My Little Pony Fan Fiction ❯ My Little Pony: Days of Future Past ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

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

…

Chapter Three

…

Bruised and battered, Draggle limped her way up the stairs of the Volcano of Gloom, back to her home. Having acquired the flume that Hydia requested, she was thoroughly exhausted. The strenuous labor she had to contend with was growing more intolerable, even when being the slave of her own mother. She didn't know how much longer she could manage this.

Halfway up, Draggle ran out of breath. She needed to stop a while for a short break. The stairs were awfully steep and weren't getting any easier to climb. She wearily leaned against a nearby rock… and quite unwittingly, activated an invisible switch. The wall beside her suddenly shifted aside, uncovering a secret room… one which she would soon understand, belonged to Hydia.

Startled by this unforeseen discovery, Draggle stepped inside cautiously…

However… when she stepped out minutes later, she was no longer the same person she was before. Her skin had grown pale, her face had become stricken with despair, and her body was shuddering beyond her control. Of all her years being a witch, what she saw in the room was the last thing she ever expected to find. And in that very instant, she was scarred for life.

Hydia had been keeping a dark secret from her daughters, and Draggle wasn't willing to accept it. She firmly gripped her pickaxe, and continued to ascend up the stairs. She was going to serve justice in a cold dish.

…

The sun was setting in Ponyland. The clock was ticking and time was running short, but under the leadership of Megan, the ponies were on the right direction towards the Volcano of Gloom without delay. They hurried across the last stretch of grassland; their destination was just behind a few mountains beyond their sight. It seemed like a long way, but with the wings of Surprise and Firefly, and the magic of teleportation from Glory and Twilight, they were able to pick up the pace faster than they anticipated.

"Over there, I can see the Volcano of Gloom!" pointed out Surprise.

"Come on! Let's hurry!" shouted Firefly to the other ponies.

Posey, being an Earth pony, was finding it hard to keep up with the speed. "Ow, my feet are killing me." she sighed.

Glory stopped on her path and looked back. She saw Twilight and Megan falling behind with Spike and Applejack. "Hang on a minute, guys!" she said.

Firefly, Posey and Surprise waited for their allies to catch up. Megan and Twilight were having a chat…

"I don't see how on Earth you're going to stop Tirek." Megan remarked, rather pessimistically. "He's nothing but a heartless and cruel monster. There's no way of defeating him without the Rainbow of Light."

Spike and Applejack were listening closely. Both knew too well what it was like 'serving' under the force of Tirek, given their past encounters with him.

"She's got a point, you know." Spike admitted.

"Whatever happens, I am NOT turning into a monster again!" stressed out Applejack. She dreaded the time when Tirek transformed her into a beast against her will, and made her pull his Chariot of Darkness amongst a few other ponies. It was unpleasant once enough for her, and she needn't endure it again.

"So what's your plan?" asked Megan.

To be frank, Twilight didn't have one, ever since stepping into the World Beyond. Whatever the cost though, she still knew her first priority was to save the witches and ensure that Tirek didn't get his claws on whatever key they held, which would lead him straight to the Sentinels. Yet then again, something else troubling bothered her.

"Hey Megan, listen." she asked her, switching the subject. "Firefly… she told me about what happened to you… during 'those' years. I… I wasn't aware of the pain that you're still going through, I had no idea of it when I first met you today. I know how it must feel for you…"

Megan paused. An equivocal expression passed over her face. It gradually melted into anguish and then of resentment. She was upset with Twilight's words, having brought up something so sensitive to her.

"Do you…? DO YOU…?!" Megan snapped in utmost fury. "Six years gone and that's all you can say?! You don't understand how it felt to be alone, ostracized, segregated from all the people who were your friends! And where were YOU ponies? YOU ABANDONED ME! YOU LEFT ME ON MY OWN!"

Firefly distinctly heard Megan's yelling and flew down to intrude in Twilight's defense.

"Megan, that isn't true! I've told you before!" Firefly reminded her, seeing how erratic and irrational her former best friend was growing… and this wasn't the first time. "We'd NEVER abandon you! We had no idea what happened when…”

"Well, either way, you should consider it darn well lucky that I decided to come back to Ponyland!" Megan huffed.

Twilight was thunderstruck by Megan's volatile temper, as were Applejack and Spike, who were far beyond unnerved at this point.

"Megan, you gotta take it easy!" urged Firefly. "This isn't like you."

It didn't take long for Megan to feel regretful for her actions, and she softly replied: "I… I'm sorry, Twilight… I… didn't mean to shout and get angry at you like that."

"Wow, what a mood swing." Surprise mumbled to herself.

She had to interrupt the drama when she noticed the sun continuing to set in the distance.

"Guys, I don't mean to interrupt, but…!" she warned.

There was no time to dawdle. Megan cast aside her emotional feelings and proceeded to lead the way again.

…

“Behold.”

Hydia presented a chest on the table before Reeka. With her key, she unlocked it, opening it to unveil a mysterious scepter. Its orb contained within itself pure darkness... and not a speck of light. It was an evil weapon for diabolical purposes. Reeka wasn't sure why her mother displayed such a dangerous artifact to her, but nevertheless, it caught much of her attention.

“Is that what I think it is?” Reeka asked in awe.

“Indeed, and I strongly suspect Tirek will be after it soon.” Hydia gently removed the scepter from the chest. “Listen well, Reeka. As my most honorable and trustworthy child, I appoint you to take great care of the Scepter of Darkness and protect it well. Do not, under any circumstances, tell a soul about this, not even to your own sister Draggle.”

She was right to be concerned that Tirek would strike back to take what he demanded. The centaur always had a vengeful streak and fought to get his way after all. However, she didn't expect a tall skinny figure standing behind her in the open doorway, eavesdropping on the conversation.

“Tell me about what?” Draggle inquired.

Hydia jumped in fright and spun round to greet her other daughter. She hid the scepter well within her cloak… or so she thought. The tired and worn Draggle glanced at her mother skeptically.

“Oh, nothing, Draggle.” Hydia denied, shaking her head innocently. “I was just telling dear Reeka here about another witch's spell that I conceived only yesterday. Nothing of too much significance.”

Draggle began to squint at her mother, unconvinced of her tale.

“By the way…” Hydia tried to shift subject. “… did you manage to get the flume I asked for?”

Draggle stepped forwards, holding in one hand the sample of flume and in the other a pickaxe, concealed behind her back. She was still displeased with Hydia's lies. The fact that her mother was passing over the Scepter of Darkness to her ungrateful sister and entrusting her with it was the last straw for Draggle's jealousy. That and the hideous secret she untimely discovered mere minutes ago.

“Oh, I got your flume all right,” Draggle sneered, “and I brought something a little extra for you.”

“Excellent.” Hydia said as Draggle handed her the flume. “And… what is this other thing you brought for me?”

She noticed Draggle raising her pickaxe into the air with both her hands. Reeka hesitated. She couldn't ever predict such horrifying turn of events. It was clear that Draggle was in means to murder her own mother.

“DRAGGLE!” Hydia shrieked.

“NO!” Reeka tackled her sister as her instincts finally kicked in.

Before any attack could commence, however, a loud crash rocked the witches' household. Furniture rattled, pots and potions fell off their shelves, rodents and insects fled into their holes in panic, and Hydia's boiling cauldron toppled over. Was it an earthquake, or a volcanic eruption?

The truth was that it was neither. For within moments, dozens of armored gargoyles and dragons stormed in. Some burst through the walls and others from the ceiling. They surrounded the three witches who froze in complete surprise from this unwelcomed visit. Then out from the main entrance, marched in the looming figure of Tirek himself.

He grinned, exposing his sharp teeth at the witches. “Hello again, ladies.” he said calmly. “Do excuse this unscheduled visit, let alone the damage my men have done to your comfortable abode, but that won't matter in due time.”

Reeka and Draggle stood paralyzed. Hydia stood fearless, crying out: “You're NOT getting the scepter, Tirek, I've already said it! It doesn't belong to you! Those Sentinels won't bow to your every command forever!”

“SIIIILENCE!” Tirek's voice boomed as he stamped his hoof, shaking the floor. ”Your purpose of preserving the Scepter of Darkness has outlived itself, dear Hydia, and now the time has come to claim what is mine. Don't fight it! You and your children will be spared and can rule beside me, if you kindly cooperate.”

Hydia knew Tirek well enough, lying through his teeth. She remained in her stance, answering: “Over our dead bodies!”

This only made an irritated Tirek grunt. “Very well! Have it your way!”

He strode forward, raising his hooves, ready to trample on the witches to death. Draggle cowered into a ball while Reeka and Hydia embraced in each other's arms. They knew this would be their last moment in life as a family.

Then from out from nowhere, a cloud of sparkles exploded before them. Tirek stepped back as his army stepped forward for safeguard. There between them stood Twilight, having teleported herself, Megan, Spike and the other ponies to the Volcano of Gloom at long last.

“SHOW'S OVER, FOLKS!” Firefly announced.

“All right! Just in the nick of time!” said Twilight, glad in finding the witches still alive.

“Twilight, you were right!” exclaimed Applejack.

Spike, Surprise, Posey, and Glory couldn't agree with her more. They had come face-to-face with Tirek. They now assuredly realized that she had indeed told the truth about him attempting to kill the witches.

“WHAT?! What foolery is this?” Tirek bellowed out. “It's that mangy girl again and her annoying ponies! How did you know I was here?!”

For Twilight, this was her first meeting with the Tirek of the past.

“So YOU'RE Tirek!” Twilight declared.

“Of course I am, you moron! And YOU!” Tirek coarsely pointed at her. “I remember when YOU stormed into Midnight Castle years before, along with your company of foolhardy chumps!”

“Oh, believe me when I say this,” Twilight replied, smirking in spite of having no clue to what Tirek was talking about, “but you're going to be giving us one heck of a fight in our next lifetime.”

“Enough with this nonsense!” Tirek cried, ignoring Twilight's meaningless comments. He snapped his fingers and ordered his dragons and gargoyles to assault the ponies as they closed in on them. “Dispose of these insects immediately!”

An all out clash ensued. Twilight made the first move, flashing in front of a gargoyle, kicking him high with her rear legs and then disappearing at lightning speed to do the same to another. Glory followed her lead closely. Firefly and Surprise took flight and made chase with the dragons. Spike inhaled and let loose a fireball at a group of gargoyles, with Applejack and Posey as his aid, kicking away as the three defended Megan and the witches.

With everyone distracted, Draggle took this opportunity to resume her savage act. She discreetly fetched her pickaxe from the floor and raised it menacingly again at Hydia behind her back. Hydia caught sight of Draggle's threatening shadow on the wall and managed to avoid her swing in time.

“No, Draggle!” Hydia pleaded.

Megan spotted Draggle swinging her pickaxe fiercely several more times, making Hydia stagger backwards. Reeka became hesitant again at her sister's attitude and wasn't quick enough to react when she saw them exit through an open doorway to long staircase, leading down to Hydia's outdoor hot spring.

Hydia lost balance and dropped the scepter in her hands, letting it roll away to Megan's feet. She tugged onto Draggle's shirt before tumbling down the stairs. Draggle fell after her and lost her pickaxe.

When they crashed to the bottom, Draggle was nimble and picked up her mother, dragging her over to the steaming springs. She hurled her in viciously and submerged her head underwater. Hydia struggled helplessly. Reeka scrambled madly down the stairs to save her poor mother from drowning.

Megan, noticing the scepter at her feet, reached to pick it up. Then at once, two gargoyles restrained her while a third one grabbed hold of it instead. Glory and Twilight appeared. The latter helped Megan by beating the two gargoyles holding her, while the former leapt at the one with the scepter.

The scepter was tossed into the air. Many ran to retrieve it but it was Applejack who succeeded.

“Seize her!” Tirek ordered his gargoyles.

Applejack tried to find a place to run but she was already surrounded. Then for a split-second, she saw Posey waving at her, shouting:

“Over here!”

Applejack threw the scepter over at Posey. Posey caught it and fled from her pursuers, but unfortunately tripped over. Another gargoyle scurried to take what she had dropped… until he was stomped on by Spike, who jumped onto his shoulders.

“I got it!” Spike claimed, grasping the scepter.

But it wasn't for long. A dragon swooped by and swiped it away from his hands, screeching and alerting its master.

“Bring it to me!” Tirek ordered, reaching his hands out.

His wish was not granted when Firefly came and head-butted the dragon. She and Surprise bit the scepter together with their mouths and flew as far away from Tirek as possible. A massive swarm of other dragons ambushed them. They released burning flames from their nostrils. One of them hurt Surprise's tail, making her yelp loudly. Firefly couldn't sustain the scepter's heavy weight by herself and thus dropped it.

The scepter fell and was caught right in the jaws of Twilight, who leaped higher than the gargoyles did. She landed safely and swiftly escaped from them… but didn't look ahead at where she was heading. She ended up captured in the clutches of Tirek, who grappled Twilight by her neck, strangling her and raising her off the ground. He forced her to deliver the scepter.

“There's a good pony.” Tirek smirked.

He extracted it from her mouth. Twilight choked and was thrown aside violently against the wall. After all the bedlam, the advantage in the end had leaned towards Tirek's favor.

“HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAA!” he laughed victoriously, holding up his prized possession as it let loose crackles of thunder. “At last, the Scepter of Darkness is mine!”

Megan helped Twilight up onto her feet from her minor injuries. Spike and the other ponies rushed at Tirek together, hoping they could still stop him. But their efforts proved useless when Tirek fired a massive energy beam from the scepter onto the floor near them, firmly warning them not to take another step.

“Don't even try.” threatened Tirek to his adversaries. “You cannot stop the coming of the Sentinels! You are all doomed!” he shifted his attention to his minions and announced: “We have what we came for! Leave this place and head for the Shadowy Caverns!”

Tirek waved the scepter in his hands in triumph as he fled the scene, leaping onto his Chariot of Darkness waiting outside for him. The gargoyles and dragons followed their leader, departing from the Volcano of Gloom, cackling in a chorus. Soon, they had vanished. Megan, Twilight and the others stood motionless in defeat.

They had failed to stop Tirek. No doubt he was going to activate the Sentinels and there seemed nothing now to stand in his way. Was it possible that the future was set despite the heroes' best efforts?

The silence was interrupted when Megan heard the cries of the witches down at the hot spring. She dashed to the stairs, gazing down horrifically to watch Hydia being drowned by Draggle. Reeka wrestled hard against her sister but it was futile. A sudden rush of conscience overcame Megan.

As much as she scorned the witches and their repulsive ways, letting one of them die was too inhumane. And having someone commit matricide was unfathomable and barbaric. Megan ran downstairs, ignoring the cries of the ponies.

“Megan! Where are you going?!” shouted Twilight. “We have to follow Tirek while there's time left! We still have a chance to stop him from summoning the Sentinels!”

Priorities changed for Megan in an impulse. Lives might be lost in later time, but there was one life to be lost within seconds from now. She had to do something about it fast.

Hydia was losing oxygen as she felt her face burn from the heat of the boiling water. Draggle didn't loosen her tight clasp on her mother's neck, only wishing she'd die sooner. She grit her teeth intensely, waiting for that glorious moment.

“Draggle, knock it off!” begged Reeka.

“I may be a dirty rotten witch who despises nice things!” growled Draggle to her mother. “But you… YOU HYDIA, ARE SIIIIIICK!”

Hydia tried to speak out but found it difficult to.

“No wonder you make yourself look so young!” continued Draggle. “It was all for your own selfish cold needs!”

Megan leaped into the hot spring at once and helped Reeka pull Draggle away. It wasn't easy, but they both managed to do so with a good strong tug. Hydia was about to take her final breath until she was saved at the very last second.

She gasped desperately for air, choking as she leaned against the edge of the spring. With her face scalded, her youthfulness had dissolved and she was left bare to the wrinkles of old age. Megan, Reeka and Draggle were not blind to perceive it.

“Hydia, your face!” cried out Reeka.

Hydia inspected her reflection in the water… and was in utter horror.

“OH, NO!” she croaked, hiding her face ashamed. “This can't be! This can't be happening to me!”

Megan tried to restrain Draggle the best she could. She even tried talking some sense into her. It was absurd, considering that they were once enemies, but what other reasonable choice did she have?

“Draggle, what's wrong with you?” asked Megan.

“She's a killer!” Draggle hissed, pointing to her wretched mother. “She's gone too far!”

“What are you talking about? What do you mean?”

Draggle paused, turning her head slowly towards Megan.

“Look inside her secret room.” Was her meek answer. “You'll see.”

With that said, Megan loosened up on Draggle, baffled by her words. Draggle broke free, racing down a flight of the stairs and disappearing without a trace.

Hydia and Reeka had no clue what to make of this and were left disconcerted. Then Hydia remembered that Tirek had the Scepter of Darkness. She abruptly swept away all thoughts of Draggle's horrifying tantrum and called out:

“Run for your life, Reeka! This place isn't safe for us any longer! We have to flee! Tirek is bringing the Sentinels down upon us all! We can't stop them!”

Without a word to Megan or offering her any gratitude for saving her life, she grabbed Reeka's hand and left down another flight of stairs… and they were out of sight. Twilight and the ponies had watched everything unfold, and were left stunned.

A lone gargoyle, hiding from behind a boulder, had also witnessed the events… leaving discreetly to report back to his master, Tirek.

…

The sun had almost finished setting...

It didn't take long for Megan to find the Volcano of Gloom's secret room that Draggle was referring to, since she left the door open. She decided to enter alone. Twilight and the others waited outside for her.

“Megan, we don't have time for this!” insisted Twilight.

But Megan didn't bother listening. For she was already overwhelmed from what she found inside. She was traumatized.

Megan couldn't believe the sights before her. They were so appalling and disturbing that they made her collapse to her knees scared stiff. Adrenaline rushed along her spine and through her body as she covered her mouth to prevent herself from screaming… let alone throwing up.

Surrounding her on wooden tables were the grisly remains of the missing ponies that Magic Star mentioned about. Heads, hearts, limbs, hair and other bodily parts and organs were scattered in the bloody room. It was like walking into a slaughterhouse, possibly worse.

Grotesque drawings and diagrams were posted on the walls, with notes detailing how ponies' flesh and blood could keep old witches young, healthy and slow down their aging. Drinking was also practiced, as Megan saw bottles, flasks and pitchers filled with pony blood. What was most disheartening, however, hung right above her head, were the revealing photos of several ponies' dead faces staring pitifully down upon Megan.

She recognized them immediately. Moondancer… Wind Whistler… Sundance… Baby Lickety-Split… Galaxy… Buttons… Bow Tie… even the Flutter pony Morning Glory was among the unlucky victims…

It was insufferable. It was sickening. It was a nightmare come true.

…

Megan had walked in bravely but came out petrified, as if she had just witnessed a ghostly apparition. Her soul was tarnished with grief and guilt. Had she still been with the ponies years earlier to help, this wouldn't have had to happen.

Twilight for a moment thought her friend had fallen catatonic. “Megan, are you okay?” Twilight asked, but she didn't answer her. “What happened, what did you see in there?”

Spike was about to peek his head into the room, but Megan drew her arm out and prevented him from doing so. She simply shook her head, signifying that it wasn't something for him to see. The ponies knew that whatever Megan saw in there, it was heartbreaking. And within moments, she burst into tears and fell into a mental breakdown. Her confidence was shattered and deteriorated.

Twilight couldn't dismiss it. She knew Megan was in grave agony. Too much had happened during her unsteady life that it was eating away the eighteen-year-old girl slowly.

“This is terrible.” Twilight said in sorrow. “Isn't there anyone who can help her?”

The ponies pondered for a while, feeling just as bad as Twilight for Megan.

“There might be one, I think so.” Firefly broke the silence. “He may be able to pick Megan up if he's still awake. And you know, come to think of it, he may be able to provide a solution for us to stop the Sentinels as well.”

“Who…?” asked Twilight.

“The Moochick.”