The next day in Ponyville, the citizerns there were now under the harsh rule of who was once their friend. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were forced to relocate to the caslte to be the 'royal bakers'. Though Dark Rainbow did allow them to bring their children but it forced Sugar Cube Corner to close down. The Apple family throughout all of Equestira were now forced to put all of their cider-making capability to Dark Rainbow and Dark Rainbow alone. Some of the ponies who tired to rebel have been turned into statues by Bitter Taste; like the Mayor, Trixie, Cheerilee, Sunburst, and once again Discord, after he was once again as deprived of his magic by the bell.
None could have it worst however than the Cutie Mark Crusaders. When the takeover began, all fillies and colts were forced to attend school, only the school now had a dress code, in which a suit similar to Rainbow Dash's suit when she first joined the Wonderbolts. The foals found the suits to be too itchy but dd not want to be encased in stone by Bitter Taste. Speaking of which, Bitter Taste took up the role as teacher at the local schoolhouse (since again, Cheerilee was turned into a statue for trying to rebel against him and Dark Rainbow). He taught the students about new rules that Princess Dark Rainbow is going to be setting over Equestria. While a lot of the children were already bored to death of school, this took it to a whole different level. Never has any child ever felt so relieved that they would be dismissed from class. The foals then went on their way home.
"I know I didn't like school before," said Snails to Snips, "But being taught lessons that are all about Rainbow Dash being the bad guy makes me hate it even more."
"Amen to that, Snails." Snips said as they walked home.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon weren't being optimistic either.
"Uh," Silver Spoon groaned at her new school uniform, "This outfit is driving me nuts Diamond Tiara."
"Yes Silver Spoon, I hate ho itchy it is too." Diamond Tiara said bitterly.
"No, not just that," said Silver Spoon, "I mean it clashes with mane color." Silver Spoon complained.
Diamond Tiara responded with a sigh of exasperation.
Pipsqueak was walking out of the school with the new uniform covering his entire face. He muffled incoherently as he ended up tripping off the steps, though the outfit cushioned the fall a little. he then got up and staggered out a little.
The last of the foals that came out was the CMC and they looked utterly miserable while leaving the school.
"This is just terrible, gals," Apple Bloom said, "Rainbow's gone nuts, some of the townsponies were turned into stone, my family is forced to serve her cider to her only, my sister and her friend are now Rainbow's mindless guards and to top it all off, the princesses have lost their abilities!"
"Not to mention that this outfit is chaffing my flank." Sweetie Belle complained as she pulled her new school uniform a little up from her flank to see a chaffe mark on it.
Scootaloo looked positively the saddest of them all, hanging her head as she walked. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle immediately took notice of this.
"Scootaloo, are you okay?" asked Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo didn't respond as she was too sad to.
"Of course she isn't, Sweetie Belle," said Apple Bloom, "Would you feel alright if someone you looked up to and saw as a big sister was turned into a tyrant?"
"Well, I know I would be if Rarity was."
"And would if Applejack was."
"It's not just that girls," said Scootaloo, which caught their attention.
"Huh?" The two CMC said.
"It's the fact that throughout all the years we've known Rainbow Dash, she's suffered from one emotional turmoil after another and we have often caused that to happen. I just can't believe we didn't even consider it."
"Why didn't Rainbow just come clean with how she felt about all the times she was the flank of jokes?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"Maybe she didn't think it was worth bringing up," Apple Bloom said "I mean we all know how full of pride she can be."
"Well personally, I think that Bitter Taste guy used that against her to turn her into what she is now." Scootaloo said in anger.
"Yeah," Sweetie Belle said, "That guy is rather slimy."
"And evil." Apple Bloom said.
"But what are you gonna do?"
Scootaloo stopped dead in her tracks and soon gave a look of determination on her face.
"I know exactly what I'm gonna do."
She motioned her friends into a huddle and whispers her plan to them.
...
Bitter Taste looked confused as Scootaloo came up to him at the school the next day with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle in dog leashes with Scootaloo carrying the rope part of the leashes.
"Wait," Bitter Taste said, "So, you want to be the personal protégé of Princess Dark Rainbow and as a token of your allegiance, you're offering your two best friends up for eternal servitude to her."
"That's pretty much it."
"And you want to do this on account of how you're basically Dark Rainbow's little sister since you two hang out together a lot."
"Oh yeah."
Bitter Taste tgave a look of thought for a minute before coming to a decison.
"Alrighty then." He said.
The girls looked shocked upon hearing this.
"Really?" The CMC said together.
"Yep," said Bitter Taste leaving his desk, "I can even tke you there now."
The CMC looked at each other in total shock before following him.
...
The CMC looked in awe as they saw the cloud castle right before their very eyes. Bitter Taste came to them.
"Okay," said Bitter Taste, "Sweetie Belle, you're gonna help your sister make royal dresses for Dark Rainbow. Apple Bloom, you're gonna help your sister in the kitchen."
"Okay." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said in sync.
The 4 ponies entered the castle. Some cloud guards approached them.
"Take the unicorn to the sweatshop and the earth pony to the kitchen." Bitter Taste said, taking the ropes off Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. The clouds did just that and took Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle away, which causes them to exclaim in fright. Scootaloo looks concerned as Bitter Taste came to her.
"Alrighty Scootaloo, this way to the throne room."
Nervously, Scootaloo followed him.
...
Bitter Taste brought Scootaloo to Dark Rainbow, who is sitting on her throne.
"You're majesty, I have bought unto you a potential protégé or you." Bitter Taste said.
Scootaloo came forward.
"Oh," Dark Rainbow said, "It's you Scootaloo."
"Yes, Dark Rainbow," said Scootaloo nervously, "I thought I might join your ranks."
"And to prove her allegiance, she had brought her two friends to be slaves within her castle." Bitter Taste said.
"And that as enough to convince you?" Dark Rainbow asked.
Bitter taste paused for a minute before saying, "No!"
Bitter Taste then shot a beam at Scootaloo, who recoiled in pain before her eyes transformed into spirals. Dark Rainbow looked positively taken aback.
"Bitter Taste, what are you doing?!"
"It's obvious she's just trying to end your reign, your majesty," said Bitter Taste.
Princess Dark Rainbow looked a little shaken, "But that doesn't mean you should hypnotize her!"
"Trust me, this is in your best interest."
Dark Rainbow looked at the helpless and hypnotized Scootaloo and suddenly regained what sense of empathy she had back when she was Rainbow Dash and she looked sternly at Bitter Taste.
"Bitter Taste, as your Princess, I order you to stop!"
"And as your advisor, I order you to let this happen!"
Dark Rainbow gave a shocked look and saw Bitter Taste smiling evilly at Scootaloo and she soon gave a determined look. In an instance, Dark Rainbow took off with Scootaloo and left the castle.
"YOUR MAJESTY!"
...
Scootaloo was seen sitting on a nearby cloud, still hypnotized until Dark Rainbow's horn comes along and unleashes some bright-light magic. After the light passes, Scootaloo is seen no longer hypnotized but has a dizzy look before shaking her head and putting her hoof to it.
"Ugh, what happened?"
Suddenly, she was brought in for a hug by Dark Rainbow.
"It's okay Scootaloo," said Dark Rainbow soothingly, "You're safe."
Scootaloo looked up and saw Dark Rainbow looking at her eith a soothing smile.
"Princess Dark Rainbow!" Scootaloo said in shock before composing herself, "Wait a minute, you saved me from Bitter Taste?"
"Yes," said Dark Rainbow, "After seeing you nearly become a mindless puppet, I now realized that he didn't really care about me. He was just using my bitter feelings in order to maintain control over Equestria."
Dark Rainbow then shed some tears, much to Scootaloo's confusion.
"I can't believe I let this happen and for what? Because of some petty feelings I had just because I was wronged by the ponies I care about so many times in the past? I mean you were one I was especially mad at due to the whole incident with my parents."
Scootaloo looked a little down, "Rainbow, I'm sorry for not taking your feelings into account during that whole instance."
"I'm thankful for the apology Scootaloo," said Rainbow Dash, "But how am I going to apologize for being in the middle of a hostile takeover for Equestria?"
Scootaloo looked compassionate at the remorseful Alicorn before saying, "Well, I mean you can start by giving Twilight, Celestia, Luna and Cadance their alicornhood back."
Dark Rainbow looked at Scootaloo sadly before looking serious.
"You're right. Hop on Scoots, it's time to make some wrong things right again!"
Scootaloo smiled warmly as she adhered to Dark Rainbow's request and jumped on her back as they took off into the sky.
TO BE CONTINUED...