Chapter 1
PART I
It was an unnaturally cold summer night. The wind was rough, hard, pushed against the trees until their tips were pressed to the earth. The moon was no more, either hidden behind the heavy storm clouds or simply… gone. Princess Celestia contemplated these thoughts as she practically pushed herself up the grassy hill.
The grass danced beneath her hooves, the wind pushing both it and herself, practically forcing her down the hill. But Celestia was determined. She had faced far greater winds and obstacles in her youth—and even more so in recent years—so a simple storm would not push her down. When she finally reached the top of the hill, however, she soon realized it was no simple storm.
Yes, there was lightning, shades of white, purple, and… red striking across the heavens. The thunder was there as well, but it seemed different. Unnatural, as Celestia had thought of earlier. Even the storm clouds moved in a way that didn’t seem to be nature’s graceful hand at word. They swirled over mountains, covered the landscapes afar. They moved like… serpents. Even the lightning moved in a way that Celestia couldn’t comprehend, following the clouds, striking the mountaintops and the earth below.
And the storm filled the land of Equestria, consuming the south and moving north towards Ponyville and Princess Twilight’s castle. Celestia could only watch, her eyes growing wider and surprisingly more horrified the longer she stared into those hellish clouds moving swiftly across the sky. Another bolt of blood red lightning, the low growl of thunder following shortly.
Wait.
… Growl?
The earth trembled, prompting Celestia’s gaze to the east. The clouds engulfed all the earth in the direction she stared, but in that quick flash of red and purple lightning, she saw something. Something within the storm, behind the mountains. Something that moved and slithered with an unnatural speed, joining the unnatural phenomenon several miles before her.
It looked like a serpent, just like the clouds.
Another flash of red.
No. Not a serpent.
A tail.
It separated the clouds, breaking the storm with just one slash. And then it retreated within the darkness, slithering into black. Princess Celestia could feel a familiar coldness, not one from the elements of nature, but one from within. From the deepest remnants of her heart that she dared not to think back to. The wind pushed against her, silencing her horrified gasps of air. Her glossy eyes tried to follow the tail despite her heart telling her otherwise. She eventually returned straight ahead, right to the heart of it all.
The storm glowed bright red, like a newborn star. A second sun. It nearly reached Ponyville when the thunder came back, shaking the foundation of Equestria and making Celestia stumble. Nearly fall down. But she stood her ground, forced herself to stare into the mixture of light and dark and witness what her heart didn’t want to believe.
Several bolts of lightning shot across the sky, right over the clouds, right across the massive serpent’s head and the six others that trailed behind it. The beast, with eyes a hellish red, stared right at the Princess of the Sun. And it screamed. All seven of them screamed.
Celestia woke up in a cold sweat. A natural cold sweat. There was no screaming, certainly not from her, but even from the dream. It tried to come back, but it faded shortly, Celestia simply staring at the wall at the end of the room until total silence settled in.
It eventually did, and she silently thanked it for that.
Celestia moved the bed sheets off from her sweating form. She didn’t bother with her magic. The dream, miraculously, managed to make her a tad wearier than when she drew in that night. Then again, she was still finding trouble in declaring it… a dream. Most of her dreams were pleasant, many of which consisted of her, her friends, her sister, her family long gone, and many things she wished she could do when spending her time not running a country.
It was very rare for Celestia to have a nightmare. The last time she did, Lord Tirek returned from Tartarus. Then again, that wasn’t necessarily a nightmare.
Such thoughts rebounded throughout her mind as she pushed her balcony doors aside. Instantly, a fresh wave of cool summer air hit her in the face, eliciting a dream-like sigh from the princess. She closed her eyes and stepped forward, the air cooling the burning sweat drenched on her coat. She almost shivered, and let herself eventually do so. The cool air was welcome despite its temperature. At least it was natural.
When she opened her eyes, she gazed onto the railing lining the edge of the balcony. Her sister’s full moon shined brightly in the night sky, encasing the balcony, Celestia herself, and all of Canterlot in its ghostly white glow. Celestia sighed again, another of relief to see her sister’s moon moving ever so slowly across the starry night. Hardly any clouds, as well. It was gorgeous.
Princess Celestia laid her bare hoof on the cold railing, gazing to the quiet city below. Very few lanterns remained lit, not a pony in the streets. Not a soul awake. It must have been fairly early in the morning, far too early for Celestia to awake and raise the morning sun. Still, a shivering dread caught her by the back of the neck, informing her of what awaited the realm of dreams if she decided to turn in once more.
She thought back to the dream, to the nightmare. The storm clouds that consumed nearly half of Equestria were barely there. The lightning had no color. It was surely fading, but still there. Especially the sounds. Especially the screams. Celestia closed her eyes and waited.
“Dear sister… what troubles you at this hour?”
Right on cue. Slowly opening her eyes, Celestia gazed at the full moon. She heard the flapping of the wings and the gentle sound of hooves upon marble, slowly approaching behind her. Yet Celestia did not turn to meet her sister. She strangely spoke straight forward, straight toward the moon. Just like she used to.
“I saw something, Luna,” Celestia muttered, causing the sounds of hooves behind her to halt. The princess continued to gaze at the moon, her eyes falling to the south and beyond. “Something I… we would rather forget.”
Princess Luna’s face grew pale, even more pale than her moon’s glow against her face. She didn’t need to delve further into Celestia’s voice to know that her nightmare had managed to shake her. Although Luna did not participate, she witnessed it just the same. The fiery storm, the tail that ripped apart the heavens, and the seven deadly heads she prayed she would never see… again.
“I have… noticed,” Luna admitted, wings curling tighter to her sides. It wasn’t the cold of the night that caused such an action. She approached her sister’s right side, staring at her. “What do you suppose it is, dear sister? A dream… or a vision?”
Celestia didn’t even look at her. Just at the moon and her kingdom. “I… do not know.”
Luna wished for the former, dreaded the latter. Tightening her jaw, she stared at her kingdom along with her older sibling, sighing through her nostrils. “We must be ready for anything,” she commented.
“Luna… I fear it is far worse than that.”
Twisting her head left, Luna stared at Celestia quizzically. She asked, “Why is that, sister?”
She didn’t turn to meet her gaze. Instead, she continued to stare with those blank eyes towards the world beyond their borders. Though Luna didn’t see it, Celestia could see fire in the storms, blood in the thunder and rain.
She blinked.
“I fear we are already too late.”
“Do not say such things,” Luna intervened with a frown, turning fully to her sister. “It is never—”
“Sister, don’t you see it?” Celestia interrupted, silencing Luna for the moment. Her glossy eyes continued to stare straight ahead, not turning away. Almost burning. Almost crying. “The Gates of Tartarus were destroyed, unleashing the beasts and demons who have chosen the path of sin and death upon our world…”
She wanted to say more, but Luna cut her off. “And we have shown them that this world is not theirs for the taking,” she said, sighing at her harsh tone. “Rest easy, sister. He was defeated and tortured for more than a millennium, longer than I have been imprisoned myself. It would not be possible for him to rise again.”
“I understand that,” Celestia said, still staring nowhere. “But I can’t shake off this feeling of… dread. Hopelessness. I froze, Luna.”
Luna waited. She didn’t interrupt. She didn’t want to. She needed to hear what her sister would say, perhaps shed more light on the already dark vision.
“When I stared at that storm… I froze.” Celestia’s voice began to trail away, become frailer with each passing second. Even the cool, weak wind was stronger than her tone. “Those eyes that… I prayed I would never see again. I do not wish to rest knowing they await me.”
Several seconds passed and not another word. Luna sighed, finding no point in digging deeper into what was surely troubling for her sister. “The feeling is mutual,” she simply admitted. Celestia didn’t turn. When Luna laid her hoof on her sister’s shoulder, that’s when she finally broke away from her trance. “If it pleases you, I could guarantee a happier, healthier dream for you tonight, sister.”
Celestia finally turned away from the world and rested her eyes against her sister’s. They both smiled to one another, Celestia dipping her head down to nuzzle against her sister’s neck. It was warm, comforting, far more than the coolness of the summer night. Celestia longed for moments such as theirs, to be in each other’s presence, knowing they were safe as long as they were together. She really wanted to believe in that.
She really did.
“Thank you, Luna. I always find peace knowing you are once again by my side.”
Luna chuckled warmly, breaking away the same moment Celestia had. “And you will find peace the rest of the day… which should start in a couple more hours.” Another chuckle, this time shared by both of them. Luna turned away and spread her wings, ready to take off for the rest of the night. “Tomorrow is the day after all. The day your old student returns from her journey on another world.”
“Another dimension,” Celestia corrected, finally turning back towards her room and where Luna stood.
The Princess of the Night paused, then chuckled. “Our lives have become very strange, Celestia.”
Another weak fit of laughter between them, and Luna was gone, determined to tend to ponies in their slumber. Celestia’s warm smile melted away into nothing, leaving a cold, cold stare in her eyes. She turned away from her room and back towards the world. The night sky shimmered, the moon glowed a bright white, and sounds of the night cried in a conjoined symphony of crickets and whistling wind. All of which Celestia didn’t see nor hear.
Celestia stared toward the south and saw clear skies for miles and miles. She gripped the railing with both hooves, still hearing the seven screams. “Hopefully nothing worse than that.”
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IT'S FINALLY HERE!
Already the omens of an epic clash are shown! And so it begins...
Oh man, so this was before the Mane Six got back from Civil War, right?
BTW, I saw Infinity War. If you ever want to DM about it.
Yeah just a bad dream Sunbutt. Nothing to worry about.
This sounds bad for Equestria...
Twilight is supposed to come back from the human world the next day?
If it's the day I'm thinking about, she might have other things in mind instead...
Thumb upped and favourited!
What may happen later on, will only make Celestia's dream all the more ominous.
it begins!
Bad omens ahead I wonder what it could mean?
And so it begins.
Hmm, sounds like this isn’t the first time both Celestia and Luna have had this particular dream/vision. Seven serpents, seven screams... how foreboding. Usually, seven is considered a lucky number, but that might not be the case in this regard.
She refers to Tirek, right? Well, considering who’s coming, I think the Princesses would prefer the evil centaur. Heck, they’d probably welcome him back with open hooves.
So this chapter takes place just before Twilight and the others return from Earth. From what I know, the events Infinity War take place at least a couple years after Civil War. Is there going to be a time skip in one of the upcoming chapters?
Last time we left our favorite ponies, their friendship had taken quite a blow, especially Twilight and Rainbow. I’m anxious to see how they mend it.
At last, the story of the year has arrived. The wait is over. Now, comes the hard part... more waiting! See, when I came across your first two MLP/MCU stories, they were both completed. Now, it’ll be every few days, or more, that a new chapter is posted?
Oh, well, regardless of how long it takes, I’ll be here, eagerly awaiting each new chapter.
Nice opener, JD! Looking forward to what you bring us!
I don't think Spike getting wings will help prepare him for this fight!
The vision sounds like Typhon or possibly the stones in some strange form.
Well things are certainly going intense
Can't wait!
It here it finally here
Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives.
And so it has come. We open up with Celestia having a cryptic dream or premonition of her world in ruins, devastated by something monstrous and evil shrouded in darkness that has been haunting her for a while, foretelling that something terrible is coming on the horizon and that the worst is only yet to come. And whatever it it, it may be nothing compared to the real threat that will leave not only half of her people but half of the universe hanging in the balance should he be allowed to get his hands on all of the Infinity Stones and wipe them out with the snap of his fingers.
Oh Celestia, you just had to jinx it.
Alright which one is going to die?
And man they got a story to tell you!!!
Ok I’ll admit I have no idea who Celestia is dreaming of, because that ain’t Thanos... unless he got a make over.
Well no idea what that creature as but I’m intrigued. Good first chapter.
Soon, you will know what it's like to lose. To know so desperately your right, yet to fail all the same. Fear it, dread it, run from it, destiny still arrives.
"Fun isn't something one considers when balancing the universe. But this....does put a smile on my face."
-Thanos.
A vision about half of Equestria in danger? Oh boy.
With this being set directly before the end of the last story, Celestia’s possibly gonna have a long 2 years filled with paranoia then.
So will the next chapter be like a time skip?
Thanks, Ultron.
Uh-oh...
Off to a good start so far...
I've got to ask, whether intentional or not, was that seven-headed serpent a reference to the Japanese monster; Yamata no Orochi...?
8948573
Well, you definitely should, but as long as you're seen the MCU movie equivalents to these stories you can have a basic idea.
8948479
Well, considering how the movie went, I don't think Rainbow and Twi are going to be reconciling just yet...
Also, if THAT scene from Infinity War happens with Scootaloo and RD, I'm going to lose it. This who've seen the movie, you know what I mean.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yesssss!!!!!
8948989
Also, nice adding the EG and the Movie tags, now that's fucking superb dope. Encore Encore! Can't wait for the next one!!
"Avengers, Guardians, Defenders, Equestrians, I hope they remember you, I do hope, those that survive......remember.....everything"
8948573
It’s pretty much necessary to read the first two stories, otherwise you’ll miss a lot of context. Yeah, they both have a lot of chapters, and it will certainly take time to read it all, but they’re also really good.
On the plus side, it’ll give you something to read while waiting for more chapters of this story to get posted.
8948953
You’re probably right. I can imagine, even if there is a time skip, that it’ll be several chapters in before they put the past behind them.
Well, I got a lot of work to do! Ha, can't wait to read more.
8949120
Indeed, you still gotta Wham, Bam, and Shang-alang. Get it? 'Cause the song.... oh forget it.
8949001
What will Sci-Twi think of Tony Stark's armor and his billionaire, philanthropic, super-geniusness, and playboyness, and what will she react to her pony counterpart owning a highly technologically advanced suit with an Artificial Intelligence? Will she be...
"I know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail nonetheless. It's frightening, turns the legs to jelly. I ask you to what end? Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now it's here. Or should I say, I am." the being in that vision is he going to be a part of the black order
Hope we don't have to wait long for the next chapter
This chapter starts things off very well. I look forward to more chapters.
8949695
Same with me.
8948358
8948372 And so it shall...
8948373 It could be the Mane 6... or it could be... somepony else.
8948385 Or is it...?
8948393 Maybe it is Twilight. Maybe it's somepony else. Next chapter will answer that.
8948417 It's all coming together...
8948479 It's worse thank Tirek. Far... far worse.
And yes, next chapter is coming tomorrow.
8948522 He can try to fight.
8948532 Bingo!
8948554 The last nightmare she had foretold of Tirek's return. What could this nightmare truly mean?
8948556 All of them. They're all gonna die.
8948573 Well, I'll continue a few elements from the previous two stories, which might be a bit confusing when they finally appear in this story. However, if you don't want to read them, you don't have to. I've written this story to be a true Infinity War crossover. If you want to get caught up, then I highly suggest it.
8948750 Is it set right after the last story? Find out next chapter.
8948777 Not necessarily.
8948786 Something's coming...
8948935 Isn't that an eight-headed dragon, though? The seven heads are a crucial detail in this story.
8948959
8949001 It's all coming together...
8949030 They will. Oh, they so will.
8949047 I agree.
8949120 Let's see who can finish their story first.
8949430 We'll see about that.
8949661 Next chapter is coming tomorrow. Stay tuned!
8949695 Thank you! Thank you all!
8950280
This would imply that Luna is actually referring to Sunset Shimmer (since she is Celestia's old student before Twilight), not Twilight and her friends (the latter Luna didn't even mention) and that she is coming home to Equestria from the EQG dimension. This would mean the chapter takes place way after Twilight and her friends got back from Earth, I think anyway.
*Thanos holds Grubber by the neck and strangles him to death*
Tempest Shadow: GRUBBER!!!
8950654 Do we all really care about Grubber, though? (sorry to those who do)
8950673
Awww, you're not going to off this little character who is voiced by the one who also plays Antman's thief buddy?
8950673
If you do, it could really put Tempest in a dark place just The Killing Joke did with Batman.
I haven't even read the first chapter and I already favorited it and added it to Tracking and Read it Later. That is how much I trust you.
8950673
I don't know, but I think Sci-Twi might go crazy on Stark, because of his armor made from nanotechnology, or because her counterpart owns a suit with an AI, your thoughts?
8950695
8950789 Here's hoping I can do this story justice!
8951018
C'mon, tell me what ya think. I'm a patient dude.
8951048 I think it'd be pretty interesting.
8951450
About Sunset Shimmer, if she finds out the incredibly heavy physical and mental blow the pony Mane 6 suffered in their own forgotten or should I say, collaterally damaged friendship, the Civil War, I wouldn't know what to say.
Woah! This’ll get exciting, and with Infinity War’s Blu-ray coming this June, this story will be 15x more the fun!
Oh, and don’t forget the Defenders, I’ve always wanted to see Danny punch Ebony Maw with that glowing fist.