Scootaloo stirs with a grunt and very gradually opens her eyes. Ugh, what happened? I feel like I was struck by the Ponyvile Express. She looks around to find herself in a bedroom within the Golden Oaks Library. “Did I fall asleep somehow and dream all of that?” As she tries to jump out of bed though, she finds herself completely paralysed from the neck down and starts to hyperventilate. "Oh dear Celestia, that was all real."
Her eyes zip to the side as the door opens to reveal Night-time Flare looking extremely ashamed of herself. Instead of fully entering though, Flare sits down just inside the doorway with her head hung. For ten minutes, they sit in dead silence.
Finally breaking the look, Scootaloo releases a broken sounding chuckle. "Well, you did it. Congratulations. You have me right where you need me and I can't even twitch my legs anymore." Her eyes grow fearful. "All I ask is that you make it painless. Please, if there's anything left of Rainbow Dash in you, please make it fast."
Flare's face gets progressively paler with each passing word and she feels like she's about to be sick when the filly's voice cracks at that final request. Scootaloo just ignores Flare's reaction passively. "Scootaloo, I know it's hard to believe but I'm still Rainbow Dash. I may look different and be acting strange but I'm still your big sister."
Scootaloo doesn't even dignify that with a response so Flare goes to speak again. "And don't start reminding me of my memories with Dash. You've already shown the ability to access other ponys' memories for your own benefit."
Flare sighs at the filly's tone. "Scoots, why would I ever want to hurt you? What would Nightmare Moon have to gain from attacking a random filly?"
Scootaloo just huffs. "I'm one of the last things that Rainbow Dash had which you haven't corrupted or destroyed. Killing me will sever all ties that Dash has to reality and you'll consume her forever."
Flare tries to get slightly closer as her heart flutters slightly. "You really do love me. I though it was just a close friendship but you really do view me as your sister."
The filly scowls. "You're Rainbow Dash only in body and voice." She gestures her head towards a window. "All that you've done out there, everything you've done to Twilight and the others, my friends, me? None of that is what Rainbow Dash would have done. My sister's dead and you're just parading around in her body."
Flare thinks for a moment. "But you've seen me and Nightmare Moon separate from each other."
Scootaloo shakes her head. "As far as I know, it can control you even whilst separated. I have no-pony's word to the contrary but your own. Now are you going to kill me or not?!"
Flare swallows a lump in her throat; breaking down won't help either of them. "If nothing else, I guess I should explain how we got to this point."
Scootaloo doesn't answer and instead just looks at the Alicorn blankly but her ears show that she is reluctantly listening. "This all started two years ago the day after we defeated Nightmare Moon."
After Princess Celestia allowed Twilight to stay in Ponyvile, Pinkie Pie of course threw a "Twilight Helped Save Equestria And Is Staying in Ponyvile!" party. What you didn't see, Scootaloo, is what happened after the party wrapped.
By the time that 10PM rolls around, almost everypony has gone home including Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy so only Rainbow Dash, Pinkie and Twilight remain behind. In light of the Summer Sun Celebration, a national day-off has been called for the next day to celebrate. As the latter two continue talking though, Rainbow Dash is contemplatively silent which Twilight soon notices. "Are you okay, Dash?"
Rainbow Dash chuckles nervously. "Just stellar, what could possibly be wrong?" The two give her disbelieving looks so she relents. "Okay so I'm just worried. Nightmare Moon was supposed to just be a legend to scare foals into staying in bed. I'm glad it brought us all together but how many other stories and legends are more than just old mare's tales? Is this just a one-off crisis or the beginning of something much worse?"
Twilight thinks for a moment before flashing a reassuring smile. "I don't think we should be too worried. If anything should emerge, we and the Princesses can put a stop to them." After a few more moments, Rainbow Dash smiles at her new friend.
If only it had ended there. I wish with all my heart that the greatest threats we ever faced from then on were Trixie, the Diamond Dogs, birthday Spike and the Parasprites. If that were true, none of this would ever have happened. That all started to change when Discord attacked.
"We are gathered here today to once again honour the heroism of these six friends who stood up to the villain Discord and saved Equestria from eternal chaos." Rainbow Dash watches the unveiling of the stained glass window showing thier victory over Discord. Even for the most egotistical pony in Equestria though, the victory feels almost... hollow.
The feeling continues for the rest of the day and into the train journey home the next morning. Discord nearly won just by playing with us, working some limited magic and whispering some carefully chosen words. Nightmare Moon tried everything in her power to stop us, Discord was barely even trying. We won because he got overconfident and stopped considering us a threat. If he had decided to do away with us, there would be nothing we could have done.
Rainbow Dash shakes her head as she flies home. You're worrying about nothing. Princess Celestia would never have allowed him to succeed. If push came to shove, she could have easily stopped him with Princess Luna's help or they could have at least restored our minds. As she reaches her house to decompress though, a small dark cloud begins to form in her mind. Though small, it's the type of doubt that never truly fades.
You could say that was the very beginning of what led us here. Ever since that day, I always had a lingering feeling that it was only a matter of time until what we had wasn't enough. The day when even the Princesses would not be able to stop the threat and Equestria would fall. If only I had known that the day I had been dreading would come only several months later...
Rainbow Dash glares at one of the Changelings holding her in the air as the rest of her friends are marched into the wedding hall. When she sees Princess Celestia cocooned to a wall though, her anger turns into dread as the doubt goes from a small flame into a large fire. No.... The Changeling Queen looks blankly at the utterly defeated looking Princess. "You were saying? You do realize the reception's been cancelled, don't you?" She turns to her army of Changelings. "Go! Feed!"
As the army of Changelings fly out the door, the Queen mockingly approaches Twilight and raises the Unicorn's head with a hoof. "It's funny, really. Twilight here was suspicious of my behaviour all along. Too bad the rest of you were too caught up in your wedding planning to realise those suspicions were correct!" As that sentence sinks in, the full gravity of the situation strikes Rainbow Dash like a meteor even as the Queen begins singing. Everything we did... Everything we said to Twilight... We helped that thing do this. We played right into her hooves because of our own selfishness and personal wants overriding her friendship. And because of this, Canterlot is doomed. If we get out of this, I can't let history repeat itself. Never again.
The rest of the day seems to fly by. The Queen and her Changelings being ejected from Canterlot, the wedding, the farewell brunch, seeing the newlyweds off on thier honeymoon and eventually the journey home. In the meantime, Rainbow Dash is deep in introspection as the doubt continues to grow.
Thanks to that day, that swirling feeling of doubt grew by the day but I kept it in check by telling myself that it was a fluke. That what happened only got as bad as it did because of our stupid mistakes and decisions. That what happened that day could never come again because we would never make the same mistake again. And then... he came.
Even after one of the most stressful weeks of her life, everypony would be expecting Rainbow Dash to be having one of her usual naps or taking this as the ultimate opportunity to brag. Instead, the rainbow maned Pegasus paces relentlessly in her living room as Fluttershy watches worriedly. As she paces in silence, multiple nightmare scenarios play over and over again in Rainbow Dash's mind. "It's okay, Dash. We stopped Sombra and he can never return. We're safe."
Rainbow Dash scowls but looks apologetic when Fluttershy scoots back. "Sorry. It's not Sombra that I'm worried about. With every threat we've faced, things have only gotten worse and worse. First was Nightmare Moon and she was a right pain in the flank, Discord nearly destroyed our friendship and we only won because he got overconfident, then the Changelings managed to turn us against Twilight and very nearly won and Sombra... If Spike hadn't brought us the Crystal Heart in time..." She shudders. "What if we don't get lucky next time? What if the next threat manages to stop us or worse?"
Fluttershy shakes so Rainbow Dash wraps a wing around her second oldest friend. "But surely the Elements or the Princesses can stop them no matter what."
Rainbow Dash shakes her head. "We've needed the Elements three times since we got them and they've been kept from us twice whilst that Queen defeated Princess Celestia very easily. And look at Sombra; he came the closest out of them all and we only won because of a fluke. Let's face it Fluttershy; if anything happened to us and the Princesses, Equestria would be completely bucked." The two sit in silence for a long time afterwards.
After the defeat of Sombra, my doubt grew into a desire to find an infallible way for ponies to keep themselves safe if anything should happen to us. The kingdom's safety shouldn't be totally reliant on eight ponies. The Royal Guard are good fighters but are no match for beings like Sombra or Discord. The real turning point though came with our camping trip.
Scootaloo plunges towards the river only to be caught in Rainbow Dash's hooves. "Gotcha!" Once they land, the rainbow maned Pegasus isn't happy. "What're you doing out here in the middle of the night?!"
Rainbow Dash instantly regrets the frustrated outburst as Scootaloo visibly tears up. After a few seconds though, she appears to look into the sky behind the stern looking Rainbow Dash before replying. "I'm so, so sorry, Rainbow Dash! I just wanted you to hang out with me and see how cool I was so you'd take me under your wing, teach me everything you know, and become like my big sister! But then you started telling those spooky stories and I got scared! I thought I heard The Headless Horse so I ran out here by myself, and... well, I guess you know the rest."
Rainbow Dash is momentarily surprised before smiling fondly and taking a look around. "Hey, I'm gonna tell you something but, if you ever tell anypony else, I'm gonna deny it. First time I heard those stories... I was scared too."
At that moment, revealing one of her oldest and most kept secrets, Rainbow Dash feels something special as the filly looks up at her in surprise. "You were?"
Rainbow Dash waves her hoof around vainly. "Sure! I mean, I got over it because I realized pretty quick that, if there was such thing as a Headless Horse, I could totally take it on."
As Scootaloo looks up at her in wonder, something urges Rainbow Dash into speaking the words that would change her life forever. "So, you're looking for somepony to take you under their wing huh?"
The filly nods so she pulls the filly into an embrace. "Yeah, I might be up for something like that."
The look on Scootaloo's face melts her heart. "Really?!"
Rainbow Dash looks down at the filly critically. "As long as you don't go falling into any more rivers in the middle of the night."
Scootaloo giggles. "It's a deal." As they embrace, something settles in Rainbow Dash's heart and mind.
i'm the Element of Loyalty so I'll always fiercely protect everything I care about as best as I can. When we bonded as sisters though, I gained something tangible to protect. A small orange and purple bundle of energy that has no hope of defending herself against the likes of Sombra or the Changelings. For a long time, my dreams revolved around fulfilling that goal which drew the attention of a certain mutual friend of ours.
Rainbow Dash is enjoying finally watching Scootaloo be able to fly when she hears a familiar pony politely clear her throat. "Having this dream again, Rainbow Dash?"
The Pegasus turns to see the familiar Princess of the Night and bows her head respectfully. "It's nice to see you again, Princess Luna. See anything interesting tonight?"
Luna chuckles as she walks over to stand beside the Pegasus. "Nothing unusual. Scootaloo is dreaming about making you proud with her own variant on a Sonic Rainboom. How’ve you been?"
Rainbow Dash smiles proudly. Someday, I'll make that a reality. "I've been doing awesomely. Scoots still can't fly but she's starting to properly develop the muscles she needs. She should be able to at least hover by the end of the year."
Luna smiles warmly and they watch the dream Scootaloo racing Spitfire. After the filly wins though, the former Mare of the Moon sighs. "We wish that we could say this is only a social visit but that would be a lie. We know about your secret research."
Rainbow Dash immediately freezes up. "H-how?"
Luna gives her an amused smile. "Page Turner ensures that either Celestia or ourselves are informed of anypony that enters the Restricted Section. She would normally stop them herself but she knew that you must have had good intentions." Her grin turns wry. "As for how we know what book you were reading, please make sure not to put the book in the wrong section next time. Incredible Magical Enhancements doesn't go in the same section as A Guide to Magical Gardening."
Rainbow Dash resists the urge to face-hoof at her own stupid mistake as images of being banished for researching forbidden magic race through her mind. "Wait, please. I-I can explain-"
Luna calmly raises a hoof to silence her. "You need not worry. We talked it over with Celestia and we were going to confront you about it. Since it was getting late and our night court had to begin though, we decided to wait until morning to contact Twilight. That night, we saw your dreams and your nightmares so we know what your intentions are. Know this; if you can find a safe and pain-free way of helping our subjects, you will have both our and Celestia's full support."
She allows herself a small smile at the surprise on Rainbow Dash's face. "We’re powerful but, as you saw recently, not infallible and we can’t be everywhere. None of us can so our subjects need ways to better defend themselves against a powerful enemy. Celestia in particular has been looking for just such a way ever since Equestria's founding. However, she had little time with her duties, especially after we were banished, so you may have a chance."
Rainbow Dash's surprise turns into a determined smile. "I promise you, Princess Luna, that I will find a way if it takes the rest of my life."
The lunar princess returns the smile. "We know that you will." She shakes hooves with the Pegasus before turning to leave. "We need to go, it's almost sunrise. Good luck but Rainbow Dash?" She turns with a severe but not unkind expression. "Be very careful. You're working with extremely powerful magic and power corrupts absolutely. We should know." Rainbow Dash nods as the dream fades out.
I trust Princess Luna, I know that she was speaking nothing but the truth and I intended to keep that promise or die trying. I spent months searching for what I wanted but found nothing until...
Rainbow Dash slowly stretches out as she wakes up after another good night's rest. Wait, why is it still dark? And why don't I remember going to sleep? She opens her eyes and gazes in horror at the unfamiliar surroundings. It looks similar to the Castle of the Two Sisters but far darker and more foreboding. "Where the hay am I?"
"The Moon."
Rainbow's head snaps around to see an army of animal-like shadowy figures standing before her. "What the buck are you?!"
The lead wolf-like creature that appears to be the leader steps forward to be almost muzzle to muzzle with the Pegasus. Despite its threatening appearance, it's voice is almost monotone. "We're called Nightmare Shadows, my name is Shadowfright and we need your help."
Rainbow Dash's eyes widen. No way, we destroyed her! Didn't we? She immediately takes flight as the creatures look on. "If you don't mind, I'll be going now."
Shadowfright chuckles. "Going where? We're on the Moon and you have no way home without our help."
Rainbow Dash pounds one hoof into the other. "Then I'll just pound all of you until you decide to send me home."
Shadowfright chuckles again and gestures to the army behind him. "How do you expect to fight all of us by yourself and win?" Rainbow Dash huffs but reluctantly lands. "Good, it's nice to see you have some form of common sense."
Glaring at the creature, Rainbow Dash looks ready to launch at him. "So you have me. What do you want me for so desperately for that you had to kidnap me?"
Shadowfright laughs for a moment. "I guess you could call it a mutually beneficial arrangement. We need somewhere new to live and you will get all the power that you could ever want."
Upon hearing Red Flag #2, Rainbow Dash's glare only gets harsher. "Yeah, right. You're just trying to get me to give up my mind so you can take over Equestria. I'll bet that psychotic Moon Mare has something to do with this as well."
Shadowfright looks at her doubtfully. "We've been following you and your friends for a long time, Element of Loyalty. We've seen everything that you've done since you defeated our Queen. Are you telling us that you have no use for her kind of power? Not even to protect the ones you care about? We've seen you struggling to find a way to make all of those ponies happy and keep them safe but you've never found a way. All of your friends, your family, your family's friends, the twins of thoae shop owners; all jeporadised because of some poor planning."
Rainbow Dash grinds her teeth as she shakes her head. Don't listen to him, he's just trying to manipulate you so that they can make you hurt your friends. Seeing her internal struggle, Shadowfright goes for the deathblow. "Even a certain little Pegasus would die because you and your friends failed to keep her safe."
He smiles as something snaps inside of Rainbow Dash. "Excellent, you're ready." The last thing Rainbow Dash sees before she blacks out is a large black cloud of mist coming from under the floor.
Rainbow Dash sits up with a groan only to accidentally bumps something on her forehead in the process. "What the hay?" She looks up in shock to see a horn. Aw, don't you like it? I think it fits one of one of Celestia's lapdogs quite well.
Rainbow Dash spins around at the familiar voice. "Show yourself!" The voice laughs. As you wish.
She turns to see a dark cloud of smoke form into an identical clone of the formerly corrupted Princess Luna. "Aaaaaah, it's good to be free again." She then turns with a very, very fake smile to Rainbow Dash. "Good evening, Rainbow Dash. I hope you've been doing well. How's the family?"
Even alone and virtually defenceless against her oldest enemy, Rainbow Dash immediately gets into a fighting stance. "How are you here?! You are supposed to just be Princess Luna's evil side which we stamped out years ago!"
Nightmare Moon approaches with a knowing smile. "'Nightmare Moon' was indeed just the name Luna took when she shed her former identity. About 300 years ago though, she began to regret her actions and tried to break free but her anger and hatred were too strong to simply dissolve, For most ponies, thier emotions are just strong feelings. For Alicorns however, they are extremely dangerous and almost have a mind of thier own. Didn't you ever find it strange that Luna was trying to all but destroy Equestria and kill her own sister just because she was jealous over the peasants appreciating day instead of night? That she never considered that ponies always did appreciate her night, just in a different way, and instead let her anger boil until it became uncontrollable? That she never even tried to talk to Celestia or the celestial courier about her growing resentment?"
Nightmare Moon releases a long, hard cackle. "Since the emotions couldn't kill Luna without destroying themselves, her most powerful emotions used her Alicorn magic to become properly sentient.” She smiles a very fang filled smile as the meaning of that becomes obvious. “She was trapped inside of me until you and your friends purged me and I was left on the brink of ceasing to exist. The Elements of Harmony cannot destroy, only banish. Something about how true peace cannot be achieved by mercilessly murdering the enemy." Nightmare chuckles. "Funny. They can't directly destroy but they'll happily let you cease to exist."
Rainbow Dash eventually hits a wall as she backs away from the being who chuckles jeeringly. "Aw, is the wittle pwony scawed of the big bwad Awicorn?" Rainbow Dash tenses as Nightmare Moon comes muzzle to muzzle with her. "Get used to it, we're together for a very long time." Seeing the look on the Pegasus' face, she smirks knowingly and walks away. "I know that you have a tendency to act first and think things through never but do I really have to explain it to you?"
Oh, hay no. I am not taking this from her! She launches at Nightmare Moon as fast as possible just to pass straight through and slam into a wall. "I rest my case. You can't strike something that isn't there. Don't they teach you ponies anything?"
Rainbow Dash rounds on the dark spirit as she shakes off the pain. "You think I'm going to let you leave?! I won't let you get to Equestria if it kills me!"
Nightmare Moon just grins. "How? I severely doubt that you'd do yourself in just to slightly inconvenience me. I could always pick another host like your friends or maybe somepony completely random." Her triumphant cackle makes the fur stand up on Rainbow Dash's neck. "And besides, I believe you had some things that you wanted to accomplish? Didn't you want to protect your friends and Equestria? In particular a certain flightless Pegasus you oh-so-kindly took under your wing because you felt sorry for her?"
The rainbow maned pony bristles. "You keep Scootaloo out of this. Your problem is with me, my friends and the Princesses. If you think that I'm going to listen to you just because you said the right things, you're crazier than Discord on Poison Joke. You and those Shadows are manipulative, psychotic, cruel, and irredeemable. Why should I listen to the creature that just admitted to being the living embodiment of anger and hatred? That came close to plunging Equestria into eternal night twice? That tried to kill me and my friends?"
Nightmare Moon's smile falls into a disappointed frown and she turns away with a huff. "I thought you would at least consider my offer. You're supposed to be the Element of Loyalty and isn't the greatest form of loyalty doing whatever you can to look after your friends?"
Emboldened by the clear threat, Rainbow Dash gets into the Nightmare Pony's face. "And what kind of friend would I be to willingly surrender to a tyrant whose only interest is causing pain and suffering?! You wouldn't know love and compassion if it bucked you in the face."
Nightmare Moon laughs long and hard as if this is all a big elaborate joke. "If that's how you feel. However, you aren't going to get rid of me and I doubt you'll be willing to spend the rest of eternity up here as your friends search for you until the days they die." She flashes the former Pegasus with a confident smile. "But consider this; there are other ways for me to get revenge than just mindless violence." With that, the Alicorn dissipates back into Rainbow Dash as she groans.
Midnight, yesterday
Rainbow Dash paces the "throne room" of the Moon Palace relentlessly. I can't just abandon my friends and worry them as I stay here for eternity. What kind of friend would I be? But I can't bring Nightmare Moon back to Equestria even for a short visit to tell my friends what happened. I don’t even know any kinds of communication magic and she’d never help me since she wants me to go down there. Even though the Princesses can stop her, there's no telling who she could hurt before they arrive.
At the same time though, nightmare scenarios run through her mind; Sombra returning and impaling her friends on black crystals, ponies in chains being forced to serve the dark tyrant, or Chrysalis draining her friends of all positive emotions and leaving them lifeless husks. What's more selfish? Abandoning my friends to keep them safe or leaving them exposed to any future enemies? Ones that could be even worse than her?
Part of her counters with images of Ponyvile in flames as Nightmare Moon joyfully watches the life leave Twilight through Rainbow Dash's own eyes. At the same time though, the images of destruction and misery return from before but more graphic and vivid than before. Her friends twitching in helpless agony on the dark crystals, ponies working themselves until they bleed for Sombra, the empty look in her catatonic friends' eyes... Enough. They're just images that Nightmare Moon's using to manipulate you. She wants you to think this way so you will go back to Equestria and she can get her revenge. They can always find another Element of Loyalty and they won't have to worry about your absence.
As she considers that though, her mind drifts back to Scootaloo and more images flash through her mind. Scootaloo being the one impaled, Scootaloo being beaten to the brink of death for not properly following Sombra's orders, Scootaloo being used as food by the Changelings, or Scootaloo being tormented by nightmares. Being told that Rainbow Dash never really cared about her, that she disappeared because she got sick of Scootaloo always vying for her attention, that she took Scootaloo under her wing just for the sake of social clout, that Scootaloo was the most pathetic excuse for a Pegasus ever to exist and being repeatedly yelled at as a worthless, pathetic, irritating, incredibly stupid, hopeless chicken unworthy of even being called a pony. The image of Scootaloo waiting for her idol to someday return as the hope slowly leaves her soul.
Nightmare Moon manifests once more. "D'aw, isn't that precious? You love the little whelp so much that she will ultimately decide whether or not you'll risk dooming Equestria. I'm touched, truly."
Ignoring the parasite, Rainbow Dash continues pacing. "You know, I don't have to be doing this. Consider this for a moment; if I wanted you as just a mindless host or only wanted your body to use like I did with Luna, why I have let you stay in control? Wouldn't I have just poisoned your mind or wouldn't you have woken trapped inside your own mind, unable to stop me from destroying everything you love? All I need is for your mind to be intact and I could pose as you for years before I take my revenge. There is absolutely nothing you could do to stop me."
Rainbow Dash's pacing gets harder and harder by the moment as Nightmare Moon smiles. "Look at it this way. You can either guarantee that Equestria will someday fall to a tyrant or take the risk that I'm being honest. The Elements of Harmony bond for life or until either their host willingly relinquishes control or the connection is forcibly severed if they are banished. Since you're now functionally immortal and refuse to leave, they can't replace simply give the Element of Loyalty to a new bearer and thus the Elements are useless. There are much worse creatures that myself out there which you have yet to meet. Tirek, the Storm King, the Pony of Shadows and many others will do worse than you could even imagine."
Rainbow Dash shudders; feeling the truth through thier newly formed connection. "Princess Celestia never mentioned any of them. You’re just inventing threats to manipulate me."
Nightmare Moon smiles. "As a being fully attuned with the shadows of Equus, it's interesting to hear what they have to say. Tirek is one of Equestria's oldest and greatest enemies whose currently sealed in Tartarus but Luna and Celestia decided that it wasn't worth worrying you all until it became relevant. They've never heard of or encountered the Storm King and the Pony of Shadows but the shadows know. They can only be trapped for so long."
The being shrugs. "Or maybe I'm lying and you're right. Maybe this is all a big plan to make you accept my influence so I can take my incredibly bloody and horrific revenge that’ll make Tartarus look like kindergarten. We can just sit back and enjoy the fireworks from here on the Moon. It's not exactly like immortals are pressed for time, is it?"
She smiles even more widely at the conflicted look on Rainbow Dash's face as she senses the brutal truth in those words. "And I'm just supposed to trust that you won't force control away from me and slaughter my friends and sister the instant that I reach Ponyvile? I'm a lot of things but I'm not that dense."
Nightmare Moon’s smile becomes ever so noticeably more strained. I expected resistance but this is getting ridiculous. "Let me put this to you bluntly then. You can either spend the rest of eternity here and absolutely doom Equestria and your friends or you can take a chance to save everything. But do you really think that, if I only wanted your body, I would have gone to all this effort to deceive you? Would have waited and argued this much without giving up and just taking over your mind? After-all, you've already seen first-hoof how easy it is for me to control my host without needing thier consent."
She holds in a laugh of joy at the conflicted look on Rainbow Dash's face. "Just remember, you have a lot more to lose than I have to gain. Your friends, your parents, those who rely on you for a proper climate and that little filly you call a sister. What chance do they stand without thier loyal friend? You want the power to protect those that you love and I offer it."
After the grandiose speech, silence falls as Rainbow Dash checks for any signs of a lie and sighs when she finds none. "Why me? Wouldn't you have wanted Twilight or Princess Luna again? I'm awesome but I'm no Alicorn or skilled magician."
Nightmare cackles. "Although I can take any host I please very easily, it works best with those emotionally compromised. Be it extreme anger and jealousy like Luna felt or intense sadness at not being able to fulfil thier dream.[\b]"
Dash glares right through her. “And what’s in it for you? No way are you doing this out of the kindness of your heart.
Moon flashes a fang-filled smile. "What better way to get revenge for sending me here than to see your friend's faces when we show them what happened? I also need a host to survive and you get to fulfil your dreams. We both win."
Rainbow Dash scowls. "Great, the best chance to keep everypony safe is from the creature that once tried to plunge Equestria into eternal night. I guess I don't really have a choice, do I? It's this or nothing."
Nightmare Moon laughs. "Correct."
Once the story is finished, ten minutes pass in complete silence as Scootaloo's face continually tries to decide whether to look shocked, honoured, or disbelieving. It eventually settles on the latter as her eyes grow firm. "Congratulations, you can spin a tale like no-pony's business. Whoop dee doo."
Getting nowhere, Flare prepares to break the news that Scootaloo definitely doesn't want to hear. "By the way, your friends say hi and hope that you get well soon. They love you too, you know."
Upon realising what must have happened, Scootaloo's face turns from its normal shade of orange to ghost white as she struggles to speak. "Y-you're lying. You're just doing this to torment me before you finally finish me off." The uncomfortable silence that follows tells her the truth as she struggles to keep it together. "First you take Rainbow Dash from me, then you cripple me and now you take my friends."
Something in Scootaloo finally snaps and the dam breaks as an entire day's worth of stress and fear catches up with her. "Why?! What the hay did I ever do to you?!" Flare approaches but finds herself stopped by the most hateful look that she has ever seen. "You're lucky that I can't move or I'd buck you from here to the Dragon Lands."
The cold tone in Scootaloo's voice hurts like a rusty knife as Flare's head drops and she moves towards the entrance. "When morning comes, I'll send them in Scoots. You'll need them before you-" Gulping before her voice can crack, Flare leaves just as Scootaloo finally lets herself break down.
Nightmare Moon is waiting outside the door as Flare exits though her face falls at her counterpart's look of pain. "I take it that it didn't go well?"
"Scootaloo is utterly broken both in body and mind. She blames you for 'killing' me, crippling her and all but destroying her friends. As far as she's concerned, you've consumed me so much that I functionally no longer exist and you're just using my memories to torment her. She just wants to die as painlessly as possible and even asked me to do it." With the last seven words, her voice cracks and the broken Alicorn slinks away as Nightmare Moon watches.