191
Upstate New York
The Ruins
2:42 p.m.
Star-Lord sat alone in the cockpit of the Benatar, breathing in that dreary atmosphere and realizing just how alone he truly was. Staring onto the picture of Gamora in his hand really did help in emphasizing that.
Rocket informed him how the Benatar was one of the many ships lost in the initial bombardment of the Battle of Earth, but there was really nothing to worry about. Rocket, Groot, and the other Guardians of the Galaxy got to work on repairing the ship, and within a day, it was as good as new. Rocket, obviously, did most of the work with his fancy repair tools, but Quill helped. Kinda.
The rest of the battlefield was another story altogether. Thankfully, they were not responsible for having to repair all the damage done. Demolition and construction crews practically swarmed the aftermath of the shattered battlegrounds from what Quill could see through the front windshield. Just seeing it all reminded Peter that it was all over. The war had ended.
It was time to move on.
His fingers rubbed the picture softer and softer, his heavy eyes glistening to the image and Quill sighing through his nostrils. It was a snapshot of him and Gamora on their first anniversary as an official couple, Peter holding that big dumb smile on his face as his left arm wrapped warmly over Gamora’s shoulders. And there was his girl, holding that tiny hint of a smile on her own lips, head resting on his shoulder, both of them sitting together on the couch. Peter remembered that night fondly. Big party in the Milano. Plenty of laughs and love that could have lasted a lifetime.
It should have.
Gazing away, Peter looked up to the skyline and the clouds that tried to shield it. To the endless sky that was waiting for them. He wanted it to feel right to acknowledge his desire to move on, to let go of what was taken and accept what life had given him in exchange. Because that was what life did; it took more than it gave. Right then—as it did before—it gave him a chance.
The doors opened and Peter turned to acknowledge the approaching footsteps. The rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy were a welcome sight, from the likes of Mantis, Drax, and especially Rocket, Groot, and even Nebula. Considering he apparently hadn’t seen the latter three in five years, he at least was able to appreciate what was given to him, even with what was taken. He still had a family. Out in the stars with Yondu and the Ravagers getting a major head start, and with the unlikely assholes who managed to stick with him even up to that point in their lives.
They had no one else but each other. Sometimes that was all they needed.
“We ready to ship off?” Peter asked, rising from his seat.
“Not,” Rocket said, stepping aside along with Drax, Mantis, Nebula, and Groot, “… without these little parasites.”
With the Guardians stepping aside, they ultimately unveiled to Quill the group of twelve lingering behind them the whole time. Leading were the familiar trio Peter already knew by heart, starting with Trixie Lulamoon, Derpy Hooves, and Maud Pie by her right and left respectively. Behind them, the likes of Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Sunset Shimmer, and Starlight Glimmer followed, all holding warm and thankful smiles to Peter Quill and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Though he was momentarily frozen at their presence, Peter eventually fell back to Rocket for an explanation. The raccoon rubbed the back of his head, grumbling, “Wouldn’t let us leave without saying goodbye to every last Guardian. Trust me, I tried.”
Peter smiled at that, bringing that welcoming grin onto the crowd of mares, eventually giving in to their hopeful smiles and falling to his knee.
It was a cluster of chaotic hugs and lingering goodbyes, each pony approaching a different Guardian and thanking them for everything they had done. Mainly, it was Twilight giving her thanks to each individual Guardian for their courageous service in the face of total annihilation. It was thanks to all of their efforts that they managed to survive. They had all contributed in more ways than one, all of which led to their victory and the saving of the entire universe. Pinkie even talked with Quill to consider a name change to their group, offering the Guardians of the Universe instead. Peter appreciated it, but kindly denied. It just didn’t flow as well off the tongue.
With the Mane 6, Spike, Sunset, and Starlight giving their thanks and hugs to the Guardians as a whole, a specific three approached another trio of Guardians. It was as if every other voice and distraction around them faded into nothingness, leaving just them trapped in their own realm of reality. Of peace. For one more goodbye.
Of those trios, Maud and Nebula were the quietest, slowly approaching one another with the taller of the two struggling to know when to kneel down closer to her eye-level.
“Hey,” Maud said in her familiar, monotone voice.
“Hey,” Nebula replied.
A moment of silence filled the air between them. Nebula took that next brave step forward and fell down to one knee. The next step was unknown to her, the Luphomoid unsure of where to turn or what to do. A flushing wave of emotions suddenly sprang up in her chest, in whatever was left of her heart, and wanted so much more that Nebula herself could not give. The words were there, but she could not formulate them on her tongue. All she could manage were short stammers, followed by shaking, uncertain breaths.
“If Gamora were here, she would be proud of you,” Maud muttered suddenly.
And at that, Nebula lost her breath. It was as if that statement alone struck her heart more so than anything she had ever felt prior. It struck and hurt almost as hard as when her sister was first taken from her. But somehow, someway, hearing it come from Maud’s lips felt more powerful. It felt… right. And to her continued shock, Nebula could have sworn she heard a pang of emotion fill Maud’s voice. The most she ever heard.
Nebula nodded. “Yeah. She would be proud of all of us.”
Nothing more was given than either could ever offer. Nothing more than a long and overdue hug.
Rocket stood with his paws on his hips, practically already eye-level with cross-eyed Pegasus. He didn’t even bother trying to catch wherever her gaze was latched, instead sighing and asking her, “You still got the communicator?”
Derpy nodded, her lips pursed tightly as her eyelids trembled. Rocket didn’t notice at first, turning instead to Peter ending the bone-crushing hug that Pinkie Pie gave to him.
“Do we still got the communicator?” Rocket asked.
Star-Lord nodded, puffing out his lower lip and giving an okay signal.
With an appreciative nod in return—thankful to know things were finally looking bright for them—Rocket brought himself back to that painful reality that stood before him. That painful truth that assured Rocket that it was time for them to leave. His ears fell softly at that thought, his expression nearly crumbling to the point that he would show actual emotion in front of others. With practically all of them noticing.
He didn’t need them giving him that type of crap. Instead, he sniffed rather hard and placed a paw on Derpy’s shoulder, telling her clearly and plainly, “You been a pain in my ass for five years and I’ve finally glad to be rid of ya. But… just in case you need us for anything, or we need you… neither of us hesitate to call, all right?”
She sniffled, tears welling up in her eyes and almost breaking that dam from Rocket’s own end. In the end, though, she nodded. Rocket nodded back and backed away. Even he wasn’t fast enough to escape the hug she dove forward with. Nearly losing his balance, Rocket grumbled softly before his voice fell away, easing into the embrace the Pegasus offered him. He could feel her mane tickle his nose, her head resting over his heart, and saw the eyes of the masses shifting towards the loving display.
“All right, all right, that’s enough,” Rocket said, gingerly prying Derpy off of him, unable to stop the tearful smile from growing across the Pegasus’ expression. “Too many emotions nowadays, I swear.”
With each pony giving Peter Quill a personal and thankful goodbye, it was the last mare that made it the hardest for both of them. It was Trixie that managed to pry the smile from Star-Lord’s lips and leave him in a frozen state of uncertainty. Trixie nearly fell into that same pit had it not been for her steadfast approach, her warming and grateful smile, and the intention she had since the moment she stepped hoof on the Benatar.
The others were nonexistent outside of their shared glances. All that mattered at that moment were the two of them. Just Peter Quill and Trixie Lulamoon. Both knew that they didn’t need a lengthy goodbye. It wasn’t in their style. Star-Lord grew a smirk to meet her smile at long last.
“Hey,” Peter said in a near-whisper, lightly cupping her chin with his finger before he broke away. “I’ll see ya around then?”
She smiled softly to his touch, eyes falling before rising up to meet his. Her gaze was glistened in fresh tears, the unicorn eventually leaping forward and dragging Quill down lower to her level. Down and into a great and powerful hug. Though temporarily stuck at that, Quill eventually smiled to the action and snaked his arms around her.
He felt her shift in their embrace, resting her chin on his shoulder. It made it easier for her to whisper into his ear.
To tell him, “See ya around, cuz.”
That alone was enough to get a tear from the fearless outlaw.
Whatever goodbyes were given did not last very much longer. Eventually, the ponies and Spike did step off of the Benatar, they did allow the Guardians of the Galaxy to ship off and help wherever they could in the ever-expanding universe. It was a new day, with another tomorrow awaiting all of them to face it together. With those three mares standing tall and as one, the others remained clustered behind them and waved all the same, watching as the Benatar lifted off the grassy fields and turned appropriately to the heavens.
In the pilot’s cabin, the Guardians of the Galaxy sat united and saw their friends waving to them one more time. They waved back, every last one of them, to Trixie, Derpy, Maud, Twilight, Spike, and all the rest. The ship titled skyward, the engines charging with Rocket and Quill tapping furiously on their control pads. All systems were green. The Jump Point was being prepared. The future laid before them, and none of them knew what to expect.
All they knew was that they would face it as a family.
Star-Lord pushed his pad away, squinting lightly to the blinding sunlight and the ocean-like skies just ready for their arrival. He breathed in deeply, sighed even deeper, and asked aloud, “Y’all ready for a vacation?”
Drax stared back from his lower seat, responding with, “What do you have in mind?”
“Not sure yet,” Peter said. He wasn’t even sure why he suggested a vacation. Maybe it was something only he needed, something to take his mind off of everything they had been through. Maybe it was something they all needed. “Was hoping we could come up with it together.”
“I’m happy if you all are happy,” Mantis declared, sitting directly across from Drax and smiling awkwardly to him, spreading that smile to all behind her.
“I am Groot,” Groot replied in his own seat, a grin on his wooden lips.
Directly behind Quill, Nebula was strapped in and ready for almost anything. For whatever the universe could throw at her, knowing that Thanos was no longer able to hold her back. What else could? She nodded to the back of Peter’s head, telling him, “We’ll follow your lead.”
“You mean my lead,” Rocket said.
“Woo, boy,” Peter Quill cheered, hands gripping the steering controls and slowly pressing them forward. “Gonna be a long ride ahead!”
It was a ride, all right. A ride each and every one of them would remember for many years to come. The Guardians of the Galaxy left Earth behind, stared and sent their final glances to planet Equus glinting off the left of their windshield. Mantis and Groot waved to the planet. Rocket and Peter adjusted the Jump Point and shot directly for it, to the next galaxy ahead of them, to the next journey they would all face together.
In the swirl of rainbows and light, Quill placed the picture of Gamora directly on the small pad to his right. He stared to it longingly, to her, before eventually dropping his eyes down. Down to his pocket where he dug down and fished for his Zune. Studying the music player, he tapped away and messed with the numerous songs loading before him, eventually finding one he had yet to hear. It read “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John.
Peter plugged in the song to the ship’s speakers and pressed play.
The music pumped with invigorating energy and spirit, flowing into the heart of the Benatar and fueling the spirits within it. Mantis smiled as the music graced her ears, an enraptured expression filling her features. Drax smiled to her, nodding his head to the beat. Rocket didn’t show his reaction. He made it subtle, tapping his foot gently against his seat. Groot was already jamming along, dancing in his chair. Even Nebula, though somewhat taken aback by the sounds reaching her eardrums, eventually fell to it. Eventually let it take her. A hint of a smile graced Peter’s lips as the song was unleashed fully, Quill already knowing it would fit right in with his next playlist.
Awesome Mix. Volume 3.
Was there ever any doubt?