//------------------------------// // Chapter 148 – For Every Life // Story: Infinity Era // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// 148 Equus Southern Equestria, Pre-Classical Era Year: 13 BNM (Before Nightmare Moon) 2:56 p.m. Rarity felt the electricity in the air. The lightning. It corroded the atmosphere and struck the air with raging intensity. The storm itself swirled around him. The wind tugged at her mane and sent chills across her coat and the skin beneath it. She could not even breathe. All she could do to keep from fainting was stare onto him and the light he created. Rocket lowered a paw from the brightness of the lightning storm. As the ferocious wind pulled at his hair and whiskers, it was never enough to deter Rocket from where he wanted to stare, from where his eyes could only turn. It was fully onto him, to the might of the heavens thundering down and consuming him with its strength. Groot managed a smile. A grin, even. The world of Equus behind him and his Avengers stood in awe and majesty to the sight before them. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, the Pillars of Equestria, every ruler, king, and nation standing to pay witness to history unfolding before their very eyes. Set managed a sound. A gasp, an exhale, and the low growls emanating deep from within each head. The eyes of each slowly widened the longer they paid witness to him. He managed to stabilize himself against the earth despite the raging winds and storm pushing against him. The might of Asgard, the strength of the Nine Realms, all of it utilized and weaponized solely against him. Set narrowed his eyes. All fourteen of them. And as for Thor, the Allfather broke the storm with a strengthening smirk tugging at his lips. Then, the beast struck. With a piercing screech, Typhon unleashed seven streams of fire from each mouth. Each tower of flame spewed forth across the wastelands and scorched them to a burning crisp, melting rocks and causing bones to burst into flame. The torrents of fire reached their target with deadly and accurate precision. All of it reached and centered solely on the God of Thunder. Thor twirled Mjølnir. His left, prosthetic, Uru arm gripped the strap at the base of Mjølnir’s handle and spun the hammer wickedly. Dust and wind started to pick up and swirl around the hammer the moment the fire reached him. When it did, Thor roared and jammed his left arm forward. The fire that would have surely vaporized him was washed away. The fire itself was vaporized as it impacted the spinning intensity of Mjølnir. Set was furious to see his fire being bested. Extending his wings and breathing deeply, the titan unleashed the full extent of his power. The fires billowing within his blackened heart and lungs were released and expelled upon the world. The remains of trees that somehow survived the apocalyptic battles that had plagued Southern Equestria erupted into flames. The remains of Equus’ inhabitants and even of Set’s children melted into flaming puddles of waste just from the heat his breath exhaled. Even with such might never before seen on the infant world of Equus, despite every step closer that Set took, the hammer would merely block it. The God of Thunder was pushed back, his armored feet digging against the dirt, but he would not fall. The flames licked at his beard and face, but he remained. Thor looked up through a narrowed eye to gaze upon the seven heads towering over him, unleashing the fiery might onto him alone. The light of the fires were so intense that Thor could not stare for long. He planted his feet firmly into the earth and kept spinning his hammer. The prosthetic arm granted to him was incredibly durable and would not grow weary. The Uru shimmered brightly against the flames so close against it. Mjølnir cried madly. As did Thor when the dragon towered directly over him. Directly over him. Just where he wanted the beast. Jamming his right fist into the air, Thor called down Asgard’s wrath with a bolt of lightning. It cascaded across the darkened heavens and struck downwards to Thor’s right fist. The only thing in the way of it was Set’s head. The First took the full weight of the blast, the lightning striking the back of the First’s head and ceasing the flames that expelled from its mouth. With that singular moment of clarity, Thor let Mjølnir fly. He never let go of its handle. The mighty hammer of the Allfather pulled him straight from the earth, avoided the flames that struck the ground where he once stood, and drove him directly into the bottom jaw of the First. Typhon’s cries from the First were momentarily silenced as the deafening impact of Mjølnir met the beast’s bone. A resounding blast of thunder shot across all of Southern Equestria from that impact. It was so great that it sent the First head rearing backwards, the entirety of Set’s body slowly falling back with it. Miles above the ground, Thor let his descent aid in his favor. He fell with his hammer leading, the head of it directed solely to the beast’s exposed chest. Allfather Thor narrowed his remaining eye, roaring in his descent from the heavens to the earth as he reared back with Mjølnir. The hammer was struck with various bolts of lightning trailing behind Thor, meeting the hammer against Set’s chest as they all collided simultaneously with the ground. Set struck the earth with his back. Thor landed right on top of him. He drove Mjølnir into his chest. The lightning met at that exact moment and exploded. The echoing cries from the dragon could be heard for miles. The brightness of the impact was even greater than the sun, the inhabitants of Equus forced to shield their eyes from the explosion. Rarity, Rocket, and Groot did so, as well, the unicorn lowering her foreleg as the wind and light ceased from a moment of clarity. She continued to watch in silence, in awe, as did the thousands that stood behind her. Set cried out as the light subsided and the raging agony fueled his senses. Upon his chest, all seven heads could see the lone God of Thunder rising up. The god’s gaze was centered on the area his hammer made impact, to the various cracks upon the scales of Typhon’s chest. The pulsating red from the fiery beats of Set’s heart could be seen within the cracks, the Elder God screeching at that. He screeched even louder to see Thor raise his hammer once more, the lightning striking its head and Thor fully intending on bringing it down for one final strike. Typhon did not allow him. With lightning-like reflexes, the dragon reared forward with its Fifth head and caught Thor within its jaws. Already feeling the billowing energy fill his jaws, Set tossed the God of Thunder clear across the wasteland. Rather than face the various impacts, Thor spun in mid-air and slammed the head of his hammer against the earth, dragging it hundreds of yards across the rock, dirt, and sand until he finally came to a slowing halt. Thor ripped his hammer from the dirt and rose up fully. The seven-headed dragon reared up on his hind legs, wings extending in a terrifying show of intimidation. All seven heads rose and glared to the lone god. Lightning continuously struck Thor and the ground he stood upon. It fueled his body, his mind, his arms, his veins, and his spirit. The miles of wasteland that separated both the god and the titan swirled and stirred from the raging winds and storm clouds above them, the blackness enveloping all of Southern Equestria in darkness. The only light emerged from the flaming mountain behind Thor, the lightning that struck him, and the resonating fire pulsating in Set’s heart and consuming his chest. The beast snarled, lips flaring and fangs showing. Thor snarled, hammer spinning and lightning striking. The world teetered and froze in time. Then, they charged. Set cried and struck the earth with his forelegs, an earth-shattering tremor washing across the wasteland as he tore through the raging storm. Thor ran as fast as his legs could carry him. With each step he took, lightning shot down from the clouds and struck him, fueled him, and pushed him faster and faster across the valley of death. Until, finally, like a burst of lightning himself, Thor shot up from the earth and met all seven heads for a devastating clash. Thor’s cries were like that of the thunder he wielded. His hammer led him into the towers of screeching serpents that Set sent his way with his right claw. Thor broke the beast’s fingers with his hammer, his path unshaken even as the hundreds of serpents upon Set’s arm hissed and struck at him. None even touched the God of Thunder. His lightning acted as a protective shield and an offensive weapon, striking and decimating any serpent he flew past or grew near. Every slithering beast upon Set’s right arm was vaporized into a smoldering, black piece of dead flesh as the lightning washed over and consumed them. Typhon himself screeched out as the lightning devoured the entirety of his right arm, hellish red eyes glaring to the god flying towards the target of his sole desire… Him. Set. The dragon cried and dodged the hammer, the god, and turned to instead trap him within the binding strength of his seven heads. The towering necks circled and constricted around Thor, slowly growing tighter and tighter and breaking Thor’s area for breathing. The god hovered in mid-air, seeing with his glowing blue eye the embrace of the Elder God grow tighter and tighter. With the lightning still raining down and fueling him, Thor threw Mjølnir straight for one of the many heads. Set dodged it and zeroed in on the weaponless god. Thor was ready for him. The lightning that consumed his limbs was released upon impact of his fist against the beast’s head. The Seventh reared back as the lightning washed across its face, screeching out in agony upon the strike. The six others followed shortly. Time and time again, Mjølnir would return to Thor, only for the King of Asgard to release and throw it once more to the heads that swarmed him like a hurricane of serpents and screeches. He was as a ball of lightning within the entanglement of towering necks trying again and again to strike him. Yet they could not even touch him. Thor drove his lightning-fueled fists into any head that dared to bite at him. The lightning kept the Allfather airborne. The eye of the storm circled over their devastating skirmish. The multitude of Equus’ armies witnessed the legendary battle unfold from miles away. Wind blew against them with a soft intensity, the heart of the storm directly over the heads of both Thor and Typhon. Yet they were all seemingly frozen to the spot, utter awe engraved on their expressions as the lightning fell from the heavens and impacted the heads, the screeching dragon slithering and crying and striking the ball of light within its entangled necks. Rarity felt her mane being blown wildly past her, but she could not be bothered to tend to it now. Her eyes, as well as Rocket and Groot’s, could not be broken away from the otherworldly battle they were witnessing. Mjølnir returned just as quickly as Thor had thrown it, and when it fell back into Thor’s left hand, the God of Thunder pulled down a volley of lightning from above. He then sent the lightning straight into Set’s cracked, broken chest. The dragon was almost unprepared for that, the beast shrinking back when it felt and saw the lightning impacting and flowing within the wound the Allfather had previously made. All seven heads slowly stared to it, then rose back up to turn that stare to the flying god. Thor let a victorious grin tug at his lips as he kept up the torrent of lightning from his hammer to the beast’s heart. It was a smile… that didn’t last. Set’s stare turned into a furious, burning glare of prime, unbridled hatred. The lightning that had taken Typhon’s breath away now seemed to fill him with fresh air. Like a rejuvenating pulse of life had just been breathed into him. Thor hadn’t realized his mistake before Set took in an even deeper breath of air. He didn’t realize his mistake before all seven heads reared back and the two wings extended outwards. He didn’t realize it… before it was too late. Just as that bright blue lightning had entered his heart, Set unleashed that very same lightning from the various tips of his wings. Bolts of blood red lightning shot out, corroded, and infected the darkened clouds above them. They filled the atmosphere and all of Southern Equestria until the color red was the only source of light in the world. The lightning exploded from Set the second he reared back with his seven heads and roared to the heavens above. Thor had to shield himself from the brightness, barely able to see the seven heads center on him once more. Set fired those streams of blood red lightning from his seven jaws onto the god. He did so until he watched Thor’s body impact the earth several hundred yards away. The fire and lightning had ceased. Allfather Thor remained on one knee, barely starting to rise when he felt the body and claws of the Damballah pounce on top of him. It wasn’t alone. Thor couldn’t even stand when the various Sligguth, Damballah, and demon horde grabbed, clawed at, and tossed Thor around. He was discombobulated. His vision was a blur and he couldn’t even open his eye to find his enemies when they swarmed and devoured him under bodies upon bodies. All he could hear were the satisfying screeches from Set and his mighty stomps upon the earth growing closer. But those, as well… didn’t last. A shimmering light as bright as the sun broke through and cleansed the wasteland around Thor. Every single demon and beast that had swarmed the God of Thunder were simply washed away under the glare of the heavenly glow. In one burst of light, they were gone, leaving just Thor lying on his back and shielding his face. His arms slowly fell away, allowing him to pay witness to his savior fly in and land directly in front of him. The pearly-white wings extended outwards. The bright pink mane flowed along the wind. The gleaming golden armor upon Princess Celestia shimmered under the blood red lightning shooting out across the blackened skies. And through it all, her glare to the seven-headed demon was unshakable. The magic enveloping her horn was bright and intimidating, the Elder God hissing and screeching to the lone princess of Equestria. Burning red and hellish glares met that of the lone Alicorn’s, Set practically chuckling to see such feverish resistance still kindling within the broken princess. Then he heard the horn. The various sounds of trumpets filling the air and earning the attention of all seven heads. Set’s eyes widened. Across the hills leading to the north, the armies of Equus were vast and growing. They rose up alongside the various guards of each nation declaring their presence with a triumphant volley of trumpets and horns. Upon that battle cry, the armies were unleashed and raced, flew, and charged down the hill into the burning wastelands of Southern Equestria. The armies of the dragons dotted the skies alongside the griffons, the Pegasi, and the Hippogriffs. The grounds became a dust storm of stampeding hooves and paws from the likes of the equines, the yaks, the Kirin, the felines, the zebras, and the minotaurs. All of it in one wave of unending and furious might. All of it strengthened and inspired to take that final leap into one last battle. As the armies washed past Thor like a tidal wave, not one being had struck him or Princess Celestia. They instead charged ahead and engaged the children of Typhon in a clattering impact of armor, weapons, and cries of war. The dragons bombarded the demon horde with streams of fire, griffons firing arrows and Hippogriffs sending spears into the horde of demonic beasts. It was total chaos from that point on, a flurry of bodies within a cloud of smoke and dust. Thor rose up at long last, witnessing the battle around him with an astounded gaze. He was so lost onto the battle unfolding around him that he didn’t pay attention to the Sligguth rushing forward and pouncing his right. It was blown away by a repulsor blast, Thor flinching to that and turning appropriately to the source of the attack. The dark purple Iron Mare jetted forward and fired a second repulsor to the demonic, sword-wielding skeleton charging Thor’s front. The repulsor blew it to a hundred pieces, the pony in the suit of armor sliding on the dirt mere yards ahead of the god and jamming her hooves out. The bright repulsors burning at the bottom of each hoof fired off three more times, one to her right, another directly above to the charging harpy, and one last blast from both hooves to the approaching Damballah. A resounding blast from her hooves turned the Damballah into nothing but ash. She stood breathing, both hooves finally falling to touch the ground. Once the mask materialized away, Thor stared to the spent but utterly focused expression from none other than Rarity. She turned around to meet the god’s stare, sending a warming but exhausted smile his way. Thor managed a flicker of a smile in return before his attention was captured to his right. Rocket ran ahead with his dual pistols, screaming as he blasted various demons and skeletons. Groot was right behind him, launching an extended root from his arm that impaled several Damballah and Sligguth. At that, Thor and Rarity once more turned back to one another. Once more, really smiled to one another. It was that smile, that generous and grateful grin tugging at Rarity’s lips that told Thor all he needed without even a word. Just seeing that gratitude fill her features, the brightness enveloping her smile and telling Thor… that he had done it. By the looks of it, he had truly done what none other had. The armies of Equus were given enough time to come back together, stand as one, and launch one final assault onto Typhon. Even if it had not been his intent, what Thor had done brought him to that realization when he witnessed the united armies of Equus turning their conjoined sword onto the seven-headed demon. He was the one who had bought them enough time. He was the one to have inspired them to make that last push. He allowed for what followed. And Thor smiled to it all. He took his rest and let his efforts unfold. The ponies, yaks, and various other ground forces tore rather easily through Set’s children, with greater success than Set had ever seen prior. Dragons launched fireballs to Set, the seven-headed beast witnessing the rejuvenated armies of Equus with shock. It was quickly replaced by boiling hatred, the beast rearing up on his hind legs once more and roaring to the armies charging him and his children. Electric currents colored red crawled up Set’s necks, the dragon unleashing seven streams of blood red lightning onto the armies beneath him. Thor took a brave step forward, but there was no need. In a flash of light, the Pillars of Equestria stood alongside Princess Celestia. Princess Luna flew down and joined her older sister, just as much hatred glowing in her eyes towards the demon and his horde. The Dragon Lord, the king and queen of Hippogriffia, and the various other rulers of Equus stood together as one. Star Swirl the Bearded emerged before all of them, taking the lead to face the great dragon one last time. The lightning ceased from Typhon’s jaws, all seven heads and all fourteen burning red eyes centering on the unicorn. On Celestia. On Luna. On all the Pillars and those who stood with them. With a devastating cry, Set reared forward and planted his claws against the earth for one more terrifying tremor. He charged ahead to the rulers of Equus, murder glowing in his eyes and within the fire blistering in his jaws. Star Swirl merely narrowed his gaze, bringing forth the parchment that he had crafted alongside the rest of the Pillars. The final weapon against the forces of darkness. A power unlike any other. A harmonious magic that would deter the chaos and cleanse the darkness. His eyes gazed to it one last time before his magic teleported the parchment away. All that was left was him, the screaming wind pushing madly against his beard, cloak, and the charging dragon one mile away and closing. “The spell!” Star Swirl firmly declared, twisting his neck back to his fellow Pillars, to the two young princesses, and to the rulers that stood with him. They were all ready. On his word. “Now!” Instantly, Princess Celestia and Luna shot up from the earth and extended their wings like a protective shield to the Pillars and the rulers. Their horns brightened. Star Swirl’s horn did the same, joining Mistmane’s. Joining the magic that flowed from Meadowbrook’s mask, from Somnambula’s blindfold around her neck, from Rockhoof’s shovel jutted to the beast, from Flash Magnus’ shield, and from even the rulers and the weapons they held. The Bloodstone Scepter was the first, firing a beam of magic that joined the magic that flowed from the Pillars of Equestria. Next were the magical artifacts and weapons held by the Abyssinian king and queen, the griffon rulers, and so forth. A conjoined and united magic that came together and impacted the hovering Pillars. Stygian watched from below, his eyes enlarging to see Star Swirl and the Pillars rise to join Celestia and Luna. The Pillars and the princesses quickly absorbed the magic of Equus’ rulers, joined it with the magic that fueled them, and created an energy field of otherworldly proportions. The light from the ball of energy that surrounded them was a blinding white. The Pillars and the princesses shimmered even brighter within, all eight of them slowly unfurling their eyes and releasing the blinding whiteness that filled them. The moment their eyes opened, they created a pulsating wave of energy that washed over the entire battlefield. Across all of Southern Equestria, that pulse shot out and consumed every last inch. It was as white as the field of energy that surrounded the princesses and the Pillars, but even grander and larger beyond comprehension. Once that pulse reached the armies of Equus, the various ponies, dragons, griffons, and so forth were momentarily stunned. Stunned, but unharmed. As for the armies of Set… The harmonious wave of light washed over them like a wall of fire, vaporizing hundreds upon hundreds of Damballah, Sligguth, and various other demons instantaneously. Those that were spared writhed in agony as the magic consumed and destroyed them in a combustion of light. Typhon gazed in horror to his children once the wave reached them, but he could not gaze forever. His eyes, his faces, and all seven heads turned instead to the pulse of light finally reaching him. As if by some failed hope to defend himself from it, Set raised his wings as a protective shield, to hopefully block the magic that had killed hundreds of his children in the blink of an eye. He fared no better fate. The pulse of light washed over Set’s wings and completely vaporized them. The dragon cried out in unhinged agony, turning to the melting stumps of bone that remained from his wings. Despite the burning pain that had corroded over him, he was still alive. He had survived the pulse and turned his attention back to… A second wave of light shot out from the princesses. From the Pillars. Set’s eyes widened, his jaws dropping as that light consumed him fully. It was his heads that took the full blast, the Second, Fifth, and Third melting away and turning into nothing but red ash. Their final screams echoed as the third pulse followed shortly. The Seventh, Sixth, and Fourth were erased upon that pulse of light, Set falling onto his back. He tried to rise again. He clawed at the earth and turned to the ball of light shimmering amongst the wasteland. He gave one last cry. One last roar. One last begging shriek not for himself… but for his children. The fourth blast took everything that remained. First, it was his children, the surviving waves of demons vaporized into nothing as they tried to run. Then… it was him. The First was the last to burn, the final wave of light overcoming Set and utterly destroying the dragon in an explosive array of red and white. The blast that resonated following the destruction of the beast filled Southern Equestria with a ball of scorching light, Thor and the many who stood with him shielding their faces from the brightness. The red ashes that remained began to fall to the earth, but it was not over. Star Swirl the Bearded hovered among his fellow Pillars, alongside his pupils, and spoke so profoundly loud that his voice could be heard across the entire world. His eyes were a blistering white, whiter than his beard, the energy coursing around him fueling every second of every word he spoke. He declared, “We banish you to the darkest depths of Tartarus!” The energy field surrounding them exploded outwards. In a final wave of light, the red ashes from where Typhon once lived dispersed and retreated to the tallest mountain peak in all of Southern Equestria. The ash consumed the face of the mountain, red veins pulsating outwards from their entrance and carving themselves into the rock. A great tremor followed, the earth shaking as the mountain quaked and released an avalanche of rock, dust, and fire. When the earthquake subsided, when the dust settled, all that remained upon the face of the tallest peak were a pair of great gates, intricate and hellish designs plastered on each door. They burned and glowed that same hellish red, fresh steam and smoke fading from its essence. As the cinders settled and the battlefield fell into silence, the Gates of Tartarus settled just as well. Utter silence for miles. Then thunderous cheers and celebration that shook all the south. The armies of Equus threw their helmets to the air, shot out their hooves, claws, weapons, and fists to the heavens and roared their victory for all to hear. Tears were shared amongst the masses, ponies dropping their weapons and falling to their knees. They clutched their heads and covered their eyes, fresh tears spilling free as they could not contain the emotional weight that followed. It was over. The nightmare that had plagued them for months had ended, allowing them to finally breathe in that radical and unbelievable idea they had chased for so, so long… They won. In an act of gratitude, Rarity ran forward and leapt into Thor’s arms, hugging him fiercely. Rocket twirled his pistols and jammed them back into his holsters. Groot raised a fist into the air and gave his own cheer of victory, joining the hundreds of others around him. The Pillars and the princesses slowly descended to the earth, settling themselves amongst the shattered wasteland to gain witness to the breaking of the clouds. The light of the second sun had faded, leaving just the only sun they knew and loved hanging high in the air and greeting them. It cleared the darkness and gave life back to Equestria. To all of Equus. Celestia smiled warmly to it, closing her eyes to hear the thunderous cheers that traveled miles and miles, to feel the warmth of the sun return to her. As for Thor, he was busy holding the armored unicorn in his arms. He couldn’t help but let loose a chuckle of warmth from within his mended heart, a smile mirroring that of Rarity’s. “Thank you, Thor,” Rarity whispered, eyes closed and head resting over his chest. Over his heart. She could feel how warm it was, how strong it beat. “Thank you.” Pulling her away, Thor fell to one knee to meet her eye level. With his hammer resting on the ground, both of his hands found their way onto her shoulders. Both the flesh and the Uru. Both of which Rarity finally noticed. Her eyes rose back up and away from the Uru to meet Thor’s remaining eye, and the strength reborn resonating within his lone pupil. His smile was big and warm, and he bowed his head gratefully to her. “Thank you for helping me realize who I was,” he whispered right back. Rarity’s tearful smile beamed even brighter than before. For several seconds, they merely gazed to one another amongst the celebration of Equus’ victory. Just acknowledging one another, finally overcoming the obstacles that had plagued them for so long was a blissful moment that could have lasted forever. They knew, however, they couldn’t wait that long. Thor turned about, observing the celebration amongst the various species. “Well… do you suppose it’s time we went home?” Rarity took a moment for herself. She turned just the same as Thor, watching the ponies and dragons and griffons and Hippogriffs hugging and cheering with one another. They had done it. They had done all they could for them now. She nodded. “Yes… it’s time.” Thor rose up and held out his left Uru hand to Rocket, not even turning to him. “Rabbit, the extra particles,” he said. Nothing. No sign of a response from the normally talkative Rocket Raccoon. “Rabbit…?” Thor called, louder that time. He turned to Rocket on that. “The Pym Particles?” His eye landed on the bipedal raccoon with his shoulders slumped, his ears fallen, and his expression downtrodden. Groot fared no better, sighing heavily and turning to Rocket for the inevitable answer. Rocket breathed in, and with a great sigh, admitted, “Yeah… about that.” He brought his knapsack forward, digging inside carefully. Thor and Rarity stood together, almost frozen in anticipation and pangs of worry as Rocket slowly approached them. When he brought his paw out, Rarity gasped and covered her mouth with a metal-plated hoof. Thor’s muscles tightened, his lone eye widening in horror. His heart dropped when he saw the vials lying in Rocket’s paw. When Rocket pulled out the destroyed vials from his knapsack, there was no red liquid within them any longer. They were shattered and utterly empty. “I think they had a bad reaction with the Reality Stone,” Rocket muttered sadly. Thor and Rarity said nothing, Groot doing the same with large, sad eyes. “Whatever the case, the bottom line is we ain’t going home. These were the last particles we had. Yeah, bad luck, right?” Thor’s breath tightened, his right fist closing into an electrified fist. Rarity took a cautious step away. “Why didn’t you tell us before?” the Allfather softly growled. Rocket didn’t seem affected by Thor’s growing fury. He barely even raised his eyes, the sadness in his voice drenched in defeat. “I didn’t want it on your mind. Didn’t need that clouding ya when you were finding yourself again. You needed to chose the right path without being forced to.” Thor’s anger was doused gradually, until there was nothing left and only the darkening shadow of failure fell once more on his shoulders. He let his eyelid close and his head fall, his breath leaving him and the fury in his muscles fading into nothing. His fist unfurled, the lightning coiling his knuckles and arm disappearing. It was such a stark and sudden shift that Rocket felt even more terrible for having to admit it. It always hurt to tell the truth. It hurt more to see how others reacted to it. With no other path left, Thor looked about to the cheers and laughter and tears and felt nothing. There was nothin left for them to fight for. They were trapped with no way home. All his efforts, all his sacrifices, everything he had been through with his Avengers was for nothing. A hauntingly familiar memory flushed into him, the dreaded images of his bloody Stormbreaker lying in the grass next to an empty Infinity Gauntlet becoming more and more vivid after he had forced them out of his mind. He wanted to fall right there, but chose to stand. He needed to. Not for himself… but for them. His team. His friends. Rarity hardly felt any better. Their only hope for going home, for undoing all of the tragedies that had befallen their time was gone. Though not as hopeless as Thor seemed to be, Rarity shook her head and stared deeply into the raccoon’s eyes, asking, “How are we going to time travel home now?” “Time travel, you say?” The voice was familiar, every Avenger turning to meet that familiarity head-on. Star Swirl the Bearded was joined by his fellow Pillars, by the two princesses, all of them smiling warmly, brightly, and thankfully to all four of them. It was Star Swirl who bowed respectfully, gratefully. When he arose, he smiled and said, “So that explains why and how you’re here.” Rarity held out her hoof, then cringed back when Star Swirl observed the Stark tech gracing her foreleg and body. She pursed her lips and began by saying, “Star Swirl, we can explain—” He raised a hoof and stopped her. It was not his hoof that did so, but his smile. But his words that told her, “I may have been working on a little spell that might help.”