They arrived back to Klaus's Mansion by the time Rebekah had returned with the last of the White Oak.
"Perfect, Bex is here, too," said Kol just as he and Hilda strode in to where Klaus was painting, seeing Rebekah has walked in right ahead of them.
Rebekah smiled at her siblings. "The last of the white oak stakes that can kill us. Who wants to do the honors?"
"Me," said Hilda, holding out her hand. Rebekah handed it to her, and Hilda tossed it right into the fireplace, watching the flames engulf it.
Rebekah was pleased. "Well, that's that, then."
"Pack your bags and get any last minute business sorted out," said Klaus. "We're leaving."
"Today?" she asked, looking almost sad.
"Why not? There's nothing keeping us here. We'll grab the doppelganger and be off by sunset."
"But tonight is the Decade Dance!" whined Rebekah.
The twins shared a look of distaste. "The what?"
"The Decade Dance! I'm head of the committee and I've been doing all the planning- we have to go!"
"Is that one of those cheesy high school excuses to dance all pressed together?" asked Hilda.
"If it is, I have no intention of going to any dance," said Kol.
"Nor do I," added Klaus.
Rebekah frowned. "You have to go. For me, please. Caroline will be there, Klaus. And I think that brunette you were dancing with at the party, Kol. Not to mention, that teacher Hilda fancies might be there, now that he's better."
The three siblings looked around, none very excited about the prospect of indulging in their baby sister's request.
"Okay, fine," muttered Klaus. "Only if the twins are going. One last hoorah."
Rebekah smiled in triumph. "One last hoorah. The theme is the Roaring Twenties, so you better dress accordingly."
She began to walk out when the twins began to protest. "We weren't around in the twenties!" said Kol indignantly. "You have to show us what to bloody wear."
"Look it up, you two have phones now!" said Rebekah. "Unless you'd rather I drag you to set everything up."
The twins decided it was better to consult Klaus and their devices than accompany Rebekah.
Klaus sighed dejectedly, realizing the twins were going to need his help. "Fine, fine, I will show you where to find outfits. But I expect no hesitation when we leave later. You will owe it to me."
"Yes, brother, we will," said Hilda, nudging Kol as they watched Klaus roll his eyes.
It was more fun than expected. Klaus could talk for hours on end about the artistic aesthetic aspects of the 1920s, and it gave the twins a very good idea of what to wear. Kol, of course, was going to go with something more formal anyway, but Hilda found a very nice flowy dress that wasn't a flapper, which Klaus thought would be fitting for the theme. She even convinced him to paint some flowers from the garden for her to put in her hair.
Once evening set in, the three headed to the school. They felt out of place, of course, since none of them were enrolled at the high school to begin with, but they supposed that no one would really care that they were there. They found the gymnasium filled with decorations, which was a bit much, in Hilda's opinion, but she tried to pay it no heed, and instead peered around for Rebekah.
"Where the bloody hell is she?" asked Kol impatiently as they started moving through the crowd.
"Knowing her, behind the scenes, nitpicking every detail we won't even see," muttered Hilda.
Klaus was, momentarily, not looking for Rebekah. "Ah, there's Caroline. It's time you twins meet Tyler- the boy with her. My hybrid sireling."
"Ooh, a wolf boy," Hilda said teasingly.
"Klaus, how did you manage to find a sireling that was handsomer than you?" Kol added playfully.
Klaus growled. "Don't you dare."
He walked up to Caroline and Tyler, who were slow dancing quite intimately. Tyler was the first to notice them, and his jaw twitched visibly.
"Where've you been, mate?" asked Klaus as Tyler stepped back from a very flustered Caroline.
"I just got back in town," said Tyler simply.
"That's funny, I don't recall giving you permission to leave in the first place. You don't mind if I cut in, do you?"
Caroline scoffed. "Yes, actually, we do!"
Kol and Hilda snickered, but Klaus wasn't about to back down. Glaring at Tyler, he kept his jaw set, and the younger hybrid stepped even further away. "No, it's fine."
Caroline seemed like she might lose her head. "Why do you always have to prove that you're the alpha male?" she snapped at Klaus.
He smirked. "I don't have to prove anything, love. I am the alpha male. Come on, one dance. I won't bite."
Casting Tyler a sad look, she reluctantly accepted to dance with Klaus. Kol gave a bored sigh and patted Hilda's shoulder. "I think I saw my brunette. Let me go feed. This is stupid and trashy. Get me if you find Bex."
Hilda nodded, and walked behind Tyler, who headed over to the punch table. Hilda had no desire to indulge in punch, but she wanted a conversation. "It must suck to have to do what he says," she asked boredly as she leaned on the table. "I would hate being sired to him. He's already enough of an arse as my brother."
Tyler pursed his lips. "Well, he's my sire. I have to be respectful."
She looked at him almost suspiciously. "It's not about respect. He's ordering you about. You physically can't resist him. I would never respect anyone like that."
"Yeah, that." He glared to where Klaus was having some sort of conversation with Caroline. "Does your brother really not have anyone else to be interested in? Why does he have to pick her?"
"Honestly, he has a big thing for blondes. She's a fiery little thing and he likes a challenge. Every woman he's had a more serious infatuation for are a lot like her. They don't submit to him. He likes the idea of a chase- of fighting for their attention and affection."
Tyler huffed. "Your entire family is terrible."
She smirked in amusement. "We are, yes."
"I mean, your twin brother broke my friend Matt's hand. Klaus and Elijah have caused enough problems. And Rebekah-"
"Have you seen her?" interrupted Hilda. "I assume you've been here awhile. She made us come to this stupid event and I don't see her anywhere."
Tyler shook his head. "Nope. I'd rather stay away from her."
"So would I," said Hilda, seeing Klaus stepping away from Caroline. "There, go get your girl." She walked off to her brother. "Tyler hasn't seen Rebekah. Is she even here? I don't sense her anywhere."
Klaus growled at the news and pulled out his phone, dialing Rebekah's number. No phone rang in the nearby vicinity (that they could hear) and the call eventually went to voicemail. "Rebekah, call me back immediately! We only came to this ridiculous dance because you begged us to, and now you're nowhere to be found!" He hung up. "Get Kol. We're leaving."
Hilda turned back and once she located Kol in the crowd, sped over, prying him off of the young brunette he'd been feeding on discreetly, dancing with her and pretending he was kissing her neck. "Let's get out of this wretched place," she said, yanking at his shirt.
"Mmm." He detached himself and turned the girl around, biting into his wrist and letting her drink his blood to be healed before tilting her head up and looking her in the eyes. "Go clean the blood off your neck and come back as though nothing happened."
He then turned to Hilda and the twins went to where Klaus had exited the gym. The three walked out together, back to the parking lot, but noticed there was a line of salt on the ground. The twins tried to cross it, and found themselves hitting an invisible barrier.
"What is this?" asked Klaus darkly.
"A salt barrier," murmured Kol. "Some witch is keeping vampires trapped here. But... why?"
They turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Your mother is back," Stefan Salvatore told them.
Hilda sneered. "Rebekah," she whispered. "She body jumped into Rebekah... we were fooled. Esther has Elena."
Klaus gritted his teeth and faced Stefan. "Where is that Bennett witch?" he demanded.
"In a classroom, preparing to break the spell," said Stefan. "You're welcome to join if you'll be on your best behavior."
"Don't tell us how to act," Hilda snapped. "We'll act in any way we want to."
Stefan said nothing and walked back into the school. The three Originals followed to where Bonnie Bennett and an unfamiliar face were joined by Damon Salvatore and Jeremy Gilbert.
"How far along is she?" demanded Klaus as the twins stepped forward. The two observed and pursed their lips. "Close enough underway."
There was movement in the doorway as Matt Donovan came in. "People are walking right out of the dance, past the barrier."
"Matt and I can leave, we can stop Esther ourselves," said Jeremy. "We just gotta find out where she is."
"It's suicide, Jeremy," said Stefan.
Impatient, Klaus scoffed and rushed over to the unfamiliar boy next to Bonnie, grabbing him by the throat and beginning to strangle him. "Suicide would be disappointing me! Now work your magic, witch, or I'll start killing people you fancy."
"Let him go!" Bonnie yelled.
"Not until you get us out of here," Klaus sneered.
Stefan tapped his shoulder. "Don't be stupid, Klaus. Bonnie doesn't give a damn about us. The only reason she's helping us right now is to save Caroline and Tyler. You start killing the people she cares about, she'll tell us all to go to hell."
Reluctantly, Klaus released the boy, and the twins peered over at the spell Bonnie was writing out. "Wrong, love," said Kol, shoving her side and snatching the pen from her. "You new witches need to do some studying from other covens and not just your own."
"Excuse me?" snapped Bonnie. "I've done it before, exactly like this."
"He's not saying you're incompetent, he's saying you're inexperienced," said Hilda dryly as she peered over at what her brother was doing. "There are shortcuts you can take."
Bonnie snatched the paper away from Kol, tearing it down the middle. His eyes flared up, but Stefan blocked his way to Bonnie. "Let her do it," he said sharply. Kol scoffed, obviously wanting to fight, but deciding it wasn't the time for that, if they were trapped there.
It didn't take much longer for Bonnie to be ready. Matt and Jeremy joined Stefan in going to speak with Caroline and Tyler, while Bonnie's friend went to relax elsewhere (probably to not be choked again).
The Bennett witch spread a map of Mystic Falls on the desk, using blood that Jeremy had given them in order to find his sister. Damon, Klaus, Kol, and Hilda remained rigid and silent, waiting for her to complete the spell, which obviously made her nervous.
"I have to do this with you four lurking over me?" she muttered.
Damon raised a brow. "You're still mad at me for what happened to Abby. Let me apologize. I'm sorry Elijah forced us to turn your mother into a vampire to save Elena's life. Didn't exactly have a choice."
"There's always a choice," said Bonnie coldly. "Whenever you make one someone else suffers."
"Please, love, quit whining," said Kol. "We want out."
"And I need my doppelganger," Klaus added.
Damon whipped his head toward him. "Okay, for starters, she's not your doppelganger-"
"Right, I forgot you feel like you have ownership over her because you snogged her," Hilda said loudly. "I heard all about your little lip locking in Denver."
"I can't even be insulted because you used a stupid word like 'snogging-'"
Klaus growled. "Let's cut the dramatics and begin, shall we?"
Bonnie rolled her eyes and poured the blood onto the map, beginning to chant, "Phasmatos tribum nas ex veras, sequita sanguines, ementas asten mihan ega petous."
The blood gathered into a circular pool but remained stationary.
"Esther is fighting me," Bonnie said, furrowing her brows.
"She can't have that much bloody power," Hilda said darkly. "She's channeling something."
Klaus crossed his arms. "Get the humans ready. I know where she is." He walked off toward the gym, and Damon followed. The twins remained stationary, and Bonnie looked away.
"Scared, little witch?" purred Kol, coming over and putting both hands on the desk. "We won't bite. Hilly and I harbor a great respect for witches, especially from the Bennett line. We wouldn't harm a hair on that pretty head."
Bonnie refrained from looking at him. "And like most witches, she's not inclined to like vampires," Hilda noted, smirking as she came to stand beside her brother.
"Do you two have nothing better to do?" Bonnie muttered.
"We really don't, love," said Kol. He peered over the map. "They're going to try and incapacitate Esther, but in the meantime, we can craft a better spell to remove the boundary around the school. If she channels the two of us, she can break the boundary spell."
Hilda held out her hand to Bonnie, who reluctantly handed her a pen and paper. The twins went to sit at the desk, their heads together and switching the pen back and forth so quickly that Bonnie nearly grew dizzy, watching them write it out. They stood in unison and returned to her, showing her what they'd written.
"Listen carefully, love," said Kol. "Phasmatos trencar, barrera ex intermissum, ruptura claustra propatulus obice."
Bonnie peered down at the paper and began to repeat. "Phasmatos trencar... barrera ex intermissum... ruptura claustra... popatulus obice."
Hilda and Kol shared a look. "Just like Mary Alice," they said at the same time.
"Who's Mary Alice?"
"Just a witch Hilly and I had the hots for," said Kol. "Chop chop, love, we haven't got all night."
Bonnie extended her hands, and each twin took one of her palms. Bonnie closed her eyes and drew a deep breath before beginning to chant, "Phasmatos trencar, barrera ex intermissum, ruptura claustra popatulus obice. Phasmatos trencar, barrera ex intermissum, ruptura claustra popatulus obice."
Each twin grimaced at the feeling of a tug in their gut, their power fueling the spell. But seconds later, the tug disappeared, and they knew the spell was complete.
"Fucking fantastic," said Hilda, walking out of the classroom, Kol and Bonnie following behind. They found Klaus with Stefan and Damon near the boundary.
"It's done," said Bonnie. "The boundary spell is broken."
Klaus reached his arm out tentatively. "Twins, home," he said before speeding off.
"No place I'd rather be," muttered Kol as he and Hilda sped back to the mansion.
They went right into the room where Klaus was still keeping the coffins, and found one was closed. They popped the lid and found Rebekah, daggered. Hilda pulled it out, and before Rebekah could revive, Klaus arrived, carrying a dead Esther.
He shoved her into one of the open coffins, glaring at her. "Your trap failed, Mother," he said venomously. I live and I will go on living. Let your beloved spirits try to preserve you again, I dare you to come after me! I will build an army so big, no one will ever touch me. My survival will haunt you through eternity. You will never destroy me!"
The twins remained silent as he stepped back, slamming the lid shut. He brushed a hand through his hair and turned to Hilda. "You'll want to see the Salvatore crypt in the old cemetery," he said quietly. "Alaric Saltzman is dying."
Hilda flinched. "What?"
"Mother was attempting to turn him into an Original. A vampire hunter that would kill us all. He is choosing not to complete the transition. He'll be dead by the end of the night."
He walked off, and Kol bit his lip, watching the color draining from Hilda's face. He couldn't understand why his sister was interested in Alaric (she didn't quite understand it either), but this was clearly hitting her like a stab in the gut.
"You should go, Hilly," said Kol.
"I'm the last person he'll want to see," she murmured, trying to convince herself that this shouldn't matter. She shouldn't feel any pity. No grief. And yet, for once, rather than being enraptured by the fragility of humans and using it to fuel her violence, she felt crestfallen.
"You should still go," said Kol. "Even if you don't speak to him."
She chewed on her lip. "Alright." She sped off.
She could hear a faint conversation from inside the crypt. Walking over, she tentatively reached for the door, but withdrew her hand. It felt wrong to try and see him. This was her mother's fault.
And yet, her desires betrayed her. She pushed open the door, and the conversation occurring between Alaric and Damon stopped.
"Hilda," said Alaric quietly, looking up at her.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, pretending Damon wasn't there. "I had no idea she was going to do that."
Alaric half-smiled. "It's not your fault."
"Yeah, she was too busy beating me with a bat in Denver," said Damon under his breath, as if only wanting Alaric to hear, but of course, Hilda heard.
Her eyes flashed dark, but to her surprise, Alaric motioned for Damon to go. "Wait outside," he told him.
Albeit shocked at his request, Damon got up and brushed past Hilda, whose cheeks were red, though it wasn't obvious in the darkness of the crypt. "He's telling the truth," she said softly. "I did... beat him with a bat."
"I know. I heard. Not the worst thing I've heard about you, surprisingly. I heard you dismembered someone once, and kept feeding them vampire blood so they'd heal enough not to die. You skinned them, partially, and gouged out his eyeballs."
She let out a dry cough. "Let me guess. Esther told you."
"In the form of Rebekah, yes."
"I suppose she omitted the fact that the man had tried to... you know. It was one of the first times I was ever apart from Kol, and I'd gotten my neck snapped. After that... we never really separated again."
Alaric's jaw twitched, and it was confirmed that he hadn't known. "That's terrible," he said softly. "That must have been really traumatizing."
"It was. I... I use violence to cope with trauma. If I let myself be angry and aggressive, I won't feel pain. I get it out of my system and never get tempted to turn off my humanity."
"I can't imagine how dangerous you and your brother would be if you turned it off. I think I'd piss my pants being near you."
Hilda let out a soft laugh. She knelt in front of him, and he looked up sadly. "I really wish there was something I could have done," she whispered. "If I had known what my mother was planning... I wouldn't have gone to Denver."
"You're nicer than you give yourself credit for, Hilda. I... I see this sadness in you that you hide with cruelty. You've been hurt too much. I don't know by how many people, but I'm guessing every century yields new wounds. I'm glad I got to see this side of you, even for a bit. I would have liked to get to know you better."
She smiled, her lips trembling. "I would have liked to get to know you better, too," she murmured. "I hope that you find peace."
Alaric let his head lean back against the wall of the crypt. "I hope so too. Goodbye, Hilda. Thank you for coming."
She stood, and nodded at him before speeding out past Damon and returning to the mansion. She found Kol in his room.
"I need to kill something," she said, hands grasping her own arms tightly. "I need to feed, I need to tear some throats out. Please."
He nodded. "Let's go then, shall we, sister?"
They spent the rest of the evening as killers. In the cities surrounding Mystic Falls, they plucked victims off the streets and fed until the people were dead. With some, they drank until the blood loss was too great for the human to tolerate. With others, they tore out their throats immediately. All the bodies were gathered and put in dumpsters, catching fire. They didn't care how young or old the victims were. Whether they had families or not. Hilda wanted destruction, she wanted them writhing in her grasp, she wanted to feel the life leave them, and hear them giving their final breaths, accepting that she was killing them.
Meanwhile, dead witches had forced Alaric to complete his transition.