Vormir
“In order to take the stone, you must loose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul. For a soul”
Druig and Makkari look at each other with longing in their eyes. They both knew what was being asked of them, they just did not want to admit it.
“Makkari…” Druig started.
Don’t Druig
“We have to-”
Just please…don’t. Be with me now.
Druig gave in. He would always give in to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in to the tightest hug she’d ever had. He felt her soft cries against his armor and he just nuzzled his face into her shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes before he pulled away.
Druig looked down saw her still crying.
“Makkari”
No answer.
“Makkari please look at me” he lifted her chin upwards so his eyes would be facing hers.
No Druig. I don’t want to do it.
“You don’t have to do anything my love-”
N-no Makkari’s hand signals started to get sloppy as she started to break down again. This time falling to her knees. Druig fell with her, cradling her small body in his lap. It broke his heart to see her cry, especially since he was the one doing so.
It’s not fair Druig. Why us? Why not anyone else? Makkari signed looking up at him and cupping his cheek.
“Was it ever fair for us? The only thing I’m regretting is not telling you sooner”
I feel like I wasted so much time. I should have come with you when you left Tenochtitlan Makkari signed.
“I could never have asked you to leave. You would have been miserable just staying still…
And if you stayed you would have been miserable as well
“I guess it was never in the cards for us”
Don’t say that. We would always find our way back to each other.
“And we’ll do it again, my beautiful, beautiful, Makkari”
How can you be so sure?
“Because, we’ve lived thousands of lifetimes. This one will be no different, I promise”
Makkari smiled and pressed her forehead against his, this was their way of showing their love for one another.
“Makkari, there’s something I have to tell you…”
Don’t Druig. If you say it now, it means it’s goodbye
“I wish we had more time, but we don’t and I’m going to tell you this because if I don’t tell you now, I never will”
Makkari sighed and nods her head.
“Okay listen. Makkari, I love you. I’ve always loved you. I’ve loved you since my first breath…and I’ll love you till my last”
Oh Druig…I love you too Makkari signs and grabs Druig’s cheeks and kisses him. The kiss is firm, but tender. It was as if they were fitting the past several thousand years, into the next couple moments. Druig pulled Makkari in close as he placed his hands on her waist, he knew what was going to happen next, but he just wanted to savor this moment as long as he could.
He reluctantly pulled away and looked at her, she tenderly kissed him one more time.
I’m sorry she signs to him
Before he can react she swiftly kicks him, so he falls under his feet. Makkari gives him one last glance before she runs in the direction of the cliff. She was going to do this, for him, for Druig. Druig’s reflexes kicked in and he grabs her ankle, causing her to fall right next to him. Druig pins her down with his body, staring back into those brown eyes of hers.
“Are you fucking crazy Makkari? You were just gonna sacrifice yourself for me”
Makkari flips him over, so she’s the one on top of him. Like you were going to do to me?
Druig flips her over, so he’s on top one more time. “I can’t let you do this”
Makkari smirks I pictured you doing this in a different context.
“Haha, very funny”
I’m a funny girl Makkari signs and pins him down once more I’m also a fighter, you can’t beat me
“Maybe not, but I am smarter”
Druig’s eyes began glowing gold and Makkari’s grasp on him loosened.
D-druig…no…you promised Makkari signed.
Druig breathes heavily as he got up and slowly walked towards Makkari. He gently took her hand . “I’m sorry Makkari. I know I promised I would never do this to you. But I also promised I would protect you at all costs” he says softly cupping Makkari’s cheek as he walks towards the edge.
Makkari closes her mind, she knows that Druig can’t take full control of it unless she lets her. She breaks free from his hold and super speeds over to him, grabbing his hand and pulling it back, pushing him up against the rock wall.
“Makkari enough! Let me do this!” Druig yells, getting angry for the first time at her.
No! The world and the team needs you Druig!
“No they don’t! No one needs me!”
I need you. I need you to be alive. For me. I love you Druig. Makkari signs slowly, so he can read her. The two take a deep breath as Makkari leans in to kiss him once more. She then slams him into the rocks as hard as she could without causing too much physical damage.
She runs at fulls speed to the edge of the cliff, looking back at Druig once more and jumps.
It all happens in slow motion to Druig. He is yelling at her to stop, scrambling to get to his feet in time, but he is too late. He looks over the edge of the cliff and see’s her in an awkward position.
Tears start streaming out of his eyes like a waterfall as he falls to his knees. “MAKKARI!” He yells into space as the sky starts changing color.
“It is done” the figure breathes out.
Druig’s expression changes from mourning to anger with a flip of a switch. “You! You bring her back right now” he says grabbing the figures cloak and pulling him forward.
“I cannot undo what is done. She chose to make the ultimate sacrifice. You must live with that” the figure responds.
With that, Druig’s world goes black. When he awakes he is in shallow water laying face up. He gets up quickly, observing his surroundings. He is on another planet with a red sky and dark clouds. He looks around and realizes he is holds something in his hands. He looks down and see’s a small yellow stone sitting innocently in the palm of his hand.
Emotion fills Druig as he grips it tight. This is what Makkari sacrificed herself for? A dumb rock smaller than my hand? He thinks to himself. Out of anger he wants to throw the stone as far away as possible, thinking-no hoping it will bring her back, but he doesn’t. That’s not what she would have wanted. Instead he closes his eyes and lets the tears free fall down his face again.
Just then he’s transported back to Earth where the rest of the Eternals are high-fiving each other.
He can’t help but fall to his knees in exhaustion. Kingo and Ikaris look in his direction.
Druig where’s Makkari?” Kingo asks.
All Druig can do is look at his team. Thena, Gilgamesh, Sprite, Sersi, Ajak, Ikaris, Phastos and Kingo, and just shake his head.
Sersi looses her breath and turns to cry into Ikaris’s shoulder. He reciprocates and pulls her close, letting a tear fall down his cheek.
Sprite starts crying to Ajak’s arms, Ajak tries to soothe her, but she too can’t help breaking down at the loss of her daughter.
Phastos doesn’t hold back his tears for his lost friend. After a few moments, he turns to leave the room, excusing himself to call his own family.
Thena and Gilgamesh look at each other and grab hands. They bow their heads down in honor of their fallen friend.
“No, no, no! What happened?” Kingo says trying to get Druig off his knees to no avail.
“The soul stone…you needed to sacrifice a soul for a soul” Druig said weakly.
“Stop acting like she’s dead. Why are you acting like she’s dead? We have the stones right? As long as we have the stones we can bring her back right Ikaris? So stop, we’re fucking Eternals-” Kingo says stubbornly.
“You can’t get her back” Druig says interrupting Kingo.
“W-what?” Kingo says out of breath.
“It can’t be undone…it can’t” Druig says simply.
Kingo starts to laugh, “I’m sorry, no offense, but you have been pessimistic all your life. Makkari might have been able to see through that bullshit but I won’t. We can get her back!”
“Well she still isn’t here is she?” Druig says challenging Kingo getting up close to his face. “It can’t be undone! Or that’s at least what the red floating guy had to say. Maybe you should go talk to him huh?”
“Druig…” Ajak tried to calm him down.
“No Ajak! Maybe Kingo the movie star should charm his way through the floating guy’s heart and he can bring her back, because hell if that brings her back then I say do it!” Druig starts to yell.
Everyone looks at Druig, they know he is hurting the most.
“It was supposed to be me” he cries out, not usually one to cry in front of his family. Only Makkari had ever seen him cry. This gets their attention.
“Makkari sacrificed her life for that goddamn stone, she put her life on it. It was supposed to be me!” He yells out at the top of his lungs. Releasing a scream that even makes Thena shed a tear.
Kingo steps forward. “If she’s not coming back…We have to make it worth it. We have to.”
Ikaris nods in agreement. “We will”
Druig scoffs “Of course you say that. Always the optimistic hero”
“Druig I know you’re upset right now…”
“UPSET? Makkari died for this fucking stone. How would you feel if it was Sersi who did instead?”
“Do NOT bring my wife into this” Ikaris threatens, leaving Sersi’s embrace and walking over to Druig.
“Ikaris stop!” Sersi pleads, trying to pull him back.
“Of course. The perfect Ikaris. He has the perfect life. Power. Partner. What could ever go wrong for him?” Druig taunts.
“Druig I’m warning you” Ikaris says in a low voice.
“What? I’ve already lost my love, what else could you do to me? A part of me died back on Vormir. So do your worst” Druig says flatly.
Ikaris stops in his tracks. He looks back at Sersi and calms down. “I’m sorry Druig, you’re right, I don’t know what it feels like”
Druig looks up at him, not expecting him to apologize. He bows his head down and walks away. That was the calmest interaction that Ikaris and Druig had ever had.
He looks at the rest of his team before turning to leave the room.
“Where are you going?” Ajak asks.
“To be alone. Don’t anyone you you fall of me” He says. Even though the others want to follow him, they don’t.
Druig makes his way up to his bedroom hallway. He turns to face Makkari’s door, they were room neighbors, often choosing to have sleepovers then sleep alone.
He walks into her room and sits in her bed. It still smells like her. He looks over at the bed stand table and see’s a familiar artifact that the two love. An emerald tablet. He grabs the tablet and holds it close to his chest and starts to cry, thinking about the memory for when she surprised it to him.
Druig sat at the end of his bed, reading a book, when Makkari zoomed in.
“You’re lucky you’re you. You’re the only one I let into my room without knocking”
I know. I hear you yell at Ikaris all the time Makkari signs back.
“What can I do for you my beautiful, beautiful, Makkari?”
I have a surprise for you she signs, clutching her brown leather messenger back.
“And what would that be?” Druig asks sitting up, putting his book away.
Close your eyes Makkari signs and he does what he is told.
He can hear her rustling around in her bag before it going silent. He opens his eyes and see’s her standing before him holding an emerald tablet
“No way, oh my god Makkari you found it!” Druig exclaimed excited, holding the artifact in his hands.
Makkari was dancing around his room excitedly. I know, I was going to save it for your birthday, but I couldn’t wait! She signs.
“It’s beautiful, thank you Makkari” Druig says while signing, putting the gift down and brings her into a hug.
So you like it? Makkari asks raising her eyebrow.
“No I don’t like it…I love it!” Druig says lifting her into the air and twirling her around. “I could kiss you!”
Makkari’s smile fades, as does Druig’s as they both blush excessively.
“I could-I mean I’d like to. I-may I? We me? I mean may we? Wait what?” Druig flusters.
Makkari rolls her eyes and kisses him on the cheek. We may she signs.
Druig can’t contain his happiness as he leans in to kiss his best friend, the one he’s been longing to kiss for lifetimes now.
You sure know how to keep a girl waiting Druig. Several thousands years later… Makkari signs.
“I know I know”
Well then? What are you waiting for? Do it again. Makkari signs.
Druig happily obliges and kisses her a bit firmer this time, making it lead into deep make out session. He pulls her onto his lap and she straddles him. She’s about to take off his shirt when Druig’s door knocks.
“Druig! It’s Ikaris, we have an update about the stones. Find Makkari and meet in the briefing room in 5”
“The one time he actually knocks…” Druig mumbles. Makkari laughs and get’s off of him.
“Noooo, where are you going?”
You heard the man. Let’s go. The sooner we finish this meeting, the sooner we can finish this Makkari signs, straightening out her hair.
“Remind me to kill Ikaris” Druig signs, straighten out his shirt.
Makkari laughs. Come on grumpy, we’ll continue after the mission okay?
Druig chuckles, “Okay”
Except that never happened. They never picked up where they left off because soon after that meeting ended they were sent off to find the stones to ‘save humanity’.
Druig let out a sigh. I wish you were still here my dearest Makkari. I don’t know what I would do without you.
Just then Ajak appears at the door. “I thought you would be here”
“Go away Ajak, I thought I said-”
“I know what you said. And I will respect that, just listen to this” Ajak responds, putting a hologram projector in front of him.
“What is this?” Druig asks.
“Makkari asked me to give this you should anything happen to her. I don’t know what it says, but you should listen to this when you’re ready” she replies, kissing him on the forehead and leaving without saying another word.
Druig looks at the device and presses a button. Just then, a figure of Makkari pops out and projects itself onto the floor.
Hello Druig. If you’re watching this, then it probably means I’m not here anymore. I hope to god that you’ll never see this, but you never know. I just wanted to say how much I love you, more than a friend. I know you think you’re not import, but you are. You were the most important thing in my life. So I just want you to think that you are just as important to the team as anyone else and to stop being so hard on yourself. You are more than you think. I love you Druig. Keep smiling! Makkari sign happily before the message ends on her smile.
Druig looks at her smiling face before him and reaches out to touch it. His hand immediately goes through the hologram and disappointment floods his face.
He wipes his tears on the sleeve of his shirt and grabs the hologram message and closes it.
I love you my dearest Makkari. Your sacrifice will not be in vain. I will save this planet for you. Druig thinks clutching the soul stone in his hands.