A/N: This chapter is where I got the title of this fic =) Also, Scott uses some X-men references in this one, but you guys totally shouldn't think that mages are the same as mutants. That's just how Scott's trying to get his head around...everything, lol. Happy reading!

-x-

Stiles sighs in frustration.

Confusion makes the grip he has on his spark falter and a small zap of electricity leaves his fingers as he tries to reach for the phone he left on the bar.

"Shit," he snaps softly, shaking the static out of his fingers.

He tries to reach for his phone again, succeeds and manages to unlock it but finds the screen frozen with the messages app half open and the home screen all scrambled. Stiles swears again and gives his hands another shake, watches a few golden sparks fly out of his fingers and disappear quietly into the floor. It's definitely been a while since he's used and the volatility inside him makes him nervous. He automatically sucks in a steadying breath and focuses for a second on closing his eyes. If there's one thing Malia had tried to drill into him, it was a few tips on how to try to keep his spark from exploding into a massive wild fire.

Slowly, Stiles opens up his senses, stretches them out far and wide. He feels the trees sway in the breeze just outside the house, the grit of the dirt on the driveway and the way a thousand, million, blades of grass brush against the open air. He thinks he senses Derek just on the edge of the property but quickly withdraws and heads in the opposite direction. Stiles extends his senses as far as they can go until he feels the insistent call of his magic ease off of him a little and his consciousness is hovering against the edge of the sky. He practices brushing soft greetings against the stars hiding behind the daylight, practices drawing warmth from the sun and smooth, cool light from the moon.

-x-

"There's a way, for when you feel like it's getting too much or you're about to explode," Malia explains to him patiently. "Remember how I said that your spark – or magic – it's like a muscle. It needs to be stretched, it needs exercise. It needs to be let out regularly, you can't keep it trapped inside all the time or you'll go nuts, trust me."

Stiles raises an eyebrow at her, "you sound like you're talking about a dog."

Malia smacks his arm. They're both sitting cross-legged in her room, facing each other with a candle lit between them.

"Focus, I'm serious. You're learning fast so your spark is strengthening quickly. You need to learn how to keep it from overtaking you, understand?"

"But it doesn't feel—"

Malia nods at him and shoots him a sympathetic smile. "It may not feel so bad now, but you just wait until that direct line to the universe fully opens up to you. It is both wonderful and…horrific."

"Horrific, huh?" Stiles repeats uncertainly, wondering for the nth time what exactly he'd gotten himself into.

Her smile turns reassuring.

"Don't worry, Stiles, that's why I'm here. It'll be okay. Now take a deep breath and close your eyes."

-x-

The house is dark by the time Stiles returns to himself. He has several dozen small golden orbs circling him and easily urges them to converge into a globe the size of a soccer ball to light up the kitchen.

He sighs disappointedly when he realises that Derek hasn't returned.

As his consciousness continues to trickle back inside him he glances at the phone still clutched in his hand and successfully swipes through his messages and missed calls without once screwing up the software. Finding no missed calls from Malia and just a few texts from his college friends, he slips his phone into his pocket and goes to rinse out the untouched coffees still sitting in Derek's microwave.

He's just about to hang up the dish towel after drying his hands when the front door swings open slowly and a figure steps through the threshold and pauses in the hallway, hand still on the doorknob.

Habit makes Stiles immediately call his ball of light back into himself, consequently plunging the whole house into darkness.

"Stiles?" Scott's voice floats through to him, confusion thick in his voice.

"Sorry, hold on, I don't—the switch…"

Light engulfs the room and illuminates Scott still in the hallway, this time with his hand on a light switch.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing standing in the dark?"

"I wasn't," Stiles tries to explain, but gives up halfway when Scott raises an eyebrow at him. "Never mind," he continues, making his way towards the living room and dropping listlessly onto the couch.

"Where's Derek?" Scott questions, having realised his second wasn't even in the house.

Stiles shakes his head in defeat and tries not to blush.

"I have no idea."

Scott drops into the armchair across from him and studies him with knowing eyes. "No way, did something finally happen between you two?"

Stiles lets out a frustrated groan. "I think I scared him off and he'll either hate me or kill me when he gets back."

Scott grins at him with confidence, "I don't think so, bro. You may have been away at college but I've been here the whole time and, let's just say that I can tell the difference between Stiles-days and no-Stiles-days, no matter how few and far between. Just give him time."

Stiles notices with a little envy the level of ease in which Scott seems to speak for Derek and takes his advice to heart, the way he's always taken his best friend's advice.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around much," he mumbles, guilt moving through him as he continues to think of all the ways they'd drifted apart while Scott and the pack had drifted closer together.

"Nah, bro, it's not your fault, it's not really anybody's fault. We just got a little busy and careless, that's all. A lot of people drift apart without even realising it all the time, that's what life does. The only good thing probably coming out of this is that you've finally stopped hiding things and we've realised that we've been drifting, right?" Scott states matter-of-factly.

Stiles raises an eyebrow at his best friend. "Since when did you become so wise?"

Scott smirks at him. "Alpha duties," he half jokes.

There's a second of quiet between them as a hesitant expression crosses his best friend's face and then Scott blurts out the question in his mind before Stiles can call him on it.

"Dude, so are you like…a witch now?" he probes slowly.

Stiles blushes, doesn't quite know how to respond. He hasn't really played out this conversation with Scott in his head before.

"Malia calls me a mage," he replies quietly. "She says it's because I don't need anything but my hands to do magic. Witches—sometimes they still need an object, like a crystal ball or a staff to channel their spark. But I generally don't use anything. I can amplify my spark by using runes and sigils and, like, when I was using the mirror to scry for you guys—but, most times it's just my hands," he finishes calmly, raising his hands up in front of him.

"That is cool," Scott exclaims, eyes glinting with excitement. "Kind of like how Spiderman shoots webbing out of his wrists or… X-Men! Dude, you're like, Professor X with all that mind stuff—wait, no—Oh my god, you're Jean Grey! You're Phoenix Force* Jean Grey!" Scott babbles, shooting up from the slouch he'd been in. "Setting those witches on fire and appearing out of nowhere—dude, your teleporting might as well be stargates*, oh my god—"

For a moment he gets sucked into Scott's excitement and grins, forgets the slightly Derek-Sized/Power-of-the-Universe Depression he was beginning to sink into and thinks of the countless youthful imaginings he'd shared with Scott. Realises that the manifestation of his spark ha essentially validated every childhood dream they'd ever had. Super powers, real magic—

—but then he deflates as he remembers what happens when Phoenix Force Jean Grey gets her very first taste of evil and the Dark. To cut a long story short, she becomes overwhelmed by it all, transforms into a force of total destruction, and kills herself.

The look on Scott's face tells him the exact moment he comes to the same conclusion and they end up staring at each other with equal amounts of disappointment and dismay on their faces.

"But she comes back to life," Scott pronounces, dismay giving way to hope. That was his best friend for you, always hopeful and optimistic. Scott always succeeded in seeing the best in people even if there wasn't anything good to see. "Dude, she comes back to life and she manages to control the Phoenix Force with the humanity inside her. Which makes her good," Scott adds, meeting his eyes unswervingly and speaking slow enough so that the words creep its way into Stiles' brain and stay there.

Stiles lets the anxiety ebb out of him and repeats after Scott with resignation in his tone, "which makes her good."

-x-

Derek's been away from the house for a good few hours just roaming the town when his phone buzzes in his pocket. He picks up immediately and doesn't even get a word in as Scott's voice cuts him off.

"Dude, where are ya?"

"Around. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, but I'm calling a pack meeting at your house, like, right now."

"Alright, I'm coming back."

Derek doesn't wait for a reply and disconnects the call before pocketing his phone.

-x-

Everyone is already gathered in his living room by the time he gets there and Scott and Stiles are standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the group, poses identical with their arms crossed over their chests.

He gets a swift reminder of what happened that afternoon when Stiles looks up and momentarily meets his gaze. He feels his wolf stretch and whine a little as Stiles resolutely looks away.

"Great, we're all here," Scott's speaks clearly.

"What did you guys find out?" Allison questions from her seat beside Isaac. Kira's seated on a bar stool just behind Scott and Stiles, and the rest of the pack are either settled on the couches or the floor.

Derek glances around momentarily before deciding to stay where he is as Stiles steps forward and starts in on the update.

"Okay, so you guys all know what we found out at Deaton's. Malia went back to campus this afternoon to see if she could chase up the witch we think is causing all this, and she just called about an hour ago. Alice is on campus, she's nowhere near here and when Malia spoke to her, Alice had no idea what she was talking about. She's been in the coven for a few months now and aside from the rookie mistakes and all the 'eternal life' talk…I mean, I was 95% sure it was her but it looks like…" Stiles' voice fades away as he shoots Scott an uncertain glance.

"So basically we're back to square one," Aiden interrupts with a low voice.

"Look," Stiles begins, "has anyone here made any new friends in the past couple of weeks? Maybe mentioned Scott being a true alpha to someone by accident?"

Almost all at once the pack exclaims their offense at the question.

Are you kidding me?!

I would never!

You better take that back, Stilinski.

I can't believe you'd even ask that!

"Okay, okay!" Stiles exclaims, backtracking swiftly with hands raised in a gesture of surrender. "I'm just trying to cover all the bases, everyone relax."

"You should mind your tongue with your next question," Lydia drawls as she examines her nails calmly.

-x-

Stiles has known Lydia long enough to know when she's irritated, and right now she looks damn well pissed off.

He thinks that maybe he's spent too much time away from everyone if he doesn't even think twice about hurting their feelings, but dammit, a good detective always makes sure to look into everything.

He sighs thoughtfully.

"Okay, what about enemies? Anyone in particular come to mind? Say, someone who wants to live forever or…drink werewolf blood, or—"

His question is cut off abruptly by the buzz of his phone. Stiles turns and snatches it off the breakfast bar, putting it to his ear.

"Yo."

"Stiles."

He knows there's something wrong as soon as Malia says his name. Her voice is low and grave. He frowns a little, glances up and catches Derek watching him and turns his back on him and the pack—faces the stove instead.

"What is it?"

"Stiles listen to me, I was wrong."

The hairs on his arms rise as he questions her. "What? What do you mean—"

"—Stiles, shut up and listen to me, just listen! I was wrong about Alice. It's her, you hear me? She's behind all this. She's channelling something, she screwed up a séance and let something out. There's something inside her—"

"—Fuck."

"Stiles, I can't-I don't have enough strength to jump myself to you. It took all I had to fight her but I couldn't stop her and now she's coming to you, you hear me? She wants the true alpha and she's coming to you right now."

"Jesus Christ," he murmurs quietly, feels his heartbeat pick up and the colour drain from his face.

"She's got another coven behind her so take all the help you can get, okay?"

"No, wait, what do I do?! I've never—Malia, you need to be here!"

Her voice softens with her next words. "No, I don't, Stiles. You can do this, okay? Remember who you are, remember what you know. Trust yourself."

"No, you don't understand, the Dark—"

"—is no match for you," Malia finishes calmly, faith thick in her voice.

"Malia…" Stiles protests feebly.

"It's going to take me a few hours to drive there, my magic's exhausted Stiles. I'll see if my mom's got some herbs or a spell to give me a boost but you need to be ready she's—"

The call ends abruptly and he has just enough time to turn and meet Derek's gaze before the whole house is plunged into darkness.

-x-

Glossary

Phoenix Force Jean Grey - See "Phoenix Force" wiki/Jean_Grey