A few hours ago, the morning light had risen as the two walked through Kathmandu. The sounds of travel, conversation, machinery, and more filled the air.

It's very crowded and there's little wiggle room in some areas.

Bucky had long since abandoned his heavier clothing, wearing only a black long-sleeved shirt, overalls, and boots. He wore gloves to hide his metal hands and not draw unwanted attention to them.

Celeste was dressed in the same clothes she had just emerged from the sarcophagus, minus the armored shoulder pads. Her long hair was tied up in a plain white cloth, and she had a lightsaber strapped to her belt.

“Where the hell is this place?” Bucky asked loudly, looking around.

"Remember what Odin said, they will find us. Just give it time.

“Yeah, but any of these buildings could be the place we’re looking for,” Bucky pointed out. “They have an old-school feel to them.”

"Old?" Celeste said with amusement.

Bucky scoffed, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance. “You know what I mean.”

Celeste smiled to herself and leaned over to give him a quick peck on the cheek before they both continued.

They soon found themselves in an alleyway with far fewer people.

"Are your Force powers correct in bringing us here?"

“I believe so,” Celeste said, humming as she closed her eyes and stretched her connection to the all-pervading energy field.

“Well, hopefully it’s not around here,” Bucky said in a slightly sharp voice.

Celeste's eyes snapped open to see several figures in elaborate robes appear around them, their faces obscured by hoods.

“Are we really doing this?” Bucky asked loudly, sounding almost bored.

Celeste tensed, staring at the people who had just appeared and were now surrounding them.

There were four people in total surrounding the two of them.

“You really wanna try us?” Bucky raised his gloved hand and quickly removed the glove, revealing his metal hand.

"James Buchanan Barnes," one of them suddenly spoke up, dressed in a dark green robe.

The Winter Soldier froze as the man who had spoken removed his hood, revealing a dark-skinned man who was staring at both of them with obvious interest.

“And… a wielder of an ancient power that transcends the stars can be found close to home.

“You seem to know us, but we don’t know you,” Bucky hastily pointed out.

"I'm sorry." The man bowed slightly forward. "You shouldn't be surprised, Mr. Barnes. You are well-known in the world for... and the bad things you have done to the world.

“For the sake of argument, that last part was unintentional.

The man smiled and nodded. "We are well aware of this. Hydra and its many secret deeds were revealed to the world two years ago. We like to keep ourselves informed of what is happening in the world.

Celeste and Bucky looked at each other and then back at the strange man.

"My name is Karl Mordo. If you two are willing to follow us, we will take you to see the Ancient One immediately.

“Ancient Ones?” Celeste and Bucky said in unison.

"Yes," Mordo said, motioning with his hand for them to follow, which they did immediately. "The Sorcerer Supreme, the leader of our order."

"What are your orders then?" Moni asked, now even more curious.

"Defender of magic and interdimensional threats."

“Wait…what?” Bucky said, clearly confused. “So you guys are…legal wizards?”

"Sorcerer and Master of the Mystic Arts, Sergeant Barnes," Mordo corrected him.

"Where's your cane and your pointed hat?" the World War II veteran asked. "You already have your robes."

"If you think Gandalf is a good representative for us..." Mordo said cheekily. "Well... I prefer Gandalf, so I'll take it as a compliment. However, Sergeant Barnes, I'm still surprised that you even know who Gandalf is.

“Yes, I read The Hobbit…in 1937 when it first came out.

"A wizard is a wizard without a hat," said Mordo.

"And where I'm from, my order is considered wizards as well," Celeste said.

"Celeste, you're not helping my argument here."

His lover only gave him a mischievous smile before turning back to Mordo.

“So this Ancient One, the leader of your order… who is he? Or is she?

"As I said, she is the master of order," Mordo said. "She has been at the vanguard of our world's fight against arcane and magical threats for centuries, and the primary user of magic in all dimensions."

“Dimension?” Bucky said, clearly confused.

"Other worlds, other universes and realities," Mordo revealed.

"What?" Celeste's eyes widened.

“So what can you tell us about her?” Bucky asked, becoming increasingly interested in this strange and apparently powerful individual.

“We’ll talk more once we get to our destination.”

"Where is our destination?" Celeste asked.

"Kama-Taj."

He waved his hands, and an ethereal orange light appeared in the air. Soon, his hands followed, forming a large circle. The space within the summoned circle was completely transferred to another location.

"Holy..."

"Do you think Gandalf has such a thing?" Mordo couldn't help but ask back.

“Yeah,” Bucky countered. “I think he’s just…less showmanship.

Mordo laughed and walked forward, Bucky and Celeste quickly following behind him.

Entering the interior, they were greeted by a luxurious yet simple hall with many intricate designs and symbols found on the columns, walls and hanging tapestries.

"Welcome to Kamar-Taj," Mordo said, waving his arms.

While escorting the group through the corridor, Jedi Shadow came across an open window. There she was greeted by a magnificent view of a variety of exotic trees and buildings constructed within a mountainous landscape.

For Celeste, Kamar-Taj reminded her of one of the Jedi temples she had stayed in during her youth. It was peaceful and serene. After a long time, she felt at peace.

"This place is..." Celeste lost her train of thought as she was at a loss for words to best describe it.

Mordo looked back at her with an amused smile, and Bucky intertwined his hands with hers, giving them a gentle squeeze.

Eventually, Carl led them to a single room where a lone bald Caucasian man sat, reading a scroll.

"Master," Mordo said, bowing in respect. "I brought them both here as you requested."

The Ancient One looked up from her scroll and snapped her fingers, causing it to roll itself up and float over to a nearby shelf that held other scrolls, into which it neatly tucked itself.

"Hello to both of you," she said politely. "I hope you enjoy your visit."

"That is pleasant enough, Ancient One," Celeste said with obvious respect, bowing to her as she would to a Jedi Master.

At this point, Bucky was analyzing nearly every detail about her, a habit he'd hated ever since Hydra programmed him to be their unwilling servant.

"When hearing the name 'Ancient One' I was kind of drawn to the idea that you would be an old Tibetan monk, rather than someone who I thought was... of Celtic descent? No offense.

“No. A common misconception, Mr. Barnes. The title was passed down to me by my predecessor, who was indeed Tibetan.” The Master smiled. “And you are very astute. I didn’t expect you could guess my birthplace.”

“The war introduced me to a lot of people,” Bucky said. “As the Winter Soldier… and a lot more.

"of course."

“In case you’re wondering, Odin sent us here,” Bucky revealed.

"Ah, that's about it. I'm glad to hear he's alive and well," the Sorcerer Supreme said, and she gazed quickly at the Jedi Shadow. "I can feel the spell on that object around her neck."

Celeste's hand instinctively reached for the object, a conflicted look on her face.

“So… this place…” Bucky said, feeling a little awkward. “You teach magic here?”

"Pretty much," the Ancient One said, walking around the table to stand behind the two of them. "This Order was founded on the understanding of greater forms of power that transcend our simple comprehension. Of course, with that understanding comes the eventual realization of greater threats to the world, greater dangers that could transcend it at any given time and moment. Upon learning of these threats, the Masters of the Mystic Arts were formed. Our goal is simple. To protect Earth from mystical and interdimensional threats.

“…I understand what you’re saying, more or less,” Bucky said, nudging his head towards Celeste. “If I didn’t know her, I’d be lost.”

"Yes, if I remember correctly, the Force and their Jedi Order."

"How well do you know my Order?" Celeste asked.

"Good to hear, Jedi Knight Celeste Morn," the Ancient One said. "There was a time when there was a greater connection between this world and the galaxy that preceded it. That connection has been lost in time, but it still lingers, waiting to be discovered once again.

"So...is there a way for me to get back to my galaxy?" Celeste asked, clearly unsure now.

Bucky looked at her with a conflicted look on his face, but he said nothing.

"That... will be up to you," said the Ancient One. "Before we go on..."

She waved her hands, and an orange magic rune appeared in the air in front of Ancient One. As the light became smaller, it became stronger. Then it was placed on the Murr Amulet.

A second later, the Sith relic loosened from Celeste's neck and fell to the ground. Before it had a chance to touch it, a magic circle appeared beneath it, and then it surrounded the object.

"We will place this horrible thing somewhere else for the time being until we can find a way to properly dispose of it," the Celtic woman said, as she made the object vanish after a moment.

Celeste gasped, her hands going to her neck, tears streaming from her eyes.

"you you--"

"Don't worry, Celeste Moon." Ancient One said with a smile. "Your curse has been lifted."

Tears began to stream down her face as she fell to her knees, feeling the entire weight of her being leave her body. She cried tears of joy and relief, and moments later she felt Bucky's comforting hands around her. She reacted instinctively and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his neck as she cried.

"It's gone," she whispered, almost in disbelief. "It's finally gone. I can't feel him anymore."

“Told you we’d find a way,” Bucky said softly.

"I love you," Celeste said, turning back to kiss him passionately. "I love you so much."

“I love you too, Celeste,” Bucky said with a small smile.

The Jedi Knight laughed through his tears and turned to look at the Ancient One.

"Your thanks are uncalled for," she said hastily. "If you think there is a debt, perhaps it is enough that you understand our order. Perhaps in time, we can help both of you.

The female Jedi of the Order gave Bucky a glare, and the Winter Soldier realized what she might be hinting at.

Bucky then realized what he had said. “Both?”

“Celeste is still haunted by the horrors she experienced and needs to heal from them. However, you still have a problem that needs to be corrected.

This does not tally with what he is suggesting.

"Come on." Mordo said. "I'll take you both to your rooms."

Bucky helped Celeste to her feet and allowed her to follow Mordo to their quarters during their stay at Kamar-Taj.

"Now, a great change is coming upon us." The Sorcerer Supreme muttered to himself. "A very uncertain one."

She left the room, the lights dimming with a flick of her wrist, soft footsteps could be heard as she walked further away.

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