Marvel Mares

by neorenamon

After her request was denied by the Ancient One, Twilight retreated back to her room to weep in private. She just couldn't understand why her request to have her magic restored was denied. She wanted to make spells to help ponies. Was it so wrong to ask for a little something in return so she could make a living off it? She curled up on the bed like a newborn and weep many bitter tears.

"I'm sure it's not as all bad as it seems," said Spike.

Twilight jerked her head up and wondered how long Spike had been standing there.

"Why?!" she whined.

"The Ancient One knows many many things," he replied, "i'm sure there's a good reason he denied you request."

"What good is a unicorn without magic?!"

"I'm sure there's things you can do without your magic," replied Spike.

"I just... I just... want to DIE!!"

Spike hugged her and said, "It can't be that bad. I sweat I'll talk to the Ancient One and see if he'll change his mind."

"You'd do that... for me?" she sobbed.

"Of course," he replied, "I'm sure he just doesn't understand how important magic must be to you."

She put her head on his shoulder and began crying harder.

"Just promise me you won't kill yourself," he said as he patted her neck, "You have three days for me to get the Ancient One to change his mind about fixing you. I swear I'll do everything I can for you."

She didn't say anything, but he could feel her nodding against his shoulder.

"I'm sure that some nice Chamomile tea will calm you right down," he said as he backed away, "I'll have some here for you before you know it."

It took a few minutes for her crying to subside. "I wish... I could have... a friend like you," she sniffled.

"Then you're in luck," he said with a wink, "You already do."

Spike returned later with the tea and she went into a fitful sleep.

...

"So you want your magic back and that stingy old Ancient One won't do it?!" hissed a nightmarish voice.

Her eyes snapped open to show her that she wasn't in bed any more. She wasn't sure where she was. It was surely no place she had ever seen in Equestria. It looked like a surreal moonscape as much as anything.

Then she saw the creature that had addressed her. An alicorn mare the likes of which she could never have imagined. Her coat and wings were a sickly dark green and her eyes seemed to glow blood red. Her mouth was full of jagged fangs and that mouth never seemed to close. When she looked, the creatures wings snapped out fully to make her seem all the more frightening.

"Who are you?! What do you want?!" snapped Twilight.

"I have many names," she replied, "but you can call me... Nightmare Moon!"

"Well I can see the nightmare part..."

"Look," she snapped, "Do you want your magic back or not?!"

"Of course I do!"

"Well I can tell you how to get your magic back if you agree to help me."

"Yeah," she replied, "I know enough about magic to know how these Faustian deals work out."

"You look like a mare of your word," replied the alicorn, "I'll tell you how to get your magic back first, and then you can pledge your loyalty to me."

"You can't do that yourself?"

"No," she replied, "but you're in the right place already. The Ancient One has relics that can fix you."

"What good would those do me without magic?!"

"Because you don't need magic to use them," she hissed back, "You just have to speak the right words to command them."

"I take it you know the words?"

"Of course I do," she hissed as she smiled.

"How can you talk without moving your lips?"

"I'm the master of the Dream Dimension," she replied, "Of course I don't use my mouth to speak in my own realm."

"I don't know if I feel right about this," she mused as she looked away.

"Yet only a short while ago, you were all but ready to kill yourself!"

"How do you know that?!"

"Master of the Dream Dimension?!"

"Oh, I guess that makes sense..."

"Now I'm going to wake you up sometime around midnight," she continued, "The Ancient One and the others should be sound asleep. Just sneak into the library and look for the vault. You open the vault by..."

...

Twilight awoke in a cold sweat. Looking out the ajar window shutters, the moon was near it's peak in the night sky. Just like Nightmare Moon said it would be.

'That was a strange dream,' she thought, 'but I guess it wouldn't hurt to sneak into the library and see if it's true.'

She got to the bed and slipped over to the door. Hearing nothing outside, she cracked the door open to confirm the hallway was empty. Then she began creeping down the hall in the direction of the Library. But as she got closer, she heard noises coming from the Library. Voices speaking in low tones.

"Yes Master," said a mare's voice, "Soon I shall poison the Ancient One so that he cannot stop your plans to invade this world."

"Yes," hissed a strange voice, "For too many centuries has my plans been thwarted by that wretched unicorn!"

Fortunately, the door was cracked open just enough to see that Baroness Mordo was speaking to a flaming head in the mirror. A strange creature with two different horns on each side of his head.

"I shall poison his drink in the morning," she said, "He'll have no knowledge of what happened to him and his magic until it's far too late to stop it... or you."

"Yes," he hissed back, "I want the Ancient One alive to be humiliated in my moment of triumph!"

"And I shall get my reward for my act of betrayal?" she asked as she rubbed her hooves together.

"Yes," he replied, "The lair of Starswirl the Ancient One and all of its contents shall be yours."

"It's funny how the Ancient One thinks that foolish unicorn is selfish, yet completely trusts a selfish creature like me!"

"You can be... quite the charmer... when you want to."

"The best part is with that special chalice you gave me, even magic won't detect the poison until it's too late."

"Just remember that all the drinks look the same, so be sure not to drink the poison yourself."

"I remember well," she replied, "The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle, and the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true."

"Very well," replied the flaming figure, "The Dreaded Discordmammu expect good news tomorrow."

"And you shall surely get it."

Twilight slipped away as the Baroness chanted some spell to close the mirror link. She barely got back into her room before she heard the Baroness leaving the library. No matter how bad off she was, she just couldn't let the Ancient One be poisoned like that. He didn't deserve that sort of treatment. So she stayed awake until morning. She didn't want to face Nightmare Moon again without following her instructions. Nor did she want to sleep through breakfast. She had to do something to stop the Baroness.

As the sun came up, there was a knock upon her door.

"Breakfast will be ready soon," said Spike, "Do you need directions to the dining hall?"

"No," replied Twilight, "I know the way."

"Very good. See you at breakfast," he said as he walked away.

'Think Twilight, think!' She opened the closet to see a rather long red cloak. 'This will work just fine.' It even had a large wide collar that covered her whole head from the back.

Putting the cloak on, she went out into the hall headed for the dining hall. Soon, she was walking in the door even as the Baroness was using her magic to set a tray with two drinks on it before the Ancient One. The chalice from the palace was already glowing and floating over towards the Baroness' mouth.

Rushing over, she placed her hooves at the end of the table using all of her weight and strength to up end it. All of the content of the table came crashing down on her back. Keeping her head down, the collar of the cloak kept her head covered.

"What is the meaning of this?!" asked the Ancient One.

She looked up at the dismayed looks from both Spike and the Baroness.

"How could you repay the Ancient One's hospitality like this?!" hissed the Baroness.

"Cast a detection spell on the spilled drinks and you tell me," she replied evenly.

The Ancient One's horn glowed before he announced, "There's poison in my drink?!"

"The fiend tries to poison you!!" cried the Baroness.

"How could that be?" asked Spike, "I already checked the drinks for poison when the Baroness handed them to me!"

"You should be asking that of Baroness Sunset Mordo," she hissed back, "and her partner in crime, the Dreaded Discordmammu!"

Spike and the Ancient One turned their gaze to the Baroness.

"You're fired!" growled the Ancient One.

"Remember this day Doctor Twilight Strange!" hissed the Baroness, "You've made yourself an enemy for life!"

Her horn glowed as an energy bolt from her horn blasted her across the room. She slammed into the wall making crack over a good portion of the wall she hit. Before anypony could react, the Baroness teleported herself away.

Spike rushed over to Twilight's side and began a healing spell that made her body glow.

"See Master," said Spike as he looked at the Ancient One, "She's not as selfish as you think. Ruining the Baroness' plan placed her at great rish."

"You are right, Spike Wong," he replied, "I owe you an apology. I shall restore you magic and teach you whatever spells you wish to learn from me. It's the least I can do."

...

Over the next six years, not only was Twilight's magic restored, but the Ancient One was so impressed with her magical potential that he taught her all of his secret spells. She learned them so quickly that he decided she was the one fit to become Equestria's Sorceress Supreme.

He also gifted her with all of his old artifacts that went with the Sorceress Supreme title.

The Amulet of Ohmygoddo. The vessel for the All-Seeing Eye of Ohmygoddo. A relic that grants Twilight Strange the power to see anything or through almost anything. It cannot be bedeviled by invisibility or illusion. It also acts as the brooch to the Cloak of Levitation.

The Cloak of Levitation that allowed her to fly as well as any Pegasus.

The Book of the Ventasso. Contains all spells that have ever been known to ponykind.

Cauldron of the Cosmos. Apparently great for scrying and making a mean Manehatten Corn Chowder.

The Orb of Ohmygoddo. Apparently the more powerful brother to the Eye of Ohmygoddo.

The Wand of Wa-boom! Does some kind of wind based magic.

Then the day finally came when Twilight learned all she could, and she was ready to go back to Canterlot.

"I have been most pleased with your time here," said the Ancient One.

"And I thank you for all you've taught me," replied Twilight.

"Are you sure you wish to return to Canterlot?"

"Yes," she replied, "My magical powers will do the most good there."

"Very well," he said, "Then I shall give you two last gifts before you leave."

Spike stepped forward with a golden chest as he said, "But Master, the chest contains but one gift."

"This golden orb within the chest will transform whatever residence you take up in Canterlot into a magical Sanctuary that only those you allow in can enter," he said evenly, "Even demons, gods and monsters cannot enter without your permission."

"Thank you so much," she replied.

"As to the other gift," he said as he looked at Spike, "From now on, Spike Wong, you shall serve the needs of the new Sorceress Supreme."

Spike blinked like the news totally caught him off guard.

"Are you sure about this Master?!" he asked when he found his voice.

"I am positive," he replied.

And thus did the career of Doctor Twilight Strange, Equestria's Sorceress Supreme begin.

End of Part One, but not the end of the story...