Infinity Era

by JDPrime22


Chapter 135 – Diverged

135

Equestria

Year: 2015

5:12 p.m.

When they reappeared, it was not back at the New Avengers Facility. When they exited the Quantum Realm, the suits retracted back into the GPSes and exposed Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Dash to the harsh winds and screaming sandstorms.

Twilight instinctively raised a foreleg to block the oncoming wave of dust and wind, eyes squinted and even shut at times once particles of dirt managed to slip through her shield and enter her vision. With tears already brimming in her eyes, Twilight kept her lips sealed as she felt a lull in the wind, causing her to lower her foreleg and observe their environment.

For as far as she could see before the dust blocked out the rest, the barren landscapes resembled that of the Badlands on her own world. Flat, dusty grounds with dead plant life and boulders scattered throughout the land, distant mountains appearing like towering shadows amongst the gray and orange horizon, and the complete and utter lack of life for miles on end. Horrific dust storms billowed in the clouds and swarmed the edges of the wasteland like a tidal wave, slowly but surely overcoming the land and approaching their location. The dead trees and plants were wilted to the side, laying flat as the wind washed over them and carried torrents of dust.

The weather was so unbearable that Stark had to activate his Iron Man armor, the Mark 85 swarming over his suit and skin until only his head was free. In his right hand, he gripped the briefcase that contained the Tesseract, the Space Stone. His left hand was raised, the bright blue orb on his palm being that welcome and warming light within the swarming darkness of the wasteland. The air between Twilight and Tony was covered in dirt and dust, either one of them hardly appearing at all. They could only rely on the Mark 85’s lights and Twilight’s Arc Reactor to find each other.

Steve Rogers and Rainbow Dash were an entirely different story. While Rainbow’s Arc Reactor provided a minimal form of light for Steve to see, Rainbow could hardly point out the Captain even with his bright attire. After ditching the S.H.I.E.L.D. officer uniform and hat, Captain America’s red, white, and blue suit and shield were basically enveloped in brown and gray, mirroring the earth surrounding them and the blanket of darkness in the heavens above. Rainbow grit her teeth and tasted that foul dirt, but she ignored it, raising a foreleg and squinting through the madness to try and find that star on the shield. Her rainbow mane and tail blew wildly against the wind, the Pegasus crying out as she shut her eyes.

“Where are we?!” Rainbow Dash screamed. Even her voice was somewhat drowned out by the howling wind. She barely managed to open her eyes, spinning about and observing the barren wilderness. “Where’s the facility?!”

Steve raised his shield against the wind and dust, gritting his teeth as even his super strength was beginning to fall back against the intensity of the storm. “I don’t know!” he shouted in retaliation, using his left arm to keep his shield raised and using his right to try and scan the grounds around them.

Rainbow somehow managed to spot his bright red glove rise up against his brow, the Pegasus shifting to his direction. But passed him, within the break in the storm and standing so utterly frozen against it, Twilight Sparkle gazed out into the madness and death-filled wasteland before them. Gazed for what looked to be an eternity. The light from her horn that cleared the dust before them slowly faded, the darkness overwhelming her. From her hooves, to her heart, and finally to her expression.

Just that hopeless dread reemerging in her wide, horrified eyes.

“Oh, no…”

Her voice was a whisper, but everyone heard it. The wind died down momentarily for them to hear every word that left the Alicorn’s lips. Dropping his left arm, Tony shot his exposed head down to the pony on his left, Steve lowering his hand and shield to turn back to Twilight. Rainbow was the last one, taking that single step forward and gazing to her best friend’s back. Saw it quiver.

She could only watch with mixtures of concern and horror leaking out of her eyes alongside the burning tears from the dust. Rainbow could only watch as Twilight proceeded to walk back and forth, side to side, twisting her head and neck and darting her eyes in every direction she could. Almost like she was trapped. Almost like she didn’t want to be there. Her panic attack was joined by her ragged breaths of air, those heavy intakes and exhales leaving the Alicorn in gasps, her heart racing, chest beating, eyes so utterly terrified that her voice couldn’t even comprehend or form a decipherable statement.

Just the sounds of her terrified squeaks. “Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no,” she whispered in rapid succession, a second wave of wind and dust impacting the group. Twilight faced it all with her expression frozen while the others recoiled against it.

“Twilight, what are you saying?!” Steve shouted against the screams of the wind, right hand raised to hopelessly block as much dust as he could.

While the others turned away, Twilight stared. While the others backed away, she took a step forward. She could only stare straight into the heart of the storm, towards the darkness in the clouds and the burning orange on the horizon. It was all there. Every rock, tree, mountain, and dust particle reminding her exactly what she saw that dreaded day. The sand crawled up her hooves, filled her pores and clogged her veins, but the rising adrenaline flushed it all out. The undeniable truth clouded her mind and made her see the truth of it all.

“I’ve been here before.”

Somehow, they heard her. Tony turned to Twilight. “What?”

It was just as horrifying a revelation as Twilight ever could have imagined. It was undeniable. It was laid out right before her and Twilight still couldn’t believe it. Every mountain she saw, every hill surrounding them, from the storm above and the desolate wastelands that stretched for miles and miles, it only confirmed to Twilight that she was in the past.

The same future she brought Starlight Glimmer…

“We need to go,” Twilight gasped, returning to reality. “We need to get out of here!”

Quickly, she raised her left hoof and began tapping fiercely on the GPS’ face, looking for the right adjustment in order to go home, back to their time and their future. “Twilight, you need to calm down!” Rainbow shouted, flying over beside her and laying her hooves softly on Twilight’s scrambling hoof. “Twilight, don’t mess with the coordinates! We need to make sure they’re exact so we don’t get diverged again! Twilight!”

A horn sounded off within the storm, calming the chaos that surrounded them and consumed them.

Every head turned to it. That frozen, piercing terror that clutched Twilight’s heart and fueled her actions was momentarily caught. That storm within her calmed as did the storm around them, unveiling the distant and towering hill several yards ahead of them, somehow concealed within the dust.

Upon the hill, they saw it. Two, glowing red eyes shimmered in the lack of sunlight. Those eyes belonged to the towering being, a pair of sharpened, goat-like horns erected from its head and rising several feet above it. The bipedal being in black and dark blue armor stood at the top of the tallest hill in the near distance. In its left hand, it gripped that horn it lowered from its lips. That horn was curved, shaped like a bone. Like a goat’s horn. In its other hand, that other claw held out a bright, burning red axe, the tips melting pure fire and brimstone. Slowly, the being raised its right arm, the axe jutted forward and down the hill.

Directly towards Twilight and those that stood with her.

Behind it, several more of those armored beings charged. They all bore the same, sharpened horns from their heads, charging like a stampede of howling bulls. They descended the hill with a wave of dust left behind them, Twilight and the others noting at least a dozen of the armored beings. Twilight, especially, noting the demonic knights for the first time, something she, Starlight, and Spike thankfully hadn’t seen when they were brought to that very location eight years ago.

That was exactly what they were. The red eyes, the otherworldly roars escaping their jaws, the sharpened horns on their heads, the burning weapons in their hands and the evil, ancient armor they wore. Demonic knights. Every last one of them charging right for her. For them.

“Cap…” Stark muttered, his mask closing over his face. The bright blue of the Mark 85’s eyes burned to life, making him stick out like a flame within the storm. Like a target. “Might wanna get working on those coordinates.”

Steve stepped forward next to Twilight and Rainbow, tightening his jaw to see the stampede of armored foes quickly approaching them. “Only if you give us time.”

“Catch!” he said, tossing the briefcase to Steve. He caught it as carefully as he could, he and the mares watching Tony give them those precious seconds to act fast.

He jetted forward, palms burning bright behind him as the repulsors shot Tony forth and met the army of knights straight on. He nearly would have. The closest knight raised its spear, firing a beam of golden and black energy directly towards the Iron Man. It pierced the armor’s chest, launching Tony back with a terrifying grunt of pain and sending him tumbling across the dirt. He remained unmoving after that, the lights of his mask’s eyes dimming to darkness just mere feet ahead of the three Avengers.

“Tony!” Twilight screamed.

Practically frozen in shock, terror gripping her features, Rainbow Dash was unable to react accordingly and fast enough. Dropping the briefcase behind him, Steve tightened his shield, glaring ahead to the charging knights. “Twilight, you better put in the right coordinates now!” he stated, charging ahead to keep those behind him safe and sound.

That same knight fired a beam of magic from its spear. But unlike last time, that magic did not impact its target. That blast of magic bounced off Captain America’s shield and struck the knight square in the chest. He fought them off. Once that distance was broken, Captain America fought and held off the swarm of demons, turning their conjoined attention onto him.

It was a cluster of fury, screams, and sparks as Steve dodged, rolled, and rammed his shield into every single knight that swarmed and swung for him. He barely managed to dodge the swings of their burning red axes, swords, spears, and maces. He replied with fierce strikes from his shield, furious kicks from his boots, and punches fueled by the Super Soldier Serum into every face and mask that bent low enough for Rogers to reach. Every last knight towered over Steve by at least three feet, but that didn’t deter the Captain. His shield earned various sparks against the jagged sharpened armor from the knights, growls of pain and shock as the knights teetered back from the hits. But they just kept coming. They were relentless and unable to be stopped.

One managed to get lucky enough and slice at Steve’s thigh with its sword, the Captain crying out at that and rolling to safety. He managed to dodge the axe that was swung for his head, but unable to rise fast enough for the armor-plated forearm to smack against him. Tumbling to the dirt, Steve quickly rose up with a visible limp to observe his wound. The cut seemed to be festering, his blood burning away into smoke and the cut sending horrific black veins across his skin. His vision began to blacken, Captain America taking in a horrific gasp of air when he felt his heartbeat shorten.

The same thing happened to Steve sooner rather than later, a similar golden blast striking his back and knocking him flat on his chest.

“Cap!” Rainbow shouted. The demonic knights began to surround the prone Captain, uttering growls of interest and hatred. With fire in her eyes and venom in her breath, she flared her wings and took off with profound speed and dangerous intent. The first knight she saw was also the first knight that turned to face her.

She saw its face and instantly felt her heart freeze.

The shattered mask from Steve’s earlier punch revealed the true horrors behind the shadows. A tattered layer of wrinkled, red skin gripped the face behind the metal mask and helmet. It didn’t even look like skin, more so like a layering of muscle tendons and melted flesh. But the eyes, by far, were the worst. Twin slits of red, raw energy glowed like a burning furnace in its orbs, the bright white of its pupils centering on the mare and staring into her gaze. That glowing madness that burned within its glare sent a horrific sense of terror and hopelessness into Rainbow’s mind, traveling all the way down to her heart and freezing it.

It roared, swinging its right arm and clotheslining the mare in mid-flight. As Rainbow flipped and crashed to the dirt, the knight spun around and shot a blast of magic from its spear’s tip right into the Pegasus’ chest. It was instantaneous, Rainbow catching her breath as the darkness quickly enveloped her vision. She collapsed, fading off into the black.

“Rainbow Dash…” Twilight breathed. It took just a mere second for her to realize she was the last one still standing, the only one to stand up to their oppressors. Each and every knight turned accordingly to the Alicorn, growling softly and approaching her.

Just seeing what they did to her friends sparked a certain fire that Twilight once thought had left her. Thankfully, it didn’t. It returned when she needed it most. Gritting her teeth, she shot out her wings, her horn igniting a powerful violet as the knights zeroed in on her.

No!” she screamed. But it was too late to act. She was too slow.

A claw reared out from behind her, snatching her by her horn and slamming her face-first into the dirt. Twilight yelped at that, a painful cry leaving the Alicorn as she twisted about to rest her right cheek into the dust. The grip around her horn cut off her magic, the knight standing behind her growling softly and breathing that wretched, smoke-like stench onto the back of Twilight’s head. She smelled it all the same, scrunching up her face and closing her eyes in a weak attempt to block it out. Mostly, she closed her eyes once the army of demon knights stomped forward to her, weapons in hand, malicious intent shimmering in their red eyes.

But she couldn’t keep her eyes closed forever. Several seconds passed and nothing happened. Finding the courage to squint them open, the Alicorn princess breathed again and darted her eyed back and forth. The world was tilted in her vision, resting on its side as the knights scoured the area. On further inspection, she noted that not all of them bore the same armor. Some had exposed skin, even a rib cage ripped open on one of them. Another knight wore a belt of goat horns. Another had those horns decorated on its shoulder plates. One even had various skulls strewn across its belt. The skulls of ponies. Twilight quivered to that. One of them eventually paused, tilting its head, its horns, and bending down to the briefcase lying on Twilight’s right. It planted the butt of its red axe into the dirt, falling to a knee and caressing the briefcase. Twilight gasped.

“Found the source…” the knight growled in a horrific, hellish voice, ripping open the briefcase and observing the blue light shimmering inside. Its bright red eyes widened to it, its free claw reaching in and plucking the cube from its containment. The knight studied the Tesseract, rising up and holding it out for all to see. “Raw, magical energy.”

The crowd of knights growled to it, all of them enveloped under the blue haze. Twilight coughed to the dirt filling her nostrils, the knight tightening its claw around Twilight’s horn and growling softly behind her, warning her. “What is it?” another knight asked.

“Unknown…” the presumed leader amongst them spoke, axe in one hand and Tesseract in the other. Gazing into the mixture of light and energy within the cube, the knight growled a soft chuckle. “The Great Sorcerer will know. He always knows.”

“We shall bring it to him at once!” another knight declared, red-rimmed sword jutted out to the skies. A chorus of cheers followed that declaration, the demons howling, roaring, and screaming to the heavens in a mixture of hellish cries that made Twilight wince and shut her eyes tight.

“What of these…?”

Then she forced herself to open them.

Gazing to their leader, Twilight could see as it took the time to observe the battlefield. Hardly even a battle to begin with. The knight turned to the Iron Man, to Captain America, to Rainbow Dash, and finally to the limp form of Twilight Sparkle lying before it. She breathed in rapid horror, teeth tightened and eyes widened to the knight.

The demon knight narrowed its burning glare to her, jutting its axe towards the Alicorn. It specifically noted the wings and the horn, growling to that. “Take these prisoners to the Caverns,” the knight said. “We will deal with them when they awake.”

A conjoined flow of growls and roars filled the air, all in agreement as three knights bent down and scooped up the limp forms of Tony, Steve, and Rainbow. The lead knight, however, took the time to observe the Tesseract a moment longer. The shimmering lights, the haze of blue, the untapped energy flowing and living within it was soon to be known.

It raised the Tesseract high, growled, “Let this power fuel his greatness, his kingdom, his world…”

The knight behind Twilight pressed its spear’s tip to the back of her head, but Twilight hardly paid it any heed. Her heart only continued to fall when the reality of the situation finally dawned on her. She was only focused to the knight, the demon, claiming the Tesseract and holding it high for all the world to see. Then, it cried out.

“For the glory of Tambelon!”

The spear behind her fired. Twilight passed out as the magic took her into that darkness.