"Uh…we're gonna need some help over here!" Damon cried as he and Alec held on with all of their supernatural strength as Dominic fought the chains, soon Rebekah and Caroline were with them, trying to brace the hunter to the tree.
But, no one near the boundary circle heard them.
They were fighting their own battle.
"Elijah…" Chogun said, holding Elijah's head up as the original convulsed in his grasp, his breathing shallow, "Son. You've got to stay with us. We need you…"
Finally, after a grimace, Chogun resorted to desperate measures and placed a second hand on Elijah's chest inside his shirt and summoned his powers, "I'm so sorry, Elijah…I'm sorry…"
Elijah screamed as Chogun's eyes turned white again and his power touched Elijah's own demon, awakening it and causing the originals eyes to vein and his fangs to bare.
This caught the demon's attention and it immediately started moving toward Elijah, Elena and Misha.
Elena kept her eyes focused on Elijah, furrowing her brow as she watched Elijah scream in pain under Chogun's ministrations.
She knew it was necessary for Elijah to live…for them all to live…but, it pained her more than words can say.
As the demon approached their side of the barrier, Elena , Misha, Chogun and Ayanna all braced themselves.
And when it was just within a few feet from them, Ayanna nodded to the other spirts and they un-linked hands, dropping their protection spell and disappearing into the ether, along with Ayanna.
The demon was free and now headed straight for Klaus' body, the smoke immediately funneling itself into the dead original's mouth.
Klaus convulsed a few times then went still.
Suddenly, Misha cried out in pain and Elena immediately felt ill and threw up onto the ground next to her as Elijah continued to writhe in pain as Chogun tried to hold him still.
When Elena sat up again, her head reeling, her breath hitched as she saw Elijah's eyes turn completely black, the demon passing through him.
Then after a few moments his body went still.
The demon had gone through the portal.
Chogun released his hands from Elijah and the original fell limply forward onto the ground, Elena crawling to his side.
Suddenly, Damon's voice pierced the night.
"Heads up!" he yelled over Rebekah's screams and Elena saw over her shoulder, through the haze and fatigue of her body and mind, that Dominic had somehow broken lose and was now entangling Caroline in his chains.
Vivienne and Saraphine didn't miss a beat.
"Bellator est ex humano genere, et consurgens ..." they spoke into the night
Immediately Misha flinched and dropped the compass from his hand and it landed on the ground, glowing red hot.
"Soulless ortum mente!" they finished
"Caroline!" Damon cried as he raced to the blonde vampire's aide, taking a shot at Dominic and knocking the hunter to the ground before turning back to Caroline and unwinding the chain Dominic had slung around her neck while Alec took on the hunter and kept him occupied.
But, soon Alec and Rebekah were both on the ground, both reeling from their unsuccessful attempts at taking Dominic down.
"Damon! He's coming back your way!" Alec shouted just as Damon had freed Caroline.
"Run!" Damon said to Caroline as he threw aside the chains and she scrambled to her feet and took off.
But, just as Damon came to his own footing, a figure made its way between the vampire and the hunter—it was Luka DeVaraux.
Dominic's eyes narrowed on his brother for a confused moment before Luka swiftly threw out his hands with inhuman speed and clasped the sides of his brother's head in a vice grip, seemingly paralyzing the hunter as the tattoos on their arms glowed with life.
Dominic cried out and tried to free himself, but Luka just held tighter
"Kompasset!" Luka cried in his native language, holding his brother, and Kol, still sitting with Bonnie's unconscious body up in a nearby tree to keep her safe, relayed the message to Misha.
"He needs the compass!" Kol cried and Misha immediately broke off into a sprint, scooping up the compass as he went and tossing it in a fast under hand toward Luka, who reached out briefly with his left hand to catch it.
Within moments, however, the original hunter threw it to the ground and there was a brilliant flash of light.
"Ha det..." Luka whispered, sharing a knowing look with Misha, then closed his eyes as he and Dominic were swallowed up by the light.
And in an instant flash, they were gone and the compass snapped shut.
"Allow me!" Damon suddenly cried angrily and swooped in front of Misha and started smashing the compass into a million pieces with his foot.
Misha came up behind him and placed a tentative hand on his shoulder.
"Damon…" he said, but Damon just kept smashing the compass under foot like a possessed stamping machine, "Damon…Damon!"
Damon suddenly stopped and turned toward the warlock, his nostrils flaring and tears threatening his eyes.
"It's okay…" Misha said with a raised eyebrow, his eyes darting from the smashed pieces of the compass, then back to Damon's face, trying to steady him, "It's over…"
"Yeah...seriously," Kol commented from above them in the tree, "I'm pretty sure the compass is dead. It's dollhouse firewood, mate."
# # # # # # #
Elijah blinked quickly, swallowing a hard lump in his throat as he came to consciousness.
His first awareness was that he was under a large blanket…
The next awareness was of a presence hovering above him and soft lips capturing his in a gentle kiss.
After their lips tangled for a few moments, Elijah willed himself to open his eyes and saw Elena's face in front of him.
"Hey, there, Sleepyhead…" she whispered
"How long have I been out?" Elijah asked, grimacing against the pounding in his head.
"A few days," Elena said
"A few days?!" Elijah asked, trying to jolt himself up out of bed, but his chest met with Elena's hand as she held him down, "What-what happened?! Where are we?! My siblings—"
"Are fine." Elena replied, "So are Bonnie, Jeremy, Damon, Caroline, Misha, Chogun and Alec…all fine. We are in New Orleans. Dominic is gone …we are safe."
Elijah took in a deep breath and brought his hand to rest over hers on his chest before closing his eyes, "It worked?"
"Yep. Pretty well…all things considered…."
"All things considered?" Elijah quoted in good humor
"Oh, come on, face it Elijah," Elena smiled, leaning closer to him, "It always happens this way. Eminent danger approaches and we decide to fight it, so we come up with some kind of plan—and its crap. So we amend the plan, but then learn that it probably won't work…again. All hope is lost, until some person we don't know, shows up with a brilliant amendment to the plan...then all Hell breaks loose, but somehow, we claim victory by the hair of our chins! The End."
"Well…" Elijah smirked, "When you put it like that…."
Elena laughed and leaned closer to him, nudging his cheek with her nose as she felt his hand tighten around hers.
"You could have died…" he whispered, his eyes softening
He didn't remember much after the ritual started, but he remembered Elena's words in his ear and the familiar touch of her hand on his, giving him her strength.
"Yes, but it would have been with you…" Elena replied softly, "Which was better than the alternative—spending forever without you."
A smile crossed Elijah's face as he took in her meaning and shifted closer to her and met her gaze.
They looked into eachother's eyes for a few moments before Elijah whispered, asking the difficult question he hated asking of her…but he had to know.
"What about Damon, Elena? You love him."
"I did," Elena replied solemnly, "I think maybe part of me still does and always will…but…." she trailed off for a moment before she brought her hand to Elijah face and moved closer, brushing her lips against his, "I love you, more. I choose you, Elijah. Forever…or until forever ends—"
"It won't" Elijah said, immediately cutting her off as he rolled forward and kissed her before she could say anything else, a single tear of happiness streaming down his face.
# # # # # # # #
Two days later….
Elijah exhaled a nervous breath as he stood in front of the hall mirror in the foyer, fumbling with his bow tie as his sister came down the main staircase behind him.
"Oh, my God," Rebekah mused, then with vampire speed appeared at his side and turned him toward her, "Here, let me do that or you'll do yourself an injury."
Elijah sighed with a smile and lowered his arms in surrender
"There!" Rebekah said when she was done and Elijah brushed his hand gently across her cheek in thanks before he turned toward the banister and retrieved his suit jacket where it was hanging on the post.
As he shrugged it on, Rebekah reached into the nearby cane stand and retrieved her Mardi Gras shade umbrella.
Suddenly, Kol appeared at her side, dressed in a white suit with a bright yellow bow tie and his Mardi Gras top hat of many colors.
"Whoa!" Elijah cried, startled when he turned to face them, taken aback and chuckling as he took in the pair before him, "It's like a magical unicorn threw up on you two!"
Rebekah smirked and shared a look with Kol before she turned back to Elijah, "It's for Nik. We thought he deserved a little taste of home if he's to be buried here. Don't be mad, but we hired a line band as well. They are waiting outside…"
Elijah immediately fought tears as he nodded and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his siblings in a group hug.
When he pulled away, he straightened the sleeves on his suit and wiped under his eyes before he turned on his heel and led his siblings into the front parlor where they were met by Caroline, Damon Salvatore, Chogun, Misha, Jeremy, Bonnie and the spirit warriors in their human forms.
Elijah smiled as Elena came to his side in a black tea length dress and took his arm as the original stepped forward and touched the closed silver casket, resting on a bier in the center of the room, that held the body of his beloved brother.
After a few moments, Elijah stepped back and there was a long silent pause before Misha came to the head of the casket and began to sing in a low, mourning tone.
"When I die…" He wailed, "You better second line!"
"When I die…Oh, you, you better second line!"
"When the angels meet me at the gate… Oh, I'll be so happy…so happy to see my savior's face! Oh, when, when I die…" Misha continued, pointing out the crowd of friends and family surrounding the casket, "You and you and you...well, you better second line!"
In the pause that followed, Elijah, Alec, Damon and Jeremy stepped forward and took position on either side of the casket, and on a three count, lifted it onto their shoulders, following Misha as he led them out through the parlor doors and into the hallway.
When the front door was opened and they walked out into the courtyard, the New Orleans Jazz line band was waiting for them, along with a small motorcycle police escort that Kol had compelled.
When they saw the funeral procession slowly approaching, the band started to play a mournful tune.
As they left the courtyard and started down Dauphine Street, sway stepping as they slowly made the march to St. Pierre Cemetery—a small graveyard in their part of the quarter, the were met with little traffic on the side street.
"When I die, you better second line…" Misha continued to sing mournfully, following behind the band, "Oh, when I die you, better second line! You better strike up the band every day of the week and parade my soul up and down the street! Oh, when I die, oh Lord, you better second line!"
Misha looked back over his shoulder to Elijah, his friend's face stained with tears as he carried his brother's casket through the street of their hometown. "When I die, you better second line! Put my casket on top of the bar and put the jukebox on a closer wall…Oh, when I die, you better second line!"
Suddenly, the drummer in the band and the trumpet players picked up the tempo and a crowd that had gathered on the nearby sidewalk, cheered and car horns honked their approval. And soon, complete strangers got in line with the vampires, humans and other supernatural creatures that followed the casket, sway dancing and jiving to the higher tempo, all while twirling handkerchiefs in celebration of Niklaus Mikaelson's life.
Kol, wearing his Mardi Gras hat, spun Elena under his arm as she smiled and two stepped around him, then danced with Chogun as he pow-wow stepped.
Rebekah twirled her umbrella and embraced Caroline lovingly as they danced in the flashing lights of the police escorts.
"When I die, oh, you better second line!" Misha smiled as he twirled and danced joyfully around the casket, "When I die, you better second line! You better put my trumpet on my side…for those big jam sessions up beyond the sky! Oh, when I die, ya'll better second line!"