Chapter Fifteen “Finale! Fight for the Fate of the Universe!”
Peter inhaled deeply before sighing, sharing a glance with Julia. “Okay, everyone’s got a fragment. We’re ready to repair reality when you are.”
Nodding, Julia managed a small smile. “Excellent. You’ve done well Peter.” Holding out her hands as the fragment hovered over her palms, the woman’s crimson locks floated in the surrounding breeze. “I will establish a telepathic link with your teammates and begin the Tablet’s restoration process. So long as they maintain possession of their respective fragment, I can simply bring them back here. It will take a couple of minutes. Although I can’t speak for Starlight Glimmer.”
An astral image of Twilight materialized next to the stallion, and the pair shared a glance, with the alicorn holding her gaze on Madame Web. “Not a second too soon. Let’s just bring everyone back here first. Then, we can figure out how to go after Starlight.” Glancing to the side, Twilight’s eyes softened as she gazed upon her husband. “I was beginning to think you’d never finish. You look tired.”
Letting out a low sigh, Peter nodded softly. “Yeah. It’s been a long day. I think that last reality did me in.” The stallion folded his hooves. “Just seeing how broken and distraught you were was unnerving. I know the multiverse is a big place, but would that have happened to you if you didn’t tell me how you felt?”
“I saw. I can’t say that it wasn’t uncomfortable to watch.” Twilight softly declared, frowning before lifting her gaze. “We can’t always focus on the what-ifs of our lives. You taught me that we have to focus on the present. If we worry about the past and what could have been, we might just miss the future right in front of us.”
Chuckling, Peter’s ears perked happily. “That was just the thing I needed to hear from you. Thanks honey. Once this is finished I’m coming home, and we’re cuddling.” As if a realization came to mind, the stallion arched a brow. “This is usually the part where scepter drives you insane. Where is that thing?”
Twilight cleared her throat before shrugging. However, her complexion paled as the scepter hummed to life from behind her position. “I am your god now! Bring me your virgins!” the golden item boasted with Peter’s voice. The alicorn exhaled, holding a blank stare as she removed the scepter from her throne chair’s side sleeve via magic. Once the item was in her hoof, the scepter chortled. “There is a point where we needed to stop, and we have clearly passed it.” Suddenly, the scepter erupted into a wild laughter. “But let’s keep going and see what happens! Muhahahaha!”
Twilight’s brow twitched violently before an evil grin surfaced on her face. A row of tape materialized into existence in a brief flash, floating next to the scepter. The alicorn wrapped several strands of tape around the golden item’s mouth. Once the deed was done, Twilight tossed the tape behind her shoulder with a coy grin, all while the scepter released a series of muffled responses.
“I can’t explain how cathartic that feels.” Twilight muttered, inhaling deeply before sighing. Ignoring the scepter’s continuous and indistinguishable mumbling, the alicorn shared a final glance with the stallion. “Okay. Hurry and save the multiverse. I’ll be waiting for you. Take too long, and I’ll make sure to whack you with this loudmouth scepter several times.” She gave Peter a friendly wink as her astral image faded. “Oh. Gwen and Flurry have your tea, cookies, and sleeping bag ready. Don’t hurt their feelings by not making it in time.”
Peter chuckled. “I’m living the dream life any husband and father would want. I have a daughter that wants to smother me to death with love, and I have a wife ready to bludgeon my head in with a talking scepter. Dare to dream, world!” Sobering, Peter smiled. “Keep the bed warm, honey. I’ll be back. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Twilight gently whispered, smiling warmly before her image completely faded from sight.
Meanwhile, the surrounding portals glowed brightly as the fragment hovering over Julia’s hands emitted luminous energies. Suddenly, Umbra was pulled from the first portal and roughly landed near Peter, all while holding onto her fragment. The others soon followed, with each individual maintaining a grip on their respective fragment. Before long, Ember in her dog form flew into the vicinity before morphing back to her dragon figure in a flash of light.
The surrounding portals ignited, detonating out of existence. The fragments floated free from each individual before rushing over to Julia. Spiraling over Madame Web’s hands and fusing together, a shockwave around her position triggered. Most of the surrounding platforms disintegrated from sight, causing most of the Avengers to topple to the central area where Julia and Peter stood. Umbra, Ember, and Eris managed to land upright while Sonata, Trixie, and Laura all landed in undignified heaps, right on top of each other.
However, faster than anypony could react, a beam crashed into Madame Web’s chest and knocked her back. The force of the blow nearly sent the woman over the edge of the platform, but Peter slid across the ground, catching hold of her forearm. As he helped Julia back onto the platform, the reformed fragment levitated into Starlight’s waiting hoof once she materialized into existence in a flash. Grinning, the mare slid the last remaining piece into the tablet, fully reforming the item.
Starlight cackled wildly as the entire Tablet of Order and Chaos emitted bright energy before it faded into the mare’s body as she absorbed it. “Finally! You saved me a lot of trouble, Peter Parker!” she roared, her distorted voice echoing throughout the entire realm. She floated high above their position while a black cape and mask morphed onto her being. Suddenly, the mare’s physique expanded until she matched the size of a large dragon, towering over the ponies and platform underneath. “I can finally take my place as God of this reality!”
Dazed, Eris held a paw over her forehead and attempted to shake the cobwebs free. “Starlight! You must stop! You cannot begin to comprehend the power of the Tablet of Order and Chaos! It was not meant to be wielded by mortals!”
“I am no mere mortal! I’ve spent years of my life studying the powers of the tablet and Starswirl the Bearded’s time spell!” Starlight exclaimed as dark energies spread throughout the realm. “I know full well what I am doing!”
Peter lifted Julia onto the platform, turning to furrow his brow at Starlight. “No! You don’t! The space-time continuum is collapsing. We’re looking at the end of all of reality!” He shook his head. “Let go of the fragment and stop using Starswirl the Bearded’s time spell! Time travel is something nopony is meant to mess with!”
Starlight scowled as the stars aligned behind her position. “Keep quiet! I have seen first-hoof where your leadership has gone. The world itself is veering off-course to utter chaos. Celestia’s rule was failing, and I know it will be only a matter of time before Twilight Sparkle loses what little control is left.” The mare raised a hoof, pointing it sharply at the stallion. “You claim to be the Spirit of Order, but you bring only chaos wherever you go.”
“That’s not true!” Sonata quickly shouted in response, shaking her head. “Peter’s a good pony! He tries his best to help everyone!”
“Is it not? I studied Peter Parker’s history during my search of the multiverse. I watched the type of influence he has had in other realities,” Starlight huffed, holding a firm tone. “There’s a reality like our own that is in the central cluster of the multiverse. In that Equestria, Peter was never summoned, and Celestia is still alive. Its timeline is peaceful, with only the occasional minor inconvenience. Even that world’s version of myself has found peace alongside Twilight Sparkle and her friends.”
Eris folded her hooves. “That’s not absolute. The multiverse has generated literally an infinite number of possibilities.”
“I’m not done,” Starlight mused, arching a brow. “In the central reality where Peter Parker resides, he alone is at the center of nearly every catastrophe. Whether he’s directly or indirectly the cause, it stands that Spider-Man is a catalyst for chaos.” The mare narrowed her gaze on the stallion. “His presence here in our Equestria is indication of that! We’ve lost Princess Celestia! The Nightmare Force is allowed to walk out in the open despite all of the atrocities it committed! Princess Luna suffered from a broken heart for years! Discord and his sinister lot threatened many lives just to get to him.”
Trixie frowned. “None of that is on Peter! You’re punishing him for things beyond his control!”
Starlight snarled, baring her fangs. “Yes, it is! His mere existence puts everything - and everypony - around him in danger!” Nodding, she cackled wildly as her own body morphed to a black shade. “I will correct this. By removing ‘Peter Parker’ from all of reality! There will be no Spider-Man! No false order! I will ensure that reality stays its course without unnecessary chaos!”
“You seriously think erasing my dad will help? He’s saved more lives than anypony could imagine!” Mayday exclaimed, staring intently at Starlight. “Hang onto your misguided holier-than-thou outlook, and you’ll just make things worse!”
“That remains to be seen, but your protests are predictable.” Starlight coldly whispered, holding her hooves out to the side before turning to face the distorted energies skyward as they fused together. “I will create a new reality, erase Peter’s entire existence, and rule over it as its god. I will ensure all life is truly created equal, and nopony will ever lose their way. I will simply remove free will and teach everypony to accept my beliefs uncritically through synthesis.”
“That sounds dangerously close to indoctrination,” Umbra huffed, frowning at the mare.
Mayday shook her head. “No. It’s almost more in line with dictatorship. Remove free will, and you’re nothing more than a tyrant. It may be your will, but it’s not that of those under you.”
Eris frowned. “It’s the tablet. It’s amplifying her thoughts negatively.”
Ember clutched at her scepter, narrowing her gaze. “The old ways have paved our path, and we’re forging a new means for everypony to walk the planet equally. What you’re trying to do will unearth everything.”
“Of all the ponies to question my methods, it’s you? I find that laughably ironic,” Starlight chuckled, pausing as a series of platforms took a place scattered about midair.
Trixie brushed her cape to the side. “If you’re the ruler of this upcoming reality, everypony will be as ignorant as you. It will truly set all of Equestrian lore back several thousand decades.”
Straightening out her glasses with a hoof, Mayday nodded. “I used to think Celestia’s means to control the peace was unethical. While I still don’t fully agree with how she carried it out, at least she had everypony’s best intentions in mind while giving them the freedom to make their own choices.” Clearing her throat, Mayday scoffed. “I was stupid as a kid to even think you and Discord made more sense than Celestia. I’ll make up for it now by knocking some of that sense back into you.”
Starlight arched a brow. “Well, I can tell your minds are made up. Fret not, I’ll just cleanse your minds in the birth of my new reality.”
Unsheathing her claws, Wolverine growled before lowering into a feral stance. “Cleanse these, and shove it.”
With a widened gaze, Sonata nodded. “Y-yeah! What she said!”
Starlight’s face twisted with disgust before she raised a hoof, prompting a meteor to speed towards their platform. Eris snapped her talons, causing a barrier to rise around everypony’s position.
As more meteors crashed against the defense, Peter turned to face his teammates. “Okay. It’s simple. We stop Starlight, and we’ll get the fragment back. All of reality is counting on us. No pressure, right?”
“Just a piece of that tablet caused all of us some serious problems.” Trixie groaned, lifting her mask momentarily to reveal an exasperated expression. As she walked next to the stallion, the mare lifted her gaze towards Starlight. “How are we supposed to stop her when she has the whole thing?”
“By working together.” Peter stated matter-of-factly, earning the collective gazes of his teammates. “All of us managed to piece the Tablet back together. If we work together, we can stop it. We’re the Avengers. We do the impossible in our sleep.” The stallion firmly nodded, tapping one hoof over the other. “I assembled you all because I know, as a team, we could be the absolute best. I just need you all to believe that as well and try to trust each other.”
Laura huffed. “Trust the process, huh? This is one hell of a way to start.” Shrugging, the mare nodded. “Like I said, I’ll give this teamwork thing a try for now. It’s what the old man would have wanted me to do.”
Ember nodded, spinning her scepter about before aiming its crimson gem at Starlight. “I will fight for the new world we promised to strive for. This pony is simply an obstacle.”
Mayday walked up to her father, placing the entirety of her armor on before placing a hoof over his shoulder. “I’ve got your back. I kinda have to. You get erased, and I’ll fade from existence, too! Not to mention the same thing happening to Ben, Gwen, and Junior.”
Unsheathing her sword from its scabbard, Umbra gripped its handle with her teeth. “This affects all of us here. I propose we cease this mare’s actions as soon as possible.”
Eris glanced back at her team, nodding. “Our minds are set. We are your guardians, Peter. Now lead the charge!”
As if a realization came to mind, Peter glanced to the side. “Guardian? Yeah. That may actually work.” Shaking his head free of intrusive thoughts, the stallion pointed a hoof at Starlight. “Avengers! Assemble!”
Eris vanished from sight, appearing on the platform just below Starlight Glimmer. The mare caught sight of the draconequus, scoffing. Suddenly, dozens of stone ponies bearing Starlight’s image rose from the ground and surrounded Eris from every angle. Many lunged out at once, attempting to tackle the draconequus, but Eris waved her glowing talon, triggering a series of detonations.
Flames and magic tore through their stone shells, shattering their frames. Eris lifted a paw, swinging one of the statues around her being as if it was trapped in her orbit. The stone replica of Starlight collided into every counterpart that neared the draconequus, and each shattered upon impact, prompting Eris to drop the broken rock after the duration. Starlight fired a beam at the draconequus before she vanished from sight.
Faster than she could react, Eris materialized into existence behind the mare with her tail raised, and she swatted the back of her head, sending her careening into the ground with enough force to generate a crater. Starlight rose from the ground before levitating in midair. However, she glanced to the side, only for Laura to spear into her being with her claws fully extended. Wolverine climbed onto Starlight’s shoulder before slashing wildly against her opponent’s distorted form.
Sonata rushed up under the mare, inhaling deeply before screaming at the top of her lungs. Laura jumped away as the pulsating waves slammed into Starlight, carrying her body over the edge before she burst through another platform. Starlight groaned as she pulled herself from the ground, waving a hoof sharply. A fierce gust rushed through the vicinity, knocking Laura, Eris, and Sonata away. Her blank gaze sharpened into a glare once she caught sight of Trixie several hoof-lengths away.
Mysterio forced the lump in her throat down with a swallow before she pointed a hoof to the side. The distorted energies erupted around Starlight’s energy as she lunged out at Trixie. However, a grappling hook shot out from the golden band laced around her hoof and latched onto the upper portion of a platform in the distance, pulling Mysterio out of harm’s way as Starlight lunged out at where she previously stood. Particles of energy spiraled into Starlight’s horn while lightning crackled throughout the distorted realm.
Trixie landed on the side of a stone, glancing back as Starlight unleashed a beam in her direction. She then turned, grappling onto another platform at the last moment. The projectile slammed into the rock where Mysterio previously stood, reducing the stone to little more than slivers at the point of contact and detonation. The shockwave from the blast sent the hapless mare flying until she collided roughly into a stone back first. Mysterio groaned as she struggled to get back to her hooves, vanishing in a cloud of smoke once Starlight landed directly above her position.
Before Starlight could react, Ember soared through the skies with her scepter held firmly in one claw. She unleashed a sharp ray from the crystal, holding it over the distorted mare’s head. Starlight winced, raising a hoof defensively. Meanwhile, Iron Mare rose behind Starlight in midair with her hooves extended. She fired a pulsating ray, whipping Starlight’s head forward through a stone with a crash, and the distorted mare tumbled over the edge, falling for several seconds before crashing onto the central platform amidst the vicinity.
Once she stood, Starlight waved her hoof sharply and a shockwave erupted around her, sending Ember, Mayday, and Trixie careening in seperate directions. Soon, the mare collapsed while taking in wheezed breaths. Suddenly, Umbra and Peter landed mere hoof-lengths away. The mare unsheathed her blade as black energies enveloped Starlight’s form. Peter gave Umbra a simple nod, prompting the mare to leap high into the air until she disappeared from sight.
Exhaling, Peter shot out a strand of webbing onto Starlight’s horn and never relinquished his hold on the thread. Jerking his hoof to the side, he wrenched Starlight’s head sideways into the ground with a resounding crack. She turned and attempted to break free, but Peter snapped his hoof swiftly to the other side, forcing her head to the stone platform once again. Latching another strand of webbing onto Starlight, the stallion held the mare in place as she kept trying to break free.
Umbra sped past the mare as dark energies enveloped her blade. Swinging her sword, she slashed clean through the distorted energies surrounding Starlight. Suddenly, the distorted energies erupted violently from the mare’s body. Starlight held out her hooves from her body as the chaotic energies faded from the entire realm. Slowly yet surely, the other Avengers joined Peter and Umbra, and they watched as Starlight clamored about wildly.
“No!” Starlight exclaimed, shrinking back to her normal size. She crawled to a kneeling stance, holding her trembling hooves over her glowing chest. “The Tablet can still be mine! I can fix all of this!”
Peter walked up to the mare as every member of the Avengers stayed close behind him. “Sheesh, some bad guys never learn. Speaking of learning, you should learn how to count. Something tells me you’re outnumbered.” Shooting a strand of webbing onto her chest, Peter yanked Starlight to a standing position and swung her in the direction of his allies. “Ladies.”
Eris raised her tail, slapping Starlight across the face repeatedly with enough force to send her staggering away. “Child. You caused us so many problems.”
Laura rolled her eyes, throwing a straight punch into Starlight’s jaw. “I really hate this pony.”
Ember scoffed as Starlight stumbled in her direction, smacking the mare across the face with the blunt end of her scepter. “Come now, Laura. You hate everything.”
Mayday chuckled, shrugging before extending a hoof and unleashing a small pulse blast into Starlight’s forehead. “Oh, come on! She’s a blast to hit in the face!”
“If this is your idea of bonding,” Umbra whispered, pausing before throwing a straight punch into Starlight’s jaw, “then I must admit that I am enjoying this prospect.”
Sonata shook her head, furrowing her brow while pushing the staggering Starlight in a different direction. “I don’t think that’s how it works, Umbra.”
“Excuse me, Peter,” Dream called out, causing Peter’s eyes to widen. Suddenly, his hoof rose on its own before swatting Starlight’s jaw. The stallion blinked, prompting the entity in his head to clear her throat. “My apologies. I was feeling left out.”
Trixie removed her mask, lifting it high over her head before whacking the top of Starlight’s head with it. Inhaling deeply before sighing, the mare smiled. “Well, that was cathartic.”
Starlight laid muzzle-first against the ground, groaning weakly from being thrown around like a ragdoll. But, rather quickly, her pained groans gave way to infuriated growling as the center of her chest began glowing. “I won’t let myself lose! Not like this! I’ll just go back in time and stop you all from being born!” The unicorn's horn glowed with magic briefly before fizzling out, causing the mare’s eyes to widen. “What? Why isn’t the spell working!?” Gritting her teeth, Starlight tried a second time, yielding the same result before chaotic energies suddenly spiraled out of the mare’s body and the Tablet of Order and Chaos rose from her chest. Starlight peeked down at the phenomenon with a widened gaze. “W-what’s happening to me?”
Peter shot out a strand of webbing onto the tablet and pulled it to his position. The rest of the Avengers gathered around the stallion as the distorted energies of the realm faded from existence, rushing into Starlight’s glowing form. With a sudden burst of light, the platform underneath their hooves vanished before they fell briefly and came to rest on the grassy earth of their Equestria. Starlight collapsed into a heap, the illuminating energies having lost their glow. The surrounding portals winked, one by one, out of existence while the cloudy skies cleared.
Trixie arched a brow at the sight. “What… just happened?”
Folding her arms, Eris sighed. “Starlight Glimmer couldn’t contain the energies of the Tablet any longer. The strain of the time travel process proved to be too great for her in her current condition to make the jump with the tablet.”
After a brief duration, Madame Web walked up to the Avengers before retrieving the tablet from Peter. “Excellent work. Time is repairing itself, and the portals are sealing shut. Everything is returning to its proper order.”
Mayday paused, glancing at the device over her hoof. “She’s right. The energy readings are starting to balance back out. At this rate, I suspect everything should be back to normal in a few hours.”
Sonata hummed, smiling. “Mission accomplished! ...Right?” Upon receiving a nod from both Mayday and Madame Web, the siren's smile grew exponentially. “Our first team-up ends with us saving the universe! It doesn’t get any bigger or better than that!”
Ember stared blankly at the siren before furrowing her brow and folding her arms. “Watch what you say, Sonata. If this was just the start, there’s no telling what else might happen to us. We should be prepared for anything.”
“Good. That means things may stay exciting around here,” Laura grinned, stretching her neck until a crack was heard. “I think I’ll stick around for a bit and see what happens.”
Pausing, Umbra glanced to the side before narrowing her gaze. “Celebration aside, we should grab Starlight and take her into custody. The last thing we need is her getting away and causing more trouble.”
The Avengers walked up to Starlight, ready to grab the mare. Peter paused and turned to Julia. “You’ll hang onto the Tablet this time? I’d rather not deal with that thing for a third time. I don’t think my heart can take it.”
Julia smiled, gently holding the Tablet against her chest. “I’ll do just that. I’ll keep the Tablet in a different pocket dimension to ensure its captivity and safety.” The woman turned to take her leave, sharing a smile with the stallion. “You should feel proud, Spider-Man. Your influence continues to be felt throughout all of reality, and you have earned considerable trust from your teammates. So long as that bond stays there’s nothing that can stand against you.”
Peter shrugged. “Yeah. If this keeps us, we might start a bridge club or something.” The stallion trailed off, raising a hoof with a smile. “And I’m not Spider-Man anymore. I’m Spider-Guardian from here on out.”
The pair gestured a friendly wave to each other before Madame Web’s image faded from sight. However, Trixie rushed up to the stallion. “Peter. You need to see this.”
“What? You want to show your underwear collection? I’m already aware you like frilly lace,” Peter blankly whispered, avoiding the mare’s bemused glare.
Instead of responding, Trixie simply snatched the stallion’s ear via magic - who was painfully moaning in protest - before leading him to the others. “Quiet. This is serious.” They soon reached Starlight’s position, pausing upon noticing something in particular. Starlight’s features appeared considerably younger, evident by the smooth features her body now harbored. Trixie arched a brow upon noticing the mare’s younger features. “Something doesn’t seem right here.”
Mayday held out her hoof, allowing her device to scan a blue light over Starlight’s body. She eyed her device with a furrowed brow. “How strange. Her body’s... regressing.” Mayday edged closer to the mare. “Starlight? Can you hear me?”
“Is she going to be alright?” Sonata asked once Starlight failed to respond, glancing back to the rest of the group with a look of clear concern. “Just because we needed to stop her doesn’t mean I wanted anything bad to happen to her!”
Umbra huffed in response. “She was experimenting with powers far beyond her ability to comprehend. Starlight brought this upon herself. Simple as that.” she declared before turning and walking away from the group. “I care not either way.”
Eris shrugged. “I’ve never seen this before. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
“So, what do we do now?” Sonata questioned, tilting her head to the side.
Slow to respond, Peter shared a glance with all of his teammates before letting out a low sigh. “Well, we can’t just leave her here. We’ll take her back to the castle and wait it out.” The stallion simply shrugged before hoisting Starlight’s unconscious form over his shoulder. “Let’s go home. It’s been a long day for all of us. We’ll let Twilight and Luna figure it out.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, walking towards the castle in the distance. Trixie managed a smile. “A million realities in the universe, but there’s still only one place to call home.”
To be continued...