23 | we're a mess, you and I,
but the truth is,
you captivate me in ways no soul ever will
2023 - Tiamut's place of emergence
"What's happening to the water?" Hestia pointed over at the sea that was starting to move, waves forming at a rapid pace. The waves grew higher and higher, the island in the middle of the ocean breaking apart and washing away.
"I don't know. Maybe it's Tiamut." Druig muttered gazing at the sea.
Suddenly, something rose from the ocean floor, glowing bright red and making the ground rumble from beneath them. The two didn't have to ask each other what was happening now. Even before the surface tension of the water broke, both knew that Tiamut was emerging, and that they were too late. Druig couldn't put it to sleep, and Hestia couldn't extinguish the Celestial from inside.
Pieces of rock fell down as Tiamut rose out of the water, his gold and stone-like 'skin' shining in the sun and the light of the volcano.
"Which one do you think is his head?" Hestia turned to Druig. "I mean, there's like three different things sticking out of the water right now, but I can't really see which is which."
Druig merely rolled his eyes at her and chuckled. He didn't know either. The Celestial was so gigantic, that it would be nearly impossible to see from the ground, where its head was located.
"Oh! Do you think that might be it?" She pointed in the direction she thought might be Tiamut's head. "It has those big lights as eyes. Didn't Ajak say that Arishem has those too?"
Druig squinted his eyes at the lump of rock rising from the ocean floor. "It does look like a head, to be fair." He nodded, impressed.
Hestia spotted something further along the beach and she pulled Druig with her, still using his arm to stabilise herself. She almost tripped over her own legs, but Druig held her up, saving her from a nasty fall.
"Was it really necessary to pull me away?" He asked, looking over at her.
"Yes." Hestia simply said. "I don't wanna miss this." She pulled him along, leaning on him at the same time, meaning they weren't going super fast. Eventually they reached the others. Phastos was standing right in front of Ikaris, who was stuck on the ground by something Phastos had created, golden ropes holding him in place.
"I like this." Hestia complemented Phastos, who laughed back at her. "Oh, me too." He held his arm up, summoning rings, and Ikaris groaned, being held down by the ropes that were tightening, causing him to fall face first.
"Come on, Sersi." Hestia heard Phastos mutter under his breath, still praying the woman would make it. "Come on."
By now, five fingers had seemed to have risen from the sea, holding the volcano in its palm. Slowly but surely, the fingers grew, lifting out of the ocean. The crater of the volcano had started to break apart, revealing a golden surface underneath.
From afar, Hestia could see a figure, kneeling on the golden floor. It was Sersi. She was being shaken by the movement, but managed to steady herself, planting her hand firmly on the floor, together with her knee.
She held her hands up for a moment, staring down at them, before lowering them onto the floor.
"Look! She's doing it!" Hestia informed the others. The golden ground was starting to turn white, Sersi's powers freezing the Celestial. From beside Phastos, Ikaris was groaning, trying to free himself. He succeeded, lasers aimed at the sky.
"Oh shit." Hestia managed to bring out before Phastos, Druig and her were smashed to the ground by an energy blast that came from Ikaris. Makkari came speeding over, checking on Phastos. Only then did she see that Druig was next to Hestia. Her mouth fell open in surprise, not having known that he was still alive.
Ikaris had pushed himself off the ground, flying over to Tiamut and Sersi. Meanwhile, Hestia had received a push from Makkari. "You couldn't even tell me Druig was alive?" She signed with annoyance.
"Well, no, I was busy getting shanked." Hestia responded, making Makkari look at her in shock.
"Who stabbed you?" She signed in disbelief, helping her get up after. "The little simp. She just had to tell me her whole life story beforehand, which honestly, was worse than being stabbed." Hestia rolled her eyes.
Hestia heard Phastos gasp, and when she turned to look at him, she saw that the familiar golden harness was forming around him, the Uni-Mind activating once again. She, too, felt herself rise up, Druig and Makkari next to her rising up in a similar way.
Powers being transferred from all the Eternals, right to Sersi, who was hovering the highest of them all. Above them, the lines connecting them formed a dome, protecting them. As soon as Sersi reached the top, she was slammed down onto the floor again, this time with the powers of all Eternals combined.
Tiamut started to turn white, Sersi's powers turning the Celestial into marble. The hand sticking out of the clouds started curling up, becoming solid before more happened. The connection of the Uni-Mind started fading again, the Eternals being lowered to the ground carefully.
"Is that Ikaris?" Hestia motioned her head to the sky, where a man could be seen, flying up into the clouds. "Well, that's one less." She stated, earning herself an elbow in her side from Druig, who was careful enough not to hit the stab wound. "Hey. I'm wounded."
Sersi had joined the remaining Eternals and so had Thena, who came from a cave inside the mountains that Hestia hadn't seen before. Makkari stepped over to Sersi, giving her a hug and Hestia limped over to Sersi too, holding her arms open and joining the hug. After they let go, Phastos moved over to her.
"How? How did you do it?" He asked Sersi in disbelief.
"When I touched Tiamut's palm I felt energy surging into me." The woman explained, gazing down at her hands. "Tiamut joined our Uni-Mind."
"I always wondered how we survived the destruction of other planets that we were on." Phastos sighed. "By being connected to the Celestial as it emerged."
Makkari strolled over to Thena, shrugging. "We became one, even Ikaris and Sprite." She signed to Phastos. "All because of Tiamut."
She turned her head to see Sprite walking up to them, probably having sensed her vibrations. Druig's arm tightened around Hestia's waist, holding her close.
"Is he gone?" Sprite looked up at the adults, tearing up slightly.
"Sprite," Sersi started, "I still have energy from the Uni-Mind. I think I can make you human."
Sprite's eyes lit up after hearing that she might finally be able to live the life she had always wanted to live.
"All the things you said you wanted, you can have them." Sersi added. "But your time will be fleeting and you'll die one day. Are you ready for that?"
"I am." Sprite choked out as Sersi held out a hand for her to take, and Sprite took it, ready for whatever it might bring her.
Druig loosened his grip on Hestia's waist, moving his arm up, placing it around her shoulder instead, as he placed a kiss on her temple.
"We've done it, my love." He whispered in her ear. She leaned her head down on his shoulder and smiled. "We have."
AN | only one chapter left, idk how to feel.
I feel like the quote at the beginning of the chapter
sums them up perfectly though