Marvel Mares

by neorenamon

In downtown Canterlot, the new super-powered ponies stood outside a slightly rustic looking building that stood out from the other buildings around it. While it was tall, it was also built like a brick hospital owing to the days when it served as Canterlot's premier paper factory. But because of the times, those functions were moved to a new location well outside town. Then the building was converted to an odd combination of business offices and well-to-do private suites.

A large sign on the top and at street level proudly pronounced the building as The Buckster Building. A smaller sign at street level added Home of Buckster Paper Processing and Publishing.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Mister Richards?" asked Fluttershy.

"Well the location serves my needs well and the rent is right," replied Time Turner.

"No," she replied, "I mean building a super headquarters in the middle of Canterlot in an renovated factory building."

"I assure you that once the Princess finishes our permanent HQ on the outskirts of the city, this site should present up no problems. The top 5 floors are all but vacant anyways."

"But what about the other tenants in the building?"

"What about them?"

"Aren't you worried about the building being attacked by somepony with superpowers?"

"Why in Equestria would anypony do that?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"I imagine we'll be making enemies along the way."

"You're surely overthinking this," he replied with a smirk.

"Hey Stretch-O!" called the Big Thing.

"Yes Big?" he asked he turned his head about 180 degrees.

"Yah still creep me out when ya do that!"

"And your point is?"

"Nothing!" he answered, "But ya will remember to add the gym I asked ya about, right?"

"Why do you need a gym when you have cosmic powered muscles?" asked Lightning.

"Cuz if ya don't use them, they'll turn to mush."

"Oh, like your brain," she replied.

"Yuk it up, laughin mare," he replied, "I'll show you mush!"

"What makes you think you could lay a hoof on me?!" she replied as she added, "FLAME ON!" Her body quite literally burst into full-bodied flame as she flew up into the air.

"Ya don't think I'll extinguish ya, match-stick?!" he replied as he shook his thick leg in Lightning's direction.

"A little discretion please?!" asked Mister Richards as he stretched his legs to make himself appear taller.

"Oh dear..." said Fluttershy as she faded from view.

While Mister Richards was distracted by the Big Thing and the Equine Blaze, a dapple gray pegasus bumped into his legs. It seemed odd that she managed to walk around the Invisible Mare but then bumped into Mister Richards.

"Oh excuse me," she said.

Richards brought his head down to her level as he asked, "Oh... can I help you?"

"This is the Buckster Building?" she asked.

"According to the signs it is," he replied.

"Oh goody," she replied, "I thought I might have gotten lost again."

"Doesn't she notice that she's bumped into the living pony rubber band?"

"Judging by the state of her eyes," he replied, "I believe she's both incapable of seeing and suffers from Vertical Strabismus."

"So... She's blind then?"

"That's simplifying what I said," he replied.

"I wonder how she missed me?"

"Well some blind ponies develop advanced hearing techniques that all them to move almost as well as ponies with sight."

"So what might your name be, Miss?"

"Derpy Masters," she replied, "I'm a clay sculptor."

"Wow. That sounds like some talent ya have there."

"It's not that difficult to understand," replied Richards, "considering molding clay is all about tactile interpretation."

"Look. I'm not terribly busy right now. Why don't I lead you up to your place?"

"By the way," she asked, "Who might you be?"

"Well I'm the Invisible Mare," replied Fluttershy.

"And I'm her sister," added Lightning, "the Equine Blaze!"

"Just call me the ever-lovin green-eyed Big Thing," he said as she put one of her forelegs about one of his. She seemed so small compared to him and his good 1 ton mass.

"Well you're lucky you can't scare her with your ugly mug!" teased Lightning.

"I can tell a gentle soul when I feel or hear one," she replied, "I'd never be scared of you."

"What?" he asked, "How can you tell what kind of soul I am?"

"The Big Thing is crushin over here!" teased Lightning as she flew about leaving a trail of fire behind her.

"Knock it off, Match-stick!"

"I'd love to make a statue of you sometime," she said as Big began leading her towards the lobby.

"Me?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, "I want others to see the beauty that I can sense inside you."

"Yeah," replied Lightning, "You would have to be blind to see something beautiful in a walking pile of rocks!"

"One of these days, hot-head: I'm gonna kick you bang-zoom to da moon!"

"Do you have some kind of colorful name, Mister Richards?" she asked as they walked away.

"No," he replied, "Not really."

"How about the Incredible Elasticpony?!" asked Lightning.

"We went over this," he muttered, "and that's a no."

"How about Stretch Ponystrong?!" asked Lightning.

"No way!"

"How about Elongated Pony?"

"Too... simplistic."

"How about Plastic Pony?!"

"Most ponies don't even know what that is," he replied, "plus plastic is not elastic by it's nature!"

"How about Clayhoof?!"

"My molecular structure is in no way related to clay!"

"How about the Sandmare?!"

"I'm not made of sand and I'm not a mare!"

"How about Wildvine?!"

"I am not a plant!" he hissed.

"How about Inque?"

"Do I look like I'm a fluid?!"

"How about Jake?!"

"What does that even mean?!"

"How about Chaos?!"

"I am not Chaotic!" he protested.

"How about Monkey D Luffy?!"

"That's the stupidest name idea yet!" he cried as his temper grew shorter and shorter, "Are you even capable of a coherent thought?!"

"Oh oh!" she replied, "Majin Buu!"

"No, that's the stupidest name idea yet!"

"Somepony's getting touchy..."

He just groaned.

"I think she's just trying to pull your leg, Mister Richards..."

"And apparently it's working," He said to Flutters. Then he looked back to Lighning as he added, "Can we stop with the foalish names?! I'll get some super nickname when the time is right!"

"Party pooper."

He just sighed again.

"We should go the the upper levels to see what we have to work with."

"Good idea," he sighed.

"What's a matter Stretchy?!" asked Lightning, "Can't take the heat?!"

He refused to comment at that time. But while they were approaching the building, they bumped into a small dwarfish pony covered in dark green clothing and having black crystal googles over their eyes underneath their hood.

"Pardon me," said Richards as they continued on.

"Think nothing of it," said the pony in a deep stallions voice, "surface dweller."

"Uh... okay then..." he said without stopping.

'Wierdo!' they both thought as one.

...

Elsewhere in Time...

...

"Oh, I think that streak of gray in your mane and tail just make you look more dignified, Mistress," commented Spike Wong.

"Well it's been 50 years since I moved to Canterlot and set up my shop Spike," replied Doctor Twilight Strange. Spike was looking at her gray streak that was next to the red streak in her mane and tail now. She looked as Spike as she added, "You seem to have aged better."

Spike had grown a few feet over the decades and now had some muscles to speak of as well. Standing at his full height, he could be a towering a good 24 hooves (6 feet) tall.

"A testament to how well you've taken care of me," he replied.

Suddenly, Twilight began to shake as she said, "By the horey hooves of Hoggoth, what was that I just felt?!"

"Perhaps if we looked out the window," he suggested.

So she went over to the window and opened up the curtains. They soon beheld a nightmare scene in Canterlot.

"What madness is this?!" she asked.

"Well what ever it is, it seems the magic shield of the Sanctum Sanctimonious is keeping us safe for the moment."

"It shall not last," hissed a voice outside. They both blinked as the Dreaded Discordmammu appeared just outside the window.

"What crazy plan to rule this realm do you have now?!" she hissed.

"In spite of my several failed attempts to take over," he replied, "I'm not here to conquer you this time."

"Then what do you want?!"

"I... I... need your assistance."

"What-da-what?!"

"Don't make me repeat myself!" he hissed, "I shall say this only once! The one called Nightmare Moon has tampered with the past in a way that threatens both this realm and my beloved Dark Dimension!"

"Wow... you must really being swallowing your pride even to ask such a thing," she replied, "The situation must be truly dire."

"The humiliation in this is more than you can ever know."

"But how do I know this isn't just another of your lame tricks?!"

"Look at today's paper and you tell me," he hissed back.

Spike fetched the daily paper and returned with it.

"I don't get it," she replied as she looked it over, "Who are these super heroes I never heard of and why are they now missing?"

"It's all part of the altered past," he replied, "You have to go back in time to stop Nightmare Moon from altering time. It's up to you to figure out how the Spectacular Spider-Mare, Rainbow Thor Odindota and the others figure into Nightmare Moon's mad schemes."

"And you can't..."

"FOAL!!" he hissed, "If I could time travel, don't you think I'd just go back and kill you as a foal to stop you from becoming Equestria's Sorceress Supreme?!"

"Good point," she replied, "While it's extremely dangerous, I know the Book of the Ventasso does have time manipulation spells." Then she asked, "But what are you going to do while I'm gone?!"

"It shall take all of my powers to keep this realm and the Dark Dimension from fusing backwards in time," he hissed, "so you better move your flank QUICKLY!!"

"Ah, there's the arrogant attitude I've been missing." Then she looked to Spike as she said, "Get the Book of the Ventasso while I prepare ourselves for the trip."

About then, a stunning white alicorn mare strode in asking, "Father?! What are you going here?!"

"Ah, my little Fleur de Clea," he replied, "I've missed you so these past few decades."

"You know my heart belongs to Twilight now," she replied, "I shall never go back home."

"Well if the Sorceress Supreme fails in the past, then none of that will matter."

"I have to go back to the past to stop the meddling of Nightmare Moon," said Twilight.

"Not without me!" she pleaded.

"It's too dangerous," said Twilight as she stretched her wings from beneath the Cloak of Levitation.

"Oh please. If it wasn't for my sweet Clea, you'd never have become an alicorn and defeated me... what time was that?"

"Your sixty ninth invasion of this realm, father."

"Very well," replied Twilight, "I know well enough that once your mind is set, none can change it."

Fleur de Clea just smiled.