Chapter 1: Where The Wind Blows

Elena let out a sigh of frustration, trying to pull out one of her old journals from the shelf, stuck between all the other cramped books. Giving it one last, hard tug, the book finally came out. And Elena stumbled backwards, "Ahh!" She yelps, hitting the edge of her bed, falling onto it.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked in concern, peaking around the door. Seeing her friend sprawled out on the bed, the blond raised an eye brow.

"Yeah, just tried getting the stupid thing out of the shelf." Elena grumbles, raising the book into the air.

Caroline let out a laugh, stepped inside and leaned against the door, "Why do you want to look into your old diary for? Isn't that from like…6th grade?"

"Yeah," the burnet went to sit up, " but there's a picture in there with all of in there from back then. I've been trying to find it."

Opening up the journals, Elena flipped through it, shaking the book upside down, until something feel out. Closing the book, she puts it next to her. She smiled down at the picture in her hands, scanning the younger faces of her friends. Glancing up at her friend, she waves the picture up in triumph.

Caroline went to sit next to Elena, looking the picture over. Reaching over, she traces their faces, "We used to be really happy."

"I miss it." Elena sighs, "Back when we we're all friends, not so much drama. No complicated Supernatural."

The blond moved to hug her, head on her shoulder, "Same."

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, before Caroline let loose and went to stand back up, "You should probably get ready though…don't you have a ball to attend?"

"I guess." Peaking over at the dress hanging up on the door, she bit her lip, "I really don't want to go. Damon and Stefan are just going to screw things up with their 'protectiveness'."

Turning to the dress, Caroline took it from the door, and turned to her, "Well, you're not wrong. But it's the only way to find out what Klaus and his mother are planning…" she glancing at Elena's hair, she adds, " Let me do your hair."

Elena lets out a sigh, knowing she wasn't going to get a say in this. Nodding, she says, "Alright, let get this over with."

Caroline sends her a little smile, before vampire speeding to the bath room. Elena went to put the picture safely into her drawer, giving it one last smile. Right as she shut the door, a cold breeze sends shivers down her spine. Quickly she turns around, looking around the room.

"Huh?" Nothing was amiss. Walking to her window, she opens it, scanning the surrounding. It was still light out, and she didn't see anything off…no vampires, no creepy figures, "Maybe I'm finally loosing it." She mutters to herself. Going to close her window, she hears the faint sound of howl. At least she thought it was a howl, it sounded a little musical. Shaking her head, she closes the window, "Going crazy it is."

xxxxx

She wanted to go home, crawl under a blanket, and pretend this crap wasn't happening to her.

The ballroom was gorgeous, really. Like it was straight out of a fairytale. Her dress shimmered as the light hit it and as she turned, her now curly hair was styled to the side, cascading down past her shoulder, not one stand out of place; Caroline outside herself. Add two handsome guys, one on each side, it was the perfect image of nearly every girls dream. Nearly.

Elena clenched her teeth as the two boys argued about how they where going to take out the Original Vampire.

Elena cursed them in her head. She cursed Katherine for making them like this, she cursed the Originals for making this huge spectacle just to show off.

But most importantly she cursed herself for having to be a pawn in everyones plans. Screw them all, honestly

Without giving them one last glance, she makes her way though the crowd and to a door. Stepping past the doorway, she enters a hallway. Has she mentioned how much she doesn't want to do this?

"Elena." Came the voice of Elijah. Stopping in her tracks, she turns around as said man walks up to her, lightly touching her arm, "I understand that my mother requested to see you?"

Yes, indeed she did, she thinks to herself. Looking up at him, she blinks. Was that concern in his eyes? "Ah…yes, why is something wrong?"

They continue to walk down o hallway, as he voices his concern, "Well, her ability to forgive my brother after everything he's done to destroy this family strikes me as a little…stranger. To say the least."

She couldn't blame him, what sane person would forgive Klaus for all the insanity he's brought with him everywhere he goes. "Do you think that it's an act?" She asks, raising a brow.

"It has me asking questions I thought I'd never ask." Elijah admits to her. Meeting her worry filled eyes, he asks, "Can I depend on you to tell me what she says?"

Elena purses her lips, not sure what to say to his request. She knew that he trusted her and she trusted him in return and this was his family's business that she's been caught up in, once again. Part of her wanted to turn around and walk out that door back home, but she's already made her presence known by just being here and there was no way someone would follow her and drag her back here for some god awful plan of theirs.

"Of course." She tells him, "I'll find you later, okay?" Her tone held a promising sound to it. Elijah looked taken aback for a moment, but he quickly covers it up as she walks around him in a hurry.

A small smile forms on his face as he watched her walk away. She somehow managed to surprise him once again by agreeing to his request. Although Elijah did wonder; there was something odd about her tonight. No in the way that 'Katerina disguised as Elena odd', no everything about her screamed Elena, especially her scent. It was something in her eyes, like her mind was somewhere far away.

He'd have to ask her about that later.

xxxxx

Elena walked up to the door, taking in a deep breath before knocking on it. I need fresh air after this. She's been here for all but thirty minutes maybe and it was already taking a toll on her, the air stuffy. She didn't want to be here, she thinks for the thousands time that night.

As the door opens, she's greeted by the eldest Original, Finn.

He looks at her, expression blank, then scans the area around her, "You're alone. Good Choice."

She bites her tongue at that comment, something about him irritated her greatly. There was some self-righteous air around him that doesn't even compare to Stefan. Feeling a little guilty for comparing her ex to this man standing before her, she pushes the thought to some corner of her brain.

He moves to the side, allowing her to pass. Standing awkwardly, she spots the older woman whom she assumes can only be their mother, holding something in her hand. It had smoke coming off of it.

"Don't worry, it's only sage. I spelt it so no one would be listening in on our conversation." Esther gives a reassuring smile to Elena, one that Elena wasn't so sure is genuine. "Finn, why don't you go spend some time with your siblings."

Elena watches him. Finn simply nods and walks out the door, expressionless. He doesn't look like someone who wants to spend time with his siblings.

"Now, I'm sure you have questions for me." The older woman asks her, taking a seat on the sofa.

"How are you alive and what do you want from me." The younger girl doesn't hold back, there was no need to. Get answers and get out, that was the plan…well, her plan anyway.

"Not one to waste time, are you?" Esther smirks, "Well, an old friend of mine, a fellow witch named Ayana helped preserve my body. Bonnie is one of her defendants."

Elena nodded in understanding, "That's how she and her mother opened the coven…makes sense." She mutters the last part to herself, "So why did you ask for me then?"

"Rebekah told you how they became what they are, correct? Well, after spending a millennium on the other side, watching my children, now monsters…I've come to undo the creatures I helped make."

Elena leans back at this, her eyes wide in realization. Did she mean? "You're gonna help us kill Klaus?"

Esther goes to stand, picking up the knife laying on the table. Eyes shifting to the sharp knife in her hand, Elena takes a step back, of course…that's why I'm here, she needs my blood. A shiver ran down her spine.

"You understand, I used Tatia's blood to turn my children into what they are, meaning if I use you'r blood, I can undo it. With your blood, I can create a spell that links them together. Finn is all the willing to sacrifice himself and end them all."

This was information overload. Elena tried making sense of what she's saying. I mean, it makes sense, but…linked? "What do you mean link them together?" Esther walks closer to her, making Elena take another step backwards.

My children believe I'm holding this ball to celebrate our reunion." The witch begins to explain, "But in truth I've gathered them together to perform a ritual. The first step requires blood from the doppelgänger. Only a drop. Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening. Will you do it or shall I?"

Looking between the knife and Esther, Elena knows she doesn't have much of a choice. Esther was going to take her blood on way or another. Bitting the inside of her cheek, she knew this wasn't right, this was against what Elena stood for. If she decided to give her blood to this woman who wanted to kill her own children, she was no better then Damon. We wanted Klaus dead…but not the others, at least not Elijah…

At the thought of Elijah dead, no longer here. It felt wrong and hurt her to think about. Yeah, sure, Elijah was also an Original, but they have some kind of friendship between them. Elena wasn't going to lie to herself, she cared for the original brother; dare she say liked him. Maybe a little more then I should.

"No."

The doppelgänger blinked at her own words, had she meant to say that?

"I think you're confused child. I'm not giving you a choice." Esther stated, her voice grew cold.

"I'm not helping you kill your own children." Elena hissed back at her, making her way backwards to the door. Holding the elder woman's gaze, she glares. Suddenly she felt herself being unable to move, fuck.

Smirking arrogantly at the girl, Esther moves in front of her and lifts a hand to her cheek, running it down to her chin and grabbing it, "It really is amazing. You look exactly like the first girl. Although, Tatia was a little more bland in some aspects, I don't know much about Katerina, but you actually fight for things you believe in. Too bad that's the only personality that stands out against the others."

Grabbing her arm, she takes Elena's glove off and slashes the knife across her open palm, enough to make it bleed only a little. Gathering enough blood, Esther applies something on the wound to make it stop bleeding before putting the glove back on her.

It was a second later when Elena was able to move again. She held her hand against her chest, fixing her glare at the woman, "There's a special place in hell for people like you."

"I'm sure there is." Esther says, placing the girls blood in the bowl.

Gulping, Elena leaves, hurrying down the stairs and the hall. Panic flooded her all of a sudden, How am I going to tell Elijah that his own mother wants them all dead? She makes it to the ballroom.

She feels a shiver rush through her whole body. That's when she hears it again…the odd howling from earlier. Standing by the window, she looks outside, maybe it's just wolves. Since when are wolf howls so musically inclined though? Like I said…going crazy. I've got more important things to worry about.

"Elena? How was my mother?" Speak of the devil and important things…

Stoping in her tracks, she tries her best to gather herself. Turning to him, she holds his gaze, "Intense?"

He smiles down at her, remembering how his mother could be back in their day. "And what did she want from you?"

Opening her mouth, she want's to tell him. But the eyes staring a hole into the back of her skull makes her shut her mouth. Too many eyes, I need to get him in private…somehow.

A waiter walks past them, offering champagne to them. Elijah takes two, thanking the waiter. Turning back to her, he offers her the offending glass which had her blood in it. Not wanting to be rude, she takes it and smiles at him, only to see his waiting eyes.

Glancing down at the glass, she thinks to herself for a moment. She needed to tell him. Elena could not…would not let someone else she cares about die on her watch. She's cried enough, she's suffered enough of survivors guilt to last her the rest of her damn life. She's had enough.

"Has my mother forgiven Klaus, Elena?" He pushed the question this time, expecting her to answer. Looking up to the stair case, she sees the warning look Esther was giving her. If Elena told the truth, it would be her last night on this earth.

Letting out a sigh, she smiles at him, "She just apologized for trying to have me killed." While she said this, she gestures at the glass with her eyes, still smiling, she writes 'NO' on it.

"I see." Elijah immediately caught on and decided to play along, "I'm glad she's decided to forgive him then."

"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentleman." Esther announced, a big smile on her face. Everyone turned to look up at her, her children smiled up at her. Although Elijah also smiled, it held something dark in it. Elena hated seeing him like this.

"Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy then to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!" His mothers voice rang over the ballroom, everyone cheered.

Elijah turned to her, his smile turning a little less dark, "Cheers."

The next second was the slowest in Elena's life. She watches as he lifts the glass to his mouth and understands that he did not get the full message. She didn't know she did it until it happened.

Her hand shot out, knocking the glass out of his hand. She hears the glass hit the floor, shattering to pieces, along with Esther's plans. Elijah's eyes are wide with shock against her own. Elena feels eyes on them…on her. She understands, she did just knock celebratory champagne out of this mans hand. Gulping, she laughs nervously in embarrassment, "My uh…hand, it slipped." Letting her own glass fall to the ground purposely, she pretends to stumble a little, holding her forehead, "I'm not feeling so good, maybe I'll go get some air. Yes air!"

Before Elijah even had a chance to ask her if she needed a ride home, she was across and out the mansion. He was a little confused, but glancing down at the glass, remembering her gesture not even five minutes ago, the realization hits him, It seems mother had no intention on forgiving Nik or us. He feels the bitterness rise in him. Looking up to where his mother was watching him, he sends her to coldest of smiles a son such as himself could muster. His cold stare turns to worry when he notices Finn no longer next to his mother.

He's gone to kill her. Elijah hurries out after Elena.

xxxxx

Elena rushed out of that mansion like a bat out of hell. Grabbing the dress by the bottom, she kicked her heels off and made a dash for it.

"Elena, where are you going?" Matt asked concerned as she rushed past him.

"Not feeling good, going to throw up." She says quickly, not giving him a chance to slow her down.

In all actuality, she wasn't sure where she was going, she just needed to breath, away from everyone, just a second before Esther would try to kill her again and most likely succeed. She didn't see any of her friends in the ballroom, so she doubted they knew of what just transpired.

Didn't matter. Elena finally stopped near a bench in the yard. She sat down on it and held her head in her hand. Could she just for one moment, just one damn minute to herself?

She did something stupid, impulsive, downright wreck less for all her enemies to see. She had a target on her back already, but now? It was like putting neon signs all around her saying 'come get me!'

"Why?" She asked some deity up there. The shiver ran up her arm suddenly, why am I shivering all day today?

The shiver ran up her spin this time, followed by a gentle breeze. It was gently, but she still flinched. Looking up and around, she doesn't really she wind blowing the trees…strange…

The breeze came again, this time she stands up, glaring at nothing, "What the hell is it now?"

She feels it wind move against her cheek, then sees…it move the flowers in front of her, then move the tree near them. Is…this wind trying to tell me to follow it? Is this Esther's plan to kill me? Lure me into the woods, stab me and finally end the line of Doppelgängers with me?

As if it heard her, the wind blew in her face, like it was mad for thinking that. Elena turned around, closing her eyes, fists clenched, "No, I'm not doing this. I'm imagining things going crazy, thats it. Going crazy, yup."

Opening her eyes, she starts walking the opposite directing when a figure stood ten feet away from her. Finn with the knife his mother slashed her palm open with.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asks, eyes unforgiving, like she personally offended him. Elena figures she did, by not allowing his mothers plans to go through.

"Away from you?" She states it more like a question, staling for time.

"I don't think so." He says taking a step toward her, knowing that if she ran, she wouldn't make it far. The breeze warps around her feet, like it was telling her to run. Elena takes a step back. She felt the wind near her shoulders and suddenly Finn was taking a step toward her and then he fell, flat, on, his, face.

Elena would have laughed, if the situation wasn't so pressing. The wind pushed at her, and for whatever reason, she turned and ran the direction it blew in.

Padt the flowers, the trees, in the forest. Elena wasn't sure where she was running, but she just did and the wind felt strangely comforting, like it was telling her not to worry. If Vampires, witches, and werewolves exist, wind acting like a person should come as strange to me, right?

It did, but it didn't. Whatever, she just kept running and it felt kind of nice. Until the wind stopped. So Elena stopped. She looked, she was by the falls, watching the water run down. A sense of peace and calm overcame her and the breeze gently played at her now wild hair.

Elena let out a little giggle as it tickled her. She watched over the falls, the moment was nice. She used to come to the falls all the time, but stopped after her parents died. Squatting in her dress down next to the water, she takes her gloves off. Staring at the cut Esther inflicted upon her, she sighs, dipping it into the water. A sigh of relief escapes her as the coolness of the water cools the slight throbbing.

"Oh good, you're alright."

Snapping her head back, she lets out a breath of relief at the sight of Elijah, "It's just you."

Elijah walks up to her and kneels next to her, taking her hand out of the water. Elena nearly wanted to protest at the loss of coolness. The feel of his hands holding hers, as he traced the wound felt just a s nice, however.

"Your mother didn't hold back in trying to get my blood." She tells him, looking out over the water.

Holding her hand, he stares at the wound. It's a testament for all the pain his family has caused her and he didn't know how she was able to sit there, trust him, and not look at him in disgust. With one last trance, he lets go.

"I don't know how to repay you for what you've just done, lovely Elena." He admits, his voice held a degree of shame.

She looks back at him and shakes her head, "Just…try to keep your siblings as far away from me as possible. I'm not gonna lie, I want Klaus dead, still. But that doesn't mean the rest need's to be punished for his evil deeds. I just want peace, Elijah."

He watches her with a look so gentle, Elena felt her face turn red. She quickly looked back at the water, when she feels his hand on the side of her face, turning her back to look at him.

"How is it possible for someone as forgiving as you to exist?" The question was rhetorical, of course. She didn't say anything to him, but the mood shifted slightly as she noticed him glancing away from her eyes, down to her lips, then back at her eyes. Elena swore, she stopped breathing for a moment, especially when he leaned forward. She closed her eyes.

"Ever the romanic, brother." And the moment was ruined. Eyes snapping open, Elena looks behind Elijah, to see Finn standing there, glaring at both of them. Both stood, Elijah standing in front of her, covering her from view.

"I see you still act as mothers lap dog." Elijah simply stares, glaring at his brother.

"And you're still falling for that Doppelgänger charm." Finn snapped, "No matter, she'll be the last of her kind."

She wind was back all of a sudden, blowing at her feet. Glancing down, she felt it push at her feet. Raising a brow, she stumbled toward Elijah.

At the same time, Finn charged toward Elijah as well, both making them stumble backwards onto the ground.

Except Elena stumbled a little more, the wind pushing at her harder, "What the?" Suddenly she lost her footing and she braced herself for the pain that came with the impact of two Original Vampires and the ground.

Except the Pain never came.

Elena didn't have time to scream, she was to shocked.

She was surrounded by air, free falling.

Just before she felt the hard impact, she heard the horrified scream of her name, "ELENA!"

It felt poetic to her as she closed her eyes.

Water surrounded her.

xxxxxx

Disclaimer: I don't ownTVD

A/N: Should I be writing this? Probably not, butt he ideas been haunting me for the past week, so here it is! Enjoy and let me know what y'all think ! Also, spelling and grammar are probably off, because I suck at them and have a Mac Laptop that likes to autocorrect and I haven't figured out how to turn it off yet.