Somehow, as the question passes through my mind, I know I am. It's like there's a part of me deep down inside that knew along.
I am a phoenix.
I reach up to my chest. My shirt is covered in blood, but there's no wound under it.
"Are you alright?" I ask Stiles.
"I'm not the one with blood covering her shirt!" Stiles nearly yells.
"You were." I reason. "That witch tried to rip your heart out!" His hand flies to his chest.
"But..." He frowns. "I'm fine. There's nothing there." I figure now isn't time to joke about his phrasing.
"What did you do?" Dad gasps.
"Well, it appears I can take much more than just pain." I say simply. "I think... Well, I think I'm a phoenix."
"What?" Dad asks.
"Dude, that is so cool!" Stiles says, throwing his arms up. "Does that mean you can fix the Nemeton?!"
"I don't know anything about what I am! How would I be able to fix an ancient, magical tree that's been corrupted by some serious dark magic?"
"I dunno, how did you know you were a phoenix?"
"I- I pieced the available information together." I figured it wouldn't help my case to tell him I just knew.
"Mmhmm." Stiles raised an eyebrow at me. I scowl at him.
"I should probably go and change my shirt before a nurse comes in." I say, motioning to my blood-stained shirt.
"No kidding. Don't worry, we'll be fine here." Dad replies.
"What are you going to tell the nurse about…" I motion to Stiles.
"I dunno, but we'll figure something out."
"I'm tellin ya dad, it was a miracle. A miracle!" Stiles jokes.
"Perhaps." Dad replies with a smile.
I duck out the window, climbing easily down from the second story to the ground. I sprint quickly to the Argents' house, making sure no one spots me on the way there. It would be a bit hard to explain why I've got a giant bloodstain on the front of my shirt.
It isn't long before I'm entering the small living room of the Argent home.
"Kay?! What happened?!" Riley's panicked voice rings through the house. Before I can respond, Jack, Mac, and Riley have all rushed over.
"I'm fine, I promise." I reply as they check me over.
"What the hell happened?!" Jack asks incredulously.
"I'm, uh, still trying to figure that out. I somehow managed to heal Stiles. I think I took his wound, or something, and I healed." I explain. "Now gimme a sec. I need to change my shirt." I cut them off before they can respond, grabbing a shirt from my bag and rush into the bathroom.
For a moment, I just stand there, staring at my reflection. It strikes me that this is the first time I've been alone since I… Since I what? Did I just get caught in the fire, or did I actually die? Was there some other factor that I was unaware of? Did the bite just react to the fact that I was being burnt alive and somehow turn me into a phoenix? I shake my head. There's no way I can answer those questions. Not with the information available.
I give a sigh as I finally take off my shirt to change. I freeze as I'm met with an almost unrecognizable sight. Unlike most transformations the bite might reign in, my body is relatively the same. I've still got my slim build due to my, erm, active lifestyle. Instead, the major change is shown through my skin. Gone is the roadmap of scars built up from the many disciplining sessions I suffered from the Goblin King. Gone are the numerous claw and bite marks that were spread across my body. Gone are the bullet and stab wounds that were proof of my hazardous job. I found myself staring at my now flawless skin. I twist to look at my back in the mirror. You would never be able to guess that whips had cut into my skin again and again and again and again.
As I pull on a new shirt I can't help but give a sigh of relief. The unfamiliar, unmarred skin is hidden from sight for now. I take another deep breath, meeting my gaze in the mirror. I feel a wave of calm come over me as I take in the familiar, steely look in my eyes. I'm still the same person. It'll take a lot more than a bite to get me to change who I am, to get me to stop moving forward and getting through the tough times.
My heart jumps as my eyes turn blue. It isn't the glowing blue of a beta who's taken an innocent life, but a natural blue. 'Almost the same shade as Mac,' My mind unhelpfully notes. I lean closer to the mirror as a spike of confusion cuts through the calmness. Suddenly my eyes are a vibrant, emerald green. The realization hits me, and my eyes flare an unnatural red as anger burns in my gut.
"Wonderful. I have fucking mood eyes." I grumble. I hear Mac choke on something out in the living room. I'm vaguely aware of Jack and Riley asking Mac if he's okay while I take deep breaths, trying to get my emotions under control. Soon enough my eyes are back to their warm, whiskey-brown.
I walk out of the bathroom to find Jack and Riley shooting strange looks at Mac. Rather than explaining to them, Mac just turns to me.
"What's this about mood eyes?" He asks.
"I'm sorry, what?" Riley's eyebrows shoot up.
"Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Jack says, eyes looking up to the ceiling.
"I'm still trying to figure that out myself, Jack." I grumble. "Look, I think the bite somehow managed to turn me into a phoenix. I'm not quite sure how, but I seem to have healed Stiles by, I dunno, taking his wound or something. After that I rushed here to change my shirt and I found out that all my scars are gone and, apparently I have mood eyes."
"I'm sorry. WHAT?!" Riley reiterates.
"You seem to be taking this rather well." Mac notes. I shrug.
"Well, I figure I can panic about this when I'm safe at home."
"Hey, at least we have the means to fix the Magic Treehouse now." Jack pipes in.
"Yeah, except I would have no freaking clue what to do to fix the Nemeton." I reply.
"Well, how did you figure out that you're a phoenix?" Mac took another sip from his cup of water.
"I died in a fire, and woke up alive and stronger. After that I managed to heal Stiles, but it felt like I was being burnt alive throughout the process. Not to mention, ever since I got bit I'd been running warmer than the normal person." I hesitate, before adding, "And, it just kinda, I dunno, seems right. When I first thought it, it just made sense. It's hard to explain, but now that I've thought about it, I just know."
"Maybe, it's because even before they disappeared phoenixes were rare. Not many, if any, would have another phoenix to help them. Perhaps phoenixes are very instinctual?" Mac muses.
"Well, whatever the reason, I should probably get back to the hospital to check up on Dad and Stiles." I start heading for the door.
"We're coming with you." Jack says, grabbing his jacket and beating me to the door. I look to see Riley and Mac similarly grabbing their things.
"Okay?" I shrug.
"We were talking, and with everything that's been going on, we should probably make sure no one is ever alone." Mac informs me.
"Cool." I nod.
We made our way to the hospital fairly quickly. When we got to Stiles' room we were greeted with the sight of Stiles in some clean clothes, apparently having just changed out of the hospital gown he was wearing.
"What did you tell the nurses?" I find myself asking.
"I'm not quite sure. Melissa told them some hospital jargon and then we were all good." Stiles replies with a grin.
"And what did you tell Melissa?" Jack raises an eyebrow at Stiles and Dad.
"Oh, you know. Just that my long-lost twin sister, who died, got turned into a phoenix and healed my 'stab wound,' which was actually a 'witch trying and failing to rip my heart out' wound." Stiles shoots Jack a devilish grin.
"Only in Beacon Hills." Dad sighs, massaging his temples with his fingertips.
"So, what now?" Riley butts in. "I mean, now that the whole revenant-plus-invading-pack-plus-witch situation is dealt with."
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I wouldn't mind calling it there and just heading home." Jack suggests.
"But what about the Nemeton?" Stiles waves his arms frantically. "I mean, we finally have a way to fix it, right? I know you said that you wouldn't know how to do it, but, I mean, it can't be that hard to figure out and do now that we actually have a phoenix, right?" I raise an eyebrow at Stiles.
"Dearest brother, please don't jinx it." I lay a hand on his shoulder. "We think that phoenixes are very instinct-driven, but that doesn't mean that it's going to be a simple task to fix the Nemeton. Rituals like what have happened at the Nemeton are serious magic, they are intended to be permanent, or at least as close as you can get." He deflates for a moment. Only for a moment, though.
"But we could, like, go check it out? Then, maybe figure out how to go from there? Maybe you could stay here? Or you could always visit frequently. And I mean very frequently. Like, monthly, at least, right?" His mouth moves a mile a minute, and his hand gestures are nearly as fast.
"We'll just have to see." I give him a nod and I sense my friends' startled confusion behind me. Happiness flutters in my gut at the familiar torrent of words. Stiles flails backwards.
"Kay, your eyes just turned blue!" Stiles eyes are comically wide. Right, the 'mood eyes.' I feel a flicker of annoyance. "And, uh, now they're green…" He gapes at me.
"Yeah… Apparently my eyes can now change their color to show my mood." I grumble.
"That is so…" Stiles starts.
"Unfortunate? Inconvenient?" I suggest.
"Funny?" Jack grins, leaning forward to pat my head. I scowl at him.
"COOL!" Stiles nearly yells.
"Well, maybe we should continue this conversation at the house? You four can walk there and Stiles and I will pick up some dinner during the drive home?" Dad interrupts, ducking under Stiles' waving arms.
"That sounds like a plan."