Author's Note: Wow, I can't believe this journey is almost over. I really have enjoyed sharing this with you and I appreciate the people who take time to let me know what they think.

Part Thirteen: closing a circle

Lavinia does not fight fair.

He might have landed the initial blow but in the following moments, he finds himself set upon by her warriors. They are not as calculating as her, driven by their master to simply attack. He tears into them, bloodying his face and the ground around them. They respond by a coordinated dose of magic, streaming it into him together. His back arches and a painful cry tears from his mouth. He is stuck for the moment, frozen there in place as pain wracks through him. He clenches his teeth together and it is a fight to simply reach out to wrap his fingers around the nearest witch. He pulls her to him, noting the way her eyes see nothing at all. It is almost revolting - the white color, the way she practically hangs limp in his arms. Hardly a fitting end to a powerful being.

But he ends her anyway.

With one down, the rest falter even as Lavinia seems to press them to double down. He repeats the process, pulling each witch to him and dropping her limply at his feet. The last one doesn't even struggle, Lavinia has given up the pretense of an opening blow. He feels no satisfaction in his hollow victory. He simply rips into the witch's neck, her blood spilling into his throat. It is strangely devoid of magic and he realizes that it has reverted back to the creature standing in front of him. He tips his head back and steps over the pile of bodies.

"A waste of time," he says, well aware that blood dripples from the corners of his mouth as he speaks. He doesn't bother to wipe it away. He can clean himself up after the fight is good and over. "I am beginning to realize that you are a coward."

The air seems to ripple around Lavinia. Despite being not much taller than Bonnie, she suddenly fills the space and demands his full attention. "How so?" she asks, clearly irked by his comment.

Klaus jumps on this tiny chink in her armor. "It seems to me that since I got involved, you have prolonged this moment. The attack on my home - where my daughter sleeps. You were nowhere to be found, content to hide behind your minions and to corrupt mine. To take it further, you have to steal the magic of others to make yourself close to formidable…"

He doesn't finish his sentence. He has pressed too hard on that apparent soft spot of hers. She pays him by sending a fresh wave of pain through him. He gets a first glimpse of just how much magic she has pent up inside of her. It soars through him, leaving destruction in his wake. He feels his bones snap and as they try to mend, she snaps them again. He has no choice but to fall at her feet. But he refuses to stay there.

He calls on all the rage he has been collecting over the last few days: his home has been attacked, Hope has seen some of the violence he has tried so hard to shield her from, Bonnie has twisted his loss to her own purpose…

His head snaps back, eyes a bright yellow. The pain fades, although she has not let up. He is simply too filled with anger to notice. He strikes out at her again, using his quick speed to catch her much the same way he had caught Bonnie earlier that day. He lifts her feet off the ground and slams her down to the hard earth below. With the impact, she has no choice but to temporarily let up on her onslaught. He falls with her, placing his knee on her chest. He presses until he hears the telltale crack of her ribs (a delicious sound given his state of mind).

"Do you know why I took my time?" Her words have to be forced out. She sounds like she is desperate for air and it inspires him to press down further. "I wanted to know who she was cowering behind. You cast a long shadow…" She winces as another rib pops. He hopes that one finds its way to the soft flesh of her lung. "...but in the end…" She has to pause more often to avoid running completely out of air. "...you are just another vampire. No different than the rest of the filth. I am going to enjoy destroying you. Then after I collect my fee from Bonnie, I am going to your home and I am going to take your daughter too. She has so much untapped potential…"

For a moment, Klaus can do nothing but be afraid of that idea. Just as he had gone for her weakness, she has returned the favor. She takes advantage of that slip and he finds himself thrown backwards. Before he can comprehend what has happened, he finds himself impaled against a tree. His eyes drop to notice how close the branch has come to his heart. He thinks if he shifts one way or the other too far and he will find himself taken out of commission long enough for her to truly incapacitate him. With great care, he begins to step forward, pulling himself free of his current predicament. He is almost there when she throws him back, skewering him once more.

When she stands, he notes how pale she is. When she breathes, something rattles and he thinks she spits blood. The damage he has done is significant but she has lived more lifetimes than she should so Klaus is certain it is not enough. He needs to take her head. He imagines carrying it back through the woods and throwing it at Bonnie's feet. He hopes the little witch recoils when he does so.

Before he can free himself again, she is raising her hand. It takes him a moment to realize that other branches of the tree are reaching for him. She is perverting nature, twisting it to her will. He moves quicker now, no longer as concerned for the way the branch has pierced his chest. He does not get far before the rest of the branches reach him, boring into his skin and impaling him much the same as the first. He is pulled backwards, forced against the tree. He can feel each branch moving inside of him, creating a path. The pain swells to something wholly unbearable.

Despite his best efforts not to let it happen, Klaus' head tips back and a cry of agony echoes throughout the bayou.

X

She steps over a broken chair on her way to the door. She doesn't fully take in the destruction; her head is swimming with what has just happened.

No sooner than Hope had uttered her urgent message than the room faded away. Bonnie had felt herself grabbing for it, wanting desperately to hold onto its edges so she could ask Hope to explain herself. But in the end, it had all slipped through her fingers and she found herself back in the cabin.

(he's not the biggest)

She has to find Klaus. That is more true than it had been ten minutes ago. He knows his daughter well. He can decipher her message better. On its surface she thinks Hope is trying to tell her that they have to fight Lavinia together - which has always been the plan. She has never envisioned leaving Klaus to fight alone. After all, this is her mess. She just decided to bring in someone far more skilled in death to help her clean it up. She has a feeling that Hope knows this (because that kid seems to know so much more than others give her credit for; a fact that is a little unnerving if Bonnie is telling the truth). So whatever she wants Bonnie to understand is more complicated than simply having him attack Lavinia from the front while Bonnie attacks from behind.

The air is heavy, weighed down by the never ending humidity and something else. She feels it immediately and her guard goes up. She tilts her head to the side and sees a woman, white eyes blazing. Oh, so much for talking battle strategy with Klaus once more (after she convinces him not to kill her first, mind you).

The fight is already here.

"It will be so much easier if you just come with me," the figure says.

Bonnie snorts before the statement is even fully spoken. "I haven't made things easy for myself in years," she answers and then goes in for the fight.

She doesn't use her magic. She doesn't know if she is subconsciously saving it for the endgame or if she is far too keyed up to weave together a spell properly. She has been walking towards this moment for months, simultaneously dreading it and wishing it would come faster. She will not relish of course - she just wants it all over at this point. She just wants something resembling her normal life back.

(or at the very least she wants the ability to piece herself properly together again)

She tumbles with the shade, an angry cry falling off her lips (little does she know that at this very moment Klaus is deep in the bayou doing the same thing). For a brief time she is able to let frustration take over her and she pommels her enemy. It takes her longer than it should for her to realize the witch is not fighting back. She stops her fists, her chest heaving as she looks down at the unfamiliar face. Not only is she hitting someone who hasn't even raised a finger in return, she is hitting a witch.

Bonnie sobers up.

"I guess you don't want to damage the goods, huh?" she says and the fire she has meant to put into her voice is nowhere to be found. "I'll last longer if I am in pristine condition." She feels bile stir in her belly. She can see herself in the prone woman beneath her - ashen skin, limp hair and unseeing eyes. The rage swells again. "I'll take myself out before I become like you."

(she wonders if she means it)

With more respect than she had shown a few moments before, Bonnie reaches up to press her hands to the woman's temples. "Rest easy." When the woman's eyes close one last time, she likes to think that her words are possible.

Bonnie stands, a hand moving automatically to brush away the dirt on her pants. She gives herself a moment to let all the emotions that are competing for her attention ebb and flow. She is terrified, she is angry, she is heartbroken, she is exhausted. But she has no choice in the matter, she has to see this through.

When she turns, she sees that her path has been chosen for her.

She doesn't end this wraith. She has to conserve her magic. Instead she walks towards the other woman, taking in her appearance (not Eve). "I'll be back," she promises. Once this is over, once Lavinia is finally gone, Bonnie will make sure that remaining traces of her evil will be able to sleep. She will honor them, one witch to another. But for now, she has to move on.

There is no path to follow into the thick of the bayou. She tramps down vegetation and swats at errant branches. Luckily (or more accurately, eerily) for her, there are guideposts along the way. She stops at each one, examines their face and doesn't know whether she feels relief of disappointment that it is not her friend.

It is frustration, however, that has her stopping in front of one and asking the obvious question. "Where is Eve?" She is met with stony silence. "Does Lavinia have her?" Part of her wants to lash out again, as if she can force the answer out of someone who has no agency. She swallows back her disappointment before the unnerving quiet of the bayou is pierced with a sound that vibrates through every part of her and leaves her cold.

Klaus.

It takes a moment to fully recognize that he is the source and he is in pain. In all their time together (both here and in Mystic Falls), she has never heard him make a sound quite like that. She stands frozen for a moment or two, picturing just what could make him do that; and then she's off, moving quickly now, honing in on the source. She won't let Lavinia take her best weapon (she won't let Lavinia rob Hope of her father).

Bonnie stops short when she finally comes upon them. She sucks in air through her nose and holds it there as she looks. Klaus, splayed out like some ritualistic offering, arms and legs held up by branches. She can't quite comprehend just what she is looking at - limbs dart in and out of his body, skewering him. She can smell the blood even though she still stands on the outskirts of this little display. There is something so visceral, so heartstopping in seeing him like this. She knows they have clashed over the years and she has done real damage to him but this is not how she sees Klaus Mikaelson coming to his end.

Especially since she is the one who has coaxed him here in the first place. She will never be able to see this as a victory (maybe she has outgrown wanting that victory in the first place).

Bonnie moves forward, her feet grounding into the dirt and giving her away. Not that she is trying to hide her presence. She can feel Klaus' eyes on her and can't bring herself to look at him just yet. Besides, she knows better - she cannot take her eyes off Lavinia. One slip and all of this, all of her running and hiding and making deals with the devil, will be for nothing.

"Bonnie." There is love in Lavinia's voice (the love of a child for its favorite toy).

"It's finally you," Bonnie says, her voice a perfect mixture of weariness and relief. This dance they have been doing is finally coming to an end, one way or another. Her gaze flickers to Klaus now, drawn in like a moth to a flame. His face is contorted in pain but he still manages to look at her with unbridled fury (he is no doubt thinking he has two enemies at his feet). She shifts back to Lavinia, whose breathing is somewhat shallow but she stands tall anyway. "Bit over the top, even for you."

"But fitting for a creature like Klaus - who from what I have learned, surrounds himself in excess. Nothing is too over the top for him," Lavinia says with a casual glance at her captive audience. "I know I can't kill him but I think I will make him sleep for a good long while and I will use your power to help me do it." She tilts her head, clearly curious. "Wasn't it you that almost killed him when you were just a teenager? Another great irony that I find satisfying. It is almost like we are closing a circle tonight."

Bonnie can see the perverse logic that goes into that thought. She almost wants to agree with it. It seems funny that she is here, standing between Klaus and Lavinia (arguably two of the biggest threats to her well being thus far in her life), trying her best to see her way through to a resolution where she doesn't end up dead at Klaus' hand or worse, a puppet for Lavinia to play with.

(you are both the biggest)

Hope's voice is in her head, almost if the little girl were there to whisper the words directly in her ear. It feels more like a taunt right now than a beacon of hope. She doesn't feel anywhere close to the biggest and Klaus has been humbled as well. Despite her injuries, Lavinia is clearly enjoying herself, maintaining a respectful distance from the both of them while showing that she is pulling all the strings at the moment.

"I suppose, in a way, I should thank you for leading me on a merry chase. I get you," Lavinia begins and then she looks to Klaus. "And his daughter. She is a beacon of power; she shines even brighter than you, Bonnie."

Bonnie's stomach tightens and she tastes bile immediately. She is thankful that she has eaten precious little in the last twenty four hours. It is a waste of energy to bring it up. She needs to focus.

(both the biggest)

Hope.

Lavinia wants Hope - and why not? Bonnie has only spent a moment or two with the young girl and she can see the raw power simmering just under her skin. She is willing to bet that Lavinia can practically taste it already. She can end the Bennett line tonight and then as an encore, steal away the daughter of the infamous hybrid. After that, there are very few people who will be able to stand toe to toe with her and come out on top.

(the biggest)

"Are you going to fight me, Bonnie?" Lavinia asks, breaking through Bonnie's thoughts and quieting Hope's voice for a moment. She finally takes a step forward; it is almost tentative as if she expects Bonnie to flit away like a frightened doe. "I suppose we have to, don't we? It is part of the performance we must put on to make this all seem legitimate. It's a shame really - I don't want to damage you in any way. I want you pristine. After all, you are the first Bennett that I have ever been able to ensnare."

Bonnie reads between the lines: she is the first Bennett foolish enough to to fall for Lavinia's promises. She feels that weight on her shoulders and they slump automatically. She tries to picture her grandmother, her mother, Lucy, Emily, Beatrice, Ayana - none of them would have listened to her. They were strong, powerful...they knew their worth. She...well, she had been broken. Years of loss and pain piled together - when she had witnessed Enzo die right before her, that had been the thing that finally tipped her over the edge of that particular cliff.

But still, she should have been able to put herself back together.

"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself." Lavinia is trying to sound comforting but very much like those she surrounds herself with, she is a mimic of reality. She has no compassion in her. She is just good at convincing others that she is human. Again, Bonnie can't help be struck by the idea that should have seen it all along. "You were abandoned by your fellow witches. You were left to figure it all out on your own. Add to that, your friends, they used you. To things like him…" She jerks her head toward Klaus. "...you were collateral damage. Something to be twisted to their own device or removed from the board all together. You are standing here in front of me tonight because so many people failed you along the way."

"Including myself," Bonnie says quietly, feeling numb. Behind her, she can hear Klaus groan (is he protesting her words or agreeing?). She turns her head slightly and notices how he slips forward just a little, the branches that hold him prisoner retracting as he does so. It is a sickening observation and one she would rather avoid watching further. With her attention back on Lavinia, she realizes that the other witch is preoccupied with her and she hasn't noticed that Klaus is inching towards his freedom.

If Bonnie can keep Lavinia distracted long enough for Klaus to break free then they both can…

(both)

Hope again. This time she is loud, insisting. Bonnie can picture her standing in the middle of her bedroom, stomping her feet in the way children do when they demand your attention. As the girl's voice echoes around her mind, all the cogs that have been working on the cryptic message since it had been given her finally fall into place.

Bonnie knows what she has to do.

She takes a deep breath, giving Klaus one more quick glance. She wishes she could tell him what is about to happen, to make him understand, to get him to trust her (a rather big stretch even without the added stress of keeping quiet). She closes her eyes, readies herself. She just has to hold on long enough and then Lavinia will understand that while she may be able to topple Bonnie or Klaus but she can't beat them both.

Because, to quote Hope, they are the biggest.

Bonnie tempers her anticipation, adrenaline already threatening to overload her system. When she speaks, her voice does not betray her newfound confidence. "I don't want to fight you, Lavinia. I can't," she begins, her features passive. She steps closer to her fate. "I just have one question first."

There is a slight quirk on Lavinia's face but if it is anything more than disappointment over not getting her picture perfect ending (including a battle to the death between witches), she doesn't let on. Nor does she pay Klaus any mind. Instead, she too takes another step effectively putting the two of them within arms reach. "What is it?"

"Where's Eve?" Bonnie asks, a spark of determination in her eyes.

Lavinia has a moment to look surprised and then she chuckles. "I suppose I could at least give you that," she agrees. "A little peace of mind before you no longer have a mind at all…" She sighs dramatically, the sound rattling in her chest. "Unfortunately, Eve took a page from your book and ran. She's better at hiding than you. Or maybe I just haven't looked hard enough. I always saw you as the bigger prize anyway. After this…" She gestures between the two of them. "...I'll find her and then your farce of a coven will finally be wiped out. There, question answered."

Lavinia stretches her hand towards Bonnie. For a moment, she thinks of the first time she had ever spoken to Lavinia. She had been so welcoming and when they laced hands together to close their circle, Bonnie had thought she had found home. Finally. What a joke. She tries to keep her disgust at bay, choosing to present herself as utterly broken in the end. Like this the only viable option. She reaches her hand out and for the first time in days the scar at her hip makes itself known, firing to life with such intensity that she shifts her weight from one foot to another.

Klaus makes a cry (of protest?)

Bonnie keeps her eyes on Lavinia, trying her best to hold the other witch's gaze. Stay out of this, Klaus. But not for too long. He has his part play; he just doesn't fully understand it yet. This will work. It has too.

Bonnie takes Lavinia's hand.

The effect is immediate. She can feel Lavinia's magic reach out and curl around her own magic. It grips tightly and begins to pull back, bringing with it all that makes Bonnie who she is.

(both the biggest)

X

Klaus is no stranger to pain. Throughout his many years on earth, he has suffered. There is a widespread perception that he only causes pain. He is good at it, no doubt. He can make people suffer like few others who are currently still breathing. That doesn't make him immune (hardly; it actually makes him a prime target).

For the first few moments, he feels nothing but blinding pain. There is something unique to having the limbs of a tree embrace him in the manner that they are. He can feel each one finding its own way through his body, moving aside vital organs or simply piercing through them instead. He has to clench his jaw tightly to prevent himself from giving Lavinia anything beyond his initial cry of agony.

Then things settle.

There is nowhere else for anything to go and he is simply trapped. Once the pain levels out, he is better able to manage it. Better able to think. The first thing he does is remind himself that this is not the worst he has ever suffered through. He thinks of the years that he spent at the mercy of his own mind after he killed one of The Five. He thinks of Mikael; the physical and emotional abuse being the perfect mixture to permanently scar him in more ways than one. He thinks of holding Camille in his his arms as she slips away from him.

This. This is nothing.

This is temporary.

When Bonnie arrived, he had immediately begun to turn his strength outwards, pushing back against the foreign intrusions in his body. To do so had brought fresh waves of pain that threatened to expose him but he had fought back (this is nothing).

His escape is nearly derailed by his own shock as he watches Bonnie hand herself over to Lavinia. He can't help but protest. Not only for her sake but his own. This is not how this is supposed to go. If anyone is supposed to end Bonnie Bennett, it should be him. He is owed that (especially in light of her fresh betrayal).

Klaus is ignored and he can pinpoint the moment Bonnie's magic begins to slip away. Her head snaps back and her body goes rigid. There is nothing satisfying in watching this, Klaus thinks. This is not the end she deserves.

Spurned on by this injustice, Klaus lets all his limbs dangle and then heaves himself forward with as much strength as he can muster. The result is pain, the sounds of branches snapping and muscle tearing. Then he is on the bayou floor, his cheek pressed against the wet dirt. His flesh immediately begins the process of trying to knit itself back together, although he has to reach up to pull at a branch that has held onto too tightly to his shoulder (the sound it makes is a little too perverse for his liking). He feels wrung out and knows that he has to give himself the time to heal. He is thankful that he had a glut of blood in the moments leading up to Lavinia's nasty little trick. It will help him on his way.

He turns his head slightly so he can look up at the two witches above him. Bonnie is fighting it now. He supposes that is only normal. As noble as some creatures try to be in the face of their own death, at some point instinct overtakes them. She is trying to turn her head - to pull back? To free herself? He has it in him to push himself to his knees and then realizes that she is not actually breaking free. She is looking at him (pleading).

Bonnie is begging for his help.

Right, this is where he is supposed to step in isn't it? That is what she has employed him for, although she had spent a great deal of that time failing to inform him that she had nothing to pay him with. He has a choice to make. He can leave them to this, a very tempting option given how the last few hours have paid out. Or he can stop it.

He decides to wander down the second path. If not to save his own revenge against Bonnie, than to save Hope. There is no way in hell he is going to let Lavinia anywhere near his little girl. He will rip her to shreds just for implying that is her next stop.

He can finally stand now, proof his prior torment is nearly faded at this point. There is something in Bonnie's eyes - a gratefulness? He ignores it, choosing to step into the fray with his usual bravado and quick wit.

"You two didn't really think you were going to do this without me?"

X

Bonnie nearly sags in relief at the sound of his voice.

But she can't. She is still standing and she needs to remain that way. She can feel herself slipping away at an alarming rate but she is determined to stay on her feet. It is her subtle way of not making this easy for Lavinia (little does the other witch know things are about to get much much harder).

It had taken a great deal of strength to maneuver her head to the side so she could track Klaus' progress - first, his escape and then his return to full strength (because that is what she needs; Klaus in all his glory). He had fallen to the ground and for a moment, she had lost herself in a memory. She had done that to him once, felt the satisfaction of hearing him scream and seeing his back arch in agony.

Then she had shaken herself free from the past, limbs heavy as she did so (she had felt less and less like herself in that moment; as if Lavinia had already gotten the best of her). He had been nearly there, nearly ready and she had tried her best to tell him just what he needed to do. He had not understood of course, but in the end, he had fallen into place nonetheless.

Lavinia's attention is now splintered. She looks past Bonnie to where Klaus stands with that ridiculous look of triumph on his face. Perhaps she is thinking that she will take Klaus out of the picture again. Something simple this time; a neck snap maybe? She has more pressing matters after all. But she never gets the chance.

Bonnie makes sure that Klaus stays in the game. She pulls on that reserve strength that she has been holding onto (it had been hard to do so and near the end, she had felt like she was digging her nails in deep just to keep what was rightfully hers). She uses it to turn ever so slightly and her hand reaches out.

And simply touches Klaus.

It sets off a chain reaction.

In much the same way one touches a live wire and then the person next to her, everything that Klaus is begins to flow into Lavinia with Bonnie acting as a conduit. She can feel Klaus' raw power, the magic that has bound together to make him one of the most powerful creatures on earth, slip out of him and into her. She in turn gives it Lavinia.

Klaus is the first to be caught off guard. Of course he has to be. He had been standing proudly in one moment and now he is feeling what she is feeling (that loss, the draining sense that you will lose everything). It is instinct for him to fight back but she curls her fingers around his arm, digging her nails into his skin. She wishes she had it in her to speak. She would tell him to trust her, not something that he is willing to do but she wishes he could hear the words just the same. Maybe if she could tell him that this is what Hope had told her. He does not trust Bonnie, but he trusts his daughter. Probably more than anyone else left on this earth.

Lavinia finally catches on. It had taken a moment or two longer and that makes sense. She had already been the receiver, magic flowing into her and filling her up. The increase in intensity is probably welcoming at first. She will take all the power she can get. She will greedily lap it up and beg for more. Lavinia will never be satisfied no matter her claims to the otherwise. Bonnie even catches sight of a smile playing at the corners of Lavinia's mouth.

Then reality hits. Lavinia may never be satisfied but that does not mean that she is meant to hold it all. Everything has its limits and Bonnie and Klaus - well, together they are the biggest. They have the ability to overload every cell in Lavinia's body. Her foe's eyes widen and the first hint of fear appears.

She hopes Klaus gets it now. He is not fighting as hard. In fact she thinks she feels him inch closer to her. The hand that holds onto him slackens but does not fall away. She feels him, inside of her now, swirling around as it dances its way to Lavinia. It is a strange feeling and one that does not come alone. She blinks and there are images behind her eyes too. Things she cannot place. Elijah pleading, a small baby held against her chest, a blonde woman who looks in her direction with a smile that leaves her calm. She thinks she hears things too - a soft voice insisting that love will make you strong. It takes her a moment and she gets it. Like she had gotten lost in her memory, Klaus is doing the same. She is just along for the ride.

Lavinia clearly wants to get off. For the first time, Bonnie can feel her try to pull away, try to sever the connection between them. Bonnie sucks in her breath enough to push out a simple 'no'. She shifts the hand that holds Lavinia's so that her nails dig into the other witch's skin this time around. Instead of letting Lavinia take, she is giving. Lavinia is going to get what she has been after, whether she likes it or not.

There is a hideous shriek as Lavinia tries again to secure her freedom (her life). Bonnie can feel the skin beneath her fingers tear and the wetness of the blood that follows. It only encourages her to hang on just a little bit longer. As Klaus pours through his memories before handing them over to her, Bonnie plants her feet solidly in the ground for the final push.

She can pinpoint the moment Lavinia is overloaded. The witch's limbs jerk outward, pulling Bonnie and Klaus off kilter a little. Her head snaps back and her back twists. There is something about her eyes; they seem to burn with life (too much life). Then there is one final snap of her entire body and her eyes go dull. She slumps forward and Bonnie immediately lets go, refusing to take on her dead weight and instead Lavinia falls unceremoniously to the ground.

Dead.

It takes Bonnie a moment to truly understand that. She is still brimming with what Klaus has given her. There are faces clouding her vision, voices blocking out any sound. It is only when she feels the hot trickle of blood travel down her left nostril to spill over her lips that she finally comes to the present properly.

She turns slightly, finding Klaus standing there. He also has blood on his face. Only his spills from his mouth and she can see where he has torn through his lip with his fangs. They look at one another, both apparently at a loss for words.

Then they too fall to the ground.