Changing Hearts

Final Chapter

Mordo stood outside the large door of the cathedral and looked at the sunny blue sky. No longer were the clouds dark, stormy and evil, but puffy and white, filled with joy as millions of birds were tweeting and chittering in the trees surrounding the large abandoned structure. He had not really walked away after declaring that the purpose he had served his entire life was a lie once he realized Remi Ramirez and Stephen Strange were just like the Ancient One, cold and callous liars. He never imagined Remi going down the path she did, tapping into her dark powers to release Dormammu and using the former Sorcerer Supreme's aide to prevent the Dark Dimension from engulfing Earth entirely.

Rolling his shoulders back and sighing deeply, Mordo stuck one hand into his left pant pocket and dug through until he felt his fingers wrap around a piece of paper. Taking his hand out he saw that he had grabbed a photograph out of his pocket and unfolded it. He saw that it was a photograph of Remi with an arm wrapped around him on the training grounds, smiling as she held out the Whip of The Crying Beast. It was from when she received her first relic from the Ancient One and she was so excited she asked a student with a camera to take a picture of her and Mordo to show that she was so grateful for his determination to help her.

Teeth gritting, Mordo clutched the photo tightly. "At long last…I realize what must be done." he told himself. With a strong grip he tore the photo in half and dropped it into the grass, the wind carrying it through the air straight into the clouds. Sighing deeply, he made his way from the abandoned cathedral and disappeared into the forest.

Several Months Later…

Remi and Isadora sat across from each other, hand in hand, in the middle of the training grounds of Kamar-Taj. Their heads turned around them as they watched Wong walk in circles, sprinkling tiny particles of orange Eldritch Magic all over their bodies. Stephen watched intently with his arms crossed as Wong continued to perform the spell until he stopped in the middle between them. He had been informed that it was a certain spell that would allow both women to connect with the afterlife, and if it was performed just right, there would be no concern about affecting time and the real world around them.

"Are you sure you both are ready for this?" Wong stopped sprinkling the orange particles around them and straightened his back. "It has not even been a year yet. If I were both of you, I'd take some time to heal the emotional scars that were afflicted upon you."

Remi stayed silent as Isadora shook her head and gripped her hands tightly. "We have given it some thought, but we feel this is necessary, Wong. I may have suffered greatly at the hands of Kaecilius, but my faith never wavered. He may have taken my magic…but he never took away the love for my granddaughter!"

Remi smiled as she tried to blink back tears without disrupting the spell. Wong smiled a bit and nodded, raising his hands over his head and beginning to chat words in a language that Stephen still had trouble understanding. The doctor watched as he slammed his hands down in a hard clap, commanding Isadora and Remi to enter the afterlife. Both of their eyes opened and their mouths dropped, yellow light pouring out. Stephen's mouth gaped as the real magic began. Wong continuously waved his hands over his head as he carefully monitored them.

Isadora and Remi opened their eyes as they looked around them. They saw they were surrounded by a realm similar to the Dark Dimension, only this time it was not a deep dark purple and there were no atomic like planets surrounding them. The galaxy was a navy-blue color, stars dancing all around them and lightning shooting from the big puffballs of air. When they saw a long streak of lightning coming towards them, they tried to get out of the way, but the electricity shot right through them without electrocuting.

Isadora and Remi looked at each other. At first it seemed like Wong had lead them in the wrong direction until their eyes came to a figure that stood out from the galaxies around them. They immediately floated towards it and saw it was another woman. She had long white hair that was floating in all direction and she was in a fetal position. She had a faded blue jean jacket on and her jeans were severely worn to the point where the left leg was nothing but string running up and down. Both of the ladies saw that her body was trembling and when they leaned in closer, they could hear faint whispers escaping her lips. The words were hard to make out, but they jumped back when she started to groan and a loud gasped hissed through the air. The trembling never ceased and a low chuckle escaped her throat.

"Magic is forbidden…" the woman lowly to herself. "Forbidden!"

Isadora's eyes widened as she immediately recognized the voice. "K-K-Katyana?" The woman appeared not to have heard her.

Remi's eyes were as big as her grandmother's and she tapped her on the shoulder. "Mom? Is that you?"

The woman's trembling ceased and her head shot around, causing the both of them to float backward a bit from her. Isadora wanted to sob at her daughter's appearance. The years of alcohol abuse had taken a toll on her body, her whole was completely red and her once beautiful amber eyes were now pale and bloodshot. Her skin appeared severely dry and she did not look like the radiant young woman she was before.

Katyana Ramirez stared at the two of them and her eyes narrowed and yellow teeth showed through the thin skin of her lips. "You! What're you two doing here?! Haven't you ruined my life enough?!"

Remi and Isadora looked at each other but remained silent. Katyana sucked in air and straightened out her back but they saw she was completely hunched over, giving her the appearance of an actual witch. "Well you just look so swell don't you, Remi? Hand in hand with the woman I used to call mother, the woman who ruined my life!"

"That is enough, Katyana," Isadora demanded, holding her granddaughter's hand tightly. "Do not have that attitude with my Remi."

"Your Remi?!" Katyana snarled. "She is the one I have given birth to! You have no right to call her your own!"

"I am only hers," Remi stepped in front of Isadora and glared at her mother. "I remember you abandoned me and called me "a spawn of Satan." You told me I was not your daughter and God would have not blessed you with a demon child."

Katyana was about to retort but had no words to say. Remi shook her head and floated back towards her grandmother. It was several minutes and Katyana stared at them in silence before angrily turning back around and crossing her arms. "What do you want me to say? Are you expecting an apology, because if you are, you'll get none from me!"

Isadora shook her head and tugged at Remi's short, forcing her forward as Katyana turned back around. "I just wanted to let you know, mother, that the abuse I have suffered from your hands did not break me. I should thank you, because if it wasn't for your hard teaching, my magic wouldn't have increased tenfold."

Katyana looked at her confused before turning back to Isadora. "Magic? What does she mean?"

Isadora stayed silent as her granddaughter continued to speak. "You have no idea what I've been through, don't you? I have been living at Kamar-Taj for three years now, training under a woman named the Ancient One. I tried to destroy the world with dark powers I tried to control, to release chaos, but…I made friends who helped me through my trauma and now I accept my powers."

"Grandmother was kept prisoner by a man under the name Kaecilius. He tried to use me to end the world and release the Dark Dimension upon Earth, and he almost succeeded, but I immediately remembered who I was and with the help of my friends…I was able to save the world. Did you know he invaded grandma's house before, mother?"

Katyana's eyes widened in horrific realization.

"Yeah, that's what he did. He kidnapped grandma and kept her for three years in an abandoned cathedral and I didn't even know she was still alive! She suffered at the hands of a madman who wanted to unleash evil in the world…and you don't even care to know the hell she had been through! She was kept locked up twenty four seven, she had every single thing she treasured of me destroyed…and he almost killed her in front of me if I didn't surrender to my powers!"

Katyana stayed silent as Remi's body began to tremble, tears streaming down her face as she continuously had to wipe her eyes with the palms of her hands. Isadora wrapped her arm around her shoulder as she felt her own tears pour down her face. Katyana stared at both of them before backing away, her long white hair shielding her gaze. Remi and Isadora both saw her teeth grit and she balled her hands into two fists.

"You think you're the only one who suffered? Your grandmother wasn't even there in my time of need! The name calling, the bullying, when your father abandoned me when he found out I was pregnant with you. I was lonely, desperate for comfort, but it never came! I tried to be a good mother, tried to teach you the ways of the world, but you went behind my back and went her way instead!"

Katyana waved an angry finger at her mother and felt her eyes grow wet and tight. "I told you magic was forbidden, but you never listened! The pressure was too much for me that I decided to leave you in the hands of that witch!"

Isadora could no longer contain herself and stepped in front of Remi, shielding her daughter's gaze from her own. "You speak the words of a true devil. I let you weep on my shoulder, scream out in anger why the world had to be so cruel, and supported you when you no longer wanted to practice magic. Yet…your rage had gotten the best of you. It pained me that you did not accept my comfort, and I cannot fathom what had happened to you as a child…but taking the rage out on your own daughter makes my blood boil!"

Katyana stared at them in disbelief and she backed away, a sad smile spreading across her face as her fists tightened. Remi stepped from behind her grandmother as they watched her intently.

"Why are you really here?" Katyana finally demanded.

"We want to make peace with you, mother. I want to use my powers to set your soul free of your suffering…but I see this is where you truly belong."

Isadora looked as Remi turned her back on both of them. "I can now see there is no redemption for you, mother. Until you can learn to fight your own demons, I cannot give you the help you want. So…I'm afraid this is goodbye."

Snapping her fingers, Remi's body glowed yellow and she disappeared into dust in front of them. Katyana was shocked and looked at Isadora, but saw she too was backing away from her. Desparate tears forming in her eyes, she slunk to her knees and grasped her mother's ankle, pulling her back. Isadora turned her head around and saw her daughter's sad begging eyes. "Please, mother. Release me from this suffering. I can bear it no longer!"

Isadora at first was tempted, but remembering the kind of person she was, she kicked her ankle free from her daughter's hands and turned her back on her. "Remi is right, Katyana. I cannot help you anymore." Her lips quivered as she snapped her fingers, disappearing into yellow light until Katyana was alone.

"No, please don't leave me! No!" The white-haired woman sobbed as she slunk to her side with her knees to her chest.

Hours passed and day soon turned into night. This time, out of the nights in Kamar-Taj, the moon was bigger and fuller than it was ever before, as if it was finally showing its freedom ever since it had been imprisoned in the Dark Dimension. The stars shown even brighter and the sky was a blanket of beautiful, indigo darkness. The students and masters of Kamar-Taj had retreated to their chambers after a full day of training, reading books, and being away to fight for Earth's protection, though it was only situations involving bank robberies or hostage takers. All in all, every single one of them returned alive and prepared for another threat.

"So even in death your mother hasn't changed," Stephen lay in Remi's bed with one arm wrapped around her. Frowning and her look growing solemn, she leaned in closer to Stephen's body and rested her head against his naked chest. "No. She's the same bitter woman I have always remembered."

"What a pity," Stephen sighed. "I thought you were going to release her spirit and set her free."

"That was the plan," Remi narrowed her eyes a bit. "But once I realized she still blamed us for her misfortunes, I could not grant her that gift."

Stephen looked down at her and stroked the back of her head. "You did the right thing, Remi. Even though she suffered in her childhood, she made it even worse by putting the blame on the family who tried to love and care for her."

Remi smiled and scooted even closer to him until she fit perfectly against his side. After her altercation with Katyana, she did not feel like sleeping alone. Isadora had offered her to spend the night in her quarters, but she felt as if she needed some alone time to clear herself of her thoughts. Remi decided it was best for Stephen to come spend the night with her, in his arms where she felt as safe as she did with her grandmother. The doctor slightly tilted his head upward and gently kissed her forehead.

"Things will get better in time, Remi," he assured her. "It just takes a while."

"Says the man who always wanted to perfect things quickly," Remi shot him a mock glare that made him laugh. "The Sorcerer Supreme was right about you, Stephen. You have changed for the better indeed."

Stephen eyed her amusingly and tugged at her until she was straddling him. Remi yelped as she felt her body land atop of his, staring into those bright blue eyes that shined through the darkness of the bedroom. He gently pulled her head into his and started to kiss her passionately. The young woman made no protest and melted into her surrender, letting Stephen control her body as if she were a puppet on strings, but gently tended to as if she were as fine as porcelain. Remi ran her hands down his naked chest and his sides, feeling every muscle that caused her body to shiver with that particular sensation when things were starting to get intimate.

Stephen grabbed her sides and shifted his weight until her back was against the mattress, him on the opposite side of her. He stared into Remi's enticing Dijon colored eyes as he could no longer contain himself. He leaned into her face and crushed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss that sent his mind into a tizzy, Remi's eyes closed as she felt like she had no control over herself. Stephen grabbed one hand and placed it up over her head, fingers interlacing hers as he clutched tightly. Remi gasped when she felt his lips break away from hers and started to brush across her jawline, underneath her chin and down her throat.

Stephen stopped and pulled away. He saw the skin showing through her thin white nightgown begin to tremble. Remi's cheeks grew bright red and her eyes closed, feeling incredibly aroused by his soft kisses and touches. At first, he thought about stopping and almost pulled away but Remi saw his movements and touched his bare shoulder. She assured him she was ok and that he did nothing wrong.

"I'm sorry, Remi…" Stephen apologized. "I'm just afraid you'll think I'm taking things too far."

"Too far?" Remi shot up from her laying position. "Stephen, I don't mind it at all. In fact I like it when you…when you…" her face started to flush crimson and she yelped, turning away from him with a nervous look.

"When I what?" Stephen saw she averted her gaze from him. A smirk spread across his face and he crawled towards her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"When you see me shirtless, with my body pressed like this against yours?" Stephen whispered in her ear.

At first Remi stayed silent but shuttered when she felt his lips kiss the right side of her face before trailing to her ear, nibbling at the sensitive skin around and from behind. She bit her lip as he brushed his lips down the side of her face, down her neck, and across her shoulder, stopping at the base. He pulled the white fabric aside until her shoulder was naked and began to kiss at the sensitive bare skin. Remi's breath shuttered as she felt his soft lips dance on her skin, licking across until he came back to the crook of her neck.

"That's what you like, isn't it?" Stephen asked as he straddled her once more. Remi was back against the mattress and her face was hot to the touch, but Stephen knew she did not have a fever. In fact, this was the happiest she had felt in a long time.

"Yes…this is what I like," she gasped out as her body began to calm down. Stephen smiled at her as he brushed his knuckles against her cheek. Remi felt her throat grow sore from all this passion and swallowed to moisten.

"Remi," Stephen smiled as he lay down beside her. "You know when I told you I loved you, I meant every single word I said."

"I know," Remi smiled back. "Because I love you too, Stephen Strange."

This was all Stephen needed to hear as Remi looked at him with happy golden amber eyes. Pressing their heads together, Stephen pulled her in closer and wrapped his arms around her abdomen. Remi felt his protective embrace as she slunk back into the bed comfortable with Stephen Strange by her side. The night grew silent once more as they fell asleep in a warm embrace.

Morning soon came and Stephen made his way towards the New York Sanctum. Wong stood waiting for him as he entered moments later. Stephen saw he was spinning the globe around, checking to make sure the light around it had not faded. "Word of the Ancient One's death will spread across the multiverse. With no Sorcerer Supreme to defend Earth, we must be ready for any chance we have."

"We will be," Stephen told Wong as he looked up at the globe. "I know we will be."

"You sound confident," Wong smiled at him. "And not the cocky kind. You really mean your words don't you, Master Strange?"

"Master," the words rolled off Stephen's tongue. "That kind of has a nice ring to it. Master Stephen Vincent saves the world. You think it'll fit in the headlines?"

"Don't push your luck," Wong looked at him unamused. Stephen apologized as he felt the Cloak of Levitation settle on his shoulders. The doors to the New York Sanctum opened and he stepped inside. Wong watched him disappear as the heavy doors closed behind him.

Walking up the steps of the New York Sanctum, Stephen stared out at the scenery before him. There were a bunch of cars and people moving about in the streets. Looking down at his wrist, Stephen dug through his pockets until he felt his fingers clasp around something leathery. Taking it out, he saw he still had the broken watch Christine had given him as a gift once they were in a relationship. He never understood why he had kept it, and it was not because he still held strong feelings for his ex-girlfriend, but because he remembered her standing by his side as a true, best friend that she still was and always will be to him.

"So…" a woman's voice started. Turning around, he saw Remi walking up the stairs to his side. "A new day begins. What is Master Strange going to do now?"

"I'm going to defend this Sanctum with my life," Stephen clutched the broken watch tightly. Remi observed it and held out her hand, requesting to take a look at it. Stephen handed the watch over and she flipped it over, reading the engraving on the back. Time will tell how much I love you. ~Christine.

"I got it as a birthday present from her. She…she emailed me telling how happy she was for me. Not that she was still in love with me, but because I had been able to move on with someone who deserved me."

Remi stayed silent as Stephen looked at her. "Remi…will you guard this Sanctum by my side?" she looked at him and handed him back his watch, clasping her fingers around his.

"It would be my pleasure."

Smiling back at her, Stephen looked down at the watch and contemplated about fastening it around his wrist, but felt like it needed a more suitable place. He placed it against the windowsill and his grip tightened around Remi's hand. They both stared out into the scenery below as they realized their destiny had been fulfilled.

They would protect the world from anything and anyone who tried to take it away from them. They were now Master of the Mystic Arts.

The End

Here it is, the final chapter of the story! This had to be one of my favorites to write because Doctor Strange is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time and it is a huge ride or die for me! I'm so excited to announce the DVD comes out February 28th! Anywho, I hope you enjoyed reading this story just as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Do not forget to review! Flames and all are welcomed.

Thanks for reading and see ya next time! :)