Chapter 40 - The Clash
Leipzig, Germany
Leipzig Airport
2:32 p.m.
Twilight tried desperately to shoot her best friend.
With every spell she fired off, each paralysis spell firing from her horn and missing its target, Twilight only grew more and more anxious. Every second she wasted chasing down the rainbow Pegasus only meant another second longer their mission lasted, another second longer they had to keep fighting this seemingly-endless fight. Another second longer she fought her best friend.
Twilight wanted it to end, but Rainbow Dash wouldn’t give in. She expected that, so she didn’t hold back.
As Twilight continued to launch spell after spell at the Pegasus, Rainbow Dash flew back and forth with speeds that she knew Twilight couldn’t keep up with. Despite the past years of experience she’s had flying, there wasn’t any feasible way Twilight was ever going to catch Rainbow, and they both knew it. The airport’s airspace was completely vacant, allowing the two plenty of room to fly. Mostly Rainbow Dash, because it gave her plenty of room to dodge Twilight’s attacks.
Rainbow shot her gaze back after a blue spell shot by her, nearly singing her wing. She couldn’t allow another spell to get that close. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow tucked in her wings and dove straight down. Twilight mirrored her, yet another paralysis spell charging in her horn. The Pegasus could see Applejack awaiting her descent, her body lowered in a pounce-like stance, ready for almost anything Rainbow had up her sleeve.
Almost anything.
The second Rainbow touched ground, she drove her front legs down first, driving her hind legs back into Twilight’s jaw. The Alicorn yelled in pain, flipping a few times before she came to a fumbling crash several yards away. With plenty of momentum, Rainbow flipped over Applejack and landed on all fours behind the mare. Instinctively, Applejack reared her back legs and bucked. Just as instinctively, Rainbow Dash ducked, sliding across and kicking Applejack right in her rib cage. The pony yelped, rolling on her side several times before she came to a halt.
Tightening her jaw, Applejack opened one eye, the other shut tight in response to the growing pain in her side. She stood back up, seeing Rainbow Dash slowly hover closer to her. Her eyes were filled with malice, nothing short of instinctive rage and adrenaline. Applejack wouldn’t be surprised if her own held that kind of power considering the circumstances.
Part of her couldn’t believe she was actually fighting one of her best friends. The fact that Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Fluttershy would all have to be subdued hurt her, but for some reason… bringing down Rainbow Dash didn’t hurt as much. Of course, it hurt. It hurt like the worst kind of pain Applejack could have imagined. Despite all of her abusive, obnoxious, and downright stupid characteristics that made Rainbow, well, Rainbow, deep down Applejack knew that she was still her best friend.
They’ve been through so much hell and fire together, came out stronger than ever before, and to just stand against her for a conflict that should have never really concerned them was something Applejack didn’t take easily. It had to be done, though. Once Barnes was brought in, then they were done. They could go home. They could be through with all of this.
She swallowed a mixture of blood and spit, spitting whatever remained onto the concrete to her side. Wiping her mouth, Applejack lowered herself, her eyes trained on the Pegasus and whatever move she had planned next. Rainbow narrowed her glare on the pony, spreading her wings and getting shot in the side by a spell.
“Gah!” Rainbow squealed, crashing into a pile of wooden boxes. Applejack shot her gaze from the wood pile and over to where the spell originated. She could see a heavily-panting, sweating, and very shaky Rarity standing a few yards away. The tip of her horn had a small smoke trail leaving it.
Rarity snarled like a feral beast, the red in the veins of her eyes visible from where Applejack stood. Applejack exhaled something fierce, shaking her head and smirking her way. “Hot damn…” she breathed.
Finally giving herself a moment to actually breathe a few calming breaths, Rarity recuperated herself, closing her eyes and allowing a few more breaths to calm her nerves. A few seconds ago, she was staring at two worlds torn by fire, and the next thing she saw was her world being torn right before her eyes. The Avengers, like they didn’t even know each other, doing their damnedest to put each other down. Her friends, Twilight and Applejack, fighting Rainbow Dash like she was some common thug. The sight appalled her.
Rarity imagined it would be a confrontation with no need for violence, one where the Captain and his team came without a fight. It was wishful thinking, but a thought Rarity had hoped for. However, after seeing Rainbow Dash buck Twilight in the chin and kick Applejack in the ribs, that was enough for Rarity to know that Rainbow and the others wouldn’t come in without a short scuffle.
So be it.
She fired a concussive spell right for the Pegasus, and sure enough, she wasn’t looking. Rainbow went down hard into a pile of wooden boxes, the splinters shattering upon her crash-landing. It wasn’t a strong spell by any means, but even Rarity was surprised to say the least on how strong it had actually been. That surprise quickly faded when Rainbow began to get back up, replaced only by a stern glare and solid eyes. Applejack joined the unicorn, slowly approaching the prone Pegasus.
As for Rainbow Dash, as she slowly began to pick herself up, she rubbed her head and groaned lightly to herself. Her eyes widened, however, the moment she saw Rarity and Applejack approaching from her front, Rarity’s horn glowing a frightening blue. Spinning her neck back quickly, Rainbow could see Twilight hovering closer and closer to her position, her horn also a bright blue. And in the distance, Rainbow could have sworn she saw Starlight galloping her way.
Four on one. Normally, Rainbow didn’t mind the odds, but considering her situation, the amount of paralysis spells she would have to dodge, it didn’t seem likely she would last long. She hated to admit it, but she needed backup.
So, before they closed in on her, Rainbow shot up straight in the air like a rocket, causing the crushed wood beneath her to explode as if a grenade had been planted where she sat. A small rainbow dust cloud was all that remained of her as her trail zoomed up into the sky and quickly forward. The mares below coughed in response, waving their hooves to block out the dust from entering their lungs.
Applejack coughed rather loudly, waving the rainbow dust away from her face. “Consarn it!” she shouted, narrowing her gaze through the dust. “She’s up an’ off again! Now what are we gonna do?!”
Twilight ended her coughing fit, turning her eyes skyward. For a moment, she kept her gaze centered on Rainbow Dash’s trail of lights shooting far across the sky. It suddenly dipped back to the earth, returning to the airport where she most likely made a safe landing.
Something else caught her eye, even her ears. She, as well as everypony else, spun their necks around to see a trail of fire appear over their heads. Twilight narrowed her gaze, her jaw slightly falling at the sight of it. She could see Tony Stark carrying Natasha by the hand, the two flying off straight ahead. Joining them in the air, she noticed Rhodes carrying Castle and T’Challa, Parker swinging by web close to them. All of them headed in the same direction.
That’s when she heard: “Everyone, Vision is waiting for us in the center of the runway. Meet up there.”
Tony, Twilight thought. She looked to her friends, saw each of them press down on their ears to see if they had heard that correctly. Once they did, they turned their attention to Twilight, the Alicorn taking a large step forward. Pressing her hoof down, she looked to each of her friends and nodded. “Circle in, girls. I’ll get us there quick.”
They all nodded.
With that, Twilight closed her eyes, charged up her horn, and tightened her jaw. The dust surrounding their hooves began to form a small, very slow tornado. It covered all four mares, the three of them turning to Twilight and shutting their eyes. Twilight’s horn erupted a bright white, a dome of energy quickly covering them and then vanishing in a flash. The dust settled back onto the concrete, not a mare left in the area.
2:39 p.m.
Captain America led the charge. Straight ahead, he could see the Avengers Quinjet Stark’s team had used to get to the airport. It was tucked safely into the hanger far-off across the airport. A straight shot passed the runway would get them to their destination. They couldn’t afford to slow down. Not now. Not while they had the advantage and without any of Stark’s team in sight.
Joining him was Lang and Daredevil, the two red-suited men right on the Captain’s tail, right by his side. Steve was impressed with Lang’s skills to say the least. He had managed to hold his own against Romanoff, as well as coming equipped with a few gadgets that aided them for a short moment. He may have been a loose cannon, and a bit of a fanboy, but he did his job. That’s all Steve could have asked of him.
As for Daredevil, he was someone who took Steve by complete surprise. For someone who mostly dealt with thugs in the streets of New York City, Daredevil had managed to hold well against Stark’s team. He brought down Rhodes in a single strike, an Avenger with probably more experience in combat and with better gear. Whoever he was, Daredevil came for a fight, and to win. Round 1 had come to an end, with assured victory looming ahead if they kept at it.
Steve was impressed once more.
The next four to join them were Clint and Wanda, trailed quickly by Pinkie Pie and Spike. It would seem to the two fared well against Stark, which was what Steve expected. They were strong. They could handle their own. As for Pinkie Pie, she galloped and hopped and danced her way forward, Spike riding and holding onto her mane so he wouldn’t fall off. The two of them had… surprised Steve. He didn’t expect them to fight, or even manage to come out on top of most of their skirmishes. But thanks to Pinkie being… Pinkie and Spike’s bravery in the face of conflict, the two stood out and joined them on the final leg of the race ahead of them.
Practically sprinting, shield held tight in his left arm, Steve turned his gaze right. “Come on!” he shouted, waving the next wave of his team forward. Joining his growing group were Sam, Buck, and Fluttershy. The two men ran together with Fluttershy flying over their heads, almost like a guardian angel of some kind. Steve liked to believe that.
A sudden gust of wind came high above him. He looked up, saw Rainbow Dash right over his head. She looked down, smirked, and winked his way. Steve wouldn’t lie and admitted he did the same.
His team was together, all eleven of them running or flying into the runway, their destination lying in the hanger so far away. So close. Just as they took the first few steps closer to their stop, they found themselves stopping prematurely, a golden beam of light shooting down from above and incinerating the solid concrete just feet ahead of them.
Steve slowed to a stop, everyone behind him doing the same. The two Pegasi hovered in place, their gazes turning upwards, joining the others. Even with the brightness of the afternoon sun, they could all clearly see the Vision floating dangerously ahead of them. The golden beam retracted, returning to the gem that remained in his forehead.
Vision stared at the group below, his cape blowing gently behind him, his gaze landing on their leader. “Captain Rogers!” he announced, slowly beginning his descent. “I know you believe what you’re doing is right. He is your friend, and that is understandable.”
Steve looked to Bucky. Bucky met his stare, both of their gazes returning to Vision.
“But for the collective good…” Vision was saying, Tony Stark swooping down and dropping off Natasha, “… you must surrender now.”
Iron Man and War Machine flew in, Rhodes dropping off both the Black Panther and the Punisher and Stark dropping off Natasha. The two men rolled to a stop, both slowly rising, both of their glares centered on one man standing several yards away from them. War Machine landed with a solid thud, his red eyes and glowing chest radiating true power in the form of the bulking machine he walked around in.
“There is no other way for us to convince you, it would seem.”
Spider-Man swung in, performing a small flip before landing precisely and without error next to War Machine. He stood up, eyeing the Widow to his right, the approaching android lowering himself between him and Romanoff.
“So, you leave us no other choice.”
A flash of blinding light appeared in front of Stark’s growing team. No one flinched. As the light quickly faded, all that remained were Twilight, Starlight, Applejack, and Rarity. They took their places by the side of each member of Stark’s Avengers, minus the king, the murderer, and the web-slinger.
And it was as they stood. Tony Stark remained with his team; James Rhodes, Peter Parker, Vision, Rarity, Applejack, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Natasha Romanoff, King T’Challa, and Frank Castle. They remained in a solid line, never breaking formation, never turning their heads away from the threat that continued to stand against them and against what was right in their eyes.
And Steve’s team did the same. The Captain stood where he was, never backing down and refusing to surrender despite the Vision’s warning. The rest of his team did the same. Sam Wilson, Fluttershy, Scott Lang, Clint Barton, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Wanda Maximoff, Rainbow Dash, James Barnes, and Daredevil all refused to kneel in defeat.
None of them backed away. None of them moved. No one did.
Sam’s eyes swiveled behind his goggles, observing the eleven that stood in their way. A cool sweat began to build on his forehead, his fingers slowly curling into his palms. “What do we do, Cap?” he asked.
Daredevil tightened his fists, his red eyes holding strong with Castle’s gaze. Steve Rogers knew what would happen. He knew it would happen. There was no denying that the inevitable confrontation would come, he just didn’t want it. And yet here he stood, his friends by his side, ready to die for their Captain against… their own friends.
Their own family.
And yet the clock kept on ticking, closer and closer to total destruction the longer they stood and did nothing. And nothing was something Steve couldn’t allow to happen.
He took the first brave step forward, as all leaders do with their soldiers, and said, “We fight.”
He almost felt his heart break to hear a small whimper escape Fluttershy, followed shortly by a few calming breaths from the Pegasus, almost as if she was trying to convince herself to push on and do what was right, and that was to help Bucky. The rest followed behind him. Pinkie Pie tied a bandanna designed like the American flag around her head. The mare licked her lips and hopped forward. Rainbow Dash snorted, flapping her wings and moving forward, moving right with Fluttershy and staying by her side.
Across the runway, Natasha tilted her head slightly. She sighed, “This is gonna end well.” She took the first step forward, followed almost immediately by the rest of Stark’s team.
An uncertain expression remained on the faces of Rarity, Applejack, and Starlight. The three mares moved with the rest of the team, but moved slower, almost apprehensive. The short skirmish earlier painted a big enough picture of what fighting their closest friends was like, and diving forward straight back into it was almost something they backed away from. Almost. There was a different look on the face of Twilight, though. It was a look of determination, a sense of bravery, strength, and willingness etched into her features. She could never hide away the pain, though, especially in her eyes. Especially when she saw Spike look her way.
Spike gazed into Twilight’s growing eyes, a bit of heat growing in his own. He frowned, blinked a few times, and wiped his eyes with a free claw that wasn’t gripping Pinkie’s bouncing mane. He could feel the dampness on his wrist, and he didn’t want to. But it was there, constantly reminding him what he was charging into. It only grew faster, picking up as the Captain’s walk turned into a jog, that turned into a run, that turned into a dead sprint.
The eyes on Peter’s mask widened. “They’re not stopping!” he shouted.
“It’s only gonna get fun, kid,” Frank told him, his own walk transforming into a sprint. Everyone else followed suit, Tony and James jumping and catching flight when their palms and feet erupted into flame. The four mares charged alongside them, picking up speed, mirroring the speed of Natasha, Spider-Man, T’Challa, and even Tony. Twilight spread her wings, kicked off the ground, and flew by his side. Her eyes were focused on one pony.
So was Rainbow’s.
She almost led the charge, second to the Captain. Behind her, Rainbow could hear as Sam’s wings shot out, the man kicking off the ground and catching flight just as easily as Stark and Rhodes had. She looked back quickly, seeing Wanda slam her palms downwards and fire a wave of magic into the cement, launching her into the air.
That was all she saw before she faced forward once more. Once more to the clash. To the two armies breaking the barriers and closing in. And when they did, it was terrible. When they did, Rainbow Dash wasn’t ready for how horrible it was. Even she knew it. They all knew it. But they pushed anyway. The mission came first.
And when the two armies finally met, it was like the sound of thunder destroying everything they had built.
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What an opening line.
You know while I think Civil War is completely unnecessary a movie next to the grand scope of Infinity War, as I read this I realize just how completely inevitable it was. The heroes do not need, nor have they ever needed, much incentive to turn on each other. Guess Bruce was right when he called them a ticking time bomb.
Nuff said.
What a chapter...
I know I've said this a bunch of times already, but I REALLY hope the Sokovian Accords backfires badly on Ross' face (or @$$). So much so that everyone in the world instantly lashes out and riot over the accords being revoked and another law like it is never made again...
I'd feel the film would've felt more like a 'Civil War' if the super-powered heroes weren't the only ones fighting, like many soldiers and/or ordinary citizens joined the conflict on either side. Maybe even a few villains joining in when they felt that something worse would come if the Accords put a 'leash' on the heroes...
*COUGH!*Thanos*COUGH-COUGH!*
Zemo you son of a bitch
I can imagine Twilight's reaction when A: she learns the truth, and B: Zemo's true plan.
The apex of the battle has been reached... Another powerful chapter there! I really like your style, it particularly fits such tense scenes.
Just watched the ending fight scene and the scene with the Black Panther and Zemo and if the mares think things are difficult now which ever ones are there to see THAT mess.
God help them
*Cue my cheesy announcer voice* OOOH, SHE'S GONNA FEEL THAT IN THE MORNING!
Some things really do never change.
Thanks, Scottie.
"An empire toppled by it's enemies can rise again. But one which crumbles from within? That's dead...forever."
Zemo has played them all like a damn fiddle. So much for the magic of friendship now.
Ah, taking the "Dragon Ball Z approach" in titling the entry about something that comes right at the end of it as opposed to the beginning of middle, I see.
Seriously, if you wanted to end that way, fine, I can actually see where ending it there would build tension, but when you label it "The Clash," chances are people expect it to happen and not have it cut off before it does.
Bad move, JD. Bad move. And I don't give a fuck what people say or think.
The most epic beginning to an epic fight!! AWESOME! I can just imagine it!
8292257
And if something happens to one of the Equestrians, Tony might not be the only one going enraged...
8292279
Something tells me Rainbow will feel it too before the fight concludes.
2:41
It's come down to this. Two teams, broken bonds between friends (and rivals for the two vigilantes). To think that what started as a simple peace negotiation between worlds somehow escalated into a war that could fracture the Avengers.
The Equestrians think that this is a minor issue they think will go away once they head home. But something tells me the animosity will stick for a while even after the fight is done. I could be wrong though.
8292327 I have Rainbow's reaction ready for the Zemo reveal (if she joins the final battle that is).
8292932
8293261
I have the feeling something is going to go wrong for an equestrian before this scuffle ends...
8282137
No sweat.
Oh, yeah. Things are seriously gonna go down now. :)
8291405 He was right all along.
8291410 Legendary soundtrack.
8291652 I'm sure they'll backfire once Infinity War comes along. Without the Avengers, Thanos has nothing to stop him from taking Earth...
8291660 It's pretty shocking.
8291815 Thanks a ton!
8292279 BAH GAWD, STOP THE DAMN MATCH!
8292327 What once stood tall... has now crumbled.
8292503 But... it did happen. They did clash at the end. The title is accurate.
8292611 Coming soon.
8292932 Only Scottie stands tall. Just as expected.
8293261 This won't be something they simply shake off. It'll be a while before tensions die.
8294404 Next chapter...
8295402
Yeah, in the same way that the ending scene between Spidey and the Rhino in TASM 2 counts as a "fight scene." And we ALL know how well that went down.
Seriously, stop being coy.
8295402
You're incredibly lucky I haven't decided to DCMA your ass for this. Don't think I will? I worked with Donald Trump. I have no soul left to lose.
8295782
😡😠😠
Get a life, and go hide under a bridge
8295862 (Clearly you don't understand the meaning of a joke account. I'm satirizing Bob Iger. People do it all the time on YouTube. Look up who he is and what he does or has done and it will all make sense. Chill.)
8296037 (I wouldn't necessarily call it trolling. This was always meant to be a joke account to satirize Bob Iger. It's not my fault you didn't get the joke.)
8292617
That could very well happen
Makes you wonder what they will think when it's revealed why Zemo is doing this in the first place.
That's something I didnt expect to read today.
Dang Rainbow is doing really well in this fight. Though I do hope Twilight and Starlight get an it more creative with their magic as the fight goes on.
I guess Rarity finally had enough of the visions.
Well... at least someone is having fun here.
Doh!!! End of chapter. You monster...
Those heckin paralysis spells are gonna do something to a very special someone... or somepony.
It's always been difficult to see this happen but the War between a group of solid allies was coming. At this point, there was indeed not going to be any turning back. In the end, there's not going to be a victory for either group this I know for a fact...
It all ends with a loss, proving there's no such thing as a 'good' war.
The scene where both teams slowly march towards each other after finally assembling together is such a badass moment.