Phoenix Rising

1:5: Witch Hunt

I'm in the living room with Rebekah as I'm on my second mug of coffee from the events of last night as I've just woken up and it's early afternoon after lunch and we see Klaus rush in, throwing Sophie into a chair. "We had a deal! You protect my unborn child, I dismantle Marcel's army. And whilst I've been busy fulfilling my part of the bargain, you allowed Hayley and Adam to be attacked and almost killed by a gaggle of lunatic witches." Klaus says, angrily and Sophien puts her hands and fingers together, frantic. "I had nothing to do with it, I swear. Hayley and I are linked, remember? She dies, I die." She says, looking at Rebekah and I and back to Klaus. "Then who were they?" Rebekah asks. "They are a faction of extremists. Sabine stupidly told them about some vision she had about the baby." Sophie says. "Who's Sabine?" I ask, confused. "New Orleans Guide/Witch." Rebekah says as I look at her. "What kind of vision?" Klaus asks and we look back at Sophie. "She has them all the time. They are totally open to interpretation. I'm guessing she's wrong on this one." She says and she and Klaus both sit up. "Well, how, may I ask, was this particular vision interpreted?" He asks. "Pretty much that your baby would bring death to all witches." Sophie says and Klaus smiles, looking between the thre of us and back to Sophie. "Ah, well. I grow fonder of this child by the second." He says and Rebekah sits down next to me. "Sophie, look, I promised Elijah that I would protect the Mikaelson miracle baby whilst he and Kol tries to win your witch Davina's loyalty. Why don't you tell me just how extreme this faction is?" Rebekah asks. "Elijah and Kol are talking to Davina?" Sophie asks, shocked. "Yes, as we speak, I imagine." I say. "I'm guessing she'll have plenty to say about that crowd." Sophie says and Klaus sits back. "Do tell." He says, intrigued, looking at Rebekah and I and back to Sophie. "I.. wasn't always an advocate for the witches. I was a party girl. I partied hard. My sister was devoted, like our parents, and our upbringing was very strict, which drove me nuts. The minute I turned twenty-one, I left the Quarter to travel.. and play. But I wanted to be a chef, so I came back to Rousseau's. She told me that The Harvest was happening." Sophie says. "What the bloody hell is The Harvest?" Rebekah asks. "It's a ritual our coven does every three centuries so that the bond to our ancestral magic is restored. We appease our ancestors, they keep our ancestral power flowing." Sophie says. "And why haven't I heard of this?" Klaus asks, confused. "Because a Harvest always seemed like a myth. A story, passed on through generations like Noah's ark, or the Buddha walking on water. The kind some people take literally, and some people don't. They had the girls of our community preparing for months. Four would be chosen for the Harvest. They said that it was an honor, that they were special. I thought it was a myth." She says. "Was it?" I ask as everyone looks at me and we hear Klaus' phone rings and look at him and he stands up and walks around as he answers it. "Marcel. Bit early in the day for you, isn't it?" He asks and we see him fake smile. "Rather you than me. All that responsibility seems like such a bore. Dead witches in the Bayou. Sounds like less of a problem, and more like a cause for celebration." Klaus says, smiling at Sophie. "Oh, why not? Haven't been to the Bayou in ages. I'm on my way." Klaus says, hanging up and I see Hayley walk in with a mug as Sophie starts talking. "You can't go out there now. I need to gather the witches' remains and consecrate them. If I don't get to them before sundown, we'll lose the link to their magic." She says. "Those witches tried to kill Hayley, Adam and the baby." Klaus says, pointing to Hayley and then at me. "I'd prefer for Marcel's informant not to find anything that would lead him back to us, to her, to him, or to.. you know.." Klaus says and points at Hayley's stomach. "That." He says. "You are all class." Hayley says, rolling her eyes and sips on her tea and Klaus points at Sophie as he starts to walk off. "Save the rest of your story until I return." Klaus says, leaving.

I arrive to the mausoleum with Hayley as we see Sophie closing her back and turns around to look at us as we smile at her. "Hey, what the hell?" She asks. "You're going out there anyway, aren't you? I wanna go with you." Hayley says. "We both do." I say. "No, thanks. Already got assaulted by Klaus this morning. Don't need a repeat." Sophie says, holding a finger up to us and we step in front of her. "What if whatever is responsible for all those dead witches is still out there? We've already established that it likes us and hates witches, so you'll be safer with Adam and I. Even though he isn't a wolf, somehow, they still like him." Hayley says, grinning at me and looks back at Sophie. "Sorry if I'm not buying your sudden concern for my safety." Sophie says and tries to get past Hayley, who puts an arm against the stone wall to stop her. "Listen. The whole reason I came to this stupid town in the first place was to learn more about my family. Your sister's the one that told me Marcel ran the werewolves out of the Quarter into the Bayou. And last night, I'm pretty sure that some guardian angel wolf saved our lives. So, we're coming with you." Hayley says. "Could you three be more idiotic?" Rebekah says as we turn around to look at her and we all look back at Sophie, who sighs. "Three can play the follow-game, you know. You heard Klaus, he and Marcel are headed right where you're going." Rebekah says as we look back at her. "So distract them. Because unless you wanna lock a hormonal, pregnant werewolf in a tomb, we're coming with you." Hayley says, looking at Sophie and back to Rebekah. "And wouldn't Elijah be mad if he hears that the baby and I died of asphyxiation?" I ask, grinning at Hayley and we high five each other.

We're hiking into the bayou as Rebekah is on the phone with Klaus. "What is all that dreadful hillbilly ruckus in the background?" Rebekah asks, clearly annoyed. "Well, order up a few rounds of moonshine and steer clear of the dead witches for a few. The witch is on a burial mission, your baby mama is on a spirit quest, Smartass is joining her on her spirit quest and I'm keeping Elijah's promise to keep her safe. So, stall, please?" Rebekah asks and hangs up. "It's so hot and sticky here in the bayou and it's literally Fall." I say, adjusting my shirt as it sticks to my skin a little.

We're deep in the bayou, looking for dead witches. "So, this Harvest thingy. Tell me more." Rebekah says. "Klaus said to wait." Sophie says. "Yes. He also said to stay out of the bayou and yet here we are, amongst the crawly, buzzy creatures." Rebekah says and we stop walking. "We're here." I say and we walk around at the turn up, bloody, dismembered body; even seeing a head laying on the ground and Sophie looks sick as she crouches down. "Woah." Hayley says and Rebekah and I walk over to her to see giant paw prints and giant bloody scratch marks on a nearby tree. "Is that a wolf track?" Sophie asks and we look up to hear a twig snap. "Who's there?" Rebekah calls out and we see a man walking out of the woods, looking at Rebekah. "What the hell?" He asks and we all look at her and back to him. "An Original?" He asks and dashes off.

I'm by Rebekah as she's talking on the phone with Klaus and she rolls her eyes. "Yes, and now that we've established that I am a failure as a sister, and a friend, and an Original, you should probably know he's on his way to Marcel right now to rat me out. Skinny guy in a hurry, looks like he saw a ghost. I'm on my way." Rebekah says, hanging up. "You so should've kicked his ass." I say and she swats at a mosquito, killing it.

It's nighttime as we make it back to Sophie's truck. "Those people, all this, because of a vision about my baby you don't think is true?" Hayley asks as Sophie opens her trunk and puts her back inside. "Look, I love Sabine, but she's the witch equivalent of a drama queen." She says, pushing the lock of the pole up, locking it in place. "I've learned to take little stock in whatever she says or sees. Just kinda wish she'd kept her mouth shut." She says. "The Harvest ritual. You said you didn't believe in it. Were you right?" I ask and Sophie shakes her head. "No. I saw it with my own eyes. It was working. It was real." She says. "So, how can you be so sure Sabine's vision isn't?" Hayley asks and Sophie doesn't answer question as she unlocks her pole, pulling it down and shuts the trunk with both hands.

We're at the mansion as Rebekah is pouring drinks on top of a plate with a paper towel underneath on top of a piano as Sophie went home. "I don't care if we have to get you a leash, that was your last trip to the Bayou. What is it with you two and those wolves, anyway?" She asks. "I feel like we're connected somehow." Hayley says and chuckles lightly, smiling. "I don't know. Maybe it's just some pipe dream that I have of finding any real family out there, except you, of course." She says, smiling and side hugs me. "But sometimes, when I feel like it's me against the world, it keeps me going." She says and we smile at her and Rebekah offers her a drink and we both look at her in confusion. "Oh, right." Rebekah says and downs it, setting the glass back down. "Well, if you ask me, family is a pain in the behind." She says and we roll our eyes at her. "And as for you two being in it alone, how dare you? I don't ruin a perfectly fabulous pair of boots traipsing through the Bayou for just anyone." She says and we smile at her as she downs another drink and we hear the front door open and see Klaus. "Nik, finally! What.." Rebekah says, getting interrupted by Elijah and Kol walking in, smiling at us and we run over to them, wrapping our arms around them both. "Oh, Elijah, Kol." Rebekah and I say at same time and Kol presses his soft lips against mine. "You're okay." I say, smiling at him. "I'm okay, darling." He says, intertwining our fingers. "You're safe." Rebekah says, sighing in relief. "Now that you're home, is your first plan to kill Niklaus?" Rebekah asks, smiling. "I'm up for it." I say and Rebekah and I loop arms. "Excuse me just a moment." Elijah says, kissing her cheek, smiling and walks off. "Where's he going?" Rebekah asks, looking at the three of us.

We're all sitting in Elijah's study as he's explaining the truth about Sophie. "Everything that brought us here to New Orleans was a lie. This story that Sophie Deveraux fabricated, this struggle for control of the French Quarter, this war between vampires and witches, wasn't over territory at all, this was over Davina. Eight months ago, Sophie Deveraux and her sister Jane-Anne lost everything. Now, four months after that, a young pregnant girl wanders into their restaurant." Elijah says and we all look at Hayley and back to Elijah. "Suddenly, all hope is renewed. Jane-Anne actually sacrificed her life so that her sister can use you to find Davina. If Sophie Deveraux is successful in capturing Davina, she can return Jane-Anne's daughter back to life. We thought we'd come here to wage a war for power. This is about family. In order to return her niece to life, Sophie Deveraux will fight to the death. That makes her more dangerous than anyone." He says.