Chapter 65-Make Me Frown
They all stood together. They all walked together. In the time of sorrow, of grievance and loss, one couldn’t do much. Not even individuals with the strength of gods, the abilities of super humans, and the intellectual prowess that would pass even the greatest of minds could do more.
Such is common in times of war. But now the war was over, and it was time to recollect, rebuild, and reignite the strength that once was. It was difficult. It would take much, much longer than any of the heroes knew. As of now, as for the Avengers, their battle was over that day. But for so many others it didn’t seem that way.
The city they walked upon bled out in ash and soot as the fires slowly died. The invading forces that once commanded the heavens and trampled the earth were no more. Towers that rose nearly to the height of small buildings consisted of the dead, of the countless sentries and demonic bodies. These towers were scattered amongst the city of Canterlot, the streets now only filled with debris, the remainder of the Equestrian Army, and S.H.I.E.L.D. forces.
Even then the sun would not break through the clouds. The evil above had vanished, the essence of Tartarus now vanquished and pushed back to where it so rightly belongs. All that remained were the heavy storm clouds building, all natural, not tampered with by any other force. S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopters flew in clusters of three as they scanned the skylines, searching for any remaining foe, looking for survivors in the torn city below.
Never did they expect to see the golden rays fly across them.
Nearly blinded, the pilots shielded their eyes before taking in the sight. Orbs of pure gold shimmered in the dull, dry landscape as they rose higher and higher. Much like fireworks being shot off. They numbered in hundreds, displaying across the entire city of Canterlot and even beyond. Once they had nearly touched the sky, each orb fell. One at a time, each one falling back to Canterlot and even exiting the city.
Following their own path. Guiding their own destination. Once the golden orbs fell into Canterlot, they searched and searched until they found the form of a prone equine, either accompanied by others or struggling to stand. And to the wild amazement of the S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers stationed in Canterlot, they saw as the orbs connected and fused with the equines.
Once they did, the ponies rose up, their cutie marks returned to them, their eyes colorful and free. Their magic finally home. The orbs continued to rain from above, impacting Canterlot but not harming a single life. Even in the Canterlot Gardens—where the wounded remained and were cared for—the orbs fell and returned the magic to their rightful owners.
And Captain America led the way.
He walked through the Canterlot Gardens with his eyes low, his arms swaying by his side, his shield connected to his backside. Behind him, the Avengers followed. Tony Stark, his torn Mark 45 armor still holding together despite all of the punishment it had gone through. His mask remained unseen, his eyes glazed over with an unknown expression.
Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff walked shoulder to shoulder. His bow was slung over his chest, not a single arrow remaining in his quiver. Her suit remained torn, blood splotches on her arms, forehead, and legs. With them, Maria Hill limped weakly while Natasha kept her arms safely secured around Hill’s form.
The God of Thunder strode through the charred grass with an agitated cape blowing behind him, the storm above pestering him. He ignored the approaching wind pushing against him and his allies, instead pushing forward with Doctor Banner right behind him. Banner, the Hulk, was covered in soot and grime, yet he didn’t mind the filth or the blood that coated his palms.
Upon them, the motionless body of Pietro Maximoff laid.
Finally, both Sam Wilson and James Rhodes joined the Avengers in their journey forward. Their first battle had ended in a victory, their first battle as Avengers. Perhaps not the way they had preferred, but a victory nonetheless. For James, it was another mission accomplished. The remaining Avengers were safe, the threat was dealt with—hopefully for good—and the city was saved. But as he gazed upon the wounded in the fields around him, the helicopters landing nearby to drop off medical support and aid, he wondered whether or not if his mission was truly over.
Medics rushed motionless, bloody bodies into running choppers. Others cried out for help. Perhaps his battle was over, but the mission definitely wasn’t. They had one more job to accomplish…
And Sam was just too silent for his own good. For him, the mission wasn’t accomplished unless all soldiers made it back home.
Beaten and bruised, joining their friends and allies alike, the ponies walked together strewn through the smoke and flame. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Shining Armor walked amongst the Avengers through the Canterlot Gardens. Spike strode close next to Twilight, his reptilian eyes watching the gold rain down.
Each orb impacted a wounded pony lying amongst the gardens. The princesses were two of those ponies, both Celestia and Luna resting near the stone slab where Shining Armor had left them. Having abandoned the blade she once held between her teeth, Luna arose with her older sister once their magic had returned, the two turning to acknowledge the group approaching.
Celestia caught Twilight’s glance and replied with a smile and a nod. Twilight did little to return it, her eyes glazed over in pain. Loss felt like a better word. Even as her former student pushed past her, Celestia also noticed the remainder of her friends share the same expression. Even the Avengers followed the same trend, appearing as broken and sullen as the mares they walked with.
All except for Shining Armor, the only one of the group actually acknowledging the presence of the two sisters other than Twilight. He walked to them, saluted as any good soldier should, and said, “Your Majesties…Twilight and her friends are all present and accounted for. Minor injuries but…nothing too severe.”
Celestia nodded in understanding, her mouth falling to speak.
Shining beat her. “But…I can’t say the same for the Avengers,” he said, turning around to watch the group push past them. Celestia and Luna followed his eyes. “We’re currently missing both Vision and Wanda Maximoff. And…”
He stopped too early. Celestia and Luna brought their heads down to their captain, seeing him appear deflated in strength, a sigh escaping him.
“…We…we lost the other Maximoff,” Shining Armor finished painfully, his jaw tightening as he forced himself to face the princesses. He noticed their stares, the same kind he had seen so many times before. The same kind after gazing for hours on end into a burning landscape of Equestria’s past conflicts, seeing their own remain as scorched bones lost in the cinder.
It was the same feeling of passion and pain Shining Armor had seen from the sisters.
“I’m sorry.”
As their captain finished speaking, both Celestia and Luna brought up their eyes to see Doctor Banner carrying the Maximoff twin in his gargantuan arms. Celestia gasped at the sight of the crimson hole beneath the young man’s heart. Luna’s expression hardened. His eyes remained closed, mouth barely open, but no chance of a breath escaping him now.
They watched as the Hulk carried him away, as the group of mares and Avengers walked through Canterlot Gardens capturing every wavering glance. Even then they paid it no heed, instead choosing to follow the Captain through the battlefield and finally into the street ahead of them.
Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Shining Armor could see as Hulk settled Pietro’s body in the grass before he too joined the others in the street. Beyond the towering, green beast, a crater remained at the edge of a cluster of buildings, smoke and ash rising and falling around it. Once there, they stopped and stared in silence.
Curious, the princesses and Shining Armor followed to understand what they had found. Once they did, once they found a clear sight behind the group, they waited in silence, watched as the scene played out before them.
Captain America stopped and stared down. Iron Man was by his right, Twilight to his left. On Stark’s right, Thor and Colonel Rhodes stepped forward and remained in silence. Clint and Natasha joined Twilight, Maria leaning on Romanoff for support. Sam and the Hulk stood near Thor, being just as quiet as all the others, minus Hulk’s angered grunts. The remainder of Twilight’s friends piled around the legs of the taller Avengers, each of their eyes centered on what was left inside the crater they stood around.
And they didn’t even speak. How could they?
With what remained of Equestria’s tormentor lying in ruin beneath them, what could one say? They let the silence speak for them, the falling ashes evaporating into nothing before they could touch the earth. And in the crater, lying with his back against the tarnished road, Ultron brought up his eyes one final time.
He was as broken as he felt. Body torn to shrapnel, but holding together somewhat to form something that could be considered a human-like form. Two arms and two legs, each limb flicking sparks across Ultron’s metal frame with every movement he attempted. Several holes pockmarked his body, his chest resembling the face of the moon with its many puncture wounds. Yet his expression, his flickering red eyes even, remained solid despite the transformation.
His face was nearly unrecognizable, but the Avengers and the ponies still noticed the smile.
It was a twisted, manic grin, lasting only seconds before Ultron began to speak. “Rainbow Dash…” he muttered, tilting his head over to the mare glaring at him from above. He smiled again. “…This is the best I can do.”
She didn’t respond, as he expected. Just a hateful stare. It carried quickly to each and every individual standing over him. His broken form barely moved, yet he raised a hand to them.
And spoke in shattered tones. “I see them now. My army they’re…they’re falling back. Understandable. Smart. This world’s opposing forces are too much for such little power…even when they’re…together. Oh…what a funny world we live in. You…Avengers,” he laid his hand to them, let it fall open, “remaining in the world where killers are allowed to roam free…with the peace brought down to earth…destroyed.”
His hand fell. “Yes, yes…that’s all we see nowadays, isn’t it?”
Twilight frowned, sick of the silence from their end. “You don’t know what peace is,” she snarled quickly, earning a few glances, Ultron included.
He blinked, as if considering his thoughts. Ultron’s red eyes flickered as more sparks danced across his broken body. He muttered something incoherent, presumably to himself, then spoke louder, fluently this time.
“Starlight did.”
The name was whispered, signs of pain making its way into Ultron’s voice. Twilight didn’t let it affect her judgement on the maniac dying beneath her. Her eyes narrowed questioningly, watching patiently as Ultron slowly but surely continued.
“She and I…we just did what we were made to do. We brought our ideals to the world, to let them know what tragedy they live in,” Ultron whispered in short, concurrent gasps mixed with agony. He stared past the Avengers, stared at nothing. “It’s what I was designed to do…”
Then he looked to one particular individual. “Stark…” then to another, “Banner… It’s what you made me for. It’s what you made…”
Tony took a step forward. Ultron watched his movements carefully, yet he didn’t react as he would have wanted. His body denied him that privilege, instead forcing him to lie and listen as the man who created him spoke out.
He said, “We made you for something much greater…something much more significant than this.” His naked palm rose quickly then fell, his head slowly shaking to the robotic AI below him. “This…? This is what you made.”
“I know…” Ultron uttered, his head rising from the gravel. His eyes widened, mouth falling, sparks dancing. “...Isn’t it beautiful?”
And with that, Ultron laid his head back, his red eyes staring into the falling ash from the city he tore apart. The Avengers, the six mares, the lone, baby dragon all watched as he laid there in his own twisted delusion, as his madness slowly consumed him until he was near nothing. And even then he continued to speak.
“I want the world to know…nothing ever worries me. I've got no strings…so I have…fun. I'm not tied up to anyone. They've got…strings…but you can see…there are…no… strings…”
His red eyes faded to black.
Then nothing else.
Each and every Avenger remained as silent as they once were. Twilight Sparkle and her closest friends seemed to be the only ones to make some sort of noise: several breaths of relief. But the Avengers knew better than to feel relieved. They knew Ultron. They knew the body, the powerful, earth-shattering body that remained below them was still…just a body.
Ultron was still out there, still alive.
Their battle may have been over, but their war was still long from finished.
At least they wouldn’t face it alone.
Shining Armor flinched as a mystical and noticeable pop emerged into existence to his left. Celestia and Luna had become accustomed to it, merely turning their heads to the direction. To their left, they could see Discord emerge dusting ash particles off of his tail. But with him was a companion, one that was once missing now found.
Wanda Maximoff. The Scarlet Witch. The last twin.
Without even speaking, Wanda’s eyes widened, both hands rising to slam over her mouth. Fresh tears began to fall at a brisk pace, the young woman racing over only to collapse in the grass. Several mares spun around, even more Avengers doing the same to stare in silence. Twilight raised a foreleg across her lips, eyes burning at the sight of the two siblings finally reuniting. Rainbow Dash did her best to hide behind someone’s legs, her gaze falling pitifully.
And everyone else just stared.
Wanda wrapped her arms around her brother’s head, crying softly but not harming a life. Her tears mixed with her mascara and fell like rivers onto Pietro’s cheek. The brother did not react, the wind from the approaching storm blowing his sand-colored hair.
Her own hair blocked her face as she cradled her brother’s head in her lap, chest heaving, cries silenced and controlled. She leaned forward, placing a soft and final kiss on his forehead. She waited for the kiss in return, just as he always had. And she waited…
She could’ve waited for an eternity and it still never came.
But something else did.
A gentle touch. So gentle that she almost didn’t notice it. Wanda looked up from the hair dangling in front of her eyes and the tears blinding her vision to see the small, meager, yellow Pegasus stare at her with eyes almost as red as her own. She then noticed the hoof placed across her hand, a gentle touch but a needful reminder of what she still had.
Wanda lips curled into something. Not a smile. Not a frown. A mixture. A mixture of pain, misery, relief, and exhaustion. And she faintly raised her other hand, pressed it softly to Fluttershy’s cheek and cried again. Fluttershy followed her actions almost exactly, down to every tear drop and cried with her.
Thunder roared above them, but Celestia and Luna ignored it. Instead, they watched the scene play out in front of them, each Alicorn slowly crumbling down and nearly sharing the same fate as Fluttershy. But they didn’t. They turned their attention to the last Avenger.
The Vision arrived and landed gracefully next to the two sisters. He cast them a wavering glance before turning to Wanda, his eyes softening, his expression falling apart at the sight of her shivering, crying form. Shining Armor joined him, silence returning to Canterlot. A silence that was much, much needed.
And yet the two sisters could not enjoy it forever. They turned their eyes to the heavens to see the massive Helicarrier lower down to Canterlot Gardens, its engines spewing fresh torrents of air onto the charred grass and crying human soldiers waving to it.
Then the rain finally came, and it was so, so cold.
End of Act II
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Indeed, that the battle maybe over, but the war has just begun. Where ever Ultron maybe hiding, we will find him and end him once and for all.
Yeah, I just noticed that no one gives a shit that Starlight died. Ultron is the first and only one to even mention her by name since she sacrificed herself to save Twilight's life.
Now you see, Shining. How wrong you were about the Avengers.
Ultron, after what you did to her, you have no right to speak her name. She was a sinner, but she was better than you will ever be.
You were meant to be beautiful. Instead you created this wasteland.
Thank you, Fluttershy.
Ultron may have fallen... but this war is far from over... for what is the price of a mile? When Equestria... is now in flames...
Wait, it's not over? Huh. Well as long as it's addressed
"It's been a long day, without you my friend."
"And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again."
"We've come a long way, from where we began."
"Oh I'll tell you all about it when I see you again!"
So...Starlight helps save the mane 6, spike, the avengers and helps in the battle to save equestria but it appears only Ultron is mourning her death. ( i doubt Ultron actually cares for her or anyone)
It seems that self sacrifice means little to nothing to the 'Princess of friendship', the 'Council of friendship' and the Avengers, is such indifference to Starlight's death due to her not being close friends with the princess?
I'm really over thinking but is this version of pony land really worth the sacrifice everyone is making if it overlooks the deaths of folks like Starlight?
I guess what I'm trying to get across here is the question of gratitude...does it not exist?
The battle may have been won, though sadly a costly victory, but the war is not yet over. While Ultron's main body is beyond repair, his artificial conscious mind is still out there somewhere in one of his sentries that may still be active. Heck, there may still be more being replicated at the Mirror Pool. As long as he's still out there somewhere and if even one of his sentries is still active, both Earth and Equestria will never be safe until he's destroyed completely. Mourning for the lives that were lost will have to come later.
7455159 Heh, heh....I suppose they are.
7455266 I'm still not convinced that she IS dead.
Wow this is one way to end the second Act. All the death and destruction but coming together in the end and now hopefully the healing will begin.
Aay'han - Mandalorian Funeral Chant
Wow they got over Starlight's death scarily fast. But then again they shrug off anything unpleasant like it's a bad headache.
Ultron has been beaten. However, the scars will still remain.
So what's next for Act 3?
Hold it in. Hold it in......I'm so sorry I can't! *cries loudly* it's just so sad!
Great chapter though! Love this story so much!
7455266 They're in mourning, as with their sullen expressions and lifeless personalities. Heck, they just witnessed Pietro's dead body not too long ago, so they definitely didn't shrug it off just like that.
7455403 It's nearly over.
7455422 They're not celebrating their victory, Twilight hardly smiled to Celestia, and they're just plain miserable and quiet. After everything they've witnessed (from Pietro and Starlight) they're still in shock. And yes, gratitude exists, but I'm not going to address it so soon after everything that's happened. Give it time. Not much time, but a couple chapters more.
7455683 Yes. The war is not over yet, and Ultron isn't waiting around any more.
7457888 Never really explained that Twilight and her friends got over Starlight's sacrifice. I've shown that they're still clearly shocked after all that they've witnessed, including Starlight's sacrifice and Pietro's dead body.
7458476 The end.
7459722 Thank you!
When does more of this story come out?
7459764 I sort of came up an idea with Zemo, his comic appearance, and the Masters of Evil if you're interested.
No problem!
You had your fucking fun Ultron, now let them do their world in peace.
I was thinking that Ultron's defeat was a little unsatisfying, but since he's still out there I guess he still has some time to go before he's gone.
Of course Ultron would not truly be gone. So long as there remains a body for him to inhabit, he'll find a way to return. But in the end, he 'still' lost a fact he'll have to accept. And yet you'd think with all the power that the Alicorns have, you'd think there'd be a means to heal great wounds or to bring a friend back from the dead. I don't think such magic truly exists unless one was a Necromancer (Which is funny because that topic has been brought up in recent weeks). Having said that, even if they could, what would Pietro have died for if he couldn't perform one last act of redemption? In a way, the Maximoffs were responsible for turning the tide against Ultron and taking everything he had planned away from him. If not for this one pivotal moment, the fight would've kept going and going until there was nothing left to save.
As much as we'd like a way to bring him back... Would it really be worth it?
That’s the problem with beings like Ultron, no matter how many times you kill his body you can almost never be sure his mind is dead too. Machines like him, Brainiac, Sigma, Terminators, etc, they can keep coming back stronger because they are machines that can make their own bodies as opposed to organics who only get one. Ultron can always upload himself into a new body or the web when his body is about to die. It might be a bit unclear if that applies here in Equestria, unless he can get back to Earth through death, or if he has another drone lying around somewhere in secret.
No matter if Ultron is out there though, the Avengers and ponies won, despite their sacrifices.
This is exactly what I think too. Everyone gives Tony so much shit for making Ultron, same with Hank in the comics, even themselves. True, their creation went out of control but it isn’t like they killed everyone that Ultron murdered themselves. Ultron made his own choices, regardless of whose mind he was based on or what is original purpose was. Ultron is the same as any human, he made his own choices in life, and refused to see any other way.