Alternate Ending
…
Princess Celestia humbly yet honorably genuflected before Twilight, saying:
“Welcome back… my dearest and most faithful student, Twilight.”
Twilight paused… then smiled joyfully as she shed a single tear of ecstasy, replying:
“It’s good to see you again too… Megan.” she then paused again, uncertain for a moment. “But, I don’t really understand. How come you’re the only one who remembers what happened back when…?”
Princess Celestia chuckled mildly. “Well, like you say, it’s… complicated. Although in short… I had some help with a little magic from a gnome in a mushroom village.” she hugged her student under her wings and kissed her forehead tenderly… just like Megan. “You should know that Draggle’s here as well. Would you like to say hello to her?”
“Draggle?!” Twilight gulped apprehensively. “W-w-wait! She’s here in Equestria?!”
“Rest assured, Princess Twilight.” Princess Celestia said, calming her trustful student. “She is of no harm. As a matter of fact, I believe you’ve met her before… as a pony, that is. She’ll be coming any minute now, I’m sure.”
Just as she had spoken, the door behind Twilight opened again. A blue unicorn pony stepped outside onto the terrace, greeting Twilight and Princess Celestia amicably. Twilight recognized her almost instantly.
“Trixie.” she said, relieved yet utterly amazed. “I should have known.”
“The Great and Apologetic Trixie is glad to meet you at last… Twilight.” she announced, approaching her friend with a graceful smile. “I’ve waited too long.”
“I guess some things just never change.” Twilight laughed cheerfully. “So… what have I missed these past… thousands of years?”
Princess Celestia chuckled again, simply replying: “You have a lot of catching up to do, Princess Twilight.”
…
With Hydia’s daughter gone, the Volcano of Gloom had fallen deathly silent… not to mention cold. Reeka was helpless in supporting her grieving mother… although her thriving appetite for small creatures showed no sign of diminishing. Yet there the two miserable witches sat, besides an empty cauldron that once bubbled with heinous magic. Hydia was in no mood to mentor her remaining child further in becoming as wicked as her, too wracked with guilt.
The tranquility was broken, however, when the eerie voice of a mysterious and uninvited guest was heard. Reeka leapt in fright, grasping her mother’s shoulders in fear. Hydia remained calm, watching a short and hunchbacked figure in a cloak gradually lurch out from the shadows.
It was Grendel. The frail and aged gargoyle raised her head, eyeing the witches ambiguously. Her frozen stare made Hydia and Reeka unsettled.
“What an absolute pity.” Grendel remarked. “It appears that our plans for Tirek didn’t go as well as we anticipated. King Sombra and I couldn’t predict that he was incapable of handling the Sentinels.”
“Who are you?!” asked Hydia sternly, ignoring Grendel’s meaningless words. “What do you want?!”
Grendel did not answer. Instead, her body began to quiver... not from the chilliness felt in the air, but because she was transforming. Flames of jade suddenly arose, engulfing her in a circle, its heights rising above to the ceiling. Hydia and Reeka stood motionless, afraid of whatever evil was afoot.
Grendel’s silhouette grew taller, less stout. As she unveiled her hood and the flames vanished, she was no longer a hideous and ugly gargoyle, but a young, beautiful and dazzling enchantress. She bore long black raven hair and a face so innocent and pure that it looked far from deceiving. She eyed Hydia and Reeka again, but this time with pity, feeling ashamed that they weren’t as elegant looking as her.
Hydia recognized her at once, uttering her name:
“Somnambula!”
“Wh-wh-what is she doing here?” Reeka asked her hesitantly, yet Hydia was unsure.
Somnambula did not look amused. She straightened out her hair, saying: “Let’s cut the social chit-chat and get straight to the point, shall we? I’ve come here because YOU have something of great value, something of utmost importance to us. Something WE need.”
“We…?” said Hydia skeptically.
“Yes.” nodded Somnambula in agreement. “King Sombra asks for your Smooze. You conjured it up years ago. So we need you to conjure it up again, although this time… we’ll ensure that not even the Flutter ponies will have the power to stop it. With our input, we’ll enhance it into something far bigger… far stronger… far deadlier.”
“But how?” Hydia asked dubiously. “How can we possibly make the Smooze any more powerful than it already is? What makes you so convinced that we could create a Smooze that could better the Flutter ponies? There’s just no possible way!”
The enchantress frowned for a moment, but soon smiled demonically. “Oh, I beg to differ. For you see, ANYTHING is possible when you’ve brought friends along to assist you.”
“Friends…?” Hydia shook her head, having no clue of what friends Somnambula was referring to. “What are you talking about?”
Somnambula laughed whimsically. “Why, these ones of course.” she said, when suddenly without warning, a horde of equine yet insect-like creatures emerged from the shadows behind her and all around, encircling Hydia and Reeka menacingly. “My fellow changelings and I have spent quite some time traveling here from the future. Suffice to say, the long journey has given us quite an appetite.”
“HYDIA, I’M SCARED!” cried Reeka. She embraced her mother, who was already trembling in intimidation from the changelings.
“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!” Hydia shouted, demanding an immediate answer.
“SILENCE, YOU IGNORANT WRETCH!” Somnambula snapped. “Tirek was weak. True he failed to usurp rule over the ponies. But no matter... if at first you don’t succeed, you try and try again… it’s time for Plan B. And I’m certain this time that we will succeed.”
“We…?!” Hydia hissed. “What’s with this ‘we’ you keep blabbering on about?! Just who are you in cahoots with?!”
“King Sombra, of course. Did I not mention his name already?” Somnambula sighed, narrowing her eyes at Hydia’s. “Or perhaps you know him better in this lifetime as… Grogar.”
“Grogar?!” Hydia shrieked.
“Yes.” Somnambula nodded again. “I said it before; he and I are in need of you, Hydia. You’re going to help me break Grogar out from his eternal prison in the Shadow World… by any means necessary.”
“Why should I trust you, Somnambula?!” Hydia scowled.
“DO NOT CALL ME SOMNAMBULA!” Somnambula shouted at the top of her voice. “From hereon, you will address me as your Queen.”
She calmed herself. Hydia and Reeka were in awe, for they knew nothing of the tremendous evil that was to come. A sudden chill ran down their spines and the hair on their backs stood straight when they watched Somnambula cross her arms… and for a few moments, her eyes emitted a disturbing and poisonous green glow…
Queen Chrysalis couldn’t help but laugh whimsically again.
...
“The past: a new and uncertain world. A world of endless possibilities and infinite outcomes. Countless choices define our fate: each choice, each moment, a moment in the ripple of time. Enough ripple, and you change the tide... for the future is never truly set.”
- Charles Xavier, X-Men: Days of Future Past