My Little Pony Fan Fiction ❯ My Little Pony: Days of Future Past ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: `My Little Pony' belongs to Hasbro and `X-Men' belongs to Marvel respectfully. No profit is being made out of this work.

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Chapter Four

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Draggle sat silently alone in the dreary swamps, crouched in a fetal position. She wished not to be disturbed, but the toads' constant croaking wouldn't spare her a minute of peace. The annoyance triggered her to hurl a stone at the slimy amphibians and scare them away into the waters. Being so young and impetuous, she was unashamed for her savage actions at the Volcano of Gloom.

The very thought of Hydia deserving nothing else but death was still glued to her. There was no question that she had gone to extremes with her wickedness. Yet at the moment, she felt powerless, incapable of doing anything…

As Draggle gazed down at her own rippled reflection, she noticed another figure rising up behind her. She spun her head and saw Tirek greeting her with a casual nod. Still though, his haunting presence alarmed her.

“Whaddya want?!” hissed Draggle aggressively. “You got your lousy scepter. What are you here for this time?”

Tirek grinned, for he was glad she asked that question.

“One of my subordinates left behind at the Volcano of Gloom… informed me of your dramatic confrontation with dear Hydia. Your rebellious demeanor has intrigued me.” he said, placing a hand upon the witch's shoulder with `sympathy'. “Draggle, darling, do listen. I perfectly understand how family matters have been tough on you lately. I've been aware over time how your mother's favored more of your sister Reeka for so long that it's grown unjust. I'm willing to offer you an opportunity to even out the odds, exact justice on your own accord by joining my ranks and ridding your mother and sister once and for all.”

Draggle continued to listen, captivated by his words, but had to ask: “Why do YOU care so much?”

“Have I not made it clear? I truly admire your murderous and hateful streak. You should harness that rage; channel it for something greater… such as… to command the Sentinels under my wing! Show your vast superiority amongst the weak and fragile. You can live a life of domination and absolute supremacy.”

Draggle paused in thought and glared up at Tirek, unafraid of his towering height yet uncertain of a decision. If this was her only chance to dispose of her mother, to get the revenge she craved so dearly, then it was an offer she couldn't refuse.

“Fine.” Draggle accepted. “But just one thing; leave the ponies out of this. It's Hydia we're after.”

“Very well….” Tirek said without objection… at first.

A flash occurred when Tirek blinked once with his devious eyes. A red aura quickly surrounded Draggle, casting her under a dark and malevolent spell, one of manipulation. Unbeknownst to the young girl, Tirek had now plagued her body and soul with pure hatred, rendering her into his deadly puppet.

“Now then.” Tirek crossed his arms and said politely: “Allow me to ask again, but who did you say we're after?”

“Hydia… the ponies… everyone!” Draggle hissed.

…

“Mr. Moochick… Mr. Moochick?” Firefly called for him.

The ponies searched high and low in the mushroom village for the Moochick. Nobody was sure whether or not he was awake at this hour. Regardless, Megan needed as much help as they could find at this moment. Ever since the gruesome uncovering of Hydia's room, she had become mostly unresponsive, save for a few senseless murmurs escaping from her lips. Moreover, the ponies were out of options of what to do next, now that Tirek was in possession of the Scepter of Darkness. Twilight wished she could have done more to prevent it, but with her limited powers, it was unavoidable.

Twilight guided the distraught Megan through the Moochick's mushroom sanctuary. All the while, she wondered where in Sam Hill he was… or what he was, so to speak. The other ponies knew that he never left his grounds; he had to be around somewhere. Spike helped Firefly summoning him.

“Mr. Moochick! Where are you?!” he shouted.

Then from a puff of smoke, atop of a short mushroom, the magical gnome known as the Moochick revealed himself. He was dressed in colorfully striped pajamas, yawning from his slumber. His rabbit assistant, Habbit, was with him, just as surprised as his master of the ponies' sudden visit.

“Oh, hello…” the Moochick yawned again. “… it's rather late at night for calling, didn't you know that?”

Habbit hopped over to Megan, who he hadn't seen for years but was already worried for her, telling from how upset she appeared. He wasn't blind to see that she was in anguish, grief-stricken and out of order. He therefore treated her with extra care and gently guided her to a mushroom to sit on, setting his delicate paws onto her trembling hands and stroking them gently for warmth and comfort.

“Yes, it is.” said Applejack. “But we desperately need your help. Megan here, she's feeling real bad. Something's happened to her, and we don't know what it is!”

“Yes.” agreed Spike. “But what's worse news is that Tirek's going to wake up the Sentinels!”

The Moochick leapt in pure fright.

“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!” he said, pacing around in distress. “Not the Sentinels! Our goose is cooked if that happens! It will be, yes!”

Twilight approached him cautiously. “Mr. Moochick,” she asked, “we may have spoken previously in the past, but believe it or not, this is MY first time speaking to you.”

A muddled expression crossed the Moochick's face.

Twilight sighed hopelessly. She was tired of being repetitive to explain her mission again. “Look… I'll cut a long story short. I've been brought here from the future in a desperate hope to stop the Sentinels from destroying Dream Valley and the rest of Ponyland. Firefly… she told me that you're a master of magic and wisdom and can solve any problem that arises. So please… is there anything you can possibly do to help us stop this awful disaster from unfolding?”

Twilight heard Megan sobbing behind her and couldn't ignore it.

She sighed again, this time with pity. “But besides that… can you also help Megan? I feel she's in need of much better guidance than mine. We wouldn't have gotten this far to try and thwart Tirek if it wasn't for her.”

There was much to contemplate for the Moochick. He rubbed his chin, walking in a circle for a while. Examining Megan from his distance and seeing how mentally unstable she was, he shook his head with regret, saying:

“Twilight, my dear… it's true that I can work wonders. But regarding the Sentinels, I'm afraid that my greatest powers alone do not exceed their incalculable own. The only way to truly defeat them is to destroy the Crown of Darkness, the very artifact that is their sole life vessel, which I'm sure Tirek will claim soon enough. But without it, they'll no longer be functional.”

Twilight could already guess how troublesome it would be to extract the Crown of Darkness from Tirek.

“And secondly,” the Moochick continued, “if there is one thing I cannot do that I wish I could, it is to relieve people from woeful sentiments. I'm deeply sorry, but my powers cannot ease the severe grief and heartache that is tormenting your beloved friend.”

Twilight's eyes dropped to the ground for a moment, thinking of any alternate solutions… and fast.

“Wait…” she said when a fantastic idea sprang to her. “… is it possible… can you have Megan look into my mind?”

The Moochick and the ponies paused. They were puzzled with Twilight's odd request. Even Habbit was scratching his head.

“Um… begging your pardon?” asked the Moochick graciously.

“I know it doesn't make a whole of sense. But if you can somehow transfer her consciousness into mine, there's somebody I'm sure who can counsel her.”

It was obvious there was no time for Twilight to explain. But by now, the ponies trusted her well enough to know what she was doing. If this was to pick up Megan on her feet again, then it was worth a try.

“Well, all right, I suppose.” The Moochick began to rub his brain ponderously. “But how… how, how?

Habbit nudged him by the arm and gestured him to use his magic walking stick. His eyes pointed at Megan and then at Twilight. The Moochick was known to be occasionally absentminded.

“Ah, yes! Right, of course!” the Moochick snapped his fingers.

Megan sat calmly, though uncaring of the conversation. Twilight wasn't willing to give up on her. She knew that she was only sinking deeper into sadness.

“Megan,” Twilight said as she approached her, “listen to me, the Moochick's going to help…”

“How?” Megan replied bleakly. “He can't help me, and neither can you…”

“You're right. I can't.” Twilight admitted. “But there's someone I hold very dear, very special to me who just might be able to. She taught everything I knew… as my teacher, my guide, my mentor. I may never have become the Alicorn I am in Equestria if it wasn't for her. If she could pick me up on my feet, then she can do the same for you. I promise. But you just need to look into my mind.”

Spike and the ponies watched in suspense as the Moochick waved a magic spell with his stick and formed a telepathic bridge between the minds of Twilight's and Megan's, both of whom softly shut their eyes…

A tremendous flood of past events rushed through Megan's head, from Twilight's birth as baby unicorn up to her epic battle against Tirek with her closest allies. At first, they seemed pleasant enough… but once visions of the Sentinels began to take over, they turned very much for the worst. She saw various cities and villages burning under fiery infernos, and darling friends that Twilight knew dropping dead at her feet. There came overwhelming feelings of her bitter loss and relentless pain. In one instance she watched Twilight embracing her lifeless parents who had perished under ruins of their shattered home. In another, she watched Twilight pulling Applejack away from her family members, who were incinerated one by one. In another, she watched Discord protecting Twilight as he was torched alive, shielding her from attack and sacrificing his own life to save her. Then finally, there was Rainbow Dash, her skin melting within seconds as her exposed skull opened its gaping jaw and stared lifelessly back at Megan with its empty sockets.

Megan unleashed a high-pitched and blood-curdling scream as she woke up. She recoiled anxiously away from Twilight, who also awoke. Habbit hid behind the Moochick in panic, while Spike and the ponies became bewildered. None of them could fathom what exactly Megan saw whilst asleep, but it terrified her beyond belief.

Megan's face was deathly pale. She stared at a teary-eyed Twilight remorsefully.

“You poor, poor pony. What happened to you?” she whispered somberly under her breath as she started to weep. “This was a mistake. Coming back here was a whole mistake! I shouldn't have returned! I have to leave!”

Megan was about to run away and escape the mushroom village. Twilight stopped her, however, gnawing on her leg and tugging her back forcefully. She wouldn't allow her to hide away in fear any longer.

“Megan, COME BACK! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!” Twilight begged.

“NO! LET ME GO! LEAVE ME ALONE!” Megan shrieked as she tripped. She kicked Twilight as she was dragged back against her will. “I don't want your suffering! I DON'T WANT YOUR FUTURE!”

“What would Molly say if she were here right now?!” Twilight shouted back. “What would she say if she saw you cowering back into your crummy cottage, paralyzed with angst and desperation while lives are being torn away by mindless machines? Would she want this?”

Twilight couldn't have made her point any clearer. Megan froze... feeling all the more ashamed. She came to understand from there that she couldn't cope alone with her terrible memories of the past. It was best now to confront them. Thus, she surrendered herself and voluntarily returned to the Moochick.

“I know it's difficult.” said Twilight. “But you have to try and search deeper. Look past beyond the agony. Look at YOUR future, not mine. You'll find her… talk to her.”

“Who?” wondered Megan.

“You'll see…” was Twilight's simple answer.

She signaled to a hesitant Moochick, telling him they were ready to resume. Twilight and Megan shut their eyes again as the Moochick summoned his magic to rebuild the telepathic bridge. And again, Megan was transported back into Twilight's consciousness, but this time with no intention of turning back.

…

When Megan awoke, she found herself in a different place, a very different one. She was lying on her back in a massive throne room; a dark and candle lit one. It was exceptionally quiet… where the only sound she heard was that of her own breathing. Yet she discovered that she was not the only person present.

Surrounding her were several ponies, of various colors and sizes, in addition to a baby dragon and a muscular centaur. They stared at her blankly, as if waiting for her to say something. Megan felt uncomfortable and nervous, tugging on her collar. She spoke out:

“Hello…?”

None of them reacted to her response and remained mute. Was it possible that she was invisible to them? And if so, why were they staring at her? Megan rose to her feet and looked around wondrously.

She soon found the reason behind the stares, for she realized that right beside her on the royal red carpet, was the Unicorn pony Twilight Sparkle. She was resting peacefully, curled up comfortably in a ball, still under the slumbering spell of Princess Cadance. All eyes were set upon Twilight.

Megan knew that she was indeed invisible. She was standing in the present of the future as a ghost. The spiritual experience was far beyond the belief of her imagination. She wanted to dismiss this as real, but couldn't.

Megan examined several of the ponies, some appearing somewhat familiar yet others rather unrecognizable to her.

“Applejack…” Megan said to the pony with the cowboy hat, identifying her similar cutie mark. “…Spike…” she said to the baby dragon, slightly shorter in height than the one she knew but still, she was certain it was him. “…Tirek…” she said to the muscular centaur, who appeared much alike to his own counterpart.

She glanced over at the Alicorns; Princess Luna and Princess Cadance, neither of which she knew. However, the one that attracted her attention greatly was the white Alicorn with a multi-colored mane and tail. It was Princess Celestia… her eyes remained shut. Megan stepped forward carefully but quietly towards her, marveled by her transcendent beauty.

“Princess… Celestia…?” she spoke softly.

Princess Celestia awakened to her caller. She gazed directly into Megan's eyes, at first with utter astonishment but then her expression quickly dissolved into a heartwarming smile. She was pleased to see her.

“Megan… Megan Williams.” she replied, knowing well already who she was. “Now I remember…”

“Remember what…?” asked Megan.

“Everything…”

“I don't understand…”

Princess Celestia laughed joyously with amusement. “It should come to no surprise for an Alicorn to regain her forgotten memories… merely from a glimpse at her former self… from the life she once lived as a different individual… as a confused and misguided young girl…”

Megan fell speechless as her heart dropped, realizing that she was speaking with her future incarnation.

“It can't be. You're m-me…?” Megan stammered.

Princess Celestia humbly nodded with confirmation.

“So this is the future… this is what becomes of us.” Megan commented, looking around the cold and bleak throne room. “Twilight was right about all this; Equestria… Tirek… the Sentinels… I should have listened to her sooner. Fate has doomed us in spite of our best efforts. It's too late.”

“Not if we can change it. Not if we can show even our greatest enemies a better path. It's never too late.”

“How could you say that?” Megan asked meekly, yet yearning for an answer. “Do you honestly still believe Ponyland can be saved, that I can still help the ponies?”

Princess Celestia sighed and smiled again. “Just because you stumble and lose your way, doesn't mean you're lost forever. Sometimes we all need a little helping hand.”

“But I'm not the girl I was before. She died a long time ago.”

“No, she hasn't.” Princess Celestia said, shaking her head in denial. “She's merely been hiding because she's scared…”

“It doesn't matter!” Megan burst out, tears already running down her face. “Nothing can change what's already happened. Nothing can bring Molly… Danny… or my parents back. Thinking about them breaks my heart…”

“You promised to take Molly to Ponyland on her eight birthday. Yet she and your family suffered that fateful car crash, and you alone by miracle, survived unscathed. Left with a shattered heart, unable to recover from their loss, you were submitted into shock treatment; the most unbearable time of your life, no question. Six years on, after you escaped from that horror, you fled back to your home, secluded from the outside world. And because of your fractured mind and unending trauma, you unthinkably blamed the ponies for everything that happened… for the cause of Molly's death, for neglecting you, for abandoning you, and vowed never to see them again.”

Megan broke down into tears, remembering too well of those torturous memories. “I'm sorry… I was wrong… it wasn't their fault… I didn't know what to do… they didn't know that I was in… so… much… pain…”

“You're in grave pain, Megan, I know. I lived through it.” Princess Celestia reassured her past self. “But as frightening as it is, that pain will make you stronger, wiser. If you allow yourself to feel it, embrace it, it will make you more powerful than you could possibly imagine. It is the greatest gift we possess: to bear pain without ever breaking. And it comes from the most valuable and precious part of ponies, humans and all creatures alike: hope.”

A series of flashbacks rushed to Megan's mind that instant. She was suddenly reminded of her earlier years in Ponyland that she had long forgotten… the fabulous adventures she underwent… and the adversaries she had to deal with. But through it all, she was rewarded with the kindest love, friendship and affection from ponies of all ages. Surrounding her with their endless laughter and joy… it was the best experience Megan hadn't felt for years.

“Please Megan, we need you to hope again.” Princess Celestia pleaded.

Moved by the Alicorn's wise words, Megan nodded in agreement.

…

Megan shot her eyes wide open, awaking from her dream. She startled Twilight, Spike and the ponies. The Moochick and Habbit leaned back slightly, uncertain of the girl's current feelings.

“Oh, you're back, my dear. You've been gone for quite a while.” said the Moochick. “Well then, how did everything go? Did you find what you were looking for?”

Megan stared at the Moochick and then at Twilight, who was awaiting her answer. The rest of the group listened curiously.

“Yes…” Megan nodded with a hint of a smile, cured from her harrowing past and reborn with her confidence, courage and heroism restored. “… very much. And I'm ready to save the world.”