⏳ --

Gold returned to the horizon, painting the sky with new life and brilliance. Vibrancy had returned to the Chronos. Warmth and beauty engulfed the plains of what was once dead and desolate. Peace and prosperity had finally been restored, and now the Walkers could live without fear, without war among themselves.

I breathed out. I stared at myself in the mirror, observing every aspect of my face. A soft glow touched my skin. My eyes were brighter, teeming with power. My flaming hair was twisted up into a neat bun, a few strands curled by my temples.

I didn't know what to expect with my future, with my new title. To say that I was worried would be an understatement. I was terrified. I was the leader of the Time Walkers. The head honcho. The big kahuna. Pretty much the God equivalent of my people. And that was daunting as hell. The lives of thousands were resting on me to protect them until my time came to an end. I didn't know if I could do that. I didn't know if I was the right person to make the kinds of decisions the Lord and Lady had.

"How are you feeling?"

My vision flicked to Astra through the reflection of the mirror. Her choppy hair had been neatened to a pixie cut, bringing out her bold purple eyes. She wore an elegant sleeveless dress, which accentuated her collarbones. I'd rarely seen her in that kind of attire before, so it was nice to see her in something like that for a change.

I huffed out. "I'd tell you that I'm not nervous, but then I'd be lying."

Astra approached me, her heels clicking on the stone floor. She placed her hands on my shoulders, gently gripping them in support. She looked at me in the mirror with sympathetic eyes. "You will be fine, Andromeda. You were meant for this role."

"I don't know, Astra." I stood and turned to her to look at her full on rather than through the reflective glass. "I don't think I'm right for this."

"And what makes you say that?"

"I don't know if I can make the decisions the Lord and Lady had. I don't know if–"

"Andi." I blinked. She rarely called me that. She always called me by my full name. "Listen to me. You are the perfect choice. It is about time we have a sympathetic leader for the Walkers, and you are as compassionate as they come." Her fingers curled around the Time Stone hanging around my neck. "You do not need a powerful Stone. You do not need a title or powers. You will always be the compassionate woman that everyone wishes to be." She held my shoulders again. "And so, you are the right choice for this position, Andi. We need someone like you."

I swallowed. To be brutally honest, my fear for my new power wasn't the only reason why I didn't want this position. It was my friends that made me hesitant. It was Steve that was making me reconsider. With my new title, I wouldn't be able to leave the Chronos as much as I could in the past. My freedom was going to be reined in. I would be too busy with my new duties to be with Steve. I'd have to give up the Avengers. I'd have to give up Steve. I...I wasn't sure if I was prepared to do that, to choose between my people and my closest friends. Between my people and the love of my life.

I took a deep breath. I didn't have much of a choice here, however. If I was destined to take on this role, then that was that. I had a path to follow, one that had been laid out for me a long time ago. And now I was at a fork in the road with only one way I was supposed to take. But there was no rule stating that I couldn't go off-road and take a path of my own. But the more I thought about it, the more I began to consider my place, my true place, had been staring me in the face the entire time.

"I'm ready," I said.

Astra smiled comfortingly. "You will be fine, my lady. You are meant for this."

We left the chambers and walked down a corridor into the main hall, taking the stairs down into it. Another long staircase led down towards the front entrance and the one in front of us veered off into different places of the palace.

I stepped in front of the grand double doors of emerald. I straightened out the invisible creases of my dress. This was the most important moment of my life. The last thing I wanted was to mess it up.

I nodded to Astra, and she pushed open the doors. Golden light hit my face, forcing me to squint from the glare, my eyes still adjusting to the new light of my home. The roar of the crowds echoed into the palace, hundreds of thousands of people raising their voices in joy and happiness that peace had finally been achieved.

I walked onto the platform. I stood before the masses who applauded my appearance. I raised my chin regally, and the roar intensified. My eyes connected to the Avengers and the Guardians standing off the edge of the courtyard, peering up at me with proud eyes. Steve watched me, a sideward smirk on his glowing face, one that was both proud and pleased that life for me was finally on course to something good. Seeing him smile made me do the same.

Astra raised a hand and the masses silenced. "Today we gather under our golden sky to crown a leader in the making." Cheers rumbled deep like a dragon's flames ready to explode. "Our Lord and Lady are no more, but this is not a time of mourning. This is the beginning of a new era for us and the Chronos. A new dawn. A dawn of hope and prosperity for us all." The cheers of the crowd began to intensify. "It is time to usher in a new age with the inauguration of our new leader."

The courtyard exploded in a deafening roar. They called my name, a chant of power, the bellowing of a now authoritative name. The cheering reached its peak as I stood as rigid as a statue when Astra lowered the circlet atop my head. "Lady Andromeda, our new Lady of Time."

My pulse throbbed and my blood roared in my ears. The circlet felt heavy on my head, heavy with lives in my hands and burdens I now carried. The roar of the masses was overpowering, hundreds of thousands bellowing my name, blasting energy into the sky in a storm of colours.

I looked to the sky, that beautiful golden sky. It was a new dawn. A brighter dawn. A dawn of prosperity and peace. A dawn of new beginnings. A dawn of hope.

I would make my reign a good one. I would not be like Eon or the Lord and Lady. I would not be like Eilian. I would be Andi. Just Andi.

★     ★     ★

⏳ --

"So, what happens now?" Tony asked.

We all stood in the throne room of the palace, other Walkers wandering around us, bowing before me as they passed and then went on their way. Even after an hour later, I was uncomfortable with the way I was treated. But I had to get used to it fast. I was the leader of the Walkers now. I had a duty to uphold. With that said, I wasn't thrilled with my next decision. It had to be made, however. I didn't have a choice. I had a new duty to forfill, and that meant letting another go.

"You will all go back to your lives," Astra replied. "Your aid has been worthy to our future." Her purple eyes flicked to Tony. "Even you, Metal Man of Arrogance."

Tony scoffed. "I was great. Now I'm amazing."

"You will all be rewarded for your bravery," Gilliam said. "You will be immortalised in the Chronos. Thank you all."

He shook hands with Steve, who smiled gratefully in return. "It was the least we can do for your service to humanity."

Astra outstretched her hand and a portal ripped open existence. She turned to the Guardians. "This portal will lead you to your ship."

Farewells spread throughout the group, hugs and handshakes exchanged. Even with the armed racoon and the talking tree. Peter and Tony fist bumped, a friendship forever immortalised, and Peter shook hands with Steve, a mutual respect between leaders.

I inclined my head to Peter when he approached, his head bowed as well. He smiled a cheeky grin. "Guess the rumours were true after all. You really are as badass as they say."

I smirked. "I do my best."

We hugged, his scent wafting into my nose and forever archiving in my brain. "Rule with kindness, Andi. And make sure to play some great music around here. I suggest some Marvin Gaye."

I chuckled. "Of course, Peter."

He let go and rejoined his group. Sirius met them by the portal, handshakes and hugs exchanging between them. Although they hadn't known each other long, I could tell they'd gotten close over the short span of them knowing each other. I watched as they entered the portal and disappeared, it snapping close behind them. Sirius walked away, clearly disheartened with them leaving.

Gone. I hoped to meet them again someday. I knew I would. I could feel it.

Astra opened another portal. "This leads back to New York City, 2016. Time has not moved since you came to the Chronos. No one will know you left."

The Avengers turned to me. Steve looked at me. And I felt my insides twist and the coldness rush through my veins. My heart ached, and it hurt in my chest. I tried to grasp the words my head offered, but I could not take them. But they had to be said. I didn't have a choice.

"I'm not coming with you," the words finally formed.

Steve frowned. "What?"

"I have a duty here now. I'm the Lady of Time. I need to remain here and protect my people."

"But you can do that from home."

"You can come back here every now and then," Sam suggested. "What's wrong with that?"

I clenched my jaw. When I went to reply, Gilliam cut me off. "When a Walker becomes a Lord or Lady of Time, their freedom is forfeit. They are shackled here. They leave only when they absolutely must and even that is rare. They have been chosen to govern the Chronos until death, forever ruling from the throne."

I looked to the floor. It was a lot to take in. I could tell my friends understood, but didn't want to accept what was reality. I could tell they knew this when I was named regent. And I could feel that Steve was going to do whatever he could to change the reality of my situation.

He stepped up to me, our bodies so close that I could feel the heat radiating off him. "There's gotta be another way."

I gazed up at him, tears pricking at my eyes, a knot in my stomach and throat that made it hurt to breathe. "There isn't one. This is my destiny now. I can't change that." I gestured to the portal. "You need to go. Go back to your life, Steve. Don't wait for me. You know I can't do that."

His blue eyes glowed as tears formed. "I can't lose you."

I cupped his face in my hands. "You'll never lose me." I pressed a hand to his chest. "I'll always be here."

Sam approached and gripped Steve's arm. "Steve."

I planted a light kiss on Steve's forehead, and he allowed Sam to lead him away, a tear rolling down his cheek in a mirror image to me. I hugged every one of my friends, memorising the feel of their bodies in my arms, their scent and look. I watched them, one by one, enter the portal and disappear, pieces of my heart leaving with them.

Steve hesitated by the portal's edge. He turned to look at me, and the expression that he wore shattered what little heart I had left. It made me falter. Was I doing the right thing by staying? Should I follow? To give up everything I knew for the people that I loved? To turn my back on the people that I'd risked so much to save to be with the man who held everything that made me who I was? His heartbroken expression made me question everything.

"I love you," I said. "Don't ever forget that, Steven Grant Rogers."

His smile was a weak one, one that he poured as much effort as he could into, but couldn't really feel over the overwhelming heartache. "I will always love you, Andromeda."

And he stepped into the portal and disappeared, it closing behind him. I closed my eyes, my tears hitting the marble floor. And I couldn't help but feel that I'd made a terrible mistake.

❈Author's Note: Hey, there!

Dang, that was a hard chapter to write. I hope you all remembered what Nat said to Steve in the last chapter of second act of When Time Collides. If you did, you would get the waiting reference ;)If you liked this chapter, please consider giving it a quick vote! Thanks for reading!