It felt weird, but after I disappeared from Shuri's lab everything was easier. I felt lighter, and I was glowing. Kind of like a glowstick. Wherever I was looked liked a more solid and real version of the place I was in with The Grace.
"Grace?" I asked loudly, looking around the area. It was a large room, with no definite floors. It was an empty space, but I felt a presence near me.
She came floating into view, majestic and calm. "Alessia. Thank you for agreeing to come." she spoke softly, landing on the ground as she changed her appearance to look like a material woman, and the not the floating light she was before.
I watched her transformation in awe. "What are you?" I asked, forgetting all manners in that facinating moment.
The Grace chuckled, waving her hands and forming two comfortable armchairs, magically dropping me into one, as she sat in one herself. "I am A Grace. In simple terms, I am a being made from energy, and made to be a savior to anyone with intergalactical abilities." she explained, as I looked around.
"Are there more of you?" I asked again, interested in her story.
She nodded. "Oh, yes. There are many of us. After we are created, we live on a planet called Intuna with a retired family until we are of age. Once we are of age, we are assigned someone, such as yourself to watch over. When they don't need us anymore, we retire, and live on Ituna. It is a very nice life." The Grace explained, seeming delighted at explaining her life.
I smiled, leaning back in the chair. "What should I call you? Is your name really Grace?" I inquired, wanting to be respectful.
"No, my dear. 'Grace' is the name of my kind. My name is Celestia." she said sweetly.
"Where are we?" I asked, looking around.
Celestia stood up, beckoning for me too as well. Once I did, she started explaining. "This is your fortress. You will stay here, safe from Thanos as you learn to control the stone." as she spoke, she waved her hand and made the space look like a real room. It was the perfect place to train.
"Lesson one. Are you ready?" Celestia asked me, facing me.
I nodded, and she waved her hands, changing my regular clothes into a comfortable training suit. She waved her hands again, and transported herself back into the light orb from which she came.
"How am I going to learn if you're not a solid person?" I inquired, my skepticism showing.
Celestia flew overhead, launching a blast at me. I just let it hit my face. "Easily, dear. Channel the stone, and the rest will come." she instructed, clearly never channeling a rock's powers before.
I rolled my eyes, and positioned myself into a fighting stance. Celestia shot another blast, and I held my left hand wearily out in front of, wincing as I heard the blast come closer. I must've messed up again, because again, it hit me in the face.
"Alessia, focus. Thanos will break your hand if you hold it out like that. You won't be beating him if you're mutilated. Try again." she said sternly.
Sighing, I shook my fingers, out, muttering to myself. "This better be worth it." I left my family for this, whatever this was. If I didn't destroy Thanos, nothing will have been worth it.
Celestia blasted me again, except this time when I stuck my hand out, blue light surrounded me, and the blast became consumed by a large blue cloud/portal thing. I gasped in joy, laughing to myself as I looked into the portal. Celestia came back into her human form again, smiling largely.
"You did it!" she chorused, bringing me into a hug.
I hugged her back with a grin on my face. "It was so easy." I hadn't expected to do it so soon, but I was glad that I did.
Celestia pulled back, placing a hand on my face. "It was easy because you believed you could do it." Her words made me want to roll my eyes, but I resisted. She was so proud of me, and it felt nice. Lord knows Domoski would only be proud of a kill count, if anything, and I never met my mother, so having Celestia around was nice.
"Should we go again?" I asked, and Celestia nodded. She transformed into an orb again, and we started training.
❀
About two orders later, Celestia and I finished training for the day. I needed to rest, and she did too, so we decided to reconvene in the morning. Celestia transformed my 'fortress' from a training space into a bedroom. Beside my bed was a large circular object. Celestia explained to me that it allowed me to see whoever I wanted, as long as they were alive, no matter where they were. She warned me not to look in on Bucky too often. She said I didn't need the emotional baggage during my training.
But that first night away from Bucky since he woke up, I was tossing and turning in the bed, lounge clothes on my body and my blonde hair layed against my neck. I couldn't sleep. I needed to see them. So I got out of bed and walked towards the object, thinking about Bucky and Ingrid. Bucky and Ingrid. Over and over until I opened my eyes, and I was looking down on them.
Bucky was wide awake, sitting on our bed with a crying Ingrid in his arms. She must've been giving him trouble. I watched as he failed to calm our baby down, and I saw the stress, and frustration and sadness of the days past clear on his face. I wished I could talk to him.
So I just said one thing that he needed to hear.
"I love you."
I watched for a few more minutes as he fed Ingrid, and finally got her to stop crying. And once she was asleep, Alpine trotted into the room, hopping into Bucky's lap. I hope he slept that night, but I doubt he did. I didn't.
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