AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am shit and I know it. It's been a month since my last update, and though life has been terribly hectic for me lately, I know I cannot give a proper excuse as to my absence. I am so sorry! I tried to write this chapter two weeks ago but my life was a whirlwind and I felt I couldn't give this chapter justice. I prefer to update a little late but post a chapter that you all deserve rather than rush to meet a deadline and post some half-assed effort. I hope this chapter makes up for my absence.

Enjoy!

Born to be a King

Chapter 36

The Kingdom of Neffarim.

Dark, cold, and desolate. The farthest from its planetary system, it is sunk into a perpetual dusk that bathes the rocky ground in haunting hues of gray and blue. From the surface emerge tall mountain ranges that look upon vast valleys and loom over deep canyons. It is the perfect home for the Shadow Legions, the guardians and defenders of the other four Verdandinian kingdoms. Colossal megastructures are scattered throughout the realm, vast centers of operation for the ten million mercenaries. But on this of many eternal days of darkness, these bases are empty. Only one lonesome soul currently stands on the dreary planet. On the Northern region of the realm, on a sharp cliff protruding from the tallest peak, a woman currently makes her way to the summit.

Barbara races up the jagged face of the mountain, leaping from rock to rock, ascending to the temple above. She needs to make it just in time for the midmorning shadow, when the realm's biggest moon is at its brightest. Soft streams of light will break through the fog and bathe the mountainside, revealing the location of the secret entrance to the temple. She continues to jump higher and higher, clinging onto small slivers of rock just long enough to regain her footing before climbing up again. Above, she can see small flashes that illuminate the dark clouds that cover the sky, the only indication of the fierce battle that still rages in the exosphere. A sudden boom heard ever so often pushes her forward, reminding her of the urgency with which she needs to climb. Finally, she takes one last leap, and lands on the top of the mountain, then sets eyes on the enormous structure.

She looks up at the ancient edifice, and is shocked to find that it does not protrude from the rock, but wobbles just above the peak, connected only to the mountain by thin bridges of stone. Adorned by statues of fierce warriors and gruesome monsters, it is truly a marvel to behold. Like a fearsome giant standing up to full height, the mere sight of it is enough to install fear into any soul. Barbara is struck by the wonder of its architecture and structure, which boasts numerous wings suspended in midair and connected by thin bridges, when a deafening sound breaks the stillness of the realm, and she is snapped out of her shock when an all too familiar ship breaks through the clouds and begins to descend upon the mountain. Just then, a small streak of light beams through the thick fog above and illuminates a small wing on the Eastern side of the temple that is almost hidden by larger structures.

The mid-morning shadow is cast upon the summit, and it vanishes as quickly as it came.

She sprints into action and races up the rock bridges, leaping from one to another as she zigzags her way to the Eastern section of the temple. She makes one last leap and she lands on a long, thin alcove. She soon becomes lost in the only passageway that leads into the structure, following its winding path, surrounded by gigantic columns of stone that line the way to the small chamber beneath.

The darkness soon becomes all-consuming as she enters the bowels of the temple. The cold rush of air that hits her face as she presses onward is the only indication that her path is clear beyond. Suddenly she stops dead in her tracks when she nearly plunges into a rocky abyss. Her eyes change from brown to gold, and her senses go into overdrive. Two bright irises search the blackness around her, and she finally catches the faint glimpse of a landing. Cautious steps take her to the top of the stairs, and she begins her descent.

She now stands before the pillar upon which the Mind Stone is kept. It is not locked inside a containment chamber, but kept suspended in midair. It bobbles weightlessly, giving off small sparks of gold and yellow. Entranced by its beauty, she reaches out towards it and almost becomes hit by one of these bursts of power, and she shrinks back in fear. She looks down at her hands and finally realizes what is about to happen. A wide smile breaks on her lips and she almost laughs at herself for not having figured it out sooner.

"You scheming rascal" she huffs as she reaches into her armor for the small containment device Loki had placed there just before he sent her plunging off the bridge. She opens it, and looks up at the prize before her. She inhales and braces herself before she walks forward again and this time, she does not pull back. Just as the two covers are about to close in on the stone, one surge of power shoots out from then gem and hits Barbara on the arm. She screams. The containment device seals the stone inside and it lands on the pillar just as Barbara falls onto the floor. She writhes and cries out as she is consumed by the most agonizing pain. She claws at the floor and flails as she tries to fight against the searing lava that floods into her veins and travels upwards. But then, her struggle ends. Her screams go silent. The pain ebbs and she is left panting and trembling on the floor. Her eyesight clouds over and she is blinded. She jumps onto her knees in panic and reaches up to her eyes in terror, but then, the bright gold hue of her eyes recedes and becomes replaced by her natural brown. Barbara blinks, and the haze begins to dissipate...

...then she sees, clearer and sharper than ever before.

A soft smile plays on her lips as she rises to her feet. Her eyes shine with lucidity as she reaches out toward the pillar, and snatches the containment chamber. She looks down at it and admires the stone trapped inside. A soft chuckle escapes her lips and she places the containment back into her armor.

A moment later, a figure leaps from the Eastern side of the temple and becomes lost in the mountains just as the massive ship lands on the cliff upon which a now empty temple sits.

Loki watched her from a distance as she stood at the very edge of a cliff on the opposite side of the valley. He looked up at the sky above, noticing that the rumble and lighting had stopped. The battle in the heavens was over, but it would continue to rage on solid ground below.

His eyes focused on Barbara once more, and he felt the cold wind begin to pick up in both speed and chill, as if the elements could sense the bloodbath that was about to become unleashed upon the realm. Just then, the very faint light of the sun traced the peaks. It was time.

"Barbara"

She whipped about and her hands instantly went to her swords. She unsheathed them, and they now stood face to face. Her swords were on either side of his neck, his spear was caressing her jugular and his dagger was pressed against her side.

"This is where it happens, remember? This is where I kill you, and where you kill me" she said.

"That it is. Shall we fulfill what we saw on the Ocular then?"

He looked deep into her eyes, seeing something he could not describe. They burned a vibrant gold, brighter than ever before, but he could not decipher the glint within them. She stood rooted to her spot as she became lost in his gaze: Blue and green, sparkling and pleading. Her breath suddenly caught in her throat when he lowered his hands, and both his spear and dagger fell to the floor. Her eyes became filled with tears, and she uncurled her fingers from the handles. Both of her swords fell, and joined his weapons on the floor.

"I remember" she whispered "I remember everything"

In a flash, they flew into each other's arms. Their lips crashed in a devouring kiss. His arms wrapped around her in an almost stifling embrace. She was here, really here at last. She had returned to him.

"Loki" she whispered against his lips. She looked up into his eyes once more, and this time, he could finally register what it was that he saw in her gaze: Conviction.

"You knew" she continued, nuzzling him lovingly "you knew the stone would return me to you"

"I hoped, nothing more" he replied "it was a fool's errand, but the only glimmer of hope I had. I tried showing you, many times, but it wasn't enough. I thought I had lost you forever, and my time of reckoning was finally at hand"

"You will never lose me" she said "I think deep inside, I always knew. I promised you, remember? When all hope seems lost and you feel like you're tangled in the web of past offenses, you will always find me there..."

"...until the day comes when the stars tumble from the heavens" he finished, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers as he remembered that night long ago, when she had sworn to never forsake him.

She kissed him as she had then, reassuring him that she was with him once more, and this time, never to leave his side again. No one could tear them asunder, not even Death herself.

"I love you" she whispered.

"No man has ever loved as I love you" he replied, his eyes shining with blatant truth.

The moment was suddenly broken by the whirring of aircraft above, then an almost deafening explosion shattered the stillness as a huge ball of light whizzed towards them. Loki immediately took hold of Barbara and threw her down to the ground. He shielded her with his body, and the burst hit the mountain somewhere below the cliff. The ground began to shake, and then, to their horror, the mountain began to collapse onto itself.

"Run. Now!" Loki yelled at her, and they took off. They leaped over large slabs of rock that gave way under their feet as they ran to the other side of the mountain. Finally they reached it, but as they braced themselves to jump, the ground beneath them collapsed.

They slid down the avalanche of rock that plummeted thousands of feet to the ground below. They tried to hold on to anything to keep from plunging to a gruesome death, but it was to no avail. Finally, Loki was able to grab hold of the jagged edge of a pinnacle that still stood. Letting go with one hand, he snatched Barbara just as she slid and tumbled past him. They held on for dear life as the side of the mountain continued to crumble. Then the pinnacle began to buckle.

"Listen to me, we have to jump!" Loki shouted over the uproar.

"Oh no, I've heard that before! I'm not jumping into an abyss again!" she shook her head "The waterfall was enough!"

"Aim for the rubble!" he instructed. She looked down and shut her eyes in fear.

"Ready?!" he asked. She simply nodded.

"One, two..."

She took hold of his hand and held her breath.

"Three"

Then together, Loki and Barbara let go just as the pinnacle collapsed.

On a massive heap of broken rock, two figures lay as if lifeless. The dust cloud was settling, and they were covered with it. Loki suddenly opened his eyes and began coughing up the fine dust. Then he sat up in a flash and looked about him. When his eyes finally found Barbara, he dragged himself painfully towards her. She was still, too still. He quickly gathered her in his arms and began to check her over.

"That bastard's going to pay for this" she suddenly groaned.

Loki chuckled.

"That he is, but not in our present condition" he quipped. He could feel the muscles in his body screaming for attention. No doubt Barbara was badly bruised and battered as well. He cringed when he saw a big bloody gash on Barbara's forehead. If they were going to face an army and a scorned lover, they would need to heal and fast. Mastering all the strength he had left, he teleported them to the entrance of a cave on the nether side of a smaller mountain a fair distance from the valley.

"Well, this is intimate" Barbara jested, holding her head as she tried to sit up.

"Don't move" Loki ordered as he removed a small pouch form his armor and quickly retrieved an item from within. Barbara bit down on her lip to keep from crying out when his hand came upon her swollen knee.

"If this is punishment for the nightmare I was, then point taken" she hissed as she felt the scorching heat subside.

"You had me high and dry for days" he sneered, crushing another stone and pressing the hot dust onto her side "you can take a little heat for that"

"If you weren't as wrecked as I am now, I'd make you take that back"

"I'd like to see you try" he winked at her as his hand came upon her elbow, and she cried out in pain again.

"Oh you will" she huffed when she went still once more. Soon, she felt the pain in her body begin to subside as the healing stones began to work on her battered muscles. She rose on her knees and began to help him remove his armor partially to reveal his badly wounded shoulder. Then she took a stone from the pouch and crushed it in her hand.

"Ready?" she asked. He nodded.

He sucked in a breath when she placed her hand on his shoulder. He clenched his jaw as he rode the pain.

"I guess that makes us even" he groaned. She laughed.

"Not yet. Show me where" she said, crushing another stone.

She applied the same treatment to the areas that had received the worst trauma when he had landed. They took turns healing the other, until all the stones were gone. Finally catching their breath, they watched as Doom's ships circled the mountains around the valley, trying to locate them.

"I hope you assembled at least one hundred thousand legions" she said to her husband.

"Three hundred thousand on foot and one hundred thousand ships" he informed her.

"I hope that's enough" she said, surveying the valley. He gave her a questioning look.

"He used the Time Gem to power a new army, and he built a suit of armor that is directly powered by the gem"

"I figured he would, which is why I came prepared"

Her brow rose in curiosity and then she flinched when she felt the sting in her forehead. He took her face in his hands and studied the gash that marred her otherwise perfect features. The blood had now coagulated, creating a thick layer of gooey red.

"The stones are balanced by the Eternity Gem. If we unite two without their balancing counterpart, they react like opposite ends on a magnet. They repeal, and in their case, they attack the other" he explained as he ran his thumb over the painful blow.

"But you have the Eternity Gem" she said, flinching slightly.

"Do I?" he asked mischievously as his hand glowed "then why do you think I'm here and not at the Southern Peaks?"

Her eyes widened.

"You sent Thor" she said with realization "and I have the Mind Stone"

"Exactly" he gave her the most beautiful smile. The gash on her forehead closed and the blood disappeared.

"That's brilliant" she said, shaking her head in disbelief. Loki truly was a scheming mastermind.

"I had to make you believe I would be the one to claim the Eternity Gem to ensure you would be successful. I couldn't have you doubt me, not in the state you were in..." he explained.

"I know" she said. He stood and extended his hand to her. She took it and rose to her feet with his help. He placed a loving kiss on her forehead where the gash had been. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. She inhaled his strong, masculine scent and finally sighed with relief.

She was home.

"Are you ready?" he asked, eyeing the valley beyond that was quickly filling with Doom's super army of robots "today is the day we've long waited for"

She followed his line of vision and smiled. "I've been ready for a long time"

"Well then, shall we go meet our destinies hand in hand?" he said, taking her hand in his.

"We shall"

And together, they stepped out of the cave and into the perpetual twilight.

The moment they walked onto the valley, the skies opened and three hundred thousand Shadow Legions set foot on their home world. Black capes blew in the wind as hundreds of thousands of skeletal, ghastly mercenaries assembled in perfect ranks and faced the massive war machines. From the slits of their grotesque masks smoke blew, a testament to their past lives as fire demons. At the head was Durrgo, riding a phantom horse and decked in the most terrifying silver armor. On his head was a helmet from which large spikes protruded.

On the opposite side, a man locked inside a powerful suit of armor watched as the flanks opened in the middle and two figures walked the long length of legions assembled. Both clothed in black leather, emerald, and gold armor, their green capes swayed behind them. Loki wore his majestic horned helmet and on Barbara's head rested a golden diadem from which jeweled trinkets hung, adorning her forehead. An awestruck von Doom could not tear his eyes away from her. She was a magnificent sight to behold. As he observed her approaching, he recalled their last encounter on Earth, and her words now came back to haunt him:

"It's him. It will always be him. Don't make the mistake of thinking that our shared past binds us together. It didn't then, and it certainly will not now..."

"Then you should know that the next time we meet, it will be on the field of battle"

"I know, and when that day comes, I will be standing next to my husband..."

Walking at Loki's side, Barbara was also recalling that day long ago. She forced herself to breathe as she and Loki made their way to the front of the ranks. She kept her eyes fixed on the largest superbot ahead of her. Inside, she knew von Doom was waiting for her: No longer yearning to have her, but wishing for nothing more than to unleash his wrath upon her and everything she loved. The day when she would fulfill the promise she had made to him long ago was finally here:

"When the time comes and our day of battle dawns, I wish to meet an opponent worthy of my might. I will not rob you of an honorable death, that I promise you, nor will I cheat you out of your day of glory"

He had obviously paid heed to her words. His day of glory had come, and he now stood all powerful and impressive before her. He was an opponent worthy of her might, and so much more. He could destroy her, and destroy her world. He would.

Loki and Barbara reached the front of the lines, and they stood facing von Doom's army. A murderous look graced Barbara's features while the most maleficent grin played on Loki's lips. They looked at one another.

"So, do we play along or just simply end them?" she whispered.

"Decisions, decisions" Loki mused.

Behind them, the legions began chanting and banging their weapons against their chest. Their clamoring resounded upwards into the eternal night, shaking the ground beneath and causing the mountains around the valley to tremble as if in fear of what was about to unfold. Blood would be spilled today.

The final battle was about to begin.

End of Chapter 36

Responses to reviews:

CLTex: Thanks Christi! Love ya too girlie! I'm very excited for the final chapters as well, but a bit sad that it's all coming to an end soon :(

LokiGrey: Hi Becca! I think you're right, this is the story where we've most of the character development with Loki and Barbara. I don't know exactly how many chapters the story will have, but I am guessing no more than 40. We're really nearing the end of this saga. Oh no! Strep throat is no joke! Hope you're feeling better now. You probably are because I haven't updated in a month! Lol I hope things are looking up for you! :)

LostInSpace33: Well, that would have been pretty anti-climactic wouldn't it? Lol We need a final showdown between Loki and Barbara and Doom. He has a lot to pay for, and just simply killing him off while he's under Barbara's heel would not allow Loki the opportunity to settle scores with him ;) Don't worry, his time will come!

KilaInara: YES! I'm so happy that someone caught on to it! In many ways, I guess I modeled Victor after the Phantom: Longing for a woman he will never have. Great catch! :)

Guest: Thank you! :)

JHart: Oh wow, bless you for saying that! What a sweet thing to say! I'm so happy you're enjoying my little humble effort. You read all three in one week?! Wow! Thank you so much, and welcome to the Lokara journey! :)