Chapter 23 : The longest day of my life (Observations)

 

Sanctum Sanctorum boudoir, Sanctum Sanctorum, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York, 25th of January, 17:09

 

I lightly sigh as I straighten, deciding that honesty is the better card to play there.

 

“Would you believe me if I told you that I genuinely forgot ?” I start candidly, “Our situation is quite… Unique to say the least.”

 

The Ancient One and I stare at each other, her expression indecipherable while mine is apologetic.

 

She frowns.

 

“Possession ?” She asks, putting down her pestle and raising her hands in somatic gestures.

 

“Nothing of the sort.” I answer with a light shake of my head, my white curls slowly dancing around me, “The easier way to explain it would be to show you, would you let us ?”

 

“Iris, be ready.” I send over the mind-link.

 

"[Apprehension, agreement] : Alright sister.” She answers, tense.

 

The Ancient One eyes narrow a bit, hands still up.

 

“Very well.” She clips.

 

“Please, I implore you not to do anything drastic and to remain calm, it can be unsettling at first.” I add, while giving Iris a little push.

 

Iris blooms all over my right side, emerging from me in a pseudo humanoid form, oozing and growing from my hips. All the while, as the white, purple and lilac motes that constitute her come together in a new shape, the eyes of the Ancient One grow ever bigger.

 

When it is done, we both curtsy at the same time, Iris’ form going through me without any trouble in some places, and introduces ourselves again.

 

“Greetings, Ancient One, Sorcerer Supreme of this earth and headmaster of Kamar-Taj, I am Aria the Outsider.” I say demurely.

 

“I greet you, Ancient One, I’m Iris the Klyntar, Aria’s blood-sister and bond.” My sister adds in the same fashion.

 

When we rise ourselves in sync, the Sorcerer Supreme’s mouth is forming a little o of surprise and her hands have fallen to her lap.

 

Under the pressure of her gaze, Iris shily steps back and drapes herself over my right shoulder like the cuddly and lazy cat she really is, the rest of her body except her ‘arms’, ‘shoulder’, ‘head’ and ‘upper torso’ melting back into me, even if there is still some wariness in her mind.

 

I absentmindedly note that the twin pressure that I can feel on the high of my back actually comforts and grounds me.

 

“I speak for the both of us when I say that we didn’t perceive coming here together as a breach of trust since we share an existence together, always, all the time and forevermore.” I apologize, head still lowered a little, “She is me and I am her, our minds are always close to each other.”

 

The Ancient One’s mouth comes close as she slowly blinks.

 

She takes a moment to think, still staring at us both, before speaking.

 

“Aria, was it ?” She asks before carrying on when I silently nod assent, “Are you telling me that you managed to bond with one of the most dangerous symbiotic species known in the multiverse without one of you taking over ?”

 

I blink in surprise as Iris’ grip tightens a little, her thoughts getting sadder on her side of the mind-link.

 

I sigh lightly.

 

“So you do know of her kind, that’ll ease the explanations that follow I guess.” I muse aloud before continuing, “Yes, I did. As for the why, it is because I know what they truly are and how they imprint on their hosts : their existence needs to be shared to be complete and their personality remains practically a blank slate until they bond, instincts notwithstanding.”

 

“All we have are our hosts to tell us who we are.” Softly adds Iris to my explanation.

 

“We share what we have willingly because of who I am, deep down.” I carry on, and a tinge of sadness colors my thoughts too, “I’m no warrior. I’m no saint either. I value love and true relationships above all else. But I do not back down,  and I won’t hesitate to fight if I have to protect myself or if it guarantees us a better future.”

 

And I know that I will have to, and the loss of lifes pains me already.

 

“And so I am like her, and she is like me.” Iris ends with finality.

 

The Ancient One looks at us both for a while, the harshness in her eyes having vanished in the way of wonder and astonishment, even if she schools her expression extremely well.

 

She lightly chuckles as she looks back at her tea set anew.

 

“All those years, and I’m still occasionally surprised.” She mutters under her breath, before continuing on an even, yet slightly excited, tone, “The both of you are forgiven, please, sit.”

 

“Thank you, Ancient One.” Iris and I chorus as I sit myself on the rug with my legs folded up on my left side.

 

When she sees that my right hand will be busy holding me in my rather carefree and languid manner, Iris makes a soft little whiny sound and relocates herself on my left shoulder into a better scritching position.

 

I wouldn’t have to sit myself like that if my legs weren’t still sore from her sitting in seiza with my body for more than an hour this morning.

 

I lightly chuckle, which draws the Ancient One’s attention back on us as my left hand lost itself on Iris’ scalp amid her tentacly hair.

 

She observes us for a moment, the silence only interrupted by the grinding of the pestle on the tea leaves, before shaking her head once again.

 

“Your bond has more in common with a common housecat than the monstrosities I read about.” She conversionaly says.

 

Iris tenses anew, but my little circling motions getting a little more pronounced loosen her up quickly.

 

“Please, Ancient One, consider the fact that Iris gets profoundly affected when someone talks about her fallen brethren.” I chid the Sorcerer Supreme lightly.

 

“So many lost ones…” Iris mutters softly, which doesn’t escape our host.

 

As the Ancient One rises her eyes once again to look at us, I elaborate.

 

“Her people try really hard to fight the legacy imposed by their maker, but a good host from a biological point of view doesn’t mean that they will be a good imprint.” I explain with emotion, feeling both mine and those of my blood-sister at the same time resonate.

 

“And so, many of us fall.” Iris ends in a monotone, trying hard not to let her sadness show through her words.

 

The silence stretches for a beat.

 

“I apologize for my words, young one.” The Ancient One admits while looking at Iris, who perks up a little, “I should’ve not taken the teachings of our ancestors at face value when it concerned something other than the arcane.”

 

“It is alright, you didn't know.” Iris concedes as her mood improves.

 

As she starts nuzzling her head in the crook of my neck under my patient ministrations, the Ancient One’s attention turns back on me.

 

“She is the reason you look like you do, isn’t she ?” She asks rhetorically as she pours the leaves in the teapot.

 

“Indeed,” I answer plainly.

 

Considering Raven’s testimony, it’s a fair assumption from her part that the only explanation for my body change lies in our bond.

 

“Her kind are natural gene-splicers, I just got a little creative with that fact.” I add as an explanation.

 

“The X-Gene.” She realizes aloud.

 

“Correct.” I nod assent, my curls following my every motion, “Our bonds make us strong, but I was afraid it wouldn’t be enough considering what I thought would come.”

 

“So I turned myself into an artificially made mutant to give me, and maybe all of us, a better chance.” I admit without shame.

 

“What you thought would come ?” She asks archly, stirring the teapot.

 

“I thought I was familiar with the timeline, but I’ve been exposed to too many incongruities to still firmly believe it to be the case.” I answer plainly.

 

She pauses at that.

 

“You are a time traveler ?” She finally asks, resuming her stirring.

 

“Under a very loose definition, you could say that, but the Phoenix telling me that I am an Outsider,” You can almost hear the emphasis on the o as if it was a title while I say it, “Points out into another direction.”

 

“So, from outside of this multiverse.” She muses aloud.

 

“Yes, yet knowledge of some events still did bleed through.” I tell her of my most recent theory, “How, by what or who, and why, are answers that remain beyond me.”

 

She remains silent for a while, focusing herself on her tea making, and I lose myself in the quiet and my ministrations to my symbiotic half.

 

When she wordlessly hands me a cup, I let my hand abandon her very important duty to politely take it with a nod of appreciation.

 

I’m, after all, getting served tea by the most powerful magical being residing on this earth.

 

My life is fucking surreal now, I really should get used to it.

 

I turn my cup one quarter of a turn clockwise as she does the same, and we take a sip at the same time.

 

It is freshly harvested green tea, even bitter than the darkest of coffee, but brewed by someone who dedicated themselves a long time to the art. An acquired taste, a bit too much for me, yet still delicious in its own way.

 

I let a sigh of contentment escape my lips as my eyes close in appreciation.

 

“This is very well prepared.” I admit softly, eyes still closed.

 

“You looked like you already had some once.” The Ancient One comment archingly.

 

“I did.” I confirm as my eyes open once more, “I traveled to Japan once and sat in some ceremonies.”

 

She chuckles.

 

“Being compared to a geisha, I think I’m starting to lose my touch.” She answers jokingly, her lips curling up a bit.

 

“I never said that they did better.” I tell her flippantly.

 

A smile graces both of our mouths, and we sip anew.

 

“The two of you pose quite the conundrum to me.” The Ancient One says after swallowing her mouthful of tea, “As you apparently know, I’m responsible for protecting this earth from the dangers lurking outside of our universe, the magical ones especially.”

 

“And as of now and without sufficient evidence of the contrary, I’m personally checking both marks.” I infer from what she said.

 

“Indeed.” She admits with a nod.

 

She stares at me for a beat as we both take another sip.

 

“What is your proof of your meeting with the Phoenix ?” The Ancient One finally asks.

 

I refrain myself from sighing as Iris lets a little chuckle escape in my neck, prompting me to direct an offended glare in her direction.

 

I lightly shake my head in resignation.

 

“A mark whose significance I ignore, placed on my lower belly.” I admit, trying really hard to ignore my cheeks getting a bit more rose gold than the matte they usually are.

 

The Ancient One arches an eyebrow, saying nothing as she takes another sip.

 

“Like, really lower belly.” I can feel my flush deepen as I elaborate.

 

“I understood that it was near your privates when you said it the first time,” she drawls amusingly as I squirm under her gaze, “But I’m afraid I’ll still have to take a peek.”

 

“Do I really need to ?” I whine.

 

“Yes, you do.” She mercilessly answers, “Rest assured that it’ll probably be nothing that I haven’t seen already, the mark excepted of course.”

 

I want to grouse at that, but the nearly palpable mirth in her expression makes me think that she’s just trying to ease me into it so I don’t feel so awkward about it.

 

It’s just like an appointment with a gynecologist Aria, you can do it. A magical gynecologist.

 

After more or less successfully psyching myself up, I sigh, put my cup on the table and rise up once more.

 

“Iris dear, I’m counting on you to show only what’s needed ?” I ask my sister gently, still trying to gather my wits.

 

“Of course sister.” She answers in her crystalline voice, one of her hands coming to rub my cheek in an attempt to steer my awkwardness away.

 

My skirt and panties melt and flow away until all that is left is probably one of the skimpiest thongs this world has ever witnessed and I can’t stop my cheeks from burning.

 

I clasp my hands together in the crook of my back as the Ancient One mercifully remains silent while observing the cosmic prick’s gift.

 

Her hands soon rise, and she launches herself in a myriad of somatic gestures.

 

I want to complain out loud because someone is doing magic, real, honest to god, magic just in front of me and I’m posing like a cheap stripper in front of them.

 

I’ll find a way to make that asshole pay, that’s for sure.

 

Once I’m way stronger than I am.

 

The spells come and flow for a while, the majority of them being composed of light orange sigils floating in the air, and I would probably be absorbed in the sights if I wasn’t feeling so goddam awkward.

 

When her hands finally drop I almost want to scream in relief.

 

“You can sit down, I’m done.” The Ancient One says.

 

Without any prompting, Iris melts and flows around me to clothes me again as I drop myself back on the rug, feeling mentally exhausted.

 

The Sorcerer Supreme takes her cup once more and I do the same in a vain attempt to gather my nerves back.

 

She sips, seemingly mulling over something.

 

Her eyes lock into mine.

 

“This is proof alright.” She starts, “I could feel a tie to the Phoenix Force, but it is very subtle and it looks like it is focused on doing only two things in particular.”

 

She raises a finger in the air as she starts to explain.

 

“Firstly, it enhances your mind. Not in any dramatic proportion but it probably eased quite a lot of your now innate abilities, am I correct ?” She asks

 

“You are.” I answer, “My ties to the minds around me are more tangible, easily accessible, if that makes sense.”

 

“It does.” She nods, “I’m also suspecting that you’ll have an easier time accessing the Astral plane, maybe granting you in passing the ability to do Astral Projection in a similar way we sorcerers can.”

 

I nod slowly, considering her words.

 

“Secondly, there’s a little part of his consciousness in it.” She continues and I tense, “Nothing really major again, probably programmed to communicate with him in case some events happen. Do you have any idea what those could be ?”

 

I swear under my breath and she pauses.

 

I sigh once again, feeling positively annoyed.

 

“I promised him that I will teach his vessel if we ever crossed paths again and not to harm her.” I answer in a monotone.

 

She barely starts to nod before pausing, eyes getting wide in astonishement at my admission.

 

“His vessel is here ? On earth ?” She asks, getting a little anxious.

 

“She is.” I answer with a nod, “Her name is Jean Grey, a mutant whose genetic potential I partially inherited via a bargain with her for a drop of her blood and that I used in the making of my body afterward.”

 

I take a sip of my tea as the Ancient One processes what I’ve just said.

 

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.” I tell her after a beat, “Don’t interact with her, don’t antagonize her and never, ever, attempt to kill her. You would make her patron extremely peeved at you, possibly driving her mad with revenge in the worst case scenario and this world doesn’t need a crazed Phoenix Avatar running amok on it.”

 

She starts rubbing her temple with her free hand, her expression showing annoyance.

 

“This is why I met him in the first place.” I add, “He thought I was her while I got stranded for a while in the Astral Plane this morning when I fell unconscious after overtaxing myself.”

 

She nods wordlessly, eyes still frowning.

 

The silence stretches for a beat before her hands drop back in her lap and she sighs, eyes closed.

 

“I should’ve paid more attention to the mundane world when I was divining before.” She admits under her breath.

 

“It isn’t going to stay mundane for very long, I’d wager.” I answer her nonsequitur with a sad smile.

 

Iris pecks my cheeks to better my mood almost immediately. With a soft smile, I sip the last of my tea, drop my cup back on the table and begin my ministrations in her hair-thingy anew.

 

A beat passes.

 

“Any idea about the significance of the mark’s position ?” I ask a little awkwardly.

 

The Ancient One’s eyes open to look at me, her calm gathered anew.

 

“Did he take a look at your memories ?” She asks suddenly, eyes narrowed.

 

“I do not understand why it would be important, but yes.” I admit, a little lost.

 

Her eyes shift toward Iris.

 

“It should’ve been obvious when I saw your colors, but you’re the one clothing Aria, correct ?” She asks.

 

A little startled to be addressed to, Iris nods.

 

“Indeed.” She softly answers, her grip tightening in a loving gesture because it is a show of total trust on my part and she knows it.

 

The Ancient One’s eyes shift between the both of us rapidly.

 

“And the both of you basically share your sensations due to your bond, correct ?” She continues.

 

“That is a part of our link, yes.” I answer, my voice a little high-pitched and cheeks getting a bit hotter.

 

The Ancient One takes her last sip, dropping her cup on the table.

 

With a little teasing smile, she finally answers.

 

“Then I fail to comprehend how it is so difficult for you to understand that the Phoenix simply found it funny to give a crotch tattoo to someone who is, all things considered, a very well hidden exhibisionist.” She mercilessly concludes, “He probably even thought you would be pleased.”

 

My brain halts, all thoughts freezing as Iris starts to chuckles in my neck with her bell-like laugh.

 

When I’m thought-capable again, I cannot even manage a proper attempt at denial under the amused gaze of the Ancient One, my face burning in shame as I’m reduced to a stuttering mess.

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