//------------------------------// // Chapter 141 – Mjølnir // Story: Infinity Era // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// 141 Equus Southern Equestria, Pre-Classical Era Year: 13 BNM (Before Nightmare Moon) 2:18 p.m. The first thing they came across were the campgrounds. Then, the armed battalion of pony guards in glistening, golden armor met them with spears jutted in their direction. The lead stallion—the only Pegasus among the battalion donning silver armor and a bronze shield—hovered directly before them, spear jutted towards the raccoon and all who stood with him. In a burly tone, the Pegasus declared, “You have entered a restricted area! Leave the premises or face the wrath of the armies of Equus!” The team of four consisted of Thor, Rocket, Groot, and Rarity, each of them finding themselves surrounded before they could react to the spear nearing Rocket’s chest. They seemed to be gathering quite the attention, nearby medical tents and munition stations seemingly freezing in time and turning their eyes and heads in their direction. Rarity was the only member among Thor’s team to note the inhabitants of such stations and tents. Practically every known race was present; from the fearsome dragons lying about, both young and old, the clans of minotaurs sharpening their axes and tending to their own, the griffons doing the same but acknowledging the wounded among them, though they would have rather tended to themselves than others. The minotaurs did not trifle for the weak or the wounded, only who could still stand. Other species were counted, as well. The felines from Abyssinia raising their heads to the odd inhabitants entering the campgrounds. Hippogriffs handing out rations and marching through the road, all of them stopping to see the leading Pegasus of the princess’ army confront four strange beings. A few hidden Kirin among the ranks of the various species of Equus popped their heads out from the crowd, even less of them wearing the appropriate armor to match those they stood with. Zebras entered the masses, unsheathing sabers from their belts and jamming their blades towards the intruders, just as the battalion of ponies had. The stomping of the yaks could be heard in the distance, various warriors pushing through the crowd to glare upon the four. Groot slowly raised his hands in surrender, turning to his friends for support. Thor barely even raised his free palm to the weapons held their way, his other hand busy gripping the mighty hammer of the gods. Rocket was already getting sick and tired of the majority of the weapons pointed at him, barring his teeth to the Pegasus leading the opposition. But Rarity saw differently. She didn’t see just some random Pegasus hovering before them. She saw that bronze shield, that silver armor, the golden coat, and the fiery red mane, and knew… “Flash Magnus…” she whispered, loud enough to be heard by all. If there was a member among them who Flash could at least recognize, it was the unicorn. A fellow equine. Though her choice of armor was definitely interesting—what with the glowing blue heart and dark purple layering that could barely be passed off as sufficient protection, at least to him—Flash pushed it aside for the time being. He touched the ground, spear and shield still held defensively outwards. “What is your business here?” he asked, somehow undeterred by the strange unicorn knowing his name. “We’re just passing through,” Thor affirmed with a heavy breath. “Yeah?” Flash said, unconvinced, as he should be. “Well, now you’re coming with me. March!” He jammed his spear towards Rocket. What should have been the tipping point of Rocket’s patience had simmered down considerably when Rarity laid a comforting hoof on the raccoon’s shoulder, a soft nod offered to him. Shaking his head, Rocket sighed in defiance and raised his paws anyway, marching within the band of armored ponies deeper into the campgrounds. Rarity followed, then Groot… and lastly the God of Thunder. He didn’t trust their location, the people around him threatening his friends… but he trusted Rarity. His grip around Mjølnir never loosened, however. On their journey through the camp, they spent the march taking the time to observe their surroundings. They could see the mountain peak in the distance, the clouding smoke overcoming the heavens and the stirring, multi-headed, winged beast growling and screeching out upon its top. It cried every other minute, that horrific shriek washing through the campgrounds and causing every species to flinch against it. Every single time. Every other minute. Other than that, the dragon merely watched the battles unfold beneath the peak, like a god observing its creation. Sitting and staring, wings curled, seven heads stirring slowly and red eyes observable within the blackness. The skies were corroded a terrifying black and red closer towards the battleground. The skies overhead the campgrounds were bright and yellow, the ferocious sun beating down upon the wounded and helpless armies trying to recuperate what they had and mourn what they lost. Within the storm surrounding the tallest peak further south, lightning and thunder roared above while rain drenched the land, its smell so horrendous they could catch a whiff of it from where the camp was situated. It traveled that far. It was as if the rain was right on top of them. It smelled of sulfur and brimstone. Deeper and deeper into the campgrounds they were pushed, and only more tragic did their journey end up becoming. The scarcity of medical tents became more of a problem as the wounded continued to pile up. The weak and wounded were hauled or carried or floated in from the south to be laid around the few medical tents there were. Bloody bandages and painkiller spells filled the atmosphere, the cries of anguish within the tents being another story altogether. Live surgical operations occurred within the veil, those blood-curdling cries becoming more prominent the deeper they grew to the heart of the camp. Rarity felt her stomach drop as they walked past those tents, the bodies both moving and unmoving surrounding them in the dozens. A young unicorn missing a horn and a right eye gazed longingly to Rarity, spear planted into the dirt as she, too, sat weakly upon the earth. The blood seeped into her bandages, not a word escaping the unicorn. No words needed. That haunting stare said enough. Rarity heard it all the same. To an extent, Rocket felt some semblance of pity slip through and fill his steel-encrusted heart. He wasn’t the type of guy to support every charity case that came crawling to him, but he had experience enough to see suffering in its finest form. He could only return the pained stares sent his way. None of them asked for handouts. None of them begged for mercy. They were soldiers who had seen the worst any creature could have and managed to walk out of it… even if something was lost in the outcome. Another feeling clouded Rocket’s heart the further he walked, the pity mixed with a venomous infection of admiration. Groot—being the simple creature he was—already felt for the ponies, the griffons, the dragons, and the various other wounded they walked past. There was no denying his heart fell in the right place at the wrong time… whereas Thor’s remained steadfast to their own goals. He gave no waning glances, he offered no sympathy to the masses surrounding him because he knew there was no need for it. What happened in the past—or what occurred in an alternate timeline—did not affect their world or their time. They were simply wasting it by blindly following the Pegasus deeper into the campgrounds. Thor only knew there were two options to their dilemma, whether or not they were in the past or a different timeline. One of the Pillars of Equestria pointed to the past… and he could finally drop the latter idea when they came across the heart of the operation. Within a circle of massive tents more eloquent then the many others they had passed earlier, an equally-large table was erected in the center of the campgrounds. Upon this table, various maps, battle strategies, and miniature replicas of the different species were laid out like a chaotic game of chess. Select guards donned in the heaviest, shiniest, and strongest armor stood behind the many leaders of the nations of Equus. Every leader imaginable surrounded the table. The kings and queens from the Hippogriffs, the griffons, the felines, the zebras, and the minotaurs were present in their decorative robes, armor, and wielding their own personal weapons of war, such as enchanted staffs and royal swords passed from generation to generation. The Dragon Lord towered over the many, the Bloodstone Scepter gripped in her right claw as her slithering neck was bent downwards and overlooked the maps the princesses pointed to. The rulers of the yaks and the Kirin were also accounted for, turning in accordance to the arrival of Flash Magnus and the prisoners of war his battalion brought to them. Once they stepped aside to let them through, Rarity was the first among them to gasp. Thor’s jaw fell, his breathing shortened. Directly facing them, the six remaining Pillars of Equestria raised their heads in tandem to witness their strange guests. Or prisoners. Or however Flash Magnus wanted to paint them. Their judgement lied with their own conclusions on the odd characters that had entered their camp. Among them, the mighty Rockhoof grumbled nonsense and raised a brow to the unicorn in the colorful armor, the walking tree and bipedal raccoon, and semi-nude ape wielding a hammer. Mistmane’s aged but wise gaze locked with the unicorn’s, then rose to latch with the God of Thunder’s. She found something stirring. Something in conflict. She mused and tapped her chin with a hoof. Mage Meadowbrook and Somnambula exchanged a glance with one another before staring silently to the group of four standing before them. Finally, Star Swirl the Bearded lifted his eyes as did his allies. His gaze only narrowed when he spotted their guests standing silently and awkwardly on the other side of the table. The king and queen of Abyssinia had stepped aside to create enough room for the Pillars to witness the prisoners. Seeing their odd attire, the alien-like qualities of the tree person, and the unique armor set the unicorn bore, Star Swirl hummed softly to himself, stroking his filthy white beard as the wind around him tugged at his dark blue hat and cloak. As for the strategist amongst the Pillars, the young but intellectual Stygian removed his hoof from the battle strategy he was explaining to Star Swirl to join the all-powerful unicorn. His voice left him, leaving just him and the Pillars of Equestria in utter silence. Joining the princesses of Equestria. Thor and his friends stared only to them. Celestia and Luna were present and accounted for. They were alive… and visibly more vibrant and younger than any of them remembered. For starters, Celestia had shorter, pink hair. It moved softly, but only because the wind surrounding her dictated it so. When there was a lull in the wind, it fell and remained unmoved. As for Luna, she was shorter than her older sister, with even shorter, light blue hair. Their coats were softer in color, the armor each sister bore being majestic in its design, golden and dark blue for the respective mares. The Pillars looked fairly the same, which confused Thor. Yet none could deny the absolute curiosity that filled them. Celestia and Luna especially, the two sisters practically wide-eyed and slack-jawed to their guests, their visitors, their prisoners. It was how Flash Magnus had addressed the rulers of Equestria when he and his battalion entered, the distrust and malice in his eyes as raw as the various other rulers. But not them. Not the sisters. They did not see a foe among Thor and his friends. The confusion and astonishment from the likes of Rarity, Rocket, Groot, and even Thor to a degree had alone convinced Celestia, Luna, and a majority of the Pillars that they did not mean them any harm. If anything, they appeared lost. They appeared forsaken. They had found the right companions in the armies of Equus. “Flash Magnus, you may stand down,” Celestia ordered. Even her voice sounded distinctly younger, still holding an edge of power and authority that reminded Rarity so much of the Celestia she knew. She offered a small smile to them, a hoof laid over her armor-plated chest. “Greetings… weary travelers. We can assume you art travelers, no?” Before any of them could respond, Luna rose up and planted her steel-plated hooves upon the table. She extended her free hoof to the four before them, declaring profoundly and loudly to rival that of the seven-headed beast in the south. “GREETINGS FROM THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT!” “Luna!” Celestia warned, causing her younger sister to flinch in her direction. Easing her agitation, Celestia breathed softly and raised her hoof to Luna. “There will be no need for thy Royal Canterlot Voice in this situation.” Noticing the various other kings, queens, and rulers of Equus recovering from her sudden outburst, Luna coughed awkwardly and dropped her head. “We… apologize.” While Rocket jammed his pinkie into his ear to hopefully gain a minuscule sense of hearing back, Rarity was caught in place. Frozen. Trapped in that perpetual state of shock at seeing the princesses she knew merely standing on the other side of a table. The same princesses who had been dead for five years. The loss of the Princess of the Sun, of the Princess of the Moon, had taken one of the heaviest tolls Equestria had ever known. As well as the loss of the Pillars. And yet there they stood, well alive and well aware of their current situation. The same could hardly be said for Rarity. She turned upwards to Thor for some form of guidance, but he merely stood as silent and broken to the sight of the two princesses as she felt. He was dumbstruck. So, she took that first step, out of the dream-like state she was in and dipping into the helping hoof of reality. “Princess Celestia… Princess Luna!” the unicorn called, taking several steps forward. Her action caused a sudden uproar amongst the masses, several rulers standing back as if she was poised to attack them. Rarity was halted by Flash Magnus’ guards, preventing her from taking another step closer to the table. Seeing the growing distrust—especially for her somewhat… off-putting appearance—Rarity acknowledged what was needed and stepped back. The guards lowered their spears, but kept their hardened glares tight on the unicorn’s next choice of action… “What’s happened here?” Or word. The table exchanged various glances with one another. The Dragon Lord drooped her snout, snorting softly and expelling a helping of soot into the already polluted air. Even Celestia and Luna seemed taken aback by her question, Luna tilting her head while Celestia merely raised a curious brow. They weren’t alone. Amongst the Pillars of Equestria, debate struck silently, exchanged mainly through nonverbal expression. Yet it was one among them to ask the one question that was on everyone’s mind. “You are not from here… are you?” Mistmane asked, curiosity spiking her tone. The sun beat heavy on Rarity and her friends. Her face scrunched painfully, showing her distraught. Rarity shook her head, eyes narrowed to express the coming of tears. Rocket crossed his arms and sighed. Groot dropped his head. Thor remained silent, observing the world from the sidelines. As if even the utterance was a struggle for her, Princess Celestia began with a shaking breath. “Our tale is a tragic one, my little pony. A beast that fell from the stars hath now laid claim upon our world. As we speak, the armies of Equus art doing all they can to hold off this demon’s forces from taking our lands.” “The once-bountiful lands of Southern Equestria are now just a wasteland for his greed,” Meadowbrook drawled, earning the attention of the table that continuously shifted to the next voice. “We’ve done all we can,” Star Swirl explained, hoof held out in a wave to wash over every creature present in the campgrounds. “Brought together as many nations as needed to protect our world from this threat of which we know not of.” “Yet things art not proceeding as we would have hoped,” Luna continued on for the others, even if her words were not the intent of the masses. Her expression nearly shattered, the Princess of the Night admitting, “Our rations art low. The wounded continue to overshadow our able-bodied warriors the longer this battle persists. If we do not find some form of advantage soon… we art afraid the worst is yet to befall our world.” “Do not say such things, princess,” Rockhoof exclaimed, earning a flinch from the Alicorn. She turned appropriately to the burly stallion on her left, brow furrowing at his statement. Rockhoof twirled his shovel, slamming its face onto the table and shaking it. “The heroes of Equestria will ensure this beast is thwarted!” “Declarations can only go so far, Rockhoof!” Luna said, hurt in her voice. “You need not worry, young one,” Star Swirl absentmindedly stated, earning Luna’s shocked expression of which he did not see. His eyes were closed, hoof waved nonchalantly. “This is merely a setback to our crusade. This beast will face proper judgement when the time comes.” Princess Luna was not convinced. She rose up and slammed her hooves on the table, shaking it even more so than Rockhoof’s earlier strike. As she did so and earned even Star Swirl’s eyes, the princess snarled, “There art ponies, griffons, dragons, and so many others who art suffering from this beast’s children! We cannot stand here idly while our people suffer under iniquity and tyranny, while the enemy rests and grows stronger by the second! They will take this camp and our lives if we continue to do nothing! We must act now and it must be swift!” “Luna.” The voice was a calm in the storm, a warmth in the cold. Yet it froze Luna on the spot, the younger sister turning to the elder. Celestia merely looked down upon her, that furrowed brow and hardened expression only continuing to pressure Luna into submission. “Be at peace,” were Celestia’s words to her. “B-but—!” “Now,” Celestia affirmed with a solid stamp of her hoof on the table. The glaring contest shared between the two sisters could be felt from across the table, even from Rarity and Thor, the former of the two gasping quietly. As the raw heat and electricity continued to fester, finally it was Luna to give in. She grumbled and turned away, fell quiet amidst such pressure. Celestia leaned forward and rubbed at her temples, a soft groan leaving her heart. While Thor and the others continued to mull over the information spilled to them, it was only Rarity who could formulate the right question that was on everyone’s minds. “What is he?” Rarity asked. “He calls himself the Father of Monsters,” Rockhoof said. “The Titan of Wind,” Mistmane added. “The Lord of Destruction,” Flash Magnus growled. “The Primordial of Disasters,” Somnambula whispered. Celestia dropped her hooves from her temples, lifting her wearied eyes to meet Rarity’s own. She said, “He is called… Typhon.” The name, Rarity knew. What they spoke of, Rarity understood. If they were not yet convinced they were in the past, that final statement made it absolutely clear that they were. The beast that had destroyed Twilight’s castle, decimated Wakanda, and had tormented Equestria in legends and myths for generations… was alive. Not in the way they would have imagined, but alive and a real threat once again. Rarity gulped. Seeing the fear strike across her features, Celestia smiled warmly to the unicorn. It was a weak smile, but the best she could offer. “Yet… we digress. We trouble you with these things, but do not let it be so,” Celestia weakly uttered, turning to Flash and nodding his wait. “Flash Magnus, you may let them go.” As the battalion of Pegasi guards led by Flash Magnus began to approach them, Rarity’s mind continuously thought back to all the medical tents they passed. All the ponies, griffons, and so many others caught in a war they didn’t want to be a part of and forced to take the consequences. Just as Flash Magnus laid his hoof on her shoulder, Rarity cried out, “Is there anything we can do to help?” Flash backed off, brow furrowing and turning back to the princesses for an answer. Before they could, Star Swirl merely waved his hoof at Rarity’s offering, eyes latched to the maps and battle strategies Stygian pointed to. “We do not require your services. We have everything under control here,” the old unicorn grumbled. “In fact, this spell I am devising will prove to be quite effective…” Celestia sent a frown towards her teacher before retiring back to Rarity. She offered a kind smile to the unicorn, bowing her head gratefully to her. She sighed, “We do not think there is much you can do. Typhon’s armies are vast, his power unmatched, his strength unrivaled. Oh, what is a mere bastion of rebels against him? What are we… to a Titan?” There it was. The spark. It could be seen in Rarity’s enlarged eyes, the gasp entering her. “What about a god?” Rarity suggested. The rulers around the table all flinched to that statement, Celestia and Luna cocking their heads curiously to that. Even Star Swirl and the Pillars halted their actions to see what the strange unicorn was up to. She turned excitedly, hope running rampant in her veins as she spotted the god in question. His back to her, his hand waving to the others and declaring, “Rabbit, Tree, Rarity, let’s move.” And then he walked away. “Wait, Thor!” Rarity called, galloping over to catch Thor and stopping him before he could take another step. She slid to a halt in front of him, jamming her armor-plated hoof to the table behind the King of Asgard. “Thor, don’t you want to help them? They can’t fight this alone, darling!” “What do you expect us to do?” Thor asked, hands held out to himself, Rocket, and Groot. Rarity stamped her hoof nervously in the dirt, looking away. “Well… I…” Her eyes trailed over to the hammer in Thor’s right palm. From the south, Typhon reared back and sent a haunting roar across the valleys and wasteland. Everyone within the campgrounds flinched to it, turning back to see the mighty wings extend before falling back within the fire and smoke of the distant mountain. The beast continued to stir slowly, grow softly, and turn those wretched slits of red, hellish fire to the camp again and again. Before he eventually gazed down to the battle unfolding and turning in his favor. Watching as Thor slowly stirred back around to face her, Rarity could already sense the scorn that glowed within him. It radiated from his facial features, the disbelief mixed with the shock. With the confusion. With everything that wasn’t Thor. “You want me… to fight that thing?” Thor asked slowly, just as slowly pointing back with his left hand to the mountain. Rarity did not answer. She just dropped her head, her ears, Thor knowing that was exactly what she wanted him to do. He kept his voice low, bending down to one knee as he nodded quickly to the unicorn. “All right, how about this? How about… you try and think for one second. Just one second is all it takes. Okay, Rarity? Rarity, are you okay? Where we are, this timeline… is not ours. This is the past, not the future we want to be in. Because in our time—do you remember—Thanos wiped out half of every living being in the universe. We need to get back to that time with the Stone we have so we can finish the mission! So we can bring everyone we love and lost back! So quit this shit on focusing on the past and think of what’s on the line here!” As he continued to speak, his voice only grew louder and more agitated. More emotional and less thoughtful. He garnered quite the crowd of onlookers, the entire table of rulers focused solely on their plight and their troubles. Celestia and Luna especially, the two sister’s expressions feeling every inch of their torment. And Rarity was speechless. And Thor didn’t have any more time left to be standing around. “Rabbit, do you still have the syringe with the Reality Stone?” he asked as he rose up. “That is correct,” Rocket said, observing it in his knapsack. As his eyes washed over the contents of his sack, they passed various items before pausing. Before freezing. Not to the syringe or the Reality Stone stirring inside of it, but to something that made his heart freeze. Something that shattered… He looked up, muttering softly, “Oh, no…” But Thor was already gone, stomping past Rarity and out of the center of the campgrounds. “Uh… Thor!” Rocket called, flinging his knapsack around his shoulders and running on all fours to catch up to Thor. Groot was right behind him. “Thor, I think we got a problem here…” But his own voiced failed him. It trailed away when he noticed Thor stopping dead in his tracks. He tried to walk away. By every will and nerve in his body, the God of Thunder tried to walk away from the falsehoods of the past and focus only towards the future. Just as Rarity told him to. Just as he convinced himself he should. But when he stopped, so too did his train of thought. So too did the strength seemingly vanish from his body. When his hammer hit the earth, Thor nearly crumbled with it. His right palm still held the handle, but the head of it was faced downwards. Connected with the earth with such power that dust shot out from its impact. Thor stood there, bent down and on his knee as he slowly lifted his eye to the source of the disturbance. That lone eye widened to the image—the damming image—of his hammer upon the earth. “What?” Thor questioned absentmindedly at first. But when he arose, he found that he could not. Not if he let go. “W-wha… what is—?” He could not lift it. He could not move it. Despite every inch of his strength used to rise up with it, the hammer remained. Thor finally released his grip and stood up, his hand jutted towards the hammer in an effort to call it. It would not move. Not even an inch in response, because Mjølnir would not respond. Because Mjølnir did not know him. For several seconds on end, the horrifying silence and stillness continued. Until finally… “NoooOOOOO!” Thor bellowed, his voice beginning low but breaking in mixtures of anguish and confusion. Torment and torture. He backpedaled away from the hammer, gazing to it with that horrified expression on his face, in his eye. He nearly fell but stumbled in his descent into madness, to one knee where he finally found some semblance of rest. The confusion pockmarked the air still. Everyone was staring at him. At his hammer. Back to the God of Thunder like he had utterly lost his mind. Many were on edge, terrified to what he would do next. Rocket and Groot stood on the sidelines, unsure if what their words would mean to Thor in his current state. They could offer none that could possibly pull him away from that darkness. The soft hoofsteps behind him were the only sounds in the camp. The whirring of the Iron Mare armor as she stood next to him was heard by the god. The touch of her hoof to his shoulder brought Thor out of that terrible image of his hammer and back… to her. And Rarity never left him. “This may not be our past, Thor,” Rarity began slowly, softly, sternly. A way that was sincere yet criticizing. Inspirational yet rational. Everything he never thought he needed to hear. “But right now… it’s our present. What we do now determines who we are… what our future will be. Maybe not for everyone else… but for ourselves. We cannot turn away from suffering… just as much as we need to end our own. For as long as I’ve known you, I have seen only the selfless, heroic, and generous person you have grown to be. You gave up your life for your people. Gave everything away to see them begin anew. You saw their suffering and you saved them. I know you’re afraid… I am, too. For fives years, I have only been afraid. But to face our greatest trials is not a choice… It’s a necessity. That’s why we’re here, doing this mission. That’s why fate has put us here, right now, amidst all of this!” Her voice broke and the tears burned at the edges of her vision, but Rarity didn’t care. Her hoof tightened on his shoulder, the God of Thunder focused fully on her and her fully to him. Her heart expelled to him. Her voice cried out and she didn’t care who heard it. Because he needed to hear it. “That’s what makes you worthy.” And then she was done. And then Thor turned away and witnessed it all. Witnessed it for the very first time. The various species at the campgrounds, uncertain how they will win. The chaos and discord surrounding the rulers and the fear of what will become of their world. The wounded and the afflicted, every eye that gazed to him. Every blood-soaked bandage and every hopeless eye gazing to him alone. The sun shone heavy upon the desert wasteland. The seven-headed dragon and his demons rose against them and still they stood for what was needed. Not because it was their choice… but because it was a necessity. For their lives. For the lives of their children and the future to come. Rocket and Groot were completely silent. Joining the silence around them. The harmony of chaos was a pestering silence, only Thor’s breaths being that lone sound amidst it. And as he gazed longingly to the afflicted, the more his heart ached for them. The more his spirit cried out for various things he could not understand. The power flowing through his veins—the lightning—was more than enough for him to realize what was needed. Not just for every life… but for himself. Thor nodded to her, head held low. He never saw the appreciative smile grace Rarity’s lips. Just as he never saw the smirk grow on Rocket’s own, or see the nod from the raccoon. Or Groot’s smile. Her hoof fell away when Thor slowly rose from the dirt, from the ashes of the past. He approached the hammer slowly. He closed his eyes. Bending down, Thor gripped the handle and stopped. For several seconds, he could only hear the sound of his own breathing, the heartbeat of a god in his ears. That numbing silence continued to cloud him, but he found peace in that heartbeat. He found solace and comfort to know that what he gripped would be used for the righteous, for the suffering, for those who could not stand against depravity forever. What he wielded would enact the vengeance of the God of Thunder upon all evil. He would fight for every life because it was what he chose. Thor held his breath. He stood up. Utter silence in the campgrounds. When he opened his eyes, he was gazing down to his right hand. To Mjølnir resting within it. No turning back now. He softly exhaled through his nostrils. “Oh, Thor…” Rarity said, her voice the only one for miles. She shook her head, that same grateful smile widening by the second as the tears threatened to fall. She breathed, “Thank you.” He slowly spun around to face her, yet he did not meet her eyes. He only stared to the south, making his approach step by side. “Stand back, my friends. I will deal with this foul beast,” Thor growled, twirling his hammer once. Mjølnir growled with him. “Uh, you sure you don’t want any backup?” Rocket asked, stepping up next to the unicorn. Thor stopped once again. Only he did not drop his hammer. It never left him. As the heated wind tugged at his hair, his beard, and his jacket, Thor only stared on. Stared into the second sun and onto the wretched beast growling and hissing and begging anything to truly stand against it. Barely shifting his weight, barely turning to them, Thor gazed to his three friends. His team. His Avengers. He told them, “This is my path alone.” With those final, haunting words given, Thor left the camp to their silence. Not to abandon them. Never… to abandon them. Thor approached the battlegrounds of Southern Equestria and watched the armies of Equus flee. Watching until his eye rose up to the tallest peak and seeing the mighty serpent stirring in his nest. He gripped Mjølnir tighter than ever before. It never felt so heavy.