Marvel: I Wish To Be One Above All

'Now that I've decided on how to proceed in the future. I wonder who to visit next. Should I go in order? Or is that out of the window now that I've visited the youngest first? They no doubt know that I'm here... ' Corvus thought as he reappeared in the chaos surrounding Archon's domain. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He wondered if this was how a person who has many children worries about showing favoritism. If he goes to Xuanyue next, he may make them think that Archon is more important than his eldest. If he goes in any order they could think of it in negative ways. They may not be able to do anything about it, and he didn't really need to care about their thoughts and wishes, none of it was necessary. However, he gave them life. So, in his mind, if he doesn't care about them and show that he cared about them all equally, he would feel like an irresponsible scumbag of a father.

'So then... how should I do this? Maybe I could rotate it? I plan on coming every time night occurs on the outside after all. So.. a 7 day rotation... each time visiting a different one first. I visited Archon first this time... so if I don't want it to seem like he's more important than I suppose the only answer is that I'm going from youngest to oldest. Which means next I'll be visiting Siwang, then she'll also be the first I visit next time. Perfect. Looks like a plan!'

Corvus beamed at his 'supposed' cleverness, but soon, that expression turned down to frustration, 'Of course... it's only a solid plan until I figure out how to speed up the relative time inside of myself indefinitely so that my multiverse develops faster... Gah! Fine! It's a temporary fix...' Corvus began pacing in the void. 'Then again... Maybe I should first try to figure out how to be in multiple places at the same time? What was it called? Omnipresence? Or I guess what I'm going for at the moment is just 'multiple-presence.' Like shadow clones? No... a clone at the end of the day is just a clone. I need multiples of me, all sharing experiences and thoughts at the same time. Hmm... kind of reminds me of a manga I read... it was about this reincarnation into a spider. She had parallel thought processing which diverged into being multiple actual versions of her. But they ended up being completely separate and weren't actually experiencing things at the same time or all experiencing the same thoughts either...'

He held his head and shook it in frustration for a bit before giving up.

'Shit! Too confusing! I'll just go spend time with Siwang!'

~o~

Meanwhile, back in the fort, a woman wearing ascetic robes was sitting in her quarters staring at a mystical flower. Instead of leaning on the sides of the cup of water it was put in, it seemed to be equidistant from them, as if the flower had no need of support in the first place, even though the base of the stem was not touching the bottom of the glass. It appeared as if the flower was just floating there in space. She wondered if the glass was even necessary. The way the colors ebbed and flowed seamlessly on each petal was indeed enchanting to say the least. And according to her observations even without roots or soil it appeared as if the flower was alive and able to grow. More study would have to be conducted in order to ascertain whether the flower could be pollinated and produce seedlings. Even more study would have to occur to show whether or not the petals, stem, pollen, pistil, stamen, or leaves of this flower had any effects alchemically. She had already attempted to use spells meant to analyze foreign substances but was unable to figure anything out. As this was the only sample, time would have to pass before any tests could be made, if it could in fact grow. If she had one more, she could pick it apart in order to study everything about it. She could not… no, would not harm the only sample available as she might risk its stability. It appeared out of thin air, if disturbed it could very well disappear at any time. It was not because she received it as a gift in order to cheer her up while she was lost in thoughts of her past trauma. No, that was definitely not it.

Sighing, she took another look at the flower before turning to the tome she had taken from Merlin's library before, Asclepius' Notes on Magic and Medicine. Currently the focus of her studies is the science of the human body and how it can relate to magic. Used in the right way, magic can make up for biological inadequacies, medical infirmities that people have obtained through accident and couldn't be healed, even genetic deformities.

The people don't know this, but magic and science are very closely related. The known laws of physics that humanity won't discover for centuries are already known by magic scholars. The loss of the library of Alexandria was a great hit to the world of science, but much of the knowledge had been passed from master to disciple since the age of the ancient Egyptian empire and the oldest of Chinese dynasties.

For Aife, utilizing magical energy, in this case dimensional, to make up for the body's impairments that can't be fixed by purely medicine or by science has been the focus of her life right now. As a child, Aife was often bedridden and a burden to her sister. It was only after her village was destroyed, when her sister disappeared, and she was taken in by Merlin that she was able to function completely independently. It was due to her frailty as a child that Scathach had trained so hard in the spear, to find work and provide for her younger sister.

Using magic to heal the broken and lead them to a healthy life, this was Aife's dream. That she'll be able to recruit them to help defend the Earth from extra-dimensional threats was just a bonus. Currently, the way people are recruited is they come to Merlin or the ascetics on the other continents to learn, the Shamans of the Iroquois, and the Daoist Cultivators in China. There are also rare cases where talent is found among the populace, like in her case, but that is extremely rare.

Magic can be learned by anyone, they just need to have their minds open to the three energies, natural energy that permeates the planet, energy of the soul within the body, otherwise known as chi, and dimensional energy. Then it's about finding the power that suits them the most. Sometimes, like in her case, children can be found who have affinities to all three. That is a case of one in four billion. However, this is beside the point. During her brief moments with the Time Stone as part of her training sessions with Merlin, she has had glimpses of a world without belief in magic, where scientific theory is somewhat flawed, and hundreds of years where hundreds of thousands of people are persecuted and killed for even being suspected to being 'wizards' or 'witches'. In such a world, it would be hard to recruit...

So while she wants to save people, selecting the weak, downtrodden, and medically malingered and saving them through magic where medicine and science can't will also effectively tie them to the order in gratefulness so that they can continue to effectively defend the planet. Altruism and realism working together in effective harmony.

After a few hours of self-study, Aife closed the tome and rubbed her tired eyes that concentrated on the Greek words the tome was written in for all this time. Looking out of her window she saw that it was now the middle of the afternoon. It seemed like a good time for a break with tea. She got up from her desk and walked to the door, taking one last look at the fascinating flower on the desk's surface. 'I could study what kind of being Sir Corvus is more if I spend more time with him.'

She went out of her room and turned in the direction of Corvus' room. She started to smile unconsciously. She was finding him interesting. And considering the level of being he is, perhaps spending time with him and learning about him would be able to expand her horizons. It certainly wasn't because she was interested in him personally. Definitely not.

As she turned the corner of the stone walled hallway she came across a peculiar sight. Corvus' door was… different than when she last saw it. It was… sleeker. With a metal she hadn't seen before on the handle which was in a spherical shape that shouldn't be possible with the metallurgy of today. 'He altered his door… like he made the pipe and the flower. What else did he change?' She turned the sphere and the door… mechanically opened. 'Interesting.' As the door swung to the interior of the room, she took in the sight. A device with numbers on a type of desk she had never seen before… she ȧssumed the device was a machine that told time, then there was a device that circulated the air around the room, and linens on the bed she ȧssumed were more luxurious than what was provided. But as her attention went to the the bed, it was immediately pulled by the fact that Corvus was not on his bed. He was floating above it, in a meditative position, surrounded by a sphere of purple that, after a few analytical spells, seemed to dilate time. 'Amazing. How? And why wouldst he need to change his own time? ... I shall have to enquire him of such things upon the end of his meditations... for now, I suppose that I will have to take tea by myself.'

~o~

Siwang was feeling a little overwhelmed. Her Father's care and concern over the past half day has been a bit more than she bargained for. She was happy, definitely. But it was… a bit too much all at once. He didn't seem to notice her mood, probably taking it as her being shy or… what did he term it under his breath the first time? Tsundere? But it was starting to get on her nerves.

However, surveying her domain now, compared to what it was, she couldn't help but admit that he knew what she enjoyed.

A moon permanently hung on the horizon and shone through a haze of rolling fog. Eerie dead trees that emitted hallucinogenic energies, murky rivers that could purify souls, poisonous plants that moved and sought prey, and hope-crushingly tall mountains surrounding it all. At the center there was a modest purple and black brick house for her to dwell and meditate in. And to top it all off she had a plethora of undead animals all at her beck and call.

The mountains, the house, the undead servants and the River of Souls, as she'd coined it, were her doing. Everything else, including the amenities within the house, one of which being her new library of depressing poetry, horror stories, and accounts of bloody massacres were all her Father's addition. .

She sighed as she squeezed a patchwork gothic style bear to her bosom. Her bone chin rested on it as she sat on a black leather couch in her living room. Across from her on an armchair, separated by a low coffee table, was the man himself, her Father, smiling as he drank a cup of nightshade tea. Poisonous to mortals, but nothing to her, her siblings, or her Creator. Hesitating, she brought up what was on her mind. Her voice whispering from all sides as she spoke, touching the eardrums with the cold, ironically comforting, touch of death.

"Father… I appreciate… all you've helped me… with. But… shouldn't… you go… and see the… others? I'll be… fine."

Corvus smile went a shade brighter. "I guess so. Are you sure there isn't anything else you want? Something to do to while away eternity?"

If she had veins, a tick mark would be visible on her temple at this statement. He had asked this question several times already. "For… the last… time… no… If I think… of something… I'll tell you… next time… Please, Father… go… I would like… some time to… meditate… and read… besides… after I read… the library… I think… I'll write… myself."

She had just said it because she was grasping at straws for something to push him away so she can enjoy her solitude. But was surprised to find that she didn't find herself all that against the idea.

Her Lord's eyes twinkled at the thought of this. Beaming, He said His thoughts on the matter. His cheerful mood and pride leaking into the dim surroundings and affecting her own usually dismal mood. "That's a great idea. I can't wait to read it, that is, if you'll let me, when you're ready."

She buried her face into the plush bear, and gave a slight nod.

"Alright. I'll head off then. I hope you enjoy your reading!"

And, He vanished as space rippled around him. Siwang breathed a sigh of relief and took her own cup of tea.. Thinking to herself that next time her Father visits, she would have to prepare an activity for Him to keep Him somewhat occupied so that she could still have some semblance of sweet solitude.