chapter twenty four
a divine move

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TIME WAS a funny thing. A day could feel like either a few seconds or a month. A month could feel like a day or a year. A few months in Beacon Hills could feel like years. That's how Odessa felt. Despite being in Beacon Hills for only 4 months, she had managed to grow close to everyone she had grown to care for.

Including Allison.

Odessa wished she had more time. More time to make more simple moments turn into memories that would be ingrained in her mind forever. Unfortunately, she didn't have many with Allison. And she regretted it more than anything.

Allison Argent was dead.

It had only been a few hours since the oni fight and the successful rescuing of Lydia. Isaac, Scott and Lydia were escorted to the police station to give their statements on what happened—or the non-supernatural version of what happened.

Odessa had decided to put herself on Stiles duty. It let her focus on something, or rather someone, to keep her mind in check. It seemed no one had time to mourn, the nogitsune was still out there. And now, he had the oni in his control. In all honesty, Odessa didn't know how to handle a situation like this. A situation of loss and mourning. With her memory gone, she had never had to mourn a loss of anyone until now. She had no idea how to feel. So for now, it would be put in the back of her mind for her to sort out later.

She knew Stiles was running out of time. Odessa could feel her hand twitch slightly at the itching it felt to reach out and hold his hand, but refrained. Her hands were also shaking because of the last couple hours of her life. It almost didn't seem real. She kept her gaze forward from her place on the couch in the Yukimura residence.

"Here," Mrs. Yukimura offered a cup to Stiles, "it'll calm you."

"What is it?"

"Tea..."

"What? Like magic tea?"

Narrowing her eyes at the boy's question, Mrs. Yukimura answered, "no, chamomile tea. Drink it. And I would advise your friend to calm you as well."

Stiles looked to the blonde, who seemed to be lost in thought, and didn't push her to use her abilities on him. He almost didn't expect her to offer at all. He didn't blame her, as much as his heart sank to his stomach at the cold shoulder she seemed to be giving him.

"He's not safe here," Mr. Yukimura stated as he walked into the room.

"He's not safe anywhere."

Kira spoke up from her place next to Stiles on the couch, "but Allison killed one of them. Doesn't that mean something? She killed an oni."

"Is that even possible?"

"I'm not sure how," Mrs. Yukimura shook her head at her husband.

"But she did it. She killed one of them."

"Yeah, and then they killed her," Stiles interjected dryly. At his blunt words, the blonde next to him sucked in a breath, almost as if the reminder pained her, "Allison's dead. Now I guess the only good thing is it looks like I'm dying, too."

After a few moments of trying to keep it together, Odessa sucked in an audible breath, covering her mouth to stop a cry from coming out as she got up from her seat and speedily walked out of the room.

"Odie," Stiles tried to get up, but was too weak on his feet to move fast enough to her, and was stopped by Kira.

"I got her, don't worry," the Kitsune guided him back on the couch and then made her way in the same direction Odessa went, which was toward the kitchen. She found the blonde leaned against the sink, trying her best to suppress the sobs that ached to come to the surface, "Odessa..."

"How could he say something like that," the blonde seemingly whispered to herself. She shook her head, looking to Kira, "how could he say something like that?"

The Yukimura shifted her stance, not really knowing what to do and how to comfort her friend. She started moving closer, "I don't know. I just," she sighed, coming next to the Ember, "I think he blames himself for... everything."

"He shouldn't," Odessa stressed, not caring if anyone in the other room could hear, "all I've ever wanted to do was help him. And it looks like he doesn't even want to help himself... so what do I do? I don't know what to do, Kira. Tell me what to do."

"Hey," Kira cooed, bringing her friend into a much needed hug, letting Odessa's cries muffle into her jacket. They stayed in the embrace as Kira whispered, "all you can do is be there for him. I see the way you are with each other, Odie. You guys know you are there for each other without even having to say anything," she stepped back from the hug and gently grabbed her shoulders, "so go in there, take his hand, calm him down, and be there. Show him what's waiting for him when this is finally over."

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Kira's words, and her hug, really put things in perspective for Odessa. Taking those words with her when she went back into the Yukimura's living room, the blonde sat back down next to Stiles and took his hand. She didn't need to look at him for her to know he was watching her the whole time. The two didn't speak to fill the silence of the room, just squeezing each other's hand back and forth to remind and assure one another they were there. That was all they could do.

While they stayed at the Yukimura's for another hour or two, Mrs. Yukimura clued them in on what she called a divine move. Something out of the box and different that would catch the trickster himself off guard. They needed an unthinkable solution.

It seemed Odessa wasn't the only one who felt as if they were running out of time. The three teens met Scott, Lydia and Deaton at the Animal Clinic, and they all saw what Odessa saw. Not only was Stiles unable to walk on his own, his face had lost all his color with red dark circles under his eyes. They had a plan in motion, and it couldn't be executed fast enough.

The pack was meeting Derek at the school to get something called a triskele box that belonged to Talia Hale, Derek's Mother. And it was made by Deaton himself. The box was produced by the Nemeton and was able to trap the dark fox spirit that was the nogitsune.

Seeing that he was too weak to drive, Stiles rode in the passenger seat while Scott drove the Jeep to the front entrance of the school. Getting out, Odessa immediately went to Stiles' side, wrapped his arm around her shoulder to keep him upright.

"Scott, hold on," Stiles called, stopping the group at the front doors, "I know what you're all thinking. If this works, it might kill me, too," he glanced down to the blonde for a moment, "but even if it does, you have to go through with it. Stick with the plan, okay?"

The McCall raised his brows, "the plan is to save you. That's the plan I'm going with."

"You're not dying today, Stiles," Odessa almost scoffed, wrapping her arm around his waist tighter, "not while you're with me."

Scott opened the doors to school, expecting to see a hallway full of lockers, only to come upon a frosted garden with different Japanese artifacts, covered with snow. Odessa couldn't help but lean her body into Stiles' to keep warm as she felt Lydia do the same with her. The slam of the doors brought their attention behind them as they realized there was no way out.

"Oh, this is definitely not part of the plan."

Snow started coming down heavier than before as the pack heard ragged footsteps coming from behind them. Odessa sucked in a breath at the sight of the nogitsune himself.

"Like I promised, Stiles," he rasped, stopping in his tracks, "we're going to kill all of them," his growl started to echo through the cold air, "one by one!"

Suddenly, oni appeared from their shadows, swinging at Kira, who met their swing with her katana. The five friends backed away from the nogitsune and his soldiers as their swords drag across the snow.

"What the hell is this," Scott asked, looking to the nogitsune, "where are we?"

"Between life and death."

"Bardo..."

"But there are no peaceful deities here, Lydia," the nogitsune waved his finger mockingly, "you're dying, Stiles," he whispered the boy's name, "and now everyone you care about is dying, too."

"What," the Stilinski muttered from his place, his arm around Odessa's back, "what do you mean?"

"I've captured almost all of the territories on the board, Stiles. The hospital. The Sheriff's station. And now the Animal Clinic," the oni started to circle around them as the pack took in this new information, "do you know the ritual of seppuku, Stiles?"

"No, and I don't want to."

"When a samurai disembowels himself with his own sword to maintain this honor, but that's not the cut that kills him. The killing stroke is made by his kaishakunin, who beheads the samurai with his own katana. Scott," the nogitsune pointed to the boy, "Scott is your kaishakunin. I'm going to make your best friend kill you, Stiles. And you're going to let him. Because just like you," Odessa pulled the boy behind her slightly as the nogitsune sauntered closer to them, "they're all going to die. Everyone touched by an oni's blade. Unless Scott kills you first."

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"To win the game."

The oni took out their swords, prompting Scott and Odessa to shift and Kira bring back her katana. The Ember gave Stiles to Lydia and pushed them back, away from the fight. She turned her back to her two friends just in time to see a sword swinging her way. Odessa ducked, swiping her foot under the oni, knocking them on their back, only for another to run to her. She leaned back, evading an impending swipe, taking the opportunity to kick them in the chest, then using her sharp claws to swipe at their masked face. The Stone backed up, only to press her back against Kira and Scott's.

"How is this happening," the Alpha shouted, keeping his guard up as they were surrounded by oni, "how are we in this place?"

"You're asking me? A month ago, I'd never even touched a sword."

"Less talking, more fighting," Odessa yelled before jumping forward and clawing the first oni she could get her hands on. Now she was getting angry. She was so done fighting these shadow ninjas. She repeated the same sequence of fighting over and over. She knew she didn't have a sword, so ducking and clawing was her only defense against long and sharp swords.

"Stiles, no!"

Odessa stopped her fight as the oni seemed to pause their movement at Scott's shout. Her brown eyes widened at the sight of Stiles holding Kira's katana to his stomach, "Stiles!"

"What if it saves you," the boy's hands shook with the blade in his grasp, "what if it saves all of you?"

"What if it's just another trick," Odessa shouted back, not believing what she was witnessing, she felt as if her heart was going to explode.

The nogitsune growled under his breath, "no more tricks, little dove," he turned to the Alpha, "end it, Scott. Let your friend fall on his own sword. Do for him what he cannot do for himself. Do it, Scott. Be his kaishakunin. Give up the game. You have no moves left."

Stiles trembled under the blade, looking like he was about to do it, before stopping, taking a closer look at the reflection of the blade in his grasp. He looked around, prompting his friends to look at him questioningly. The boy brought the sword away from his stomach to hold it firmly, "I do," he tossed the katana back to Kira before taking a deep breath, looking to the nogitsune, "a divine move. Stop fighting them! It's an illusion. You have to stop fighting them. It looks real and it feels real, but Scott, you gotta trust me, it's an illusion."

The pack huddled together as the oni did the same. Slowly they started to walk toward the door, the werewolves and kitsune getting slashed harshly by the swords that came their way. Finally reaching the nogitsune, Scott grabbed him and pushed him through the doors.

The teens stumbled into the school hallway, unscathed. Odessa looked down at herself, not seeing any bloody wounds and tattered clothes from her spot close to Stiles, who instantly wrapped his arm around her back again.

"We're okay," Scott scoffed in disbelief with a hint of a smile, "we're—"

Suddenly, the McCall's body was thrown to the lockers, knocking him out. The teens looked behind them, only to see Void himself. He smiled down to Kira before slamming her head against the lockers, bringing her to the floor. Odessa grabbed both Stiles and Lydia, bringing them behind her as they began to move back from Void.

"This was my game," he looked up to the teens, "you think you can beat me at my game? Divine move. Divine move. You think you have any moves at all," his pace quickened toward them, prompting them to move back even faster, "you can kill the oni. But me? Me? I'm a thousand years old. You can't kill me!"

"But we can change you."

Lydia's words stopped him in his place, "what?"

"You forgot about the scroll."

"The Shugendo Scroll," Odessa raised a brow at Void, almost mockingly.

For the first time, Void looked troubled, lost for words, except for these, "change the host..."

"You can't be a fox and a wolf."

At Stiles' signal, Scott came up behind Void and grabbed his arm, biting down harshly, causing Void to scream out in pain. Void stumbled in his spot just as Kira's katana pierced through his chest. Thunder rumbled from outside as the lights above them flickered. Kira took out her sword, causing Void to fall to his knees, letting out a fly from his mouth. The fly buzzed freely before Isaac came from the hallway and caught the fly in the triskele box, sealing it shut. They all watched with bated breath as Void became a hollow shell and fell to the ground, turning to dust.

The pack looked to each other with cautioned optimism, not believing if it was really over. The quiet moment was gone as Stiles' grip on Odessa weakened before he fell to the floor completely.

Odessa, along with everyone else, knelt down to him, turning him on his back. The blonde grabbed his face, "Stiles," she looked to Scott, not knowing what to do, and it seemed like he didn't know either. Letting go of his face, she took hold of his hands just as he opened his eyes.

The Stilinski looked around at the relieved grins around him before stopping at the sight of a certain blonde, who bowed her head in the utmost relief, squeezing his hand, "oh, God, I fainted, didn't I," they all gave him a light chuckle at his words, "we're alive. We all alive?"

"Yeah," Scott pursed his lips, "we're okay."

The moment for them was over when they watched Lydia get up from her crouched position, looking distantly down the hallway. Not before long, she started to make her way down the hall, walking turning into running on her way. Letting go of Stiles' hand, Odessa didn't hesitate to follow behind her friend. The blonde made it just in time to catch her friend in her arms as she looked over Lydia's shoulder at the scene below them. Her breath hitched, tightening her grip on Lydia at the sight of Ethan cradling Aiden's body to him.

It seemed the twins proved her wrong. They fought for Scott and the pack. Aiden fought until the very end for all of them.

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It was the next day when Odessa Stone knocked on the front door of the Stilinski residence. The pack took the day to reunite with family and rest after the longest few days of their lives, seeing as they all got home around Sunrise after the nogitsune was defeated. Odessa was giving Scott some space to finally mourn the death of his first love, and Isaac was currently stuck to Argent's hip. She had texted Stilinski to make sure it was okay to come over and the man didn't hesitate to say yes. Typing back, do you even have to ask? Which brought a smile to her face.

The door opened to see the tired, but finally relaxed features of the Sheriff, who greeted her with a tight hug. Almost as a thank you. He gestured up the stairs that led to Stiles' bedroom and she nodded to him before walking up. She could feel her heart race against her chest as she came closer to his door. Stopping in front of it, she raised her fist hesitantly to knock, but eventually, she did. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a pajama-clad Stiles, who looked as though he had just woken up from a nap.

"Hi."

"Hi," Odessa greeted back softly, "sorry if this is a bad time. I just wanted to check up on you."

Stiles shook his head before opening the door more for her, "no, it's fine. Come in."

The Stone gave him a small smile before walking into his room, immediately noticing the crime wall, "you're taking down your crime board?"

"Oh, you know, just clearing it to make room for the new supernatural threat that's gonna come eventually."

"Hm," she gave him a short chuckle, "you're not wrong there."

The two lapsed into silence, not knowing who should speak first, and what they should say.

Odessa bit her lip, clearing her throat, before facing him again, "so... how do you feel?"

"Better... definitely better," they nodded together at his answer, the room turning to silence again. A silence they both hated. Odessa picked at her nails from her seat on his bed, not expecting him to blurt out his next sentence, "I kissed Malia."

The Stone felt her heart drop to her stomach, not knowing how she should react. She slowly looked up to him, seeing that he was already watching her, "okay."

"I feel guilty about it."

That got her to straighten her posture, "why?"

"Because she's not you."

Odessa felt her breath leave her body, standing up from the bed, "Stiles..."

"And I don't know why, Odie," he exclaimed, looking like he was mostly talking to himself, starting to pace, "I mean, I do know why. I've just never felt this pull to someone before. I've been chasing after Lydia for as long as I can remember but every time I'm near you I never wanna leave your side. I mean, I've never wanted to make someone laugh as much as I wanna make you laugh in my life," his rambling produced a chuckle from the blonde as she listened in, moving closer to him, "Odie, I think about you all the time. What you're doing, how your day is going, what grade you got on your Math test. I-I just can't shake it. And if you don't feel the same way—"

Odessa stopped him by grabbing his face, bringing their lips so close together, they could feel each other breathe. Her brown eyes studied every hazel speck in his eyes before moving down to his lips. Making a last minute decision, seeing him move in, she ducked her head to his chest, instantly regretting it.

"Stiles," she trailed in a whisper against his t-shirt, letting go of his face to rest them against his chest, "what you just went through was awful and traumatizing and there is nothing more I wanna do right now then to kiss you... but it's not the right time."

Even though he could feel his heart sink to his stomach at her words, he knew she was right, "yeah," he brought his hands to her arms and gave them a squeeze, "yeah, no, you're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Odessa looked back up at him to stress, grabbing both of his hands on hers, "Stiles, I've never felt anything like this for anyone—ever. I've never had a life long crush or even," she scoffed, thinking of how pathetic she must sound, almost bringing tears to her eyes, "I wouldn't be able to remember it if I did. Hell, I don't even know my own birthday, Stiles. But I'm confident enough to say that I wanna be around you, all the time," he wiped a small tear that escaped her eye, "seeing you like that, talking about yourself the way you did... it scared the hell outta me. And I realized you're too important to ever let go of."

The Stone wrapped her arms around his waist to stay close to him as Stiles played with her blonde hair soothingly, wanting to calm her tears, "so what do you wanna do?"

"There's so much we still haven't figured out. There's so much we haven't processed," Odessa thought out loud, moving her eyes from his t-shirt to his face, "let's just... be how we always are. Odessa and Stiles—always there for each other. Except this time with better communication and knowing how we feel."

The Stilinski chuckled at her words, bringing her to his chest, "yeah," he kissed the top of her head, "yeah, I can do that."

The dreaded silence that took over the boy's room turned into blissful quiet for the pair, feeling content with being in each other's arms. Odessa couldn't help but dig her cheek into his chest, wanting to be as close to him as possible, causing Stiles to tighten his hold on her. His hand raking his way through her blonde locks soothingly.

They had been through so much with each other to let go. That was all they needed. They were all they needed.

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on to season 4!