Siberia
HYDRA Rocket Test Area
9:36 a.m.
Captain America looked to his right to see Rainbow Dash’s broken and bloody form sprawled out and unconscious. He lurched forward, palms gripping the frozen frost accumulating on the concrete. Practically coughing out his lungs, the Captain groaned as he placed one painful leg forward, choosing to rest for a moment on that one knee.
Steve had to grasp his mind on the situation, as it slowly began to fade. The edges of his vision were beginning to blacken, the only noise being that of his struggling breath trying desperately to take in that much-needed oxygen. He rested his arms on his knee, shoulders slumped, chest in pain. Through his blurry vision, he could see droplets of crimson slowly falling. Aside from his breathing, he could hear them splatter against the concrete.
And he also heard Tony Stark growl, “I was wrong about you.”
Looking up weakly, Steve could see Stark’s face, his eye revealed through the shattered lens. He stood tall and powerful between him and Bucky, his body limp and unmoving behind Tony. Steve coughed, his face falling, his eyes shifting right once more. A small pool of blood began to build around Rainbow Dash, all of which leaking from the cuts on her face and the snap in her wing. Steve’s eyes widened in horror, but soon fell once he saw the slightest movement of life in her chest. A breath. A heartbeat. A life.
“The whole world was wrong about you,” Stark finished.
He grunted, reaching for the concrete pillar next to him to prop himself up. Tony just watched, fists clenched, blue eye flickering black, the other burning. “Stay down. Final warning,” he told him, watched as Steve managed to rise up, fists held out as if he was the losing man in a boxing match but refused to surrender.
And he did. He held out his fists, breathed, and said, “I can do this all day.”
He refused.
Tony shot him right in the chest.
Steve fell backwards from the force of the shot, landing in the snow and skidding a few more inches before he finally stopped. He tried to lift up his arms. He tried to move. He just couldn’t. He lied there and breathed, the falling snow already piling on top of him. Tony lowered his glowing palm after he saw the Captain remain motionless. He spun back around to Barnes, to finish what he started.
But for some reason, some godforsaken reason, he was stopped.
Again.
The blast hit him in the back. The strongest one yet. Stark was launched forward, flipping over Barnes and hitting the wall directly ahead of him. His back hit the concrete with a solid clang of metal against cement, the rest of him falling to the ground below. Tony yelled as the pain rocked through his systems. Ultimately through his skin and bones. He closed both eyes and gasped as the feeling in his backside finally began to come back. Whatever the blast was, it left a pretty mark. The flashing lights in his HUD and Homer’s garbled voice were indicators of that.
He shot out his hand, his palm glowing. He opened his eyes to whatever the hell struck him.
His hand already fell when he saw Twilight.
She stood ragged, wet, the snow on her coat melting from the fire in her soul. Rivers of blood flowed steadily from her mouth and nose, large, black and blue bruises painted across her face and body. Her wings were outstretched to him, to Tony, her seething breath ragged and painful. Her eyes, though, were the worse, holding no sense of structure. Just will, fury, and determination. All directed at Stark. He watched with incredulous eyes, possibly the worst of all, as she stood between him and Barnes.
In a low, defensive pounce.
Defensive.
Pushing himself up, fist to the ground, Stark gasped for air. “What are you doing?” he asked, voice shaking, hardly kept together.
Twilight breathed even worse than him, blood dripping from her lips. With a voice almost as hoarse as Stark’s, she said, “I won’t let you hurt Barnes.”
Those words pierced right through him. He stared at her with eyes that were broken, filled with loss, and worst of all, betrayal. He could still stare at her and see the pony that risked herself and her own friends’ safety to bring Barnes to justice. Just seeing her stand against Tony, stand to defend the one who took so much from him, didn’t make much sense to him.
He couldn’t understand.
Barnes began to groan, his head moving slightly. He didn’t need to understand right now. He just needed to get to Barnes. Pushing himself to one knee, Stark shot his palm out. Twilight’s horn ignited a deep violet, the showers of sparks flowing over her vision. “Move…” Tony muttered. She didn’t listen, instead choosing to grit her teeth and narrow her eyes. Stark’s palm grew even brighter. Her horn was twice as bright. “Dammit, move!”
She never did. Stark shot at her, the repulsor beam deflected as Twilight conjured a magical shield out in front of her. That shield morphed into a violet stream of magic, shooting toward Stark. He was ready and flew over to the far left, his feet stumbling as he landed. But he stood his ground, fired another repulsor that would not kill but knock Twilight away. She flew upwards, the repulsor missing her, as she fired another magical beam right for him.
Tony did his best to dodge the blasts, but found it more and more difficult to do so as the battle waged on. Fighting Steve and Barnes was no issue, and dealing that final blow to Rainbow was justice served right in his eyes. But with Twilight… he couldn’t know. He had no quarrel. They had no issues. They stood together against the Captain’s radical journey. And now here she stood, fighting with whatever fight was left in her being to defend Barnes.
They were all against him, choosing to help the murderer instead of their friend they fought through fire and blood with. Stark couldn’t even believe that. That’s why it was so much harder to keep the fight ongoing.
Tony fired two repulsor blasts, each of which Twilight teleported out of their designated impact. She teleported close to him, Tony swinging down with a clenched metal fist that would’ve knocked her aside. But Twilight ducked, flying up and conjuring a magical shield to which she rammed against Stark’s face and chest. Staggering back, Tony raised his palm the second he saw Twilight’s horn ignite. He was too late to fire the repulsor when Twilight destroyed the light in his palm, glass and smoke raining out of his hand. He brought his hand back, his other raising just the same. And just the same, it was destroyed by Twilight’s magical blast. That’s when he realized it.
He was holding back. Despite everything that this fight and stopping Barnes meant to him, he held back. He didn’t want to. He didn’t against Steve, Barnes, and Dash, but for Twilight… he had to. He needed to. Twilight, on the other hand, didn’t.
With both of his palms destroyed, Twilight moved in and struck him while he was immobilized. She fired an onslaught of magical beams of raw, unhindered energy. The first blast struck the side of Tony’s knee, ripping off the metal plating and exposing the leg beneath. Tony screamed and buckled, the loss of strength in his leg from the blast doing everything that Twilight intended. The second and third blast both struck Stark’s helmet, completely blowing off his mask and sending the helmet skittering across the concrete. Tony’s head shot backwards from that, his exposed face cringing at the continued raining fire.
The fourth blast, and by far the strongest one yet, was aimed directly at Stark’s chest. Specifically, at the large crack within his Arc Reactor. Twilight screamed. The spell struck his chest with such power and ferocity that Stark bellowed a painful cry as it tore apart the Arc Reactor in a flurry of sparks and flame that shot out of his chest. Tony collapsed, falling on his backside with his eyes to the ceiling, a dark smoke trailing from the even darker hole on his chest.
When the madness faded into nothing, all that was heard was their breathing.
Stark’s breathing.
Barnes’ breathing.
Steve’s breathing.
Even Rainbow’s near-silent breathing.
All alive.
Twilight’s breathing was heavy. Exhausted. Her horn finally died, the magic spent as she finally took the time to relax. The fight, the conflict, the war, what have you, was done. Was over. Twilight closed her eyes, let the blood fall, and took in a deep, calming breath. The calmest she’s ever had. When she opened her eyes to see the light of the Earth slip through the many pillars, she could see Stark struggling to prop himself up.
With his suit just a weighty pile of metal without the Arc Reactor, Tony leaned on his elbow. He watched Twilight approach him slowly, limping every step of the way. So very slowly. He could see the heavy build of blood and bruise beneath her eyes, her ragged breath finally calm after so long. He did nothing but watch her come to his side, breathing, lips parted, staring at the floor.
She looked at him. She saw the awestruck expression on his bloody and broken face. He saw the tears.
She said, “I’m sorry.”
And Stark said nothing. He was utterly speechless.
The silent didn’t stay that way. Twilight looked behind her once she heard the painful grunts, followed by the sound of boots crushing small piles of snow. She spotted Steve gripping the edge of the nearest pillar, his free hand to his chest, his eyes to her.
Even Twilight was surprised when she directed her head to the outside and said, “Just leave.”
He was frozen by her statement, even more distraught to see Tony Stark lying before her, his suit torn. Utterly defeated. Steve didn’t waste any more time, his eyes turning away from Twilight’s burning ones. He was given the chance, and he wouldn’t let it slip. He never would. He helped up Bucky to his feet, his friend slowly but surely regaining consciousness and helping himself to stand on his own. He limped with Barnes to the snowy pillars, where Steve hissed in pain as he bent down and scooped up Rainbow’s motionless form.
He gently placed her over his shoulder, his free arm wrapped around Buck’s. With the two in his grasp, Steve limped his way to the outside. But he stopped. Twilight watched him do so. She and Tony could only watch as he looked back inside. Looked back to his shield lying against the frozen surface of the concrete floor. He struggled to hold his friends, his gaze lingering to his shield.
And they watched him leave it.
The rest was history long past them, rather to be forgotten, but never will. Tony could see Steve one last time as he carried his allies, his friends out into the snowstorm. The whiteness hugged their forms until they were nothing but shadows. And even then they faded. Tony grunted and leaned forward, palm pressed down to keep himself up, holding himself to a sitting position with his legs sprawled out unevenly.
He looked to Twilight. She looked back. He simply asked one question to her.
“Why?”
So simple.
And she answered, “It was the right thing to do.”
Letting that grasp his heart and tear it to shreds, Tony fell back, his hand giving out, his back quickly approaching the cement. Tony could feel as she pulled him back to his sitting position earlier. No magic. Her hooves gripped his palm, her face contorting into painful effort as she pulled him back up. As he sat back up, Tony stared down below. Straight forward. At the snow slipping inside past the pillars and landing on the bright red, white, and blue shield.
The scratches, the slick surface, the bright colors. Whenever he stared at that damn thing, he always remembered that man who idolized the Captain wielding it. The man who built it. Tony looked away from it as fast as he could and stared at the floor. He didn’t know how long he stared. It wasn’t long, because he could already feel the wetness building before he looked away from the shield. The tears that started to fall came later.
Twilight stared at the man sitting next to her. The broken man, his eyes shut tight, fresh tears slipping out and falling down. It was the first she ever saw from him, the first shattered expression of emotion from Tony Stark. She soon followed suit, tears mixing with the dried blood on her face and falling to join Stark’s on the bloody floor beneath him.
She leaned forward and nuzzled the man for comfort. For him and herself. The snow and wind flew inside, but they didn’t care nor hear it. All Tony really heard was Twilight constantly whispering sorry to him again and again.
Sadness galore...I wonder how Thanos is watching all this.
Holy throne....
The feels... you, JDPrime22, are a truly skilled writer. Your way of writing multiplies the emotion from such scenes tenfold.
I say, you are, without a doubt, one of the best authors on fimfiction.
Twilight finally lets go of her fears and chooses to follow her heart. Standing for what is right, she manages to stop Tony from killing. Having Tony letting his tears flow and the lavender mare joining him was a touching moment.
So, Rainbow is not coming back to Equestria yet... These events are going to be hard for everypony and everybody. Will they heal with time?
8345490
On a comfy seat, with pop-corns!
After Twilight makes a very hard decision, the fighting has finally stopped. But the damage has already been done. Even though his friend Bucky is saved and will live to see another day, the friendship and trust between Steve and Tony has been fully fractured and may never be healed ever again.
By choosing to defend the person who unwillingly took the lives of Tony's parents, Howard having been a friend of his back in WWII, Steve has not only lost the right to call himself Tony's friend and have his trust, but he has also lost the right to wield the shield that Howard Stark had built and given to him and had carried into battle time and time again. To keep it after all this would have dishonored his memory. And in a way now that Steve has forsaken his shield, he has now lost the right to call himself Captain America now that the meaning of that identity has become lost. Without that shield, he is not Captain America anymore but just Steve Rogers. And without Captain America, the Avengers have lost their inspiring leader that held the heart of the team together.
And even though Twilight has stopped the fighting, after what Tony did to Rainbow in his rage, she may not be able to fully trust Tony again despite the comfort and pity she tries to give him. And as for Rainbow, it would seem the Mane 6 have lost one of their own. She made her choice. She knew the risks she took and she paid the price along with her great injuries and her broken wing. She is pretty much now a fugitive along with Steve and Bucky and in her current condition, it doesn't look like she'll be coming home anytime soon. Twilight is going to have a hard time telling the others about what has happened, as much as it will hurt both them and her so much
There is no satisfaction, no sense of victory. Only the calm certainty that they have all lost, Zemo's revenge has been fulfilled and the Avengers have become completely disassembled and severely vulnerable to whatever comes next and friendship has now become tragic. Perhaps if Steve had told Tony the truth long before all this or if Twilight had actually listened to Rainbow earlier, maybe none of this would've happened. But now it would appear, they will never know.
"I'm sorry, Tony....Twilight....You know I wouldn't have done this if I had any other choice. I hope one day you'll forgive me and you understand why I did what I had to do."
Now all that's left for Steve is to pray he isn't TOO messed-up in Infinity War.
....😮
...
...
...
...
......Damn...Just, damn......
...Thank you Twilight, for doing the one thing make makes you a true friend...
...Keeping Rogers and Stark from crossing the uncrossable line...
...killing each other out of hate...
The Goddamn Feelings,,,it's so BEAUTIFULLLLLL yet Tragic
8345490
He's like "Sweet. I didn't even do anything. They just tore each other apart."
For a minute, I was afraid Twilight would be like "Your parents would be ashamed of you."
I'm glad Twilight finally listened to reason and stopped Tony and Steve from killing each other.
It's like the old saying, "United we stand, divided we fall..." I didn't think I could get more feels from this part, but seeing how things turned out... I don't blame Twilight for wanting to go home.
At least she decided to stop Tony from killing Bucky, Steve and Rainbow.
8345490
8345507 Thanos has been sitting in that chair for five years! I mean, he makes it look cool, but what does he do in his spare time? If he is watching, is this like his equivalent of daytime television?
All that senseless fighting, all that heartbreak, all that sheer property damage and in the end...nothing came from it. No one believes Barnes should be set free, half the Avengers are in jail for property destruction and it's likely only Tony and Vision can defend the world now.
Was it all worth it? The only real person who benefitted from this is Peter Parker by getting a new suit. When Peter Parker is the happiest person in the epilogue, you know things are really messed up.
8346408
He's probably waiting the feeling to come back to his legs after collecting the Gauntlet. Gotta do some lunges and calisthenics to get the blood flowing again after sitting in one spot for so long.
8345507 Thanks a ton for the compliment! I really appreciate it!
8345576 Only time can heal their friendship now. And time is what they're desperately running out of.
8345628 It was the right thing to do.
8345806 Thanks a ton!
8345941 That would be too much, Twilight!
8346007 She did the right thing.
8346781 Yeah, Peter is the only one who actually got a happy ending.
No Tony that wasn't justice that was you taking your anger out on her.
Ok Twilight taking Iron man out was awesome. While I still didn't like what she did in these chapter that certainly helps redeem her for me.
Dang... in some ways that's sadder than the original.. maybe it's because I don't like seeing the pony's get hurt or something.
Yeesh the Avengers are separated and the ponies are seprated. Meanwhile in the Equestria Girls universe their having fun at the beach and singing songs... oh yeah "Forgotten Friendship" I guess Sunset not having much fun. Eh then again she gotta a new friend out of it.
I’m guessing that Thanos enjoyed this fight. But how broken Twilight and Rainbow were, RD especially.. damn.
8348689
That shield doesn't belong to you, my father made that shield, you don't deserve it...
8348689
8838558
"It doesn't belong to you, my father made that shield, you don't deserve it."
Daw, JD, you didn't put this line into the story, it forced Cap to shamefully drop his shield, and this one he did for seemingly no reason. Quite disappointing.
While the Avengers and the Mane 6 are scuffling around on the war-riddled backwater of a human world, meanwhile, a certain God of Thunder, Mischief, and Gamma Rad Man had problems of their own further into the darkness of the Cosmos, within the Wastes of Sakaar and the Realm of Asgard, where they have to skedaddle from a certain Grandmaster and dealing with a certain Goddess of Death plotting to rule all. If it weren't for them, the unsuspecting Ponies and Avengers fighting won't see those blades coming for them whenever she arrived. What Nattie and the 6 won't expect, a-a-hum... the Big Green having transitioned from a savage rampaging monster to an unruly, mischievous muscly child who talks like a toddler, boy that would be a surprise for her and the ponies.
A Friendly Neighbourhood, not affected by the conflict conspicously, also got his own problems, in High School, and getting himself in for... Toomes, all by himself. And having his own conflict with the playboy supergenius himself.
Meanwhile, in another cosmic quadrant, a certain group of space jackasses and a Raccoon are just, meh, cooling off this whole time, carefree, no problems whatsoever, wandering around the spectacular reaches of the galaxy in search of adventure, excitement, mayhem, and of course... Awesome Mixes... and are soon to be joined by three certain mares in a very weird trip...
8345576
They will be vulnerable... when Destiny arrives to Cleanse all the mistakes, the fights... they have wrought.
9010204 He didn't take his shield because he was carrying his friends. He saw them as more important than his mantle as Captain America, especially since he knew he didn't deserve to carry that mantle considering everything he's done to save his wanted friend.
9010254
The world's on fire. And you think, all is forgiven?
I'm not looking for forgiveness. And I'm way past asking permission. Earth just lost her best defender, so we're here to fight. If you wanna stand in our way... we'll fight you too.
Arrest them.
All over it.
That must've been a very tough thing for Twilight Sparkle to do. The moment they first bet (At least the fan version of 'Age of Ultron' anyway), Twilight and Iron-Man had a deep bone. They weren't exactly the tea-and-biscuits kind of friends, but they were good allies. But this moment right here, that was tough on both parties. One, Iron-Man was betrayed by the one ally he had who took him down so Barnes can escape and as for Twilight to turn against the one hero who was like a best friend to her... She really didn't have a choice. Still, she made it clear Steve and Barnes need to leave before she changed her mind so this much she had to do. And given that Tony 'did' knock Rainbow Dash unconscious, probably worse if his rage continued, I don't blame Twilight for having to turn on him.
Now only one thing remains, when this pointless War is over... What more can they do now? As of this point, at least for a while, things aren't going to be the same... Not after what happened.
Well, Twilight made her decision. Now we need to see the consequences it has on her friendship with Tony, and everyone else too. Plus, if this one act is enough to save her friendship with Rainbow.