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The swift North Wind blew into Beacon Hills one fine fall day. He’d heard rumors and whisperings suggesting the beacon had been “lit” again and that a great danger threatened the balance between nature and magic in this part of the world leaving the lives of every creature in the crosshairs. Thinking he could do something to alter the plan that fate has put in motion, he followed his curiosity to this little town in California.
The North Wind’s arrival was swift and strong, blowing all over town, tossing leaves and whipping around corners. Inquisitive he may be but well thought out plans were not quite his forte so after just a few hours bluster, he tired of his search and rose into the sky to lounge on a cloud.
Perhaps his usual methods wouldn’t work this time. North stewed among the clouds until a young man came jogging alone through a stretch of woods on the edge of town. The man had a strong build to him with dark hair that grew on his face as well as his head. Sensing magic in him as well (he is a wind, he can do that sort of thing) North floated down to get a closer look.
North was delighted to find that the young man was in fact a wolf!
//What luck!//
He made his decision quickly, as winds often do, and with great strength and conviction North blew through the woods, rushing through trees and frightening birds from their perches, right into the young man’s chest. There he sat and waited for surely a person this invested in magic will get to the bottom of this mystery.
Sitting still was not easy for North but he occupied his time listening to the young man breathe and picked at the man’s thoughts (if winds can see magic they can certainly hear thoughts). Thoughts are just the tiny whispers of the mind, too quiet for humans to hear any but their own no matter how close they get to one another.
If Derek - his name was Derek - was startled by the wind’s abrupt halt, North paid no heed. He was swept up into the current of thoughts around a group of people nearby who the young man cared a great deal about. People in danger.
//Now we are getting somewhere!//
North quickly decided that humans, well at least wolves who spend time as humans... are odd.
Derek’s home had an overwhelming smell of fluorescent paint and young bodies. His thoughts were sad in this place and North wondered why he would stay someplace so filled with bad memories. Derek seemed to make up his mind while he dressed and left the loft in search of a “Scott”. It seemed really important that Derek find this smell.
After a few minutes walk, North’s wolf-human picked up a faint trail that smelled like “Scott”. It mixed with the gasoline smell of the boy’s dirt bike as well as the clear citrus-lightning smell of “Kira”.
The trail took a jaunty weaving course through town until they found themselves looking at the back door of the Beacon Hills Sheriff Station. Derek seemed apprehensive about following it inside but was relieved to discover that the trail led away again.
Suddenly, a familiar scent hit Derek and his thoughts lit up about a “Stiles”. //What the heck is a Stiles?!// Well, whatever it was it made Derek’s thoughts dance from care to annoyance to affection to curiosity to concern before a foul wind tainted the scent-trail. It was so strong and abrasive that it forced Derek to take several very deep breaths culminating in the largest sneeze he had ever experienced.
It is highly probable that no one has EVER experienced a sneeze of this magnitude due largely to the fact that no one else has ever had the North Wind in their chest before. Derek was very lucky he had his werewolf healing because a lesser man would have perished.
Needless to say, the Man-wolf was very surprised (and North, too, for that matter) to recover and open his eyes to see a large portion of the police station reduced to rubble.
North got to experience first hand how fast the Man-wolf could run after that revelation.
North heard Derek realize that it was nearing the end of the school day and that the “pack” would most likely be found there … and indeed, a few minutes later Derek and North picked up the Scott scent once again outside the High School. It was still accompanied by Kira and the boy’s dirt bike but this time a pair of scents joined them leading away from the school. The new scents made Derek’s thoughts angry and sad once again as they were back at the loft.
Derek looked around the parking lot some more in search of “Blue Jeep” but there was none in sight. The Wolf-man took a deep breath searching for “Stiles” again. What was left of that trail was fairly cold and went in a different direction than the “Scott” scent. Derek’s thoughts did their dance again around Stiles, care, annoyance, concern… when the foul wind hit him once again, jarring his thoughts, knocking North about and winding up another epic sneeze that, this time, took out the school sign and several bushes.
Derek’s concern revved up a few more notches as he ran in the direction of “the McCall House” hoping beyond hope that THAT doesn’t happen again!
-
Derek could hear Scott and Kira talking to Scott’s dad inside just as the sun was going down. “Melissa” showed up just before sundown and entered the house while Derek waited in the backyard. The twin scents were nearby giving Derek’s thoughts an undercurrent of annoyance the Wolf-man fought to cover with concern and vigilance.
A strong wind blew up to the house just after the last of the sun’s rays dipped under the horizon. North recognised the Oni immediately and stirred restlessly causing Derek to pause with a hand on his chest. The Oni are kin to the East Wind. They come in darkness but are a force for good. Toothless and proud but strong and fierce, they go after evil forces that claim darkness as their own.
Tonight, they were on a mission. Derek’s thought of pack, protection and “Save them even if I must sacrifice myself” revved up once a scream was heard inside.
The Wolf-man entered the house and slid into the great room roaring. North was a great fan of roaring so he may have added to it a little bit. The twins burst through a window and for a moment chaos reigned.
Derek attempted to fight an Oni that was going after Scott and fought to the best of his ability but North could tell he was no match for the Dark Wind. North was not beyond helping a bit and low and behold, the two of them were able to push the Oni out the door before Melissa sealed the entry with magic.
North did not particularly like the idea of being trapped in the house but figured his Wolf-man would figure out what to do with his “pack”.
//OH! They are ALL wolves! And this Scott has such a clear stream of magic in him! Choosing Derek was a great decision! //
North’s self-praise suddenly meshed with Derek’s as the Wolf-man’s thoughts exclaimed, “I won a fight!”
Derek’s elation couldn’t be undone even with the twins causing a ruckus in the kitchen. North could tell Derek was pleased with himself when he told them the girl was a kitsune.
//A Kitsune! How did I miss that? No wonder she smelled of Lightning.//
The house shook and shuddered against the strong wind of the Oni. They tested the boundaries of the spell Melissa cast but North knew it wouldn’t hold them for long. Scott decided to face the Oni without resistance after talking to someone on a little box.
//Smart man.//
Derek’s concern for Scott as he and Kira passed the test and fell to the ground was overwhelming.
Once the barrier was no longer needed, they all rushed the wounded to the hospital.
Derek’s mind kept running around worrying about everyone and momentarily flitting back to Stiles. Derek wondered if Stiles was mad about him leaving. Wondered if Stiles missed him too. Wondered when they would see each other again.
Scott mentioned Stiles, and Melissa told him where to find his friend. Both Wolf-men went off in search of their Stiles. They picked up his scent (though it was really more like a stench) soon enough, even over the hospital smell.
Though something wasn’t right.
Stiles wasn’t in his room.
His trail led off toward the wing that was still under construction after the last attack at the hospital. They came through some double doors to find Stiles standing alone with his back to them.
“Stiles?” Scott started forward but Derek stopped him with a hand on his chest.
Stiles turned around but as he did, the foul wind returned, brought on by his movement.
“Something isn’t right.” Derek whispered, noting Stiles’ uncharacteristic stance and gaze.
North hadn’t been able to place it before but now that it stood right in front of him he couldn’t believe he had been so blind. The Foul Wind Demon born of pollution and ill-will that preys on those vulnerable to darkness had managed to firmly embed itself in Stiles.
As Foul moved Stiles forward like a puppet, his awful fumes reached a peak, winding up the most powerful sneeze inside Derek as North coiled up for the attack.
The sneeze peaked and released, exploding out of him and right into the unsuspecting possessed boy. The ROAR that escaped them both as North ripped through the room demolished the wall behind.
North grappled with Foul for purchase on the boy who shook and fell to his knees in the onslaught of wind and howling. Derek and Scott crouched toward the door each holding onto its handle with clawed hands as the winds reached tornadic velocity. Their howling joined North’s just as he finally cleansed the Stiles of the Foul Wind once and for all.
North gave one last great Howl with the pack before rushing out the gaping hole in the side of the building, ushering out the Foul to be exiled out at sea.
If North had hands he would have clapped the dust off and good riddance.
-
North’s mission, now completed, left him free to head back north to blow around where he belongs... but he found he was attached to these Wolf-men.
Instead, he breezed back to the hospital where he had left them in the rubble. Derek and Scott were huddled around Stiles who was sitting on the floor holding his head.
“Dude, did you sneeze on me?” Stiles peeked an eye up to Derek’s sheepish gaze.
“Yeah, Derek..” Scott placed a hand on Derek’s shoulder. “Are you ok? What the heck was that?”
North took that moment to enter the room, this time just a gentle whoosh. He can be gentle and whisper when he wants to!
“I’m afraid that was my fault,” North spoke to them on the wind. It was an ethereal echo that faded in and out.
The three boys jumped to their feet with claws out (except Stiles, who regretted the movement and sat back down).
“Don’t be afraid for I am the North Wind.”
Derek stood at ease immediately but Scott was wary. The true alpha eyed Derek’s laid back stance with incredulity. “The North Wind?” Scott asked Derek.
“Mom used to tell us stories.” Derek shrugged.
“Derek and I have been following you all day.” North confessed, causing Derek to facepalm and the weirdest expression appeared on Scott’s face. It was a combination that made Stiles snort but quickly disguised it as a cough when the Wolf-men turned their attention to their recovering friend.
“Where are you?” Stiles asked attempting to divert attention away from himself.
North decided to borrow the Oni’s trick of gathering particles and moulding mist into something humanesque. He was more like dust caught in a sunbeam than a ninja but at least it gave them something to look at.
“The Foul had captured your Stiles. I had to defeat it in great battle!” North said trying out an arm movement to gesture with his particles.
Derek’s eyebrows rose as did those of the other two a moment later. Scott’s mouth formed the words “your Stiles” as he snuck a look between Derek and Stiles.
Melissa took that moment to burst into the room, scattering North about. Her eyes grew wide indeed when she saw the destruction.
“Boys…?” She looked each of them in the eye. “You all need to leave.” She started nodding. “..now.”
Scott mirrored his mother’s nod and replied “Let’s go to Stiles’ house.” Grabbing onto Stiles and lifting him to his feet, Scott eyed Derek as the man slung Stiles other arm over his own shoulder.
“Hurry” Melissa ushered them out.
-
The pack all met at the Stilinski home a short time later.
They all lounged in the kitchen and living room with cups of hot cocoa talking in low voices about the Oni, Kitsune and the different winds. Lydia and Derek talked to North’s particles near window in the kitchen that had been left open in case he needed to woosh out or back in. He found he did not like being inside enclosed places. Stiles sat nearby still holding his head but looking a little better than he had since the sacrifice.
There was question as to whether the three were still vulnerable to another mental assault. They all agreed to talk to Deaton about it the first chance they could get.
The news popped on just as Sheriff Stilinski walked in. Isaac turned up the volume, grabbing everyone’s attention.
“The wind advisory that was in effect today for the Beacon Hills area has been lifted. Several accounts of minor tornado damage have been reported. Most notable was the destruction of part of the Beacon Hills Sheriff Station, Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital and Beacon Hills High’s sign and grounds. No one was injured in these instances today. Crews are starting work on cleanup as we speak. Let’s go to Nancy on the scene…”
John let his gaze take in the motley group sitting about his home as they listened to the broadcast. Lighting his gaze on Scott he addressed him directly. “Your mom wanted me to tell you she will be staying at the hospital tonight. Apparently they’d had quite an evening trying to explain all the destruction.” John looked tired indeed as he walked to the kitchen to pull out two beers. He handed one to Derek.
John pointed his beer at Derek. “You made my job very difficult today, son.”
Derek winced visibly as Stiles hid a smile. John lifted his eyebrows in a mock-serious stare down, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Don’t worry. The camera footage of you sneezing the station to bits was destroyed in the “tornado”. You took out Agent McCall’s office so I should be giving you a medal.” He smiled as he clinked beers.
“We saved your Stiles too!” North wanted a little of that praise.
Everyone looked between Stiles and the particles milling around the open window.
“What happened to Stiles?” John turned on the Sheriff and demanded the whole story.
Once they were finished, Stiles was in a fit of giggles.
“I know I’ve been calling you Big Bad for a while,” gasping giggles escaped the boy, “but it isn’t nice to call ‘Cops’ Pigs’”