webnovel

Magic Man

From Orphan to Performing Magician, Ace thought his entire world was just that. However, a run in with an organization bent on keeping the world safe by any means necessary sent him running into a world he could've only dreamed of!

Monkey_Godking · ภาพยนตร์
Not enough ratings
189 Chs

Trick 131: Death is a part of Life...

Margaret and Jack were 2 and a half.

Ace was getting bad feelings recently.

He was sitting at the table eating as Sharon fed the kids when Ace gripped the table, accidentally turning it to bubbles. Sharon caught the kids' food asking with worry "Are you okay?"

Ace stood up and sweat "My mo- The Ancient One! I'm sorry, Sharon. I'll be right back." Sharon nodded and said "The table." Hermione waved and said "Oh, I can fix it." as the table returned.

Sharon smiled "Great to have you around, Hermione." Hermione snorted gently, smiling "I'm a good nanny, I suppose." Sharon chuckled and fed the kids again, saying "Here it comes~"

Ace grabbed his cloak and disappeared instantly.

He appeared in New York in a Surgery Theater, staring at the Ancient One's body on a table. The Doctors froze and a man said "Who?" Ace turned to him and he said "Cloak?" Ace looked the man up and down before noticing the screen glitch.

He closed his eyes and his soul exited his body.

Ace looked around and saw the Ancient One floating away. The man did the same and Ace chased after the Ancient One shouting "Wait!"

He came to a balcony and the Ancient One smiled gently "So you've come. I always anticipated this moment." Ace looked at her and floated in front of her, saying "What happened?! Who did this to you!? I'll-"

She looked at him and smiled gently, cutting him off "You'll do what, exactly, my dear… Kill him? Certainly not." Ace fell silent and looked at Yao with tears dripping from his eyes, she took off his cloak, smiling "Ah yes. I remember this face, the weak and vulnerable little boy who came to me with a love of magic… How nostalgic."

Ace grabbed her hands and said "You can't die. I haven't apologized yet! Plus, plus!" he swallowed and shouted "This is too soon! I-" Yao held his cheeks, smiling "For what reason should you apologize? For following your heart?"

Ace trembled and replied "For leaving… Leaving without turning back, betraying Kamar-Taj." Yao laughed softly and tilted her head, asking "Have you truly?" as she touched the crack on his face, adding "Quite the scar from your adventures. Are you alright?"

Ace cried and laughed, choking on his sobs, shaking his head. Yao tsk tsk'd and said "There's no reason to apologize." as she hugged him gently, Ace burst into tears and gripped the back of her robes, whimpering.

The man floated behind them, unable to understand.

Yao rubbed Ace's back, admitting "You know, Ace… When you came to me, I thought you a potential Sorcerer Supreme and a nuisance… I simply wanted you to take over for me and that was it."

Ace looked up and she wiped his tears away, smiling "However, I see now that I was wrong. Over the time I deemed you my successor, my care for you grew. Unnoticeably, it grew to such a point where I questioned myself when you left. I wondered where I had gone wrong, I couldn't fathom how I had miscalculated."

She stroked his cheek and continued "However, now… Now I see. My judgment was inaccurate, you were too kind to ever be the Sorcerer Supreme. Although you have grown and matured, becoming a little rough and even perhaps a bit decisive, your heart has never changed. It is untainted by even Death itself."

She laughed softly, "It seems you were never meant for the position of Sorcerer Supreme, but a trial for myself! I seem to have failed." Ace shook his head and said "No, you didn't fail. Look, I became a great mage!" Yao smiled, chuckling at herself as she retorted "To no effort of my own. I wanted you to grow into the perfect Sorcerer Supreme and yet you became something unimaginable to me…"

She looked at the sky and continued "Something which sets my heart at ease. I've had many troubled nights wondering what would become of you, many sleepless nights considering coming to talk to you… But when I saw who you had become…"

She smiled and shook her hand, adding "It was gratifying and saddening. I'm sorry, Ace. I imposed an unimaginable burden on you, I hope you could forgive me. Perhaps even for the last time."

Ace looked at her and said "No!" shaking his head as he continued "No! I don't forgive you! You have to live!" Yao held his hands, smiling "But I cannot. You must be aware." Ace retorted "No! You have to! I will go to Mistress Death myself if I have to!"

Yao sighed and asked "Why must you be like this, Ace? Death is what gives life meaning, you know this…" Ace grabbed her robes and shouted "Because you're the only family I have left! You're like a mother to me! Don't you understand?!"

Yao looked at him gently, "I know." Ace's lower lip quivered and he teared up "Then why…" Yao patted his hands, saying "Because it's what mothers do." Ace choked and fell to his knees, letting go as he stared at the ground, saying "So… simple?"

Yao held her hands behind her back, smiling gently without a word as Ace continued "You reverted my death at the hands of the Dark Elves with the Time Stone, making a deal with Mistress Death for… all for such a stupid reason?"

Yao snorted and closed her eyes, saying "Yes." Ace clenched his fists and swallowed "Why! Why is it always my fault!?" Yao held up his chin, smiling "I chose this, Ace. It was never your fault. Blame me for not being a good Master and leaving you so soon. I am truly sorry."

Ace stared at Yao and teared up, the rims of his eyes red as he said "I-I'm sorry for leaving…" Yao snorted and smiled as her eyes shimmered, she hugged him and replied "I forgive you, my dear boy."

The man floated over and stood next to Yao, staying silent as she let go of Ace, pulling him up gently "Will you listen to me, one final time?" Ace sniffed and his lips quivered as he nodded.

She stroked his Death Mark, saying gently "Do not seek Mistress Death for my soul. I do not wish you harm." Ace nodded and Yao smiled warmly "I'm sure you've met Strange before." Ace nodded again and Stephen was startled, Yao nodded softly "Help him. Guide him with your kind heart. Dormammu is coming for this world and only you all can stop him…"

Ace wiped his eyes and Yao smiled a bit more warmer, adding "And Ace, the Darkhold may hold many secrets and ancient knowledge but it is filled with corrosive Dark Magic, do be careful." Ace teared up and she sent him to the side, turning to Stephen, smiling "Confused, are we?"

Stephen replied "A bit." Yao looked out at the sky and smiled gently as she always did, "There are mages more powerful and dutiful than you, Strange. With all your knowledge and talent, others strive through study for years on end and yet they seem to learn half as fast as you, but are more powerful."

She went on as Stephen looked at her, "I've never seen your future, Strange. Only countless possibilities. You have such a capacity for goodness. You always excelled but not because you crave success, but because of your fear of failure. However you never cease to put away your pride."

She turned to him and said "Yes, your excellence has made you a great Doctor, but it is also precisely what kept you from greatness. Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all… One that even myself have forgotten a few times…"

Stephen looked at her and asked in confusion "Which is?" she turned to him and smiled "That it's not about you." Stephen paused and his eyes widened slightly as she continued "When you first came to me, you asked me how I was able to heal Jonathan Pangborn. I didn't. He channels Dimensional energy directly into his own body."

Stephen muttered while looking away "He uses magic to walk…"

Ace looked at Yao and sat on the railing of the balcony next to her, watching the lightning flash in extremely slow motion as time itself was slowed to a crawl. He turned his head and looked at Yao, memorizing every feature of her face.

She smiled at him as she went on, "Constantly. He had a choice to return to his own life or to serve something greater than himself." Stephen turned to her and asked "So I could have my hands back again? My old life?" Yao looked at the sky and shook her head slightly, replying "Of course. You could. And the world would be all the lesser for it… I've hated drawing power from the Dark Dimension."

She smiled as Ace smiled slightly, not surprised in the slightest, continuing "But as you know, sometimes you must break the rules in order to serve the greater good." Stephen commented "Mordo won't see it that way."

Ace shook his head and said "Mordo's soul is rough and rigid." Yao nodded and added "He has been forged by the fires of his youth. He needs your flexibility just as you need his strength. As well as Ace's immeasurable kindness… Together you could stop Dormammu, perhaps even the plethora of threats surely to come."

Stephen looked at her, saying "I'm not ready." Yao chuckled softly, looking at Ace, replying "No one ever is. We don't get to choose our time." she grabbed Stephen and Ace's hands, going on "Death is what gives life meaning. To know your days are numbered. Your time is short…"

She looked around at the sky and smiled beautifully, "You'd think after all this time, I'd be ready… But look at me. Stretching one moment into a thousand just so I can watch the snow…"

Ace watched as Yao smiled at him, whispering only to him "Goodbye, Ace… You taught me more than you could possibly imagine…" as her soul rippled, disappearing into nothing.

Ace felt her hand disappear and gripped the air, his lips quivered and he closed his eyes, tears escaping, crawling down his cheeks, turning into nothing as they left his face.

Stephen looked next to him, silent, unable to even begin what to think at this moment. He looked for a few moments before slowly returning to his body, leaving Ace on the balcony alone.

Ace sat there, crying in silence until he screamed at the sky, tears streaming down his cheeks as he cried out loud.

Thunder clapped and Lightning flashed, as slow as the sand in a never ending hourglass, but Yao never returned and the pain never went away…

Eventually, Ace returned to his body and stared at Yao's body.

He waved his hand gently and the gurney transformed into a beautiful wooden casket. All the wounds and blood on Yao disappeared and the medical equipment gently landed on the floor.

Yao's robes turned into white ones and Ace reached out, closing her eyes as he said "Thank you, Doctors." the Doctors were silent and Ace swallowed, adding in an extremely soft voice "I will be taking the body with me."

Stephen looked at him and stayed silent as Ace closed the casket with his hands, picking it up and walking through the door, the walls warping to make room for the casket as Ace held it in his arms.

Stephen walked after him, going to wash his hands as Ace held the casket and waited for him in silence.