❝ TOUCH OF DEATH ❞
( KEEPERS OF THE STONES )
xii. a star is born
chapter twelve

◌ ◌ ◌

KAMAR-TAJ SANCTUM, ONE YEAR AGO

" If you don't let me see it, I can't let you leave this room. Like, ever. " Lucina insisted, raising an eyebrow at the Selena, " That's not gonna be fun. "

Selena wore an almost emotionless expression as she narrowed her eyes questionably at the woman before her. Wong, Strange, and Lucina had found her only two days ago, but they figured she should've been trying to talk to them. It's not like she wasn't being cooperative, but it's a lot harder to understand someone when they don't speak unless forced to.

" I'm not gonna hurt you or anything, I promise. " Lucina coaxed, hoping to drag Selena out of her shell at least somewhat. They had also noticed Selena's adamant protesting against touching her skin, so Lucina had put on a pair of leather gloves to calm her down.

" Please, trust me. "

Selena watched the woman's eyes, noticing that the left one was split down the middle: half green, half brown. She had seen plenty of odd features and attributes, but she'd never seen something that looked so extraordinary but yet perfectly simple in the same.

Selena hesitantly pulled her arm out from under the blanket she had been using. Her eyes went to Lucina's face instantly, waiting to see her reaction. She was expecting her nose to wrinkle in disgust, or for her to pretend like she wasn't going to flinch in shock. However, Lucina's expression remained unchanged when she saw the rotting flesh along Selena's arm.

Blackened, dry skin covered her limb from the tips of her fingers to her shoulder. Lucina did seem a bit confused, and she looked to Selena.

" What happened? " That was a question Selena had never expected to answer. She expected screams of horror and distaste, or even puking and running away. She never planned for this sort of question.

" You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to. " Lucina insisted, meeting her eyes with seriousness, " But I do need to know how to go about treating it. "

" It's. . " Selena started, surprising Lucina by actually speaking, " it's something I can do, not by choice, really. Skin to skin contact is just. . a bad decision. "

Lucina looked at her with a concerned expression, and Selena added in her soft spoken voice, " Also, you can't treat it. It's been like that for a while. "

The two were silent for a moment, Lucina's eyes lingering in between Selena and her hands, not her rotting arm. Then, Lucina gave her a thin smile.

" Well, as long as you can move it, I don't see a problem. " She decided, rising to her feet, " You seem healthy to me, I'll go tell Strange. "

" Okay. " Selena replied quietly, offering a small smile in return; as the woman turned to leave, hand on the doorknob, the former called our, slightly louder this time, " And, Lucina? "

" Yeah? "

" Could I maybe have some of those gloves? "

" Sure thing. "

◌ ◌ ◌

VORMIR, PRESENT DAY

Selena had made it to Vormir quicker and easier than she had expected to. As much as she hated to think it, it was almost like a home to her. It was where she was reborn, where she was cursed. The place where her father's selfish heart would cause her nothing but endless suffering at her own hands. Even the atmosphere felt heavy, weighing on her soul, the light breeze cascading along the abandoned horizon feeling as though it was suffocating her.

She didn't need a map or directions, the Stone inside her told her feet where to go. Soon enough, she was at a familiar looking cave. Wet and dark, it looked just like the one that used to plague her dreams. Her footsteps echoed, bouncing off the walls of the cave as she squinted to see through the darkness. As she got almost halfway through, she could see the dim sun breaking over the land. It might've been the only pretty thing about Vormir. She wished that was what she remembered in her dreams.

" Keeper, you have finally come. " A haunting voice called, sounding loud and echoey and quiet in her ear all at once; Selena felt chills run down her arms and she instinctively pulled her gloves up on her hand, flexing her fingers anxiously.

" Don't hide, Guardian. " Selena called back, even though her voice was meek. She saw a shadow pass over the cave wall.

" I remember you, Selena Grimm. " The voice spoke again, " Do you remember me? "

As if appearing out of thin air, a cloaked figure stood near the mouth of the cave. The sun rays peeking over the darkened surface did not reach it. Selena stepped forward slightly, eyes beginning to adjust to the blackness. The figure also approached, and, within a few seconds, the red, deformed skull shone through the cloak's hood.

" I do remember you. " She answered sadly; she didn't want to remember the evil guardian of the Stone that had been cursed to watch anyone else obtain the power he so badly wanted. She didn't want to remember the darkness and shadows dancing on the cave walls. She didn't want to remember the cold, wet puddles lining the surface of the planet. She didn't want to remember falling to what should've been her death. She didn't want to remember being unloved.

" Then you must know that you have failed the requirements to get the Soul Stone. " Red Skull insisted, clasping hidden hands beneath his robe.

Selena's eyes went to her own hands, following the trail of rotten flesh on the opposite one. She wondered if Red Skull looked better or worse than she did.

" I'm not here to take the Stone. " She told him, strengthening her voice, " I'm here to protect it. "

" I'm afraid you might be too late. " Red Skull informed her, slowly turning to look behind him as if he was thinking deeply. " I believe Thanos and his daughter have arrived, and we both know why. "

" I won't let that happen. " Selena stated firmly.

" We will see. "

◌ ◌ ◌

Several moments had passed by before Thanos and Gamora actually made it to the cave. At first, Selena had begun to wonder if Red Skull lied to her in order to distract her. But then, just when she was about to give up, she heard his voice greeting another unlucky soul.

" Welcome, Thanos. Son of Elos. Gamora, daughter of Thanos. "

" You know us? " Selena flinched when she heard the Mad Titan speak; hidden behind the mouth of the cave, she peered in to try and make out their figures.

" It is my curse to know all who journey here. " Red Skull insisted, appearing before Thanos and Gamora.

" Where is the Soul Stone? " Thanos questioned, and Selena could just barely make out his shadow, looming over Gamora's.

" You should know, it extracts a terrible price. " Red Skull informed him, but, by what Selena could see, Thanos did not seem to be fazed.

Instead, he stepped towards the Guardian and said, " I am prepared. "

" We all think that at first, " Red Skull spoke, " we are all wrong. "

Selena glanced down, wondering if her father ever believed he was wrong. If, when he was falling to his own death as punishment, he thought he was wrong to do what he did. She doubted it.

" But, it is your choice to be wrong. " Red Skull decided, his robes flowing like little wisps in the wind, " Follow me. "

As he led the father and daughter duo out of the cave and to the edge of the cliff, Selena strayed to the shadows and stayed close enough to them so that she could intervene when she saw fit.

" How is it you know this place so well? " Thanos questioned, bracing himself against the rough wind that sped past them.

" A lifetime ago, I, too, sought the Stones. I even held one in my hand. " Red Skull recalled dully, " But it cast me out, banished me here, guiding others to a treasure I cannot possess. "

While Thanos and Gamora stared off the cliff at the purples and blues dyeing the sky, Red Skull smiled humorlessly at the horizon before he looked at the Mad Titan.

" I was even here when the original Soul Keeper sacrificed herself for the others. " He said, " Eretria, she was. . . selfless. Something no one that has ever come here can be. "

" And, even with her power, they could not stop me. " Thanos reminded his daughter, glancing down at her; the green skinned woman glared up at him. Turning back to Red Skull, he said, " Where is the Soul Stone? "

" What you seek lies in front of you, " He prophesied, " as does what you fear. "

Gamora looked hesitantly down at the cliff, " What's this? "

" The price. " Red Skull answered, " The Soul holds a special place among the Infinity Stones. You might say it has a certain wisdom. "

" Tell me what it needs. " Thanos insisted, ignoring Gamora's crestfallen expression.

" To ensure that whoever possesses it understands its power, the Stone demands a sacrifice. " Red Skull told them, flowing across the cliff's edge carelessly.

Selena gripped the edge of the column, just several feet away from the trio. Thanos glanced down before looking to Red Skull.

" Of what? "

" In order to take the Stone, you must sacrifice that which you love. A soul for a soul."

Selena felt her heart drop, not because of his shocking words, which came to Thanos and Gamora as a surprise, but because of the bitter laugh that came from the daughter of the Mad Titan. Thanos turned away and looked off the cliff while Gamora laughed humorlessly.

" All my life, I dreamed of a day, a moment when you got what you deserved. " She admitted, an elated look on her face, " And I was always so disappointed.

" But, no, " Gamora shook her head, walking around Thanos, " You kill and torture and call it mercy. The universe has judged you, you asked it for a prize and it told you 'no'. You failed. "

Selena finally stepped forward, though neither of them noticed her. Gamora looked up at Thanos, who couldn't even look at his adopted daughter as she spoke fruitless words.

" And you know why? " She prompted, " Because you love nothing, no one. "

Finally, his back was no longer turned to Gamora. When Selena saw his face, she swore she saw the glistening of tears running down the engraved divots on his face. Gamora scoffed.

" Really, tears? " She asked, as if it was absolutely ridiculous for him to cry over not being able to kill half the universe.

" They're not for him. " Red Skull finally told her.

Gamora looked over at the entity, not quite registering what he meant for a moment. Selena could see her face fall when she realized what he was saying. She turned back to Thanos, who started moving towards her; she took a step back every time he took one forward.

" No, this isn't love. " Gamora insisted, but Thanos ignores her words.

" I ignored my destiny once. " He commented, " I cannot do that again, even for you. "

Snow started to fall from the darkened Vormir skies, collecting Gamora's deep purple hair. Selena took another step forward, moving to finally intervene when Gamora abruptly stole the double sided blade from Thanos' belt. She slammed it into her stomach, but there was no cry of pain or sound of tearing flesh. Instead, when she opened her hands, shreds of paper flew from her fingers.

As if realizing her defeat, Gamora sniffled and bravely raised her chin to her father. Thanos wore an expression of sadness and despair, and Selena's heart was racing. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know how to stop this from happening, she just knew that she had to. If she didn't, Thanos would be even more powerful, she couldn't let Lucina down—

" I'm sorry, little one. "

With that, Thanos grabbed Gamora's forearm and began dragging her to the edge of the cliff. Selena suddenly snapped into action, running forward and yanking one of her gloves off. The dark haired girl threw her hand out, reaching her fingers as far as they would go in an attempt to touch Gamora.

Wordlessly, Thanos grabbed Selena by the back of her jacket, pulling her backwards as he threw Gamora over the edge. Selena barely heard Gamora's scream as she watched the woman fall to her death. The resonating crack of the deadly impact ring in Selena's ears as she fell to her knees at the edge of the cliff.

She feels a single tear run down her cheek, hands settled in the cold dirt as she processed what was about to happen, what she knew was going to happen. From above her, Thanos placed his hand on the girl's head, making sure not to touch her skin.

" I am truly sorry, child. Say hello to Eretria for me. "

Selena couldn't even look up at him as she felt an intense heat in her chest. From the corner of her eye, she could see a golden glow coming from within her body, from her heart. The tearing of the Stone through her heart was almost peaceful. She could see the sun breaking over the morbid planet, the yellow bright and bleeding over the dark.

For the first time in a while, Selena genuinely smiled.

Then, just as the sun rays started to shine over the cliff, so close to touching her ungloved, rotting hand, Selena felt the Stone leave, and that's all she felt. All she would remember now was the sun.

◌ ◌ ◌

note.

short and sweet for back to back chapters!

today we say goodbye to our beloved Selena Grimm. She's such a sad soul but this chapter was very interesting to write with the dynamic of how she perceived Thanos and Gamora.

If you have any feedback about this chapter, I'd love to hear it! What'd you like about it, what'd you dislike about it? A specific character, relationship, or scene caught your eye? Brotps? Otps?

Any predictions or worries for the future chapters? Anything else you'd like to mention? I'm all ears!

until next time,