Chapter 10: Dark Scootaloo
Rainbow Dash stared at Scootaloo in surprise. The filly that had idolized her and wanted to be just like her had been possessed by the Mane-iac. Rainbow Dash supposed that she should have expected this but she just wasn't ready to have to fight the pony that had been her little sister. The rainbow maned pegasus was going to have to attack the filly that she had taken under her wing and had tried to teach how to fly.
"Scoots." she said. "Why?"
Scootaloo had a very malicious grin on her face as she replied. Rainbow Dash was very unnerved by the look on her sister's face. This was something that could only be described as evil. And this was something that she was thinking about the pony that she had taken under her wing.
"The Mane-iac told me everything." Scootaloo said. "She told me about how you laugh at me when I'm not around. How you make fun of me because I can't fly. She told me all about it."
"But Scoots I would never do that!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed honestly. "I would never make fun of you like that."
"Yeah right." Scootaloo replied. "I know you're lying. I wanted to be like you because I thought you were awesome. I didn't know you were such a bully."
These words tore at Rainbow Dash's heart. Her sister thought that she was a bully. Rainbow Dash might not be the most compassionate and understanding pony but she would never be intentionally cruel. She would never try to make Scootaloo feel bad about herself. Rainbow Dash tried to explain this to Scootaloo but the filly ignored her.
"Don't bother lying to me Rainbow Dash." she said. "It's not gonna work."
With that, she launched herself at Rainbow Dash and began the fight. Rainbow Dash dodged past Scootaloo's tackle and did everything she could to avoid or block the rest of the young pony's attacks. The rainbow maned pegasus refused to hurt her little sister. As a result of her passive tactic she was roughly punched and kicked by the young pegasus pony. Rainbow Dash hit the wall and struggled to get to her hooves. She was completely weakened by the situation she was in. Her own sister was attacking her.
"Come on Dash." Pinkie Pie said.
"Ya have ta fight Dash. It the only way ta save her." Applejack told the pegasus.
"We know it hurts but it's for Scootaloo's own good." Rarity said.
Rainbow Dash didn't listen to them. She couldn't fight her sister.
"Dash if you don't fight Scootaloo won't be able to escape from the Mane-iac." Fluttershy whispered urgently.
"Do you want your sister to be stuck serving the Mane-iac for the rest of her life?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "Is that what you want for your sister? Is that what you want for the head of the Rainbow Dash Fan Club?"
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened as she heard this. She didn't know that the fan club that Scootaloo started for her was still going on. She thought that it had disbanded since the Mare Do Well incident. But apparently she still had a whole fan club that was devoted to her and Scootaloo was still the most devoted of them all.
"Dash." Gilda said. "Look I know you don't want to hurt her. I know it sucks but you gotta do this. It's the only way to save her. You gotta fight. Think of it as tough love. Like how I kicked your tail every time we fought."
Rainbow Dash looked at her friends and then at Scootaloo. She remembered how Scootaloo had idolized her. She remembered how the orange filly had wanted to be just like her.
"Scoots." Rainbow Dash began. "I took you under my wing. And if you wanna be like me then you're gonna have to take a couple hits."
With that, Rainbow Dash moved towards Scootaloo and the duo fought again. This time Rainbow Dash struck back. The young filly was surprised but she grinned. The orange pegasus attacked Rainbow Dash who quickly countered with her own fighting moves.
"Come on Scoots." Rainbow Dash urged. "I don't want to fight ya. I don't want to hurt ya."
"Well too bad Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo replied. "The Mane-iac showed me how you really feel about me and I'm gonna prove that I'm not worthless."
"I never said you were worthless Scoots." Rainbow Dash said as she dodged past the filly's attacks and countered with her own. "You might not be able to fly yet but that doesn't matter. I told you I was gonna help ya but I can't do that if you're gonna be a yespony to the Mane-iac."
"What'd you call me?" Scootaloo demanded.
"I'm just sayin' if it was me I wouldn't let the Mane-iac tell me what to do." Rainbow Dash replied with a grin. "I thought you were cooler than that Scoots. I thought you wanted to be like me."
"I do!" Scootaloo replied as a small portion of her eyes changed back to their normal colors. "And I'm gonna prove I'm awesome by beating you."
"You want to be like me?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Well I don't think that you should be letting the Mane-iac boss you around like this. You were way cooler when you did what you wanted."
"You think I'm cool?" Scootaloo asked uncertainly. More of her eyes were changing to what they were meant to be.
"Yeah I do." Rainbow Dash replied honestly. "The way you ride on your scooter is awesome. You really pull off some awesome stunts with that thing Scoots."
"Really?" Scootaloo asked in a small voice. The Mane-iac was losing her grip on Scootaloo.
"Yeah really." Rainbow Dash said honestly. "When you ride your scooter you're as awesome as when I'm flying. I want that Scootaloo back. I want the Scootaloo that I took under my wing. Not the one that serves the Mane-iac without even trying to stand up for herself."
"You really think I'm awesome?" Scootaloo asked.
"I wouldn't have taken ya under my wing if I didn't." Rainbow Dash replied. "You're awesome Scoots and the Mane-iac is just holding back your awesomeness."
Scootaloo's eyes only had the tiniest specks of the Mane-iac's influence in them. The rainbow maned pegasus' goal was almost complete. Just a little bit more and Scootaloo would be free from the Mane-iac's control.
Rainbow Dash walked up to Scootaloo and stretched out her hoof.
"Are you my awesome sister?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Or are you a yespony to the Mane-iac?"
Scootaloo gazed at Rainbow Dash's hoof and then she bumped her hoof against it. Then the young pegasus's eyes changed completely back to their normal color. Scootaloo almost collapsed but Rainbow Dash stopped the filly from hitting the ground. Scootaloo hugged Rainbow Dash tightly and the rainbow maned pegasus returned the embrace as the magical barrier fell away.
"I told ya you were awesome Scoots." Rainbow Dash said.
"You know it." Scootaloo replied with a grin. She was back to her normal self.
The rest of the group approached the duo. They were all happy to see Scootaloo being back to normal.
"So Twi?" Rainbow Dash began with a grin. "Did you say that I still have a fan club?"
Twilight Sparkle was about to respond but Scootaloo answered for her.
"Yeah Dash." Scootaloo said. "And we have five new members."
"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked eagerly. "Who?"
Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie smiled a bit as Rainbow Dash's eyes widened.
"No way." she said. "You guys joined my fan club?"
They all nodded in assurance. In truth they felt that they needed to be more supportive of Rainbow Dash ever since the Mare Do Well incident so they felt that there was no better way to do so than by becoming fans of her.
"Scoots." Rainbow Dash said. "Please tell me you have pictures of them with those wigs on."
"Like I'd forget." Scootaloo replied with a grin. "When we get outta here I'm gonna show you all of them."
"I can't wait." Rainbow Dash replied enthusiastically as a grin grew on her face. "Rarity's always on my case about my mane. I can't wait to see her with it."
The group of twelve walked towards the staircase and up to the next room. All of them were laughing to their hearts' content. The Mane-iac was watching them and she had a look of surprise on her face.
"Well well well." she said. "I didn't expect them to make it this far. But no matter I can still destroy them even without those six worthless prisoners." The Mane-iac turned towards the throne and spoke. "Oh Lord Spike."
"Yes Your Majesty?" the young dragon asked in an eager tone.
"Your time is coming soon." the villainess replied. "Be a good little dragon and get yourself ready while I go and greet our very special guests."
"Of course Your Majesty." Spike replied as he hopped off the throne, bowed to the Mane-iac, and left the room. The comic book villain grinned to herself. Spike would play an important role but she still had one more trick up her sleeve before she would resort to using him. He would be the Grand Finale. The Mane-iac was certain that he would succeed where the other six had failed. All she could do now was wait for the group of twelve to enter the room.