A Legacy of Evil: Intrusive Thoughts

I was tempted to go for my wand. More than anything, which surprised me heartily as I stared at the embodiment of petty evil, as commonplace as bangers and mash. I didn't think I could feel the extent of anger I was experiencing now but after a moment, I forced myself to relax as I smiled thinly and remarked.

"Imposter? Oh no... I'm the upgrade. So, what exactly are you supposed to be then? A pale imitation of myself and my life choices?"

"I would argue the opposite." Hissed Voldemort as we circled each other around the cauldron in the middle, red eyes gleaming as I whacked away absently the signs of legimency he attempted with the brute force of a tap-dancing elephant which he took wisely, as a hint as he stopped and added.

"It was our destiny to be feared, powerful and great. And what have you done with it? Taken second place, turned into some disgusting hobo? You can't even keep to your principles, allowing what you call 'evil' to occur elsewhere because it's not before you."

"I prefer to think of it as living the good life." I returned as I added. "Exhibit A." I used my wand to produce a rose, and making eye contact I brought it up to my face and took an obnoxious sniff as I let out a happy sigh.

The sheer venom in his eyes made me smile, turning his own charm on him which he knew I was doing and had no effect, save to make him angry as I continued. "And really, you call this life? You can't take pleasure in the little things of the world. Magic has ceased to be a thing of wonder and more something to exploit. You have no friends, your allies would sell you out for a bent knut and your entire legacy will amount to failing to take over a boarding school and dying to the almighty uno reverse spell."

"But we can change that!" He hissed, eyes alight as he opened his mouth and I raised a hand to stop him as I spoke flatly.

"Yeah, I'm going to stop you there."

"You DARE interrupt Lord Voldemort, you-!" As he raised his wand, I raised my own as I snorted. "Oh, please try. I beg you. There are doctors in the world who can't put a price on the sort of therapy this entails."

Voldemort considered coldly and I gave him a smile with no charm and twisted in its own right, which he seemed to recognize as he scoffed.

"I suppose you would have something of myself after all. It is clear we'll never agree."

"Not in the least." I said as Voldemort let out a dark laugh, his eyes fixated on me unblinkingly as he spoke with a dark charm of his own.

"Then a compromise. I know how to sever the Deathless's hold on life. I, who have gone beyond the boundaries of magic, further than any have to this point. Accept me, and this knowledge shall be yours."

I gave him a flat look. I gestured all around to the graveyard and to himself as I spoke with disdain. "This is your grand plan? Dangle something I'm dealing with myself, to give you a modicum of survival? And to do so, looking like THAT? How stupid do you think I am?"

"Your mistrust is indeed, acknowledged." Voldemort said as he flicked his wand and I tensed, but only the cauldron was affected. There was a light glowing, as he gestured for me to look and as I slowly approached, I peered and saw the following.

The Russian ministry of magic looked to be taken over. Ice had coated over much of it, and the frozen bodies of its defenders laid scattered about. A giant ice slab had been set up, stained red and it looked like executions were being done.

A line of people, held in place by strange creatures that made me frown as I peered closer. They were human, in the same way that a wax model was human. Imperfect and uncanny, their features oddly symmetrical despite the fact that every part of them was fine on its own. Putting them all together, just made my instincts flare, especially with the armor they were wearing.

In the midst of the place, with the dragon skeleton built into a frozen throne was Koshchei himself. More human than before now, sprawled out and with various women in collars and chains like some discount Jabba. His expression was amused as one by one, the various wizards and witches would either be spared and taken elsewhere, or executed as one of his odd people would slaughter them outright with an axe to the neck.

"He looks healthier." I remarked simply as Voldemort chuckled.

"He is tied to Winter and so long as Winter endures, so too shall he."

That triggered something of a detail for me as I blinked. "The blizzard. It's not just obscuring details from the nomaj, he's also using it to kick-start his own health plan."

Voldemort nodded. "Indeed he is. The last time he was sealed away, it was at his weakest point. When winter had faded away, the transitional season. He has learned from his mistakes and so comes an eternal winter by his hand." 

"First Moscow, then all of Russia." I reply as I let out a mirthless chuckle. I look back at Voldemort as I remark. "Alright, I get where this is going. But even so, I decline your offer."

I would have understood rage or annoyance, but the silence that came as he just stared only made me more secure in my choice as I speak on.

"I won't sacrifice my principles for an easier road. I told us once before, that I would go for something better. And perhaps I am a hypocrite." I admit as I look at him and continue.

"Nevertheless, here and now I make my choice. I will stop him. But I'll do it on my own terms."

"And how will you do so?" He hissed as he added, raising his wand as he added.

"You cannot leave till one of us is dead. And should that happen, the other will be free to return to the world at large. So, whether you go or I do? Lord Voldemort shall win. I always win."

"I have a Riddle for you." I remark as I take my wand, press it to the side of my face and drag out what looks like a glowing, thick white strand of glowing mist as I toss it into the cauldron. As the cauldron glows, I remark idly.

"What do you get, if you live out the sum of the total life experiences of myself? All the pain, all the triumph, all the joy and all the sorrow?"

Before he could answer I flicked my wand and he flicked back, the spells colliding and exploding into bright light and sparks, causing Voldemort to yell in pain.

And for that split second, knowing it would come I would have blocked my eyes and walked around, before grabbing him by the back of the neck and using my strength to force him down into the cauldron as I tossed him inside.

There was definitely a reaction, magic swirled and the geas probed me- I had caused harm as a guest, which I dismissed.

After all... How exactly could I do harm?

It was only me after all as I reached down and gently helped out myself.

Gone was the red eyes, the robe and everything else that denoted Voldemort.

There was only me.

As it had always been. He smiled ruefully and I did the same as he muttered. "Unorthodox. But we always did enjoy that solution. You're certain about this path?"

I shrugged and spoke. "Magic always has a price. But if I'm to pay for it, I can't afford to skip steps. I will walk into this with eyes wide open, not closed."

"And Koshchei?" He asked me as he added. "How exactly do you plan to deal with him?"

I thought for a moment. And slowly, I came up with a plan that he did too as we began to grin at one another.

"You do realize this can technically be seen as a hostile foreign power invading?"

"As opposed to a hostile, local coup?" I said dryly and he huffed out.

"Point. But I'll let it go because you're so handsome."

We laughed at the stupid joke, I shook my head and held out a hand to shake.

"Till then Tom."

He shook it, smiling as he flicked his wand and the grave of Tom Riddle sr. opened up to reveal a staircase as he spoke.

"Fair travels Tom."

I smiled one last time and with the doll on my shoulder, turned and descended with a lighter heart into the grave.

And came out, back where I had started.

The Dancing Hut was moving through a blizzard now, the sight of snow outside just an expanse of white as far as the eye could see. As I stared, suddenly I glanced at the cauldron in the middle.

Still bubbling, still warm as I found my feet approaching, my hand reaching into my pocket as I took out the nesting doll. I was being compelled, driven to do the last bit... And was stopped.

No words were spoken. Just a gentle, brief query coming from the prison of whether or not I wished to do this.

A choice, given when she had power to do otherwise as I made it.

I dropped the doll into the stew.

And as it sank beneath, there was sudden flash of ice, a rush of heat and then laughter.

Old, twisted laughter that became younger, that was suddenly far more fair as what had been an old crone emerging from the cauldron suddenly became younger.

The doll perked up on my shoulder and leaped off of me to come to her as she embraced it. Stepping out of the cauldron, naked as a bluejay as she flicked her fingers and dressed herself up in robes as white as her hair.

So apparently, Baba Yaga was a looker when she was younger. I could see aspects of Louhi, around the eyes and mouth. But also something of Koschei in the cheekbones, in the way she carried herself as she laughed and tossed the doll up, which spread its arms wide in play as she caught it like it was a child. As she kissed the doll, she glanced at me and finally smiled as she spoke fondly.

"Tom Riddle. A most unique wizard indeed."

I inclined my head and she gestured us to seats as she sat down, hugging the doll as she spoke.

"You have questions I trust?"

"You could say that." I said slowly and she laughed again, shaking her head with a smile.

"Salazar's pride, you know. Think to your stories, to your knowledge."

She looked at me and I breathed out, casting my mind out as I flicked through metaphorical files before I finally spoke.

"You were a Norn. You use Scandinavian runic magic among other things. And in some stories, Baba Yaga is not one person but rather one of three... Like the Norns." She nodded, smiling and for a moment, I was reminded of Dumbledore as I continued.

"But this is older. A principle... Baba Yaga was one of three. And in all of magic, I can only think of one thing to fit the bill. Both in the sisters story as well as the norns. I also had an inkling from Svetlana."

"The girl?" She asked curiously and I nodded and gestured to her fingers.

"I saw your hands before. Reaching out to hug the child, before they were gone. You're not one person, you're three... Or rather, three aspects. Maiden, Mother, Crone."

She blinked and smiled again, much more coquettish as she twirled a strand of hair and added slyly.

"Oh, you are a clever one. But yes. Your actions determined which of us you'd meet."

She blew a kiss to the tabletop between us and mist began to swirl, revealing the past rooms as she continued fondly.

"You rescued my daughter from her endless task. You helped an old, dear friend from his vigil and rescued my handmaidens. And when you met the ugliest, worst aspects of yourself? You didn't kill it, you embraced it and found another way." She moved her hand, the mist and its little caricatures vanished as she spoke fondly.

"For one so cynical as I've seen your mind, you have quite a heroic streak. I am satisfied."

"I'm not." I said as I added. "So, all of this was a test? There was never a way to control the Hut?"

She raised an eyebrow and stared at me before smiling. "Do you control the King of Serpents, Mr. Riddle?"

I blinked. As she smiled even wider, I glance back and forth around the hut before I speak aloud.

"Stop. Please."

The Hut stopped. For a moment, I was quiet before I spoke again.

"Walk three steps forward."

The Hut did so, the room shaking slightly as I asked.

"How did-?"

"From the moment you were accepted as a guest, by me. The tests were simply to determine the form the Hut would take for you." She got up and gently set the doll on the table as she bopped a finger on her nose, making her squirm with pleasure.

Letting out a broader smile she added. "You are clever Mr. Riddle and it has been a pleasure, it truly has to meet you. But do not delude yourself into thinking you have not been a part of a plan I have conceived for a long time now."

The smile didn't change, but there was something about it that made me believe that this was a woman who could grow up to become Baba Yaga as she remarked.

"All is almost in readiness. I go to do what I can. In the meantime, you've everything you need, here."

And with a laugh, she turned and stepped outside the door before vanishing with a crack of displaced air.

I blinked. I felt distinctly played, and more worryingly?

"That situation woke something in me." I said flatly, Vasili's doll giving me the side eye as I cleared my throat and stood up. Inclining my head, I spoke to the Hut.

"To Wolftown. Step on it."

The Dancing Hut bolted into a run and like that, we were hanging on.

=====

It was a misty morning in Montana. Conan would be having coffee on his front porch, facing the forest before he cocked his head. His senses were sharper since his unity, his sense of smell obviously but his hearing as well. There was an odd thud echoing beyond the trees and as he glanced at his coffee, there were ripples as if something big was coming.

A giant perhaps? Conan sighed out, set his mug down and went to get his gun, coming out as the trees moved and he froze, seeing what it was.

A giant hut, on chicken legs though that wasn't the craziest thing. No, it was the fact the door opened and who should poke his head out, but old Riddle himself.

"Of course." Conan muttered as Riddle called out.

"I need lots of wolves with guns! Are you available?"

Conan grinned.

"Let me tell my mother first."