Lylla
Rocket sat at the small dining table on board the Quadrant, tinkering with one of his many weapons. Gamora and Peter entered the room, talking about something or another that didn't capture Rocket's interest.
"It's true, people would go on this ship, and they just fall in love. It was a great show!" Peter explained to his companion.
"I still don't understand. How did the magic boat make people become attracted to each other?" Gamora asked in a disinterested voice. She was just trying to keep Peter occupied while she drank her coffee.
"No, the boat wasn't magical, people would just go on and BANG!" Peter slapped his hands together for dramatic effect, causing Rocket and Gamora to jump. Rocket struck a pressure release valve in his weapon, and some steam shot into his face. "They fell in love. It usually had something to do with divorcees."
"God damn it Quill! How am I supposed to get any work done with you all slapping your pale hands together and taking about a love ship?!" Rocket yelled at the team leader.
"Geez, sorry Rocket. I was just trying to explain to Gamora about the Love Bo…" Peter began.
"I don't care! Can't you talk somewhere else? We have like five common rooms on this ship, use one of them!" Rocket snapped.
"Why don't you use one of them to work on your weapon of limited destruction?!" Peter yelled back.
"Because, all my tools are here, and I need easy access!" Rocket justified.
"Why don't you use the tools in the workshop? They're just as fine Rocket." Gamora reasoned.
"Shut up Lylla, these tools are better." Rocket stated, before his eyes widened slightly.
"Lylla? Who's Lylla?" Peter asked.
Rocket looked at Peter with empty eyes. He swore he saw her standing next to Gamora just a second ago. But that was impossible. "No one. Forget it. I was finished with this anyway." Rocket pushed his weapon aside before jumping from his chair, and walking out of the room.
"That was odd." Peter stated.
Gamora turned her head towards him, about to say something, but just went back to her coffee.
Rocket walked up the stairs to the cockpit, where Kraglin was waiting for his relief.
"Take a break Krag, I've got it." Rocket said as he got up in the right side pilot seat.
"Alright Rock, heading is set towards the Clarminian sector. There'll be another jump in about five minutes." Kraglin explained.
"Got it." Rocket said simply as he transferred control to his station. Kraglin left the cockpit and Rocket was by himself. "Finally."
"Happy now?" He heard a female voice say.
He jumped and looked behind his shoulder. He turned on the autopilot, and jumped down from his seat.
"Who's there?" Rocket stepped cautiously. "Mantis, this better not be another one of your bad attempts at a joke."
"So, I've been replaced?" The voice was behind him again.
He turned and saw a figure in the reflection of the large viewing screen.
"Lylla? But how? How are you…" the bright light of the jump caused Rocket to blink at the bright light. When he opened his eyes, the figure disappeared.
"What the hell is happening to me?" Rocket held his forehead in his hand.
"Furry one, do you require a painkiller?" Rocket jumped at the sudden appearance of Drax.
"For the love of… Drax, don't scare me like that!" Rocket yelled at the large literal alien.
"I apologize. I am known to have soft shoes. Still, you have not answered my question."
"No, I just need to be alone." Rocket walked back to his station, and took the ship back under manual control. "You can go now."
Drax looked at Rocket with an irritated look, before turning, and walking down the stairs.
Rocket breathed out a sigh, and leaned back. The jump ended, and the ship reentered normal space.
"You shouldn't treat your friends like that." The voice returned. Rocket jumped to his feet. "They might not appreciate it."
"Lylla, is that really you?" Rocket looked around for the face he longed to see.
"Was I really so easy to replace? First the Tree, then a Terran, a green assassin, a literal ape, and a bug? I am hurt Rocket. I thought I meant more to you." The voice said.
Rocket spotted the figure in the screen of the cockpit again, and walked towards it.
"No one could replace you, you know that." Rocket tried to reason.
"You forgot about me so easily." The figure said.
"Lylla, I could never forget you." Rocket said, walking closer to the screen.
"How long did you mourn until you moved on with the tree? Did I occupy an hour of your thoughts? A day?" The figure asked.
"A day. And the next day. And the next day, and every day after that Lylla. You were part of me. I loved you." Rocket said as he touched the glass, feeling only the cold surface.
"Love. What do you know of love? All you ever loved was yourself. You and your toys. They were the only thing that gave you any pleasure."
"No."
"The only thing that you gave yourself to."
"No!"
"The only thing that ever captured your heart, and that you couldn't sacrifice to save me!"
"NO!" Rocket fell to his knees, keeping his right paw on the glass. "You think you were the only one to die that day?! I died a thousand times over! Every night when I close my eyes all I see is your bloody corpse lying in that cell! I tried to bring you back, I tried, but they got to you hours before I could get there!"
"You let me get captured! You're the reason I'm dead!" The figure shouted at Rocket.
"You asked me to go, begged me! You wanted to see what the inside of the Kylm was like! I tried to reason with you, but you were adamant!"
"You didn't come in time. You were late. They had plenty of time to hack at me while you messed around. What kind of gun was it that time?"
"I…I… Oh my God. I was late. It was my fault. If I had just… Oh my God! Lylla, it is my fault!"
"They killed me. They killed your friend."
"They killed my soul mate. The only one like me." Rocket stood back up, and put both his paws on the glass. "Lylla, every day I wish that I could see you again. You made my hell of a life bearable. I'm so sorry." Rocket began to sob.
"Sorry gives me nothing."
Rocket's eyes widened, as the figure had transformed into a demonic figure. It engulfed Rocket as he let out a scream.
-RR-
Rocket opened his eyes, blinking a t the bright lights of the medical bay. As his vision came into focus, he made out the face of Peter, Gamora, Drax, Groot, Mantis, and Kraglin.
"What the hell happened?" Rocket questioned, as he brought his paw to his throbbing head.
"You passed out in the cockpit. Drax found you and carried you here." Peter explained.
"There were high levels of Psilocybin in your system, which may have caused you to pass out. Did you experience any hallucinations before you blacked out?" Gamora asked.
Rocket's eyes widened slightly.
"Yeah. I knew it couldn't've been real." Rocket said as he lifted himself to a sitting position.
"What wasn't real bud?" Peter asked.
"She could've never talked to me that way. She'd never blame anyone like that."
"She?" Drax asked.
"She was too kind. Too pure to say any of those things."
"Rocket, who are you talking about?" Peter asked.
"My soul mate!" Rocket answered.
"What?" Peter asked.
"I wasn't the only one who escaped Halfworld that day. I had a companion. Her name was Lylla. She was my rock. She picked my name because she knew how much I wanted to fly across the galaxy, and I named her Lylla, my island, my oasis from the rest of the world."
"That drug must still be in 'im, he's acting all romantic." Kraglin whispered to Mantis, who elbowed him in the side to shut up.
"What happened Rocket?" Gamora asked softly.
"We were traveling in a small stolen freighter, until we heard news about some other escaped animals from Halfworld were being held in the Kylm for further experiments. I wanted nothing to do with it, but Lylla, she wouldn't listen to me. Finally I agreed to let her go to save them. I told her I would pick her up twelve hours later. I was late. She was killed by the prison guard trying to escape, and she… she…" Rocket's voice broke from the held in sobs.
"Rocket." Drax patted Rocket's back.
"All my fault." Rocket said in between the soft sobs.
"No, Rocket…" Peter began.
"I promised her twelve hours, I took thirteen! Thirteen hours! I could've gotten there quicker and my mate would still be alive! My rock. My soul." Rocket covered his face from the tears breaking through.
"Rocket, after Ronan killed my wife, and my daughter, I blamed myself. Before she died, my wife and I had an argument. I don't remember what it was about, I hope it was important. I left my home to calm down. I went into town to drink, when I saw Ronan's ship arrive. I ran back to my home, but was too late. I blamed myself for not being there with my family. It does no good to blame yourself. There is only one person responsible for murder. The murderer. No one else." Drax looked directly into Rocket's wet eyes.
"But I…" Rocket began.
"No one else." Drax said firmer.
Rocket looked into Drax's eyes, then wrapped his arms around his neck for a hug.
"It hurts so much." Rocket said.
"It always does." Drax said.
"Will it ever go away?" Rocket asked.
"Only if you don't allow yourself to be consumed by the sadness. Allow yourself to remember the happy times, and then her life will hold meaning." Drax said, putting his hands on Rockets back.
Rocket allowed a tear drop to fall. He then smiled, remembering the time he and Lylla rubbed that bank on Tryea four. He then glanced at the small window on the medical bay wall, and saw Lylla smilling back at him.
"Goodbye, my love." Lylla said as her image faded.
"Goodbye, my fierce soul." Rocket whispered only loud enough for Lylla to hear as the rest of Rocket's family came together to comfort their friend.
Sorry if this got a little corny, but I felt like this was a side of Rocket's story that had to be told, at least the way I saw it. Let me know what you thought, and stay tuned for more Rocket fics coming soon!
R&R