Chapter 43-One Golden Obol, One Trip to Hell
Fluttershy wasn’t afraid of all dragons.
Spike, for instance, was a dragon, and her friend. He was small, chubby, adorable in all the right ways, and didn’t stand 500 feet taller than her. Nor did he breathe fire that seemed to stretch for miles. Nor did he have wings, once spread cascaded a shadow darker than any other of Fluttershy’s pent-up fears.
Spike was perfect. She wasn’t afraid of Spike. She wasn’t afraid of all dragons.
Just the massive, terrifying, fire-breathing, evil dragons. Just like the one tearing right past the flying carriage she sat in.
Screaming in fear, the Pegasus shut her eyes, her wings covering her head and face as if it were some kind of shield, a shield that could never protect her. She fell back into Clint’s lap, shivering as the Hawk stared down at her.
Barton shook his head, placing his palm on her shoulder to calm her down.
“Come on; you’re fine,” Clint told her, looking anywhere except her teary eyes, the same eyes that gazed up at him. “We’re almost there, so you don’t need to—”
Another dragon flashed by the carriage, this time on the side Clint commandeered.
“Jesus!” Barton yelped, practically flinging Fluttershy off of him as he leaped back into his seat. Thankfully, the poor Pegasus was caught by the helpful hooves of Pinkie Pie, the pink mare settling Fluttershy next to her and patting her forehead. Fluttershy responded with a sweet smile, Pinkie offering her own.
Clint watched the exchange between the two, shifting his attention to the other three mares accompanying him. He still couldn’t believe he got the short end of the straw on this one.
As for the rest of Fluttershy’s friends, they flinched back into their respected seats, each one of them looking through the windows to catch a glimpse of the winged beast.
Starlight shoved both Applejack and Rarity out of the way, earning an agitated grumble from both mares. Starlight ignored them, pressing her face against the window to see if they had arrived to their destination. She saw nothing. Nothing but heavy clouds, dark shadows, and…
And an iron man zooming right past her nose.
The unicorn felt the presence of two mares directly behind her. Once more, she ignored it, staring out into the chaos beneath her.
The skies began to clear as they made their descent, revealing a bigger picture beneath them. Rainbow Dash and Princess Twilight lead several chariots straight into the heart of the battle below. The God of Thunder trailed them, accompanied quickly by the Vision, his golden cape flapping wildly in the heavy wind.
She followed their trail, eyes widening at the horrifying sight below. Starlight could hear the collective gasps from both Rarity and Fluttershy. Applejack remained silent, as did Pinkie and Clint. As for Starlight, she didn’t know what to think.
Part of her felt as if it was all her fault, as if the world beneath her was torn out of the consequences of her actions. Another part, and the part she believed and respected the most, told her again and again that it was all Ultron’s undoing, that the evil he was capable of was something she had no power over.
For the first time in her life, she ended up doubting that part of herself.
After staring into the battle between Ultron’s army and the dragon country’s beasts of war, she truly ended up doubting herself for the first time in a long, long time.
The fire in her eyes lingered, the same fire that the dragons below her expelled from their lungs and engulfed the landscape. Many of Ultron’s seemingly endless army was captured in the flames, but even more were quick to arrive, to support, and to fight. And Starlight knew it was all a ruse. It was all a distraction, a cruel ploy to allow Ultron reach the ultimate prize.
Something she could not allow.
A clear objective to follow as they finally landed.
The carriage stumbled, ran over a few rocks, and then finally skidded to a halt. Starlight wasted no time busting open the carriage doors, instantly being greeted by a fresh wave of heat and smoke burning her eyes and face.
She coughed, wiping her eyes with a raised foreleg. Once she brought it down, however, she was greeted to the battle up close and personal. It wasn’t as terrible when she was still several hundred feet above ground, but where she stood, her hooves grazing across ash and metal-covered dirt valley, Starlight truly took in every single detail of Ultron’s depravity.
The war-torn battlefield was strewn with severed limbs and deactivated Ultron Sentries. A dragon—most presumably dead—would be a rare sight scattered amongst Ultron’s forces, but it wasn’t uncommon. Few lied dead, their bodies burned to a crisp with several scorch marks across their wings and eyes.
Weak points. Ultron had definitely done his homework.
But there were many others. Many other dragons taking to the skies and fighting in the distance, the smoke covering their forms as they lit up the dark world around them with their breath. Despite all of the casualties, especially from Ultron’s side of the fight, more sentries kept on coming. They never ended.
Starlight felt the coolness of dread fill her heart at that thought.
It was quickly replaced by instinct, her horn igniting and blasting apart a sentry sneaking up behind Princess Twilight.
Twilight instinctively flinched downwards after hearing the blast. She spun her neck around, eyes widening at the sight of the gaping hole in the sentry’s chest, the body lying a few feet behind her. Twilight faced forward once more, catching sight of the unicorn approaching her and Rainbow.
Starlight caught the look on Twilight’s face, smirking a tad. “What?” she asked, watching as Twilight frowned. “You still don’t trust me?”
The Alicorn merely rolled her eyes, focusing on the battle ahead of her. “Bad time, Starlight!”
While the rest of the carriages began to land, dropping off numerous Royal Guards that scuttled amongst themselves to surround and protect the Princess of Friendship, Twilight managed to catch the carriage Starlight exited from open up once more to reveal Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Hawkeye. All five rushed out into the smoke and fire, quickly approaching Twilight’s position.
They weren’t the only ones.
A certain carriage finally made its landing, the doors opening to reveal Captain Rogers with his shield held out. Following him was Black Widow and Scarlet Witch, the latter’s brother gone in a flash. More guards trailed the three, joining their fellow soldiers as Captain America and the two behind him approached Twilight quickly.
Once they ended their sprint, instead starting in a jog, Romanoff followed Steve every step of the way. Wanda, breathless, stopped dead in her tracks, eyeing the battlefield scornfully.
Taking her eyes off of Rainbow Dash, the mare practically growling at every sentry that flew a little too close, Twilight turned her attention to the man approaching her from the side. She could’ve smiled, but held it in and shouted, “Captain!”
The Super Soldier nodded, both he and Romanoff finally stopping.
“Twilight,” Steve said, shifting his attention upwards. Above, he saw Thor clash amongst a squad of sentries. They swarmed him, but the god swung his hammer around in a whirlwind, roaring as the remains of Ultron’s forces rained down on top of the Captain.
Rogers lifted his shield, blocking the remnants. Thor shot his arm outwards, Mjølnir leading him into battle. The Captain turned back to Twilight, saying, “Status report.”
Iron Man was the one to answer. He landed beside both Twilight and Rainbow Dash, startling not only the two mares but everypony around him. The guards kept their focus forward, their spears and swords held out, their horns at the ready, their eyes shifting across the war zone.
Twilight and her friends all turned their attention to Tony Stark. Starlight followed their actions, as well as the Captain and Widow. The Maximoff twin continued to stare into the vast, open valley, her chest heaving in and out.
“We got several hundred more of Ultron’s drones coming in from the northwest,” Stark mentioned, his voice still audible even with the mask covering his face. He flinched forward, aiming his right palm and blasting the head off an incoming sentry.
It stumbled in the dirt, falling and dying instantly. Stark said, “We stay out of the dragons’ way. They’ll torch anything that gets too close. Starlight, you got a hit on that cave?”
He shot out his right palm again, aiming clearly for the sentry preparing to charge the pale pink unicorn from behind. Instead, a silver blur broke through the smoke, shoulder-checking the sentry. Everyone turned to see the sentry practically fall apart behind them, its blue eyes flickering and quickly fading.
Tony Stark lowered his arm. The group turned their attention to the sweating Maximoff twin, his light-tan hair flowing in the smoke and wind.
Pietro looked downwards to Starlight. “Just point me in the right direction,” he said.
The unicorn, seemingly astounded at the young man’s abilities, quickly shook her head, twisting her neck and body around. Pietro—and practically everyone else—followed her actions, watching as her pink foreleg rose higher and higher. Through the smoke-filled clouds above, passed the dragons and sentries falling from the sky, a mountain peak rose out of the chaos.
A mountain peak several miles away, with every step more dangerous than the last. Straight into the midst of the ferocious battle between the dragons and Ultron’s forces, the mountain peak stood triumphant, powerful, and unnerving in every way possible.
“Charonium,” Starlight muttered, catching Twilight’s attention. Everyone else was focused on the mountain surrounded by war. Gulping silently, Starlight said, “At the top of the tallest peak in the heart of the Dragons Lair, a cave remains…and responds only to those with appropriate payment.”
Clint shook his head, gripping his bow. “No way to get through all of that mess,” Barton clarified.
Pietro stepped in, moved past Starlight and Twilight Sparkle. Without taking his eyes off the mountain, he said, “I’ll take care of it.”
But before he could take another step, he felt a small, yet powerful tug on his wrist. Pietro turned around, staring into the eyes of his younger sister. The same eyes so full of terror, of power, yet still holding that fear Pietro remembered as he cradled her to sleep, staying awake, staring at the missile that collapsed their apartment so long ago.
He saw that same fear again. She asked, “You sure you’ll be alright?”
“They won’t get me,” Pietro affirmed to her, but it hardly lasted. Her grip was still as tight as ever. He smiled. A confident smile. “I’ll be quick. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I tend to worry more often every time you say that,” Wanda retorted. Pietro was about to respond, but found no need to.
“He’ll be safe.”
On cue, the entire group lifted their heads to the sound of the voice, only to see the Vision slowly descend to the earth. As his feet touched solid ground, the android approached both twins, standing right in-between Starlight Glimmer and Twilight.
He smiled to them. In the midst of the chaos and insanity of war, the smoke building and surrounding the heroes, he smiled.
“I trust he will,” Vision said.
Pietro smiled back, turning to his sister for confirmation. She caught his gaze, held it with her own, and nodded in the end. She let his wrist go, and watched alongside the others as his silver trail vanished from sight, straight for the mountain holding the legendary cave.
Stark muttered, “Did we just let the fate of the world fall in the hands of Speedy Gonzales?”
“You’re welcome to join him, Stark,” Captain America began, peering straight into the battle ahead. “That is, of course, if you can make it through all of that in one piece.”
“I’m willing to bet on that,” Stark told him, but didn’t finish. He took off, straight into the air and the heart of the battle between Ultron’s forces and the dragons defending their home. The group watched his exhaust trail grow smaller and smaller as he grew closer to the mountain peak.
Captain America turned back, eyeing the group of mares and Avengers. He asked, “Anyone else?”
Their personal responses were cut short by the skies splitting apart and a roar shaking the earth. The entire group shifted their attention to the right, where the guards ahead of them all tightened the grips on their weapons, where each one of their horns ignited fully. Across the vast valley, through the smoke and cloud, a dragon with wings blocking out the sun flew downwards, straight for them.
Its jaws opened wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth that only grew larger as the beast flew for its prey. The guards readied themselves. Twilight and Starlight both lit up their horns. Rainbow dug down into a pouncing position. The current Avengers present stood ready, willing to fight the massive beast.
Fluttershy screamed.
The Hulk landed just feet above the row of guards and leapt once more, straight into the chest of the dragon. With a roar rivaling that of the dragon itself, Hulk managed to tackle the beast despite the obvious size difference. The dragon fell backwards from the force of the hit, and eventually crashed to the earth below.
Captain America turned around, staring at the awestruck looks on each of the ponies’ faces. They looked to him, huddling closer.
He looked to the others. They looked perfectly content where they were, if what the expressions on their faces truly told. Either way, no one looked as if they were moving anytime soon.
Steve nodded regardless. “Thought so.”
“I’ve got no strings, so I have fun...”
Ultron flipped the obol and caught it in the air.
“I’m not tied up to anyone.”
He stopped.
From what he could remember, from what he could never forget, the cave entrance lied at the top of the tallest peak in the Dragons Lair. There he stood, Ultron and five of his sentries, at the mouth of the dark cave embedded within the mountainside.
He blinked, and then sneered.
The Avengers had arrived on schedule. Starlight was with them.
No more wasting time. Ultron and the five behind him quickly made their way into the darkness, the lights illuminating off of their bodies, giving very little light to the black void engulfing the cave’s walls. It mattered little. There was still plenty of light outside—especially from the constant fires raging—that filled the dark cave with life.
Their quickened strides had not prolonged the inevitable. Soon enough, Ultron had reached the end of the cave, and was met with a small pool resting undisturbed on the cavern’s floor. Piles of rocks rested at the sides of the pool, blocking off the end of the cave, revealing nothing. As expected. He remembered so much.
Which meant…
Ultron’s red eyes slowly shifted downwards as he stopped. The five sentries behind him stopped as well, waiting, watching. He brought up his right hand, the hand that held his treasure, his payment. He relaxed his fingers, letting them fall to showcase the riches he held.
The golden obol shimmered in his palm. There was no light. His shadow covered it.
Almost instantly, a howling cry echoed across the cave’s walls. Ultron didn’t even flinch. He held out his palm, his eyes staring straight ahead into the pool. He stared on as a haunting mist slowly but surely covered the entirety of the cave’s pool, slithering upwards past the rocks and covering Ultron’s feet. He didn’t move.
He refused to.
Ultron stared on, never flinching even as the ferry arrived.
The first thing he noticed was the skull. It appeared human, but holding qualities a human would never have, such as fangs that dipped low to the next set of skulls strewn and tied to the boat. Three skulls hung together, side by side, with their vertebrae reaching down to touch the water’s surface.
The ferry drew closer, as did a haunting, white light that finally appeared out of the mist.
The white light burned from a lantern slowly shaking back and forth from the tip of the ferryman’s oar, an oar that—like the boat—was decorated with skulls. The oar moved forward, pushing the boat onwards. It was at that moment did Ultron finally take notice of the cloaked figure, the only figure, commandeering the boat.
Once the boat had reached its destination, it stopped, and the figure rested its hands together against its oar, slowly lowering its cloaked head. Ultron approached from the side, his sentries following.
He stopped and stared. An unsettling silence followed as Ultron observed the figure in the ferry. Its black cloak covered it from head to toe, the mist curling around its body like serpents squeezing the life out of its prey. The presence this figure brought forth was that of pure, vile wickedness. Damnation seemingly trickled from its form, the darkest and foulest of all evils radiating just from the soft breaths Ultron could hear.
“Charon.”
The hooded figure, Charon, lifted his head and turned to the right. There, standing before him, was a being he had yet to encounter, yet did not dissuade. There were others, but he focused more on the one so close, so willing to speak.
So, he asked, “Do you have an appointment?”
His voice was that of the cries of the damned, screeching in unison for the loss of their loved ones, for any and all type of hellish punishment they were forced to endear. Ultron paid little heed to the details, but he did keep them in mind.
He shook his head. “Not yet,” Ultron held out his hand, revealing the obol and all its glory, “but I do wish to enter the Underworld, Tartarus specifically.”
The hooded figure said nothing. Instead, he slowly held out his left arm, his skeletal hand extending towards Ultron. The AI looked from the coin to the hand, gently placing the gold right into Charon’s palm.
“Go nuts,” he said as the figure examined the coin with keen interest.
His foggy breaths were seen escaping the dark hood, bringing the coin in closer. “A fine payment…” he chuckled, reaching down and placing the coin away. He turned once more to Ultron, lowering his skeletal hand to him.
“Come aboard,” Charon graciously offered, watching as Ultron hopped in without a second thought. The boat wobbled from the extra weight, but held firm for both occupants. Charon gripped the edges of his oar, digging deep into the water and pushing the boat out.
They were completely sideways the moment Ultron’s head shot up.
“We got incoming.”
Each sentry clenched their right fists, their arms breaking apart to reveal the blasters. They twisted around, firing off multiple shots to the entrance of the cave. Each sentry was knocked away, blown back by the silver blur that stopped at the pool’s edge.
Ultron’s eyes narrowed. Pietro Maximoff did the same.
“You’re too late,” he told the boy.
Pietro cracked his neck. “Never too late,” he retorted.
“We’ll see,” Ultron said, jamming his fingers forward and firing off a concussion blast. As expected, Pietro dodged to the left, only to be caught by a single sentry latching onto his back. Ultron fired off another blast, this time catching Maximoff in the shoulder, causing him to fly back.
He impacted the cave’s floor, groaning in pain as the wounded sentry crawled towards him. Ultron twisted his neck to Charon. He shouted, “Get going!”
“As you wish.”
They had completely spun around, Charon pushing the boat forward into the blackness from whence it came. Ultron watched from the rear of the boat, gripping its side and waiting for the Maximoff twin to try again. He was already up, kicking the sentry across the head and turning back to Ultron.
The boat was halfway into the end of the cave. Pietro gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and took off as fast as he could. Another sentry latched onto his leg, bringing Pietro down at the last second. Maximoff reared his free leg back, smacking the sentry right between the eyes.
He wasted no more time. By the time he was up and on the water, he reached out his hand to grab the ferry, only to come up short and grab nothing but mist.
Well, that and a pile of boulders.
Having held that same momentum, Pietro crashed against the rocks’ surface, slowly sliding down into the dark pool below him. A few seconds later and he emerged coughing and gagging for breath. He swam over to the pool’s edge, crawling out of the pool and collapsing on the cold, cold cavern floor.
He stared softly at the end of the cave, seeing nothing. No one.
Pietro coughed, tightening his jaw.
“Wasn’t quick enough.”
The mist overcame it all.
Ultron stood, he didn’t sit. With his palm gripped around the edge of the ferry, he finally turned away from the rear when he realized he was safe. He had made it. Another step down. Another step to go.
With that goal in mind, Ultron faced forward, seeing nothing but the haunting glow of Charon’s lantern illuminating the cave’s walls. The shadows, Ultron observed, danced across the walls with every row Charon performed. The shadows danced, they cried out, their hands reached up and out, trying to grab at what was and what will never be.
It was silent save for the splashing of the oar against the waves. However, that silence did not seem to remain for long. Soon enough, quicker than what Ultron had expected, a howling cry appeared once more, much like the moment Charon first appeared.
Ultron watched as the river expanded into the darkness, revealing a light. Charon continued to push the ferry forward, his skeletal arms digging the oar deeper and deeper into the black waves. Ultron once again gripped the edges of the boat, his eyes staring silently into the light ahead.
A slit appeared and opened. Once the light was larger, much brighter than before, Ultron was quick to realize what he had just passed. The massive doors ahead of him split apart, both he and Charon swiftly gliding through the waters and entering into what was.
What always will be.
What all the damned shall face.
Ultron stood up.
Through the River Styx, he entered into the burning kingdom of lost souls.
Straight into the fires of Tartarus.
Pretty awesome dragon episode yesterday, huh? I thought this chapter deserved some sort of dragon theme in honor of the best Spike episode. 
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Holy throne, that was intense! Awesome work as always, keep it up!
The Avengers and Ponies arrive at the Badlands in the dragon territory, too late it seems, where a conflict between the dragons and Ultron's sentries is running amuck, a distraction to keep them occupied while Ultron makes his way to the gates of Tartarus across the River Styx in the Underworld after paying his toll to Charon the Ferryman for passage. Not even Quicksilver was fast enough.
I'm pretty convinced that there'll be some sort of joke at some point within the next chapter on Ultron's visit to Hell.
7134149 He learned from the last time that his own armies were not enough.
So...Ultron made it into Tartarus.....
i.imgur.com/fifnDM9.png
A robot hellbent on peace in our time being rowed across the River Styx to the pits of Tartarus on the land of Equestria.
...Sure, why not?
7134128 Thanks man! I'll get right on it!
7134592 Indeed. Let's see what type of hell he gets himself into...
7134657 I'll try and sneak one in.
7135884 They're done fer.
7136223 Yeah, I mean, as long as an alien AI created by two mad scientists from another world shows up and wrecks havoc in Hell, you better believe some magical, flying ponies and enhanced soldiers, gods, radiated men, and flying androids will use everything they got to put an end to his evil deeds.
I need more drugs.
Pretty hot stuff right here. :)
Well, we gotta move if we want to see the awesome action that pays ahead.
Well Quicksilver.... I guess you were too slow. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AUMi2RbFTk0
Oh boy. Didn’t see THAT coming!
The Tartarus we are eventually going to get is nothing compared to what we see in the new season, but darn the trip to get in without going through the gate offered so much potential. Give the others credit, they did their best to fight off the Sentries and tried to reach Ultron before he achieved his goal. Even Starlight would loan her skills to help feeling she is just as responsible for the calamity even if the group still didn't entirely trust her. But even with all their efforts, Ultron still reached the boat that would carry him straight to Tartarus with evil intents in mind. All this leaves us to wonder if our heroes can stop him in time before the world crumbles even further.
Getting a really sick of the Mane 6 being depicted as utterly helpless all the time. It doesn't make sense. They are not whimps, yet Twilight nor any other magic user has managed even a single hit to any enemy except for Starbitch.
The dragons were certainly a nice touch. Too bad this was set during Season 5, cause they could really use some help from dragons like Ember right about now.
Though I loved how you incorporated actual mythology in Ultron’s trip to Tartarus. How he takes a boat across River Styx to get there, with Charon steering it and needing payment. It was also kinda funny how it seems Charon doesn’t give a shit what Ultron does, even telling him “go nuts”. Guess he doesn’t care as long as he gets paid.