No-One But You (The Zephyr Endeavor) - Part 2
Chapter 36: The Power of Love (Part 6)
The concept of something called a "wedding" became a thing for the Strange family once again, and Clea Strange found herself going through the motions of assisting her sister-in-law with all the fancy details.
Donna Strange helped Clea marry her brother for the second time, remember? So naturally… the ruler of the Dark Dimension wanted to return the favor.
Clea also wasn't an "Earth girl" by any means. She didn't understand the meaning behind a lot of things, but she was happy to… learn? And… possibly help?
Everyone was gathered at the Sanctum Sanctorum, well, except for "James" and Victor. James was still clearing stuff out back at his apartment, and the baby Strange wasn't expected to show up for a couple days, so…
…
The only man around was Stephen Strange, and the former Sorcerer Supreme simply seemed amused. He overheard his sister talking about narrowing down her color choices, and we all know that was going to take an eternity.
Donna loved color, and it seemed like she was never able to pick a favorite…
…
Anyway, there's an actual point to this chapter. The Strange family gathering had a lot more meat to it than one might think. Everyone was invading the "thinking loft" Stephen shared with his baby brother.
Now, within that loft… Stephen was attempting to read something about an interesting place called Latverion…
Doctor Strange glanced over at his wife a couple times, and he smiled a little when she asked what the word "pastels" meant…
Clea looked lovely in pastels, and it reminded Stephen of a comment about her that was made long ago. That "Tinkerbell Princess" looked just like an Easter Sunday… that's how Tony Stark once described Stephen's wife back in the day.
…
"Father, are you busy right now?"
…
Sofia Strange was there in the flesh, as expected, and she was asked to read up on anything related to "Latverion" as well. Stephen followed the sound of that delicate voice, then his eyes met his beautiful daughter.
He was never technically busy, because the man had the ability to put everything around him on hold. Stephen gave his daughter a warm smile, then he set his reading aside.
…
"What is it, young lady?"
…
"The weight of the stones are, changing… and I don't think it's wise for them all to gather together in one place."
…
You see, something happened to some of the Infinity Stones right before Sofia spoke… so she immediately had to bring that information up to her father.
Stephen blinked three times as he processed what she said, then he cleared a path for her to sit beside him on the left side of his desk.
Sofia hopped up there as soon as the coast was clear, and she looked over her father's appearance. He looked bold, brave, and forever confident, but somehow… he always seemed gentle at the same time.
She also felt Agamotto's presence beneath her father's skin, so the little stunt she pulled on her parents a while ago was inwardly considered an epic win. She got what she wanted and her little protest was still in full effect.
…
"I agree with you, and they won't be present while we're all in Latverion. Now, the weight of the stones are changing in what way?"
…
"They are tipping, because some of them are holding negative weight. Your stone is somewhat clear, and so is Reality. Space and Power are clear, but the other two aren't clear anymore at all…"
…
Ah. So, for those who aren't following, Sofia was essentially telling her father that the Mind Stone and the Soul Stone were holding onto negative weight…
Wait. Did she say, somewhat? Stephen clearly heard his daughter say that "his" stone was somewhat clear.
The former Sorcerer Supreme made a mental note to return to that comment in a minute, because Tony Stark had possession of the Soul…and he ALSO maintained a hold on the Mind Stone despite where it physically lived…
Oh, and Stark's history, legacy, and connection to the Infinity Stones was pretty problematic throughout the multiverse too, and it was something that Stephen had been keeping tabs on for far too long.
Tony possessed the Mind Stone for years before it was "given" to Ezekiel Stane, so… hmm… Stephen suddenly had a lot of information to ponder.
Tony was oblivious to the power of the stones for a long time too, but he did their bidding and hid them all years ago…
Let's recall the facts… Tony placed the Power Stone within Clea, the Reality Stone went to Thor Odinson, the Space Stone was hidden within Steve, and Stephen always had the Time Stone in his possession since he became the Sorcerer Supreme.
The Infinity Stones remained dormant like that for a long while, but now Sofia had been tapped in as a recent development…
She's been sensitive to Tony Stark, and the power of those Stones since she was "born"… so..
…
Hmm…
…
NOW, the Soul and Mind are not to become corrupted, ok? That meant Stephen had to take a hard look at what his daughter was telling him. There was nothing personal about it, so the former Sorcerer Supreme quietly retrieved his cellphone.
He sent Steve Rogers a text message about scheduling a conversation between them. They needed to talk, ASAP, and YES it was Tony related.
Surely they could handle that, after all this time? Yes? Either way, Stephen held an amused look on his face, and his daughter studied it until he looked at her and spoke again.
…
"I will be looking into that, and now you said that MY STONE was somewhat clear? What do you mean by that, young lady?"
…
Sofia noticed her father's razor sharp eyebrow when he spoke. One of them was arched up toward the ceiling, and the puzzled look on his face made her grin.
She felt a bit mischievous before she gave her father a response, because Sofia was smart enough to know that she was about to ruffle some feathers…
Her father wasn't going to like what she had to say at all, but Sofia wasn't going to lie to him. She looked over at her mother and aunt before she answered, because they both were looking in their direction.
…
"The Time Stone is somewhat clear, just like the Reality Stone. The only ones that are crystal clear are Power and Space."
…
Ok. Power and Space being crystal clear made sense, because both Steve and Clea were as pure and perfect as the driven snow. Could the two of them be any more perfect?
Stephen had to laugh a little. He lol'd. He also glanced over at his wife again, and the sorcerer gave her a certain look. Clea could hear everything that was being said, but her focus was on her sister-in-law's color choices.
…
"Perhaps, they are only somewhat clear because… maybe there's a rift between their hosts? That could also explain why both Mind and Soul are in such a negative state. Maybe?"
…
Sofia mischievously spoke again, and Stephen's sharp eyes honed in on his daughter's adorable face. She was definitely insinuating something with that comment, but what she said made perfect sense.
Time and Reality, Mind and Soul, perhaps their clarity does become muddy whenever there's a rift between their hosts.
Stephen never worked anything out with Thor Odinson, and the man was still convinced that the demigod wanted to sleep with his wife…
Now, Ezekiel Stane and Tony Stark? Mind and Soul? Talk about a rift. Deep down, the core of their "connection" was riddled with dysfunction, chaos, corruption, and…
…
Hmmm…
…
Stephen glanced back down at his cellphone, because good ol' Steve Rogers got back to him straight away. He seemed pretty eager for a chat about Tony too, so the man gave his wife another playful look…
Tony Stark was kinnnnndddd of a touchy subject with Clea. It wasn't as bad as anything related to Christine Palmer, but the sorcerer definitely had to clear the chat with her before he just, took off…
Chapter: END
Thanks for reading.