly. Isabel smiled at the news. She saw something between the two of them and she knew they'd be good together.
"I'm happy for you two Stefan. Just don't you hurt her." She raised a brow at him causing Stefan to look amused as he took his phone and put it back in his pocket.
"Yeah, I'll make sure she's treated right." He promised.
"Good." Just then, the car slowed down as Marcel pulled up to the front gate. Stefan looked like he was going to say something else but Isabel quickly shushed him by placing a finger to his lips. "Shhh."
The Strix vampires at the gate approached the car, and when Marcel rolled down the window and gave them a look, one of the vampires gestured toward the other one to open the gate and allowed him to go through.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Outside of the Strix headquarters, several Strix vampire guards are pacing around outside the front gate. Stefan and Isabel are still in the trunk of Marcel's car.
Isabel sighed. "It's time."
Stefan anxiously scratched at the healing wound from Rayna's sword on his shoulder when he said, "just don't kill me Isabel. And let's get this done."
"Already wanting to get rid of me huh?" She snarled back.
"You know I'm not but I'm ready to get away from them," he said as he scratched the paste Freya mad him some more.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
"Well, if it isn't Rayna Cruz!" Aya said as she saw the blood soaked woman before her and the other vampires vamp-out and lunge for the Huntress at vampire speed.
Meanwhile, in the hallway, Isabel peeked around the door to make sure they're all fully occupied before she continued on toward the pool room. She walked forward hesitantly to see Davina, Cynthia, and the other Sisters' are still performing the spell.
"Newo unus animabus carnem et sanguinem de ista duo. Sanguinatum venetus barkael meh. Nemo unus animabus carnem et sanguinem de ista duo. Sanguinatum venetus barkael meh."
Isabel looked horrified as she saw Klaus and Elijah floating in the pool filled with their blood as Davina helped, but the witches all have their eyes closed and don't immediately notice her.
One of the Strix vampires see her but before they can do anything Isabel vamp-sped toward him and snapped his neck without hesitation. Unfortunately, his grunts of pain and the sound of him falling to the floor caught the other's attention. Marcel, looking panicked, vamp-sped over and snapped the neck of another Strix guard, and Davina looked shocked.
"What the hell?"
"I'm sorry, D," he said.
"But you cannot do this to them." Isabel finished for him.
"We need to get them out of that water now." Marcel said worriedly.
Isabel nodded in agreement, but Davina looked furious as she thrust her hand toward them, just as the Sisters all do the same.
"No!" Davina screamed.
Marcel and Isabel were both thrown backward toward the far wall, incapacitating them long enough to return to the spell.
Suddenly, Elijah awakened in the pool though the Sisters don't seem to notice immediately.
"Newo unus animabus carnem et sanguinem-"
Before they can continue, Elijah vamp-sped to his feet in the pool and grabbed Cynthia by the front of her cloak, pulling her into the water and both drowning her and feeding on her at the same time.
Marcel and Isabel have just finished recovering from being thrown into the wall, and while Davina and the remaining Sisters are trying their best to complete the spell, it was obvious that they're terrified and unsure of what to do.
Once Cynthia is dead, Elijah leapt out of the water and snapped the neck of one of the other Sisters while Isabel does the same to another. Marcel leapt to his feet and pleaded with Davina.
"Davina, stop!"
"Please Vina!" Isabel begged her as well.
Davina looked between the two of them before getting to her feet and rushing away, though she still continued chant the spell despite the conflicting feelings she felt. But she knew in the end she had to do what she had to do.
"Nemo unus animabus carnem!"
Suddenly, Klaus awakened in the pool while the others had no idea what to do yet.
"Nemo unus animabus carnem!"
Klaus leapt out of the water at vampire speed but the force of Davina's spell caused him to remain frozen in the air as she growled at him.
"You've had your time!"
The lights explode into a shower of sparks, and she pushed her arms down, causing Klaus to land with a large splash into the pool.
"Davina please!" Isabel yelled.
But all Davina did was continue as Klaus screamed. Klaus had hurt so many and she no longer cared much about if he died. "Nemo unus animabus carnem! Nemo unus animabus carnem!"
As she chanted, both Marcel and Stefan's skin started to turn red as well as Davina slowly broke the sireline link. It traveled up to their neck as they all screamed in agony until finally, Davina waved her arms in two concentric circles, which caused the water in the pool to shoot up in what looked like a half-dozen geysers. The force of completing the spell caused her to pass out and collapse onto the floor, and Klaus to fall unconscious in the water once again.
Elijah and Marcel, both weakened by the ordeal they've each been through, struggle to rise to their feet. Elijah jumped into the pool to gently pick up Klaus, whose body looked desiccate white Isabel fell by the side. However, the desiccation quickly began to fade as the wound on his throat healed, and he weakly opened his eyes.
"I felt them leave. My sireline is broken." They all heard.
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
"End it, Elijah!" Aya yelled. "Or I'll take that gun and kill you just to finally be free."
Elijah's hand started to shake as he tried to aim the gun at Aya's chest, but it was clear that he didn't have it in him to end her life.
Before either of them can react further, Aya gasped as a stake appeared to be driven through her heart from behind. Elijah gasped in shock when he sees Isabel's face hovering over Aya's shoulder from behind her, and Aya looked just as surprised as she started to desiccate.
"That's more mercy than Jackson ever got."
Aya sighed in relief and collapsed onto the floor as she died, and though Elijah looked shocked to see her dead, he was at peace that it was done
≪≫•≪≫•≪≫
Klaus walked out of the tomb where he bricked up the very alive up Aurora to find Stefan outside waiting for him.
"So... the spell worked. We survived. I saved you, and you saved me. Funny how that works, isn't it?"
Klaus smirked. "Mmm."
"I'd be happy to let this be the end. Am I too optimistic in thinking we'll never see each other again?"
Klaus shrugged. "Well, that depends- are you going to do the right thing?"
Stefan gave him a knowing look. "By whom? I assume you don't mean my brother."
"By Caroline. Isabel's told me about you two."
"I love her. And despite our rough start I try to do right by her. Tell Isabel that she has nothing to worry about."
"Thank you. Saves me from having Bel storm back down to Mystic Falls."
"You know, um... there's someone else you should be thanking."
"Marcel had to fight for me for his own survival..." Klaus said with a frown.
"I'm talking about Isabel. For some reason, she cares about you- has for a while now- enough to risk her own life. Take your own advice. Do right by her." Klaus seemed stunned and taken aback by the statement about his parabatai and he exhaled a shaky breath.
Stefan frowned in concern. "You okay?"
The hybrid smiled weakly. "Never better." He and Stefan then shake hands to say goodbye. "And you... take care of yourself, old friend."
Stefan smiled back at him and picked up his knapsack off of the ground before he turned and left the cemetery.
Klaus turned around to walk toward Freya, who had just appeared. After being with Hayley and the kids the whole day she knew she had to find Klaus after everything that went down. Just before he reached her though he got woozy for a second and had to lean against the wall of a nearby tomb to avoid collapsing onto the ground. Klaus looked at Freya with a worried expression not knowing what was wrong. "What's wrong with me?"
Freya smiled affectionately. "You hemorrhaged an enormous amount of mystical energy. Enough to create a nexus vorti. It's nothing a good night's rest won't cure."
Instead of curing his worries, Klaus got more concerned. "Where did the energy go?"
LOOK WHOS BACK YALL
SLIM SHADY anywho hope
you enjoyed :)
👀