The ponies of Ponyville were simply going about their business. One group of ponies however, were walking through the streets having an interesting conversation.
"Nopony has seen Rainbow Dash all morning?" asked Applejack.
"Nopie, dopie," said Pinkie Pie in her usual bubbly demeanor.
"I just had a conversation with one of the pegasi from weather control," said Rarity, "She said Rainbow Dash hasn't come in for today."
"And I had a visit from Spitfire," said Fluttershy, "She said Rainbow Dash hasn't come to the Reserves Training like she normally would."
"I haven't seen Rainbow since yesterday when she flew into my chicken coop," said Applejack.
"Or me when she didn't finish cleaning the Timberwolf," said Fluttershy.
"Or me when she made a mess in my shop," said Rarity.
"Or me when she ruined Starlight's new suit with the cupcake delivery." said Pinkie Pie.
The ponies then looked each other rather sadly.
"Y'know," sighed Appejack, "Maybe Rainbow Dash just feels too sad to do anything."
"Maybe we were too hard with her," said Rarity, "I mean, did she really intend do all of these things?"
"Maybe not," said Pinkie Pie sadly, "I mean, I saw a gust of wind and that pretty much flew Rainbow off."
"And the Timberwolf I had her clean had a huge breathing habit and she couldn't stand the smell of it's bad breath," said Fluttershy.
"And there were some diamonds laying around my shop," said Rarity, "Rainbow likely stepped on one of them and caused the mess."
"Same could be said for my chicken coup incident," said Applejack, "Apple Bloom said some of the Vampire Fruit Bats left the sanctuary. Maybe they distracted Rainbow."
The ponies gave a look of guilt.
"We should go say we're sorry to her." said Fluttershy.
The ponies nodded.
"After which," said Pinkie while looking offscreen and saying sadly, "If she's in a forgiving mood, we can all go check out that castle on a dark cloud."
The ponies looked confused at hearing that.
"Say what now?" asked Applejack.
Pinkie Pie points offscreen and the ponies looked and dropped their jaws and shock.
Indeed, as Pinkie Pie said, there was a giant castle on a giant dark cloud and by the look of things, it was made of dark cloud material. Not only that, but it seems to be coming to Ponyville.
The Ponyville citizens came out of their homes and saw the cloud castle and each voiced their thoughts.
"What in the world is that?" asked Scootaloo.
"It's a castle made of clouds, Scootaloo." said Apple Bloom matter-of-factly.
"I think she means to say is why there is a giant cloud castle coming this way." said Sweetie Belle.
"I dunno," said Mayor Mare.
...
Soon, everyone in Ponyville saw the giant floating castle on the giant dark cloud, even everyone at the School of Friendship saw this.
"Oh no," said Sunburst, as he saw the cloud and the castle outside of the office from his window.
"What in Equestria?!" said Trixie as she looked at it outside of the window from her office.
Starlight looked out of the window from her office and saw the oncoming cloud and castle.
"Well, this is a way to make my day," Starlight deadpanned before leaving her office.
Even the Young 6 from their Treehouse of Harmony saw this via binoculars owned by Sandbar.
...
"What do you suppose is with that castle?" asked Gallus as he looked through the binoculars.
"I dunno," said Ocellus fearfully, "It seems pretty ominous though."
"Hmm," said Smolder, "Maybe we should check it out."
"Ooh!" said Silverstream enthusiastically, "A new place to explore! Just imagine the possibilities!"
Gallus groaned, "With you Silverstream, everything is a possibility."
Yona, like Ocellus, looked scared and said, "You all go, Yona stay here."
Ocellus, Smolder, Gallus, and Silverstream looked at Yona.
"I'll stay with her," said Sandbar as he went to Yona, "Besides, we don't have a unicorn to use magic to make me and Yona stand on clouds anyway."
"Okay," said Gallus, "But you guys don't leave the treehouse until we come back."
With that, the flight creatures took off, leaving the non-flying ones behind.
"You think they'll be okay, Sandbar?" asked Yona fearfully.
Sandbar hugged Yona and then responded, "You know our friends, Yona. I'm sure they'll be fine."
Yona hugged Sandbar back as he comforted her.
...
The flying creatures flew up to the cloud castle.
"Geez," said Ocellus as she looked at the cloud, "Will you guys look how big that cloud is? It's covering all of Ponyville!"
Indeed, the giant cloud was big enough to cover all of Ponyville and it was nearing completion.
"Well let's get to the castle and find out what's going on," said Smolder.
They all nodded and soon made it to the cloud and landed on it.
"Okay," said Gallus, "We go to the castle and whatever happens, we stick together."
The others nodded and murmured in agreement.
They then went over to the castle. Sivlerstream raised her paw out to knock on the door and when she did, all of a sudden, the doors opened automatically, surprising the Young 4.
Peering inside, they see that interior of the castle includes a giant rainbow-colored floor and a stairway that leads from floor-to-floor to all the way to the castle's top.
The group enters, Ocellus says, "Alright you guys, remember, we stick toge-"
Before she could finish, she unexpectedly vanished magically.
"Ocellus?" gasped Silverstream before she magically vanished too.
Gallus looked around in surprise before he vanishes too.
Smolder is now left all alone, making her extremely nervous.
"Guys?!" she said, scared to the bone, "Where'd you go?!"
"Don't worry abut them, my former protege," said a mysterious voice, catching Smolder off-guard as she sees the Dark Rainbow coming down the stairs with Bitter Taste in tow.
"Professor Dash?" Smolder questioned, "What are you doing here? And why are you an alicorn?"
"Why I am the new ruler of Equestria, you see." said Princess Dark Rainbow, "And please address me as Princess Dark Rainbow."
Smolder looked positively confused.
"What are you talking about?" asked Smolder.
"I'll let my advisor explain," said Dark Rainbow, giving the floor to Bitter Taste, who comes to Smolder.
"You see young dragon," said Bitter Taste, "I saw that Rainbow Dash had a lot of emotional baggage on her, so I decided to help her assuage those feelings."
Smolder just looked more confused.
"Hold on," said Smolder, "Are you the reason she's an alicorn?"
"Well," said Bitter Taste, "I don't want to brag, but yes."
"But I thought only Princess Celestia could do something like that," said Smolder, "Headmare Twilight said that she was turned into an alicorn because of what Celestia did."
"Funny you should mention Twilight and Celestia," said Dark Rainbow shifily, "I bet they, Luna, and Cadance are having the times of their lives now."
Smolder looked rather suspicious.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Smolder.
Bitter Taste started up his horn and and revealed 3 images.
-One image showed a unicorn Twilight Sparkle carrying a petrified Spike on his back and is struggling on keeping him balanced.
-Another image showed a sleeping Pegasus Cadance and Flurry Heart is trying to wake her up, to no success.
-The final image showed an earth pony Celestia and Luna still frozen in a giant crystal block and a unicorn carrying a flamethrower and sicks said weapon on the block in the name of releasing them, but not without wearing the proper protection helmet.
Smolder gasped as she saw this and she then tried to escape out the door, but Bitter Taste shot his magic at her and in an instant while she recoiled, Smolder is encased in stone and Bitter Taste was holding her with his magic so she doesn't fall through the clouds before he zapped the fossilized Smolder and teleported her somewhere else.
"Let's go find the others, shall we Your Majesty?" asked Bitter Taste.
Princess Dark Rainbow nodded.
...
Gallus was trapped in a tiny room in the castle and he was getting hysterical.
"The rooms too small," said Gallus while hyperventilating, "I need to get out of here!"
He was suddenly struck in the back by a bolt of gray-colored magic and suddenly, all of his feathers came off and he soon fell down in fatigue while Biiter Taste came up to him. Gallus looked up and saw an evil smile on his face, with Dark Rainbow standing behind him.
"I think I can help you with that." He said as he used his magic to make Gallus disappear from the room to.
...
In anothe room in the castle, Ocellus was coughing like mad as Bitter Taste (wearing a gas mask) is spraying her with 5 cans of bug spray that he is holding magically. Soon Ocellus drops down to the ground in defeat and Bitter Taste uses his magic to make her disappear with Dark Rainbow looking at the scene with a smile on her face nearby.
...
Silverstream was caught in Bitter Taste's magical grasp and had a scared look on her face as she looked at Dark Rainbow.
"Professor Dash," said Silverstream sadness, "Why are you joining him?"
"Because Silverstream," said Dark Rainbow, "Bitter Taste help me see how toxic my friendships are."
"Yep, and I believed that she needed a change," said Bitter Taste, "Speaking of which..."
He targeted some of his magic at her necklace and activated the amulet on it, turning her into a seapony, much to her shock. He then used his magic to snap the neckalce off her neck and brings it to himself.
"Hey!" snapped Silverstream, "Give that back!"
"Would you please hold her for a minute, your grace?" asked Bitter Taste.
"If you insist." said Dark Rainbow as she used her magic, which consisted of a dark purple aura, to keep Silverstream floating.
Bitter Taste then blasted the necklace with his magic and reduced it to dust.
This made Silverstream yell in terror.
"NOOO!"
After that, Bitter Taste dusted his hooves and then zapped his magic at Silverstream once more, making the hippogriff disappear.
"If you don't mind me asking, Bitter Taste," said Dark Rainbow, "Where have you sent all of them?"
"I put them in locations where they can not even attempt to stop us ever again," said Bitter Taste, "But enough of that. It is time to make everyone in Ponyville know that you are the new ruler of Equestria."
Dark Rainbow nodded and they both left the room.
TO BE CONTINUED...