Chapter Twenty-Five
The Second Battle of Auxor
Auxor Castle
Southern France
October 2010
With a rasping intake of breath, Kol ripped the jagged tree limb out of his heart and tossed it on the grass, snarling at his opponent.
"Ready to surrender?" she called to him.
"You wish," he retorted before charging across the field. "I'm just warming up."
Right as his hands were about to close around her, he was hit with a shock of vertigo. He wagged his head to shake the feeling off; when he looked up, she had shifted him forty feet away. He dropped his fangs and made his way back to her at human speed. They began circling each other, the witch's amethyst eyes twinkling with delight.
"-see how Mariko is taking her time wearing him out? She is masterful at this. She's immortal but not a vampire, and therefore does not possess superspeed and strength. She has found many creative solutions to this supposed weakness," Elijah explained to Klaus' hybrids and some of the French witches as they observed the fight.
Kol charged Mariko again, but this time, she flew into the air. Elijah smiled.
"As you see," he said lightly.
Below ground, Kol pointed up at Mariko and then spun on his heel. A second later, he ran up a tree with so much force, he was propelled upwards. He managed to twist midair and grab his opponent's lower body and drag her back to the ground. As they rolled around in the grass, Mariko pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the side. He bit down into her throat. Their audience murmured in alarm, but Elijah merely looked bored.
"A little finesse never hurt anyone," he muttered in annoyance.
"Riko? Kol? What are they doing?!" Bonnie exclaimed, walking down from the castle. "Is he biting her?!"
Elijah turned to the young witch. "Miss Bennett, there is no need to fret; they are only sparring."
Bonnie's mouth fell open as she watched them tumble. "Caroline sent me down to get you three for the meeting," she told Elijah, her eyes focused on Kol and Mariko.
Elijah nodded and turned to his brother and friend. "That's enough! We are needed up at the castle. Damon, take over!"
Damon stepped forward and saluted Elijah mockingly. Kol immediately disengaged and twisted around to look at them.
"Yes, brother. Oh! Hello, Bonnie," he greeted, rubbing Mariko's blood off his splattered face with a flourish.
Mariko rolled her eyes and shoved him off of her, wiping at her neck. Bonnie's eyes were round at saucers.
"Did he - did you just feed from Riko?" she asked, aghast.
Kol jumped to his feet and offered a hand to his opponent, lifting her to her feet. "No fear, love. She's indestructible."
"It'll take a lot more to take me down," Mariko added with a wink.
It was true that Mariko's neck was completely healed; she started walking back up the castle with Elijah. Bonnie dazedly fell into step beside Kol.
"Later, Bon-Bon," Damon called after them. "Pair up! Preferably witch versus hybrid," he ordered. "Impress me."
"How did she do that?" Bonnie asked in an awed voice.
"She's the best," Kol answered with a shrug. "It's been ages since I sparred with her; she's only gotten more formidable with age. And now her blood is ten times tastier," he proclaimed reverently.
Bonnie gave him an affronted look.
"Pardon me, darling. I forgot myself," he apologized with a wink. "Shall we?" He offered his arm to the witch.
She bit her lip before resting her hand on him.
Deep within the forest, Qetsiyah concentrated hard on finding the right psyche to enter. She tried eight minds – witches, vampires, hybrids – before finding one that would provide her with answers. From her hiding spot in the young French witch's brain, she observed a great hall within the castle. A blond was pacing in front of a large table covered with maps and papers; Qetsiyah assumed this was Caroline, the French hybrid she had heard so much about. All around her were the faces of Esther's children and French witches, as well as the Bennett witch and the Undying Witch. She waited.
"We're undoing the protective spells at dawn tomorrow and we need to agree on a game-plan for Silas before then," Caroline stated.
"Kill him." It was one of the Mikaelson brothers.
"Just like that?" someone asked.
"If Esther manages to find a way to get to him, she'll have the Cure and can relink us," the Mikaelson sister said.
The Undying Witch grimaced. "And if Silas finds a way to get out during the battle, he might find Amara and all hell will break loose."
"Literal hell. We cannot allow the anchor to be destroyed; this is what all those cults I came across centuries ago were anticipating. Crazed apocalypse worshippers."
"We get it, Kol," his sister said drily.
"No, he's right," Caroline said. "If Amara drinks his blood and kills herself, there will be no anchor. We do not understand what we are dealing with here; we need to maintain the status quo."
One of the other Mikaelson brothers stepped forward. "But the Other Side is not an afterlife; it is a prison. We should not allow it to remain. Do we not have a responsibility to the greater supernatural community and ourselves to ensure we are not sent to a manmade purgatory, designed by a scorned witch for a manipulative maniac?"
As the debate continued, Qetsiyah dug deeper into the witch's mind until an image crossed in front of her: the Undying Witch and a Siphoner witch taking blood from Silas. She forced the young witch to exit the room discretely.
When Verenice came to, she was lying on the forest floor surrounded by a group of muscular men.
"What…? How did I get here?" she mumbled drowsily. "Who are you?"
"Leave us," a woman's voice ordered from behind them. The men immediately obeyed.
A dark-haired witch wearing a long dress peered down at Verenice while grasping what appeared to be a bag of blood.
"You've been very useful so far, little one. Now I need one last favor," she said smugly.
Vernice shook her head in confusion; her brain felt fuzzy. "Did you force me here? Are - are you Qetsiyah?"
The witch smiled widely with malice. "I did indeed. And yes - that is my name. I can't have your friends going ahead and killing my ex-fiancé before I have a chance to have my final revenge. He needs to see Amara and realize she is the anchor before dying. I need to see him see her. I have such plans, you see."
Verenice glanced around the forest edgily. "What do you want from me?"
"You've already done so much!" Qetsiyah teased, showing the young woman the blood bag. "Have no fear, I'll send you away without a scratch in just a few moments. As long as your friends comply with my wishes."
Inside Auxor, the group had come to an agreement: kill Silas now and figure out what to do with Amara after the battle. Caroline, Mariko, and Emmeline were about to head down to the dungeons when Damon Salvatore whooshed into the room holding his cellphone.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I have Qetsiyah on the line, asking to speak to you," he told Mariko.
She narrowed her eyes. "Can't; I'm busy."
"Normally, I'd love to hear all about the dynamics of witchy politics, but she's threatening to kill my brother, so I'm going to have to insist you swallow your pride on this one," he said flatly, handing her the phone.
Mariko exchanged a wary look with Caroline before taking it.
"What do you want?" she growled into the phone.
"Is that any way to greet your predecessor? I created the immortality spell you adapted and used twice in your unnaturally extended life, Riko d'Ebanne. Once for yourself, and once for your friend Caroline. You should be saying 'Oh, dearest Qetsiyah, ancient witch of lore, how may I be of assistance to you?'"
Mariko bit down on her tongue. "Are you for real?"
"Well, actually Mariko, you can be of assistance, thank you so much for asking!" Qetsiyah mocked. "Verenice d'Ebanne is the daughter of the coven leader, yes? How long do you think the witches will stand next to you in battle if you allow her to die?"
Mariko's heart sank as she flicked her eyes over the group in the great hall and realized Verenice was missing. Beside her, Caroline's hands clenched into fists. Verenice's mother Cecile stepped towards them with a horrified look on her face.
"What did you do?" Mariko hissed out.
"I used a teeny bit of mind control to persuade her to steal a bag of Silas' Cure-ridden blood and bring it to me. Thank you, by the way. How did you convince him to take it?"
"I had nothing to do with it," Mariko said drily. "You hacked the mind of one of our witches?"
"I never fight fair," Qetsiyah replied evenly.
"Clearly. What do you want with his blood?"
"I'm linking Silas to Stefan Salvatore so if you kill Silas, you kill his doppelgänger. Oh, and if you don't care enough about Stefan's well-being, I'll be keeping Verenice with me until you agree to my terms."
Caroline, apoplectic with rage, tried to take the phone away from the witch, but Mariko made a halting motion with her hand and mouthed, "Let me," before turning away to argue with Qetsiyah.
"You crave Silas' death. He's taken the Cure, just like you always wanted! What does it matter to you whether or not he dies in front of you? We want the same thing here!"
"I do not need to explain myself to you, Mariko Kurosawa."
"You may address me as "Undying Witch." And I didn't use your precious spell to make myself immortal, you arrogant sack of - !"
Caroline snatched the phone away from her friend and leaned into the mouthpiece. "We agree to your terms, Qetsiyah," she said hurriedly. "We won't kill Silas. After we defeat Mikael and Esther, we will discuss our next move with you."
"That is excellent news! I'm glad someone is thinking clearly in that dour castle, because otherwise, I might have had to threaten to give some of the blood to Esther."
"We will not renege on our deal," Caroline gritted out. "Send Verenice back!"
"She'll be home shortly; there's no need to fret. On a parting note, I wanted to remind you of the absolute devastation you will cause if you allow Silas to destroy the anchor. It could lead to the destruction of the Other Side, and that is not something anyone wants to see, dead or alive."
"Why? Worried about your reputation if it crumbles?" Caroline retorted. "The world did just fine before you created a purgatory for supernatural beings."
"Did it?" Qetsiyah asked sharply. "How do you know?"
Without waiting for a response, the witch ended the call.
"That's just fucking great!" Caroline roared, hurling the phone across the room.
"Hey!" Damon exclaimed; she ignored him.
Everyone in the hall was in various stages of outrage. Their angry voices rose in crescendo as they argued with one another frantically. Caroline massaged her temples before stopping them.
"Enough! There's nothing left to say. This just means we'll have to keep Silas protected during the battle so Esther cannot access his blood. We'll renegotiate with Qetsiyah after the battle," she announced tiredly.
"We can't do that!" Kol protested at the same time that Klaus yelled, "That means wasting soldiers on him when we could have just killed him!"
"We're not letting Stefan and Verenice die!" Caroline snapped at them.
"And what will our losses be now that we have to protect Silas?" Kol demanded.
"We couldn't allow them die when we can do something about it," said Pacari.
"But she took an entire bag of Silas' blood. What happens if she decides to give it to Esther, as she threatened?" Rebekah argued.
"She doesn't owe Esther anything. Besides, after she uses the blood to link Silas and Stefan, it can't be reused for different magic. One spell per dosage," Mariko told her.
"Normally, I'd agree with you, except she has an entire bag of his blood!" Klaus lashed out. "Not a puny vial!"
"If Esther relinks all of you, Mariko and I will know," Caroline said firmly.
"Caroline is right. There is nothing else we can do about it now; what's done is done," Elijah interrupted. "The plan remains the same. At dawn tomorrow, the witches will take down the protective barriers, our parents and their army will enter the castle grounds, and we will fight. Everyone should wrap up any last training sessions and get some rest. Spend the night with loved ones."
Qetsiyah and the Five were making their dinner around the campfire when one of their wards was set off. The Hunters all made for their weapons as Esther stepped out of the tree line surrounding the clearing with her arms raised.
"I only want to talk, Qetsiyah," she said curtly.
Qetsiyah motioned for her warriors to stand down and then beckoned the Original Witch forward. Esther spotted Stefan tied to a tree, unconscious, but did not comment.
"Our business with each other is done with, Esther," Qetsiyah drawled, lowering herself into a seat.
Esther paced in front of her. "Everything we both want is in that castle, so that's not exactly true. The potion Mikael took from Silas was a fake. Your ex-lover conned my husband – he's the Cure the entire time."
Qetsiyah smirked at her. "Sounds like something he'd do."
Esther stopped pacing and folded her arms. "Don't act like you didn't know Silas tricked Mikael."
The older witch shrugged. "It was not part of our deal for me to tell you your husband is an idiot."
"I'm not here to fight. I want to make another deal."
"And what do you have that I do not?"
"If you help us get into that castle and help me get Silas' blood, I will help you take revenge on Silas and Amara."
Qetsiyah pulled something out of the folds of her dress. "You mean, you want this?"
Esther's eyes narrowed. "Is that-?"
"It's Silas' blood, purified with everyone's precious Cure. I tapped into the mind of one of their witches; I've seen their plans," she informed her colleague imperiously.
Esther took a step forward, her gaze on the blood bag, but Qetsiyah ripped it open and poured the remaining liquid into the forest floor. "Oops. Did you need that?"
"You bitch!" Esther cried in fury as she watched the liquid turn into bloody mud.
Qetsiyah's smirk deepened. "There's no need for name-calling. I made a deal that I would not give you this blood, and I am a woman of my word. Besides, there's plenty more where that came from - Riko d'Ebanne has been drawing buckets of blood from Silas for the past week. You'll find it easily in the dungeons," she said dismissively, rising to her feet. "But I do not think you understood me the first time I told you. Our business is done. After you and Mikael kill your children or are killed by your children – doesn't make a difference to me – Silas and I will have our reckoning. I want no interference."
Esther hissed at her and turned on her heel.
"As a gesture of good faith, though, I'll tell you this – they are opening the barriers at dawn. They fight to the death," Qetsiyah called out after her. "If you find the witch called Verenice d'Ebanne, you will find her very welcoming. I made sure to plant a glitch in her brain, if you will."
The Original Witch paused, nodded her head once, and then disappeared into the darkness.
Finn watched as his mother nearly stomped back into their camp, her face red with fury.
"Have you created the last of the daylight amulets?" she snapped at one of the witches.
"Nearly," the witch began.
"It needs to be done by dawn," Esther interrupted rudely.
Mikael crossed to his wife. "What did she say?"
"The coven is opening the wards at daybreak. Riko d'Ebanne has been taking blood from Silas for days – I know this because Qetsiyah pulled out a bag of his blood and destroyed it in front of my face before informing me in no uncertain terms that she would be of no further assistance to us," she snarled. "Finn! You need to find those blood bags as soon as we reach the castle," she instructed her son.
Finn nodded dully and Esther walked away to inspect the daylight jewelry her witches had made for Mikael's vampires.
In her distraction, the witch did not notice her husband steal the white oak stake from her affects and replace it with a regular stake. Finn noticed, but he did say anything. He'd help his mother as much as he could, but he did not care about the Cure. After spending nine hundred years in a box, he was ready for the true death.
"I had wished to bring you to a remote island on our honeymoon, my wife," Pacari said mournfully as he stepped out of the bathroom, fresh from a shower.
Rebekah shook her head tiredly and reached behind her to offer a hand to her husband. She was standing in front of the window, staring out at the silent grounds, wearing a silk robe and nothing else. Pacari quickly crossed the length of the room to run his fingers down her arm and lower his mouth to her ear.
"But I suppose being cloistered in a medieval castle in the South of France isn't a bad deal, either," he whispered.
She shivered and turned towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing a soft kiss into his bare shoulder. His scent of soap and man filled her nostrils.
"No talking, Ari," she instructed as she slid her robe off, grabbed his pajama pants, and lowered them to the ground, kneeling as she pulled them down. From her position below him, her eyes caressed every inch of his skin. Her hands explored his hardened calves and muscular thighs, teasingly passing over more sensitive areas. She leaned forward and placed an open-mouthed kiss on his inner thigh. He sucked in a breath but did nothing except grab a fistful of her luxurious hair.
She continued her ministrations. Her nails ran gently from his backside to his ankles. His obvious arousal was in her face, but she ignored it. Instead, she began kissing the area around his genitalia without actually touching it. Above, below, to the side. Blood pounded through his veins. She took him by surprise when she grabbed his hand and tugged, forcing him to join her in the floor. He rolled them over until his body was pressing into hers. He leaned up on one elbow while his other hand traced down her stomach. Her eyes rolled back as he ran his fingers down her slick folds before massaging her nub. She clutched him to her desperately as he applied more pressure.
"Bekah," he said softly. "Look at me."
She opened her eyes and stared into his dark gaze. His pressed his thumb down in the exact spot he knew would drive her crazy. She gasped. He leaned down and kissed her, biting down on her lower lip and then opening his mouth to her. She moaned into him as his hand continued pleasuring her. As she reached her climax, she broke away in pants, but he was not done with her. His lips were demanding as he kissed her again, unyielding, his fingers coiling around her forcefully. He swallowed her moans of ecstasy as she found her release, her body tensing, shaking, and finally going limp after several stretched out moments. He slid down her body, kissing her flushed flesh as he went. When he reached the apex of her thighs, he blew on her gently and watched as she spasmed. He bit down into her pale skin, his arousal growing as he tasted her sweet blood.
Suddenly, he was flat on the ground with her creamy thighs straddling him. Her blood dripped from his mouth and onto his chin and she licked it away before sinking down on his tip and quickly pulling up. He rose off the ground slightly to take her breasts in his hands, running his thumbs over her hardened nipples. She lowered herself again, this time fully engulfing him in her warm, soaking folds. His body responded instinctually, thrusting up into her. As their pacing became more erratic, Pacari wrapped his arms around his wife's lithe body and pulled her to the floor. They lay side by side, watching each other's faces, twisting their limbs together, and frantically trying to get closer, closer with each thrust. Rebekah's inner muscles clenched around him and she latched her mouth on his neck, her fangs sinking into his brown flesh. She erupted into shivers as she reached her breaking point, and Pacari bit her left breast, drinking deeply. Her body tensed with pleasure as her orgasm rocketed through her. Her waves sent him spiraling into his own release as he pumped into her wildly.
After their bodies had calmed down several minutes later, Pacari gazed down at their entwined limbs, wrapped around each other, sweat glistening on their skin and blood everywhere. He was still inside Rebekah. She was curled up into his side, breathing softly.
"I love you," he whispered, knowing it was not enough to describe his feelings for her. "We've only just reunited. What…"
Her hand snaked up and she pressed her fingers against his lips. "Hush."
Elena admired the night sky from her perch in the window seat, an afghan wrapped around her shoulders. She had never seen so many stars in the sky – Mystic Falls always had too much light pollution from D.C. and Richmond. She knew she was in southern France, but beyond that she was hopelessly confused: was Ebanne a dukedom? A territory? Was the rest of the country aware it even existed? She wondered if the coven protected their lands from light pollution in addition to invaders and politics. She wouldn't put it past them.
She glanced at Bonnie, who was sleeping in her bed across the darkened room. Her best friend had tried her best to explain the castle and coven to her, but her knowledge was limited, as she had been sequestered away at Caroline's supernatural school in the Himalayas for weeks. It was becoming blatantly obvious to Elena that her oldest friend would not be coming back to Mystic Falls when this was all over. It was a heartbreaking thought, but they probably would have been going to different colleges after high school, anyway. Bonnie had always followed her own path, and for that, Elena was proud of her. She would just miss her terribly. Tibet was not a car ride away.
As was becoming the norm for her these days, her thoughts wandered to Damon as she speculated if he had ever been to Tibet. She recognized the betrayal of her own mind. For the second time in a two-month span, Stefan was being held against his will. Now Qetsiyah was threatening to kill him if they did anything to Silas. She was worried sick about Jeremy, but at least he wasn't being threatened by Qetsiyah. She supposed it was a small comfort that Stefan and Jeremy were together. At the wedding the night before, she and Damon had avoided discussing their feelings for one another, and instead simply enjoyed each other's company. He could dance so well – not that she was making comparisons in her head. When they went out on the boat, she had nearly confessed everything she felt for him.
"Damon," she said softly, ignoring the twinkling lights on the trees, the star-strewn night sky reflected in the river, and the party ashore. She only had eyes for him. "I need to tell you -"
His striking eyes softened, but he shook his head determinedly. "No, Elena. Don't say anything. It won't mean anything now."
She shook her head and blinked away her tears. "But -"
"You know how I feel, and I think I'm starting to understand how you do. But I will not betray my brother. Not like this."
He had been right. They both knew it was not the time. It was not their time yet. Once this whole mess was over, they would have to have a serious discussion. Or not. Things with her and Damon were in some ways simpler than her relationship with Stefan had ever been. They could just…be.
It was close to midnight when Klaus joined his wife in their bedroom. She was staring at a sword that lay on the bed with a strange expression on her face. He frowned when he recognized the weapon.
"That's Jeanne's," he said as he joined her side. "Why is it here?"
She smiled softly and traced the blade. "I asked Gita to bring it with her from Des Cendres."
He turned to her, his eyes blazing with concern and anger. "Caroline, this was never meant to leave the school. Why the hell would you have Gita bring the only weapon that can kill you to the castle? My parents will be here in the morning!"
She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead into his chest. "Because, my love, if they kill you tomorrow, I do not want to waste time traveling all the way to Tibet to join you in death," she whispered succinctly.
His breath hitched and he raised her chin until she opened her eyes. "Caroline," he started, but his voice broke.
The pads of her fingers trailed down the sides of his face. "It has been my honor to be your wife for the past 608 years, Niklaus Mikaelson. I promise I am not admitting defeat; I will fight to my last breath. But we are facing four powerful enemies and their armies. The circumstances are unprecedented, even for us."
He grabbed one of her hands and pressed a kiss into it. "We will defeat them all," he vowed. "You and I shall not be parted."
"I'm sure of it," she answered calmly and his eyes glowed yellow.
"Caroline, you have the school to live for," he growled.
"I have trained many to replace me," she told him.
"I forbid it," he said shortly, pulling away from her and grabbing the sword.
She stopped him by snatching it out of his hands. "It is not your decision."
They stared each other down for a moment before Klaus hissed and sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. Caroline stored the sword in a wardrobe and closed the door. "I will move it into the catacombs before the battle."
He did not respond. A second later, she was in front of him. As she reached out to stroke his hair, he grabbed her wrist.
"I'd do the same if it were you," he admitted hoarsely.
She let out a watery laugh. "Nik, do you think I haven't known that for nine centuries?"
A brief smile flashed across his face. "Ever since I first saw you, I needed you," he confessed, pulling her into his lap.
"And I you," she said, running her hands through his hair and kissing his neck.
"Caroline," he crooned.
"Make love to me, Niklaus," she whispered.
Their clothes were quickly torn away. With Caroline bare before him, Klaus laid his wife down on the bed gently, and admired her flushed skin. When he entered her, they both let out a breath, one neither of them knew they had been holding. He rocked into her slowly, his body hair scratching ever so slightly against her most sensitive area. Her responding thrusts were sensual and equally slow. Beads of sweat ran down his hairline and fell onto her pale chest. He let saliva gather in his mouth until her lips parted and he let it trickle down into her mouth. Her pupils dilated, and he bit her lower lip, making her clench around him. His thrusts deepened, but he did not quicken his pace. Caroline wrapped her legs around his torso and dug her nails into his back. Their skin grew slick with sweat from exertion, but neither would allow the release their bodies sought. Neither would let go.
"They don't keep the good stuff in there."
Mariko nearly jumped out of her skin as she whirled around, the fridge door slamming shut behind her. She had thought she was alone when she entered the kitchen a few moments earlier, not noticing the two vampires sitting at the table in the dark. She waved a hand at the lights, allowing a dim glow to warm the room.
"We were strategizing, but when the motion detectors no longer sensed movement, they turned off. Neither of us felt particularly inclined to stand up," Kol offered.
Elijah held out a chair for her absently with one hand and rifled through the plans in front of him with the other. The witch crossed the room to join them, picking out a beer from the assortment on the table. Kol leaned back in his chair until the front legs were in the air and watched as Mariko opened the bottle and took a long draft.
"Coming up with any brilliant maneuvers, General Cornwallis?" she asked drily.
Elijah did not deign to reply, instead sniffing haughtily and flipping a page with more force than was necessary. Kol laughed.
"Don't provoke him; he nearly snapped my neck when I asked what the arrows represented," Kol advised wisely.
Mariko lifted her beer to him so they could clink bottles in a mock toast. A companionable silence fell over them, the only noise in the room coming from Elijah as he shuffled the papers.
"So, we're the three lost souls without a lover to comfort and distract us the night before the battle," Kol eventually sighed. "What do you think, Iki? Want to give it a go, for old time's sake?"
"I don't swing that way anymore, Kol," Mariko told him with a grin. "And I'll have you know I did place a call earlier in the evening, to an old friend."
Kol let the front legs of the chair hit the floor with a resounding smack. Elijah huffed in frustration but did not look up.
"Aw, I know you're all about the ladies these days, but I had to offer," Kol teased, the hint of a smirk on his lips. "Do tell me about your sexy-time phone call."
Mariko's eyes rolled up towards the ceiling. "It was not a 'sexy-time' phone call, you culturally-deficient buffoon. My friend is at Des Cendres."
Kol nearly choked on his beer. "You're dating a student, Iki? How old is she?"
She punched him in the arm. "She isn't a student. She trains with Gita some, but she's mostly there for refuge. And even if she were a student, you're not exactly one to talk; I've seen you with Bonnie. At least my romantic interest is in her twenties."
At that, Elijah snorted. "Barely," he added softly.
Mariko's neck snapped around. "How do you know?"
Elijah looked up from his papers and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Really, Mariko? Are you acting surprised that someone in this family gossiped?"
Kol sniggered briefly before sobering. "Did she have any words of comfort for you?"
Mariko ran her thumb over the rim of the bottle. "We didn't discuss the battle," she said in a low voice. "She told me about the graphic novel she's been working on. It was a nice distraction."
Kol opened his mouth to respond, but Elijah threw his pen down in exasperation and sighed.
"That has the castle protected from every direction and then some, as well as the protections we need inside, for Elena and Silas. I really wish you and Niklaus had left the Petrova girl behind in Virginia, Kol," he muttered.
"She was very insistent – her brother and her boyfriend had been kidnapped. Guilt is such a tricky emotion. Besides, you never know when you need a doppelgänger, Elijah," Kol said. "Both Qetsiyah and Esther know that."
"Both of them might try to kidnap her," Elijah snapped.
Kol shrugged his shoulders and glanced at the witch. "What is a graphic novel, Iki? It sounds awfully kinky. Are you sure you weren't having sexy-times?"
Mariko shook her head in amusement. "It was your choice to be daggered for decades upon decades, Kol. You have to live with the consequences of that choice."
"You're not going to tell me, are you?"
"Nope. I believe you've been introduced to the internet," she said with a grin before turning to Elijah. "You've done all you can."
He nodded, but she could tell he was dissatisfied. Kol leaned across the table, snatched away the papers, and crumpled them up.
"Kol!" Elijah yelled.
His brother flashed to the garbage and tossed everything in. "Iki is right, Elijah. Enough is enough. All of those plans are in your head, anyway."
Elijah's head dropped into his chest in defeat. Mariko offered him another beer. With a sound ranging somewhere between a cry of pain, a sigh, and a laugh, he took it.
Dawn broke cautiously over Auxor Castle, sunlight seeping into the landscape ominously, as if nature itself was dreading the outcome of the day. Even still, the beauty of it was undeniable. The autumn leaves glowed golden as if lit from within and colorful birds chirped innocently along the riverbed. The field where many a battle had been fought over the centuries was overflowing with wildflowers that swayed gently in the cooling breeze. The stone edifice of the great castle that had acted as home, sanctuary, school, and prison was once again being tested.
From his location on the parapet, Klaus assessed the setting. He was stationed on the outer walls of the castle, facing the northern field. On the grounds below, Elijah and an army of hybrids, vampires, and witches waited in the northeast. Mariko and witch-allies were positioned to the west. He could not see the rest: Caroline and most of her coven were on the southeastern side of the castle, Kol had a team of hybrids near the river to the south, and Rebekah and Pacari were defending the southwest with another army of witches, hybrids, and vampires. Within the castle, Damon was watching over Elena, and Bonnie and the group that had come from Des Cendres were guarding Silas.
Next to the Original Hybrid, Tyler's eyes were focused to the western woods as he manipulated the remote control in his hands. A speck in the distance glided over the trees. Klaus glanced at the monitor in front of them and frowned.
"Turn south," he instructed.
Tyler did as he said, making the drone fly south. Klaus leaned forward, his eyes flashing across the screen. A second later, he straightened out and grabbed his walkie-talkie.
"Bekah, Mikael's coming right for you," he warned.
There was a brief pause and then his sister's voice crackled over the line. "How many?"
Tyler spun the drone around. "Over a hundred," he said. "But they're spread out really far."
"Did you hear that, Bekah?" Klaus asked.
"Affirmative. Kol?"
Next to the river, Kol lifted the contraption to his mouth and pressed down, just as Pacari had shown him.
"We're heading your way," he told his sister.
"Leave a few scouts behind in case anyone tries to come from the river," Elijah advised.
"Yes, brother."
On the southeast rim of the castle, Emmeline exchanged a wary look with Caroline. Caroline turned to Verenice and her mother Cecile, the coven leader.
"The forest," she said quietly.
The coven linked hands and began chanting.
Mikael's soldiers fanned out among the foliage as he glared through the trees into the castle grounds. His lieutenant waited for instruction beside him.
"I see my daughter," he whispered, his hand grazing against the stake strapped to his side. "She has around seventy with her."
His lieutenant gestured out the numbers to the troops.
"Once I make contact, attack," Mikael instructed.
Elena paced the small confines of study impatiently. Damon was leaning back in the desk chair with his feet up, pretending to read a book while he listened through the castle walls to whatever was happening outside.
"Are you sure the Five aren't going to join the fight?" she asked, her hand worrying her vervain necklace.
Damon flipped a page casually. "Qetsiyah was very clear about her plans. Little Gilbert is fine."
"What do you think she did to Stefan?"
At that, Damon looked up and sighed. "I hope nothing that can't be undone."
Elena pressed her lips together and walked over to the window. They were in one of turrets, so the room was circular and claustrophobic. But it provided a full view of the northern field and had easy access to the catacombs in case they needed to make a quick escape.
"There's movement down there," she said suddenly.
Damon whooshed to her side and gazed down at the grounds. To the northeast, they could see figures moving through the trees, shrouded in the still very pale light.
"Stay away from the window, Elena," he said, taking her shoulders gently and pulling her away. "You cannot be seen."
In the wood, Esther turned to her son as her army of witches and vampires approached the field.
"Find the one named Verenice d'Ebanne. She must be the daughter of the coven leader. She will admit you entrance into the castle, if Qetsiyah was not lying," she instructed carefully.
Finn nodded and flashed away. A moment later, one of the vampires came to her.
"Elijah and about fifty vampires, hybrids, and witches," he said swiftly.
Esther walked to the edge of the trees. "Gather my witches."
"My daughter, I see you've gathered an entourage to greet me! How welcoming!" Mikael proclaimed broadly as he marched out of the forest, his arms spread wide and a saccharine smile on his face.
Rebekah stood in front of her army with her husband at her side and cast an unimpressed look over her father.
"This ends today, Mikael," she called across the field.
His smiled widened. "I couldn't agree more."
On cue, his vampires and witches emerged out of the tree line. Rebekah raised her arm high and then thrust it forward. All around her, hybrids, vampires, and witches ran towards their opponents. Mikael walked slowly through the onslaught, ambivalent to the bodies rushing past him. He paused with only a few yards between himself and his daughter. Rebekah's eyes burned with loathing. Mikael's gaze flickered to Pacari with slight surprise.
"Pacari, my old friend - we meet again. Sorry about the candelabra," he taunted.
"Do not talk to my husband; you are beneath him," Rebekah snarled.
Mikael's eyebrows rose. "Carrying a different tune than you were a couple decades ago."
"Yes, well, some people evolve with time," she retorted.
Pacari brought Rebekah's hand to his mouth, kissed her ring, and smiled at her softly. An intimate look passed between them before they separated, with Rebekah approaching Mikael's right side and Pacari his left.
"Have I told you lately I find you lacking as a father-in-law, Mikael?" Pacari said pleasantly as he circled towards the Original Vampire.
Mikael's fangs dropped down and his veins darkened his menacing face. "I made peace with my more disappointing qualities a long time ago."
With no warning, Rebekah flew at him, grabbed his neck, ripped her fangs into his face, and jumped off, spitting out a bloody chunk of his right cheek as she landed neatly a few feet away.
"I haven't."
Deep in the catacombs, Bonnie crouched on the dirty floor outside the dungeon that held Silas and listened to the voices over the walkie-talkie. Rebekah and Pacari were fighting Mikael, Kol was joining them, and Esther and Finn were approaching from the northeast. It was about to erupt into total chaos outside. She felt guilty for being so safe – Riko and Caroline had knocked Silas out cold, she and the witches and werewolves from Des Cendres were only protecting him in the rare chance Esther found a way into the castle. It was frustrating to be so out of the fray. She was always on the front line in Mystic Falls. She had to admit she was a bit outranked when it came to Caroline, Riko, and Emmeline, but she hated feeling useless.
"She's coming out of the woods, Elijah," Klaus' voice crackled out.
"I see her," Elijah responded shortly. "Caroline?"
"We're working both fronts," said Caroline.
Bonnie clasped her hands together and waited.
Esther laid her hand on a knar and focused all her energy on the ground beneath her, chanting with the rest of the witches. Moments later, a powerful surge erupted from them and shook the earth, catching Elijah's army off-guard. She smiled triumphantly.
"Attack."
But they could not. The knar she had been resting against was suddenly wrapped around her hand, holding her in place. She pulled a hatchet from her belt and hacked at the limb viciously until she was released. As she rubbed her hand, she glanced around. The vampires were being held in place by the roots of the trees, and the witches were being attacked from above, the brambles and branches of the trees closing in on them. Esther swore under her breath and began chanting counter-curses.
When Kol burst onto the western field from the south, his eyes darted among the vampires, hybrids, and witches fighting. Blood, gore, and torn-off limbs already littered the previously pristine lawn. The trees seemed to be choking and shoving the invaders out of the forest – the coven's work, no doubt. He watched as one of the French witches thrust a stake into one of Mikael's vampires and a foreign witch gave a hybrid an aneurysm. In the middle of the turmoil, three figures fought brutally. His sister grabbed Pacari's hands and he whirled her around to aid her in kicking Mikael away. He flashed to them.
"Father!" he declared.
Pacari let go of Rebekah and punched Mikael in the mouth. Flecks of blood flew into the air. Mikael slashed at Pacari wildly with the stake until he slammed it into the Incan's chest.
Kol sucked in his breath and gazed at his sister fearfully. Rebekah, however, remained calm. Pacari grinned at Mikael and pushed the stake further into his own chest.
"Yes, and?" he smirked, raising his hand and scratching his nails savagely across Mikael's eyes.
The Original howled furiously and brought his hands up to his ruined eyes. He zoomed away, grabbing a random vampire and feeding from it.
Pacari pulled the stake out of his heart and handed it to Rebekah.
"Go get 'im," he said as she took it.
Rebekah nodded at Kol and they flashed to Mikael.
Finn watched from high in a tree as the coven cast their spells all over the grounds. He recognized none of them, but knew the blond leader had to be Caroline, his sister-in-law. Most of the witches were standing in a circle on the parapet, but some of them were off to the side talking in tense voices.
"Kol, Rebekah, and Pacari are fighting Mikael. Esther is coming out of the forest. Once Elijah has fully engaged her army, you're up, Emmeline," Caroline was saying.
A hybrid with a sword strapped to her side nodded curtly.
"Cecile and Verenice, let's start sending curses down," Caroline continued. "I'll head north, Cecile, west. Verenice, do not stray too far from the coven."
The witches parted, each one heading down the castle walls in different directions. It was simply too easy. Finn flashed out of the tree and slithered along the keep. The one Caroline had called Verenice had stopped and was staring down to the northeast, muttering under her breath. A breeze traveled from her and cast over the grounds. Finn saw his mother's witches and vampires look around in confusion, as if their vision was being toyed with. Elijah's army ran towards them.
Finn crept over the side of the castle and snuck up behind the young witch, grabbing her and cupping his hand firmly over her mouth. She froze. He turned her around slowly and stared deeply into her eyes.
"May I enter Auxor Castle?" he inquired politely.
An unfocused expression crossed the witch's face. In a trance-like state, she nodded dumbly.
"Thank you," he whispered. A second later, he was gone.
Verenice shook her head and frowned, looking around. Why can't I remember backing away from the wall?
"Verenice, keep going!" Caroline called from the distance.
Shaking her head, she refocused on the battle.
"Welcome back, Mother," Elijah said grimly as Esther and her army spilt out of the forest, her witches fighting off the constant spells the coven was hitting them with.
"Elijah, my son," she called to him. "This need not end with violence."
Elijah sighed as he pulled out a stake and jammed it into the heart of one of the vampires while simultaneously snapping the neck of another.
"Unfortunately, that is not the way in our family."
"If you bring me Silas' blood, I can make all of you human again! I do not want to kill my children! Once one of you drinks it, your souls shall be repaired."
Elijah smiled at his mother sadly. "Oh, Esther. Do you really think we let ourselves remain linked?"
Esther's eyes widened in alarm. Around them, vampires, hybrids, and witches ripped into each other.
Mikael's injuries were healing, but he was now drenched in his own blood from the attacks to his person. He shoved bodies out of his way as he ran away from Rebekah and Kol, who now possessed the white oak stake. He reached the end of the fighting and found himself in a large field. He could hear Esther's army on the other side of it.
"How do you like being on the run for once, Mikael?"
His neck snapped to the left. A witch with jet-black hair and striking amethyst eyes was staring at him, her head tilted slightly to one side as she appraised him. A small squad of witches surrounded her. He glanced into the woods behind her. She smiled.
"There is no running today. The coven closed up the wards as soon as your army passed through," she informed him quietly.
"The infamous Riko d'Ebanne, is it?" he asked harshly, his breath coming out in pants.
From behind him, he heard his vampires begin to break through and join him. A slight breeze cast over him and he flattened himself against the ground, narrowly avoiding Kol's hand, which was wielding the white oak stake.
Kol tried to stab him again, but Mikael grabbed his wrist and twisted, cracking the bones. Kol's eyes narrowed in pain, but he did not let go of the stake. Mikael wrapped his hands around his son's neck.
Mariko raised her hands and cast Kol away from Mikael, who immediately jumped to his feet and glared at her.
"Stay out of this, witch," he snarled, flashing towards her and smacking her upside the face.
A pair of hands dug into his arms and ripped him away from Riko.
"No one touches my witch," a voice hissed dangerously.
Niklaus raised the stake he had taken from Kol and started to lower it, but Mikael tore out of his son's hold and faced him, spitting onto the ground.
"It was always meant to be you and me, wasn't it, boy?"
From the corner of his eye, he saw Rebekah help Kol to his feet. Niklaus' yellow eyes burned with hatred.
"Always."
Everyone had ceased using the walkie-talkies, so Bonnie and the group in the dungeons were ignorant as to what was happening above them. She stood up and paced the dark tunnel senselessly, her muscles tight with tension. A prickling sensation made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and she frowned into the corridor, stepping further into the darkness.
As she opened her mouth to ask if anyone was there, a cold hand gripped her face and a voice spoke in her ear.
"Bring me to Silas," it threatened.
Bonnie shook her head and tried to speak. He pulled his hand away but kept hold of her.
"No one here can get into his cell," she explained breathlessly, trying to protect the students from Des Cendres. "Only Mariko and Caroline can open the doors," she lied, praying he believed her.
He turned her around and stared into her eyes. He reminded her of Elijah with his aristocratic features, the haughty set of his brow and strong jawline. Is this Finn?
"Fine," he said after a short moment. "Bring me to his blood bags then."
Bonnie's breath hitched. How does he know about them? She nodded hesitantly. "Alright. But do not hurt anyone."
He nodded. She led the way into the catacombs, walking rapidly, and hoping against hope that Damon would be able to hear them. She climbed the narrow staircase that brought them into the small chamber with the fridge. She pointed to it and backed away nervously as he opened it and leaned over, pulling out a bag.
Bonnie crossed her fingers, a cold sweat covering her skin she opened her mouth wide.
"ANAVO!" she screamed, her magic surging forth.
The bag in the vampire's tight grip burst into flames. He dropped it in shock and then stumbled away from the fridge as every bag inside followed suit. He turned to her, enraged.
"What have you done, witch!"
"DAMON!" Bonnie cried.
Outside the castle, the perimeter of the battle was condensing as the armies met up on the northern field. Mariko's, Kol's, Rebekah's, Klaus', and Elijah's forces were leaving Mikael and Esther's army with no choice but to converge inwards as they pushed them in and circled around them.
Esther sent shocks in every direction, shouting out hexes and curses as she whipped her head around in search for Finn. Her eyes locked in on a window in one of the turrets. The doppelgänger was here. The girl was stupidly leaning out the window, leaving her vulnerable. She could still relink the children. She turned to one of her vampires and pointed to the turret.
"Get that girl and bring her to me!" she ordered.
Mikael and Klaus were ripping into each other, both covered in blood, scratches, and bruises, both with many broken bones and missing teeth. Neither relented for a moment. Klaus narrowly avoided his father's swinging fist and somersaulted on the ground, rising to his feet on the other side of him and stabbing the stake into Mikael's back.
Mikael roared, grabbing behind him to take it out. Klaus batted his hand away and placed his hand on the handle. He paused.
"Good-bye, Father," he hissed.
A familiar scream echoed across the field, and his eyes raised up unthinkingly. Elena was being led by a vampire towards Esther, who was smiling triumphantly, a dagger at her side. He cursed under his breath and glanced around. His siblings were waiting for him.
"Finish him!" he yelled, flashing away and crossing the field rapidly. He knew it wasn't about future hybrids – he owed the stupid doppelganger. He had abused her trust after Caroline had left, kidnapped her, forcibly taken her blood, ruined her relationship. He would never be able to face himself if he let her die.
Esther had her dagger at Elena's throat when he reached them. He smacked the weapon out of his mother's hand, scooped up Elena, and cradled her against his chest. Esther gaped at him as he zoomed back up into the castle and burst through a window, glass shattering around them. He dropped Elena onto the ground unceremoniously.
"You stay here!" he spat out, turning away and flashing back outside.
Elena stared after him, touching her fingers to the spot where a moment ago, Esther had held a dagger to her, nearly killing her.
Did Klaus just save my life?
On the grounds, Rebekah ran towards Mikael to shove the stake the rest of the way through his back, but four of his vampires were suddenly surrounding her. She snapped the first one's neck easily before tearing her fangs into the second one and ripping out the third one's heart. The fourth one was older and put up more of a fight. Mikael ripped the stake out of his back with a groan and stored it in his belt.
Kol stepped forward and sent a swung his leg around, his foot making contact with Mikael's jaw. Mikael took advantage of the movement, and jammed his hand inside Kol's chest, his fingers gripping his son's heart. He bit into his neck and drank. Kol pulled away, but Mikael took some of his flesh with him. Kol scratched his nails across Mikael's throat. Mikael caught his arm, raised Kol above his head, and brought him down furiously, breaking Kol's back against his knee with a horrifying crack.
Finn advanced on the little witch. "That was not smart."
She raised her chin defiantly. "Neither was surrounding myself with vampires, but here we are."
"I do not like killing humans," he told her, his eyes black with thirst. "But you just split open an entire chest full of blood in a tiny room with no ventilation."
She burst a blood vessel in his brain, but it did not seem to affect him as he cornered her. Her eyes widened as his fangs slid out. The flames licked along the edges of the fridge, filling the room with a horrifying reek.
When he bit into her shoulder, the pain was excessive, but Bonnie was used to pain by now. She pounded her fists into his back, screaming. There was a terrible crash and then a flash of light. Suddenly, the vampire was thrown into the opposite wall and Damon Salvatore was standing over her, his face white with alarm.
"You alright, Bon-Bon?" he asked. She wasn't even bothered by his lowered fangs and darkened veins. She fell into his arms with a sob. On the other side of the room, the bloodthirsty vampire flashed out of sight.
Caroline rushed across the castle walls, yelling for the coven.
"We've done all we can from up here. We join the fight now. Emmeline, it's time!" she told the siphoner witch.
Emmeline flashed away, weaving through the battle. Caroline took a deep breath before flinging herself over the side of the keep. She landed like a cat on all fours before straightening out and beelining towards Esther.
"Esther!" she screamed to get the witch's attention.
Esther whirled around to face her, her eyes darkening as she recognized her daughter-in-law.
"Caroline, you're making a mess of things," she snapped.
"You are in my home," Caroline retorted, slapping the witch across the face.
Finn ripped out of the castle, hating himself. This was why he couldn't be a vampire, a monster, an abomination for one more day. He searched around for his mother, needing to tell her it was over, they had lost. Mikael should just stab him with the stake and end it all. He spotted her on the field – the one called Caroline was feeding from her neck. He didn't care enough to save her; they were all fated to die today. His looked instead for his father, hoping he still had the stake. Mikael was fighting Kol and winning. The stake was in his belt. With grim determination, he walked away from the doorway of the castle.
"Finn!" a voice called from behind him.
He paused, frowning. It sounds like… No, it can't be… He turned slowly.
A beautiful redhead with ivory skin was standing but an arm's length away, staring at him - a beacon of light amidst all the death and horror. Her blue eyes shone with a look he had not witnessed directed at him for centuries, not since long before he was daggered. It looked like something akin to love.
"Sage?" he whispered hoarsely, unbelievingly.
She stepped towards him with tears in her eyes. "Hello, Finn."
When Emmeline reached Mariko's side, the Undying Witch was in a vicious brawl with a vampire. Emmeline watched as her friend ducked, sliced a knife into his leg, and then slammed a stake into the vampire's chest when he fell, blood spurting onto her face. She noticed Emmeline as she wiped it away with her sleeve.
"Is it time?" she asked.
"Yes. Caroline has started already," Emmeline told her.
Mariko nodded. "Do you see Pacari?"
"I'm here," he said, flashing to them. "Let's go."
The trio made their way across the battlefield.
Elijah found himself with his back against Klaus' as they worked alongside each other. They had been surrounded by ten witches and vampires as an obvious ploy to keep them from fighting Mikael and Esther.
"Just like old times, brother," Klaus quipped as he ripped out one of the witch's hearts. "Remember the Battle of Moscow in 1612? This is so much more enjoyable!"
"Our definition of fun varies at times, Niklaus," Elijah said calmly, smashing two vampires' heads together.
Rebekah watched as Kol was battered by Mikael. She swung her arm at the vampire she was fighting with so much force, the head came clean off. She made to aid her brother but was hit with a series of aneurysms so fierce, she fell to her knees. Esther's witches made a perimeter around her, chanting and cursing. She held her head in her hands as blood poured out every orifice, her small frame caving in on itself.
Closer to the trees, Caroline was draining Esther slowly.
"Enough!" Esther cried out. "Why are you taking your time, Caroline? Kill me if you want to kill me!"
Caroline lifted her head up and smiled, her mouth covered in blood. "Because my job was to weaken you, dear Mother."
She pushed Esther away from her and into the waiting arms of Pacari, who latched his fangs onto her neck while blasting her with weakening shocks. Mariko chanted under her breath, making the powerful witch vulnerable to Emmeline's magic. Emmeline waited patiently. Not only would siphoning away Esther's magic leave her powerless, but when she died, she would not go to the Other Side, as she had clearly proven she retained a certain degree of power there. It was a great plan - if it worked. Emmeline had never tried to siphon every last bit of magic from such a strong opponent. Mariko pressed her hand into Esther's head, her chanting growing louder. Esther shrieked in pain.
Caroline spotted Mikael and Kol and she flashed away.
"Now, Emmeline!" Mariko shouted.
Emmeline stepped forward, placing one hand on Esther's scalp and the other on her heart. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and focused. After a couple seconds, dim bluish light radiated from Esther's eyes and skin.
A few paces away, Klaus glanced down at the fallen bodies on the grass and then up at his brother. "Can you finish this? Bekah needs assistance," he said, his eyes focusing on their sister across the lawn, where she was being tortured by a small army of witches.
"I'm fine," Elijah said, staking another vampire. There were only a few left of the original circle.
Klaus flashed away and bit into one of Esther's witches, breaking their concentration. Rebekah rose to her feet rapidly; she joined her brother in destroying the invaders.
In the middle of the field, Mikael kicked Kol in the chest with so much force, his son went flying into the air and crashed to the ground. Mikael advanced on him with the white oak stake in his hand, but Kol's body was thoroughly broken - he could not run. With less than ten feet between them, Caroline flashed across the field and came to a shuddering halt in front of Kol, facing Mikael. The Original sneered at his daughter-in-law.
"Haven't you sacrificed enough for my children? You gave up your humanity to save Rebekah, and now you want to waste your immortality on this one?" he mocked.
Caroline set her jaw and stared him down. "You will not touch him."
One of the Ebanne vampires charged towards him, but he staked it with the air of one flicking a fly away, without removing his gaze from Caroline's. "This is interesting. Did you not spend the majority of the past six hundred-odd years in a blood feud with my youngest son? Or do my spies fail me?"
Caroline shrugged. "I'm over it."
Mikael smiled maliciously. "The massacre of thirty-nine little girls is not exactly something easily forgiven."
"I never said it was easy. As you said, it has been nearly six centuries," Caroline said coldly.
Behind her, Kol coughed out, "Leave me, Caroline. He's not your problem."
"Oh, he's been my problem for a very, very long time," she spoke to Kol, but kept her eyes on Mikael. "It wasn't too far from here that he stabbed me in the heart with that very same weapon."
"Quit stalling, girl," Mikael hissed.
"I'm not stalling; you are. You've had plenty of opportunities in the past minute to stab me with your stake, but you haven't. You know you can't kill me that weapon. You are facing an opponent you cannot overpower," the blond challenged. "Your children chose fearsome mates."
There was a short pause in which they stared each other down. Then, Mikael stowed the white oak stake in his belt and crouched into a fighting stance. Caroline stepped towards him.
"Excellent," she whispered.
Mikael advanced on her so quickly, the movement blurred. They engaged in hand to hand combat, parrying and thrusting with elbows, fists, and forearms. Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline saw Elijah make his way through Mikael's vampires. His eyes widened when he saw her fighting his father, and he made to join the fight.
"Nevermind me! Get Kol out of here, Elijah!" she cried, slashing her fingernails across Mikael's neck. He bent over with a grunt as his blood surged out.
Elijah flashed to his brother and grabbed his arms. "What's the matter?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure every single bone in my entire body is broken, but other than that, I've never been better," Kol responded, his voice drenched in sarcasm.
Elijah rolled his eyes and heaved his brother effortlessly over his shoulder. Both brothers were acutely aware that this was a mirror image from the first battle they fought at Auxor, when it was Kol hauling his brother to safety.
Caroline kicked Mikael in the chest, but he took her by surprise, grabbing her leg and twisting until it snapped. She suppressed her shriek of agony, flipped over him using her good leg as leverage, and wrapped herself around his torso, digging her hand into his chest to grab his heart, while simultaneously bursting vessels in his brain with her magic.
"Witch!" he cursed out in fury. From her position above him, Caroline did not notice him slide his hand towards his belt and unfasten the stake. With a maneuver that took her by surprise, he violently twisted his torso and dismantled her from his shoulders. She dug her fingers deeper into his chest as she fell, making him hiss in pain, but still he continued unfastening the stake. When he raised it over his head, she realized his intention, and immediately pulled her hands out of his chest to grab the stake. But it was too late.
As if in slow motion, Caroline watched Mikael hurl the white oak stake in the direction of Elijah and Kol with dread in her heart. The older brother saw it coming and dropped Kol to the ground to shield his body with his own. The weapon pierced directly into Elijah's left breast.
"NO!" Rebekah shrieked from across the field.
"Elijah!" yelled Caroline, grabbing Mikael's arms and holding them behind his back.
From his place next to Sage by the castle, Finn's eyes widened in shock. "Father, no!"
Niklaus' mouth fell open in horror as he locked eyes with his brother for the last time. Elijah gave him a small smile before leaning his head up towards the sky, an expression of deliverance settling over his features. Flames erupted from his heart before igniting his entire body.
From his position on the ground, Kol watched his brother burn numbly, unable to move. It was all very fast. Within ten seconds, Elijah's body had been reduced to a pile of ash.
Then, came the worst scream of them all. It was unearthly, terrible. It was the excruciating cry of a mother who had seen her son die right before her eyes; a mother who had already lost two children. Esther's wan face was wet with tears and sweat, her eyes sparking with fury and loss. The force of her grief gave her the strength to blast Mariko, Pacari, and Emmeline away from her. She turned to her husband, who was still being held hostage by a weeping Caroline.
"It had to happen. The Cure is lost to us," he said bleakly.
But he could see his words meant nothing to her. Using the last dredges of her magic, she summoned the notorious stake that was lying in what was now a pile of dust on the grass and it snapped into her right hand. He struggled helplessly against his daughter-in-law's grasp as Esther advanced towards them.
"This ends with you, Mikael," the Original Witch vowed in a deathly quiet voice before hoisting the stake high above her head and stabbing her husband in the heart with fatal accuracy.
"Esther!" he pled as his own weapon was used against him.
Caroline immediately released him and scrambled away as the telltale flames danced along his flesh. Esther watched her husband burn, the blazing fire reflecting in her eyes.
Within seconds, Mariko, Pacari, and Emmeline were upon her. She didn't even put up a fight as Mariko weakened her and Pacari held her down. Emmeline resumed her previous position, with a hand each on the witch's heart and head to siphon away the last of Esther's magic.
Rebekah ran to the site of Elijah's death and stared down at the ashes, her entire frame shaking uncontrollably. On the ground, Kol bowed his head over the remains and murmured a prayer in Norwegian. Finn took his time crossing the field, but when he reached the site, he fell to his knees. From her position a few yards away, Caroline glanced at Klaus before leaning down, grabbing the white oak stake, hooking it on her belt, and then running to her husband. As she stood before him, he started to collapse, but she caught him.
"Caroline," he choked out. "My brother…"
She held him and stroked his back.
"Come on," she soothed, ignoring her own tears, and half-carried him to the rest of his siblings. When they reached them, he dropped to his knees next to Finn and joined Kol's prayer. Gradually, Rebekah and Finn did as well.
The bluish glow emitting from Esther grew brighter as her magic was sucked out of her and absorbed into Emmeline. She let out a gasping breath when it stopped and fell on her hands and knees.
"Is it done?" Pacari asked.
Emmeline stared down at the witch with revulsion. "It's done."
Mariko hovered her hands over the former witch to confirm; after a beat, she nodded tightly, her eyes on the Mikaelson siblings.
"Go to her, Pacari," she muttered.
He ran to his wife's side without another word. Esther's eyes roved over her remaining children – reunited with Finn for the first time in centuries.
"This is my punishment for all my sins," the Original Witch said stoically. "My Elijah… I remember holding him in my arms. Be warned, Mariko Kurosawa, your day of reckoning will eventually come for you."
Mariko slid her father's knife out of its sheath. "I know. But it is not today." She exchanged a glance with Emmeline before the siphoner witch nodded and walked away to help finish off Mikael and Esther's remaining army. Mariko ran one long finger down the edge of the knife. "This was my father's blade. I kept it by my side all these years as a reminder that I should never trust too easily. My parents taught me that when they treated me like a freak of nature."
"Is that why you are so close to my children?" Esther asked hollowly. "Bad parents?"
"They are my true family. There is much I have done for them over the years; actions I should probably regret, but I do not. I would do anything to keep my family safe and whole, even if it means doing the things that no one else wants to do," she told the witch pointedly. "Doing what must be done."
Esther's gaze focused on the pile of ash her children were chanting over. "Finish it," she whispered.
Mariko cut Esther's throat deeply and quickly, with the detachment of a hardened warrior. She hadn't wanted any of the siblings to do it – she knew what it had done to Niklaus to live for a thousand years with the knowledge that he had killed his mother. The witch had been correct – someday, the spirits would seek retribution against her for all her meddling with the natural order. But there was nothing she could do about that. All she had the power to do was survive and ensure the survival of her family.
The Original Witch let out an awful gurgling sob and collapsed into the mud. She was dead.
A/N: Sorry this took nearly a month, but I really needed to take my time planning this one. I literally have maps and diagrams of this battle in my notebook. Only three more chapters in present day, including the epilogue. It's going to be sad saying good-bye to these characters, but I'm glad I'm wrapping this up. Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy! I'm pretty sure this will be the longest chapter in the story, but never say never.