//------------------------------//
// Mirror Mirror 
// Story: MLP/Marvel Team-Up: Twilight Sparkle and Dormammu 
// by shademaster24601 
//------------------------------//

	In the deepest reaches of space, a conflict of horrifying proportions is taking place. Ships in orbit around a planet in peril maneuver to avoid certain death and set their weapons ablaze to fight off an unrelenting, animalistic force. Fighters, warships, drones, and even infantry with tethers and flight-packs swarmed in a defensive wall. They are Kree, valiantly aiding a planet that called to them in fear of a monstrous incursion from an infamous menace, the Annihilation Wave. The swarm had been spotted approaching the planet of Aedi, and the Aedians, being a peaceful and empathic people, sent out a distress call in hopes of not only saving their kind, but protecting all other life in the universe as well.

On the planet's surface, two Aedian elders watch the sky with dread and sorrow. They could feel the conflict surrounding their planet. The fear, pain, and determination of the Kree soldiers and the hatred, ferocity, and heartlessness of the insectoid Arthrosians, tearing them apart. The elders stood in a solemn silence, one bearded, one not. The bearded elder wiped a hand down his nose-less face. "So much suffering. So much death. I wish we could do more."

His smooth-faced counterpart sighed in agreement. "And yet we can only pray." He shook his elongated head. "The best of our people are focusing their minds on containing it. Why? Why did it have to manifest here? Why couldn't it have just stayed destroyed?"

The bearded one gave a huff. "It is basic knowledge that energy cannot be created or destroyed. Just as the event that forged them proved. However, I do agree. Of every planet, in every system, in every galaxy, in all the universe, why did it have to reassemble here."

They focused their minds to at least thirteen others, on the lower levels. They all sat in a circle, using all the power of their minds to create a barrier to contain the raw power that was attempting to burn through. A blood red glow attempted to break the mental bubble from within. At it's core, fragments of crystal began to merge a form a more solid and complete object. The smooth-faced elder got a chill. "The power gem, every bit as frightening as the stories tell. It looks as though it's almost complete."

The bearded one nodded. "A relief, if ever so slight. Once it's complete, it will be able to contain it's own energy.  However, that will only confirm that the rest of the gems will reforge and that accursed gauntlet won't be far behind, if it isn't already leading this phenomenon."

The other elder seemed puzzled. "Still...I can't help but feel that this is only the start of something much more dire to..." A pause broke in their discussion. A deadly chill, the likes of which they could not comprehend, ran down their spines. It was so pure, so powerful. "Such rage. Rage, panic, paranoia, hatred, ferocity, greed, all in one individual. It's him."

They turned back to the window, in time to see a bright flash of light glow in the sky. The elders suddenly cried out in agony, falling to their knees. They had to hold themselves up off the floor as the intense pain left them and they began to feel ill to their cores. The bearded elder looked pale, and trembled as he turned back to the view. "Thousands...thousands of lives burning and screaming in agony. Now, silence...all of them gone." It was the final thought, the final moment for the two. A single point of light in the sky, becoming increasingly more present as it sped toward them.

On the lower levels, the Aedians that focused on containing the power gem breathed a sigh of relief. One turned to his fellows and smiled. "It's complete. Maybe now the planet can breath easier." They let the gem fall on the pedestal beneath it. "Someone go inform the elders. I'll stay and put up the security. The rest of you, go home to your families. All we have left to do is hope..." He could not finish. There was a tremendous crash, and the roof collapsed as something burst through it. The smoke was heavy, but a shape in midst of it began to rise to standing position. A pair of leathery wings spread outward and yellow eyes pierced the haze with a wicked glow. The Aedian who addressed his allies had been knocked to the floor. He regained his senses and sat up, shaking the blast from his head. His eyes opened to the horror that waited as the smoke cleared and he let out a shuddering gasp. "Annihilus."

There he stood, not so much as a sound, the green of his exoskeleton and the deep purple of his armor stood out in the light of the flames surrounding his impact point. Those few Aedians still standing recognized the creature and immediately began a mental assault on the conqueror. Their friend on the ground tried to warn them, but it was too late. Annihilus felt it and reacted instantly. He grasped the cosmic control rod from around his neck and, with a swift and enraged swing, sent a wave of cosmic energy at his assailants. The Aedian on the ground watched in horror as his friends were reduced to vapor before his eyes. Annihilus put the rod back in it's place, coveting it as was his way. Then he turned his attention to the power gem. "No more." It was brief and almost a whisper, but it seemed to silence every other sound. "No more." The lord of the negative zone spoke louder and more defiantly. "Everyday, no matter how far I go, no matter how hard I fight, they continue. Always hounding, always scheming, trying to take it from me. I should have known sooner. Ever since I first crawled out of the mire, I was different from the others around me. Smarter, better, worthy of the power. I made this...I found the power, I forged the Rod, and I took what was rightfully mine!" His head twitched a bit, then he began circling the gem. "But it never stops. I rule my realm, build my forces, tell everyone to stay away, yet still they come. Blastaar, Richards, Torch, Beyonders, Nova corps, Galactus, Searcher, Guardians, EVERYONE!!!!!! " The mad being shrieked at the top of his lungs. The purity of it made the Aedian tremble. This was the madness of Annihilus, The Living Death That Walks.  He ended his war cry with a deadly glare at the power gem. "Not...anymore." He reached out for it and the Aedian recoiled in shock. For on the right hand of the lord of the Negative Zone, was the golden visage of the Infinity Gauntlet. It had become clear what led the mad conqueror to Aedi. Annihilus held the gauntlet out and the gem, by the unseen force that binds them, was drawn to it. Affixing itself into a slot of it's own, the gem glowed and gave a small surge of energy, as if it were relieved to be back. 

Annihilus could feel the power. His stature changed, leaving him at least a foot taller, standing more upright, with a more muscled build. The energies of the power gem and cosmic control rod mingled together, leaving the conqueror a more frightening image for a brief moment. His yellow eyes glowed brighter, and a crimson light now radiated from his wicked maw. The Aedian shivered in the presence of the villain. He was alone, just watching as this monster made the next step in whatever nightmarish plan he had dreamed. He finally managed to stand, then addressed Annihilus. "Please..." The mad Arthrosian turned his head suddenly and just stared curiously at the insignificant being before him. "You...you don't need to keep fighting. We...we are a peaceful people, we can give you shelter, no one would ever think to look for you here." His voice trembled as he tried to appeal to the desire in the warlord's madness. "No one will try to take your power. You will never be threatened." Annihilus, still stoic, began to slowly approach the Aedian. "You and your people can live here as you would and my people will hide you. We can give you security...HUrck!"

The insectoid's gauntlet covered hand was around the Aedian's neck in an almost instant motion. There was a sensation, a numb chill as the taloned thumb of Annihilus pressed against the side of the psychic creature's chin, as if he could just snap it's neck at any instant. He spoke in a soft, yet hateful growl. "I don't want security...I want my peace!" The gauntlet glowed with the deep red of the power gem and the energy of the control rod swirled around it. The look of absolute horror draped the Aedian's face as he was risen upward, then thrust down.



Through an ethereal window, a full view of Aedi could be seen. A silent image, the planet simply turning in it's rotation. Then, in the abrupt silence, a bang. A shadow formed over a small bit of the upper hemisphere, then began to spread, cracks exposed the radiated core, and then the broken visage of Aedi burst into an explosion of fire and debris. An entire planet reduced to rubble in a matter of moments. The Annihilation Wave was pushed back as it tried to retreat. They survived and, to their awe, they beheld an incredible image. Their master floated at the epicenter of the event, the glow of his objects of power fading as he flew off into the stars. His army soon followed in toe.

Watching with some amusement, was a creature  who had lived for untold thousands, perhaps millions of years. He sat upon his throne watching the stillness of the dead planet's remains, thinking of how a world that had lived in peace for centuries, a race that existed for the peace of all, an entire history wiped out so abruptly, almost comically, by some intergalactic schizophrenic. "Heh," A small wisp of a chuckle and an entertained grin graced his face. He closed the window with a wave of his hand. Folding his hands together and letting them rest, he eased back into a more relaxed position. The vast expanse of the realm around him never seemed to be the same. His throne had been set in the same place for as far back as he could remember, never moving, yet the view was always different. The ever changing energies  in the sky gave it a variety of color that would drive most mortals mad if looked upon for too long. This was his kingdom, his home, and he wished there were more places like it. He thought for a moment. Sure, he could bellow in a tone of authority that would make armies and mountains fall in attention, but he wanted to test the waters. So, in little more than a casual utterance, he made the call. "Mordo."

A green light formed in the air before him. It swirled and grew until a doorway formed in the mists. From it, a man adorned in green with exotic black cape and collar dropped from the portal and fell to his knees at once. He addressed the being before him in a respectful, but rightfully frightened tone. "Oh, great master. As always I hear and obey your call. How may I serve you, dread Dormammu?" 

It pleased the dark one so, to see one as proud as Baron Mordo driven before him like a whimpering dog. He stood from his throne, bringing himself to a relaxed, yet inherently imposing, stance. Adorned in a dark purple armor, with a large spiked collar and a waist cape with a crimson red inside, his fiery visage made him instantly identifiable as the master of the Dark Dimension. He descended the stairs without rush, the sound of his boots against each step echoed in the sorcerer's mind like encroaching doom. All the while, Dormammu kept a sly grin. When he reached his minion, he simply kept walking down the path behind him. He gave a calm command. "Walk with me, Mordo." 

Karl Amadeus Mordo was not, in any sense of the word, a timid man. He had seen many things under the guidance of the Ancient One, even more when he went his own way into dark magics. He had learned of horrors beyond the comprehension of most mortals, he even summoned a few of them. The dread Dormammu was a different story. It was rare that his master summoned him directly, but when he did, it meant something horrible was in store. This moment in particular, just walking the path through the Dark Dimension, was especially unnerving. He just walked along, grinning at space, arms behind his back in a relaxed pace. Mordo felt now, more than ever, a fear of his master. A fear that at any moment, his own soul would be ripped from his body. He took a breath and broke the silence. "Master, is something..."

"Did you feel it," The dread lord interrupted. "Before I called for you, it was just a moment, but surely you felt it."

The dark sorcerer felt a lump in his throat. "You...mean the Aedians, master?"

Dormammu rolled his eyes, still grinning. "No, the other race of telepathic wise-men that just screamed for help before dropping from existence." He allowed himself a wicked chuckle. "Heheh, of coarse the Aedians, fool. Do you know what caused it?"

Mordo, reluctantly, chose to hazard a guess. "You, my lord?"

"Flattered, but no." The despot gave his minion a glance to catch the quick jerk of fear. "It was Annihilus."

This brought Mordo back to the mindset of the loyal servant. "Annihilus? He does have the means to wipe out a planet, but the Aedians were powerful in their own right and they had strong allies. It would take him days, even with the Annihilation Wave. How could he have managed to wipe them out so quickly?"

"The power gem," answered Dormammu. "Wielded with the Infinity Gauntlet and boosted with his Cosmic Control Rod."

Mordo was shocked. "But, I thought they were destroyed, along with the other gems."

Dormammu nodded. "All, but the Time Gem. A force like them won't just go away, Mordo. The connection between the gems and gauntlet is eternal. The Time Gem must have focused it's power to restore the gauntlet, then started on the other gems." He stopped walking and his smile dropped. "What do you suppose will happen if Annihilus gets his claws on the whole set?"

Mordo grimaced with the knowledge of the Arthrosian. "The end of the universe."

"Oh, but it's so much worse than that, Mordo." Dormammu grinned again before continuing. "However, the reasons why are on a need to know basis and, sadly, you were not deemed worthy enough." Dormmamu stopped and raised his arms, summoning forth a well of red mist. He reached a hand in and began stirring the mist. "Thankfully, most recognize that I'm a very important figure in the flow of how things go, as it were. Therefor, I take it upon myself to prevent whatever that foul little bug is up to."

Mordo was confused. "But, master, why concern yourself? Surely, such things are beneath you."

The dark one kept stirring the mist, starring deep into the well. "Three reasons, Mordo. One: if Annihilus gets his way, everything goes, including the Dark Dimension. I didn't spend the better parts of eternity making this place my own to see some lunatic wipe it out in one swift motion. Two: if I don't do something, who do you expect to handle it? Uatu? Galactus? Thanos? One of the many earth heroes, that have enough trouble dealing with Annihilus without the gauntlet? I'm sure they're all going to throw their hands in, but they don't have the same gumption, experience, and resources I can bring to the table. Three: think about it. Think what it would mean, that in their darkest hour, I will be the one to bring them to the light. Not to mention that I'll have at least a few, if not all of the gems at my disposal once the smoke clears."  

"Brilliant, oh dark one. How shall we proceed?" Mordo was eager to aid his master any way he could, if not only to see himself put in a place of power in the new world order.

Dormammu kept to his task. "I am searching for someone of great magical power to join me on this quest." He caught the look in his minion's eyes. "Oh, save it, Karl. Your track record doesn't exactly inspire confidence and a lot of what's going on is already going over your head." The red mist cycled through images that the dread lord examined carefully. "Don't worry, I'll have use for you later. I had considered Stephen Strange, but then I remembered our history and said to myself "Am I really going to let my hatred get in the way of the big picture?" and I thought "Of course I am.", but that just raises the question of who's going on this journey with me." He reached deep into the well again and stirred the mists with great strength. "Need someone powerful. They gotta be smart, but not just book-smart smart, I mean clever smart. Most of all they need...something. That weird something that makes Strange such a thorn in my side." Something caught his eye. A glimmer in the red mist stood out with a brilliance that shamed the gloom it was crammed in. "Hang on. What do we have here?" He cleared away the mist and exposed the full light. A sequence of images flashed before him and he smiled with a sinister look in his eyes. "Bingo."



A clear blue sky shown over a bright green valley. Along the way, flowers in bloom swayed in the gentle breeze. A peaceful dirt road led over hill, around the bend, and across a cobblestone bridge to a beautiful sight. A happy little town filled with happy citizens, who moved about their day in good spirits. Truly, the town of Ponyville was the perfect place to live. Despite all the zaniness that occurred, it had a natural flow about it that kept it in a state of harmony. Even when recovering from a tragedy, the ponies of this town stood together to make things better. The most recent event was the appearance Tirek and how he almost stole all the magic and took over Equestria. Thankfully, the threat was faced and defeated by the kingdom's greatest hero and her dearest friends. They would always remember their hero, as she stood her ground, one on one, with the mad conqueror. The result was tragic. Her home, her beloved library, was destroyed in the fire of Tirek's rampage. In honor of her and that day, a statue was built.

The statue wasn't the only new addition to the town. Mayor Mare adjusted her collar with a smile as she directed a group of tourists and new residents past Ponyville's biggest new landmark. "Now comes one of our little town's finest places of interest. It's hard to imagine that this magnificent cite just sprang up one afternoon, but here it is. The Friendship Rainbow Castle, which is named for the harmonious power that brought it into being. Home to none other than Ponyville's own, Twilight Sparkle, the princess of magic!" The grandeur of it drew a "wow" factor from the group. "High up there, behind the crystal walls of this great tree, our wise hero is ready to handle any problem that may befall Equestria and our little town. Who knows, maybe she's researching new spells in order to protect us as we speak."

Up in the inner chambers, before a beautiful fire-place, the diligent princess Twilight was passed out on the floor of her study. She was snuggled up in a blanket from her bed, her head resting on a pillow that sat on top of an open book. With a little smile, she shifted a bit. Little by little, her eyes opened. She stretched herself out and let out a yawn before she registered where she was. Trying to piece it together, she called out for her her assistant. "Spike. Are you around?"

In quick response, the light tap of clawed foot on crystal floor came from around the bend. In entered young Spike the dragon, wearing an apron and carrying his trusty broom over his shoulder. The dragon looked happy to see her up. "Hey, sleeping beauty. You all rested and ready to meet the day."

The lavender alicorn rubbed the clinging sleep from her eyes. "Mmm, yes I am. I had a really good dream. Good morning."

"Good afternoon," He corrected. "Almost one, as a matter of fact." The purple drake suppressed a laugh at her wide eyed reaction. "Yeah, you were out of it. I came down to get glass of water and found you passed out with that book Sunset Shimmer sent you. I figured I'd fix you up so you'd at least be comfortable."

Twilight smiled. That was Spike, always looking out for her. She motioned him over and gave him a hug when he was in reach. "I'm so lucky to have an assistant who cares as much as you do. I shouldn't be surprised I slept in. I was up so late with that book on technology from the other world. It's just such an amazing idea, just thinking about things like cars, telephones, and the internet. I mean, can you imagine what Equestria could do with that kind of advancement?" She pulled herself back, not wanting to get ahead of herself. "I...shouldn't be rambling like that. We do just fine with what we have and it's not like I could put any of that together anyway."

Spike gave her a raised eyebrow and a smile. "Don't sell yourself short. You're one of the smartest, most inventive minds in Equestria." He glanced over her shoulder. "Just take a look at this." He stepped away from his friend and gestured to a beautiful and familiar mirror, still hooked up to a fantastic apparatus. "Traveling to a whole other world is one of the biggest things in history. That crystal mirror should only work every thirty moons, but you spend like an hour tops and you have it rigged so you can use it whenever you want. You're a genius, Twi."

She blushed. It was becoming more common that ponies applauded her like that, but she could never get used to it. As far as she was concerned, she was still the everyday bookworm she'd always been. Twilight just smiled and shrugged it off. It just came with being a princess. She placed her book on the shelf, and beckoned her favorite dragon over for a hug. "Thanks, Spike. Now, shall we go out and see what we can make of the rest of the day?" He gave her an affirmative nod. The two went out into the hall, not paying mind to the study, or the mirror. There was a twitch, the slightest bit of movement from the crystal surface. The mechanism began to shiver as a sudden surge of magic energy brought it to life. The mirror started to rock from side to side and a burning pair of eyes flashed for the briefest moment before vanishing, leaving the mirror motionless again.



At a lake, not too far from Canterlot, a shy yellow pegasus with a flowing pink mane sat on the shore. She was on a blanket, setting up a nice little picnic for her and her friend. She looked over to the side and laughed a little at the sight of what was once an ordinary water fall. Now, instead of going straight down, the water curved up into the air, spiraled all around, then looped back to the top. Ridding the stream, was the one and only Discord, spirit of chaos. He back-stroked, did hand stands, disco-danced, and pirouetted  all over that slide. For a grand finale, he swan dived into the lake, which had become gelatinous on impact. He launched out with an audible boing and landed gracefully on his toes. "Ta-da!"

Fluttershy smiled. "Bravo, bravo"

The draconequus bowed. "Thank you, my dear." He took a seat across from her and she offered him a sandwich. "It's so nice to just get away from it all and relax in the company of a friend."

"I couldn't agree more," replied the Element of Kindness. "So, what have you been up to since we stopped Tirek?"

He finished taking a bite before answering. "Oh, a little of this and a little of th-th-tha-thaaaaa." He lost his sentence. He started twitching, then shaking violently and his eyes started glowing white. It lasted for a few moments, him shrieking the whole time, while Fluttershy made herself small. When it was over, Discord was struggling to keep himself up. "No. No. Nononononono!"

"What?!" Fluttershy couldn't hide her fear. "What is it?"

"Bad!" He turned off the magic working on the lake and waterfall, grabbed Fluttershy and started pacing in a cold sweat. "Very very bad, like the most bad thing that could ever happen ever. We need to go." He got ready to snap his fingers. "We need to...no." He lowered his hand and just stood there, the very frightened pegasus still held close to his side as he quickly pondered. "No, can't use any of my magic. It's too dangerous. Have to go the old fashioned way."

Before Fluttershy could say anything, Discord spread his wings and took off faster than she had expected. Everything around them became a blur. In a last effort to understand the situation, she spoke again. "Discord, what's going on?"

He kept moving forward. "We need to get to Celestia. If what I think is coming is really coming then we need to warn her, we need to warn Twilight, we need to warn everypony. Before It's too late!" She didn't even have time to register. They made a sharp turn and they were making a b-line for Canterlot castle. Discord aimed them right at one of the stained glass windows. With a resounding crash, they were in the throne room.

There was calamity, guards rushing about in a frenzy from the sudden break in security. From behind the draconequus, a familiar voice called out. "Discord?! What the hay are you doing?!" It was Shining Armor, former captain of the royal guard and prince of the Crystal Empire. "I was really hesitant about giving you a third-chance, but Twily insisted, because she was sure you learned your lesson. Now, you're crashing into the throne room..."

The unicorn didn't get to finish. "What are you doing here?" Discord seemed surprised and worried, but still on edge.

The soldier-prince raised an eyebrow. "Cadance and I dropped by with some news, we came to see princess Celestia and princess Luna before we went to go see my sister..."

He was interrupted again when the chaos spirit grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up to eye level. "Where are they?" He asked in a growl that projected urgency.

Shining Armor looked to Fluttershy, who gave him a nod telling him to answer. "They went ahead to Ponyville, I got caught up talking to my old platoon. I was just about to go to the train."

Discord gave a grunt. "There's no time! We need to go now!" He took the captain as he took Fluttershy and went out the window he came in.



Twilight and Spike were just heading toward the front gate. The plan was to head to Sugar Cube Corner and see which of there friends they could meet along the way so they could catch up. However, they were surprised to see the door open before they got close. To the delight of the young princess, in came her dearest friends. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, and Pinkie Pie all trotted in, happy to see her. Following them were the other three alicorns. Twilight was surprised and happy to see her former mentor, princess Celestia. Next to her, meeting Twilight's eye with a playful wink that made the lavender alicorn blush, was princess Luna. Finally, making her way to the front of the group, was Twilight's beloved sister-in-law, princess Cadance. The princess of love was especially excited. "Twilight!"

The two met in their traditional greeting. "Sunshine, sunshine, lady bugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" The two laughed and met in a warm embrace.

Twilight was in the best of moods today. "What are you all doing here?"

AppleJack stepped forward to answer. "Well, princess Cadance says she has something important to tell, but she wanted to make sure we were all together first. Three of them met up with us at the town square and we brought 'em over."

"Not to mention," Rarity chimed in. "None of us had seen you all day. We were starting to get worried, darling."

Twilight blushed. She was about to answer, but Luna stepped in. "The duties of a princess can be quite taxing. We're sure Twilight just needed some extra rest."

The lavender alicorn nodded. With a smile, she addressed her assistant. "Spike, go set up the study and get some tea and snacks for everyone."

The little dragon gave a salute. "You got it." He turned back toward where they just came from and hurried to his task.

Twilight couldn't help but smile at how well the day was shaping up to be.  She turned back to her sister-in-law. "So, what's this big news I'm hearing about?"

Cadance beamed. She giggled a bit, trying to contain herself. "Well, I was supposed to wait for Shining to get here first, but oooohhh, I'm just so excited. I went to the doctor's yesterday, because I was feeling off, but after he ran a few tests..."

Once the story set in, everypony went wide eyed when they figured where she was going with it. There were excited smiles all around, but Twilight was extremely happy. "Cadance! Are you saying that you're...?"

"Yes!" The princess of love fluttered off the ground a bit out of joy. "Twilight, you're going to be an aunt!"

A round of cheering erupted from the group.  Sure, there was good news, but the announcement of somepony expecting a foal had this special impact that made everypony giddy. The girls were all blown back by the news. Pinkie started bouncing and rambling on about planning for all the parties to plan at a speed none of them could make out., Rarity started to swoon at the idea of new little outfits she could make for the royal baby, and even Celestia let out a girly squeal for the occasion. It was a truly wonderful moment, and Twilight couldn't contain herself.

The young princess leaped forward and wrapped Cadance in the biggest hug she could muster. She snuggled her deeply, feeling so overjoyed that she just might cry. "This is the most amazing thing that's ever happened. This day can't possibly get any better."

Just like that, like the drop of plate, or a well timed boom of lightening, it happened. This perfect picture of an afternoon, all the heartwarming thoughts and emotions came to a screeching halt. In the midst of their joy, the sound of an explosion bellowed through the castle.  To make matters worse, for a moment, the entire palace seemed to shake. This, of course, frightened the girls, but what really sent a chill down their spines was the cry that followed. "Twilight!"

The princess of magic didn't hesitate. She flew back down the hall toward the study at incredible speeds with her friends and fellow princesses following close behind. She burst through the door and saw what was happening. The mirror and the mechanism were going berserk.  The devise itself was shaking violently as an unfamiliar, but powerful, magic was surging through it. One of the regulators had blown, which would account for the explosion. The mirror was rocking and bouncing, occasionally spewing flames from the surface. Twilight was shocked by the spectacle, but her first instinct was to lunge forward, grab Spike, and jump back to get him safe away from the danger. AppleJack and Rainbow caught them. Twilight had to squint, because the flares were hurting her eyes. "Spike, what happened?"

The little dragon was just as confused as she was. "I don't know. I was setting up the seat cushions and everything started going nuts."

"Whatever it is," Celestia added, taking a prepared stance. "I do not believe it's going to stop on it's own."

Luna kept a determined expression. "Agreed, sister. Whatever the danger, we must stop it."

The princesses all stood defiantly against the mirror, ready to pour all of their magic into it. However, they were given a sudden jolt when a distant bang came from down the hall behind them. It was followed by the sound of frantic footsteps approaching. To the shock of everyone in attendance, Discord entered, skidding to a halt, Fluttershy and Shining Armor gripped under each arm. The chaos spirit looked pale and exhausted. "Celestia, Luna, Twilight, everybody, we have a problem."

Celestia was the first to respond, noting the dizzied two he was dragging along with him. "Discord? What in the name of..."

"There's no time to explain." He interrupted. "If we don't act now..." He was caught off by a sound that made the whole room silent. A deep, sinister chuckle that resonated and made everyone shiver. Discord, for the first time in centuries, had a look of true terror painted across his face. "Oh no...we're too late."

Celestia, for everything she had faced in her life, suddenly felt very small. "That voice...no. Not here." Everypony was feeling it. These two great beings shaking with fear left the others with a feeling of dread they couldn't describe. Twilight kept her eyes on the mirror, which had become hauntingly still. It's reflective surface had become jet black. All eyes were trained on it. In a sudden motion that stopped all of their hearts, a pair of burning eyes shot open in the black. A wicked smile to match soon followed and the image began to lurch forward, out of the mirror. It was an unnerving sight to see, the creature's body twisting and morphing to fit through the portal. The fiend pulled himself free of the mirror and landed with a floor shaking thud. Celestia felt the air painfully leave her lungs when she spoke his name. "Dormammu."

He stood to his full height, his head just missing the ceiling, and looked down at the ponies with an evil smirk. The dread lord folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head ever so slightly, making sure he made eye contact with each of them to catch that always sweet glimpse of mortal terror. "My, my, my...It's been such a long time since I've had such an audience for one of my visits." His eyes then locked on the princess of magic. "Twilight Sparkle," He said in a happy tone. "Just the little lady I came to see. I've got a bit of a proposition for you."