Lydia didn't like this. Why did Deaton make her go with Stiles and Isaac with Allison? The others were in the ice bath for 18 hours and Allison was still submerged in the freezing water.
"She'll be out of the water in a while. You just have to have hope, Lydia." Stiles said comfortingly. It was a ritual, so if she was still in there there had to be a reason.
"I can't leave her down there, Stiles!" Lydia replied walking toward Allison's drowned body. She stuck her hands in the water and tried to pull the hunter up, but something was leaving Allison at the bottom of the tub. "I don't. Why isn't she moving?!" She was yelling now, trying helplessly to release Allison from the confines of the tub.
The commotion caused the others to come into the room.
"Lydia!" Scott yelled running to the redhead still trying to pry Allison from the tub.
"She won't get up Scott. Why won't she just wake up?" Lydia asked turning hysterical.
Scott gathered her up in his arms as she started to cry.
"She'll get up in time, Lydia. Allison has to finish this journey on her own." Deaton said as calmly as ever. "Why don't you guys take Lydia home?" The boys were about to protest, when he added, "I'll be sure to keep an eye on Allison. If anything happens I'll be sure to call Lydia first."
"Scott? Stiles?" The boys were right next to her and the next thing she knew after touching the nemeton they were gone.
"Allison." Someone whispered her name.
She looked around. She was alone in the woods and then she heard her name again only it got louder, closer. "Allison?!"
"Mom." She whispered to herself before moving toward where the shouting was coming from.
She saw her mom walk up behind herself. She remembers this night. It was the night they almost hit a boy who was standing in the street. They went back to see if he was okay, but all they found was an inhaler.
Then just like that the world got whiter.
"Where am I?" She asked.
Then the scene changed. It was like a montage of gore and slaughter. She picked out images of Stiles slaughtering people, but it wasn't Stiles it was something called a Nogitsune. Then she saw images of Lydia and a girl named Kira, and then there was Scott, Isaac and everyone else. The images kept going and whirling together. Then as fast as they were going they stopped. The image opened up around her and the only thing she could do was watch.
They were fighting.
It was them verses the men in the mask. Allison watched as she saw the girl Kira tango with two of them. She watched as she made an arrow fly into the masked man's chest. Then something strange happened. The world was shaking. She kept thinking 'Where was Lydia?'. Then as soon as she watched herself again, one of those masked men flung a sword into her open chest.
"No!" She shouted, but no one could hear her. From a small distance she heard the loudest scream that she has ever heard her entire life. "ALLISON!"
"Lydia." She had no choice but to run. She had to get to Lydia. She had to show Lydia that she was okay.
She found Lydia in the tunnels with Stiles unconscious body.
"Lydia, I know you think I'm dead, but I'm not. I'm right here. Please just look at me, please!" Allison pleaded as she tried to caress the other girls face. "What the hell is this?!" She yelled in frustration.
The scene changed. She was in a white room with a record player. She remembers this room. "Lydia's lake house."
"Hey Allison." A husky voice greeted her. She turned around and found that she was staring into big green eyes.
"Lydia. I am so happy to see you. I don't know what's going on. I don't know where I am." Allison explained walking up to the banshee.
"It's okay. You're safe here." She replied pulling the hunter into an embrace.
"Wait. What are you doing here? Lydia please tell me you didn't go under just to bring me back." She said shaking her head.
"Shh." The redhead replied putting a finger up to Allison's lips. "I didn't. As far as I know, I'm asleep in my bed at home. Why are you still under water, Alli?" She asked looking the girl over in front of her.
"I-I don't know. Lydia, I've seen things. Things like the future. If I wake up Lydia I might-"
"Die. I know. I saw that part too." Lydia caressed the older girl's cheek. "The future is never written in stone, my love."
A stray tear made its way down Allison's cheek. "What if this time it is? I can't leave you, Lyds."
Lydia wiped the tear away with the pad of her thumb. "It looks like you already have, babe. I couldn't go to sleep with my arms around you because you are stuck in here." She said the last part pointing to the other girls head.
"I know. I'm sorry. I lost track of the guys and then I was just lost." She replied.
"Well, they saved our parents from Jennifer and apparently Scott's an Alpha now."
"It's about time. Has that dog Aiden kept his hands to himself?" She asked bitterly.
"No need for that Alli. You're the only one that I want and need besides he and his brother ran out of town with their tail between their legs." Lydia replied with a laugh.
"If I wake up, all of those awful things could come true." Allison said sadly.
"You already altered your course. Your path should be different and you won't die if I have anything to say about it. Just remember to listen to me, okay?" Lydia asked turning serious.
"Okay." Allison replied. "Hey can I ask you something?"
Lydia looked at her surprised. "Yeah, anything."
"Do you think Erica and Boyd are around here somewhere?" She asked looking at the walls for another way into the room.
"They could be. Not here specifically, but on this plane, yeah."
"I miss them." Allison replies feeling distant.
"Me too." Lydia says pulling the hunter into an embrace once again.
"How do I wake up?" Allison asks.
"The same as you usually do, babe. Open your eyes. I promise as soon as you open those gorgeous eyes I'll be right there." Lydia replies placing a soft kiss on Allison's lips.
A door pulls away from the white wall and opens.
"I'll see you soon, Alli." Lydia says before blowing the brunette a kiss and passing through the door.
Allison watches as the door closes behind the redhead.
"Come on Allison. Open your eyes." She says before a door opens from the same wall that Lydia passed through.
She looks the opening over. She takes a deep breath and lets it out before entering the arch. "Here it goes."
Lydia woke up coughing. It felt like she was choking on water. She looked around her and found her room bathed in darkness. She removed the covers off of her swiftly. She didn't care about her pajamas and ran down the stairs past the boys who fell asleep watching some movie. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her to the clinic. To Allison.
When she got there, she saw Deaton's car was still out front and smiled. He really went beyond the call of duty when it came to them. She threw the door back not caring that Deaton was asking her why she was back. She went into the examination room, sat beside the tub and waited patiently for Allison to wake up.
"Come on Alli, open your eyes." She coaxed softly.
Allison felt a surge of energy. She did what Lydia told her and opened her eyes.
She woke up in a coughing fit.
She looked around and found green eyes and red hair waiting for her.
"I'm back Lydia. I'm okay." She said as the other girl threw her arms around her.
"You are so lucky I love you." Lydia said in a mock angry voice.
"I know. I love you too, Lyds." Allison replied looking Lydia over.
Lydia looked into Allison's eyes in that moment and found herself speechless. Where there were once brown orbs, there were now purple ones.
"Lyds, what's wrong?"
"Alli, what happened to your eyes?"
Allison touched her face. "I-I don't know. Lyds, I need a mirror."
Lydia looked around for a hand held mirror, she finally found one next to a picture of a Jaguar on it.
"Oh my. What the hell happened to me!?" She yelled in despair.
Deaton ran into the room at the commotion. "Allison, you're awake. Oh my. I think we should get you dried off. We have a lot to talk about." He said helping the girl out of the tub. He found a towel in a closet and handed it to her.
"I'm a freak!" She said as she looked at her reflection in the handheld mirror once more.
"You are most certainly not a freak. You went on a journey that most people in a 1,000 years dream of. You've ascended to the highest order, Allison Argent. You've become a true child of Artemis. That feeling that you have to help and protect people is heightened now. You are not a freak, but a protector of our world." Deaton explained.
"If she was meant to go alone, how come I found her?" Lydia asked.
"Well, that definitely complicates things. Do have any strange markings on your body, Lydia?" The vet asked.
"I don't know. I just woke up, put on my shoes and ran here as fast as I could. Now that I think about it, I did run four miles without getting winded." Lydia replied trying to find any strange markings on her arms and legs. She lifted up her shirt and found a dark mark on her abdomen. "Holy shit! What the hell does this mean?" She asked in horror.
On Lydia's abs was a tattoo that resembled a flower inside of a sun.
"It means strength. It looks like you were meant to be a part of Allison's journey. It seems Aphrodite has marked you as her kin." Deaton explained. "Like Allison, you'll start to ascend and develop abilities as well. We found one which is speed and agility. It looks like you'll soon find the rest out soon." He gave the pair a reassuring smile. "I think it's time for you both to go home. You both could use some rest."
Allison gave Chris a call on their walk to Lydia's to let him know that she was okay and that she'd be with Lydia for the rest of the evening. He gave her the "be safe" speech and told her he loved her before hanging up.
Lydia saw Derek waiting patiently by her front door with an honest to god smile on his face.
"Welcome back, Allison." He greeted the brunette.
"It's nice to be back. How are you holding up?" She asked giving the wolf a hug.
"I'm hanging in there. I'm glad you are safe. It looks like the wolves won't be the only protectors Beacon Hills has to offer." The older boy replied.
"I hope you'll be around to help us." Allison replied.
"I'll do my best." Derek said opening the door for the two girls.
"That's all that we ask." Allison replied with a grateful smile.
Allison looked at the sleeping forms of her friends on the floor of Lydia's living room and smiled.
"Don't worry about them. I'll keep watch while you two sleep." Derek said before sitting on a la-z-boy.
Lydia gave a quiet "Goodnight" to the wolf and pulled Allison upstairs.
Allison found a few of her clothes that she left on Lydia's desk chair and changed into a big band t-shirt.
Lydia watched making sure to take note of any new marking's on her girlfriend's body.
"You know if you're going to keep staring at me like that, I'm going to have to remind you that we are together and you never have to ask if you desire me, love." Allison's voice broke Lydia out of her trance.
Lydia got off of her bed and me her way to the other girl.
"I always desire you, my hunter. I was just checking for any marks." Lydia replied before playing with Allison's shirt.
"Maybe we can search each other, my banshee." The hunter replied before bringing the redhead's lips to her own in a hungry kiss.
When the kiss ended something interesting happened.
"Lyds, your eyes. They are so beautiful." Allison said.
"What color are they?" Lydia asked.
"They are the darkest shade of blue that I have ever seen." Allison replied before kissing Lydia once more.
They pushed and pulled each other, making sure to leave their mark on one another. At one point when they were intertwined Lydia found a mark on Allison's back. It was a crescent moon with three arrows inside it. She smiled and kissed the skin.
After a few rounds of getting reacquainted with one another, they laid in Lydia's bed reveling in one another's warmth.
Allison gathered Lydia in her arms.
"It feels different like I can literally touch our desire and love." Allison said drawing arrows into Lydia's skin with her finger.
"I know what you mean. It feels more powerful. I don't ever want it to stop." Lydia replied placing a soft kiss to Allison's neck. "I found your mark by the way. It's a crescent moon with three arrows in it. You are a huntress in its purest form, Alli."
"It seems like it. I will protect you at all costs, my queen. No dying of course." Allison said making sure to add the last part.
"Good. I will protect you as well, my hunter. No dying." Lydia replied.
"Do you think things will be easier now that we are different?" Allison asked as she raked her hand through fiery locks.
"I think things will be more difficult, but we will be able to manage more easily." Lydia replied closing her eyes. "Sweet dreams, Alli."
"Sweet dreams, Lyds." Allison replied closing her eyes with hopes that tomorrow would be a normal day.
Knock, knock!
Allison threw the blanket over her head at the noise. It was too early to wake up.
"Go away!" Lydia shouted groggily. Turning back into Allison.
"Come on guys! We have to go to school!" Stiles said from behind the door.
"We'll be down in a minute!" Lydia yelled back losing patience.
"Alrighty, see you downstairs." The boy replied before walking downstairs.
"Looks like we have to get ready." Lydia whispered into Allison's ear.
"Fiiine. Who needs school anyway?" Allison joked.
"We do if we are ever going to run away from this place." Lydia replied walking toward her bathroom. "Are you coming?" She asked making sure to show the older girl her nude body.
Allison got out of bed at that. "I plan on it." She replied.
The boys were downstairs eating breakfast when Allison and Lydia joined them.
"Took ya long enough. We are about to be late." Stiles said to the girls. "Welcome back, Alli." He said giving the girl a hug before exiting the kitchen.
"Here." Scott said giving the girls a pop tart. "I know it's not pancakes, but you guys should eat something."
"You might want these too." Isaac said handing them both a bottle of orange juice, before following Scott out of the kitchen.
"Okay, what was that all about?" Allison asked looking from Derek to Lydia.
"It might have something to do with Derek having a chat with the idiots." A new voice chimed in.
"A chat about what?" Lydia asked looking at Cora.
"Just you two getting marked by Artemis and Aphrodite. How we are supposed to feel safe with you two around is beyond me. See you in the car." Cora replied before sauntering out of the kitchen.
"We better get you to school." Derek said leading the girl's out of the kitchen and through the house.
"Why the hell do I have to school?" Cora asked Derek seething with rage.
"Because you never got to finish before you jetted off to South America. Besides, it'd give you enough time to bond with everyone, especially the girls." Derek explained.
Cora rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Fine, but I'm not gonna like it." She replied as they walked down the hallway to the principal's office.
Lydia laughed at the exchange.
"It will be nice to have Cora around." Allison said as she opened her locker.
"Yup, then I can have someone else I can drive nuts besides Stilinski." Lydia replied.
"Play nice." Allison said.
"I always play nice, Alli. I just like to leave a few marks, but of course you know that." Lydia replied with a smile.
They walked up the stairs toward their first class when two hands were placed on the pairs shoulders.
"There you are girls. I've been looking all over for you." Jennifer greeted them before pulling them into a classroom.
Allison stood in front of Lydia protectively.
"No need for that, Allison. I can assure you that I have lost my powers thanks to Scott and Derek. Peter had to die, but there was no great loss there." Jennifer explained happily.
"So, what do you want?" Lydia asked.
"I want us to be on fair ground. I would like a fresh start." Jennifer replied.
"You're lying!" Allison said getting frustrated.
"I'm not. Think, Argent. If I had power your eyes would be glowing purple wouldn't they?" The older woman asked.
"How do you know that?" Lydia asked defensively.
"Deaton isn't the only one that knows about what you two are destined to be. Why do you think I took your father, Allison? It wasn't an accident. I knew that you being in the ritual would awaken your abilities and I was right." Jennifer replied smugly.
The bell rang signaling the start of the school day.
"You better get to class girls. I'd hate for your grades to start slipping especially if you want to leave this god forsaken place." Jennifer shoved them out of the classroom.
They made it to History just in time for the second bell to ring. They took their usual seats by Scott and Stiles.
"What the hell was that?" Allison asked.
"I don't know, but I think our new Alpha has some splainin to do." Lydia replied making sure that Scott could hear.
Allison waited for the class to clear out before rushing Scott pinning him to a nearby wall.
"Why the hell is Jennifer still here?" she asked venomously. The hallway was more than empty and the only people that were around were Lydia and Stiles who was being held on the same wall by Lydia.
"She lost her power after the eclipse. I went back to the distillery to see if she was there, but she was gone. In her place were Peter and Deucalion, dead." Scott explained between breaths.
"There has to be something else at play here." Allison said letting Scott go.
"She knew you were still in the ice bath, Alli. She knows about us. What if she found her way back to the nemeton, but it only gave her enough power to live. What if she needs our power to become strong again?" Lydia asked letting Stiles go.
"It looks like we need to brush up on some literature." Allison said leading the group down the hallway to Ms. Blake's classroom.
Jennifer was wiping the dry erase from the board. She always got bored between classes and it was particularly worse because it was her planning period. The classroom door busted open and in stormed Allison, Lydia, Stiles and Scott.
"And what can I do for you?" She asked her students.
"We know you are trying to steal our powers." Lydia said in a cutthroat voice.
"We just want to know why." Allison added.
Jennifer sat at her desk. "You might want to sit down. This might take a while." She replied.
"As awful as you might think me to be, I am not trying to steal your powers. I was gathering all of that power to protect you." Jennifer started.
"Well you have a shitty way of showing it." Lydia replied.
"Do you really think I needed that power to kill Deucalion? Please, I killed him and Peter when I was weak. I needed a way to get Allison here in the ritual, so her powers would be awakened. Now, you getting yours Lydia was just a two for one deal." Jennifer explained.
"Then why did you kill all of those innocent people?" Scott asked angrily.
"They were sacrifices for a greater evil that is coming." Jennifer answered.
"What evil? And could you tone down the cryptic please, the more straight forward the better." Stiles replied.
Jennifer sat up straight at that. "I am sure you all know about Hades." The group nodded. "Well, he's coming and he's coming for the two of you." She replied pointing at Allison and Lydia. "Oh, you'll need these." She stood up from her desk and unlocked one of the cabinets next to the board. She took out two huge books and placed one of each in front of both Allison and Lydia.
"How are we supposed to read these? We don't know ancient Greek." Allison said as she flipped through a few pages of the book.
"You'll figure it out in time. I have faith in the both of you. Like I said before, I am here to protect you not hurt you. If you need anything you know where I'll be." Jennifer replied opening her classroom door ushering the teens out.
"So, she told you guys that Hades was coming and she just happened to give you books on the subject?" Isaac asked as he learned the new information that the group told him.
"I still don't trust the bitch. Especially, since she almost killed me." Cora said looking disgruntled.
Allison flipped through her book again before stopping on a page that had two women in it. One was wearing silver armor with a bow in her hand and the other was a woman in pink with a flower crown on her head. She stared at the picture and swore that she saw the images move.
"No way." Lydia said from across the table.
"Artemis and Aphrodite." Allison said pointing at the book.
"No, babe, look." Lydia said pointing over Allison's shoulder to two figures by a tree.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me." Cora said rolling her eyes at the goddesses.
"We have to go." Allison said getting up from the table pulling Lydia along with her.
"What are you guys doing here?" Allison asked looking from Artemis to Aphrodite and then back again.
"There is no need to sound so rude, child." Artemis replied.
"Sorry." Allison apologized.
"I think what my girlfriend meant to ask is how are you guys here?" Lydia asked as nicely as possible.
"We are here to assist you, darling. There is a reason that we marked the both of you and that's to ensure that you will be protected 24/7." Aphrodite explained.
"That's great. It really is, but is school really appropriate?" Allison asked.
"We come where we are needed. It seems Hades has made her presence here." Artemis made a face like she smelled something awful.
"Her?" Lydia asked.
"Oh, please, don't say you think Hades is a man?" Aphrodite asked.
"That's what we are told, but if you would like to tell us the truth that would be great as well." Allison replied.
"Hades is the embodiment of all of the gods in one body. She possesses strength, beauty, power and of course death." Artemis replied.
"I possess death." Lydia replied with a shaking breath.
"You are not Hades, Lydia. I have claimed you because you are of pure heart. This individual is not." Aphrodite said comfortingly.
"Well, ladies, it looks like it's hunting season." Allison replied jokingkly.
"First, let's get our goddess counterparts some clothes to blend in." Lydia added as the group made their way toward the girl's locker room.
They didn't notice the blonde girl watching them with angry black eyes. Oh, how she despised Aphrodite and Artemis.