Wanda wished they wouldn’t stare.
She hated it when they did. Looked at her, questioning and sometimes angry eyes turning her way, judging her based on first glances, not actions. It’s what her and her older brother strived to accomplish back home in Sokovia, make a name for themselves, give clothes, food, medicine to those who needed it. Show others how helpful they could be.
Yes, her brother did steal a lot of those supplies, but it was for the greater good. He promised he would never get caught…or shot for that matter. Sometimes she wished she could believe him, let him fight his own battles. For the greater good. Like the Avengers wanted them to. Did that mean she forgave them?
She didn’t know. It would take some time, but for now she just didn’t know. For now, Wanda just wished they wouldn’t stare. Only could they stare when she and her brother showed how much good they were capable of. Maybe then others would judge them on their actions.
Wanda flashed a piercing, red gaze over to a group of bystanders ogling her. The mares and stallions all flinched, scurrying away, whispering words of judgment on the Sokovian girl. Not the best first impression she wanted, but she could care less. It got rid of the bystanders. That’s all she really wanted.
“Wanda.”
The commanding voice caught Maximoff at a standstill, the color in her eyes cooling down. She turned to her right, flinching from the blinding, morning sunlight and onto the towering shadow of a man staring at her with eyes full of worry. Eyes full of questioning. She saw that often. Especially ever since Strucker would…
“Are you okay?” Captain America asked. He didn’t reach out to place his hand on her shoulder. She probably still needed some space. He didn’t blame her.
Without verbally answering, Wanda glanced quickly at her enemy-turned-ally and nodded once.
He nodded back, turning his head around once a new voice appeared from behind him. Natasha appeared out of the blinding sunlight, smiling up at the Captain as she stopped.
“Train’s leaving pretty soon,” Natasha addressed, facing Wanda. She looked away once the Widow tried to stare into her eyes. She paid it no heed, facing the Captain with another smile. “Get those elderly legs of yours on the train, soldier. On the double.”
Rogers couldn’t hold back a smile. “You know what, Romanoff…”
“Captain Rogers! Agent Romanoff! Miss Maximoff!”
All three spun to the left, passed the lingering houses that shortened in numbers as the Ponyville train station appeared at the end of the road. There, the remaining Avengers; Stark, Barton, Thor, Banner, and Vision were piling into the girlish-colored train, white clouds erupting from its smokestack. With them were the mares that were kind enough to take them in on the very first day they arrived. The same couldn’t be said for Wanda. Her stone-hard gaze remained the same as it had since she woke up.
Princess Twilight was waving them down, flying awkwardly above the rest of her friends. Pinkie Pie was hopping nonstop, shouting words filled to the brim with excitement every two seconds. Rarity and Applejack were constantly checking their packs, mostly Rarity while Applejack just rolled her eyes in amusement. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were both staring up at their royal friend, Dash snickering upon noticing Twilight’s awkward flight pattern.
Still, seeing her wave them over brought yet another smile on the Captain’s face, a tiny sigh escaping his form. He turned back to the girls surrounding him, saying, “Well, we better get going. Time waits for no one.” He looked to Wanda, offering a knowing grin. “Trust me, I know.”
She didn’t smile back. She watched as the two casually strolled past her. Even then, she could hear what they were saying when they casually strolled to the train. It mattered little to the witch.
“She still didn’t give me back my jacket,” Natasha stated, loud enough for Wanda to hear.
Captain Rogers chuckled. “You look fine without it.”
“Always a gentleman.”
“I try my best.”
The Sokovian girl watched them until they approached the equines, plenty of laughter and exchanges offered between the two species. The relationship the Avengers had with the ponies was daunting, something Wanda couldn’t seem to get off her chest. How anyone could make friends with a bunch of aliens…
A gust of wind flashed by, stopping on her opposite side. Wanda was actually relieved to see it was her brother.
Pietro leaned forward, pressing his palm onto her shoulder. “Gonna be late; come on,” he mumbled. Wanda stared into his eyes, passed the adrenaline practically pouring out of his essence and onto the brother she knew, the one that would never leave her side. Just like all those years ago. Just like a few days ago.
She exhaled, nodding to him. With that, the two walked side by side all the way to the train station, right past Twilight Sparkle and into the train car. They offered no glances, possibly too focused on the train they were entering…and the not-so fond memories they’ve had dealing with trains.
As for Twilight, she could hardly contain an excited grin.
Even as she entered the train—the conductor closing the doors and sounding off the journey to Canterlot—Twilight desperately thought of just what else the Princesses would want other than to speak with the new Avengers. Perhaps some news on the state of Griffonstone had arrived, or maybe Ultron’s whereabouts had surfaced. Whatever the case, she had plenty of time to think about it on the two hour train ride.
She entered the car where the Avengers and her friends commandeered. Stark and Banner sat together, talking in words only Twilight would understand and would leave ponies like Rainbow and Pinkie scratching their heads. Steve and Thor shared a seat while Natasha and Barton sat together behind them.
Then there were her friends. Applejack and Rarity shared a seat together, Rainbow and Fluttershy doing the same. Pinkie was currently annoying a certain Maximoff twin, looking anywhere except where the pink mare’s face was. Twilight looked over to Wanda Maximoff…and then immediately turned to the last open seat.
One current space open with Vision.
Last night was a scientific phenomenon, for Twilight especially. Not only did she get to explore further into what made the Vision function, but she even learned more about the so-called “Mind Stone”, one of the six “Infinity Stones”. Both Banner and Stark had little knowledge on the stones, but the most they could tell her—surprisingly enough, they allowed her to know—was that they were cosmic weapons of mass destruction, could be used for good, evil, power, pretty much anything.
What did that mean for Twilight? Well, it meant surely that there was a universe out there much larger than she could ever have expected. Larger than Equus, Earth, and any other dimension she could imagine. It was limitless, vast, worlds upon worlds ready for exploration, millions of different alien species ready to be discovered. A journey unlike any other. A journey for another time.
Twilight politely cleared her throat, well earning Vision’s attention. He slowly turned her way, a curious gaze centered on the fumbling Alicorn.
She nervously smiled to him, asking, “You don’t mind if I sit with you, do you?”
Vision took a few seconds before he responded, closing his eyes and lowering his head to her. Twilight, unfortunately, didn’t catch on.
“Um,” she muttered, “is that a…yes, or a—?”
“Please sit,” Vision specified.
Giggling nervously and clearing her throat just after, Twilight hopped up into the open seat next to Vision. As she adjusted herself comfortably, she took the time she had to study the android sitting next to her quite carefully. His light gray and red skin, upon further investigation last night revealing it to be some sort of organic and inorganic material, a curious mixture between the two. Yet it worked so well, giving Vision practically impenetrable skin. Her further intrusion on the Mind Stone also proved fruitful. Stark and Banner were telling the truth—surprisingly enough—and the stone did, in fact, act as the main power source for Vision’s body. Without it…
Well, Twilight didn’t wish to think too much on the dreadful subject. Neither did anyone else for that matter. It just frightened her to see the stone growing dimmer as the hours passed, despite all the help Stark and Banner had provided for the Vision.
Snapping her mind away from such thoughts, Twilight returned her attention to Vision’s facial features. His eyes, to be precise. The way they stared straight ahead, cautious movements every second or so, it gave Twilight the impression that there was more to his eyes than the synthetic had provided. She hadn’t truly seen them last night, not as much as she had now. It gave her the impression that she was not sitting with some designed product of Ultron’s twisted delusion.
Maybe he was something more, something that could be learned from far beyond that of simple scientific study.
Perhaps she could find out just that.
Clearing her throat to gain his attention, and successfully doing just that, Twilight smiled up to the Vision, saying, “So, I know we’ve been studying quite a lot last night, but…I was wondering…”
“You’d like to see inside my head?” he replied, twisting his eyes away from the Alicorn and back.
The train lurched forward, causing Twilight to shift slightly in her seat. “Well, yes, but more than that. I want to see the real you. The real Vision.” He turned away. Twilight gulped nervously, fearing she lost him. “If that’s okay with you, of course. I don’t want to pressure you into talking about something you’d rather forget.”
Vision slowly looked over to his right, staring at the peaceful village disappear from his field of view. As the town vanished, the sun appeared, all of its brightness and glory shining through the window, its warmth showering down on Vision’s face.
“I would rather not…” he finally replied. Twilight’s ears slowly folded back. “…forget, that is.”
She perked up, watching his movements carefully, her ears at the ready. His shadow cascaded over her form, his head slowly facing forward once more. The chatter amongst Twilight’s friends and the remaining Avengers were low, or Twilight simply didn’t pay them too much attention. She was far too focused on what the android would say, what his response would be, and how he would say it.
“I saw annihilation.”
Very surprising, Twilight thought. She listened closely.
“Nothing more. Nothing less. It was as if a wave of unimaginable pain and suffering that could never be cleansed filled my mind, and yet I had no control. I waited for it to end, to let that pain wash through and disappear. For the longest time it did not, and for the longest time I believed it was what I was destined to become. A weapon. A monster.”
Vision looked down to his red palms, opening and closing them. Twilight watched, too.
“But then…” he continued, still staring at his hands, “…something miraculous happened. I saw something else. Not annihilation, but something…different.”
“What did you see?” the princess asked.
He turned her way, his synthetic eyes holding more human in them than she had seen.
“Hope,” he answered. Twilight’s mouth fell only slightly. “Hope for a better world. Hope for humanity. Once that hope filled my mind…I felt truly…unique. Complete, even. The pain and suffering are no more. I no longer see annihilation. I see what humanity is truly capable of, despite the failures. I see their happiness, their sadness, their anger, their fear.”
Vision smiled slightly at the Alicorn.
“I see that in all of you, too. And there is nothing wrong with that.”
She slowly nodded her head in understanding, drinking in and absorbing Vision’s words carefully. However, that could continue another time, for Vision resumed talking, addressing her forwardly.
“Now then…perhaps I could see a little bit more?” he requested, lowering his head to her.
Twilight slowly began to smile.
“Of course,” she calmly began, leaning back into her seat and exhaling softly. She ruffled her wings together, memories rekindling in her mind. “I guess it all began one day after I re-read the legend of Nightmare Moon for the seventh time…”
“We really need to stop meeting like this.”
The first words to leave Tony Stark’s lips the moment he entered the Canterlot Archives, being greeted by the two Royal Sisters. Alone. There was nopony else.
As the guards shut the doors behind them, securing Twilight and her friends including the nine Avengers ranging from Tony Stark, Captain America, Thor, Doctor Banner, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, and Vision within the archives, they all approached the lone sisters standing beneath the large hourglass resting in the center of the room.
Both Celestia and Luna turned their attention away from the hourglass and onto their visitors. The two were especially interested on the three they did not recognize, the three that stared at them curiously and somewhat hypnotically. Whatever is the case, Celestia and Luna faced forward, bowing their heads upon their arrival.
“I would appreciate nothing more than to have a nice discussion with Equestria’s extraterrestrial visitors…when the fate of our world doesn’t hang in the balance,” Celestia replied, no hint of emotion in her tone, no smiling. She expected them not to be as careful with her and her sister as of currently. Especially after what they discovered. Hidden for so long.
Stark caught on, showing no emotion in his stare, in his features or body language. When he stopped, the Captain pushed forward, stopping just a few feet ahead of him. As for the others, the Avengers only, they stopped behind him, watching as the mares continued on. Twilight moved past both Stark and Rogers and gave a quick hug to both Celestia and Luna.
Tony shook his head, eyeing the sisters cautiously. “So why did you want us to come here, huh? Surely it can’t be just to meet the rest of our team.”
“Unless it has something to do with Ultron,” Steve carried on, sharing the sole intention of staring into both sisters’ eyes, studying them, “then we need to make this fast. There’s no telling what he’s planning next.”
Upon said revelation by the Captain, Celestia turned to her younger sister, Twilight following her actions. Luna’s eyes shifted downwards, her movement pushing her forward, a few feet in front of the Captain. She said, “We believe, Captain, we have discovered just that. But first…”
Ignoring Captain Rogers’ pleading stare for the time being, Luna brought her attention over to three she had yet to address, who she had yet to greet. She offered no smile, but still placed a hoof across her heart. “We are Princess Luna, ruler of the night and co-ruler of Equestria.”
Celestia took a step forward, bowing her head to Vision, Pietro, and Wanda. “I am Princess Celestia, bringer of the morning sun and co-ruler of Equestria. It is an honor to be meeting all of you.”
“The same could be said,” Vision stated, bowing his head as well. He stared into the Alicorns’ eyes, shifting between the two. “I have heard much about you two from my allies.”
Celestia and Luna slowly turned to the Captain. Celestia sighed. “Were they…what we expected?”
The Vision sighed as well. “Mixed.”
Pietro looked away, staring at anything except the two sisters. “Yeah,” he muttered.
Wanda did not say anything. She just stared at the two Alicorn sisters. Silently. Judgingly.
The judging and dreadful silence was ongoing, seemingly never able to stop, until the Captain stepped forward, captured everypony’s attention, and said, “Princess Luna. You were saying…”
Ignoring her sister’s glance, as well as the obvious eyes of Princess Twilight staring into her backside, Princess Luna stared straight into the Captain’s eyes, then pushed away from him and addressed the other Avengers. “Some recent information has emerged. We now know what Ultron is planning, and it is far worse than anything we could ever have been prepared for.”
Clint and Natasha shared a quick, but worried glance. Stark caught his breath, ready for the news. Steve pushed onwards, his fists clenching. “Tell us now. We need to end this before it spirals out of control.”
Now, Princess Luna seemed to have lost her train of thought, catching her tongue and turning back to her older sister for support. Twilight followed Luna’s actions, staring up at Celestia with curious eyes, desperate to learn of Ultron’s intentions. As for Celestia, the uncertainty in her gaze lingered like a vulture over the remains of a fallen beast, searching for an answer, for some sort of reply.
Then, she opened her right wing and said, “Perhaps it would be better worded if…she told you…”
Everyone followed the direction the Princess of the Sun had pointed to, staring straight into the shadow-covered hallway of the archives. The shadows broke away, revealing a pale, pink hoof stepping out of the darkness and entering what little light shined down upon the group. The hoof led to the body, to the neck, and finally to the face, the blue irises staring at a certain Princess of Friendship.
Starlight Glimmer offered a mysterious smile, ignoring the gasps amongst the six mares. She stared straight ahead, straight into the eyes of Twilight Sparkle. She said, “Hello…Princess Twilight.”
Twilight’s jaw almost broke off with how far it dropped. Her eyes expanded to a size they had never reached before. Celestia, unbeknownst to the actions behind her, turned to the unicorn and said, “I believe you have already been acquainted with Miss Starlight—?”
She never could react quickly enough to the actions of the mighty God of Thunder stomping past her. Nor could Starlight react properly when that god’s hand shot down, wrapping around her throat and lifting her high above the ground.
With Mjølnir held tight in his left palm, a feral growl building at the bottom of his throat, Thor glared at the unicorn in his grasp, muttering, “Oh, we have been well acquainted.”