The pillow case was swiftly pulled off of Kurt's head. He was breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating after the shock of being taken hostage by two burly students dressed in black cloaks. He'd not been at Dalton Academy for a full 24 hours and already he was being held hostage? He looked around at the two goons and shouted "What the hell is going on here?" He was terrified. The whole trauma from the Karofsky incident flashed back into his memory as he was now kneeling on the cold marble floor of a darkened room lit only by candles.
"Please don't be alarmed, Kurt." A familiar voice drew his attention to the front of the shadowy room. In the dim light, he could see that it was Wes Fong, one of the senior councilmembers of the Warblers who had given Kurt a tour of Dalton Academy earlier that afternoon. "Please do forgive David and Thad's abduction approach." Wes glared at the two hooded figures standing on both sides of Kurt. "I promise you they meant no harm."
David Johnson, another of the senior councilmembers, threw up his hands in defense. "Hey, it was all Thad's idea," pointing to the slender boy standing next to him. Thad rolled his eyes but smirked at him.
"That's quite enough from both of you," Wes said as he leaned forward in his seat behind the long table. As Kurt's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed that the four of them were not alone in the room. In fact, he was in the direct center of a circle of all the Warblers, all of whom were wearing those black cloaks with the hoods pulled back. He spotted Blaine Anderson, his first friend (and crush) at Dalton, somewhere to his right. The other boy gave him a small nod and a slight smile signifying that everything was going to be okay. The gesture certainly relaxed Kurt's nerves and made his heart race a bit faster.
"Now, Kurt," Wes began. "I'm sure you're curious as to why you've been brought here this evening."
Kurt chuckled nervously and said "Do you think?" he asked sarcastically. All the Warblers laughed before Wes continued. "Well, to complete your acceptance into the Dalton Academy Warblers, we would like to induct you as our newest member into the Sons of Ignatius Dalton."
Kurt tilted his head to one side questioningly. "Who are the Sons of Igneous Dalton?" he asked, mispronouncing the name.
Wes smiled as the candlelight flickered across his face. "The Sons of Ignatius Dalton is a secret society founded by the Warblers back in 1911. Ignatius Dalton, the founder and first headmaster of our school in 1891, was also the creator and director of the Warblers. He was headmaster for twenty years until his passing of tuberculosis in the fall of 1911.
"The night after his funeral, it is said that one of the Warblers went to pay a visit to the old headmaster's abandoned office, only to find a caged canary sitting on the desk. After consulting with other fellow Warblers and inquiring with all the students and faculty at Dalton, no one could explain where the canary had come from. Seeing it as a sign that Ignatius Dalton was still with them, the Warblers formed a secret society in the hopes of keeping their beloved music director's spirit alive, and generations have done so to this day. As for the canary, it has become our emblem, a symbol of the passion and exuberant joy that this glee club brought Ignatius Dalton. We Warblers worship the canary, hearing the perfection in its song that we all strive to achieve."
Kurt sat, awestruck, as the images of Wes' story played out cinematically in his mind's eye. Wes grinned at the look of wonderment on the new student's face. "Whatever transpires here tonight, Kurt, you must not breathe a word to anyone outside of the Warblers' circle. Is that clear?" Kurt nodded, heart pounding in his chest and still startled by everything that had transpired.
Wes rose from his seat and as he did so, the Warblers closed up the circle, surrounding Kurt like a herd of buffalo protecting their calf. "Arise, Kurt Hummel," Wes said. Kurt rose to his feet and stood as straight as he possibly could with head held high and chest out. He could have sworn that he heard muffled laughter from Blaine's general direction.
Within a minute, Wes stood before him with a caged canary. "This is Pavarotti," he gestured to the adorable bird perched inside. "He is the descendent of the very first Warbler canary. Your induction into the Sons of Ignatius Dalton depends on his decision. If he sings, then you're in. If not…" Wes paused for a moment. "Well, we'll address that problem later." Wes put the cage on the floor directly at Kurt's feet. The others in the room took a giant step back, watching with bated breath as Pavarotti flitted around his cage.
Kurt could hear his heart pounding in his ears as two conflicting emotions ran through his mind. At first, he wanted to burst out laughing, thinking how silly it was that a bird would decide his future at Dalton Academy. On the other hand, he was feeling extremely nervous. He wanted nothing more than to become one of the Warblers and be included in all their activities. Hell, all he wanted was something the New Directions would never allow him: a solo. Blaine practically guaranteed him a solo at some point. The offer had been tempting. He knew he had what it took, but did Pavarotti know that? He shot a side glance at Blaine, who caught his eye and, though looking absolutely panic-stricken, nodded encouragingly in response.
Pavarotti, as if sensing all the tension in the room, simply sat on his perch and chirped a loud, beautiful note. The room erupted into tumultuous applause and cheers. Wes approached Kurt with a big smile. "Kurt, by the power vested in me as a senior councilmember of the Dalton Academy Warblers, it is my greatest honor to welcome you to the Sons of Ignatius Dalton!" Wes shook Kurt's hand and embraced the new kid in a tight hug. The other boys crowded him and Kurt somehow found Blaine in the melee and the two embraced. "You did it! You're one of us now, Kurt!" Blaine said excitedly, flashing his beautiful, mega-watt smile that made Kurt's heart do backflips. As the boys gathered around him and began to chant "Hummel! Hummel!" repeatedly, tears of joy filled Kurt's eyes. For the first time in what seemed a long while, he felt like he truly belonged.