• Published 22nd Aug 2015
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A Beautiful New Age - JDPrime22



As it is said, true peace can only be granted through countless innocent lives. In hindsight, the ponies were never that different from humans. Ultron’s plan is not over, and soon his strings will be severed for the last time.

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Chapter 67-Love the World You Hate

It had been a long, hard two weeks for Doctor Bruce Banner.

The weary doctor sat at the end of a lone wooden bench beneath two dead trees. Sunlight dripped at the edges of the buildings hanging limply in the background, the reconstruction efforts halted for the upcoming night, as well as the upcoming celebration. His elbows laid loosely on his knees, head held low, eyes ignoring the forthcoming stars and moonlight.

The decorative lanterns, the burning lights shimmering across the Canterlot Gardens, and the mingling of some of the most oddly placed individuals Banner had ever seen laid ahead of him. From numerous Asgardians swarming the refreshments and buffet tables, to S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—led by the recovering but happy Maria Hill—chatting quietly with Shining Armor and his personal guard, and finally to an array of Avengers and ponies all enjoying themselves under Princess Luna’s gorgeous night.

The Princess herself looked to be on the verge of tears, seeing everypony so happy, so full of life as they gazed onto the wonder above their heads, chatting and just having a good, relaxing time. From the Asgardian warriors, S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers and pilots, brave Equestrians, stellar Wonderbolts, and heroic Avengers—all of which had done their duty to ensure Ultron’s confirmed defeat—everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Everyone except for him.

Even now he could see the hushed conversations directed towards him, the unsure glances mares and stallions and even some of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents sent his way. And every time he turned to them they’d look away, almost like they were fearful of his stare. Which they should be…

Banner hadn’t remembered much during the “incident” in Canterlot. All he really heard were stories to paint him the picture, mostly ones from Natasha’s point of view. And it was even bloodier, gorier, and far more horrific than he could imagine. As she dove deeper into the story, as each word painted the picture a terrible crimson red, Banner soon began to remember each detail, down to every blood drop.

He could see the begging centaur beneath him, his face a pulverized mesh of flesh, bone, and cartilage. His fists were no longer green, but painted in the horrible red that dripped slowly down to the shattered cement beneath him. And everyone around him stared with fear, appeared to be sick, and backed away from the monster Banner had created. The looks he saw said it all.

They were no different to the ones he saw now.

He didn’t want to let them get to him, but it was already too late. The damage was already done, both on Earth and on Equus. That’s why he distanced himself from the crowd, distanced himself from the reality of what he should face. That time would come eventually, maybe not the way he had hoped it would…but the way it deserved to be.

But enough of that, Banner thought. He’d rather focus on recent events than the past. At least for now…

Banner remembered it well, working with such incredible individuals. He had never seen such precise flying tactics from the Wonderbolts, the way they handled themselves against titans from the pits of Tartarus to hundreds of sentries swarming the skies. The fight against Ultron was long, treacherous, and exhausting, but the worst of it ended in Canterlot when he watched that maniac die beneath his feet.

He didn’t know how many survived, if any survived. The Avengers wiped out the Mirror Pool, extinguished any and all major threats around the globe revolving around Ultron and his army. The last known sighting of an Ultron Sentry had been in the far reaches of Zebrica just a few days ago before it was snuffed out of existence. The Avengers weren’t taking any chances, and Equus sure as hell wasn’t either. No chance for captives, no chance for torture. Ultron would rather let a million more bodies die than give up his position now. Even without a sighting in days, the search continued.

The entire world was watching, waiting for something to show up, searching for the monster that nearly brought an entire race to its knees. It was a big world for him to hide in, but an even bigger threat awaited Ultron if he dare try to show his face once again.

It had been a long, hard two weeks for Doctor Bruce Banner.

For now, he just wanted to rest on a wooden bench and watch everyone else have fun. Maybe stare at the stars and full moon above his head. It was a beautiful night, a swarm of fireflies invading the area but harming no one. They seemed to join the celebration, dancing alongside the music and bonfires. Seeing all of their smiling faces, the laughter from the drunk Asgardians as they flung empty challises behind them, somehow brought a humorous, weakened smile to the man resting on the wooden bench.

“Hanging out with all your friends?”

The voice was cool, yet warm. A moderate feeling at best, yet it was easily recognizable. Spinning to his right, Banner lowered his gaze to Natasha slowly resting herself right next to him. She wasn’t wearing any form of military attire like she had early that week, like they all had been during the war against Ultron. No, she went for something a little more casual, more fitting. A simple, dark t-shirt with a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo etched on the shoulder as well as some black shorts.

Banner didn’t hold it against her. Their fight was over for the time being. Might as well be a little casual until they were called back into action. Hell, he was wearing the same thing, and he’d be lying if he said she still didn’t look gorgeous.

Others like Stark and Thor wouldn’t be caught dead wearing them. The God of Thunder instead chose to continue wearing his armor with a fresh cape provided by the finest weavers in all of Asgard. And Stark had his clothes cleaned, his under armour as fresh as the day he put them on back at Earth. As for Steve, Clint, James, Sam, and even Wanda, they bore the S.H.I.E.L.D. clothing. Vision…well…he didn’t need it.

“The silent type, huh?” Natasha murmured, bringing up one leg and resting it on the bench she sat on. Banner blinked, his train of thought screeching to a halt as he tried desperately to from some kind of response. It only came out as an awkward apology.

“Um…uh, sorry,” Bruce mumbled, turning to her than quickly looking away back to the bonfire. He added with: “I was just…thinking.”

“About what?” Romanoff asked.

The demonic centaur reaching out for the pain to stop flashed by his eyes, causing Banner to shut them. “Oh…just on the past couple of weeks is all,” he sighed. “Maybe we should’ve spent more than two days searching the Frozen North for any trace of Ultron, even if Stark’s scanners showed no sign of him. We can never be too careful now. Maybe we need to—”

A gentle but firm grip on his shoulder silenced the doctor.

“What you need to do…is relax,” she told him, rubbing the soreness out of his shoulder. She could feel him ease to her touch, his eyes remaining closed. Natasha smiled and said, “Hey…look at me, big guy.”

He did. “Even with all of this technology from Stark, S.H.I.E.L.D., and even the all-seeing, all-hearing guardian up in Asgard…we searched the globe for days and there was nothing, Bruce. You heard the reports as clear as the rest of us. The last sentry pretty much confirmed it: Ultron’s gone. And even then we got the entire world searching high and low for him just in case. Trust me…there’s nowhere he can go now where he’ll be safe…even if he’s still alive out there.”

Natasha allowed herself a fresh breath and a smile. Still, it did little to soothe Banner the way it did her. He shuddered quickly, muttering, “I can't shake off this feeling, Natasha.”

She leaned back onto the bench, bringing her leg up to her chest and holding it. “You can ask the King of Asgard yourself,” Natasha quipped, “…and have Heimdall give the same news he’s been giving since the other day: He can’t see Ultron anymore.”

Turning back to the man, Natasha’s little smirk grew, her finger prodding his ribcage. “Huh? Did that shake off your feeling?”

Banner wasn’t amused. “It’s not that,” he said, shaking his head.

“Then what is it?” Natasha asked, seriousness creeping into her once playful tone.

She saw as Bruce stared off into the party ahead of them, the fires from the massive bonfire dancing in his irises. She could hear the laughter and the cheers of celebration from where they sat, her eyes watching pony and human alike mingling and enjoying themselves. Yet, that’s not where Banner was staring any longer.

Romanoff followed his gaze, watching as he stared at a silent group of onlookers—both human and equine—gawking at them, cautiously turning their eyes onto Banner and quickly looking away.

“This world just saw what The Hulk really is,” Bruce’s voice mumbled through the music playing in the foreground. Natasha turned to him. “A monster. Plain and simple. One that takes without thinking, destroys without rationalizing, and kills without remorse. God knows how many lives I’ve taken that awful day…”

“How many times have I told you not to put that on you, Bruce?” Natasha warned, her breath heavy as he turned to face her. “You did what had to be done. He was going to take away so many more lives if it hadn’t been for you and Stark. You may still call yourself a monster, Bruce, but believe me when I say you’re not that…at least not to me.”

Her hand fell into his.

“To me you’re something more than that,” she whispered. Banner eyed her naked palm, slowly bringing up his gaze to stare into her own. Her eyes glistened with a beauty and strength far greater than Banner had seen from her. She said, “To me…you’re a hero.”

He stared into her eyes for what felt like forever, finding comfort in that stare, the warmth of her hand being too much to bear. So he slipped his hand away from her and turned aside.

“You told me everything that I did down to every detail,” Banner said to Natasha. “So don’t for a second try to convince me that what I did was heroic in any sense.”

The comfort in her tone quickly shifted as Banner snapped at her, an anger fuming in her breath. She said, “Why, because a few ponies looked at you differently since then? Because, maybe, you feel like they don’t trust you after everything you’ve done, everything you’ve sacrificed just to protect them?”

She reached out and gently brought his chin back, forcing his eyes onto hers.

“Bruce…not everyone is going to trust you. But you have to show them who you truly are, and not the monster you believe yourself to be. The longer you hide away in the dark, the more it’ll convince you that you really are what they make you out to be.”

Banner broke away from her grasp, staring ahead into the festivities. He shook his head, muttering, “You don’t see the world the way I do, Natasha. You could never understand.”

“My ledger would beg to differ.” Banner turned back to her, seeing that same, gentle smile grace her bright red lips once more. “You’re afraid of what you might do or what you’ve already done, Bruce, and I know just what kind of hell I can unleash. And yet here I am.”

She stood up, Banner’s eyes watching her. Natasha smiled at him. “Don’t feel as if you deserve to be punished for something you had little to no control over,” she waved her arm back to the crowd of gawkers, shaking her head and saying, “And when they look to you with that same, distrustful stare, look back…”

She looked back to Banner and smiled. “…and prove them wrong.”

His eyes shifted downwards, his mind breathing in her words. Natasha watched as he remained silent for the time being, his gaze facing forward once more. When he spoke, he sounded distant, almost lost. She turned and noticed the smiling group of giggling ponies chatting with one another, a few shifting their attention onto Banner then quickly turning away.

“When I look at them I see the innocence this world once had, an innocence they’ll never get back because of us,” Bruce said, slowly shaking his head. “It’ll just keep happening again and again.”

He felt her palm rest against him, her soothing voice telling him, “Then we’ll stop it again and again.”

She gently kissed his cheek and backed away. With that same smile, glad to have Banner’s attention, Natasha said, “Now, come on. There’s a party waiting for you.”

So, she walked off to join the celebration, her shadow cascading across Banner’s form. And even then, he saw the unsure glances, the hushed whispers directed at him. And that’s all he saw. Banner lowered his head.

Yeah… He got up, made his entry into the party just for him. I suppose there is.

As Natasha Romanoff strolled around the bonfires, stepped over the drunken forms of Asgardian warriors tangled in their own beards, she smiled and sent a notable wink over to the young Alicorn resting on a nearby bench.

Princess Twilight returned the gesture with her own weak smile, her eyes falling to stare at her hooves and the blooming grass beneath the bench she sat on. Her friends danced and celebrated several yards ahead of her alongside many others who actually had a reason to dance and celebrate.

That reason being that they won! The war with Ultron was over! After a horrific battle that nearly cost them everything, with two weeks of constant travel, negotiations, and small skirmishes across land, air, and sea, she should have felt some sort of comfort knowing that recent word basically confirmed Ultron was vanquished, gone for good.

And yet she sighed, ears falling flat against her skull.

Her sulking hadn’t gone unnoticed, as much as she wanted it to. The barren seat to her left was instantly occupied by a certain billionaire, playboy, super genius. Twilight groaned, heavy bags under her eyes, a clear indication of her weariness and now having to deal with Tony Stark.

Tony completely ignored the clear signs she gave. He asked, “What’s up, Droopy?”

She frowned. “Tony…what have we said about the references we would never get?” Twilight asked, frustration burning the edge of her tone.

“To keep doing them just to piss you off?” The look on her face… “Right, got it. So, what’s up?”

Her frown quickly dissipated, almost as if it was never there to begin with. She sighed again and dropped her head, mumbling, “Oh, nothing.”

“Sure didn’t sound like nothing,” Tony commented, leaning back and resting his arm across the bench. He waved his hand around, saying, “I mean, I’m seeing all of your friends…my friends basically having the time of their lives after we just won and yet here you are…the Princess of Friendship moping around when she should,” he lifted his cider, bringing it to his lips, “be having a drink.”

Tony quickly downed the rest of the contents, lowering the glass and studying her expression. He nodded, quickly swallowing. “And don’t worry, it’s non-alcoholic. I checked just for you.”

He puffed out his lower lip, mocking Twilight’s expression and earning a furious blush from the Alicorn. This time, he did catch the signs. Crossing one leg over the other, Stark cleared his throat and began again. He turned to her and smiled a closed grin.

“So, really, what’s up? You got some…” he rotated his wrist in front of him, “waning thoughts about Ultron, I mean it’s not uncommon. I’ve had a few myself. Checked it, double checked it, and confirmed it from up above.” He pointed straight up, Twilight’s eyes following. As she brought her gaze back to him, she could see his gentle nod, his serious yet tiny smile.

“Ultron’s gone, Twi.” Tony sighed, stared up into the night sky barely visible from the bright bonfires. “We won.”

“It’s…not that.”

Tony turned back, stared at Twilight for a second, then nodded. “Then what? Come on, tell me. I’m all ears,” he said to her, bringing his arm back and placing both hands in his lap, fingers intertwining with each other.

She could practically feel Tony’s eyes digging into her, searching her for answers when she could’ve been easily giving them. It was an odd feeling, one that made the Alicorn squirm in her seat. “It’s…well, it’s…” she stopped, took in a very deep breath, then released yet another sigh.

Twilight rubbed her foreleg. “I’m not gonna keep hiding it, Tony, but it’s…Starlight.”

Stark leaned back slightly. He nodded after a few seconds, muttering simply, “…Ah.”

He really wished he had another drink to distract himself with. Instead he thought about the subject of Starlight Glimmer. Ever since Canterlot, it was always their top priority to stop Ultron from escaping and recovering. After a quick but thorough search through the rubble of Canterlot, many lives were found still holding on. Others were not. And many more were still missing.

Once the major threats were dealt with, they could focus on the aftermath, aiding those who had suffered and lost loved ones. And never once, through the miles and miles of land that they traveled, all the cities and settlements they visited, and even in the rubble of Canterlot itself…they still never found her.

Not a body, absolutely no sort of sign, just nothing. In just a few days into the offensive against Ultron, Starlight Glimmer was announced either dead or missing. Many leaned towards the former. Others, like Twilight, hoped for the latter. And Stark too.

He quickly switched from thinking to listening the moment Twilight’s voice broke the silence between the two. “I can’t really…you know…get my head around it. After everything she’s done; enslaving ponies to her own twisted society, betraying her own race…even though she really didn’t mean to, and after all of that…having to deal with the ponies she…hated…she still sacrificed herself for me.”

Tony twirled the glass in his hands, staring at his own reflection in it. Twilight continued to stare at the grass, sadness boiling in her eyes and burning them.

“She said she had no other friends. All her life she had only felt…abandoned.” Tony turned to her. She shook her head, eyes slowly closing. “When Ultron came, he promised her sanctity, a friendship that she had never felt before. A true friendship. Ultron was the only one that she let into her life, and the only one she ever might have considered a friend. Obviously it was all a rues just to use her.”

“Obviously,” Stark agreed.

“But…” a short sniffle came from the Alicorn, which surprised Stark, “…even after all of that she came back to stand against him. And she stood with us…the ponies she called her enemies...and me. Even after everything we’ve been through, everything we’ve done to her, everything she did to us in the past…she still saved me.”

Another sigh, this one more drawn out and disheartening than the previous ones. Twilight kept her eyes shut, caring not what others would think of the Princess of Friendship. She stated sadly, “My friends and I all felt the same. We acknowledged what she did, admired it really. Even Celestia was willing to give her a hero’s welcome if she ever did show her face again. But it’s been two weeks, Tony, and…”

A cry broke across her voice, her voice nearly stuttering. “Even after so many days of searching, asking around, I can’t help but feel that…she’s actually gone. And I’m sitting here wondering if I could have made a difference in her life.”

The rest ended before Stark could make it out. Twilight’s tears muffled her language, a foreleg rising to wipe her eyes of the freshness. Tony looked away.

What she was feeling surely wasn’t uncommon. Hell, he expected her to feel some sort of regret for Starlight. For Stark, he didn’t know how to feel about the unicorn. She appeared to be some sort of lunatic at first, mad for power, taking any and all routes possible to acquire that power. But then she came to them in Canterlot…broke down and showed the Avengers the weakest part of her.

She never could’ve known that that was the strongest Tony had seen her. From that point on she had only grown stronger to him. She fought the battles too difficult even for her, stood with them even against overwhelming odds, and fighting to make things right once again.

Undo her past to heal her future. A classic story of redemption. And of course, as every great story goes, a sacrifice is only as powerful as to who performed it. Tony could easily understand what Twilight was going through, seeing her enemy turn over so quickly—especially to them—and save her. After all, what she was feeling wasn’t uncommon.

Tony once shared such feelings… Maybe not exactly how Twilight did.

“You know…”

Twilight lifted her face streaked with tears and turned it to Tony Stark. She watched him intently, listened for every word that he spoke directly to her.

He paused, then lowered his glass into the grass. “I had a friend…a long time ago,” Stark began as he leaned back. Memories of Yinsen surfaced, all unpleasant. “He was one of the bravest, most brilliant men I ever knew. He…”

Another pause, this one a tad more difficult than the first. “…He sacrificed his life for me in a time where I couldn’t fight alone, against an enemy I had very little hope to defeat. He helped me escape…and without him I’d probably be dead or slaving away until I died.”

Stark adjusted himself as he sat, and Twilight watched his movements, eyes burning red but no longer crying. Her mouth fell open in a little “o”, breathing controlled and attention held.

Tony gulped then said, “The point I’m trying to push across is…that their sacrifice means something…and we learn from it. If Starlight truly didn’t have anyone else in her life…then that was the beauty of her sacrifice. Because we’re still here…” he pointed to himself, then to Twilight, “we saw it…and we could live to tell the tale of what she did…and how much we appreciate it…appreciate her. Not a day goes by where I forget to remember the men and women who got me where I am today.”

He studied her expression, found nothing in it but wonder and hope. Tony smiled to her. “And you should do the same…but, you know, remember the…‘ponies’.”

He expected some sort of gratification for his help, as it always should be whenever he pours out his heart to someone. But even then, Tony was still unprepared for how fast the hug came, or how tight her forelegs wrapped around his neck and squeezed him, nearly cutting off his oxygen. He kinda needed that stuff.

Still, he could hear the whimpers in Twilight’s voice cease, a gentle, warming exhale escaping her. “Thank you, Tony,” she whispered, squeezing a scosche tighter. “Thank you.”

“Welcome,” Stark gasped, patting her back. “Air please!”

Quickly apologizing, Twilight broke off the hug and rubbed a hoof through her mane. That same hoof fell to her lips, a knowing smirk growing stronger and stronger. “Are you blushing?” she teased.

The red tint on Tony’s cheeks failed to keep him down. Stark shot off the bench like a rocket, frightening the crowd around him as he yelled, “Of course not! Are you done crying now? Let’s go hit the dance floor! Or…dance…grass, I guess.”

Twilight allowed a quick giggle before Tony turned back to her.

He checked his watch, asking, “Oh, and before I forget…have you ever heard of Led Zeppelin?” Twilight shook her head, still smiling. “ACDC?” Again, no. “Really? How do you ponies live with yourselves?”

She watched as he brought up that watch on his wrist and spoke to it. “Friday, cue the music.”

A thunderous tune erupted from the man’s wristwatch, one that caused several mares around Stark to yelp in surprise. He paid them no heed, simply waving the princess forward. Twilight laughed once more, rolling her eyes and hopping off the bench to join him on the “dance grass”.

Not a minute passed before Thor took a seat where Twilight Sparkle once rested.

His stomach swelled in pain, fresh liquid ripe on his stubble after his victory amongst his fellow warriors from Asgard. Such victories should be rewarded with rest and relaxation, and the Son of Odin took great pride in that regard. He watched his friends and allies celebrate mere feet in front of him, pony and human alike bonded together.

He smiled at the scene.

“I love this world,” Thor chuckled. His eyes wandered over to his father having a fair but welcome conversation with the ruler of Equestria. They laughed, they drank, they celebrated. As such should be for the victory they have acquired.

“Yo, Equestria to alien!”

He was beckoned over by a certain Rainbow Dash, the smile he thought would never grace her features again returning as bright as ever. She waved at him, saying, “The next song is about to start; come on! Have you ever heard this human music before? It’s so awesome!”

Thor chuckled once more as he stood. Grinning madly, tussling the mare’s rainbow mane as he brushed past her, he muttered, “I really love this world.”

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