Chapter 6: What is Magic?
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-Jaune-
-A year later-
-Three years with the Arc family-
...
For the last thirty nine days, fourteen hours, twelve minutes and five seconds, Jaune has been watching his moms running around like headless chickens… And he couldn't and still doesn't understand why.
"All of that for Magic…" He says as he tries to not speak too loudly. Since his birth, he and Magic haven't been on the best of terms.
Magic affects him in strange ways, even if only skin deep, nearly as much as he can negate the… thing? He has no other names to describe it, as True Magic is following no freaking rules! Like an ever-changing "bug" in reality, never doing the same thing twice in exactly the same way, shape or form. But Magic has a presence that Jaune, when he looks for it, like now, can still feel... As it too can feel his own, but it feels like, for some reason, it just snubs him.
"Hey! It's not my fault you make no sense!" He whispers harshly as he feels Magic piercing and judgmental gaze on him.
When he asked his moms about it, both looked at him with smiles and then said that it is something that only he can answer. When he asked Leviathan, he responded that it has something to do with Nth Metal and another thing but that Jaune is still too young to understand. He can learn and understand basic Quantum physics, but, apparently, Magic is too much for him? "This is Stupid!"
At least his own psionic energies, which are apparently different from what his mothers have ever experienced before, and other astral energies are… Well, not that easy to understand, but they still mostly make sense. Most of the time. Like with Chaos Magic, deeper Quantum manipulations with psionics, even if possible, is a big no no, as reality like the way she is. The harder you try to push, the harder she will try to kill you… literally.
Or as his moms said; "It is just like Magic. It has its price. The more you pull and push… The higher the toll becomes."
But everything else, like rearranging or having some control of matter and energy at the sub-atomic level and the fundamental forces of the universe is not so difficult. A few months early, he had "modified" some of his toys to make them more resistant, after being tired of breaking and then continuously repairing them. And after reading books on materials, construction and other similar ones from Doctor Polendina, his whole room is now a bunker, with walls infused with Aura and other structures stronger than steel with the graphene, carbon fibers, carbon foams, structural graphite, and nanotubes implemented in them. After all, carbon is literally everywhere.
"Oh! Look at that!" He gazes at the few damages the walls and some other structures have. He puts his small hands on the ground and pushes the molecules of their materials back together, repairing the cracks here and there.
But psychokinesis, outside of matter and energy manipulation, has other useful abilities, like sensing what is around himself. Like a radar.
Speaking of that… Should he tell his mothers about the underground tunnels and caverns full of Dust and rare metals he has sensed with it? Probably… But the last time he tried, well, they were so occupied with Saphron's new dress that they shoo him out of the room… Girls, he'll never understand them.
Where was he? Ah, yes! Psionics. Of course Jaune is still mostly limited to tactile ones. Objects in his immediate vicinity are easy to manipulate. But distant ones… let just say that, strangely enough, gases, due to composition and ever shifting winds and pressure, aren't the best conductors and mediums for psionic energies.
Kelex sagely told him that only time, practice and a deeper understanding of the world around him and his heritage might serve to make a difference.
But that would be for another time. Now he got books to read and walls to mend back together! After all, Inside is Good, Outside is Bad.
He lifts his eyes to see his mother Circe pass and stop near him. She looks at him and Krypto for a few seconds before her eyes go wide. She then runs away like she forgot something… As her mind keeps whispering the same word over and over… "Shit!"
Girls, he'll never understand them.
Well! He now has a way to train himself and a whole citadel to discreetly repair and clean.
...
-Salem-
...
The summer solstice has finally arrived and Salem is ecstatic.
Everything is ready; food, comfort, entertainment, and security is at its highest. Her girls are properly groomed and perfectly garbed for the event.
This year witches' sabbath is something Circe and herself were looking forward to.
Everything was going perfectly as planned. Until the two witches, mainly Circe, remembered something, or rather two someone. A certain little boy and his Guardian hound.
As more time passed and as they grew, the more dazzling and powerful their radiance became. And the child and his dog emanate such energies, that their mere presence is sure to be a beacon to anyone present in the castle, and more than probably the whole Citadel, during the event.
The women who will attend to this coven come from many cultures, affiliations, and sides of the scale. Both good and bad. And even though this place is a safe haven where no violence is allowed, many will try to pry any secrets and information from others. After all, knowledge is power, and power is what they all seek and want.
For whatever reason, virtuous or evil, many of them, it makes no difference that it be altruistic witches or heartless hags, will gladly kill to obtain that kind of power.
And so an idea came to their mind. If they can not hide them... then, they will not.
Nicolas, Circe, Salem and Glynda together, are a force to be reckoned with, sure. And yes, the Goodwitch, for being only a huntress, proved herself to be an excellent and gifted pupil in the Mystical art, even if Salem would have preferred to have her in their bed... or her personal dungeon, instead.
But they knew that the four of them may not be enough if some of the monsters who are to come allied themselves for the specific purpose of obtaining those particular… resources. And, if they can not, then like Nicolas says, 'you just need to bring bigger guns'.
And that is why Glynda, Circe and Salem are waiting for the moment the rainbow bridge is to open for the whole Asgardian delegation to arrive much earlier than the rest of the other invitees.
And in a brilliant beam of prismatic energy that shines down on Remnant's surface, the Bifrost appears, leaving behind a rune-like pattern burned into the ground, and at its centre, stands a group of witch and warrior women.
In the forefront of their party, Queen Mother Freyja Freyrdottir, or simply Queen Frigga, guarded on her right byLady Sif and Brynhildr the Valkyrie, on her left.
Followed closely behind by her friends Eir, the Royal Physician, and Idunn the Keeper of the Golden Apples and Asgard best alchemist. And in Idunn's arms, a little girl with fair skin, shoulder-length orange hair and aqua eyes.
And a little farther are Amora the Enchantress, Loki in its woman form, or as it likes being called,Lady Loki, and then its daughter, Hela, Queen of Hel, and Garmr her Massive Direwolf.
Those Ladies are their 'big guns'.
Salem and Circe both, are not so stupid as to believe that this sort of favour will be given away freely. But given the value of honor in Asgardian culture and traditions, the price hopefully, will not be too high to pay.
After a few minutes of courteous and pleasant exchanges of greetings between the parties, the two groups are now seated in the Arc family's private state room.
"It is good to see you both, old friends." Says a Frigga with a genuine smile. "So, tell me, why the urgency?" She asks and Salem after a few seconds responds.
"I need- ... We need a favor from Asgard." She corrects herself after Circe takes her hand with her own.
"From Asgard? And not just us?" Says Frigga with a gesture to her party.
Salem can only acquiesce with a nod. Not only for today, but also for the future, the child will need protection, and probably much more... things that she, Circe and Nicholas cannot give. To admit that to herself, hurt much more than she would ever admit.
"And does it have to do with what we can all feel?" Frigga query.
"It's so shiny!" Says a thrilled orange haired little girl.
...
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-Frigga-
"Oh, where are my manners? This little one here, is the daughter of my son Thor, and the Fairest of the Fair, Lady Sif. Nora Thorsdóttir, my grand-daughter and princess of Asgard."
Little Nora… The one little thing that her sight and even those of the Norns had really not predicted.
Conceived when both her son Thor and Lady Sif were too drunk to be responsible for truly anything. And was born one night with the worst cosmic storm that Asgard has ever experienced in its history. To her, if this has not been a sign, then she is no Queen of The Realm Eternal.
The girl is Chaos incarnate…
But even so, she wouldn't give up this little angel for anything in the universe.
"I am a Valkyrie!" An enthusiastic Nora yells.
"Maybe one day dear." Frigga tells the little girl, and then closes her eyes. "I can feel lots of walls, wards and other protections between us and…nothing... A blindspot, that is interesting, and rare. The more I try to look, the less I see. Now you really have picked my interest, my friend. What is it?" Asks Frigga.
Salem turns toward Glynda, and nods to her to indicate that she can bring Jaune and Krypto.
"Not a 'what', I am afraid." Salem says, as Glynda leaves the room. Frigga is surprised, as she has never seen her immortal friends in such a state.
Frigga, after a minute of reflection, was going to ask for more until she felt it, like a living and walking little star, heading toward them. She isn't the only one feeling ...it? No, they are two of them. Sif and Brunnhilde, both already gripping the pommels of their swords, do it even tighter.
Hela also grew a touch tense, and excited, at the two approaching presences. For the Goddess of death, this much concentrated Life force is not something she has felt in something so small before, and Garmr the massive wolf, still at her side, growls slightly, unsure on how to react to his mistress' behavior.
Eir and Idunn stay calm but still curious, waiting to see who is coming. Amora and Loki, are both eager to see what can possibly escape the third and clairvoyant eye of their teacher and Queen.
When Glynda opens the door, she is followed by a small boy and some kind of juvenile, but still large hound. All Asgardians are surprised by many things, even the young Nora. Both by the strange characteristics and colours of fur and eyes of the young sizeable puppy, to the much, much stranger boy in front of them.
Asgardian senses, like eyesight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and others, are much better than many species in the known cosmos. And now, they experience what most humans call the 'uncanny valley' effect.
Some strange and unsettling feelings of eeriness for something trying and failing to completely look like a human, or an asgardian. His hair, too golden, his skin too much like porcelain, his eyes shine too bright, and their sclerae, an unnatural white.
The boy seems to shrink into himself as he senses their discomfort, his... tail? Erratically moves around, until he finally grabs it, and then holds onto it like a lifeline. The poor thing is scared.
And for reasons the boy understood just too well, as he remembers the first time outside of his home and town, when his father and he finished their shopping for new books. An old faunus woman in Vale started raving about him being unnatural, so that her eyes could see what he really was.
Jaune did not step out of his bedroom for a week after that.
...
-The good boy-
The Good boy can feel the unease of 'their' Special boy.
And the Good boy doesn't like it.
If the Shrewd females are to become hostile, the Good boy and the Pack will show them that they are not as weak, and alone, as it seems.
And so, the Good boy will forewarn the Shrewd females.
...
Frigga is surprised when the dog comes closer to the boy, turns his head toward her group, and growls. A deep sound that reverberates with such intensity and depth that the room and everyone's bones shake slightly. A warning. That's what it is, and every Asgardian understands it quite clearly.
Maybe she needs to shift their whole approach, "and fast", she contemplates.
"Calm yourself Guardian, I can promise you that no harm will come to the lad and to yourself." Frigga says softly, showing the bare palm of her right hand. She then turns to the child and says; "You have my deepest apologies, for both my own and my friends' behavior. We were just surprised, of that I can swear." As she gently smiles at him. "Would you come nearer lad, to let me see you from a little closer?" She softly asks him.
Uncertain, Jaune turns to his mothers, Circe smiles reassuringly and Salem offers a nod to let him know it is safe to do so.
And timidly, Jaune goes to Frigga, closely shadowed by Krypto.
At this proximity, Frigga's senses are nearly blinded by how much radiance the child is emanating. And so, she closes her third eye, forcing herself to 'discern' less. Now that she could see much better. She notices that the strange collar he is wearing is some kind of highly advanced contraption, and that it not only surrounds his neck, but also beneath his shirt and wrapped around his chest, like a type of harness. In addition to that, both of his wrists sport a floating bracelet with beautiful blue and red colours. She is curious about their materials and functions.
"May I hold your hands in my own, lad?" She gently asks him.
At which, after a brief moment of hesitation, Jaune agrees with timid nods.
Frigga, trying not to frighten the boy any more than he already is, did so gently. She can feel the natural density and strength of his muscles, easily rivalling those of Asgardians, and the energies that run through them. She looks at his skin and finds its pigmentation strange and unnatural, like the bad cliché of a normal epidermis.
"I'm sorry…" The little boy says, his gaze towards the ground, surprising her, and not really realising why he needed to apologise. She simply gives him a smile, attempting to put him at ease, as she continues to study his features, her hands sliding up his arms.
And, the more she observes him, the more his features try to change and adapt, both in tone and texture, yet never coming close to what authentic skin or hair is supposed to be. And then, at these thoughts, the poor thing starts to melt into literal luminescent sky blue tears.
"I'm trying…" Says the little boy between sobs, grabbing his tail to press it against his chest.
Frigga doesn't need more than a few seconds to understand what is occurring. She slips off the divan to kneel down directly in front of the boy and embraces him very tightly.
"Shh, everything is fine, everything is alright." She tells as she wills her conscious mind to show soothing visuals, memories and emotions, to help ease the crying child. And she does it for a few minutes, not letting her concentration waver even for a single second.
And for that time, no Asgardians dare to move, not wanting to disturb their Queen… and probably not because the pupils of the boy's guardian, who is now staring at them, may have turned a terrifying, glowing red.
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-Loki-
The god- 'goddess?' of mischief is having a great day.
Loki was at first only interested in this 'blindspot' his… "her?... You know what, let's go with 'they'.", their mother Frigga was mentioning. Something or… someone in this case, capable of escaping the sight of gods the caliber of the Queen of Asgard and Heimdall the all-seeing and all-hearing, is a treasure many peoples would fight and kill to obtain.
Him-her- they! ,"Damn it!" Loki included!
But now… Now, Loki can see beyond just the potential for mischief and power, and into the façade put by the child. The façade of a child looking like a doll, who tries so very hard to belong. A façade that Loki knows... intimately.
After one of Loki's pranks went 'wrong' with a certain Casket of Ancient Winters in Odin's Vault, truths were revealed. Screaming, arguing and lots of crying followed. But true family ties, whether by blood or not, are not so easily broken. It took Loki centuries to come to terms with who their real parents were.
Laufey, king of the Frost Giants in Jötunheimr and… their mother, Farbauti. She was a Storm Giant, of whom it is said that on the night of Loki's birth, ashamed of her son's small size, stabbed her very heart... with a dagger of ice.
Loki was convinced that Laufey was the real perpetrator. And so, a much younger god of mischief seeking an answer, went to secretly confront their 'father'...
Odin learned of the 'accidental' and horrifying demise of the king of the Frost Giants and the crowning of Loki as ruler of Jötunheimr a few days later.
Loki brushes aside the aching of their heart as they look at the doll-… at the child, their eyes then turn to Amora, their not so secret paramour, and thankfully, Loki's wifes, Sigyn and Angrboða, are okay with that.
Being both a Prince of Asgard and the King of Jötunheimr apparently has its perks.
Amora's obvious interest in the child is palpable. Compared to her sister Lorelei, she can be what you could call… not completely insane. And sure, she may not have the best of moral compass, but targeting a child now under the scrutiny of the Queen of Asgard would be suicide.
At least Amora's crush on Thor has ended. Mostly…
Their gaze then turns to their daughter... and Loki, finds themself lost for words for how to describe Hela's face.
...
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-Hela-
"So much light, within so much darkness. A lone star into the darkest of nights, spectacular." Hela thought. But that is not all. To the goddess of death senses, and hers alone, it is like looking at a Phantom. He is not just a simple Void-touched. No... This being is a Void-born. Excitement isn't the word she would use to describe the emotion playing within her. He is maybe just a child, but he will not remain one eternally. What she, or in time both of them, could accomplish is something she can only imagine. But for now, she will wait, and offer hers and her wife protection.
Protection that one day will have to be repaid… She takes a light breath to calm herself as she watches her grand-mother have a telepathic conversation with the child.
"You can feel my surface thoughts and emotions, can you?" Thinks Frigga, still hugging the boy.
"I can…" Jaune responds timidly.
"That's good, but dangerous. But you already knew that, didn't you?" She says, pulling back a little to look him in his eyes.
"Because of the bad people…"
Frigga nods and tries to convey through her thoughts what kind of danger this gathering can bring.
"I know... " Jaune whispers.
"Then, are you not scared?" She asks him.
"...I'm, but…" Jaune starts, embarrassed and unable to meet her eyes.
"Go ahead, I won't judge."
"'Fear is the mind-killer.'" Jaune tells and Circe giggles, and seeing Frigga's confused look she explains.
"It's from a book I gave him, called Dune. I scarcely read it, so I do not remember the whole passage. Jaune, can you tell us the rest of the litany?" Circe asks with a smile.
He responds with a nod and a shy smile, then begins.
"I must not fear."
"Fear is the mind-killer."
"Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration."
"I will face my fear."
"I will permit it to pass over me and through me."
"And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path."
"Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
Frigga is astonished, as are the other Asgardians. Courage after all, is what the people of Asgard are known and bred for. Those words make her remember another book she read a few centuries ago on Midgard.
"'A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once.'" She says from memory. And then chuckles.
"If you still have that book, I am interested in reading it." She says to Jaune, who tentatively nods his head.
"You and I are going to get along just fine." Frigga states.
After a short moment, Frigga finally musters up the will and courage to say perhaps the one most valuable thing this little boy desperately needs.
"You do not have to hide, not anymore, and not among us." Frigga tells the boy.
What Hela now sees, she doesn't like. She may have a black heart, but she is not heartless, nor is it made from stone. Far from it. Children... the poorest, most vulnerable, and least empowered members of any society. They are supposed to represent our collective future, to provide a spur to action against injustice. Their view of the world around them is often tinged with the innocence of youth. The view that gives adults the kind of courage that springs from hope, that makes a person willing to take a chance on the possibility that justice actually will prevail.
But this... No boy that young ought to look so afraid of being judged or rejected for being different, to look so ashamed of what he cannot be.
Frigga gently cups his chin with a delicate hand, looks him in the eye and kindly says;
"'Fear is the mind-killer.'"
Jaune remains silent for a few brief seconds, he seems so lost and defeated, but then the changes occurred. Golden to blacker than black hair and his skin finally lost its artificial doll-like tone and is now translucent and pale, but still seems healthy.
But the most shocking changes are his eyes. It is hard to gaze into them without being both lost into their depth and being nearly blinded. Hela and Frigga aren't the only ones having those thoughts.
"Whoa, your eyes are so pretty…" The little girl voices her own mind.
"… Thank you." Says the changed but still very unsure Jaune.
"Now… Your mothers and I are in dear need of talking. So would you two children like to play together for a short while?" Frigga demands more than she asks.
...
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Chapter End Notes:
Did I make Nora an Asgardian? Yes! Yes, I did!
Hela, unlike in the MCU, is not the daughter of Odin and is already married to Karnilla. In this story, Hela is more of a grey character than a villain.
Loki is the King of Jötunheimr after killing in a fit of rage his progenitor. In this story, Loki is smart, really, really smart... and much more cool-headed than in the MCU and in the Comics.
For Jaune/Kal's tail, for those who didn't understand, he is a Kryptonian(70%)/Dheronians(30%) hybrid.
Dheronians are a real race from Dc Comics and share nearly the same abilities than Kryptonians as both species were born in the same star system.
Jaune/Kal is something quite unique... So unique that he could not have been raised by humans on Earth without being taken in by the government or hunted down for what people would have considered him to be a mutant or a metahuman.
This is a story where Kal-El doesn't look like a human... And people can be more than cruel to things different than them.
...