//------------------------------// // Chapter 194 – The Mantle // Story: Infinity Era // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// 194 Earth Upstate New York The Ruins 11:47 a.m. The battlefield was being healed. A ferocious display of savagery and war unlike anything seen in human nature laid as but remnants to a battle that would be spoken of for years to come. Though nothing remained of the enemy forces—all that they were being but dust molded in with the dirt of the earth—fragments of the Avengers’ armies were scattered about and decimated, the skeletons of ships lying amongst the hundreds of war-torn warships, scorched Wakandan tanks, and the bodies of the fallen. It was finally being cleansed. Truly cleansed, without any deceit or malicious backing to the actions of the New Yorkers. To the destruction inflicted upon Upstate, it was the least Damage Control, the many demolition crews, and numerous cleanup companies could offer to the Avengers. Paid fully by the state, the ruins of the New Avengers Facility, the miles of scorched wasteland, and the resounding damage that spread for several hundred yards more were nearly filled with hundreds of workers all ensuring that the lands would be restored. Everything would be cleared out, forests replanted, and if the Avengers wanted, a chance to rebuild what was lost. Captain Marvel and Twilight Sparkle were still trying to decide on that last part. They stood together on the outskirts of the reconstruction efforts, watching as cranes, helicopters, and workers galore filled the recessed battlegrounds. A constant slew of noise was all around them, from the actions of the workers to the press snapping pictures, mumbling to themselves, and to reporting the current scene unfolding where the New Avengers Facility once stood. All that remained was but a fractured building ready to fall apart on itself, and with the Princess of Friendship and Captain Marvel herself unwilling to answer any questions, the press took actions into their own hands to decipher what could have gone down on that scarred battlefield. The press was everywhere, held back only by that makeshift barrier and the scattered line of police officers keeping a close eye on any reporter that dared to step past them. They were ordered to keep anyone without a permit from the state of New York out of the ruins, to ensure that none of them took something or saw something that should probably remain out of the public eye. That, and to keep their variety of questions away from the Avengers. From Carol Danvers and Twilight Sparkle. They were already engaged in their own deepening discussion. “Do things just go back to normal for you?” Carol asked, arms crossed as her hardened brow centered on the reconstruction efforts. Twilight chuckled, the only one among them finding humor in that question. “As normal as it can be. Celestia and Luna will take back the throne, Crystal Empire is in the early stages of restoration, and the Elements of Harmony are back where they belong. Safe and sound,” the Alicorn explained. She ruffled her feathers, sighing and looking away. “But… I feel as if nothing can go back to the way it was before.” Carol turned to her. “This was it,” Twilight said, gazing out into the miles of torn landscape. “This was the future Strange saw. The future where we won. Nothing else could have yielded another outcome like this. And even if…” She seemed to wince slightly, as if the words alone were strong enough to pierce the hardened hide of the Princess of Friendship. Carol knew Twilight was stronger than that. She knew there was more to the simple words that wounded Twilight, something deeper and more personal than Danvers could express herself. She knew exactly what it was, knew of the kind of torment Twilight was wrestling within herself. The choice she made—the choice she and Stark made—no doubt left its mark on her. Twilight began again. “Even if… it hurts… I know it was meant to be. For the greater good. For both of our worlds and the universe as a whole.” Danvers nodded at that, facing away and back towards the blackened lands. “Sometimes victory comes at a cost.” “I’m starting to learn that now,” Twilight said with a great sigh. It was eating away at her—at both of them—in more ways than one. Biting the inside of her lower lip, Carol shook her head and dropped her eyes, let that darkness envelop her vision when her eyelids shut. Though she had only known Tony Stark for five years, she still hadn’t grown particularly close to the Iron Man. Not in the way Twilight had. Their friendship deepened several years earlier, becoming so wholesome and so strong that even Tony’s daughter referred to the Alicorn as her aunt. It reminded Carol so much of her relationship with Monica, of her best friend’s daughter. She couldn’t even imagine having to help sacrifice Maria. Carol opened her eyes. “Sunset told me what happened… what you did,” Danvers murmured, earning Twilight’s agape expression. Carol faced her once more, the pain in her eyes evident by the glistening wetness. All of it overshadowed by the gratitude. “We couldn’t have won without you. Don’t know if anyone ever had the chance to tell you personally, so I will. Thank you, Twilight. For everything.” Twilight smiled sweetly. “Couldn’t have done it without you, Carol. Couldn’t have done it alone.” Carol nodded and knew, with certainty, that she was absolutely correct. They couldn’t have done it alone. They all played their part and they came out of it in victory. The smile on her lips and the rising hope in her spirit assured Danvers that that victory meant more than any other in her life. Because that victory was not alone. It meant something, not just for herself, but for her friends, for her home, and for the universe. “What about you?” Twilight asked. “What’s next for Captain Marvel?” He slipped underneath the police barrier and successfully moved out of sight from the wandering gazes of the officers in uniform. With his smartphone in hand, an extra pep in his step, the young journalist gazed ahead and stared to the backs of Captain Marvel and Twilight Sparkle. Sweat began to build ferociously against his skull, the young man slowly crouching and moving steadily across the grass to reach them. Until his cover was blown when a rival reporter pointed him out to the officers. With several policemen shifting his way, the journalist was already moving, quickly approaching the two Avengers and earning their attention shortly. The commotion they caused was enough to spin both Carol Danvers and Twilight Sparkle fully around, just enough for them to land their eyes on the young man and the slew of officers rushing towards him. By the time he stood heaving for breath in front of Carol and Twilight, the police reached him and grabbed his arms forcefully, trying to drag him back in line with everybody else. To their surprise—and even to the journalist’s surprise—Carol rose her hand and waved off the officers. She assured them that the young man was fine, and that she was slightly curious to see what he had to ask. He was the only one brave enough to actually move past the barrier and approach them head-on while the others gobbled on and on. That alone earned some merit. Releasing their hands from him, the officers slowly moved back to the barrier, but not without leaving the young man some lingering, watchful stares. With his heart racing a hundred miles a second, the journalist shakily sighed and turned back to the two Avengers. He thought it was needed to thank them, but felt his own mind starting to blank and darken just being in the mere presence of Captain Marvel and Princess Twilight. The smiles on their faces were enough to keep his mind from blacking out, thus allowing the young man to rub the back of his sweaty, brown hair and start off with introductions. “Th-thanks for letting me do this. Really, I appreciate it,” the young man said, smiling and chuckling nervously. He cleared his throat, fumbling with his phone in order to open the right app. He mentally smacked himself and held out his hand first and foremost. “My name’s Richard Rider, intern journalist from Adelphi University.” Carol and Twilight looked at each other, smirking and raising curious and playful brows. Carol met his palm for a strong handshake, Twilight doing the same with her hoof. Wanting to punch himself for not cleaning his sweaty palm beforehand, Richard nonetheless wiped it rapidly against his plaid button-up. “Guess all I really wanted to ask was…” He paused, then slowly raised his smartphone and clicked “Record”. “World wants to know… where do we go now?” Almost as if he had listened in to her and Twilight’s private conversation earlier, the question emanated greatly with Carol. For what was next for Captain Marvel, for the world, and for the future was up for debate, a story left untold until that fateful day arrived. Mulling over that question, finally bringing herself to answer it, Carol turned back to her Alicorn friend and smiled. Twilight smiled back. “Guess we’ll find out,” Danvers answered. “And the Avengers?” Richard Rider persisted, taking a step closer, eyes growing wider with greater apprehension to their response. “What’s gonna happen to them?” They did not respond. Not at first. Not because they didn’t know, but because they did. They just took the time to let that thought dwell in them, to warm them with the hope and brightness of the next tomorrow. The Avengers smiled at one another, Carol looking away to the remains of the New Avengers Facility finally being demolished. The image of the mighty “A” finally crumbling down. Finally resting. Until next time. 11:56 a.m. Hank Pym and Scott Lang applied the finishing touches before finally—with assured certainty—declaring that the Quantum Tunnel was stabilized. A much smaller and more efficient version of their earlier time machine lay sprawled out amongst the grass and within the tree lines safely outside the reaches of the battlefield. The reconstruction could still be heard in the background, but it bothered them very little. Their focus was entirely centered on the Quantum Tunnel anyhow, and no amount of obnoxious sirens, droning workers, or any other distraction could tear them away from what mattered. For just as they promised, the Infinity Stones would be returned to their rightful points in time. They were restored to their original encasings, such as with the Mind Stone inside the scepter, the Space Stone within the rebuilt Tesseract, the Power Stone safely secure in the Orb, and the Reality Stone inside the syringe. Only the Time and Soul Stones remained barren, resting in the hooves of both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna respectively. They were not the only mares present. Sunset, Starlight, Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were present and accounted for, ensuring that the Infinity Stones were safely gathered and secured for their journeys back where they belonged in time. For while their timeline was safe, the others still remained without the Stones to set them on the proper course. Then, of course, there was the whole ordeal with Mjølnir. Thankfully, they had two ponies among them who were still worthy. Spike, Bucky, and Sam were also present, turning accordingly to see Twilight flutter down from the blinding sunbeams and enter into the shade under the trees. She sighed, joining the group of mares and smiling up to Hank, Scott, Celestia, and the rest. “Twilight, dear!” Rarity greeted, rushing forward to meet the Alicorn for a quick hug. “How was your talk with Ms. Danvers?” “About as well as I expected. Thankfully better,” Twilight explained with an eased smile. “She’s holding off the press for me. I did not want to miss this.” She showed up just in time. “Now remember, Your Highness,” Hank Pym announced, addressing the Princess of the Sun but earning the eyes of everyone present. He stood behind his console, adjusting the time travel sequence and connecting to the GPSes. He talked as he worked. “You want to return the Stones to the exact moment they were taken, or else you’re going to open up some nasty alternate realities. Since Scott knows more about this… ‘Time Heist’ than I do, he’ll be going with you.” Princess Celestia knew her mission. She nodded. “Understood,” Celestia said. Scott stood in his full Ant-Man attire. He analyzed his Time Travel GPS and tapped away at it. “Got the locations all confirmed… and we are good to go!” he declared, meeting Celestia’s eyes with a thumbs-up and a grin. “And don’t worry, Your Majesty. Since Hank was able to fix up our time machine and GPSes, we won’t fall out into some alternate timeline like before.” “You did what?!” Luna exclaimed. Scott paused, then waved it off. “Shouldn’t have said that.” As Lang moved back to Pym’s side, he left two Alicorns somewhat taken aback by his earlier statement. “Are you certain you wish to go alone, sister?” Luna whispered. “I could accompany you instead of that…” Hank slapped Scott’s hand away from the Orb. Luna gulped. “Curious man.” Celestia did not seem to share Luna’s worries. Instead of anxious, she seemed at ease, meeting Luna’s worrisome stare with her warming one. “I’ll be fine, Luna. Besides, one of us needs to take the hammer back to its rightful home, and you’re the youngest.” Luna snorted, rolling her eyes. “You can’t keep using that excuse for me forever.” Instead of a snarky remark, Luna felt the strength of her older sister lean against her, wrapping the Princess of the Moon in a loving hug. Though momentarily frozen by it, Luna nonetheless found comfort in Celestia’s embrace, raising her foreleg and resting on the back of her older sister’s head. Their necks gingerly nuzzled one another, the two sisters knowing, with assurance, that she would be safe. The snarky remark came after. “Watch me,” Celestia whispered into her ear. With that, they were ready to begin. Last hugs and good lucks were given to Celestia from each of her little ponies and Spike, Sam and James shaking Scott’s hand and wishing him the same. All the Stones were given to Celestia and Scott, the Time and Soul Stones placed in a briefcase that Lang held. Princess Celestia levitated the Tesseract, Orb, the syringe, and the scepter in her magical auras. With affirming nods from Hank Pym, they had just about stepped onto the first few steps up to the Quantum Tunnel when Rainbow Dash broke the silence. “Wait!” the Pegasus exclaimed, flying forward and halting just at the bottom of the steps. “I wanna help, too!” Scott and Celestia froze in place, as did most of everyone present. Their eyes landed on the Pegasus, and Rainbow soon realized how uncomfortable it was to be in the spotlight. She didn’t seem to show any signs of trepidation, instead remaining steadfast with her hoof outstretched to the princess and the Ant-Man. Starlight cleared her throat. “Rainbow, they… don’t really need any more help.” “Yeah, I think we got this,” Scott added. Twilight stepped forward, curiosity in her eyes for her friend. She asked, “What’s this about, Rainbow?” Pursing her lips, Rainbow slowly shut her eyes and tried to figure out how to breathe without trembling. Her hoof slowly fell to the grass, head dropping alongside her voice. After a moment of subtle quiet, Rainbow turned back to her friends, to Twilight, and said, “There’s something I need to do. Something that won’t mess up the past.” Her friends were confused as to why she would want to go, even Twilight. Even as Rainbow cast her imploring expression onto Sam, onto Hank, and onto Scott, they did not seem to hop on board. They did not seem particularly swayed. But Celestia saw differently. She saw it in Rainbow’s eyes and knew—without an ounce of doubt—that her intentions were pure. Rainbow muttered, “Please.” Celestia nodded to Hank Pym. He shrugged and told Bucky to give her a GPS. With little reluctance left, Barnes moved towards her and bent down to one knee, slipping the device over her left hoof and meeting her eyes. Whispering to her, “I hope you know what you’re doing.” She could not respond. All she could offer was a hopeful, lingering glance that broke away faster than she would have liked. Stepping onto the Quantum Tunnel, Rainbow Dash joined the likes of Scott Lang and Princess Celestia. The former of the duo tossed a pair of Pym Particles from his stash of extras towards the Pegasus, who caught them and nodded thankfully. Celestia levitated Mjølnir towards her, holding the hammer alongside the Stones and nodding once more to Pym. With that, Hank tapped away on his console and waited for their activation. They assembled their Quantum Suits, Rainbow adding the Pym Particles into the belt’s compartment and locking them in place. She breathed in deeply, exhaled even more so, and watched as the mask materialized over her face. Just as it did with Celestia’s. Just as it did with Lang’s. Together, they all shrunk and vanished into the expanse of the Quantum Realm. No matter how long it took them, it only took a second for Hank Pym to rest his hand on the next switch. The one that brought them home. Eyeing the time machine, Hank announced, “And returning in five… four… three… two…” He flipped it. In an instant, they returned, all three Avengers with no Stones and no hammer left on their persons. That image alone earned several sighs of relief from the crowd, the ponies and the Avengers rushing forward to the end of the steps and gazing up curiously onto the Quantum Tunnel. Though slightly disoriented, the three of them nonetheless came out of it standing, turning to one another with reassuring smiles and sighs. The Infinity Stones and Mjølnir were gone, returned to their time safely and securely. Mission accomplished. With the Quantum Suits materializing away back into the GPSes, Celestia’s mane flowed outwards and instantly caught the wind that wasn’t there. She exhaled greatly, hoof rising to rub her forehead. “Well… that was quite the journey,” she mumbled. Luna chuckled. “You’ll have to tell us all about it.” They descended the steps and met their friends on solid ground. Celestia nodded to that, meeting Luna’s forehead with her own in a loving embrace. Sunset stepped forward, meeting her former teacher’s eyes and asking, “Were there any problems?” Scott and Celestia looked to each other, shaking their heads. “No problems,” Scott confirmed. And just when it seemed all of their problems were long gone, Rainbow Dash stepped slowly and cautiously down the metal stairs and onto the grass. She did not fly. She did not move as fast as she usually did. Curiosity struck them all, every eye turning and every breath falling when Rainbow halted in front of them. The purpose of Rainbow’s inclusion on the journey held more weight when they finally saw her. It was when they finally noticed the large, circular bag resting under Rainbow Dash’s wing. “Um… what do ya have there, Dash?” Applejack asked. It took a moment for her to respond. It took even longer for her friends to realize that she was wearing a sad but strong smile on her lips. Acceptance mixed with grief. Pain mixed with relief. Uncertainty… that couldn’t help but be filled with hope. Meeting their eyes, Rainbow offered a slick but warm grin. She nodded, dropping her eyes to the bag under her wing and exhaling weakly through her nostrils. She said, “Just… a little something from a friend. Don’t worry… he had a few others. But this one…” Rainbow patted it with her hoof, the soft clangs subtly heard. “It’s a little extra special.” Though many would have liked to understand just what she meant, Rainbow never gave them the chance to ask. She took the center stage and fully captured it, taking every voice, every breath, and every heart around her when she spoke. When she called out, “Yo, Sam.” The Falcon was temporarily frozen by her abruptness. His arms—which were once crossed over his chest—fell to his sides as the cool and steel persona he had crafted slowly melted away. Underneath, an uncertain and slightly nervous individual remained, gazing to the rainbow Pegasus as she steadily approached him out of everyone else. His smile fell. Hers never did. She held her eyes with Sam Wilson for as long as she could, for as long as she could remain strong before the tears took that face away. Whatever was on her heart could not be said, so she simply repeated every last word told to her that fateful day, mere moments before they were going to ship off on the greatest journey of their lives. In the dark confines of Steve Rogers’ room, where that promise was made, where Steve’s words replayed again and again in her head. “Steve wanted someone to have this… just in case he didn’t make it out,” Rainbow said, planting the bag in front of her, holding it so it stood up straight. Her eyes shifted from the bag to Sam. “Said he wanted Captain America to see another day… one way or another. In the arms of someone who knows what it means to serve his country. Someone who has lost friends, family, and parts of themselves, only to come out of it whole, better, and stronger. Someone who’s been by his side, been his good friend, through every harrowing mission, every daring plan, and every victory. Someone… who deserves it.” She unzipped the bag. From the confines, the sunlight showcased the glimmer of a familiar red, white, and blue shield. Pulling the bag apart, Rainbow fully unveiled the shield to all who stood around her, earning gasps from Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, and so many more. Twilight’s knowing smile slowly grew, mirroring Celestia’s. Mirroring Bucky Barnes’. Laying the flap of the bag to the grass, Rainbow lifted her eyes back to Wilson to see him smirk to the shield. That smirk instantly died when she told him, “Why don’t you try it on?” If he appeared uncertain beforehand, then Sam looked absolutely shell-shocked at that moment. Though her speech earlier seemed to point all signs towards him, there was that tiny, pinprick of a chance that Sam knew it couldn’t be him. There was no way some flyboy was meant to carry on the shield and the legacy of the famous Captain America. It should have been Steve’s best friend. He turned to Barnes, but felt that same shock when James merely nodded his way. And with that subtle confirmation, Sam turned back to the shield, saw the observant stares from the ponies push him forward, urge him to take that next step in his life. With nothing left to lose—with so much more to gain—Sam bent down and retrieved the shield that Rainbow handed to him. He studied its weight, size, and feel, slipping the straps onto his forearm and letting it rest there for a moment. He almost seemed to smile, and almost tried to. But he couldn’t. Not fully. Not realistically. “Feels like it belongs to someone else,” Sam muttered, turning his gaze onto the Pegasus. Rainbow seemed to nod at that. A nod that died when that smirk rose. “He would disagree.” Sam almost scoffed at that, gazing down to the shield. It was her words—his words—that finally drove him over that edge from uncertainty and into acceptance. He nodded several times, lifting his burning eyes back to Rainbow Dash and smiling her way. Really, truly, gratefully smiling to his friend. “Thank you, Dash. I’ll do my best.” “I know you will,” Rainbow said with a tearful nod. “He said you would.” As she broke away, the crowd of ponies surrounded Sam Wilson and proceeded to congratulate and support him through his newly-crowned status as the next Captain America. It was not an easy position to fill, as there was no one else who had ever done it besides Steve Rogers. But they had faith in him to carry that shield, to carry that name and that honor into the unknown future to come, just as Rainbow had faith in him. Just as Steve did. Amongst the crowd, Rainbow found herself coming face to face with a certain White Wolf. James Buchanan Barnes, bending down to meet her eye-level, offered her a warm and thankful smile. Barnes knew he still had a reputation to fix, the image of the Winter Soldier still plastered on every nation’s most wanted list. He knew Steve made the right choice. He knew Sam would honor that shield and carry it with as much respect and dignity as was expected of the Sentinel of Liberty. And he knew he still had a friend in Rainbow. To show his gratitude, he opened his arms and Rainbow instantly fell into his embrace. Fell into both the flesh and the metal of the broken man on his next journey to be made whole. There would undoubtedly be a time when he needed her help again, when all would seem futile and he could only rely on the loyalty of a good friend to help clear his name. When that time came, Bucky knew he could count on her. Because she always kept her promises.