On the edges of a small Southern American town, was a little house, well, calling it a house was generous. It was more like a shack with how thrown together it was. Inside were two very unknown individuals. One was Bruce Banner, the other, Natasha Romanoff. "This," Natasha said, holding up a cell phone which had a picture of a glowing blue cube. "is the Tesseract." Natasha puts the phone on a nearby table, and pushes it over to Dr. Banner. Bruce takes out a pair of glasses and puts them on his face, before picking up the phone to get a better look.
"So what does Fury want me to do, swallow it?" Bruce asked, looking back up to Natasha. Natasha rests her arms on the table, crossing them.
"He wants you to find it. It's been taken. It admits a gamma signature too weak for us to trace. There's no one that knows gamma radiation like you do." Natasha sits back, uncrossing her arms. "Otherwise, that's where I'd be." Natasha pauses, before continuing. "And there's… something else. However we would have to be in a more secure area before I give you any details." Bruce raises an eyebrow, wondering how much more secure the area would have to be as he sets down the phone.
"So Fury's not after the monster?" Bruce asked, taking off his glasses.
"That's not what he told me." Natasha replies cooly.
"And he tells you everything?" Natasha pauses, before beginning to lean forwards.
"Talk to Fury, he needs you on this."
"Needs me in a cage?" Bruce more stated than asked.
"No one's gonna put you-" Suddenly, Bruce slams his hands on the table while yelling.
"STOP LYING TO ME." Immediately, Natasha pulled a gun that had been strapped underneath the table, stood up, and pointed the end right at Doctor Banner's face. Both were still for a few moments before Bruce backed up a bit. His soft demeanor returning as a smile appears on his face. "I'm sorry, that was mean. I just wanted to see what you would do." Natasha doesn't back down, but Bruce could see her muscles starting to relax. He puts his hands up in a placating manner as he continues talking. "Why do we do this the easy way, where you don't use that." He points to the gun.
"And the other guy doesn't make a mess." He said, pointing at himself. "Okay? Natasha." After a brief pause, Natasha lowers the pistol, before raising a hand to her right ear.
"Stand down, we're good here." She says into the hidden mic. Outside, a small battalion of soldiers lowered their guns and electric nets, most relieved they wouldn't have to see what they would have to use that stuff on.
"Just you and me?" Bruce asked with a questioning tone. Natasha just lowers her hand, looking at him with an expectant look. "Heh, I should have expected that. It's the other guy after all." Once the two were safely aboard a Quinjet, Natasha began to explain his other role.
"When the Tesseract opened a portal, something came out. Something we've never seen before." Natasha said, going through the gallery on the phone.
"I'm sensing there's a lot of that coming from that cube." Bruce said, taking the phone once Natasha handed it out for him to take. What he saw made him balk.
A pitch black winged unicorn with a mane and tail made of the night sky. Bruce looked up at Natasha, confused shock written over his face. "We don't know anything about this creature, but there seems to be some kind of energy radiating from the mane and tail. If a lightbulb is moved close enough, it'll turn on or begin to flicker. We don't have a lot of experts on biology, much less exobiology, so Fury thought she could be a side project while you help us look for the cube." Bruce ran his hand through his hair, knowing this would be the opportunity of a lifetime.
"I'll… figure out what I can, but I don't have much experience in exobiology. Heck, I don't think anyone does." Natasha nodded, knowing something was better than nothing.
Nick was standing in the bridge of the Helicarrier, overwatching the jobs his men did. However, that was soon interrupted by a silent alarm on one of the screens in front of him. "Hill, I have something to check on, keep them on track." Hill nodded, replacing her spot which was a few feet behind and to the left of Fury's spot. Nick made a brisk speed walk to the research center, where the black horse was furiously ripping off sensors and fending off medical and research personnel. However, as soon as Nick walked in, all personnel stopped what they were doing. The horse noticed this, and turned her attention to Nick.
Nick could feel her scanning his body, trying to see what made him command so much respect out of everyone in the room. Walking right up to her, he looked her right in the eyes. "I hope you have a good explanation as to why you're scaring my people and giving them so much trouble." He saw that the horse immediately sensed his no-nonsense attitude, and he appreciated that it was soon returned in kind.
"One of those cretins tried to stick something on mine horn." The horse glared at a nervous research assistant whose hand was being bandaged by medical personnel. Nick walked over, and tried to view what he could. Heavy burns, possible nerve damage if the twitching was anything to go by. Almost like he had been struck by lightning. Nick looked from the hands, back to the horse.
"I'm guessing the horn is a no touch space where you're from." Nick guessed, which earned him a nod.
"As well as my wings." She flapped them, and she glared at the sensors still attached to them. "Repulsive things." Her horn lit up, and the sensors were ripped off. However, doing so resulted in some of the fur and feathers to be ripped off. Nick hummed, reminding himself to tell the research and medical personnel to use gentler adhesive when it came to applying the sensors.
"I'm sorry about that, but we needed as much data as we could get. You're a non-native species to our world after all." The horse paused, before slowly looking him in his eye.
"That last part, say it again." Nick sighed, knowing what was gonna happen next.
"You're a non-native species to our world." Nick made sure to emphasize that last word, to make sure the message got through. The horse looked from him, to the lab around her, to the other personnel, and gave a sad sigh.
"I knew it. No mind from Equestria can make up even a margin of things here, much less how distinct all of you are." Nick was pleasantly surprised she took it so well.
"I'm sorry, but even if we knew where your world was, we don't have the technology to reach it. So for now, you're stuck here." The horse nodded, laying her head back down on the provided pillow.
"I assumed as such… may I ask, what is your name?"
"Nick Fury. But everyone calls me Fury." Fury introduced himself, causing the mare to do the same.
"And I am Nightmare Moon, Queen of the Night and ruler of Equestria." Fury was a bit surprised at the mention of her being royalty, but didn't let it show. Though Fury could take a guess that this horse was a tyrant, based on how she was dressed and her name.
"Queen of the night, huh? How'd you get that title?" Nick asked, making himself sound impressed.
"Why, by raising and lowering the moon each night, of course. There is also my job of setting up the night sky. And lastly, my dream walking ability." Nightmare added that last bit as an afterthought. One of those, Fury could believe.
"Raising and Lowering the Moon?" Fury asked, sounding skeptical. Nightmare blinked, and looked at him.
"Does- does that not happen here?" Fury shook his head. Nightmare was shocked, and her horn lit up.
"Impossible. But, it seems completely natural. Then why doesn't it work like that in Equestria?" Nightmare had a contemplative look on her face. For as long as she remembers, somepony always had to raise and lower the sun and moon. When she asked her sister, she didn't know either. They tried to ask Starswirl, yet he didn't have an answer either. Nopony knows why, and nopony will likely ever know.
"What, is your moon stuck in the sky for some reason?" Nightmare nodded, causing Fury to blink in shock. "You're not joking? Your moon is literally stuck in the sky if you don't move it?" Another nod.
"As well as the Sun, but it is my sister's job to do that." Fury just shook his head.
"And here I thought the craziest thing I would hear is Stark would stop making weapons." Nightmare was confused at that bit, but passed it off as an inside joke. Before they could continue, there came a voice from his radio.
"Director Fury, they're here." Natasha, punctual as always.
"Sorry to cut this short, but I have to get some work done. Please cooperate with the staff here. I'll be sending someone later that is a bit tamer than the rest of these people when it comes to trying to explore the unknown." Nightmare nodded, and asked one last thing.
"Can I get some food? I'm starving." Nightmare felt humiliated having to ask that like a commoner, but here, she might as well be one. Nick nodded, and pointed to another research assistant.
"You, head down to the mess hall and get her what she needs to eat… speaking of, what do you eat?" Fury asked, actually a bit curious.
"I'm a herbivore, if that is what you are asking. And I believe your species is an Omnivorous one?" Nick nodded, surprised at her deduction. Nick stood and left after that, needing to return to his duties as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.