Chapter 3: A Lesson Learned

Slade was sure it was all over. Everything hurt as if he had been dipped in acid and then flayed alive. He couldn't get a single muscle to move without almost passing unconscious from the pain. He suddenly saw a bright light and felt as if his soul was leaving his body...

"Oh get up, brats, it's not that bad," said an amused Raiza Kodo, who was currently standing over them and chuckling at their exaggeration.

Slade and Jean had just finished their fifty laps and were currently dramatically moaning about their pain as they laid on the floor. Agatha had left a while ago with a threat of making them do it from the beginning if they didn't finish, leaving them with Raiza. At first, Slade had been ecstatic to be taught by a vampire since he considered them kind of cool and wondered if he would teach him everything he knew. Now, however, he considered Raiza the incarnation of evil itself.

Slade and Jean just moaned in pain as if the very thought of moving caused them pain. Raiza smirked and rolled his eyes at their dramatics.

"Tell you what. You get up and put those books away and I'll train you in your weapon of choice."

Just like that, Jean and Slade got up and hobbled out of the room to put the books away, with only their limps and occasional groans of pain giving away how sore they were. Raiza smirked at them as they left and shook his head at their dramatics. Still, to be able to finish the laps at all while reading those huge 10 pound book Agatha gave them was pretty impressive. About halfway through they had learned the trick of pacing themselves according to how quickly they read so as to not finish the laps or the book too early. They didn't realize it but the distraction of reading prevented them from focusing too much on the pain in their muscles, therefore allowing them to run despite the pain as well as unconsciously channel their powers through their muscles. This allowed them to run for longer and faster than normal people their age should be able to.

Slade and Jean soon returned with Wanda and Agatha in tow. Agatha once again had her black cat in her arms while Wanda was dressed in a red blouse with black pants. Wanda was looking around in awe at the room which was obviously expanded by magic or else it wouldn't fit in the street, much less under their single mansion house.

Raiza raised an eyebrow at the sight of Wanda and Agatha explained. "Dr. Strange has already made arrangements for her to live here with the others. Apparently she has a brother from what little we could see of her memories and we don't want to change her last name in case he comes looking for her. Apparently, the trauma of what happened has caused her to repress those memories and the good doctor thinks its best to leave them repressed until she's mature enough to deal with them. Meanwhile, it's my turn to explain what these two have read as well as basic magical theory."

Raiza nodded and turned to Slade and Jean who were sitting on the floor. "Well, have you two decided what weapon you wish to learn how to use?"

Slade smiled hesitantly before speaking. "Actually, I always wanted to learn how to use a katana. I've always found the way samurai and ninja could use them to be awesome. I've read a bit on enchanting and stuff and I've always wanted to make my own katana in order to enchant it myself. Books say that creating your weapon yourself makes it easier to enchant and the spells tend to be stronger."

Raiza nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, in my time the sorcerer usually just stayed by the side of the one making the weapon in order to cast the necessary spells as the metal is reheated and cooled. However, they always said that the enchantments would be stronger if they made the weapon with their own hands. That's part of the reason why Musamane's blades are considered the strongest. He made them with his own hands while enchanting them. Very well, I will teach you how to wield a katana. However, you're not quite tall enough to wield a full katana easily so I will teach you using a ninjato first and then we'll move to the katana when you're bigger." Raiza then turned to Jean. "And you? What do you wish to learn how to use?"

Jean bit her lip in thought. "Well, I'm going to be moving to the Xavier Institute next year so you won't have a lot of time to teach me but... I've always been fascinated by the sai. They seem like such an exotic weapon but I imagine it's hard to learn how to use."

Raiza nodded. "It is. The sai are meant for people who are ambidextrous since you use two at a time. It is difficult of not impossible to fight another weapon user with only one due to its shorter reach and hard to handle form. However, while you won't be an expert by the time you leave you can at least have some proficiency in it. In these times, every little bit helps."

Jean frowned. "Um, Mr. Kodo, sir? You know I'm a mutant, right?" At his nod, she continued. "Well, Prof. Xavier thinks we can coexist with normal people and help them. I was just wondering... do you think that's possible? I'm just asking since Dr. Strange has always seemed undecided on that point."

Raiza's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "I... cannot say for certain. As a vampire, I personally know that people fear what they do not understand. However, that may be simply because I'm a vampire and most of us do feed on them in order to survive so perhaps it's understandable for them to fear and hate us. However, I know this for certain... peace between mutant and human will come at a cost. Most likely, at the cost of blood and the lives of innocents. Even if the majority of the population accept mutants, there will be splinter groups who will attack them or attempt to use them for their own ends. Once they are made known to the general public, mutants will be besieged on all sides and normal people will turn a blind eye to their problems. This isn't because of lack of compassion but simply because they do not wish to get involved and be targeted by those groups as well."

Slade frowned heavily. "But... won't the government protect them? I mean, mutants or not they are still American citizens, right?"

Raiza smiled sadly at the naivety of youth. "It is not that simple, I'm afraid. The government will be split much like the general populace between those for mutants, against mutants and those that are neutral. They cannot openly go against mutants if the public supports them since it would violate their Constitution of Freedom for all. However, they cannot be on their side since it would show favoritism and those that openly support them can be in danger of being kicked out of office and those against mutants be put in their place. Most likely, the government will adopt a neutral stance and leave mutant problems to mutants."

Jean nodded thoughtfully. "That's good, right? I mean, that means we won't be attacked if we're left alone."

Raiza shook his head. "No. It just means that if you are attacked then the government does not have to come to your aid unless it affects them or the public cries to help you. The war for mutants won't be a war of weapons and battles but a fight for the hearts of the public wherein the public's feelings for mutants will determine your future. You will have to be doubly careful not only to keep those mutants who wish to attack normal people in line but also to keep the public in your favor. It is not outside the realm of possibility for normal humans to turn on mutants out of fear and wish to commit another genocide like Hitler did to the Jewish. Despite their high-minded ideals, America is not so different from other countries and it can let fear and misunderstanding cloud their judgment."

Slade and Jean nodded thoughtfully before the former spoke.

"How do you know so much about how they'll react?"

Raiza smiled sadly. "Because I know something of being the only one like me. I was once the only vampire in existence that wished to not feed on humans and feed only on animals. I was considered strange and unusual and treated by the vampire Court much like that. And since vampires are nothing more than people with a few differences, it gives me an insight into human reactions."

Slade nodded his understanding before Agatha cleared her throat to attract attention.

"Well, if you are quite done philosophizing on things that might or might not happen, we should go into magical theory now."

Raiza nodded and bowed to Agatha. "Then I shall take my leave. We will have our usual sessions every morning from 5am to 7am and every evening from 4pm to 6pm on the weekdays. On Saturday, I will have you from 5am to 10am and 6pm to 8pm while Sundays are free. Wanda will join us starting tomorrow."

The children's eyes widened in shock but only Jean spoke. "B-But... 5am?! That's WAY too early! How will we sleep?!"

Raiza smiled in amusement. "Agatha's sessions are from 6pm to 8pm on weekdays and 10am to 6pm on Saturday. For weekdays you will have 8pm to 9pm to finish homework and the like. If you wish to stay later that is up to you but every day begins at 5am. No exceptions. I would suggest you simply go sleep at 9pm in order to have 8 solid hours of sleep."

The children were left dreading the next morning as he left the training room. Agatha was left smiling sardonically at them before following Raiza out the door. She poked her head back in when they didn't follow.

"Well? What are you doing there looking like monkeys? Follow me to the library. It is better suited for this discussion."

The three children scrambled after her as she led them to the library. As they walked, Slade turned to Wanda. "So, how do you like it here so far? Are you feeling better?"

Wanda nodded meekly. "Yep. Your dad was actually pretty nice about it. He says I'm officially Agatha's apprentice since he already has you as his and doesn't want to split his focus. He'll take me on after he finishes your training."

Slade nodded. "Oh, okay. So where are you from? You never did tell us?"

Wanda shrugged. "From what little I remember, we used to live in an encampment near Wundagore. At least I think so. I remember the mountain and the name but I can't remember if we lived near it or just passed by it once."

Jean looked at her with pity. "It must suck not to remember a lot about your past. How do you speak English anyway? Wundagore is in Germany, right?"

Wanda nodded. "I was taught English since it's a common language in case I needed to communicate with someone who doesn't speak German. However, I don't know how to read or write it that well yet."

Slade laid a hand on her shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, I'll help you learn and then you can go to school with me!"

Wanda blushed at his touch and smiled softly. "I'd like that."

Jean noticed the byplay and couldn't help the jealousy from rising. "I'll help too," she blurted out.

Wanda turned to her and smiled genuinely. "Thanks. I'm glad I met you and we became friends."

Her words instantly made Jean feel terrible at her jealousy. It was obvious that she hadn't had a lot of friends before and she was just grateful for the help. She shouldn't be jealous of her simply because of that. Plus, it wasn't like Slade and her were together or anything. They were just friends and their relationship was strictly platonic... right?

The thoughts continued to spin in her head until they reached the library and Jean returned to earth.

The library was actually quite massive compared to others. It took up almost 60% of the ground floor and had thousands of books ranging from anatomy to some of the rarest of tomes on magic all along the walls. The bookcases were made from a type of wood that was strongly magically resistant, allowing it to survive the sheer magical power some of the books exuded. The room had green colored walls and a red rug along the floor. There were also several staircases to reach the books on higher shelves. These staircases had been put for Slade's benefit since his father could just float up to get any book her desired.

All in all, the library had over 3,000 books on magic alone. Many were repetitive but each had a different insight into the magic, therefore allowing to see the same magic from many different perspectives. It was a treasure trove to anyone that liked to read like Jean and Slade. They had spent many a time staying up late just reading a book on telepathy and telekinesis as well as books on magical theory. While Jean would never learn magic, she found the theories on its use fascinating and they actually helped her in controlling her power. Some of the things that were described as being possible for skilled magicians sounded like something right out of a fantasy novel.

Slade had been especially fascinated by runes. Runes were considered to be the universal magic due to being able to do anything if one knew how to use runes. It's said that even gods could be taken down using runes. Slade didn't know if that was possible but the idea of a branch of magic with so much potential being so underused and unappreciated rubbed him the wrong way. He had made it his mission to become a Runemaster and bring fame back to the almost lost branch of magic.

Agatha led them to a couch near the far wall, near the section of magical history. She sat on a lounge chair in front of the couch while they all sat down on the couch with Slade in the middle and the girls on either side.

Agatha smiled enigmatically before speaking. "Now, the first and most important question is: what is magic?"

Slade thought for a minute before speaking. "Well, magic has many branches from transfiguration, white magic, banishment..."

Agatha raise her hand to cut him off. "I'm not asking about the divisions that humans made to understand it but rather what magic is."

The children stayed silent for a moment before Jean spoke. "Um... we don't know ma'am."

Agatha smiled knowingly. "That is one of the most common pitfalls when it comes to most magicians. They acquire power without first gaining understanding. Great magicians are those that acquire both hand in hand because one without the other is useless. Note that I use the term magician to speak of both wand-using wizards and true magic-using sorcerers. I will go into the difference later on. For now, I shall explain magic and what it is."

Agatha seemed to gather her thoughts before speaking. "Now, the first thing you should know is that everyone has a bit of magic inside them. Magic is nothing more or less but the ability to bring our dreams into the realm of reality. From conjuring flame to changing something's intrinsic properties, magic is simply the power to turn what we imagine into reality."

Wanda frowned before raising her hand. Agatha nodded to her so she could speak. "But... if we can make our dreams reality... then how come we need spells and incantations? Also, why hasn't any magician powerful enough tried to conquer the world?"

Agatha smiled enigmatically. "Why indeed? Despite what I said, magic does have limitations. For one, it cannot resurrect the dead. That is solely the realm of Death herself and to make the attempt is to challenge Death herself. Something only the prophesied Master of Death could try with any hope of victory."

Slade frowned at the unfamiliar title. "Master of Death? Who's that?"

Agatha sighed. "The Master of Death is a prophesied magician that will come in a time of great change. It is said that he will challenge Death for some reason and defeat her. He will then have the power to call back the dead from her realm at the cost for another's life. That shows another aspect of magic. Even the most powerful are not exempt from its rules and the most important is that every action has consequences. Usually it comes in the form of exhaustion after casting a difficult spell but for the higher tiers of magic, the price is much higher."

Agatha let that sink into their heads for a moment before continuing. "As for spells and incantations...to tell you the truth, the greatest magicians never use incantations except for the most complicated and dangerous spells and then only to gather the concentration needed. Words are used for spells in the beginning since children rarely have the concentration to perform a spell silently. Most magicians learn it later on, when their master or teacher believe they have sufficient maturity. I, personally, believe that to be poppycock. If you teach them while they're young, then they won't form the bad habit of relying on words later on in life. Young Strange for example is very powerful but is so used to using his hands and incantations that tying him up and gagging him makes him as useless as any other middle-aged man. That's not even mentioning his narrow focus when it comes to magic."

Slade frowned at the slight on his father. "Dad is one of the most powerful magicians in the world and considered to be the next Sorcerer Supreme. He knows a whole bunch about magic."

Agatha raised her hand in her defense. "Peace, young Slade. I mean no offense. To tell you the truth, you are correct. Young Strange is one of the most powerful magicians to have ever graced the Earth and indeed, he will most probably become Sorcerer Supreme at some point in the future. However, he focuses too much on what he calls "white magic" and ignores the other aspects of magic. I'm not saying he should use black magic but there are many more branches than just white magic. For example, there is elemental magic, druid magic, or even rune magic. However, he stubbornly sticks to white magic and while it makes him the most powerful user of it to have ever lived it makes him limited. There may come a time where it fails him and people like that tend to believe that such failures are a result of their own weaknesses rather than the inherent limitations of their chosen branch."

Slade frowned and nodded his understanding. Despite the fact that he loved his father, he had noticed that as well. When he had first discovered rune magic, he had gone to his father for tutoring only to find out that his father knew very little on runes. He knew how to identify them and could guess what effect a certain sequence would create but couldn't cast it or even enchant anything using them. He enchanted things by layering charms and spoken enchantments onto objects until it saturated the object. Slade considered runes better when it came to enchanting because they used the ambient magic to power them and one could place many more effects on an object using runes. With charms there was always a set limit to the amount of charms an object could take but the only limit in using runes is the amount of magic in the caster and the space to draw the runes.

Agatha continued her explanation. "Now, as I was saying. Magicians use words and incantations for a very simple reason. They use it because magic is alive."

At this, the children's eyes widened in shock. Wanda was the first to recover. "W-What? How can it be alive? I mean... I know it's a form of energy but... how can energy be alive?"

Agatha smiled her enigmatic smile once more. "How, indeed. To tell you the truth we also don't know how it is possible but it simply is. Magic is a sentient form of energy that has been around since before the birth of the universe. Its will, reasoning and actions are beyond understanding for us, who are but byproducts of its barest thoughts. We cannot possibly understand something like that due our inherent limitations. It is like an ant trying to understand the size of the universe. Impossible in every way."

"So," Jean bit her lip as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "Every time a magician says an incantation, he or she is basically asking for permission to perform certain action?"

Agatha smiled in amusement. "Of course not. That would be silly. Do you know how many magicians there exists in this world alone? Magic would be bombarded by request by the millions and nothing would ever be done."

Jean looked frustrated. "Then why do they use spells?"

Agatha smiled. "Because magic is limitless. If one wanted to say, stop a robber from escaping and simply willed magic to stop him you could do anything from freezing him solid to killing him instantly. By using words you place limits to what your magic can do so you don't mistakenly do something other than what you wanted. It's why I believe in training them young. That way you can train them in the necessary mental strength to will magic to do a certain action alone without words being necessary."

The children nodded their understanding and Agatha continued. "Now that we have a basic understanding of magic is, can any of you tell me why the first thing taught to any aspiring magician is the mental aspects of magic such as telepathy?"

Jean hesitated before answering. "Because... we can gain the mental strength for bigger spells?"

Agatha clapped. "Exactly. The most important part of any magic-user is his mind. Anything else can be replaced but the mind is where magic is controlled and without control of yourself how can you gain control of your magic?"

Jean lowered her head in shame. "But I don't have any talent in magic. I'm a mutant that has the ability of telepathy and telekinesis, not a witch."

Agatha smiled softly. "While the origins are different, the effects are the same. Telepathy is an important aspect of magic since it encompasses astral battles, cloaking your mind and many other aspects. A powerful telepath can induce pain in their enemies simply by attacking them mentally. After all, a magician can't use spells if he's busy defending his mind, can he?"

Jean felt better at her words and turned when she felt Slade place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with have a single focus, Jean. After all, my dad focuses on white magic and he's considered on of the most powerful magicians in the world. I have no doubt that you'll be one of the most powerful people in the world if you train."

Jean blushed at his words and she felt a fluttering in her stomach at his touch. She tried to ignore it but couldn't help the shy smile from crossing her face. Wanda watched them with a bit of envy and at the same time, a bit of hope. She hoped that she would become as close to them as they were to each other. It seemed nice to have someone to count on no matter what.

Agatha just smiled knowingly at the sight. 'It seems as if young Slade has himself two admirers already. I can't wait to see how this turns out. If nothing else, it will provide an endless source of amusement.' thought Agatha amusedly. She cleared her throat and continued.

"Indeed, young Jean. I'm told that you are also a telekinetic?" At Jean's shy nod, she continued. "And from what I'm told you have the potential to be a truly powerful one as well. Everyone tends to overlook telekinesis but I consider it one of the few branches to be worthy of specialization. Do you know why?"

Jean shook her head curiously.

Agatha smiled conspiratorially. "Telekinesis is the ability to move objects with your mind, correct? Well, with sufficient training and power, it should be possible to move anything from a building to something small like an atom. Now tell me, what happens when you vibrate many atoms at the same time?"

Jean frowned as she thought about it. "Well... I imagine that the object would destabilize, I guess. Or even explode."

Agatha nodded in confirmation. "Exactly. Now, what would happen if you vibrate the molecules of say... someone's arm?"

Jean and the others paled as she thought and Agatha gave them a grim look. "Exactly. Telekinesis is not something to be overlooked because a sufficiently trained and powerful telekinetic can be the most dangerous thing you can face. It's for this reason that I will teach you a telekinetic ability to keep other powerful telekinetic from doing just that to you. It's basically a small telekinetic shield that covers your body and will usually protect you from another telekinetic attack long enough for you to respond. The only exception is if the attacker is aware of its existence and puts enough power to simply overpower the shield. But first to explain each of yours specialty."

Agatha placed her cat down on the floor where it curled around her legs. "Now, Jean's specialty will obviously be the mental aspects of magic such as telepathy and telekinesis. Right now, your telekinesis is stronger than your telepathy due to it being a "physical" ability and therefore, easier for your mind to comprehend. It is also due to the barriers that Xavier placed to limit your telepathy. This was so you wouldn't be bombarded by the thoughts of others until you had sufficient control. He wanted to block it completely but luckily, Strange stopped such foolishness. You telepathy is a part of you and blocking it could limit your growth in that area greatly. I have no doubt that Xavier will train you in telepathy when you arrive so I will focus on teaching you some of the lesser known aspects of telekinesis such as using it to make you physically stronger and faster as well as manifesting weapons made of psionic energy."

Agatha turned to Slade. "You're specialty is obvious: energy manipulation. From what your father has told me you have a knack for manipulating magical energy in various inventive ways. He told me that you once created a solid pole of magical energy just to reach the cookie jar?"

Slade blushed at the memory while Jean giggled. He had been 10 at the time and had been extremely hungry. He couldn't wait for dinner and spontaneously decided to get a cookie to tide him over till then. He had originally wanted to conjure a long stick but somehow got a solid pole of white and purple energy. He still didn't know how he managed it and hadn't been able to replicate the feat but it had been awesome. Jean giggled because after creating it, he had dropped it in shock and it had landed on his foot. He had spent the next few minutes swearing and hopping on one foot while the pole dissipated in a small explosion of energy. The explosion of energy had attracted his father who had been gob smacked when Jean had told him what happened.

Agatha smirked. "It is something to proud of. Usually only the most learned and powerful magicians can create a weapon of solid magical energy and it takes a lot of concentration to maintain. I do wonder if perhaps you are a mutant with energy manipulation as your ability but we'll probably never know for sure due to it being hard to differentiate whether it's a mutant ability or simply due to your magical potential. Either way, I will teach you various ways to manipulate magical energy."

Agatha turned to Wanda. "Now, you, young one, are probably the most perplexing and interesting one of the lot. You showed me and Dr. Strange a demonstration of your magic and we came to a tentative conclusion."

Agatha took a deep breath before continuing. "Your magic is a mixture of what is known as "chaos magic" as well as the ability to warp reality. Now, technically chaos magic doesn't truly exist. Magic provides order and structure to the universe and the very idea of there being an aspect of magic that stems from chaos is laughable. No, chaos magic is nothing more or less than the ability to unravel the order and structure of magic inherent in every little thing to create a particular effect. A sort of anti-magic in a way with its own set of rules. This is where your ability to warp reality comes in. Your magic destabilizes the structure of magic allowing you to warp reality to your whims. This is very dangerous. Usually such power comes only after years of study and maturity as well as having the mental fortitude to control it. The fact you gained it so young leans toward it being due to a mutation much like young Jean. It is lucky you found us so young. If you hadn't started to learn control at a young age, this power could have eventually driven you insane."

Wanda had gone pale at the explanation and started to shake slightly in fear. Slade noticed and drew her into a hug while Jean looked on in pity. Slade looked at Agatha with a fierce look in his eyes. "What do you mean? How could it have driven her insane?"

Agatha frowned in thought. "You have to understand, young Slade. The ability to control reality is very dangerous. By controlling reality, reality in turn controls you. Imagination becomes the enemy as every little dream or thought you have can become reality of you don't have sufficient control. Imagine if you will, if someone she loved died. Her wish to see them alive could push her to resurrect them and therefore breaking the rules between life and death."

Jean spoke hesitantly. "Isn't that a good thing? I mean... if she could save someone from death."

Agatha's eyes flashed. "No! Never attempt such a thing. There is a reason why necromancers are considered the vilest of magicians. The dead should stay dead!" Agatha sighed and controlled herself. "You have to understand, young one, that there is a balance in the universe. Many things that seem cruel happen for a reason. By attempting to resurrect one person, you are bringing back a life whose time has passed and therefore added a pebble to the scales where it was empty before. On the delicate scale of balance that makes up the universe, this could have disastrous consequences. There must always be balance and the fabric of reality is very thin. Unravel it enough and the walls of the universe crumble around you."

Slade gulped at the thought and hugged Wanda tighter. "Well, it won't happen. Jean and I will help Wanda gain control and we'll be there to help her always. I'll be her anchor so she won't be lost in the waves of reality."

Agatha's eyes widened. "Do you understand what you're saying? You are taking responsibility of being Wanda's anchor and making sure she doesn't become lost to her powers. Once a bond like that is formed, nothing can break it. Not even death. Are you ready for such a responsibility?"

Wanda looked up at Slade with wide eyes. "You don't have to do that, Slade. You've done too much already."

Slade just glared at her. "What kind of friend would I be if I abandoned you right when things got tough? Me and Jean will be your anchors and we'll keep you firmly planted on the ground, I promise, right Jean?"

Jean nodded and smiled at Wanda before getting up and sitting on her other side. "Yep. I've never had a girlfriend before and I don't want to lose you now that I do." Jean spotted the goofy grin on Slade's face and blushed. "Not like that, you pervert! I mean girlfriend like a girl who's a friend!"

Slade's grin just widened. "Sorry but its way too late to stop that train now. I think I'm gonna have very pleasant dreams tonight."

Wanda and Jean blushed and refused to make eye contact with each other, much to Agatha and Slade's amusement.

Agatha cleared her throat to bring the attention back to her. "Jean and Wanda's sexual curiosity aside," Jean and Wanda's blushes deepened, "I hope you stay true to your oath. Anyway, despite your specialties, I will be teaching you various other things as well such as fighting in astral form and for Jean, paralyzing someone through telepathy. As for Wanda and Slade, I want you two to spend the rest of today thinking about what magic you wish to create to be your calling card so to speak. You may have a primary and a secondary magic and explain what effects you want each to have and why."

Jean raised her hand with a confused look on her face. "What about me? What will I do?"

Agatha raised an eyebrow. "I will be teaching you how to use your telekinesis in battle in ways Xavier would never imagine. He is a telepath and telepathy and telekinesis are related but there are some things one can do that the other cannot as well as things that can only be possible by combining both. For example..."

Agatha raised her right hand as if she was holding something and blue energy coalesced within her hand. Slowly, a dagger made of blue energy formed in her hand. She threw it so fast that her hand seemed a blur and it was impaled against the far wall. The dagger stayed there for a few seconds before dissolving in blue wisps.

Agatha smiled at their gob smacked expressions. "...that was a psionic dagger and can harm a target both physically and mentally if one is mastered enough in telepathy and telekinesis to use both at once. That was a mixture of two different yet related skills: psionic blasts and telekinetic weapons. A psionic blast attacks the mind and can induce unconsciousness or even kill if enough energy is used. Meanwhile, a telekinetic weapon is a physical manifestation of telekinetic power that at its lowest intensity can disrupts neural pathways and sever molecular bonds while at its highest it can cut through armor and defensive spells yet leave the target physically unharmed. Combining the two allows one to cut through any defenses the target has and attack their mind on two fronts, physically and mentally. Even the strongest of telepaths would succumb under a strong enough psionic weapon."

Jean looked at Agatha in amazement. She had never imagined something like that even being possible and it would be perfect if she could learn how to manifest psionic Sais. It would mix her physical skills with her mental ones.

Agatha smiled at her wide-eyed amazement and turned to Wanda. "Now, Wanda. For you, learning a new type of magic is very important. Your skill with chaos magic and probability manipulation is very powerful and in time you could surpass even Dr. Strange and myself. However, it comes with the price of you constantly having to fight to maintain your sanity. Therefore, we will make you learn other magics so you can use your chaos magic only as a last resort. Therefore, I will teach you how to conjure mystic bolts and intangibility so you have an offense and a defense to use in battle. I want you to create another type of magic as well so you have your own original magic as your primary."

Wanda smiled slightly and nodded causing Agatha to smile softly as well. "Well, now that you have your goals set, I will start with a brief overview of famous magicians starting with the oldest known to recent times. I will list their area of expertise, their contributions and the time in which they grew so you have an idea of how the times shaped them into who they would become..."

Slade sighed as laid down on his bed with Jean and Wanda sitting on the floor near the foot of his bed. It was a little after 7pm and they had just finished dinner. Agatha had gone from 4pm to 6:30pm talking about dozens of famous magicians and what made them famous. While it may have sounded boring, it had actually been quite fascinating.

The oldest known magician was Agamotto himself, who was currently a member of the Vishanti. He was the first recorded magician as well as the first Sorcerer Supreme. His power lies in knowledge and is considered to have almost total omniscience in most matters. The Sorcerer Supremes of recent times are really nothing more than vessels through which Agamotto can channel his power in order to defend his reality. This is why sorcerers named Sorcerer Supreme seem to instantly have a jump in power and ability the moment they are named. Agamotto channels his knowledge and power through the Sorcerer Supreme in order to help him defend his reality.

Soon after was the precognitive Zhered-Na. She was an Atlantean sorceress that foretold the destruction of Atlantis at the hands of King Kamuu himself. She was threatened to take back her predictions but refused and so was exiled. She went on to found her own sect who, after her death at the hands of a mob that thought her responsible for the destruction of Atlantis, went on to protect her tome to this day.

There were many other sorcerers after her, too many to mention all but there was one that caught Slade's attention, much to Agatha's amusement.

Myraddin of Ruta, or better known as Merlin.

He was born on a fragment of Atlantis that hadn't sunk with the rest named Ruta, therefore giving him his surname 'of Ruta'. His long list of impressive acts begin with bartering his copy of the Ironbound Book of Skelos for the Starstone to make the infamous Ebony Blade, creating magical gemstones, imprisoning Chthon in Wundagore (when Agatha explained who Chthon was, Wanda shivered for some reason and got a far-away look in her eye but Slade dismissed it as simply fear) and banishing Tyrannus to Subterranea. Merlin also animated a suit of armor as the first Black Knight before Sir Percy of Scandia became the first human Black Knight. The fact that the animated suit of armor went undetected as a simple automaton to the point that non-magicals still think it was Percy from the very beginning shows the complexity and power behind that spell. Animating a suit of armor is one thing but making it pass of as a human that has tics and mannerisms is something else.

However, what truly set Merlin apart was his sheer skill with time manipulation and travel. He was born in the 6th century yet sources say he lived well into the time of the founders of Hogwarts in the 10th century. This leads to a lot of confusion as to the dates of his birth and death. Hogwarts has written proof that Merlin attended as a student during the time Salazar Slytherin was still in the school. However, there is also conclusive proof that Merlin must be have been born before the 6th century which was the time of King Arthur and the Round Table.

Agatha hypothesized that Merlin was born in the 5th century but realized that he would not get the training he needed during that time, which was at an all-time low in magical non-Celtic knowledge. Therefore, he traveled into the future during the time right after Hogwarts was formed but before Salazar left. This is considered by many the golden age of the wizards due to the presence of four of the greatest wizards of the age in one place, each being a master in different branches of wand-magic. Once he graduated and learned all he could, he returned to his time where he guided Arthur to become king and did all his famous accomplishments. His acts directly led to the explosion of magical knowledge which eventually led the founders to creating Hogwarts and therefore completing the time loop by causing the creation of the very place he originally learned magic.

Agatha went on to explain that Merlin probably placed an enchantment to prevent wizards from realizing he was the Merlin while he was studying in Hogwarts. This led to the confusion of dates as to when Camelot existed among non-magicals. It was actually quite ingenious and smart since Merlin was himself the ancestor of Slytherin himself which is probably why he was sorted into Slytherin during his time in Hogwarts. He also created the branch of magicians known as wizards by being the first known user of a wand, which ironically he got when he visited the future and took with him back to the past. In fact, the wood of his wand was made out of the tree that grew where his supposed grave was located.

Agatha used this in order to not only point out Merlin's power but to drive home one important fact before we even thought of messing with time manipulation. That the past cannot be changed no matter what one does and the very act of going back to change it may in fact cause it to happen. Many foolish magicians had tried to go to the past to save a loved one only to find out that their interference caused it to happen in the first place.

Slade took the lesson to heart and promised to never try and mess with the past, lest he make the present worse.

Jean sighed in exasperation. "Well, I know what I'm learning from now on, though it's difficult as hell. Agatha told me that I first have to master the separate skills before I can learn how to create a psionic weapon. First is the psionic bolts which is basically attacking a person's mind. The differences is that I'm doing it remotely and not connecting our minds. How am I supposed to do that?"

Wanda seemed just as stumped until Slade hesitantly spoke. "Maybe you're going around it the wrong way. Instead of trying to think of the mechanics behind it, just imagine it like a missile. You send a missile of mental energy at the enemy that attacks their mind. Simplify it."

Jean looked thoughtful before nodding her head slowly. "That might work. I'll try it tomorrow in our next session with Agatha." She turned to Wanda. "How about you? Have any luck thinking of what kind of magic you want to create?"

Wanda frowned before shaking her head sadly. "I have no idea. I'm still overwhelmed with all this. Just this morning I was lost in a strange city and about to be raped and now I was saved and brought to live with people who understand me and can help me learn how to use my abilities."

Slade smiled softly down at her as he laid on his bed. "We know how you feel. Both I and Jean felt the same when we met my dad the first time as well. It can be a bit overwhelming but at least it's a good kind of overwhelming. You'll get used to it."

Wanda nodded her head doubtfully. "If you say so. Anyway, the only things I can think of are maybe some kind of magic to make chains or..."

Jean looked at Wanda in confusion as she trailed off. "Or what?"

Wanda bit her lip before taking out a thin book that she had been hiding within a larger one. "Well, I found this book in the library and thought it was interesting. I didn't show it to you guys since it's a fiction book and I felt embarrassed. Anyway, the book is a fictional story on the Japanese deities and the areas they rule over as well as each ones special characteristics. I was reading about Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and it says she had two types of flames, the black flames that burn everything it touches for seven days and seven nights and the white flames that burn only those she allows it too to or those that are pure in soul. I'm thinking of maybe recreating a magical style revolving around those two flames. It would be kinda cool."

Slade and Jean smirked before the former spoke. "I think it's awesome, actually and I think Amaterasu would be honored if you created a magical style in her honor."

Wanda giggled. "You make it seem as if Amaterasu is real." Hearing their silence and seeing their smirks, Wanda's smile slowly disappeared. "She isn't real...right?"

Slade just continued to smirk. "Wanda... there are no fiction books in the library. They're all non-fiction."

Wanda paled at the implications and she stared at her book in a whole new light. "You mean... the Japanese gods exist?!"

Slade nodded. "Yea, my dad told me about them. All the gods exist actually. The Greek/Roman ones, the Asgardian, the Chinese..."

Wanda grew paler with each mentioned deity before gulping audibly. "But... I mean... some of them didn't seem so... nice if you understand what I mean. Heck, some of them sounded downright evil. If they exist why haven't they been causing the stuff they used to cause? You know, like tsunamis to attack their unbelievers and all that? Plus some of them are supposed to be gods of the same thing. Like Zeus and Raiden both being the gods of lightning."

Jean shrugged. "Dr. Strange says they haven't interacted with the world in centuries for some reason they wouldn't say. As for their realm of influence, it really depends on your belief system. If you're Celtic then you'll follow their gods, if you're Japanese then those. For example, the Roman/Greek deity of death, Pluto, can only take the souls of those that believe in the Roman/Greek gods."

As Wanda and Jean continued to talk about deities and how they're important to sorcerers, Slade tried to think about what his primary magic should be.

He wanted it to be useful both as an offense and a defense as well as possibly being bale to capture enemies if necessary. Wanda already had a semi-elemental magical style and it could be used for both if mastered to a sufficient degree. But he also wanted it to be unique and perhaps cause blunt force trauma instead of just elemental damage like Wanda's.

Slade rubbed his chin in exasperation, right above his pen-

Slade sat up so quick that the girls jumped slightly in shock. Jean was the first to speak. "Slade? You okay? You have a strange grin on your face."

Slade just continued to smile. "Yep, I've just decided on what I want my magic to be."

AN: And there's chapter 3 done.