Lights → Doctor Strange

{why don't we let him find us?}

Riley sat in front of the mystic window, back in the New York sanctum. A valley stretched in front of her, framed by majestic purple mountains. Strange sat beside her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. 

"I've missed this," she whispered. 

Strange wondered if she meant him or the window. He settled on a little bit of both. They were quiet for a long time, just sitting together in the chilly air. Finally, Strange broke the silence. 

"I don't think we should kill Mordo," he said. 

Riley took a deep breath, "He'd kill us if he got the chance."

"That doesn't make it right," Strange defended, "We need another plan. One that doesn't involve staining our consciences forever."

Riley sat up, "I just don't see another way."

Strange wrapped an arm around her and pulled her back to his side, "Let me try, Riley. Just give me a chance."

She sighed, closing her  eyes and leaning back into his warmth, "We try your way, and we pray that it works."

Strange smiled, "Deal."

<>

Riley and Strange went through the room of magical artifacts in the third floor. Strange walked to a dusty bookshelf, pulling on a book with hieroglyphs on the spine. The book didn't come off the shelf, but instead leaned forward like a latch. The bookshelf swung forward into what Riley realized was a secret passage. 

"No way," Riley breathed, "You didn't tell me there were secret passages in here!"

Strange chuckled, "What made you think there wasn't?"

They both walked forward into the dark hallway. "If you wouldn't mind," Strange asked. 

Riley nodded. Immediately, a bright blue flame came to life in her palm. The ghostly blue light danced across the walls, making their shadows seem especially monstrous. They both made their way down the hallway. It sloped downwards sharply, and narrowed until Strange had to crouch to walk through it. 

The hallway was much longer than Riley expected. She wondered how deep down they had traveled, and what part of the city was above her. All at once, the hallway opened into a wide cavern. The ceiling was high above, and glittered with stones that glowed in the dark. Riley let the flame in her hand go out, the stones above provided plenty of light. 

Strange stretched in relief from the narrow corridor. In the middle of the cavern was a small table with three curved legs. A box was on the table, covered with purple velvet. Riley bit the questions about the table back, instead watching Strange as he rubbed the back of his sore neck. 

"Why didn't we just travel through a portal to here?" Riley asked. 

Strange pointed up to the glittering stones on the ceiling, "They interfere with transportation magic. The only way in here is through the passage."

Riley gave a sort of impressed shrug, "Makes sense. What about the table over there?"

Strange walked towards the table in question.He reached forward and pulled the velvet off, revealing the wooden box underneath. The velvet fell to the floor dramatically, and Riley resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He was always dramatic. 

"Well?" Riley prodded. 

Strange opened the wood box, reaching inside of it to pull out a crystal ball. Riley's eyes widened, "No way, a crystal ball?"

"It's technically called the Orb of Agamotto," Strange corrected. 

This time, Riley did roll her eyes. "What does it do, exactly?"

Strange gently let go of the crystal ball and it floated in-between the two of them, glowing softly. "It lets me see anyone I want in any dimension, as long as they are using magic."

Strange focused his attention on the crystal ball. "Show me Mordo," he commanded. 

The crystal ball glowed brighter, images flashing in it so fast it made Riley's head spin. Suddenly, the scene around the two sorcerer's changed. They were no longer in the cave, but on the side of a building. An upside down building. 

"Strange?" Riley stammered. 

"It's okay," he reassured her, "It's just showing us, we aren't actually here."

The building shifted underneath them, twisting in impossible ways. Riley's newfound fear of heights kicked in, and she paled, "Looks pretty real to me."

"The Mirror Realm," Strange muttered, looking around. "There's no way to tell where he is in here!"

Riley watched as half of a street folded in on itself, and then turned inside out. "I really don't like the Mirror Realm," she complained. 

Strange glanced over at her, "Well, we know he's somewhere in the Mirror Realm, around New York." 

Riley looked around, impressed he could even pinpoint the city. With all the crazy things happening around her, she was having a hard enough time keeping her feet on the ground. Or, the side of the glass building they were on. This sorcery stuff was really catching up to her. 

Strange held his hand out, and the scene disappeared. The crystal ball fell into his hand, the glow in it dimming to barely a flicker. "We won't be able to use it again for quite a while," Strange said, packing it gently back into its box, "It's got to recharge. Luckily, this cave is full of magical energy."

Riley squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get the ever-changing scenery of the Mirror Realm out of her mind's eye. "Mirror Realm, New York City. That narrows it down," she sighed. 

Strange shrugged, "Pretty much anything is a help at this point."

Riley couldn't argue with that. She was silent as the both of them began the long trek back to the sanctum. 

Almost an hour later, the two of them emerged from the bookcase. They stretched, blinking blearily at the bright sunshine streaming in from the giant window that matched her Amulet. The two of them walked over to the window and looked out over the vast city. 

"How're we going to find him?" Riley asked, "This city is giant, and the Mirror Realm is something else all together." 

Strange reached into his pocket and pulled out the Eye of Agamotto. Riley raised her eyebrows when she saw it. "Didn't you say you were going to put that back?" she teased. He gave her a sideways smile, deciding not to answer that. 

"Why don't we let him find us?" 

A/N

i love magic and i love doctor strange and i love writing

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