Outfits in the external link
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the barn, Hayley, Mikayla and Freya were talking nearby Keelin.
Elijah: (voice over) "Previously on Worlds Colliding (The Originals)"
"Kassandra remained emotionless with the hex for half a decade," Freya told them. "We have no idea what kind of effects that had on her mind even after it was taken away."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the woods, Kassandra, Rebekah and Kol were standing together.
"I still became something entirely different," Kassandra told them. "I don't deserve forgiveness."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the barn, Freya and Keelin were talking.
"You're a wolf," Freya told her. "Why aren't you healing?"
"A monster is still a biological organism," Keelin told her. "So, I devised a treatment to help suppress my werewolf traits."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the barn, Mikayla, Rebekah, Kol, Rebekah and Keelin were talking.
"Maybe you can help us set Kassandra and Nicola free," Mikayla told her. "If you found a way to weaken yourself, maybe you can help us do the same to them."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the woods, Kassandra tried to rush away from Kol and Rebekah. Kol appeared in her way so she wouldn't disappear again. Kassandra grew frustrated and angry, so much that she pushed Kol into the tree behind him, but stopped as soon as she realized what she was doing, horrified.
Mikayla: (voice over from 4.03 Haunter of Ruins) "Kassandra won't have to worry about ever feeling this kind of agony about hurting us ever again."
From 4.01 "Gather Up the Killers", outside the warehouse, Nicola was trying very hard not to lose control, shaking from the effort, tears in her eyes, barely holding the urges back, starting to lose control completely, walking toward Kaylin, Luke, Wolf!Hayley and Wolf!Mikayla.
Mikayla: (voice over from 4.03 Haunter of Ruins) "Nicola won't have to worry about ever losing control again."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the woods and in the farmhouse, Rebekah, Kol, Hayley, Mikayla, Freya, Elijah and Klaus each gave Kassandra an embrace when she returned to them.
Kassandra: (voice over from 4.03 Haunter of Ruins) "I'm so sorry."
From 4.01 "Gather Up the Killers", in the church, Vincent and Maxine were talking.
"Maxine," Vincent told her.
"It's Adam," Maxine told him. "He never came home."
From 4.01 "Gather Up the Killers", in the abandoned house, Adam walked into the room, shining his flashlight over the Ouroboros sigil. A bright blue light was starting to shine over Adam from behind in a very creepy, very eerie way. Adam turned around, looking into the light, seeming to see something that terrified him, screaming.
Maxine: (voice over from 4.01 Gather Up the Killers) "I've looked everywhere."
From 4.01 "Gather Up the Killers", in the farmhouse, Hope saw that Rae was tossing and turning, crawling closer to wake Rae up from the nightmare, calling out. "Mary!"
Mary walked in, turning on the light.
"I had a bad dream," Rae told her.
The drawings all over the beds and the floors made by Hope and Rae were the same Ouroboros sigils that was on the wall in the abandoned house where Adam had just been.
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the church, Marcel, Noah, Caitlin and Auria were talking.
Noah looked at Auria. "I talked to your buddy Will Kinney at the station. He said that Adam Folsom isn't the only kid that's missing. There's three additional reports of missing kids."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", outside the Davilla Estate, Marcel, Noah, Caitlin and Auria were talking.
Auria looked at Marcel and Noah. "Nearly 20 years ago, you and your vampires were running this city. My dad wanted to take the city back."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in flashback to the Rayvnne House, Phelan and Gaia cut either of Young Auria's hands, pouring her blood on the symbols on the table. The same blue light started to glow around them. Young Auria watched in shock, scared and confused, while Phelan and Gaia continued to chant as if they didn't notice anything.
Auria: (voice over from 4.03 Haunter of Ruins) "He started looking for forms of magic that you can't defend against. Sacrificial magic."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the pool room of the Davilla Estate, Auria stood behind the witch, holding the knife to his throat.
"They freed it, Auria, using your blood to awaken it," the man told her. "You're the one that gave it breath. And now it must be fed."
Auria was overcome with anger and this rage that she hadn't felt before, stemming from the fear from what happened when she was a kid happening now, slitting the man's throat, killing him.
Auria: (voice over from 4.03 Haunter of Ruins) "That witch, he used their personal items to bind them to the spell."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the farmhouse, Rae had told Klaus, Kaylin and Hayley what was wrong with Hope and the other kids. Rae put a hand on Hope's head, trying to get into her head. Her nose started to bleed at the effort.
Tory: (voice over from 4.03 Haunter of Ruins) "Rae helped her and other children by forming a psychic link to a strong immortal life force, enough to break the life-draining spell. But they would still need to be saved."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the pool room of the Davilla Estate, Marcel, Auria, Noah and Caitlin were talking.
"She linked her immortal life to them, which means that Hope and Rae are gonna die," Auria told them. "We've gotta get them back here. We got to cast a cleansing spell on New Orleans soil."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the farmhouse, Klaus, Elijah, Kassandra, Hayley, Kaylin and Nicola were talking.
"We're all going," Kassandra told them. "I need to try to make things right. For all of us."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", in the pool room of the Davilla Estate, Marcel and Auria were talking.
"You're not gonna end up like your parents or like this guy," Marcel told her. "I'm gonna help you make sure that you don't."
From 4.03 "Haunter of Ruins", on the road, the ambulance driver came upon a road block set up by Detective Will Kinney, getting out of the truck, walking toward Will. Will suddenly slit the driver's throat with a knife, letting him fall dead.
Noah: (voice over from 4.03 Haunter of Ruins) "Paramedics took the kids to the hospital to get checked out. NOLA PD will notify the parents."
Will got into the ambulance truck with the four children in the back, starting to drive them away down the road.
----~----
Same Night - Day One
Night - Noah/Caitlin's Apartment - Living Room
(Song:) Shape of You - Madilyn Bailey
Noah was shirtless, looking out over the city through the wall of windows.
Caitlin walked closer. "Hell of a sight. Powerful man overlooking the city."
Noah turned to face Caitlin. "Well, it doesn't take much to convince me to change my view. It just takes you."
Caitlin smirked in amusement. "You gonna look at me all night, to distract us both from the day that we've had?"
Noah stepped closer within inches of Caitlin, shaking his head, smiling slightly. "No. I'm gonna give us both something to be happy for."
Caitlin smiled, raising her eyebrows. Noah leaned closer to kiss her slowly and passionately. Caitlin wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss hungrily and passionately and heatedly.
There was a pounding on the door, annoying both of them when they had to pull away.
(Song Ends)
"Really?" Caitlin complained.
Noah smiled in amusement, chuckling. "Just one second." He walked over to his shirt, pulling it on. They both turned toward the door that was still being pounded on in annoyance. Noah pulled on his shirt, walking toward the door. "Yeah, all right." He opened the door to reveal Marcel outside. Marcel walked in without pause. "Mm-hmm. Come in."
Caitlin gave Marcel an annoyed look, tilting her head, rolling her eyes, walking away toward the alcohol table to pour herself a drink.
Noah closed the door, turning to face them.
"Caitlin, you can keep giving me an annoyed look all you want, but both of us and Noah here have a problem," Marcel told her. "Those kids, they never made it home."
"What are you talking about?" Caitlin asked. "Noah and I loaded those kids into the ambulance ourselves while you were talking to Auria about what happened."
Marcel sighed, worried but annoyed that people were still going after the kids. "The ambulance is missing, too."
Noah and Caitlin exchanged a look, as worried as Marcel was.
----
Woods
Will pulled the ambulance truck over in the middle of the woods, nearby a few men who had torches to light the night, getting out of the truck, leading the men to the back, opening the doors to reveal that Adam and the other children were inside, all of them unconscious. He turned to face Witch 1. "The children are sedated. I've already prepared them for the ritual."
Witch 1 pulled off his necklace, holding the talisman toward Will. "A token of our master's power. You'll need it for what's to come." The talisman had the Ouroboros symbol and other sigils on the wood. "Just one last thing. Your friend... Auria Rayvnne..."
"I won't let anything stop us," Will told him.
Witch 1 nodded.
----
Abattoir Compound - Courtyard
Klaus, Elijah, Kassandra, Hayley, Kaylin, Nicola, Tory and Luke had brought Hope and Rae here to the compound.
Hayley and Kaylin were carrying Hope and Rae, walking toward the couch to lay them down.
Kassandra was overwhelmed to be back here after everything that happened.
Klaus looked around. "Our home. Once the pride of our family, now a flophouse."
"Indeed, the mighty have fallen," Elijah told them.
Kassandra looked down guiltily.
"Where's Auria?" Tory asked. "I don't know the spell that we need to cleanse them and save them."
Auria walked in. "Right here. Kept my word." She looked at Kassandra, pausing slightly, looking at her sympathetically. "Hey, Kassandra. How are you?"
"I'll be a lot better if no one would ask me that again," Kassandra answered.
"What she means to say is that we're very grateful, Auria," Kaylin told her. "Especially since you don't even know Rae."
"Rae's still just a kid," Auria told them. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to a kid."
"Good, then just help them and we'll leave," Hayley told her.
"Just give us what we need, and we will do so happily," Luke told her.
Auria nodded. "Tory, come with me. I know the spell. I can cure Hope. You cure Rae." Tory nodded in agreement. Auria and Tory walked toward Hope and Rae, kneeling next to them, starting the spell to cleanse them. Auria clapped her hands silently together in a steady, rhythmic fashion, chanting. "Nettoyer timoun sa a."
Tory started to do the same to cleanse and cure Rae while Auria tried to cure Hope. "Nettoyer timoun sa a."
Auria continued the spell. "Nettoyer timoun."
Tory continued the spell. "Nettoyer timoun."
Auria and Tory chanted together while they continued to try and cure Hope and Rae. "Nettoyer timoun sa a. Nettoyer..."
Auria lightly tapped her fingers on either of Hope's temples to wake her up. Tory did the same with Rae to wake her up. They both finished the spell, standing, backing away.
Rae opened her eyes, looking at Kaylin. "Mom?"
Kaylin immediately walked over to hug Rae in relief, having been so scared that she would lose her again after she just got her back.
Nicola sighed in relief, hanging her head.
Tory stood next to Luke.
Auria turned to the others. "That's it. Your little girls are purified."
Hayley walked over to hug Hope in relief, also having been consumed with worry and fear of losing her.
Klaus looked at Auria. "Thank you."
Auria nodded.
Hayley sighed, looking at Hope. "Go see your daddy."
Hope nodded, smiling a weak smile, starting to walk toward Klaus.
Rae pulled away from Kaylin, looking distracted and distant.
Tory looked around in confusion.
A dead bird fell to the floor behind Hope, startling all of them. Hope gasped, turning to look at the dead bird on the floor that was now in front of her.
They heard more crows squawking, a rumbling noise that surrounded the compound, and at least a dozen dead crows falling to the courtyard floor in the shape of a circle all around Hope, encasing her in the circle of dead black birds.
Hayley was horrified, kneeling in front of Hope, turning her daughter to face her to hold her comfortingly.
"What is this?" Nicola asked.
"I don't know," Auria told them, just as shocked as them.
Rae looked up at Kaylin. "Mom? Can you hear that?" Kaylin looked at her worriedly in concern. "It's whispers. Saying a name. Over and over."
"I can hear it, too," Tory told them. "Kre nah han. Kre nah han."
Auria recognized the name, and instinctively, she knew that it was the name that she was searching for to describe what she called the darkness because she had never heard the real name before, but she knew that it was what they were dealing with now.
"Auria, what--what is that?" Nicola asked.
"It's a nearly forgotten dialect," Auria answered. "It's Creole. It means 'The Hollow'. The Hollow is coming."
They all looked at each other in confusion, alarm and worry, because they all knew that whatever this thing was was going to come after the kids, and all of them.
----
Worlds Colliding (The Originals)
----
Day Two
Morning - Abattoir Compound - Courtyard
Klaus, Elijah, Nicola, Tory and Luke were standing around the courtyard. Elijah, Nicola, Tory and Luke were getting ready to leave.
Kassandra was standing nearby, looking around the room, flashing back to the night of 3.22 The Bloody Crown when she had fought, bitten or stabbed her brothers in that very room, looking consumed with the memories. She was only brought back to the present when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs, turning around.
Kaylin and Hayley walked downstairs toward them.
"How are they?" Nicola asked.
"Uh, the fever's back, but they're not in any pain," Kaylin answered. "The link between Rae and the other kids seems to have gotten worse."
"Well, Auria and I are trying to find a way to break the psychic link between the psychic girl and the other witch children, but I think that whoever are behind these sacrifices found out about Rae linking herself to the children, and they're using magic to make sure that we don't break that link because they want Rae for her power, too," Tory told them.
"Just another ordinary day in our ordinary lives," Luke told them sarcastically. Kassandra could actually manage a small smirk at that, walking closer. "All right, we called Rebekah, Kol, Freya and Mikayla to let them know about what's going on." Luke looked at Nicola and Kassandra. "They are working with Kacie, Eliza and Keelin to find out a way to help the two of you, being that, you know, you two are stronger than everybody else and neither of you want to lose control or hurt any of us again. But Freya, Mikayla and Kacie will be headed here to help us with what's happening in the city soon. I imagine that Forbes, Labonair, Lockwood are excited to join us and the rest of the Mikaelsons and Salvatores, and two Thompsons."
Everyone was at least a little reassured by this information.
Hayley looked at Klaus. "Hope's asking for you."
"Well, make an excuse," Klaus told them. "I'd rather the girls not know I've gone off to murder witches."
"I would like to punish those who tried to kill our daughters, too," Kaylin told them.
"Niklaus, Kaylin, we cannot be reckless," Elijah told them.
"And how would you have us respond?" Klaus asked. "Shall we delegate the children's safety to someone else?"
"Nicola, Tory, Luke and I will pay a visit to Auria Rayvnne and Marcel Gerard," Elijah told them. "Let us see what we can do."
"And I will go Caitlin Harris and Noah Dumaine," Hayley told them. "When Kacie and Mikayla get here, they will join us, the Lockwood and the Laboair. Whatever we're up against, it's as much Auria, Marcel, Caitlin and Noah's problem as it is ours. Even Gerard and Rayvnne have to admit that."
Kassandra looked at Klaus and Kaylin. "Leaving the three of us to do what, exactly? Do you all expect me to simply stay here because I'm the poorly impaired sister now? The broken beast?"
"No one underestimates you, Kassandra," Nicola told her. "We've all been through too much with you to doubt you."
"But..." Kassandra trailed off.
"But don't you think you're rushing off into this a little too soon?" Nicola asked. "But it might be good for you to take a beat and think about... everything."
"I sincerely doubt you took a beat when you came back to your senses when everyone you loved needed you," Kassandra told her.
"Yeah, and I also hurt the people that I loved when I didn't mean to," Nicola told her. "I'm just trying to help you avoid that."
Kassandra was surprised by this response, looking a little grateful, but still nervous and slightly awkward, looking down, sighing.
Luke looked at Kassandra. "Look, you're the broken beast." He looked at Nicola. "And you're the hazardous Huntress. That's why Mikayla, Freya, Rebekah, Kol, Kacie and Eliza are trying to find ways to help you, so that neither of you have to go through what you went through again, and to make sure that all of us stay safe. It's a win-win."
Kassandra sighed, looking at Hayley. "Fine. But I'm going with you to go to Caitlin and Noah. I need to do something, anything, to keep my mind busy."
Hayley looked at Klaus and Elijah, who both hesitantly nodded in agreement. She looked at Kassandra, nodding. "I'd like that very much, Kassandra."
Kaylin looked at Klaus. "And while they're sorting through that, you and I will stay here and protect our daughters, not letting anyone or anything near them."
Klaus sighed, nodding in agreement.
"Are we all clear?" Elijah asked. No one answered, though it was evident they were all in agreement. "Splendid."
"Let's go," Tory told them.
Elijah, Nicola, Hayley, Kassandra, Tory and Luke walked out, leaving.
Klaus and Kaylin looked at each other, nodding, walking upstairs.
----
Farmhouse - Barn
Keelin had fallen asleep at a table after having written on several pieces of paper.
Eliza and Freya were going through the papers.
Kol and Rebekah were nearby.
Keelin woke up to the sound of the door opening, looking over her shoulder toward where Mikayla and Kacie walked in. "Mm. Oh, I guess I feel asleep working. Did you get any?"
"Kol, Freya and I just woke up from a five-year nap," Rebekah told her.
Kol chuckled slightly. "Right you are, Rebekah."
"All right, so the ingredients I had to help me suppress my supernatural traits came from all over the world," Keelin told them. "It took me forever to find them."
"And seeing as we're looking to do the same to both a Huntress and an Enhanced Original, we will need more, and maybe more than what the wolf did to herself," Kol told them.
"Well, we might have to divide and conquer," Mikayla told them. "Hope and Rae are still sick, and the others need help in finding the people that are trying to kill them and the other kids."
"Great," Kol told them. "Rebekah and I will go search for whatever we need to help Kassandra and Nicola. The rest of you will go to New Orleans to help the others."
Rebekah turned to Kol. "Though, we might have to split up to do so. This list is long, and we have a lot to do to help those in need, Kol. I will see what I can do to help Kassandra. You see what you can do about Nicola. I'll gather my things and set off.."
Rebekah took a list from Keelin, walking out, leaving.
Kol rolled his eyes. "So, I'm left to find things we need to deal with the vampire Huntress that can't control herself instead of Sandra. Bloody brilliant."
Kol took a list from Keelin, walking out, leaving.
Eliza stood. "You know what, Freya? Why don't you, Mikayla and Kacie go to New Orleans? I'll see what I can do to help Rebekah and Kol to find what we need to suppress the Huntress and make Kassandra a little more sane again. The faster we can get this done, the better it will be for everyone, right?"
"Right," Kacie agreed. Eliza started to walk toward the door. Kacie caught her arm. "Eliza. Just be careful out there."
"You, too, Kacie," Eliza told her. "I have a feeling that you'll need more luck that I will."
Kacie smirked sarcastically. "Hmm."
Eliza and Kacie walked out, leaving.
Mikayla turned to follow them, looking at Freya. "You coming?"
"Yeah, I will be out there in a bit," Freya told her. Mikayla nodded, walking out. Freya looked at Keelin. "While the others find a way to deal with the sacrifices, I will be helping Hope and Rae. And while I can help them on my own, keeping them nice and relaxed is a bit more than I am used to."
"You don't say," Keelin told her sarcastically. "I mean, you don't seem like the type that is very good with calm and soothing, which is what two little sick girls need."
"So I am asking you to help me with that, while I am trying to find a way to heal them, if I can," Freya told her.
"You want me to go with you into the middle of a warzone?" Keelin asked skeptically. "I'm sorry, but I've heard the stories about New Orleans. I will pass."
Freya took out a moonlight ring, holding it toward Keelin. "If you're worried about getting into a fight, allow me to even the odds." Keelin looked at the ring curiously in confusion, standing to take it from Freya. "The stone is kyanite. It's been spelled to grant you total control of your werewolf nature, even during a full moon."
"This is a cure," Keelin told her. "It's everything I've ever wanted." She pulled the ring on. "What's the catch?"
Freya shrugged. "Not a catch. Insurance."
Keelin realized that Freya could control her transformations if she was wearing the ring, scoffing softly, trying to take the ring off, but was unable to. "Yeah. More like a leash. Spelled so that I can't take it off."
"Like you said, it's everything you ever wanted," Freya told her. "Provided you help me."
----
Abattoir Compound - Bedroom
Hope and Rae were laying in bed.
Kaylin sat next to Rae, stroking back her hair worriedly, anxious and concerned, a little scared because she knew that she was still sick along with all of the other children, and she didn't want to lose her again.
Klaus walked closer with a drink, handing it to Kaylin, knowing that she needed it.
"Thank you," Kaylin told him, taking a drink.
Klaus nodded, sitting next to Hope. "How are you two feeling?"
"We're still so cold," Hope answered. "Are the birds gone?"
"Yeah, they're gone, sweetheart," Klaus answered.
Kaylin looked at Rae. "And when you are better, which will be soon, you and I are gonna share the biggest plate of beignets you've ever seen." Rae smiled. Kaylin looked at Hope and Klaus. "I like to just get us whatever we want and share it the day away."
Klaus chuckled. "More like spoiling."
Rae and Kaylin smiled.
"We can share with you two, too," Rae told them.
Hope and Klaus smiled.
"Then after that, you can tell me where in this big, wide world you'd like me to take you next," Klaus told them.
Hope chuckled weakly. "Mom said you loved New Orleans most of all."
Klaus looked down, nodding. "I did, once. But putting your love in a place is a mistake. Being here in our home, seeing these walls, I am reminded that it is people who are best suited to fill our hearts."
Rae and Hope were both more pale and more sick.
"Dad, I don't feel so good," Hope told him.
"Mom, it hurts," Rae told her.
Kaylin sighed worriedly, laying down next to Rae to comfort her, watching at Klaus stroked back Hope's hair.
----
St. Anne's Church
Auria was holding a meeting with a few witches, including Maxine and Vincent, in the church, walking down the steps toward them. "Look, guys. I know what we're up against." Marcel was watching from nearby the sacristy, hearing someone walk in, looking toward Tory and Luke. "There's a faction of our own people, witches. They've started to make human sacrifices to a spirit called the Hollow. Now, this thing is dark, it's angry, it's very powerful."
Elijah and Nicola walked in from behind Tory and Luke.
Elijah looked at Auria and Marcel. "It is a force my family and I are here to erase." The witches were surprised to see them here. Marcel was annoyed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. Auria sighed. "Now, kindly excuse us, please. Auria, Marcel and we have much to discuss."
The witches were all murmuring.
Marcel sighed, looking at the witches. "Okay, uh, give us a minute."
The witches stood, walking out, leaving.
Tory walked toward Auria and Marcel. "So, now that we've gotten them out the way..."
"We've got a lot on our plate, without whatever trouble you're trying to bring our way," Marcel told them.
"We're just trying to help," Luke told them. "Look, you need us. Tory Donovan, Kacie Lockwood, Eliza Forbes and I are helping the Mikaelsons, and the Labonair sisters, because of Nicola, Kaylin and Rae."
"Doesn't help that your girlfriend is sired to Hope, Luke," Marcel told him. "Thompson, right?"
"Yeah," Luke answered.
"Yet they help us nonetheless, and fortunately, my family has a long history of removing anything undesirable from New Orleans," Elijah told them.
"I think that Marcel and I can handle it with just Caitlin and Noah helping us," Auria told them.
"You can't, Auria, and you know that you can't," Nicola told her. "Tory, Hope and Rae felt this power last night, which leads me to believe that you can feel the power, too. If it has you this scared about what it can do, and it has the three of them whirling from the power that they feel, then you need a lot more help that what you have."
"It's a nice offer," Marcel told them.
"Oh, it's not an offer," Elijah told them. "Children's lives are at risk."
Marcel scoffed. "You care about children's lives at risk? What about Davina Claire, Elijah? The girl that was like a daughter to both Auria and me? The girl that was like a sister to Caitlin Harris, the other girl that is like our daughter, who was forced to kill her because of the Ancestors. And Noah Dumaine was like a brother to Davina. We were going to bring Davina back, and if you hadn't ruined that chance, then Caitlin wouldn't have dealt with all these years of self-hatred and loathing for being forced to kill her best friend."
Elijah was obviously pained to hear all of this, sighing deeply in regret. "So, you can only see me as some kind of merciless butcher."
"I really wish that I could, but I know that what happened to Davina is not completely on you or your family," Auria told him. "The Ancestors hated me and Davina for siding with vampires, and we both paid the price when they forced me to do things that I didn't want to do, and when they forced Caitlin to kill Davina. We had a chance to bring her back, but you were trying to kill Lucien to save Kassandra and the rest of your family. You were too late to save Kassandra from turning into the beast, but you did stop Lucien from killing Klaus, Kaylin, Mikayla and Nicola. I know that it was either sacrificing Davina to kill Lucien, or letting him kill them. Killing the Salvatores along with the Mikaelsons are letting them stay alive. We know the situation that we're looking at. And I can blame myself just as much as I blame you. I know what I am and what I've done, and I know what you are and what you've done."
"I'll be whatever you want me to be, Auria Rayvnne," Elijah told her. "I'll be the very Devil himself."
"Actually, take it from us, you're scarier than the so-called 'Devil'," Luke told him.
"So true," Tory told them.
Nicola nodded in agreement.
Marcel was confused and a bit amused at that comment, though he was still irritated and angry with Elijah.
"Make no mistake," Elijah told them. "I would violate everything sacred under the sun in the name of rescuing my family. And right now, according to you..." He walked closer, exhaling. "You are facing two evils. Wouldn't it be nice to have one of those by your side?"
Marcel sighed heavily in annoyance, because he knew that they needed their help, but they didn't have to like it, either. "We're gonna do this our way."
"Beautiful," Nicola told them. "Your way it is."
----~----
The French Quarter
Noah and Caitlin had shown up to a gathering of witches to talk to them.
Kassandra was watching from a distance, knowing that the witches didn't like her from the five years that she had been emotionless and hexed, and didn't want to start up anymore trouble than they were already in.
"Listen up," Noah told them. "Listen up. For five years now, we've had a truce. Stayed out of each other's business. Tended to our own. But now, your problems are becoming ours. Someone is taking children. As you know there is one nonnegotiable rule. We do not mess with kids."
Caitlin pointed to the Ouroboros symbol that stood for the Hollow on the wall behind the witches. "Now, you've seen that graffiti. Someone here's got to know who's responsible. Right? So just give us a name. Hmm?"
A witch that stood next to her son looked up at Noah and Caitlin. "We don't owe you anything." The crowd murmured in agreement. Caitlin rolled her eyes slightly. "You're not friends to witches."
Kassandra, still out of sight from the witches, rolled her eyes in annoyance, about to get involved.
Hayley, Mikayla and Kacie appeared behind the witches, stopping Kassandra from getting involved and probably making things worse.
"You don't trust them," Mikayla told them. "I get it. But the kids that were taken, they're not just kidnapped. They're sick, and they're going to be sacrificed by whoever took them, unless we stop them."
Hayley walked closer. "My daughter is one of them. Mikayla's niece. She's seven, and she has a friend like her, Rae. They're close enough to be sisters, and that other girl, she's sick, too. Hope likes to paint, catch fireflies. Rae likes to draw, make up stories."
"Look, I don't know your guys' past, but can't you all just put aside your differences for one day to help us save those kids?" Kacie asked. "So that no one has to die?"
The witch looked at her son for a moment, clearly wondering what she would do if it was her child was being targeted, giving in, looking at Hayley. "There's a man named Riley Grey. I saw him draw the same symbol on his window in blood."
"Where do we find this witch?" Kacie asked.
The witch chuckled, shaking her head. "He's not a witch." She looked between Hayley, Mikayla and Kacie. "He's one of your kind. A wolf. He ran off to the bayou."
Hayley, Mikayla and Kacie looked at Noah, Caitlin and Kassandra, who looked at them in surprise. They walked away from the witches to head to the bayou.
----
On the Road
(Song:) Pray - JRY feat. Rooty
Kol walked down the road with a bag, finding a car pulled over at the side of the road. "Nice car. Hey, do you mind if I borrow it?"
When the man didn't answer, Kol noticed something wrong, tilting the man's head up to reveal a vampire bite on his neck, bleeding. He was completely confused, hearing a vampire rushing nearby, looking around.
Eliza appeared on the other side of the car, a bit of blood on her lips. "I knew you would like this car." Kol looked at her in surprise. "You are so predictable."
"It's surprising to see Eliza Forbes feeding and taking a life as a vampire, though I guess it shouldn't be because of your history with Sirens, mind control, and going down a very dark tunnel right now," Kol told her. "Believe me, I get it. Took me nearly a thousand years to get out of the dark tunnel where my experience like yours left me and the rest of the Mikaelsons in, from Rosalita. But what are you doing?"
"Well, I'm due an adventure, and Rebekah said that you guys needed to split up to find all that we needed to help both Kassandra and Nicola as soon as possible so that in case one of them loses control over mind or body, we would have the means to help them and everyone else," Eliza told him. "Rebekah told you that she would handle Kassandra and that she wanted you to deal with the things involving Nicola, but I'm willing to bet that you are far too worried about Kassandra to worry about anyone else. So, if you let me come with you, then you can find what you need for Kassandra, and I will find what we need for Nicola. You get to worry about your sister Kassandra more than your brother's girlfriend."
"One would think that you've helped enough, Eliza," Kol told her.
"I don't believe in 'help enough'," Eliza told him. "Even after all the mind control and darkness. I can help you with Kassandra, and maybe in return, you could help me with Nicola."
"Or you're just worried about leaving the fate of your dear friend in the hands of me," Kol told her.
Eliza smirked slightly, shaking her head. "You can be suspicious about my motives all you want, Kol, because I am only in this for helping Kassandra and my friend make sure that they don't have to hurt another person they love. Kassandra may not lose control of herself like Nicola does, but her mind is not exactly cured from everything that happened, and if she lashes out, she can still kill any one of us. See, if we help them, then we make sure that everyone else is safe, too. Besides, you seem like a lonely soul that could use a friend to help you help the very few that you do care about."
Kol smirked in amusement, leaning against the car toward her. "I don't need a friend, Eliza."
"No one needs a friend, Kol," Eliza told him. Kol smirked in amusement, looking away. "Doesn't mean that no one can use one."
Kol looked at Eliza, unable to help a small smile, sighing. "Guess I should be grateful that a girl such as yourself would want to be, given my history."
"Well, like I said before," Eliza told him, gesturing to the dead guy in the car to prove her point. "I'm no better. Not anymore. Now, you can either shoo me away, and I'll find my own way to help, or we can help each other."
Kol debated this for a moment, smirking, shaking his head, looking at her. "Well, I guess having someone help me stay focused on the task at hand and making sure that I don't get distracted or in trouble will be a good thing." Eliza smirked, tilting her head. Kol opened his car door, pushing the dead body out of the car to the ground, looking at Eliza in amusement. "Get in."
Eliza smiled, wiping the blood from her lip as she got into the car.
They got into the car, looking at each other, smirking, driving away.
(Song Ends)
----
St. Anne's Church
Marcel and Auria pulled out the witches' ashes from the night before, putting the two containers on the table, opening them. Tory stood next to one container while Auria stood next to the other so that they could channel each other and do the spell.
Luke, Nicola and Elijah were watching.
"And who might this be?" Luke asked.
"These are the ashes of a witch that lost his way, and it might just be the key to helping us find ours," Marcel answered.
"This thing, um... the Hollow..." Auria trailed off. "It's magic has a very unique signature. I felt it on this witch the other day when Noah, Caitlin, Marcel and I took him out, so if Tory and I can trace that energy back to its source..."
"You can find the rest of these fanatics," Nicola finished. Auria nodded in answer. "So, this thing which haunts Hope and Rae, the thing that Tory could hear along with them... has it spoken to you?"
Auria sighed uncomfortably. "It's more like, um, a broadcast. And I've been trying to shut it out, but a lot of people have a harder time doing that."
"Like your parents?" Tory asked. Marcel and Auria looked at Tory in surprise, confused as to how she knew about that. Tory gave them a look. "Psychic, remember? I didn't mean to read too much into it, but sometimes I can't control what I hear."
Marcel nodded awkwardly.
Elijah, Nicola and Luke were confused and curious about the story.
Marcel looked at Nicola. "Look, I know that neither you or Kassandra want to tap into the darkest and strongest of your individual powers, but you might have to if we need those versions of you to go up against this thing."
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Nicola asked.
"It means that there's a difference between what we project and what we have inside our hearts, what we try to hide inside our hearts," Marcel answered. "Right?"
"Now that thing, it took everything that's dark and twisted inside of my parents and used it against them, ended up changing them into something unrecognizable," Auria told them. "Something that my aunt didn't know how to save."
"Now, the Huntress inside you and the beast that Kassandra turned into are the definitions of dark and twisted," Marcel told her.
"Yeah, but I'm also immune to magic, unlike any of you," Nicola told them. "It might be nice to have someone on your side who can fight against this thing without being affected like you can be affected, right?"
"Yeah, it would be nice," Luke answered. "Let's say that we run into that thing today, Nicola, and it gets to one of us. It could be any one of us. The only one it can't get to is you, but if it takes one of us for control, you might have to let your stronger instincts take control in case you have to fight one of us, and in case you have to take one of us down."
Elijah didn't like the direction that this conversation was going anymore than Nicola did, looking as if he was about to intervene when Marcel interrupted him.
Marcel looked from Nicola to Tory and Luke. "And you might have to kill some of the freaks that are taken over by the Hollow. Maybe wolves, or the witches that are taking the kids, or even humans. You think you can handle that?"
"We've all killed more than just vampires, Marcel," Tory told him.
"And luckily, I can't kill Klaus, Elijah or Kassandra for real," Nicola told him. "And if I do have to let the Huntress out, as least I know that Elijah and Tory can pull me back before I hurt anyone else."
"Let's wish that it doesn't have to come to that," Elijah told them.
"I pray you're both right," Marcel told them. "That it doesn't come to that, and if it does, she can handle it."
"See, this thing, it changed everything for them and for me," Auria told them. "And my mom... the last thing that she said to me was that it let me go because it needed me for later. And this witch, he said that it wanted me to be involved with it. Like it wanted to change me like it changed them, maybe because it was my blood that my parents used to awaken it. 'Gave it breath'. Now, I don't want that to happen. I would rather die before I would let that thing get to me."
"So, then you have every reason to want to remove it from this earth," Elijah told her.
Auria sighed. "Yeah."
Elijah and Luke were in shock from this story, somber. Nicola and Tory looked at Auria sympathetically.
Tory held her hand toward Auria. "Let's get to work."
Auria took Tory's hand. They both reached into the two containers with the ashes to start their spell, while Elijah, Marcel, Nicola and Luke watched.
----
Abattoir Compound - Bedroom
Kaylin was laying next to Rae to comfort her, propping herself up on her elbow, facing her daughter.
Klaus was sitting at Hope's bedside.
Rae and Hope seemed to be getting worse.
"That girl, Auria, Mom said she was a witch," Hope told them. "That she came to help us feel better. But I feel worse."
Rae nodded in agreement.
Kaylin stroked back Rae's hair. "I know, I know. But don't worry, because as we speak, everyone we know and love are working with our old friends to fix both of you up."
"So you just stay calm and they'll make everything all right," Klaus told them.
"Do you know what it is?" Hope asked. "The Hollow?"
"No, sweetheart," Klaus answered. "We don't."
"It wants those other kids," Rae told them. "I can feel them. I think it wants more."
"Like us," Hope told them.
"We are not going to let anything take you," Kaylin told them. "I promise you that."
"We're going to keep you safe," Klaus told them. "Always and forever."
Klaus and Kaylin looked at each other, nodding in agreement, both of them worried and concerned about what was happening, but unwilling to let anything or anyone hurt them.
----
St. Anne's Church
Elijah, Nicola, Luke and Marcel were watching Tory and Auria as they cast their spell.
Tory and Auria were burning more of the man's ashes in candle flames, starting the spell that they needed to track the other Hollow followers. "Cha che in virtute. Cha che in virtute. Cha che in virtute. Cha che in virtute. Cha che in virtute."
Tory and Auria saw visions of the witches and the children.
Will: (voice over) "I've already prepared them for the ritual."
They saw Witch 1 hand the talisman to Will, but they didn't see Will's face yet. "A token of our master's power. Just one last thing. Your friend... Auria Rayvnne."
They finally saw the face of Will. "I won't let anything stop us."
Tory and Auria gasped slightly from the effort of the spell and the shock of seeing Will in the vision, knowing that the Hollow had taken him, too.
Auria was in denial and worried.
"What is it?" Marcel asked. "Auria, what did you see?"
"Tory?" Luke asked.
Tory looked at Auria, concerned about her reaction.
Auria avoided eye contact for a long moment, knowing that this was not going to end well for Will, sighing, reluctantly looking at the others.
----
Bayou
Kassandra, Hayley, Mikayla, Kacie, Caitlin and Noah were walking along the bayou.
Kassandra hung up her phone, looking at the others. "Niklaus said that Freya just got to the compound to stir up one of her medicinal concoctions with the help of her werewolf friend/hostage. So about this Riley Grey? I know your ties to the wolves, Mikayla, but regardless of this wolf's excuses or your loyalties, can you show this traitor the error of his ways?"
"We'll handle it," Mikayla told them.
"The Hollow takes people for control, twists them up and turns them into something ugly," Caitlin told them. "If we can, I wanna see if we can save someone who has been affected by the Hollow, because if one of us gets affected, we're gonna need to know that there's a cure so that we don't have to die."
They found the werewolf they were looking for, Riley, standing on the dock over the river of the bayou.
Hayley looked at Kassandra, Caitlin and Noah. "Riley's not gonna want to talk to vampires. Mikayla, Kacie and I will go. Pretty sure two Labonair wolves and a Lockwood wolf can get through to Grey a lot easier."
"The thing is, the last time Marcel, Caitlin, Auria and I came across one of the Hollow's goons, the guy tried to kill us," Noah told them. "So, fair warning."
"Well, thanks for the headsup, Noah," Kacie told him.
Hayley, Mikayla and Kacie nodded in understanding, walking toward Riley on the dock, stopping several feet back, too cautious to get near him.
"Riley?" Mikayla asked. "Riley Grey? My name's Mikayla. This is my sister Hayley and my friend Kacie. I don't know if--"
"I know who you are," Riley told them. "Mikayla Labonair-Kenner. Hayley Marshall. Kacie Lockwood."
"How do you know my name?" Kacie asked.
Riley turned to face them, revealing that he was holding a knife at his side. "Because I can hear it. The Hollow. I know why you're here. You're here because of the children. I'm sorry. I am." His expression of pain turned as cold and deadly as his voice did. "They're as good as dead."
Hayley, Mikayla and Kacie looked at Riley cautiously. Behind them, Kassandra, Noah and Caitlin exchanged a look of concern and worry.
----
St. James Infirmary
Auria called Will for him to meet her in St. James Infirmary, waiting for him.
Will walked in, seeing Auria. "Weird time to have a drink, Auria. Should be out looking for those kids."
Auria sighed. "Yeah. I'm a little upside down, Will. I got this, um, evil mojo, just breathing own my back. And it's the same thing that took out my dad, and then it took my mom out, and now I think it's trying to take one of my friends out. You once asked me what happened to my parents, when we were trying to find out who the serial killer in New Orleans was five years ago. And the answer is... the same thing that's happening to you right now."
Will drew his gun, aiming it at Auria. "Was this your plan, Auria? Invite me here, confront me?"
Auria sighed, facing him, raising her hands in a harmless gesture, not wanting to hurt him. "Whatever this thing promised you... it's not gonna deliver."
"You're wrong," Will told her. "The Hollow rewards those who are loyal."
"Yeah?" Auria asked. "My parents were loyal, and they got killed, Will. What do you think is gonna happen to you? What did it show you?"
"That we can take back this city, if it gave us the power to," Will answered. "Look at this city! It's overrun with evil. And the only way to take it back is to do one little evil thing myself."
"This is not what you are!" Auria told him, desperate to get through to him to save him from the same fate as her parents. "You can walk away from this. I can help you walk away from this."
"You can't help me," Will told her. "You can't even help yourself. Don't you see? You're in the middle of everything that's to come. Which is why they sent me here, Auria. For you."
Will started to shoot his gun, but before the bullets could hit Auria, Tory appeared in front of Auria to take the bullets herself so that Auria wouldn't get shot, having been cloaked from view by a spell, allowing herself to become visible when Will started shooting at them.
Luke rushed closer to tackle Will through a table to the floor, making him drop his gun. "Bad manners to shoot at ladies, my friend."
Marcel rushed to Auria's side. "You okay?"
Auria nodded breathlessly.
Nicola and Elijah walked closer.
Tory stepped toward Will, trying to read his mind, not to much success. "That's quite the monster you got lurking in there."
Nicola knelt next to Will. "You wanna see mine?"
----~----
Abattoir Compound - Bedroom
Kaylin was still sitting next to Hope and Rae, watching them sleep.
Klaus walked toward Kaylin, placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "I know you're scared about losing Rae so soon after you got her back."
"Like you're afraid of losing Hope so soon after getting back into her life," Kaylin told him.
Klaus sighed, nodding. "Kaylin, listen to me. The hearts which beat in their chests are warriors' hearts. Rae has the heart of a Salvatore. Hope has the heart of a Mikaelson. Both families are filled with nothing but survivors." Kaylin looked at him, managing a small smile at his attempt to reassure her and make her feel better like she had done for him when he was in the dungeon in 4.02 No Quarter. "Whatever hold this power has over them, it is nothing compared to their strength. Theirs is a power greater than we know."
Kaylin smiled a little more convincingly, reaching up to take his hand that was on her shoulder. "Thank you, Nik." Klaus nodded understandingly, taking Kaylin's hand to kiss. They both watched Rae and Hope worriedly. Rae was having a nightmare, shifting in her sleep in fear. Kaylin reached toward Rae, gently waking her from her nightmare. "Rae? Come on."
"Mom?" Rae asked. "I saw them. The other kids. They're so scared. Klaus, promise me if you, Kassandra or Marcel ever see the blue lights, don't look at them."
Kaylin and Klaus were confused, knowing that whatever dream that Rae had, it was a psychic dream, so even if she didn't know what was going on exactly, she knew enough to warn them.
----
Courtyard
Keelin and Freya were making the medicinal concoctions.
"Okay, I know that I've got super duper werewolf senses, including smell, but if this stuff makes me feel like I'm gonna barf, I know that it's gonna do the same thing to those kids," Keelin told her.
"Well, we are out of time and options," Freya told her. "Klaus and Kaylin will have to leave soon so that they can help the others deal with the Hollow's followers, which leaves you and me with Hope and Rae. Now, I'm going to take these to them, and Keelin, if you try to run while I'm up there..."
"I know," Keelin told her. "You'll make me turn all hairy. I got the threat the first time. I know that you're only trying to help your family and friends, that that is the reason why that you're keeping me around. I know how to help Kassandra and Nicola, and right now, I'm telling you, go up to help Hope and Rae. I won't go anywhere. But, I gotta tell you, they are lucky to have you."
Freya chuckled lightly. "Well, somebody's got to be the big sister."
Freya took the concoctions, walking upstairs.
----
St. James Infirmary
Tory had her hands on either side of Will's head, using her psychic abilities to look inside his mind, while the others were watching.
"All right, someone obviously cast a spell to block his mind from being accessed by psychics or vampire tricks," Luke told them.
"Then I'll siphon the spell so that we can find out what we need to know," Tory told them.
"How long is that gonna take?" Marcel asked.
"It normally doesn't take long for her to siphon," Nicola told them.
"Time is a luxury we don't have, short or otherwise," Elijah told them.
"Look, Elijah, I'm not gonna let you torture him, all right?" Auria asked. "He's my friend, and he's just as much of a victim as all those kids."
Elijah sighed, giving in, looking at Tory. "You have five minutes."
Tory nodded, holding her hands on either side of Will's head, allowing her hands to glow red as she siphoned the spell from his mind, making him scream in agony.
Auria had to turn away toward Marcel because she couldn't watch her friend's suffering. Marcel looked at her sympathetically.
----
Bayou
Riley was on the dock, facing Hayley, Mikayla and Kacie with the knife in his hand. Kassandra, Caitlin and Noah were watching from a small distance away behind the three hybrid girls.
"We're not here to hurt you," Hayley told him.
"You can't hurt me any more than I've already hurt myself," Riley told them. "I didn't know this was gonna happen. I didn't know they were gonna bring children into it."
"It's okay, Riley," Hayley told him. "Just tell us who 'they' are."
"Those that serve the Hollow," Riley answered. "Followers of the blue light. I thought we were doing something good. Trying to take back our city."
"Back from what?" Kacie asked.
Riley used the knife to point at Kassandra. "From her. For five years, we kept quiet. Watching you lord over this city like it was yours."
Kassandra looked away.
"Hey, it's not Kassandra's fault," Caitlin told him. "You know what happened. I've seen you in the church, where Auria told everyone everything."
"The Hollow didn't care if Kassandra wasn't the one to blame," Riley told them. "They knew that she was virtually unstoppable, and the Hollow offered us the power we needed. So long as we planned our allegiance."
"We spent the last five years keeping the peace," Noah told him.
"It is not anyone's city to rule," Riley told them. "New Orleans belongs to all of us, but everyone seems to want to control it and everyone. I want that to stop."
"But, Riley, you're a Crescent," Mikayla told him. "You have the pack, you don't need this cult."
"You were gone, Mikayla," Riley told her. He pointed at Kassandra, but continued to look at Mikayla. "You had to leave because Kassandra was going to hunt you and your family down because of her hex. She was going to kill you, and Hayley, and your niece, and your friends Kaylin and Nicola."
"That's why we left, yes, but I left someone to care for the pack when I did," Mikayla told him. "I couldn't just abandon you. I left you with an Alpha."
"The Alpha's dead," Riley told them. "Killed by the other followers. Don't you see? Our pack means nothing."
"You're right, Riley," Hayley told him. "Mikayla wasn't there. I wasn't there. But I have a daughter now. And, Riley, she's one of the kids. Another is her best friend that is like a sister to her. They're two of the kids that are in danger."
"So, please, help us help them," Kassandra told him.
Riley laughed without humor, hysterical by now. "You can't help them. The Hollow wants power. The kind that only comes from sacrifice. Those kids will die so it can get stronger. And it will feed. And it will rise. And will all bow before it." He looked at Kassandra. "The great beast. Even you. My only mercy is I won't be here to see it."
Riley suddenly stabbed himself in the throat with the knife, shocking the others, choking as he started to bleed out.
Mikayla rushed closer instantly in denial and worry, catching Riley as he fell, kneeling down, biting her wrist, feeding him her blood. "No."
Kassandra walked closer. "Mikayla. What are you doing?"
Mikayla looked up at them, shaking her head. "I can't let someone from my old pack die. I can't."
Hayley and Kacie understood perfectly, while Caitlin and Noah looked impressed by Mikayla's compassion and loyalty, and Kassandra looked guilty for the part that she played in all of this, even if it wasn't her fault.
----
St. James Infirmary
Tory held her hands on either side of Will's head, allowing her hands to glow red as she siphoned the spell from his mind, making him scream in agony. Nicola and Luke stood nearby, watching.
Auria was still turned away toward Marcel so she didn't have to watch her friend's pain.
Elijah walked toward them. "Time's up."
Marcel turned to face him in exasperation. "Hold on, Elijah."
"Why do you insist?" Elijah asked.
"Because he's my friend, and I've lost way too many friends already," Auria answered. "Sophie, Cami, Davina. And because a witch and my own mother told me that I'm the one that gave this thing breath. Now, my parents may have used me to let it into this world, but I know that I'm not just gonna let it take him out. I know that I'm gonna find a way to stop this thing."
Nicola looked at Tory. "Finish it."
Tory continued to siphon.
Will stood, taking out the talisman. The talisman gave Will power that he should not have had. He used the power from the talisman to throw Tory, Luke, Elijah and Marcel back across the room, making them all fall.
Nicola and Auria were the only ones left standing.
Will turned to them. "There's no going back, Auria."
Will used the talisman's magic to give Auria a massive pain infliction spell to distract her, throwing a knife toward Auria to distract Nicola with saving her life. Nicola rushed closer to catch the knife before it could impale Auria while she had been recovering from the pain infliction spell. Because Nicola had been distracted, Will was able to get away.
Nicola and Auria sighed, walking toward Elijah and Marcel to help them stand. Tory and Luke stood, breathing heavily.
"Any other wonderful ideas?" Luke asked sarcastically.
"I tagged him with magic, so now we can trace him," Tory told them. The others looked at her in surprise. "Right back to the kids."
Luke nodded, impressed and proud of his girl, smirking. "Let's go."
----~----
Abattoir Compound - Courtyard
Keelin was writing down more ways to help.
Hayley and Mikayla brought in an unconscious Riley.
Keelin looked at them in confusion, standing in surprise.
"Hey, we have to head out again, but we were wishing that you could keep Riley out and restrained in case he does wake up," Mikayla told her.
"One of the Hollow's guys?" Keelin asked.
"Yep," Hayley answered. "Can you see if you can help Riley, too?"
Keelin was curious and confused, a little amused.
----
Bayou
Kassandra, Kacie, Caitlin and Noah walked along in the bayou, coming to a stop, waiting for the others.
Kassandra sighed, looking around. "Yeah..."
Caitlin and Noah were looking at a spinning wooden object. Caitlin spun it around again boredly.
Tory, Luke, Elijah, Nicola, Auria and Marcel walked closer.
"Assume you told everybody to be on their best behavior?" Marcel asked.
"Oh, I told them," Elijah answered. "Now, whether or not they'll be obedient is another thing altogether."
Klaus, Kaylin, Hayley and Mikayla walked toward them.
"Where's Hope and Rae?" Nicola asked.
"Freya's with them now," Kaylin answered. "They're fighting it. Whatever 'it' is."
"The kids are attached to that spell," Auria told them. "If we save the kids, we save your little girls."
"And the sooner you can all be on your way," Noah told them.
"Clearly, we're skipping all the hugs and hellos," Caitlin told them sarcastically.
Kacie looked at her sister. "Tory?"
Tory pointed off in a direction. "Trail leads off this way, so I guess we, uh, follow the breadcrumbs."
"Tactless savages holding a ghost-raising rave," Kassandra told them. "Best make short work of them."
"I say we split up, come at them from all sides," Klaus told them.
"All right, let's do this," Luke told them.
They all split up. Elijah, Nicola, Hayley, Tory and Luke walked away in one direction. Marcel, Noah, Caitlin and Auria walked away in another.
Klaus, Kaylin, Kacie, Mikayla and Kassandra were walking another way.
Mikayla chuckled. "So, Kacie, I assume you embark upon this journey out of the kindness of your heart?"
"There are kids in trouble, Mikayla," Kacie told her. She looked at Klaus and Kaylin. "Both of yours included."
"Wasn't aware that you would care about my relationship with my daughter or Rae or Kaylin," Klaus told her.
"I may have hated you Mikaelsons for years, Klaus, but I don't hate Hope," Kacie told him. "And, yes, you did kill my mother and Ryan Thompson, but that was because of Rosalita's mind control, and when my brother came after Hayley while she was pregnant with your daughter and tried to kill both of them, you didn't kill him. Instead, you brought him home, where we would both learn soon after that we had Tory for a half-sister, even though she was a Donovan. Not to mention the fact that you gave some of Hope's blood to Tory so that she could turn into a Hybrid Heretic that didn't have to go through hell of full moons, and gave Luke the spell of moonlight rings so that he could have Lindsey Davis-Thompson make one for Ryan. To make up for what Rosalita made you do when you killed Ryan."
"And now all you want is peace so that we don't have to worry about any more fighting between our two groups, right, Kacie?" Kaylin asked, giving Kacie a significant look.
"I don't care about you, Klaus, all right?" Kacie asked. "I only helped you and your family because of Rae, Kaylin and Nicola Salvatore and my sister Tory. Even Eliza Forbes was essential in convincing me."
"I do know the compassion and the loyalty those girls tend to bring out of people," Kassandra told them. "Either way, thank you, Kacie."
"You're welcome, Kassandra," Kacie replied. "And I care about finding these missing kids and wiping out the messed up people who took them. If we can't save them, then we have to kill them. I know that." She looked from Klaus to Kassandra. "But I would rather save them than kill them given the choice, whereas you would wipe them out either way."
"And once again, Kacie Lockwood, always with the insults," Klaus told her. "I see some things never change."
"On the contrary," Kacie told him. "Seeing what my family went through because of Sybil and seeing what your family went through because of Rosalita clarified a lot of things for me. Still, I can imagine no better revenge than being here to prove to you that I am a better person that you have ever been, maybe to the point where you become a better person for your daughter. You're welcome, by the way."
Kacie walked ahead, away from them. Mikayla smirked slightly in amusement, following her.
Klaus, Kaylin and Kassandra were stunned by that, but knowing that Kacie was right, they accepted this and continued on after them.
----
Elsewhere
Marcel, Auria, Noah and Caitlin were walking together.
Marcel looked at Auria. "So what about the blue light that was in abandoned house we went to to look for Adam?"
"That's the Fifolet," Auria answered. "New Orleans legend says that a spirit might present itself in a bright blue ball of light."
"Wonderful," Noah told them. "How do we kill it?"
Caitlin chuckled at the way that he said it, shrugging. "We'll find out soon enough."
----
Elsewhere
Elijah, Nicola, Hayley, Tory and Luke were walking together.
"So you even saved that Crescent boy?" Elijah asked. "Riley Grey?"
"Yeah," Hayley answered. "Noah and Caitlin brought up the fact that any one of us can be taken over by the Hollow, and if that happens, we need to find a way to save them, so when Riley Grey tried to kill himself, Mikayla saved him because she couldn't turn her back on one of her old wolves, and now, if we find a way to save him, we know that we can save others."
"We don't have that kind of time to save everyone that the Hollow has taken over, not tonight when there is a ritual with witches that are dead set on killing witches," Luke told them.
"We know that, Luke," Tory told him. "We might have to kill anyone who comes for us or those kids, but we have to find out how to save others who might be taken in the future. We'll have time then."
Elijah looked at Nicola. "You seem in control."
"I am," Nicola told him. "It's because what you did while you were in my head, and because Tory's here. And I'm not gonna be killing vamps, so I should stay this way."
"Marcel and Auria said that everyone but you are actually a liability against this force of darkness," Elijah told her.
"See, told you that I would be of more help working with you than back with Hope and Rae," Nicola told him.
Elijah managed a chuckle of relief. "Yes, but I am worried that you will have to tap into the Huntress if you have to, like Marcel, Auria and Luke told us could be a possibility."
Nicola sighed, nodding. "I'm worried about it, too, but I can't let that stop me right now. Not when everyone we know and love are on the line."
----
Abattoir Compound - Bedroom
Freya had just given Rae and Hope the medicinal concoctions, watching them sleep worriedly.
----
Night - Woods
Klaus, Kaylin, Kacie, Mikayla and Kassandra came up to the clearing on one side. Elijah, Nicola, Hayley, Tory and Luke came up from the other side. Marcel, Noah, Caitlin and Auria came up from another.
Will met up with the witches that were preparing the sacrifice ritual with the kids, who were all wrapped in sheets on an alter.
Will held up a talisman.
"Now that you've returned, brother, you may join us as we claim our power," Witch 1 told him. "Our rightful place. And lay waste to all who would deny our master. Are you prepared to prove your loyalty to the Hollow?"
"I know what I have to do," Will told them. "I'm not afraid."
"We should begin," Witch 1 told him, taking out a long dagger, holding it toward Will.
"Enough with this circus of sadists," Kaylin told them, finding a dagger on the tree next to her, taking it off, throwing it into Witch 1's chest to kill him.
Klaus smirked, impressed, looking a little proud.
Auria and Caitlin gasped slightly in surprise. Caitlin awkwardly scratched her head.
All of the witches looked toward them, ready to fight.
Nicola rushed closer to Witch 2, grabbing him by the throat, lifting him up, slamming him onto the ground.
Klaus and Kaylin exchanged a look, smirking slightly, rushing closer to join the fight. The others followed suit.
Kacie snapped Witch 3's neck.
Luke bit Witch 4 on the neck, feeding until he died.
Elijah hit Witch 5 over the head, making him fall.
Caitlin looked at Hayley, Mikayla and Auria. "Hey, we got to get the kids. Get the kids!"
Caitlin, Hayley, Mikayla and Auria ran up to the alter to get to the children.
Witch 6 tried to stab Auria in the back from behind. Auria was too busy grabbing a kid from the alter to notice. Marcel rushed up behind Witch 6, catching his arm, making him stab himself in the chest instead of in Auria's back.
Hayley handed one of the children to Caitlin. Mikayla picked up another. They and Auria ran to the treeline to take the kids away to safety.
Noah snapped Witch 7's neck, letting him fall.
Kassandra bit Witch 8 on the neck, feeding until he died in her arms, letting him fall, her lips dripping with blood, breathing heavily, still transformed, her eyes glowing red, letting the glow fade from her eyes.
Tory held out her arms over the alter to counteract the ritual. "Vinculum mond sa. Vinculum mond sa."
Will used the talisman's magic to give Tory a massive pain infliction spell, making her stop and hold her head in pain.
Auria looked at her friend pleadingly. "Will? Will! Come on, man. It's over."
Will shook his head. "No, Auria. It's only just begun."
Will used the talisman's power to push everyone but Nicola to the ground, leaving only Nicola standing because of her immunity to magic. Caitlin, Hayley, Mikayla and Auria landed on the ground next to the children, in a safe zone. The others aside from Nicola were being dragged toward Will in the circle.
Nicola rushed over to Kaylin and Elijah to grab either of their hands to stop them from being pulled away. Caitlin rushed over to grab Noah's hands to stop him from being pulled away. Hayley rushed over to grab Tory and Luke's hands to keep them from being pulled away. Mikayla rushed over to grab Klaus and Kacie's hands to keep them from being pulled away. The girls were able to pull them free with all the strength they had, but they all fell to the ground because of the amount of strength that had to be used to pull them free.
Kassandra was able to pull free on her own, turning back to see that Marcel was writhing in pain in front of Will, rushing toward Marcel to help him. Will used the talisman's power to make her stop.
Klaus rushed toward Will, gripping his throat in an attempt to stop him from taking Kassandra and Marcel.
Auria watched worriedly. "Marcel!"
Will smiled sadistically. "You can't stop what's coming."
Klaus snapped Will's neck, letting him fall dead.
Auria was horrified, but not shocked, because she knew that this would happen to Will if it hadn't been stopped. "No!"
A ring of fire magically lit up around Klaus, Kassandra and Marcel, in front of everyone, making them fall to their knees, unable to move.
Tory rushed up to the circle of fire, unable to get inside. Auria ran up next to her. They tried to use magic to free them, but they were unable to. Elijah, Nicola and Kaylin rushed up next to them.
"Oh, no, we got this all wrong," Tory told them. "They wanted us here."
"Why?" Caitlin asked.
"They want to channel your power, and anchor the Hollow to the living world," Tory answered. They were all horrified, running back toward the kids. Tory and Auria knelt next to the kids, pulling back their sheets. "Okay, they're alive. These kids are linked to that ritual. We can't free Marcel, Kassandra and Klaus unless we break the spell."
"How do we stop this?" Noah asked.
Auria was completely overwhelmed. "I don't know. It's a sacrificial ritual. We can't break it unless we kill one of the kids."
Elijah looked as if he was considering his options to save most of the children, Marcel, Kassandra and Klaus, though he hated the impossible choice that they were seemed to be given.
Nicola, Mikayla, Kaylin and Hayley were completely overwhelmed and horrified.
Kacie, Luke, Noah and Caitlin watched them worriedly.
"No, no," Mikayla told them. "There has to be another way."
----
Other World
Instead of being trapped in a ring of fire, Kassandra, Klaus and Marcel seemed to be trapped in a dark forest in a circle of snow. A bright blue light shined in front of them.
Kassandra looked around in confusion. "Where are we?"
They each looked at the blue light ahead of them in confusion, as if hypnotized.
Klaus remembered what Rae had told him and Kaylin, looking away. "Don't look into the blue light."
----
Real World
The others were still by the children.
Auria and Tory were kneeling down while the others were standing.
Auria looked around. "Yeah, um... so, these kids are powering that ritual." She looked at Elijah. "But there might be a loophole, if we link it to you."
"Are you suggesting we take my life?" Elijah asked.
"We're suggesting we stake you with wood," Tory answered. "You die, temporarily, and that might be enough to break the spell."
Elijah was relieved that there was an alternative, nodding in agreement.
----
Other World
Instead of being trapped in a ring of fire, Kassandra, Klaus and Marcel seemed to be trapped in a dark forest in a circle of snow. A bright blue light shined in front of them.
Klaus was trying his hardest not to look into the blue light, though he seemed to every few seconds against his will.
Kassandra was looking around the snow falling in confusion, her attention dragged back to the blue light.
Marcel never looked away from the blue light, entranced. "What is this?"
"No," Klaus told them. "Shut your eyes."
----
Real World
Auria and Tory both held one of the children's hands, and one of Elijah's, starting the spell to transfer the link from the kids to Elijah while the others watched worriedly. "Mare. Mare leurs. Mare leurs esprits. Mare leurs esprits. Mare leurs esprits. Mare leurs esprits."
----
Other World
Instead of being trapped in a ring of fire, Kassandra, Klaus and Marcel seemed to be trapped in a dark forest in a circle of snow. A bright blue light shined in front of them. They were all having more and more difficulty not looking at the blue light.
"Look away!" Klaus told them.
Kassandra closed her eyes, but reopened them once again.
----
Real World
The others were by the children.
Nicola broke off a tree branch from nearby, turning to Elijah, hesitating because even if the Huntress inside her wanted to stake him, she didn't want to, and she would feel bad for hurting him even if she knew that he would come back.
Elijah knew the conflict, nodding in understanding, reassuring.
"Nicola, do it now!" Luke told her.
Nicola drove the tree branch, makeshift stake, into Elijah's heart, temporarily killing him, though she hated to do so, and hated the way it made her feel, catching Elijah as he fell, kneeling down to hold his body as he started to desiccate.
----
Other World
Instead of being trapped in a ring of fire, Kassandra, Klaus and Marcel seemed to be trapped in a dark forest in a circle of snow. A bright blue light shined in front of them. There was a flash of blue light as they were being released.
----
Abattoir Compound - Bedroom
Freya was standing nearby Hope and Rae. She gasped as if she felt the spell break, looking around.
----
Woods - Clearing
Everyone was still gathered.
The fire all around them extinguished itself, releasing Kassandra, Klaus and Marcel from the circle of fire.
Tory sighed heavily in relief, hanging her head.
"Did it work?" Noah asked.
Auria nodded. "Yeah."
They sighed in relief.
Nicola took the branch out of Elijah's heart.
Kassandra, Klaus and Marcel walked toward them.
----
Abattoir Compound - Bedroom
Freya was still standing by Hope and Rae.
Hope and Rae woke up, looking around.
Freya sat next to them. "Hope? Rae?"
Hope and Freya embraced, pulling away so that Hope and Rae could hug.
Hope smiled. "We're not cold anymore."
----~----
St. Anne's Church
(Song:) Can You Hear Me? - Unsecret feat. Young Summer
Auria was in the church with the other witches after reuniting the children with them, sitting at the sacristy.
Noah, Caitlin, Vincent, Tory, Luke, Kacie and Mikayla were here, too, watching as the children were reunited with their families.
Auria watched them somberly for a moment, knowing that something really bad was going to happen, because she couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't over, and that the Hollow wasn't done with any of them.
Tory and Luke walked away.
Mikayla walked toward Kacie. "Thank you." Kacie looked at her. "You said 'you're welcome' earlier, and no one said thank you to you. Well, Kassandra did, but no one else did. Thank you, Kacie."
"Yeah, well, Tory did most of the work," Kacie told her. "Saving the Mikaelsons, what happened today. Luke, Eliza and I barely got to do anything besides fight Kassandra, and Luke and I killed some witches. And Forbes didn't get to tonight, since she took off with her ex crush."
"You still helped despite your history with Klaus, even though that most of your past with him is because of Rosalita," Mikayla told her. "And I know that can't be easy, but you still did it for your sister, for Rae, Kaylin and Nicola. So, thank you, Kacie." Kacie nodded. "And by the way, I haven't seen anyone outside of the family talk to Klaus like you did earlier and get away with it. Well, besides Marcel, Noah, Caitlin and Auria, but they were like family once, so I still kinda considered them as family, even though that's in the past." Kacie smirked, looking at her sympathetically. "It was pretty awesome."
Kacie smiled, chuckling. "Yeah. Well, he knows that he was in the wrong, and that I was still helping even after everything, Mikayla. Even if I wasn't helping for him. And you're welcome." They looked at each other, smiling. "When you do think that Rebekah, Kol and Eliza will be back with the things that we need to make something that can help Kassandra and Nicola?"
Mikayla sighed heavily, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't know. But I wish it's soon. I don't doubt them for a second, Kacie, because they have survived everything they have been through so far, but we all know that there is some part for all of us where we just break. Both of them have reached that point, and it's hard for them to keep themselves together for their sake and ours. That's why we want to help them so badly."
Kacie nodded in agreement. "You're an okay girl, Mikayla." Mikayla looked at her curiously. "I never thought that someone close to the Mikaelsons would be a good person. You proved me wrong."
They both smiled and chuckled, continuing to watch the families reunite, taking the success of that night.
----
Abattoir Compound - Ballroom
Riley was just waking up, having been restrained to a staircase.
Hayley walked closer. "Riley. I'm sure you're wondering why you're here."
"I'm really not," Riley told her. "You think you can save me. You can't."
"Well, Mikayla couldn't let you die," Hayley told him. "No matter what her flaws, my sister is fiercely loyal to a fault. And if anyone gets taken over by the Hollow, we want to know how to save them, if that's even possible."
"So I'm an experiment case," Riley told her. "That would explain the chains. And here I thought I was the dark one. Maybe you're the real dark one, Hayley Marshall, if you like to restrain others, or like being restrained."
Hayley managed a chuckle. "This place... this city... a lot of tragedy happened here. A lot I regret. But my daughter was born here. So there was good with all that bad. I have to believe that there can be more good. I have to believe that people can be saved. Including you, Riley Grey."
"Because it means that you can be saved, right?" Riley asked. "You have the same darkness the rest of us do, Hayley. You want to save yourself for you and for your daughter."
Hayley nodded. "Yeah. I do. So if saving the people I care about and love, even myself... I'm all for it. And if you were still you, you would be, too. Whatever we have to do to save you, and others like you, Riley, I wish you can find peace again."
Hayley walked away, leaving Riley to think about what she said.
----
Study
Keelin was mixing something in a container.
Freya walked closer. "What are you doing?"
"Hayley and Mikayla asked if I could do something to help Riley Grey, that wolf that was twisted up by the Hollow, before it's too late," Keelin answered. "Seems like I'm helping all of you these days, even after being hostaged. Not like I have much of a choice."
Freya sighed in regret, walking closer. "Keelin, you have to understand."
"Look, maybe you and yours do it differently, but where I'm from, you make a deal, you keep it," Keelin told her. "And since I am on the most wanted list of every psycho who wants your family dead, I guess I'm Team Mikaelson, whether I like it or not."
Freya was surprised by this answer, affected and moved, taking Keelin's hand, bringing it close to her lips so she could whisper a spell onto the moonlight ring. "Denne legatura." She raised her gaze to look at Keelin. Keelin looked at her in confusion. "It's done. The ring's altered. You keep the benefits, minus the leash."
"Is this an apology or a thank you?" Keelin asked.
Freya smiled awkwardly, walking around her. "I don't know. I'm not particularly good at either one."
Keelin was impressed and surprised by this turn of events.
----
Courtyard
Nicola was sitting in the courtyard of the compound, drinking from a bottle of bourbon.
Elijah walked closer.
"I managed to find an old friend," Nicola told him. She looked at the bottle curiously, tilting her head. "Or enemy. I can never really tell." Elijah chuckled in amusement. "Here's to a bad day."
Nicola took a drink, handing the bottle to Elijah.
Elijah nodded in agreement. "A bad day indeed." He took a drink. "Hope and Rae are awake, but they'll need time to heal."
"Are you about to give me another 'I wanted to thank you' speeches?" Nicola asked.
Elijah chuckled lightly. "Yes. We were all nearly pulled into the circle of fire that Niklaus, Kassandra and Marcellus were trapped in. We weren't only because of you, and Hayley, Mikayla and Caitlin. You were able to pull us free."
"Yes, and that is because Hayley, Caitlin and Mikayla were pushed down in a safe zone, and I have an immunity that none of you have," Nicola told him. "It pays to have someone immune to magic on your team."
"That is not the only reason that I would have you on my team," Elijah told her.
Nicola smiled a small smile, becoming a little nervous, looking down, sighing. "I want to ask you something. In the woods, if Auria and Tory hadn't found that loophole... what would you have done to those kids?"
Elijah hesitated for a long moment, placing down his bottle, clearly hating himself for the answer he was about to give. "Whatever I had to do."
Nicola nodded, looking down. "You know, right before I sold Stefan, Kaylin, Damon, Alex's and my souls to Cade... Sybil and Seline, they kidnapped Alaric's twin girls. Lizzie and Josie. They were only three, almost four. And I was forced to help hide the Sirens with those girls." Elijah was surprised with the confession, looking sympathetic. "And they were going to sell the twins into servitude to Cade if I hadn't sold myself and my family to him instead. Keep in mind that Stefan, Kaylin and Damon and the others only let Sybil out of the Armory because they were trying to find a way to save me from becoming the Huntress. So everything that was to follow... Sybil taking Eliza, Liv and Tory for control, Sybil killing Sarah in front of me to make me turn my humanity off... and forcing me to attack all of my friends and family and kill Tyler... Cade trying to do everything he could to break me and Kaylin because of Rosalita's wishes, Stefan killing Enzo... him and Alex almost killing Lindsey and Ryan... It's all because of me. It's all my fault. So whatever you think that I think of you, Elijah, just know that I think worse about myself every single day. It doesn't compare, because I was hurt everyone that I loved, all because I was willing to sell myself to Sirens and the Devil in an attempt to stop myself from hurting them, but I only made everything worse."
Elijah shook his head, kneeling in front of Nicola to meet her gaze because she couldn't look up because of the shame and the guilt that she felt. "There are some things that happen to us to change us and that lead to a catastrophe of events that we blame ourselves for." Nicola looked up at him, sighing. "It would be wrong to say that we're completely free of guilt. You wouldn't believe me if I told you so." Nicola shook her head in agreement. "There are still things that are out of control, and not on you. I told you that I could help you learn control and find a way to be happy again."
"Well, I do have control, and I am happy, with you, because of you," Nicola told him. "It's just something that I don't think I deserve."
"I believe that you do deserve it, even if you don't," Elijah told her.
"You also told me that we could find what we wanted together," Nicola told him. "Happiness, redemption, forgiveness. Together. I guess it kinda sounds too good to be true."
Elijah chuckled, nodding in acknowledgement. "Perhaps. But I believe that it is something that we can achieve by doing better. Both you and I."
Nicola was reassured and touched by all of this, feeling a little bit more content, even happy, nodding. "Together."
Nicola and Elijah both smiled small, content smiles, though they still felt the need to make up for all of the things that they had done.
(Song Ends)
----~----
Rae's Psychic Dream
Night - Abattoir Compound - Outside Balcony
Kaylin was standing on the balcony overlooking the city.
Klaus walked toward her.
"The girls are asleep," Kaylin told him. "I wanna thank you. For what you said earlier today. Reassuring me that we would save them and that neither one of us would have to lose them again."
"What was it that you usually say that I'm mostly wrong even when I'm right?" Klaus asked sarcastically.
Kaylin smiled, chuckling. "Ha ha." She looked down, thinking. "We both have a history of violence and mayhem. And I tried for years, trying so hard to be good. And I was good or a while, unless enemies came to cross me and my family, or if I had to do something bad for the greater good of my friends or family. I don't want Rae to see the world like that, no matter who brought her back to life. She's a sweet, innocent kid that deserves to have a childhood life."
"You're saying that you want to be better," Klaus told her knowingly. Kaylin looked up. "I understand that you want to be better for Rae, Kaylin, because I want to be better for Hope."
"Yet another thing that we have in common," Kaylin told him. Klaus smirked slightly without the smile reaching his eyes. Kaylin noticed that something was off about him, curious and confused. "Are you okay?"
Klaus nodded. "I'm as fine as I can be."
----
St. James Infirmary
Auria was sitting at the bar in St. James Infirmary, having a drink, gazing off.
Marcel walked closer to have a drink with Auria. "What a sight. Powerful woman drinking her sorrows when she should be drinking to celebrate. I wonder if I could convince you to stop being so hard on yourself and actually take tonight's victory."
"I'm not so sure tonight was a victory," Auria told him.
"So you're having trouble shaking off the day that we both had," Marcel told her. "Pretty sure you could use a distraction. I could distract." Auria gave him a halfhearted look. Marcel smirked slightly, pouring himself a drink. "I'm sorry. I just know that today was rough for you. Auria, at least we put an end to it."
"Will's dead," Auria told him. "But the thing they idolized... the Hollow... Marcel, it wanted us there. It wanted to come into our world by anchoring itself to one of us. So that makes me wonder, did we end it? Or is it getting started?"
----
Abattoir Compound - Balcony
(Song:) Diminuendo - Lawless feat. Britt Warner
Kaylin and Klaus were standing on the balcony, looking at each other.
"You seem a little different," Kaylin told him. "And we both know what Auria, Tory and Rae said about the Hollow. And we saw what happened to you, Kassandra and Marcel."
Klaus looked at her curiously. "You think it's going to come after us?"
"I'm worried that it might," Kaylin answered. "I'm not saying that it will. I just want to make sure that you're okay."
----
Courtyard
Kassandra slowly walked into the courtyard, looking around. She once again flashed back to the fight with her brothers in 3.22 The Bloody Crown. This time, she looked expressionless, and not consumed with guilt.
----
St. James Infirmary
Auria and Marcel were sitting at the bar.
"I told you that I wouldn't let this thing gonna come after you," Marcel told her. "That I wouldn't let it get to you like it got to that witch, or like it got to your parents."
Auria sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Marcel, I wonder if it hasn't gotten to you, because it knows that you're gonna protect me, no matter what happens." Marcel looked confused. "What did you see when you were in the circle?"
Marcel hesitated for a moment, looking confused and as if he was trying to remember. "Nothing. Not a thing."
Auria looked at him for a moment, not entirely convinced because she could sense that there was something different about him.
----
Abattoir Compound - Courtyard
Kassandra slowly walked up the stairs. The lights that were around her started to flicker and buzz. Kassandra looked at the lights, continuing to walk up the stairs.
----
Balcony
Kaylin and Klaus were standing together, looking at each other.
"You worry too much recently," Klaus told her.
Kaylin nodded in agreement, sighing. "I wish it's just paranoia. But you can't really blame me for worrying about you, can you?"
Klaus chuckled, shaking his head. "No. I cannot."
Kaylin managed a small smile, kissing Klaus slowly and passionately for a long moment. They pulled away, looking at each other, lost in the moment, kissing more passionately than before, more heatedly.
----
St. James Infirmary
Auria and Marcel were sitting at the bar.
Auria sighed, pouring herself another drink. "I pray you're right. Because the best way to get to me... is you."
Marcel looked at Auria, already having known that. Auria finished the newly poured glass in a single drink, standing, turning to face him, standing close.
"That's the funny thing about our city, though, Auria," Marcel told her. "Nothing ever stays buried."
Marcel and Auria looked at each other for a long moment, lost in it. Marcel stood to face Auria, starting to kiss her. Auria kissed back for a long moment. It became deep and passionate and heated, and Auria only stopped when the lights started to flicker, pulling away.
"What is that?" Auria asked.
"Ignore it," Marcel told her in a breathless whisper.
Auria saw the blue light glowing in the glasses on the bar, worried and breathing heavily in denial, looking at Marcel.
Marcel's eyes were glowing with the same blue light.
Auria backed away in realization, denial and fear, seeming to be overcome with pain, screaming.
----
Abattoir Compound - Balcony
Klaus and Kaylin pulled away when they noticed the lights flickering.
The night sky around them was dancing with the blue light.
Kaylin was overwhelmed by the sight of the blue light, remembering what Rae had told her, turning away, looking at Klaus in confusion.
Klaus' eyes were glowing the same pale blue light.
Kaylin backed away in realization, denial and fear, seeming to be overcome with pain, screaming.
----
Kassandra's Room
Kassandra slowly walked into her room. The lights were flickering around her. She heard glass shattering from behind her, turning around to see the mirror there was starting to crack and shatter in the shape of the Ouroboros symbol. The mirror was glowing with the same blue light. Kassandra walked toward the shattering mirror in curiosity. When she got close enough, her eyes in the reflection were revealed to be glowing the same blue, as the glowing blue light reflected off of Kassandra's face. The glass of the mirror exploded, bursting all around her, making her scream.
----
Reality
Night - Abattoir Compound - Bedroom
Rae screamed herself awake in her bed, revealing that everything that had just been shown was a psychic dream in her mind.
Hope was awoken by the sound, looking at Rae worriedly, crawling closer. "Rae? What's wrong?"
Rae shook her head, looking terrified. "No, no, no. Hope, it's here."
"What?" Hope asked.
"The Hollow," Rae answered. "It's here."
Hope looked at Rae worriedly in confusion, wondering exactly what she saw.
(Song Ends)
----~----
4.05 "I Hear You Knocking" Trailer
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in St. James Infirmary, Marcel and Auria were talking.
"Ever since the bayou, something is off," Marcel told her.
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in Kassandra's room, Kassandra was looking at her broken mirror.
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in Lafayette Cemetery, Marcel heard something behind him, turning around to see a figure passing.
Marcel: (voice over from 4.05 I Hear You Knocking) "I think it's anchored to me."
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in a hallway of the compound, Klaus turned to look behind him.
Mikael: (voice over from 4.05 I Hear You Knocking) "Today, you will die at the hands of Kassandra..."
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", Klaus was seeing hallucinations of Mikael.
"Unless you kill your sister first," Mikael told him.
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in Lucien's penthouse, Kassandra was standing alone, turning to see another hallucination of Lucien. "I just got rid of you."
"And you just let them get away with everything," Lucien told her.
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in the compound, hallucinations of Mikael was taunting Klaus.
Klaus: (voice over from 4.05 I Hear You Knocking) "I've been infected by some depraved ghost."
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in a street, the hallucination of Lucien was taunting Kassandra more viciously than the hex ever did. "These visions, I'm goading you to kill your enemy."
"I'm never going to be rid of you, am I?" Kassandra asked.
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in the abandoned house from 4.01 and 4.02, Tory, Kaylin, Nicola, Kassandra, Elijah, Freya and Klaus were standing together. A blue light shone over them.
Freya: (voice over from 4.05 I Hear You Knocking) "If Kassandra is seeing something similar..."
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in the cemetery, Marcel turned to face his hallucination, which was yet unseen.
Kaylin: (voice over from 4.05 I Hear You Knocking) (sarcastic) "Who do you think she's gonna see?"
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in the compound, Freya looked somber. "Lucien."
"We're all on the chopping block," Klaus told them.
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in Lucien's penthouse, a hallucination of Rosalita smirked smugly, walking toward Kassandra. "Now, doesn't that sound wonderful?"
From 4.05 "I Hear You Knocking", in the abandoned house, Kassandra looked at the closed the door, turning to face Klaus. "Neither of us is to leave until one of us dies."
WORLDS COLLIDING (THE ORIGINALS)