The Seventh Infinity Stone

Oh Look! Another Family Member!

"Though I may feel uncomfortable about leaving any ally of Loki unattended anywhere in the Sanctum," The Ancient One looked at me without even trying to hide her suspicions of me. "I will give you privacy."

She teleported away.

Cien pondered me for a moment, "Oh Alita, you are blinded by a fantasy."

"I don't understand."

"You let Loki get you, you let him use the Mind Stone on you. You could've easily fought him or gotten away, but you didn't because you are clouded by admiration. You need to wake up."

"Remember the last time I fought? The last time I used my powers in battle?"

"I'm unaware...."

"Liar!" I snapped, "I felt you watching, I was wearing the ankh at the time."

"I might have been watching at the time but that does not excuse the fact that you are letting your heart get ahead of your head. He is chaotic..."

"Who are you to lecture me about having feelings for someone who is chaotic? For a while, you were married to the god of chaos, war, and desert storms for crying out loud!"

She flinched a little at the mention of her ex, "I was naive then, I don't want you to make the same mistakes as I did. But that is not what is important. You are letting your emotions get in the way of protecting what's dear."

"Me having a little crush had nothing to do with anything, I'm not as naive as you think. I know better than to let romantic feelings take over my actions. I let... I mean I didn't let..."

"So, you admit that you let him do it. Again, why didn't you fight? Why didn't you stand up for yourself?"

"Remember how that worked out last time? Why are you here now versus when I actually needed you 11 years ago? You could've stopped it, you could've helped me! I know you could. You helped my ancestors in similar circumstances. Instead, you just sat back and watched me lose control. Why? Look me in the eyes and tell me why!"

"Alita-"

"Don't call me that! It's Al."

"Alita, I am not the bad guy. I love you; do you not see that? I did not step in because I knew you would need to go through it to make you a stronger woman, and a more powerful stone."

"So what, it was like an exercise or something to you? Is that how you saw it? Do you know how much guilt I carry with me each and every day? Especially when it happened. That is not something a seven-year-old should need to carry!"

The pain in her eyes deepened, "We all carry guilt, pain, as the Emotion Stone you know this. You..."

Cien paused for a moment as if realizing something.

"That's why you let him. You want to change what happened. Alita, do you understand how much damage you can cause? Revenge is not the answer!"

By this time, I was really mad and annoyed. Why couldn't she just see what was going on? This was the woman that I'd been told to admire and be like my entire life? Maybe it was the time difference.

I pushed past the hologram Cien in anger.

"I might've let him use the Mind Stone on me, alright?" I admitted, "Is that what you want to hear? I did not fight and I let him use it on me, but I'm not trying to change the past. I'm trying to change the future. Maybe I want a little revenge, but that's not the whole story. It's not I who is blind, it's you. If I could get to the TVA, I can make sure that the same thing doesn't happen to anyone else. Innocent people can be spared! Why don't you see that? Not only that but after Loki uses the stones, I can go to our dimension again and save millions of lives. Maybe you're not aware, but there is currently a pandemic going on.

"With a snap of my fingers I can end COVID 19. I can give relief to the world. You've never felt the amount of hopelessness I do now, it's the world wars minus the actual war. Thousands are taking their lives because they don't see an end. Many are jobless and the economy and therefore everyone is going to immensely suffer. I can make it so it's not that bad. I can't just sit back and watch as you did when I can actually help! Is that not a worthy enough cause to go against every impulse and allow what happened to happen? It can also help this dimension, think about it, if I do this then Thanos will never get the stones. Half of the universe won't die. It's not me who is blinded, it's you."

When I was done with my little speech, I felt good. Sometimes it is nice to rant about what you are feeling. Trust me I'm Emotion, I should know. You are also probably a little shocked right now; I did let Loki get me but the reasons I gave to Cien were not the only ones. And I'm not going to share them with you. Yet.

Cien's shoulders sagged a little, she stepped closer to me and raised her hand as if to put it on my shoulder but then hesitated and put it down.

She gave a half smile, "I realize that no matter how much persuasion and reasoning I give, you are going to do it anyway. Since I can't stop you, I'll help you."

Cien's form flickered for a minute or two then The Ancient One returned. She opened the Eye of Okamoto and drew out the stone.

Giving Cien a glance (who was no longer flickering) she asked, "Your positive this is the way? The last time I gave away the Stone..."

Cien nodded, "I looked at all possible outcomes this is the way."

"Very well. Alita Renate, I give you the Time Stone. Guard the Time Stone with all possible strength and power you possess. Do not make me or your many great grandmother wrong."

She handed me the stone and with a wave of my hand, I teleported it to Loki, "Thank you, though I might not be able to guard it with my life, I will guard it with my soul," Then I said to Cien. "Thank you for listening though I do not take back anything I said. The wound is too deep for me to forgive now."

"Though I hate it I understand. Just remember to not be afraid of pain. Don't be afraid of emotion."

I frowned, "Why would I be? I am emotion."

She ignored me, her face sad, and gave me a hug. And though I could not really feel it I hugged back, and her image dissipated.

Before I left the sanctum, I said, "You know if this timeline wasn't supposed to exist, then Dr. Strange would've made sure to tell Captain America when he returned the stones to make it so that Loki never got back the Tesseract. Just a thought."

I barely took a step when I was outside the Sanctum and in an abandoned alley.