Hey everyone :)! So my original plan was to update every Saturday. But since I did actually manage to finish this chapter and have gotten quite a few requests to update soon, this chapter is ready :D! Aaand, it's story time, yay! This is a reeeally long chapter, so bear with me. But it was uber fun to write because I actually got to include my own fable! Yup, this fairytale is an original one by moi for this story :). And by the way, Rolf is a name that's wolf-related, and Mina is a name that means love, so there's the reasoning behind that (Also, I love the Sound of Music ;) ). I did try to research a bit of the mythology on werewolf relationships, so there is a bit of that in there. But for the purpose of this story, I've kind of sculpted my own little interpretation on supernatural/magical mythology. Hope it's intriguing and entertaining enough! And looking back on it, I'm really glad that I had Stiles eavesdrop on the storytelling, because otherwise I'd have to write Scott retelling this story to Stiles later on, and I really don't want to have to go through all that again XD.
I knew I wouldn't even come close to finishing this before the premiere, but I'm glad for it, because now that I'm getting a little more understanding of the concepts presented in Season 5, it might make it a bit easier to write out some of the battling that'll have to go down between the pack and the evil scientists.
Speaking of Season 5, if anyone has seen the two premiere episodes, feel free to private message me discussions and speculations on it! I do not know anyone at the moment who has caught up with the show completely, and I'm in dire need to fan-squeal about it with someone. OMG, SO MANY QUESTIONS! And in the second episode (Warning: sort of spoiler!), during a certain Scotlinski scene involving hands and certain supernatural anesthesia, pleeease tell me I am NOT the only one who noticed what happened with the truck lights! Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I have a sneaky suspicion that something's going on... And I'd like to pride myself on have sort of Stiles-like instincts ;). Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! The next one is still being planned, but I should be able to post it at the latest next Saturday. Thank you sooo much for all the positive support! I'm so glad you like the story so much and am stoked that the concept is so well received :)!
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf, including certain facts that I've adopted from Season 5 canon since I love them so much (#SeasonFiveIsSoCreepyEpic :D).
Chapter 2: Once Upon a Time
"Scott, time to feed the cats," declared Dr. Alan Deaton.
Scott groaned. Even though the cats at the animal clinic finally got to a point where they weren't yowling and lunging spastically every time Scott came by, they would still give him death glares when he fed them, and he didn't like dealing with the animosity. He still carried on with his job though, knowing that he did make at least some progress with them, and he grudgingly grabbed a bag of cat food and walked to where the cats were residing. One of them growled at him, and by an odd animalistic instinct Scott growled back, "Oh shut up! All I do is come in and give you food. Why on Earth do you still think I'm out to get you or something?"
The cat instantly jumped back, eyes growing wide with a rare, startled expression on its face. After a second, it meekly lay down, politely waiting for its food. Scott's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as Dr. Deaton walked by, having just noticed the phenomenon as well. "Impressive; you seem to be making even more progress with them. It's almost like it understood you." He chuckled, and Scott chuckled back lamely, baffled rather than amused. He had a weird feeling that the cat somehow did understand him, perfectly. Maybe growing up as a werewolf meant evolved powers. But something told him that wasn't it at all, which made Scott feel slightly uneasy. Nevertheless, he shook the feeling off and kept working until all the cats were fed, surprisingly easily. He continued doing various tasks, casually chatting with Deaton about school and about the new creepy villains arriving at Beacon Hills and about Deputy Parrish's recent accomplishments and about how Stiles was the main reason for the deputy embracing his awesomeness. And upon mention of his best friend, inspiration suddenly struck Scott; he figured if he could ask anyone about what was going on with him and Stiles and get a satisfactory answer, he could definitely ask Deaton.
Speaking of Stiles, the teen had just arrived at the clinic, wanting to drop in and visit both the veterinarian and his best friend. Mainly though, he did want to talk with Scott; he knew his friend was right, that they needed to work this out sooner than later. He was just about to knock on the desk to make his presence known when something unusual yet familiar struck his ears. It took a moment for him to realize with shock that he was actually hearing voices. In fact, he was hearing Scott's voice, loud and clear, as though his best friend was standing right next to him. Without really realizing it, Stiles sank to the floor, completely befuddled by this apparently evolved sense of hearing. This didn't make sense; the only people Stiles knew who had hearing this good were…
No. That couldn't be it. That wasn't possible at all. He ignored the worrying thoughts plaguing his mind and was about to get up and walk in when he heard Scott's inquiring voice. He stopped, staying hidden, and decided to eavesdrop on the conversation between the werewolf and the emissary.
"Uhh, Dr. Deaton, can I ask you something?" Scott asked, nervously approaching the vet.
"Of course, Scott. Is anything the matter?"
"No, no; nothing's wrong. I was just…curious about something."
Deaton raised his eyebrows in kind amusement. "Okay, curious about what?"
Scott took a moment to process his question before asking it, careful to be sincere so as not to reveal anything. "Can…can someone who's not a werewolf…become an alpha?" Stiles's breathing deepened, not quite sure if he wanted to hear the answer, but he forced himself to listen.
Deaton's brows rose again, but this time in puzzlement. "An alpha? Yes, alpha roles are present in many species of nature, but as far as I know, alpha in the supernatural sense has only referred to werewolves." Stiles softly sighed in relief; maybe his red eyes weren't that significant after all…
Scott slowly nodded his head. "Okay," he said, still not entirely convinced. Deaton was quick to pick up on that. "If you don't mind my asking," he began carefully, "why exactly do you want to know?"
Scott took a deep breath; performance time. "It's just…I was just thinking…Kate Argent is still out there, and yeah, she's not exactly a werewolf, but she was scratched by one, and if a werewolf can become an alpha by killing one, what if…what if Kate is able to do just that?" He worked hard to maintain a steady heart beat and wear his scared puppy eyes. Stiles had to hold back a snort; even without looking he could clearly see the face that Scott was putting on. He had to admit though, it was a decent cover-up.
Deaton smiled, realizing now what was worrying the young alpha. "You don't have to worry about Kate; she can't do anything of the sort."
Scott smiled back, feigning relief, but he knew he still had to worm some sort of an answer out of the doctor. "So there aren't any records of ANY non-werewolf with alpha powers? At all?"
"No, none that I've heard of." The doctor pondered for a moment. "Although, now that I think about it, there is actually one children's fable that does discuss that very matter! It hasn't been told in so long that I almost forgot all about it!"
Scott perked up. "A children's fable?" he questioned, feeling his heartbeat rise just like- wait, he sensed something. Another heartbeat, also rapidly increasing, and one so familiar. He breathed in and caught a whiff of a very recognizable scent. Stiles was here, sitting right outside, though why the boy didn't just come in Scott didn't know. He returned his attention to Deaton, making a mental note to rush outside when this was all done and tell Stiles everything, no matter what the truth held.
"It used to be told in werewolf families; the mother or father or both would relay it to their children in the hope that they would learn from it and be strong people as well as strong werewolves." A nostalgic smile grew on his face. "It was one of Talia Hale's favorite stories to tell."
Scott's eyes gently widened in surprise; this was news to him. "Wait, werewolves have their own children's stories?"
"Of course! Every culture has fables and fairytales unique to them, and that includes supernatural cultures." Deaton then noticed the expectant expression Scott was wearing and couldn't help but smirk. "You know, even though this story was typically only told in families of werewolf blood, perhaps you'd appreciate it too."
Scott grinned widely, forgetting all his reasons for bringing this up in his youthful fascination. "Story time?" he asked excitedly.
Deaton laughed, "Story time indeed." Without another word, Scott hopped up onto a free space on the table and crossed his legs, beaming up at the emissary. Deaton gave him a funny look but chuckled it off, secretly admiring the childlike spirit that the boys seemed to possess and would never lose. He himself propped himself up on the edge of a counter for the fun of it, and with twinkling eyes, he began the story:
"Once, there was a young man named Rolf-"
Both Scott and Stiles snorted. "Really? Rolf?" Scott giggled.
Deaton narrowed his eyes. "That was the name Talia used. When you have kids, use whatever name you want."
A grin spread across the boy's face. "Once, there was a young man named Stiles," he echoed, "I think I could work with that." Stiles groaned good-naturedly and rested his head in his hands; Scott was such a goose. A werewolf, but a goose nonetheless. Deaton however continued to stare at the alpha sternly, and Scott calmed himself down. "May I continue now?" he said, authoritatively but kindly. Scott nodded, and the doctor continued.
"Anyway, Rolf lived in a small village and had a pretty good life. He had parents who loved him dearly and friends who always supported him. But there was a pack of werewolves on the move, and they had arrived at this village on the night of the full moon. The alpha of this pack was unstable; he became an alpha far too soon and was not in full control of his powers yet. Therefore, he unfortunately lost control that night and ended up biting Rolf and turning him. He begged for forgiveness afterwards and offered his guidance to the new beta."
Scott frowned. "That kind of sucks," he lamented, "I almost got annoyed with that alpha, but I understand how it feels to turn someone without meaning to." He thought back to the night he bit Liam; yes, he saved his life by doing so, but Scott still felt bad that he put the young teenager through something like that. A thought then occurred to him. "Hang on, how did this alpha become an alpha without even gaining full control of his powers?"
"According to the story, it was a messy affair. Apparently, the previous alpha was weakening and wanted someone to take his place. This one was newly turned, but for some reason the older wolf claimed to see high potential in the young man, and just before he died, he transferred his status to him."
Scott facepalmed. "That's stupid," he stated. Deaton nodded furiously in agreement before continuing.
"When Rolf learned what had happened to him, he didn't react exactly like you did. Yes, he was terrified and wanted nothing to do with the supernatural. But instead of turning to his friends for support, he turned away from them and eventually accepted the alpha's offer to join the pack. The pack members helped him learn how to maintain control. But he still distanced himself from his friends and family, afraid that they would only see him as a monster, or that he'd give them a reason to see that."
Scott mentally whimpered at the image of that. "I couldn't do that. My friends…they're everything to me. I could never have gotten through this without them."
Deaton smiled; this was just another reminder of why Scott deserved to be a True Alpha. "Well, fortunately, Rolf didn't live like that for long. One full moon night, he was going for a run in the woods. He got to a point where exercising his body helped him maintain focus to where he could be in wolf form but still have conscious control over his actions. But before he realized what was happening, he accidentally ran into a figure who had just appeared on his path. As he got up, he noticed that the person he knocked down was a young woman, one who he recognized as his old friend, Mina."
"Rolf was terrified. Mina was the kindest friend he had ever had, and here she was seeing him in full monster form. He moved to run far away before he could hurt her or himself. 'Wait!' Mina cried, getting up, and as he turned around, he noticed just how much she seemed to not be phased by his form. She slowly approached him, and when she was in close proximity, she gently touched his face and said one word: 'Rolf'."
Scott gasped, "She recognized him?"
"Yes. She could see the man behind the monster, enough to know that the man was in fact not a monster. Her acceptance led Rolf to reveal everything, explaining how he got bitten and where he had been going and even why he avoided everyone in the village. And Mina listened patiently and afterwards gave him a warm embrace, telling him that she would always be there for him, no matter what."
Scott snickered, "I see where this is going now."
Deaton tried to give a chastising look, but couldn't help smiling. "Perhaps so. After that night, Mina became Rolf's confidant; whatever he was learning from the pack, whatever was going on in his life, he would immediately tell her about it. They became best friends, and eventually, they did indeed fall in love."
Scott laughed in triumph, "Called it!" Despite his goofiness though, he was sincerely pleased with that part of the story. It reminded him of when Kira discovered Scott's identity, how she touched his face and didn't even run away, how she wasn't even remotely scared of him at all. That moment meant more to him than she would ever know.
In a strange occurrence, Stiles felt a sudden tug at his heart and a weird sensation of giddiness. An image of Kira momentarily flashed before his eyes and disappeared. He almost fell over with the confusion of it but maintained balance. "What the-?" he whispered to himself, wondering what in the world made him think of the kitsune. He pushed the puzzle aside and went back to listening.
Deaton resumed his narration, "At one point, Mina offered to help Rolf reconnect with the community, especially with his family and friends. Rolf hesitated at first, but trusting his friend wholeheartedly, he agreed to try. So with her help, he eventually told his friends everything about who he was, even demonstrating his newfound powers. It took a while for some people to grasp an understanding of what had happened and even longer for some to accept and respect it. But eventually they did, and Rolf ended up having a larger support group than he could have imagined."
"What about his parents?" Scott inquired anxiously. Yes, his own mom did eventually accept his transformation, but it did take a while, and he had no doubt that Stiles had to deal with the exact same thing with his dad. Much to his relief though, Deaton gave a reassuring answer. "Well, after being so distant from him for so long, his parents were just glad to have their son back, no matter who or what he was now."
Scott smiled. "I'm glad everyone ended up being supportive." He paused for a moment. "Wait, is this one of those "love yourself no matter what/acceptance" fables?" he asked skeptically.
"Wait, wait, I'm getting to the main point of the story," Deaton chuckled.
"Seems to be turning into a long story," Scott pointed out.
The emissary wore a look of amused guilt. "Well, Talia may or may not have told this story right before her kids' bedtime."
Scott narrowed his eyes good-naturedly. "Relax, Scott, we're getting to the fun part soon, I promise!" Deaton assured with a grin. He was really enjoying telling this story now. "Anyway, where was I? Oh, right! So, once Rolf had settled back into the village community, he decided to talk to the rest of the pack and try to convince them to come out of hiding and join him. Upon his initial suggestion of this, the pack was appalled; they were shocked that he could be so reckless as to fraternize with humans who had loathed their kind for ages. They tried to tell him that he wasn't thinking clearly, that he'd been brainwashed into trusting the humans so that those humans could eventually destroy him and them. But he never faltered, his faith strong and unwavering. Determined, he went as far as to bring some of his friends to where the pack had taken refuge. The werewolves were alarmed at first, but they soon discovered that the humans that were brought didn't seem to want to harm them in any way. In fact, they weren't even disgusted one bit by the supernatural creatures. Slowly but surely, the pack came around to giving the village community a chance. And soon, the group of werewolves were accepted completely, finally able to live freely amongst the villagers."
"As time passed, the pack began to admire Rolf greatly for his confidence and his determination to maintain peace in and around the village. Even though his powers continued to grow day by day, he still refused to use any of them for violence or injury."
"Ha, THAT certainly sounds familiar." Scott jumped slightly at the soft mutter that seemed to just poof out of nowhere in the back of his head. And strangest of all, the voice that went with it wasn't his. It did sound quite familiar though… He subconsciously looked back to the door, where Stiles was waiting just outside.
Deaton was still storytelling, oblivious to Scott's distraction. "Soon, the current alpha decided that there was someone much better fit to lead this pack than he, and so he renounced his title and passed his powers on to Rolf."
Scott immediately forgot about the voice in his head at the mention of this key plot point. "Rolf became an alpha?" he asked in amazement.
"Yes. And though the technicalities of the transformation do not suggest it at all, some people even refer to him as a True Alpha, simply because of how strong of character he possessed."
Scott beamed brightly; he was liking where this story was going. "That's really awesome! But what does that have to do with other species?"
"I'm getting there. As an alpha, Rolf took on larger responsibilities with taking care of his pack, but he also took responsibilities of evaluating his life. When he started thinking about Mina and the benefits they gained from being together, he soon had a clear idea of what he needed to do."
Scott gasped in realization, "No way!"
Deaton nodded, a grin yet again spreading across his face. "He ended up proposing to Mina, and she of course said yes. After their engagement, he brought her to the other werewolves and asked them to consider making her an official part of their pack, not as a werewolf."
"They were hesitant, of course; interspecies packs were very rare at the time. But as they saw the relationship between Rolf and Mina, they realized that they had no choice. The two were inseparable, and their strengths were enhanced through each other's support. And oddly enough, both of them seemed to possess the qualities needed to take care of the pack. So they gave the couple their blessing, and the two got married within the month."
The teen werewolf could not wipe the grin off his face. Gosh he was a romantic sap. "So I guess they lived happily ever after then?" he questioned, enjoying the story but at the same time wondering if it was ever going to end.
"Not quite yet. Something happened on their wedding night."
Scott scrunched his face in awkwardness. "Dr. Deaton! I don't wanna hear about that!"
"It's important," Deaton pressed, not phased, "Rolf and Mina shared a strong connection for a long time. But the night of their marriage was what completely sealed their bond. Now they were one soul in two bodies, bonded together for eternity. And upon waking up, Rolf noticed a very significant change. For Mina's eyes were no longer hazel, but glowing red."
Scott's eyes grew to the size of CDs. Part of him was feeling shock and wonder while another part, one that didn't really feel like himself, was feeling an odd surge of panic. He ignored that part. "Mina became an alpha," Scott whispered in awe.
"Indeed she did," Deaton confirmed, eyes twinkling again. "And though it did surprise everyone else, the werewolves accepted it immediately, now seeing Rolf and Mina as strong, equal leaders of the pack. The end." Deaton finished with a proud, sentimental smile on his face, a contagious one that soon traveled to Scott as well.
The boy was speechless; it was too incredible for a phenomenon like this to happen. Though, thinking about it, he realized that now it had. He shook his head in amazement. "And she was only human…" he said softly.
"Well, I'm not quite sure exactly. This story has been told so many times in its history using so many different species of creatures that no one knows the original version of Mina anymore. Besides, it didn't matter what creature Mina was; the lesson was-"
"-Don't abandon your friends, EVER." Scott finished for him. Deaton seemed to consider the answer for a minute. "Yes, that is one lesson, but it more importantly focuses on precisely the value of friendship, and love."
Scott paused for a moment. "Their love was what made Mina an alpha, wasn't it?" he asked, understanding slowly dawning on him. If love, any kind of love, could create an alpha, then it could in fact be possible…
"In many stories, love is often represented as a powerful magic of its own. And Talia valued that power of love. She told this story so many times to her kids, stressing to them the importance of forming strong friendships with people who you could trust wholeheartedly and who could stand by you through every challenge and obstacle thrown your way. People who knew you and understood you well enough to contribute to your own strengths."
"You mean like an anchor?" Scott questioned, wheels spinning wildly in his head. But that didn't make much sense. Allison was his anchor once, and afterwards Scott became his own anchor. It had nothing to do with-
"Not exactly. An anchor is someone who helps you control yourself and your powers, someone who grounds you. Talia on the other hand talked about someone who encouraged you to embrace your powers completely, to use them well when most necessary."
An image of a boat popped into Scott's head as he tried to make sense of this. "So…not an anchor, but a…propeller?" A lightbulb slowly went off in his head.
Deaton considered the analogy and smiled. "Yes, that sounds like a pretty good way to put it actually. Someone who propels you to strive for your fullest potential."
Scott grinned to himself. This was starting to make perfect sense. He was most comfortable with his powers around Stiles, because Stiles always believed in them. He had to take a moment to process everything; he and Stiles were best friends, but neither of them expected at all that their friendship could actually mean something of supernatural- correction -magical significance. All of this philosophy was starting to make him feel slightly dizzy.
Deaton gave him a look of concern. "Are you ok Scott? I didn't think this story would be overwhelming, especially to you."
"Oh no! It's not that. I'm just amazed by the story; it's really cool that Mina could become an alpha simply because they loved each other that much."
"Oh, it wasn't just that. Even with their difference in species, Rolf thought Mina was just as strong and powerful as he. And he didn't just see her as an equal, he saw her as someone who would lead the pack with him."
And at last, everything clicked. "Because she already was leading the pack with him, wasn't she?" Scott asked.
"In a way, yes," Deaton agreed, "But then again, this is just a fable; the main purpose of the story is the lessons it teaches."
Scott raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure this didn't actually happen?"
Deaton sighed. "This is a fairytale, spun many different ways over many centuries; it's simply mythology. Of course, people have developed theories and legends from it, based on the histories they already knew." He stopped for a moment, contemplating whether to broach a particular subject. "Scott, you know about werewolf relationships, right? About mating and such?"
Scott scrunched his face, feeling very uncomfortable at the question. "Umm, I try not to think about that too much," he chuckled lamely, a little uneasy by how animalistic the idea sounded.
"Well, then you should know that when a werewolf finds a mate, the werewolf can mark them, creating a bond between them that can't be tampered with."
Scott's discomfort grew; that idea didn't sound completely right. "However," Deaton continued, "some people claim that there are occurrences, rare ones, where a natural bond is formed between two people, one of them at least being a werewolf, and it is an act between the two that seals that connection. Those theorists refer to it as an "alpha bond", for it only exists with at least one alpha, oftentimes a True Alpha."
The uneasiness disappeared, and Scott perked up. "Wait a minute…an alpha bond? What does that mean? What happens? What exactly is the "act" they have to do?"
"Woah now, don't ask me; since I haven't bothered with the details, that's all I know about it. I've heard of people speculating that alpha pairs have powers beyond the limits of the "ordinary supernatural", but of course no one knows what or has seen any proof of that whatsoever. Some have tried justifying that by saying that only the couple in question can understand their bond and the power it entails, including what is done to seal that bond," the emissary finished, answering Scott's latter question.
Scott's mind was reeling. This was an overwhelming amount of information to take in all at once, and he thought for a second he was about to faint from it all. The idea of him and Stiles… yeah they were best friends, platonic best friends, but they shared a rather deep friendship. They were brothers; Stiles said so himself once. And throughout every piece of crap that Scott had to deal with, Stiles was always the one strong constant in his life, and neither teen had questioned that it would remain that way. But while he was feeling a strong surge of joy, that strange feeling of panic came back, and in an instant, he additionally felt a sensation of emptiness, as though something that was just there a second ago had now rushed away. The veterinarian noticed the boy's confusion and sighed, "Scott, please don't tell me you're starting to contemplate this too. It's just a children's story, one that teaches a lesson that you already know all too well."
Scott shook himself out of his thoughts. "I know, I just- it's a beautiful story. It's hard to believe that it hasn't been told for a while."
Deaton sighed again with a hint of sadness in his voice, "Yes, it has been a while; I almost forgot how incredible it was." He chuckled nostalgically. "Actually, if I recall correctly, this was one of Derek's favorite stories too."
Scott's eyes rose in surprise. "Wow, I didn't know that. That really does explain a lot though. After everything he had to go through in the past, I don't blame him for losing faith in love. I guess he doesn't care for stories like that anymore."
Deaton stared off into the distance in thought. "No, I guess not. That's the sad part about growing up; people sometimes tend to forget the most important lessons they learned when they were kids."
Scott grinned brightly. "Well, you don't have to worry about that with me," he declared with a playful tone.
Deaton returned the smile. "No, I most definitely do not." He glanced at the clock. "Shoot! It's getting late. You should probably head back home now."
Scott jumped off the table, suddenly remembering there was a certain best friend outside that needed to know certain crucial information. "Oh yeah! I have a lot of homework to do!" That wasn't entirely a lie; being enrolled in AP Biology meant that Scott had to put in a lot more effort if he wanted to do well enough to eventually become a veterinarian. But Stiles still took priority at the moment, and so he hurried to gather his things. Before leaving, he turned to Dr. Deaton. "Thank you for telling me that story; I really enjoyed hearing it."
Deaton smiled fondly. "I'm glad you did." He sighed wistfully, "I have a feeling that was one of very few peaceful moments that we're going to have this year."
Scott scoffed in agreement. "Probably. Bye, Dr. Deaton! Have a good night!"
"You too." Deaton waved back, his smile still on his face.
Scott rushed out of the office and into the waiting lobby, expecting to see his best friend jump up at the sight of him, eager to hear every bit of information the werewolf had. But that was not happening, because said best friend was nowhere to be seen.
"Stiles?" Scott called out, perplexed. He knew the teen had been here. Heck, he heard his heartbeat; he smelled his scent. Then again, he never did bother to check if he could still hear or smell him later on. He spun around slowly, thoroughly confused. Then he remembered the odd feelings of panic and that empty sensation that he observed earlier. That part really didn't feel like himself. He wondered; could it be…?
Scott had to sit down and process this. He had no idea what exactly was going on, let alone how it was happening. But didn't Deaton mention something about special powers? Was that what that feeling was? Scott closed his eyes and calmed himself down. Slowly, he let Stiles completely occupy his thoughts.
Then he felt it. It was faint at first, but as Scott focused more he could sense it more clearly. He felt fear, confusion, sadness, and amazement, all mixed into one giant emotional melting pot. There was a sense of rush, as though he wanted to escape from something, but escape to familiarity. Scott opened his eyes in realization, and now his own emotions of sadness were seeping into his conscious.
"Oh no," he said sadly. Immediately he got up and jogged outside to where he parked his motorcycle. He needed to talk to Stiles soon, and he knew just where to find him.