Kurt's heart was pounding in his ears as he ran out of the drawing room, leaving Blaine behind while the room filled with monsters that wanted to kill him. Oh god.

He ached to stay with Blaine--to stand and fight with him--but he knew Blaine was right. He had no defense against those creatures and he would not let Blaine get hurt because of him. Still, this was the worst feeling in the world: running to hide when Blaine was left to fight.  He skidded into the main entryway and glanced up the stairs. Was he really doing this?

There was a growl behind his shoulder and Kurt's heart almost stopped. He spun around to find a Dontizu standing between him and the front door. There was no way to leave, which he wasn't going to do anyway, but there was also no way to run past it to get back to the drawing room either. He had no time to think through anything--he just turned and flung himself towards the stairs, tripping a little on his way. He rushed up them two at a time and turned left. Third door to the left.

He practically ran into the door in his speed to get inside; he paused for a fraction of a second, staring at the metal-worked head of a Dontizu hanging on the door--smaller but similar to the one Felix had --then he threw the door open and rushed inside.  The door was heavy and solid and Kurt shut it hard behind him with a thud that rang in his ears.

He was panting and feeling frantic, breathing quickly. Lock the door. Okay… right… but it was one of those old-fashioned doors with a keyhole and he had no key. The room was dark as he spun around; he heard a rattling behind him and looked at the door again to see that there was a key already in the lock; it was shaking and rattling as if to get his attention and it somehow had a faint silver glow to it. Blaine. He was somehow keeping him safe even now.

Kurt turned the key in the lock and then leaned his forehead against the door, letting out a long breath that sounded like a sob. He was shaking head to toe, and as he lowered himself to the ground, the crying really started. He was supposedly safe in this room, but he had no idea what was happening to Blaine.

He turned to lean his back against the door and hugged his knees to himself. He glanced around the room, there were a few windows letting in the light of the moon, but otherwise it was dark. It could have been a study, or a small library - the walls had shelves of books, but he wasn't sure why a study would need such a thick door. Then again, the family that had once lived here all had magic, who knew what they used to study here.

Kurt wiped his face with his palms and tried to steady his breath. There had to be something he could do. He couldn't sit here and just wait for Blaine to defeat the Dontizu or to… to die. This was his fight too, but what could he possibly do that wouldn't make things worse? 

Blaine's breath was coming in short pants as he used his magic to toss another Dontizu across the room. Cooper ran to his side, his face rigid and his eyes glowing.

“Change, Cooper! I need your help!” Blaine cried.

“I just… there is so much I want to say to you…”

Blaine used his magic to push back two Dontizu trying to crawl in through the window. “I have a lot I need to say too,” Blaine answered quickly, glancing at his brother. “I guess we are both going to have to live through this.”

Cooper smiled a smile that Blaine had seen countless times in his life: half grin, half smirk, with a little wink. Blaine's heart tugged; he never let himself realize how much he'd missed his brother.

“See you on the other side then,” Cooper said and he growled at a Dontizu that had just leaped into the room, long spikes of fur shooting out of his skin and ripping his shirt and pants to shreds. There was a creaking of bones and a snarl, and then Cooper was no longer standing there, replaced by a red-eyed monster with fangs as long as Blaine's hand. 

Blaine wasn't sure how many more Dontizu flooded into the room in the next minutes; all he knew was that every time he sent a blast of hot, angry magic to knock one down, another two took its place. Cooper was holding his own, snarling and snapping, flinging Dontizu off of his back as they attempted to bring him down, and clamping down on their necks with sharp fangs.

Blaine wanted to make sure Cooper was safe, but he seemed to be doing well for himself; besides, if he spent too much time focused on Coop, then he would end up with a monster ripping his own throat. He had to focus. Even when Cooper led a pack of Dontizu out of the drawing room and into the entryway. Blaine could hear snarls and yaps from that direction as he fought--that was good--as long as they were fighting, it meant Cooper was still alive.

Blaine realized quickly that his wounds from the Dontizu's claw he had gotten earlier hadn't healed completely as he thrust his arms forward to use his powers to push a pair of Dontizu away from himself and towards each other. He felt a tear and looked down to see that fresh red blood was staining his bandages. He wasn't healing as fast as he'd like.

The injury was something he could fight through, but he had to keep in mind that he was mortal now. Injuries could kill him, he had to keep these creatures from even getting close to him. He also needed to find a way to attack a bunch of Dontizu at once – he wasn't doing poorly for himself, he'd sent one Dontizu through the window, crushed several against the wall, and had thrown one into the giant lit fireplace— but picking them off one or two at a time wasn't going to be enough. It seemed as if every time he killed one, another one would burst in through the window, eyes red and fangs dripping. If his newfound power wasn't so strong, he'd be flagging already.

He couldn't remember ever feeling this bursting of power. He hadn't had his full power since he was a child, and then, he was only five and still growing into his gifts. Now he was struggling to keep a reign on the magic coursing through him. It was so much and it took effort to focus it towards the Dontizu and not just let it loose, he might end up destroying everything – and everyone – around him if he did that.

He flung another Dontizu against the wall, hearing the gruesome crack of its skull, but he didn't turn in quite enough time to ward of a Dontizu that came up behind him. It had enough time to sink its teeth into his shoulder before Blaine cried out in pain, lifting the creature into the air with the force of his power, and in his adrenaline and pain, his outstretched hands tore the Dontizu in half.

Oh god.

He didn't know he could do that, and he wasn't sure he liked the discovery.  The pieces of the Dontizu hit the ground with a sickening clunk, and for a moment, the other creatures in the room seemed wary. Then, there was a howl from another part of the mansion, deeper and louder than any howl he'd heard yet, and it seemed to spur the Dontizu back into the fight. They growled and charged forward.

He flung them away again and again, pushing power out of his hands and hitting the Dontizu with violent sparks of silver. He tried to stay concentrated on the fight while inching his way out of the room and towards the entryway where, hopefully, Cooper was still fighting. That terrifying howl came from that direction and worry for his brother was distracting him.

Then, of course, there was Kurt. His Kurt. He had to believe Kurt had made it upstairs safely and into the old study. Kurt was everything, Kurt was the reason he was fighting to destroy the Dontizu once and for all. His family was dead, his brother was a monster – all he had was Kurt. If he thought for a second that Kurt wasn't alright he wouldn't be able to keep this up.

Blaine moved towards the door of the drawing room, still using his magic to keep the Dontizu at bay while flinging them against each other and up against the sturdy stone walls. He wanted to fight back to back with his brother this one last time. Even if he wasn't the brother he once knew.  

He finally made it to the hallway, and he turned his back on the monsters and sent a huge bursting ball of fire behind him. The force of it almost knocked him off of his feet – that should slow them down. It would also destroy this part of the mansion, even the part his magic had restored. That stung, but really, it was long past the time to worry about Bryn o Wyrdd.

He ran to the wide-open entryway, hearing howls and snarls of pain behind him. He gasped as he entered the entry-way, there were at least two dozen Dontizu that Cooper was trying to fight, and more coming from all directions. Blaine ran forward, stretching out his hands and pounding magic into a few Dontizu that were nearly on top of Cooper, making them fly through the air to hit the stone ground with a thud.

Cooper looked at him, his animal eyes gleaming , and another Dontizu sprang towards him but Cooper swung his head back and opened his mouth, clamping down on the creature's throat right as it was about to pounce on him. Cooper shook it around by its neck until it stopped whimpering and then tossed it towards Blaine, the creature landing at his feet.

Blaine looked at the dead Dontizu and then up at his brother, and if it was possible for a larger-than-life magical wolf-like creature to smirk, Cooper had figured it out. Blaine felt something warm and familiar bubble up in his chest. Even in all of this, Cooper was showing off.

Blaine grinned at him and then lifted two Dontizu in the air, twirling them around as they howled before making them bash heads. He could show off too.

Cooper let out an appreciative yap and moved so that they were standing back to back as they continued to fight. Blaine's shoulder ached from the bite, but at least it wasn't too deep and he thought his adrenaline must be keeping him from really feeling his wounds. Between him and Cooper, they'd gotten rid of at least twenty Dontizu, but there were still too many of them.

After fighting well with Cooper at his back for a while, the Dontizu managed to separate Blaine from his brother as he spun and swirled and ducked and sent out bursts of lightning-like magic. When he looked up to see where Cooper was, the sight he found there made his blood run cold.  He couldn't even see his brother, but he had to assume he was in the middle of the pack of at least ten Dontizu. They were all focused on one area, ripping and snarling, attacking some unseen creature in their mist.

Blaine's heart pounded. They were going to kill him, they were going to rip Cooper to pieces before Blaine even had a chance to really talk to him. To thank him for Kurt, to tell him that he forgave him for all the shit that went down between them. Blaine knew Cooper was a monster and that he must have done horrible things in these past five years… but he was still his brother and the only family he had left. And if he didn't do something now, Cooper would be gone...if it wasn't already too late.

“Cooper!” Blaine shouted, his voice so loud the room shook. “Get off him!” He roared at the Dontizu attacking his brother. Blaine pushed his hands forward and sent a huge ball of whirling silver light into the circle of Dontizu; it burst in their midst,  sending out sparks and making many of them back away, while others yelped and were tossed into the air before hitting the ground bloody and burned, not to rise again. Blaine kept discovering new aspects of his power, but there was little time to take satisfaction in that.

“Cooper!” Blaine rushed forward to find a lone Dontizu lying on the ground, his fur matted with blood, and whining softly. He whimpered and looked up at Blaine with one good eye, the other one had a deep cut across it. Cooper whined and tried to stand, but collapsed back down again. Blaine knelt beside him, and then looked behind them quickly as more Dontizu started towards them. “NO!” He yelled and sent out a circular ring of light that surrounded him and Cooper and kept the Dontizu away. It took a great deal of strength and Blaine knew he couldn't keep it up for long. He had to work fast.

He curled his shaking hands into Cooper's matted fur and let the healing magic inside him flow out of him and into his injured brother. He had to heal faster than he usually liked to; he usually took his time, knitting things back together and putting things right, but they were still surrounded by Dontizu and even with the pulse Blaine was sending out to keep them at bay, Cooper was running out of time.

“Don't, Coop,” Blaine said through gritted teeth, and he felt the slowness of his brother's heartbeat. “Don't you dare give up.”

The animal Cooper had become looked up at him with mournful eyes and Blaine sent more healing magic into him, focusing mostly on the internal injuries.

“Cooper… I need you. I still need you,” he said and his throat was scratchy. Cooper's ear perked up at that, and after a moment longer of healing magic, Blaine could feel his brother's heartbeat growing stronger, and his breathing was less ragged. Blaine let out a hitched breath of relief. He wasn't going to lose Cooper now, not like this. Everything was happening too fast; he didn't even have time to really concentrate on the fact that he had his brother back after all these years. Cooper tried slowly to rise from the ground and Blaine kept an eye on him. The protective ring around him was draining his energy though, “Are you okay?” Blaine asked, “I'm going to let it down now.”

Cooper nodded. Blaine sent one more surge of power into him and then sprang up from his feet, letting down their shield. Cooper was up as well, jumping right back into the fray. Blaine quickly glanced up at the wide stairway, thinking of Kurt. Be safe Kurt, please. His heart was beating painfully in his chest as he watched Cooper leap at a creature, going for its neck, its sharp black claws digging into Cooper's back as Cooper tore at the Dontizu. Blaine winced, and used his magic to toss the creature off of Cooper before he had to turn around and take care of a pair of Dontizu coming towards him.

Blaine was able to fight while mostly staying away from the Dontizu. Cooper, on the other hand, was going to get torn to shreds if Blaine didn't find a way to end this soon.

He took a few running steps up the staircase so he could look down on the entryway--Cooper was fighting a handful of Dontizu at a time, and while the stone floor was littered with fallen foes ,there were still more that were holding back for some reason, slinking around each other and eyeing Blaine.

He had to do something now.

He straightened his shoulders and took in a long deep breath, concentrating on centering his magic so he could send out a wave of power that would possibly… hopefully… hit all of the remaining Dontizu at once. If he hadn't been concentrating so hard, maybe he would have noticed the massive Dontizu on the second floor landing that suddenly leaped down towards the stairs. Maybe he would have been prepared for the searing pain as sharp claws scraped down his back. Maybe he would have been able to stop himself from toppling down the stairs defenseless against the Dontizu that had pinned him down against the hard, cold, stone floor.

Kurt sat shivering in the dark room, trying to hold back his tears, hating himself for sitting there in safety while Blaine fought for his life. Suddenly, he heard fierce growling and what sounded like a shout from Blaine, and before he knew what he was doing, Kurt was on his feet, his hand on the door handle, but not yet unlocking it.

If he just ran out there, he'd likely be killed before he even made it to Blaine. He couldn't be rash, but he couldn't stay here any longer either. Earlier, there had been a howl so deep that Kurt had felt it in his bones, and he thought for sure that it had meant the end, but there was still sounds of fighting. There was still hope. But Kurt was finished with doing nothing.

Kurt turned to look back at the dark room; maybe there was something in this room that could help him. He rushed to the windows, opening the heavy, musty-smelling drapes on each one to let in as much moonlight as possible, and then he really took the time to examine the room he was in. Two of the four walls were lined with books, and one with vials and bottles and boxes that reminded Kurt of Felix's home. There was a heavy wooden desk at one end of the room and several chests of drawers full of who knew what.

He wished it were one of those old mansions that had suits of armor and swords hanging on the wall. He needed a weapon, but of course, he wasn't that lucky.

His heart was pounding and his hands were shaking as he tried to open some of the drawers, but they were all locked shut. He scanned over the vials and boxes, but he didn't know what any of them were and they could hurt as much as help for all he knew. He crossed the room and looked over the bookshelves, scanning a few of the books, but most of them weren't even in English.

He was about to turn away from the books when something caught his eye. A large leather-bound book with silver writing on the spine. He couldn't read the long title as it seemed to be in Latin, but one word stood out Dontizu. Kurt pulled the heavy book off of the shelf with trembling hands as he heard more shouting from downstairs.
 
His eyes landed on the opening page where someone had scrawled something in English. He walked to the window for more light. The script was old and faded, and he could only make out a few words. Must learn… name him…. Greatest power against our enemies…

Okay that meant nothing to Kurt and he was wasting time. He snapped the book closed and clenched his jaw. There were a pair of heavy candlesticks on a shelf with the bottles and wooden boxes, maybe he could use those as weapons. He started forward and then froze as he heard Blaine's voice shouting Cooper's name and the floor beneath him trembled.

He had heard Blaine use that voice before, most recently with the soothsayer when he shook her room with just the fury of his voice.

The soothsayer.

Something clicked in Kurt's mind and he ran back to the book on Dontizu. He looked at the handwritten words again, really trying to make them out now. They said something about learning someone's name. A person's name could be a weapon. He remembered the soothsayer had been angry that Blaine had used her name. Maybe that's what this inscription was about; what he could make out of the writing did seem to imply that a name had something to do with the “greatest power against our enemies”.

Would that work against the Dontizu? Did they even have names? Cooper did, because he was a human before a Dontizu… which was true of all of the Dontizu actually… but how was Kurt going to be able to name them?

He quickly thumbed through the book, trying to see if he could find any more writing, but there was nothing – wait… near the back of the book in small ropey writing that looked different than the script at the beginning of the book, were just two words Gelyn Ofnus. Kurt had no idea what it meant, but as he looked at the words they started glowing and sparkling silver, silver like the rain that transformed the drawing room. Silver like the key wigging in the lock. Silver like the melted snow that danced around him and Blaine the first time he saw magic. Blaine's silver. Blaine's magic?

“Gelyn Ofnus. Gelyn Ofnus. Gelyn Ofnus,” Kurt repeated to himself as he put the book back and ran to the door. This was little more than nothing to go on, but he was done standing around while the man he loved could be dying. He unlocked the door and wrenched it open. He had no idea what the words meant but he hoped they were important.  

Kurt hurried out onto the landing and then came to a sudden halt; looking down on the entryway was a sight that made his stomach turn over. At least a dozen dead Dontizu littered the floor, but more than that were alive, some pacing back and forth as if waiting for an order, others circled around and attacking what Kurt could only assume was Cooper, who looked exhausted and battered.

Kurt's heart was in his throat, but where was…

Blaine.

Blaine was standing alone on the stairs, panting and with a nasty wound on his shoulder and his chest bleeding again. Kurt was about to rush towards him when out of the corner of his eye he saw movement.

A huge Dontizu, bigger than the others, fur darker and shaggier, was on the second floor landing with him, the creature looked at Kurt with its crimson eyes, and for a moment, Kurt was frozen in fear. The creature turned away from him, though, as if uninterested, and before Kurt could even think of what to do next, it leaped forward, down the stairs and straight on top of Blaine, knocking him off balance and topping him down the staircase. Blaine landed roughly on the floor of the entryway with the Dontizu on his back.

“Blaine!” Kurt screamed and ran forward. In his panic, Kurt felt something stirring inside of him, something unfamiliar and a little heady. Whatever it was felt like it wanted to burst out of his pores and would have terrified him if he weren't already terrified by the sight of a huge monster clawing into the man he loved.

“Blaine!” He cried again as he got to the bottom of the stairs. Blaine lay motionless on the ground and the Dontizu turned its head to look at Kurt, blood dripping from its fangs. Oh god, oh god, what could Kurt do against a creature like this? The Dontizu turned back to Blaine.

“Gelyn Ofnus,” Kurt whispered hoarsely, and to his surprise, the Dontizu snapped its head back to look at him again. “Gelyn Ofnus,” Kurt said again louder, and the monster crawled off of Blaine and started towards Kurt. Kurt backed up a step or two. “Gelyn Ofnus. Gelyn Ofnus!” Kurt shouted as Blaine started to stir, trying to get up.

The Dontizu snarled at Kurt but stopped its movement towards him. Kurt felt that odd sensation inside of him grow, starting at his core and pushing against his skin from the inside out. He tried to focus on the feeling and then looked the Dontizu directly in the eyes. “Gelyn Ofnus,” he said again and his words came out low and calm and frightening even to Kurt's ears.

As soon as the words had been spoken, the creature stumbled backwards a couple of steps, yelping as if in pain. In that split second, Kurt shifted his eyes from the creature to Blaine who was struggling to stand behind the Dontizu and wearing a stunned look on his face. Looking away was a mistake, though; as soon as Kurt broke eye contact with the Dontizu, it surged forward, rising to its hind legs so it was at least 8 feet tall and towering over him.

Kurt's heart all but stopped, but the monster didn't even attack with its fangs or claws like Kurt expected, it just swung out an arm, hitting Kurt across the chest and knocking the air out of him, sending him flying over the railing of the stairs to hit hard against a stone wall. 

“NO!” Blaine yelled as he watched Kurt go flying through the air, hitting the wall and then the ground with a thud, making Blaine want to throw up.

Kurt didn't move.

Blaine's heart was in his throat and his stomach dropped. He ran stumbling with his injuries towards Kurt only to be cut off by the giant Dontizu that had hit Kurt.

“Get out of my way!” Blaine commanded, his voice shaking the very foundation of house, but of course, the creature just swung at him, claws first. Blaine backed away and sent a push of magic forward, knocking the creature off its feet and opening a cut on his forehead. Blaine tried to use magic to lift it in the air and tear it to shreds like he had with that other Dontizu--he may not like that particular magic, but anything that dared to hurt Kurt more than deserved it.

The magic just didn't work.

He tried again, and while he was able to push this particular Dontizu with his power, there seemed to be little else he could do to it.

Blaine glanced around wildly, looking for a way to get to Kurt. The only Dontizu fighting were those that Cooper was going after, as he snarled and ripped into them with his claws; the rest stood on all fours, waiting. Blaine glanced back to the Dontizu in front of him. It must be the leader, the one whose howl had chilled the air like ice earlier. He looked at Kurt, who was lying on his stomach on the ground, his face turned away from Blaine and unmoving.

Oh god, oh god. Kurt please, please be… He couldn't even finish the thought; the idea of Kurt being anything but alright was too much to bear. He didn't care how powerful this Dontizu was, he had to get to Kurt.

“You… have come here to die,” the Dontizu leader in front of him snarled out with a truly terrifying gravel of a voice. Blaine had never heard of a Dontizu speaking while in its animal form. This was new, but Blaine didn't care. He lifted his arms again, focusing on the power pumping through him and on his need to get to Kurt, and then he pushed his magic forward--great swirling silver sparks of it pushing outwards from his palms--as forcefully as he could. He knocked the Dontizu off its feet and just enough out of the way that Blaine was able to rush towards Kurt.

“Kurt.” He slid to his knees beside Kurt's still form. “Please Kurt,” he begged, his voice breaking, tears were blurring his sight as he gently placed a hand on Kurt's back.

Kurt moaned and then turned his head so that Blaine could see his face. Blaine's relief crashed over him like a tidal wave, it was almost incapacitating. There was a thick trail of blood from Kurt's forehead down to his chin, but he was alive.

“Oh god Kurt,” Blaine's voice came out like a sob. Kurt whimpered and tried to sit up. “No, no. I'm going to heal you now okay?” He brushed his knuckles over Kurt's cheek as Kurt blinked blurrily up at him.

He didn't have a chance to start the healing process, though, before Kurt's eyes grew round. “Watch out” he warned in a wavering voice. Blaine swiveled away just in time as the leader Dontizu swiped his claws right over where he had been sitting. Then, Blaine dove for Kurt, wrapping him in his arms and pulling him away from the creature, placing Kurt behind himself. He heard Kurt moan in pain and he hated that the he had hurt him, but he had to keep him away from more danger.

“Its name,” Kurt whispered in pain. “Use its name. I didn't have enough magic.”

Blaine had no idea what Kurt was talking about. How injured was he? “I don't know its name!” Blaine said as he sent another burst of power towards the creature, knocking it off its feet again, and deepening the wound on its head, but not doing much more. It barely slowed the Dontizu down.

“You do,” Kurt insisted. “You wrote it in that book upstairs.” Kurt's voice didn't sound right, it was weak and shaky.

“What-”

“Gelyn Ofnus!” Kurt cried as the creature got back on its paws and started charging towards them.

Blaine had no idea what Kurt was talking about, but he trusted him, and Kurt had, for a moment, seemed to have some kind of power over this creature. Blaine locked eyes with the Dontizu and summoned the full strength of his power. “Gelyn Ofnus!” He yelled and the creature stopped its charge immediately. “I know you,” Blaine said, his voice causing the room to shake again. “I name you, Gelyn Ofnus!” Blaine was shaking and his throat was dry. He had no idea who Gelyn Ofnus was or where that title came from, but he'd try anything to stop this creature.

The Dontizu tried to take one last step forward but came to a sharp halt, like it had come against an invisible barrier. Blaine kept his eyes on it, this was working. “Gelyn Ofnus,” he repeated, the words dripping in magic and making the whole mansion shake so violently that stones fell from the ceiling and dust filled the air. A great shudder ran through the creature's body and then it opened its muzzle and started to let out a deep howl, but the howl broke off half way through as Blaine shouted again. “Gelyn Ofuns!” The house quaked and the monster whined, and then with a loud whooshing of air and a terrible cracking noise, the animal turned to stone for the briefest of moments before dissolving into dust and just blowing away.

Blaine was on his knees on the floor, Kurt behind him holding on to his shoulders – for a moment the room was eerily silent, debris that had fallen from the shifting house settling to the ground. All the Dontizu stood still and silent, even Cooper. Blaine glanced at him and at the other creatures, he couldn't really understand what had just happened, but he did know there was no more leader. No one to take orders from, now what?

Then the moment was broken, all of the Dontizu except Cooper started a chorus of howling so loud Blaine felt like he could feel it in his bones. Then, they rushed forward towards him and Kurt. 

“Cooper!” Blaine screamed and Cooper moved as well, snapping at Dontizu on his way to his brother. He arrived a second before the others. 

“Get Kurt out of here!” Blaine ordered, his heart pounding so hard it hurt. 

“What? No!” Kurt shouted, but Cooper had already gotten up on his hind legs, standing like a human, and grabbed Kurt with one of his strong furry arms, holding him against his chest and lifting him off his feet. 

“GO! Get out of here!” Blaine shouted urgently. 

Cooper didn't hesitate, he just started towards the main doors, taking a kicking and screaming Kurt with him. “No! Stop! I won't leave him! Stop!” 

The other Dontizu were upon Blaine now, not paying Cooper or Kurt any heed. Blaine started shooting out bursts of power from his hands as fast as he could, one after another, keeping the Dontizu away, but barely, and he wasn't going to be able to keep it up much longer. They were going to kill him if he didn't do something else fast, but he had a plan, he just needed Cooper and Kurt to get out of the mansion first. 

He started grounding his magic, pushing it downward, and the room started to shake. Cooper and Kurt made it out the front doors, and between the snarling of the Dontizu and the shaking of the mansion, he couldn't even hear Kurt's shouts anymore. 

“I'm sorry, Kurt. I love you,” Blaine whispered, and then with more power than Blaine had ever felt, more than he knew he had in him, he made the ground quake, and the mansion started creaking and groaning and more stones fell from the ceiling above and a huge wooden beam that supported the roof fell to the ground with a resounding crash. 

Blaine's eyes roamed over the remaining Dontizu. “This is for my family,” he whispered, but even his whisper echoed through the entryway and throughout the whole mansion, splitting walls and toppling furniture and breaking windows and piercing the very foundation of his old home. Blaine didn't have to say anything more; he let out the full force of his new-found magic, and in moments, Bryn o Wyrdd toppled down around him. 

Cooper pulled Kurt away from Blaine and out of the mansion against his will. Kurt put up as much of a fight as he could, but he was wounded and Cooper was huge and strong. There was nothing he could do even though all he wanted was to be beside Blaine.

They got out to the grassy bluff outside of the mansion and Cooper gently put Kurt on the ground. Kurt sprang to his feet and tried to rush past Cooper, but Cooper just leaped in front of him, snarling and cutting off his way. “Let me go back to him!” Kurt shouted, his voice shaking with anger and fear. “We can't just leave him!”

Cooper just growled in return, not threateningly really, but enough to know that he wasn't going to just let Kurt go back. Kurt was wracking his brain, trying to think of what to do, but he swayed on his feet and his thoughts were sluggish, and god his head ached.  Then with a gasp, both he and Cooper looked back at the mansion. It was shaking like there was an earthquake just underneath it. Kurt could feel the vibrations of it from here.

“Cooper we have to-” Kurt started, but then the whole house seemed to sway and start breaking apart. Kurt ran forward, Cooper in his surprise letting him pass. Kurt ran as fast as he could, wiping blood from his temple and out of his eyes and his arm aching--he thought it might be broken--but still he hurried on until he got just a yard away from the mansion. Then, with a loud groaning and crushing noise, the mansion collapsed in on itself. In a matter of moments, Bryn o Wyrdd was flattened. Nothing but dust and rubble.

Kurt's breath hitched and he came to a complete halt. He surveyed the ruins of Blaine's old home and his head felt a little light. “Blaine,” he choked out and started running forward again. He was stopped this time by Cooper's strong Dontizu arms around him. “No please, let me go. Please. Please.”

Cooper slowly let him down to the ground again where Kurt fell to his knees feeling dizzy and sick. “No no no.” He sobbed.

He heard Cooper groaning and yelping behind him, the crackling of his bones that meant he was turning back to his human form, but Kurt didn't turn around. He just stared at the ruins in front of him, knowing Blaine was somewhere crushed underneath them. His heart was pounding too fast and his head hurt and his eyes stung with tears – this couldn't be happening. “Please Blaine,” he whimpered, and then he took in a quick breath before rising to his feet.

“What are you going to do?” Cooper asked, his voice sounding broken, as Kurt continued to stare steadily at the wreckage.

“I'm going to find him.”

“There's nothing we can-”

“I'm going to find him!” 

Kurt started stumbling through the rubble, holding his injured arm to his chest and heading toward where he would guess was the last spot he saw Blaine. He tripped and fell, skinning his knees, and he saw the broken bloodied leg of a Dontizu sticking out of the debris. He gritted his jaw, got up and continued on.

He was blinking tears out of his eyes and wiping his face again of blood and dust when there was a rumble to his left; he spun towards the noise and saw a bunch of leveled stones shifting. Kurt held his breath; something was moving under the debris, and as far as Kurt knew, it could be an angry and vengeful Dontizu. Then, there was a bright burst of light shooting out from beneath the rocks, its silver glow outshining the moon above.

Broken pieces of the mansion rolled away as a hand came up out of the rubble, and then another, and then, Kurt could see the top of a dust-covered curly head of hair.

“Blaine!” Kurt shouted and stumbled over, using his good arm to grab Blaine's hand to help pull him out. Cooper was there in a flash, reaching for his brother, and between the two of them, they were able to lift Blaine out of the wreckage.  Blaine fell to his knees, coughing hard, as dust and stone fragments fell from his hair.

“Oh god, oh god,” Kurt repeated through his tears as he held onto Blaine one-handed and started kissing anything he could reach, his ear, his head, his cheek, his shoulder. “Are you… are you okay?” Kurt finally asked through his tears and Blaine looked up to meet his eyes, his face ashy and bloodied.

He smiled slowly. “I can't feel them anymore. They're dead, the Dontizu… they're gone.”

Kurt laughed a little madly and tried to throw his arms around Blaine, hissing in pain as he remembered his injured arm, but still he clung to Blaine with one arm, his whole body trembling. “You did it. You did it.”

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and held him so tightly it was as if he was afraid of letting go. “We did it Kurt. You were so… reckless, but you knew how to destroy that lead Dontizu, that was all you.”

“Don't talk to me about being reckless,” Kurt said as he buried his face in Blaine's shoulder, not able to calm his tears. “You just pulled a house down on top of yourself.” He felt Blaine sigh deeply and then start to stand, pulling Kurt up with him. He swayed a little on his feet and Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine's waist. They could both hardly stand so they leaned on each other.

“Let's get you out of this rubble,” Kurt said, leading him forward. He looked around for Cooper but didn't see him.

They got out of the rubble and both of them fell down in exhaustion, laying out on the damp grass. “How did you live through that?” Kurt asked, turning towards him, his eyes carefully scanning Blaine's face; even with the pale light of the moon and through the dirt and dust, Kurt could see plenty of cuts and bruises.

“I have a little magic,” Blaine said with a smirk and Kurt stared at him incredulously for a moment before he moved in and crashed their lips together. The kiss was salty with tears and bitter with dirt, but it was full of relief and love and was the most amazing kiss Kurt could ever remember having.

“Okay but…,” Kurt said as he continued to kiss him, “If you ever have your Dontizu brother pull me out… of… a crumbling… mansion while… you stay inside… to fight… monsters… I am not going…” He kissed him long and hard, his hand curled in the hair at the nape of Blaine's neck and their breath mingled together. “To forgive you,” Kurt sighed as their lips parted. Kurt smiled at him, glad to see Blaine's pale face taking on a little more color.

“Fair enough,” Blaine said a little hoarsely and then cleared his throat. “More than fair in fact.” He sat up with a groan and Kurt knelled next to him as Blaine reached up to the wound on Kurt's head. “Can I please heal you?”

“Can you heal yourself, now that you have your full magic back?” Kurt asked looking over Blaine. He was still shirtless and covered in dust and blood. Besides the scrapes on his face, it looked like his chest wounds had reopened and there was an ominous bite mark on his shoulder, and Kurt's hand was bloody from where it had been pressed against Blaine's back.

“I can't heal myself, but I can help you,” Blaine said, shaking his head and causing little specks of stone to fall into his lap. He reached up and gently touched Kurt's cheek, “Please?”

Kurt nodded and light started glowing from Blaine's palm and Kurt immediately felt warm as Blaine's magic to healed his head and then moved down to heal his broken arm.  Kurt felt a tingle from his head to his toes and he leaned in again to press a soft kiss to Blaine's lips, hating that he was still so injured when Kurt felt so well.

They looked up as Cooper walked towards them, wearing a pair of sweatpants that were much too short for him and tossing a hoodie at Blaine. “It's cold out,” he said.

Kurt watched as Blaine winced and pulled the hoodie over his head. It was Kurt's hoodie, and as he took another glance at Cooper, those seemed to be Kurt's sweatpants too.

“Your luggage was in the wrecked car,” Cooper explained. “Thought it might be better if I didn't stand around naked.”

“Are you cold?” Kurt asked, looking at the half-dressed Cooper. He was also injured and bleeding, deep cuts in his chest and one across his eye that looked particularly grisly.

“No,” he answered simply.

Blaine stood shakily to his feet, Kurt hurrying up as well to help steady him.

“So let's get this over with,” Cooper said, his face set like stone.

Blaine nodded. “I can heal you too.” He lifted a hand out towards his brother, but Cooper flinched and took a step backwards.

“Why would you heal me?”

“Because... you're hurt…” Blaine answered in confusion.

“Why heal me before killing me?”

Blaine opened his mouth to speak but then clamped it closed in surprise and didn't say a word. Kurt stood looking back and forth between the two. When neither seemed likely to break the silence, he spoke up. “Why would he kill you?”

“I'm still a Dontizu. A monster. I'm evil. You haven't really destroyed all the Dontizu if I'm still alive.”

Kurt turned his gaze to Blaine. He looked exhausted; his wounds had stopped bleeding, but they were still numerous, Kurt was surprised he was even standing and his eyes were so sad that it made Kurt's chest ache.  Don't think you have to do this Blaine please. “He's your brother,” Kurt whispered.

Blaine looked at him briefly and it seemed like he tried to smile but it came off more like a grimace. “Would you give the two of us a moment?” He asked.

Kurt didn't want to move an inch away from Blaine, who looked ready to collapse, but he knew this was something the Andersons had to deal with themselves. He nodded and stayed where he was as Blaine started to walk away, Cooper following his lead, his head down and shoulders slumped. The two of them stopped at the edge of the forest, speaking in low voices. Kurt hugged his arms around himself to fight off the cold.

Kurt didn't really mean to listen but as the two Anderson brothers spoke, a few words floated through the wind towards Kurt.

“Do what you have to do…”

“You're my brother, Cooper, don't be stupid.”

They spoke a little more, Kurt not catching most of it until Cooper eventually lifted his head to look Blaine in the eyes as a small smile formed on his lips. Blaine lifted a hand to Cooper's chest and Kurt watched Blaine's sparkling silver light glow through Cooper's chest as wounds mended themselves, skin knitting back together, the gash on his eye healing quickly. Kurt smiled. Blaine moved his hand to Cooper's shoulder and squeezed.

Kurt could just make out Cooper's thick, sorrowful voice. “Take care Squirt.”

Blaine nodded as Cooper turned towards the trees. Blaine seemed like he was going to let him go before he called out, “Wait!”

Cooper stopped, and Blaine rushed forward, giving his brother a tight hug. It only lasted a minute, but Kurt would have sworn he saw Cooper wipe his eye. Then, Cooper turned again and, running forward and leaping into the air, he turned into a Dontizu mid-leap before he bounded away.

Blaine watched after him for a moment and then walked back to Kurt, his steps a little wobbly.

“Is everything okay?” Kurt asked quietly, wrapping an arm around him to steady him.

“I'm not going to kill my own brother,” Blaine answered.

“Of course you're not.”

“He didn't actually want me to.”

That seemed like an odd statement, why Blaine would have thought Cooper wanted that was beyond him.

“He just thought I would have to,” Blaine's voice was heavy and sad.

“But you don't have to because he's your brother, and he isn't a threat, right?” Kurt said carefully, rubbing his hand up and down Blaine's back, and then pulling him in to lean on his side.

“I did warn him that I would hear of it if he continued killing. There are other ways for Dontizu to survive… and it will be easier now for him with the other Dontizu gone… he is just going to have to learn those ways.” Blaine stared back out towards the forest.

“So he's just… gone then?”

Blaine turned back to him and smiled weakly. “He told me to tell you that… that he was glad it was you who found my heartstone.”

Kurt reached out and folded Blaine into his arms, pressing his cheek against Blaine's own. Even in the cool of the night, his skin was warmer than Kurt had ever felt it. “So am I. So Glad.” He pulled back after a moment. “Can we please go somewhere where I can look at your wound now? I'm very worried about you and you need some rest and some-”

“TLC?” Blaine supplied with lifted eyebrows.

Kurt chuckled. He was still trembling a bit from everything that had happened, but he was starting to feel better now that Blaine was smiling. “I'd be happy to provide some tender loving care.”

“Mmmmm.” Blaine hummed and closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against Kurt's as he held on to his shoulders. “I love you Kurt.”  

“I love you,” Kurt said softly, kissing him. All the fear and anxiety from the past few days was still humming inside of him even though the danger was over now, but as he slipped an arm around Blaine's waist, he felt a little steadier. “Now let me take care of you, we need to get back to town.”

Blaine nodded, looking tired but calm and he leaned on Kurt as they started down the path. Blaine cast one last look behind his shoulder at the wreckage that was once his home. They'd come back, Kurt vowed he would do that for Blaine. They would come back and see if there was anything Blaine wanted that was still salvageable, but for now, Kurt's priority was getting Blaine's injuries taken care of.

The sky was bright with stars and the air was crisp against Kurt's cheeks as they continued towards the town, and Kurt's relief was almost overpowering. It was over. There were no creatures trying to kill the man he loved and somehow they both lived through it. Blaine was warm and safe leaning against him, even if he was still a little shaky on his feet as he let Kurt lead them, apparently too tired or hurt to do anything but trust that Kurt was going to take care of everything. Kurt could only begin to imagine the relief that Blaine must be feeling now that everything was finally over, he'd been living in fear for so long.

Kurt glanced at Blaine's profile, illuminated by the soft light of the moon and couldn't help but smile. They continued on -- away from the dangers of Blaine's past, away from everything that had been weighing on Blaine for so long--and forward to a fresh start. Finally, they could start their lives, free from the evil and pain that Blaine had dealt with for his entire life. They'd won. Even so, Kurt knew that Blaine's painful memories wouldn't just go away—how could they?—but with Blaine whole for the first time in nearly a century, and Kurt by his side, he knew that they would be able to make it.