A/N: Google is fixed so quotes should be correct.
Nebula came out of the Quantum Realm on Vormir. Where Gamora had been murdered for betraying Thanos. When they brought the stones back, she would bring the necessary supplies to bring Gamora to the future. Looking around to get her bearings, she decided Vormir wasn't all that exciting. An ocean, a tall pinnacle and a fiery orange sky. That was about it. Thanos and her sister should be here any minute. Hiding around one of the corners of the pinnacle, she waited.
It wasn't long before she heard voices.
"Welcome Thanos, son of Alars. Gamora, daughter of Thanos." An unfamiliar voice greeted. Nebula dared a glance at the foot of the steep stairs that climbed the pinnacle. There was her sister, alive and so close. The voice had been from a floating creature in black gard. His face resembled that of a starved human with one exception. It was crimson.
"You know us?" Thanos. How badly she wanted to slit his throat. No. That was far too painless.
"It is my curse to know all who journey here." Others had been this close to the Soul stone?
"Where is the Soul Stone?" Obviously not safe. The thought was bitter with hatred. Hatred for Thanos. Hatred for herself and how it had taken so long to escape. Yet she never had, had she? He still haunted her. She still had habits that she had learned because of him. She was still more machine than anything.
"You should know it exacts a terrible price."
"I am prepared."
"We all think that at first. We are all wrong." Except he walks away with the Soul stone. The greeter turned and started to float up the steps, Thanos and Gamora following. Nebula waited until they were nearing the first bend before silently tailing them.
"How is it you know this place so well?" Thanos' voice asked as they went around the last bend.
"A lifetime ago, I too sought the stones. I even held one in my hand. But it cast me out, banished me here, guiding others to a treasure I cannot possess."
"What you seek lies in front of you. As does what you fear." It was making her uneasy, these continuous warnings.
Thanos stepped near the edge of the cliff. Where was the stone?
"What's this?"
"The price. The Soul Stone holds a special place among the Infinity Stones. You might say, it is a certain wisdom." It was sentient?
"Tell me what it needs."
"To ensure that whoever possesses it understands its power, the stone demands a sacrifice." A sacrifice.
"Of what?" Even as Thanos said the words it clicked. He hadn't killed Gamora because she betrayed him. He had killed her for the stone.
"In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. A soul for a soul."
"All my life I dreamed of a day, a moment, when you got what you deserved. And I was always so disappointed. But now you kill and torture and you call it mercy. The universe has judged you. You asked it for a prize and it told you no. You failed. And do you want to know why? Because you love nothing. No one."
"Really, tears?" No no no. Get out of there Gamora. Please. She knew her silent pleas her heard by no one.
"They are not for him."
"No. This isn't love." It's not. It's his twisted perception of it. She didn't think the stone would care.
"I ignored my destiny once. I cannot do that again. Even for you. I'm sorry, Gamora." He grabbed her by the arm and was pulling her towards the edge.
"NO!" She launched herself forward, grabbing Gamora as Thanos threw her off. She twisted, her metal arm breaking through the rock, holding them both a foot below the edge. She looked at Gamora, who was staring at her in shock. Then that shock turned morphed into conviction, with a hint of sorrow.
"Let me go." She whispered.
"Nebula, you have to let me go. You can use the stone to defeat him. Sister, please."
"No. No. I can't. I can't lose you." Not again. Her face felt wet.
"I'm sorry I wasn't a better sister." No. No those were last words kind of words. Gamora planted her feet against the cliff side, kicking off. Nebula lost her grip.
"NO!" She squeezed her eyes shut and screamed at the sky as it swirled and the world flashed orange.
She woke in the middle of the lake, the Orange Soul stone glowing in her hand. Numbing her emotions, she started punching in the coordinates that would take her to her own timeline. Gamora was dead and it was impossible to bring her back. Though before she finished putting the numbers in, her memory plate opened, immobilizing her. A splitting headache pushed her to the edge of consciousness and the last thing she remembered was Thanos coming towards her.
