Chapter 16: Sister Against Sister
The two sisters stared into each others eyes, neither willing to betray any emotion.
"You can fly again sis. You should've taken the opportunity to fly far, far away."
"You need a timeout kiddo." Rainbow snarled. "Do you have any idea what you just did?" She pointed to the burning royal box.
"I just liberated Equestria from Celestia's tyranny." Scootaloo replied coldly.
Rainbow Dash shook her head in disbelief. "Wow. You've lost it. I don't know how this'll go down with the judge, but if you come quietly now, they'll probably get you a nice padded cell. Now it's time to take that armor off."
"I'd rather not." Scootaloo said, her red, bloodshot eyes focused solely on Rainbow Dash. "I feel nice and cozy in here."
"Scootaloo I don't want to fight you..."
"Too late. You had your chance. You chose to use me as a doormat. Now it's time to pay."
She charged at Rainbow. Rainbow grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and slammed her armored head onto the podium, destroying it. Scootaloo on the other hoof, was unharmed beneath the helmet.
She let out a growl and charged at Rainbow. Rainbow closed her eyes and absorbed her tackle. The two ponies were sent plummeting to the earth below.
Scootaloo opened up her wings and began flying back towards the city. She turned and fired a blast at the rainbow pegasus. Rainbow dodged, and began to give chase.
The others watched in awe. The stadium began emptying, as terrified ponies scrambled for the exits. Changelings swarmed into the crowd, their bodies shifting to disguise themselves as ponies.
Scootaloo weaved around the downtown buildings. She tore downwards in the direction of the south side tunnel.
Rainbow smirked. Rookie mistake. The south side tunnel was always backed up with traffic.
Scootaloo screamed down the tunnel and immediately saw the jam. She looked around, desperate for an escape. It was not the royal guards she feared. The changelings would keep them busy.
It was Rainbow Dash.
She looked back at the angry pegasus that was charging towards her. Then she grinned a sinister grin. She spread her wings and charged into oncoming traffic.
Rainbow's eyes widened. Charging into oncoming traffic was an idiotic idea. And yet, it was faster than a traffic jam.
Rainbow swallowed hard, then charged into the tunnel after Scootaloo.
From there onward, it was terrifying. Scootaloo was hauling flank down the tunnel. The pegasi heading the opposite way weren't exactly at Fluttershy speeds either.
Rainbow knew she had to go fast just to have a chance of keeping up. The tunnel became a blur as Rainbow maneuvered her way around the oncoming pegasi, all of whom screamed or swore at her as she passed.
The speed was ridiculous. Every time Rainbow saw an oncoming pegasus, her heart dropped. She knew at her current speed, a head on collision could very well break every bone in her body, not to mention the body of whoever she was unfortunate enough to crash into.
Scootaloo paid this little mind. She simply charged forth, forcing the oncoming ponies to scramble out of her way, and get into Rainbow's.
"EVERYPONY LOOK OUT!" Rainbow shouted as she narrowly missed a distracted mare.
Scootaloo turned and began firing madly. Rainbow dodged and let out a gasp of disbelief. They were traveling at breakneck speeds down a tunnel full of innocent pegasi, and Scootaloo was firing volleys of killing energy at her?
The cyan pegasus breathed a sigh of relief as she caught sight of daylight. She blasted out of the tunnel, then looked around for her target.
She could feel aching pains in her wings. Perhaps Rainbow Dash was pushing them too hard.
She didn't care. They had had almost two months of rest. They needed to be pushed. Beyond the limit.
She spotted that little orange speck in the distance.
"Don't make me hurt you squirt!" Rainbow shouted. But Scootaloo kept right on flying. They were headed on a downward shot towards the Everfree Forest. This was a challenge for Rainbow Dash.
She had been in the air less than an hour since the trauma. The forest was filled with obstacles. Even more than the tunnel. She hesitated slightly, adding onto Scootaloo's distance. She groaned, then dove in after her.
The little orange, armored speck began darting around trees. Rainbow tried to think back. That fearlessness. That instinct. Where was it?
Her whole thinking had been thrown out of whack. This forest wasn't an obstacle course. It was a playground.
HER playground.
She accelerated. Her wings flapped with even more intensity. She swiftly ducked under branches, rose over treetops, and maneuvered around tree trunks, the smirk spreading across her face, the predatory glint in her eye.
That little orange speck was getting bigger.
Scootaloo turned. She could see Rainbow gaining. She had to make a change quickly. She angled up, and soared out of the forest. Rainbow followed.
This was a mistake. In a straight line, Rainbow Dash had the advantage. She forced her wing muscles into overtime and continued closing the gap.
Scootaloo turned and fired another shot with her horn. Dash spun out of the way.
"Watch it kid, you'll hurt somepony!" Rainbow shouted.
Scootaloo growled at her former mentor. Then she turned and accelerated.
They were approaching Ponyville. Rainbow could see her cloud home in the distance.
"Come on Scoots, let's go home. Talk it out..." Rainbow managed breathlessly.
"I don't have a home!" Scootaloo shouted. She turned and fired another blast at the pesky rainbow pegasus.
Rainbow decided to throw a little finesse in now. She barrel rolled out of the way, just to epic things up.
She was so close now. She reached out and grabbed a hold of Scootaloo's tail.
"Let go!" Scootaloo shouted.
Rainbow bit into her tail, latching on firmly with her jaw. She realized momentarily that she had made yet another mistake.
Scootaloo had all the advantages now.
She swung her tail and bucked aimlessly. Rainbow Dash dodged and desperately held on.
She bucked again. This time Rainbow was unable to avoid her kick. It impacted her skull. She felt winded, but remained attached.
They flew low now. Everypony in town looked up curiously as they darted just over the streets.
"GET OFF!" Scootaloo shouted. She snapped her hips, and smashed Rainbow through the front door of Sugar Cube Corner, head first.
Rainbow felt the door explode as she hit it. Splinters of wood flew through the air. She slammed down on the tile floor.
She had lost her grip. Scootaloo landed in front of her. Rainbow was barely conscious now. Her head felt worse than the door.
"Squirt...please..."
Scootaloo's horn began to glow. She aimed it at her mentor's head. Her expression did not change. But then...a twinge. Her expression softened. Her eyes seemed to lose just a small shade of their redness.
"I...I've hurt you enough. Stay out of my way Dash."
She turned and took off, heading back in the direction of Cloudsdale.
The changelings had begun battling the royal guard in the bleachers. The five ponies got up from their seats, enthusiastic to join the fight.
"Stop my little ponies." A calm voice called out.
Twilight's ears perked up. The voice was familiar.
"Princess Celestia! You're alive!"
Princess Celestia touched down in front of them. "I had anticipated an attack. There was a trap door in the royal box."
Twilight embraced her mentor. It lasted only a moment.
"How can we assist you princess?" Rarity asked.
"Get out of here. Now. The soldiers and I will hold them off."
"Yeah, that's not happening. This is our fight too. Right everypony?"
Applejack stomped her hooves on the ground. "Buck yeah!"
"Um...well...no?" Fluttershy managed.
Soarin touched down. "Princess Celestia, Soarin at your service. I was wondering if you needed air support?"
Celestia looked at the assembled Wonderbolts who bowed even in the midst of all the chaos.
"Of course."
Spitfire gestured to the Bolts to get into formation. They charged into the horde of changeling invaders.
Scootaloo came soaring in.
She landed before Celestia. Her eyes showed the slightest amount of surprise at seeing her.
"Hello there Princess. You're supposed to be dead."
Celestia sighed. "Scootaloo, stop this right now. It's getting out of control."
"I am in complete control." Scootaloo retorted.
"Oh for Celestia's sake, look at yourself Scootaloo!" Applejack shouted, frightened by her demonic appearance.
"I have." Scootaloo growled. "I see a god."
"Just stop this Scootaloo. I don't want to hurt you."
"You're going to have to." Scootaloo shot back. She charged the princess and tackled her to the ground.
Celestia looked at the ravenous creature that still held the element of loyalty around her neck.
"As you wish." Celestia replied calmly. Her horn powered up, sending Scootaloo sprawling back.
The orange pegasus would not be beaten so easily. She fired her horn at the Princess. She deflected it with her hoof.
"I couldn't believe it till I saw it. That you had betrayed the very group of ponies that took you in. That nurtured you..."
"Nurtured me? NURTURED ME?!! What, by speaking to me? By allowing me in on their little 'friendship gathering?" She scoffed. "They never thought much of me. They never saw my potential."
"Scootaloo, you are not thinking clearly..." Celestia calmly stated.
Scootaloo shook her head. "I'm thinking clearer than I ever have before. I am the hero that slayed Chrysalis. I will take my rightful place as the leader of Equestria."
Celestia looked at the scene around her. The modern sports complex in shambles, as changelings continued firing blasts at the walls.. Her soldiers vainly trying to fight them off. Any unlucky civilians still in the building cowering beneath their seats.
And the mad pony that had brought it on them all.
"Alright...Scootaloo. I know I should take into account that you were once one of my most loyal subjects. But right now, I have to forget that. Because I must defend my nation. And if that means destroying you, so be it."
Scootaloo licked her lips. "Finally. A real fight."
The two forces charged.
Four years earlier
Rainbow Dash threw her saddlebag down on the couch after a long day.
Early morning was weather patrol. With storm clouds rolling in, that had been difficult enough. Half the patrol group had called in sick, giving Rainbow Dash even more work. And that was only until noon.
At noon, she went to a workshop with the Wonderbolts. They had asked to see her best stuff. And she had brought it. The filly flash. The super speed strut. The buccaneer blaze. Everything she had. Laid out for them.
They hadn't said no. But they hadn't said yes either. And that was the worst thing. They had seemed extremely neutral in judging her.
So then, after spending the evening at a big dinner with her friends, she came back home. It was midnight.
The cloud home was a mess. Scootaloo had left all her toys out. Again. Damn filly. She'd yell at her in the morning. For now, she needed sleep.
She crawled into her bed and tucked in for the night. She usually made a habit of going over relevant happenings from the day, as she lay there in bed, but even that was too exhausting for her.
She let her eyes close. Suddenly there was an ear shattering scream from the next room.
Rainbow's eyes snapped open. She got up. "What the buck?"
There was silence now. Then she heard her door creak open.
She saw a familiar tiny outline.
"Scoots..."
"Rainbow? I had another nightmare." She said, fear in her voice.
"What was it? It wasn't that movie again was it?"
Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah kinda..."
Rainbow sighed in exasperation. Work had kept her occupied for the past few months, and the two hadn't been spending enough time together. Scootaloo had proposed that they go to the theater to see a movie together. Rainbow of course, decided a scary movie was best. A mistake when dealing with a 9 year old filly.
They had watched Baltimare Chainsaw Massacre. The midnight showing.
She had had to carry the shaking filly all the way back to the house, only an hour into the three hour film.
"I'm sorry Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo began. "I didn't mean to wake you..."
Rainbow hopped down from her bed. "It's alright. Are you gonna be okay?"
Scootaloo looked back at the door to her room. "Um..."
Suddenly there was a crack outside. Scootaloo jumped a good two feet in the air. Rainbow Dash groaned.
Thunderstorm. Just what a panicked filly needed.
Normally, Scootaloo was quite a brave little filly. Braver than most adults. But this movie had temporarily shaken that out of her.
"Rainbow, I...I'll try." She nervously headed back to her room.
Rainbow dug some compassion out of her tired heart. "Hey c'mon squirt. You can crash with me tonight."
She climbed up onto her bed.
Scootaloo's big eyes twinkled. "Really?"
"Sure. Hop on up." Rainbow pounded her hoof on the spot next to her.
Scootaloo trotted over and hovered up. She lay down on the big soft bed.
Rainbow looked down at the filly. She was so little. She began wondering why she thought letting this kid watch an R-rated gore fest was a good idea. I mean, it builds character sure, but it was bloody enough that it made even Rainbow Dash a bit nauseas. Not that she would ever admit it.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked.
"What's up squirt?"
"Did...did you ever get scared?" She asked.
Rainbow gently stroked the filly's mane. "What do you mean?"
"I mean like...when you were my age? Did you ever get scared?"
Rainbow Dash smiled. All her pride told her to answer no. Hell no. To explain all the ways in which she was a fearless superpony, and always had been.
But she wouldn't lie to her little sister.
"Yeah Scoots. I got scared all the time when I was little. Can you believe I used to be afraid of heights?"
The filly's eyes widened. "No."
"Yeah. When I was around your age, I was so afraid of heights. Whenever I got up in the air I had to close my eyes. I didn't learn how to fly for awhile. But when I did...I was awesome at it."
Scootaloo smirked. "Do you get scared now?"
Rainbow Dash thought it over. Again, the instinct persisted to answer no. To preserve her pride. But she ignored it.
"Sometimes squirt." She answered. "Sometimes, like when I perform a really dangerous stunt, I get a little scared."
Scootaloo arched an eyebrow. "I don't believe that either."
"Oh you don't believe that? Little miss I can handle a rated R movie?" Rainbow teased.
She spread her arms for a hug. The filly accepted. Rainbow hugged her tightly.
"We all get scared sometimes squirt." She said gently. "Even me. Don't let it bother you."
Thunder boomed outside. But Scootaloo was in the arms of her hero. She wasn't afraid.
"I love you Rainbow Dash. You're the best big sister ever." She said quietly.
"I love you too kiddo." Rainbow replied.
Rainbow stumbled to her hooves. She felt woozy. She was almost certain she had a concussion.
"Excuse me dearie, are you okay?"
Rainbow looked up to see Mrs. Cake standing there. Her eyes widened as she recognized the pegasus.
"Oh Rainbow Dash! You're back!"
Rainbow managed a smile, which turned into a grimace.
"Oh, well this calls for a cake!" Mrs. Cake shouted. "I am envisioning it now! Cloud blue icing! Rainbow highlights! Oh it'll be grand..."
"I'm sure it will Mrs. Cake." Rainbow said as politely as possible, still clutching her throbbing skull. "But I need to go...I think my head's about to fall off..."
Mrs. Cake watched with concern as Rainbow stumbled out the door and collapsed in the street. She began crawling on the ground, her head a swirl of sharp, piercing pain.
She had headbutted a missile. She had been kicked in the head by her surrogate sister. And she had been thrown head first through a door. If she didn't have at least a concussion, her skull was steel.
She forced herself to get up and continued staggering along the streets of Ponyville.
"You look like you could use a hoof." A familiar derp eyed purple pegasus pointed out. She grabbed Rainbow around the waist and lifted her into the air. "Where to?"
"Home." Rainbow breathed. "Quick."
Derpy dropped Rainbow off at her front door. "Do you want any help?"
Rainbow shook her head. "No. Thanks Derpy. Go home." Rainbow stumbled into her living room.
She took a moment to absorb the fact that she was back in her home for the first time in months. Just a moment.
Then she stumbled towards the bathroom. She opened the medicine cabinet, nearly ripping the door off in the process. She found some painkillers and jammed them down her throat. She quickly turned on the sink and swallowed some water.
She breathed a deep sigh, then stumbled out again. She sat down on her old recliner and waited for the effects to set in. She rubbed her throbbing temples gently. The splitting head pain began to die down.
She began to register what had happened while she had been unconscious in Sugar Cube Corner.
Her dream had been of Scootaloo. Back when she was a filly.
She felt the throbbing subside. She trotted to the end of her hallway. There it was. The guest bed room that had been Scootaloo's for almost five years. She slowly opened it and looked around.
Her covers matched her coat. Rainbow had had them custom made. Orange and pink.
The walls were adorned with Wonderbolt posters. And, in a humbling manner, many Rainbow Dash posters.
There was a picture of Rainbow Dash in the corner. From long before Rainbow Dash had accepted the little filly as a sister. It bore her autograph.
She remembered the day, shortly after the best young flyer's competition. She had been on weather duty. And this little nervous looking orange filly that she'd seen around town came up to her and stammered a request for an autograph. It had been a pretty big ego boost at the time.
And the eyes on that filly. So filled with excitement at the idea of meeting her hero.
Rainbow noted the rusting scooter in the corner of the room. A relic from a time long since past. From the time of the CMC.
And then she picked up something else. The goggles. The Wonderbolt goggles her father had given her as a filly.
She still remembered the day she gave them to Scootaloo. The expression of sheer gratitude on her face.
So young. So innocent. What had changed?
Rainbow sighed. "I changed. I'm so sorry squirt..." She closed her eyes.
This had to be made right.
Scootaloo's horn was locked in with Celestia's. They stared at each other in grim determination. Explosions and battle thundered on around them.
"Give up Scootaloo. You can't defeat me."
Scootaloo shoved the princess back. She charged up her horn again, firing a shot that glanced off the Princess's necklace. Celestia swung around and struck Scootaloo just under her helmet. She felt bone as she hit.
Scootaloo was knocked down. Celestia pointed her horn at Scootaloo's chest.
Scootaloo looked up at the princess with those hate filled red eyes.
"Well go on. Finish me Princess. I'm not going to the dungeons. So finish me."
Celestia's horn began to power up. "I'm doing this for your own good Scootaloo."
"Enough talk. DO IT!" Scootaloo shouted.
Celestia's horn fired out a green flame. It enveloped the young pegasus. She looked at the flame and realized the Princess's deception. This was not to kill. It was to trap.
"You liar..." Scootaloo began. The flame consumed her and shot up into the sky.
Celestia's eyes followed it as it ran it's course straight up to the sky. End destination being the moon.
"I will not make you a martyr. Banishment is your punishment Scootaloo. I'm so sorry."
The royal guards were losing the fight. The changeling army had them overrun.
"Everypony fall back!" Celestia commanded. "Into the stadium substructure! NOW!"
Twilight rushed to her. "What's happening?"
"We can't win this." Celestia said. "There are too many of them. And we can't tell them apart from ponies.."
Twilight looked out in horror. The changelings were out there, advancing up the bleachers, licking their chops, ready for a taste of pony meat.
"We're all gonna die aren't we?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy whimpered in fear. Applejack went over to comfort her.
Celestia sighed. "The royal guard has been decimated. We have no choice. We must surrender."
"To who? Their leader is on the moon!"
Scootaloo blinked as she adjusted to her new surroundings. She was surrounded by nothingness. Just a long grey canyon. There was no sky. Only space above her.
Isolation. So this is what Princess Celestia had done to her sister.
Banished to the moon. Scootaloo looked around, trying to keep down her fear.
There was nothing anywhere. No friends. No enemies. All of the traitorous ponies were back on Earth.
"So you think this will stop me Celestia?" She hissed. "YOU CAN'T STOP ME BY SHUTTING ME AWAY!"
She lay down on the moon's rocky surface and waited. She looked into her element. She smiled and began rubbing it, laughing to herself as she did so.
"YOU THINK THIS MOON CAN CONTAIN ME CELESTIA?! I WILL RETURN! AND I WILL TAKE WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE!"
The ponies watched sadly as the changelings began breaking through the entry gate.
"This is it everypony. Let's try and take out as many as we can." Applejack said.
There was a rainbow colored flash in the distance. A loud whirring sound, similar to that of a vacuum cleaner. All of the sudden, a small tornado had formed on the field.
Changelings cried out as they were swept up in the tornado. Their formation was suddenly scrambling in panic. They had the battle won. Now they fled like cowards.
Those caught in the tornado were rather unceremoniously flung around the stadium, slamming into all manner of hard, non cloud objects, such as scoreboards, and ad signs.
Rainbow Dash stopped spinning and came to a surprisingly graceful halt in front of the gate.
"Anypony gonna let me in?" She asked casually.
The gate opened. Her friends ran up to her. Then, of course, came the usual group hug.
"Rainbow! You can fly!" Twilight said excitedly.
"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness!" Fluttershy babbled excitedly, nearly injuring her old friend with the force of her yet another monstrous hug.
"Missed you too Fluttershy. Geeze." Rainbow grimaced. "What? Is everypony surprised to see me flying?"
These moments were ones that she missed. These moments used to happen all the time, before all this death and talk of war. Before the changelings came.
"Princess Celestia! You're alive!" She exclaimed.
"Yes I am. And we are all still living now, thanks to you."
Rainbow waved her hoof casually. "Oh stop. It was nothin."
She looked around for the cause of all of this aggression. She asked the obvious question.
"Where's Scootaloo?"
Celestia sighed. "She's gone Rainbow Dash. She has been sentenced to an indefinite period of exile on the surface of the moon."
Rainbow sat down on her haunches and allowed this to sink in. Her little sister. Corrupted. Banished to the moon.
She shook her head. "I have to get her back."
Princess Celestia looked up at the sky. It was getting darker. She would have to lower the sun and raise the moon soon.
"She's a danger to herself, and to you. I can't allow you to go up there."
"Princess, please! I have to go up there. She's my sister..."
"I know. And she was a great loss. I cannot lose both of you in one day."
Rainbow stomped her hoof on the ground in frustration. "Princess. Remember way back when you had me locked up in Cloudsdale Pen?"
Celestia grimaced. "Yeah. Again our sincerest apologies."
"And remember how you kinda sentenced me to spend the rest of my life in that place? Even though I was innocent?"
Celestia frowned. "Yes. But like I said..."
"So...don't you kinda owe me one?"
Celestia sighed. "Rainbow..."
"Please. Just give me a chance. I can talk her down, I promise."
Celestia closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. "Alright. I'll send you up."
Rainbow clapped her hooves.
"Just a second. Before you go, I must warn you. Once you're up there, I can't bring you back. Only the element can."
Rainbow frowned. "Doesn't Scootaloo have the element?"
Celestia nodded. "She is not aware that she can use it to return."
Rainbow Dash got into position. Her friends looked at her worryingly.
"Rainbow, are you sure you're gonna be okay?" Fluttershy asked softly.
"I know I'm gonna be okay Shy." She flexed her muscles. She knew there was a fight waiting for her on that rock.
"Be careful RD. I hear moonrock is a might treacherous." Applejack warned.
Rainbow nodded. "Thanks everypony. If I don't come back...well...it's been swell."
"We can go with you!" Rarity offered.
"No. I have to do this alone. For squirt." Rainbow insisted.
Princess Celestia's horn began to glow. Rainbow closed her eyes as the green flames shot up around her.
She was shot up into the sky. The five watched as Rainbow Dash was propelled to the moon.