CHAPTER FOURTY TWO:
derek was healing the twins after they were attacked by some people in the woods.
"should be fine in a couple of hours. unless whoever shot you manages to find you again." derek said.
"lydia and marcie are with scott. we need to go." aiden told his brother.
"are you gonna try to convince them to go with you?" derek asked.
"i'm gonna try and convince them to run and hide. like any sane person would do." aiden replied.
"and danny?" derek asked ethan.
"allison's dead. stiles is dying. what do you think?" ethan asked him.
"i think danny won't believe you. and marcie would never run and hide." derek said.
"because of stiles?" aiden asked.
"because of scott. same with lydia. you've been trying to find a way into his pack. trying to earn his trust, trying to fight for him. but you've had it wrong the whole time. you don't fight for a leader. you fight for a leaders cause." derek told them.
"what cause?" aiden asked.
"scott's always been about one thing. saving his friends. he will do anything and everything to save the people he cares about. when there's no chance of winning, he keeps fighting. when all hope is lost, he finds another way. and when he's beaten down, he stands up again. you want to earn a place in his pack? you want redemption? find another way to stand and fight." derek told them.
-
"stiles and kira said it was the nemeton that kept it trapped." scott told deaton.
"the problem is this isn't even a person you're fighting. it just looks like one. it's a spirit that's taken the shape of a human." deaton explained.
"the shape of my best friend." scott said.
"the shape of my boyfriend." marcie mumbled.
"someone caught it once. someone can do it again, right?" lydia asked.
"i don't know. this thing was trapped a long time ago, before the nemeton was cut down. it doesn't have the same power anymore." deaton replied.
"is there anything that does?" scott asked.
"possibly. when the tree was whole, it's wood was sometimes used to contain powerful objects. but those objects are very rare." deaton told her.
"wait a second. powerful objects? like an alpha's claws?" lydia asked.
"which alpha?" deaton asked.
"talia hale." marcie replied as she looked over at lydia.
"peter had them in this wooden box with a triskele carved in the lid. what if it was made from the nemeton?" lydia asked.
"it was." deaton replied.
"how do you know?" scott asked.
"because i made it." deaton replied.
"we need that box." marcie said.
-
scott immediately got on the phone with derek to ask him to give them the box.
"derek's got the triskele box. he's gonna meet us." scott told them.
marcie looked like she was going to pass out and she fell back and got a rush of pain that shot up to her head.
"what's wrong?" deaton asked them.
"something's happening. i had this sudden rushing feeling, like we're running out of time." marcie said.
"yeah. yeah, i kind of got that feeling, too." they heard someone say.
marcie looked over to see it was stiles. kira had helped him into the building.
-
they drove over to the school with scott in the drivers seat and stiles was in the passengers seat leaving marcie, kira and lydia in the back.
when stiles got out, he almost fell on his face but marcie immediately rushed to his side and grabbed his waist.
stiles looked over at her and put his arm around her shoulder.
they all went by the doors until marcie felt stiles stop.
"scott, hold on. i know what you're all thinking. if this works, it might kill me, too. but even if it does, you have to go through with it. stick with the plan, okay?" stiles said.
"the plan is to save you. that's the plan i'm going with." scott told him.
"so am i." marcie said.
they opened the doors of the school but it wasn't the school they walked into. they into a winter wonderland.
they all walked slowly and they heard the doors close behind them.
"well, this is definitely not part of the plan." stiles said.
-
they saw the nogitsune walk in. but it wasn't the spirit that looked like stiles, it was the ones with bandages all around his face.
they started walking closer to them and kira got out her sword.
"like i promised, stiles. we're going to kill all of them. one by one. starting with marcie. because if there's anything stronger than my power over you it was your love for that one girl. the one person that kept you sane." nogitsune said.
the oni appeared in front of kira and stiles immediately looked over at marcie to make sure she was by his side.
"what the hell is this? where are we?" scott asked.
"between life and death." the nogitsune replied.
"bardo." lydia said.
"but there are no peaceful deities here, lydia. you're dying, stiles. and now everyone you care about is dying, too." nogitsune said.
"what? what do you mean?" stiles asked.
"i've captured almost all of the territories on the board, stiles. the hospital. the sheriffs station. and now the animal clinic." the nogitsune said making scott glare at him.
"do you know the ritual of seppuku, stiles?" nogitsune asked as he got even closer.
"no, and i don't want to." stiles replied getting in front of marcie.
"when a samurai disembowels himself with his own sword to maintain his honor, but that's not the cut that kills him. the killing stroke is made by his kaishakunin, who beheads the samurai with his own katana. scott.... scott is your kaishakunin. i'm going to make your best friend kill you, stiles. and you're going to let him. because just like you, they're all going to die. everyone touched by an oni's blade. unless scott kills you first." nogitsune said getting in stiles' face.
"why? why are you doing this?" stiles asked.
"to win the game." nogitsune replied.
the oni started swinging their swords and scott shifted and he let out a growl.
-
kira and scott started to fight them while stiles, marcie and lydia hid behind a bridge.
"how is this happening? how the hell are we in this place?" scott asked.
"you're asking me? a month ago, i'd never even touched a sword." kira replied.
"this can't be real." lydia said.
marcie was rubbing her arms up and down since she was freezing.
"yeah, tell that to them." stiles said.
"i'm good over here." marcie said.
the oni threw kira sword out of her hand and two of them had her in a corner.
stiles walked over and picked up kira's sword and marcie watched him put it in front of his stomach.
"stiles!" marcie shouted.
"stiles, no! stiles." scott shouted.
"what if it saves you? what if it saves all of you?" stiles asked.
"what if this is just another trick?" lydia said.
"no more tricks, lydia. end it, scott. let your friend fall on his own sword. do for him what he cannot do for himself. do it, scott. be his kaishakunin. give up the game." nogitsune said.
"stiles, you can't do this." marcie said as tears welled in her eyes.
marcie saw as stiles prepared himself but he stopped when he saw the reflection in the sword. he saw that it was just a trick.
"you have no moves left." nogitsune said.
stiles put down the katana and held it in his hands.
"i do." stiles said throwing kira her sword back.
"a divine move." stiles said looking up at the nogitsune.
-
the oni started attacking again making scott and kira continue to fight them off.
"stop fighting them. it's an illusion. you have to stop fighting them. it looks real and it feels real, but scott, you gotta trust me, it's an illusion." stiles said as marcie held him close to her.
scott looked over at the nogitsune and the oni stepped in front of him.
scott started walking forward with kira behind him and the oni hit them with their blades but they kept walking.
they all kept walking until they reached the door. scott grabbed the nogitsune and pushed him out the door.
they were now in the school hallway. they figured out the illusion.
"we're okay. we're-" scott was cut off when void stiles threw him across the room.
he punched kira and sent her to the ground and he also kicked lydia and sent her on the ground next to kira.
"no, no, no." marcie said.
marcie and stiles got close together and stiles put his arms around her.
"this was my game. you think you can beat me at my game?" void stiles said looking at stiles and marcie.