S5: Recovery
Rainbow stared out over the city as the workers from Asgard continued the planetary repairs, side by side with the city's own construction workers. Relief efforts were already in place across the world to repair what damage had been done by the Skrull invasion, taking care of those families that had lost loved ones, aiding the wounded, rebuilding broken homes. The satellite network had already been fully repaired, and worldwide communications had already been repaired. Before long, there wouldn't be any evidence left that the war had even ever happened. Even the Asgardian symbols on some buildings marking where communication and travel between Earth and Asgard would take place would be easily overlooked before long.
Looking out over all of this, Rainbow sighed sadly, slumping over the windowsill.
"What's bothering you, Rainbow?" Pepper asked, coming up to sit beside her.
Rainbow looked up at her. "Is that it, Mom?" she asked, gesturing out at the world. "An interstellar war, the entire shape of the world and universe as we know it rewritten, who knows how many dead...but then we clean up the mess, and everyone goes on like it never even happened? Just back to the status quo?"
Pepper chuckled. "It's not the first alien invasion we've had to deal with, Rainbow," she chided teasingly.
"That actually makes it kinda worse," Rainbow admitted. "Is...is it really so easy to pretend like nothing ever happened?" Her eyes fell on where some Skrull bodies were being dragged off to labs to be studied or disposed of. "So many dead...how...how many did I kill?"
Pepper sighed sadly, stroking the young mare's mane. "That's not a healthy thing to think about, Rainbow," she cautioned. "The reason so many people are pushing so hard to get back to the status quo is because that's the only way they're able to go on with their lives." She shakes her head. "That's probably not a healthy way to be, but it's what we've got. It's not something easy to deal with, or get past...but if you don't let yourself move on from it, it will destroy you."
"And it's that easy?" Rainbow asked.
Pepper shook her head. "It's not easy. But sometimes, it's necessary." She sighs. "Maybe I'm not the one you should talk to about this..."
"Who then?" Rainbow demanded. "Hulk's already completely calm and at ease. Zuki doesn't talk, and even if he did he's just happy with the dimensional pocket ocean Odin provided him with. Ultron processes emotions as data, and can analyze it completely analytically. JARVIS is still developing emotional programming, and ARMIS doesn't care about the state of the world at large. And just about everyone else I know well enough to ask is a soldier in one form or another! Thor, Steve, Clint, Natasha...they know war already. They're used to it, and it's aftermath." She sighed. "Who else can I talk to?"
"You could talk to your Father," Pepper offered.
Rainbow shook her head. "No...I don't..." She shrugged. "He's freaked out enough about my recovery. I don't want to start getting existential on him, or anything like that. I guess...I'll just have to work through this on my own." Rainbow started to get up.
Pepper quickly pulled her into a hug. "No Rainbow," she said firmly. "No matter what else, you don't have to go through anything alone. We might not have the answers you need, and we might not see things the same way you do, and we might not be able to make everything better...but we can be here for you. If that's all we can do, then we'll be sure to do it to the best of our abilities."
Rainbow sank into the embrace, relaxing into the loving warmth. While it didn't make any of this any easier to deal with, it helped hold it at bay for a time. "Thanks Mom," she said softly, letting the tension drain out of her.
They stayed like that for a time, watching the world around them rebuild. "How does Dad handle it?" Rainbow asked finally.
"What do you mean?" Pepper asked, confused.
"Dad isn't a soldier," Rainbow pointed out. "He's a scientist. How does he handle...having to deal death? How can he go from 'saving everyone' to 'kill the enemies' without falling apart like I am? And how can he go back without getting lost in the blood?" She stared at her wing, remembering the feeling of the metal feathered edge shearing through a neck, beheading a Skrull almost casually.
"He's got a few things that helps him," Pepper said softly. "For one thing, the way his brain is wired makes it easier for him to segment his life. Makes a few things harder, but in this case it's easier to get past things like this and move on. Sticking firm to his belief that he's doing the right thing helps, too."
"Hard for me," Rainbow muttered. "Earth is humanity's home world, so it's probably easy for a human to say 'those aliens are invading my home, so they are the bad guys'. But...I'm not native to Earth. I'm as much an invader as the Skrull..."
"You didn't come to conquer," Pepper pointed out.
"As far as we know," Rainbow growled morosely. "For all we know, I'm an advance scout sent by my world to prep this one for invasion by mastering your tech and weakening your will to fight against my people through my cuteness, awesomeness, and overall love-ability!" She threw her hooves up. "I mean even Uncle Nick - Nick freakin Fury - is putty in my hooves! Ultron tells me he got a snapshot from a satellite into a window of his airship of Nick squealing like a schoolgirl after I kissed him thank you for agreeing to help get me citizenship! And I tamed Ultron! You expect me to believe that's natural and not a conspiracy on the part of my species for peaceful conquest and enslavement of Earth?"
Pepper did her best not to laugh. "Where the heck are you getting these ideas?" she managed to gasp out.
Rainbow scuffed a hoof. "...Clint read me a Body Snatchers parody called Fear the Cute Ones as a bedtime story. Ultron said it reminded him of me..."
Pepper sighed. "Hawkeye's a bad influence on you," Pepper muttered. Then she smiled. "But if you are the herald of an invasion of our miniature pony overlords, I imagine much of the world will be happy to surrender to the cute."
"Even if my native race plans to use terrible dark magic to convert all of humanity into ponies?" Rainbow demanded dramatically.
"Then I hope my wings will be as lovely as yours," Pepper said easily, making a mental note to prune Rainbow's reading lists of anything else that might convince her she was the harbinger of a sci-fi/horror Armageddon.
Rainbow managed a chuckle. "So...what else does Dad have to help him deal with all this?" she asked, letting go - briefly - of her paranoia.
"Well, the first few times he had to go to a war zone, he had me there for him when he got back," Pepper pointed out. "His other friends, too. Just like you have all of us here for you."
Rainbow smiled. "Yeah, guess I do."
Pepper stroked her mane. "And when the war came to him when Loki brought the Chitauri...you showed up not three days later, to give him something happy to look forward to every day."
Rainbow laughed. "I guess I am pretty awesome that way," she joked. "Not like that can happen for me. I mean, a baby brother isn't going to drop out of the heavens for me just because I need someone to take care of to feel better about myself."
"Can you wait eight months?" Pepper asked, laying her hand on her belly.
Rainbow's eyes widened. "Wait-you mean-you're-?" Her words came out broken in gasps. When Pepper nodded, Rainbow squealed happily as she zoomed in circles around Pepper's head. "I'm gonna be a big sister!" she cried happily. "I'm gonna be a big sister! I'm gonna be a big sister!"
Pepper laughed happily at Rainbow's antics, glad to see a genuine smile on her face again.
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you just had to do a conversion bureau reference didn't you
Look, as a comic fan. I enjoy this. I really do.
But I have one questions. This is New York.
Why the hell hasn't she met SPIDERMAN of all people yet?!
Rainbow Dash, herald of the Sun Goddess...
Considering this is marvel verse, it's not that far out... Move over Silver Herald! Rainbow has arrived!
Nice call back to Fury's stoic walk. All that precautions and he forgot to draw the drapes. Shame, Fury, shame.
>>Spiderman got sent to another version of Equestia. The chronicles of his adventure is kicking around somewhere...
awwwwwwweeeeeee
5803708
Because, based on approximate timelines, this is the point where he's off on another planet populated by both humans and animal people, fighting off both symbiotes and trying to get home.
...honestly, I'm just making shit up. She hasn't met him because I have no plot for it.
Edit: ...I can't believe how long that line went without the "l". It looks like I claimed I wasn't high enough to figure it out...12 whole weeks of having "no pot for it"...
And then we all SQUEEED!
5803708 Or, the X-men... Bayville is NOT far away!
5803708
PARKER KNOWS IT ALL.
img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130918201402/marvelcrossroads/images/4/45/103929_-_applejack_deadpool_fluttershy_pinkie_pie_rainbow_dash_spiderman_the_spectacular_spiderpony_twilight_sparkle.jpg
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/445/008/46f.jpg
images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120525104036/guitartbone/images/e/ed/Spider_man_throw_applejack.jpg
static.fjcdn.com/pictures/This+is+can+be+helpful+later+in+a+post+i_1b0779_3574647.jpg
Dammit, Hawkeye!
died (or dead)
And suddenly a random Scootaloo appears and bucks everything up.
watch the baby be a girl and rainbow gets them to name her scootaloo
5803806
As fun as that might be, it's already established that it's going to be a son, confirmed by Asgardian medical magitek.
...Was that what...yeah that's what I think it is...that's a conversion bureau reference...
Seriously...fuck the CB.
5803708 Don't forget the Fantastic Four!
5803873
Funny thing is, a CB invasion that was initiated via a worldwide MLD style initiative would probably work. Everyone's already raised baby ponies, becoming ponies wouldn't be that big a step.
5803815 it was just a thought
great story btw
5803881 damn that's an amazing idea really
5803806 Tony & Pepper had her for lunch at KFC
5803907
NOT FUNNY
I've got an explanation for the lack of Spiderman: this is a continuation of what happened post-One More Day in the original timeline.
Aunt May died, Peter commits suicide for being unable to save her, and Mary Jane retires from worldly affairs to become a nun.
Of course, One More Day was full of BS to the nth degree, but I won't get into that here.
5803944
In the case of this story, this is just a joke.
This at least acknowledges a few of the issues commenters brought up. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
Love dat TCB Take That.
Pepper finally acknowledges Hawkeye being a bad influence
Also, that Conversion Bureau reference. Although, I've never read any of the official fics or their many derivatives. Well, that, and Fallout: Equestria.
5803927 Aaaaand another comic fun fact in my head.
I, for one, welcome our new pony overlords. I wanna be a pretty unicorn!
5804201
Somehow, I think a "Conversion Bureau" style event here would end....poorly.
5803881 fair enough
5804201
Right On!
5804289 I wouldn't even consider a TCB event in a story like this one. Doesn't mean I can't joke about being a pretty unicorn.
Wow.
Well I for one liked the TCB comment as it sounds like something Clint would do.
As for the other super heroes... I think that what I am reading is fine, then again, who knows really. Still, for me I know only about the Movie Marvel universe and so far, Spider Man has not shown up in the city yet. (Yes I know that he works in the city)
Still a lot can happen and I shall wait and see what the writer and master of these stories shall have happen next.
Also amazing ideas and events. Congrats on all of this. This does not seem to be stopping any time soon.
I for one welcome our adorable overlords!
5803708 Because at this point in the timeline, he's being held captive by the Sonians.
Seriously though, it's hard enough to focus on just the Avengers without incorporating *insert obscure character here*into the story. I could see Spiderman playing a part in this story somewhere, but unless the author can find a way to make it work, it's just going to feel forced.
Speaking of Spiderman, I'm curious how Rainbow's presence would affect the Civil War storyline. Not that she really knows any heroes that have a secret identity at this point in time.
That reference about the bureau...
And then the mandolin strung a tattoo and became a pyromaniac.
Oh wait different Mandy in this continuity. I wonder where Grim and Billy are...?
I would just like to say, I actually sent a link of this to Robert Downy Jr. on his twitter XD. I think he'd find it hilarious, knowing his sense of humor.
Why hadn't I favorited this yet
Well that's fixed
5804779 probably.
5804779
...Meep!
5804779
I will laugh my ass off if RDJ (heh. RD....J!) starts reading this in earnest...
I'd be surprisingly okay with that!
Anyone else?
5803702 I still say I'd be okay if they didn't force the change.
5804850
What if they started with giving everyone an adorable pony to raise...then when they arrived to collect for the MLD ending, offering the choice of maintaining the relationship and even coming back to Equestria with your little pony...if you became a pony as well?
5804854 ... Still be okay.
Have I ever mentioned how I love this story?
Though this was another lovely chapter
I had a sudden thought: how is Twilght reacting to Rainbow's disappearance?
Well... what if I told you that you have already experienced war before? And watched the entire army get blasted off into the distance by a love explosion...