Goddess of Stories | Loki & Peter

Surprise bitch. Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me.

At some point on the ride to Nidavellir, the rabbit (he, of course, knew it wasn't a rabbit, but he was yet to be corrected) let out a loud sigh and sat himself beside him.

"So," Rocket said, "dead sibling, huh? Must suck."

Thor smiled. The creature was obviously not used to 'heart to heart' talks, and yet he was trying his best to help him. Truly, he was a kind creature. Thor mustn't have been wrong in his assumption that he was the team leader.

"Verily. I remain hopeful that some of my people have escaped, but Loki... they angered Thanos himself. It is unlikely that they escaped."

"You got any other family?" He asked.

"My father passed away just recently, and with his death my sister Hela was released from her prison and killed many Asgardians - including my best friends. I had to kill her by starting Ragnarok, which destroyed my home. My mother was killed long ago by a dark elf. Loki was all the family I had left, and they are likely dead." Thor shrugged like each death wasn't an incredibly heavy weight on his shoulders and turned his head to keep the tears welling up in his eyes private.

"No friends at all..?" Rocket asked quietly.

"Perhaps the Valkyrie and Hulk survived. And I've heard no word of Sif. I hold hope in my heart of their survival, but I fear that I'm indeed the last Asgardian." He chuckled with no joy. "A king without a kingdom."

"You sure you're up for this?" Rocket asked. "We've saved the universe before, you can sit this out if you want. We can drop you off on some nice planet."

Thor sighed. "I appreciate your kind offer, but I don't think I can move on unless I battle this foe alongside you."

Rocket nodded and hesitated for a moment before awkwardly patting Thor on the head. Thor was touched by the gesture and smiled as the rabbit went back to the driver's seat, telling Groot to get off his electronic device as he did.

"I am Groot." The tree shot back in response.

Thor laughed at the insult. "He has you there, my friend."

Rocket pulled a face. "You can understand Groot?"

"Of course, I took an elective on it in school."

Rocket shook his head. "Figures..."

"I am Groot."

Thor chuckled. "No, I will not teach you any new swear words."

-

The trip to Nidavellir took two days, even with the assistance of jump points, as Asgard had forbidden any jump points being built near any of the nine realms. After their last jump point, their communication systems had failed, so they had no idea how the other's search for the reality stone went.

"Wait 'til you see it, my friends! It will be the most beautiful thing you have ever seen!"

"Well, we're approaching now. If the star you talked about isn't an actual star, I'll kill you myself for disappointing me."

"I am Groot."

"That's way too specific." Rocket said with disgust.

"I haven't been to Nidavellir since I was a boy." Thor sighed. "The spinning rings were one of the first wonders of the universe that I saw."

"Spinning? They seem pretty still to me."

Thor started and rushed to the window. Nidavellir was there, but its rings were stuck and covered in ice, and the forge wasn't lit. The place that once drew wonder for him now turned his skin cold.