Chapter 42-The Demon Solution
“Thor! Stand down!” Captain America bellowed, ready to reach back and clasp onto his shield if the situation called for it. The rest of his team stood behind him, watching the scene unfold before their very eyes.
Thankfully, and with the eyes of the two sisters digging into his backside, Thor relaxed his grip around the unicorn’s throat and dropped her. Starlight fell with a solid thump, her rump cushioning her fall. That didn’t mean it hadn’t hurt.
“Thanks,” Starlight grumbled, slowly shaking on her hooves to stand back up. She rubbed her flank, wincing a tad. “Are you going to let me say what I came to say now, or is your overgrown ape going to threaten me again?”
Thor didn’t take too kindly to the sudden insult. He took a mighty step forward, stopped only by the Captain’s hand pressed hard against his shoulder, keeping him still, holding him back. As for Captain Rogers, he hadn’t stopped. He pushed forward, past Odinson and stood merely feet in front of the pale pink unicorn.
Rogers hadn’t cooled his stare. It burned bright, straight down at the unicorn staring up at him with mixtures of annoyance and worry. The Captain said, “I wouldn’t act so smart if I were you. You have one minute to explain yourself or I’ll let him finish what he started.”
Taken quickly aback, Starlight blinked cautiously to each Avenger, shifting her eyes to their angered stares, their fuming eyes. She expected as much, even after all she’s done. She then brought her attention to Princess Twilight. She and her friends were standing together, clustered, their expressions mirroring that of the nine extraterrestrial visitors.
She then turned to Celestia, then Luna. The eldest nodded to her, her expression as stone.
Starlight gulped and licked her lips. One minute was all she needed.
“Thirty seconds,” Steve warned.
Buck.
“Okay, look,” Starlight began, her hoof held out, black eye throbbing in pain. She ignored it, continuing on. “I understand why you’re all mad, why you’re all so upset. It doesn’t take a genius to realize what I did was a mistake. Even I know that now. And I know you don’t want to; I know you want to throw me in the dungeons or make me pay or whatever other punishment you think is fair, but please…listen when I say that you have to trust me.”
“Ten seconds.”
The Captain began to lift up his right arm, reaching for his shield. Thor gripped Mjølnir even tighter. Twilight and her friends slowly began to build cautious and heavy frowns after hearing that simple word: Trust. She knew it would be difficult, far more difficult than anything she had encountered thus far. But if she could convince them, them of all ponies, then maybe there was still a chance left. Still a chance to stop Ultron.
Twilight’s unsure eyes dug deeper and deeper into Starlight’s own. The unicorn’s heart pushed against her chest.
She said, “This goes beyond me. It goes beyond me, Twilight, or even the Princesses, because I know what Ultron is planning. I know now that his previous attack was not out of aggression…but was a mission. His mission.”
And just like that, thankfully for those carefully chosen words, the Avengers froze in place. Steve Rogers lowered his arm, his steady gaze held with the unicorn’s. She held that stare, only breaking off the moment Twilight moved past the Captain’s legs, approaching her carefully.
Slowly, vigilant, the violet Alicorn asked, “What is his mission?”
“Peace in our time.”
Everyone, everypony included, turned back to Hawkeye, Clint Barton, as he breathed those words out, finding every word difficult to process and explain. But it was there, left in the open for the others to absorb and understand. Tony Stark looked away, his heartbeat increasing slightly as a haunting chill raced across his soul.
Starlight Glimmer nodded. The others turned back to her.
“Ever since his attack in Griffonstone, I’ve known what he’s been after,” Starlight explained, glancing to Celestia and then back to Captain America, to Twilight and then to the others. “He’s stolen a single piece of ancient griffon currency: the golden obol. Without it his mission wouldn’t be accomplished. With it…it spells certain doom for Equestria.”
“Just tell us where he is,” Thor interrupted, catching some curious glances here and there, ultimately acquiring Starlight’s focus. “We will put a stop to him the moment you give us his location.”
Starlight’s brow furrowed slightly, confusion building in her gaze. Slowly, she looked to the Captain, her mouth falling open to offer a question, yet she caught herself, taken aback by a short breath. She concealed it, though, and asked, “You’re telling me you have no idea where he is?”
The Captain’s eyes were as hard as any stone. “That’s exactly what we’re telling you.”
Starlight looked around to the remaining Avengers, noting how none of them said a word. Not even Tony came up with a remark. It was unnerving, but she expected as much. She never caught the disgruntled frown grow across Rainbow’s features, her angry eyes centered on the back of Pinkie’s head.
The unicorn sighed. “When I was still in Griffonstone, I found what Ultron stole from me scattered all across the throne room. All of my studies. Books, maps, history, legends… Everything. I…” she caught herself, composing herself once more. “They all pointed to one thing in particular, one place. His armies are headed southeast, to the Dragons Lair.”
Both Pietro and Wanda shivered at the word “dragon”, recent memories of them fending off such a creature returning. Twilight caught her breath, but remained steady. Her friends were silent save for a few cautious breaths taken. The Vision, out of all the others, was the one to step forward and ask the big question, the one building in everyone’s mind.
All except for Celestia and Luna, of course.
His cape flowing as he walked, Vision looked to the small unicorn and asked, “What exactly would Ultron want in the Dragons Lair?”
“From what the maps and books that Ultron has been reading has told me…” Starlight sucked in some air, releasing a shiver from her exhale, “and his recent finding of the golden obol, it would appear that he is searching for the legendary cave of ‘Charonium’. There, he’ll pay Charon the obol in order to travel to the Underworld and ultimately Tartarus.”
Starlight closed her eyes, well, eye considering the other was swollen and black. She exhaled greatly, leaning on a nearby shelf of scrolls for support. The silence continued on, filling the air like a virus, a virus no one wanted but couldn’t get rid of.
It had been so long. She was so very tired, Starlight was. The last she truly slept was when she was still in her town, in the hospital, having recently awoken to a start and realizing she might already be too late. The constant hours of searching, of finally discovering Ultron’s whereabouts in Griffonstone, it had taken a toll on Starlight, but she pushed on, confident of finding him and putting a stop to his plans of total annihilation.
The moment she set hoof in the throne room, she almost let the exhaustion and weariness take her away, let her fall down and succumb to the rest her body so desperately desired. But she knew better. The world was resting on her decisions, and she chose to listen to a murderer. Not anymore. She had to protect her world from his aggression. She knew she was the only one who could prevent such destruction. She knew…
That’s why she went to the Princesses. That’s why she practically gave herself up to them. That’s why she told them everything they needed to know.
Because she was just so very tired.
Tired of her journey.
Tired of Ultron.
Tired of—
“Why should we trust you?”
Startled, but not so much as she expected such a question, Starlight brought her head up, slowly turning it to the left where her eyes landed on the stubborn Pegasus. Rainbow Dash was grounded, her fiery glare building by the second. Starlight readied herself for the wrath to come, ready to explain herself.
She nearly lost it at what the Pegasus said.
“Unless you’ve already forgotten, it was your fault for having brought Ultron to Canterlot,” Rainbow began, slow and steady, beginning her buildup, unleashing her anger and aggression. “It’s your fault that he discovered what he did! It’s your fault that he wants to destroy Equestria! None of this would have ever happened if you had just stayed in your little cave and starved!”
Already, Rainbow’s friends stepped up to stop her in her path, saying her words were far too hostile. She ignored them, as did Starlight, who slowly began to focus her only good eye on the Pegasus, a certain emotion boiling inside of her, one she hadn’t felt for quite some time.
Starlight looked away, quickly shaking her head. “I don’t forget…” she breathed, closing her eyes. That raw, unhinged emotion was erupting, releasing its power for Glimmer to take.
She opened her eyes, a blistering flame burning in her irises. “I don’t forget…you…you bastards!” Starlight screamed, facing Rainbow’s blazing glare with her own. The remainder of Rainbow’s friends surrounded the Pegasus, now turning their attention to the pink unicorn.
“Don’t you dare try and blame me for all of this, when it was you,” she jabbed her hoof at Twilight, causing the Alicorn to flinch, “and your ‘friends’ who took away everything that I built! You wanna blame somepony so badly?! Why don’t you just go and blame yourselves!”
Normally, Twilight wasn’t too offended by Starlight’s tone, but Rainbow Dash wasn’t having any of it. She spread her wings, pushed Rarity and Applejack away from her, and hovered a good three or so feet in the air, glaring down at Glimmer. “Why you little—!”
She took off, fully intending on ramming Starlight. However, she felt a tight pinch from her behind, stopping her mid-flight. Annoyed beyond reason, Rainbow spun her neck around and was ready to tell Applejack off, only to see the white palm gripping her tail and yanking her back.
Thankfully, Rainbow was caught by her friends. Thankfully, Thor didn’t throw her too hard. That, of course, didn’t protect her from the God of Thunder’s fury for long.
“We have neither the time nor patience for this!” Thor shouted, his voice like thunder in the small archives. From where she sat in Twilight’s arms, Rainbow could see the veins swelling against Thor’s forehead, the sweat slowly building against his brow.
He was worried. He was on edge. They were close to finding and stopping Ultron.
And just like that, Rainbow Dash’s anger vanished, her frown disappearing once reality yanked her down and brought her to earth. There were far more important issues to deal with, and she wasted what little time they had bickering like old mares.
Starlight, however, hadn’t changed. She still glared at Rainbow Dash. Well, more so to Twilight than any other pony present.
Celestia’s cooling, yet agitated tone finally broke through the tension. “Agreed. Starlight, Rainbow,” she stated, her glare burning hard against the two ponies. “There is much to be done, and we cannot argue any more than you both want to.”
Starlight snorted, smirking at Rainbow’s expression and how shocked she looked.
“But that doesn’t discredit Rainbow Dash and her input.”
Now shocked as well, Starlight turned to Celestia, eyes demanding some sort of explanation from the solar princess. Celestia turned to her, her eyes ablaze but slowly beginning to cool down to reasonable temperatures.
She said calmly, “They would wish to know, Starlight…why indeed should they trust you?”
The longer she stared into Celestia’s gaze the more she began to realize the words she meant. Her shock and anger began to lessen as the seconds ticked away, the seconds that could have been used to stop Ultron’s plans from further developing. In that coolness, Starlight came to the thought she would have to cross at one point. The moment she knew she entered the Princesses’ throne room she knew she would have to cross this bridge.
Give them a reason.
Why should they trust her…after all that she’s done?
Why?
“Because I can’t stand being abandoned.”
She felt the silence. Felt it melting against her, the eyes of her enemies, now hopefully allies, remaining on her shivering form. No time for weakness. No time for crying. Never time for such childish things. She needed to continue on. She needed to tell them.
So, Starlight sighed and began. “Ever since I—” she paused, beginning again. “Ever since I was a filly, I couldn’t stand the thought of being alone, being forgotten. I made a name for myself in my little village. I had friends! But then…then they turned away from me…and abandoned me!
“I never wanted to experience that pain again! When he came to me, when Ultron said we can change the world for the better, I believed him. I believed every word he told me…more so than I had ever done before. Not just because he said he can get me my life back…but because he would do so as a sign of true friendship.”
She stopped, catching her breath. She blinked several times, keeping the tears in with every shred of willpower that she had. Twilight caught the sign, her ears lowering in sorrow.
Starlight continued, beginning with a slight quiver in her voice. “H-he said he was my friend. He gives me what I want, I give him what he wants. I wanted to go home…so did he. I believed then that we were one in the same. We faced the same challenges, experienced the same failures, and suffered the same pain… I just…I just believed him.”
Turning her eyes down, Starlight sniffled hard, wiping her nose with a foreleg. A painful tug at Twilight’s heart yearned for the Alicorn to take action, to comfort her enemy, but she had no time. Starlight brought up her head again, her uninjured eye burning red.
“But I’m nothing like him,” Starlight growled, her voice hurt, but holding a power of some sort. “He wants total annihilation, I don’t. He wants to destroy both Equus and Earth, I don’t! You want a reason to believe me? Well, believe me when I say that I made a mistake and suffered for it! I…”
She tightened her jaw, a tear finally slipping down her cheek.
“He abandoned me the moment I said no. He stepped away and shattered the false friendship I thought we had and is now out there trying to destroy not only mine, but our world! You don’t have to trust me, I don’t expect you to trust me, but trust that I say that Ultron is relentless in his mission, and he won’t stop until everything…is dead.”
That was her answer, as genuine and heartfelt as she could have ever offered.
Taking her time to compose herself, Starlight looked to Celestia, who nodded in approval. She then turned to the Avengers, each one of them holding an indifferent expression stitched on their faces. It wasn’t helping, neither were the expressions of any of Twilight’s friends. They still appeared skeptical, unwilling to open up and accept the mare’s confessions. Starlight now began to worry, thinking they would never believe her. She even added the tear, whether it was intentional or not.
Then, she heard: “I believe you.”
Once more, all eyes in the room shifted to the red android, his sympathetic eyes held with the unicorn’s for the longest moments. She stared up at him, looks of confusion and shock rolling through her eyes.
He smiled and said, “It takes great courage to be in the position you are now. Despite all of your failures, everything you’ve suffered, you’re still here, still fighting for what’s truly just. I’m honored to say that I feel…relieved to know we had you to thank for giving us this valuable information, and I’m proud of you to step forward and try in all your power to stop Ultron’s mission.”
For the first time in a long time, Starlight felt that genuine smile make its way onto her lips. It was the type of smile she hadn’t felt since she first encountered Ultron, and how his lies pestered her so. The thought of Ultron brought forth another issue she had, the smile on her face disappearing.
Starlight sighed. “Of course…his mission would be hindered if I hadn’t allowed him to ransack my cottage of all my books. We’d have so much more time… He wouldn’t have been able to discover the legend behind the ancient texts if I…”
Another sigh, this one much longer and more drawn out. Starlight shut her only eye that remained open, her head lowering slightly.
Bruce Banner sighed as well, earning him a few eyes here and there. He said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
A clear, yet haunting indication to Ultron and his mission, which brought the group back to the task at hand, and Pinkie back to her train of thought.
While the train traveled from one end of Pinkie’s nearly limitless mind to the next, Natasha Romanoff quickly brought back the main concern they were all still faced with. “So Ultron’s heading to…Tartarus,” Natasha began, turning to the two sisters. They nodded. Natasha sighed. “Great. Must be this world’s equivalent to Hell. The real question is what he’s going to do when he gets there?”
Before Starlight could open her mouth to answer, or before Captain America could argue and say they were going to stop him before he did just that, Pinkie Pie nearly exploded. She bounced around the room, finally stopping in front of Twilight.
“Hey, hey, hey! I got it! Twilight here went to Tartarus before to take Cerberus back home that one time!” Pinkie exclaimed, pointing her pink hoof right into Twilight’s mouth, earning the Alicorn more attention than she wanted.
Pulling her hoof out, Pinkie continued, jumping around Twilight and simultaneously asking, “Do ya remember that, Twi? Do ya? Do ya? Do ya? Do y—?”
A purple aura caught the mare’s body, holding her in place a foot above the ground.
“Pinkie, I—!” Twilight began, catching herself when she noticed how loud she had become. She turned around, noticing all eyes on her, some worried, some interested. She blushed lightly, smiling nervously and placing Pinkie back on the ground.
“Well, yes, I did, but,” she coughed, a blush still present, “I never really…did get to go into Tartarus. All I really did was get Cerberus to the Badlands and…he pretty much knew the rest of the way there. I followed him, hoping to see if he got in safely, and…only he was able to activate the gates.”
Twilight’s mind replayed the memory, painting a perfect picture with her descriptions. “When the mountainside opened up, he entered the gates. The moment he did…they closed…and the mountain went back to looking as it ever did. Ominous. Dark. When I stepped forward, nothing happened.”
“That is because the gates of Tartarus will not open for mortals,” Luna explained, capturing the spotlight that once shone on Twilight. She said, “They will only respond to the gatekeeper, which is Cerberus. It is to keep out any unwanted visitors, and it is why my sister and I can only transport foul beasts using dark magic.”
“That’s why Ultron can’t go to the Badlands,” Starlight took over. “It’s literally impossible to enter the gates that way.”
The pieces of the puzzle began to put themselves together, racking everyone’s brains until they were finally on the same point, trapped on the last empty section. The Vision said, “So Ultron is already on his way to Charonium, and that way he’ll be able to enter Tartarus. What then…?”
He looked around to his fellow Avengers, to Twilight and her friends, to the two sisters, and finally to Starlight. “What is Ultron trying to accomplish from this?” the synthetic asked.
“Open the gates from the inside, obviously.”
Everyone looked over expecting the same thing, getting the same thing, and staring silently at the same thing. Tony Stark looked around, noticing everyone’s eyes on him, to which he responded with a sigh and shake of his head.
“It’s what I would do if I were him,” he mumbled, not quite sure what to think of his own statement.
Twilight Sparkle, seemingly lost in Tony’s choice of words, finally let the pieces slowly put themselves together. Her eyes grew wide, a terrified inhale heard only by the young Alicorn princess.
As for Starlight Glimmer—once more taking over the conversation—she slowly shook her head, capturing even Stark’s interests. He saw the dread slowly creep into her eyes, filling the pain she once felt with fear and anxiety.
“He’s not going to open the gates of Tartarus,” Starlight muttered fearfully, facing Captain America. “He’s going to eradicate them and unleash utter hell upon the world.”
“Utter hell…”
Starlight, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and practically everyone else shifted their attention to Twilight, surprised to hear her curse of all ponies. And when she looked at them, brought up her sullen gaze lost behind layers upon layers of horror and darkness nopony had ever seen from her, she could hardly breathe.
She could hardly talk, but when she did, everypony—even Celestia and Luna—felt their hearts freeze over, letting fear and foreboding finally consume them.
“…Tirek.”
Soooo...a certain trailer dropped last night. And all I can say is that the MCU is about to get a little more...strange. 
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Oh... crap....
Meh. The only Avenger truly vulnerable to Tirek would be Thor and possibly Vision (Scarlet Witch got the powers from a mutation, thus is likely not able to be "drained" as it were.)
Starlight Glimmer shares what she knows about Ultron's plan to the ponies and the Avengers, however they are not so easily willing to trust her straight away even after hearing of her sad tale of being abandoned with no friends (after her friend Sunburst got his cutie mark and went away without staying in touch with her) and how Ultron had came to her as a friend she long desired only to realise he was never the friend she thought he was. Can't say I blame them since she was originally sided with Ultron to begin with. If she wants to earn everyones' trust, whether she likes it or not, she'll have to earn it by siding with them to stop Ultron at all costs. Vision seems to be the only one open to trust to openly trust her (as Ultron would say; "unbearably naively") clearly impressed that she is willing to stop Ultron despite her past failures. I'm unsure if Twilight is willing to trust her yet despite showing pity over Starlight's sad tale, I hope she does open up to her.
Tirek is going to be Ultron's new meteor. His swift and terrible sword and the world will crack. And when the dust settles...the only thing living in this world...will be metal.
Do you not see ponies? Ultron is going to give you the greatest gift of all...evolution. There's no room for the weak.
And Cumberbatch with an American accent. Ooh so hyped for that movie!
Welp, they're F***ed
7122735
7122780 Doesn't mean Tirek can't blow them into an oblivion.
7122796 It'll be interesting to see two power-hungry sociopaths form some sort of alliance.
Oooo! This is so exciting!
7122812 Trust is hard to come by, especially with Starlight. Hopefully Twilight and her friends will accept her as the conflict worsens. Agreed with Rainbow. The stubborn mare needs to learn one way or another.
7123648 It's gonna be a great, I know that for a fact. I mean, it's Cumberbatch.
7123696 Totally.
7125440 Completely and totally.
i.imgur.com/7d3ff.jpg
Another exciting chapter right here. JD. Every time you update this fic, my heart pulses over what's gonna happen next.
7131415 Awesome! I'm glad to hear!
Like they said, Utter Hell.
So I'm gonna guess that, Ultron and Tirek join together, he gains magic, they stop Discord, the Mane 6 and face the Avengers before confronting to get Alicorn magic. To spread the word peace.
By destroying the planet's core.
Well, it's a guess anyway.
So that's where Tirek comes in. I wonder if Tirek can absorb gamma radiation? Now the big question is who will backstab who first?
Though if Tirek is going to start absorbing magic then that will definitely get Discord's attention and unlike Ultron Discord has a bone to pick with him. Considering how fast Discord was able to track Tirek down i imagine he would be able to find him before Tirek is strong enough to adorn his magic. Ultron going to have to figure out a way to deal with him.
Ultron's going for Tirek isn't he?
Well... time to break out Rainbow Power, go Super Sayian, etc. and finally turn that bull-headed freak into a nice steak.
(Aka: Kill Him!)
Does this mean?!... DOCTOR STRANGE?!?!
...probably not
Welp, destroyed by "School Raze".
Time to break out the Elements and show the Avengers what you're really good at, girls.
It's taken a while to take every word that Starlight has to offer, any information that could benefit to know the full extent of Ultron's plans. I would normally point out how fruitless it is for Rainbow Dash to pin the blame on Starlight for everything that's initially happened, but the moment she opened up about her fear of 'abandonment' it is precisely why I stand as among the few who pity Starlight and believe she wants to change. I've been in her place before, I know what it's like to feel abandoned when the best friends, or at least the ones I thought I had, suddenly never turned out as I thought they would and then they just move on without me for no rhyme or reason at all. It's why I initially don't trust people as much, why it's difficult either to start new friendships or even seek a lasting relationship considering I've been in two failed relationships (One lasting six years). I was miserable I'll admit, angry, confused, asking myself, 'Did everything I believe about them was wrong?' or 'Did I stand up for the wrong people?'
Life can suck, this I know for sure but I learn to move on as well to realize that I can be just as good as caring for myself and doing what I do best. In Starlight's case, what she needed to know was that she was never alone. Cutie marks don't make friends leave, it's the pony who chose to go to Magic School and in the end he'd become a failure and nearly a recluse surrounded by his books, oblivious to how his departure affected his best friend. Ending Twilight's friendship with her friends were not going to get Starburst back and it would not allow her to assume her place in Equal Town, not even for a while. She is merely an insecure pony, driven by fear of rejection, and she needed help to step out of the darkness because there's more to her than bitter hatred, this I've always known.
But now, Starlight Glimmer is not the main issue to worry about. If what she says is true and Ultron seeks to get into Tartarus (Which turns out to not be as big a deal when we get to Season 8), he is so desperate to cleanse the land of imperfect beings he's going to the most destructive force in all the land... Tirek. Course if I were Ultron, I'd be 'very' careful... He's not the only villain who stabs allies in the back.
9518556
You're right. Discord also stabs allies in the back. but when he does, his betrayal is to help his true allies, say, get a magical key that opens a box that sprouts castles from the ground?
9838299
I don't think so. If Discord didn't BETRAY mane six, they wouldn't NEED the trust key. Discord was surprised when Twilight forgave him, he was surprised abot the "token of friendship". He might be a mastermind of many things, but mastering or helping create harmony? Nope. He is only the spirit of DISHARMONY, he can't do anything good. He made Twilight feel abandoned, he betraied them ALL when he sided with Tirek, he ruined the day Twilight wanted to have. What's his cry? "For Fluttershy", when he tries to fly to changeling hive. His reaction when changelings take EVERYONE? He's BORED, he doesn't give a single f*ck, until he learns that his oh so precious Fluttershy been taken.
https://youtu.be/YZHQMSoe8Wc?t=2m24s
He yawns, until he hears "friends of Twilight". "They took FLUTTERSHY?" He immideatly becomes enraged. Others? Pff, they can rot in Tartarus, for all he cares.
As much as I might want to go off on Starlight for trying to pin the blame for what Ultron is going to do on the Mane 6, for taking away her village, she isn’t the issue anymore. As much of a bitch as Season 5 Starlight was, she was ultimately just a misguided child who thought she was doing the right thing and went about trying to make friends the wrong way, and lashed out when she was told she was wrong. Ultron took advantage of that by pretending to be her friend and offering to “make things better” for her.
But Ultron’s plan is insane! Recreating what happened to the dinosaurs in the name of evolution is one thing, but unleashing literal hell? That also means Tirek will return once again. I wonder if he and Ultron will form a real villain alliance? I doubt Tirek would have any reason to betray Ultron, unless he can absorb Ultron’s energy the same way he can absorb magic.