Golden Horns and Red Thorns

The End of the Beginning

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TERA

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     I cried into him, my chest heaving with shallow breaths as I latched onto Loki like he was my life line. My body was trembling - from anger and fear. It wasn't sinking in that I had killed Thanos. And it definitely wasn't sinking in that I had killed him with magic... My magic.

     Loki rubbed soothing circles on my back, hushing me while his other hand carded through the strands of my tangled hair. The cold air rushed around us at the top of the cliff, and it was comforting compared to the heat that had spread throughout my body. I was overwhelmed, to say the least, with emotions.

     I had just got Loki back, only to watch him fall to his certain death, only to see that he was still well and alive... Again. I just killed Thanos - the monster who had set a plague to my planet and who had destroyed half of the universe with just one snap.

     'Snap... SNAP.' I froze, tearing myself away from Loki and pushing past the group of people that surrounded us. I ran over to the Infinity Spear that lay on the ground near his corpse, and picked it up slowly.

     As soon as I touched it, the group of people became defensive, getting in positions to fight. Loki stood up with a wince, making his way to me.

     "Tera, put it down."

     "No-"

     "No?" A girl with red hair butt in, walking towards me with red threads of magic weaving through her fingers.

     "That's not what I meant-"

     "Tera, you need to put it down. Now." Loki demanded shakily.

     "Can you let me talk?" I snapped breathlessly.

     "So this is Tera?" A young boy in a some type of a metal suit asked Loki, coming up next to him.

     "Yes, this is her." Loki smiled down fondly at the boy, then back up to me. He took a couple of steps closer to me, reaching out his hand to touch my own over the spear. He nodded to me, telling me to go ahead and speak what I needed.

     "We need to destroy it. I don't know how or- Maybe I do... I don't know. But we need to finish this, it isn't over yet. As long as these stones exist, it'll never be over."

     "She's right." A man in a red cloak agreed, taking his place next to Loki.

     "But, not here," Another man spoke - his accent thick. His suit looked familiar. "There are people on Earth who need to know it is destroyed, and who would very much like to see it so."

     I peered up at Loki, hoping he would call the shots with this. I've been doing enough of that for the past two days. He gave me another nod.

     "I think an introduction from everyone will be something that is needed..." He chuckled, kissing my forehead softly, a rush of air coming from the God as he sighed into me.

     I looked around at the group. There were ten of them, most looking somewhat human. I spotted Groot, and three of the other Guardians standing next to him.

     I looked to them sorrowfully, knowing who lay at the bottom of the cliff.

     "I... I'm so sorry."

     They knew instantly what I was referring to. Quill clenched his jaw, looking away from the group to keep his tears from falling.

     "Where's Rocket?" I asked them, trying to take their minds off of Gamora.