Rainbow Dash felt her hoof connect with the strange creature’s before her, those glowing eyes holding her captive as her hooves began to move on their own. The creature didn’t move a muscle, beginning to glow with a lime green light; each step of Rainbow’s causing the creature to glow brighter.
Unable to stop herself, Rainbow heard the familiar hip-hop music playing, and her hooves moved on their own. A little hop and Rainbow crossed her hind hooves, now covered in designer sneakers with her cutie mark of multicolored lighting on the side, crossed in the air and landing she turned, whirling around in place as she leaned back.
The creature let go as she did so, glowing brighter and brighter still, its own hooves slowly mimicking Rainbow’s own steps. Clumsily at first but more skillfully with every step Dash performed.
Dash felt her body growing weaker and still, she wasn’t able to stop herself; noticing the presence of new thoughts in her mind, thoughts that weren’t hers. I must obey Queen Chrysalis. No! I am rainbow Dash! I am a drone. I am nopony without my Queen.
Over and over the invasive thoughts battered her mentality as the dance progressed. She felt her own thoughts slipping, it became hard to focus; on who she was, her friends, her goals, her desires. Little by little she felt them tear away from her. Dash leaned back, letting her hind legs slip out from under her as she leaped up, flipping backward onto her forehoof and spinning on that hoof.
I am a drone. I belong to Chrysalis. I must fight. I must obey her orders. No, remember my friends! Applejack. I must…obey Queen Chrysalis. I am a drone. I have no friends, only my queen to command me.
The music reached its climax as Queen Chrysalis easily performed the same dance and grinned viciously as Rainbow Dash gave a final scream of desperation; her will, rend to shreds and her mind almost completely tossed into the aether. The new drone spun on its head as the music came to an end and Rainbow Dash, was no more in a bright flash of lime green light.
Chrysalis eyed her new slave with bated breath; her sleek chitinous body coursing with the stolen dance magic of Rainbow Dash. It looked at her, and bowed its head, with Rainbow Dash’s own body.
“What are your orders, my queen?”
Chrysalis tensed her hoof in triumph. Now would begin her rampage; Her revenge.
“One down.”
Spike watched in awe as Starlight gave a pirouette to an orchestral suite. Her poise her form; was flawless as she pranced about, dusting the bedrooms as she went using a feather duster. Though her dancing was spectacular, Spike noticed she refused to use the magical aspect of it.
Around her midriff, she sported a ballerina’s tutu, though it was deep obsidian in color. Her heels were also a perfect black in color. As she twirled and slowly lowered herself to the floor, she called out, for perhaps the dozenth time.
“Tell anypony about this and I’ll tan your hide.”
Spike just nodded, as he had for the past few times; the fear of Starlight’s abruptness having dissipated over the past few hours. It seemed to Spike that Starlight had deliberately watered down her fear factor, as he glanced down at the bowl before him; which contained emeralds and rubies, a dragon’s salad.
Though he hated salad, he nibbled reluctantly at the meal on for Starlight to fuel his fire calling out.
“Eat every bite, and you’ll get a pink diamond.”
Pink diamonds, the equivalence of the main course, and Spike was really hungry. Eagerly he ate the gems, thinking about the morning. It had been an interesting one. All morning long, Spike had watched Starlight dust, vacuum, sweep, mop, and polish the bedrooms to a sparkling pristine, and without any magic.
Naturally, he had offered to perform some dance magic, to ease her load, but she refused; instead, she demanded he sit and eat his lunch at the newly mended stone table.
“I’ll take care of it. You relax and eat some food. My girls will be home soon.”
Spike noticed her eyes light up, saying ‘my girls’. Starlight was proud of them. Though why? His curiosity got the better of him, and so he asked.
“They’re pretty special to you, huh?”
Starlight chuckled.
“Why wouldn’t they be? I’ve raised them since they were little fillies.”
“Really?”
Starlight looked thoughtful for a moment, before setting down the feather duster and gesturing to Spike.
“Since you and Twilight will be staying here for…a while, and I feel like reminiscing, let me tell you a tale about a creature known as the Danceling, and the eight pony mares who stopped her enslavement of all of Ponykind.”
Twilight watched curiously as Fluttershy growled, barked, and rolled about on the park grounds. Rarity and Applejack sat on a bench with Twilight watching the spectacle; with Rarity explaining it to her.
“She was raised by the Everfree forest.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow, that didn’t really tell her anything, but Twilight said nothing, just mentally noting how sad Fluttershy looked alone out there, dancing a solo dance. Not sure why, Twilight rose and walked over to Fluttershy, who snarled at her, before holding out her hoof to the feral Pegasus.
As Applejack and Rarity called out to warn her, Fluttershy scuffed at the ground for a moment before laying her own on top of Twilight's outstretched hoof. Instantly the atmosphere of the grassy park changed. Was Twilight crazy, or had it suddenly become more humid? And what was with the massive leaf-filled trees of all kinds that seemed to have sprouted out of nowhere?
Twilight was in awe, gazing all around her at the hundreds of various creatures, all native to the Everfree. On every branch they sat, pounding heavily and excitably on the timbers, with claws, paws, hooves, and pads. And then it quieted down, an unsettling quiet before new drumming began; this time in a tense heavy beat. A rhythm that made Twilight feel strange; primal even.
Her hoof started keeping time to the sounds of stomping on the forest trees, and it dawned on her, as a pelt fur appeared around her midriff, her hooves now graced with tiger paws; This was Fluttershy’s style. And seeing the look of longing in those emerald eyes, told her, Fluttershy wanted to show her, her world. Perhaps this was something only she could see?
Falling forward onto all fours, Twilight felt the beat of the jungle’s predators flow throughout her and felt razor-sharp fangs appear in her maw. She grinned and growled a challenge to Fluttershy, who looked surprised, yet overjoyed at this transformation of her new partner.
The tattoo of a wild tiger glowed brightly on Fluttershy’s foreleg, while Fluttershy started to circle around Twilight, her eyes never wavering from Twilight’s own. Much to her astonishment, as the beat slowed down, Twilight mirrored her, and the two circled at a perfect parallel to each other. Without warning, Fluttershy pounced. The pounding of hooves running, the screeching of feathered fiends intensified, and Twilight felt her own paw-covered hooves move on their own, sidestepping the attack in a fluid motion.
Twilight grinned and surrendered to the rhythm of the jungle, ducking and rolling as she evaded Fluttershy’s aggressive strikes; before going back to circling and waiting for just the right moment, to launch her own.
In the flash of an instant, Twilight lunged, knocking the surprised Fluttershy onto her back, before pinning her down and roaring in her face, causing Fluttershy to giggle as the Everfree’s music came to a fast-paced end.
Gently nuzzling Twilight as the outfit faded, and her paws vanished, Fluttershy grinned. The glow of her tattoo slowly faded away, as she stood up on her hind hooves once more.
“That was wonderful. We have to do this again. I would love to go even wilder if it was with you.”
Over on the park bench, Applejack and Rarity were at a loss for words. Neither had seen the creatures or the trees. What they had seen, however, was Twilight suddenly acting like an Everfree Tigeress, and performing a weird territorial duel with Fluttershy; ending up on top of her.
As Twilight and Fluttershy walked over to the two, Rarity was the first to break the silence.
“Are you alright, Darlings?”
Twilight grinned sheepishly as Fluttershy nuzzled her neck, but remained silent, merely giving a nod of her head. Fluttershy however, answered.
“Mmm, yes, I think we are. You girls ready to go back home?”
Spike shivered as Starlight continued her tale.
“The Danceling’s powers don’t just affect their victims, but if those victims were to dance with others, then they, too, would become drone slaves to the Danceling’s will. And so only eight remained in a kingdom of many. That’s when we…”
In Sugarcube Corners, Pinkie twirled energetically as she baked a cake. It was a special cake; one that she knew her Dashie would love. After all, Rainbow Dash didn’t like pies.
“Well, present company excepted. Snrk.”
Pinkie Pie giggled at her clever wordplay when the door to the kitchen swung open, revealing Rainbow Dash. Grinning like a madmare Pinkie rushed over and grabbed Rainbow in a fierce hug. Pinkie crowed.
“I hope you’re ready to eat some sweets, and I don’t mean just me~”
Rainbow chuckled at the joke and held out her hoof.
“Hey Pinkie?”
Pinkie Pie saw the invitation and giggled happily, placing her own hoof on top of Rainbow’s. Rainbow Dash’s eyes twinkled with malice as the music began to play.
“Dance with me.”