MOD: Pulling the Plug, Part 5/?
With her protection of the Crystal Empire, Quasimodo Quartz becomes much more loved by her subjects, although she has come down with a cold because of exposure as a result of the golems' incursion. Skyla buries her under a mountain of her plushies in an attempt to raise her spirits, and letters wishing her well and news articles from Press Patrol adulating her begin to pile up as she never imagined. The love from her subjects begins to mingle with her half-Changeling biology, aiding in Quartzy's recovery. One day when Curiosity is visiting, Quartzy nods off, and Curiosity plants a kiss on her forehead...
After she's recovered, Cadance holds a conference to declare the crown-princess to the Crystal Empire: Quasimodo Quartz. This is met with relatively positive reception, but the vocal minority which despise this move takes its toll on Quartzy. On top of feeling unworthy of the crown, the vocal hatred wears her down, leaving her open to a kernel of darkness that crept into her from Sombra's horn: a miasma. She is consumed, and transforms into the NightMare Mongrel, which rises up to destroy anypony who would dare to love Quasimodo Quartz.
Everypony in her family is called up to the Crystal Empire who was not present for the announcement of her coronation as crown-princess, in an attempt to cleanse her of this new NightMare. Word is sent to Sunrise Shimmer for her Daydream form to purify Quartzy, but there is no response. Moonlit Bloom applies the Elements of Harmony to various friends and family members, attempting to use the Element of Magic herself like her mother had before her, but it proves useless. Cute Curiosity reaches out to the Mongrel, declaring her love of Quartzy. The Element of Magic appears on her head, and the other Elements appear on others connected to Quartzy, such as Regality and Press Patrol, and the Mongrel is dispelled.
Holding the half-Changeling princess, Cute Curiosity reassures the weakened princess of her love. Quartzy hesitates, wondering why she is worthy of any love if she causes so much hurt. The Lettuce twins Romaine and Iceberg appear, explaining that Quasimodo's current circumstances are a miracle. While her conception is a constant in the multiverse, she is miscarried in most, stillborn in others, or left to die by her mother Chrysalis in others. She only exists in this state in an extremely small number of timelines, and is only truly happy in a minority of those. She should cherish whatever love she comes upon, because she is such a rarity. After a hesitance, she accepts Curiosity's love, confessing to reciprocating it.
Sunrise arrives, having only just gotten their message. Fluttershy had gone into labor with their child (it is about nine months in-universe since the "Dust 'n' Rust" story arc) and she had been seeing her wife through childbirth. She presents a photograph of their daughter Sunlit Orchid, over the moon with her "precious little ray of sunshine".