Sister Grimm

3 - Crystal Balls & Telephone Calls

"My name is Nico Minoru. I am the daughter of Tina Minoru. One of the founding members of the Pride. A terrorist crime group that ran L.A....well it may still be running L.A."

The Staff of One had vanished. Returned back from which it came. Usually Nico couldn't tell, but she sensed it today, almost felt like a splinter. It always does that after she uses it. Honestly it had been a while since she last used it.

The women sat back in Rita's Reading Room. Nico was a fan of the soft lighting and draped curtains, but the tarot cards laid out on the table and the crystal ball really sealed the deal. Nico gazed at her reflection in the crystal ball, dark and still sitting between them. It was a good way for Nico not to have to make eye contact with Rita. At least Nico finally had a chance to see what it looked like back here before she was fired.

"Im not going to fire you Nico," Rita eventually cut the tension.

"You're not?" Nico looked up surprised. "How did you know I was thinking that?"

"I don't have to read your fortune to see the worry that is on your face," Rita said sympathetically touching Nico on the hand, yet out of reflex, Nico pulled away and hid her hand beneath the table.

"Thank you," Nico said politely, getting up and turning to leave.

"Thats it?" Rita said dramatically as Nico turned back to look at her boss. "You tell me I got an Avenger working at my shop and thats it. We aren't going to talk about it anymore?"

"I wasn't really an Avenger," Nico stated matter of factly.

"You got to hang out daily with She-Hulk and Dazzler, you were definitely an Avenger."

The two women smile at each other and Nico sits back down.

"You have had all of these wonderful experiences and yet I still see all this pain behind your eyes honey. I've always waited for the opportunity that you would finally speak up and tell me what has gone on. I didn't expect this, but I knew there was hurt. What brought you here?"

"Its a long story-" Nico tried to get out before being interrupted.

"Well then tell me," Rita said kindly.

"There is just so much. So much has happened," Nico could find herself stumbling over her own thoughts. All of her memories rushing back to the surface.

"You aren't alone anymore Nico," Rita said gently.

"You dont understand. I am choosing to be alone."

"Why do you have to be alone. Who hurt you?"

"Everyone hurt me," Nico blurted out unexpectedly causing the store owner to frown. "I am alone because I don't know how to keep myself or anyone else safe."

Silence rested in the air for a moment before Rita spoke up, "You kept us safe today."

"That was an accident. I never know what to expect with my magic. I half of the time don't even know what it is. You know why I can't keep anyone safe? Its because I can't even trust myself. The only people who ever cared about me, I pushed them away! I am so angry all the time and I don't even know what to do about it. This magic? No one can explain it to me and I am not important enough to have anybody try to help. So there you go Rita. Thats the sad story of the pitiful witch Nico Minoru."

And then she cried. Nico recognized that it had been a while since she last used the Staff of One, but it had been even longer since she had really allowed herself to be vulnerable. This time when Rita placed her hand on Nicos, she didnt pull away. She just allowed herself to cry. Nico wasnt sure how much time passed then, but she clearly remembered what Rita said next.

"Well if nobody is gonna save us, then I guess we are going to have to save ourselves."

"But how do we do that?" Nico asked still wiping her tears away.

"Lets ask my Crystal ball?" Rita said with a smirk and Nico smiled back.

Rita and Nico cleaned themselves up before they settled back down at the table. Rita had gone out of her way to light some candles and create a mystical atmosphere in the back room that even Nico could appreciate.

"You know I can teach you what few things I know?" Rita said as she scooted her chair up to the table.

"Really?" Nico asked. Though skeptical of what Rita really knew, she recognized that as a witch, she probably should know some of these things that she didn't. "I've never had a teacher before." Already Nico thought back to the Witchbreaker, one of her ancestors who taught her how to use magic through pain. She winced at the thought. Was everyone in her family hellbent on her destruction?

Rita could sense Nico's hesitation and chimed in, "I find that love is a powerful source of the energy I channel here at the store."

Nico felt hesitant to agree to something she had never been shown herself, but she nodded in response anyways.

Rita gently placed on manicured finger on the glass sphere and it exploded in a green glow that flooded the room with an eerie light and cancelled out all the rest. Nicos eyes lit up and she looked over with amazement to a see a woman who felt younger and more enchanted than Nico ever remembered.

"Ready to see what your future holds," Rita smirked again and then they began.