Chapter 108 – The Garden
108
Andromeda Galaxy
Planet 0269-S
The Garden
A tower of golden light shot down from the heavens and impacted a forest, decimating anything caught underneath and scattering any animals within the vicinity. Any nearby earth and dust were pushed aside and burnt to a crisp as the radiating lights from the Bifrost Bridge made its impact and continued to pelt the ground with its unrelenting fury. Trees leaned back from the force of the blast, only swaying to their original position once the Bifrost finally died...
And once Thor stepped out of it, Stormbreaker in hand and Rocket, Groot, Sunset, Starlight, and Tempest right by his sides.
Each member of the group took a moment to analyze their surroundings, first and foremost checking to see if the air was breathable unlike the last couple of planets they visited. After a few cautious and calming breaths, they came to the conclusion that they were safe. They were surrounded by a cluster of trees, strange blue, alien veins crawling across and up their trunks to join the mushrooms and other fungi infecting them. The morning sunlight crawled over the horizon, a strange and welcoming warmth joining that orange and blazing star as it pelted them right in their faces. Some of the mares flinched back from the brightness, Starlight and Sunset especially. Tempest simply stared straight on into the light, narrowing her eyes alongside Rocket and Thor.
“Are we here this time?” Starlight asked, foreleg raised to block the onslaught of sunlight.
“Hey, unicorn,” Rocket piped up, checking his portable tracker to find their exact coordinates. “What does that rock around your neck say?”
“My name is Sunset,” said unicorn replied, her frown deepening and twisting that expression to the raccoon. “H-how do you not know this already? We’ve been stuck in an escape pod for three weeks.”
“Sunset,” Thor interrupted. Sunset peeled her gaze away from Rocket, turning it back to see Thor glaring straight ahead into the morning sun. No humor. No patience. The unbridled rage could be felt melting off of him as the fire did from Stormbreaker’s head. He didn’t even look at her as he stared right on ahead. “The geode?”
He was obviously out of patience, much like many of them. Sighing but accepting that conclusion nonetheless, Sunset turned away and instead chose to face onwards to the exit of the forest they were trapped in. Beyond the scorch mark the Bifrost had left, Sunset stepped out of it and analyzed the soft dirt beneath her hooves. She gazed to it, tightening her jaw. “Well, from Rocket’s navigation and Eitri’s knowledge… we should be…”
She lowered her hoof, burying it deep into the soil and letting it rest within the earth. Sunset closed her eyes. Her free hoof rose up to caress the red geode resting over her heart, a calming sigh leaving Sunset Shimmer. It took a few moments, but the magical prowess of her geode finally began to take shape. Though she hadn’t been able to practice on living beings as much as she would have liked thanks to Rocket’s stubbornness and Thor’s inability to let her peer into his emotions and memories, it only allowed Sunset to further delve into what the geode was truly capable of. Not only could she see something with a beating heart, but all life fell into her grasp. The geode’s energy had grown exceptionally strong over the past several weeks. Maybe from her encounter with Thanos… maybe since its connection when she first touched him and felt the power of those Infinity Stones embrace her…
Whatever it was, Sunset felt it all the same. The geode shimmered within her hoof and over her heart, showcasing the entire planet itself within her eyes. She saw several flash images fly across the darkness in her vision. Swaying tree lines spreading across the entire planet, the world’s rings dangling across the night sky as time suddenly sped forward at a thousand hours per second. Alien birds chirping in the trees, animals of unknown species and origin running across the vast valleys, swimming in the oceans, and looking to the farmlands. Plants, a harvest, all of it growing at an exceptional rate thanks to the provisions of the farmer. A lone scarecrow and armor. A dark hut…
The Infinity Gauntlet.
Ripping her hoof away from the soil, Sunset gasped and shot open her wide, adrenaline-filled eyes. She took in several breaths of air, Starlight and Tempest coming to her sides and laying helpful and comforting hooves on her shoulders. Until she was finally able to speak again, Sunset lifted her eyes and stared fully into the sunrise, out of the forest, and the world that rested beyond them.
And she said, “I think we’re here.”
“Finally,” Tempest sighed, joining her gaze. She flinched and groaned, clutching her forehead as her horn fizzled and popped harmless sparks. It was harmful only to her, the unicorn stumbling about and nearly blacking out if Starlight hadn’t been there to let Tempest lean against her for support.
“It’s the horn again, isn’t it?” Starlight whispered. Tempest could only gaze to Starlight in response, the painful tears in her eyes being a certainty for her answer.
Despite that showing of pain, Tempest nodded regardless and pushed herself back to her hooves. “I’ll be fine,” she shakily whispered, pushing onward alongside Sunset Shimmer. Starlight apprehensively joined her burdened eyes, gazing onto the back of Tempest’s head. Her horn.
Groot showed his concern by stating, “I am Groot.”
But it was Rocket who just couldn’t speak. He had seen the entire ordeal play through before him, and only after the ponies or no one else was watching did he decide to pull it out. Reaching into his back pocket, Rocket unveiled a small, curved Uru blade courtesy of Eitri. The metal shimmered under the glare of the early morning sun, the Asgardian runes upon its surface gleaming and glowing a soft blue momentarily. A gift from Eitri to Rocket for his work. More like a payment, considering Rocket wouldn’t leave Nidavellir without something to make the trip worthwhile.
He lifted his eyes and stared onto the shattered horn on Tempest’s forehead.
Noted how perfectly the Uru shard could fit upon it…
Rocket groaned, shaking his head and pocketing his payment away where it belonged. With him.
Letting that moment of peaceful silence affect them all, Rocket took a moment to jot down their exact coordinates on his tracker. Sure, they weren’t one hundred percent certain it was the right planet, but it was better to be safe than sorry. It soon occurred to Rocket that maybe that certainty fell into the absolutely when Thor strode past him, the raccoon and Groot’s eyes rising up to witness where the God of Thunder was off to.
It turned out he was following them.
Sunset led the way. On her left slowly trotted Starlight Glimmer, and on her left, Tempest Shadow slowly proceeded alongside them. They walked right out into the open, the cluster of trees unveiling a single opening that led right into the morning sun. Their three shadows cascaded fully across the dirt and reached all the way to Rocket and Groot, Thor’s swaying cape soon joining them as he walked slowly behind each mare. But they saw it first. They were the first ones to step put of that forest and gaze upon the pure and utter majesty… of the Garden.
Another world joined the sun on the horizon, resembling that of Earth and Equus’ current situation. Or maybe it was a moon. That sunlight, to their surprise, was mostly concealed by a near-solar eclipse. The edge of the world shimmered a bright and glorious orange and yellow, the lingering and smaller moon in the morning sky high overhead. Further below the mountain range, a series of fields filled the valleys. A healthy and sprawling landscape of farmland and rivers filled those valleys, the light of the sun reflecting off the strong bodies of water. It spread so far and so vast that they could stare forever and still be caught in that beauty, forever caught in that moment of bliss and prosperity. The world was so healthy and rich that the very air they breathed filled them renewed vigor and strength, all signs of weariness instantly leaving the three mares as they gazed with expressions locked in awe, the sun glowing on their faces, igniting in their eyes.
It left them in such a state of peace that they nearly didn’t see the lone-standing hut resting within the heart of the valley below. And moving within the farmlands surrounding it, tending to the fields and keeping them alive… was a large, violet figure.
Each of the ponies silently gasped when they saw him at the same moment.
When they finally saw Thanos.
If there was any other undeniable proof that they were on the right planet, the evidence was right there before them. It could have been any other Titan tending to his fields, but from what they could see, what they could believe… it all pointed to one final conclusion: Thanos was there. They had made it. They had found the Garden.
The golden glove shimmering on his left arm was also a dead giveaway.
Thor didn’t wait a second longer and swiftly pushed past Sunset and Starlight, making his way off the mountain and down towards the valley below.
If it hadn’t been for the ponies, Rocket, and Groot, he most certainly would have.
“Thor, wait, what are you doing?!” Sunset sharply whispered, knowing their distance from the Titan was great but taking every precaution possible nonetheless. She galloped forward and slid to a stop in front of the God of Thunder, hoof outstretched to stop him right in his tracks. It hardly mattered, Thor practically pushing right through her.
Sunset held her ground regardless, Starlight and Tempest soon to follow with Rocket and Groot prying at Thor’s cape and doing everything in their power to keep him constrained. Their efforts were practically fruitless, Thor merely tightening his grip around Stormbreaker’s handle and continuing onwards out of the forest, his gaze locked and centered only on one thing...
Thanos. His back to them, his focus only on tending to his garden.
“He’s right there,” Thor growled through clenched teeth, seething with unbridled rage.
“Yeah, yeah, we know he’s right there, but that’s kinda the problem!” Rocket whispered fiercely. He ran ahead, stopping at just the edge of the mountain and shooting out his paws in hopes to stop Thor. And finally, to all of their relief, he finally did, breathing with such ragged pain that they almost believed he would fly off and engage with Thanos.
He nearly did, sparks of electricity dancing across his armor and forearms. Thor barred his teeth like a feral animal, the fire in his eyes seeing only the Titan. “I could end this right now.”
“Or you could warn him of what we’re trying to do!” Starlight argued, trying to keep her voice down and their position hidden. Thor didn’t even look at her, barely paid heed to the mare whose hoof was pressed firmly to his thigh. “You could cause him to retreat again, hide on some other planet in a whole other galaxy where we’ll never be able to find him!”
Their words were almost numb to his ears, every wretched deed Thanos had done to him and the universe replaying again and again in Thor’s head. From the slaughter of half his people on the Statesmen, the death of his best friend, the destruction of Xandar, the infliction of the worlds he loved, and finally to the death of half of the universe…
“He killed my brother.”
He could never forget the worst part of it. The thunder began to cry out in the distance, lightning dancing over the clouds and off of Thor’s own body. Tempest looked back quickly to see Thanos lift his head to the approaching storm. She felt her heart freeze at that, jamming her panic-filled gaze back to Thor.
“Thor, listen to us,” Tempest declared in a powerful yet silent tone. It was so strong that it earned Thor’s interest only momentarily, just being enough. “He killed a lot of people and ponies. He killed trillions of lives and he’s going to pay for it. But you need to calm down and wait for all of us to face him together! Just us… we’re not enough. Even with Stormbreaker… we’re not enough. We need a strategy… we need a bigger team… and we need the element of surprise.”
Thor breathed for several seconds on end, the storm clouds continuing to billow and swarm around the fields above Thanos’ hut. But for just a moment, he caught that breath, turning back to his friends all standing before him, all gazing to him with pleading expressions.
“I have the coordinates,” Rocket suggested, holding out his tracker for Thor to see. “He’s not going anywhere as long as he knows we’re not here with him.”
Even with that, Thor still gripped onto Stormbreaker, though the shift in his current status was clear and visible. It just needed that last push, that final anchor to keep him strapped safely and securely to what truly mattered. That came down to the unicorn known as Sunset Shimmer, Thor turning to her and seeing his ally. His friend. The one who believed in him from the very start of their journey.
“Come on, Thor…” Sunset whispered, begged, showed it in her large, pleading eyes.
He could have ended it. He could have turned the very might of Asgard itself and rained it straight down from the heavens onto the Mad Titan. Every life lost, every pain felt, everything Thanos had done to be turned against him and fueled the wrath of the God of Thunder… only for it to be halted. He stopped what his emotions desperately wanted and instead chose to listen to his friends.
Even if it hurt like hell.
He lowered his axe, Stormbreaker’s head slowly falling closer to the earth. Just like that, his rising anger was cooled exponentially, like a hot poker jammed in water and the rising steam escaping his long, winded exhale. His eye was wide as the storm clouds broke apart, the thunder quieted, and the lightning ceased. The group of Sunset, Starlight, Tempest, Rocket, and Groot showed their relief through shared exhales, almost matching Thor’s but never once able to hold that same anger.
That same rage.
They could only leave and experience that together, followed Thor back into the forest where he jammed Stormbreaker to the skies and the Bifrost Bridge rained down on top of them.
They left begrudgingly—mainly Thor—as they returned to Earth.
You took us to many strange and wonderful places... It's time to come home.
Artist: light262
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Nice chapter, and nice art!
Love the art.
You’re right. It is time to come home.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/6/27/22463.gif
Eh, whatever. I'm sure Rocket will come around... eventually.
Also, just curious: was that art specifically made for this story, or did you just happen across it?
Nice art! And If only they knew that this situation was most likely the only chance to undo the snap that they're going to have in five years.
That is some pretty artwork.
I have a gut feeling that they missed a potentially golden opportunity....
because by the time they get back....it may be too late.....
Noice approach on the Present Thanos you got here ! It's nice to have them still being appehensive about the fact that Thanos is he is hella stronk , not like in the movie where , even if it was a surprise attack , they rushed him Leroy Jenkins style (not really a flaw , a full on fight scene would take too much time and would be too early , it's an unavoidable "flaw" that I don't really mind) . But I am pretty sure that , if he didn't already do it , they missed an opportunity to get him before he does what everyone despise , shnaping em rocks away !
I hate to ask things to someone who owes me nothing , but I would recommend you to not make a fight scene when they go with the full team against Thanos , or if you do , show that he is WAY weaker than when they fought because y'know , he destroyed the stones and his arm with them (if you do it like in the movie) , of course , you are in no obligation to listen to me , I won't stop reading because of that (not that you'd care anyway , one viewer is not the sea to drink (is that an expression in english ? because it is in french) and you are the writer , what you will do is probably going to be better than what I can imagine anyway .
I feel like the second part was totally useless XD . Anyway , what I wanted to ask too , this time to the viewers is , why did you dislike my last comment ? This is a genuine question because I probably wrote something wrong/stupid and I wish to avoid doing that in future comments (last comment was on chapter 107 , kinda obvious but I fell like I need to say it anyway).
Sorry for the wall of
mostly uselesstext , thanks for reading and has always , can't wait for the next one !They had the chance to confront Thanos right there right now, but apart from Thor, they just couldn't risk it without getting the others back on Earth. Reasonable given the scary thought of how Thanos pretty much kicked their asses the last time they fought him. But if they come back and find that Thanos has no Infinity Stones anymore, don't say Thor didn't say "I TOLD YOU SO!!!!".
66.media.tumblr.com/ee93dca3e2cf5498b4911b650fa97c11/tumblr_inline_p9kqiiHvmA1s50qig_540.gif
"Hmmm....Bloody weather."
Joking aside though, I'm pretty sure Thanos already knew that he had trespassers on his property the moment they entered and when Thor was nearly giving away their position and that they'll be back for him and the Stones soon, that is if he even still has them.
OH THANK YOU! SUNSET SURVIVED! OH THANK GOD!
9691946
I second that!
JD, you wicked tease!
Oh, well, there's still time for Tempest to get a new horn.
... hopefully before the confrontation
... or at least before the time skip... if there is one, that is.
That artist is wicked cool! And maybe wicked?
ANNNNNND now we know why Thor gets fat in THIS story, because he might have been able to get the stones right then and there, but didn't
I wonder if he's going to be pissed that they left when he finds out Thanos will destroy the stones.
Unless he already had before they got there. Or you change the route of the story from the movie again (which would be interesting to see)
Uh oh, Thanos might have seen that and know what happened.
This is interesting since they aren’t going to find the garden due to the Stones being destroyed. Meaning the stones might still be around when they go after Thanos. I see 2 likely scenarios. 1. They are just about to kill Thanos only for him to destroy the stones right in front of them. 2. This is where the story strongly differs from the movie. I remember your problem with the Thanos in Endgame didn’t know any of the heroes making it less personal. I could see you changing it to make it more personal in the final battle.
I remember that art. Too bad Sonata isn’t part of the story and you had to crop her out.
What a terrific chapter. The artwork to go along with it is even better.
Note: this is unlikely to be written.
Wait, where are they? Rocket, where are the Stones?
Where are they?
Answer his question.
The universe needed correction. After that, the Stones serve no purpose, beyond temptation. And you should be grateful... once your worlds will heal-
Grateful?
(Smack)
Grateful?! Does losing our dearest friends make us any grateful?!
You murdered trillions!
(Hard jab)
Where are the Stones?
Yeah tell us, prune-ass. Or we'll bring every closed fist into your big ugly frame! Where are the damn Stones?!
Gone. Reduced to atoms.
You used them minutes ago.
I used the Stones to destroy themselves. It nearly killed me. But the work is done.
I am inevitable.
If I have to die... then I will die. Because... it's over.
Oh no... oh Celest-... no, that can't be true!
He's gotta be lying. We have to tear this place apart.
There's gotta be a way to bring them back!
My father does many things. Lying is not one of them.
What?
It's too late.
Thank you, daughter. Perhaps I've treated you... no... perhaps I have treated all of you too harshly...
RRRRRRRRRRRRGH!!
(Electricity)
RAAAAAAAAGH!!
(CHOP!)
RAAAAGH!
(Heavy and bitter breathing)
What did you do?
Tempest.... why did-... Thor? What was that for?
I went for the head.... he told me so.
(Walks away)
Ah Rocket you dick. I mean I'm sure she'll get the horn eventually but still.
Oh Sunset. You... colossal... idiot. You bucked up worse than Star-Lord and Rarity did right there. I wouldn't be surprised if you're the one that's going to become fat and despondent after the time skip.
If Thanos noticed the thunder, then he knows it's Thor and that they're coming for him and the stones.
He's definitely gonna destroy the stones before they arrive to undo his work.
9693100
Are you writing the next chapter?
9691860 Thanks! All credit to the artist on derpibooru!
9691866 light262 makes some great pieces.
9691946 I just happened to come across it. It more so inspired me to write that scene in this chapter.
9691978 The only chance?
9692005 Yes, it is!
9692017 They might have another...
9692026 Just don't pay attention to the random dislikes. We all get them from time to time.
9692081 Fun fact, I was actually considering having a focus on Thanos reacting to the disturbance of the Bifrost... but decided there was something better planned down the road.
9692116 An upgrade is needed...
9692237 Definitely wicked.
9692320 i.imgur.com/1z0MItn.gif?noredirect
Yeah, we'll see about that one, chief.
9692331 We're gonna find out together.
9692496 Tis a shame. I'm the worst cropper there is, and I absolutely hate those black bars that I don't know how to get rid of.
9692972 Thanks!
9693100 Spoilers, bro!
9693317 Technically, they're all at fault here.
9693558 Hmmmmm...
9692102 Best pony gets to live... unless...
9693100
Nice version of the scene
Full marks
9693640
DON’T FINISH THAT SENTENCE!
9693622
You're welcome.
*Meanwhile Thanos can totally see them*
Thanos: Hmmm...I could destroy them without the slightest bit of effort....but this soup isn't gonna stir itself.
9695143 Space papaya soup requires the upmost care.
9695175
Now I'm hungry.
I CAN CROP NOW!
9695143
Oh he totally knew they were there.
Wow, nice art there. It really captures the moment. Now they have finally found Thanos, so they can call in reinforcements for one last chance to fix everything.
Does that really surprise you Sunset? Rocket barely bothers to remember any of the Guardians' name except Groot's, and he's been friends with them for years.