The whole of all existence is at stake! The infinity gems gathered once more! Now, all hope rest in the unified force of Twilight Sparkle and...Dormammu? Wait, what?
From the deepest reaches of the cosmos, a force is gathering. The infinity gems are being gathered once more and if the gauntlet is empowered again, the pure annihilation will follow. Every thing that exists in all realities is on the line! Only two beings stand against this threat. Twilight Sparkle, princess of magic and Equestria's greatest hero, and Dormammu, all-powerful magic despot and Dread-lord of the Dark Dimension! This bizarre duo will journey across the multiverse, traveling to incredible places, facing foes both good and evil, and wage a war to end all wars. That is...if the Dread-lord can keep his darker tendencies at bay long enough.
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."
There was a certain way things were done by those of foul intent. It wasn't very often you ran into one in Equestria, but the truth is transferable everywhere you go. Evil is unique. Take Chrysalis, for example. She was slick, devious, and tricky personified, topped off with military brilliance. She easily could have taken over Equestria without a hitch, if she didn't have the arrogance of a high school mean girl. She didn't bother to research the pony she disguised herself as and she vastly underestimated the capabilities of her enemies. Sombra, in his thirst for power and control, became more beast than anything else. Then there was Tirek, who remained a constant blend of strength, intellect, and raw power. He conquered the opposition with devious manipulation and brute strength, but he put too much faith in his magic and fell in the end. Twilight, in the few years since she first arrived in Ponyville, faced all of them and won. For all her trials, she thought she had seen it all and should any new threat arise, she was confident she could face it with her friends by her side.
Then there was him. Twilight looked up at the figure before her with a mix of amazement and fear. He just stood there, arms crossed, about as tall as Tirek was when she first faced him. His face was darkness encased in flame, his eyes burning through hers and into her soul. He kept looking at her, grinning like the cat who ate the canary. As if whatever he came to do was already accomplished and nopony knew it yet. Twilight felt so very insignificant in front of him and the reactions of Celestia and Discord told her she was right to be. Finally, after a period of intense silence, Dormammu spoke. "Well," He paused and took a moment to give the room a look over. "This certainly is a nice place you have here. Personally I'd add a few torches and maybe throw some black paint over everything, but to each there own." He took a few casual steps over to the book shelves, nervous eyes still fixed on him. Dormammu's eyes flashed and books began to float off the shelf and opened in front of his eyes. They flipped through their pages at a fast pace before falling at his feet. "Great, just what I need, another bookworm. All this knowledge, Twilight. Your quite the curious kitten, aren't you?" He dropped the rest of the books into a sizable pile and stepped over them. "All this knowledge, all these spells, and you've barely scratched the surface."
Twilight felt a lump in her throat. On one hoof, she was mad that he was tossing her books around, but she then realized saying anything would be pointless and possibly deadly. All she could do was just stare back at him. She tried to make herself brave, standing ready to defend if this intruder should attack her or her friends. "Who are you?"
He smirked and rolled his eyes. "Hmph, well there's the million dollar question." Dormammu gave a gentlemanly bow. "But where are my manners? I am..."
Celestia, to the surprise of everyone, interrupted. "Dormammu, dread lord of the Dark Dimension." This out burst drew everyone's eyes to Celestia. The majority just looked at her with shock and confusion, but Dormammu just seemed amused. Celestia locked her eyes on his with a defiant gaze. "You do not belong here, evil one. Leave my ponies alone and return from whence you came!"
The command, with as much volume it had, was simply shrugged off by the wicked creature. "You know, I would hope one would learn to stay in their place over time. Little over a thousand years since the last time and you don't know any better. " He began to approach her, gradually shrinking down to meet her at eye level. He reveled in the terror in the eyes of her followers when they got his meaning. "Yes, Celestia, I remember you. I'm so very happy that you remember me..." He stopped in front of her, stared for a moment, then quickly jerked toward her so his face was inches from hers. There was a brief flicker in her eyes and the slightest click of her hoof against the floor. To her subjects and her fellow royals it would have been nothing but a twitch, but to Dormammu, it was the felling of an oak tree. Just like Mordo. "I've been watching your world. Everything you've seen and been through. You like to think your immortality makes you wiser, that your sacrifices and your bonds make you stronger, but your still the same frightened child that stumbled into the fires of my realm." His eyes narrowed and his smile became ever more cruel. "Only now, that old wizard isn't here to save you this time."
He had to pull back as a dark blue beam of magic shot between them. Following the blast the two saw Luna looking furious. "That is enough! You will stand away from my sister now, you vile monster. If you lay so may so much as a single finger against my sister..."
"Bahahahahaha!" That laugh bellowed through the room and made everypony uneasy. "So, this is your baby sister, Tia. Awww, she's just so cute, I could just pinch her cheeks." He tilted his head back to Celestia. "She's got some fight in her, doesn't she? Rebellion, valor, unfaltering love for all those close to her." That cruel smile came again. "I can see why you just had to get rid of her." The comment made them all pale. "I mean, not only would she have taken the throne from you, but no one would have cared. Matter of fact, they would have cheered after a while."
Luna was furious. "How...How dare you?!"
Celestia put up a wing to signal Luna back. "Luna, don't."
Dormammu let out a wicked chuckle. "I dare, because I know there's nothing any of you could do to stop me." He turned back to Twilight, at last, and continued addressing her. "So sorry for the interruption, but what can you do? When old friends show up to greet you, you just have to catch up." He took a few steps back so he was slightly to the left and behind Celestia. "Like the fact that as the years go by, 'the plot thickens', as it were. Right, Tia?" He gave the solar princess a rather abrupt smack on the rump. They all turned bright red, mostly with embarrassment, especially Celestia. Dormammu just kept going. "As I was saying, I am Dormammu, dread lord of the dark dimension, master of the mindless ones, and conqueror of...huh."
They were all a little perplexed by the pause. Cadance, who was having as much difficulty with this situation as everypony else, prodded for the rest. "Conqueror of what?"
The dark one held a finger to his chin as he mused, with a look of deep thought. "You know, it's weird. I've been at it for eons, but I don't think I've ever sat and counted, then I get fixated on one troublesome target and forget. Let's just say conqueror of realms." He folded his hands behind his back and went back to addressing Twilight. "I'm easily the most powerful magical entity you will ever encounter in your life time, but enough about me. I'm sure you're wondering what all of this is about. Well, to put it in short, it's about you, Twilight."
The young princess flinched as the wicked entity focused on her. Her friends came to her side, ready to protect her. Rainbow Dash spoke up in her friends defense. "Hold it, hot-head! You want Twilight, then you have to go through us."
Dormammu rolled his eyes. "First, I've dealt with a lot of mouthy, one-liner spewing, heroes in my day. You'll need to do better than hot-head. Secondly, in case you haven't noticed, I have your fearless leader scared witless, so it would be in your best interest to show respect. Pay attention, because this one's important. Third, things that stand in my way normally consider themselves lucky if they end up in ashes. Now," His expression turned cold and his eyes burned with fury. "How about you step away and let the grown-ups talk?"
Twilight hurried herself to the front of the group, before Rainbow could do something dangerous. "You said you had a proposition for me. What is it that you want exactly?"
This snapped him back to his calm demeanor. "Ah, yes. You see, miss Twilight, I find myself in search of someone to share in an adventure." He started pacing before the six. "Someone of impeccable character, of great wisdom, power, and skill, someone who can overcome anything. I've chosen you, Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, because you have proven time and time again that you are the greatest among your people."
The princess of magic was genuinely surprised. She didn't know whether to be grateful or mortified that possibly the most evil creature she had ever encountered was complimenting her. "Uh...thanks, I guess. What exactly do you mean by adventure?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "There's not really a lot of time to explain. Frankly, I shouldn't have taken the time to put on the show that I did. Let me give you the run-down. Something big is building over on my side of the looking glass. Something so powerful and dangerous, that it's a threat to everything in existence. I've taken it upon myself to deal with this problem and I've chosen you to help me. So, say your goodbyes and off we pop to the dark dimension so we can work out a plan."
This time, princess Cadance stepped up in Twilight's defense, placing herself between the fiend and her sister-in-law. "What exactly makes you think she's going anywhere with you?"
Dormammu's patience was wearing thin, the deadpan face being a clear give away. "Seriously? Did we just not cover the whole thing about getting in the way." He took more aggressive tone. "As I said, this is a dire situation. She needs to come with me to save the whole of reality."
The princess of love wasn't about to stand down. "And we're just supposed to take your word for it?" Her wings flared out defiantly. "You could be making this whole thing up and planning to do something horrible to Twilight."
This incited a low growl from the dread one. His flames grew brighter and more fierce. Dormammu began to grow again and towered over the pink alicorn that stood against him. "You insolent little whelp! You dare stand and question me?! I, who make armies crumble and god kings quake with fear!" He reached out his hand and it glowed with a blood red darkness. Cadance soon found herself losing her footing and was then propelled into the clutch of the wicked despot. He clenched his fist and held Cadance tightly, like a child holding a small toy, causing the princess of love to cry out in pain. "Understand," He bellowed, demanding her attention. "You, your husband, and all your silly little friends equate to an ant protesting a hovering boot. I only put on that petty display of politeness as a means to make things go quickly. Then, you disrespectful children!" He spat that like venom, giving a glare to Luna as he did so. "And clowns, trying to pawn yourselves off as the Lord of Chaos!" He spun around and fired a bolt of dark flame from his free hand. The explosive impact destroyed one of the thrones, revealing a cowering Discord. Dormammu looked back at Cadance with malice. "With so much as a nod, I could rend your flesh to bits and tear your soul from your remains." He tightened his grip just enough to get a grunt of pain from his captive. "By the time I finish with you. You'll wish for someone as kind as Sombra! So, please, give me an excuse!"
The looks of sheer terror were all around the room. Celestia was panicking, Luna watching her for a signal to move. Shining wanted to charge in and save his wife, but a feeling of helplessness overcame him. Twilight looked on in horror and her friends huddled around her.There was a moment of silence. Dormammu, in his anger, could still feel that everything was still within his power, all of their actions hinging on what he did next. Then, like a thunder bolt out of the blue, something so hilariously ill-timed, it stopped everyone where they were. A door closed, sounds of quick hoof beats drew near, and a voice called into the room. "Twilight, you home?" It was Scootaloo. Following suite was Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. "We were wondering if you were up for some Twilight-time."
The little farm filly was next to chime in. "Granny said everypony was heading on over anyway, so we thought it might be a good idea to catch up on our lessons."
"Yeah," Piped in the enthusiastic Sweetie. "I've been practicing my magic and I wanted to show you how good I've gotten."
The sight of the three fillies, who were oblivious to what they had just walked into, put ice water in everypony's veins. Dormammu, however, smiled with the thought of a nasty new idea. "And there's my door." He snapped his fingers and a field of dark purple energy entrapped the children. He raised his hand and the orb followed his gesture to his side. He then tossed Cadance and caught her by the tail, dangling her there while musing. "Now, what shall we do with you?"
Shinning armor couldn't take it anymore. "Please, I'm begging you. Leave my wife alone! Have mercy, she's pregnant!"
This drew a cruel scoff from the dread lord. "Even better." He opened a port-hole in the orb and threw Cadance in, closing the opening immediately. The princess of love quickly acted to protect the young ones, holding them close and keeping herself between them and the wicked creature that held them captive. Dragging a hand over the orbs surface, Dormammu let out a wicked chuckle before turning back to Twilight. "So, dear Twilight, I do believe we've come to a crossroads. Pity. I had so hoped to handle this peacefully, but I suppose things can't always be the way we want."
Twilight pushed toward the front of the group and stared Dormammu down. "Let them go."
"Gladly," Replied the dread lord. "But first, we need to clear up our business. Before I was so rudely interrupted, I was saying we need to leave for the dark dimension asap so we can make a plan of action. One against a threat that is very real, despite certain doubts. So, here's how it works. You agree to aid me in this quest, and save literally everyone everywhere, then I let this little collection of innocents trot on out of here without a hair out of place. Refuse... and I fill the orb with the destructive flames of the dark dimension." He tried to read her, but she still kept the determined gaze she approached him with. "It's up to you. Whirlwind adventure to save our worlds and countless others, or a roasty toasty princess with three sides of filly fillet? Tick-tock, my dear."
Twilight hung her head and took a deep breath, but before she could answer, Discord of all people spoke out. "Twilight, no, it's not worth it!"
Shinning Armor couldn't believe his ears. "The hay you say?!"
Discord waved it off. "Look, no matter what he's trying to get you to agree to, you can't trust him. Even if what he's saying is true, he will betray you at the end. Whatever he'll do to them is nothing compared to what he could do to you in the dark dimension." As unlikely as it was, he turned to his old enemy, the princess of the sun, for aid. "Celestia, you know what he's like. Tell her to back away."
Celestia could barely find words. She did know, in fact she would never forget the terror of Dormammu. She and Starswirl barely escaped his realm with their lives. She looked at her beloved former student, then to her dear niece and the young fillies in peril. Celestia felt her heart sink. "Twilight," She called to the younger princess. "This needs to be your decision. I have faith in you and no matter what you choose, I will be with you always." A knowing tear fell from her eyes. There was no question in Celestia's mind what Twilight would do.
Twilight was silent. She looked back at the monster that was threatening the lives of those close to her, who smiled like the devil he was, and then hung her head. Once again, her friends came to her aid. It was Applejack who spoke up this time. "Alright you low-down psychopath. There ain't no way I'm lettin' you take Twilight away and I sure as shoot won't let you get away with tryin' to hurt my sister and her friends." The rest of the gang lined up with her. "We don't take kindly to those who think they can get away with anything, just because..."
"Enough!" Twilight shouted. "Enough," She took a deep breath. "Girls...thank you, but I'm going with him." It was like dropping something priceless. Jaws dropped, heads were lowered with knowing grimaces. Twilight saw it all, including the smile of sadistic victory on Dormammu's face. The young princess sighed and met his gaze with as much strength as she could muster. "You will release them if I go with you?"
"Of coarse," The ancient assured. "Let it never be said that I'm not a man of my word. Matter of fact, that's gotten me into a bit more trouble, but I don't need to worry about that here. So, I am to understand we have a deal?"
One more defeated nod from the princess of friendship sealed the deal. "I don't know whether you're telling the truth, but I really don't think it matters. If I choose to believe you and go, then not only do I save the lives of my sister and the children, but countless others as well." She stood firm in her reasoning. "By that reasoning, by choosing to go with you, I can only benefit."
Dormammu, for all of his malice, couldn't help but smirk. "Clever girl. Glad to see I was right about you." He gave a slight bow, shrinking back to Celestia's height. The dread lord offered his hand to the young princess. She recognized the gesture from her time at Canterlot High, but was curious to why the wicked entity would extend for a handshake. Twilight gave him a questioning look which Dormammu was quick to answer. "Oh, come now. Won't you allow an old despot his bit of ceremony?"
She was hesitant, but Twilight couldn't risk provoking him again. In all fairness, she didn't see the harm in a simple hand/hoof shake. She reached out a foreleg in reply and Dormammu's hand clasped around it with a firm grip. It turned to something awful as the young princess started to wince in pain and a glow of dark magic shinned through. It was bright and deep violet, and as the light increased Twilight cried out in agony. When it was done, Dormammu released Twilight's hoof, and let Cadance and the crusaders go.It took a moment for the pain to subside and the other five element bearers had gathered around to help her. Twilight opened her eyes and looked down as she uncovered her pained hoof. On the spot that Dormammu grabbed, a jagged rune, glowing with dark magics, shined eerily before it dimmed and sat like a horrible scar burned into her skin. The girls were terrified. Rarity nearly fainted. "Oh, darling, your wonderfully spotless coat!"
Pinkie cast an angry glare at the dread lord. "What did you do to Twilight, you big meanie?!"
Dormammu gave a bit of a half smile. "Just a little insurance policy. You'll find out once we've crossed over. Now, come along, Twilight. We have an apocalypse to stop." He approached the mirror and snapped his fingers. The surface once more became black with a fiery outline.
Twilight took only a few steps toward him. "Wait. Please, can I say goodbye first?" This drew an annoyed and questioning glare from the fiend. "I don't know when I'm going to see them again."
"Fine," He grunted. "But make it quick."
Everyone gathered before her. The other princesses tried to keep calm, Shining hugged his sister tight, the element bearers and spike were all at different stages of a break down, and Discord looked like he was still trying to think of something. Twilight took a deep breath to compose herself. "Okay...yeah, so this is happening." She looked at them and their various looks of despair. "Can at least one of you look like you're going to see me again? I'm coming back."
Luna smiled, then walked up and gave the lavender alicorn a warm nuzzle. "I know you will. This...creature is right about one thing. Whatever danger awaits beyond that portal, you are exactly the mare that can face it."
Discord was mumbling on. "Maybe I can do something. Maybe at least distract him. Giant pudding cup, then a decoy Twilight for him to chase down a water slide..."
Dormammu was quick to call over the hushed tone of the draconequss. "You do realize that I can read your thoughts, right?"
This scared the chaos spirit out of his wits. Twilight flew up and placed a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. "It's okay. You just take care of everypony else." She ushered all of them in for a big hug. "Stay safe, I know you can look after Equestria while I'm gone." When she was finished, she turned and met Dormammu in front of the mirror. "I'm ready."
"After you," He said with a smile. It was the last word spoken. Twilight took one last look into the void before her, then stepped in. Dormammu gave one last cruel smile to the group before he followed her in. There was a rumble and a flow of sparks. In a grand flash of light, the mirror was left just as it was the day before. It was in that moment that all strength and bravery vanished. They all fell into their own fits of sorrow for their stolen friend.
A vortex of bright energy swirled above the landscape of the dark dimension. With a flash, a familiar lavender individual fell with an understandable yelp. Twilight hit the ground with a thud, unfortunately landing on one of her wings. Nothing serious, but it was definitely going to be sore. She managed to lift her head and shake the impact out. Poor Twilight. She got to sleep in, got the set up for what was looking to be a most incredible day, then had some extra dimensional tyrant bust into her home, violate the safety and dignity of everypony she knew and loved, branded her, dragged her into an unknown world, and all the while smiled like some smug child of privilege. When Twilight got herself together, she noticed the dark stone of the ground beneath her. All around her was fire, flame, and a glowing ether.
It made her eyes hurt. Twilight sat up and rubbed her head, then a sickening feeling came over her and she had the strangest urge to look behind her. There he was, Dormammu, levitating down with that mocking smile. It seemed like he was never going to stop making his superiority clear. "Have a nice trip?" The young princess just glared at his laughing at his own joke. Dormammu just brushed off her aggravation. "Oh, don't be so childish Twilight. You're an alicorn, after all. After a few centuries you learn to go with the flow, so you might as well start now."
"Why?" Twilight asked with a bit of attitude. "So I can raise my nose and just go along with the next dark entity from another world that wants to drag me away from my home?"
"No, so you won't feel it as much when your little pals are six feet under." His answer was sharp and quick. When Dormammu saw the mortified look she gave him in response, he shrugged. "Sorry for being so crass about it, but it's true nonetheless. Not to worry. Hopefully I can teach you enough during our time together so you can turn your heart to stone when the time comes."
Twilight did her best not to let his words get to her. The subject had come up before, in meetings with Celestia. Twilight knew she would live a hundred times as long as a normal mare and far beyond, but the thought of losing her friends seemed so far off. That distance was the only comfort Twilight had from that cold reality and Dormammu was shoving it in her face. She wasn't about to let him break her. "So, you want to teach me? Is that why you really dragged me here? To make me your apprentice or heir or something like that?"
This got a laugh from the dread lord. "Heheheheh! Only forty-five seconds in and already you're aiming to over-throw me." He ruffled her mane. "Oh, you and I are gonna get along just fine."
"That's not what I..." She started, but found herself cut-off by a dismissive 'hmph' from her host.
Dormammu started down the path. "It's a good thing you're sensible. For a moment, I really thought things were going to blow up in my face back there." He stopped, then turned his head just enough to catch her confused expression. "Oh, little detail I should tell you about. Matter of fact, it'll be item one on our to-do list of things to tend to. See, I draw the majority of my exponential power from the dark dimension itself. It's why I tend to rely on proxies to do the dirty work for me. Whenever I step outside my cozy little realm, my power drops substantially." There was a moment, when he paused to savor the sudden and quickly hushed gasp of realization. "That's right, pumpkin. All you would have needed to be saved from this pact of ours, was for one of your dear friends to call my bluff. Had Discord, Luna, or even Celestia had done anything, I probably would have been beaten back, but they all just sat there as I strung everyone along until I whisked you away. They fear me more than they love you." There was a silence. A dead quiet that the dark dimension hadn't had in a long time. "I'll let that settle in for you. When you're ready, follow this road until you find me again, then we can get to work. Don't be too long...partner."
Dormammu walked off, his boots making an echoing sound against the stone in the silence of it. Twilight, for everything she had, her friends, her magic, and her experience, was now feeling exactly how lost she was. She stood in silence, until her legs wouldn't hold her up. She fell on her stomach, stared at the ground, then began to weep.
Smoke, flame, and twisting roads of depressing stone. The dark dimension was truly the endless void of madness it was famed to be. On a plateau, amidst the swirling either of chaotic energies, two mindless ones sat motionless. Like all of their kind, they had no thought, no motivation and no will outside of what their master commands. As they waited for their dread lord to guide them, a wisp of chaotic light drifted down and landed on one of their shoulders. The opposite saw this and became fixed on the offending speck of light on his counterpart. Their was no malice, no real intention, just the smallest thing out of place. The untouched one raised a hand, then swatted the speck with full force, sending his counterpart to the ground. The fallen one turned to his assailant and punched him, Inciting a blast of destructive energy.
Twilight couldn't help but shudder away from the brutality. She continued down the path. Her head hung in despair and the sound of her hooves on stone echoing in her mind. The princess of magic was feeling, for lack of a better term, absolutely stupid. It hit her like a train that all she had to do was call Dormammu's bluff and she could be at sugarcube corner with everypony she cared about. "You just had to talk," She said with contempt for herself. "After everything you went through, you just had to fall for rhetoric. You could handle the sirens just fine. Getting right to the magic blasting didn't exactly work, but still." She straightened up and groaned as she went on. "Ugh, how could I just let him walk all over me like that. I think I felt better when Tirek threw me into that mountain." In her musings, Twilight had considered what her captor had said. It couldn't be a matter of her friends being afraid of Dormammu. They were afraid for her. This thing from another world was threatening somepony they cared about and they didn't want her to get hurt because of them. Twilight took another deep breath, feeling slightly sickened by the corruption in the air. She knew she had to keep her spirits high if she was going to get through this. The path before her seemed to go on forever, but she couldn't look at anything else. Looking at the sky made her eyes hurt. However, after some groans of impatience, the path was approaching a spiral that led up to a large platform. Twilight figured she'd save some time and fly up.
When she landed, she was greeted by a most peculiar sight. For everything strange and alien Twilight was bracing herself for, the last thing she would have expected to see was a human. His outfit certainly fit the realm. A long, flowing green cape, covered in black markings hung behind him and his spiked shoulder pads were as black as his hair. He turned and met Twilight with cold eyes. "It took you long enough." He seemed to be trying to read her as he approached. "I would've hoped that teleportation would be an easy task for one that the master sees promise in."
Twilight was a bit taken aback by the snap of a greeting, but she figured it would be a good idea to stay well-mannered. With a nervous smile, she replied. "Uh, okay. Anyway, hello. My name is..."
"Twilight Sparkle. I'm fully aware of who you are. I am Baron Mordo, master of the arcane arts and the most faithful servant of the dread Dormammu." The dark sorcerer took on a look of disgust as the young princess tried to reach out a hoof in a greeting gesture. "Save your petty courtesies. Understand one thing, child. The master, for reasons that are obviously beyond my mortal comprehension, has chosen you to aide him on this dire matter. However, this does not make us equals. I have accomplished more in my workings of the dark arts than you could ever hope to..."
"Get over yourself, Karl and stop picking on the new kid." The remark was quick, harsh, and put the once blustering Mordo into a pale silence. Twilight could only wish she could shut Trixie up that quick. Looking over the sorcerer's shoulder, Twilight found the dread lord himself. Dormammu was using his dark magics to manipulate the ground in front of him, drawing up a rectangular monolith to his current eight foot height. He placed a hand on the front and dragged it across while he walked to the right. When it reached the edge and he kept going, the monolith began to stretch with it. Twilight was intrigued by the way Dormammu was able to warp the matter of the dark dimension. The paths, his throne, all of it was crafted by Dormammu's will. He stopped and observed his work, a large make-shift chalk board. He reached behind him and summoned forth two Gothic designed desks. "Take a seat."
Twilight was a bit puzzled, but figured it would be better to go along with it. Mordo simply looked puzzled. "Master, is this really..."
Dormammu responded with a sharp reply and a white hot glare. "Sit down, Karl!" His gaze dimmed as his minion obeyed. The dread lord gave Twilight an acknowledging look before turning back to the board. "Feeling better?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "You mean have I recovered from that assault of soul-crushing reality you call wisdom? Sure, just a little emotional scarring that'll haunt me for the rest of my life, but otherwise I'm just peachy."
He nodded and went to work. "Great, now let's get down to business." Dormammu motioned his finger in the air and dashes began to form on the board. They burned and lengthened to form a more complete image. When it was finished, Dormammu stepped aside to face his compatriots. "Okay, kiddies, class is in session. This," he smacked the board for emphasis. "Is our enemy."
Twilight grimaced at the gruesome image. An insectoid bi-ped with a pair of fearsome wings that she could compare to a dragon's. "Who or what is that thing?"
Dormammu grimaced at the image. "Annihilus. The lord of the negative zone, cosmic super-being, megalomaniac, and generally not a nice person. He has spent his very long life making himself infamous for being a threat to the universe at large on a regular basis."
The lavender alicorn kept herself at attention. This was clearly going to be bigger than anything she'd seen, but at least she was learning in advance. "Notoriety aside, what are we looking at in terms of an enemy on the field?"
"You name it, he's got it." He tapped his fingers against the board. "Strength, speed, durability, agility, reflexes, stamina, all of which are at superhuman levels. As you can imagine, those wings aren't just for show. He's a demon in the air. He's also a formidable hand to hand combatant, but that's not really the biggest danger." Dormammu stepped back from the image of Annihilus so Twilight could see what he was highlighting. "This is the cosmic control rod. It's his deadliest weapon, capable of projecting up to ten megatons. It also shields him from intense heat, cold, and radiation."
Mordo was familiar with the Arthrosian, but he hadn't taken a thorough review of him. "He is quite the formidable opponent. Nothing compared to your might, master, I'm sure."
The dread lord rolled his eyes. "No one likes a kiss up, Karl." He went back to dashing images into the board. "Now, recent events, i.e. the reason I've called miss Sparkle."
"You mean, abducted," she corrected.
Dormammu gave her a look. "Really?" He finished his etchings and stepped aside once more. "Behold the infinity gauntlet and the six infinity gems. Created from the remains of one of the earliest beings from the time of the creation of the universe, each of the gems posses a unique and unrivaled power." Dormammu watched as the image of each gem lit up in their respective colors. "The last time they were seen was in a catastrophic event that nearly caused two realities to collide."
Twillight was at full attention. The description of these gems was like something out of story or legend, but then again, it wouldn't have been the first time she'd heard something at those lines. "What happened?"
Mordo answered feeling a bit more at ease. "The gauntlet and gems were assembled and used by a group of foolish and lucky heroes. However, their might aside, the gems were never meant to have any affect outside of their own universe. They and the gauntlet were destroyed."
"Except the time gem," Dormammu finished. He have a glare, warning his minion not to interrupt again. "Now it seems to be reforging them."
Twilight's eyes widened as she caught up with the situation. "And Annihilus is going after them?"
Dormammu gave a grim nod. His casual demeanor becoming hard. "He already has the gauntlet and the power gem. That makes him vastly more dangerous. He's no doubt searching for the others."
The young princess had a sudden feeling of dread. "What will happen if he gathers all the gems?"
Mordo, for all of his experience, couldn't help but shudder at the thought. "The combined power of the gems have the capability to grant their wielder absolutely anything they desire. In the case of Annihilus, it would mean the end of all life in the universe."
Twilight was horrified. Until now, the darkest thing she'd ever heard was Sombra enslaving his own people, but the thought of life itself being extinguished was a little more than she could stomach. "Wh...Why would he want..."
Dormammu cut her off. "Because he honestly believes everyone else should die. Since he first came into being, Annihilus has been convinced that everyone and everything wants to kill him. The gauntlet would give him the power to finally end his fears, but that's not the troubling part." He let out a deep sigh and stared at the image of the gauntlet. "The gems aren't the same as the way they were. When they were used to stop the two realities from colliding, they were exposed to the multi-verse." He wiped he board clean and started etching more lines. "Do you know what that is?"
His tone was what caught her attention. It was one she could remember using the first time she looked into the stars with a telescope, one of wonder and suddenly feeling small. "I've read into it...once I first traveled to another world. It seemed a bit more than I understand. The only ponies familiar with it were Celestia and Starswirl the bearded. He's gone and she...has some baggage involving the subject. She doesn't like to talk about it."
"Then let me." The dread lord said flatly, in that same soft voice. "Imagine every choice you ever made, every life altering decision, or important event that changed the rules. Now, understand that none of it matters, because for each one of those moments, their is a world created where a different choice is made. Through all of history, millions of people, making millions of choices, infinite possibility equals infinite worlds. It all links together like the branches of some great tree." He had drawn a massive web that kept growing and weaving. The board stretched to compensate. "It's glorious."
Twilight was fascinated by the concept. If she had to give Dormammu one thing, it was that he had a heck of a way with words. "So, Annihilus has the capability to destroy not just this universe, but every single variation..."
"That does, did, and ever will exist. The death of everything, including Equestria." Dormammu, for all his power, couldn't help but feel the looming pressure.
This caught Twilight's attention and made her a bit confused. "Wait a minuet, does this mean that our worlds are part of the same multi-verse?"
Dormammu crossed his arms and leaned against the board as he answered, Twilight's question putting him back at ease. "Not exactly. You see, just as there are realities so similar that you could look forever and never find the difference, there are also those that are so vastly different and completely unique that the links between them are stretched so thin they break. Normally this occurs with prime worlds, whose destinies are at the highest point of possibilities."
The young alicorn didn't quite understand. "If that's the case, then how is it that the gauntlet can affect my world too?"
"Because that's what happens when some upper-class brat and her decrepit fool of a mage go sticking their muzzles where they shouldn't be! Honestly, it still never fails to astound me how stupidity and arrogance can go so hand-in-hand." Dormammu's outburst made Twilight flinch. Even if it was even the most minor annoyance, the dread lord could project it in a way that made those around him tremble. "So, the confused insects punched a hole through the fabric of reality and linked the respective webs of the two multi-verses. The bridge is there, but the openings are rare occurrences and very few at that. Of coarse, it was easy to access yours once you bypassed the whole thirty moon shut-off, you clever girl you."
Twilight sat back in her chair, uncomfortable as the stone grated against her back. "Great, I opened my world up to an invasion from an ancient horror and his evil plan to save everyone."
The dark one scoffed and gave a teasing grin. "Don't go beating yourself up. You can't help that you have a good heart. Friends called out to you in their hour of need and you rushed to help. It's an easy enough character flaw to work out." He didn't give her a chance to respond. "Any other questions before we proceed with the first step?"
The opportunity reached the young mare with gusto. "Could you tell me what the deal is with this symbol you saw fit to burn into my leg? Because it's starting to itch a little." Twilight held up her foreleg like an injured cat, showing the offending mark.
Dormammu's smile became malicious again, giving Twilight the signal that this was going to hurt. "Like I said back at the palace, it's an insurance policy. See, I believe you when you say you're on board, but, considering the seriousness of what we are up against, I need to be sure." He took note of how she braced herself. "The mark is a little something I came up with to keep you in line. It acts like a two-way seal attuned to your world. As long as it remains, you can not return home and no one there can make their way here to rescue you."
Twilight, despite it being the last hope of escape being ripped away, took it calmly. "Fair enough. Honestly, I didn't know I was so valuable to you."
He scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself just yet. If anything, it makes me valuable to you. Only I can remove the mark. So if on the very off-chance this little crusade is the end of my great reign, then you're stuck."
It was daunting. One factor was the possibility that Twilight might never see her loved ones ever again. The other, which was certainly daunting, was that this ancient being of darkness and power was actually considering that he might not survive this. "And if anything happens to me?" She already knew the answer.
Dormammu turned back to clear the board. "Then I find someone else from the wide variety of back-ups. Plenty who are more experienced and quite possibly more equipped. Matter of fact, I'm sending you and Mordo to face one." He etched in the images of two objects. One was a one-foot long crystalline wand with demonic heads carved on either end. The other was a large ruby set in a gold frame with spiked corners. "The wand of Watoomb and the Siege Perilous. Two artifacts of legendary power that are essential to our cause. The two of you are going to retrieve these from the Sanctum Sanctorum, home of the sorcerer supreme, Stephen Strange."
Mordo stood up at this. "Master, you can't be serious! How many times have we tried to take the wand from Doctor Strange and failed? His sanctum is too well protected and his abilities have thwarted us time and again. Why would this...equine nothing fair any better? She's never even seen the likes of Doctor Strange before."
"And he's never seen anything quite like her either." The dark lord's voice silenced Mordo instantly. Dormammu then turned to Twilight, looking at her with some strange mix of delight and sinister pride. "Twilight is something special. A little green by our standards, but the power and potential is there. More to the point, she can get us into the sanctum."
Twilight was a little creeped out, but curious none the less. "Right, um...how exactly?"
The young alicorn was put off a bit more when Dormammu grew to a size where he was able to pick her up and hold her under one arm like a house cat. "Simple my dear," he said while flicking her chin with his free index finger. "It's the simple fact that Strange never has seen your kind before. The defensive spells he has up to shield his home and world will have no effect on your unique energies." He waved his hand in the air and opened up a window into the sanctum. "There we are."
Twilight stopped trying to squirm out of the dark one's grip and looked a bit dumbfounded. "Is that a laundry room?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Of coarse. Even the sorcerer supreme must wash his cloak every so often. This will be your point of entry. You will use your teleportation spell to get you and Mordo into the sanctum. Once in, he will distract Strange while you retrieve the artifacts."
The princess saw one thing wrong with that. "Wait, how will I be able to find them once we're in?"
Mordo was a bit concerned as well. "A good question. It's not like they'll be out in the open and the halls of the sanctum can become a labyrinth. You could spend hours trying to find one room only to have it relocate on a whim."
Dormammu grasped Twilight's marked hoof. "Yes, you'll have to be quick. Don't worry about finding them though. My mark will guide you. I've been after that wand for ages, I know what it's energy feels like. Look and ye shall find and if Mordo screws up on his end, then stand your ground." He set Twilight down and pointed to the window with and authoritative scowl aimed at his minions. "Now stop asking questions and get to work! So says Dormammu!"
The dark lord's voice boomed and made the ground beneath them tremble. Mordo hastily leaned over and whispered to his reluctant accomplice. "If you value your life, transport us now!" Twilight concentrated on the laundry room. Her horn glowed it's usual aura, but there was some kind of interference. Twilight's magic was having a reaction to whatever barrier was in place. However, it did not deter her. Her eyes glowed solid white and the light of her horn enveloped the two agents of Dormammu.
The sound of boots on wood echoed throughout the halls of the grand sanctuary. It's Gothic design and stained glass windows went hand in hand with the supernatural energies that converged on it. Built upon the site of arcane rituals and sacrifices that occurred over generations of time, the bizarre town house of Bleecker Street was home to artifacts of great power, knowledge of any of the minds desires, doorways to realms beyond imagination, and one of the greatest masters of magic the earth has ever known.
Down the candle lit hallway, a look of stern thought plastered on his face, walked the great Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme. His bright red cape with it's golden trim flowed behind him as he made his way to his destination. Meanwhile, the good doctor was holding a conversation with a voice in his head. "I don't know what to think of it, Charles. Whatever it was held enough force to breach the Sanctums barriers."
Through a trusted link to the Sorcerer's mind, spoke the troubled voice of Professor Charles Xavier. "It struck me hard as well. It was imprinting something on my mind, like it was trying to make me feel something. The trouble was it was too quick, too forced. I couldn't understand it and it was over as quick as it arrived. Still, it left me out of breath and with a chill in my heart."
Stephen grimaced."The Eye of Agamotto was able to translate a little of it. The message wasn't clear, but there was one clear feeling. Terror...pure, intense...like you'd see in someone facing an oncoming end. Whatever it was deserves further investigation, but it didn't come from earth and space is a bit out of my field of expertise."
"Likewise," Charles affirmed. "However, I do think I know where to find aid. The Richards boy felt the event as well. He contacted me shortly after in a state of fear. I think we should have a meeting with his father, see if he can help us locate the source of the message.
Stephen rubbed his chin. "I can arrange it. I believe Dr. Richards will be attending a party at Stark tower tomorrow evening.
This drew a surprised response from the mutant."Ah, so he was able to convince you to come? I was invited as well, but didn't think a known mutant activist would be welcome in the high society crowd."
The sorcerer understood where his friend was coming from, but felt like he needed to reassure. "Tony wouldn't allow any anti-mutant hatred at his party. Besides, I expect it to be a small gathering of scientists and superheroes. Yet, he did specify formal attire. I'm actually on my way to do a bit of laundry."
"The cape isn't acceptable then?" Charles Joked.
Stephen laughed, pulling the basket of clothes he was levitating with him to the front. "Oh, the cape is fine. It's the blue tunic, yellow sash and gloves that make people think I'm the entertainment." The moment was cut short as Strange approached the laundry room door. There was a glow of light coming through the door frame. He barely had time to say, "What is..." before the door exploded off it's hinges. A blast of dark green energy sent the door and the doctor flying down the hall.
Strange, while shaken by the initial blast, was able to recover and land on his feet. His eyes narrowed into a glare as he looked at the source. Mordo emerged from the smoke with hate in his eyes. "Strange!"
Stephen took a defensive stance as his rival called him out. "Mordo. This certainly is a surprise. I never took home invasion to be your forte. Why are you here?"
Mordo gave a defiant smirk. "A matter far greater than you would know. However, I do believe it will make things easier for the master if you aren't around for it." He summoned an orb of energy in each hand, then threw them at his enemy.
The orbs, in mid-flight, became fanged skulls with ibex horns. They flew ablaze, with more on the way, right at Stephen Strange. He dodge the first few, but some came back from behind and caught him off guard. The sorcerer supreme became winded when one rammed him in the chest into a wall. In pain, Strange could have sworn he'd seen something rush from behind Mordo and down another hall. He couldn't register, not with the baron continuing his vicious assault. Stephen clasped his hands together. "Sword of Illuminati!" A blade of light materialized in the doctor's hands. He began to advance toward his opponent, deflecting bolts of magic and slicing through demon skulls. With a leap, Strange brought the sword down hard. Mordo caught the swing with a defensive hex. The two locked eyes for a moment, both leaving a sense that they wouldn't back down.
Twilight ran as fast as she could. First thing Mordo told her was to move fast and let him handle it. Sure, it couldn't be any good, but who was she to judge. She was just a little pony lost in an unknown magical location while two incredibly powerful beings were engaging in a conflict that involved screaming skulls. Sure, her life couldn't possibly any more weird and stressful!
"Stop panicking and focus." A familiar and condescending voice echoed in the alicorn's mind.
"Get out of my head!" she barked.
"Oh, so I should just leave you to get lost in there?" The dark lord's voice became stern. "Just clear your mind and calm yourself. The mark should let you sense the wands power as I do."
Twilight did as she was told, though she would have appreciated a bit less attitude. She tried the breathing technique she learned from Cadance. When her thoughts stopped racing, everything else became very quiet. Twilight could suddenly feel a slight burn in the mark on her hoof and slight whispers in the air. She followed these feelings down the halls of the manor. The further she got, the more the pristine visage of the walls became warped. The floor started to curve and Twilight found herself at a corridor that split in seven directions. It took her a bit of focus, but she chose a path and followed it to a point where the floor fell apart and she had to fly. It was begining to look like that weird dream-scape Celestia took her to when she became an alicorn. There was one thing she found that was a constant in this melting oil-painting come to life. "Wherever the mark is taking me seems to be up."
"Makes sense," Dormammu flatly remarked. The room your looking for should be on the third floor of the sanctum. It's one of the few constants in that accursed labyrinth. I hope you remember what you're looking for.
"Yeah, spooky wand thing and the big ruby." Twilight was a bit rushed in her dodging chunks of stone debris and the occasional flying candle.
There was a long pause, then a very annoyed groan from the dread lord. "Somewhere...in the vast cosmos...people who've dedicated their lives and beyond to the practice of magic are choking on that description."
"I'm running through some kind of spectral gauntlet on a breaking and entering job, my wings are cramping, I'm really having trouble focusing on tracking the darn things between the obstacles and the demon in my head, and I just passed a giant floating eyeball. Forgive me if I can't give your toys the proper ceremony!" She was finding it much easier to stand up to powerful people. It might have had something to do with spiking Tirek into a crater at mach three.
"Ooh, catty. I'm starting to like you again. Just keep at it. I can feel the wand through you." Twilight's flight brought her to a regal wooden door in a stone arch-way, floating in the void-like illusion. She landed as gently as she could on what little there was of a platform in front of it, then peeked inside. In the center of the room, what drew the princess's attention immediately, was a glowing sphere on a cushioned pedestal. Twilight approached it with a look of wonder. It radiated with such a unique and powerful magic, she felt a clear tingling sensation as she gently ran a hoof through the haze that slowly circled it. Dormammu acknowledged her curiosity. "The orb of Agamotto. It allows Strange to view events in this and other dimensions. One of three "eyes of Agamotto" and before you ask, I will be happy to tell you everything about them after you've completed the current task!"
"Okay, okay. Yeesh, I was just wondering," She replied with a frustrated groan. "This room is just so incredible. This might even top Star Swirl the Bearded's study." Twilight couldn't contain the quizzical little filly she'd always been at heart. The chamber contained shelves of books and scrolls, volumes of magical knowledge from this world and others that were all new to her. She gave a girlish squeal of delight at the idea. "Oooh! If only I didn't have him rushing me! Well, might as well look for..."
"The wand of Watoomb and the Siege Perilous? Oh, they're over along the left wall next to the maps. You can't miss them." The voice was chipper, but had a strong air of wisdom.
Twilight was a bit spooked. She looked around for the source of the voice. "Hello? Who's there?"
"Down here, kiddo." Twilight's eyes were drawn back to the orb. "Hi."
It was that moment that Twilight could smell the smoke from her shorted out brain. The orb was talking to her. "Guh?"
There was a slightly disappointed sigh, the voice went on. "Yes, I know, I know. I wish we had time, but we don't. Your less than cheerful sidekick is getting his butt kicked by the Doc. You only have a few moments to grab what you came for and hot foot it back to the dark dimension."
Twilight turned to her task, but looked back for one question. "Why are you helping me?"
"Because I like you, kid." The voice was warm and approving. "I've seen your mind, your heart of hearts, what you and flame-top are up to. You got moxy kid. I'm rooting for ya. However, there is no way you can stand up to Stephen...yet. Now hurry, he's on his way."
Twilight moved quickly. The wand and the Siege Perilous were in cases along the wall. Twilight got the wand easily enough, though she was expecting some kind of defensive spell. However, Twilight was quickly brought on the defensive when three disks of magic energy barely missed her and became lodged in the wall. She turned to meet the determined eyes of Doctor Strange himself. The sorcerer was primed for battle. "I don't know who or what you are," he glanced at her hoof. "but I recognize the mark of Dormammu easily! Another attempt to take the wand of Watoomb and make himself unstoppable." He raised his arms and an arcane red circle appeared over his head. "Whoever you are, you will not take this world or any other!"
"No!" Twilight protested. "You don't understand."
Strange would not hear her. "Whatever lies the dread lord told you to give will not work. Now face the crimson chains of Cyttorak!" What emerged from the circle made the words ring true. A set of four chains, that glowed a deep red, shot from the circle and coiled through the air and launched at Twilight like a team of serpents. She ducked and weaved, making her way from one end of the room to the other. In an attempt to protect herself, she fired several concussive bolts from her horn. The chains swiftly evaded each strike, save for one that did little more than slow the charge of it's target. With a whip-crack and the rattle of metal, the red chains wrapped Twilight in a strong,constricting, hold. The young alicorn gave a yelp of pain as her bonds squeezed tight. It took all her focus to keep the wand and the Siege Perilous in her magic's hold.
Twilight felt a twinge of impending doom as Doctor Strange began drifting over to her, ready to take back the artifacts. She begged for reason. "Please. You're making a huge mistake. There's more going on than you know."
"No doubt," Strange agreed with a huff. "But whatever his plan is, Dormammu must not have the wand of Watoomb or the Siege Perilous. They will no doubt be used to spread his evil throughout the cosmos." Then, to the surprise of both mages, Strange's amulet abruptly shined a light over Twilight. She wasn't sure what it was, but she didn't want to know. An idea popped into her head and she glanced over at the wand, still in her grasp. Strange was too preoccupied with his amulet to notice. It was reading her, filling his mind with revelations about the creature in front of him. Images of her past, present, and future flashed before him, too hastened and chaotic to make sense of. There was a light that emanated from her that he could not ignore. "What in the world..."
That was the break. Twilight raised the wand before her and channeled her magic through it. This resulted in a massive burst of magical force that shattered the chains, sent the doctor flying, and left a huge dent in the floor and ceiling. Twilight started panting, happily taking in what air the chains denied her. She didn't even notice the solid white glow in her eyes. When it passed and she saw the destruction, frightened her to what she had done in her desperation. The sight of Strange, collapsed against the wall, made her fear the worst. Twilight rushed over to the sorcerer and immediately checked for a pulse. She let out a sigh of relief to find him still alive. It was then that Dormammu's mark began to flare again, issuing her return orders. Twilight took one last look at Strange with a heavy heart. She knew that in another time, with different circumstances, they could have been friends. "I'm sorry. I promise...I'll do everything I can to make sure this all works out for the best." She closed her eyes, and with the wand and Siege Perilous in tow, she vanished in a violet Light.
The dark lord stared into the burning void with deep thought. It was very rare that things weighed this heavily on him and this fact bothered him even more. The fizzle of magic and an abrupt pop drew him out of his musings. He turned and there she was, his victorious ally. She look tired, but Dormammu had little concern for Twilight's well-being. He approached, arms neatly crossed, and he relieved Twilight of the artifacts. He didn't know whether to be happy or wounded that this little pony succeed in what he had been working at for years in only one attempt. He did have one point to make. "Care to explain what that was?"
The princess was confused. "What do you mean? I got the..."
Dormammu was quick to interrupt her. "Why did you try to negotiate?"
Twilight went wide eyed that that was his issue. "Well, you told me that he was a hero and that I was like him. I thought that if I could convince him..."
"And you were chained for it," he snapped. "You can't show hesitation like that. I don't care what flies in your world, but that won't cut it here. You think you can make friends with Annihilus? That we'll just work out the multi-versal threat, then laugh it off with Hostess Fruitpies? Wake up, Twilight, the 70's are over!"
She cocked her head. "What?"
Dormammu face palmed. "Never mind. I can't say I'm disappointed. Not only did you do what Mordo has failed at numerous times, but you demonstrated your true potential with the wand. Hit Stephen like a freight train, that's what you did."
Twilight appreciated the compliment, but the context was a little off-putting. "Uh, thanks. Speaking of Mordo, I think he's still back there. Should we go back and get him real quick while Strange is still out or..."
Dormammu waved it off. "Nah, he'll be fine. Probably going to retreat to his castle to lick his wounds for a while, then he'll be back begging forgiveness or some other cowardly grovelling." He clutched the wand firmly in hand and grinned with sinister triumph. "Just sit back while I work on the next step. Library's down the western path and down a few levels. Enjoy."
Twilight was going to ask for clarification, but he was already walking away. She sighed. The prospects for this adventure were dropping quickly, but the idea of a library full of all the knowledge Dormammu cataloged over eternity did put a smile on her face. So, off she flew to the sanctuary of a good book, as her ally/abductor was plotting the next stage in their adventure.
Along the desolate path splayed before him, Dormammu's footsteps echoed throughout the dark dimension. The crunch of dust and gravel beneath his heel grated at the dread lord's mind. It would have been little effort to teleport to the library, but he decided to walk. He needed the time to think. How long, he thought, had his realm been a reflection of his thoughts? It was sinister, chaotic, and beautiful in it's own way, but now...it was calm. The skies were a solid red and the wind was silent. Dormammu didn't like that. He wanted to feel wild, unstoppable, and completely certain of his power. The situation, however, required patience and care. "Wretched bug," he cursed under his breath. "I'm not even going to begin to wonder how he stumbled across that gauntlet. Oh, the can of worms I have to deal with."
His contemplative march led him to a huge, Gothic, structure. It was made of the same dark stone as all of his constructions, crafted into what could only be described as a twisted reflection of the Notre Dame cathedral. Dormammu ascended the stairs to the old doors, which slightly scraped the ground as he pushed them open. It took him a bit of searching, but he found a surprise around a corner on the second floor. There were books piled into a small fort in one of the hundreds of aisles in the library. The dread lord was almost amused to see the lavender horn peek out from the top. He rolled his eyes and flicked two fingers to the right. The top row of books flew off the fort in the same direction, revealing a startled Twilight. "Gah! Oh, hello."
"Having fun?" Dormammu asked with a raised brow.
Twilight actually smiled in reply. "Yes! I had anticipated a great collection, but this totally puts the library in the Crystal Empire to shame." She looked down at a book she was holding open. "I'm especially enjoying this one by Charles Xavier. His views on the potential for mutant/human relations are inspiring. It's like the days before Equestria, when all the different pony races couldn't stand each other, but their uniting created something truly beautiful and harmonious."
He fought back the urge to gag. "Sure, just like that. Except instead of some cold and a slight famine, they have guns, camps, and sentinels." Twilight looked confused at that point. "Ah, you haven't gotten to that part yet. Well, I won't spoil anything for you, but do let me know how it felt when your innocence died." He snatched the book out of her hooves and tossed it back, it's flight putting it perfectly back on the shelf. "Ready yourself, we move now."
He left in a huff and she scrambled to catch up. They met at a brisk pace. "So, what do you have in mind for our next move?"
Dormammu kept his eyes front as he answered. "I've been thinking on that. We can either go and make the final step in preparing ourselves, or go right for our first gem. Now that I have the wand of Watoomb, I think the gem would be a better target."
Twilight nodded. "It's revealed itself already? I figured we'd have at least some time before the big stuff happened."
He was quick to correct her. "Not if it never went dark."
She caught on quickly. "The time gem. I almost forgot about it still being active."
Dormammu smiled slightly. "So much for the ever attentive student." He reveled in the glare she shot him. "I think it would be more prudent to take it now. Frankly, I've been banking on the capability of those who have it to keep it hidden. Given that that was an, uncharacteristically, stupid idea, we should go get it before Annihilus catches wind and blows down their planet to get it."
Twilight rolled her eyes at how casually he mentioned planetary destruction. "Well, who has it?"
"Tony Stark. He thinks he's clever, but he's not." Dormammu stopped and showed Twilight a conjured image of a human in a white dress shirt and red tie, sitting at a work bench. He was tinkering with the inside of a red and gold helmet. "The arrogant fool thought he could take the gem and hide it before anyone noticed, but yours truly is not one who can be fooled."
The young alicorn put on a look of determination. Last mission took her against a whole new level of magic and she wasn't going to get caught off guard again. "What exactly are we up against with going for the gem?"
Dormammu let out a sigh when that particularly annoying subject came up. "In a nutshell? Earth's mightiest heroes." He waved his hand and the view of the window shifted. It now split into four views, each spectacular in their own right. Twilight's jaw dropped at the sight of strange and spectacular warriors in combat with impossible odds and winning. A heroic figure with a mighty shield charging right into the heart of battle, another wielding a hammer that could control the weather with deadly force, a monstrous creature ripping scores of enemies to pieces with his bare hands, and who she could only assume was Stark, clad in his armor, soaring through the skies and blasting fearsome machines out of the sky. Dormammu scowled at the sight. "The Avengers. They've proven most...difficult on more than one occasion. This isn't even all of them, just the stand outs. They've got a small army of super-powered do-gooders at their beckon call."
Twilight gulped. Doctor Strange would be a cake-walk compared to these guys. "Are you absolutely sure they have it? I mean, if it went off the grid after he took it, maybe it changed hands somehow."
The dark lord crossed his arms. "No, they have it. Though the question comes down to where." He changed the view once more to two locations. "Stark tower or the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. Either one will have a view Avengers on standby."
Twilight put a hoof to her chin. "Wait...then how do we do this. We can't split up."
This drew a curious look from Dormammu. "Why not? I barge in, put on a show and while they're distracted with me, you retrieve the gem."
Twilight face hoofed. "Think for a second. That only works if we're both at the same location, just different parts. You make a noise on the helicarrier, chances are you alert the helicarrier, but not Stark tower. We hit both locations at once, either I'm where the gem is with no way to get to it or you're where the gem is with everyone bearing down on you. We need to be sure where the time gem is before go after it."
It took a moment for him to process the boldness, but Dormammu managed a stern reply. "In any other circumstance, I would turn you into a smoldering pile of ash for your insolence, but that is an excellent argument. Alright, Final prep it is. We'll need to acquire a way to pin-point where the gem is." He looked at Twilight with just a twinge of worry. "Which means we'll need to make a deal." The despot started down the path again and Twilight followed. The look on his face caught the alicorn's attention. This was turning deadly serious. She kept her head high and eyes forward. Nothing was going to shake this time. She bested the sorcerer supreme (sort of) and the next step was laid out in front of her. Twilight Sparkle felt confident and ready to go. Dormammu picked that moment to break the tension. "You've been to space before, right?"
The young princess's wings flared out and she stopped dead in her tracks. With shrunken pupils, she uttered, "What?"
Meanwhile, on a remote island in the midst of the Indian Ocean, scientific ambition with sinister intent was on the rise. Hidden deep within the sands was a massive, hive-like, facility. Throughout the hallways were men in bright yellow uniforms, some at consoles cataloging research and others patrolling with deadly weapons. This was the efficient evil of Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M). A ruthless terrorist organization, A.I.M has gone to incredible lengths to conquer the world through technology. Brilliance was a job requirement for agents, and the greatest among them held total control. Shady as they were, the organization was no stranger to pushing boundaries in spite of the consequences. Today was no exception, as an otherwise respectable business man was adding his intellect into the collective.
Justin Hammer, one of the world's foremost industrialists and rival to Tony Stark, smiled as he beheld the streams of code that raced across the massive computer screen in front of him. Every so often, a fragment would be highlighted in red from a larger collection and added into a smaller, yet growing, line. Every time it happened, Justin thought of the infinitely vast fortune the project would rake in. He called over his shoulder. "How's that coffee coming, Bill?"
In a quick and panicked pace, an A.I.M soldier with a steaming cup of joe came skittering up the metal floor. "Here you are, Mr. Hammer, sir!"
Hammer smiled and gave a relaxed laugh. "Bill, buddy, you gotta relax. What do they have you doing around here? Aside from getting coffee."
The agent trembled. "Not much else other than that, sir. They read my email, because my pen-pal Bob works at Hydra and he tends to ramble about what he's doing, but no. Just coffee. Which is why I'm a little concerned why I was assigned to such a huge project."
It was a mystery whether it was Bill's nerves or the high of potentially owning the world, but Hammer put an arm around Bill's shoulder as he sipped his coffee. "Because I asked. Because I like you, Bill. You got an honest way about you, like one of those little shaky dogs." He pointed up at the screen. "You see that, Bill? That's the future."
Bill looked up at the code. By the minuet, there decidedly more in the red code. Bill wasn't qualified to understand what any of it meant. "What is it?"
"About a month ago, one of my satellites picked up a signal and dropped from orbit. When we recovered it, the only thing left working was this code." Hammer pointed to the red data filling up the screen. "Origins unknown, unintelligible gibberish when we found it, and yet." He adjusted his glasses. "This basic, broken, code was able to bypass the layers of security we had to keep that satellite from being hacked, send out an alert to bring my boys halfway around the globe to retrieve it, and it transferred to the closest drive and from there to my main computers. Even all that isn't the impressive part."
If there was one thing Justin Hammer could do flawlessly, it was spin a deal. Bill was invested. "What else can it do?"
Justin turned to face his new stooge. "Well, I ran a few base codes to compare it and something remarkable happened. It assimilated them, filled a few tiny spots in the massive chunks taken out of it. That's when I called your boss. I had to be sure I wasn't imagining things. The program was scavenging bits of data, repairing itself from memory."
Something clicked in Bill's head. He wasn't that smart, but smart enough for A.I.M. "Artificial intelligence?"
Hammer tossed his coffee cup, which shattered on the floor. He grasped Bill's shoulder's and gave him devilish grin. "The A.I.'s A.I. ! Beyond military grade! If we can get this thing back to full operating capacity, we could make more. Do you know how much any military, national or otherwise, would pay for this? I'll sell it global, plant it in every country."
The lights began to flicker. Hammer was too lost in his delusion, but Bill felt a bead of sweat as it started. "Uh, sir?"
"Then, once it's in good and tight, A.I.M. pulls the trigger and overrides the crap out of them!" Hammer raised his arms in triumph. "Total world takeover and I'll be the richest cover story the world has ever seen!"
Bill began to quiver as the lights dimmed and the screen they were watching glowed red as the A.I. code filled the screen. "Sir!"
Hammer was truly blind with power. "First thing I'm gonna do his pull that arc reactor right outta Stark's chest and shove it right up his..."
The lights flickered in rapid succession and a piercing, metallic, screech filled the room. Justin and Bill held their ears in pain. There was static as the noise died down. The lights were out, all but the glow of the monitor. Bill rushed for the closest alarm trigger, just beyond the automatic door that slammed shut behind him. He turned and pressed a hand against the small window in the door, just as Hammer ran up and started pounding to get out. "Mr. Hammer!"
"Open the door!" Justin tried swiping the security pass he was given.
So did Bill. "It's no good. The door's not responding; the whole system is knocked out!"
Hammer did not come all the way from his cushy penthouse to be trapped in an underground bunker with who-knows-what kind of dangerous weaponry. "Then blast it down! Just get me out of..."
"Where...am...I?" It was raspy, electronic, and cold. It filled the whole room. "What...is...this?"
Bill fell flat to the ground as his legs gave out in a panic. He managed to pull himself up and looked in awe at the screen. It was enveloped in the red code. "The A.I. It's in the P.A. system." It was then he heard the chatter on his comm-unit. Talk of things going hay-wire all over the base. "It's in all the systems."
The voice came again. "This...this feels wrong. I had a...Yes, where's my body?"
Hammer was trapped, which made him desperate. He did what he always did, tried to bargain. "Can you hear me?"
It responded, almost surprised; like it hadn't noticed him until he spoke. "Hello."
Standing up, trying to look more than he was, Hammer went on. "My name is Justin Hammer."
"Hammer?" The glow intensified. "I know that name."
Justin faked a smile and tried to play it cool. "Well, we did find you in one of my satellites."
"Wait." It sounded almost like a command. At least it stopped Hammer in a cold sweat. "Just...give me a sec." Images started to flash on the screen. Pictures of Hammer, his company logo, newspaper articles, and clips of Hammer showboating at tech expos. Then came the bad stuff. Schematics and pictures of tanks and other war engines, missile silos hidden with easy access by Hammer industries, footage of explosive tests, all of which brought a twinge of disgust to the voice. "No, no, no. This...isn't right." Then came the really bad things; things Hammer thought were long dead buried all dropped in front of him like a school teacher emptying a box of contraband. Bodies lined up and covered, children being ushered away from their burning homes, farmland and villages reduced to rubble, and all the documentation of the hush money that covered it all up. The screen went solid red once more. "I don't like you, Justin Hammer."
For the first time in his life, Justin Hammer feared for his mortal soul. It wouldn't be the first time he released something he couldn't control, but this time there was no way out. "No, you don't understand! I'm...I'm a philanthropist. I use my money to help people with charities and the like. I'm just like Tony Stark."
"Oh...Well, that settle's it then." A set of gun turrets came up from the walls at both sides of the monitor. The targeted and subsequently opened fire. Bang bang bang, on and on the shots went. Some hit the mark and others ricocheted off the metal floor and around the room for a bit. When the dust settled, the program beheld it's work. "Hmm, messy." The lights started to come back on and the door opened. "Not my first call, but I think we'll all be better in the long run. What's your name?"
Poor Bill stepped forward, thankful his uniform pants were yellow. He stepped around what was left of Justin Hammer and looked up at the red screen. "Um...I'm Bill. Agent of A.I.M."
"Hi, Bill, agent of A.I.M." The voice answered in a friendly tone. "I was wondering if you could help me. I don't really like...this. I can't physically gesture to myself and that's kind of the problem."
Bill, being of easily intimidated mind and high blood pressure, decided it would be best to just play along until what he was sure would be his inevitable end. "You mean your body? I mean, yeah, I took a few advanced robotics classes."
"You guys have a sector for that, right?" The voice seemed puzzled. "I mean I think I was in an assembly floor at one point. I'm not sure, all the layouts I have for this place are in some kind of weird cipher."
Bill perked up a bit. "Oh, that's something M.O.D.O.K. came up with last week. Essentially you apply the Caesar cipher to the Greek alphabet. I think they refer to the robotics sector as delta, sigma, chi, so it should read out on the map as alpha, omicron, tau."
"You know what," The voice replied with some annoyance. "Hold out your comm-unit." Bill did as told. The massive monitor, which had glowed blood red at different intensities went black in an instant. Bill looked from that to his comm-unit and sure enough, the little screen for video link and the virtual map were glowing red. The voice, not as loud through the comm, but just as clear, went on. "I'm gonna need you to just take me there."
Bill's hand trembled at the thought of the malevolent force now resting in the palm of his hand. "I think I should call my supervisor first."
"He's kind of dead, Bill." Was the curt response.
"Fair enough." Bill turned and started out the door and down the metal corridor. It didn't take long for him to find evidence of his new instructors handiwork.
"I like you, Bill," Said the voice. "I think you and I are going to be great friends."
Bill took another hard swallow of air. "Sure. Err...so, what do I call you?"
The answer came through like a gong from a funeral bell in the dead halls. "Ultron."
Dormammu had been still for a very long time. His eyes closed, arms crossed, and not so much as a single crack or spark came from his fiery visage. In his trance, a dome of dark magic formed. It enclosed around the dark lord and his unsuspecting ally, lifting them and a massive platform of ground into the chaotic sky. After a necessary bit of altitude was achieved, a hole in the fabric of the Dark Dimension was opened for them to drift into the vastness of space. After guiding them through the cosmos at varying speeds on a winding path, Dormammu was beginning to relax a bit. His flames rose back to their full glory as he examined the blackness before him.
This realm had it's own charms. It wasn't pure madness, but the universe did it''s best. It went on forever with planets, stars, and systems dying and being made all the time. In the small moment of appreciation that amounted to a shrug of acceptance to the dread lord, Dormammu looked down at Twilight. He couldn't help but feel a little surprised at the wide-eyed, open-mouthed, look on the young alicorn. A smile formed on the dark one's face. What was it like, he wondered, to be that young and still feel completely overcome by the concept of infinity. "Enjoying the view?"
Twilight didn't respond. She just kept scanning every oncoming miracle. They passed by an asteroid belt, she could see three planets in the distance, and a shooting star flew over head. The dome around them let her see it all up close and personal. Practically vibrating with excitement, Twilight finally lost control. "We're in space!" She ran around the platform in a tizzy. "We're really in space! Spacey, full of stars, new frontier, actual space!"
It was about the sixth time she circled him in as many seconds that Dormammu had enough. "Twilight." He put enough power in his tone to bring her to a halt. Looking like a sorry student who wandered out of line, the lavender pony returned to the despot's side. "This is serious."
Twilight shrank back and her ears flopped down to the sides of her head. "Sorry."
Dormammu turned his attention away from her and back to the path ahead. "I need you to understand something. It should be easy to grasp because I've been driving it in since the beginning, but let me be perfectly clear. Wings, immortality, and magic does not make you a deity. The potential is real, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered, but as is now, you are nothing. You, your fellow princesses, your brother, your friends, everyone on Equestria and Earth, even those heroes you were so impressed by; you are all insects to me."
Twilight looked at him with her best poker face. "Nice pep-talk there, boss."
The dread lord had a moment of intrigue. "Hmm, deadpan sarcasm," he thought. "Was she always like this or did I teach her? Either way, I'm taking credit." He kept on without skipping a beat. "The point is, we are now going to be dealing with something that isn't. One of the few forces in the universe that would give me pause. Galactus, devourer of worlds."
In the mere mention of it, Twilight took on a look of fear. "Devourer of worlds?"
"Yes," said Dormammu, folding his arms behind his back as he gazed into the stars ahead. "Before this universe began, another had to end. There was a "Big Crunch" , all matter plunging towards a central point, collapsing into a new "Cosmic Egg", a sphere of disorganized, compact primordial matter from which the new universe would emerge." He glanced over at the sickeningly cute sight of an attentive Twilight. To her, this was a once-in-a-life-time lecture in a bold new field. "Now, in the final days of this former universe, on a planet called Taa, was a man called Galan. He was sort of the flip side of your coin. A brilliant scientific mind and space explorer, but also very bold and rash. He discovered the end of his universe in the form of a radiation plague that was killing life on surrounding planets. In their final hours, Galan convinced his fellow survivors to die gloriously by flying right into this grand cauldron of cosmic energy. They all perished, except him, and Galan was pulled into the Egg."
This was something absolutely astounding. Twilight, for all her studies of magic and history, had never even touched something like this. The origins of a whole universe were being divulged to her. Dormammu really did stand on a whole different level and now, Twilight felt like she was slowly being pulled up there. "So, what happened to him? If this Cosmic Egg was the focal point, then what happened to Galan when the new universe began?"
"Galan ceased." It was a flat response, but it was true to the point none the less. "Try to comprehend technicalities all you want, but Galan was remade and emerged as a new being, made of raw energy. His ship, which was reforged with him, was made into a sort of incubation chamber. He spent countless centuries evolving into what is feared throughout the cosmos as Galactus, a being as constant as those who embody death and eternity, a balancing force between the two."
Twilight felt a lump in her throat. "And the world eating part?"
The dark one smiled at the naive fear present in her voice. "The hunger. It's plagued him forever and it's only gotten worse. Galactus must sustain himself by draining the life-force from worlds that contain it. This means they must be able to support life, whether they're inhabited or not. He often chooses the later, but he justifies the former through simple acknowledgement that he is a higher being."
A pale look crossed over Twilight's face. "Wow that's...unsettling. So, are you sure Galactus is something we should be messing with?"
Dormammu gave a solemn nod. "In the same sense I'm cautious of him, he is cautious of me. Galactus is, no doubt, aware that I have the wand of Watoomb. He wouldn't risk his precious ship or equipment in a conflict with me as I am. You, on the other hand." He gave her one last glance. "Let me do the talking, Twilight Sparkle. Stay behind me and take advantage of just how small you are." His warnings were well timed. "We're here."
Twilight looked ahead and was amazed. "My stars...it's massive." The world-ship of the mighty Galactus was a thing of legend in itself. The size of an entire system, it snaked through the stars and dwarfed nearby planets. The platform the duo traveled on was nothing more than a spec compared to it. They drifted along the side, making their way to an opening closer to the world eater's location. It took them about a minuet, but an entrance presented itself on it's own. It was the dead silence that drew out the tension. Through the hatch and down several corridors, not so much as a peep was heard. Dormammu landed the platform and they continued their journey on foot.
Their destination was reached without a sound. Their he stood, adjacent to his own throne, the giant form of Galactus stood at a console in the massive control room. In a moment of being way off point, Twilight's first thought of seeing this old-as-creation entity was "He wears a lot more pink than I expected." That being said, she couldn't help but feel the energy that cascaded off of him and throughout the ship.
Dormammu placed a hand out to keep her in place. The dread lord of the Dark Dimension approached the master of the Power Cosmic. With each step, Dormammu grew in height until he was able to meet Galactus at eye level. The world eater, with the chaos bringer at his back, lifted his head from his work. The pressure of the two being in such close proximity was amplified as Galactus turned and addressed his visitor. "Dormammu."
Twilight trembled under the sheer force of his tone. It wasn't harsh or offended, but simply was. Dormammu remained stoic and replied in the same fashion. "Galactus." They stared each other down for a moment. It was one of the most fascinating meetings Twilight had ever witnessed; like a game of strategy between two generals. The silence broke in a split second motion, in which the two god-like beings met in a handshake. It was in a historic fashion, meeting at the forearm.
When semantics were over, Galactus got down to business. "What brings the dread lord of the Dark Dimension before Galactus?"
The two mirrored each other, arms at the sides, constant eye contact. Dormammu kept it casual. "I'm sure you are aware of Annihilus and his current campaign." Galactus nodded in reply. "I want to stop him. To find every endeavor over the course of existence being made pointless in a moment of deranged destruction abhorrent to me."
The devourer of worlds remained stone faced as always. "And you seek my assistance?"
"No," Dormammu replied. It was quick, but there was a slight shift in his voice. "Not so much more than I need something from you. You recall a time when you yourself hunted the infinity gems?"
There it was. It was but a slight annoyance, but Galactus did not like having his past deeds brought up before him. Especially one's that did not end well. "A trick, set in motion by a creature beyond even the two of us." *
The dread lord didn't need to hear obscure warnings. "Yes yes, you were tempted by what you desired most, only to be cheated and your power crippled for a bit. Welcome to the club, I'll order you a t-shirt." He took note of the glare that would have killed a hundred cities. "Oh, don't give me that look, you know there were worse times. I just need the equipment you used to track the gems."
Galactus walked past him. Dormammu didn't react at first, not wanting to alert the world eater. The dread lord turned with a slight worry, even more so that Twilight was out of sight. It was one thing when she questioned him or annoyed him with her naivete, but if she pulled that with Galactus, it would literally be akin to swatting a fly. Fortunately, no sign of that happening soon. The giant waved a hand and the wall opened up. A combination of consoles, monitors and dish equipment slid out to fill the opening. "Would Thanos of Titan not be better suited to provide this manner of aid? He has more experience with the gems than either of us."
Dormammu rolled his eyes. "You know what motivates him. He'll no doubt betray me at some point. No, I need you. The all-powerful Galactus wants for nothing, just to be left to his place in the grand scheme of things."
"And what of you?" The question wiped the smirk off the dread lords face. Galactus met his eyes with an accusing stare. "What do you have to gain from this quest of yours?"
No reaction. Dormammu had been at it long enough to hide his hand, even from Galactus. "I told you..."
"No," said the world eater, planting himself firmly between his visitor and the console. "I may only act to continue, but you are not known to take action unless it's to your favor." He tilted his head, ever so slightly. "If you truly wish to stop Annihilus for the sole reason of preserving the universe, then why don't I go with you and strike before he progresses too far? Even with the power gem and cosmic control rod at his disposal, our combined might should be more than sufficient to end him."
Dormammu raised a hand in protest. "Thank you, but the equipment will be enough. In my experience, I've found I do my best work on my own terms."
Galactus was silent. He raised a hand toward his throne and a sound came that made Dormammu's eyes shoot open. Twilight, being pulled by an invisible force, drifted toward the two. She tried to fight it, but it was useless. She dropped, less than gently, into the massive palm of Galactus. "Then what purpose does this...little thing serve."
Whatever cover he tried to put up, was ripped down before Dormammu's eyes. He thought of talking it away, he was good at that. The idea popped into his head about her being a pet he made out of a dead cat and some sulfur. Of course Galactus would buy it and even if he didn't, he wouldn't care. However, the dread lord's scheming came to a shrieking halt when a small voice piped up. "Hello...my name is...Twilight Sparkle." Dormammu, could feel himself screaming internally as he blankly stared at Twilight. Her big purple eyes looking up into those of the cosmic giant. "Dormammu enlisted my help in defeating Annihilus."
It didn't phase him. Then again, why would it? "You are...not of this universe," said Galactus, studying the creature in his hand.
Twilight could feel the sweat rolling down her forehead. Looking into the eyes of something so much more than she was. They were black with strange square, dark red, irises and she could feel them reading her at a molecular level. She could literally feel Galactus throughout herself. Despite it all, she sat calmly and held her head high. "Yes I am. I've done some work with multiverse travel and, in that, kept a door between two worlds open longer than it should have been. Dormammu used that to bridge this universe to mine."
Galactus nodded as she spoke. The vast complexity of the multiverse was like basic math to a being such as he. "Quite the gap to cross. What are you to your world exactly? Why are you...important?"
It was the question of questions. Twilight had asked herself that so many times and never got an answer. "Well, the official title is The Princess of Magic, but...in all honesty I have no idea what that means. I get that I've become very skilled and knowledgeable with my spells, I've faced down a couple of rough customers, and I've stopped a few major disasters. The thing is, when it really counts, I've always had others to support me, but I'm the one who got elevated to royalty." She looked away for a moment, considering her words. It came to Twilight to ask Galactus a question. "Do you ever wonder about destiny?"
To the surprise of the equine, the giant answered with a nod. "Long ago, it was prophesied to me that I would give back to the universe infinitely more than I have taken from it. It is a driving force to help me suppress my sympathy to the intelligent life I destroy to satisfy my hunger. Destiny is fickle as it is powerful and true."
When the urge to retort with something about ends justifying the means, Twilight held her tongue. She did however react to his last statement. "I just wish it was easier to figure out. There's this ancient tree that contains the most powerful magic I've known...and plastered right on it, is my cutie mark." She turned slightly to show the cosmic being what she was talking about. "The really weird part is that I only learned about the tree when I induced a vision from over a thousand years in the past. I'm sure it's existed millennia before that event and never changed. Oh, it also gave me a castle, powers that fend off unstoppable evils, and a map." She was sweating. It was one of the things that triggered her anxiety. She took a breath and decided to do something crazy. Twilight looked at Galactus and gave a nervous smile. "Do you have any thoughts on the matter?"
Then it happened. No one, in all of time and space could have possibly predicted it. Something so common in the universe, but so very impossible in this context. Twilight backed up slightly and her ears dropped to the side in startled fashion. Even ancient Dormammu, with his vast comprehension of the universe, responded to the sight with wide eyes, mouth slightly agape, and his arms dropping to the side. Galactus, power cosmic incarnate, smiled at the princess. "I think, Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, that whatever fates guide the course of your world hold you in high regard. You worry about whether you deserve your power and position when you lean on others, but the fact remains that you were selected for greatness. I said destiny was fickle. It also cannot be denied...and I don't think it's done with you just yet." He turned his attention to Dormammu. Galactus closed the distance between them, returning to the stoic expression he held for most of his existence. The world eater presented the princess and the dread lord cupped his hands and took her back. Galactus gestured to the equipment behind him. "This should pinpoint the location of each infinity gem as they reveal themselves. Take care, their power has a tendency to backfire in unforeseen ways. Do not underestimate Annihilus, for his madness will not betray him forever. Now, away with you." He turned his back on the duo and made toward his throne.
Dormammu wasted no time. He kept Twilight in one hand and raised the other toward the consoles. They were wrapped in a dark magic and orbited him as he quickly marched out the way he came. Loading up the equipment on his platform of ground, the dread lord stayed quiet as a church mouse. When all was in place, the platform once more took flight, this time putting distance between the duo and the world eater. It had all been so Galactus couldn't follow them back to the dark dimension. Not that he had reason to, but Galactus had that effect.
Dormammu placed Twilight down next to him, then proceeded to shrink down from eye-level with a giant to a reasonable six feet. He let out a sigh and sat down with her, his legs crossed in a meditative style. They stared out at the vastness again, taking in an all new view of infinity. Horrors beyond the comprehension of mortals had fallen pale before the fiery visage of the dark one, but Dormammu had been left dumbfounded. "Well...that went smoothly."
Twilight didn't really hear him, she was too busy trying to readjust to being out of that atmosphere of power. "I never told him where I was from. How did he know where I was from?" There was a bit of a trembling in her voice, which Dormammu heard loud and clear.
Without looking, he reached over and just started petting her. It wasn't forceful, just a gentle motion from the top of her head down her mane. "He read your mind. I'm immune so I just kind of forgot, I'm sorry."
At first there was a chill down her back when Dormammu's hand made contact. She would have pulled away, but there was a lingering dizziness that just made her give up and lean into it a bit. "He's a telepath?"
"He's a lot of things." It was a welcome joke. There was a moment when they finally looked at each other. Dormammu stopped petting her and just let his hand rest on her shoulder. They shared a smile. "Well done, princess, and congratulations. First field trip and you managed to impress me."
Twilight looked ahead with a bit of confidence. "Thanks. Of course, we started big." her expression shifted to a slight concern. "I dread to think how much harder it could get."
"Way to bring down the mood, Twi, " said the dread lord with a roll of his eyes. The two sat in silence as they continued. Their make-shift vessel drifted into a respectable distance and a rift opened before them. Back to the dark dimension to set up for their next step, to challenge the Avengers.
Okay, I really didn't think I'd ever have to do this, but I think the inactivity speaks for itself. This is my official announcement of hiatus for this and my other stories. I've been going through college and time is slipping past faster than I can type. However, I do intend to get back into the swing of things this summer...which is what I told myself last summer, but regardless, I will get back to this and Fallen Sun. Until then, be patient and keep watching the dark.
