The light tentacles move back and free the whole team, now entirely in Peter's control. Loki and Yondu gasp, finally able to breathe now and the God of Mischief turns around to see how his love drops motionlessly to the ground. Covered in dust, he doesn't hesitate to stand back up and run over to her, worry filling his emerald eyes.
"Aurora!" He shouts her name desperately as the whole place trembles in the chaos and fight between father and son. Arriving there, he pulls her carefully into his arms, analyzing her injuries. Even though the half Celestial has used the light to regain energy, there are still bruises and fractured bones, her shoulder is covered in blood. The crimson liquid runs down her lips.
"Loki..." A tear runs down her face as she tries to suppress a sob, the movement makes her body ache. Coughing blood, the crimson color streams down her chin. "It hurts... it- it hurts so bad... I- I can't bear this... Please, make it stop..."
He's certain that she's talking about both, physical and mental pain. Yondu and Rocket join them, the raccoon staring shocked at the injured auburn-haired girl. The Ravager strokes her cheek gently, guilt reaching his chest. He delivered Ego so many children before he realized what the Celestial was doing to them, hurting them like Aurora, his daughter.
"Rora..." Yondu's voice is uncharacteristically soft as his heart is torn apart. He has to make up for everything he has done. For her and Peter. "Everything's gonna be alright again. I promise."
"Okay." As tears keep coating her face, she slightly nods.
"Here, an Aero Rig." Rocket attaches it to Loki's back as it wraps around the Frost Giant. The Guardian is genuinely concerned about the girl. "Get her to the ship. I'll follow you guys in a minute."
Loki nods and carries her away, solemnly focused on her safety. Before they fly off, Yondu walks over to them and presses his lips on Aurora's forehead. She barely notices the goodbye kiss as she almost passes out but this only makes it easier for Yondu. Easier to let go of the bubbly girl who he raised like his own flesh and blood. They wanted to catch up on the lost time, to finally live together as a family with Peter. No more secrets, no burden but a happy family. Yet, he knows he has to do the right thing. As their father.
Placing his hand on Loki's shoulder, Yondu sends him a sad smile. "Take care of her."
Loki immediately knows what this is, what Yondu's words mean. This is goodbye. Sorrow touches Loki's face but he doesn't let it mess up his mind. "You have my word."
After their goodbye, Loki and Aurora fly off towards the ship. Aurora's face rests on his chest, tears still netting her face and the God of Mischief already knows that his girl will be devastated about Yondu's sacrifice. She doesn't deserve any of this, no pain, no death. It doesn't take them long until they finally arrive at the surface of the planet and enter the big spaceship. Gamora who has recently checked on Mantis rushes towards them with widened eyes.
"What happened?!" She wants to know as Loki puts Aurora carefully down on a table. The former daughter of Thanos is taken aback by the horrible sight of Peter's half sister.
"Ego punished her for running away. Hand me the towel." He demands and for once, Gamora listens to him and does as he says. Loki places it between Aurora's teeth, so she can bite on it. "I'm sorry, my love, but this healing process will hurt more than usual."
"Wait, what are you doing?" Gamora frowns as his hands starts to radiate a green light.
"To heal her bones, I must refuse them which requires moving. She will endure most of the bone healing within minutes instead of weeks. Are you equipped with alcohol?"
As she passes him a bottle, she watches how he lets Aurora drink the numbing liquid before placing the towel back. "And you can do this? I thought your skills are limited?"
"They are. But if I don't save her, she'll die of blood loss or malfunctioning organs. Hold her still." Although Loki is already weakened by the exhausting fight against Ego, he still refuses to let her die. Glancing at her with endearing eyes, he smiles sadly. "Everything's gonna be alright, love. I shall see you safe."
When his hands start glowing in the familiar green light, Aurora starts to scream in pain through the towel. Biting into the cloth, tears run down her cheek and she continues to cry. Her body feels like it's on fire and she has never gone through so much pain. Just hearing it makes Loki, Gamora and even Nebula flinch, definitely not enjoying the suffering of the demigod.
Gamora is the first one who notices the beads of perspiration on Loki's forehead while he's mumbling incomprehensible words, appearing clearly overstrained. Just when the sorcerer starts to tremble and to pant, she steps in. "Loki, stop it! It's enough."
But his mind is somewhere entirely else. It's with Aurora, back to their time in the dreadful cell. It was not exactly a paradise, but they were safe and together and that's the only thing that matters to him. Her safety. He would do anything to keep her alive. This strong feeling doesn't go unnoticed by the two sisters and they realize how much he has changed. He's become human.
Only when Loki's legs are about to give in and Aurora's scream turn into silence, Gamora pulls him away. He almost collapses, so she has to support him to the chair next to Aurora. "Fool, you should've listened."
"Is she well? Has it worked?" He only wants to know, sweat covering his face and neck. With a sigh, Gamora glances at Aurora who is deeply asleep now, her injuries looking better.
"Yes, it has. You need to rest."
As Loki closes his eyes, Rocket enters the ship with Groot on his shoulder, devastation lingering in his dark eyes. Something is wrong.
"Where's Peter?" Gamora asks him with concern, her voice rising when her friend doesn't answer and rather glances at the ground. "Rocket, where is he?! Rocket?! Rocket, look at me! Where is he?!"
It hits Gamora's heart when the raccoon shakes slowly his head and Groot points with a sad look outside. The message is more than clear. Peter won't make it. Her heart shatters into a million pieces as panic and sorrow start settling in her stomach, her breath quickens. She cannot lose him. Not after everything they've been through. Not as long as there's the unspoken thing between them.
"I'm not leaving without him." She decides with determination and picks up a riffle, cocking it and preparing herself to fly down again. Before she's able to leave the bay door, an electrical blast suddenly hits her from behind. Shock and pain overwhelm her and Gamora drops unconscious to the ground.
"I'm sorry. I can only afford to lose one friend today." Rocket says contritely as he lowers the gun. Now he has to make the hard decisions. No longer wasting any time, he informs the others through the comm. "Kraglin, go!"
The ship starts to fly off and the bay door slowly closes, Rocket's look still hanging on it. In the background, Drax's voice rings through the comm. "Rocket, where's Quill?!"
No answer, just a dreadful silence. Drax soon starts to realize what that means but he refuses to believe it. He refuses to believe that their friend will die like his family did. "Where's Quill?! WHERE'S QUILL?!"
Quietly, Rocket just sucks up the tears.
***
Pain. That's the first thing that shoots through Aurora's consciousness. Way too much pain. Her bones feel heavy like lead and make it even more difficult for her to move. She needs more strength. Her eyelids still bother her view, too tired and exhausted to let them see the light. Every single breath stabs her lungs, making her almost not want to breathe anymore. Just when her ears start to work properly and hear the voices, she has enough strength to wake up.
"Oh, God. I'm so sorry, Peter." Gamora's voice. Then a little sob. Peter's. Whispers and mumbling words. What's going on?
Slowly, Aurora manages to open her eyes, the bright light greeting her. Her whole body still aches but it's less bad, she's in recovery. As her hand twitches, not able to use her voice for the moment, Loki notices that she's awake.
"Aurora." His voice is filled with sorrow and he immediately helps her to sit up before he pulls her into a hug. He was so scared to lose her, to be forced to live without her. She leans against him for a long moment, still in need of rest and she's more than relieved that he survived. This catches the attention of the others and the Guardians stare at them.
"Wha.. What did I miss?" Aurora croaks out, catching Loki's pale face and the looks of the Guardians when she pulls back. "Is everyone okay?"
"I do not wish you to see this. Look away." Loki tries to block her view to protect her from the traumatizing sight but he fails. Standing slowly and carefully up, Aurora's eyes are attached to the blue body on the ground behind her half brother, her breath captured by her lungs.
"What... what is this?" She mutters in disbelief as the shock creeps beneath her skin, her voice shaking. Tumbling weakly towards the blue body, she ignores the pain in her bones and the offer of help from the others. Her mind is scattered and overwhelmed by emotions as an awful assumption grows on her. She would recognize this blue everywhere.
Rocket attempts to step in, but without success. "Aurora— "
"What happened— Oh, my God." Sinking to the ground, Aurora finds herself next to Yondu's dead body. Her chest tightens as it feels like her heart has stopped working, breaking into a million pieces. She's trying to process his condition but she can't, it's too much. Everything's gonna be alright again. I promise. "No... I- I don't understand... How..."
Yondu's body is pale, his blue skin possessing a lighter tone and his eyes are empty and dead. It's nothing more than a shell. Trying to find a pulse, any sign of life, Aurora's breath picks up its pace when she doesn't succeed. No more life has remained. Her father is dead. This realization strikes a nerve and the shock vanishes into seconds, only to be replaced by the wave of emotions that hit her harshly like a storm.
"No! This doesn't make sense!" She screams with a painful devastation as she holds onto Yondu's body, tears streaming down her face. "Please, don't let this be true! Please, NO! This can't– Please, we have to– we have to help him, please, help him! How could this happen?! How can he just be– be dead?!"
Loki presses his lips together, hating how much she suffers. "We cannot save him anymore. Aurora, please, try to calm down– "
"But Yondu is dead!" She shouts and looks completely lost, sobs wrack her body as she continues to cry. "I-I can't believe that Ego killed them both, my mom and my dad! He is- he's dead, I just- I can't do this, I can't— "
Aurora buries her face into Yondu's chest as she sobs against it, holding onto him tightly. The pain is unbearable and breaks the girl, she cannot handle it any longer. "We wanted to catch up on, we- we were supposed to be a family again... I didn't want any of this... Please, dad, open your eyes, I'm begging you, please, don't leave me... I'm not ready to lose you..."
Her voice is torn apart by sobs, almost choking on them as they're stuck in her throat and she refuses to let go of him, still crying into his cold chest. Suddenly, she feels a pair of arms around her and to her surprise, it's Peter. Her half brother is crying too. Although they barely know each other, it feels familiar and right.
And he's the only person who understands her pain and loss.