She's Not Alone (WandaxNatasha)

Chapter 2: Returns

Today I feel better than I have in days, maybe even weeks. I roll out of bed and make myself a cup of tea. Some days the weight of the losses I have sustained makes it hard to have the energy to do anything beyond lay in bed. But then there are days like today where I can acknowledge the weight and not let it take over my entire life.

The birds fly and sing happily, the wind twists and turns creating wave-like patterns on the grass. The dawn like a painting of all the pastel colors you could think of. And the lake ripples as each gust flows over its surface.

And for the first time, just wish I had someone to talk to, it didn't even have to be someone I knew and trusted. I just wanted someone to talk to. It has been 2 weeks since I got the other presence, the other me, out of my head.

And while I was particularly confident in my choice at first, there is some amount of doubt that I made the right call. But I feel like I should research my own options as well, I don't need that voice. I've lived without it for years, I shouldn't and won't need it now.

"Where is that damned book!" I exclaim. The cottage is so small and I have very few things, yet it's so easy to lose important things. But that's when I walked into my room, or the room that I initially claimed to be mine. I've been sleeping on the floor lately. There was... me! Sitting crisscrossed and floating, was I hallucinating?

I carefully walk towards her, me? Hands turning with the familiar and instinctual motions for magic.

"I don't think you want to hurt me" she said without looking up. She turned the page and read on. "It's impractical to weaken yourself"

The voice was edgy and frightened me a bit. I raised my hands, calling upon my strength to fight. But then something curious happened, she disappeared and the book rematerialized on my bed, wear I had left it the day I arrived at the cottage.

But then the presence entered me again, and this time I could feel it fighting it's way into my head.

Smart girl, thanks for not hurting me.

It had a lazy, smug sounding voice. And the hairs on my back and neck tingled and stood on end. I forgot how unnerving the voice was.

"What do you want now?" I ask, tensely.

I was curious what inspired you to come looking for the Darkhold. I thought you said you weren't interested in the NetherRealm.

"I'm not, I'm curious about the Darkhold. And to understand what being the Scarlet Witch means, and why all of this has happened, I only wish to understand!" I ranted. "And I'm curious why such a little thing constitutes the need for your return, I didn't ask you to come back!"

Fair, but it's clear you have questions, so maybe you'll let me explain?

"No" I yelled "Get out off my head and my life!"

Hmm, we'll see after this.

And with a rush of electricity I left my body. I could see myself, slowly falling to the ground. But I could also see myself hovering, ethereally. I was a ghost-like.

"You killed me" I screamed internally at the voice in my head.

No response.

"It killed me" I mumbled, trying not to cry and failing miserably. Sobbing I ranted to the world, "I told it to go away and what did it do? It killed me! What good am I to the world dead?"

But as soon as I said the words I realized, "What good am I to the world alive?" And I drifted around the room on an invisible breeze, eyes shut tights around the tears slowly spilling from my eyes.

Time passed, minutes, maybe hours before I dared open my eyes again. But when I opened them, nothing had changed. I was still floating around in a ghostly body and my normal body was still mid-motion, falling to the floor.

"Are you done now?" A voice askes.

I gasp, it's the same person I saw earlier. "Am I done what?" I ask in reply.

"Yelling at me? Crying your heart out? Thinking you're dead? Being all depressed?" she says. "Because I don't think you can truly appreciate what kind of strain that puts on me."

"Put's on you? What the hell are you talking about?" I snap back. "I don't know who you are, what you want, and why you killed me."

"You're so naive, if you were dead you would know it. Or should I say, you wouldn't." She shrugged, looked at my still confused face and rolled her eyes groaning. "Of course, If there is an infinite amount of realities then the one I have to coach is the stupidest version of myself."

"You don't need to be so rude!" I snap back. "Please explain why I'm here, what the heck you did to me and why you call yourself my coach?"

"Have some patience Wanda," she smiled, irritatingly calm. "All will make sense in good time."