A/N: So, this brings us to the end of 'Run Swiftly Through the Night'. Don't worry, I'll still be continuing in a new story. Sixty-nine chapters is a REALLY extensive amount, and I wanted to start season four in a fresh story with a new outlook.

Thank you to all who have followed and favorited this story, and thanks to those who added me to their favorite authors list. Your support and patience mean the world to me, and I hope it will follow to the new story.

To everyone who has reviewed ever, a giant thank you. 3

Stay gold, my lovelies!

Neris sat in the Sheriff's office, her eyes cast downwards as she was questioned about what had happened that night. She repeated the words Chris Argent had told her to say, stated that 'it had happened so fast' when she didn't know how to answer a question.

She couldn't look at anyone. She felt so guilty. She had spent so much time hating Allison, and thinking the worst of her. Her death proved Allison wasn't another nogitsune – Neris now doubted that another one was even out there – and Neris began to question all of her actions since the nogitsune had revealed itself to her.

Was Allison's death somehow her fault? Had her anger and rudeness set into motion the events that led up to Allison's death? If she hadn't felt that was about Allison and Isaac, would Neris have instead stood with them and Kira to fight the Oni? Would Allison have died if Neris was there?

As she sat there, she was suddenly keenly aware of the eyes on her. She looked up to see both the Sheriff Stilinski and Deputy Parrish looking at her with worried expressions.

"You haven't spoken for about two minutes," the sheriff informed her as their eyes met.

"I know it must be hard to lose a friend like this –"

"She wasn't my friend," Neris cut the deputy off. "I…I kind of hated her. For selfish, petty reasons – for a boy, and my own insecurities – and we weren't friends. But still…this….I can't really process it."

"Go home and get some sleep," the deputy instructed her gently.

She cast another furtive glance at the sheriff, who replied with a knowing one of his own. She couldn't waste time and sleep. There was too much to be done – a nogitsune to stop, a death to be avenged, and another one to be prevented.

Sleep was a luxury she couldn't yet afford.

/

"Stiles and Kira said it was the Nemeton that kept it trapped." Scott explained to Dr. Deaton as he, Neris, and Lydia sought out the druid's help.

"The problem is this isn't even a person you're fighting. It just looks like one." Deaton reminded them. "It's a spirit that's taken the shape of a human."

"The shape of my best friend." Scott corrected.

"And he knows that while he looks like our best friend, we'll be more hesitant to attack him straight on," Neris added. "He'll hide behind the Oni and bide his time until we're exhausted. Then he'll strike."

"Someone caught it once. Someone can do it again, right?" Lydia wondered.

Deaton shook his head. "I don't know. This thing was trapped a long time ago, before the Nemeton was cut down. It doesn't have the same power anymore."

"Is there anything that does?" Scott asked.

"Possibly." He conceded. "When the tree was whole, its wood was sometimes used to contain powerful objects. But those objects are very rare."

"Wait a second. Powerful objects?" Lydia interjected. "Like an Alpha's claws?"

"Which Alpha?"

"Talia Hale." She stated. "Peter had them in this wooden box with a triskele carved on the lid. What if it was made from the Nemeton?"

"It was." Deaton confirmed, his voice quieter.

"How do you know?" Scott pressed.

He gave a sad smile. "Because I made it."

Their confirmation in hand, Scott pulled out his phone and made the call to Derek. "Derek's got the triskele box. He's gonna meet us."

Lydia's eyes fluttered, and her knees gave out. As she sank, Scott and Neris reached out and grabbed her, steadying their friend.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked.

"Did you hear something?" Neris pressed.

Lydia shook her head. "Something's happening. I had this sudden rushing feeling, like we're running out of time."

"Yeah." Stiles' voice came from the door, and they turned to see Kira helping him into the clinic. The circles under his eyes had deepened, his face was pale and gaunt, and he moved his arms and legs weakly as he entered the room. "Yeah, I kind of got that feeling, too."

/

The five teens arrived at the school, rushing against the clock to save their friend. As they raced towards the main doors, Stiles and Lydia fell behind – Lydia carrying the weight of Stiles as he leaned against her as they walked.

"Scott, hold on." Stiles spoke as they caught up to them at the door. "I know what you're all thinking. If this works, it might kill me, too. But even if it does, you have to go through with it. Stick with the plan, okay?"

"The plan is to save you." Scott reminded him. "That's the plan I'm going with."

They pushed through the doors of the school but found themselves somewhere other than the main hallway of the school. Instead, they had somehow been transported to a snow-covered Japanese Garden.

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

The snowy garden seemed real. It was cold, and the fresh layer crunched under their feet as they walked, looking around at the snow-covered statues. The wind howled around them, rustling wind chimes somewhere. The nogitsune, having returned to the bandaged form he took when he had possessed Rhys – complete with the bomber jacket – entered the garden in a jarring, staggering walk. Kira unsheathed her katana in preparation.

"Like I promised, Stiles: we're going to kill all of them." The nogitsune hissed. "One by one."

An Oni appeared and swung his sword at Kira, who blocked it expertly. The teens backed away as three more Oni appeared, surrounding them from all corners

"What the hell is this? Where are we?" Scott demanded.

"Between life and death." The nogitsune informed him.

"Bardo." Lydia realized.

"But there are no peaceful deities here, Lydia." It warned. "You're dying, Stiles. And now everyone you care about is dying, too."

"What?" Stiles asked as the nogitsune advanced on them. "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."

Scott's mom. Stiles' dad. Dr. Deaton. They were all in danger. No doubt the nogitsune had sent his remaining Oni there to terrorize them, and who knows how many other people. Neris felt the heat rise up her spine; anger crawled under her skin and she could feel her talons itching to come out.

"Do you know the ritual of seppuku, Stiles?" The nogitsune went on.

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

"When a samurai disembowels himself with his own sword to maintain his honor, but that's not the cut that kills him." The nogitsune was almost singing in his malicious glee. "The killing stroke is made by his kaishakunin, who beheads the samurai with his own katana." He lifted a bandaged finger, pointing at the only wolf in the pack that stood before him. "Scott...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 they're all going to die." The nogitsune kept advancing until he stood inches in front of Stiles. "Everyone touched by an Oni's blade...unless Scott kills you first."

"Why?" Stiles pressed. "Why are you doing this?"

"To win the game."

The Oni began swinging their swords, spinning them fiercely to intimidate their opponents. Lydia shrieked as the teens shrunk back. Scott transformed into a wolf as Kira raised her sword in defense, both preparing to fight.

"Fuck the game," Neris growled, pulling out a lighter she had store in her back pocket.

Spinning the wheel, she ignited the lighter and pulled the flame out, lengthening it and holding it as a whip. It burned pleasantly against her hand, not searing her flesh as she manipulated it. With a crack, she smacked an Oni across its mask.

The garden came alive with the sound of the ensuing battle. Kira's katana clashed against one of the Oni's and Scott's growled as he battled an Oni of his own. Neris swung her flaming whip, careful not to hit her friends, as she too the snow and molded it into ice daggers that she flung at whatever Oni she was facing at the time. Lydia had dragged Stiles away, hiding him behind a wooden bridge.

"How is this happening?" Scott yelled as his back hit his two friends'. He, Kira, and Neris were still surrounded, their backs pressed together to remove an opening for the Oni to strike. "How are we in this place?"

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

"Neris…how are you…" Scott trail off as Neris gave another crack at an Oni, leaping to attack again.

"Remember how I told you the Mark would help?" She yelled, sending another ice dagger at an Oni. "This is helping!"

"What about your anchor?" He shouted as he fought off an Oni. "You'll lose control if you don't have one."

"Weirdly enough, I think I have two!"

"The twins?!" He was incredulous.

"Can we talk about this later?" She interrogated as the Oni swung it's sword at her head.

The four Oni began to get the upper hand against the three teens.

"This can't be real." Lydia shook her head, watching the battle ensue.

"Yeah, tell that to them." Stiles muttered.

Kira lost her katana in the snow, cornered against the bridge as two Oni raised their swords at her. Neris and Scott still fought off their respective Oni – fighting tooth and nails as their stamina dwindled against the demons. Stiles lunged out, recovering Kira's sword and standing up. He lifted the sword, positioning it over his abdomen as he prepared to stab himself.

"Stiles, no!" Scott shouted as he saw what his friend was intending. "Stiles!"

"What if it saves you?" Stiles returned, his voice shaking. "What if it saves all of you?"

"You don't know that for sure!" Neris yelled.

"What if it's just another trick?" Lydia wondered, panicked.

"No more tricks, Lydia." The nogitsune informed her, turning his razor-sharp gaze 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 paused, looking around the garden in bemusement. "I do, a divine move." He fired back, tossing Kira back her sword. "Stop fighting them. It's an illusion. You have to stop fighting them. It looks real and it feels real, but Scott, Neris, you gotta trust me, it's an illusion."

Scott and Neris locked eyes, and the fire faded from her grasp as she followed the unspoken order from her Alpha. Trust Stiles, no matter what. The Oni lined up, guarding the nogitsune, and slashed at all of them as they walked the gauntlet toward the door. Blood flowed but all remained standing, pushing through to the nogitsune. As Scott reached it, he pushed it back through the door and into the school hallway.

They found themselves alone in the school. There was no more snow, no more Oni and no more nogitsune. Their wounds were gone, their clothes untorn.

"We're okay." Scott breathed. "We're..."

Scott was cut off as the nogitsune – now in his Stiles doppelganger form – shoved him into a locker and swiftly knocked Neris and Kira down. He turned to Lydia and Stiles, glaring at them with enough fury to power the sun.

"This was my game. You think you can beat me at my game?" The nogitsune shouted with Stiles' voice. He advanced on Stiles and Lydia, and they stumbled backwards to get away from him. "Divine move. Divine move. You think you have any moves at all? 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 cried out, causing the nogitsune to stop in its tracks.

"What?" He wondered, his voice a whispered growl.

"You forgot about the scroll." Stiles told him, his shoulders becoming straighter as he faced his mirror image.

"The Shugendo scroll." Lydia clarified.

"Change the host." The nogitsune realized, for once feeling afraid.

"You can't be a fox and a wolf." Stiles allowed himself a small smirk.

Scott leapt up behind the nogtisune, sinking his claws deep into its shoulder and biting it on the arm. When he finally let go, Kira stabbed him through the heart with her katana. With Stiles' voice, the nogitsune screamed, the lights flickering as a fly came buzzing out of his mouth. It flew swiftly down the hall, escaping until the triskelion box came out of nowhere. Isaac trapped the fly inside, looking to his friends in quiet triumph.

The nogitsune's doppelganger body began to twitch and jerk. Suddenly it stilled, the flesh beginning to dry and crack like clay until the empty shell collapsed into a pile of dust on the floor. Like the Oni, the dust quickly dissipated in smoke, leaving nothing. They stared at the empty space, realization slowly sinking in that they had won.

Stiles' eyes rolled back and he collapsed on the floor. They rushed around him, propping his head on Scott's jacket as they waited for him to regain consciousness.

His eyes fluttered open moments later, staring up at his friends surrounding him. "Oh, God, I fainted, didn't I?" They shared quiet laughs, relief flooding through them. "We're alive. We all alive?"

Not all of them. It was a thought that didn't pass their lips, remaining stuck on their tongues.

"Yeah." Scott nodded, a sad smile on his face as he reassured his friend. "We're okay."

Lydia's head turned towards the double doors that led out to the courtyard, sensing something was wrong. She stood, grabbing Neris' arm as she ran, bringing the girl with her to the underpass. The smell hit Neris as she and Lydia neared the walkway, and saw Ethan cradling his brother's body.

Lydia turned back in shock and was wrapped in Stiles arms, both girls unaware that he had followed them. Neris screamed Aiden's name, running forward to the twins. She fell to her knees beside Ethan, quietly sobbing over his brother's bloodied body, and wrapped her arms around him. She held him close, whispering what calming words came to mind as tears pricked her eyes.

The former Alpha that she had once loathed had somehow grown on her. He had unknowingly become one half of her anchor – the embodiment of losing control and knowing when to hold back – and somewhere along the way the beginnings of familial feelings had started to grow.

As she held onto the other half of her anchor, her voice growing thick as she continued to try to comfort him, Neris wondered what would happen. What would Ethan do now that he had lost his brother? What would she do without either of them if Ethan decided to leave?

For now, all she could do was hold him and cry with him.

/

Neris and Ethan sat in the breakfast nook the next morning. Neither of them spoke, picking at their food.

"I'm, uh…" Ethan began, "I don't think I can stay here. Not after everything that has happened."

Neris nodded, drawing in a deep breath. "I kind of figured." She reached across the table, taking his hand in hers. "I'll make sure to contact every siren in the U.S. that I can; I'll make sure all of them know that, no matter what, you're a part of the pack in my eyes. If you ever need a place to stay, find one of them. I'll make sure they'll take you in."

He attempted a smile, but his lips wouldn't cooperate. Instead, he pulled her into a hug, whispering his thanks in her hair.

He gathered his few belongings, packing them onto his bike and leaving to say his goodbyes to Danny. Neris wheeled Aiden's bike into the garage – she'd sell it and send the money to Ethan later. Neris didn't want to go to school that day, not wanting to face anyone at the moment.

She didn't want to stay at home and linger in her thoughts, either. Neris made her way to the animal clinic, surprised to find Scott already there.

"You too?" She questioned, joining him in cleaning up the vet's office after Deaton's scuffle with the Oni.

Scott nodded. "I just needed a day off."

"Well," Neris sighed. "We deserve it."

Dr. Deaton walked in, observing the teens in their attempt to distract themselves. "Have you ever heard the term 'regression to the mean'?"

The teens shook their heads. "No."

"It's a bit of a technical way of saying things will always even out." He told them, comforting them in his own way.

"Like things will always get better?" Scott wondered.

"More like things can't always be bad."

"So, no matter how bad things get…"

"Or how good." Deaton interrupted.

"They always come back to the middle." Scott surmised.

"Maintaining the balance," Neris repeated the words of Ms. Morrell.

"Regression to the mean." Dr. Deaton agreed.

"I'm not so sure that applies to a town like this." Scott allowed himself a wry smile.

Dr. Deaton chuckled lightly. "Yes. You might be right."

"But maybe the beacon will draw in more beings like Kira," Neris offered. "You know…one's that don't want to kill us."

The three shared another small laugh as Neris' phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the screen, the message from Ethan shocking and confusing her.

Danny knows. He wrote. I didn't tell him. But he knows.