Drax flew up onto the surface spotting the Quadrant waiting for him there. He darted for the ship and Kraglin opened the loading door, but huge swatches of the planet reached up and grabbed onto the Quadrant, yanking it down. Kraglin, freaking out, threw the thrusters into high gear and they flared as the massive ship struggled to free itself from Ego's tendrils. It did pull itself up for a moment, but the tendrils tightened, slamming it back down. The whole Quadrant started to tip over. Kraglin fell down against the side of the ship.
Drax saw the ship falling toward him and he ran away from it in fear, but he arrived at the edge of a cliff. He crouched as the ship continued down toward him, about to squash both he and Mantis, but Kraglin heroically crawled his way back up to the controls as he dangled from them and pushed on the thrusters, so that the ship went back upright. Drax turned and again ran toward the Quadrant.
Gamora, Rhea, and Nebula were still rising on the rift when they slammed into a wall near the opening in the surface of the planet.
Quill and Taylor turned to see Ego, in his terrifying skeletal light form, strolling down towards them as the land around him parts like the red sea. As Ego wallked, the dirt and molecules around him formed the organs in his body, piecing himself back together. A tentacle slammed Yondu to the ground and covered his entire body. Rocket was hollering as he fired at tentacles, but they overwhelmed him.
The earth wrapped around Drax's legs like quicksand, pulling him and Mantis down into it. Rhea, Gamora, and Nebula scrambled, trying to climb back up, when tendrils wrap around them, stopping them from going further. The walls were tightening around Groot. He grew his branches to try to stop them, but they weren't working. He began to cry, terrified, on the brink of suffocating.
Ego approached his son and daughter fully formed, and he was more truly "himself", more alien with dark eyes and pale skin.
"I told you I don't want to do this alone." Ego snarled then glared down at Taylor who stood with her spear in hand, glowing softly. "Maybe you won't be so useless after all." Ego said as he flicked his wrist and a tentacle knocked Taylor's spear from her hands before a tendril of light thrust into her. "With your power and Peter's I'll be able to expand even faster."
"Taylor!" Peter tried to grab her, but once again, the light tendrils stabbed Peter's back, thrusting him to his knees next to her.
"You cannot deny the purpose the universe has bestowed upon you!" Ego said as smaller light tendrils stabbed into their faces and bodies. The light was being sucked out of Peter and Taylor then up into the Self Chamber once more as it burst with light causing the plants on the other planets reactivate. "It doesn't need to be like this Peter." Ego approached his son. "Why are you destroying our chance?! Stop pretending you aren't, what you are! One in billions. Trillions, even more! With your sister here I won't even have to completely suck you dry, I can take it all from her and spare you to rule by my side." Quill looked up at Ego, barely able to focus, as the molecules form skin over the muscle and skeleton and innards beneath. "What greater meaning could life possibly have to offer?!"
"I don't use my head to fly the arrow, boy! I use my h…" Yondu struggled beneath the tentacle beside Quill before it covered his face.
"Peter!" Taylor reached out to him, in a blind panic her only thoughts were to get to her brother. "Take my hand! Take my hand Peter!"
"Taylor…" Peter struggled, reaching for her, and they managed to grab ahold of each other's hands and suddenly everything went quiet. Tears came to their eyes as they were bombarded with shared memories, those they had experienced together and those of what had happened to them when they were apart.
Young Peter and Taylor cuddled up with their mother listening to music on the Walkman together, the headphones turned up all the way so they could all hear.
Taylor practicing with Mordo and Wong, various spell seals flickering to life before them as the Ancient One watched over them.
Quill and Drax laughing hysterically on the Milano.
Taylor and the Avengers at the after party of one of Tony's famous parties trying to encourage each other to pick up Thor's hammer.
Peter and Rhea looking into each other's eyes and dancing on Knowwhere.
Taylor and Strange having one of their music nights trying to outdo each other on who could remember the most songs and their artists.
Peter and Rocket flying through the sky on aero-rigs for the first time, smiling as the air rushes through their hair, baby Groot happily clutching into Peter's back.
Taylor forming the snow in front of Barton's house and the snowball fight that all of the Avengers had had together.
Yondu and young Quill in the forest, Yondu's arm is on Peter's arm as he teaches him to shoot.
These were just a few memories that flitted through their minds as they drew strength from them and from each other. Peter looked back up at Ego, gripping tightly to Taylor's hand. Through their strange new mental connection Taylor understood what to do. Between their joined hands a light was growing within. Bits of earth began to roll up and scramble and swirl around Peter and Taylor's bodies, arms, legs, as if they're pulling them towards themselves with magnets. Ego looked confused, as the ground around him shook.
"You shouldn't have killed our mom!" Quill glared at his father, his voice distorting with Celestial thunder.
"You should not have attacked our friends, our galaxy, or our planet!" Taylor's voice to crackle with the energy of the Celestial power now awakened by Peter inside of her.
"And you shouldn't have squished my Walkman." Peter snarled as a solid tornado of earth propelled the Quill twins forward. Ego tried to protect himself as they slammed into him, Taylor flying upwards with him, throwing him to Peter who raised his fist, now a giant club and smashed Ego hard. The followed up, Peter grabbing Ego by the throat and repeatedly smashing his head in over and over again.
As Ego lost his concentration his attempts against the other guardians cease. A pair of arms were protruding from the surface of the planet, still holding Mantis aloft. The earth fell away, and Drax, who was entirely covered, heaved for breath. The tendrils fall, freeing Rhea, Gamora, and Nebula as they gasp. Yondu broke through the rocks around him, drawing in breath. The tentacles holding Rocket aloft crumble, and he looked around, confused.
The tunnel around Groot snapped back to what it was. Once more he could see the light at the tunnel's end, and one looked like a giant brain composed of prismatic light. He ran forward as Rocket flew up and yelled.
"Groot! Groot, if you can hear me, hurry up - I'm not sure how long Quill and his sister can keep him distracted!" Rocket called out to him.
Groot arrived at the end of the tunnel, and stopped there. The center of the core held a huge cosmic placenta, and, within that, Ego's true self, a cosmic brain roiling furiously in reflection of its fight with the Quill twins, thrashing around within this womb. Although afraid, Groot placed the bomb on the placenta.
Groot stared at both buttons, scared - he didn't know which one to pick. Groot made a decision on which button to press and went to push the death button. Then his finger stopped just millimeters from the button, trembling. He thinks and then changed the course of his finger, pushing the correct button and the countdown commenced. Baby Groot turned, terrified, and ran for it.
Drax moved with Mantis into the loading bay throwing her down and climbed up a ladder. Rhea, Nebula, and Gamora, climbed up to the surface in the dirt storm.
Ego rose on his own molecular tornado and hit back at Peter and Taylor, yelling as he slammed them back against the wall. He violently threw Taylor to the ground with one of his tentacles while dragging Peter's face along the wall. Taylor bounced sliding along the floor, a clinking sound causing her head to snap up as she watched in horror as her sling ring fell of the edge into a deep abyss, but she had no time to worry about that. Ego Tossed Peter into another wall, briefly fending off Taylor who shot white celestial fire at him, before doing the same to her.
Peter brought his arm filled with light away from the wall, so that he caused a wave of light and rock around the interior of the hollow, flying to Ego and knocking him aside. Yondu protected his face as dirt swirls in the wake of the family battle. Rocket, carrying Groot, flew back down beside him.
"Yondu! We're about to blow!" Rocket told him.
"Get to the ship." Yondu ordered.
"Not without Quill and Taylor." Rocket replied.
"You gotta take care of the twig." Yondu told him.
"Not without you." Rocket said.
"I ain't done nothing right my whole damn life, rat. You need to give me this." Yondu said and Rocket, hesitantly, nodded. He grabbed some things from his bag and handed them to Yondu.
"Two space suits and one aero rig." Rocket said and Yondu nodded, Rocket nodding back. Rocket started to go, but stopped and looked at Yondu. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what.
"I am Groot." Groot said it for him.
"What's that?" Yondu asked.
"He says welcome to the frickin' Guardians of the Galaxy... only he didn't use 'frickin'." Rocket told him.
"Bye, twig." Yondu said solemnly and Groot waved as Rocket flew toward the surface.
"We're gonna need to have a discussion about your language." Rocket told Groot.
"I am Groot." Groot replied raising his chin.
"Yeah, well let's see if that argument works on Rhea." Rocket shot back.
"I am Groot." Groot said meekly.
-0-
Ego slammed Quill back against a wall and pulled the huge rocks away from the wall, flying them toward him and battering him there. Taylor called her spear back to her and formed a spell seal breathed in cosmic light shooting a beam at Ego hitting him into a rocky pillar breaking it in half. Peter flew next to her side as Ego recovered, the twins flew straight at him, Ego doing the same.
Ego used the light to bring rocks to his body forming a giant avatar of himself. Quill brought yellow rocks to his body forming a giant Pac Man and not to be out done Taylor did the same forming Ms. Pac Man. The three large form flew into each other so hard there was a deafening sonic boom. They all fell still striking one another on the way down and landing hard as the timer on the bomb only had one minute left.
-0-
Rhea and Gamora were caring for Mantis, Nebula standing over them as Rocket and Groot arrived. Rhea instantly shot to her feet rushing over to Rocket leaving Mantis with Gamora.
"Are you both ok? Are either of you hurt?" Rhea asked urgently as she checked them over.
"We're fine." Rocket assured her tiredly.
"I am Groot." Groot nodded as Rhea glanced around.
"Where's Peter?" Rhea demanded, but Rocket doesn't answer or he couldn't answer. "Rocket, where is he?!" Rocket looked down at a timer in his hand. "Rocket?! Rocket, look at me! Where is he?!" Rhea grabbed hold of his shoulders, but Rocket just shook his head a little. Groot pointed sadly outside. "I'm not leaving without him."
Rhea hardened as she stood, her hands glowing with green wisps of energy. She started out the bay door when an electrical blast hit her from behind lighting up her skeleton through her skin. She fell over, unconscious, revealing Rocket with his gun.
"I'm sorry. I can only afford to lose one friend today." Rocket said brokenly as he turned to the comm. "Kraglin, GO!"
"Wait. Is Quill back?" Drax looked uncertain as Kraglin presses thrust. "Rocket, where's Quill?!" Rocket looked sadly out the bay door as it closed, Drax's voice echoed on his comm. "Where's Quill?! WHERE'S QUILL?!"
They were all exhausted, on their knees, Taylor and Peter leaning against one another for support, Ego was slumped by himself not too far from them. The timer read 00:26 seconds. Ego reached for the core.
"No, we need to stop it!" Ego tried, but Peter launched at him, throwing him to the ground. But Ego comes back up, grasping his son's jacket, pleading with him now. "Listen to me! You are a god! If you kill me, you'll just be like everyone else!"
"What's so wrong with that?" Quill asked and Ego looked at his son, scared before turning his panicked gaze on Taylor, reaching out grasping her shoulder.
"Taylor, we could do so much together, you and me, with your abilities…." Ego started, but Taylor merely grabbed his arms by his wrists flinging him back to the ground.
"Don't make me laugh old man." Taylor scoffed sheathing her spear, she and Peter reaching out taking hold of each other's hands. Ego looked at their joined hands and for the first time in centuries felt a pang of loneliness like he had not experienced before. "I for one am looking forward to the fireworks."
"NO…" Ego yelled as the countdown reached zero and the brain exploded, Ego crumbling to dust before their eyes.
The explosion caused the life forces to burst through the entire planet. Everything around them was exploding and Peter looked down at his free hand, where the glow faded then disappeared. They gazed up at the mammoth walls around them as they blow up and collapsed.
"I might be able to teach you to be a sorcerer." Taylor joked sadly.
"That'd be pretty awesome." Peter sent her a small smile.
"I'm glad I found you again Peter." Taylor smiled up at him tearfully.
"Even if we're about to explode?" Peter's voice hitched a bit.
"Even if we're about to explode." Taylor nodded as they pulled each other into a tight hug, at peace with the death that's coming for them, when, from the side, through the debris, Yondu was flying towards them on an aero-rig.
He grabbed them, both up, almost a tackle, really, lifting them up and flying away. As they flew upward, the planet exploded behind them, flames licking their heels, huge stretched of planet caving in. Yondu held a surprised Peter and a shocked Taylor as they soared up into the sky.
"He may have been your father, boy." Yondu told Peter. "But he wasn't your daddy."
"What?" Peter asked.
"I'm sorry I didn't do it right. I'm damn lucky you're my boy." Yondu said and Peter was touched.
"I guess if Peter had to be abducted by crazy space pirates, I'm glad it was you." Taylor told him. "Thanks for taking care of my brother." Yondu nodded sending her a smirk before slapping the spacesuit disks on them, the shimmery sheathe covering them both. "What the heck is this?"
"What?" Peter looked up, tears gathering in his eyes as they shot through the atmosphere which was lit up like the northern lights. Yondu breathes out as completely as he could, emptying his lungs, and Taylor realizes what they're wearing.
"Where's yours?" Taylor panicked, looking at the pain her brother was in at what was about to happen as they exit the planet's atmosphere, bursting into space. Peter struggled to get free and Taylor had never felt so useless, but Yondu held Peter there, trapping him, but it was also an embrace. The entire planet collapsing behind them.
"Yondu, you can't! What are you doing? What are you doing?!" Peter cried out. Yondu's jet pack expired its supply of fuel, and they stopped there, in space, floating. Yondu's grip weakened Peter turned to face him. "Yondu. Yondu, no!" Taylor allowed herself to be released, hanging onto Peter's back as she watched tearfully the heartbreaking scene before her. Yondu grabbed his son's face with both hands, looking at him and patting his cheek with love. "No." Yondu's face expanded and his body went limp as he died there and he started to drift away. Quill grabbed onto his shirt crying. "No!"
Behind them, Rocket and Drax propelled themselves toward them in aero-rigs, grabbing them and pulling them back to the ship.
-0-
Yondu's body laid on a plank: Various colored cloths are laid in strips over his body and face, yaro lilies beneath him, red-fired pyres and Yondu's toys were all around. Rocket, Groot, Drax, Gamora, Mantis, Rhea, Taylor, and Kraglin surround the table with Peter at the head.
"The other day I told Rhea how I used to pretend my dad was David Hasselhoff." Peter struggled to say a few words. Taylor smiled softly at the memory of having to back up her brother's lie about their father quite often. Rhea smirked a bit, remembering when Peter had first told her the story this endearing him more to herself. Rocket and Drax exchange confused looks with one another. "He's a singer and actor from earth... a really famous guy." Peter explained and Drax nodded. "And, you know, today it struck me. Yondu didn't have a talking car, but he did have a flying arrow. And he didn't have the voice of an angel, but he did have the whistle of one. And both David Hasselhoff and Yondu went on kickass adventures, and hooked up with hot women, and fought robots." Peter took a calming breath. "So, the thing is, David Hasselhoff kinda did end up being my Dad after all, only he was Yondu." Rhea reached up placing her hand on Peter's shoulder as Taylor gently nudged him with her shoulder. "I had a pretty cool Dad." Quill started to break down. "And what I'm trying to say here is, that thing you're searching for your whole life, sometimes it's right there by your side all along and you don't even know it."
Gamora saw Nebula, watching from a darkened doorway, before she turned and walked away, Gamora moving off after her.
"I am Groot?" Groot looked up at an upset Rocket.
"Yeah. That's the friend I was talking about." Rocket nodded.
"I am Groot." Groot commented.
"He did call you 'twig.'" Rocket said with a small smile.
"Nebula." Gamora caught up to Nebula in the hall. Nebula turned toward her, but she didn't look her in the eye. "I was just a child. Like you. I was concerned with staying alive until the next day - every day. And I never considered what Thanos was doing to you. I am sorry." Nebula nodded. "I'm trying to make it right, everything I did. There are little girls like you were - little boys - all over the universe - who are in danger. You can stay with us, and help them."
"I'll help them by killing Thanos." Nebula replied.
"I don't know if that's possible." Gamora said. Nebula shrugged before turning to leave, but Gamora grabbed her, perhaps too roughly. Nebula turned, ready to snap, bit Gamora embraced her. Nebula did not know how to react. "You'll always be my sister."
Tears welled in Nebula's eyes and, for just a moment, she embraced her sister back with one hand before pushing her away and leaving.
The Guardians left Yondu on the plank with a bulbous and rusty crematory at the center of the room. It didn't burn with fire, but a swirling, vibrant cosmic energy. They slid Yondu in as they watched with sadness and respect as his body was enveloped by the sparkling colors. Quill closed the door on the crematory and as he moved away, the other guardians moved out of the room. Taylor and Rhea also stepping away to give Peter some space, but Kraglin approached him.
"Pete." Kraglin stopped him, Peter turning toward him. Kraglin held out an old MP3 player to Peter. "Cap'n found this for you in a junker shop. Said someday you'd come back to the fold." Kraglin put an MP3 player in his hand. "It's called a Zune - what everyone listens to on earth nowadays." Quill nodded, touched. "It's got three hundred songs."
"Wait." Peter held out Yondu's arrow and Kraglin's lip trembled. "Rocket grabbed the pieces and reassembled them. I think Yondu would want you to have it."
"Thank you... Cap'n." Kraglin stood straight holding the arrow out before him reverently.
-0-
Taylor was staring out through one of the large portholes, taking in the vast ocean of stars. She had done it, she had found her brother and her psycho father to boot. She stood with her arms crossed watching as Yondu's ashes started to slip away.
In a way she was lucky, she only had to suffer the loss of one parent really. Peter had suffered the loss of what Ego was supposed to be to him having known him longer than Taylor and the loss of Yondu, the father he didn't realize he had.
"I think we got off on the wrong foot." Rhea said as she approached Taylor.
"You were protecting my brother and you had no idea who I was." Taylor shook her head. "And after what happened with Ego, I understand."
"You've really be looking for Peter all this time?" Rhea asked.
"For a long time I had no way to look for him, plus everyone thought I was nuts. Then when I came into my powers I realized I might have a way." Taylor admitted. "It wasn't until my teacher told me he was alive and had a lead on him that I really started looking."
"And you came by way of Asgard?" Rhea asked hesitantly.
"Yeah." Taylor nodded turning her attention to Rhea, surprised to see the nervous look on her face. "Why?"
"I stole a ship from there once." Rhea admitted.
"You're an Asgardian?" Taylor asked in surprise.
"Partly, I'm also terran and…" Rhea hesitated. "…and Jotun."
"Vanessa and Loki have a daughter like that…" Taylor trailed off as it all clicked. "Her name is Rhea as well…" Taylor eyed her critically. "What's going on? Who are you?"
"It's a bit of a long story." Rhea admitted. "And since you'll be with us for a while I think you should know it."
Taylor nodded and Rhea began her story telling her everything that had happened from the beginning to the end. Taylor's head was spinning with all of the information she was receiving from her.
"Why don't you go back to Asgard?" Taylor asked. "Or earth?"
"They'd never accept me for who I am and I wouldn't want to make them feel obligated to." Rhea shrugged sadly, but then smiled. "Plus I have my new family now and I'm quite happy about it."
"Think there's room for one more?" Taylor asked.
"Always." Rhea grinned. "Welcome to the Guardians of the Galaxy."
-0-
Yondu's sparkling ashes were blown out in spurts from the crematory into space. Rocket, Drax, and Mantis were watching Yondu's ashes in the vacuum of space, swirling almost magically form the helm of the ship. Quill sat down on the bed in Yondu's quarters which were located in the back of the helm. He scrolled through selections on the Zune. He stopped at "FATHER AND SON" by CAT STEVENS and pressed play.
As he listened to the song Groot crawled up onto the bed and onto his lap. Quill offered him one of the ear buds and Groot held it against his ear, amazed by the clarity of sound. Quill watched him, hearing the beauty of the song more through Groot's face than the music itself. They sat there together, listening to the music, a new father and son. Rhea wondered back to them watching them with a soft smile, Taylor just behind her with her own smile playing along her lips.
Nebula flew away, sad, perhaps regretful, but forcing her chin up to brace against what's to come. Gamora watched through a window as her sister disappeared from view. Rocket spotted something in the distance and his eyes lit up.
"They came." Rocket slid off of the chair he had been sitting in.
Groot saw the colorful flashing lights out of the window and pulled on Quill's shirt to show him. They got up to get a better view. Drax and Rocket saw Yondu's cosmic ashes pulsing and swirling out in space as, one by one, enormous ravager ships arrived around them. They each flashed specific light sequences and, with all the ships together it looked like fireworks.
"What is it?" Drax asked.
"I sent word to Yondu's old Ravager buddies and told them what he did." Rocket replied as Peter came up behind them with Groot, just as Gamora entered along with Rhea and Taylor.
"It's a Ravager funeral." Quill breathed out. Kraglin spotted the funeral and let out a scream of joy slamming his fist twice against his chest in a Ravager salute. Stakar and Martinex watched him there, the ashes making their way through space, moved.
"He didn't let us down after all, Cap'n." Martinex said.
"No, he did not, son. He did not." Stakar said hoarsely as they all saluted.
On another ravager ship another said their goodbye.
"Fare thee well, old friend." Charlie-27, an enormous man, was wistful as he salutes.
The next ship was captained by a fierce woman.
"See you in the stars, Yondu Udonta." Aleta with tears in her eyes and alcohol in her hand surrounded by an all-female ravager crew smiled sadly.
And the Guardians all watched from the helm of the ship, enchanted by the majesty. The Ravager's lights flashed filling the void of space in honor of Yondu.
"He didn't chase 'em away." Rocket said in wonder.
"No." Peter nodded.
"Even though he yelled at 'em." Quill shook his head. "And was always mean." Rocket glanced at Rhea who shook her head. "And he stole batteries he didn't need."
Quill shared a surprised look with Rhea and then they looked at Rocket, a little animal who didn't know the rules of how to be any more than a young boy whose tribe sold him into slavery.
"Of course not." Peter said adamantly.
"Family never truly abandons family in the end." Rhea smiled softly.
Baby Groot was on Gamora's shoulder and reached for Drax, who took him. Baby Groot yawned and nuzzled into Drax's shoulder, falling asleep while Drax lovingly patted his back. Rhea looked at Drax and Groot, Gamora, and Rocket, and now Taylor and Mantis, taking it all in, this strange family of hers. She turned to Peter starring at him lovingly as he wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her close, while placing his free arm around Taylor's shoulder.
"What?" Peter glanced at Rhea who just smiled a bit bigger.
"I love you to." Rhea said softly as she sunk into his side laying her head on his shoulder.
"It's beautiful." Mantis smiled and became teary eyed with a gasp, overwhelmed, as she looked out the window.
"It is. And so are you." Drax paused for a beat. "On the inside."
They turned back to the window standing there together, the Guardians of the Galaxy, watching the Ravager funeral and the colorful dust of an old friend dance. And the shape of the dust seemed to form something very close to an arrow, a tear slipping down Rocket's cheek.