THE Mikaelsons walked into the compound, the fortress they once called home, and grimaced at the sight. Klaus pulled Hope close to him and sneered in disgust. "Our home. Once the pride of our family, now a flophouse."

"Indeed, the mighty have fallen." Elijah commented in agreement with a heavy sigh.

Ingrid shifted Eirik in her arms and glanced around the courtyard. "Let's just get this over with. Where's Vincent?" She questioned impatiently, looking around the ruins.

"Right here." The New Orleans witch answered, walking toward them with his hands folded behind his back. "Kept my word. Now the only question is whether or not you guys are gonna keep yours. As soon as I'm finished healing your kid, you got to leave the city."

"Well, we're not gonna stay, are we? Your city has lost its charm." Klaus insulted, gesturing around to what had been done to his former kingdom, and set Hope down one of the leather couches.

"We'll keep our word." Ingrid promised Vincent in a stern tone of voice. "Please save my daughter."

"Just give us what we need, and we will do so, happily." Elijah assured Vincent quickly, trying to avoid conversation as much as possible.

"Excuse me." Vincent pardoned himself, squeezing between the two brothers and making his way toward the young witch. "Okay." He smiled at her and began rubbing his hands together while whispering an incantation. "Nettoyer timoun sa a. Nettoyer timoun sa a. Nettoyer timoun sa a. Nettoyer timoun sa a. Nettoyer timoun sa a."

Klaus paced frantically and Ingrid walked over to him, grabbing his hand. He squeezed it tightly in his and watched anxiously. Hope turned to look at them with an uneasy and weak expression on her face. "Mama? Dad?"

Vincent stood to his feet and turned around to face them. "That's it. Your little girl's purified."

"Thank you." Klaus whispered in appreciation.

"Now look, the only gratitude I need from any of you is seeing you leave the city." Vincent reminded them sternly and they nodded in understanding.

Ingrid held her hand out with a smile and called out to Hope. "Come here, baby."

Hope, with the help from Elijah, stood up from the couch and was about to walk toward them when a dead crow fell from the sky. Soon they all began to die around Hope. Eirik watched his sister in horror and started to wail in fear.

Ingrid moved to console him while Klaus rushed toward Hope, pulling her close to his body while staring at the circle around her in horror. "What is this?" He snarled at Vincent, almost accusatory.

"I don't know." Vincent answered honestly, watching with the same shock and confusion as the Originals.

"Can you hear that?" Hope asked her parents to which they gave her terrified and perplexed faces. "It's whispers. Saying a name. Over and over. "Kre Nah Han, Kre Nah Han"."

"What is she saying?" Ingrid asked Vincent in pure alarm, holding Eirik as close as possible out of fear.

"It's a nearly forgotten dialect. It's Creole. It means "the Hollow". The Hollow is coming." Vincent answered, sparing dreadful glances at each of them.

Morning started to break and Ingrid put the children to bed in what was once her bedroom. She walked down the stairs with a heavy sigh and Klaus turned toward her in concern. "How is she?"

"Fever's back but she said she's fine. All she wants right now is her father." Ingrid answered, giving him a significant look. "They're both asking for you."

"Well, make an excuse. I'd rather my children not know I've gone off to murder witches." He responded quickly, pacing the floor.

"Niklaus, we do not lie." Ingrid scolded him then realized what she was doing and backed off with her tone. Klaus almost smiled at the face that she was mothering him but didn't let her see it. She held her hands out at her sides and recollected her thoughts, redirecting herself to talk with adults. "My apologies. Hard to turn off... but, no. You need to tell her the truth."

"We can not be reckless, Niklaus." Elijah added to the conversation in a stern manner.

"Coming from Mr. Reckless." Ingrid snarled under her breath and rolled her eyes at the irony.

Klaus whipped around to glance at him incredulously, throwing his hands up. "And how would you have me respond? Should I delegate my child's safety to someone else?"

"Let me see what I can do." Elijah offered his help.

"And I will talk to Marcellus." Ingrid continued, crossing her arms over her chest. "Out of all us, I'm the only one he won't kill on sight. Whatever this is... whatever we're up against, it poses a problem for him as well. So I'm sure he'll be willing to listen if it's coming from me."

Klaus looked between them and gaped in disbelief. "Leaving me to do what, exactly?"

"Parent your children." Ingrid explained with a wide grin.

Elijah placed a hand on Ingrid's shoulder with a face of reluctance. "A word of warning. The Marcel that you knew is gone. So, whatever he is now, he's no ally."

Ingrid shrugged out of his grip and glared at him. "I'll be the one to decide that. Thank you."

Marcel was at the Tremé coven, trying to find answers from the witches. They were all chatting and yelling in the crowd so Marcel raised his voice to try and calm them enough to get his questions across. "Listen up. 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 mine. Someone is taking children. As you know, I have one nonnegotiable rule: we do not mess with kids. Now, you've seen that graffiti. Someone here's got to know who's responsible. Right? So just give me a name. Hmm?" He asked, waiting for answers but no one wanted to speak up for a moment. Marcel licked his lips as he began to grow impatient.

"We don't owe you anything." One of the witches sneered at him and the crowd murmured in agreement. "You're no friend to witches."

Ingrid walked past the crowed toward Marcel, hearing the small gasps and murmurs that followed. "It's no surprise that the Mikaelsons are an enemy to everyone. I'm sure each one of you here can recall a time where you've been wronged by my family. But I'm not standing here as a Mikaelson, I'm standing here as a mother who's daughter is one of the children in trouble. You don't have to trust me or particularly like me. That's fine. However, don't condemn my child to death because of who her parents are." Ingrid pleaded desperately, tears pooling in her eyes. "She's only seven. She is innocent." She remarked, her voice cracking emotionally. "If you're not going to help me then please just help her."

"There's a girl named Lara. I saw her draw the same symbol on her window in blood." One of the witches informed them in a solemn tone.

"Where can I find her?" Ingrid questioned further.

"She's one of "your" kind. A wolf. So you'll probably find her out in bayou." They explained with a disgusted sneer.

Ingrid nodded in understanding and appreciation. "Thank you." She expressed her gratitude before walking past them again with Marcel following close behind.

The two were trudging through the bayou as Ingrid spoke on the phone with Klaus. "How are they?" She questioned her husband, both concerned and anxious. Ingrid had never been away from their children until a few days ago and it's not something you truly get used to.

"Hope's sleeping and Eirik is worried. I don't know how to keep him occupied." Klaus admitted sheepishly, lost on how to entertain their children. "I don't want him to sit here and worry the whole time."

"Give him an option by asking him what he wants to do." Ingrid answered with a small smile. "If he doesn't know, offer him ideas. This helps children learn to think for themselves."

"Okay. Got it." Klaus mused in understanding and sighed heavily. "Freya will be here soon to stir up one of her medicinal concoctions. Tell me you have answers."

"Marcellus and I are following a lead out into the bayou now. Some wolf who got caught up with the Hollow." She explained gruffly, jeering to herself in annoyance. "Never thought I'd be out here again..."

"A wolf involved in witch business?" He remarked in disbelief with a small scoff.

"Right?" Ingrid replied in the same tone. "Well, I have a few questions for her."

"Well, I expect you show that traitor the error of her ways." He hinted darkly, chuckling lowly.

"Already on it." She said with a devious smirk. "I'm getting close so I have to hang up. I love you. Don't hesitate to call with anything, okay?"

"I love you." Klaus expressed affectionately before hanging up the phone himself.

Ingrid and Marcel found Lara standing out in the pier and the hybrid held her hands up in surrender as a show of good faith. "We won't hurt you. I just need some answers."

Lara laughed humorlessly and shook her head. "You can't hurt me any more than I've already hurt myself. I didn't know this was gonna happen. I didn't know they were gonna bring children into it." She informed them, crying softly.

"Lara, who's "they"?" Ingrid asked calmly yet sternly.

"Those that serve the Hollow. Followers of the blue light." Lara vaguely replied and shook her head with a guilty, far-off expression on her face. "I thought we were doing something good. Trying to take back our city."

Ingrid raised an eyebrow and looked at the wolf in confusion. "Back from what?"

"From him." Lara snarled furiously, pointing a knife at Marcel. "From the vampires. For five years we kept quiet. Watching you lord over this city like it was yours."

"Hey, I spent the last five years keeping the peace..." Marcel defending himself, taking steps toward her.

Lara interrupted him and raised her voice to a shout, holding the knife out in front of her in protection. "It is not your city to rule! New Orleans belongs to all of us. And the Hollow offered us the power we needed. So long as we pledged our allegiance."

"You're a Crescent. You have your pack---" Ingrid began to lecture the wolf but was cut off.

"You killed Hayley!" Lara snarled at the hybrid, tears falling down her cheeks. "Our pack means nothing. You mean nothing!"

Ingrid rolled her eyes and sighed lowly to herself, soothing the anger rising inside of her. "Lara... listen to me. My daughter... she's one of the children that are in danger. So, please, help us save her."

Lara laughed bitterly at the Mikaelson begging for her cooperation. "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 we will all bow before it. The great beast." She explained darkly and looked beyond Ingrid to Marcel. "Even you. My only mercy is I won't be here to see it." She whispered before stabbing herself in the neck with the knife.

Marcel gasped in shock and ran to save her but it was no use, Lara's lifeless body bled out over the pier. Ingrid closed her eyes and ran her hands down her face stressfully.

Everyone decided to regroup in the bayou to discuss what should be done next. Vincent was pacing the grass anxiously and turned to look at Elijah with a pointed face. "Yeah. Assume you told everybody to be on their best behavior?"

"Oh, I told them." Elijah responded smoothly, nodding his head, then sighed heavily with a knowing expression. "Now whether or not they'll be obedient is another thing altogether." He explained as Klaus walked the path, approaching them. "Where's Hope and Eirik?"

"Freya's with them now." Klaus replied, a frown of worry plastered across his face. "Hope's fighting it. Whatever it is."

"The kids are attached to that spell: if we save the kids, we save your little girl." Vincent informed them, trying to get their cooperation.

"And the sooner you all can be on your way." Marcel added sternly, walking over to join them.

"We get it." Ingrid commented im frustration and rolled her dark eyes. "Vincent?" She inquired and turned toward the witch, allowing him to lead the way.

"Trail leads off this way, so, I guess we, uh, follow the breadcrumbs." Vincent said awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders.

"Tactless savages holding a ghost-raising rave. Best make short work of them. I say we..." Klaus began to sneer off his plan but was cut off before he could finish.

"We split up. Klaus, you're with me, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Anybody got a problem with that..." Marcel started to threaten everyone and laughed humorlessly, holding his hands out at his sides. "I don't give a damn."

"Ingrid comes with us." Elijah responded sternly, grabbing her by the elbow. "We don't need you both in the same group."

Ingrid yanked herself out of his grip with a loud groan. "Why must you constantly put your hands on me? You can make a point and keep your hands to yourself." She snarled at him in aggravation. "Let's get this over with."

They split into two groups consisting of Klaus and Marcel and Vincent, Elijah, and Ingrid. While they walked the path, Ingrid filled Elijah in on what Lara had said earlier. "She mentioned something about a blue light."

"Yeah, that's the "Fifolet". New Orleans legend says that a spirit might present itself in a bright blue ball of light." Vincent explained.

"Wonderful." Elijah grumbled sarcastically. "How do we kill it?"

"We'll find out soon enough." The Tremé witch answered vaguely.

They continued walking until they came across an altar with four tarp covered bodies and five acolytes standing at attention. Ingrid stopped Elijah from barging in and threw her arm over his chest. They watched as Will Kenney met the acolytes with a talisman in his hands.

"Now that you've returned, brother, you may join us as we claim our power. Our rightful place. And lay waste to all who would deny our master. Are you prepared to prove your loyalty to the Hollow?" He asked Will.

"I know what I have to do. I'm not afraid." Will responded with a nod of his head.

"We should begin." The Acolyte said, drawing a knife out from under his robe.

"Enough with this circus of sadists." Klaus whispered in disgust before breaking off a tree branch and throwing it at the acolyte Leader, killing him.

Vincent gasped in surprise and watched as the Mikaelsons sped toward the witches, killing them all viciously. "Hey, we got to get the kids. Get the kids!" He yelled frantically to them and ran to help, carrying the children one by one toward the edge of the woods and away from the altar. Once Ingrid and Elijah had killed their witch, they quickly moved to help him.

Will raised the Hollow's talisman and began the ritual, chanting quietly. "Vinculum mond sa. Vinculum mond sa."

Vincent ran back for the last child and tried to break through to his friend. "Will? Will! Come on, man. It's over."

"No, Vince. It's only just begun." Will said darkly and turned toward Elijah and Ingrid, who were crouched down next to the children and trying to free them. Marcel was about to speed toward him when Will held the talisman up and brought him to the ground.

Marcel began to cry out in pain on the dirt floor and Ingrid watched in horror. "No! Marcellus!" She cried out and rushed toward them, grabbing Will by the throat. "Stop this! Now!"

Vincent used this distraction to grab the last child and run away from them, getting out of the line of fire.

Will smirked sinisterly at the hybrid and gasped out for air with each word. "You can't stop what's coming."

Ingrid sneered at him and harshly snapped his neck before realizing it. She dropped Will's dead body to the ground then held her hands up in surprise. Closing her eyes, she threw her head back and sighed heavily in disappointment.

Vincent turned around just in time to see Will galling to the ground and cried out in protest. "No!!!"

Ingrid's vision grew blurry and she fell to her knees next to Marcel as ring of fire formed around them. Elijah and Klaus sped toward the circle to save them but was thrown backward, unable to enter.

In the Hollow dimension, Marcel and Ingrid opened their eyes to see a blue hue surrounding them.

"Where are we?" Marcel questioned in confusion, looking up at the skull with glowing blue eyes in front of them.

Ingrid reached over quickly and covered his eyes while squeezing hers shut. "No! Don't look into the blue light!"

Marcel tried to pull her hand away but she refused to budge. "What is this?"

"Keep your eyes closed." She urged him strongly and closed hers tighter. "It's the Hollow."

"I'm sorry, ma." He whispered emotionally and leaned against her for comfort.

"Apologize later." She replied with a shake of her head. "Whatever you do, don't open your eyes."

Vincent ran over to join the Mikaelson brothers and shool his head quickly. "Oh, man, we got this all wrong. They wanted us here."

Elijah watched the two vampires om the circle in panic. "Why?"

"They want to channel your power, and anchor the Hollow to the living world." Vincent explained with a dreadful expression on his face. He then ran back to inspect the children, removing the tarps from their faces. "Okay, they're alive. These kids are linked to that ritual. We can't free Marcel and Ingrid unless we break the spell."

"How do we stop this?" Elijah asked frantically.

Klaus paced the ground in front of the circle and stared into his wife's blank eyes. "Vincent!"

"I don't know!" Vincent snapped back stressfully and held his hands up in surrender. "It's a sacrificial ritual. I can't break it unless I kill one of the kids."

Elijah shook his head in rejection and stormed toward him. "No, no. There has to be another way."

"Yeah, um so these kids are powering that ritual. But there might be a loophole, if I link it to you." Vincent began to brainstorm another idea.

"Are you suggesting we take my life?" Elijah asked in disbelief, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the witch.

"I'm suggesting we stake you with wood. You die, temporarily, and that might be enough to break the spell." Vincent clarified and Elijah glanced down at the children for a moment before agreeing. Vincent nodded in encouragement and grabbed ahold of one of the children's hands and held his other up for Elijah, who walked over and grabbed Vincent's hand so he could start the spell. "Mare. Mare leurs. Mare leurs esprits. Mare leurs esprits! Mare leurs esprits! Mare leurs esprits! Mare leurs esprits!"

Elijah felt the power of the spell coursing through him and groaned in pain. Vincent trembled from the amount of power and looked up at Klaus with urgency. "Klaus, do it now!"

Klaus snapped a tree branch off a tree and stabbed Elijah in the heart with it. The older brother gasped out from the feeling and started to sway on his feet. Klaus caught him before he collapsed to the ground, desiccating and falling lifeless in his arms. "Did it work?" Klaus asked in worry, turning his head toward the circle so see Ingrid and Marcel hugging tightly inside of it.

Vincent breathed out in relief and nodded his head. "Yeah." He answered lowly so Klaus removed the wooden stake from Elijah's heart and leaned his head back in relief.

At the compound, Ingrid was sitting on the balcony, glancing up at the stars in the night sky, when Marcel walked toward her with a nervous look on his face. She turned to look at him with a small smile. "Don't worry, we'll be gone by tomorrow morning."

"Uh, I wanted to say I'm sorry." Marcel started sheepishly and sat down next to her.

"It's okay, Marcellus." She reassured him calmly. "I understand why you're angry and hate us. Especially at me. I saved Elijah's life even after he took yours. But... I need you to understand why I did it." She requested earning a confused and intrigued look from him. "Your siblings can't protect themselves and they need all of us to do that for them. Hope was targeted simply because her last name is Mikaelson and I'm sure it won't be the last time. What if they come for Eirik next? Look, I don't forgive Elijah but our family needs him."

Marcel thought over what she said and nodded slowly to himself. "Do one thing for me. Tell them they don't need to fear me. They never did."

"They don't fear you." Ingrid replied with a wide smile. "They don't know you. It was hard for me... to talk about you." She informed him emotionally, gulping back tears. "How do you explain to your children that not only is their father gone but he's a prisoner of their older brother? Let alone that they have an older brother. The same older brother who their uncle murdered and is now a... I don't want to say hybrid."

Marcel laughed in amusement and shook his head. "I won't take that title from you, ma."

She laughed with him and rolled her dark eyes. "Thanks...." She mused sarcastically then sighed loudly. "I want them to know you how I know you. Not know of you. But I understand, we cannot stay here. We create disaster and carnage in our wake. We're too much a risk to have around. I'm just sorry I let it get to this point."

Marcel sat next to her in silence, internally debating on what was best for him. Every thing in him wanted to forgive her because he understands she was just trying to protect his siblings but he knew that couldn't be an excuse anymore. "I am too. You will always be my mom but death follows you. As much as I want to ask you to stay, I can't risk everyone's lives for you."

Ingrid gave him an understanding expression and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know."

In her room, Hope suddenly woke up from her dream, screaming in terror and breathing heavily. She pulled the blanket to her chest and shook her head frantically. "No, no, no. It's here. The Hollow, it's here."

---
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