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In all honesty, an alien invasion was a nice change of pace. Hellbeasts trying to crawl back to the mortal plane were commonplace. Beings that could corrupt and consume dimensions were easily bluffed away. There hadn't been an alien invasion in a while though.
The Ancient One sipped at her tea and knelt on the rather uncomfortable floor mat. Traditions be damned, what she wouldn't give for a plush leather sofa in the Sanctum, especially after the events of today. Who thought that a single thick piece of fabric would be enough to make stone flooring comfortable? Her predecessors were utter masochists, the lot of them.
She sighed and took a breath. The aroma of the familiar drink soothed her mind and body.
She had seen today coming; it wasn't exactly a surprise. The Eye of Agamotto—the Time Stone—had allowed her to see into the future: many futures, tens of millions of them. Today was just one of the many possibilities in the timeline that could happen, would happen, or will have happened. They were just lucky that Thanos and his Generals hadn't decided to accompany Loki this time around.
Thanos… Anyone with awareness of the universe knew who the Mad Titan was—the genocidal maniac who'd been dropped on his chin nine too many times as a child. Even places like Earth that were considered "backwater planets" had someone who knew of the titan and his campaign.
Thankfully, only the Chitauri had invaded New York City. The Sorcerer Supreme and the magic practitioners at the Sanctum had stepped in where they could to assist in the battle while keeping their presence to a minimum. Earth just learned the hard way that Humanity was not alone in the universe. She would spare the world shock of learning that magic was real, for now.
They would be ready in time... Well, she hoped they would be. She'd rather not have to deal with mass chaos or act as a representative for the entirety of Mystic Arts practitioners. She may be a several-hundred-year-old master of magic, dimensional manipulation, and could force back entities that moulded reality to their whims, but political work was not for her. She hadn't the patience to watch people squabble while there were things to be done.
Sure, maybe she couldn't defuse a tense political situation between two warring factions. However, a flick of the wrist could send both leaders of the warring sides through a portal to the top of Mount Everest—they'd have to get along if they wanted to survive. Problem solved!
Portals were such useful things. She'd been more than ready to use one when the nuclear missile had been launched toward the city. The Sorcerer Supreme figured she wouldn't enjoy being incinerated in a nuclear inferno, and she had a feeling she was not alone in that opinion.
The Ancient One was quite pleased to see that Tony Stark—Iron Man—had taken it upon himself to alter the course of the missile toward the rift in the sky. He had decided to sacrifice himself for the greater good of Earth. That decision alone set them on one of the better paths through the future, so she didn't have to intervene. She was confident that Humanity would continue to survive for the next while.
Though… the potential futures following this timeline were harrowing, to say the least.
At least this wasn't the timeline where Stark tried to redirect the missile, only to turn into a metal pancake against an office building. It might have been morbidly hilarious, but the following inferno would not be.
She hoped that this wasn't the timeline that led to Dr. Connors turning himself into a giant lizard and trying to infect the whole city. The Sorcerer Supreme may be bald, but her skin was far from scaly—she very much wanted to avoid being turned into a skink or something equally annoying.
Though... She could accept being a bearded dragon. That wouldn't be a bad life, all things considered. Quite the interesting little creatures—especially when their latent magic was unlocked.
Now that her curiosity was properly piqued, she just had to see what potential futures would come of this historic victory. She set her cup on the floor, adjusted her robe, sat up straight, and closed her eyes. With a breath, she opened up the Eye of Agamotto. A green light radiated outward and filled the room with a dull glow.
A quick glance through time confirmed that, yes, Earth would not be enslaved by genocidal alien warlords anytime in the next... three weeks? There was that one possibility Tuesday next month, but that was a one-in-a-million thing. The world should be fine for several years if everything goes well.
The images in her head grew in number as she expanded her focus. Past, present, and future blurred together, then shifted apart as she moved her gaze. Images flashed into view, and entire realities came into focus for a moment and vanished the next. An infinite number of people, of choices, of possibilities and impossibilities alike.
She paused and noted that she had not been in contact with a rather large, green, muscular Bruce Banner that afternoon. She furrowed her brow and attempted to follow the thread of that potential timeline, only to be stonewalled by the eventuality of her death at the hands of her student, Kaecillius.
Her poor pupil, where had she led him astray?
She shook off the mental fog and existential dread of her death, long used to the knowledge that her end was approaching—her attention was directed elsewhere along the timeline. There were thousands of them, every decision a person made led to a potential branch in reality, and a new set of events that could occur.
It was rather unfortunate to note that the Earth had a poor track record of being invaded or put in lethal danger. Maybe she should invest in some form of cosmic signage. Something similar to those 'beware of dog' signs that people put up to warn of their Chihuahua. It may not be the most threatening if one were to see the actual subject of the sign, but ideally, it would warn away some threats.
Hopefully, the ones that decided to approach the Earth regardless of the sign were the kind that would want to pet the Chihuahua, and not punt it across the cosmic backyard.
Curious, she looked ahead again, finding that not much had been altered. The Sanctum was secure, and those little skirmishes the Avengers would have in the future were of no concern to her or the Earth as a whole, give or take a few events. Bah, only several timelines showed the Earth being shattered by a city-sized meteor piloted by beings of metal—she was certain it would be fine.
The Sorcerer Supreme looked further and watched the car crash that critically injured Stephen Strange, following the various timelines branching from that moment.
Then, she paused, catching sight of a blur of white in the corner of her future vision. She was unable to 'see' what was avoiding her gaze. That future was pursued nonetheless, years passing by in an instant, leading to the final constant of her death. The moment that Stephen Strange would obtain the Eye of Agamotto and-
The Ancient One stopped. She opened her eyes and looked down at the amulet. It was still there. Good.
There was no amulet in the future.
Strange didn't get the Time Stone.
She searched, frowning as she looked through the timelines again, searching for the moment it may have vanished. She couldn't find it—the Time Stone had vanished.
The Ancient One moved her sight forward through time again, working toward her eventual death. It was inevitable, always happened, and always would continue to happen, regardless of-
White.
Bright, snowy white filled her vision, all belonging to the fur of a wolf. Two blazing golden eyes peered at her through the brilliant light. There was a slight shift, and red markings came into view. Red markings that highlighted those intense eyes. Something wasn't quite right.
The wolf turned tail and fled. It jumped and disappeared in a ripple, reality itself flexing and shifting around the creature. The Ancient One followed, hopping into a new timeline to chase this creature.
Through stream after stream time flowed by rapidly. The futures around the duo grew brighter, greener, and more alive. The past became lighter as well, horrors of the world being smothered over in a brilliant white sheen. The edges of her vision grew brighter, everything suffused in that warm glow.
Then, she came to a stop, frozen in place. The wolf was no longer running. Instead, it sat. Waiting. Watching. It was looking for something. Its eyes shifted, moving around, hunting for-
Those gold eyes snapped forward.
The wolf was looking at her.
It was looking at The Ancient One, not in the future, but now, through time itself. Those eyes stared at her without malice, just watching, gazing intently, understanding her, an infinite presence in the universe around them all.
The creature was a being far older than herself—those eyes radiated a power and a warmth that nothing could hope to match. It let out a light she hadn't felt since she was young, sitting in front of the fire, sheltered from the cold of her homeland with her parents nearby. She was home. She was safe, warm, and happy. Things were going to be okay. Everything was-
A knock at the door shattered the memories. She inhaled sharply and broke herself free from the vision. A glance inward had her trying to see that comforting gaze one final time, only to be left disappointed.
The Ancient One picked up her cup of tea and stood up, turning to the door and opening it with a gesture. She was far too distracted by the vision to open the door by conventional means.
"I'm sorry to bother you," Kaecillius said, "but there is a dog at the front door."
"I've told you several times now, it is a wolf. That looks nothing like a dog, Kaecillius." Mordo leaned into frame just over the shoulder of the other man. Another one of her students. They both looked agitated, frustrated even, at having come to see the Ancient One herself because of a canine visitor.
"I hardly see how this requires my attention. Feed it and send it off." The Ancient One waved them away, still distracted by her visions. Still, this couldn't be just a coincidence, could it?
"We tried. The dog-"
"Wolf," Mordo interrupted.
"… The wolf ate everything we gave it." Kaecillius shuddered in revulsion. "It was a sickening amount of food. We tried to send it off but it remained at the door—it is blocking the other apprentices from entering or leaving. I tried to persuade it with magic, but…" He paused, then frowned, almost embarrassed to admit it.
"Nothing happened. It just sat there, watching us," Mordo continued. "It doesn't seem mystical in nature, but those eyes… I swear it-"
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"Send our guest in," the Ancient One interrupted.
She turned and knelt on the mat once more, her eyes lingering on the teapot and empty cup on the floor. A twitch of her fingers had a stream of tea snaking from the pot and into the spare cup. Then, she pressed her palm upon open air, magic guiding the cup to the seating mat opposite of her.
Her role as a good host was fulfilled. The Sorcerer Supreme closed her eyes and took a sip of her drink, enjoying the warmth.
With the door behind her open, many sounds reached her ears: confused murmurs of her students; fabric shifting; shoes against the stone floor; soft, padded steps and the click of laws on stone. She took a breath, opened her eyes, and turned her attention to the Sanctum's newest guest.
It was a wolf. The wolf. The one she had seen in her visions. White fur. Gold eyes. But... no markings. A presence radiated from the creature, majestic and serene. This was a being of legend, a creature of mythical ability and powers beyond comprehension. It was-
It was wagging. The wolf's tail swished violently, kicking up dust clouds. The Ancient One swore there hadn't been a speck of dust in the room prior to the wolf sitting down.
It met her stare and tilted its head. That regal look and mystifying presence was shattered when the creature unceremoniously opened its mouth and let its tongue flop out. The mat beneath the creature was becoming bunched up and unkempt with every hard swish of the wolf's tail.
So much for that regal and otherworldly presence.
The canine's attention dropped down to the cup at its paws. The Ancient One watched in stunned silence as the wolf darted down and lapped at the drink with large, uncoordinated drags of its tongue, splashing the floor and its muzzle with the tea, nearly causing the cup to spill.
She was well aware of her two students standing in the door frame watching the proceedings. They were equally confused as she was, whispers passing between the two.
The Sorcerer Supreme closed her eyes and took a breath, mentally preparing herself for the absurdity that was likely to follow.
"Welcome to the New York-"
She opened her eyes and paused, watching the wolf. It was just a tad closer. Its tail gave a little quiver as the wolf glanced at her, then looked away quickly. It was pretending as if it hadn't just looked at her.
What absurdity was this? Were her students playing a trick on her?
The hundreds-years-old-woman glanced at her students, raising an eyebrow. Kaecillius and Mordo gave a slight shrug, just as confused as her. She turned to face their new guest once more.
"Welcome to-"
The wolf was even closer. The tip of its tail flicked and wiggled a little faster as if the creature was willingly restraining it. It faced away from her, but those golden eyes were locked onto her, side-eying her intently. Then, they flicked away again as if nothing had even happened.
The wolf was feigning innocence. That, or was absurdly hyperactive and friendly.
The Ancient One set her tea down to the side and, in that brief moment of lost eye contact, the beast moved.
Her students tensed up behind her, magic ready to defend their master. She felt the wolf's warm breath against her face—it panted directly in front of her, almost nose-to-nose. Its tail wagged furiously and had already knocked over its own cup of tea, adding to the mess on the floor and staining her decades-old seating mats.
Good riddance. She needed a reason to get rid of them.
"… If you lick me, I will portal you into the river." She narrowed her eyes at the wolf.
Its jaw dropped, as if it couldn't even comprehend the cruelty of threatening it with a bath of all things. Truly one of the most cruel punishments imaginable. The great white beast reared back, hopping away from the Ancient One with a pitiful whine. The lupine's gaze fell to the sling ring on her hand, then glanced back up at the woman.
The wolf then looked at her tea, back at the hundreds-years-old-woman, and then back to the tea. The Ancient One and the wolf stared at each other for a moment—she picked up her cup and slid it forward, offering it to the wolf.
She cringed as the wolf dunked its muzzle into the teacup and drank it messily, slopping tea across the floor, the pristine ancient mat, and splashing it all over its muzzle. Despite the situation, she still had questions. Getting answers could be problematic, however.
It's not like this was one of those few animals that could talk.
"Why have you come to find me, wolf?" She felt silly for asking in the first place. Still, it was worth a shot.
Maybe it knew charades.
The canine sat up and settled itself, paws positioned firmly. It sat straight and squared its shoulders. A sunbeam from the window caused its fur to glimmer in the light. The picture of elegance, grace, and fluff, all rolled into one package.
If only the view weren't ruined by the tea drenching its muzzle. Still, it opened its mouth and spoke.
"Awoof."
"… Come again?" the Ancient One asked.
Her students froze and blinked several times. Surely their master wasn't this far gone, was she?
"Wurf," the wolf 'spoke', blinking balefully at the woman. Its tail flicked anxiously behind it, and its paws nervously padded at the ground.
"You must be joking," the Ancient One replied. She gave a hum and raised a hand to her chin in thought. "Although with what happened today, and the portal, it isn't a stretch that you came from-"
"Er… Are you, uh, talking-" Mordo's interruption was interrupted.
"Why are you talking to the dog?" Kaecillius asked. He held an expression of disappointment and concern for the mental well-being of their Master. Maybe the hundreds of years had finally caught up to her, and the Ancient One was a little too ancient.
"Hush, let them speak," the woman snapped back, barely giving them thought as she turned her attention back to the canine. There was an odd weight to the room, a seriousness that did not fit the situation hung in the air.
"… Ruff!"
"You do realize this is difficult to believe. I need some sort of proof to your claim- and she's gone."
The wolf took off with an excited yip. It brushed by the Ancient One and leaped over the two standing in the doorway, bolting around a corner and out of sight. Mordo and Kaecillius chased after it, tearing down the hallways. Meanwhile, the Ancient One glanced down, noticing something rather strange.
There was a flower growing out of the floor where the wolf sat, and several blades of grass fluttered from the spots her paws hit the floor. Surely this couldn't be true...
The Ancient One portaled herself into the training courtyard and turned to face the back door of the Sanctum. A smirk graced her face when the wolf barreled through the doors and leaped over the heads of multiple apprentices. Several of them screamed in surprise or dropped to the ground, covering their heads and bracing for impact.
The wolf landed and slid to a graceful stop in front of the Sorcerer Supreme, the lupine's claws digging into the ground. Mordo and Kaecillius raced around the corner a moment later, tripping over one another to get ahead. The duo staggered to a stop a few steps away from the Ancient One and the wolf, watching the two wearily.
"So, why did you need to drag us outside? What is this proof of your claim?" the Sorcerer Supreme asked, raising an eyebrow.
The wolf nudged at the Ancient One's robes and gave them a sharp tug with its teeth. With her attention properly grabbed, the wolf sat down and cast its gaze upward. She followed the lupine's gaze and focused on the sky.
The sun brushed against the horizon and usually would have cast the sky in an array of colours. Instead, smoke filled the air, fires blazing from the attempted invasion earlier on, tinging everything red. Sirens could still be heard, as well as confused shouting, people still digging through the rubble in an attempt to rescue trapped individuals.
It was a beautiful if tragic sight—the city coming together to recover after the terrifying events of the day. People worked as one to pick each other back up as the sun slowly dipped over the horizon, calling a close to the day, and hopefully, the start of a brighter one.
The Ancient One shivered as the universe lurched. Intense magic erupted all around them, the fabric of reality shifting, dimensions screaming as they were forced to obey something far more powerful than the laws of physics. The world seemed to pause, the entirety of reality jolting for just a fraction of time.
The force of magic caused all the individuals in the courtyard to stagger and try to adjust their balance. Several fell over, unable to right themselves from the sudden spike in pressure and power. Luckily it faded just as fast.
The courtyard was quiet as everyone looked up.
The sun had moved.
It was now mid-afternoon, the sky bright and the sun intense, beating down with all the heat of a midsummer's day, where just seconds before it had been a cool evening. Reality itself had shifted and bent to the will of something very powerful.
Someone very powerful.
"Wurf!" the wolf announced proudly.
It pointed its nose at the sky, then turned to the Sorcerer Supreme. Its eyes glimmered with mirth and a grin graced the lupine's face.
Wolves couldn't smile like that, could they? This one did.
Screams of terror erupted from the surrounding city, and hopeless wails began anew. First an alien invasion and now the sun had changed position in the sky! People were terrified. For all they knew, the world was ending.
With this one act the wolf may very well have done so.
The Ancient One held her hands out, causing the Eye of Agamotto to open. She rotated her wrists; a green circle of magic formed in front of her. The circle began to spin backwards, following her hands as she forced the universe to comply, aided by the Time Stone.
In just moments it was over. The panic had ended before it even began.
The Sorcerer Supreme had rewound time by several seconds, undoing the massive pull of magic on the forces of reality. No one had experienced what just occurred. Not a soul was aware that the Earth had rotated backwards and the world was no longer cast into terror by the repositioning of the sun.
No one knew what just happened save for the smug-looking wolf and the slightly winded Ancient One. The wolf gave a little 'yip' and flicked its tail, causing ink to fleck onto the ground. The ink slowly evaporated, leaving nothing after several seconds.
The woman stared at the creature before her. Faint markings began to appear on the wolf. A circle of red on its head; swirls of red on its flanks; red lines accented those warm, gold eyes. Those eyes that held within them centuries of experience, multitudes of lives, and a genuine care for the world—for people.
Warmth suffused the Ancient One, and she focused. Light radiated outward from the lupine, a spiritual, mystical energy that only certain beings held. Creatures of immense power, potential, and above all, a genuine care for the people they watched over. She had only encountered several of these beings up close.
Then, the Ancient One narrowed her eyes. Her gaze flicked to the left, looking at the Sanctum. No, she was looking through the Sanctum, not seeing something, so much as sensing something.
Someone.
She made her decision.
"… Very well." The Sorcerer Supreme opened the Eye of Agamotto and floated the Time Stone out of the device. The Stone hovered in the air, spinning slowly, radiating an ethereal green. "I can see you are not quite as powerful as the legends have said. At least, for now. However, I have no doubt in my mind you will succeed."
"W-what is that? What are you-" Mordo was silenced by his master as she gave him a look.
Kaecillius just sat in stunned silence. Clearly, the Ancient One had lost her mind. He had no idea what the fuck was going on.
"Boof!" The wolf commented, and dipped its head in a bow toward the woman.
The wolf leaned forward and pressed its nose against the Time Stone. There was a bright flash of green, and then… the Stone was gone. In its place was just the wolf, wagging its tail, giving a dopey grin up at the Sorcerer Supreme.
The wolf's gaze roamed the courtyard, taking in all the stunned looks. None of them would be questioning the Ancient One if they had been able to experience the celestial movement moments earlier.
That, and they had no clue what she gave to the wolf.
"Don't make me regret this," the Ancient One warned.
A flash of green alerted the woman to something behind her. She whirled around and came to face the wolf. But…
She glanced over her shoulder. The same wolf was also standing there, wagging its tail, tongue lolling from its mouth in a goofy doggy grin.
They both barked at the same time, and one of them rushed toward her. It jumped up, catching the Sorcerer Supreme unprepared, and planted its paws on her shoulders. It darted in and delivered a big wet wolf kiss right up her face, leaving behind a trail of drool.
As she spluttered in surprise and disgust, the second wolf followed suit. It jumped up, planted its paws on the Ancient One from behind, and delivered a big, long, drool-covered lick right up the back of her shaved head. She shuddered in disgust and cringed away, magic flaring up in her hands as she darted to the side.
The Ancient One managed to escape the unwanted affection with her life. Thank goodness for small miracles.
The wolf that appeared out of thin air barked happily. It turned around and raced away, sprinting toward the tall security walls of the Sanctum's courtyard. With a single leap it cleared the walls and disappeared with a ripple of magic, escaping the privacy and space-extending spell.
A trail of grass and flowers were left behind.
The Ancient one looked over at the other wolf who just stood there, panting happily. It shook itself out and winked at the Sorcerer Supreme. The wolf glowed green and folded in on itself, vanishing with an energy that was identical to that of the Time Stone.
Stunned silence filled the courtyard. Not even the wind shifted the leaves in the trees, as if reality itself was questioning how wise the decision made was. The silence was shattered as Kaecillius and Mordo stepped toward their master, their footsteps echoing off the walls of the Sanctum.
"… Did you-"
"Yes. I did," the Ancient One interrupted. She wiped the wolf slobber off her face, grimacing at the feeling.
"What have you done?" Kaecillius asked in horror, looking between the Sorcerer Supreme and the trail of plant life.
"… I'm not quite sure." She cast her gaze toward the setting sun. A deep breath filled her lungs and a weight seemed to lift off her shoulders, allowing her to feel decades younger. "For the first time since I became Sorcerer Supreme, I don't know. It's wonderful."
The Ancient One gestured to her two students, encouraging them to follow her. She walked back into the Sanctum and made her way toward the front door.
"I do know, however, that she will do well by it." The Sorcerer Supreme turned to face her students and gave them a reassuring smile. "Have faith in Amaterasu."