Late one evening, as Queen Void prepares to go back downstairs for dinner, a knock sounds at her door. "Come in."
A Lunar Guard enters and bows. "Your Highness, some visitors are here to see you."
Void groans; not another noble. "Did they give thier names?"
The Guard shakes his head. "They only said that they came to discuss an offer you extended to them."
A look of confusion passes over Void's face before it turns into a delighted smirk. "Please tell them to meet me in the throne room." The Guard bows again and hurries away even as Nightmare takes control. "I told you, Scootaloo. Where there's a will, there's a way." With that, Void struts happily from her bedroom.
Void strides into the throne room to see eight ponies; four she easily recognises as the Dreadified Applejack and Rarity as well as the absolutely beaming Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. The other four Nightmare has never met herself but can tell that they are Granny Smith, Big Mac, Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles.
After the Crusaders' visit to Canterlot three months ago, and the Dreadification of Shining Armour two weeks after that, word had quickly spread of the Dreadified Element Bearers who were welcomed home somewhat trepidatiously. Understandably, thier families didn't initially fully accept who they were for around two months and it took convincing from Scootaloo and the other Crusaders for them to believe it.
Nonetheless, Void gives them a wide grin which makes the smiles on Hondo and Cookie's faces slightly more strained. "Good evening, my little ponies. I understand that you wished to speak to us."
Despite the warm greeting, four sets of eyes watch the Alicorn with trepidation. "Y-yes, we came to speak about your offer."
To thier surprise, they see the calculated glee in Void's eyes become slightly more nervous though the warm smile remains. "Ah yes, my offer." What the hay? That's not how I phrased it. What have they been saying? "I think there may have been a slight misunderstanding and I'm sorry for causing you any inconvenience by coming here. It was never an offer, only something that I mentioned when they asked about immortality."
To her slight surprise, Granny Smith walks closer and looks sternly into her eyes. "I don't remember hearin' that from my gran' daughters. They said that it twas an offer. Are you callin' us Apples liars?"
Scootaloo groans. Maybe a quick memory spell will work if I immediately teleport them back to Sweet Apple Acres? When she attempts it though, she finds Nightmare blocking her magic. You're not getting out of this that easily.
Cursing her friend, Scootaloo offers Granny Smith an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for insinuating that. I merely meant that an off-hoof remark may have been taken as an offer."
The old pony chuckles. "Even aser Queen, you're still notta very good liar."
Scootaloo sighs. "Alright, they asked if there was any way for them to live as long as I will and I unfortunately said yes." Granny Smith appears to be satisfied and steps back to the others. "I failed to convince them otherwise and I told them to talk to you about it. They wouldn't listen to me but I knew they'd listen to you."
She smiles at the group only to be slightly perturbed by Applejack and Rarity giving her happy smiles. Hondo clears his throat after a few moments of awkward silence. "We've decided to take you up on the offer."
Nightmare lets loose a long, hard, joyous laugh even as Scootaloo completely shuts down from shock. Whilst her co-host recovers, Nightmare flashes them a delighted smile. "You'll have to forgive Scootaloo. She's so happy that she needs some time to recover." With a flash of her horn, Void takes them to a comfortable sitting room. "In the meantime, how did you come to your decision?" Smiling, Applejack begins.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sit opposite Granny Smith, Big Mac, Hondo and Cookie at the kitchen table whilst Applejack and Rarity stand off to one side. Suffice to say, having been called all the way from. Canterlot for some unspecified news, Hindi and Cookie are rather confused. Clearing his throat, Hondo Flanks breaks the awkward silence. "Well, Sweetie?”
His daughter takes a deep breath before replying. "Scootaloo fused with Nightmare Moon and is really Queen Void."
In other circumstances, the sheer looks of absolute surprise on the four adults' faces would be hilarious. Cookie breaks the silence with a laugh. "Good one, Sweetie. You almost had us there but why are we really here?" To thier surprise, the two Crusaders don't start laughing or grinning but just deadpan.
Chuckling nervously, Cookie turns to the smiling Dreads. "Applejack, Rarity. This has to be some kind of joke, doesn't it? They roped you into some elaborate joke?" The two return the same look as thier sisters which makes Cookie go slightly pale. Applejack would perhaps keep up the facade but Rarity would only do it for so long.
Granny Smith sternly looks over at the four. "Tarnation. I've sin Scootaloo in Ponyvile since Void's ascension." The four ponies groan; this won't be fun.
By the time that the full story is told, even Granny Smith is as white as a sheet. The news of Scootaloo's mistreatment and abuse at the hooves of Bad Winnie is common knowledge by now but the news of her descent and becoming the new ruler...
After a few minutes, Applejack clears her throat as the shocked quartet return to themselves. "O-o-oh my, if we had only known... We could have..." Sweetie Belle goes over to hug her mother before rejoining Apple Bloom. "Thanks but what does this have to do with us?"
Rarity chuckles. "It's okay, mother. It's the other Crusaders she's interested in."
All four then have to stop themselves from laughing at the horror on thier elders' faces. "What could she want with Sweetie and Apple Bloom?!"
Apple Bloom decides to answer. "Scoots is'n Alicorn an' they live mighty long lives. She'll live fah ah long time an' have to watch us die around her."
Granny Smith directs a stern look at her youngest granddaughter. "She should know there ain't no way tah fix that."
Applejack looks her grandmother in the eyes. "There is one way for her to make it possible, Granny." Eight eyes snap to her at once as she gestures to her and Rarity. "You're lookin' at it."
For the next minute, you could hear a pin drop. Hondo Flanks is the first to recover. "Absolutely not!"
Sweetie Belle looks crushed. "But Dad-"
"No buts, Sweetie. You're too young to understand the implications." He turns to give his eldest daughter a stern look. "But I'm very disappointed in you Rarity for even entertaining the idea." Cookie nods as Granny Smith gives Applejack an equally scathing look though Big Mac sits in contemplation.
After taking a moment's breath, Hondo calms down. "I'm sorry but you know I'm right. Rarity and Applejack turned out fine but we don't know what it could do to you and Apple Bloom. It could completely consume you and leave you slaves to Queen Void's will. Even if you turned out fine, you'd have to watch us fade too. You are both much too young to make such a decision. We're sorry for what Scootaloo had to go through but she has no right to ask this even if she is the Queen. Now come along. We must get home for dinner and forget this nonsense."
Sad, Sweetie Belle turns to leave with her parents.
"Why not?"
All seven ponies jump as they turn to see Big Mac looking at them inquisitively. "I'm sorry?"
"Why not let them go through with it?"
Hondo Flanks returns the look with one of absolute disbelief. "Why no-I just said why not. They're much too young."
Big Mac looks at him inquisitively. "They're too young but we let them get up to thier often dangerous Crusades an' trust them to explore Ponyvile alone?"
Cookie Crumbles is taken aback like her husband. "Ponyvile is perfectly safe and Applejack rightfully reprimanded them after thier last 'adventure.' What they did was incredibly reckless and dangerous." She decides to ignore the Dread cringing at the memory.
Big Mac raises an eyebrow. "An' yet, we still let 'em do it in the first place but they're too young tay make thier own decisions? Remember, they went up in the hot air balloon but we let 'em do it in the first place."
Granny gives him a glare. "Choosin' tah ride a hot air balloon an' becoming immorta; are vury different."
"Ponies mus' follow thier own destinies. We have Cutie Marks tah tell us what we are supposed to do. What if theirs is to stay with Scootaloo and help her rule?"
Hondo tries to find a rebuttal but can't after a few moments. As much as I hate to admit it, the Crusaders almost seem to have been destined to be friends. What if this is thier destiny? "But they're fillies!"
Granny Smith eyes the two proudly. "True. Two very kind, thoughtful, selfless an' sacrificial fillies. Big Mac hasa point. After years of tryin', they haven't gotten thier Cutie Marks so what if he's right?"
Hondo turns to his wife. "Cookie, surely you don't believe this."
Cookie looks thoughtful. "They have a point, Hondo. If this is thier destiny and we deny it to them, they will have harder lives. It's not like what they want to do is inherently dangerous and I've always said that I wish Sweetie could live forever."
With the votes clearly cast, Hondo groans. "This isn't going to end well." The two fillies beam.
As the story finishes, Queen Void's smile has only grown even wider. "Excellent!" All eight ponies recoil from the accidental use of the Canterlot Voice. "Sorry."
At that moment, Scootaloo manages to recover from her meltdown. I just had the funniest dream, Nightmare. I dreamt that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were here and they had permission to- She stops short as she sees the awaiting group. NO, NO, NO, NO!
Nightmare laughs. Oh yes. Now you have no reason for me to stop. The Crusaders step forward as Void charges her magic. "Are you absolutely sure about this? Once I do this, there is no going back and you will be Dreads forever."
The Crusaders exchange a look and one last glance at thier families before nodding firmly. "You are truly excellent friends." NO! PLEASE STOP! I'LL DO ANYTHING! It is futile as the magic is already being released.
Scootaloo sits sadly by her friends' bedsides as the conversion slowly happens. "Why were you so against this, Scootaloo? You knew about the less painful method of Dreadification but still lied to them to try to make them reconsider."
The co-ruler rounds on her other half in anger. "They just threw away any chance they'd ever had of having normal lives and you expect me to be happy?! We agreed to only use Dreadification on those who need or deserve it."
She looks down. "Now my friends will have to watch almost all of thier families and friends turn to dust around them and be outcasts for being Dreads. That is what I meant when I said they'd grow to absolutely hate me. 'Look, there's Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom; the freak friends of that usurper. Let's attack them and send a message.' I had hoped that it would end after they took it to thier families. They have no reason to trust us after what we did. I was hoping that they'd crush the idea."
She soon starts breaking down; for all her power and importance, she is ultimately just a filly acting older than she is. "W-why couldn't you understand?!"
Nightmare sighs. "Why are you so adamant that this is a bad thing? They chose this for themselves; you only mentioned the idea. Everything we have done, we have done because they asked us to."
Scootaloo's head snaps upright so fast that it audibly cracks. "They haven't considered the future. They might enjoy it for now but in one year? A hundred years? A thousand years? They'll come to regret it and regret ever being my friend." Void wraps a comforting wing around her friend as she sobs.
By morning, the Crusaders' Dreadification is complete but they remain unconscious so Void takes court whilst Scootaloo watches over them sadly. "I'm so, so, so so sorry for putting you through this guys. I-I wish I never told you about this."
As she takes another deep breath to calm herself, she hears grunting as her friends start to move so she slinks into the shadows. Within a few minutes, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sit up with groans. "Ugh, wha' happened? I feel like I was hit by an apple wagon."
Sweetie looks over at her friend and squeals with joy. "It worked!" The two examine each other; black coat but same mane and same eye colour, just serpentine. After finishing the examination, they scan the room and are surprised to find themselves in Princess Celestia's room that they recognise from thier previous visit.
"G-g-girls?" They turn to see Scootaloo nervously exiting the shadows with an uneasy look on her face. "Are you still in there?"
Apple Bloom puts a hoof to her chin. "Hmmmmm, I dunno Sweetie Belle. Maybe Ah'm secretly Rainbow Dash."
Sweetie does the same. "Oooh, and I'd be Twilight." Scootaloo breaks into a grateful grin and pulls them into a hug; at least they're still themselves.
After breaking apart, Scootaloo smiles widely as she spies something on thier flanks. "Uh, girls?"
They follow her gaze and gasp with amazement. On thier flanks sit twin images of a crown identical to Queen Void's with pink-red and purple-white jewels gleaming from it. "WE GOT OUR CUTIE MARKS!!! But what could they mean?"
Sweetie thinks for a moment. "I remember Rarity once saying something about a jewel in a crown or something."
Apple Bloom looks at Scootaloo sadly. "It looks like you didn' get yours though."
Scootaloo shrugs. "Must mean that I still have many things left to do before I reach my true potential. But I've already saved Equestria so what more could there be to do? Oh well, it's not like I don't have time to figure it out anymore." They laugh quite hard at that.
After making sure that the Dreadification definitely hasn't had any side-effects. it is time for the eight ponies to return to Ponyvile. "So...what now? Where do we go from here?"
Apple Bloom chuckles. "We can still hang out, just perhaps not as often now."
Hondo chuckles. "I'm sure that we can find some way for you to stay close. Maybe we can have Princess Twilight teleport you here on Friday nights and have Queen Void send you home on Sunday evenings so you can be ready for school."
The three fillies exchange smiles. "You know what this means, right?"
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER SLEEPOVERS!"