"Tessa, we have a new member on his way - care to join me?" The Ancient One called as she knocked on the girl's room door.

Already dressed in her apprentice uniform and ready to go, she opened the door with a smile on her face. Tessa loved Mondays so much so that she was always up at the crack of dawn, waiting behind the door for that exciting knock and call. The Ancient One always chuckled when she saw the girl, always impressed with how eager she was to continue learning. A few times she had considered encouraging Tessa to sleep later, but she knew the girl would refuse.

Offering Tessa a hand, they went to greet the newcomer at Kamar-Taj.

Tessa followed the Ancient One into the Tea Temple, moving to the side and watched quietly as the young man spoke to Master Hamir. Busying herself with getting the tea ready, the Ancient One moved swiftly around him, handing a small cup to Tessa too at which point Master Hamir, who had answered none of the newcomer's questions, got up and left.

"Thank you, Master Hamir," the Ancient One called after him, gaining the attention of the young man, "Now I am to understand that your name is Karl Mordo?"

The man was taken aback, "Sorry who are you?"

Tessa made her way over, a cheeky grin on her face, and a faux superior attitude radiating from her demeanor, "She's my assistant. I'm the Ancient One."

Both the Ancient One and Mordo laughed (albeit he a little more uncertainly).

"No but really, who are you?" He addressed the woman again.

"The Ancient One."

Mordo laughed, "But you're not - "

"Ancient? Everyone says that." Tessa jumped in, "But she is certainly far older than me and you."

He was both delighted and perplexed by the child's presence here. Was the girl her own? In fact, if what he had heard about this place was correct, why were children even here? Were they a colony of sorts? Did they make them born and bred to fight?

"Yes," She nodded, "I sense you have many questions but before I answer any of them...you were not exactly clear about why you are here, Karl."

"Mordo, please." He looked between the two curious females, his gaze lingering on little Tessa longest before he spoke in a low tone, "My wife, she was killed. I hear you teach people how to get through things like this in a more...proactive way."

"I am sorry for your loss," The Ancient One began, "But what we teach here does not help one achieve their personal vendettas, Mordo."

"They told me you teach us how to fight."

"I do not know who 'they' are, but they're not wrong. We do teach you how to fight but we do not teach you how to seek revenge - vengeance is a profitless cause."

"The people who killed my wife though, they need to pay."

The Ancient One was prepared to protect Tessa as she stood in front of the girl, noticing how riled up the young man was, "Mordo - "

As the youthful girl listened, she felt a thought branch out in her mind - or, not necessarily a thought, but a strong, suggestive stirring of her soul, one that told her:

Console him.

"What was your wife like?" Tessa squeaked, peeking out from behind the Ancient One.

Thrown off by the question and somewhat calmed by looking at the child again, he said, "She..."

"Go on." Tessa encouraged.

"She was...beautiful."

"And?" The little girl prompted walking out from behind the Ancient One to stand beside her.

"And...her smile," Mordo smiled softly, looking at the ground as he remembered. He was quiet for a moment before saying, "She had a gap between her two big teeth and she - she hated it but I thought it only made her all the more sweeter, more youthful. Her smile was child-like, she was always easy to make laugh and her laugh..." He scoffed lightly, looking at the little girl again with a shine in his eyes, "I miss her."

Tessa wandered over to the stranger and took his hand in hers, "It's okay to miss her. It's okay if you don't stop missing her - I lost my dad five years ago and I still miss him. Sometimes I want to find the person who took him but the Ancient One always says that I would be no better than the person who took him." She paused, "I want to be better for when my mom comes back."

The Ancient One herself had to refrain from tearing up at the reassuring words and actions that Tessa offered. At least she was teaching the girl something that would stay with her, even after she had passed. Although, the fact that the girl still questioned where her father's killer mildly concerned her - then again, it was human. She still debated on whether to tell the truth to the girl or not, still wondered when the right time might be.

Mordo's grief welled up in one single tear and while, deep within him, he wished harm upon the men that stole his wife, he took the girl's words to heart, "Thank you..."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Stirring calmly, Tessa opened her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the darkness of her room. Having her bed right under the window made it easy to peek out of her curtains and look down at the still Nepalese streets below. Some people still wandered about, a stray dog or cat would occasionally pad on by but what she loved most and what she found so different was that the stars were clearer, sharper, not oppressed by city-like light pollution. The corners of her lips curved upwards as she counted the stars, fiddling with the rough material that made her curtain.

You are restless. Why do you not sleep?

"You know why," She mumbled as she rested her head against the wall, her gaze mesmerised by the dark sky.

I did not want to say I told you so...

"But you are anyway..."

You made your choices. Now we must both deal with the ramifications.

She groaned, "I mean...they don't all hate us, do they?"

I counted two others that truly seemed accepting of us.

"Well...two is better than zero."

Unless there is a fight.

"Yes, unless there's a fight..." She pinched the bridge of her nose, "There has to be a way we can make this better?"

There are no guarantees but you may be right.

"There is a way? How?"

Sleep. I will show you.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Master Makarov and the Ancient One surveyed the class carefully as their students worked through solo sequences, designed to help with concentration. They paid particular attention to the smallest and the newest of the group.

"I don't wish to offend, but are you sure she is ready?"

"Who, amongst the sanctums, is the most skilled combatant you know of?"

"Yourself, Ancient One."

She nodded, smirked, "Tessa was able to match me in strength, speed, stamina and agility last year."

Makarov looked between the woman, whose gaze was fixed on the class, and the students themselves, watching Tessa for a moment as she successfully attempted a spinning back kick. Then, he began to chuckle lowly.

"I didn't take you to be a joker - "

"Oh, I'm not joking, Master Makarov." The Ancient One looked at him, honesty reflecting in her mysterious gaze, "The girl's skill and power is phenomenal even at such a young age."

"She's eleven - "

"Yes, exactly." She beamed, "Imagine how much better she has grown in a year under all the masters' and my own teaching."

"She's been training under us all? Where has the girl found the time - "

"Tessa makes the time. She desires to be the best of us all."

"May I speak plainly?"

"Of course, Ivan."

"I think you might be working her to the bone."

"Look at the girl," She whispered, "Look at Tessa. Does she look like she's about to drop, half-dead from exhaustion, to you?"

Makarov looked at Tessa in her little red apprentice gear, working side by side with Mordo, and even correcting the him if he made a mistake. The girl's skin was aglow with pride, her posture strong - not weakening or overworked - determination was heavily set in her gaze but nowhere in her entire demeanor or execution of her movements could the Master see fatigue hidden anywhere.

"All I wish to know about are her limits. I won't push her farther than that but I need to know where to draw the line."

Ivan nodded, "And him, Mordo? If she is as powerful as you say she is, are you sure he is up to the challenge?"

"While his sorcery requires practise, he is a remarkable fighter." The Ancient One acknowledged, "I'd merely like to see what his combat skills are like under pressure."

Makarov gave the fledgling sorcerer a long, hard stare.

"You have reservations about him?"

"He pursues sorcery out of vengeance. Is it really safe giving him all this knowledge?"

"Would you not be vengeful if Katarina were taken from you and you knew who the villain was?"

The Master's silence spoke for him.

"Ivan, it's human to want revenge. At the beginning, yes, I was skeptical but that's why I paired him with Tessa. Mordo is a kind man, twisted by his experiences - Tessa brings out the good in him that I sense even he feared he lost."

"So that's why a white jacket is in this class?"

"Yes." The Ancient One observed the two again, "Tessa, a young girl, inspires him to be wise."

"Wisdom comes with experience and age."

"Wisdom is developed when we care for those younger than ourselves. When given such a young life to take care of, you want nothing more than for them to succeed and be good so you end up leading by example."

"Not always."

"No. But in this case, yes." She paused, "Mordo is vengeful, as he should be, but he has the wisdom now to choose not to pursue his anger."

"How? Why?"

"Look, Ivan, look at them." The Ancient One looked at Makarov, "Would you really want to upset a young child by leaving after you have bonded so well, knowing that, should you succeed in your vengeance, you would never be welcomed back either?"

"Should he really desire it - "

"Mordo desires guidance and a chance at redemption. He feels he failed his wife by not being able to protect her - now he is training to protect the world and its sanctums, to protect Tessa."

At her own wisdom, Makarov was silenced again.

"Do not forget that we are human here too, Ivan. We cannot take away pain or grief, we cannot take away the debilitating emotions that come alongside it but here, we can learn to coexist with it, to redirect it and to find new purpose."

*  *  *  *  *  *

Little Tessa stood alone in the centre of a circle formed by seven other sorcerers and sorceresses. Attentively, she observed them all, able to name all but one muscly Master. All participants were intrigued as to why they were stood around the young girl, Mordo most of all who acknowledged he was the lowest ranking sorcerer in the group.

Makarov and the Ancient One circled around the ring, addressing them all.

"In the centre stands our youngest student of the mystic arts, Tessa Hyde. Surrounding her are some of our most talented fighters from across all ranks: our newest novice, Karl Mordo; apprentices: Sura Abara, Idha Ghimire, Henry Goya and Liam Cackowski; masters, Luciana de Leon and Ishir Bawa." She paused, "The seven of you are to attempt to defeat Tessa in a sparring match, seven versus one."

Even Tessa was unnerved by this statement.

"You're not serious, she's a child - "

"I'm deadly serious, Master Bawa." Acknowledging the child's uncertainty, she said, "You are ready, Tessa, I believe in you."

"Ancient One, we cannot fight a child." Mordo was appalled by the idea, especially since the girl had been so kind to him.

"Do you all trust me?"

There were nods, albeit anxious and unsure ones in this situation.

"Tessa will be fine. You will all be fine. You know how to exercise control and Tessa does too." She paused, "Begin."

Tessa immediately stood in a right-foot forward fighting stance, pivoting slowly to look at them all yet the adults remained out of a stance, all worried for the girl. Sura looked between the girl and the Ancient One.

"Trust your Master, sorcerers." Makarov encouraged, "Fight or yield."

All were ready to yield but Sura. The apprentice knew there would be a reason for this and she was willing to find out why.

"You are certain Tessa will be fine?"

"Yes." Simultaneously, the girl and the Ancient One both responded.

Sura stepped into the circle calmly, approaching the girl at ease before readying herself, "Tell me if it's too much."

"It won't be." Tessa assured.

Scoffing lightly at the girl's confidence, Sura threw a gentle punch to Tessa's gut which was so shockingly well-blocked that before she could process her next move, the woman was knocked clean off her feet with a mighty palm-heel strike to her chest. Gasps sounded from all who formed the circle and even from Makarov who looked between the girl and the Ancient One. The chosen fighters watched, their eyes larger than a tarsier's as Sura sat up on the ground, her hand rubbing the sore spot just under her collar bone where Tessa had hit her.

"Sorry..." Tessa whispered, offering Sura a hand, "Are you okay?"

A competitive streak began to brew in the sorceress who took the girl's hand, "Yes, fine - "

Sura pulled on the girl's arm as she stood, hoping to floor Tessa too but the girl promptly dropped into a roll, pivoting sharply to face her opponent again, her brow furrowed, gaze alert and stance solid.

"She's remarkable for one so young." Sura said aloud, "But how can she take us all on?"

At feeling a hand on her shoulder, Tessa grabbed it and moved to throw whoever it was over her shoulder and onto the ground in front of her. Looking down, she saw Luciana glaring up at her suspiciously. The female Master tried to grab the girl's ankles but she stepped away rapidly, only to back into Henry who grabbed her, pinning her arms by her sides. The girl threw her head back as he picked her up off the ground, getting a satisfying groan as he dropped her again, his nose throbbing.

Scrambling away, she then found herself surrounded by Idha, Liam and Ishir. The apprentices lunged at her first, grabbing her arms but Tessa found this only aided her more with her attack on Master Bawa, the muscly sorcerer she didn't know. Having the two hold her steady, she pushed up off the ground, sending a sharp kick to Ishir's chin as she flipped over the apprentices, hooking her arms around their necks and, because of her smaller stature, ended up banging their heads together as she landed behind them. Having not been incapacitated for long, Ishir lunged at her and, as she ducked out of his way, she ran straight into Mordo's path.

Mordo did not wish to harm the girl, even though he could see that she fared well against them but Tessa wasn't going to take any chances; she kicked him in the centre of his torso hard and he fell by Makarov's feet. Once he had fallen, Tessa shared an ecstatic look with the Ancient One who radiated a look that could only be described as looking at Tessa as though she were the apple of her eye.

On the girl ran.

"What is she?" Mordo questioned his watchful masters as he lay there in shock.

Experiencing the same awe, Makarov said, "She's remarkable."

"She is, isn she?" The Ancient One smiled.

Tessa kept evading and defending, tackling and attacking. Even as the apprentices and masters grew tired, her guard didn't drop once, her speed and ease with which she executed her actions remained the same as theirs grew sloppy.

After Mordo had recovered, Liam was thrown at their feet next, "Can we use our sorcery now?"

"No." The Ancient One said curtly, "No sorcery needed - this is sparring only."

Liam shook his head, panting, "But this isn't - "

"Fair? She's one eleven-year-old." Makarov said.

"I understand your frustration, Liam." She chuckled at the Master's statement, "Age doesn't always indicate a certain level of skill, Ivan, so at any point, please, feel free to participate.

"Yes, actually Master Makarov," Liam scoffed as he stood, "Please, feel free to join us in getting our asses handed to us by an eleven-year-old."

"Well..." Ivan observed the beaten and exhausted sorcerers, "You're doing well enough so far, Liam."

The apprentice scoffed and the Ancient One let slip an amused smile.

But as the older apprentices and masters grew frustrated, their impulsive need to use their sorcery grew more. If the girl could take this, then surely she could take the sorcery too, they thought. For the last time, Tessa floored Master Bawa, and as he slammed his fist on the floor, he yelled to the others:

"Bind her!"

The Ancient One stepped forward, about to yell not to, when Makarov gently grabbed her arm, "You wanted to see her limitations - let us see how she deals with this. She's done fantastically so far."

Pressing her lips tightly together, she refrained, praying that all would be okay.

As Master Bawa and Master de Leon cast the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak and the apprentices and Mordo all cast sparkling golden whips of their own to hold the girl steady, Tessa began to panic.

"Hey, no - no fair! The Ancient One said no sorcery!"

"You are very skilled, Tessa," Ishir complimented her.

Idha finished, "But even adults get competitive."

"Think of it like another test," Luciana said, "How will you get out of this one, niña?"

"If you do work out how, please go easy on us though." Henry said.

All seven strained against the girl which they found disturbing considering she appeared to resist with a minute amount of ease. As Tessa struggled, the sorcerers found they had to widen their stances.

"Christ, child, chill!" Liam turned his attention to the Ancient One, "Are you training her to be the next Sorceress Supreme or something? But straight out of the womb?"

The Ancient One did not reply although all were eager to hear her answer. All the fighters could see the potential in the girl and most, if not all, were perturbed by her power.

"Let me go!"

Sura said (with some apprehension), "Get out of it yourself."

"Let go! Let me out!" The girl struggled still, on the verge of tears.

The Ancient One was about to intervene again when Makarov spoke up instead.

"I think we can all agree," Ivan said, stepping into the fighting area, "That you are one of the most impressive fighters out of us all. But we deal with mystical threats - if you are in a bad situation and you ask a big bad monster to stop using its magic, it won't. If you sense sorcery is your weakness, then you have to be clever about it. This is all part of the challenge, Tessa. Think."

But the girl wasn't listening, she was too upset, too overwhelmed and that was only more of a cause for concern. This had to end or there would be a consequence, the Ancient One could sense it.

"That's en - "

"I said let me go!"

The girl shrieked sharply, bringing her arms in, tugging the masters towards her as she fell to her knees before throwing her arms back out. A pool of shadow shot out from her fingertips, knocking everyone in the training area off their feet, destroying two of the pillars that held up the cover in the outdoor space.

Mordo was the first to recover, to see little Tessa fall to the floor, out cold. Scrambling over to her, he knelt beside her, checking for her pulse and to see if she was breathing or not.

"Tessa? Tessa, wake up."

The other sorcerers and sorceresses came to, all except for Idha who lay on the floor by the low wall of the small garden area. She had been closest to Tessa during the girl's snap. Luciana was the first to notice the apprentice's lack of response and rushed over, gasping softly when she learnt that the young woman would not be returning to them anytime soon.

Sura and Ishir raced over to help Henry and Liam while the Ancient One stood, surveying the distressing outcome, before traipsing over to offer Master Makarov a hand up.

"What - what was that? What is she?" Ivan questioned, not often fearful, "Ancient One, what did she do?"

"I - I don't know - "

She knew, of course.

"Tessa won't wake up." Mordo said, still holding the frail-looking girl in his arms.

"We need to get Liam to the healing room." Ishir added.

"Idha - she - she's - " Luciana struggled to speak, still trying to wake the student, "Idha's gone."

A lamentable quiet fell across the yard as the Ancient One and her students looked at Luciana and the fallen Idha. The Ancient One herself grieved and condemned herself for her ruinous mistake.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

In her room, little Tessa slept soundly.

But the Ancient One had no time to admire the girl's peace and instead brought the Entity back to Tessa's consciousness. Eyes still closed, the creature spoke through her.

"I sensed her distress, I did not mean to - "

"I - I know." The Ancient One spoke gravely, "It was my own fault, I should have consulted you first."

"You need not consult me - I hear what Tessa hears, feel what she feels, see what she sees. I knew it was a test. But I also felt her distress. I attempted to console her, to protect her."

"You should not be able to do so without my interference - "

"I have come to understand that there are certain emotional triggers for my awakening that you have no influence over. It is a desperate plea for help that I cannot resist. If these triggers are not present, I remain dormant."

"Your bond with the girl has grown..."

"Yes..."

The Ancient One nodded, "Perhaps it is time I seperate you, for the safety of - "

"Not possible."

"What do you mean?"

"She will die. She is not strong enough."

"Entity, a tragedy has hit our sanctum today. I cannot have the others know that I let a creature - "

"That was born of destruction in order to cause destruction into your world? You had faith I could change."

"I still do but - "

"Then make them forget."

"Idha was a valued apprentice of the arts - "

"She is gone now."

"Your words do little to ease my woe and motivate me more so to find a way to remove you."

The Entity kept quiet for a moment.

"I know that this was my own fault but the least you could do is attempt to show some sympathy."

"Tessa was in distress. I protected her. I am sorry that meant one of your sorceresses passed." It paused, "But I would like another chance to prove myself."

*  *  *  *  *  *

As the Ancient One left Tessa's room, she was greeted outside by Masters Makarov, de Leon and Bawa and by Mordo, Sura, Henry and Liam, all with a grief-stricken look upon their weary faces. She straightened up and shut the door, trying to summon words that would make everything better for them all.

"Her power is immense." Ishir said.

"And we've thought about it," Ivan continued, "Her power is far too great for a girl her age, a girl that inexperienced - "

"She has undertaken the skill of the mystic arts since she was six. That's five years of experience."

"Tessa demonstrated more than five years experience, Ancient One," Luciana said, "Please, we are not dim. Idha was killed - "

"She did not mean for that to happen."

"All the same, Idha was killed by the power that girl possesses and...surely she cannot have that much power without some kind of exterior manipulation."

The Ancient One scanned them all, "You think I would harm Tessa?"

All responded with "no" said in various different ways, all unconvincing, all suspicious of their leader's true intentions. With a sore sigh, she looked at her forlorn students.

"Her power is great," Ivan repeated, "But I think you should take it from her until she is ready."

"You can do that?" Mordo questioned.

The others nodded.

Luciana said, "Mind, we only do so when absolutely necessary." She paused, looking directly at the Ancient One, "This is one of those times."

"I will...give it some thought." She nodded, already deciding what she would do to resolve this, "Get some rest, all of you."

*   *   *   *   *   *

Wandering down to the New York sanctum basement, she approached a private room - well, cupboard given how small it was - towards the back of the cramped space. It was a peculiar place to go but she liked to use it for meditation and found it was a place she would be unlikely to be disturbed as most did think it was only a storage cupboard.

She sat, digestung the quiet for a moment...

Faith.

Faith and foresight.

That was all it took for her to give in to the Entity's suggestion.

She believed it would do good - that Tessa would do good alongside it. But her curiosity had gotten the better of her and the natural competitiveness of her students had caused devastation. Never again would she push Tessa to this level. Never again would she put her own students in harms way.

With a steady wave of her hands, the Sorceress Supreme drew up the memory spell around her. There were some exceptions to the spell, such as any knowledge of the Entity was to be kept exclusively between herself, Marcus and Elijah but...

Idha would be remembered by the Ancient One and by herself alone.

*  *  *  *  *  *

With a gasp, Tessa sat bolt upright in her bed, a single tear spilling as her chest rapidly rose and fell. She had killed someone. It might have been an accident but still...that was a person who would have had a family but even then, Idha's family wouldn't even realise what they lost.

I am sorry I had to remind you.

"Tee - "

I was protecting you. There was no malicious intent.

"You should have - you should have just told me how - "

You needed rest. I was killing two birds with one stone.

"Well then you should have waited," Tessa wiped her eyes.

I can...make you forget again.

"No. No," She shook her head, "The Ancient One is gone now - Idha needs to be remembered by someone."

It is your choice.

"It's our memory." She threw the blanket off her legs, swinging them off the bed, "I can't sleep anymore. Not after..."

You should find Strange. Tell him how to resolve this for they are not yet ready to handle the knowledge of us.

_______________

A/N - Nice pic at the top now hopefullyyy