Max walked toward the balcony of his house on Okkara, perched high on the slopes of Avengers Mountain. The sounds of people laughing and celebrating echoed through the halls. Music, conversation, and Tasi the mammoth's happy trumpets filled the air.
He carried a cake in his hands, one of many modern delicacies he had introduced to his friends over the years. This one was special, made from ingredients not entirely of this world. Chocolate from cacao beans he had managed to advance in evolution just a few years ago, sugar crystallized from the nectar of Asgardian golden apples, vanilla extracted from flowers that only bloomed in K'un-Lun, and a few extra special ingredients Agamotto had procured from their friends in Nirvana, the home dimension of the Devas.
As he walked, two figures nearly collided with him, an older boy of five chasing a giggling three-year-old.
M'Tanda and Bashenga, the two sons of Azzuri.
"Slow down!" Max called out.
"Sorry, Uncle Max!" they both yelled in unison, laughing as they continued running past him, their small feet pattering across the stone floors.
"Damn kids," Max muttered with a smile.
He spotted Shani, Azzuri's wife and Queen of Wakanda, walking over with an exasperated expression. "Do NOT run in the house!" she called after them. When they did not stop, she raised her voice. "M'Tanda! Bashenga! I said STOP!"
They skidded to a halt immediately and turned back with identical sheepish expressions. "Sorry, Mama."
Shani sighed, then looked to Max with a knowing smile. "Do not laugh. That will be you in two years."
"Mine will be well behaved," Max said confidently.
"Oh, you naive man..." She then glanced at the cake in his hands. "Is that the special cake you have been boasting about for weeks?"
"Of course. It will be the best thing you have ever tasted," Max said proudly.
"Then let us not waste any time," she said, following him.
They stepped out onto the balcony, which was already filled with guests celebrating the occasion.
The space was beautiful, open to the sky with sweeping views of Okkara's landscape and the ocean beyond. Construct lights floated overhead, casting a warm, festive glow. Tables were laden with food that had been brought and prepared by many hands.
Agamotto and Fan were deep in conversation, the Sorcerer Supreme gesturing animatedly while Fan listened with patient amusement, occasionally nodding or asking pointed questions that made Agamotto pause and reconsider his statements.
Nearby, Nur stood with several of his high-ranking generals from his settlement, now nearly a proper city with thousands of men and women living there peacefully. He was discussing something serious, but his expression softened when he noticed Max approaching with the cake.
Even Tasi was present, the massive mammoth drinking from a specially constructed pool. Her trunk occasionally sprayed water playfully at anyone who ventured too close, mostly Agamotto's students. The younger ones shrieked with laughter as they were rewarded with impromptu showers.
Max looked around for the rest of them and spotted Firehair, Azzuri, Ghost, and Vnn, who was now in his detransformed state, something he could manage for short periods of time thanks to Fan's training. All of them were looking up at the sky, pointing at something.
But he could not see the person he had left sitting in her chair before he went to bring the cake.
The person this was all for, actually.
His daughter.
His daughter, who would turn one year old today.
His Aurora.
The last two years had been the happiest of his life. Well, okay, maybe not the last three months of Firehair's pregnancy. There was that incident where she almost destroyed the moon because Odin told her she was "too big to go into battle." He had meant to say "too pregnant," but the words came out wrong, and it all ended with Odin being thrown into the moon and breaking his hand. Other than that, yeah, it was great.
He had never really thought about being a father before. The experience was something else entirely. The moment he saw her, small and perfect, with tiny fingers that wrapped around his, he loved her unconditionally. Nothing in any universe mattered more than this tiny person who looked at him with complete trust.
He and Firehair had named her Aurora because their relationship had begun under the most beautiful auroras in the universe. It was also something they both still loved to do, traveling to other planets or sometimes just staying on Earth, simply to gaze at the auroras together.
Now, where is she? he thought.
"Look up, Max," Jade said, amusement clear in her tone.
Max looked up, and his eyes widened. There in the sky was Odin, flying with Aurora in his arms.
The little girl, with black hair inherited from him and brilliant blue eyes from Firehair, squealed happily as Odin flew loop-de-loops, her baby laughter carrying across the mountain. Her tiny hands were outstretched, experiencing pure joy.
Max immediately rushed to the edge of the balcony. "ODIN! GET HER DOWN FROM THERE!"
He turned to Firehair, who was watching calmly, a small smile on her face. "Why did you let him do that?!"
"She's safe, Max," Firehair said. "You know he would not drop her."
"You can't know that!" Max protested.
Ghost and Azzuri laughed.
"You know, I expected Firehair to be the overprotective parent," Ghost said with a grin. "Not you."
"Me as well," Vnn agreed with Ghost.
Odin landed gracefully, Aurora giggling delightedly in his arms. "How did you like that, little fire star?" he said warmly. "Uncle Odin is the fun uncle. Not like these boring old—"
"Obviously I'm the fun uncle," Azzuri interrupted, offended. "She quite enjoyed her time in Wakanda."
"Ha, you always bore her to sleep with your stories," Ghost said. "Who does she really like spending more time with? You, or Uncle Ghost and his dear friend Tasi?"
"Please," Nur said, stepping forward with a slight smile. "It is clearly me."
"It is me, no doubt. I have sensed immense potential in her, mystical, cosmic, beyond anything I have ever encountered. I plan to make her my apprentice, and maybe one day she will succeed me as Sorcerer Supreme," Agamotto added.
"It is not any of you," Firehair said, cutting through the noise. "It's Vnn."
Silence.
"Me?" Vnn looked genuinely shocked.
"She does like you a lot more than the others," Max said. "I think it's your transformed state. That is the only time you are gentle with anything."
"That is a load of—" Odin stopped when he caught Max's glare.
"At least I don't have that much competition for being the favorite aunt," Fan said with amusement.
"I wouldn't say that," Shani countered, smiling.
Then Tasi trumpeted loudly, clearly offended. She was obviously the best aunt, and everyone should know it.
Laughter burst out as Max took Aurora from Odin, holding her close protectively. She immediately grabbed his nose with one tiny hand, giggling.
"Dada," she said clearly.
Max kissed her forehead. "Alright, everyone. Time to cut the cake!"
He had introduced this tradition years ago at Azzuri's birthday. Now, in Wakanda and among their extended group, cake was cut on birthdays. He wondered if it would spread beyond them, becoming a shared feature across cultures, something future archaeologists would marvel at.
They gathered around as Max set Aurora back in her chair.
The cake was magnificent, three tiers decorated with edible constellations that glowed faintly, courtesy of Agamotto's magic. Aurora's eyes went wide with wonder.
"Make a wish, little one," Firehair whispered, though Aurora was too young to understand.
Max helped her blow out the single candle, which was actually a tiny construct that dispersed into harmless sparkles when extinguished. Aurora clapped her hands in delight.
They cut the cake, and to everyone's amazement, it was everything Max had promised.
"By the Norns," Odin said, pausing mid bite. "This is incredible."
"Told you," Max said smugly.
Aurora received her own small piece, which she immediately demolished with her hands, getting frosting absolutely everywhere, her face, her hair, her clothes. She laughed the entire time, clearly having the time of her life.
The celebration continued. There were gifts, far too many gifts.
Odin presented an enchanted toy hammer that crackled with harmless lightning, which Max immediately confiscated. "She's one, Odin!"
"It's never too early to learn how to fight, you know!" Odin protested.
Azzuri gave her a set of vibranium blocks that could be shaped into anything.
Fan presented a small jade bracelet that would protect Aurora from negative chi and harmful intentions.
Ghost offered a small carved figurine of Tasi, enchanted to move and play with Aurora when she held it.
Agamotto presented an ancient tome, though this one was for when she was older, he insisted, a book of beginner spells with moving pictures.
Nur presented her with toys he had made himself using his powers, along with jewelry crafted by his people.
Even Vnn had brought something, a beautifully carved wooden toy.
Soon, Aurora was sleepy from all the excitement. Max and Firehair put her to bed together, and after that, all of them found themselves back on the balcony, drinking as the party slowly wound down.
"To Aurora," Odin said, raising his mead horn high. "May she inherit her father's courage and her mother's strength. May she have her father's compassion and her mother's fierce protection of those she loves. May she grow wise, powerful, and kind."
"And hopefully neither of their stubbornness," Fan added with a smile.
"To Aurora," they all echoed, drinking deeply.
Max looked at the sun setting…
A beautiful end to a beautiful day…