If You're Going Through Hell
A/N: Hi everyone. So, life has not been pleasant here lately, meaning I haven't had much time to work on this or my other story. I hope you'll be patient and stick with me, and I'll try to continue updating as much as possible. Just to give you a heads up, this chapter gets a little gory in the middle. Your reviews and comments are always appreciated!
Chapter 18: That Which Makes Us Whole
"Ok, I'm glad we're getting the band back together, but I'm really starting to get tired of landing in a big pile like this," Brett groaned from the floor of the Portcullis as he tried to push Stiles and Isaac off of him. The others murmured in agreement around him as they regained their bearings.
"What just happened?" Theo asked, standing off to the side a bit, looking very unsure of himself.
"Well, Theo, on behalf of everyone here…" Stiles started, before being cut off.
"Stiles, don't welcome Theo to Hell. I think he's probably been through Hell enough already," Scott said.
"I suppose you have a fair point there," Stiles said with a shrug. Seeing Theo's look of growing confusion, they took pity on him and explained what was going on – how they were putting the Pack back together in order to return everyone back to life and how the Portcullis of Purgatorium had apparently decided to aid them on their quest by presenting them with a series of riddles and portals.
"Alright, that's pretty out there. But after everything we've been through, I definitely believe you. Count me in," Theo said once they were finished, a half-grin on his face.
"Now that we have that settled, what exactly are you?" Aiden asked, stepping forward and scenting the air purposefully with a confused expression on his face. "You don't smell like a true werewolf."
"I'm not," Theo replied simply, "I'm a chimera, part werewolf and part werecoyote. The Dread Doctors created me as part of their experiments to bring the Beast of Gevaudan back to life."
"That sounds like a terrible idea," Aiden said with a scoff before turning to Scott. "You have a very…eclectic pack."
"That's only the beginning," Stiles interjected with a grin, "we've also got a chameleon chimera, a werewolf who used to be a chimera, a Hellhound, and a full werecoyote, in addition to the banshee, kitsune, humans, and werewolves you already know about. Did I miss anyone?"
"I'm a werewolf, but I still have access to some of my kanima powers if I concentrate," Jackson added with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
"Oh yeah, we got one of those too," Stiles added, flailing his arm in the general direction of where Jackson stood and smiling widely. "And I possess a demon that I can shapeshift into."
"Yes, our pack is a bit eclectic," Scott finished, giving Aiden a searching look, "but that's a good thing. We rely on each other's strengths and help with each other's weaknesses. I like the fact that we have so many different kinds of people in our Pack. Is that going to be a problem for you?"
"No," Aiden answered quickly, and they could tell he was sincere. "It just surprised me is all. I've never met a pack before that was so…open. My first pack was only werewolves, we didn't even have an emissary. And then, well, you know what the Alpha Pack was like. So this is different than what I'm used to. But it suits you, all of you. And, if you're sure you want me, I'd like to be a part of it too."
"Good. Now that we have that settled, maybe we should get back to our search for those missing packmates," Stiles said before anyone else could say anything.
"I second that," Derek replied, raising his hand in the air for emphasis.
"Alright, let's get another riddle and keep going," Scott said, taking in everyone's expressions before turning towards the closest door and knocking as before.
A brief moment passed before this door's face slowly emerged. It had a much more feminine look about it, softer features and the impression of flowing hair. The voice, too, while still masculine, had a higher lilt to it. "Ah, hello travelers. I have been wondering when it would be my turn to gaze upon the ones the Portcullis has deemed worthy of our assistance. It brings me great joy to see that you have progressed through my three brother's challenges so well and managed to rescue those whom you seek. I do hope your luck shall continue to prevail."
"Um, thanks," Scott replied, taken aback by the short speech and unsure what to say in response. "Do you…do you have a riddle for us?"
"Of course, young one. Listen closely. What is that which makes us whole? Is a coin a coin if it has no second side? Or a year a year in which there is no winter? Or a brother a brother who has no sibling? Can a new whole be formed when an old one has been lost? Beyond my portal lies one who knows well the quandary of wholes and halves, having been both a whole and a half simultaneously in life. If you wish to proceed, my way must be opened by one who would redefine wholeness for the sake of friendship, who would rewrite the rules for the sake of love and secrets, and who would undo the wrongs of the past by breaking the rules of the present for the sake of a whole future. I wish you all the best of luck as you seek to solve my riddle." The face spoke in a lilting, easy voice before giving a small smile towards the Pack and sinking back into the wooden door.
"Um…what?" Brett asked, breaking the silence that had descended upon the group.
"No kidding. How are we supposed to figure out what that means?" Theo asked, turning to look at the others. Stiles, Noshiko, and Nolan looked deep in thought while the rest wore expressions of varying amounts of confusion and incredulity.
"Let's…let's start by going at this a little differently. Who all is still missing?" Nolan began, directing his question at Scott. Scott returned the look with an inquisitive gleam in his eye before he caught on.
"Oh, I get it. If we know who we are looking for, specifically, it'll be easier to figure out who fits the description. Like turning it into a multiple-choice question. That's a good idea," Scott replied.
"Well," Derek continued thoughtfully, "in addition to everyone we've already found, we have markers already set up for Kira, Liam, Malia, Ethan, Hayden, Parrish, Deucalion, Sheriff Stilinski, Argent, Allison, Boyd, Erica, and Peter. We talked about wanting to include a few more people as well, but we didn't have anything to create markers for them."
"Assuming it's one of the people you already have a marker for, that gives us thirteen options. So, what in the riddle can we use to narrow that down a bit?" Aiden asked, still skeptical of the whole situation.
"Wholeness was the key piece, by the sound of it. We're looking for someone who was 'both a whole and a half simultaneously in life,'" Noshiko answered.
"And who knows the quandary of wholes and halves well," Nolan added.
"Whatever that means," Brett finished, unnecessarily.
"Maybe it's Deucalion?" Isaac said, looking very unsure of himself as he said it. "I mean, he was whole, in the physical sense, before he lost his eyesight. And then he eventually got it back again."
"Maybe," Derek replied, "but I don't think losing your eyesight would really count as losing half of yourself. And all the riddles up to this point have been fairly literal, once we figured them out."
"Perhaps Malia then," Theo said. "She spent like half her life living in the woods as a coyote, and I know she struggled a lot to figure out who she was after you guys shifted her back to human." He cut himself off, embarrassed by the memories of what he had once done with that knowledge.
"I don't really think it would be her," Lori replied, surprising everyone. "I agree she struggled a bit right at first, but by the time I got to know her she was completely confident in who she was and had mostly put all that behind her. It didn't seem to bother her that she was different, so I'm not sure the whole/half bit really applies to her."
"What about Allison?" Scott said, hurrying to continue before the others could protest. "No wait, hear me out. Allison was a whole when she came to Beacon Hills, but then she learned that she only knew half the story. Then she also lost half of her family: Kate, her mom, Gerard. But then she became a new whole, when she and her dad went from being hunters to being protectors. She formed a new whole when the old one was lost."
"That…actually makes a fair amount of sense," Stiles replied, looking surprised as he said it. "But there is one piece that doesn't fit that really stuck out to me." He turned to look at Aiden before continuing. "Is a brother a brother who has no sibling?"
Aiden gasped slightly before responding. "Ethan. You think it's Ethan?" He looked disbelieving and hopeful all at the same time.
"Maybe. Does the rest of the riddle fit him?" Stiles answered with a noncommittal grunt.
"Ethan and I both were always torn on the whole/halves bit. We're not the same person, but a lot of people tried to treat us like we were. I suppose it didn't help any when we learned how to actually merge into one person. So that all fits," Aiden replied, struggling to not get his hopes up while he spoke.
"Can a new whole be formed when an old one has been lost?" Jackson asked, mostly to himself, though everyone with supernatural hearing still heard him.
"What did you say Jackson?" Derek asked.
"It was part of the riddle," Jackson said, sheepishly looking up and joining the conversation. "Can a new whole be formed when an old one has been lost? But it reminded me of something Ethan and I talked about when our relationship began to get more serious. We were both kind of…broken, I guess you could say. He had lost so much and I still hadn't gotten over the whole kanima thing. Basically we just talked a lot about what it would mean for us to move on, to be together and try to make one another whole again. And we decided the answer was yes, a new whole can be made."
"Ok, let's say you are correct, because so far that is the one that makes the most sense," Noshiko said, breaking the contemplative silence that had descended upon them after Jackson's reply. "If Ethan is the one on the other side of the portal, who is the one who should open the door?"
"Me!" Jackson and Aiden said simultaneously before turning to glare at one another.
"I'm his brother," Aiden quickly added, "we were literally one person at times. It would make the most sense for me to be the one to take us to him."
"But I'm his mate. That makes me his other half in a spiritual sense, and we helped one another create the new whole the riddle talked about," Jackson retorted.
"You guys are thinking about it the wrong way," Isaac interjected before the two could argue any further. "This isn't about who is closest to him, it's about who the riddle wants."
"That's right," Nolan added, though he hid slightly behind Stiles as he said it. "And the riddle talked about looking for someone who 'would redefine wholeness for the sake of friendship, who would rewrite the rules for the sake of love and secrets, and who would undo the wrongs of the past by breaking the rules of the present for the sake of a whole future.' We have to figure out who that describes."
"Do you have any suggestions?" Aiden asked, giving the younger human a stern look that had Nolan inching a little further behind Stiles.
Derek watched the exchange with intensity for a moment before speaking up. "Actually, I do. It's Stiles," he said simply, amused by the reactions of those around him.
"Why me? So far, there has been some definite connection between the one who opens the portal and the one it leads to. But, well, Ethan and I weren't exactly close, not after what happened with…" Stiles said quickly before tapering off to glance at Aiden with a guilt-ridden expression.
Scott moved in, clasping a hand tightly on Stiles' shoulder in support. "But like Nolan said, its not about who was close to him, its who the riddle wants. And what the riddle described…that's what you are doing. This whole thing with gathering the Pack together and sending everyone back to life. You are rewriting and breaking the rules and all that stuff for love and friendship so that we can have a future."
"Exactly," Derek added, also moving closer, "it has to be you."
"For what its worth, I believe they are correct as well," Noshiko said, giving Stiles an appraising look.
Stiles looked lost in thought for a moment as he processed this new idea. "Alright, I admit it makes sense as far as the logic of the riddle is concerned. But, like before, we only get one shot at this, so I'm not doing it unless we are all in agreement." He looked around the room, watching as everyone nodded their heads or gave some other indication that they agreed. "Well then, when in Hell…" Stiles said, throwing his arms in the air before striding over to the door. The face reappeared, but Stiles didn't wait for it to speak, instead grasping the door handle tightly, turning, and saying with a fierce determination in his voice, "Ethan Steiner!" The door smiled approvingly before the entire group was enveloped in bright light and cascaded forward through the portal once more.
They landed in a close huddle in an old, abandoned warehouse. The blinding light dissipated, leaving the Pack in near total darkness. The wolves could smell rust, mold, and traces of chemicals mixing with the emotions of fear, anger, disgust, and more. A scream tore through the air, followed by growls and laughter and sobs.
"Ethan!" Aiden called out in desperation, recognizing the voice of his brother crying out in pain and frantic to get to him. Stiles and Derek managed to hold him at bay.
"Wait," Derek said, trying to channel calm through their bond with one another, "we need to figure out what is going on rather than just diving in headfirst."
"But my brother!" Aiden replied through the fangs that he had let extend. At the same time, Isaac and Scott were doing their best to hold a similarly wolfed out and frantic Jackson.
"What exactly is going on?" Brett called out, apprehensive. The screams and cries continued to echo through the building. With Jackson and Aiden corralled, the wolves were able to concentrate enough to determine the sounds were coming from above them, in what appeared to be an office overlooking the floor of the warehouse.
It was at that point that Aiden went absolutely rigid, the smell of pain and terror wafting off of him and overwhelming the others. "No," he choked out, staring at the office several floors above them in horror.
"What is it? Do you know what this place is?" Scott asked, leaving Jackson for the moment to make his way over to the trembling wolf. Another petrified scream tore through them all before Aiden could reply.
"Yes," he said, looking close to being in tears as he did so, "this is…this is where our first p-p-pack…this was their den."
"The pack Deucalion helped you get out of?" Scott questioned, immediately regretting it at the look Aiden gave him. The former alpha gave in to the tears as he nodded his head solemnly in response.
"Aiden, I know its painful, but is there anything you can tell us that will help get your brother out of here?" Stiles asked with a grimace.
"They…" Aiden started, before stopping to take a deep breath to try and settle himself. When he continued, there was a cold steel to his voice, devoid of any emotion at all. "They tortured us for fun. Ethan and I were the youngest in the pack, omegas that they had taken in after another alpha bit us and abandoned us. They were ruthless, they treated us like slaves. We had to serve them, clean for them, cook for them, whatever they wanted. The…worst part, though, was this." He stopped, gesturing up towards the office. "They would chain us up, beat us…r-rape us…It was hell, and when Deucalion offered us a way out, we took it without stopping to question it, because we knew that whatever happened couldn't be worse than this." Aiden stopped as another heart-wrenching cry of pain tore through them from above. The others stared at him in varying amounts of sympathy and horror, but Aiden refused to look at any of them, eyes staring daggers at the office window above where they could see shadows moving around.
"Ok," Stiles said, breaking the tense silence, "so what we need to figure out is whether that is actually happening again, or if this is Ethan being forced to relive his memories of that time. And then we need to figure out how to get him out of here."
"How do you propose we do all that?" Theo asked, casting a skeptical glance at Stiles.
"Very carefully," Stiles replied, "and quietly."
"There should be a staircase over in that corner," Aiden interjected, pointing into the dark recesses of the building. "It'll take us up to the hallway right outside the office." He took off without waiting for anyone else, the others quickly, and silently, following behind him. Aiden led the way up several flights of stairs to the hallway in question, but stopped when they reached it. From this vantage point, they could much more easily make out the tearful sobs of Ethan as he begged and pleaded his tormentors to stop. It was almost too much for the freed twin to take, and only the hand of his new alpha on his shoulder kept him grounded enough to not dart in in a full frenzy.
The Pack slowly crept forward, Scott and Stiles (now in demon form) leading the way, Derek, Aiden, and Jackson right behind them with the rest spreading out down the hallway. The door to the office was left ajar, which the five of them took advantage of to sneak into the room undetected. Scott stopped dead in his tracks at the sight, Derek gaped in horror, Aiden doubled over on the verge of throwing up and Jackson collapsed to his knees. Demon-Stiles remained unreadable, though he clearly struggled to watch what was going on.
In the center of the room, stretched out and tied down to a metal table, was a young Ethan, perhaps 13 or 14 years old. His back was a flailed mess, lacerations tearing the skin open the entire length of his spine, some so deep in places that the bone was visible through the chunks of muscle and tissue laid bare before them. Judging by the odd angles of his limbs, there were also several broken bones in his arms and legs, all of which were coated in blood, cuts, and bruises. The boy was sobbing uncontrollably, his pleas becoming unintelligible through the pain and anger and betrayal.
Ethan was surrounded by four werewolves, all of whom were fully shifted and in various stages of tormenting him. One of them, standing on the young wolf's right, held a whip, the obvious cause of the lacerations up and down his back. Another, on his left, was in the process of tracing her claws up his arm, tearing through the skin as she did so. A third, crouched in front of him at eye level, was verbally taunting him, her voice a constant stream of insults and threats that only stopped when she paused to lean forward and bite at his face. The fourth, and lone male of the group, stood half undressed between Ethan's legs, his claws digging into the young boy's thighs as he pressed himself forward.
Ethan screamed again as the whip came crashing down on his back before exclaiming a muffled, "please," that spurred his rescuers into action. Demon-Stiles, Scott, and Derek made short work of attacking the four wolves torturing the poor boy, the battle raging in the office before they unceremoniously threw the beasts out of the window, Stiles flying after them to ensure they didn't recover. Aiden and Jackson went immediately to either side of the injured boy, cutting him loose and taking his pain as best they could. They got him into a sitting position as his tears slowly came to a halt, noticing that his frontside looked even worse than his back, if that were possible. Not knowing what else to do, and heartbroken over seeing him in such bad shape, Aiden and Jackson almost simultaneously wrapped Ethan in a tight embrace between the two of them, their own tears flowing freely and mixing with his.
Scott and Derek watched helplessly from the back of the room, joined a moment later by Stiles flying through the shattered window and returning to his human form after giving quick confirmation that the four attackers were gone. The rest of the Pack remained in the hallway, sickened enough by the smell and the sounds and having no desire to see what had happened as well. It took a long time, but eventually the three in the center of the room calmed down enough to pull away from one another, Ethan's eyes darting back and forth between his brother and his mate. His injuries had begun to heal, and his body began to age as he spoke. "I never thought I'd see either one of you again, much less both of you together coming to my rescue."
The two wolves spared one another a quick glance, Jackson spluttering a cross between a sob and a laugh while Aiden merely whimpered at the reminder of being separated from his brother for so long. "What do you remember?" Jackson finally asked as the room around them began to fade, seemingly becoming almost immaterial.
"Everything," Ethan said softly, giving his brother a quick wink, who looked away, as he drew Jackson in closer and kissed him, almost reverently. The blinding flash of white light went unnoticed by them, the feeling of cascading forward was just butterflies in their stomachs after having been separated for so long.
-o-
"Do you think they're ok?" Melissa asked, breaking the tense silence that had descended on the Nemeton's clearing.
Once Mason and Corey had disappeared through the barrier, she and Lydia had gone to work. They took inventory of what they had with them in terms of food and supplies, creating a rough estimate of how long it would last and what they would need to figure out a way to replenish first. They had also tended to Derek, feeding his comatose body some soup and water and cleaning up a few fresh cuts and scrapes that had spontaneously appeared. Then they had begun to excavate the ruins of the root cellar at the base of the tree. It was difficult work, most of the cellar was caved in from the Darach's attack and the intervening years of neglect. After two hours of digging and scraping, they decided to call it quits until the had some supernatural muscle to help them, and instead had gone about setting up a more permanent camp. Using materials that Derek and Lydia had brought with them as well as what Melissa had and what they could salvage from the root cellar, they were able to create a divided tent of sorts that would give both the men and women some privacy while they slept. Satisfied with their work, and concerned by the explosions they could hear off in the distance, Melissa had drawn the banshee out of her reverie.
"Hmm," was all Lydia said in reply for a moment, concentrating on something internally. "Yes," she finally added, "or at least, they are in no immediate danger of dying. I am able to sense that much. I wish my powers could tell me a little more though."
"Hon, that's ok. Knowing they're alive is more than enough for now," Melissa replied, settling down next to the young woman and wrapping her in a tight embrace. "I thought I had lost you all, that I was the only one left. So having you and them back, and the promise of the rest coming soon, it's…well, let's just say I'm not going to be complaining any time soon."
"I know what you mean," Lydia mumbled into the older woman's shoulder. "Ever since this whole thing started with Monroe and her hunters, I've just been so terrified of…"
"Terrified of what?" Melissa asked, though she suspected she already knew the answer.
Lydia paused to collect her thoughts before speaking. "You remember when we told you about Canaan?"
"The town the Ghost Riders took? The one that was abandoned and forgotten?"
"Yeah. We met a woman there, Lenore. She was a banshee, like me. She was the only one who wasn't taken. I guess the Ghost Riders liked the idea of leaving the harbinger of death behind. Anyways, it made me realize that every banshee I've met – their stories haven't ended well. Lenore spent 30 years living alone in a ghost town with her conjured son. Meredith was basically driven mad by her powers and others trying to use them for their own benefit. And my own grandmother did go mad before she was finally murdered. But they all have something in common. They all ended up alone. And, here lately, it has felt like the same thing was happening to me. Everyone around me has died, and I'm the one left behind, all alone."
"Oh Lydia, sweetheart, you're not alone, I promise. You're not. I'm here, Mason and Corey are coming back, Scott and Stiles are going to bring everyone back. We've even got Derek," she paused to look over at the prone body set atop the Nemeton, "who is as talkative as ever." They both laughed slightly at that. "Just because the banshees you've met haven't had happy endings, that doesn't mean you won't get one. I've seen this Pack pull off some pretty remarkable, darn near impossible feats. And they, we, will do it again."
"Yeah, you're right," Lydia replied, shaking her head slightly as she pulled herself together. "This is the best chance we've had in over two years. As long as everyone makes it back to life safely, we will all be together, in one spot, and we can end this war for good."
Just then, they heard more sounds in the far-off distance, almost like a battle taking place. "But, I do hope those two make it back safely, and soon," Melissa said, standing as she strained her ears to try and hear more of what was taking place, though it was much too far away for her to be successful. Eventually the sounds died back down, as though the peace had been restored or one side had been victorious. "Do you think the silence is a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked, turning towards her younger friend. Lydia simply shrugged noncommittally, eyes fixed on a section of the barrier around the Nemeton that had begun to fog up.
"I think we are about to find out," she whispered, dragging Melissa along to hide in the tent they had constructed a few hours earlier.
-o-
The eleven packmates found themselves piled together in the Portcullis once again, this time with only two doors (directly across from one another) left. Several of the group, mostly Brett, grumbled at ending up thrown together in a heap like this again, while the rest took in their surroundings, including their newest addition. Ethan and Jackson were forced to break apart when Isaac had landed on top of the two of them, which in turn caused Ethan to finally recognize the rest of them were there.
"Um, here," Scott said, face red with embarrassment as he handed the wolf some wadded up material, "these were in that room, and I thought you might want to…" he trailed off, obviously uncomfortable saying anything more. Ethan wordlessly snatched the clothes from his alpha and hurriedly put them on before retreating back to stand sandwiched between his brother and mate.
"So, is anyone going to explain what's going on, or are we all just going to stand here and stare awkwardly at one another all day?" Ethan finally asked, eyes roaming over the various faces surrounding him.
Stiles began to reply, "Well Ethan…"
"Welcome to Hell," Isaac interjected before he could finish with a grin, receiving a death glare from Stiles in response and a chorus of groans and laughs from the others.
"That's my line," Stiles pouted, causing another round of chuckles before Scott reined them in.
"What do you remember?" Scott asked, drawing closer to Ethan and smacking his best friend on the shoulder playfully along the way. Ethan watched them carefully before replying.
"I died," he said plainly, though wrapping an arm more tightly around his brother who had shuddered at the pronouncement. "After Jackson was killed," he stole a glance at his mate, a wounded look in his eye, "I just…well, I just couldn't take it anymore. Everyone who was left reminded me of what I had lost, and, I guess, I just didn't want to keep going. Not with packlife, not with pretending we were going to win this fight. I mean, what would have been the point? So I left, went off to the woods and waited. It didn't take long for some of Monroe's hunters to find me. I did take a couple of them with me though." He said it with a nonchalant shrug, but they could all tell he was struggling with this story.
"When I died, I arrived in this world at a huge set of gates surrounded by people. I knew Jackson and Aiden had to be around somewhere, so I took off in search of them. I kept looking for months, but I never found so much as a trace of either of you guys." He stopped to take them both in again, an arm clenched tightly around each as though he was afraid to let either of them go. "It was maybe a month or two ago that I came across a really strange tunnel. It had these marking all over the walls. Some of them looked like Druid symbols, but others were something else entirely. It had this…I don't know really what to call it, a pull I guess…I was drawn to it and started walking down it. As I did, I felt myself getting younger, regressing back to when I was a newly bitten teen wolf. And then, when I reached the end of the cave, I was…well, I was in that warehouse. I froze, it brought back so many painful memories, and the next thing I know I'm being grabbed and dragged into the office and reliving those memories. After that…well, you saw what happened."
"Ethan, I'm so, so sorry for what happened to you," Scott began before Ethan waved him off.
"It's certainly not your fault. And my time in your Pack taught me a lot and helped me move past all that. I'm sorry I left you guys behind instead of staying and fighting with you."
"It's ok, we understand," Scott replied. "Though actually, if you are serious about that, there's something you should know." Scott launched into the story, filling Ethan in on what had happened in his absence and what the group was now trying to do. Stiles was uncharacteristically quiet through the process, seemingly lost in thought, though Derek and a few others interjected from time to time. By the end of it, Ethan was dumbfounded, staring incredulously between Scott, Jackson, and Aiden.
"Are you guys a part of this?" he asked them, eyes still darting back and forth between the two.
"Yeah, of course," Jackson said with a grin.
"Scott offered, and I did accept," Aiden said, much more carefully.
"Then I'm in too. Whatever it takes to win this and have these two in my life again. Though, I gotta admit, its really strange seeing the two of you together," Ethan said, frowning slightly.
"It was kind of strange meeting your brother, and a little intimidating," Jackson admitted, causing Ethan to level his brother with a fierce glare.
"What? I had to make sure he understood our ground rules," Aiden replied, trying to look offended and failing miserably. His defense caused Ethan to burst into laugher though.
"You…you told him…I wish I could have seen the look…oh that's too good!" he said, doubling over with laughter at the thought. Aiden looked rather smug while Jackson just looked embarrassed and helpless.
Derek, meanwhile, was scrutinizing Stiles with intensity. Finally, his curiosity won out. "Stiles, you're being awfully quiet. What are you thinking about?"
"Huh, what?" Stiles said, startled out of his reverie. "Oh, its nothing."
"Stiles," Derek growled, warningly, gathering the attention of the rest of the group.
"Fine," the young man replied, shaking his head and gathering his thoughts. "It was what Ethan described, the tunnel with the runes and symbols. It sounds an awful lot like the tunnel we went down before we found Isaac."
"You mean the one that turned us into mice?" Nolan interrupted, shivering at the thought.
"Yes," Stiles continued, "that transformative magic, those symbols, I'd be willing to bet it's the same."
"But," Scott said, slowly catching on to the implications of where this was going, "I thought you said that it was a combination of Druid and Demon magic, and that only you should be able to do that."
"The one we went through was a combination of Druid and Demon magic, and I should be the only one who can do that. You have to have both to use both. But this sounds more and more like there might be another Druid/Demon hybrid out there – and if these transformation tunnels are any indication, I don't think they are up to anything good." Stiles finished, his expression grim.
"The magic is breakable though," Noshiko spoke up, surprising them as she did. "You said earlier that you were able to undo the mouse spell, and clearly something happened to undo the de-aging spell on Ethan. We are capable of fighting these things, so at the moment I don't think they are our primary concern."
"She's right," Derek picked up. "We have a limited time frame to work with, so we need to prioritize. Unless we end up having to fight this Demon/Druid person, we should continue focusing on finding our pack."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Stiles said, though he didn't look all that convinced.
"Well, if we are all in agreement," Scott began, making eye contact with each of his packmates before moving over to the door closest to him and knocking on it the requisite three times.
The face that emerged was long and narrow, looking stretched and slightly disfigured. It took them by surprise, since the first four had all been very human and recognizable. "Hello, Scott," the face said, its voice fluctuating between high and low, almost as though two different voices were trying to speak at the same time. "You are ready for another riddle, yes?" it asked. By this point, everyone had drawn closer together, on edge because of the differences and abnormality of this face.
"Yes," was all Scott said in reply.
"Good, good. Listen closely. I am one who joined you from a land far away, drawn to the Beacon like a moth to a flame. Though radically different, and only together for a short while, our time together brought me great joy. The way forward must be opened by the one who brought me forth into the world, the one I am closest to and long to see once again. Who am I?" the face looked pained as it spoke, contorting in weird positions while the voice continued to modulate between the two pitches. When it was finished, it quickly receded back into the wood grain, leaving a very dumbstruck group in its wake.
"Well that was different," Stiles said unnecessarily.
"I'll say," Scott said, "though I think this riddle might be easier to figure out than the others." He paused to look at the elderly woman on the other side of the room.
"You think its Kira," she said, more a statement than a question, her expression contemplative.
"From a land far away, drawn to Beacon Hills, radically different, only with us for a short while. It all fits," he replied simply.
"And I suppose, as the 'one who brought her forth into the world,' that would make me the one to open the door," Noshiko continued, moving forward slowly as she spoke.
"It would make sense," Derek said, though he didn't look too sure of himself, still mostly staring at the door.
"There's something off about this one. I don't trust it, the way that face was all contorted, there's something else going on here," Stiles grumbled, also staring at the door in question.
"But, we don't know if that's a problem or not. We don't really know anything about this Portcullis other than that it's supposed to be helping us find our missing packmates. As we keep saying, most of the riddles have been meant literally. And this is about as literal as it gets," Scott said, defending his answer.
"I suppose," was the only response he got from his best friend.
"Well, let's find out," Noshiko finished, striding forward, grasping the handle, turning, and calling out "Kira Yukimura."
As she did, the face morphed into an actual, strikingly handsome looking face, its expression turning to one of horror. "I'm sorry!" it cried out just before the blinding light enveloped them once again. They landed in a field, the smell of death all around them.
"Come now, Noshiko. I thought you of all people would know better than to trust a riddle about a fox," a man said from his position atop a pile of bodies. The Pack drew close together for protection, all staring at the man in confusion except for Stiles and Noshiko.
"Nogitsune," she breathed out, causing a ripple of fear to run through them all.