Nothing Special
The murmurs of the crowd of ponies that had gathered in the Great Hall of Canterlot sounded less like ponies talking and more like the buzzing of a hornets nest. Yet, while both Applebloom and Scootaloo shared concerned faces, Sweetie Belle's was stern and strong as she gently finished polishing the shield.
"Well, seems that everypony is here," Applebloom finally spoke up as she gazed out from the stage at the room. "And it seems like everypony has the same look of hopelessness that we do. Ah had been hoping that news about Captain America hadn't spread so fast, but...Sweetie Belle, ah don't know what yer planning to tell these ponies, but ah don't think it will help."
"It will, Applebloom. You're going to have to trust me on this," Belle said as she rose from her seat and began to walk towards the front of the stage, but Scootaloo placed a hoof on her shoulder to stop her. Belle glanced back at her friend, expecting her to try and dissuade her, but all Scootaloo did instead was smile and nod her head. Now that she knew her friends had confidence in her, the belle approached the front of the stage and banged her hoof into the shield to gain everyponies' attention.
"Hello, everypony," she began after all talk had ceased, refusing to allow herself to become nervous under the stares of hundreds of her allies. "You all may be wondering...no, you all know why I'm here to talk to you. I'm here to talk about Captain America...and what we must do now that he's recovering from the battle with the Frankenpony." The shocked murmurs broke out again, forcing the belle to bang upon the shield once more.
"Yes, the rumors that you have all been hearing are true. Captain America will no longer be able to help us in the upcoming fight against Sombra's weapon of destruction," she admitted to the crowd, who became as silent as the dead at her words. "I know that may sound terrible, but listen to me when I say-"
"Sound terrible?! This is the worse possible thing that could have happened!" Belle let out a small sigh at the outburst, well aware that it was going to happen before she had started speaking. "The Captain was our only hope! He was the only one who could have helped us to beat these monsters! And now you're telling us that he's gone, just as Sombra's death machine approaches!"
"There's no hope!" another pony screamed, huddling into a ball on the floor. "Sombra's going to kill us all! How can we hope to defeat that thing without our hero?! We're doomed!"
"Even if he was still fine, what would be the point of having him here?" one more voice called out, louder than all the others. "Captain America fought against Sombra's monster and was defeated! What hope could he have to beat Sombra even if he was-"
"Wrong."
The chilling tone in Sweetie's voice silenced the panic and confusion in a heartbeat. Nopony dared to speak when they turned their gaze up towards Sweetie once more, who held a look upon her face that kept the room silent. She swept her gaze over all of them, daring them to say one more thing about the Captain before she cleared her throat and continued.
"I know that you are all scared. I know that you feel hopeless without the Captain here. But allow me to make a fact painfully clear for all of you. Sombra did not defeat Captain America at the Crystal Empire. Captain America...Steve...he beat him." She saw the confusion in their eyes, heard the murmurs upon their lips, and even felt the eyes of her friends on her while they waited to hear what she had to say.
"At the Crystal Empire, Sombra had beaten me. He also had a weapon of mass destruction, the Frankenpony, pointed at both me...and all of you as you evacuated the Empire." The crowds' eyes slowly shrunk at the news, none of them having any idea. "And then he gave Steve a choice. Leave me to die and save all of you...or save me and let you all die. And Steve's shield couldn't protect both parties. So I prepared to die, knowing that Steve would never doom a thousand to save one."
A tear then streaked down Sweetie's eye as she recalled what happened next, forcing her to take a moment to recover. "But apparently the Captain would not damn one to save a thousand either. Because he tossed his shield to me so that I could defend myself...and then took every ounce of Celestia's magic head on...and used himself as a shield."
All of the ponies let out a gasp at the news, none of them having heard about that part of the battle. "That is what I mean when I say the Captain didn't let Sombra win...didn't let evil win. Evil gave him a choice, to save one or save a thousand. But Steve didn't care about evil's rules. He did what he always did. He saved us all." Sweetie then looked down at the shield, which reflected the face of the mare back at her.
"And for days, I wondered, 'why'? Why would the Captain choose to save me and allow himself to be so horribly hurt in the process? He knew that we all saw him as a hero; knew that we all looked to him to save our world. So why would he go out of his way to save a mare that wasn't a hero? Why would he leave us to fight the final battle ourselves instead of just letting me die? Why would he save a pony who was nothing special?" A small smile then creased Sweetie Belle's lips as more tears fell onto the shield, which she knew was more than just something the Captain had given her to keep her safe.
"And that's because Steve was nothing special. In the end, he was just a human with a shield." She heard the crowd and her friends gasp at her words, but another stern gaze from her eyes prevented any from speaking. "Yes, he had a serum within him that made him strong. But think about the things he went up against while he was here. An insect queen that had the power to shapeshift. A tyrant that could steal cutie marks and make their powers hers. A god-like centaur that could steal all of the magic from the land and leave us powerless. The very same beings that killed the Ambassadors of Harmony and brought down all of the princesses. That's what he fought."
"And in the end, he still prevailed. He managed to do what we couldn't dream of doing. He did what six ponies chosen by the rainbow power couldn't do. He did what four alicorns that could move the very heavens and all of the Royal Guard couldn't do. And he was just a man with a shield. He was nothing special." Sweetie then looked down at her reflection once more, but this time when her reflection stared back she saw not a mare that should have died...but instead what Rogers had seen in her.
"And those were the Captain's last words to me before he saved us all. That he was nothing special. And I wondered why he would tell me that as his last words...but now, gazing upon all of you, I think I know. He was nothing special, and yet he was still the hero that helped to bring down the Starfall. He was still the hero that helped to take back the cities and towns that were lost..."
"Not because he was destined to. Not because he had the magical strength to move the sun or because some mystical relic had chosen him. He did it because he couldn't stand by and watch while injustice threatened to destroy what we had left. Despite being so outclassed...he chose to fight."
"Back when we were younger, I remember that every time Equestria was threatened we looked to the Elements or the rulers of Equestria to protect us...to save us from the evil. Because they were heroes. But we didn't dare to fight. Not because we didn't have magic or that we weren't strong enough...but because none of us were the chosen heroes. We weren't anything special."
"And I think...no, I know that's what Rogers was trying to show me. That you don't have to be some special, chosen defender of the world to be a hero. That as long as you have the heart and the resolve, you can fight as well! That all of us have the potential to be heroes like him. That is why he chose to save all of us, not willing to let a single one of us die. Because he believed in us. He believed that we could all be the heroes that are needed to save our world!"
"So I know that you are all scared. I know that you may feel like this battle is hopeless. But now I ask all of you, what would Steve do if he was in our situation? Would he give in just because the foe looked unbeatable? Would he stop if his hero had fallen to the monster? No. He would do what he always did. He would get back up. And he would fight!"
Bloom and Scootaloo watched with wide eyes as the room that had been filled with terrified eyes just a few minutes ago, was now burning with will and resolve that they had not seen since they were little fillies.
"Steve showed us what it means to be heroes; showed us that we all have what it takes to be that which we needed for so long! Showed us that we can be like he was, despite being nothing special! So I ask all of you, what will you do?! Will you give into the evil?! Will you surrender to its overwhelming strength and power?! Will you give into the hopelessness?! Or will you do what Steve would had done?! Will you get up?! Will you continue to fight against the hopelessness and the darkness, because it is what's right?!" she screamed before she thrust the shield into the air, where it caught the light of the rising sun and burned with the sun while mirroring the burning in the ponies' eyes. "Will you be heroes?!"
The roar that the crowd responded with nearly deafened the three mares, yet despite the noise, all Belle had upon her face was a smile that burned with passion and willpower. "That's what I want to hear!" She then glanced back at Applebloom and Scootaloo, who both looked at her with disbelief and amazement in their eyes. "Come on guys. I got them riled up, but I can't do it alone. I need your help too."
Applebloom and Scootaloo both stepped forward, slightly nervous as they felt every eye upon the both of them while they waited to here the plan.
"Alright ponies, listen up. We've got maybe four days at most before Sombra gets here. That means we have four days to prepare," Scootaloo began as she took command after a moment of silence, a plan beginning to form in her head. "Sombra may have his gargoyles and giant titan of destruction, but we have something he doesn't. We have Bloom."
Applebloom pointed a hoof at herself as Scootaloo smiled. "That's right. She managed to build not only these wings of mine and the exosuit that she wears, but she's also the one that built the false horn for Sweetie Belle. If she could build them for us, who's to say that she can't build enhancements for all of you? Think you're up for it, Bloom?"
"In four days huh...ah'm gonna need a lot of help if we're to do this," she figured as a wicked grin that sent shivers up her friends' spines spread across her lips. "Everypony that has a talent in building or crafting, come with me to the Canterlot laboratory! We've got four days to build these things!"
"Those of you who aren't working with Bloom, get to setting up a defense or finding weapons that we might be able to use to crack that Crystal fiend!" Scootaloo ordered. The ponies let out a cry for war before they all began to race to their different jobs, leaving Bloom and Scootaloo to glance at their friend who wore on her face that they hadn't seen in so long.
"Where did ya learn to speak like that?" Applebloom asked, getting Belle to snap out of her thoughts as she glanced at her two closest friends. "Ah mean...that sounded like something the Captain or one of our sisters would have said. It was...incredible."
"I'm...not sure myself. Last night when I finally realized what the Captain had been trying to tell me, I started to think of a way to tell the ponies in a way that would motivate them. I was having issues for a while, but then inspiration just...came to me." Sweetie Belle then shook her head and took on a more serious expression. "But we don't have time to talk about this. Bloom, don't you have some upgrades to be building? And Scootaloo, you are the leader of our military forces, are you not?"
Sweetie's two best friends smirked as they both "saluted" her before racing off into the castle, leaving Belle alone in the empty room with the shield. She gazed down at it once more to see the strange, white reflection that she had caught in it the other night. She gazed up at the ceiling to see only the roof, but a thin smile spread before she nodded.
'Watch over me sister and all my friends. Because we will free the world you died for. I promise on this shield that we will not fall again. We will stand up.' With that thought she placed the shield onto her back and sprinted out of the room, preparing herself for the battle with Sombra...and what she needed to do to ensure that he wouldn't win.
/ \
//A\\
/// \\\
The cool morning air dragged its fingers across the face of the young Pegasus as she gazed out from the edge of the mounted city off into the horizon. She squinted her eyes slightly as the sun slowly began to rise over the horizon, slightly wondering how it was still moving despite none of the beings that could move it still being alive. She decided that it didn't matter that much, and instead chose to turn her head at the sound of another pony approaching.
"You're up early," Scootaloo said to the mare with the vibranium shield as the pony joined her, allowing Scootaloo to nod approvingly at the suit that Belle was wearing. The suit held the colors of the Equestrian flag before the Five had burned all of them, while also having a white star in the center of the reds and whites. "And you even put on your fancy clothes. Got a date with somepony?"
"As if you're one to talk. I'm amazed that you managed to leave Applebloom alone long enough to come out here to stare at the sun," Belle shot back with a raised eyebrow and smirk before a more serious expression crossed her face. "I heard that she barely managed to finish the last suit for our forces. How is she...?"
"She's getting as much sleep as she can. And since I don't want to disturb her at all, I am forced to stand out here and wonder how the sun is rising," Scootaloo smirked as the two turned their gazes towards the horizon, knowing that the sun was not the only thing coming from that direction. "This is it, isn't it? Everything we've fought for...all the pain and triumph...it all comes to an end here. Against Sombra...here," she sighed as she took a bit from her suit's pocket and placed it in Belle's hoof.
"What's this for?"
"For the bet we made when we were younger. I bet that Tirek would be the last villain standing, you bet Sombra. Seems you were right once again." Belle raised an eyebrow with a smirk while she pocketed the bit, leaving Scootaloo to glance at the shield. "So you plan on bringing it into battle despite having no idea how to use it?"
"Steve trusted me with his shield during his final act. And this way, it feels like a little bit of him is coming with us," Sweetie Belle said with a smile as she glanced back at the shield. "Besides, it just feels right having it with me. Just like it feels right having you and Bloom by my side for this final battle...if she ever wakes up. Because you know as well as I do what she's like when she gets tired."
Scootaloo opened her mouth to answer before the both of them felt the ground shake beneath their hooves. Scootaloo whipped out a pair of binoculars in a flash and stared off into the horizon with them, eyes narrowing at what she saw. A monstrosity made of crystal and dark magic was advancing towards them, crushing everything in its path on its way there. Forests were crushed underfoot, it swatted any flying creatures out of the air, and she could feel the evil emanating from the spire on top of its body.
"Belle...gather the troops. I'm going to wake up Bloom," Scootaloo instructed as she hoofed the binoculars to her friend before running off. Belle gazed through them straight at the crystal spire, knowing that within was where the last evil resided. And that one way or another, the battle for Equestria ended that day.
'But we won't go down easily this time, Sombra. This time, we stand as one.'
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This is it real final battle has began.
Alright folks, hold onto your butts.
Final battle time.
Right Fillies and Colts! Let's ROCK AND ROLL! FIRE EVERYTHING!!!
I'm so excited!
this shit is real quoted by random gta 4 cop
Now for all the badass quotes you can think of! GO! KICK THEIR ASS! JUST AS THE CAPTAIN WOULD!
Forth, and fear no darkness! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day... a red day... ere the sun rises!
As a leader of a nation of horse masters, I don't think King Teoden will mind me borrowing his words for them.
It's time to show Sombra what a true wall of defense is like. Great update as the final battle is set. This is going to be interesting and lets hope that there will be survivors to this battle.
Please do keep up the good work upon such a great story.
Kick his ass!
Heh, its finally happening.
Darn you Sombra! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you to death, until you're dead!
~Dollars.
All for one, and one for all.
6722397
[youtube=l8yOdAqBFcQ]
this seems more fitting for whats about to happen.
In regards to Belle's speech, to quote Raiden from the first Mortal Kombat movie:
"Good. At last, one of them has understood."
United, they stand.
Divided, He falls.
If this story had been about any other superhero, it would have been cheesey, goofy, and maybe a bit outdated. But somehow, it works when it's Cap. And by that I mean the REAL Cap, the 70+ year old comics version. MCU Cap comes VERY close, but he's still too green and doesn't have the leadership - yet. And Ultimate Cap is a bigot, a brute, and an idiot. This story right here? That's the REAL Cap.
6723445 Not even batman?
6723505 IMHO, especially not Batman, the way this story is written. He doesn't achieve what he does by inspiring people, he does it by scaring them. He'd also be far more likely to insist the Crusade avoid any and all fighting so as not to get in his way, and while he might bring down the Five, he'd leave behind an Equestria still quaking in fear and too scared to rebuild. The 1960's TV Batman might fit the story, but then it becomes cheesey and outdated for the character.
6723524 Superman? You know the guy who's whole stick is about inspiring people? Heck I think the author made that a big point to the story when even rainbow dash wasn't immune to his uplifting personality.
6723574 Any superhero with "Super powers" would not make this story work as well, IMHO. The arc words are "I'm nothing special", after all. The fact that he HAS no powers, no magic, nothing but a shield, is what means this story works. Superman would work for almost anything except the most recent chapter - if he was in a magic pod with 95% of his skin melted off and healing, the ponies would be terrified, not inspired to fight for themselves. And even if he managed to heal faster and saved them, they'd be so swept up in his specific brand of charisma that they'd practically worship him, and try to persuade him to become their new monarch. On top of all that? Supes would be either be down within minutes, not expecting magic, or he'd obliterate the Five without breaking a sweat.
The way this story is written, Steve is inspiring the ponies, themselves, to be the instrument of their own ultimate emancipation. When he's fully healed and the battle is over, they will cheer him, thank him, and revere him as a hero - but will also know that THEY were the ones who ultimately freed themselves. Even Bloom and Scoots killed Starshine and Chrysalis, and Belle defeated Tirek, not Cap. Sombra killed Az, and Tirek is contemplating a heel-face turn at 6" tall. Yes, he is the reason Bloom and Scoots COULD do what they did, but the truth remains that they are the ones who did the final acts there. And this final battle, HE is not there, but his shield is. He's far more effective in this story because he can be a symbol, not because he has the best powers.
6723618 Eh in my opinion him having powers doesn't change anything. It's what he's doing with them that counts. But that's just me. What makes him super is his heart. Not his abilities. Besides there was a chapter where he lost his abilities and he was STILL being a boss and looking inspirational while doing it. The whole "being a symbol" thing has always been an aspect of Supes. Literally. His symbol literally means hope.
6723625 Eh, I never said anything about Supes not being special. Even back in my first post, I was referring to Cap fitting best in this story, as it is currently written. Almost any other superhero could be put in this situation and end with a free Equestria, but the entire mood, method, and end result would be totally different - and it wouldn't be this story.
6723644 Fair enough.
Thought I'd put up my own fight music.
6722647 no leave him in a room with this.
http://youtu.be/5FtfqmBjKWQ
wait! I take it back no villain here deserves that it's worse than what all the five did!
It begins..., the final battle, and only one will be left standing ... For one shall rise, one shall fall...
6735259 Nice optimus prime quotes.
Our world's about to break
Tormented and attacked
Lost from when we wake
With no way to go back
I'm standing on my own
But now I'm not alone...
Assemble...we are strong
Forever fight as one.
ASSEMBLED WE ARE STRONG, FOREVER FIGHT AS ONE!!!!!!!
8782373
HELL YEAH!