"I wanna go on the swings! Plweas Auntie Espa?"
"Auntie Vesper, Sofia." her aunt corrected gently, picking up the excitable five year old. "You may go on the swings, but then we must leave, alright?"
NEW YORK.
YEARS AGO.
Sofia pouted, her chubby cheeks puffing up even more. "But I like Ew York."
"New York, dear. New." Vesper enunciated, setting her down on the swings. "I know you like New York, but you'll like our new home even better, I promise. Wasn't it fun that you got it pick it yourself?"
Sofia shrugged. "I suppose," she said, leaning back, as her aunt pulled back the swing giving her a push. She pulled her legs back and forth, like she'd seen on Barney, going higher and higher.
"Not to high, Sofia." Vesper mumbled, casting a look around the park. It was early morning on a weekday. Not busy besides regulars, however the swings where near a building she'd have rather avoided.
"I wanna go higher!" Sofia squealed. "I wanna fly! Like Iron Man! Pew! Pishew!" she cried, making repulsor noises. "Shebang-"
BANG
The sound echoed out through the back, a large monstrosity erupting from the Sanctum Sanatorium. Screams and shrieks of parents and children, even sounds of panicked birds and squirrels alike joined the fray as they scattered around, pushing against each other like cattle. Someone knocked Vesper down, sending the old women crashing to the ground.
"Sofia! Sofia!" Vesper yelled, her gaze falling to the empty swing. "SOFIA!" she screamed. Sofia, who'd abandoned the swing in favour of the large creature, waving at it excitedly. "Look, Auntie Espa! It's so slimy! Can I keep it?"
The creature opened his mouth, revealing its multiple sets of sharp teeth, the slime dripping in front of Sofia. The little girl 'oohing and ahhing' reaching out to touch it.
Before Vesper could do anything, a blast few out, striking the creature, just as it was able to clamp down on Sofia. The creature flying into a rage, half-tackling Doctor Strange, who'd appeared in the sky.
Vesper ran towards Sofia, scooping her up in her arms. Sofia poking her head out, watching the two battle in the sky. The creatures screams and curses mingling with Strange's spells. Vesper hadn't bothered to pay them any attention, desperately looking for cover, trying to shield Sofia from any potential debris.
"That's no fair, why I can't I fly if he can?" Sofia asked, just as Doctor Strange had vanquished the creature, before returning to the ground.
"Are you alright?" he called out, jogging towards them. Vesper nodded curtly. "We're fine, thank you." she said, checking over Sofia for any injuries.
Strange nodded, glancing down at Sofia. "Is she alright? I'm a doctor, I could have a look and check if everything-"
Vesper bit her inner cheek unsurely, before nodding trying to hold a squirming Sofia who'd now gained interest in Doctor Strange's cloak. The cloak in question, flapping about eagerly. Clea's spell held strong, she had not worry of him recognizing her, still she'd rather have avoided him all together.
Sofia had eventually squirmed out of her arms, into Strange's, who'd careful taken hold of her checking her for injuries.
The cloak playing some sort of game with her as it flapped around. Sofia giggling, trying to touch it, before it moved around again, forming a new shape.
"Can you teach me to fly too?" Sofia asked her father, grinning from ear to ear. Vesper suddenly having a feeling that she wouldn't be hearing much repulsor noises in the house anymore.
Doctor Strange chuckled. "Sure, when you grow up. I'll teach you to fly, deal?"
Sofia pouted. "Growing up takes long."
Doctor Strange shook his head. "Trust me, it goes faster than you'd think." he said gently. Sofia made a face. "That's confuwsing."
"The monster was pretty scary," Strange said. "You're a very brave little girl."
"I know." Sofia said proudly. Vesper smiling slightly. If she was one thing, it was honest.
Strange smiled. "Well, I give you a clean bill of health." he said, reaching out to hand Sofia back to Vesper. His cloak suddenly tugging quite hard, making his stumble back, Sofia falling back into his arms.
Vesper pursed her lips. The Cloak of Levitation was a powerful magical relic, was it possible that it sensed something? Clea's spell kept people out, but she didn't know how well it worked on relics. Especially relics with a consciousness.
Strange gave her a awkward apologetic look, handing Sofia back to her. Lightly kicking the cloak with his foot, when it tried to yank Sofia back again.
"Thank you, Doctor Strange." Vesper said, holding Sofia tightly in her arms, eyeing the cloak distrustfully.
"No problem," he said, pulling out a small brown bear from the air, handing it out to Sofia. "Brave bear just like you."
"Wow…" Sofia said, slowly taking it. "Thank you."
He smiled, waving them off, before flying back to the Sanctum. The cloak trying to direct him back to them, not lost on Vesper.
"He's cool." Sofia said, playing with the bear in her hands, making raw noises. Vesper smiled, stroking Sofia's hair. She wondered if Sofia would remember meeting her father for the first time…or if it would be one of those golden memories lost to time.
"Still happening." Strange said, after a few seconds. "I'll explain it later, but all you need to know is that, a part of the magic that resides in you is attacking you. Its why your pain, you're fighting a three way battle and we need to balance it. Zelma and Jericho are destroying one, once that's over. I'm going to fix the other and then you're going to be fine."
Voodoo Doll connection. is another instance of ones consciousnesses being projected outside their body, only this was by force.
PRESENT.
SOFIA.
If she followed a similar principle of Astral projection, when she allowed herself to slip deeper into her 'not sleep' allowing herself to drift into her mind and focus.
She'd read about Voodoo doll connections, which were at its core fairly straight forward. if one has something from the body of the one they wish to harm, they are able to cause harm, death and in some cases brief possession.
Now, the thing that always got her was, the tether between her and the doll. She always believed it to be something of a two-way tether, break it on one side, break the connection. But what if one used said connection, to 'see' thought the doll eyes, destroying or at least viewing it from within by herself.
She could almost see those glowing, purple lights, traveling around in the dark, like willow of the wisps. She allowed them to guide her, to let them drag her into a blurred shadows and down into the light.
When she reappeared on the other-side, she was in a new room. Dark and dingy, like one of those back-way alleys where you knew not to go in, because you might get ruffed up or something.
It was empty, exempt for a small wooden table, with two candles, a doll that bore a fairly strong resemblance to her and a person, cloaked in black holding a long thin needle.
Not creepy at all.
Sofia waved her hand around the air, the person making no movement. They couldn't see her…good, maybe she might be able to snoop around, maybe even find-
Her heart dropped out of her chest, glancing down at the blood that was oozing on the floor.
It could be anyone. She reasoned, but there was something about instincts that told you when something was wrong. Really wrong. Like a part of you was well aware of the truth before you actually saw it.
Which is why, when the flicker of light from those candles illuminated where she stood, she didn't scream when she saw Vesper's body.
Laying there in the corner, she almost looked like she was sleeping. She would have looked peaceful if not for the blood that led to the wooden table, that led to that freakish doll. Was Vesper alive? She had to be. She couldn't be dead. Vesper couldn't-
"You're guardian lives, Sofia Strange."
Sofia whipped around. A person standing next to the table. They wore a thick cloak, that completely draped them in darkness, besides it's fingers that peaked out of it's cloak. Fingers cracked, like lava rocks, burning and charred.
"Who are you?" Sofia asked, standing protectively in front of Vesper. "Whatever you want with me, leave Vesper out of it. You understand?"
The cloaked person chuckled under their breath. "The guardian served her purpose. As you must serve yours."
Its voice was rasped, and choked. Smelling heavily like smoke of a burning fire. Thick, and strong that is burned Sofia's eyes and nose when she took a breath.
"Great." Sofia said. "What purpose is that?"
"You are the key. The key for him to enter and remain in his world. The bridge will be unlocked."
"Bridge?" Sofia asked.
Key? Bridge? This didn't make any sense…Or, maybe it did. She'd gathered enough information to know that Clea and Stephen were both Sorcerers Supreme's, one of Earth, the other of the Dark Dimension.
She'd inherited power, in more ways than one. From what Zelma, Strange and the children of Strange Academy told her, Clea was technically the rightful ruler of the Dark Dimension. Stephen Strange was the reason Dormammu didn't dare touch Earth. Both of them had the power to level places and walk away particularly unscathed.
Not only was she technically the child of the people Dormammu hated the most, she was also technically a heir of Clea's.
"You are the key. The abomination. You belong in both worlds, yet you cannot truly exist in either. A great threat or…a brilliant ally."
"You're from the dark dimension. A zealot, right? Disciple of Dormammu?" Sofia guessed. "Hate to break it to you, but I'm not planning on becoming the next Darth Vader. So you can just run on back and tell him that."
The cloaked person smiled. "I used to believe that too, but then I saw the light. You're parents don't care for you. None of them do. They all just use you, use each other."
Sofia gulped, the person's words making her blood run cold. That…hurt. She'd always been prepared herself and preached to herself how her parents didn't care for her, but hearing it.
It cut deep. Deeper than she expected.
"Strange and those sorcerers abuse their power, and call it doing good. My master resurrected me to finally rid the world of them. Permanently."
"Yeah, yeah," Sofia said, doing her best to act undaunted by her threats, but even she knew her hand was shaking. The power this…thing possessed was dark. She'd felt it once before, briefly when she'd almost fallen into the dark dimension just a few days ago. Soul-sucking, a sort of bottomless hunger. The kind that couldn't be satisfied.
"Save the evil speech for someone who cares." Sofia said. "I dunno who you are, and quite frankly I don't really care, if you started this…I'm more than happy to end it."
The cloaked person laughed. A real proper evil villain laugh, that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "You're brave, Sofia Strange. Brave and stupid. You really think, you can hurt me? You're dying as we speak. I'm killing you as we speak, and you threaten me?"
Sofia clenched her fists, to her surprise, feeling her magic bubble to the surface, illuminating the darkened room."You hurt someone I love. I may be dying," she said, the room beginning to rattle. "But I'd be more worried about you than me."
The cloaked person hissed at the light. Snatching the doll from the table, as the wall flooding with light. Zelma and Doctor Voodoo crashing though the wall. The cloaked person let out a yelp, stabbing the doll with the needle right though the heart.
Whatever happened next, Sofia didn't know. Her vision exploded, a bright light overcoming her, washing over like a wave onto shore.
She'd always been somewhat rebellious.
Nothing bad, she never like stole or car, or underage drank, or smoked or anything like that. But, she'd never been the picture of obedience.
She knew where it came from; she had thousands of questions and no answers. Vesper who knew the whole story, but had swore herself to silence, infuriated her more and more the older she'd become.
There was only so many times, one could relay the same excuses, the same lies. Not that she didn't love or appreciate Vesper, but after a while a distance had grown between them.
She wanted answers. Vesper insisted on keeping the secrets.
She'd always been strange.
She preferred to walk though gravestones than on the streets. The ghosts were always kind towards her more so than humans. She'd hear and see things normal people couldn't. Her magic gold, sometimes a purplish-pink hue that Vesper would scold her for using.
When she did go to school, she'd been labeled a freak. Her white and black hair didn't help, making Cruella a popular nickname. So, she'd preferred to sit alone, allowing the blue butterflies and the trees songs to keep her company.
Magic had been a escape.
She was good at it.
Better than good. She could absorb the knowledge easily, and execute spells just as fast. She hardly felt drained or tired, and her hunger for knowledge increased the more it had been hidden from her.
She'd dabbled in many forms: Eldritch Magic. Witchcraft. Even a smidgen of dark magic, once. There had been one form of magic, she'd never tried, out of fear. Dark Dimension Magic.
After she and Vesper argued that evening, she stormed up to her bedroom, and pulled out the few pages she'd had on dark dimension magic. She'd thought it may be strong enough to find out what secrets Vesper had hidden.
It was.
The power of the spell had ruptured though her body, sending a wave of energy out into the world. She'd been foolish to think she could handle the power she'd unleashed.
It's what had gotten Vesper captured.
A thought plagued her mind since: was it worth it?
Finding out the truth, had been worth it after all?
"I don't like this."
"Clea, could you please just take my hand." Stephen said.
Clea took his hands. "I wasn't taking about that." she said, glancing at Sofia, still asleep on her chest. "Don't you think it's been too long?"
He nodded. "It's why we can't wait any longer."
Clea scowled. Stephen sighed. "What is it?"
"I told you we were wasting time-"
"You really want to discuss this now?" Stephen said calmly. Clea sighed. "I suppose it can wait."
"Wonderful." he said, closing his eyes, Clea doing the same. Healing Sofia, was at it's core simple. Remove the obstacles. Destroying Clea's spell completely. Have Clea ease the Faltine magic within Sofia. Simple.
Taxing. Healing her, would take lots of magic, lots of energy. If anything came while they were in such a weakened state-No. It didn't matter. Healing Sofia was all that mattered.
"Stephen." Clea said, her hand suddenly grasping onto his. "This, will work, won't it?"
He opened his eyes. It was rare to see his wife looking truly worried about anything, but today he'd seen it. Felt it. A sort of worry that transcendent beyond himself, or others.
"It will. It has to."
If it didn't, he fight Death herself to prevent Sofia from leaving them.
She gasped for air when she opened her eyes.
She wasn't back. Not with Strange or Clea. She wasn't trapped with the cloaked person either, instead she was on a patch of wispy land. On grass with a sky with clouds of pastel purple, orange, yellow and pink.
Sofia staggered to her feet, gazing around the vast emptiness of colour."Am I dead?"
"NO." a voice echoed out. It boomed across the sky, and shifted the air. Sofia feeling the surge of power run all around. She'd never felt magic like this. Power like this. It physically shook her body, pinched at her senses, overwhelming, otherworldly and terrifying all at once.
"YOU ARE NOT DEAD YET, SOFIA STRANGE."
A figure formed in the clouds, taking the shape of a large cat-like figure. It was orange coloured, that she almost mistaken it for a orange house cat, but its sharp teeth, and dark marks instantly shifted to the image of a tiger, with eyes that glowed bright yellow.
"What…who…" Sofia mumbled.
"I AM HOGGOTH, CHILD."
Her eyes lit up. Hoggoth. The Hoggoth? One of the members of the Vishanti. Responsible for keeping order in the magical world, the beings that made Sorcerer Supreme's titles. She didn't really know much other than that…these being were like mystical myths.
"You're of the Vishathi?" Sofia breathed out, wondering if she should bow or something. Maybe not. "Why…did you bring me here?"
"THERE IS A GREAT EVIL THAT WILL PASS TO YOUR WORLD, SOFIA STRANGE. IF YOU CONTINUE TO DENY YOUR DESTINY IT WILL CONSUME YOUR WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT."
"You mean, Dormammu? He's coming to Earth?" Sofia said. Hoggoth didn't answer her, instead fixating her with a look that sent chills down her spine. Sofia let out a breath. "What destiny? I didn't even do anything, all I did was get dragged around against my will with a bunch of nutcases."
Hoggoth growled lowly. "DENIAL OF WHO YOU ARE WILL DOOM THIS WORLD. DO NOT SPEAK LIGHTLY OF IT."
"Who…Wait a second," Sofia hissed. "Did you bring me here, to scold me?!"
The pastel coloured sky darkened.
"I messed up. I know I did." Sofia said, anger taking lead. "I cast a spell I probably should never have laid eyes on, but now I'm dooming the world? Because I don't want to be 'Sofia Strange'?"
Every ugly emotion she'd swallowed down, started to bubble to the surface. Sofia Strange. That name ruined her life. Her so called parents who used her like tissues, picked only when needed and thrown away just as fast. Vesper who she harmed because of wanting to know why she'd been cursed to be lonely.
"That's not my name!" Sofia yelled. "They aren't my family. I don't have one! And I don't want one either!"
Clouds rolled around like thunder, the sound of lightning cracking across the sky.
"Why is it me?" Sofia cried. "All everyone is telling me, how powerful I am, and how threatening I am but I'm not! Okay? I'm not like Doctor Strange and Clea. I'm not powerful. I'm not exceptional. I barely know what I'm doing. I'm not Sofia Strange!"
Hoggoth roared. The storm clouds and wind, throwing her back. Sofia crashing back onto the ground. The clouds stilled, the air seeming to freeze.
Sofia lay on the ground for a second. She didn't know what was worse. Yelling at an ancient mythical being, or that mythical being cracking that bottle of feelings she tucked inside. She slowly got up, shaking as she stood.
"CAREFUL CHILD." Hoggoth growled. "NAMES HAVE MORE POWER THAN KNOW. DENIAL OF SUCH IS UNWISE."
"I don't want this." Sofia mumbled, anger dispersing, a heavy weight on her chest that made her eyes burn taking center stage. "I never wanted this, all I wanted was-"
"TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE."
Sofia paused. He wasn't wrong. All she wanted, all she ever wanted her whole life was to know who she was. Why did she need protected? Why did they leave her? Why didn't they want? What she did wrong? This was what she wanted. Everything that was happening was her own fault.
Hoggoth blew some air out. The breeze gently blowing her hair around. It shifted the air again, a calming the sky and making the coloured pastels shimmer.
"Why are you so interested in me?" Sofia asked slowly. "Why I am I suddenly so important?"
"YOUR FATHER HAS MANY DEBTS, SOME OF WHICH HAS BEEN REPAYED. HIS HEART IS GOOD, BUT TAINTED. YOUR SLATE IS CLEAN, AND YOUR HEART IS PURE, SOFIA STRANGE." Hoggoth said softly. "THAT HAS MORE POWER THAN YOU BELIEVE."
The clouds began to fade. The grassy bank disappearing. "Wait-wait-I don't understand," Sofia said, running to avoid disappearing land. Hoggoth was fading too. "Hoggoth!"
White overtook her vision, as she fell into the light.
"Sofia!"
She gasped for air, trying to shake the water out of her ears. The familiar circular window, drifted to her eyes. The splash pool water feeling strangely lukewarm, before freezing.
"Sofia, Sofia," Strange said softly, gently turning her head towards him, shining a small light in her eyes. She blinked at the lightly, rubbing her eyes. She felt a warm hand on her back. Strange saying something, his words failing to enter her head.
"-are you okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay," Sofia slurred. ""What's up?"
Thunder crashed above their heads. A flashes of purple and orange coloured lightning striking across the sky. A horde of thick black clouds swirled from outside the window, like a tornado in the sky.
Strange gripped her shoulder tightly. "End of the world."
"Opps?"
Thoughts?
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