The Guardians of... High School!?

Chapters

Heroes Beyond the Stars
First Day
Meeting
Private Conference
Never Give a Raccoon Coffee
Under the Stars
I Am Groot
Half-Time
Armed and Ready

Heroes Beyond the Stars

Star-Lord fell to the ash covered ground, him and his team having escaped the crashed ship. Quill grunted, doing his best to muster as much energy as possible in order to continue the fight. He pushed himself up with his fists and stood up.

He saw his allies. His friends. All of them worn down. All of them looking beaten. He saw Drax, Gamora. Rocket... Groot. He saw the furry creature kneel down, grabbing all the branches and remains of his best friend, the tree alien having used his entire body as a literal shield to protect them from the fall.

Star-Lord saw Rocket in near tears, scavenging what was left of his friend and placing them in a neat pot. Even he felt pity for the alien, remembering his innocent and kindhearted nature. And his last words echoed in his head.

"We are Groot."

Drax put a sympathetic hand on the furry creature's shoulder, showing that he too felt saddened by their loss. Gamora closed her eyes and chose not to say anything.

But now was not the time to dwell on that as much as Quill hated to admit it. Their battle wasn't over yet. The Nova Corps had to round up the citizens for an escape, and very few battleships remained in the sky of Xandar, whether it be ally or enemy. For standing before them and still as powerful as ever was their enemy.

Ronan the Accuser.

Ronan had a purple glow covering him. No thanks to the Power Stone he wielded in his hammer. He raised it over his head, the remaining civilians watching in awe and terror. "Your salvation is at hand!" Ronan boasted for all to hear.

Peter knew he had to act. But there was little to no options left. He wasn't cut out for this hero business, and he admitted it. Lightly dusting himself off he faced the Accuser with a terrible distraction. One that would no doubt cause him to stop.

As Ronan ranted, Star-Lord began to sing, "Ooh child... Things are gonna get easier..." he danced while singing, flailing his arms about and wagging a finger in Ronan's direction. This surprisingly made Ronan stop his ranting and lower his hammer. "Ooh child, things will get brighter..." continued the Legendary Outlaw.

"Listen to these words." Quill halted for a moment, "Ooh child... Things are gonna get easier..." even the other heroes were confused by this sudden act. "Ooh child, things will get brighter..." he shuffled in his movement as he yelled.

"Now bring it down! Hard!" Star-Lord continued to shuffle. "Sunny day..."

Ronan gave the outlaw a confused look, "What are you doing?"

Star-Lord smiled, "Dance off, bro! Me and you!" he kicked a leg up and waved an arm. He twisted his body and pointed to Gamora, who remained still.

After a moment of silence, Quill moved his hand, "Subtle. Take it back." he moved his arms around once more.

Ronan spoke again, yelling this time as loud as he could, "What. Are you. Doing?!"

"I'm distracting you, ya big turd blossom!" Star-Lord revealed.

Turning around, Ronan the Accuser saw Drax and Rocket, both of them armed and pointing a gun at him. They pulled the trigger as fast as they could. But they weren't aiming for him like they anticipated. No, they were aiming for something else.

The stone on his hammer.

The beam hit the stone and hammer, shattering it as the purple glow on it remained in midair. Star-Lord leaped and dived forward, an arm out so he could catch the gem before Ronan. He knew the risk he was taking, evident by Gamora's scream. The energy of the Infinity Stone could potentially kill him.

Star-Lord caught them stone, his body hitting the floor. And his hand glowing bright purple as he grasped the artifact. Sparks began to flymout of his hand as he screamed in pain, trembling on his side, holding his glowing hand.

He stood up, seeing purple energy overtake the area. But luckily, he wasn't alone. He had the others. Drax, Rocket, and Gamora all did their best to stay alive in this surge. Quill's face began to distort and bleed profusely. Ronan could only watch what was happening, unable to react to this.

"Peter!" Gamora yelled, seeing her new friend trying to fight off the pain of the Infinity Stone. His face began to distort into a purple aura as he turned his head. "Take my hand!"

But Peter didn't see Gamora. No... He saw his mother. Her very last words to him back when he was a child. "Mom..." he whispered, feeling as though he was beyond the universe. Gamora's voice echoed again and snapped him back to reality. The distorted purple energy vortex that he was in.

He took Gamora's hand, and by doing this, shared the energy output of the stone, prompting her to scream in pain. Ronan continued to watch as Drax held his other hand while Rocket held onto the Destroyer's finger, his other hand holding the pot with Groot's remains. All of them sharing the power of the stone. By doing this, the pain subsided, the gem able to contain its power within each of them.

"You're mortal? How?" Ronan asked.

Star-Lord growled, "You said it yourself, bitch! We're the Guardians of the Galaxy!"

"No!" shouted the Kree Accuser, leaning forward. But when he did this, Quill opened his palm, exerting more energy of the gem. But something strange happened.

When he did this, the energy vortex got bigger. Gamora yelled, "What is happening, Quill!?"

"A-Ah, I'm not sure! Where's the off button?" Peter wondered, feeling the energy of the Infinity Stone grow more powerful. Their screams were heard as the energy overtook them by surprise.

Then, a flash of purple. A lot vanished. From the Guardians themselves, to Yondu and the Ravagers, even Ronan, Nebula and what was left of their army as well as the ships. Nova Prime looked at the scene in distraught. She feared that the worst has happened to them. But it wasn't the end for the so-called Guardians of the Galaxy.

What she didn't know was that another adventure was about to begin for them.

Sunset Shimmer closed the journal, the cover being that of a cartoony looking sun. With a sigh, she looked back, seeing her friends. "Well, girls. I guess we gotta wrap this marathon up. We gotta get some rest for school."

Rainbow Dash grunted, "Aw man, I can't believe the weekend's over already."

Twilight Sparkle adjusted her glasses, "I don't know why you're upset Rainbow. We have a test in Geometry that I'm looking forward to taking." she wondered.

"Uh... I think yer the only one lookin' forward to takin' it, Twi." Applejack corrected with a light chuckle.

"Oh, hush, Applejack. If Twilight's looking forward to it, why shouldmwe interfere?" Rarity asked.

"I-I just want to pass..." Fluttershy whispered.

Sunset smiled, "It's gonna be easy. I've been studying for the past week or so."

"Easy for you, maybe." muttered Rainbow with a huff. She turned her head, "What do you think, Pinkie?" surprisingly, the cyan-skinned girl got no response from the usually hyperactive girl looking out the window, "Pinkie?"

Pinkie jumped in her spot, "Whoops! Sorry, Rainbow! I got distracted by those shooting stars! They were all glowing different colors, but I didn't know they could do that so I wanted to watch to see what would happen!" she said.

"...Right." Rainbow replied.

Sunset folded her arms, "Well, you made a wish?" at Pinkie's nod, she continued, "Hopefully it comes true then." she yawned, "Huh. Guess I'm more tired than I thought."

Applejack stood up and prompted her friends to do the same, "Than I guess we'd best let ya rest. See ya in the mornin', Sunset." she and the others waved off, opening and closing the door.

"God damn it..."

Star-Lord awakened, holding his sore head as he lied face first on what felt like hardened concrete. Scratch that. Every part of his body felt sore. Wishing that it was a hangover, he sat up, the whole world spinning around him.

"Quill...?" muttered a female voice that Peter recognized.

"G-Gamora..." blurted out Star-Lord, shaking the cobwebs out of his head as fast as he could.

"Y-Ya got some explainin' to do, Quill." the human recognized that gruff voice. "I feel like I drank back on Knowhere."

"Sorry, Rocket." apologized Star-Lord, staggering up to his feet as slowly as he could. "I have no freaking idea."

The outlaw shielded the sun from his eyes. "This is quite a strange location." he heard Drax say. The destroyer folded his arms, "This better be a good spot to continue my revenge."

"Maybe, Drax... Maybe." Star-Lord whispered.

"I am Groot." said a light voice.

That prompted Quill to stop what he was doing to acknowledge it. "A-Am I going crazy, or did I just hear 'I am Groot' being muttered in a very high-pitched voice?"

Rocket looked down, seeing a twig grow in the dirt of the pot he kept. He saw a face and it move its branches like arms. A smile on its face, "I am Groot!"

The furry creature couldn't contain his joy and held up the pot, "Groot, buddy! Don't ever do that to me again!"

"I can't believe it. Groot's alive!" Quill cheered.

Even Drax grinned, "Truly an event to celebrate. But there's something more important to be concerned about."

"Drax is right. What happened back there? And this doesn't look like Xandar." Gamora added. "That Infinity Stone is more unstable than I took it for."

Speaking of, Peter tried to reach for it. But he couldn't find it anywhere. Only the orb in which it was contained in when he found it. "Ah, crap. It vanished."

"What do you mean it vanished?" Rocket growled.

Holding his head, Star-Lord relied, "It vanished. It's gone. Not in my possession! I don't know how else to explain it in English or whatever it is you speak without the translator."

"Of course, can't be easy for us can it?" Rocket grumbled.

"I am Groot." Groot chimed in.

"How was I supposed to know this would happen?!" Rocket asked.

While the two bickered, Star-Lord looked beyond the horizon. "Huh. It kinda looks like Earth. If Earth looked like the set of a kid-friendly Saturday morning cartoon."

"What is a cartoon?" Drax asked.

"I'll tell you when the time comes." Quill replied. "So, there's a statue, well, what's left of it. Makes me wonder what planet this is."

"Certainly not one I've been to." Gamora added.

"Oh, there are people walking into this building. Quite a number too. I wonder why--"

Star-Lord was about to finish talking, but the sound of a loud ringing made him pause and the other Guardians to hold their aching ears. Once the ringing faded, Rocket yelled. "What the hell was that annoying sound? Got a clue?"

"I am Groot?"

"No, it wasn't a siren. This time." the raccoon answered.

Gamora turned to face Quill, who was frozen stiff. "Do you have an idea, Peter?" when he didn't respond, she spoke again. "Quill?" again no answer or anything.

Drax waved a hand in front of the human's face, "I think we broke him. Quite an accomplishment."

When he saw the outside was empty, Star-Lord got to his knees, closed his eyes, balled his hands into fists and screamed all of his rage to the heavens.

"NNOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Author's Note

Heavy rewrite to better fit the tone. Second chapter's gonna have minor changes to account for these alterations. Story is still the same otherwise though.

First Day

"Okay, Quill. That's enough." Gamora scolded, getting annoyed by Peter's lengthy scream of rage into the heavens. She patted the man on the shoulder, gesturing for him to stand up. Once Peter was done screaming, he inhaled, out of breath from his moment of being dramatic.

A grunt escaped Quill's lips as he got to his feet from his knees, placing his hands on his hips. "Ugh. Sorry about that." he apologized, dusting his pants off.

Rocket twitched, "What the hell kinda reaction was that?"

Placing a hand on his head, Quill decided to explain himself, "Alright... I-It's just... School sucks. Okay?"

"School? That's what this is about?" Gamora questioned.

Quill held his head. "You guys don't understand. Back on Earth, it was the most boring eight hours of a child's life. You just sit there and learn things you don't need to remember! It was torture on a scale that would even surprise Ronan!"

Drax raised a brow, "Did you not leave Earth when you were a child? It seems pathetic to whine over something you never had to deal with again."

Star-Lord sighed, "A part of me is grateful that Yondu took me in. Because I got to learn cool crap, like how to fly a spaceship! No more third-grade math for me."

"You were eight freakin' years old, Quill!" Rocket grunted, "Get over school. Plus, we don't even have to go in that building. We're just here because reasons. Wait. Why are we even here in the first place? It's a school!"

"I am Groot."

"Well, no crap that stupid rock sent us here." Rocket replied to his tree friend. "It's just a matter of figurin' out what to do now that we are here!" he said.

Gamora crossed her arms, "We're not going to get answers just standing here. Perhaps it'd be wise if we entered. At least then we can get some answers."

Drax raised a hand, "I volunteer to enter first. I wish to learn more about this school, whatever it is supposed to be anyway."

Quill put his hands behind his head, "Yeah. You do that. I promised myself to never step foot in a school ever again. Plus, no offense to Rocket or Groot, but we don't even know if he or Groot can get inside in the first place. I only saw humans. At least, rainbow colored humans. And I think one of them literally had rainbow hair, but don't quote me on that yet."

"I will now." Drax quipped.

Star-Lord crossed his arms, "Alright. If you want the best information, go to the principal's office or something. Just don't get into any trouble with the students. Kids can be cruel and well, the last thing I need to hear is that a bunch of teenagers pissed you off or vice versa."

Gamora and Drax hopped off the roof of the building onto the concrete, landing perfectly on their feet. The two assassins looked at the building, surprised by its bright architecture and the horse statue, or what was left of it standing across from the doors. The Guardians stepped inside hoping to gain more information.

On the roof, Quill sat down on the edge of the building and put his hands on his lap. "Ah. It kinda looks like home. Except more colorful." he said, looking over the distance. "Okay. I do not remember Earth looking this bright and happy."

"Are ya really that much of a baby, Quill?" Rocket asked, taking a seat next to his ally. "To the point where you would flat out refuse to step into a building? It's a school! You don't even have to enroll in it!"

Star-Lord rolled his eyes, "It's the principle of the thing, Rocket. Plus, if Gamora and Drax really need help in there, I'm not gonna leave them hangin'. But like you said, it's a school. Not a whole lot can happen in there."

"I am Groot." said Groot from his pot.

The Legendary Outlaw pointed a finger at the living tree, "Exactly. Once we figure out what happened, then we can worry about finding a way home with the gem."

"You are aware he asked you a different question, right?" Rocket asked.

"Huh?"

"Did anyone hear that strange noise earlier?" asked Rainbow Dash at her locker. She and her friends had a few minutes before class began and she waited with the rest of the group.

"Yeah... It was weird." Sunset commented.

"It sounded like someone screaming into the heavens over seeing a school." Pinkie added with a smile, reaching into her locker to grab the books needed for next class.

Twilight struggled to lift a stack of her own textbooks and notebooks, deciding to bring each and every single class around with her. "I-I'm not sure about that, Pinkie. I was theorizing that it was most likely the wind or a car."

"You need help there, Twi?" Rainbow asked sincerely.

Twilight exhaled, "Don't worry about me. I-I can handle this!"

It was at that moment, something nudged the bookworm, causing her to stagger and drop her books. Rainbow, Sunset and Fluttershy offered to help her friend. But they were surprised by a newcomer holding a textbook in his green palm. "My apologies." said the green-skinned stranger said before walking away with a green woman.

"Who... was that?" Sunset asked. The two strangers turned the corner and were out of the seven's sight.

"Ah don't think they should be in school." Applejack mumbled, putting her hands to her hips. "They darn look like aged cider."

Rarity put a finger to her chin, "At the very least he was kind enough to apologize to our dear Twilight."

"Yeah... But it makes you wonder why they're in here to begin with." Rainbow muttered. "Applejack was right. They did not look high school material. In fact, the guy looked like he could be our next gym teacher or something."

At the other side of the hall, Gamora nudged an elbow to Drax, "We've been in here for less than five minutes and you already almost made a mess of things."

"I did not make a mess. I helped clean it up." Drax responded, "But enough of that. We should find whoever the leader of this building at." he said.

Drax turned his head and saw a door, "Perhaps they wish to hide from us." he cracked his knuckles. "I will get the answers I need." he raised his foot to kick the door down, but Gamora stretched an arm out, halting her friend before anything else could be done. "Why have you stopped me?"

"Because I don't think they're hiding. It looks like all we have to do is enter the room." Gamora explained. "Quill said that there was a principal and that they'd tell us what we need to know."

"Fine. I will not break it." Drax sighed, turning the knob and pushing on the wooden door, opening it at last. He saw a white-skinned woman and blue-skinned woman sitting in a chair across from their desks. "Excuse me." said the Destroyer, placing his fists on the table as hard as he could without breaking it.

Principal Celestia gave Drax a half-lidded stare, "Let me guess, you wish to enroll here? I apologize, but you do not look to be of high-school age. I would need to see identification."

Gamora leaned on the wall, "Do not be ridiculous. We wish to learn of this world."

"Actually, I was hoping to enroll. The idea of school fascinates me." Drax added.

Shaking her head, Gamora continued, "Anyway, as you can tell, we do not belong here. We just wish to know where we're at and we'll be out of your way."

Vice-Principal Luna shook her head, "More outsiders from another world? Are you from a land called Equestria? We had a student from there."

"Do not be ridiculous. We come from outer space." the Destroyer corrected in a stoic tone. "I am Drax the Destroyer."

Celestia and Luna gave each other a confused glance, "...Right. What do you wish to know?" the former asked.

Meeting

Star-Lord sighed, awaiting Gamora and Drax to return. "Okay, they're taking too long." he heard Rocket say, raising his arms and yelling, his gruff voice echoing. "I might just head in there myself if they don't hurry up."

"Hold on, Rocket." Quill eased his comrade, "This is a school. They probably won't let raccoons or any animals in."

Rocket pointed an accusing finger at the human, "You callin' me a furball, Quill?"

Raising his hands defensively, Peter replied, "Of course not. But you're not a humanoid looking alien like Drax and Gamora. With them, we can just say they were on their way to a costume party or something and they're really into the contest. I kinda wish I had a bag or something to hide you and Groot in."

"Doesn't answer my question. Why can't I just waltz in there?" the furry creature asked again.

"Schools are weird like that. We'd definitely get some eyebrow raises and the last thing we need right now is to draw attention. Especially since we have no idea why we're here or how to get back." Star-Lord answered his friend.

"I am Groot." the little tree alien spoke.

Rocket nodded, "Yeah. Why is this such a big deal? We've wandered on different planets before with no problem, why is this so freaking different?" he wondered.

Quill shrugged, "Earth's not usually known for having extraterristrial visits. The last thing I want is for the government to take us in like in those movies I watched. Like I said, I don't know what's happening and we can get answers here as to where I'm at. I've never seen or heard of a town this bright and colorful." he rubbed his head, "Now why didn't I live here as a child?"

"Maybe because you were a child?" Rocket suggested.

The three Guardians looked down and heard something, seeing two green figures step out. "Oh, hey." Peter muttered. The outlaw pressed a button on his shoe, activating his jet thrusters. He carried Rocket, and in turn Groot as they slowly descended onto the concrete floor safely. He greeted the two assassins as he said, "So, what's the deal?"

"Go inside." Gamora ordered.

Star-Lord blinked, "What?"

Drax said, "I thought she was speaking clear. I can say it louder. Go inside!" he yelled it into Quill's ear, leaving a lingering ringing sound for him.

"I got it the first time, Drax. I just can't believe we're just allowed to wander in a school. What will the students say?"

Gamora responded, "They're all in class. So hopefully they won't be able to acknowledge us."

"Being in a room for such a long period of time with random strangers may not sound like a comfortable experience though." added Drax.

Star-Lord grinned, "Amd that's why I hate school. It's like prison."

Drax blinked, "But we did not learn in prison."

"I am Groot."

Rocket frowned, "Eh. It did bring us together. You're right on that, pal. But that's it."

Star-Lord put away his weapon and fixed his jacket so that it was hidden, "How about we head inside and get this over with? I probabky missed a lot since I was abducted."

A light shudder was heard from Quill upon walking through the hallways. "I never thought I would see any of this again in my lifetime. Then again I could use a good history lesson on what happened the past... uh, twenty-five years? To be honest I still can't tell space time anymore than when I was a kid."

"Put a sock in it, Quill. It's a school, we know you hate it, get over it." Rocket grumbled.

Star-Lord huffed, "Well, sorry. It's like my inner eight year old is trying to tell me it's a bad idea. Huh, now that we're in here, this looks more like a High School than grade-school. There are lockers and a bunch of classrooms like in those shows and movies." he commented.

"How could a school be high? Did you go to a low school?" Drax asked. "Is there a middle school as well?"

"Heh. Wasn't even in middle school. Got all my education from Yondu and space travel. So much better than class."

Groot looked up, "I am Groot."

"Yeah. Where the frag are we supposed to go anyway? There's so many goddamn doors!" Rocket yelled, translating his pal's question to get an answer.

Gamora answered, "The principal's office. They said they wished to speak with us considering our... origins. This isn't the first paranormal experience they've faced."

"Principal's office?" groaned Quill, "We've only been here for an hour and now we already have detention? That's one way to get answers."

Gamora ignored Peter's quip and opened the door to the principal's office, where she and Drax walked in first, followed by Rocket, Peter and Groot within the furry creature's hands. "You seem awfuly unfazed by this, sister." Luna whispered to Celestia, who shook her head upon seeing the ragtag team.

"After Princess Twilight, the Sirens, the Friendship Games, and our little camping trip. Magic and otherworldly beings have made me a little cynical." Celestia chuckled lightly.

"Uh, what?" Quill blurted out, overhearing the principal's comment.

Luna folded her arms, "I must say, when you mentioned friends, I did not expect this. You have brought a raccoon and a tree with a face in?"

"Who you callin' a raccoon, lady?" Rocket snarled, he sighed, "One day I better find out what a raccoon is and it better be good."

Celestia smiled, "You seem like quite the team."

Star-Lord laughed, "Yep. Honestly, this is less awkward than what I thought. So what do you want to talk about?' he thought, 'Alright, why is it that everyone I've seen so far has neon-colored skin? And eveything looks so... two-dimensional. I think I am in a cartoon.'

"Your presence. Do not worry, you're not in trouble." Celestia assured, glancing at her sister, "You see... We've had experience with... otherworldly beings and artifacts. It has caused quite an uproar at school. We've been keeping it isolate here for the protection of others."

'Magic. I did not believe such a thing to be real." Drax added.

Luna raised a brow, "How? Were you not from outer space?"

"Science." Rocket answered simply, "But the way we appeared could be magic."

Luna nodded, "And do tell... How have you shown up here?"

"Well... It's kind of a long story." Quill said.

The principal folded her hands, "We have time. Do go on."

Star-Lord inhaled, "Basically, we were about to stop a mad tyrant named Ronan the Accuser, who planned to use something called an Infinity Stone, it was called the Power Stone, to destroy the world or something. We ended his attack on Xandar with the Nova Corp by our side. I got a hold of the Power Stone and then as we were about to destroy him, we warped and then woke up here for no rhyme or reason. And that's just the abridged version."

The principal and vice-principal looked at one another in confusion, "Quite a story. Has anyone else come with you, is this Ronan still around?"

"Eh... We're not sure," Peter admitted nervously, "The reason we stopped here was to see where the heck we're at exactly. See, this is the first time I've been on Earth since I was a child. What city are we in?"

"Canterlot City." Celestia answered bluntly, "This is Canterlot High."

"Canterlot City...?" Quill repeated, "Never heard of it."

"Must be a new place then." Gamora commented.

Star-Lord nodded, "I'll figure that part out later." he shrugged off, "Now, what's this about magic or some junk again?"

Rocket put a hand to his head, "Oh now we're dealin' with this? We have enough to worry about."

"I actually have a group of students well-versed in this. Perhaps, I should bring them here." Celestia decided. She clicked a pen and wrote on a piece of paper, "They all have lunch period together, they can come then. Best not to interrupt class."

Leaning back on his chair, Star-Lord shrugged, "Eh. We can wait."

The sound of the bell ringing, made the five jump in surprise, with Peter leaning too far back on the chair and falling as a result, a book somehow planting itself on his face. "...Why?" he asked, his voice muffled.

"I am Groot."

"D-Did that tree just talk?" Luna asked.

Rocket and Drax snickered at the sight of their clumsy friend, "Oh, come on..." the outlaw muttered.

Standing up, Quill rubbed his sore head. Celestia chuckled, "It seems to be their lunch period now. I'll get them now. Be glad they didn't witness that."

Private Conference

The hallways, like always during times of class, were empty. At least, almost empty. For seven girls were called down and were already on their way to the principal's office. None were sure as to why they were being summoned, but some had a few theories as to why, all of which were somehow believable.

"Um... D-Did we get in trouble for something?" Fluttershy gulped meekly, not liking the idea.

Rainbow waved an assuring hand and wrapper an arm around her friend's shoulders, "Pssh. Yeah right. We did nothing wrong. As far as we're aware. This gotta be somethin' good, like another magical disturbance or whatever."

Sunset shrugged, "Could be a set of new students that need help and we're trusted?"

Rarity inquired, "Wouldn't that require just one of us to do?"

Twilight adjusted her glasses and put her hands back to the straps of the schoolbag around her shoulders, "Well, I'm with Fluttershy. I'd rather not get in trouble."

Applejack shook her head, "There ain't nothin' to worry about, sugarcube. Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna have nothin' against us. We did no wrong. Ah'm going with Rainbow's theory. Probably somethin' private that only we can take care of."

Pinkie raised a hand, "Time to place bets! I'm betting that this is a super duper secret meeting with new people and that we're the only ones who can understand it! Maybe it's aliens this time!"

Sunset chuckled, "Pinkie. If you think about it, I'm already an alien and so was Princess Twilight."

Twilight bit her lip, "If I may, Sunset." she began to explain for her friend, "Perhaps she's talking about more... extra-terrestrial beings moreso than a being from a parallel dimension."

"Aw, you're on Pinkie!" Rainbow agreed, "Better be aliens."

"The chances of it being aliens are slim to none, Dash." Applejack chuckled, "Sunset doesn't count in this case."

They reached the principal's office and Sunset reached for the knob, slowly turned it. None of them knew what awaited them, but they knew that it couldn't be too bad. So, with confidence, the redhead opened it at last. What greeted them inside nearly blew their minds.

They saw the two green people earlier, but the tan-skinned man, the racoon and the tree with a face in a pot within said raccoon's hands caught them off guard. "Hey... We saw the two of you earlier." Rainbow said casually to Gamora and Drax, who shared a confused glance with one another. "Didn't think you were eligible what with you lookin' ten years older than us."

"I do not understand what you are saying." Drax commented blankly to the rainbow-haired girl.

Star-Lord raised a brow, "This is who you called? They look like the cast of a cartoon I used to watch."

Fluttershy ignored Quill's words and looked down at the raccoon, "Aw... Aren't you the cutest little thing?" she cooed, reaching a hand out to the furry creature, who slapped it away instantly.

"Who you callin' cute, lady?" Rocket snarled, earning a gasp from the girls, who took a surprised step back upon hearing his loud, gruff and annoyed voice.

"Y-You can talk!" Rarity gasped.

Rocket gritted his teeth, "No duh, I can talk! Honestly, it's like you never saw an alien before."

"He's not wrong." came a muffled voice from Twilight's bag. A moment later, a purple head popped out. "Woo. It was getting muggy in there. What did I miss?" he turned his head and faced his friends, who were still processing what was happening.

"Miss Sparkle? Why is Spike in there?" Luna asked.

Twilight chuckled sheepishly, "S-Sorry, Vice-Principal Luna... I just can't leave Spike alone. Plus, since he can talk, you don't have to worry about him being unaware of our rules. I promise he's not a nuisance." she assured hastily.

Celestia grinned, "We will excuse you just this once, Twilight. Considering our unique circumstances."

Luna nodded, "Very well. It would be best if you all would get aquianted anyhow."

Spike cheered and hopped out of the bag and landed perfectly on the floor on all four paws. "Thanks! So... Who are all of you? And I have the strangest urge to growl at you..." he said to the raccoon alien, who huffed in response.

"Same to you, fido."

Quill smirked, "Name's Peter Quill. Also the Legendary Outlaw in the galaxy, Star-Lord. The most well-known person across the universe." he bragged.

"Who?" Pinkie asked. "I've never heard of you!"

Peter sighed and relented as the green-skinned female introduced herself, "Ignore his boasts. I'm Gamora. Uses to be called the 'Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy' for my... more than troublesome past." Gamora introduced, patting the sword strapped to her side. The cyan girl leaned down and got a closer look at it.

"So cool..." Rainbow muttered. A glare from the assassin, prompted her to stop reaching for the dangerous weapon, the girl giving Gamora an innocent sheepish grin.

Drax folded his arms, "They call me Drax the Destroyer. I seek vengeance on the one called Thanos for the death of my family. And also, nothing goes over my head."

"By vengeance, do you mean...?" Applejack asked worriedly, putting a finger and moving it around her throat.

Drax tilted his head, "Again, why would I put my finger on his throat? It just seems weird."

Quill groaned, "We've been over this pal. Just a metaphor. The same one I used when we met. Heh, feels like yesterday."

"How can it feel like yesterday? In actuality, it was about a week ago." Drax corrected.

Frowning, Peter sat back down, "And this is the part where I shut up." he muttered.

"I'm sorry to hear about your family." Fluttershy murmurmed.

Sighing, Drax lowered his head, "Thank you. One day I shall have proper revenge in their honor."

The raccoon decided to speak and began in a somewhat awkward tone as he spoke, "Name's Rocket... I, uh... I was some freaky experiment that broke out with my pal Groot here. Ain't that right, pal?" he asked his tree friend

"I am Groot!"

"Aw..." the girls, except Rainbow and Applejack, cooed upon hearing the baby plant alien.

"See, Groot and I had each other's backs for years now. Just don't get on my bad side." the furry alien warned.

"Sure." Spike said with a roll of his eyes.

"What about you?" asked Sunset to Groot.

"I am Groot." the tree replied.

"Uh, yeah, we know that." Rainbow reminded him, "Can you tell us anything else about yourself?"

Groot huffed and raised his tiny branch arms, "I am Groot!"

Chuckling, Rocket decided to explain, "Yeah. You should know this. Groot's vocabulary amounts to I and am and Groot in that order. Not much of a talker."

Twilight's jaw was agape, "Fascinating."

Peter Quill raised his hands and clapped them together, "And together we're the Guardians of the Galaxy! You're welcome, everyone!" he boasted, gesturing to the team.

"What a bunch of a-holes..." Rainbow muttered under her breath.

Pinkie grinned, "I'm so glad you're guarding our galaxy!"

"Well, it's not your galaxy, per se." Quill admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Should you use your magic to see if they're tellin' the truth?" Applejack asked the red-head.

Sunset whispered back, "Not sure. The whole protectors of space thing seems a bit weird. I may look into it."

Sunset didn't say anything and reached to touch Peter's shoulders. Star-Lord was obviously freaked out when her eyes began to look pupil-less and glow. "Woah! Okay, that's crazy. Is, uh... Is she alright?" he asked worriedly, pointing to the girl, who began to glow a little brighter.

"She's using magic to read your mind," Twilight explained.

Drax blurted out, "What?"

Inside of Star-Lord's head, Sunset saw many things. She saw the cosmos, the planets flowing within the black cosmos. Stars, spaceships. The girl looked at a person clad in drapes and armor wielding a glowing purple hammer. Sunset saw the Guardians fighting him in a purple storm before vanishing. It was then, she snapped back to reality, falling on her bottom as her brain tried to wrap what she just witnessed. "Woah..." she panted.

"What did you see?" Spike asked.

"Space..." Sunset gasped, "I saw an orange and blue ship... Planets, and someone wielding a hammer before you vanished. Who is he and why is he important...?"

Gamora frowned, "Than you know. That was Ronan the Accuser. As we were ending his tyranny on the planet Xandar, we ended up here somehow."

"Anything else, Sunset?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Quite a tale." Celestia muttered.

The red-haired girl held her now sore head, "Yeah... Everything was purple for some reason and you all looked terrible."

"The Infinity Stone Ronan had. With it, he could've destroyed the entire galaxy if he wanted. We got it out of his hammer and used its power to destroy him. Don't touch it." Quill warned. "It was dangerous as hell."

"Well, do you know where it is?" Twilight wondered.

"About that..." Quill gulped, "We have no clue. We didn't have it when we woke up here."

"So, there's a powerful artifact of destruction here somewhere? Isn't that rather unsafe?" Luna commented.

Rocket gritted his teeth, "We were gonna look for it soon! We just needed to know where we were at first! It's pretty much common sense to explore uncharted territory."

"Worked quite well when I found the orb on Magor." Quill quipped. "Plus, as far as we know, it's just us that wound up here, there's no way anyone else could as well. We were the ones holding the stone, so there's nothing to worry about at all. Yep."

Standing on the outskirts of a forest were a group of aliens. In front of them stood someone, older in appearance, but nontheless capable. He had a red mohawk, his teeth were dirty and his skin was blue. He wore a leather jacket and his hands were in his pockets. His eyes scowled, hearing the voice of one of his own. "You've gotten too soft for the boy, Yondu. Should'a killed him and not joined that war! Now we're in the middle of nowhere!"

"Calm yourself." Yondu ordered, putting his arms to his sides. "Only reason we worked with the boy was to get that orb out of his possession in the firstplace once Ronan was taken care of. Last we saw, he darn had it in his hands. Planted a tracker on 'em before this whole mess even started, just in case he'd try to do anything funny. Just a matter of getting there first."

In the distance was a city. It would probably take a couple hours to reach by foot, as they had no other method of transportation. Yondu looked on his wrist to check his tracker and faced his crew, "Quill should be in there. Gotta have the stone at least. Once we pry it from 'em and his new friends, we Ravagers are gonna get us quite a sum."

He heard cheers, but the blue alien was focused on his thoughts, placing his palms back in his pockets, 'Don't make this a fight boy-o. Just want what came for, and no one's gotta get hurt. But knowin' him, he's gonna be a stubborn ass. Like I taught him to be.'

Never Give a Raccoon Coffee

"If you insist everything's all right, then I guess we'll listen." Sunset decided, sitting on a chair. "What do you wish us to do Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna?" she asked.

Star-Lord nodded, "Yeah, why did you call them down here exactly again? I think this one by on some Infinity Stone drug what with her touching me and going a glowy eyed."

Celestia smiled, "They are able to harness magic, as mentioned before. Apparently, it all connects back to that other world, Equestria. They are gifted with unique abilities. And it is a good thing, otherwise there would be no one to deal with the sudden rift. Luckily, they are merely contained in this school."

"So, magic leaks and rifts, huh? How the heck did that happen?" Quill asked the girls, who, except Twilight and Spike, all turned their gaze to Sunset, who began to blush red in embarassment and shame was seen on her face as well. "Okay, are we doing some kind of staredown here?" he asked the others.

"I wonder the same thing. Is there something on her face?" Drax questioned, facing Sunset as well. "Though, it is quite red. Perhaps she is part tomato."

"The hell do you even know what a tomato is?" Rocket asked after a brief moment of awkward silence.

The red-haired girl sighed, "You don't want to know. I-It's something I don't look back fondly on."

"You kidding? We all have pasts that may be way worse than yours." Quill laughed off, "I told you earlier, I'm an outlaw. Or, was an outlaw, now I'm a superhero!" he gestured to himself with a confident grin and put a thumb to his chest.

Sunset exhaled, "Fine... I was bitter and jealous back in Equestria and ran here cause I thought I deserved everything. I came back to my home and stole a crown, a magic crown to be exact. By bringing it here, I exposed this world to Equestrian magic and as time passed, more threats began to present themselves, and we somehow manifested abilities as a result, somehow connecting us to our personalities. It's my fault the world's like this now and things could possibly get worse." her gaze fell to the ground, expecting harsh judgement, but none came.

"...That's it? I was expectin' some tragic backstory of hatred and abuse and all that to where ya finally snapped and said screw it all. Compared to us, that's nothin'." Rocket bragged, clearly unimpressed, turning his head. Groot raised a hand and rubbed his itching side.

"Oh yeah, what have you gone through, furball?" Rainbow asked.

"Don't ever call me a damn furball!" Rocket snarled. "If ya must know, I was tortured outta my wits by some freaks and broke out with Groot. I look like this..." he turned around, revealing a metal exoskeleton, disgusting the girls. "See?! Pretty disgustin', isn't it?" he agreed, turning back around.

"I used to work with the Mad Titan Thanos. Which I deeply regret. There is always redemption. These idiots actually stood by me and showed me another way." Gamora explained.

"Yep. Think of us as a ragtag reform group." Quill boasted. "You can join too. You fit the current criteria, Sunset."

The red-haird girl raised a hand and waved off the not-so tempting offer, "No thank you. I have my friends here, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Egh. Cheesy." Rocket gagged.

Drax raised a brow, "I do not sense cheese, Rocket. You must be making stuff up."

"I am Groot."

Luna decided to elaborate her sister's point from earlier, "As we were saying, the seven of them are also used to the unknown, quite like you five. It would be best if you got to know one another, as it sounds as though you have made enemies where you are from." she elaborated.

"Enemies? We killed Ronan, Nebula got away, Korath's gone and Yondu's not gonna do anything to me." Quill assured, putting his arms behind his head.

"...If ya say so." Applejack muttered.

Twilight looked around, "So, what do we do now?"

Star-Lord's stomach rumbled, giving the others a sheepish smile. "You guys got any places to eat? I haven't had Earth food in almost thirty-years. Do they still have cafès?"

Pinkie nodded, "You bet! How about after school I take you to best in town?" she offered.

"I am Groot!" Groot cheered.

Celestia and Luna chuckled, "Very well. The six of you may return to your classes. Guardians, if you will allow us to call you that, would you mind waiting for them to finish?"

"Sure thing." Peter replied.

"Ugh, I'm so bored!" Quill screamed, sitting on the edge of the building. "Who knew that sitting outside of school could br as tedious as learning in the classroom!?"

"You." muttered Rocket.

Gamora rolled her eyes, "Just zip it and deal with it, Quill. Hopefully we're not just sitting here for much longer."

The sound of a ringing bell made Peter perk up, memories flashing in his head. "Yes! School's out! Come on, I'm freaking starving over here."

"You're not even in school, Peter." Drax reminded the human, "The fact it is over has no bearing effect whatsoever. Though, I too am famished. Perhaps, I will partake in this cafe."

"Yoohoo!" called out a voice. The Guardians looked down once the crowed cleared out in front of the statue, revealing the girls waiting for them. "Come on, we got homework to do!" Pinkie added, cupping her hands to her mouth, hoping her voice would echo loud enough for them to hear. Somehow, it worked.

"Coming!" Peter replied.

In Sugarcube Corner, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the girls sat in two different booths to fit them. Mrs. Cake walked by, seeing the newcomers, especially Rocket and Groot. People around were exhanging weird glances to the intergalactic team, which they easily ignored. Mrs. Cake whispered to Pinkie, "Pinkie Pie... Are you sure allowing a raccoon in here is a wise decision? He could be a health-code violation."

"Hey." Rocket growled, earning a gasp from the older woman, "I can hear too, ya know. Don't worry, I won't poison yer food or whatever you think I do. I'm clean."

Star-Lord sniffed the air, "...That's a lie. When was the last you bathed?"

"I am Groot." the tree answered.

The furry alien lowered his head, "Shut it, pal."

Pinkie smiled earnestly, "Don't worry, Mrs. Cake. We'll make sure they cause no trouble whatsoever!"

Mrs. Cake gave the girls a worried glance before deciding, "Fine. But do be wary. I do not need this shop to be contaminated with raccoon and trees. Again." she spared a glare to Rainbow, who whistled innocently.

Drax and Rocket raised their mugs, taking a sip of the brown liquid, feeling a slight burn on their tongues. "Woo!" gasped the furry animal alien, "What do you call this? It's great!"

"Coffee, Rocket. Energizing, right?" Peter answered, "Tons of caffine in there."

Drax lowered his mug, "I like that beverage. I shall request for another." he raised his glass and was about to smash it down, butthe girls halted him.

"Drax, wait!" Pinkie and Fluttershy pleaded. The latter continuing, "P-Please don't... T-that costs money. It'd be rude."

"Eh. We got the units to spare." eased the raccoon-looking alien.

"What are units?" Twilight asked.

"Currency where we're from." Gamora explained.

"So much for being rich." Quill murmured inaudibly. "Anyway, so... What do you girls do outside of school? I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other a lot while we're stranded here." he asked. "Better to get to know you all."

"Well, I'm the totally awesome leader of a band, the Rainbooms. We play gigs every now and then." Rainbow bragged. "I got sports to play every few nights. And--"

Applejack pinched her temple, "Ah think they get it. And it's our band." she corrected. She decided to continue, "Honestly, I work at a farm if ah'm not in school or bein' here with the girls."

"I am an up and coming fashion designer, if you must know." Rarity revealed.

"Um... I work in a nearby animal shelter." Fluttershy muttered out.

"I host parties and sometimes work here!" Pinkie cheered.

Twilight stammered, "Uh, hm. Besides being here, I'm new to the whole friendship thing and I like to study the magic phenomenon in our world now,"

"Same." Sunset added. "But I value my friends, after what I did, I never thought I could ever be forgiven."

Star-Lord smiled, "Sweet." he pulled out his cassette player, "Say, can we join your band at any point? Or maybe we can start a rival band of our own, like I dunno Creatures of the Cosmos."

"Can any of ya even play an instrument?" Applejack asked curiously.

Quill gestured to the green-skinned man, "My pal, Drax here, was once called the Draxiphonist. Played a mean saxophone from what I heard."

The destroyer glanced at Quill in confusion, "No, I do not."

"We are not like Footloose at all." Gamora added, "We do not play instruments. In fact, we do not instruments like those on your worlds."

"Oh," Sunset blurted out. Her eyes wandered about, seeing a small pile of mugs form, "Um, Rocket?"

The Guardians looked down, seeing Rocket holding what looked to be one cup of coffee too many, "Oh man! The energy! I can feel it in me!"

Star-Lord held his furry pal down, "Rocket! Calm down, dude! I think you had too much coffee!"

"Woah. This is something I'd never thought I'd see." Rainbow chuckled.

"I am Groot!" yelled Groot, trying to calm his friend.

Rocket bounced in his seat, "I need... My bag."

"When we get back, alright pal?" Quill suggested. "All this energy, it's making you insanse! Never should have given you coffee." he muttered to himself, "Just ease up, pal."

"Ease up? How can I ease up without all my awesome toys? I miss tinkering with those things!" Rocket yelled.

Fluttershy's eyes widened, "Is he okay?"

"Never give a racoon coffee." Gamora said quietly, lowering her own mug. A chuckle escaped her, "Lesson learned."

"I just need my trust bag, Quill. Once I find Ronan, I will end him without the stone with it!" the raccoon boasted, standing and jumping up on the leather chair. Peeople began to look at them now, with them accidentally starting a scene.

"Hey, I ain't an ordinary--" before Rocket could finish his rant, he collapsed right on his chair, falling asleep, his snores loud enough for all to hear.

Star-Lord laughed sheepishly and lifted the unconscious Rocket over his shoulder and Groot on his free hand, him and his team walking out with some dignity left, "Aaand I think that's our cue to leave. We'll, uh, see you girls tomorrow."

"Wait! Where are you going to sleep?" Sunset asked.

The team froze and turned around with Peter saying, "Right. How are we going to do this?"

"I will not take to sleeping on a floor of bodies again." Drax decided.

Gamora rolled her eyes, "I don't think that will be a problem."

"I'm not sure where there's space." Twilight hummed.

Star-Lord and the Guardians sat back down, "Guess we're here for a bit longer."

Under the Stars

"So, AJ. This the best you got?" Rocket asked, holding the sleeping bag in his arms. "I'd rather a bed than freaking hay in a freaking... Whatever this is."

Applejack nodded, "Yep. Granny Smith's orders. Really no position to argue with her, Rocket."

Applejack was giving the galactic team a rundown of her farm, the actual barn chosen as the place to stay, as there were not enough rooms for all five of them to stay in each of the girls' houses. "Cause it looks to me, that we're bein' put back in the brig," his eyes turned to a horse and pointed a finger at it accusingly, as though he caught something, "And you already got a few prisoners."

Peter sighed, "Rocket... Those... You know what? I'm just gonna leave this alone." he waved his arms, a thing smile growing on his face as he pondered whether or not to explain, but choosing to drop things. "Cause this is gonna blow his mind."

Chuckling at Quill's comment, Applejack moved some things around and spoke up. "Granny Smith would prefer ya and Groot to stay here fer... 'sanitary purposes' she says. Her words not mine. If it were up to me, you'd fit right in the house."

Rocket growled, "Oh great. Separated yet again."

"It's not like that, Rocket." Gamora commented with a low grunt. "Until we find a better spot to stay, we should be grateful for her hospitality. Otherwise we'd be begging on the streets of this place."

"No Milano, no fun..." mumbled Quill. He looked outside, "Speaking of, we should probably look for that if it ended up here with us. Last thing I want is for someone to hijack a spaceship, especially since it looks like nobody would know how to us it properly. Had the thing just painted too." he commented to himself.

Rocket pointed a thumb at himself, "Ya mean, I painted it."

Peter shrugged, "Whatever. Point is, it just got painted and I'd hate to see it messed up."

"Glad we can agree on something..." the raccoon alien grumbled and yawned while lying down in the hay, using it as a temporary pillow. At this point, Groot had fallen asleep as well, his tiny body drooping in the pot that Rocket had made for him. The others were not sure if he was snoring, but they recognized that he was tired.

Gamora rolled her eyes, "About time you two did."

Drax folded his arms, "Perhaps it'd be wise if we were like our wooden friend and rest as well? I need to be ready in case of anytning trying to attack us."

Peter put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "You guys do that. I'll be up in a minute."

Applejack raised a brow, "What're you gonna do, Quill?"

Strapped to Peter's pants was his orange walkman, connected to it were headphones, which were placed firmly on his neck. "About time I did a little nostalgia trip."

"How would even trip on nostalgia?" Drax replied.

"Ya have one of those? Didn't think somethin' that old would still work." commented the farmgirl with a light chuckle, "I'm sure Twi would get a kick seein' that thing." she waved a hand, "No offense, Peter." she apologized.

Quill shrugged, "None taken. Haven't been to Earth in years so I'm a little... Out of touch as it is. Heh" he stepped outside, "If you need me, I'll be on the top of the barn."

"Sure thing." Applejack replied.

Quill sat down on the top of the barn, and held his walkman in his hand. His small headphones were place firmly on his ears and he could hear thr music he'd always cherished. The tape that was playing in it had a marker label on it, 'Awesome Mix: Vol. 1'. He'd been listening to it for the past two and a half decades and probably won't stop for as long as he had the old thing, which he'd never let go of.

Peter let out a quiet sigh, he knew the entire tape backwards and forwards, yet he couldn't help himself. He lied down on his back, his eyes looking at the night sky. This reminded him of his childhood, sitting outside with his mother, looking at the stars.

"Hey, Peter."

Star-Lord turned his head, removing his headphones for a moment upon hearing his name getting called. He spotted a certain fiery-haired girl climbing up to meet him. "Sunset? The heck are you doing here? I thought, uh, school was tomorrow or something." he paused, "Ah well. Procrastination was always my thing. So, what's up?" he wondered to his new friend.

Sunset sat down next to Quill, "Well, I came to ask Applejack for something real quick involving a little get-together this weekend. Saw the rest of your team except you, and Gamora mentioned you were up here for some reason. You alright?"

"Yeah, definitely." Quill replied, looking back to the stars. "Since this is the first time I've been on Earth, or at least a place close to it, in years, I thought I'd take a small trip down memory lane, y'know? I've been travelling through space for so long, it's just nice to lay back and look at the stars. Being here kinda reminds me of home."

Sunset blinked, "I didn't think you could be... this sentimental, Quill."

"Eh. It comes with age." joked Peter. "I have very good reason." his eyes softened as he gazed upon his walkman again, his smile becoming a thin frown.

"What's that?" asked Sunset, genuinely curious.

Quill held up the device, "This? It's a walkman, it plays these things called cassete tapes. Apparently your world's moved on from that, according to Applejack. I still don't understand how you can listen to music without using a tape but whatever." he lowered the object and strapped it back to his belt for convenience.

"Why not get something like this?" suggested Sunset Shimmer, handing him her phone to look at.

"Woah! What is this? They don't have this on Xandar Prime!" Quill wondered excitedly, flicking the screen. "No buttons? This is some serious next level stuff. And music, books too? Games? I can play Pac-Man anywhere now!" his eyes widened, "TV shows? Aw yeah, He-Man marathon here I come!"

He gave the phone back to the girl. "Pretty cool stuff you have there." he admitted

Sunset placed her phone back in her pocket, "If you want, we can try to get you one."

Star-Lord waved a hand, as he looked back to his old walkman, "Nah. All I need is my Awesome Mix. Thanks for the offer, though." he shrugged off, not wanting to lose his greatest memento.

Chuckling, Sunset repeated the name of the tape, "Awesome Mix? Sounds like something Rainbow would make up."

"I was a kid, and was really into music. Heck, I still am. You can't blame me for an awesomely named tape." Quill laughed off, "Plus, this thing means a lot to me, both the player and cassettes. So, I'd rather not replace it unless I really need to. And I seriously hope that day never comes."

Raising a brow, Sunset asked curiously, "I can't argue with that. Any particular reason why? I'm not judging you, of course." she wondered, adding the last statement quickly,

"..." Peter was silent. He really didn't want to being the mood down, so he decided to adbridge his story, "It's a piece of my childhood on Earth. The only thing I had with me when I went to space." it was a half-lie, but no one else needed to know that at the moment. He knew that it should be enough of an explanation.

It was, judging by Sunset's expression which softened, "I see. Truthfully, I have something like that as well. A book from my fromer mentor and one of my newest friends. The only connection I have back to my home, and I admit I get a little homesick now and again too. So I don't blame you, Peter.

"It was a nice gesture, though." Quill assured, noticing the girl now looking upset, "Know what always gets my mood up? The Awesome Mix. Maybe I should see if I can get you some of these songs, all upbeat and fun, straight vintage from the 1980's and not... whatever this year is. How long was I gone for?"

Sunset giggled and held out her phone, "Sure. Just list the songs and I'll see if I can find them and put them on a playlist."

Star-Lord nodded, "Sure thing. Let's see..."

Yondu and Kraglin stepped out of the Vintage Electronics store, the rest of the Ravagers waiting outside. "We found some things, boys." the leader of the group revealed, handing some of them some old CDs and tapes. "Told ya I was still a Ravager at heart." he admitted, hoping to keep his team's loyalty together.

"Finally." Taserface cackled, "Let's find those rodents and that stupid stone."

Yondu smiled, putting his hands in his pockets, "Ya'll go on ahead. I just wanna grab one last thing." he ordered. The Ravagers nodded and all walked ahead, leaving Yondu and Kraglin alone.

"Did you find it, sir?" Kraglin wondered.

Taking his hand out of his pocket, Yondu revealed a small device and held it up a little, "Thought the boy could use somethin' when the time came. It's like a... Zune or somethin'. That's what that stupid guide said. Looked nice enough, I suppose. Now, c'mon, we gotta find the boy and his small crew and get the stone."

Kraglin agreed, "Sure thing, Yondu. Think they'd hand it over peacefully?"

"Knowin' Quill. No." chuckled Yondu. "Just like I taught 'em."

I Am Groot

Another school day done, this time for the weekend. The girls all exited the doors as soon as they could, a crowd of people taking their leave as well, all excited that another school week was finished. "So, girls. Are any of you going to the game tonight?"

"Duh!" exclaimed Pinkie, raising her arms in an exaggerated manner, "Rainbow Dash is playing. Of course I'd be there to cheer her on the only way I know how!"

Rainbow smirked, "No doubt about it, Pinkie!"

Rarity rolled her eyes, "Of course. Perhaps I'll attend if I am not busy. What say you, Twilight?"

Twilight stammered, "Me? I-I'm not sure. I wouldn't even know what's happening. Plus, I have homework, and I may be busy with something at home."

Applejack wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder to ease her, "Don't worry about it too much, Twi. Ya don't have to come if you don't wanna. But it'd be a nice thing to do fer the night. So, how about it?" she offered.

Twilight relented, "Okay."

"Alright!" Pinkie cheered.

"Alright what?"

The voice made the girls flinch. Standing on the roof was Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket and Groot. The leader of the galactic team waved at them, him being the first to jump off once the coast was clear. "So, another day down, huh?" he asked. "Truth be told, I kinda lost track of days after being in space for so long. They all just blend in." he told himself moreso the others.

"Um... What are you doing here?" Fluttershy wondered.

Star-Lord pointed to the raccoon, "Rocket wanted to get out of the barn for a bit. He thought he was gonna get jumped or something." he put his hands in his pockets.

"Those horses were givin' me the stink eye!" corrected Rocket, pointing an accusing finger at the outlaw.

The girls held in a chuckle at the raccoon's paranoid antics and changed the subject, "You know, Quill. I got a soccer game tonight. It'd be pretty cool if a bunch of space superheroes came to cheer me on. Give me a morale boost, ya know?" she offered.

"Ego..." Applejack chuckled.

"Tell me that wouldn't be awesome?" Rainbow shot back. "I mean, space heroes are cool in general!"

Quill shrugged, "Could be a nice break. What do you guys say?" he questioned his team.

"I am Groot!" Groot said.

Drax frowned and replied, "I did not know we were below average body temperature. But it is better than staying in a house. Perhaps I will attend as well."

Gamora answered, "Sure. Then we will attend to finding the stone and heading home."

"So long as no one screams, pets, or insults me I'm good for whatever we're doin'." Rocket grumbled. "Just so we're clear, I want none of that to happen!" he added. "Otherwise, I may have to pull out the big guns. Literally."

Star-Lord grinned, "I guess we're sticking around then."

PVOOM!

The strange sound alerted the girls, and it came from nearby. It was something they've heard before. "Oh crud." muttered Sunset. "Not now... Luckily the school should be empty." she gestured for her friends to come along, which they did. The Guardians followed as well, wondering what the situation was.

In the back of the school, in the track field was a giant beast. Standing next to a purple rift. "Another one? It's been a while since one opened." Twilight pointed out. "It looks to be a... Manticore." she gulped. The beast could be heard breathing, smoke coming out of its nose. She took a step back.

"Okay, what the hell?" Quill stammered out, putting a hand to his head in disbelief. "Is that some kind of portal? Can anyone explain what's going on and why you're not at all concerned? Cause I am looking at a beast just... standing in your field."

"This isn't the first time this happened, Quill." Rainbow revealed. "It's a long story though."

With a heavy sigh, Gamora revealed her swords. "Good thing I brought these along."

"Same." commented Drax."

Rocket grumbled, "Should'a brought my gun with me..."

"I am Groot."

"How was I supposed to know a cross-dimensional rift was supposed to open?!"

Star-Lord activated his mask and revealed his gun. "I guess we're kicking this thing's ass now? The seven of you stay behind." he ordered, stepping forward to fight. He noticed the girls remaining in their spots. "Are we really doing this? Last thing we need is for the lot of you to get hurt because of this... thing."

"This ain't our first rodeo, Peter." Applejack corrected her new friend. "Ah think we can take care of ourselves."

In an instant, the girls were suddenly covered in their own auras. Each representing a color of the rainbow. "What is this?" asked Drax, glaring back at the monster, who was now enraged over the intruders appearing near the rift. "Allow me to strike the beast down at once, Quill." he ordered.

"Um, go ahead." Quill decided.

Then, the girls' aura faded. It was slightly surreal. For they all had pony ears and their hair extended slightly, a slight glow to them still. "Okay. And I'm the oddball here?" Rocket asked, upon witnessing the girls' transformations. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy even had wings on their backs while Twilight, Sunset and Rarity each had a slight colorful aura in their hands. Applejack and Pinkie looked the same, but judging by the others, something changed.

"Sorry you had to find out this way!" Sunset yelled. Spike hopped out of Twilight's bag to watch was about to come next. "We'll explain once we finish this!"

"Woah. I gotta get the popcorn." Spike said. He faced the others, "You'll get used to this."

"Sure thing, Spike." Quill quipped, aiming his gun outwards. He ran forward and began shooting, the blasts slightly harming the beast each time. It roared. "Okay, can any of you use your horse-type superpowers or some junk? Cause it sounds like you've done this before." he wondered, watching Rainbow Dash swerve down in a rainbow blur, smacking the creature back slightly.

Twilight gulped, "None of this makes sense! Why would a rift suddenly open up now of all times?"

Gamora lunged forward, driving one of her blades into the creature's sides, making it yelp. She removed her weapon and she grunted, "I have a theory."

The Manticore charged forward, missing the girls. Unfortunately, Rocket was in its crosshairs. He dived down in an attempt to dodge it, but in the process, accidentally tossed Groot forward. "Groot!" yelled the racoon, seeing the beast get closer. Luckily, Rarity managed to use her crystal shield to get its attention and away from him. He extended a hand and attempted to run, but Groot fell into a rift. Rocket was ready to jump in, but Rainbow stopped him, "What are ya doin'?! My pal just flew into one of those fraggin' portals!"

"He'll be fine. It happened to Spike from what Twilight and Fluttershy told me." Rainbow assured to calm the alien raccoon. "He's just gotta get right back in."

Drax pierced the Manticore's skin with his own blade, "Quite a strange sight. But I shall retrieve Groot if it is what must be done." he realized, swiping his sword down so he could cut into the creature's skin. It tried to swipe at him, but he dodged the attack, allowing Applejack to kick its stomach, causing it to wheeze. "A good kick. Perhaps I shall learn that one day." he commented.

"Um... Mister Manticore. Can you please stop?" Fluttershy pleaded, diving down to speak with the animal, hoping her abilities would aid them before it got hurt even more. "I don't want to see you get hurt anymore!" she called out.

In response, the Manticore raised its paw. But Rarity used her shield to block it's swipe. "It's not one to listen to reason, darling!" she muttered to her friend. Nearby, Pinkie took a step back as it turned and swiped behind it, suddenly appearing next to it.

Star-Lord grumbled, "Stupid alien threats. Can't escape it no matter where I'm at."

"You're telling me..." grumbled Gamora, kneeing the creature as hard as she could. It tried to bite down, but she held its mouth open and backflipped, driving her feet onto its jaw.

Twilight spoke up, noticing Drax running towards the portal. "I have a theory... Maybe if we were to push the Manticore back into the portal, it will stabilize and close. As it is a creature that doesn't belong here, the anamoly would fix itself."

"I agree with her words!" Drax shouted, "Whatever it is they mean!"

Star-Lord shouted, "Alright everyone! Give it your all! Push that thing back into that odd portal thing."

"Hey! What about Groot!?" Rocket yelled.

"Wait for him first, then push the Manticore back in!" Sunset added, trying to push the creature back slowly. Star-Lord continued to shoot the beast and stun it while Drax retrieved Groot. The destroyer finally neared the rift and slowed his pace for a moment.

"Any second now, Drax!" Quill shouted, seeing the creature open its mouth and lunge forward. Applejack jumped in and delivered a right hook to its cheek, making it yelp in pain and roar in anger now. "Okay. Attacking it is only gonna make it more pissed off. We may need to rethink ourselves here!"

"We're open for suggestions, Quill!" Rainbow called out, smacking the Manticore to the left.

"I was hoping you'd have something!" Star-Lord replied loudly.

Drax looked into the portal and smiled, "I... do not think you should worry any longer."

"I! Am! Groot!"

The Guardians knew those words. Yet it wasn't as high-pitched as it was mere moments ago. Suddenly, a bunch ot branches enveloped the Manticore's legs. "Is it another vine monster? Did it get Groot?!" Twilight wondered with some concern. Peter and Rocket smirked as the monster got dragged back.

"What's happening?" Sunset asked.

Then, something stepped out of the portal. It was connected to the branches holding down the Manticore. It was a giant wooden figure, taller than everyone there, its arm extending to throw the monster back once he was outside. Drax folded his arms in a pleased manner, watching the rift close instantly. "See?" he commented, patting the creature's back proudly.

Rocket smiled, "Hey, buddy! It seems you're back to your old self!" he cheered.

"I am Groot." said Groot, kneeling down to look his friend in the eyes, a soft smile on his face.

"That's Groot?" the girls asked.

Star-Lord nodded, "Yep. This is what he usually looks like. Don't worry, he's a nice guy once you get to know him. It's great to see you in action again, buddy."

"I am Groot." said Groot. He opened his palm and faced the girls, who began to depower from their transformations now that the threat was gone. Seven flowers began to bloom, one on each finger and two on his palm. He smiled at them and allowed them to grab one, in awe over what they knew as a small twig.

"He said thanks for helpin' us." Rocket translated.

"Why thank you, Groot." Rarity said softly. "It seems you are quite a gentlemen."

"That's pretty cool." Spike complimented. Groot nodded.

"The big guy is back." Rocket said.

"Not that I don't appreciate this, but how did Groot suddenly get bigger again? What was that rift?" Star-Lord finally asked.

"A portal to another dimension." Sunset answered slowly, "I-It's hard to explain. Perhaps, the magic of the rift altered Groot's form into what you knew him as. Basically magic leaked into this world and as a result, sometimes there's an imbalance and rifts open. We're tasked to keep this contained and so far it has."

"But why would they open now?" Twilight wondered. "They haven't done that in a while."

"The Infinity Stone." Gamora deduced. The others looked at her strangely for a moment, "The stone Ronan used could be altering this magic you mentioned and opening these rifts. We already mentioned how powerful it was. Leaving it exposed could be causing these rifts to come back. We have to find it as soon as possible in this case. Before any more rifts accidentally open."

"So, this stone's doin' all this?" Applejack asked, "What kinda threat are we dealin' with?"

"One that could destroy the universe." Star-Lord said in a serious tone for a moment. "Hopefully that's the only thing we have to worry about for now."

"No pressure or anything." grumbled Rainbow.

"You are correct, there is no pressure." Drax corrected, "But it is a rather unnerving thought."

Rainbow sighed, "Look. I have a game to worry about right now. Can we leave the fate of the world thing for tomorrow?"

"Rainbow is right... Give ourselves time to prepare at the very least. This isn't something we can focus on when we know we can." Sunset said in a stern tone.

Gamora crossed her arms, "Fine. But we're going to start looking tomorrow."

"That'll give me time to build a sweet weapon." Rocket chuckled mischievously to himself.

"Uh. We can here you." Sunset spoke up.

"Zip it! I need to think of the perfect toy... heh." Rocket snapped back, folding his arms as he pondered what type of gun he should create for whatever came next.

Author's Note

I hope you all don't mind the explanation for Adult Groot coming back for this story.

Don't worry, he'll be Baby Groot by the end. I can't mess with MCU continuity too much (I only have a three month time-span to work with anyhow).

Next time, the Ravagers are coming.

Half-Time

Yondu peeked around the corner of a school building, taking a notice to a loud roaring sound nearby, "Huh. The hell was that?" he asked his other Ravagers, who all shrugged, equally confused as him. The leader of the ragtag group all wandered to the source of the noise, having rested in the woods for the night, since they were unable to obtain a place to stay the night before.

It had felt like an eternity for the Ravagers, despite having only wandered for a day. Taserface had nearly reached his breaking point and he stomped a foot on the ground, "Okay, this is getting ridiculous! We have not found nothin' yet."

The blue alien smirked, "Patience. I think we're reachin' somethin' quite soon, ya hear?"

"I AM GROOT!"

The sound of that voice got the Ravagers' attention and they peeked right outside the forest, noticing a small field, with a track, and soccer field with bleachers on all sides. Yondu chuckled lightly and pointed out something interesting to him, "Looks like the boy's home..."

Kraglin elbow nudged Yondu and pointed ahead, where they saw a bizarre sight. The Guardians and some random girls were fighting off a giant monster and pushing it into a portal, where Groot helped throw it aside. What got the leader's attention was that the two groups seemed to be on slightly good terms, hudging by the way they were conversging and how Groot was behaving.

"Think they're friends?" one of the space bandits asked.

"Probably, knowin' Quill. Now hush... We gotta hear what's happenin'." Yondu ordered. They all remained unseen, but close enough to barely decipher what the group was saying and after a few moments, the leader spoke up again. "Hm. Somethin' big is going on tonight. We can make our move then."

"What?" hissed Taserface. "They're right there! We can snatch the orb off of them while they're weakened!"

The blue leader shook his head, "It ain't that easy. I'm sure with those girls and with the fact they're in a fight, they'd be on edge. No doubt they'd just as much pick a fight if they so much as see us. We gotta catch 'em by surprise and take the orb from there."

Deep down, Yondu knew he didn't want to fight. He just wanted Peter to give him the Orb so that they could call it a day and he didn't have to hurt him. But at the same time he had to fulfill the oath of a Ravager and keep the act going. He just hoped that Quill would listen to reason, which he doubted.

"So, we'll show up when this game begins then." finished the Ravagers' leader. "And then take the Orb to make a profit."

Night fell upon the city, and the field was filled with students excited to see the matchup: Canterlot High versus Crystal Prep. After the fiasco that was the Friendship Games, they hoped to settle their rivalry once and for all during the big game. Those rooting for both teams noticed the intense glare Rainbow Dash and Indigo Zap were giving each other as they passed one another.

The girls all took a seat at the top row of the bleachers, with Twilight looking down, holding Spike in her lap, "When does it begin?"

Applejack shrugged, "Soon enough, Twi. We had to get here fer the best seats after all. Gonna get mighty crowded in a few moments."

"As if it already isn't." Sunset chuckled.

Coming up nearby were Quill, Gamora and Drax. "Excuse me. Pardon me. Whoops. Sorry about your soda, man." an apology was heard from the man after spilling someone's cola on top of them. Casually, he wiped the student's shirt with his hands hoping to remove the stain, "Well, put that in the laundry as soon as possible."

"We were here for five minutes and you already made a mess." Gamora sighed in slight disappointment.

Star-Lord looked back, "That's the worst it's gonna get."

Drax took a seat, "If you insist."

"Oh, the lot of you made it." Rarity greeted.

The assassin rolled her eyes, "Quill and Drax insisted we did."

"I wish to see what qualifies as a sport here." Drax revealed to them in a stern tone, "I am hoping soccer is like the gladiator prison matches I was in many moons ago."

Applejack blinked, "Um... They're nothin' like that, Drax. Fer one thing, they're less... violent."

The Destroyer lowered his gaze, "Oh... That is a disappointment." Fluttershy tensed up a little.

Sunset's eyes wandered, realizing two guardians were missing, "Hey, where's Rocket and Groot?"

Quill pointed a finger downwards, "I'm not sure if a talking tree and raccoon were allowed to show up, so they're somewhere where they won't be spotted."

Spike shrugged, "I mean... I'm a talking dog. I'm sure they're good."

"Sure, Scooby." Peter quipped, earning a confused stare from the purple dog, "But better safe than sorry."

Underneath the bleachers were Rocket and Groot, hiding from the general public, "Can't believe this. We have to freakin' hide as if we're freaks or somethin'." the raccoon mumbled under his breath, sitting on the grass.

"I am Groot." chimed in the tree alien, raising a finger.

"Yeah, I still think it's stupid." grumbled Rocket. "Stupid Earth customs. They're the freaks..."

Rocket's eyes wandered around in boredom. Then, he spotted something behind him near the field. He saw a small group of armed beings, wielding tech that he wished he had right now. Witnessing them moving along, he spotted a familiar blue man with a glowing red mohawk turn around and discuss orders.

"Crap..." sighed Rocket in disbelief, "Our favorite group of asshole bandits are here..." he faced the tree alien, "Come on, pal. Let's see what the frag they want." Groot nodded in response, raising his body slightly to allow the raccoon alien to climb on top, holding on to his neck as the two quietly walked from their hiding spot.

The Ravagers all listened to Yondu's orders as he finished his brief instructions, "...So all we have to do is make a quick scene and get the stone. None of y'all have to fire unless they shoot first, and they may do so. Understand?"

"Yeah, I got a freakin' question!" came a gruff voice in the distance, "What the hell do ya think you're doin' here?"

Yondu's eyes narrowed as he turned around, the bandits all aiming their weapons at Rocket and Groot. He chuckled upon noticing it was just those two, "Well, looks like the two of ya made it just fine, especially yer tree friend there." he clapped his hands together, "Now, listen here... We just want the stone. If ya give it to us, none of you have to deal with us. Understood?"

Rocket folded his arms, "Well, you're lookin' at the wrong place. Cause we don't have it."

Groot clenched his hands into fists, "I. Am. Groot."

Taserface whispered to Yondu, "I done think they're lyin'. What do ya say we just vaporize 'em, eh?"

The leader raised a hand to silence his overeager partner and he chuckled, "This is just gonna be a warnin', critter. Now I'm sure the boy or one of yer other friends have it."

"Even if we did have it, we're sure as hell not giving it up to you." Rocket growled, crouching on Groot's shoulder.

Yondu smiled, "Alright then, guess you're drivin' a hard bargain. Ravagers, knock 'em out. Maybe we can convince Quill to hand it over if we scare him. No killin', though. They're better to us alive." he ordered. And he swore he saw Taserface mutter something under his breath in disappointment.

"I am Groot!" shouted the tree alien, blocking the Ravagers' blasts by morphing his arm into a makeshift shield. The laser blasts broke splinters off his limb, not enough to hurt him badly though. Groot could feel Rocket leaping off his shoulder and onto one of the Ravagers, his claws digging themselves into the alien bandit's skin. He could hear them scream and try to get him off with no luck.

Rocket drove his feet onto his chest, bouncing off him and onto another Ravager, his small claws slashing their faces as he jumped from one to another as fast as he could, "Grah!" he shouted, feeling some blood drip onto his hands. He needed to detain them as fast as he could, and he barely avoided a laser blast aimed for him in midair, his body curling into a flip while doing so.

"Freakin' Ravagers... Just what I wanted tonight." groaned the raccoon alien, noticing more red beams coming towards him. While dodging, he inadvertenly caused some friendly fire, meaning some Ravagers shot their own crew in the process. He let out a quiet chuckle at their stupidity at that, landing on top of a bigger bandit.

However, as Rocket was readying himself, he felt a hand curl his uniform, lifting him up, "The hell do you think you're doin', huh?" asked the smaller Guardian. He got no response and instead tasted dirt. He spat out some grass when he was lifted up, "Huh? Gotta do better than that if ya wanna take me down!"

Taking him up on his offer, Taserface smirked, "All right. If ya say so."

"What wait?!"

He then threw Rocket forward like a ball, knocking him onto a tree, where his sore body slid down to the ground with his bum planted. His head spun, a little dizzy, "Think that'll take me out?!" he shook his cranium, getting his bearings.

Groot lifted a few Ravagers with his growing arms, branches hanging off their shirts before he slammed them into the trees like Taserface did with Rocket, knocking them unconscious. "I am Groot!" he shouted, charging forward and raising his arm uppercutting another Ravager, before using his branch hand to grab him and throw him on the ground as hard as he could, rendering them unconscious as well.

Rocket got back to his feet, his body slumped, "Alright... Let's take care of this, gotta get... Ah!" he wasn't able to move on cause he felt the burning sensation of at least five lasers stinging onto his back, pushing him down again. He fell onto the grass on his stomach.

Groot's eyes widened upon seeing his pal getting injured and he scowled in rage, putting his palms to the ground and entangling all of the Ravagers in thorns, "I! Am! Groot!"

It was then, Groot heard that light sound. The sound of whistling right by him. Turning to the source of the sound, he spotted Yondu, holding Rocket's unconscious body as a floating arrow was pointed directly upon his head before lowering to his chest. "Nah ah ah. You wouldn't want your furry pal to become a pin cushion, hm? Now, yer gonna release my crew if you know what's good for the two of ya." he ordered, whistling again to tease the arrow.

"Zz, h-huh?" Rocket finally snapped away, his body a little sore still.

Yondu knew he wasn't gonna kill Rocket. But if it meant getting the stone to make a sum, then he had to play a little dirty. Groot didn't catch his bluff and he raised his arms, the thorns and branches fading back into the ground, releasing the bandits. His head hung in shame and he sighed out three words, "I am Groot..."

Rocket growled, "Pal! He was bluffin'!" he tried to kick himself free, but Yondu whistled again, using the arrow to poke through the raccoon's uniform, lifting him into the air, "Oh crap..." Groot could only watch as his friend was taken into the sky while the pitch of Yondu's whistling changed once again. He gave chase for his friend.

"Aaaahahhhhh!"

Back on the bleachers, the girls and Guardians watched the game, cheering on their team and Rainbow Dash. "Why are we repeatedly shouting names like they're a trained puppy?" Drax wondered, folding his arms as he refused to join.

"It's an Earth thing to cheer, Drax! You should seriously lighten up and join the fun!" Pinkie explained in glee. The cheering got louder once Rainbow scored another goal.

The Destroyer shook his head, "No thanks."

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Peter blinked, "Is it me? Or do I hear Rocket screaming?"

Gamora groaned, "That idiot doesn't know when to stay quiet... I thought Groot would keep him down."

Twilight gulped and looked to where they heard the screaming, "Uh... I don't think that's the problem."

Above them was Rocket being dragged across the sky, "Quill! If you can hear me, then shut this stupid arrow before I vomit all over you!" he demanded loudly.

Star-Lord activated his mask, pulling out his gun, "That won't be necessary... Please."

Then, before Quill could activate his jet boots to fly, the arrow dragging Rocket lowered and planted itself on the ground, causing the game to halt and the crowd looked in confusion. Star-Lord groaned and thrusted himself downward with his jet boots, landing on a knee before sprinting by the two teams, "Sorry about this, ladies and gents. It seems we have an unscheduled quarter show!" he yelled, hearing the growing murmurs of wonder and awe.

"Rocket?!" Rainbow asked in disbelief.

Indigo glared at her, "You named this thing?! Is this your pet?"

Star-Lord yanked the arrow off of the racoon alien's shirt and looked at Rocket, "What the heck do you think you're doing?" he hissed under his breath.

"Tryin' to save yer life, thank you very much!" Rocket snarled.

Indigo blinked as did the Crystal Prep players, "It can talk?!"

"Frag yeah, I can talk! What's it too ya, huh?!" Rocket grunted to Canterlot's rival team. "And no, I am no one's pet! There ain't no one like me!"

Peter looked at the arrow in his hand, "Something about this looks familiar... Wait... Crap..."

Then, the arrow flew out of his hand and into a blue one that marched right next to him, "Hey there, boy-o. Thought you could get away from us, hm?"

"Yondu?!" Quill gasped, "How did you get here?!"

The crowd suddenly grew stiff in fear, seeing the Ravagers marching into the field one by one as well as a wooden creature, Groot, recognized by his friends. He held up Rocket, checking to see if he was fine and planted him back on his shoulder. "See? That stone you were holdin' created a warp that brought us all here."

"Okay. What do you want, then? You're kinda starting a scene." Star-Lord wondered, a serious heard tone in his voice.

Yondu smiled, "it's simple, boy. With Ronan either dead or not here, our little agreement is rendered mute. We're takin' the stone away from ya, and we ain't afraid to take it by force!" he growled the last part.

Quill crossed his arms, "Sorry to disappoint you again... But we have no idea where it's at. Try again later."

The leader of the Ravagers scowled, but before he could respond, Rainbow pointed at him, "Hey! I don't know who you are, but you completely ruined the game! We were gonna win too!" she shouted, silencing herself once a floating arrow came towards her face, stopping a few inches.

"Listen, girly. I don't want to hurt ya either. So, let us speak." Yondu hissed, retrieving the arrow with another whistle.

Peter extended an arm out, "This is between us and you, Yondu. Do not drag them into this. Please."

The bandit leader, "Alright, boy-o. I'll do that much. But if she or anyone else try anything, well..."

"I had it with this!" Rocket snarled, leaping twards Yondu's face. But before he could attack, a laser shot from Kraglin knocked him back, earning a few scared gasps. Groot caught his friend, who was merely stunned for a moment, "Thanks, pal."

"Rocket!" Star-Lord groaned and pointed his gun at the Ravagers, "Okay, you hurt my friend and threatened the others. I'm done negotiating." he noticed Gamora and Drax running towards him. The five stood all around one another, seeing the bandits gang up against him, and the two teams leaving the field instantly.

Yondu shook his head, "Could'a done this the easy way. Ravagers... Attack. But don't go for the kids in the seats. Only aim for Quill and his friends. But if anyone wishes to intervene, stun and detain, but do not kill, got it?" he ordered, the Ravagers nodded and aimed all their blasters at them.

"So much for an easy night." sighed Star-Lord, he and his team (except Rocket) readying their weapons for the battle.

Armed and Ready

Star-Lord was the first to shoot once the battle begun, the blaster hitting Taserface directly in... Well, his face. This caused the Ravager to tumble backwards, a growl of rage seething out of him. Quill gulped, regretting his decision. "Crud..." luckily as the large alien charged forward, Drax stepped ahead and stopped him in his tracks, holding Taserface's shoulders, "Thanks for the save, Drax!"

The leader of the Guardians noticed more of the bandits armed, and ready to shoot. Gamora was the second to strike already, throwing a blade sheathed in her pocket directly into the arm of one, causing them to scream in agony as she jumped forward, driving her knee directly into their jaw, knocking them unconscious. She rolled on the ground and grabbed the blade swiflty and slashed another's leg, making them fall, a loose laser blast aimed into the air as a result.

Groot held out his arm again, trying to focus himself as a target so the teens could escape from the crossfire. All of the guns were primed on him and lasers began to blast out, his wooden barrier working in the meantime as people around the battle ran to safety. "I am Groot!" he shouted, lowering another arm, creating a branch long enough to tie under one's legs, causing them to trip and fall onto another Ravager, creating a small domino effect.

Peter aimed his gun behind him, casually shooting a beam at a goon, knocking them backwards. "Yep. I did that." he boasted, a smug smile on his face.

"Nobody but you cares, Quill." Rocket growled, shoving himself downward in an attempt to tackle another bandit. His small body made ir easier to avoid the crossfire, and although he wouldn't like to care, the fact that this was a crowded area also made him a little uneasy. "Grah! Taste claws, bandit scum!"

Drax swiped an arm upward, uppercutting a Ravager. Taserface came charging forward again, with the Destroyer ready once more. The green man jabbed the alien's stomach. "Why do you call yourself Taserface? Your face is not a taser? If so, that is quite stupid."

"It's... Metaphorical!" the Ravager growled, slapping Drax. The Destroyer held his arm and lowered it, punching the bandit in the face.

Gamora kicked another alien back, asking, "Has everyone gotten themselves out? Last thing we need is someone getting stuck in this mayhem!" she hissed.

"The girls should've been on that. They seem self-aware enough to figure when the going gets tough!" Star-Lord replied, shooting back more Ravagers from his spot, his mask on now.

Principal Celestia, Vice-Prinicipal Luna and recent Principal Cadance guided the students away from the battle, easing that these newcomers could handle the situation and not to be too concerned. "This was... an unexpected turn of events..." Cadance admitted, seeing the crowd of teens clear up, everyone accounted for and heading home. "Is this another magical incident?"

"Are you kidding?! They knew we'd win! They staged this!" Indigo Zap shouted the declaration firmly

Cadance sighed, "We can discuss that part later. For now, just go!" she ordered. She could hear the athlete grumble about something, but she really didn't pay attention.

Celestia shook her head and groaned as she spoke, "No, see, our school has been visited by those five, calling themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy. And I should've told them to keep stuff like this away from school grounds."

"It is a good thing our school is under the radar." Luna sighed in relief, "But can you ease the students of Crystal Prep into keeping this under wraps as well?" she asked.

Cadance nodded, "I think so... they're still keeping the Friendship Games quiet, which is a feat. Your school gets weirder every month." she commented, guiding the last of the student out.

"You have no idea..." Celestia muttered, slapping a palm onto her forehead in disbelief.

Standing nearby were seven girls and a dog. All of them gazing upon the Guardians' battle. Wondering if they too should intervene. Rainbow dribbled the soccer ball over her knees and said, "Man, of all the times to have an epic fight..." she groaned in annoyance, dropping the ball and stepping over it.

"Is that yer only concern, Rainbow?" Applejack asked.

Sunset rubbed her neck, "First interdimensional magic, now alien bandits... Even I can't figure things out anymore."

Twilight replied, "The fact that we have knowledge of extraterrestrial life is astounding... But this is wrong. Not how I imagined meeting aliens would go... Especially these Ravagers..."

"I did not think them to be so... Brash..." Rarity commented.

"Um... I think we should go before we get hurt..." Fluttershy quietly suggested, "They got laser guns..."

"Yeah! It's like we're in a censored cartoon where there are no bullets!" Pinkie said, "But I'm not scared of those meanies!"

Spike shook his head in Twilight's grip, "I'm with Pinkie. You girls fought magical monsters from other worlds. This shouldn't be too hard. Plus, the Guardians are with you! That's like twice the awesome."

"Spike is right about that..." Sunset responded. "Minus the awesome part. I think he's been hanging with Rainbow too much." the dog rolled his eyes at that comment.

Rainbow scoffed, "This is our school! I'm not standing by while those Ravager jerks mess up the field! That's supposed to be my spot!" she said in a determined tone.

"Okay, now you are acting a little rash, Rainbow Dash." Rarity said, "Do you think that maybe this is something they should take care of? It does seem they have fought before."

Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed at Rarity, then to the battle going on in the field. She spotted Gamora jumping over someone before kicking down another Ravager. "Yeah, but... It's aliens..." she whined, "That's like a dream for me!"

"I'm... actually with Rainbow on this one, girls." Sunset decided.

"Huh? Why?" Twilight wondered.

The redhead shrugged, "I mean... In a way, we kind of are the only ones who can protect the school from problems such as this. If we just stand by at the first sight of trouble just because it's not magic, it wouldn't be any better. I think we can shorten this fight if we help them. We have the magic to do so."

"See? Told ya!" Rainbow bragged. "Now is it just gonna be the two of us? Or are we gonna be a team?"

Applejack tipped her hat, "Guess there's no arguin' with the two of ya."

Rarity fixed her hair, "I mean, I'd rather I didn't... But if you choose to then so be it."

"Duh! I can fight aliens!" Pinkie cheered.

Twilight adjusted her glasses, "I'm still not used to this... But maybe I'll help."

"And... Maybe me too." Fluttershy agreed.

Spike shrugged, "And I'll be the emotional support to root you on!"

"Awesome!" declared Dash, "Now, let's kick some alien butt!"

"I told ya it didn't have to come to this, boy-o." Yondu reminded the kid he raised.

Star-Lord scowled under his emotionless mask, "You know I don't want to fight you, Yondu. We don't have the freakin' stone."

The leader of the Ravagers shook his head, "Don't care. You were plannin' on makin' a getaway with it, I bet anyway. So consider this a little payback fer earlier."

Quill shook his head, "Some parent you are..."

Rocket hopped off of someone else's shoulder, allowing Groot to deck them in the face, knocking them on his back. The raccoon noticed a giant gun flung into the air. "Come to me, baby!" he shouted, reaching for the weapon. As he and the object descended, a wooden brance stretched forward, catching Rocket and the gun.

The raccoon was placed gently on Groot's shoulder, just like always, his arm wrapped around the handle of the large gun, his hands placed on the trigger and handle despite his small size compared to it. He noticed it was still working. His eyes narrowed, his hands firmly gripped the gun, and a proud smile was slowly forming on his face. The other Guardians instantly recognized that face as Rocket's battle face. And he was glad to be armed once again.

Two words of excitement simply escaped his mouth.

"Oh... Yeah..."