With the death of the Dark Elf King, Malekith, the Aether Crisis finally came to an end.
Once Malekith issued his final command, the Dark Elf fleet ceased their assault.
The remaining Dark Elves either obeyed their king's dying will and fought the Iron Legion and Earth's armed forces to the bitter end falling with honor or they vanished into the depths of space aboard their frigates, seeking a new life elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Malekith's massive black, cruciform warship was seized by Kagura, just as she had hoped.
It was left behind on Earth as a trophy of the battle and later turned over to Rhodes Island Industries for disassembly and study.
In order to research Dark Elf civilization and technology.
Truth be told, Kagura had never been completely certain she could persuade Malekith.
In her plan, if Malekith had refused to back down and insisted on fighting to the end, she would've had no choice but to make the same decision Odin once did.
The Dark Elves belonged to a bygone era. If they refused to change, then they had to be eradicated completely.
If Malekith had his way, the rebirth of the Dark Elves would have come at the cost of the entire universe.
That price was far too steep. It was a future Kagura would never allow.
When faced with matters of life and death, one must remain rational.
"I can't sacrifice my people and this world just because I want to show mercy. That's not kindness. That's hypocrisy."
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"Honestly, I never thought a naïve little girl like you could talk Malekith down," Loki said with a smirk.
After the battle, Kagura and Loki sat on top of the massive Dark Elf warship, gazing out at the smoke-covered skyline of New York.
"That story you told him... where was it from?"
"Just something I read in a novel a long time ago," Kagura replied with a small shrug.
"Why? Did it give you some inspiration too, Loki?"
"Hah! Inspire me? You Earthlings and your bedtime stories are child's play!" Loki scoffed.
"Malekith was just out of touch after sleeping for centuries. That's why he fell for your nonsense!"
"Hmph, say what you want." Kagura puffed her cheeks. "But Loki, aren't you heading back to prison after this?"
"Yeah… that's probably how it'll go," Loki said, dropping his playful tone. "If only Odin—the Allfather—had been more open-minded…"
"Maybe if he'd truly cared, like you do, I wouldn't have grown to hate the man who sits on that throne."
"I think Odin does care," Kagura said gently. "He just never found the right way to show it. You're a prince of Asgard, and no one can take that away from you."
"Don't let your heritage or assumptions make you resent your own family."
"Family, huh?" Loki chuckled bitterly. "I honestly don't know if 'family' is just another one of Odin's lies… or if I just never understood him."
"Either way… you're more like family to me than he ever was." He paused, then nodded slowly. "Still… I'll remember what you said, Kagura."
"Good!" Kagura smiled brightly. "See? You can be reasonable, Loki!"
"Hah! That's probably the most ridiculous thing anyone's ever said about me," Loki laughed, shaking his head.
"Honestly, I don't know if your existence is a blessing or a curse for me, Kagura."
"But listen well don't you dare die on me. Your life belongs to me. I'll be the one to end it!"
"Oooh, scary~ I'll be looking forward to it then!" she teased.
———————————————————————
'CRACK—BOOM!'
A bolt of lightning split the sky as Thor landed behind them.
"Haha! Now that was a battle worth remembering!" he declared with his usual thunderous laughter.
'Of course,' Kagura thought to herself with a wry smile. This guy gets hyped from any fight.
Seriously, he's like an overgrown child. Asgard's future is looking kinda shaky…
———————————————————————
"A battle worth remembering? You and I must've had very different experiences, Thunder Boy!" Tony Stark swooped down next, his armor hissing with heat as he landed beside Kagura.
"I risked my life alongside my precious Hitomi to save this city, and you're calling it fun?"
Thor raised a brow. "What's the problem? Fighting for honor, protecting a princess of Asgard that is exhilarating! You Earthlings are just too uptight! Hahaha!"
"Enough with that nonsense! And don't stand so close to Kagura! You'll corrupt her!"
"What do you mean, 'so close'? She's an Asgardian princess now, and as her big brother, it's my duty to protect her for life!"
"Oh really? Then where were you when she was risking her neck inside that giant black tin can? You were outside swinging your hammer like it was a lawn mower!"
Tony was clearly worked up. "Fighting isn't something to enjoy—it's something we try to avoid! That's what it means to protect people!"
"To us Asgardians, battle is honor!" Thor shot back. "And if I hadn't held off the Dark Elves out there, she would've been in real danger!"
"Hah! If you and your glorified hammer-swinging were so powerful, maybe we wouldn't even be having this argument!"
"Alright, that's ENOUGH!" Kagura clapped her hands and scowled at both of them.
"Every time you two are in the same place, the air reeks of vinegar!"
"I know the answer to that~" Loki raised his hand with a mischievous grin.
"Shut up!" Tony, Thor, and Kagura all snapped in unison.
"Okay, okay! I didn't say anything!" Loki raised his hands in mock surrender and whistled innocently.
"Thor, just a reminder I am technically still a prisoner. So unless you want trouble, we should probably get going."
"Right…" Thor sighed and nodded. "Stark, just so you know, Kagura is now officially recognized by Odin as an Asgardian princess."
"Take care of her. If anything happens to her, I will hold you responsible."
"You think I don't know that?" Tony fired back. "You should be more worried about your brother! Make sure he doesn't blow up another planet or something!"
The two glared at each other, neither willing to back down.
Kagura could only sigh and rub her temples. She had no idea how to deal with them.
Meanwhile, Loki stood behind Thor, grinning like the devil, clearly enjoying every second of the chaos.
After a brief silence, Thor kept his stern expression and growled, "Heimdall, take us home."
'WHOOSH—!'
With a burst of blinding energy, the Bifröst shot down from the sky, whisking Thor and Loki away in a flash of light, back to Asgard.
"…It's over," Tony Stark exhaled deeply, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "New York's really been through hell lately."
"Yeah…" Kagura murmured softly, lifting her gaze toward the heavens.
The celestial convergence was nearing its peak.
Above them, the faint reflections of the Nine Realms shimmered in the sky an awe-inspiring sight, as if nine layers of divine worlds were stacked high against the vast canvas of space.
A phenomenon that only occurs once every five thousand years.
A breathtaking moment that could only exist in the Marvel Universe…