Someone was calling out his name but Ash desperately wanted to keep his eyes shut and ignore the reality for as long as he could.

"Ash," Someone repeated his name again with a gentle touch on the shoulder this time.

Therefore Ash forced himself to open his eyes. "Stiles?" He murmured without actually aiming for it, blinking a few times to adjust his eyes to the light of the room.

"No, hey, I am Kira," The kitsune ushered out her words as she helped him sat straight. Ash wanted to smile at her presence, the kindness in her gestures was making it easier to live past that moment. Something inside him was to broken to curve his lips upwards, instead he stared at her with wide eyes, trying to recall every detail. "I'm sorry, uh I'm a friend of Stiles. Do you know that- I guess you already knew who I was. Anyways. And, you're at my house. Stiles is downstairs. I'm truly sorry if I freaked you out-"

Ash shook his head in disapproval, tried to offer a kind smile. Judging by the worried and unconvinced look on the kitsune's face, he was not managing a proper smile. He wanted to slump with defeat, frown, cry or just wanted to go back to sleep but he did none of those. Instead he cleared his throat and cringed at his rough voice. "Nice to meet you Kira. In person, that is," Ash mumbled and added quickly, "I'm okay."

Kira didn't seem to be entirely convinced after this statement, after all he looked pretty fragile under  the covers, with his pale skin showing off the dark circles circling his eyes that were clearly been doing some crying for quite a while. Thankfully she didn't insist on getting more words out of him. "We are heading off to the animal clinic and I thought you should rest but Stiles told me that you would be angry if we left without telling you."

She smiled gently and Ash gave her a nod. "He thought right. I have to be there."

They headed downstairs and Kira's parents were pretty welcoming towards Ash. He gladly took the cup of tea her mother offered, meanwhile avoiding the eye contact with Stiles. "Thank you Mrs. Yukimura."

"Are you sure you want to come? You can rest if you want..." Stiles muttered while he got up from his place taking strength from his arms, Ash helped him stand on his feet.

Stiles leaned against him like it was a natural thing to do and Ash didn't object. "Not staying behind," Ash stated firmly and his tone left no open door for a discussion.

Nobody tried to talk him out of it. Everyone was in pain on their own terms, it felt like walking around eggshells.

Regardless they had to keep moving. Ash had to keep going, he didn't have enough time to stop and think about his wounds. Wounds on his skin and wounds on his heart. So, he pushed forward and they kept going.

Stiles had been leaning against Ash, depending on him for walking. Stiles' struggle with something as simple as walking made Ash feel terrible but he tried to conceal his discomfort. He was obviously failing at that while the car ride included an awkward tension and the minimum usage of words. Ash wasn't complaining about the not talking thing because he wasn't feeling like having a forced conversation. Although it was clear that Kira thought against it since the kitsune kept on glancing over the car's mirror which made Ash curious wondering the reason behind her act.

Therefore he was both relived and bummed when she decided to let out what's been lingering inside her head. "You knew my last name." Kira exclaimed and she didn't make much sense without context. Ash raised an eyebrow through the mirror, Kira sighed before continuing. "You called my mother with our last name but I didn't tell you that. It's all so weird."

Normally this kind of question coming out of nowhere would've make Ash feel attacked but Kira didn't seem to hold any accusations in her tone, she sounded genuinely curious.

"He writes a book and we are the main characters. He knows everything," Stiles stated so simply that it would've made Ash laugh on a different occasion. He had always loved Stiles' dry humor, after all.

Kira's eyes widened but she seemed to be connecting the dots. Gathering all the information she had heard about Ash Mallory. Kira looked baffled by it all. "That's kind of cool, and creepy. Like, everything? That's just insane," Kira talked as if she was talking to herself and grimaced when she actually realized what she said. "I am sorry, I didn't mean like that, I just-"

Ash waved his hand to clarify that he was fine with that, his features softening at her awkwardness."I get it, It must be weird to know that someone else technically can get in to your head."

Kira smiled lightly and shook her head. "How does it work though? Aren't you in the story now and you can change things since you know the next step?"

"Kira I think you shouldn't drown him with your questions." Stiles rested his head on the cold glass, his voice sounding pretty tired.

"You are right, so-"

"Please stop saying I am sorry, its fine honestly." This time Ash really forced himself to crack a smile and he succeeded even thought it was for a brief second. "You are right it's not the same since-" Ash's eyes moved on Stiles through the mirror before focusing on Kira again. "Since Stiles came in to Eichen House and I got in to the story. Before him, I wrote in to every little detail and I rarely changed anything. But now, I can only write in parts like little glimpses in to the future and countless other options are lingering inside my mind. As if I am a writer who cannot decide on the plot."

Kira nodded slowly, she seemed blown away by his powers, a small part of him felt flattered because he felt the same about her. "Why can't we use your knowledge to be one step ahead of him?"

Ash's brows furrowed. "Trying to change faith is extremely dangerous. I have this hunch, some events feel like they are the bullet points and those aren't meant to be played with. Believe me, if I dare to stop the stuff that is about to happen so much worse would come back to us." Ash's voice trialed of at the end of the sentence, he knew that from experience.

The duo on the front seats chose to not ask anything further judging from Ash's cold tone. They kept their silence until they  got to the animal clinic.

Kira and Ash helped Stiles by wrapping their arms around his waist. When they stepped inside; Scott, Lydia and Deaton were gathered around a table while having a heated conversation.

"Something's happening. I had this sudden rushing feeling, like we're running out of time." Lydia exclaimed not even being aware of their presence.

"Yeah." Stiles spoke up, trying to stand up by his own. "Yeah, I kind of got that feeling, too."

[...]

It all felt surreal to be standing next to the majority of the McCall pack, seeing them in action. Ash still hadn't wrapped his mind around the fact that the people he had been writing for quite awhile now were indeed real. Like, this past week had proven it over and over again but... He had been inside his mind for far too long. The reality just shook him to the core. It hadn't stopped shaking ever since Stiles stepped foot inside Eichen House.

The happiness he got from being around them was tainted with everything that happened just a few hours ago and everything that was bound to happen in the next few. Ash would choose staying in Eichen House forever if he could've just prevent all the hurt and pain.

"Scott, hold on," Stiles made a big effort to let out his words "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?"

For a brief second nobody broke the tension in the air because after all, all of them were thinking it. Even Ash didn't know what was bound to happen after the trickster's death.  "The plan is to save you. That's the plan I'm going with," Scott stated, reminding Ash all the reasons why the teen wolf became a true alpha.

With that he pushed the doors to the school and they all stepped in to a completely different scenery to what they'd been expecting.

Ash stick out his hand and felt the little snowflakes landing on the palm of his hand, the cold making him feel chilled. And nostalgic. Ash hated cold and Clark used to love it. They used to make snowmen, a whole family cause Clark hated the thought of making one and letting it feel lonely-

"Like I promised, Stiles. We're going to kill all of them." A familiar sound took Ash's attention from investigating their surroundings and pulled him back from the depths of his own mind.   "One by one." Ash immediately took a step back as is eyes landed on the notorious creature. Stiles stood a step front of him, latching their hands with an instinct.

"What the hell is this? Where are we?" Stiles muttered without taking his eyes of off the monster.

The strawberry blonde stood by the duo before speaking up. "Between life and death. Bardo."

"But there are no peaceful deities here, Lydia. You're dying, Stiles. And now everyone you care about is dying, too," The Nogitsune said with amusement in his tone.

"What? What do you mean?" Stiles said, trying to conceal the hysteria in his tone but it was out there.

"Why don't you ask your little friend there? Tell them, Ash. Tell that I am going to kill them all."

Ash's breath hitched but he spoke through glanced teeth. "You don't control me anymore," Stiles squeezed his hand to reassure him.

" I've captured almost all of the territories on the board, Stiles. The hospital. The sheriff's station. And now the animal clinic." Ash knew what exactly was about to happen but he also knew he shouldn't interfere. He didn't know why he felt that way but an instinct told him that Stiles had to be the one to decide their fate, not him. Therefore he hopelessly watched as the trickster played it's trick on them. "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. Everyone touched by an Oni's blade. Unless Scott kills you first."

Now Stiles was fully leaning against him and Ash could've sworn that he was able to feel his heart beating out of his chest." Why? Why are you doing this?" The pale human asked and he sounded desperate which made Ash feel awful. What good came out from knowing the future if you weren't able to change anything?

"To win the game."

What happened next occurred so fast that with a blink of an eye, Lydia Stiles and himself were going backwards in the garden, watching Scott and Kira fight against the Oni's and not doing a great job at it.

"This can't be real," Lydia said as if she was talking to herself.

"Yeah, tell that to them." Stiles responded without even blinking, Ash knew he was going through all their options in his head.

When a sword landed on their feet, Ash understood what Stiles was about to do. Even though he tried to pull him back with an instinct Stiles grabbed the sword, ready to end his life here and now.

"Stiles, no!" Lydia exclaimed, looking Ash for an answer. "Ash, tell him that this isn't the right thing."

Ash shook his head as a no, making Lydia's gaze harden. "I can't, he has to figure it out. Didn't you say he is the one who always figures it out," With everything he had, Ash hoped that Lydia will understand and she seemed to as she nodded with understating in her eyes.

"Give up the game. You have no moves left," The Nogitsune was continuing taunting Stiles and for just a moment, Ash thought Stiles was really going to fall for the trick.

"I do. A divine move," Ash sighed in relief as Stiles dropped the sword. "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. We're okay." He kept on telling and Scott trusted him without hesitating, he took a step towards the exit.

"You are with me?" Stiles glanced at Ash with expectation and he nodded in return, started walking side by side.

The sword cut through their fleshes and it hurt, Ash wasn't able to express it with words but having Stiles next to him made it all bearable, forgetting all about the past for that particular moment. "This was my game. You think you can beat me at my game?" The Nogitsune was screaming his words and it felt like they were echoing inside his head.

As the scenery changed and Ash was standing next to a Stiles with blood drained out from his face.

"Divine move. Divine move. You think you have any moves at all?" Ash snapped his head to the evil looking thing that wore the face of Stiles but it was not him, never can be him. They started taking steps back in union and the monster walked with rage in his every move." You can kill the Oni. But me? Me? I'm a thousand years old. You can write all you want Ash but you can't kill me!"

"Oh but we can change you." Ash stated proudly his fingers tugging on Stiles shirt for strength.

"What?"

"I might have forgotten to write about that part. The part we kill you," Ash said adding with a cheek smile. "Oops."

He growled at Ash, speaking through glanced teeth. "Change the host."

"You can't be a fox and a wolf." Stiles said and as he did Scott's teeth sung in to the flesh of the devil.

Ash wasn't able to believe that it was really happening when Kira's katana cut through the flesh of The Nogitsune, making him fall on his knees. A firefly escaped his parted lips, all eyes watched while it flew away only to be kept inside the box that Isaac Lahey was holding.

[...]

Is this a dream?

That was the first thing that popped into his head while he was watching the trickster's death. His body that was a poor imitation of a beautiful boy was turning into ash and dust. It was gone. It was all over.

It must've been a dream. Isaac Lahey was looking there, all handsome and graceful with his crooked smile that showed off his age, showed how young he was. He looked tired, he looked unreal and he looked broken.

Ash averted his gaze from the boy and couldn't help but look at all of their faces. They all looked speechless.

Is this the end?

They all had that broken smile. They had won- this was victory. It felt like they had lost.

What was victory if you had to lose a part of you anyway?

Stiles collapsed on the ground and Ash only managed to fall together with him to keep his head from hitting the ground. He let Stiles' head rest on his lap and just stared at his face, caressed gently.

He didn't realize he was crying until his tears fell on to Stiles' face. This was an end. It felt like an end. Ash felt empty and hollow. Aiden was giving his last breaths while he was staring at Stiles. Someone else was dying so that they could live.

His fingers traced Stiles' moles, and the faint rise and fall of his chest brought comfort. However, he just couldn't get rid of the sickening feeling inside his stomach as he looked at Stiles. Now that boy only reminded him of what he had done. The people he had lost. So he cried until his vision got blurry, until he couldn't see Stiles. He felt terrified.

He was terrified of not being able to look at him ever again.

[...]

AUTHOR's NOTE;

ugh!! why am i like this? this keeps getting more heart breaking and i swear i don't want to... just on more chapter? bare with me guys.

also, next one is a stiles pov... yay?