Morning time came as the sun shined brightly in the new house for the currently stranded heroes. There was potential for an interesting day regarding these individuals, for a lot, it's starting a new life on Earth, if at least temporarily.
Of course some may not be ready to go out, as not all of them got their human transformations, but they knew it was coming eventually.
Twilight had woken up, looking next to her to see her still injured husband. He looked better than yesterday, but he was still very much hurt.
"Peter..." Twilight gently caressed his face. She leaned in to meet him with a kiss, just wanting to feel some form of contact from her husband.
"...Twilight..." Peter whispered. Twilight's eyes widened, hoping her husband was awake. Unfortunately, he was still asleep.
"Guess he's dreaming..." Twilight said.
"I'll...save you..." Peter again whispered.
"Peter...even now you're so focused on rescuing others," Twilight gently hugged her husband. "When the only one who needs saving right now, is you. But I will, I promise I'll take good care of you, just like you do for everyone else, especially me."
Twilight laid in bed for a couple of more minutes, just wanting some alone time with her husband before starting her day.
In another room, while in his bed, Franklin felt the bright sun hit his face, the boy reacting upon contact. He felt something next to him, something with a bit of body heat, mixed with some light breathing.
Franklin turned to the side, expecting to see Mayday there. While she was present, she didn't look like herself. Instead of the Pegasus Pony who slept next to him last night, it was a human girl instead. One with blue hair and a pink streak, along with lightly tanned skin.
"Mayday?" Franklin's eyes widened as he pushed the blanket off of him as he turned to shake the girl. "Mayday! Wake up!"
"Huh?" Mayday's eyes opened slightly as she looked up at the boy. "Franklin? What's wrong?"
"Mayday, you've changed!" Franklin said.
"Changed?" Mayday rubbed her eyes. "How did I...huh?" It was then she noticed that instead of a hoof, she had a hand. "Whoa...Is this a human hand? Am I..."
"Mayday, this is great!" Franklin pulled the blanket off the girl. "You're finally a...a..." The boy's face turned completely red as he immediately had second thoughts about his decision. "M-Mayday?"
"I can't believe I'm human now!" Mayday sat up to check her hands. "Well you did give me a sneak peak not too long ago, but this time it's for real! I have an actual human form! I wonder if I look the same though? Do I look like how you imagined it?" She noticed that Franklin was hiding under the blanket. "Huh? What's with you?"
"Mayday! Your clothes!" Franklin said.
"What about them?" Mayday realized what Franklin meant when she looked down. "Oooooooh, right. No fur. Wait, I don't materialize clothes? Didn't mom, Miss Shimmer and that siren lady materialize clothes? Or is it because they had clothes before? Is that why this wasn't an issue in Equestria?"
"Mayday! Ask later! Put some clothes on!" Franklin demanded from under the blanket.
"Wow, nudity is really weird for humans, huh?" Mayday asked. "Well I don't have clothes, but you can warp reality, can't you? Just use that."
"I can't use my powers willy-nilly, I'll lose control!" Franklin said. "Wait, I have an idea!"
Without looking, he wrapped Mayday up in a blanket to completely cover the girl, much to her confusion. "Should I walk around only in a blanket?"
"No, just stay like this and don't leave the room," Franklin said, quickly getting up from the bed and running to the door.
"Human life is really weird," Mayday commented.
Franklin hurried to Twilight's room, gently knocking on her door. "Excuse me? Miss Twilight?" He knocked a few more times until the door was answered by the woman he was seeking.
"Oh, Franklin, good morning," Twilight said.
"Hi Miss Twilight, I'm sorry if I woke you, but there's a bit of an emergency," Franklin said.
"Franklin, you don't need to be formal with me," Twilight said. "And I was already up so you didn't wake me. If anything it's late in the morning. But what's the emergency?"
"Mayday turned into a human," Franklin said.
Twilight's eyes widened in surprise "She transformed? Well, that makes sense, obviously Equestrian Magic will wear off. We just need to wait for the others I guess."
"There's a bigger problem," Franklin said, gesturing for Twilight to get in close as he whispered into her ear. "She's naked..."
Twilight's eyes widened in surprise, "Oooh...and you were sleeping in the bed next to her...which means..." The huge blush on Franklin's face as the boy reacted in discomfort told the story. "Right, I should have thought ahead there. I forgot that something like that could happen, but I was so worried about Peter that it slipped my mind."
"How is he doing?" Franklin asked.
Twilight looked back into the room, "He's still recovering. He hasn't woken up yet." She turned back to the boy. "But, if I know Peter, he'll pull through. He's too stubborn to give up on anything."
"I hope everything works out," Franklin said.
"It'll be fine," Twilight reassured as she rubbed Franklin's head. "For now, let me figure something out for Mayday. Unfortunately I don't think this house has many clothes laying around."
"Says who?" Came Eris's voice as she popped in out of nowhere, startling both Twilight and Franklin.
"Where'd you come from!?" Twilight asked.
"I never left," Eris said. "Remember, my main goal is protecting all of you until you're ready to go back to Equestria. That includes playing the role of bodyguard should any of those villains catch on to my plan."
"How? Don't they think we're dead?" Twilight asked.
"You disappeared without a trace, at some point they might realize something's up," Eris said. "It's fine, right now they're too focused on the rest of your friends back home."
"Wouldn't it be better to take us to an Earth that they won't know about?" Twilight asked. "Maybe even one that moves at a different pace. Peter's world used to do that before Capcom did something to change that."
"That's not as easy as it sounds," Eris said. "Especially after Capcom messed the multiverse as much as they did. Point is this house was made to keep you safe. It's got some magical barrier to it, so while it's not impenetrable, it's enough to keep you safe. Right now there should be ample food in this house, along with clothes and whatever else you might need to survive off of."
"How did you get all of this stuff anyway?" Twilight asked.
"Does it matter?" Eris asked, earning herself a glare from Twilight. "Fine, if you must know, Julia helped me out."
"Julia?" Twilight asked. "Wait, how would she arrange something so fast? Something doesn't add up."
"Hey, I'll tell you everything you want to know later," Eris said. "Right now, I suggest you get ready for the day."
"Okay fine, but I want details later," Twilight said.
"Yeah, yeah," Eris said as she snapped away.
"That lady's weird," Franklin said.
"Yeah, she is," Twilight replied. "Well, I guess I should find clothes for Mayday. Eris says there's plenty here."
"I hope they fit," Franklin said.
"Hey, Franklin, I need a favor from you," Twilight said.
"Oh, sure, what is it?" Franklin asked.
"This is Mayday's first time in the human world," Twilight said. "So I'm going to need you to help her with some human basics."
"Me?" Franklin asked. "I don't mind, but are you sure you trust me with that?"
"Why wouldn't I? You already look after Mayday, you're one of her first real friends," Twilight said. "And, you're her boyfriend too. If anyone can help Mayday, it's you."
"Right, of course," Franklin said. "What exactly would she need to know?"
"Well, I remember it was hard for me to walk when I first became human," Twilight said. "You can help her with that. Oh, and you can help with the utensils. Maybe even how to tie her shoes. Any basics you can think of."
"What about...bathroom stuff?" Franklin asked.
"Oh... that I can help her with," Twilight reassured. "If not me, then you can ask Rogue, or even Sunset Shimmer."
"Okay, sure," Franklin said.
"Honestly, I don't think Mayday will need that much help," Twilight said. "Human life isn't that much different from Equestrian Life. The only things that really change as humans are us being bipedal, having a slightly different diet and clothes being a necessity."
"So...I mainly have to make sure she walks properly, make sure she eats human food, and make sure she has clothes on," Franklin said. Franklin awkwardly rubbed his head, "I really hope I don't have to focus too much on the latter."
"Mayday's worn dresses before, she hates them but she's capable of wearing clothes," Twilight said. "I had no trouble adjusting, and I don't think Sunset Shimmer did either."
"Yeah, good point," Franklin said. "Anyway looking after Mayday shouldn't be too hard if I keep those things in mind."
"Also, considering she has fingers now, she might need to learn to use those too," Twilight said. "That means properly using utensils. Oh, and she can't use her wings in this form either, but I don't think she'll miss them too much."
"I can teach her to use forks and spoons if I need to," Franklin said.
"Thanks, I really appreciate that," Twilight said. "I'd do my share but I'm going to be busy watching over my husband. Still, don't hesitate to come to me if you really need help."
"I won't," Franklin said.
"Now, let's go find some clothes for Mayday," Twilight said as she made her way to the room.
"Uh...I'll stay here actually," Franklin said. "A girl needs her privacy after all."
"Yeah, good idea," Twilight said as she went to find her daughter.
Franklin had gone downstairs, the boy hoping to find something to eat for breakfast. Upon arriving in the kitchen, he came across Rogue at the stove, seemingly cooking something.
"Rogue?" Franklin asked.
The woman turned to greet the young Richards boy, "Good morning Franklin, how are you doing?"
"Fine," Franklin said, not wanting to go into detail regarding what happened with Mayday. "Are you making breakfast for everyone?"
"Sort of, I'm not sure what everyone wants, but ah figured I'd make a few eggs," Rogue said. "Boiled, fried, scrambled, the usual. Gotta keep up with the protein."
"Makes sense," Franklin said. "Question, did you see where this food came from?"
"Not really, come to think of it, the fridge was already stacked," Rogue said. "Didn't question it much."
"The lady who saved us, Eris, apparently she supplied us with everything," Franklin said. "But that kind of makes me suspicious. How could she have planned all this when she just saved us not too long ago? Did she know something like this could happen?"
"That's a good point," Rogue said. "Someone should ask her about it."
"Twilight tried, she stopped by a second ago," Franklin said. "All she said was that some lady named Julia helped."
"Julia?" Rogue tapped her chin. "That sounds familiar."
"This whole thing feels so strange to me," Franklin said. "To think those villains could drive us away. It feels like they won. But they're not supposed to win, only heroes are supposed to win, aren't they?"
"Usually they are," Rogue said. "Sometimes, heroes do find themselves in a bad situation. Much as they want to win, it can't always happen."
"That's a scary thought," Franklin said.
"It is, but don't give up hope," Rogue said. "We're still alive, and there's still a chance. Plus our friends are still in Equestria, and they'll keep everyone safe."
"Yeah..." Franklin started to feel terrible the moment he remembered his family.
"Are you okay, hon?" Rogue asked, lowering the stove to focus on the young boy.
"I miss my parents," Franklin said. "Right now they're back in Equestria, and they probably think I'm dead."
"Ah know this is hard on you, and ah do wish you weren't in this situation," Rogue said as she gently rubbed Franklin's head. "But you gotta try to be as strong as you can be. You'll see yer parents again. Ah can't say when but it dang sure is going to happen."
"I hope it does soon," Franklin said.
Moments later, the unmasked Herman Shultz had come into the kitchen with a newspaper in hand, and was joined by a still sleepy Sonata.
"I smelled food," Sonata said. "Is that eggs?"
"Sure, help yerself," Rogue said. "If yer still hungry, there's plenty of food in the fridge and cabinets."
Sonata walked over to the fridge and opened it, then closed it afterwards while scowling at Rogue. "There's hardly anything in there!"
"Is there coffee at least?" Herman asked.
"Uh, yeah, ah think so," Rogue said. "Still, there's a decent amount of food in there."
"Not for me," Sonata said as she grabbed a protein shake. "Maybe this can help."
Herman grabbed the pot and poured some grinds in, "I'll settle for some toast at least."
"Ah saw loaves of bread in the cabinet," Rogue said.
Herman looked to see for himself, spotting various pieces of bread from Italian to Baguettes. "Where's the sliced bread?"
"Above you on the right," Sonata noted as she helped herself to one of each type of egg.
"You should have some eggs too, uh...should ah call you Shocker?" Rogue asked. "You are Shocker right? Ah don't think I've seen you without yer mask."
"Just call me Herman," the man said as he placed his bread in the toaster. "Also, I'm good with the eggs. I've gotten by on little food before."
"Well if you change yer mind, don't be shy," Rogue said.
Sonata sat on the table, shaking her protein drink before opening it and taking a sip. "Strawberry Flavor, not bad." She took a bite from the eggs while looking around. "Where is everyone? Are they still asleep?"
"Ah saw Starlight, Trixie and Autumn Blaze outside," Rogue said. "They already ate and are just exploring the yard."
"Are they still ponies?" Sonata asked.
"Yeah, I'm not sure when they're gonna transform, but ah imagine it will be soon," Rogue said. "Apple Bloom's still asleep ah think. I don't know about the others."
"Twilight's awake," Franklin confirmed, which did remind Rogue of the fact. "So is Mayday. She transformed."
"That's Spider-Man's daughter, right?" Herman asked as he grabbed a mug for his coffee.
"Yeah, she is," Franklin said.
"Well good for her then," Herman said. "What about Spidey himself?"
"He's still hurt...your buddies did a real number on him," Franklin said.
"Can't deny that," Sonata said while her mouth was full, accidentally spitting out some eggs in the process.
"Don't talk while you eat," Herman lightly scolded as Sonata swallowed her food.
Franklin felt uneasy knowing that two villains were present in the kitchen, especially ones that were directly responsible for Peter getting hurt. "Why did they want to hurt him? Why did you want to hurt him?"
"Here we go..." Herman said as he poured his coffee. "Kid, I doubt our answer will make the situation easier. Fact is that Spider-Man was my enemy, and as such, I had to fight him."
"You didn't have to, you could have chosen a different life than being a criminal," Franklin said.
"Yeah, I could have, I could have gone to MIT and put my engineering skills to good use," Herman said as his bread was ready. "Or I could have opened that Cafe that I've always wanted to open. But sometimes, life doesn't go like you plan, so you have to make due. I never asked to be a criminal, but if that's the only way to survive, so be it."
"Are you really happy with that decision?" Rogue asked.
"What does it matter?" Herman had taken his food to the table and sat down next to Sonata, who had already finished her food and was chugging down her drink. She drank too fast and nearly choked, to which Herman pat her hard on the back to help her out. "You can't control life, you can only survive in it."
"He's right, we can't always help how things are," Sonata explained. "I didn't ask to be born a Siren, but I was, and I need negative energy to survive. Somehow that makes me one of the bad guys though. All I'm trying to do is survive."
"Is that the only way?" Rogue asked. "Didn't the Changelings find an alternative way of doing what they do?"
"Sirens aren't Changelings," Sonata said.
"Well there's gotta be something you can do," Rogue said. "Maybe you won't have to hurt or inconvenience so many people."
"Or hurt Spider-Man," Franklin said.
"Look kid, Spider-Man's not perfect himself," Sonata said. "He allowed a little girl to be sent to Tartarus. He and those stupid Princesses. The only thing I would change is giving Celestia and Luna the same whooping we gave to Spider-Man."
"Is that so?" Came Twilight's voice as she entered the kitchen with Mayday by her side, the girl now fully clothed.
"Hey Franklin, how do I look?" Mayday asked as she showed off her yellow shirt and pink skirt with a twirl. Doing so nearly caused her to lose balance, but fortunately Franklin was quick to catch her.
"Whoa, be careful," Franklin said as he helped Mayday back to her feet.
"That was close, thanks Frankie," Mayday said as she kissed the boy's cheek, resulting in a blush from him.
"Aw, how sweet," Rogue said.
"That was sweet, but I need Sonata to repeat herself," Twilight said as she glared at the siren. "What's this about you wanting Celestia and Luna to go through what you did to my husband?"
"I meant what I said," Sonata insisted without hesitation. "Princess Celestia is quite honestly one of the worst things to happen to Equestria, same with her sister."
"Oh why? Because she didn't allow the likes of you to wreak havoc without remorse?" Twilight asked.
"Don't judge me," Sonata warned. "Sirens had a right to exist too, but she deemed us such a big problem that she sent Starswirl's group to banish us into another dimension. Princess Celestia is also a big reason why my species is nearly extinct. She had us banished to some island where we had to fend for ourselves! But Sirens need negative energy to survive, without it we were doomed. But she didn't care about that, because as far as she was concerned, we were a bunch of monsters."
Twilight furrowed her brow at the girl, offering a look of disapproval. "Well, after what you've done lately, I think you just proved her right."
"Or maybe, you just left her with little choice," Herman said. "It's so easy for those in power to screw over the little people and then play the victim when those little people stand up for themselves."
"Attacking innocent ponies is not an ideal way of standing up for yourself!" Twilight scolded. "Honestly, it just sounds like you two are so desperate to justify your horrid actions."
"Yeah, sure, whatever you say," Herman said as he opened his newspaper. "Look, let's just agree to disagree then, not like it means much right now."
"He's kind of right, Twilight," Rogue said. "Our focus should be getting ready to take Equestria back from the villains. We can't afford this infighting right now."
"It's not really infighting if they're not actually on our team," Twilight said.
"Keep in mind that we turned our backs on our allies because of what they were doing to your daughter!" Sonata reminded.
"Why did you?" Mayday asked. "Why were you so concerned about my safety?"
"I just don't like hurting kids, it's that simple," Sonata said. "Obviously Eddie and Otto felt the same way."
"Eddie and Otto?" Mayday asked.
"The muscular guy with the black suit and the other guy with the metal tentacles," Sonata explained.
"Eddie..." Mayday scratched her head a bit. "That's Eddie Brock, right? Daddy said the two of them used to be friends."
"That's what Eddie said too, until your dad betrayed him," Sonata said.
"Don't blame Peter for what the suit made him do," Twilight said.
"I'm just relaying what Eddie told me," Sonata said. "The two were good friends until Peter showed that he had an ego."
"To be fair, he was acting weird back when he had that black suit," Herman said. "And he did go back to his brand of normal once it was gone."
"Well obviously Eddie isn't really bad, like I said, he spoke up to keep Mayday alive," Sonata said.
"Well, I really appreciate that he did that," Mayday said. "And you too. Thanks for saving me."
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Sonata said.
"I'm still mad that you hurt my daddy though," Mayday admitted. "You may think he's bad, but he's the nicest daddy in the world in my eyes."
"I would expect you to say that, you're his daughter after all," Herman said.
"It's also common sense too," Twilight said. "I can't imagine why you think you wouldn't be bad if you hurt innocents, as well as those who protect those innocents."
"Funny, Eddie never saw him as innocent," Sonata said. "Only his daughter, which I guess makes her lucky."
"Okay, dial it back there," Rogue said. "Whatever you have against Peter, you're going to have to work on that. Yer living in this house with him, his wife, his daughter and a lot of his friends. Now we don't mean y'all any harm, and if yer nice to us, we're nice to you. Think either of you can manage that?"
"Yeah sure, not like I have anything to gain by betraying any of you," Herman said.
"Same," Sonata said.
"So you're okay with the fact that we're going to fight your buddies?" Twilight asked.
"They ain't our buddies," Herman said. "Last I checked, buddies don't betray you. Do what you want to them, I don't really care. I never even liked them anyway."
"Actually...I'm a little conflicted," Sonata said.
"I swear, this better not be about those damn Dazzlings," Herman lamented. "Maybe you forgot Sonata, but they turned their backs on you."
"Even if they did, they're still family," Sonata said. "They're all I have left of my kind."
"Well they clearly don't care," Herman said. "You really need to grow up and accept reality. Those girls don't love you. Now please stop being stupid and accept reality."
"Hey, easy now," Rogue said. "Try to be a little understanding."
"Don't you start, remember they attacked you too," Herman said. "After all that I've tried doing for them myself, after all that Sonata and I did for Max and Beck, and for that brat Cozy Glow, all we got was tossed aside the first chance that opportunity came along."
"We can't just give up," Sonata said. "I bet they didn't even want to turn against us. You saw what Doctor Doom and the others did. They were just trying to stay safe."
"They betrayed us, it's not even up for debate," Shocker said. "Fine by me, let them do what they want, I'm done."
Sonata huffed her cheeks in anger, then focused her attention on Twilight. "You're the Princess of Friendship, aren't you? Can't you talk some sense into him?"
"Honestly, at this point, I'm not concerned about your friendships or lack thereof," Twilight said. "But to Herman's point, you should just give up on your friends. As far as I'm concerned, they're enemies of Equestria and they will be dealt with."
"Wow, simple as that huh?" Sonata bitterly asked. "Ever think that even us so-called villains have friends and family that we care about?"
"Even Magneto's been capable of love," Rogue said. "He just wasn't good at embracing the good qualities of it."
"You've given second chances before, haven't you?" Sonata asked. "We know about Nightmare Moon. As well as Stygian."
"I hardly consider those good examples," Twilight said.
"What about Sunset Shimmer?" Sonata asked. "She's had a shady past too!"
"Speaking of Sunset, have any of you seen her?" Rogue asked. "She hasn't come down, and she wasn't in her room."
"...I hope she didn't go back to Equestria," Twilight said. She focused her attention back on Sonata, "I'll deal with you later, right now I gotta check on a friend."
"Wait, what about food?" Rogue asked.
Twilight snapped over some bread and some eggs to make a sandwich out of it. "I'll run and go."
The girl left, leaving an annoyed Sonata behind as she hugged in annoyance, "Lousy Princess."
"Look, things are tense, and you ain't exactly sympathetic right now," Rogue said. "Just play nice and maybe she'll consider things from your perspective."
"Honestly, I don't have too many high hopes on that," Sonata said as she laid back in frustration.
"Do you regret your choices?" Mayday asked.
"Hm? What choices?" Sonata asked.
"Saving me," Mayday clarified. "Do you regret doing that?"
"...Not exactly," Sonata admitted. "I hate the situation it got me in, but I just couldn't live with doing nothing."
"What about you Herman?" Mayday asked, the man barely acknowledging her. "Do you regret helping Sonata?"
"The only thing I regret is painting a target on myself," Herman said. "If I could redo it, I would have tried being more discreet about it."
"So, what yer saying is, you really did want to help this girl?" Rogue asked.
"What does it matter?" Herman asked as he grabbed his mug. "Can I just read the paper in peace? I'd like to see if there's anything about this world I should be aware of."
"This is our Earth," Rogue said.
"Yes, and not too long ago, Doctor Doom and some of our allies completely decimated it," Herman said. "New York City's been trashed."
"Including my family's home," Franklin bitterly stated.
"Where is this house anyway?" Mayday asked. "Is it near New York City?"
"From what ah can gather, we're upstate," Rogue said. "Probably close to Ithica. We're pretty far from the city."
"Don't The Avengers have a second base in Upstate New York?" Franklin asked.
"That'd be great, it means extra protection just in case the baddies find us," Mayday said.
"Are there any Avengers left though?" Franklin asked. "Most of them would have gone to New York City if it was under attack."
"Maybe some stayed behind," Mayday suggested.
Franklin had another thought as he turned to the older hero in the room, "Rogue, are there any X-Men around? I know your mansion is in upstate New York too."
"Yeah, in Rochester," Rogue said. "Might be about an hour or two away from here, depending on where we are. There might be some at the school still, but ah can't say fer sure who. Most of us went to Equestria."
"Right now, we can only protect ourselves," Sonata said.
"What are the bad guys planning?" Mayday asked.
"Multiversal domination," Sonata said. "They want Equestria, Marvel Earth, Capcom Earth, and any other version of Earth they're familiar with."
"Is that why they took them magical artifacts from Equestria?" Rogue asked. "Right after weakening them other worlds too."
"Already figure that out?" Sonata asked. "Then again, Eris did fill everyone in."
"That and I got the info ah needed from that feller who looked like Goku," Rogue said.
"He talked?" Sonata asked.
"No, but when ah touched him, some of his memories reached mah mind," Rogue said. "Including something about a Zero Mortals Plan."
"Oh yeah, he wanted to wipe out mortals from across timelines since according to him, we're a bunch of self-destructive ne...ne...uh, what was that word he used?" Sonata asked.
"Neanderthals," Herman confirmed.
"Right that," Sonata said. "He says we're useless creatures."
"Sounds like he'd get along well with Ultron," Franklin bitterly said. "Wait, they are getting along, and destroying so many lives!"
"Frankie, I think you need to dial it back a little," Mayday said. She took the boy by the hand and tried leading him outside. "Lets get some fresh air."
"...Alright," Franklin said.
As Mayday stepped, she immediately tripped, to which Franklin had to catch her again. Blushing from her clumsiness, Mayday awkwardly rubbed her head. "I'm still not used to having only two legs."
"I'll lead the way," Franklin said.
"Wait, y'all gotta eat something," Rogue said as she placed some food on a pair of plates. "At least take this with ya."
"Okay Rogue," Mayday said as Franklin took the plates. "Come on Frankie!"
Franklin held his plate and gave Mayday hers as he helped her walk outside, leaving Rogue satisfied. "Such cute kids."
"They really are," Sonata said. "Spider-Man's daughter looks like a little sweetheart."
"He raised her well," Rogue said.
"...If Spider-Man's capable of that kind of love, why didn't he help Cozy Glow when she needed it?" Sonata asked. "And why would he be loyal to the Princesses despite the terrible things they've done?"
"Hon, yer gonna have to ask Peter when he wakes up," Rogue said. "Until then, try to keep an open mind."
"...Sure," Sonata said as she sat back while lost in thought.
Outside at the side of the house, a portal opened with Sunset quietly stepping through. "Okay, so far so good." She turned around to face the team of Ryu, Chris, Dante and Cloud. "I'll try to rendezvous with you and the others later. Right now I gotta check in with Twilight, hopefully she hasn't noticed that I left."
"Keep in touch with us," Chris said. "Do you still have the device that Gwen gave you?"
"Yeah," Sunset showed it off.
"Isn't she going too?" Cloud asked.
"Gwen went to meet up with Miguel, she'll come by when the time is right," Sunset explained. "Right now, the rest of you just try to recover."
"I'm fully healed," Ryu said. "I can fight now."
"If you fight, you're going to get yourself killed," Chris warned. "Stick to the current plan. We need strategy if we're going to win."
"We'll see if we can contact anyone from across the multiverse too," Dante said. "Any suggestions on where to start?"
"First and foremost, try to find Mark and All Might," Sunset suggested.
"Mark might be tough," Chris said. "Remember what we said before, he's dealing with his own troubles, ones he does not want to become our troubles."
"His abilities can help, I'll go help him fight those Viltrumites myself if I need to," Sunset said.
"You certainly won't be doing that alone," Ryu said.
"Fun as that sounds, let's try to be rational about this," Dante said. "We have people to save after all."
"Right, and at the very least, we can get All Might," Chris said. "Most he's doing these days is training some boy to be a hero."
"Wonder how far along his training is?" Sunset asked.
"Let's not involve more than we need to," Cloud said. "This is still mostly our problem."
"Right, of course," Sunset said. "Look, just keep those two in mind. Maybe that Naruto boys as well, see if he can bring his ninja buddies."
"Sunset!" Twilight was heard calling from around the corner.
"Crap, Twilight's coming, you guys just go and I'll chat with you later!" Sunset said.
"Stay safe," Cloud urged.
"Sayonara, Sunset," Ryu said as he and his allies closed the portal.
Feeling relieved, Sunset called Twilight over to her location. "I'm over here, Twilight!"
"There you are," Twilight said while holding her half eaten sandwich. "Where were you?"
"Just taking a walk," Sunset insisted. "I wanted to check the area out."
"Seriously? Was that all?" Twilight asked. "I hardly saw you yesterday after we got dropped off and then you disappeared all morning? Sunset, given the situation we're in, we need to stay together as much as possible."
"It's fine, we're totally safe out here," Sunset said.
"We don't know how safe though," Twilight pointed out. "Just please try not to wander off like that again."
"Sorry, but it's in my nature, I like to explore," Sunset said. Upon seeing Twilight getting even more irritated, Sunset decided to lay off. "But, if it will make you feel better, I'll try not to go too far."
"That's all I want," Twilight said.
"How's Peter by the way?" Sunset asked.
"Still sleeping," Twilight said as she solemnly looked toward the house. "He's been hurt really badly and I'm very worried about him."
"Don't worry about it, if I know Peter, he'll pull through," Sunset reassured. "We just need to keep a close eye on him."
"I envy your optimism," Twilight said.
"My optimism isn't anything special, I'm just pointing out the facts," Sunset said. "How many times has Peter been hurt like this? And how many times has he gotten back up, ready to fight again?"
"Well...I suppose you're right," Twilight said.
"Nothing keeps him down," Sunset said. "King Sombra couldn't do it, The Green Goblin couldn't do it, Wesker couldn't do it. No matter what, Peter always gets back up to fight again. And he won't be fighting alone. He's got friends, family and allies who are more than willing to help him. We just need to get ready on our end, that includes getting strong enough to handle whatever those punks have to throw at us."
"Right, I need to work on my magic," Twilight said. "Hopefully we can find a way to help everyone else too."
"We'll figure something out," Sunset said. "Now, I'm going to head inside, I could use a bite to eat."
"Rogue made some eggs, you can cook whatever else you want afterwards," Twilight said.
"Sounds good to me," Sunset said as she started heading inside.
"By the way, Mayday turned human," Twilight said. "So if you see a human girl, that's her."
"Oh cool, she's part of the human club," Sunset said. "Catch you in a bit."
Twilight waved Sunset off, then figured it would be best to go and find Trixie, Starlight and Autumn Blaze. "Soon, I'll take my world back, and keep the others safe. Wesker, Osborn, Tirek, I'll make you regret crossing paths with us."
On the front porch of the house, Mayday and Franklin sat on a rocking bench together as they looked toward the front. There were no other houses, just a lot of trees, a mountain in the distance, some cliffs, and even some water.
"It's so pretty here," Mayday said.
"Yeah, nice view," Franklin said. "Eris found us a really nice place. Though I still don't know how she came across it."
"Don't worry about the small stuff," Mayday said. "What matters is that we're here and we're safe. No bad guys, just us."
"I know, but I am worried about my family," Franklin said. "My parents, my uncle Johnny, my uncle Ben. They must be so worried."
"Yeah, I understand that," Mayday said. "My mom's friends must be so worried too, same with daddy's. Then there's my Uncle Shining Armor and Aunt Cadance. Also my cousin Flurry Heart, and my best friend Luster Dawn. I really miss them."
"This is so not fair, why is this happening to us!?" Franklin asked. "How did things get so bad?"
"I don't know, but we'll make things better," Mayday said. "Things seemed bad when that Captain Marvel lady caused a war between the heroes. But we stopped her and put everything back to normal."
"My father felt so bad because of how messy that got," Franklin said.
"It's not his fault, all the heroes following Tony Stark were just trying to help," Mayday said. "That lady just ruined things because she's so bossy. I'll never forgive her for what she did. Having Auntie Applejack and Uncle Remy arrested over nothing, hurting Auntie Apple Bloom, sucker punching my daddy. She's just a lousy lady, and I never want to see her again."
"With any luck, we won't," Franklin said. He then noticed Mayday scratching herself. "Uh, what are you doing?"
"Sorry, my clothes are too itchy," Mayday said. "I'm not used to wearing them."
"You wore clothes at the wedding that Rumble and Apple Bloom had," Franklin reminded. "And again when we were at the Gala."
"That was a dress that I didn't have to wear all day," Mayday said as she scratched her backside a bit. "I certainly didn't have to wear this extra thing."
"Thing?" Franklin asked.
"This thing here," Mayday stood up and lifted up her skirt to show off her panties. "What are these?"
"Agh, Mayday, put your skirt down," Franklin said as shielded his eyes.
"What for? I'm wearing clothes," Mayday said as she dropped her skirt. "Human customs are so weird. You can't be naked, you can't show off whatever this thing is."
"They're called underwear," Franklin said. "Everyone wears them, they add extra protection for...um...for certain parts."
"Oh...so you wear them too?" Mayday asked. "Can you show me?"
"What!? No!" Franklin said.
"Oh come on, how am I supposed to believe you if you don't lead by example," Mayday said.
"Mayday, do you understand the concept of shame?" Franklin asked.
"Well yeah, I'm ashamed of a lot of things," Mayday said. "What does that have to do with clothes?"
"Look, it's different for ponies because you're used to being naked," Franklin said. "But humans aren't like that. Keep in mind that we don't have fur, the clothes provide us natural protection that we wouldn't get otherwise. Without them, humans will feel vulnerable."
"Oh, that makes sense I guess," Mayday said.
"So now do you understand?" Franklin asked. "You need to keep your clothes on so you don't feel vulnerable either."
"...But what about my underwear?" Mayday asked. "You seemed so freaked out."
"I just want to respect your privacy," Franklin said. "You are a girl after all."
"Huh? What does me being a girl have to do with anything?" Mayday asked.
"If one girl saw another girl naked, it won't be as embarrassing if it was a boy seeing her naked," Franklin said. "Same with boys, we'd feel embarrassed if a girl saw us naked but not if another boy does."
"Really?" Mayday asked.
"Well...sometimes," Franklin said. "Some people just don't like being seen underdressed. It took me a while to be like that as a pony, but I got used to it because I at least had fur. Still, it's wrong for boys and girls to see each other like that."
"But my daddy was half dressed before," Mayday said.
"He was injured, besides it's fine if your mom sees him like that, they're married," Franklin said.
"Well you and I are boyfriend and girlfriend," Mayday pointed out. "So you don't need to feel embarrassed around me, even if I'm not wearing clothes."
"Mayday, can we drop this please," Franklin turned away to hide his blush. "This isn't something we should be talking about. It feels wrong. Maybe you're not ashamed of your body, but I am of mine."
"...I'm sorry to hear that," Mayday sat back down and took the boy's hand in her own. "I don't think you should have anything to be ashamed of, especially around me. I want us to be comfortable with each other. But, I'll wait for you to feel that way. Until then, you don't need to turn away from me at all."
"Heh, it's funny..." Franklin began. "Among ponies, you're very shy and reserved, with little confidence in yourself. Yet now, as a human, you seem so confident."
"Because you help me feel confident," Mayday said. "I feel less worried around you because I know you will never judge me."
"I'm happy you feel that way," Franklin said. "I just wish it didn't have to deal with the topic of being naked."
"We'll find another topic then," Mayday said.
"Let's try science, you already have a lot to be confident about there," Franklin said. "You're the smartest girl I know."
Mayday bashfully rubbed her head, "Come on. What about your mom? She's a scientist. Also my mom's much smarter than I am."
"Well you're the only girl around my age that's super smart," Franklin said. "I've always liked that about you. You can do so many amazing things and you always want to do more. You're very determined and you let nothing stop you. I know you think you're not confident in yourself, but the way you tackle any science project shows a determination that not many others have. You're very talented Mayday, and I'm so proud to be your boyfriend. Lucky too, a girl as smart and pretty as you is way out of my league. You definitely could have done better than me, so I feel even more honored that I get to date you. You are a treasure in every sense of the word."
Mayday's face was completely red, prompting the girl to hide it behind her hands. "Geez Frankie, you didn't have to lay it on that thick! I would have settled with you just calling me smart."
"Sorry, I got carried away," Franklin said. "I just really like you. I admire your intelligence, and you're pretty as both a pony and a human so-"
"No more! Please! I can't take the kindness!" Mayday said, turning away to hide her blush. "I already know you like me, you don't need to get all sentimental."
"Okay, I'll stop," Franklin said. Without warning, Mayday turned and kissed him, taking the boy by surprise.
She held it for a few seconds before pulling away, then proceeded to playfully stick her tongue out at him, "That's what you get for getting me in such a good mood."
"You little sneak," Franklin playfully said.
"By the way," Mayday held Franklin's hand tighter. "I know it's not the same as your family, but I hope me being here with you is comforting enough."
"Of course, I miss my family but I love...I mean..." Franklin tried to reword his statement. "I really care a lot about you."
"...I feel the same," Mayday said as she pressed her forehead against Franklin's. "And thanks..."
"What for?" Franklin asked.
"I'm really worried about my daddy, but being around you helps me feel less scared," Mayday said. "I hate to ask, but given your powers..."
"Mayday, I want to but, I don't think I have the best control," Franklin said. "Believe me though, if I could make everything better, I would."
"Well, just being with you helps," Mayday said.
Franklin moved in to gently rub his nose against Mayday's. "Glad we could help each other out then."
Mayday blushed harder at Franklin's sign of affection, even more as he gently caressed her face. The two leaned in for another kiss when Mayday felt her stomach grumble.
"Uh...I should probably finish eating," Mayday said, blushing from what just happened.
"That's fine, eat up," Franklin said. "Pretty girls need to keep up their strength."
"Ugh, you're making me want to kiss you again, just let me eat," Mayday playfully said.
"Alright, alright," Franklin said.
Mayday took another bite from her eggs, feeling satisfied with the food. "Rogue is a great cook. She's about as good as...as..."
Franklin waited for Mayday to finish her sentence. Instead he only saw tears. "Mayday?"
"...Aunt May..." Mayday began recalling what happened. The fatal blow Aunt May took due to The Green Goblin's glider. So much happened that she hardly had time to register the loss of her aunt.
In an instant, Mayday's tears began streaming like that of a waterfall as her face grimaced into a saddened state as she came to realize a dreadful fact. Her Aunt May was gone, and nothing was going to bring her back.
Mayday immediately began crying in despair as the loss of her relative began to sting a thousand-fold. Instinctively, Franklin moved the food out of the way and pulled Mayday in for a comforting hug.
As Mayday cried in the arms of her boyfriend, Franklin gently rubbed her head, doing his best to try and calm her down. However this moment just made him feel angrier about the current situation. The girl he felt strongly for was crying in his arms because of what a terrible group of people did. This was not something Franklin would so easily forgive.
Back in Equestria, Logan was once again leading the group of Ponyville Refugees toward their next destination, with Felicia as his guide.
Unfortunately everyone had to traverse a hot desert known as The Badlands to get to where they needed to go. Bobby used his powers to try and keep everyone cool with constant soft flurries of ice, but there were a lot of travelers.
"You sure dis the right way?" Remy asked.
"For the last time Gambit, I know where I'm going," Felicia said. "Unfortunately we have to travel the desert, and without carriages, or magic, it's going to be a hike."
"Don't worry," Tony said as he walked along. "She's on the money."
"You know this place, right Iron Man?" Silverstream asked.
"Klugetown," Tony said. "I sent Peter there once with Princess Luna to check on some pirates."
"And I accompanied them," Felicia said. "Fun times, until Las Pegasus took the brunt of a blast."
"That was a freaking disaster," Tony said. "And a big reason The Accords went to hell."
"You can say that again," Bobby said as he continued trying to keep everyone cool. "But the past is the past."
Kurt continued walking along as well, occasionally looking back with a saddened look on his face.
"Are you okay, Kurt?" Ocellus asked. "You seem off."
"I can't help but think about Spider-Man and his family," Kurt lamented. "More specifically, I can't stop thinking about his daughter."
"Mayday..." Logan angrily clenched his fists. He looked to his own daughter that was currently being carried by a depressed looking Laura. To know these villains were that cruel filled him with undeniable rage.
"Kurt, I know you're sad, I am too," Ocellus said. "But you can't let that bring you down."
"I saved her..." Kurt wiped his eyes of his tears. "I hoped that me saving her would ensure her safety. All it did was delay the inevitable."
"Kurt," Ocellus tried to comfort him. "You did your best."
"It wasn't good enough," Kurt said, the man's sadness turning to rage. "What manner of beasts would do what those men would do!? If I find them, I will personally deliver them to God, and watch him strike them down in damnation!"
"Whoa, take it easy Kurt," Ocellus urged. "This isn't you. You're not a vengeful man, you're a kind soul. You always believe there is good in everyone and everything."
"Not them..." Kurt hissed. "They are beyond salvation. They do not deserve to exist in this world! In God's world!"
"Okay, dial it back, Kurt!" Logan scolded. "You're starting to sound like that Goku imposter."
Kurt's eyes widened in disbelief, "How could you say something like that!? I do not wish to hurt innocent people like those self-righteous bastards!"
"Kurt!" Ocellus scolded as she latched on for a comforting hug. "Please, I don't like seeing you like this! I know you're angry but you think Peter would want you feeling this way!? Or anyone!? Mayday asked God to keep you safe, didn't she?"
"God protected the wrong person!" Kurt said. "It should have been me! Not her!"
"Kurt! Enough!" Logan shouted as he wiped the sweat off his head. "Christ Almighty, I think the heat is getting to you."
"Refrain from using the Lord's name so carelessly," Kurt warned. "He has nothing to do with the heat, nor my anger."
"That ain't what I heard," Logan said. "You said God protected the wrong person. Aren't you the one who says he works in mysterious ways?"
"Ugh..." Kurt grumbled in frustration, no longer wishing to talk.
Rumble continued to trot along, the boy filled with anger as well. Sweetie Belle walked beside him, trying to get his attention.
"Rumble, how are you handling this heat?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Fine..." Rumble said.
"Long trot huh?" Sweetie Belle said. "Really hoping we get to this place soon. What do you think it's like?"
"I don't know, I've never been there," Rumble said, almost bitterly.
While Sweetie Belle knew Rumble was in a sour mood, she had no plans to leave him to his sorrow and anger. "You miss them, don't you?"
Rumble turned away in anger, "What of it?"
"Rumble, you don't have to hide how you feel," Sweetie Belle said. "I'm sad too. You know how much I liked Peter. I also really admired Twilight, she's the type of pony I wanted to be the most like. I also really liked Mayday. She was bratty but I wouldn't change her for anything."
"Where are you going with this!?" Rumble asked. "Yes, they're gone, not like I can do anything about it. Not like they're the only ones in my life that I've lost."
"You mean like Thunderlane?" Sweetie Belle asked. Rumble's silence was telling for her. "I know that if it were Rarity, I'd be sad."
"Well it wasn't, so you don't have anything to worry about," Rumble said. "Your sister is right there with your brother-in-law and your niece. All of them alive and healthy."
"Not sure what you're trying to accomplish here, but it's not working," Serum said.
"Quiet..." Sweetie Belle whispered as she spoke up again. "Rumble-"
"Sweetie Belle, listen, I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate it, but I need you to lay off," Rumble said. "It's hot, and I'm in a really bad mood. I don't want to risk lashing out and possibly hurting your feelings, so just drop it."
"How thin skinned do you think I am?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"You've always been really sensitive," Rumble said. "Not that it's a bad thing but-"
"Hold on, I know I'm the type to be very emotional, but I'm not that sensitive," Sweetie Belle said. "I've been though my fair share of heartache and I turned out alright. I just want to be here for you since...well..."
"I don't need anyone there for me," Rumble said. "I can get through this on my own."
"Is that what Apple Bloom would have wanted?" Sweetie Belle asked, to which Rumble immediately stopped, with some anger mixed with sadness running through his mind. "You miss her, I know you do. Guess what, I miss her too. She was one of my best friends, and as such, I can't bring myself to ignore your pain. I'm not just doing this for you, I'm doing this for her."
Rumble's anger started to become more visible as he recalled what those villains did. That anger slowly turned to sadness as the realization of never seeing his wife again started to settle in as some tears came to his eyes.
"We just got married, losing her just doesn't feel real," Rumble said.
"Rumble..." Sweetie Belle hugged the colt, hoping to make him feel better. "I know it hurts."
"It's strange too, despite what I saw, part of me just doesn't think she's really dead," Rumble said. "I know that's crazy but..."
"You just love her that much," Sweetie Belle said. "I want to believe she survived too...but holding onto that just isn't healthy."
"I know..." Rumble said.
Sweetie Belle pulled back and gently stroked his chin, "I know it looks bad, but you're not alone. You have me. You also have your friends who love you very much. You have the Apples, I bet they still see you as family. Most importantly, you have your son."
"Yeah, you're right," Rumble said. "As a father, I have to be strong and set a good example for my son."
"I'll be right there to help you," Sweetie Belle reassured.
"Thanks, I appreciate that," Rumble said.
"Rumble! Sweetie Belle! Don't slow down!" Bobby warned.
"Sorry," Sweetie Belle gestured Rumble along. "Come on."
"Right behind you," Rumble said as he followed Sweetie Belle.
As the Apples continued to walk, Granny Smith suddenly fell over, much to her grandkids' concerns.
"Granny!" Applejack checked on the older mare. "Not good! Bobby, we need ice!"
"On it!" Bobby rushed over and used his powers to cool off Granny Smith. "Don't worry, I got ya."
"Thanks sonny..." Granny Smith said in a weak tone. "Sorry to hold y'all up."
"Do you need a lift?" Bobby asked. "One of my X-Men buddies can carry you."
"Oh pish posh, I'm a grown mare, ah can walk mahself," Granny said as she stood back up. "Come on, this ain't the time to dilly-dally."
"Don't push yerself too hard," Applejack said.
"Dagnabbit, I'm fine!" Granny hastily insisted. "Let's just keep going already!"
Bobby looked worried for the mare, "I never usually see her this feisty."
"Ah haven't seen her like that since we lost ma and pa," Big Macintosh said.
"After Apple Bloom..." Applejack wiped some tears from her eyes.
Remy knelt beside his wife, "You okay, mon cherrie?"
"I'm fine," Applejack insisted. She took a glance at her kids, same with her nephew and even Bobby's daughter. "Come on, we gotta get the young'ins to Klugetown."
"Right..." Remy said as he helped everyone along.
Nearby Wade was walking alongside Pinkie Pie. He looked down at his still pony wife as she carried their two pony kids.
He looked not too far off to see Maud walking as well. Despite her expressionless face, the mare looked just as tired as everyone else.
He looked behind to see Mr. and Mrs. Cake walking with their twins. The family seemed exhausted themselves.
"Bobby! When you get a chance, cool the Cakes off!" Wade called.
"On it," Bobby said, using his powers to help the family.
"Thank you dear, we appreciate that," Mrs. Cake said.
"No trouble," Bobby said.
Wade looked around, keeping an eye on everyone. "Man, everyone's so tired."
"We've been walking since yesterday," Pinkie said. "The only breaks we took were to eat and sleep."
"I hope we get to this place soon, we really gotta get back on our feet," Wade said.
"We will, we just gotta stay positive," Pinkie said. "After all, at least we have each other. There's you, me, the twins, The Cakes, our entire family is...is..." Pinkie's eyes widened in worry. "My family!"
"Huh?" Wade asked.
"My Rock Farm Family!" Pinkie said. "Mom! Dad! Marble and Limestome! They're in danger!"
"Easy there Pinkie," Wade reassured. "What reason would those guys have to go after your family? No offense, but all you do is farm rocks."
"Remember why we farm them, they have precious resources!" Pinkie reminded. "Those villains could want something from there!"
"Shit, you're right," Wade said.
"Maud! We have to go home!" Pinkie called to her stoic sister.
"What are you talking about?" Maud asked.
"Our parents and sisters could be in danger!" Pinkie said. "If we hurry-"
"Whoa, dial it back," Wade said. "It's way too dangerous to just change course. We need to press on to Klugetown."
"Wade, I can't do nothing!" Pinkie said. "Especially with Marble in danger! She's my little sister! As a big sister, I have to protect my younger siblings!"
"Well as your husband, I have to protect you," Wade said. "It's too risky to change course now."
"Wade's right," Maud said. "I know you're worried about our family, but putting yourself in danger won't do anyone any good. Besides you have your kids to think about."
"But..." Pinkie was still worried.
Not too long later, Ororo was seen flying in from up ahead. "I have returned!"
"Storm!" Cyclops called, getting her attention. "Any sign of the town?"
"I did find a civilization, continuing on foot should get you there in at least an hour," Ororo said.
"An hour!?" Lyra asked in disbelief. "But it's so hot!"
"Storm, mind helping a bit with your powers?" Bobby asked.
"Very well," Ororo used her abilities to generate a light rain over everyone, cooling them off from the hot desert.
"I appreciate that Ororo," Logan said. "Hope that didn't take anything out of you."
"It's nothing I can't handle," Ororo said.
"A nice breeze like this could make the travel much easier," Logan said.
"About time too," Tony said as he walked ahead. "Bobby could only do so much, and honestly, it felt like he was holding back."
"Hey I did my best," Bobby said. "Besides the rest of us could have been cooled off sooner if you went to scout ahead instead of Storm."
"My suit's too damaged to be used effectively," Tony said. "Don't worry, once I have a chance to fix it, I'll put everything back to normal."
"Not the return you imagined, huh Stark?" Clint said. "You finally come out of retirement, and you end up on the losing side."
"That's life, things don't go as planned," Tony said as he looked toward Steve. "This isn't exactly how I imagined an Avengers reunion. Instead of reuniting with a bang, we barely got a whimper."
"Honestly Tony, it might be better this way," Steve said as he bitterly walked past Tony. "Last time we were a team, we fell apart too easily. So let's do our own thing."
Tony scratched his head in annoyance, "What was that about?"
"It's Celestia," Came the voice of Taskmaster as he walked by. "He and Cap had a thing together, and now she's gone. I don't think Cap's handling it well."
"Oh right, they were awfully chummy," Tony said. "Still, is she really gone?"
"You saw what those lunatics did," Taskmaster said. "Ain't no way she survived that."
"You never know," Tony said.
"Stark, enough, don't give anyone false hope," Logan said. "Many here are hurting after all."
Tony looked around to spot a few sad faces as memories of those who seemingly perished returned. Luster Dawn grieved over Mayday, The Apples grieved Apple Bloom, Flitter and Cloudchaser grieved Thunderlane, Spike and Janet grieved the Parkers. It was a tough situation.
"I get their loss, I haven't forgotten what they did to Rhodey," Tony said.
"I'm getting them back for what they did to Danny," Luke Cage said.
"And us..." Flash Magnus said, gesturing to his Pillars. "For Starswirl."
"Yeah, time for the Avengers to live up to their name," Tony said. From the distance, he spotted some newcomers. "There's something coming in from the sky."
Everyone either prepared for a fight, or hid somewhere out of fear of the villains. Fortunately it was Johnny Storm and Rainbow Dash flying in with a giant hot air balloon.
"Don't worry, we come in peace," Johnny reassured as he set the balloon down. "And we have friends."
Emerging was the Family of Shining Armor, Cadance and Flurry, joined by Sunburst, Flash Sentry and some surviving Crystal Ponies.
"Flurry!" Luster Dawn ran to hug the girl. "You're okay!"
"Only on the outside," Flurry said as she returned the hug, followed by some tears. "Johnny told us everything. About Uncle Peter, and Aunt Twilight, and Mayday..."
"I miss them too," Luster Dawn said and pulled back. "I'm here for you though, and I'll stay by your side."
Flurry wiped her eyes and forced a smile, "Thanks Dawn."
"Already been briefed, huh?" Logan asked.
"I...want justice," Shining Armor said with venom in his voice. "I want to find the ones who took my sister from me!"
"You'll get yer justice," Logan said.
Nearby, the scholar Sunburst was seen to be very depressed, "Is it true? About Starlight Glimmer?"
"It's true," Sugar Belle confirmed, the mare with her village friends. "She's gone."
"I see..." Sunburst wiped his eyes. "Any hope of rekindling our old bond is gone then. It's my fault for barely seeing her but..."
"Hey, she was busy too, and couldn't leave Ponyville for a long while," Sugar Belle said. "Otherwise she would have gone to jail."
"Blame Stark for that one," Johnny said.
"Need I remind you that she teamed with Loki and tried to kill you once?" Tony said. "She got off easy."
"Okay, enough," Logan said. "Now ain't the time to bring up pointless stuff. What matters is that Dash and Torch got the Crystal Empire family and some followers."
"It wasn't easy," Rainbow Dash said. "Especially once those creeps showed up."
Everyone recalled what happened just earlier. While Johnny and Rainbow Dash were preparing to help everyone leave, Dormammu had returned to the Crystal Empire, and he was not alone.
Wesker had made his grand return alongside Juri, Vergil and Tron, eager to take back the city he once controlled.
The villains were quick to make their mark, and things went downhill from there for the heroes as they scrambled to escape.
Upon hearing about this, all the traveling ponies were seen as scared and worried for what had happened.
"The Crystal Empire fell!?" Pinkie asked.
"Unfortunately, yes," Shining Armor said. "We were already weak from one attack, the villains just finished what they started."
"These were the only survivors," Rainbow Dash said. "Those guys took no prisoners when they invaded."
"Bastards..." Logan said.
"Also...we found a few others on our way back here," Rainbow Dash said.
Stepping out of the balloon were the trio of Venom, Doc Ock and Discord. Needless to say, not many seemed happy to see the three.
"I know that guy!" Silverstream gestured to Doc Ock. "He was there when my Kingdom got attacked! And when my father was killed!"
"That guy attacked Griffonstone!" Gabby said as she gestured to Venom.
"Figures they wouldn't accept us," Venom said. "Not that I'm surprised, we did mistakenly hurt them."
"What do you mean 'mistakenly'!?" Silverstream shouted in fury. "How do you mistakenly hurt innocent people!?"
"Hey, we were under the impression that all of you were the villains," Venom said. "Have you seen those Griffons? What a greedy bunch! One of them even sold out Spider-Man to save his own feathers."
"Well Gallus is a jerk, so of course he'd do that!" Gabby said.
"You know I can hear you, right?" Gallus asked.
"Be quiet!" Gabby shouted.
Gallus turned to Sandbar in disbelief, "Can you believe this?"
"She's just stressed," Sandbar said.
"I know, but still, rude," Gallus replied.
"Listen, we do apologize for what we've done," Doc Ock said. "And we know you may not forgive us but-"
"Oh we definitely won't forgive you," Wade said. "After what you did, and what you caused, your apology doesn't mean a fucking thing to us right now!"
"Especially one from you!" Applejack said, gesturing to Discord.
"Who? Me?" Discord asked.
"Yeah you! Yer the miserable varmint that caused all this in the first place!" Applejack shouted. "Because of you, mah little sister is dead!"
"Mine too!" Shining Armor said. "And both my brother-in-law, and my niece!"
"And my Aunt Celestia!" Cadance added.
"And my older brother!" Rumble continued.
"I know what I did was terrible, but this isn't what I planned," Discord said. "It was supposed to be a smaller group, I had no idea it would grow as much as it did! I even tried making sure certain individuals wouldn't come to avoid making the situation worse but the whole thing got away from me the moment Doctor Doom showed up with Wesker, then Loki came along..."
"We don't want to hear your excuses," Bobby said.
"No one is going to forgive what you did," Bon Bon said.
"You may have 'lost control' but you still played your part in destroying our livelihoods!" Rarity said.
"We hate you!" Luster Dawn shouted.
Many of the ponies and heroes voiced their frustrations, to which Fluttershy stepped in. "Okay, that's enough. What Discord did was bad, but try to compose yourselves."
"Only you could see the good in someone like that, Fluttershy," Applejack said.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm still angry myself," Fluttershy said. "But, these three are not our enemies. Remember, two of them tried to save Mayday."
"Yeah, we wouldn't want a kid to get hurt," Venom said, "She didn't do anything wrong."
"I couldn't live with myself if I did nothing," Doc Ock said.
"See? They have good in them, and that should be nurtured," Fluttershy said. "It worked for Taskmaster."
"'Huh!? 'Ey don't lump me in as some goody two-shoes," Taskmaster said.
"Let's just try to get along for now until we reach Klugetown," Fluttershy said. "Can we manage that?"
Despite some hesitation, everyone collectively agreed to Fluttershy's terms, albeit reluctantly.
"Alright, move yer asses then, we gotta go," Logan said.
"This way," Felicia said as she continued leading everyone along.
Johnny took a look around, worry running through his mind. "I had hoped Reed, Sue and Ben would have come along. Where'd they go?"
In the Capcom World's Portal room, many of the fighters were back on their feet. Chun-Li, Spencer, Strider, Ken, Cammy, Leon and Jill were properly recovered, and ready to do more.
The Ninja Turtles also had recovered, and felt a sense of dread knowing that Shredder was part of this.
"Think it's our fault that Shredder showed up?" Mikey asked. "What if the bad guys got him because they were worried about us?"
"Whatever the reason, we need to do what we can to save everyone," Leo said. "We've fought Shredder before, and we'll do it again."
"That you will," Chun-Li said as she passed by the brothers. "And we'll help."
Leo bowed to Chun-Li, "I regret making your problems more complicated."
"Please rise, Leonardo," Chun-Li said. "The only ones at fault are Bison, Doom and all those other miscreants."
"Still, this poses another problem," Miguel said as he walked by with Miles. "Just as we can access the multiverse for allies, so can they. The last thing we need is a Multiverse of Madness happening here."
"Multiverse of Madness?" Mikey asked. "That sounds like a cheesy action fantasy movie."
"Really? I asked Doctor Strange and he thought it was clever," Miguel said. "But that ain't the point here. We can't risk endangering the multiverse over something like this."
"That is correct," Cammy said as she walked over. "We do not want any of the Justice League's enemies showing up. However, I did hear talk of Lex Luthor being aware of what's going on."
"Lex Luthor?" Miguel asked. "Ugh, just what we shocking need. That's one of the worst guys that we can deal with from that world."
"Let us not panic, the odds of him finding this particular part of the multiverse are slim," Cammy said. "He may know I'm from Capcom, but there's hundreds if not thousands of different Capcoms."
"Still, I'm not taking any chances," Miguel said. He called over to his fellow scientist. "Richards, how is the stability?"
At the control center, Reed was viciously rummaging through the computers, "Everything is stable, so far no sign of any multiversal dangers."
"I'm almost surprised you're here," Leo said. "Shouldn't you have gone with your Brother-In-Law?"
"That would not have been wise," Reed said. "I had to get away from Doom for the time being, and if I traveled with the Ponyville refugees, he would have targeted them to get to me. He is to me what Shredder is to you, and he would have stopped at nothing until I was dead."
"What did you do to the guy?" Raph asked.
"Let's just say I could have been a better person than I once was," Reed said. "In the end, sometimes we make our own worst enemies."
"Sorry you're going through that," Leo said.
"It's fine..." Reed said. "Now if you don't mind, I need to get some work done."
"Let us know if there's anything we can do to help," Miles said.
"If you need computer assistance, I am at the ready," Donnie said.
"I'll keep that in mind," Reed continued working. "Right now, I will handle this."
"Speaking of geniuses, where's Peni?" Miles asked.
"And that twin-tailed fox?" Donnie asked.
"They're both in Sega," Chun-Li said. "Tails needs to help Sonic and his friends clean up the villains' mess, and Peni went to help."
"She seems quite fond of that fox," Cammy said.
"Well he is cute..." Chun-Li blushed a bit. "Sometimes, I kind of want to cuddle with him."
"Ha, you're such a girl," Mikey joked, regretting it the moment Chun-Li glared at him. "I was just kidding!"
Chun-Li turned and left, with Cammy following after her. Once the ladies left, Raph turned his attention to Mikey, "Bonehead."
"Bro, do I look like a mirror?" Mikey taunted. This resulted in a scuffle between the brothers.
"Hey! Knock it off!" Donnie scolded as he tried pulling them apart.
"Now isn't the time for this!" Leo scolded as well.
Not too far off, Cammy was looking back and laughing at the scuffle. "Boys can be so silly. Still, it's kind of adorable how close they are, isn't that right Chun-Li?" She didn't hear anything, only some sniffles. "Chun-Li?"
She could see the Interpol Agent wiping some tears from her eyes, this immediately worrying the Delta Red woman.
"Chun-Li? What's wrong?" Cammy checked on her friend.
"Sorry, I shouldn't be crying," Chun-Li said. "It's just...I can't stop thinking about what happened yesterday."
"Chun-Li, you don't need to be sad," Cammy said. "We saw Sunset, and she said everyone's alive."
"She also said that Peter was hurt," Chun-Li said as she folded her arms in sadness. "I just feel like it's our fault that this happened. If we kept better tabs on our own enemies, they wouldn't be a burden for Peter, someone who already has enough enemies of his own. I keep wondering what if one day, he stops being so lucky? What if that luck does run out?"
"It hasn't though," Cammy said.
"But it might!" Chun-Li insisted. "What if Peter does die regardless!? All because we allowed danger to come to his home!? I just..." Chun-Li wiped her eyes some more. "I'm tired of seeing him suffer. He's a really nice guy, a great husband and a loving father. He deserves to be happy more than anyone I know. If he dies because of our world, then how do I live with that?"
"Chun-Li," Cammy pulled her shirt up to show her scar. "I survived this. I should have been dead, but I survived. If I can pull through, then so can Peter." She released her shirt, "He's one of the strongest men we know, we just need to have faith in his abilities."
"Yeah...you're right," Chun-Li said.
"Gee, if you're getting this emotional over Peter, I have to wonder how you felt when you thought I died?" Cammy asked.
"Honestly, I was devastated," Chun-Li said. "I had to keep it together because Sunset was already overly emotional. She thought she got you killed, and I wanted to be strong for her sake."
"Come on, she seriously blamed herself?" Cammy asked. "I knew what I was signing up for. Guile and Carlos knew too. They would not want Sunset blaming herself for what happened."
"I know, but Sunset needs to know that," Chun-Li said.
"I'll have a word with her when I can," Cammy said. "Still, would you have cried for me?"
"Stop fishing for compliments," Chun-Li said.
Cammy shrugged it off, "Couldn't hurt to ask. But if it were me, I probably would have been quite sad. I really admire you, Chun-Li."
"Feeling's mutual," Chun-Li said. "Now come on, let's round up the boys."
"Right," Cammy said as she went to reunite with her allies.
Back in Equestria, Cozy Glow was sitting in the Headmare's Office of what was once the School of Friendship.
With the world being taken over, one place Cozy Glow wanted was the School, something she believed was hers.
However she was distracted by some pictures she had, which reminded her of her old happiness.
"Golly, why does everyone I love end up leaving me?" Cozy Glow sadly wondered as she looked at one picture. "Sandy...I still love you. But, you never noticed me, only Ocellus. Someone I thought was my friend." She looked at another picture. "Sonata...I'm really sorry. I never wanted anything to happen to you."
She glanced more at the picture, it was a simple one of the two that Mysterio was nice enough to take. Tears formed in her eyes as they fell onto the frame.
"I loved you so much. When I got sent to Tartarus, you took me in without question," Cozy Glow hugged the picture as she continued to cry. "I'm so sorry, if I could bring you back, I would in a heartbeat." She wiped her tears. "All this power isn't as fun without you here."
Cozy Glow continued to cry in what she thought was private. Unknown to her, Aria was standing outside the door. She had come to check on Cozy Glow, but she overheard everything, and she too felt a sense of loss.
"Dammit Sonata...look what you left behind," Aria wiped her eyes. "Why did you have to be so damn stupid? Cozy Glow needed you, and I...I needed you too. I loved you..."
Aria held her tears, because she had something she knew she needed to do. Knocking lightly, she walked into the room, catching the filly's attention.
"Aria!?" Cozy Glow quickly placed the picture away. "Sorry, I was just...hey, what's wrong?" Cozy Glow could see tears in the girl's eyes, the girl who failed to suppress her emotions because her instincts were in full effect.
In one swift motion, Aria trotted over to hug Cozy Glow, this taking the filly by surprise. Aria hadn't been as nice to her as Sonata had, yet this feeling she felt was a very positive one.
"It's okay to miss her, I miss her too," Aria said as she gently stroked Cozy's head. "I miss Sonata, and I even miss Herman. He was a grouch but, I could tell he cared. He was that big brother who acted tough but was soft deep down."
Cozy Glow hadn't forgotten about Shocker. She too admired him, and at least found him funny. "Why? Why did Sonata and Herman have to do what they did? Why did they get themselves killed?"
"I don't know, but we can't help what happened," Aria said. "It's alright, because I'll be here for you. I promise, you won't be alone."
Cozy Glow slowly returned Aria's hug, wanting nothing more than her comfort.
They weren't the only ones thinking about the two. At the front of the school, Adagio along with Electro, Mysterio and Martin Li were gazing at the spot where the Library was destroyed. Their minds were filled with conflict and confusion. But in the end, they believed that they did what needed to be done, aside from one.
"Peter...if only things were different," the inner thoughts of Martin Li said. "I'm so sorry my boy."
Back on Earth, Celestia was standing in the backyard, the mare looking really worried about her predicament.
"I shouldn't be here," Celestia said. "I should be back home."
"Well you're not," Herman said, the man laying against a lawn chair outside while drinking a bottle of beer. "So I suggest you stop moping."
"Besides, you brought this on yourself," Sonata said, also laying down while munching on some chips. "Next time, don't do stupid things."
"You two are quite bold to speak like this, given that you played your part in this travesty," Celestia said.
"Whatever," Sonata said. She then spotted Twilight coming outside with Sunset. "Oh look, a Princess reunion. Or rather a Princess and a Reject."
"Oh shut up," Sunset said.
"Well you two seem to be enjoying yourselves," Twilight said. "Out here relaxing despite the situation."
"What else can I do?" Sonata asked. "Until I get back to Equestria, I have to make the most of things here."
Twilight shrugged it off and turned to Celestia "How are you feeling, Princess?"
"I'm not sure what to feel," Celestia said. "Everything is so different. In time, I will be human, but how will I fair as one?"
"It's not that different, you just walk on two legs and have the option to eat meat," Sonata said. "Speaking of which, I could go for some tacos!"
"Wanna find a local Taco Bell later?" Herman asked.
"Sounds fun," Sonata said.
"You two should not be leaving the premises," Twilight said.
"Fine, we'll have it delivered," Herman said. "Or we can have Eris summon some."
"Someone mention me?" Eris asked as she appeared out of nowhere, startling everyone.
"Jesus, lady!" Herman shouted.
"Eris, you're back," Twilight said.
"I'm just here to make sure you're doing well, and that you have food," Eris said.
"There isn't enough," Sonata said as she chugged down some soda. "I need more."
"Some more beer too while you're at it, and pizza," Herman said. "New York style."
"You'll get what you get," Eris said, then focused on Celestia. "Oh, I see you're still a pony."
"It's taking a while for me to transform," Celestia said. "I wish I knew why."
"Let me speed it up," Eris said, then snapped her fingers. Soon enough Celestia began changing right in front of Twilight's eyes. Within seconds, her pony form took the shape of a human. However when the light dissipated, Celestia looked different than expected.
She was human indeed, but she was missing something.
"Am I human?" Celestia asked. "I feel a strange draft."
Twilight and Sunset blushed in reaction while Sonata stifled a laugh. Herman awkwardly looked away as Eris looked seemingly embarrassed.
"Whoops, guess you took shape without clothes," Eris said, then snapped some on the ground for Celestia. "Oh well, time to help the others."
Eris disappeared, leaving a panicked Twilight behind. "Princess! You need clothes!"
"Huh?" Celestia could tell she was exposed and immediately covered up. "This feels unnatural!"
"That's quite the sexy body you have, Princess," Sonata teased.
Herman quickly stood up, "I'll leave you with some privacy." He immediately ran off, leaving everyone alone.
"Someone's shy," Sonata said, then turned back to Celestia. "Kind of pissed that you have wider hips than me though."
"Seriously!? "Twilight asked.
"Wait...is Eris going to 'help' the others?" Sunset asked.
Twilight's eyes dilated in fear, "Oh no..."
While a lot of this was happening outside, in Peter's room, the boy was still asleep. He had a tough expression on his face.
The boy was half naked as Trixie, Starlight and Autumn Blaze washed him with some sponges and rags.
"Why are we doing this?" Trixie asked.
"We're splitting the work," Starlight said. "Twilight trusts us to handle Peter while she and Sunset work on some plans for us to return to Equestria."
"Peter does a lot for us, the least we can do is make sure he's clean and that he has food in him," Autumn Blaze said. "Even if it's difficult to feed someone in a coma."
"Twilight has her ways," Trixie said.
Starlight looked down at Peter, the hero with a very serious expression on his face. "He's so serious. In the past whenever I saw Peter napping, he always seemed so relaxed. But now..."
"It's like he's still fighting," Trixie said.
"Poor Peter," Autumn Blaze said. "I hate seeing him like this."
"Me too, but we'll fix this," Starlight said.
Not too long later, Eris had appeared in the room. "Your turn."
"Huh?" Trixie turned to see Eris snapping her fingers as the three girls began to transform. Within seconds, the three were human, but unfortunately, lacked the necessary clothes needed.
"Uh...why do I suddenly feel exposed?" Trixie asked. She tried standing properly but she lost her balance. "Gonna fall!"
"Trixie!" Starlight tried to help, same with Autumn Blaze but all three girls fell on the bed and on top of Peter, each of them scrambling to get back to normal.
"This is worth a picture," Eris said, then took a moment to snap a picture and left.
All three girls were scrambling on the bed, each stopping a moment to realize that they were all naked and exposed.
"Don't look!" Trixie covered herself with a pillow.
"So embarrassing!" Starlight covered herself with a blanket.
"...I feel fine," Autumn Blaze said. Suddenly the door opened, revealing it to be Mayday.
"Uh...what's going on?" Mayday asked. She had one more question, "Why do you have large bumps on your chests?"
"...Twilight!" Trixie called.
Meanwhile in their room, Thunderlane was talking to Lightning Dust about their situation.
"I hate that we have to stay here, Rumble probably thinks we're dead," Thunderlane said. "And Felicity...I gotta get my daughter."
"Listen, we'll be fine, we just have to put up with this a bit more," Lightning Dust caressed his face. "Until then, just try to chill."
"I don't have your optimism, babe," Thunderlane said.
"Then let me be optimistic for you," Lightning Dust said as she pressed herself against Thunderlane. "Peter will be back to normal, and ready to fight. You and I will fight by his side and save Equestria."
"Yeah, we'll do that," Thunderlane said.
"Damn right," Lightning Dust said. As she leaned in for a kiss, Eris popped and and snapped them both into a human form.
Suddenly Thunderlane was standing on two legs, trying to keep his balance while Lightning Dust found herself propping against her boyfriend.
"Whoa!" Lightning Dust was trying to keep her balance when she realized. She and Thunderlane were not only human, but fully naked.
"Hey, what's going..." Franklin opened the door and spotted the two, especially Lightning Dust as the girl had her back to Franklin. Seconds later he fainted on the ground, worrying Lightning Dust.
"Guess I was too sexy for him," Lightning Dust commented.
"Now isn't the time for that!" Thunderlane said. "We really need pants!"
A nearby door was opened by Apple Bloom, "What in tarnation is going on!?"
"Seriously!" Rogue was also in the room. "Stop making so much dang noise!"
Eris appeared beside Apple Bloom and snapped her into a human form, leaving her bipedal, imbalanced and naked.
"Huh?" Apple Bloom looked down, "What's dangling from mah chest? And...why do ah feel so exposed?"
Rogue looked just as surprised, but knew just what to do. "So...do you fancy panties or boxers?"
"Huh?" Apple Bloom asked.
"ERIS!" Twilight shouted the moment she got upstairs.
From above, Eris happily snapped her fingers, "Well that's done, now for the next part. Training. It's going to be brutal."
Twilight managed to get everything under control, though needless to say, among this chaotic drama, at least her mind was way away from the drama in Equestria.
More work needed to be done however, and soon the heroes would need to strike back.