From 4.13 "The Feast of All Sinners", in the compound, everyone was gathered. Auria, Lindsey, Tory and Freya had placed a sigil on the floor, where Hope, Rae, Emma and Danny were laying unconscious inside. Hayley, Kaylin, Ryan and Luke were kneeling next to the children. Kol, Rebekah, Elijah and Lucien stood around them.

Nicola: (voice over) "Previously on Worlds Colliding (The Originals)."

The blue light, the Hollow, was released from Young Hope, Young Rae, Young Emma and Young Danny's bodies, floating above them in the middle of everyone. It was shot into the chests of Kol, Rebekah, Lucien and Elijah, making them all lurch back a little with their arms raised at their sides. The blue light faded as the Hollow was imprisoned in all four of their bodies.

Auria: (voice over from 4.13 The Feast of All Sinners) "You can never see each other again. You can never go near each other again. At any time you are anywhere near those kids, they are not going to be safe."

From 5.07 "God's Gonna Trouble the Water", in the compound, Luke, Lindsey, Ryan, Emma and Danny were talking.

"It was all only just the start," Emma told them.

Ryan sighed, shaking his head, as there were flashes of what Ryan was talking about from 5.01, 5.02, 5.04 and 5.06. "Shall know the signs of blood from water, vipers from the rivers, larvae from the soil, ice rain from the skies."

"Fire across the water, monsoons from the sea," Danny added.

Emma looked down. "And the death of all firstborns."

From 5.07 "God's Gonna Trouble the Water", in Noah/Caitlin's loft, Caitlin looked at Noah, listing the firstborns. "Me, you, Hope, Freya, Ryan, Emma and Danny since they're twins, Lindsey, Rae, Auria, Madison, Riley, Lucien. Every firstborn that calls this city home, or even further outside this city."

Noah proposed to Caitlin. "Will you marry me?"

Caitlin took Noah by the hands to pull him up, smiling, nodding joyously. "Yes."

Noah put the ring on Caitlin's finger. They embraced with a very passionate kiss.

From 5.07 "God's Gonna Trouble the Water", in the bayou for the funeral, Freya looked at Hope, Emma, Danny, Rae and Madison. "I know how hard you've been trying to get our family back together."

Rae looked at Hope. "We have to save always and forever."

Hope nodded.

From 5.07 "God's Gonna Trouble the Water", in the penthouse suite, Lucien and Kassandra grabbed the Huntress's unconscious body before fleeing from the scene before Rosalita and Maia could stop them.

Maia held out her hand to cast a spell.

Rosalita stopped her. "Let them go. They're going to bring Nicola back. Nicola is going to blame herself for Hayley's death, and it will crush her to know the pain that the Huntress caused to her entire family. That is the kind of suffering that I want to see right now."

From 5.07 "God's Gonna Trouble the Water", outside the compound on the balcony, Klaus and Kaylin were standing together.

"I am not looking forward to Nikki's breakdown once we get her back," Kaylin told him. "Right now, she's locked away in her head, and she's been forced to watch everything the Huntress, Rosalita and Maia made her do. When we save her, she'l be destroyed."

From 5.07 "God's Gonna Trouble the Water", in the abandoned train depot, locked up in her cell, the Huntress scoffed. "Nicola going into your head to save you from your alter ego, and now you plan to do the same for her. So you can save her from me."

Later, The Huntress was shaking as she tried to fight them out. Tory and Lyla each placed a hand on either side of Nicola's head to try to get into her mind so that they could push the Huntress back and drag Nicola out. Elijah, Kol, Eliza and Madison watched worriedly. Before Nicola had the chance to wake up, the Huntress shut them down and made them both fall unconscious.

Tory: (voice over from 5.07 God's Gonna Trouble the Water) "It's like Nicola's mind isn't even in there, and neither is the Huntress."

"What do you mean?" Madison asked. "Like someone took them?"

"Yeah," Lyla answered.

Kassandra glared off. "Rosalita and Maia are just taunting us now, taking Nicola and the Huntress mentally so that we can't wake Nicola up. How the bloody hell do we tell this to Kaylin and Rae, that we can't wake her up because they're playing hide and seek with her mind and soul?"

From 5.07 "God's Gonna Trouble the Water", in the chambre de chasse, the Huntress looked at Nicola. "Rosalita and Maia are going to make sure that even if your family and friends wake you up, they're still gonna lose you, and you're all still gonna suffer. There's no way out. You're trapped."

Nicola could only glare at the Huntress with just as much pure hatred that the Huntress had for Nicola.

-----~-----

Same Day - Day One

Night - Lafayette Cemetery

There was a slow pan across the cemetery at night, showing the alter that the witches used for sacrifices where the Rubidoux witches had linked Caitlin to Marcel and nearly killed her when she was 13, on the request of her parents, and where Genevieve, Monique and Abigail had nearly sacrificed Baby Hope, and showing the graves of Savannah and David Harris, Cami, Kieran and Sean O'Connell, Sophie and Jane Anne Deveraux, and Davina Claire.

Klaus: (voice over) "In New Orleans, bodies cannot be buried. Instead, in boxes above the ground, the dead cluster together. When a man passes on, his family tomb is cracked open. Old bones are shoved aside to make room for fresh remains. Bloodlines rot, entangled."

-----

Multiple

The homes showed were the abattoir compound, Marcel/Auria's apartment and Noah/Caitlin's loft, showing each room in the three main homes of the main characters in New Orleans.

Klaus: (voice over) "The homes are that way, too. Layer upon layer of peeling paint, hiding little tragedies. Scorch marks from the fires. Waterlines on wallpaper. These are the tombs of the living, where we rot alongside memories of our dead. Crowded with people we have failed and those who have failed us, we are forced to struggle with those we love... and struggle with the demons inside us."

-----

Chambre De Chasse

Night - Abattoir Compound - Outside Balcony

Nicola walked out onto the balcony, trying to find a way out.

The Huntress was inside behind Nicola, smirking smugly. "Every last exit is sealed. If you're thinking about jumping, don't. You'll just land in the world's most pretentious wine cellar."

Nicola turned to face her angrily. "Sorry that I'm trying to find a way out of my own damn mind because my alter ego decided to trap me inside it for the third damn time."

"This isn't just your mind, Nicola," the Huntress replied. "It's a chambre de chasse, psychically created. A magical mental prison designed to resemble the compound. Built by Rosalita and Maia to taunt everyone you love because they're so close to waking you up, but yet they can't find you or me in your mind so they can't. But don't worry. There's always a way out. A game or a riddle."

"And I know you're not gonna tell me how to solve this riddle," Nicola replied.

"Nope," the Huntress answered. "We don't do anything. If I'm finding a way out of here, it's by myself, so I can leave you trapped here for all eternity, and I can continue on my spree of mayhem, blood and murder. I would hate to upset that delicate balance. So I'm gonna find my way out, and you're on your own."

The Huntress walked away. Nicola glared after her.

-----

Worlds Colliding (The Originals)

-----

Inside - Courtyard

Nicola was fighting off the Huntress so she could find her own way out of there, and to distract her from getting her way out of there, so Nicola would be the one to wake up, hearing something in the distance, calling out. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

Rebekah approached. "Oh, Nicola. Always so dramatic."

"Rebekah?" Nicola asked in shock.

Elijah approached. "Hello, Nicola."

Nicola looked at him in relief, sighing shakily, completely stunned. "Elijah." Elijah and Nicola embraced in absolute relief. Klaus and Kaylin appeared. "Klaus? Kaylin?"

Kaylin sighed in relief to see the real Nicola. "Nikki."

Kaylin and Nicola ran to embrace each other, holding each other close, tears in their eyes.

Kol and Eliza appeared. Kol was shirtless while Eliza was wearing a tank top and shorts, both clearly just getting out of a shower after being saved.

Kol sighed. "Oh, bloody hell. My least favorite recurring nightmare."

Eliza grabbed a jacket from nearby, putting it on. "Um, awkward."

Riley walked closer. "Um, I would say so, Eliza."

Kassandra and Lucien were forced to appear as well, stumbling slightly.

Lucien was exasperated. "What the bloody hell is going on?"

Mikayla and Kacie walked closer.

"Good question," Mikayla told them.

"Damn good question," Kacie agreed.

Rebekah looked at Mikayla sadly in sympathy, walking closer to embrace her. "Mikayla."

Mikayla sighed, exhausted but relieved to see her, returning the embrace. "Rebekah."

Rebekah went to embrace her siblings. "Nik. Kassandra. Elijah. Kol."

They returned the embraces. "Rebekah."

Rebekah embraced her sisters in law. "And can't forget Kaylin, Nicola and Eliza."

Kaylin and Eliza smiled slightly. "Rebekah."

Rebekah nodded to three others. "Kacie. Riley. Lucien."

"Rebekah," Kacie replied.

"I was in Corscia, drowning my own sorrows about Hayley and I suddenly dropped," Rebekah explained.

Kassandra shook her head in annoyance. "What I wouldn't give to spend just a decade without being dragged into a godforsaken chambre de chasse."

Klaus looked at Kol and Eliza sarcastically. "Suppose you were in a board meeting."

"Eliza and I were showering after being saved by Tory, Lyla and Madison and after the funeral, trying to recover from what Rosalita and Maia did to us," Kol answered. "Once again, ripped from some form of contentment for... this."

"Suppose I'll ask the obvious," Eliza told them. "Piss off Rosalita and Maia again, did you?"

"They're the ones that created this to trap Nicola and the Huntress, but that doesn't explain why the rest of us are here," Kassandra told them.

"Hi to you too, Kassandra," Nicola told her. Eliza and Kacie embraced her. Nicola was surprised. "Eliza. Kacie." They pulled away. Nicola looked at Mikayla and Riley in absolute guilt, shaking her head. "Mikayla... Riley..."

"Don't," Mikayla told her. "It wasn't you."

"Rebekah, other than Rosalia and Maia, our current enemies are a group of hatemongers who see Niklaus, Kassandra, Lucien, Mikayla, Hope, Emma, Danny, Kacie, Tory, Lyla and Luke as abominations to the vampire/werewolf/witch race, and seeing Rae and Madison as just plain abominations," Elijah told her. "They used Nicola, Kol and Eliza to further their own agenda, nearly killing us, Rae, Madison, Kaylin, Freya, Riley, Marcel, Noah, Caitlin, Ryan, ending up turning Auria with Lindsey's blood, and ending up killing Hayley. So the enemies of us this time is an enemy to us all. All of us rather than just one family. Salvatores, Mikaelsons, Fells, Forbes, Davis-Thompsons, Lockwoods, Labonairs, Gerard, Rayvnne, Harris, Dumaine, Grey and Castle."

"The bigoted undead helping Rosalita and a psychic sidekick named Maia?" Rebekah asked. "That's new. I can't believe that they made the Huntress inside Nicola wake up, and did what they did to Kol and Eliza and everyone else. I can't believe that happened to any of you. And that Auria Rayvnne is a damn witch-vampire hybrid now."

"Hang on," Kaylin told them. She looked at Nicola. "The Huntress is somewhere in here, isn't she?"

Nicola nodded. "Trying to figure out her own way out so that she leaves me here trapped again, yes."

"Maia hasn't spent enough time here to replicate every detail," Kol told them. "This is Elijah's prized Cheval Blanc. But Rosalita's been here many times back in the day."

Freya appeared, walking closer. "That still doesn't explain why we're all here. Rosalita and Maia pulled Nicola and the Huntress away so that we wouldn't be able to wake her up. Putting us in here with them is going to make it easier for us to get her to wake up."

Klaus sighed worriedly. "Hope and Rae were talking about saving always and forever, saving Nicola any way they could. Emma, Danny and Madison were desperate to help them to fix everything."

"You're saying that Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison put us all in here?" Kacie asked. "All of us as a family, by marriage, extended, blood alike? Frankenstein family? Well, Salvatores, Mikaelsons, Forbes, Lockwood, Laboanir, Castle and Castle here right now. Right now just missing Davis-Thompsons, Fell, Harris, Gerard, Dumaine and Rayvnne."

"So that they could save the rest of us," Riley answered. "It makes sense."

Lucien sighed. "Yes, it does, Riley, but that doesn't explain why they brought all of us Salvatores, Mikaelsons, Fells, Forbes, Davis-Thompsons, Lockwoods, Labonairs, Gerard, Rayvnne, Harris, Dumaine, Grey and Castle together just to wake up Nicola. I'm sure that Elijah, Kaylin, Rae, Tory and Lyla alone could have helped her wake up."

"On the bright side, at least it's just Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison trying to save us, not an enemy trying to kill us," Freya pointed out.

Nicola could feel the Huntress getting closer, breathing a little unevenly. "Elijah... Kaylin..."

"She's getting closer, isn't she?" Elijah asked.

The Huntress leaned against the door. "She is. And I know fighting all of you is not gonna do much good because there's too many of you against just one little old me, and I don't have Rosalita and Maia, or Kol and Eliza to help me this time." Kaylin and Nicola glared at the Huntress, while the others were completely stunned to see the Huntress in her true form. "So I'm just gonna leave you all trapped here while I find my own way out of here."

The Huntress rushed away, only to be blocked by Kassandra.

Kassandra punched the Huntress viciously in the face, kicking her down to the table. "You are not going anywhere. We're not letting you hurt anyone else ever again."

Kacie looked at the others. "Please tell me that chains work in a chambre de chasse."

The others were impressed, moved, looking for things that they could keep the Huntress down with. The Huntress rushed to stand, punching Rebekah in the face, pushing Nicola against the wall, turning to punch Kassandra, but Kassandra ducked, kicking the Huntress in the knees, pushing her toward Lucien. The Huntress tried to punch Lucien. Lucien ducked swiftly, grabbing the Huntress's arm to break it and spin her away toward Kaylin, who punched the Huntress in the face and flipped her to the floor. Rebekah kicked the Huntress down. The Huntress flipped up to her feet, spinning to punch Mikayla in the face. Mikayla grabbed the Huntress by the arm furiously, using vampire speed to turn and throw her back to Kacie. Kacie used her arm as a clothesline to flip the Huntress to the floor, kicking her in the face. The Huntress spun to stand, trying to kick Eliza. Eliza jumped up to make her miss, punching the Huntress in the face viciously, making her spit up blood. The Huntress tried to attack Eliza again. Kol grabbed the Huntress, lifting her up, slamming her down. The Huntress flipped up to her feet, but Klaus grabbed her arm and bit it to weaken her with wolf venom, pushing her down. Riley and Nicola slung chains around the Huntress to chain her up.

"Those chains won't hold her for long," Mikayla told them. "She'll come after us again, and soon, I imagine."

Nicola saw locks on the wall, walking closer in confusion. "This wasn't here before."

"What is it?" Kaylin asked.

"It's representational magic," Kol answered. "I expect there are keys, one for each of us, hidden somewhere meaningful. Somewhere connected to who we are."

"Door won't open unless all the locks are released," Freya told them. "The only way out is together."

"Well, if we're to get through this without bloodshed, I recommend that we get this done before the Huntress breaks free and find Nicola's key before we do," Lucien suggested. "Come on."

"Split up," Riley told them. "We need to turn this place upside down."

"Kaylin and I need to get home to our grieving daughters," Klaus told them.

"And Kol and I got to get back to Madison," Eliza added. "We only just promised her that she wouldn't lose us again."

Kaylin sighed, shaking her head. "We can't be stuck here."

-----

Library

Kol and Eliza were looking for their keys.

Eliza looked outside at the storm. "Ominous weather."

"That's an indication of what's actually happening in New Orleans," Kol explained. "Rosalita and Maia must be going along with the plagues, while here Elijah, Rebekah, Lucien and I are here in the same city as Hope, Rae, Emma and Danny, putting them along with Madison in danger. And whatever is going on out there, the resulting consequence is leaking into this reality."

Eliza nodded worriedly. "If Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison are really the ones behind this, trying to get us to help save Nicola and get her to wake up, we need to do so soon, by finding all our keys, and getting us out of here so that we can make sure that the kids aren't hurt by Rosalita and Maia. Lyla's out there, too."

"Marcel, Noah, Caitlin, Auria, Tory, Luke, Lindsey and Ryan are still out there," Kol told her. "I'm sure that Madison, Hope, Rae, Lyla, Emma and Danny are gonna be fine. They've got every member of Frankenstein family looking out for them. Us Salvatores, Mikaelsons, Forbes, Lockwood, Labonair, Grey and Castle might be trapped right now, but the Davis-Thompsons, Gerard, Rayvnne, Harris and Dumaine are out there right now with our little girl Fell and the other kids. They'll be fine."

"We just barely escaped Rosalita and Maia, Kol," Eliza told him. "And it was because of Tory, Lyla and Madison. We can't let anything else happen like what happened with Hayley."

Kol nodded in agreement, sadly. "I know, Eliza. And we won't. We can't. Don't worry, darling. I have a feeling that this will be over sooner rather than later."

Eliza sighed. "I hope so." They shared an embrace, pulling away, looking around. "We're looking in a library because both you and I know so much about witchcraft and psychics and dark objects and everything else. I mean, what I know makes it easy to work at Lindsey and Ryan's magic school. So if there's anything holding our keys, it should be somewhere in here, right? With the grimoires? Makes sense, right?"

Kol nodded in agreement. They continued to look.

-----

Upstairs Living Room

Riley and Elijah were looking.

"I don't even know what to look for," Riley admitted. "I don't know how Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison would use a totem to describe who I am. But you, you should look through your journals. They are what represents you, somewhere amongst the martyrdom and self-righteousness. I see why you and Nicola fell for each other, Mikaelson. While Nicola is not self-righteous, she is full of self-loathing, but even more of a martyr than you are. Though the Huntress inside her is more self-righteous than you are."

Elijah looked at him sympathetically. "Riley. I'm sorry about Hayley. About everything."

Riley looked at him, sighing. "Look, what matters is that you got your wife back. Not everybody is no lucky. I don't get my wife back."

Riley walked away.

-----

Courtyard

Kaylin and Klaus were walking through the compound, looking for their keys.

Kaylin looked at the Mikaelson emblem on the wall, remembering the first time Klaus had brought her to the compound.

-----

Flashback - 13 Years Ago

Night - Abattoir Compound - Courtyard

Klaus had brought Kaylin here after he had saved her from Aurora in 3.08 The Other Girls in New Orleans.

Kaylin looked around in surprise. "This is your family's house?"

Klaus turned to face her. "Not as glamours as the Salvatore Boarding House, I suppose, but it is a family home for us Mikaelsons."

Kaylin chuckled, looking around, seeing that it was trashed. "What the hell happened here?"

"A battle, obviously," Klaus answered. "The Strix forced Marcel Gerard and Noah Duaine to attack Kassandra, Elijah, Freya, Hayley Marshall, Mikayla Labonair using Caitlin Harris's human life to blackmail them, and since Caitlin is linked to Marcel, killing Caitlin would kill Marcellus, and making Noah lose his best friend and his love, while also making the witch Auria Rayvnne lose her love Marcel and her daughter figure Caitlin. But luckily, Noah and Marcel were able to trick the Strix and help save Mikayla, Hayley and Freya without betraying Elijah and Kassandra."

"So they lost, we won," Kaylin told him. "The world is right again."

Klaus chuckled. "Why don't you find a bedroom? Preferably one that hasn't been destroyed by the Strix battle."

"Yes, because the Strix have held me captive for weeks now, and now all I wanna do is kill them and Aurora," Kaylin told him. "And I'm exhausted. And I should call Nicola, Stefan and Damon to let them know that I'm okay, see if they're doing okay against Lily and the Heretics." She looked at the Mikaelson emblem on the wall. "I never understood why people picked fights with the Mikaelsons and the Salvatores or their friends when they should know that it would not end well for them."

Klaus smirked, walking closer. "Neither have I. Indeed, Kaylin. Messing with the Salvatores and Mikaelsons is a death wish. Why don't you take Kol's room? It has a fireplace."

"Klaus, after spending a long time with the Strix with them torturing me every day by burning me in the sun, not really looking forward to seeing more fire," Kaylin told him sarcastically. Klaus smirked. "But thank you."

-----

Now

Chambre De Chasse

Night - Abattoir Compound - Courtyard

Klaus and Kaylin were tearing apart the crest to look through the crest. Rebekah and Freya were watching.

"Nik, Kaylin, it's done," Rebekah told them.

"I think we've established that there's no key in the crest," Freya told them.

The others walked closer after having looked for a while.

Kassandra sighed. "The thing was a relic anyway."

Everyone was surprised when Marcel, Noah, Caitlin, Auria, Luke, Lindsey and Ryan appeared.

Lucien walked in to see them. "What the bloody hell are Marcel, Noah, Caitlin, Auria, Luke, Lindsey and Ryan doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Lucien," Luke told him sarcastically.

"Damn it!" Ryan said. "We got to go now."

"Hey!" Mikayla told them. "What game are Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison playing?"

"Oh, this isn't just Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison," Marcel told them. "Hope is using Tory's sirebond to make her help them, and little Lyla, she doesn't know better, so she's helping too. We got to get out of here. The city is about to wash away. They are out of their damn minds."

"Who?" Kacie asked. "Did Rosalita and Maia put you here?"

"No, Madison, Hope, Emma, Danny and Rae did, making Tory and Lyla help," Noah answered. "Maia and Rosalita might have created this little thing for Nicola and that damn Huntress, but the kids are the ones that dumped the rest of us in here."

"Auria, Lindsey and Ryan were telling me, Noah, Marcel and Luke all about the latest prophecy when a hurricane showed up off the coast out of nowhere, one of Rosalita and Maia's plagues," Caitlin explained.

"A monsoon from the water is the final curse before the firstborns die," Auria explained. "We went to find you guys. Hope, Emma, Danny, Rae and Madison were at St. Anne's, using Tory's sirebond to Hope and Lyla's naivity to get them to help. They had Elijah, Kol and Lucien's bodies laid out on the floor next to Nicola's."

"They're gathering up Lucien, Kol, Elijah and Rebekah's body to take back the power that's been split up inside of you," Lindsey explained, desperately worried. "They can't do that. It'll destroy them. This was the whole point."

"They threw us in here when we tried to stop them," Luke explained. "We can't leave until you guys find your keys."

"Well, they can't find my body," Rebekah told them. "It's halfway across the world."

"With Hope using Tory's sirebond to her, she'll do anything she asks," Ryan told them. "Tory doesn't have a choice but to help, she can't fight it. And Lyla doesn't know any better. They'll be able to find it."

"Hope, Emma, Danny and Madison want to take the power into themselves, and they want Rae, Tory and Lyla to be able to mind control the Hollow like they did with Elijah and Lucien on more than occasion, so that they can save the rest of you and finally have the Hollow under control," Lindsey told them. 

"And with the Hollow inside them amplifying their power, they think that we'll have enough power to stop Rosalita and Maia," Marcel added. "It'll end the curses, they'll keep the firstborns safe."

Ryan looked at Kaylin, Klaus, Riley, Lindsey, Kol and Eliza worriedly. "But then our children as we know them could be forever lost to the darkness."

Everyone was horrified and shock.

-----~-----

Study

Mikayla was looking through everything, finding Hope's baby blanket, having a flashback.

-----

Flashback - 15 Years Ago

Day - Abattoir Compound - Hope's Nursery

This was right after Klaus, Elijah, Kassandra, Mikayla and Hayley had saved Hope from being sacrificed in 1.22.

Klaus, Elijah and Kassandra were in the other room, talking about their mother being behind the reason why the witches had tried to sacrifice Hope, while Hayley and Mikayla were taking care of Hope, both emotional.

"She needs a name, Hayley," Mikayla told her.

"Zoe?" Hayley asked. "Catty? Tara? I never knew I could love something so much. It honestly feels... awful. Like it might kill me."

Mikayla looked at her sadly. "It nearly did. I'm sorry the beginning of her life was so violent."

"It's not your fault, Mikayla," Hayley told her. "I know that you fought for us. So did Klaus, Elijah and Kassandra."

"You know, when we thought you were dead, Elijah said we'd lost our family's only hope," Mikayla told her.

Hayley realized that was the perfect name. "Hope. Hope Mikaelson."

Mikayla and Hayley managed small smiles, embracing, fawning over Baby Hope.

-----

Now

Chambre De Chasse

Night - Abattoir Compound - Study

Mikayla was looking at the baby blanket, tears in her eyes.

Kacie walked closer. "Mikayla?"

Mikayla took a deep breath. "I'm fine, Kacie. I'm not gonna have another breakdown."

"It's okay if you do," Kacie told her. "I've had a couple myself all my life. I guess it's part of being a wolf."

Mikayla thought about what Kacie said, turning to look at her in realization. "Wolf."

"What?" Kacie asked.

"We find our keys representing who we are, right?" Mikayla asked. "As wolves, me, Hayley and Riley and others would transform in the bayou during the Crescent Curse, or on the full moons after the curse was broken twice, Kacie. But regular wolves, before turning into hybrids, like you, Luke, Ryan and Tory used to do..."

"Transformed in cellars on the full moons," Kacie finished, realizing where Mikayla was going with this. "Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison put our keys in the cellar. And probably Riley's too. Mikayla, you're a genius."

Mikayla nodded in agreement. Mikayla and Kacie walked out together.

-----

Music Room

Kol, Eliza, Noah, Caitlin and Luke were looking.

Noah tossed a book aside.

"You got something against literature?" Luke asked.

"Well, these are the collective works of Shakespeare," Noah explained. "Love, power, betrayal. How to thrive in our Frankenstein family clan 101. Family of Salvatores, Mikaelsons, Fells, Forbes, Davis-Thompsons, Lockwoods, Labonairs, Gerard, Rayvnne, Harris, Dumaine, Grey and Castle."

Kol picked up the books. "Eliza and I gave these to Madison when she was nine. And since Hope, Rae, Emma and Danny were possessed by the Hollow, their ages were matched up afterward."

"Sounds like a normal family for once," Caitlin told them sarcastically. "Wish we knew what normal families were like. You learn what you can, and then you grow up. Join a cult, start a rock band, find love, make your own family. I wouldn't trade this Frankenstein family for anything though. Sure, the Salvatores, Fells, Forbes, and Mikaelsons Lockwoods and Labonairs, and them and us Harris, Dumaine, Rayvnne and Gerard and them and the Davis-Thompsons and Grey and Castle have all had their moments of betrayal and fighting and war, but we're all family somehow. Bonded over all our similarities and the way we were ruined by the same 2000 year old psychic who is ironically the reason why we were bonded for life."

The others chuckled in agreement and amusement. 

Eliza found her key and Kol's key, holding them up. "Voila."

"Okay, good," Luke told them. "Elijah found his key in his journals. Kol and Eliza just found theirs. Mikayla and Kacie found theirs in the cellar like they thought they would, though Riley's key wasn't there. Now Riley, Kassandra, Lucien, Klaus, Freya, Rebekah, Kaylin and Nicola just have to find their keys for us, Marcel, Noah, Caitlin, Auria, Lindsey and Ryan to get the hell out, and get back to Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny, Madison, Tory and Lyla. Come on, we need to get moving. The psychics are trying to divide the Frankenstein family, and the kids are unintentionally helping with that by throwing Salvatores, Mikaelsons, Forbes, half of the Davis-Thompsons, the Lockwood and Labonair, Gerard, Rayvnne, Harris, Dumaine, Grey and Castle here, but we need to get back to them and Fell."

"I bet you're just dying to get back to Tory and Lyla, Luke," Caitlin told him.

"Yeah, I am, Caitlin," Luke answered.

Noah looked at Kol and Eliza in confusion. "Why would your books of plays be in the music room?"

Caitlin shrugged. "Kids are messy?"

"Yeah, but this room doesn't even exist anymore," Noah told them. "There was a storm. Everything was damaged. That was at least a century ago. Maia's never even seen this room, and she's the one that helped Rosalita create it. Kol, has Rosalita ever seen this room?"

"I don't think so," Kol answered. "Hard to say, Noah."

"Nicola said earlier that the keys appeared once we got here," Eliza told them. "What if this room appeared after we got here, too? After Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison dumped us here, with Tory and Lyla's help though Tory's not willingly helping?"

"But Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny, Madison, Tory and Lyla haven't even seen this room either, obviously," Luke told them. "Since like Noah said, it was a century ago this room was destroyed."

-----

Kassandra's Room

Kassandra, Freya and Rebekah were talking.

"It doesn't feel real yet," Kassandra admitted.

"I guess I've always been jealous of her," Rebekah confessed. "I was jealous when I saw her with Hope. Jealous when I saw her get married with Riley. I guess even jealous that she's dead."

"Wow, that's morbid," Kassandra told her.

Kol walked in. "Freya, I'm trying to sort out a puzzle with Eliza, Luke, Noah and Caitlin. A chambre de chasse of this size would be constructed from the depth of memory, right? But there's a room here that hasn't existed for a century. And Maia, Tory, Lyla, Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison would've never seen it, and I doubt that Rosalita had because I don't remember ever showing her this room."

"Oh, that's impossible," Freya told them.

"Wiped out by a storm," Kol explained. "The music room. Oh, I brought you there during the Christmas party, where we drank, Marcel and Noah played 'Carol of the Bells', Rosalita mind controlled Niklaus, Rebekah and Elijah to dagger me and put me in a box next to Kassanda and Finn."

"Kol..." Freya trailed off. She sighed, calling out. "Tory! I know you can hear me. Maybe you can help me explain."

Kassandra looked at her in suspicion. "Freya. What have you done?"

Freya looked at them nervously.

-----~-----

Courtyard

Freya had called Tory into the chambre to explain to Riley, Klaus, Kaylin, Kol, Eliza, Lindsey and Ryan about why their children were doing this.

"When we realized that Rosalita and Maia had created this place for Nicola, Hope used the sirebond to make me help her, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison, so we could put you all in here," Tory explained. "Freya was helping willingly, and Lyla... Lyla didn't know how bad it could be, and I couldn't tell her because of Hope, so this all happened."

"Okay, Tory, I get that you didn't have a choice, and that Lyla's too young to understand everything," Lindsey told her. She looked at Freya. "But you willingly decided to lend a hand in Emma, Danny, Madison, Hope and Rae's destruction?"

"Tory and Lyla can siphon the Hollow out of Elijah, Kol, Rebekah and Lucien, and put it into Hope, Emma, Danny and Madison, and Tory, Lyla and Rae then can help mind control the Hollow so that it doesn't get out of hand again," Freya explained. "Emma just found the spell that answered our Hollow problem."

"What do you mean, Emma just found it?" Ryan asked.

"Just that," Tory answered. "Ryan, I'm sorry, but I can't fight it. And with the Hollow inside Hope, Emma, Danny and Madison and magnifying their power, we stand a real chance at killing Maia and locking Rosalita away for good, before they finish their plagues and wipe out all firstborns."

"I'm sorry, but something needed to be done," Freya told them.

Klaus pointed at Freya angrily. "Perhaps I was wrong to have faith in you. Maybe your obligations to family were infringed upon by other plans. Keelin's back."

Kaylin gave him a look, but was just as worried and overwhelmed as the other parents were. "Nik."

"I have sacrificed everything for all of you, for Hope, Rae, Emma and Danny, and now Madison too," Freya told them. "I understand that you were trying to protect them, but that is not what they need right now."

"Niklaus is Hope's father, Rae's stepfather, Kaylin is Rae's mother and Hope's stepmother, Riley is Hope's stepfather, Lindsey and Ryan are Emma and Danny's parents, and Eliza and I are Madison's," Kol told her angrily.

"We decide what they need and what they don't," Eliza told her.

"Eliza, please," Tory told her. "Look, we can't stop what's happening now. The only times Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison ever acted out was when they were trying to save everyone, and they believe that by doing this, they'll save their families, and stop Rosalita and Maia. Kaylin, Rae has a plan. If the Hollow is inside Hope, Emma, Danny and Madison, then Rae, Lyla and I will be able to mind control its thoughts with the help of the spell that Emma found."

"How exactly did Emma find this spell, Tory?" Lindsey asked desperately.

Tory shook her head in confusion, worried. "I don't know, Lindsey. I wish I knew. I really, really do."

"But we can't let them go through with this," Riley told them. "This can destroy them."

"I don't have my choices right now, but they're making their own right now," Tory told them.

"They're children," Ryan told them desperately.

"Rae was never a child," Freya disagreed. "With each soul of the wicked she consumed, she gained all their memories and thoughts, making her wise beyond anyone we know, even Cade's soul and remembering everything he did, and he was alive for nearly as long as Rosalita. Hope's childhood ended three days ago, when she lost her mother. And Emma, Danny and Madison may as well have lost their childhood as well after what Rosalita and Maia put us all through. As long as that magic is inside of Hope, Emma, Danny and Madison, and as long as Tory, Rae and Lyla can control it like they can control Nicola and the Huntress, we have the chance to finally stop Rosalita and Maia, otherwise we're all as good as dead."

"Look, we've all done dangerous things for family, and we've seen each other through it," Tory told them. "Now they want to do the same for us."

The parents were very desperate to save their children.

"Freya, Tory, you have to stop them," Kaylin told them.

"I can't," Tory told them worriedly.

Freya shook her head. "And I won't. Get us out of here, Tory."

Tory looked at the others sadly. "I'm sorry."

Tory took Freya's hand, raising her other hand, making them disappear from the chambre with ease, leaving the parents with everyone else.

-----

Downstairs Living Room

Noah, Caitlin, Marcel and Auria were trying to find any other keys for them all to leave.

"You okay?" Marcel asked.

"Rattled from turning, all of the drama and the loss," Auria answered.

"How is it that we're sucked into yet another Mikaelson family drama mess?" Noah asked.

Marcel chuckled. "Because they Mikaelsons are my family too. Now so are the Salvatores, Fell, Forbes, Davis-Thompsons, Lockwoods, Labonairs, Grey and Castle. Just as much as a Harris, Dumaine and Rayvnne. I tried to deny that for a long time. I can't do that anymore."

Auria managed a small, knowing smile. "I know, Marcel. They're your family and you love them. No matter how hard you try not to. Must be nice."

"Family that loves and hates each other with equal measure, and is always willing to turn on each other?" Marcel asked, amused.

"Having a family at all," Auria answered. "Before you, Caitlin, Noah and Davina, the only family I had is dead. My parents tried to sacrifice me to the Hollow's magic when I was a kid. My aunt and uncle saved me but they were killed. Everyone I had in my family is dead. Davina is dead, and you, Caitlin, Noah and the Salvatores, Mikaelsons, Fells, Forbes, Davis-Thompsons, Lockwoods, Labonairs, Gerard, Harris, Dumaine, Grey and Castle are the closest things I have to family left."

Marcel sighed, turning Auria to face him. "Auria." Auria looked at him, sighing. "Being trapped here isn't why I was asking if you were okay."

"I know where this conversation is leading, but can it please wait?" Auria asked.

"Till when?" Caitlin asked. "I mean, tomorrow, Hope, Rae, Madison, Emma and Danny might take the battle to Rosalita and Maia with the Hollow's magic having to be on their side, and then the world could be on fire."

"The world is on fire, Caitlin, right now," Noah pointed out.

Caitlin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know, Noah. But, Auria, until we have this chat, you're not gonna be at your best chance. About Hayley. You were close with Hayley too after all these years."

Auria nodded sadly. "I miss her."

"And you blame yourself because of Rosalita turning you," Marcel told her. "Because Klaus, Elijah, Kassandra, Kaylin, Lucien, Rae and Madison made me, Noah, Caitlin, Lindsey, Ryan and Riley stay with you while you were turning while they went to save Mikayla, Hayley, Nicola, Kol, Eliza, Hope, Emma, Danny, Kacie, Tory and Luke, to keep Lyla safe, and because of that, you think that Rosalita and Maia were able to kill Hayley."

"It wasn't your fault, Auria," Noah told her.

Auria sighed. "I know, Noah. But it doesn't hurt any less. If we were all there, maybe we would have had a better chance. I never thought I could feel this close to any of the Mikaelsons, or Salvatores, or Mikayla, Kacie, Tory, Luke, Eliza, Lindsey, Ryan and Riley, Lyla, Emma and Danny, too. But I do. And not just because of you, Marcel. But because... they're our friends. Our family."

Noah nodded understandingly. "I know. You love to hate them but hate to love them."

Caitlin chuckled. "Yeah, pretty much sums it up. I can't believe how close we got to them. So close that they..."

"Feel like family," Marcel finished.

"Yeah," Caitlin answered. "We just... we need to find those keys."

Noah looked around. "Well, Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison are teenagers with secrets. They know all the good hiding places."

Auria searched the room with magic, waving an arm to open doors and hidden places, finding a key. "Luckily, I was a more secretive teenager than they were once upon a time."

Caitlin smiled. "Me too."

Marcel chuckled in relief at finding another key. "Thank God."

They all smiled.

-----

Hayley/Riley's Room

Riley was looking through the room, stopping when he saw a picture of Hayley, Riley and Hope, looking at it sadly.

-----

Flashback - Four Years Ago

Day - Abattoir Compound - Hayley and Riley's Room

Hayley was putting the picture of Hayley, Riley and Hope in the picture, smiling, turning to face Riley. "Who knew that two 11 year olds's birthday party would be so exhausting? Oh, Hope really liked the bike you got her."

Riley smiled. "Well, I was trying to get something that Hope and Rae would both like. Emma, Danny and Madison are just chilling with them now."

Hayley smiled, walking closer to Riley, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Well, I'm glad. I'm glad that Hope and Rae get to have a cousin like Madison Fell, even it's by adoption, and friends for life like Emma and Danny. And they will be friends for life after everything they went through together."

"Yeah, they will," Riley agreed. "We have a lot of friends for life now after everything we've all gone through together."

Hayley smiled. "Yeah, we do. You're one of the people that we met because of tragedy, Riley, but I love that we met. And I love that I got to marry you. I never knew true love until now."

Riley chuckled, as they both smiled happily. "Well, don't worry. We'll be able to reunite the family someday. Our family doesn't give up on each other. And I love you, too, Hayley."

Riley and Hayley, still in each other's arms, shared a very passionate kiss.

-----

Now

Chambre De Chasse

Night - Abattoir Compound - Hayley/Riley's Room

Riley had tears in his eyes. He was about to put the picture back down when he heard something rattling, realizing something, opening the picture frame, finding his key taped to the back of the picture, taking it out, putting the picture down, walking off.

-----

Upstairs Living Room

Freaking out, Nicola was making her way through the compound.

Elijah found her. "You've been avoiding me."

"I've been avoiding everyone," Nicola corrected. "I just have to make sure the Huntress stays locked up long enough for me to find my key so we can all get out of here."

Elijah walked closer, incredibly concerned. "Nicola, you have to slow down or you're going to break."

"I'm going so fast so that I don't break," Nicola told him. "Can this conversation please wait?"

"No, it can't," Elijah answered. "Because whatever's going on with you, it's preventing you from leaving."

Nicola sighed. "I just... I need to find this key." She turned to leave, but Elijah caught Nicola's arm. "Elijah, why would you want to be loved by me? My family is just as cursed as yours. I'm just as cursed as you."

"If you're worried about me dying, or what you'll do, you can't kill," Elijah told her.

"I'm not worried I'm gonna kill you," Nicola admitted. "There are far worse ways that I could destroy you, just like the Huntress did by making me let Hayley die to destroy our family."

Elijah looked down sadly, shaking his head. "You did not destroy this family."

"But I could," Nicola replied. "So maybe it's better for me to stay in here that get out out there where I can destroy everyone else."

Nicola walked away.

-----

Klaus's Painting Room

Klaus and Kaylin walked in.

"Do you remember teaching Hope and Rae to play the piano in this room?" Kaylin asked. "Making paintings and drawings together?"

"Like it was yesterday," Klaus answered. "That's most likely where our keys will be."

Klaus and Kaylin were looking through the paintings and drawings they had made with Hope and Rae, finding their keys, looking at each other, nodding.

-----

Dungeon

Kassandra and Lucien walked in.

"Why are we down here?" Lucien asked. "Little morbid, even for this family, don't you think, Kassandra?"

"Yes, but then I remembered that you, Nicola and I have always seen ourselves as threats to other people once we were in control of ourselves and our sanity," Kassandra answered. "Nicola has locked herself away time and time again to try and get the Huntress under control. And after my family and friends saved me from being the hexed, emotionless beast, when the Hollow was trying to make me kill Nik and everyone else, I locked myself down here. This is where I first reunited with Hope and Rae after I destroyed my family."

"And it gets even more morbid," Lucien told her jokingly.

Kassandra gave him a look. "Lucien."

Lucien chuckled lightly. "Sorry, Sandra. What else is there?"

Kassandra found her book of poems and riddles in the middle of the salt circle, picking it up. "When Hope and Rae found me down here, locked away in the circle by Tory's boundary spell, they brought me this book of riddles and I was testing them with riddles to see how smart they were, before I saved their lives from the Hollow's followers and let them let me out of the boundary spell. That was the first real day we spent together after our family reunited back then. I used to test Emma, Danny and Madison with them as well before I alienated everyone again because I was worried that I would hurt them."

Kassandra flipped through the riddle/poem book, finding her key taped inside, holding it up for Lucien to see.

Lucien smirked, impressed. "Clever girl and kids. I must say that I'm impressed. All right, so where did Hope, Rae, Madison, Emma and Danny put my key or Nicola's? I think those are the only two that we have left to find."

Kassandra looked around. "Um..." She looked at a vial behind Lucien on the stone steps. "What is that?"

Lucien turned to follow her gaze, walking closer to the vial. "It's one of the vials that I had Auria made the two serums when I was out of my mind because of Rosalita and the Ancestors. The serum that turned both you and me." He opened the vial, pouring his key into his hand. "Solves that mystery, then." He turned around, finding a coffin, walking closer, sighing. "Kassandra."

Kassandra walked closer, standing by Lucien. They opened the coffin, seeing a replica of Nicola/the Huntress's sword inside, with Nicola's key taped to it. Kassandra picked up Nicola's key. Kassandra and Lucien exchanged a look, sighing, walking out of the dungeon.

-----

Ballroom

Nicola was looking for her key, sensing the Huntress getting closer, ducking out of the way as she tried to punch her, making her hit the wall instead, spinning to kick her into a shelf, making her fall. The Huntress had another sword, slashing toward Nicola. Nicola ducked, punching her in the stomach, making her double over, grabbing her arm, twisting it around, flipping her to the ground. The Huntress spun into a standing position.

Hearing the fight, Lindsey, Ryan and Luke ran inside.

"Nicola?" Lindsey asked. "Huntress."

Ryan called out for help. "Guys! Get in here!"

"No," Nicola told them. "Luke, get Lindsey and Ryan the hell away from her."

"We're not going anywhere," Lindsey told her.

Luke looked at the Huntress. "You know you can't win this. Not with all of us in here with you two. So give up while you can."

"No way in hell am I giving up," the Huntress replied. She looked at Nicola. "I'm just trying to figure out how Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison would describe us since neither of us know that answer, so we can't find the key to get out of here."

"Maybe that's because we're not meant to get out of here," Nicola told her.

"You don't want either one of you to get out," Lindsey realized. "You want both of you to stay stuck here so you're both punished and neither of you can hurt anyone ever again."

"Nicola, that is not the answer, and you know it," Ryan told her.

The Huntress tried to punch Luke. Luke used vampire speed to block the move, barely able to hold the Huntress off. Ryan grabbed the Huntress from behind, biting her arm to weaken her with wolf venom. Knowing that she couldn't use magic directly on the Huntress, Lindsey broke off a piece of wood from a chair, magically throwing it into the Huntress's stomach to pin her to the wall.

Nicola looked down sadly. "Maybe it'll be worth it if you all get out of here."

Everyone else walked in.

"But you don't know that we can't leave here without you," Rebekah replied. "We still need to find your key, Nicola."

"You can find my damn key and leave without me," Nicola told them.

"Kassandra and Lucien found your key, Nicola, but we're not leaving without you," Noah told her.

Kaylin walked closer to Nicola in concern. "There's no way in hell we're leaving you here alone with her."

"Not going to happen," Elijah agreed.

"If I'm here, I can't hurt anyone out there," Nicola told them. "And I didn't ask for any of this."

"No, you didn't," Kacie agreed. "You didn't ask to become the Huntress. And you don't deserve this self-hatred, and you don't deserve the hate from the Huntress. You can't help but be who you are and love who you love. And be a family with who you're meant to be a family with."

The Huntress scoffed. "Don't listen to Kacie. You do deserve every ounce of my hate for loving monsters that deserve to be put down."

"Yeah, well, sorry, darling, but we can't be killed," Lucien replied. "Most of us, anyway."

"So what are you going to do about it?" Marcel asked. "Help Rosalita and Maia make us suffer more?"

"You ever consider the possibility that perhaps you don't even want Nicola back?" the Huntress asked. "I mean, it seems to me that you all can't forgive her for the part she played in Hayley's death."

Klaus glared at the Huntress in pure anger. "For the part you played. We know the difference between you and Nicola, even if Nicola herself doesn't."

"And we wouldn't be family if we didn't make each other miserable," Kol joked.

Nicola was surprised to hear even Kol call her family.

"Family," Caitlin repeated. "That's what Rae, Kaylin and Nicola Salvatore are to the Mikaelsons."

"As Nik and Elijah's wives, and Kaylin's daughter, yes, they are, Caitlin," Rebekah answered. "Rae, Kaylin and Nicola have been family to us for a long time. Just as much as Eliza and Madison are. And we're not leaving Nicola behind. Salvatores and Fells and Forbes apart of this family of Mikaelsons. And the rest of you lot, Davis-Thompsons, Lockwoods, Labonairs, Gerard, Rayvnne, Harris, Dumaine, Grey and Castle and all, make up the rest of this family."

Auria walked toward them. "I found a white corridor. A long white corridor with a red door."

Eliza nodded in understanding. "That's where Elijah hides the things he doesn't want to remember. He's been doing it for a thousand years, according to all his siblings."

"So why is it in Nicola's head?" Luke asked.

"Because Tory created one like that for Nicola so that she could lock the Huntress away," Kacie answered.

"So now we know what to do with the Huntress," Mikayla told them. "Let's do it."

Before they could, they heard the storm outside getting worse.

Lindsey looked up worriedly. "The storm's escalating. We're running out of time."

Ryan looked at the Huntress. "Why do you hate Nicola so much if she is you?"

The Huntress raised her voice furiously. "She is not me! She is a vampire that loves vampires more than she loves herself. Because she hates herself. And I hate her more than she hates herself, and that is saying quite a bit for a girl who wants nothing more than to punish herself for the things that we've both done."

"The things that you mostly have done," Kaylin corrected furiously. "You did everything that Nikki hates herself for, and I'm not going to let you ruin our lives anymore."

"Why do you care so much, Kaylin?" the Huntress asked furiously.

"Because she is my family!" Kaylin answered. "Stefan, Damon and I have betrayed Nikki, and each other, more times than I can count, but through all of that, we never left each other, and when we did, we found our way back to each other. For nearly 20 years, that feels more like a lifetime after everything we went through together, we needed each other and then we were there. Nikki was my greatest ally. She was the only one that I could see me for who I was, good and bad, other than Nik, and still love me for it, not judging me or berating me like Stefan and Damon did, repeatedly, and she loved them with that same fierce loyalty, even after everything that we did to her, and to each other. She was, and is my best friend. Someone I took care of like a daughter in some ways but in others was like a sister."

Everyone was incredibly moved by what Kaylin said, knowing that it was the truth. Nicola looked at Kaylin, crying silently at what she said. Kaylin took Nicola's hand, tears in her own eyes, as they held each other.

Elijah, Kol, Rebekah and Lucien started to glow with blue energy as the power was being taken away from them.

"What's happening?" Rebekah asked in a strained voice.

"Tory and Lyla are siphoning the power from Rebekah, Kol, Elijah and Lucien and giving it to Hope, Emma, Danny and Madison so that they and Rae can mind control it with the spell that Emma found," Lindsey answered worriedly.

"There's no stopping it," Ryan told them.

"It's too late," Luke told them.

Riley was devastated at the thought of the kids hurting after this. "No."

-----~-----

The Huntress was trying to get free, but she had to fight everyone to do so, spinning to slash the sword toward Rebekah. Rebekah ducked, punching the Huntress in the face hard. The Huntress tried to stab Kassandra with the sword. Kassandra ducked, kicking the sword out of her hands, making it fall, punching her in the face, making her fall. The Huntress stood, rushing toward Nicola, tackling her through a wall, making the wall break, pinning her down. Nicola flipped the Huntress off of her to the floor behind her. They both rushed to stand, facing each other, glaring. Elijah kicked the Huntress in the leg, making her fall to her knees, punching her in the face. The Huntress rushed to stand. Klaus rushed toward the Huntress to push her against the wall, making it break, punching her in the head viciously. The Huntress kicked Klaus back, turning to Lucien. Lucien kicked the Huntress against the wall, slamming her head against the stone, flipping her to the ground. The Huntress rushed to stand when Kol restrained her, kneeing him in the stomach, making him let go. Kol headbutted the Huntress in the face, making her back away. Luke rushed at the Huntress, tackling her down, stomping on her and punching her repeatedly. Caitlin punched the Huntress hard in the face, trying to punch her again. The Huntress ducked to the side to make her miss, trying to punch her with extra strength and speed. Caitlin jumped back to make her miss, ducking another hit, spinning to kick the Huntress with a crescent in to out kick. Noah punched the Huntress with either arm, spinning to kick her in the back, making her stumble toward Marcel. Marcel tried to kick the Huntress. The Huntress ducked, spinning around behind Marcel, trying to punch. Marcel ducked barely, punching the Huntress in the stomach. The Huntress rushed at Eliza. Eliza slid into the splits to make the Huntress miss her, making her jump over her, catching the Huntress as she did, rushing to flip her to the ground, kicking her away. Ryan and Riley both grabbed the Huntress by the arms to bite her and weaken her even more with wolf venom. The Huntress rushed toward Kaylin, kicking her in the chest. Kaylin punched toward her. The Huntress raised an arm to block the move. Kaylin kicked her in the knee, punching her in the face, kicking her in the chest, spinning to backhand punch her in the face. The Huntress rushed toward Auria, gripping her throat. Auria, now part vampire, managed enough strength to pull the Huntress's hand away from her throat, punching her in the face hard enough to make her back away, transforming threateningly, magically sending a stake at the Huntress. The Huntress barely managed to avoid it. Mikayla pushed the Huntress toward the bar, grabbing her head, slamming it against the bar top, pushing her into the statue on top nearby hard enough to make it shatter. Kacie took a piece of the broken statue, turning to hit the Huntress with it hard, stabbing her with it in the stomach to slow her down, biting her on the arm to slow her down with more venom. Lindsey looked at the sword on the floor, magically floating it up, sending it flying into the Huntress's stomach to pin her to the wall.

"You might want to stop now, Huntress," Luke told her.

"You don't have a chance of getting out of this with all of us here," Ryan told her.

"Just stop fighting," Lindsey told her.

Kassandra held up the final key. "Nicola. Your key. Lucien and I found it."

"How did you find it?" Kacie asked.

"Well, Kol and Eliza's keys were in the books that they got for Madison's ninth birthday," Lucien explained. "Riley's key was taped to the back of a picture of Hayley, Hope and Riley. Klaus and Kaylin's keys were taped to drawings and paintings they had made with Hope and Rae. Rebekah found her key in 'As You Like It'. Act one, scene three. 'Now go, we in content to liberty, not banishment'. Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison know you can't stay. They're setting you free. Mikayla found her key in a necklace that she had given to Hope, tucked away in a nice safe place, and Kacie found hers in the cellar as hybrids and wolves, inside a gift that she had given to Emma and Danny. And Kassandra found hers in the salt circle that she had Tory spell her in when she was dangerous because of Rosalita's influence and after the hex, and the Hollow, in the riddle book she used to test Hope and Rae, and later on Madison, Emma and Danny as well, while I found mine in a vial that I had Auria make the serum that turned both me and Kassandra into beasts. Elijah's key was in the literature that he taught them, in journals."

"Get on with it, Lucien," Klaus told him.

"Kassandra, what is it?" Rebekah asked.

"We found Nicola's key in a coffin, in the dungeon," Kassandra answered. "Taped to the Huntress's sword. Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison see the Huntress as nothing but death."

Nicola looked down sadly.

"That does not mean that they think the same about you," Marcel told her.

"Nicola, you're not death, but the Huntress is," Noah told her.

"We know the difference between the two, and so should you," Caitlin told her.

"I'm pretty sure that Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison see the difference, too," Kol assured.

"I wish that we all do," Auria told them.

They all nodded in agreement.

"Come on," Ryan told them. "Let's be done with Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison's maze of metaphors."

"We gotta grab the Huntress and lock her back behind the red door," Lindsey told them.

Luke sighed sarcastically. "Awesome."

"Stop complaining, Luke," Eliza told him. "We have to do that so we can get out of here and get back to Madison, Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny, Tory, Lyla and Freya."

"And hopefully to stop Rosalita and Maia soon," Riley added.

The Huntress glared at them as Kassandra and Lucien grabbed her, carrying her toward the locks, while everyone was using their keys to unlock the door.

-----

White Corridor

The group walked into the white corridor, to the door, where they would have to lock the Huntress up so they could leave.

Kol sighed. "Oh, bloody hell. Now we're in Nicola's mental maze. Of all the hells I've had to endure..."

"The door," the Huntress stated. "What is this, Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny and Madison's revenge? Imprison me all over again, forcing me to be locked away in Nicola's head?"

"Also the only way Nicola's going to wake up," Elijah answered.

Lucien hauled the Huntress down the corridor. "Well, as much as we love a cherry on top of a scheme... we all have somewhere else to be."

"Luke, Lindsey, Ryan, Klaus, Kaylin, Riley, Kol and Eliza can go get to their children now," Mikayla told them. "Tory and Lyla would have put the Hollow in Hope, Emma, Danny and Madison by now for them and Rae to mind control. Freya should be with them."

"Yeah," Lindsey agreed.

"Let's go," Ryan told them.

"Absolutely," Riley agreed.

Lindsey, Ryan, Riley, Kol and Eliza left through their doors, waking up in St. Anne's Church, but not seeing Hope, Rae, Emma, Danny, Madison, Freya, Tory or Lyla.

Marcel looked at the others. "We'll leave this to you guys."

"Yeah, you don't need us anymore," Auria agreed.

Noah and Caitlin sighed. "Nope."

Marcel, Noah, Caitlin and Auria left through their doors.

"I have to make sure that Hope, Rae, Madison, Emma, Danny, Tory and Lyla are okay," Kacie told them.

Mikayla nodded. "Me too."

"And me," Luke agreed.

Luke, Mikayla and Kacie left through their doors.

Klaus, Elijah, Kassandra, Rebekah, Kaylin, Nicola and Lucien were the only ones in the corridor now.

Nicola looked at the Huntress, breathing heavily, dragging her up by the chains to put her back where she would be locked away in her own mind, but she was fighting, about to break free of the chains.

Rebekah looked at the others. "We can't just leave her here."

"She can find her own way out," Lucien replied.

"Lucien, Nicola is still our family," Rebekah chided. "She is not the same as the Huntress, and you know it. When you were hexed and driven mad by Rosalita and the Ancestors, you came after our family without mercy, and now here you are, apart of our family because you're no longer that person that killed our brother."

"Why are you bringing this up now?" Lucien asked.

"Because we are all capable of doing terrible things, but we are also capable of forgiveness," Kassandra told them.

Kaylin shook her head, walking toward Nicola. "I'm not leaving her here."

"Kaylin..." Klaus trailed off worriedly when the Huntress was clearly about to break free.

"We'll be fine, Nik," Kaylin told him. "We've done it before."

Nicola was pulling at the door to put the Huntress back in, but she was fighting to keep it closed.

"It's just a door and your alter ego, Nicola," Lucien told her. "Open it and put her inside."

"It's not that easy, Lucien," Elijah replied. "You can leave now, and Niklaus, Rebekah and Kassandra can follow you. We'll be right behind you." He gave Nicola a look. "All of us."

Lucien sighed, leaving through his door. Rebekah, Klaus and Kassandra nodded, leaving the corridor through their doors.

Kaylin walked toward Nicola and the Huntress, looking at the Huntress. "You were very well close to killing Nikki when you made her do things she would never have done. Watching Sarah die. Killing Tyler. Letting Hayley die. Nearly killing everyone she loved as family and friend, back in Mystic Falls, and here in New Orleans."

Elijah walked closer as he and Kaylin both helped Nicola lift up the Huntress from the floor, restraining her.

"Come on," Elijah told them. "I don't know who Nicola will be on the other side of this, Kaylin, but we both know that she can't do this alone. She needs us."

Kaylin, Elijah and Nicola looked at each other, nodding, rushing to break down the red door where they locked the Huntress inside, backing away.

Nicola had tears in her eyes, nearly crying. "You can go now, Kaylin."

Kaylin nodded sadly, slowly walking out through her door.

Elijah and Nicola were the only two left. The corridor started to glow brightly as they were taken out of the chambre and were allowed to wake up.

-----

Reality

Night - St. Anne's Church

The rest of the Frankenstein family, minus Freya, Tory and the kids, were all already awake, standing around the church.

Kaylin, Elijah and Nicola woke up, looking at everyone else who had already woken up, all looking at each other. Klaus walked toward Kaylin, helping her up. Kaylin and Klaus embraced. Elijah and Nicola helped each other stand. Everyone looked at each other.

Nicola, completely herself, and having to live with everything that the Huntress, Rosalita and Maia had made her do, was trying not to cry, trying not to let this destroy her, as everyone watched in sympathy and knowing what she was going through. She turned away, crying, not letting anyone close to her as she cried, grieving Hayley and guilty for her death, blaming herself, and fighting against the Huntress pounding away in her head, holding her head, lowering to her knees, groaning in pain, crying out as she struggled to keep her locked away. Kaylin, also crying emotionally, knelt in front of Nicola, pulling into her arms so they could hold each other and anchor Nicola so that she could keep the Huntress locked away. Kassandra, Rebekah and Eliza were all nearly crying from the pain they saw that they were in, while everyone watched them sadly in understanding, in just as much pain, but all together, relieved to have the family all back together even though it came at high of a price, and everyone was in devastation.

-----~-----

(Song:) Bridges - Aisha Badru

Nicola was sitting in the pews, close to crying, but fighting it off.

Elijah walked closer. "Nicola?"

Nicola sniffed, looking up. "Yeah. It's me. For what feels like the first time in forever."

Elijah sat next to her. "I would imagine that's how it would feel to you. I know how you would feel from all of this. How much you would hate yourself, and how much you would want to die."

"Yeah," Nicola agreed. "Well, you know me too well." She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I love you, Elijah. I can't believe you would love me still after what I did. After I nearly destroyed all of you."

"It wasn't you," Elijah told her sadly, softly.

"It sure as hell felt like me," Nicola replied. "What do we do now?"

Elijah didn't know the answer either, just as saddened as Nicola was because of everything that happened.

-----

Lucien's Penthouse

Lucien was reclaiming his penthouse.

Kassandra walked in. "Lucien? What are you doing?"

"Reclaiming my penthouse from bigoted undead now that I can stay in the city for good," Lucien answered. "I no longer have the Hollow inside me, Sandra. Neither do Kol, Rebekah and Elijah."

"Rebekah's leaving again, trying to find herself," Kassandra explained. "Kol and Eliza are staying because Madison took Kol's half of the Hollow when she, Freya, Hope, Rae, Emma and Danny did what they did, and forced Tory to help, and Lyla helped because she didn't know better and Tory couldn't tell her because Hope wouldn't let her. Kaylin, Nik, Kol, Eliza, Lindsey and Ryan might go on a rampage if they lose their children to this, Lucien."

Lucien sighed, shaking his head. "Well, my love, we just have to believe in the fact that Tory, Rae and Lyla can mind control the Hollow again and make sure that we don't lose Hope, Emma, Danny and Madison. And none of us know where Emma got the spell that allowed them to do this, Kassandra."

"No, we don't," Kassandra agreed, walking closer. "And I'm worried about Nicola, Mikayla and Riley, too, on top of the kids, Lucien. After everything that happened with Rosalita, Maia and Hayley."

"I assumed you would be," Lucien told her.

"Elijah, Kaylin and Rae will be there for Nicola, Mikayla has Kacie, as they both will have the rest of the family," Kassandra told him. "And Riley... he lost Hayley, and he's afraid of losing Hope, and he thinks that no one but them, Mikayla and Kacie ever cared about him. It reminded me of going through everything we did. Lucien, we were worlds apart when you were hexed and under Rosalita's control. We both fell so hard, and traveled long and far to get back up to where we are. And now everything is falling back into the dark."

Lucien walked toward her. "Indeed. I just know that I followed a spark that let me right back to you. Everything will come back to the light like it did last time. I promise, Kassandra."

Kassandra nodded, as Kassandra and Lucien shared an embrace and passionate kiss.

-----

Marcel/Auria's Apartment - Outside Balcony

Noah, Caitlin, Marcel and Auria were overlooking the city as it was recovering from the monsoon.

"Noah, Marcel, you've watched the French Quarter triumph over far worse than this," Caitlin pointed out.

"There's always a new storm coming," Noah agreed.

Auria looked down. "You know, I used to think all I would have is that. A life with context. To have children and grow old. To die a brittle lady with spots on my hands and clouds in my eyes. Now I know that that is not the fate written for me."

"Yeah," Marcel sighed. "And I wanted that for you, Auria."

Noah smirked. "Caitlin, Auria, listen. Marcel and I got to bear witness to watch history unfold, to see barriers fall, to see the oppressed rise, we got to watch it all."

"Was it worth it?" Caitlin asked.

"Yeah," Marcel answered. "Yeah, it was, Caitlin. I always wanted to be a vampire. I chose it. After Noah saved my life, he chose it, too. I know you're hurting right now, Auria. We are too. We all are. But we will get better and things will get better for you."

Auria chuckled. "Yeah. Let's pray that you're right, Marcel. I love you, and Noah and Caitlin as my family, and even the rest of Frankenstein family too. And the least Noah and Caitlin can do now is tell us what else is on their minds right now."

Caitlin shook her head. "Don't know what you're talking about."

Marcel nodded sarcastically. "Oh, I'm sure. You and Noah have been acting off all day, Caitlin. What is it?"

"I'm not surprised that no one noticed because of everything that went on the past few days," Noah told them. "And it's a new development, but..."

Caitlin held up her hand to show them the engagement ring on her finger. "Well, surprise."

Auria was not shocked, but surprised, starting to smile happily for them. "Oh, my God."

Caitlin and Noah smiled. Auria and Marcel started to chuckle, as they all embraced.

-----

Abattoir Compound - Courtyard

Freya and Tory were waiting. Luke, Klaus, Kaylin, Lindsey, Ryan, Riley, Kol and Eliza walked in.

Tory sighed in relief to see her husband. "Luke."

Luke walked toward her as the two embraced. "Hey, Tory. Busy day, huh?"

Tory scoffed an exhausted laugh at Luke's attempt to joke.

"Where are they?" Eliza asked.

"Are they okay?" Lindsey asked.

"Tell me that they are okay," Ryan told them.

"Hope, Rae, Madison, Emma and Danny are fine," Freya told them. "No fevers, no magical outbursts. They and Lyla are fine."

"I just looked in on them," Tory told them. "They're just sleeping. They deserve the rest. I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice."

"Yes, we know you didn't, Tory, but Freya did," Kol told her.

"You should be proud of them," Freya told them. "Your children are sacrificing so much, and powering up to take down Rosalita and Maia to save an entire city, and no one will know to thank them for it."

Klaus sighed, walking away. "We need to see them."

The parents went to check on the kids.

-----

Riley's Room

Riley was sitting down, going through pictures of him and the entire family, mostly ones involving Hayley, drinking.

-----

Mikayla's Room

Mikayla was sitting on her bed, reeling from everything, just sitting there, missing Hayley, worried about her family.

Kacie walked closer to sit next to Mikayla, wrapping an arm around her. "It'll get better."

"When?" Mikayla asked. "Just tell me that, Kacie."

"I don't know," Kacie admitted. "There'll be oceans for us to tread. Bridges for us to mend. But we can survive it, Mikayla. I swear."

Mikayla chuckled without humor. "There's been so many mountains for us to climb. Days when the sun didn't want to shine. We all have so many scars. Yeah, life is hard, but this? This is hell. But I do know one thing. All these things, everything that happened, all the heartache and loss, and all that we've been through... it let me to you. I'm glad that I have you, Kacie. I can't lose you."

Kacie shook her head reassuringly. "You won't have to, Mikayla. I promise. There's still a long road ahead. So much way to go. But we'll stick through it. We'll survive. We have to."

Mikayla and Kacie remained in each other's arms. Kacie kissed her on the head.

-----

Multiple Rooms

In the hallway that allowed Kaylin and Klaus to check on Hope and Rae, they were watching them sleep, while Lindsey and Ryan went to check on Emma and Danny, Kol and Eliza went to check on Madison, and Tory and Luke checked on Lyla. Klaus, Kaylin, Lindsey, Ryan, Kol and Eliza were overcome with worry and horror of what could happen to their children.