An Entity Within | Stephen Strange

17 - A Test

"She was...beautiful."

"And?" The little girl prompted walking out from behind the Ancient One to stand beside her.

"And...her smile," Mordo smiled softly, looking at the ground as he remembered. He was quiet for a moment before saying, "She had a gap between her two big teeth and she - she hated it but I thought it only made her all the more sweeter, more youthful. Her smile was child-like, she was always easy to make laugh and her laugh..." He scoffed lightly, looking at the little girl again with a shine in his eyes, "I miss her."

Tessa wandered over to the stranger and took his hand in hers, "It's okay to miss her. It's okay if you don't stop missing her - I lost my dad five years ago and I still miss him. Sometimes I want to find the person who took him but the Ancient One always says that I would be no better than the person who took him." She paused, "I want to be better for when my mom comes back."

The Ancient One herself had to refrain from tearing up at the reassuring words and actions that Tessa offered. At least she was teaching the girl something that would stay with her, even after she had passed. Although, the fact that the girl still questioned where her father's killer mildly concerned her - then again, it was human. She still debated on whether to tell the truth to the girl or not, still wondered when the right time might be.

Mordo's grief welled up in one single tear and while, deep within him, he wished harm upon the men that stole his wife, he took the girl's words to heart, "Thank you..."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Stirring calmly, Tessa opened her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the darkness of her room. Having her bed right under the window made it easy to peek out of her curtains and look down at the still Nepalese streets below. Some people still wandered about, a stray dog or cat would occasionally pad on by but what she loved most and what she found so different was that the stars were clearer, sharper, not oppressed by city-like light pollution. The corners of her lips curved upwards as she counted the stars, fiddling with the rough material that made her curtain.

You are restless. Why do you not sleep?

"You know why," She mumbled as she rested her head against the wall, her gaze mesmerised by the dark sky.

I did not want to say I told you so...

"But you are anyway..."

You made your choices. Now we must both deal with the ramifications.

She groaned, "I mean...they don't all hate us, do they?"

I counted two others that truly seemed accepting of us.

"Well...two is better than zero."

Unless there is a fight.

"Yes, unless there's a fight..." She pinched the bridge of her nose, "There has to be a way we can make this better?"

There are no guarantees but you may be right.

"There is a way? How?"

Sleep. I will show you.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Master Makarov and the Ancient One surveyed the class carefully as their students worked through solo sequences, designed to help with concentration. They paid particular attention to the smallest and the newest of the group.

"I don't wish to offend, but are you sure she is ready?"

"Who, amongst the sanctums, is the most skilled combatant you know of?"