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It was November 1st when Wong received word that the master of the London Sanctum, Master Patrick Whitehall, contacted him requesting assistance. This was rare as the London Sanctum tended to keep to itself most of the time and rarely required the presence of other masters, let alone the Sorcerer Supreme. It meant Wong left quickly and met Master Whitehall outside of the tea room.
“Sorcerer Supreme.” Whitehall greeted with a bow and Wong nodded his head in return.
“Master Whitehall. I was surprised to receive your summons. What seems to be the matter?”
The British sorcerer seemed concerned and not exactly sure of how to bring up the topic. After a moment, he spoke.
“A young girl appeared on our doorstep this morning apparently under the orders of Master Strange. She claims to be his sister however she has some distinct Fae traits that have me concerned.”
Wong frowned.
“He’s never specifically mentioned his sister but he did talk of an accident with a younger family member when he was growing up.”
“She also appears to be around ten years old. One does not age correctly in the Otherland and if she has been there for a long time…” the other master trailed off and Wong couldn’t blame him. The Fae folk could be a mixed bag, just like many they encountered. They could either be helpful and kind or sadistic and cruel depending on the mood and type you encountered.
“I will listen to her story. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.” Whitehall bowed once more before taking his leave. The girl would stay in the custody of the Sorcerer Supreme now until they could locate Stephen. He had gone radio silent on the 30th and with the sudden appearance of a family member was concerning.
Wong opened the door to find a young girl wrapped up in multiple blankets and sipping a cup of tea. At first glance, the girl looked like a normal elementary schooler but Wong knew some of the subtle signs. Everything looked just a little too perfect. Her gray eyes held a subtle glow to them. Her auburn hair was just a little too unnatural. Her skin held no blemishes and seemed to sparkle under the right light. The biggest tell was the tips of her ears held a small amount of a point.
That wasn’t to say she wasn’t human originally, but if she had been then what had happened to her and how did she end up here?
“Hello Ms Strange. You may call me Wong. I am a friend and work colleague of your brother’s.”
Her eyes seemed to brighten.
“Hello Mr Wong! You may call me Donna!”
That’s one test passed.
“If you do not mind me asking, why has your brother never mentioned you and what has you worried enough to warrant coming here and asking for me?”
Donna’s face grew troubled and she started wringing her hands. That was a sign that she was, or had been human, but it wasn’t enough.
“Well, Mr Wong. I was taken into the Otherland as a barter when I was nine, or maybe I’m still nine now, I’m not sure” she worried her lip and began to fidget with her dress, “Anyways: we accidentally ended up in the Otherlands while we were on vacation in England and I nearly drowned. The faeries saved me but wanted to keep me but Stevie made a deal! He was only twelve and was very brave!”
Donna seemed to retreat in on herself for a moment but Wong was too invested now.
“Miss Donna, what did your brother do?”
“He traded himself for me every year!” She exclaimed, bursting into tears, “His energy to keep me from being taken but this year was different. They said they would release me if they could keep him instead and he agreed. He did magic and sent me through a magic door to London and said to ask for you!”
Wong groaned and held his head in his hands. When was Stephen ever simple.
“We’ll do our best to save your brother. For now, let’s get you dry. You haven’t been in our world for decades and need some actual food.”
She nodded vigorously. Wong refrained from sighing again.
Why must the Strange family make his life difficult?
Stephen Strange sighed as he was attended to by a number of pixies in his new attire ‘befitting his station’. He would say that being spirited away by the Fae would be a surprise but honestly, he had a feeling this would happen for decades at this point.
It had started with that damn family trip in 1988. His mother had pushed to visit her parents up in Scotland and his father had finally agreed. They had been there for six out of the eight days when a nine year old Donna had wanted to explore the woods surrounding their grandparents cottage. He heard some warning about watching out for the Fae but they didn’t exist. Probably just worried about some wild animals or something.
Donna was positively bouncing off the walls as they roamed the woods. Eventually, she roped him into playing an abridged game of monkey see monkey do where he had to follow her steps and actions precisely. They jumped from stump to stump, rock to rock, in a ring of mushrooms, and over a river.
He wouldn’t realize until later that the ring of mushrooms was a mistake.
The woods seemed to be…different as they continued deeper and deeper. Stephen began to get a bit concerned but as the sun seemed to have not moved all that much, he pushed away the thought.
They finally reached a clearing where there was a large and beautiful lake. Donna was entranced and immediately begged to go swimming. Stephen reluctantly agreed but decided to stay on the shore. He didn’t feel like trudging back through the forest soaking wet.
As he sat there, he tuned out Donna’s splashing and laughter as he stared out at the woods around them. It felt like the hairs on the back of his neck were raised as he cautiously glanced around. He didn’t see anything but it felt like he was being watched. The feeling only grew as time passed. There was a sort of pressure just building in his skull that warned of something being wrong but he couldn’t figure out what it was. Finally, he got to his feet and wandered closer to the tree line.
Taking a moment to look around, there seemed to be some floating lights in the dappled light but that could just be bugs. With his curiosity sated, he exhaled deeply and relaxed for a moment.
Until he realized he couldn’t hear Donna anymore.
He whipped around to find there were small bubbles coming from the center of the lake. Not many, but still barely there. Stephen was struck with horror as he sprinted for the lake, diving in and searching for his baby sister. Despite the crystal clear water, he couldn’t find a single hair of her. Stephen lasted as long as he could before he had to resurface.
The boy was about to scream her name when he spotted a figure standing by the edge of the water surrounded by little glowing lights. Instantly, he was on high alert but swam over regardless.
As he got closer, Stephen became more and more unsettled. The person looked too perfect. Her skin looked like it was made of glitter and her eyes seemed to glow blue. That wasn’t even accounting for the pointy ears and the very fancy flowing dress she had on. As he pulled himself from the water next to her, the woman spoke.
“Hello human child, what is your name?”
A thought shot through his mind of his grandparents' warnings and with Donna’s disappearance, he decided to take them a little more seriously now.
“You may call me Strange.” He replied and the soft smile on the woman’s face grew a bit warmer.
“Ah, Strange Child. You know of my people. Yet you wander our woods without care and lose your precious things.”
“My sister isn’t a thing!” He exclaimed. Stephen knew nothing about wandering their woods but maybe it had happened sometime when they were walking.
“And yet you lost her and we have claimed her.” It only took a blink for Donna to suddenly appear, floating unconscious in the air as if she were still underwater. A flash of fear shot through Stephen, but he wouldn’t be a good older brother unless he tried to get her back.
“Can’t we leave and never come back here again?”
The woman’s smile grew sadder for a moment as she seemed to pity him.
“You may be permitted to leave as you have paid the price with her life. If she were to return, you would find her dead. Only my magic keeps her from crossing the veil.”
Stephen blanched and felt a spiral of despair. He’d killed his baby sister. She drowned and he hadn’t even thought to look after her, too creeped out about the woods. He couldn’t let this stand!
“What can I do to keep her alive? You make deals, right?” He asked and the woman’s eyes sharpened.
“What are you willing to trade for the girl’s life, Strange Child?”
Alright, he didn’t think this far ahead. And he didn’t think he had anything of value to trade for Donna. Donna was worth way more than anything he had to offer!
The woman’s smile grew warm again as she gently caressed his cheek. Her hand was extremely cold and had very sharp but perfect nails.
“Let me help you decide, Strange Child as you are still young. Some guidance as to how to barter with the Fae is freely given to you as I know you will take the trade.”
“…what do you suggest?” He asked cautiously.
“On the anniversary of this day of All Hallow’s Eve of the human world, the Strange Child shall appear in this clearing. He shall offer his very life force to sate his sister’s soul for the year. Upon his offering, he shall be returned back to the human world unharmed. This shall continue for as long as you agree. If you decide not to continue our deal, you go free and your sister becomes ours.”
It seemed simple enough, but Stephen had more questions.
“By giving my life force, doesn’t that mean I will die instead?” The woman seemed amused at the clarification but seemed to allow it.
“You will offer your energy and it will put you into a deep sleep for twenty four hours. There may be visible effects eventually but you will not be physically affected. At least at first.”
That was slightly worrying but Stephen decided to continue as she did say that he could stop the deal at any time.
“My other question is how am I going to appear here every year? I live in America which is across the ocean! I’m only 12 and I can’t sneak onto an airplane!”
At this, the woman laughed and the small lights around her seemed to as well. If he looked closely, they looked like tiny fairies, like Tinkerbell would.
“Find a patch of grass and we shall transport you here through a portal similar to what you stepped through to reach our lands in the first place.”
Stephen thought for a moment before he had his realization.
“The mushroom circle!”
“Precisely.”
With his questions answered, he turned to Donna’s floating form and nodded.
“I’ll do it. I will offer my life force for my sister to keep her alive and well. I’ll return every year and repeat the deal. But she doesn’t stay unconscious the entire year. She gets to live her life, even if it’s different than at home.”
The woman paused before nodding slowly.
“The deal is made. I honor your word, Strange Child. I shall see you in a year’s time.”
Suddenly, Stephen felt ice cold all the way to his core. Like a bucket, green light seemed to be pouring out of him and over into Donna. Overcome with exhaustion and dizziness, he barely caught Donna waking up and staring at him with horrified eyes.
He was plunged into darkness.
Stephen woke up in his bed at his grandparent’s cottage to find his mom crying in the chair next to him. Surely that all hadn’t been a dream, right? Donna was probably running around the kitchen right now being a menace.
“Mom?” He croaked and his mom’s head shot up immediately and she sprung to wrap her arms around him.
“Stephen Vincent Strange what the hell happened to you? We warned you to be careful and you go missing for a day only to show up at the edge of the trees out of nowhere! You are grounded for eternity, mister!”
As she ranted, Stephen’s face began to pale. It wasn’t a dream. His sister died and he made a deal to save her with the Fae. Oh he absolutely believed in magic now.
“Mom. I tried to save her, and I did! But I had to make a deal! But I saved Donna!” He stammered but his mom’s face only grew confused.
“Donna? Who’s Donna?”
Oh.
Oh no.
That wasn’t part of the deal. But it wasn’t not part of the deal either. Oh god, Donna.
“Mom, Donna is my little sister. We went into the woods together! We accidentally went into a mushroom circle.”
His mom seemed worried but still skeptical.
“Stephen, it’s not that I don’t believe you but to completely forget that I have a second child is-“ she cut herself off. Stephen was getting desperate at this point before he realized something.
“Mom! The plane tickets! See if there’s four plane tickets!”
His mom decided to endings him and stood to grab the tickets from her bedroom only to freeze when there were four tickets. Each one had their name on it: Eugene, Beverly, Stephen, and a completely blank one. Her face paled as she returned to Stephen’s bedroom where he looked absolutely determined.
“There were four tickets, weren’t there?”
She collapsed back into her chair and suddenly began to weep, overcome with emotion that she had no idea why she was having. Finally she turned to her son.
“Tell me everything that happened.”
So, Stephen told the story of how he and his sister ended up in the Otherworld and of his deal to keep her alive. He hadn’t been expecting the existence of her to disappear entirely but after consulting with his grandparents they seemed to not be shocked.
The Strange’s would mourn the idea of their daughter and approve of their son’s deal in the hopes that she would one day be returned. They never spoke of Donna outside the family.
Years passed and Stephen kept his end of the bargain. Donna seemed to be forever trapped at age nine but she was so excited to see him even if she seemed upset that he grew older every time he saw her. The physical effects of his deal seemed to be streaks of gray that began to grow in his hair at his temples, even at age 15. The teen got teased for them, but knowing what it was from made Stephen feel like he looked distinguished.
In honor of his sister’s wishes of what she wanted to be when she grew up, he became a doctor. Neuroscience seemed fascinating to him. He graduated at record pace from Columbia. He stipulated that he had a non negotiable requirement that he could not work on Halloween and November 1st. As he became a well known and honored neurosurgeon, the request was easy to accept.
Life happened, he got in a car crash, lost his hands to pain and scarring, and yet he still returned to the clearing to visit Donna. He would tell her stories of his life and things going on in the world. She seemed sad, but not devastated when he had to tell her that their parents died. Stephen could notice the small differences occurring in his younger sister. Her eyes slowly changing color, nails growing slightly more pointed, and ears that looked as if someone had tugged slightly on them but they stayed that way. His sister was becoming more and more Fae with each passing year and yet he had no idea what he could offer that could free her before it became permanent. The energy coming from him had to be what was keeping her from being completely consumed in the magic of the clearing. It was already enough that she never left the lake she drowned in. He just wished he knew more to save her rather than keep her in a sort of stasis.
It all changed after he joined the sorcerers at Kamar Taj. He told them nothing though the Ancient One seemed to sense something was off about him. She never mentioned it and he often wondered why. It wasn’t until after Dormammu that he realized the answer. She had her own tie to a world not their own. She could barely criticize him for it when she didn’t know what it was from. What Stephen could piece together was that she knew it wasn’t a tie to the dark dimension as he was horrible in the mirror dimension.
The first Halloween in the clearing since becoming a sorcerer had the woman return for the first time since it had all started.
“Strange Child,” she greeted, “You have Grown.”
She did not mean by age and they both knew it.
“Indeed. I may want to renegotiate the deal at our next meeting. I will not back out, but I would like to go over a few terms.”
The woman smiled with sharp teeth and Donna looked on innocently. God, he hoped to save her soon.
Next Halloween didn’t happen as Thanos attacked New York in September of 2018.
It wouldn’t be until Halloween of 2024 that Stephen Strange walked back into the clearing. He was unsurprised to find the woman there. This time, she was more elegantly dressed and wearing a gold crown upon her head. It only solidified his hunches from over the years.
“Queen of the Seelies, thank you for allowing me to return to your kingdom after not returning for four years.”
“You may call me Queen Nia, Strange Child. I allow you back as it was not your will to not attend the honoring of our deal. We too suffered under the hand of Thanos. However unlike the rest of the universe, our people could not return to us as that is not how we exist. Once we are gone, we may not return no matter the circumstances.”
Well that was concerning for the Fae folk, but he was here to honor his deal for his sister once more. He was happy to know she did not disappear or die in his absence. In fact, she seemed a bit more subdued this time.
“She missed your visits and without your energy, she grew more dim in spirit.” Queen Titania answered his unspoken question and he nodded.
“Then I come to renew our deal in this new age.”
“Then I shall recall your words at our last meeting. A renegotiation of terms.” He nodded in remembrance and she continued, “My husband, King Oberon was one of the Lost. I mourn him but our kingdom requires one of great power to fill his place.”
Stephen had a feeling he knew where this was going.
“There are many ways a Fae is created.” Queen Titania conjured a table and chairs and the two adults sat at the table as she wove her tale. “They are created by nature, they are raised in the Otherlands, or humans of remarkable talent and skills that are admired by the Fae and are Fae-touched can become Fae themselves. You already know what I’m talking about.”
Stephen did. After everything finally started to calm down after everyone had returned back from the snap and the battle afterwards, the sorcerer had been noticing a few new quirks. His eyesight was freakishly good, his teeth a bit pointier, his ears a bit more pointed, and when he reached to pick up an iron stirrer it burnt to the touch. He had been denying it but with this blatant confirmation it seemed that his bill from all those years ago came due.
“What did it then?” He asked with a laugh, leaning back in his chair with a resigned amusement.
“Your deal with the consumer of light, the Dread Dormammu. The greatest trick anyone, Fae or otherwise, could have pulled on the Mad Titan. You won by trickery, magic, and ingenuity. You saved the universe with those values we live by.” Titania exclaimed with wonder in her eyes. Donna seemed entranced by the story as well yet she didn’t speak. It was concerning but it seemed he was finally going to get her out of here.
“So I become Seelie then.” He drawled, “and what of our deal?”
“What do you want from the deal?”
“You already hinted you want me as your husband which I will allow if you finally release Donna back to the human world. Of her own power that will be returned to her and that she does not need to consume others energy to survive. That she will age and be able to live her life outside of the Fae if she chooses.” He was going to be thorough, dammit.
The Queen seemed to ponder the terms before nodding and extending her hand to him.
“I accept your terms, Strange Child.”
He took her hand and kissed it, sealing the deal. A warm rush swept over him and Stephen knew that he was becoming a full blooded Fae. There was no escaping it so he made it work to his advantage. He stood up from the wooden chair and lifted his baby sister from the water. She was so small and seemed to be in awe that she was finally out of the water.
“It’s time to leave, little one.” He murmured as he kissed her forehead. If he had anything to say about it, she would never come to the Otherworld again. He used his sling ring to create a portal to the steps of the London Sanctum and gently set her down. “Ask for the Sorcerer Supreme and tell him I sent you. He will make sure you’re safe and taken care of.”
Donna seemed to fully realize what was about to happen because she burst into tears.
“Goodbye big brother.” She said with a watery smile. He only gave a small salute back before letting the portal close. He turned to his new fiancé and gave her a grin with his newly sharpened teeth.
“Now, my lady: whatever do you have planned next?”
“My name is Titania, dear heart.” She replied, caressing his cheek with a warm smile and he felt the power of her name, freely given, settle in his bones. It was an odd sort of power but it felt addicting and completely unlike the magic he had used before. “I do not believe Strange Child would be an acceptable name for a King and your human name shall not do as you are Seelie now. I name you Chronos for your mastery over time shall be your magic. The time stone may be gone but you have mastered its secrets, dear heart.”
Yes, Chronos was fitting and he would keep Stephen Strange close to his heart. To treasure, for the world he was born into had claimed his name as one of heroes but now he would be a king. The new Seelie Fae seemed to slip into his new state of being like a glove and it didn’t seem to bother him that some of his more human traits and thoughts seemed to melt away like snow on a warm spring morning. Chronos had more important things to worry about such as his wedding and coronation in the morning.
He took his fiancé’s hand and kissed it once more before offering her an arm. Titania looked triumphant and guided her Chronos deeper into the Fae wilds.
It did not take long for Wong to find a ring of mushrooms for his travel into the world of the Fae. He kept Donna at the London Sanctum with Master Whitehall. Stephen would murder him if Donna’s life were to be in danger so soon after rescuing her.
Wong expected to appear in a forest but was surprised to find himself in a castle . It was crafted of trees and flowers that radiated life. The Seelie Court then.
A pixie hovered next to him and he bowed slightly at the small being.
“The King and Queen wish to see you, Sorcerer Supreme of the human lands.”
“Of course.”
He was led through a maze of hallways filled with a number of high ranking Seelie court members. They seemed fascinated by him and Wong did his best not to stare. It had been centuries since the sorcerers had been invited to the Otherlands and Wong was honored to be the first in a long while.
Eventually they reached the throne room where two large thrones of diamonds, sapphires, and rubies sat. Two figures smiled at him from their seats. The woman was completely unfamiliar to him but the man-
“Strange-“ Wong whispered in awe. The man was familiar yet he looked completely different. He displayed the traits of a High Seelie with the pointed ears and his skin looked like it was dusted with diamond dust with how much it flowed in the light. His eyes seemed to glow and not just from the mirth he was displaying. Sharp teeth were spread into a grin and that wasn’t the only thing that was sharper. Somehow his cheekbones looked fit to give someone a papercut. This man had no blemishes or flaws and even his hands seemed to be healed.
“The Sorcerer Supreme!” Stephen exclaimed jovially, introducing Wong’s title to the woman (he assumed the Queen) next to him. “You may call me King Chronos as I have become Seelie with the victories as my time as a sorcerer in your ranks. My dear heart felt that my sister may be freed for my hand in marriage.”
Stephen, or rather Chronos it seemed, seemed absolutely jovial. Nothing like the sarcastic and morose man he had become friends with but he couldn’t count out the man yet.
“I’m glad to see you are safe my friend.” Wong replied, giving him a small smile, “Your sister is safe in London while I make this audience. What did you wish to summon me for?”
“Oh, you know.” Chronos drawled, “Submit my formal resignation from being the Master of the New York Sanctum. Sadly I feel like there could be a conflict of interest.” The man smiled and Wong smirked. There was the snarky asshole he knew so well.
“Good to know. What else?”
Chronos seemed to light up completely as he considered his next words.
“Sorcerer Supreme, I’ve summoned you to bargain.”