Chapter 10 The Final Day of Scootaloo
In the Twilight of Harmony’s End
Chapter 10
The Final Day of Scootaloo
****
Scootaloo woke up feeling surprisingly well. She carefully lifted her head up and looked around with eyes blurred from sleep. Smacking her lips a few times, she looked down at the rocky bed she had been resting on. The first thing she saw was the shattered pieces of the purple armor around her.
With a gasp, the events of yesterday flooded into her mind. Nevertheless, before she could panic or bolt off to do something stupid, Scootaloo was reminded that she was not, in fact, alone.
Calm yourself child; nothing will harm you here… At least not for a few hours still, the voice in her head stated.
“What? Oh, it’s you…” Scootaloo said with relief. “I… I…” Tears were now running down her cheeks. “Thank you, for yesterday… I’d be dead now if it weren’t for you.”
“You’re very welcome, child,” the voice said very affectionately. “You have been through a lot, young one. So much more than I had glimpsed at a distance…”
“You have no idea…” Scootaloo stated, hanging her head low, before snapping her eyes open at the realization of something being different. “HEY! That wasn’t in my head!”
A pleased chuckled sounded throughout the throne room.
“Correct, child. I am speaking to you directly now. Also, I do know what you’ve been through. While you were sleeping, your memories and dreams lay open to me. What I’ve seen thoroughly makes me question how you were able to fight through it all without giving up.” The voice spoke softly, a bit of appreciation in her voice. “You are so strong, young one, and you don’t even know it yourself.”
Scootaloo was now spinning around, trying to see who was speaking to her.
“Where are you? Actually, who are you? Are you a ghost?” Scootaloo asked suspiciously.
A low chuckle once again sounded through the chamber.
“I assure you I am no ghost, even if I could be mistaken for one right now,” the voice said mischievously. “Look down at the helmet, to your right.”
As Scootaloo did just that, she could see ethereal eyes with a horizontal slit looking up at her from the cracked eye sockets of the purple helmet. The orange filly’s own eyes went wide as she backpedalled and promptly fell off the raised platform with a yelp.
True laughter rang through the throne room. When Scootaloo’s head popped back up over the edge, she was scowling at the helmet that was, without any doubt, looking back at her. With a very suspicious expression, Scootaloo made her way back up on the dais.
“So you really are Nightmare Moon,” Scootaloo said with a scowl before nudging the helmet repeatedly.
“Stop that!” Nightmare snapped, making Scootaloo pull her hoof back as if it had been burned. “I’m not some trinket for you to play with, and I am not Nightmare Moon! That was what Luna called herself while siphoning my power. Then she had the nerve to blame me for the outcome.”
Nightmare sounded truly affronted as she spit out the last part.
“Okay… But you’re still evil and stuff… right?” Scootaloo asked with apprehension.
“Evil is such a loose term, child,” Nightmare answered. “After all, I have been used for many different purposes throughout my existence.”
“Oh yeah? Like what? What good have you ever done?” Scootaloo wondered.
“Ever heard of Star Swirl the Bearded?” the purple helmet asked with what seemed to be a raised eyebrow. The confusion that spread across the filly’s face was answer enough for Nightmare.
“He was one of the most powerful unicorns throughout all of Equestrian history. Everything he learned and supposedly discovered, he learned from me, right under Celestia’s nose,” Nightmare said with a chuckle.
“Wow… So everything he discovered was from you? And then he passed it off as his own magic stuff? You must really hate him for doing something uncool like that,” Scootaloo said while sitting down in front of the Nightmare, who was still looking on rather fondly at the young orange filly.
“On the contrary,” Nightmare answered. “Star Swirl is one of the few ponies I ever respected. He had a piece of me with him throughout most of his life and never once did he succumb to the temptation of power that was within his reach. The only thing he ever truly lost control over was his insatiable thirst for knowledge. It ultimately cost him the few friendships he had. Even Celestia and his own apprentice, Clover the Clever, eventually gave up and left him to his lonely fate.”
“Really? You were around back then, you must be as old as the Princess then,” Scootaloo stated while tilting her head, trying to comprehend just how old that would make Nightmare.
“Celestia? Old? Don't make me laugh,” Nightmare said with a roll of her serpentine eye. “Celestia is a mere infant compared to me. I have forgotten more than Celestia has even had a chance to learn.”
“What? But she's the oldest thing like… ever!” Scootaloo burst out.
“You ponies give Celestia far too much credit; the only being to even come close in matching my age was Moochick. He was a very strong and powerful gnome sage, even though his absent-minded demeanor would most often fool everyone when it came to just how powerful he truly was,” Nightmare said while chuckling at the memory.
“Moochick? What's a Moochick?” Scootaloo wondered with a thoughtful expression.
“It does not matter young one. Moochick and all the gnomes have been extinct for many millennia now,” Nightmare stated.
“Oh, come on! There has to be loads of cool stuff you have done!” Scootaloo almost yelled in excitement at the prospect of being told some awesome stories. Seeing the young filly’s excitement, Nightmare only smiled inwardly.
“Very well. I know all of your secrets, I guess it would only be fair to tell you some of mine,” Nightmare admitted.
“Cool!” Scootaloo said excitedly, and then settled down in front of Nightmare’s helmet in rapt attention.
“Where to begin?” Nightmare wondered thoughtfully.
“Why don't you tell me about some of the bad guys you've been with?” Scootaloo said cheerfully.
“Very well… hmmm…” Nightmare went quiet. Just when Scootaloo thought she would not continue, the dark apparition began telling the filly of her past.
“There have been so many, and as I said, both good and evil. But since you asked for the ‘bad guys’, I guess I'll start with Arabus.” She continued with something that sounded like a sneer in her voice. “Now there was a foul creature. Despite all the things he could have learned from me, he went down a path that eventually turned him into a Cloud Demon: an evil creature that sustains itself by eating the shadows of other beings. The more magical the being, the more delicious the shadow, making pony shadows particularly appetizing. But alas, his new form was insubstantial, thus making him very sensitive to wind magic. Something that Flutter Ponies excelled at even more so than any Pegasus throughout history.”
“Flutter Ponies? What are those?” a perplexed Scootaloo wondered.
“To my knowledge, they do not exist in the world today. Whether they went extinct, or simply moved on to another dimension as the Breezies have, I do not know. But they looked like Pegasi with butterfly wings, ultimately making them a lot more fragile than Pegasi,” Nightmare explained.
“Oh, okay…” Scootaloo said and pouted before shining up again. “So, was there anyone that was really strong?”
“Well, Arabus’ opposite would probably be Crunch. I wasn't directly responsible for him, but my power was used to create him nonetheless. He was a gigantic rock golem shaped like a bulldog, but instead of paws he had hands.” Seeing the confusion on Scootaloo’s face, Nightmare elaborated. “Similar to a Dragon’s forepaw.”
“Yeah, I know what a dragon’s paw looks like,” Scootaloo snorted, but seemed pleased with the explanation nonetheless.
“All right then. He was created to guard something known as the Heart Stone, which was a very powerful mystical gem. However, the oversight that was made was that he was created without any feelings except anger and hate, thinking it would make him a better guard. Therefore, he became brutish and cruel, using his magic to pursue anything he saw as ‘soft’ or ‘nice’: petrifying any living creature whilst laying waste to the land around himself. His creation was utter foolishness. In the end, the mistake was rectified by giving him a small shard of the Heart Stone he was created to guard. Crunch is without a doubt still guarding the Heart Stone in the depth of that dark mountain even now.”
“Oh that's awesome! He must be as strong as Big Macintosh!” Scootaloo exclaimed. With a little snort of amusement at just how much the little filly has underestimated the strength and immense stature of Crunch the Rockdog, Nightmare continued.
“So who's next… Maybe Queen Bumble, she was the ruler of all bees and of Bumbleland. She hated the Flutter Ponies with a passion. Although you could hardly blame her. She and her people were exiled from Flutter Valley, which both had lived in for several generations,” Nightmare said with a somber tone.
“Why would the Flutter Ponies do that? If they lived together for so long, why couldn't they stay friends?” Scootaloo asked angrily.
“Food…” Nightmare said matter-of-factly, “both the Flutter Ponies and Queen Bumble’s people were heavily dependent on flowers, more specifically pollen and nectar, for their survival. As their populations grew, the conflict was inevitable. The bees were exiled into a wasteland where they would have most assuredly starved if they hadn’t done anything.”
“What did they do?” the orange filly wondered, hanging on to Nightmare’s every word.
“Something truly stupid: they went to Hydia for help against the Flutter Ponies. You see, Hydia was something I'm truly grateful does not exist in the world today. She was a witch, a human magic user of great power and much evil-”
“Wait! Human? Like the things Lyra is always going on about?!” Scootaloo yelled out in surprise.
“It seems the legend of these creatures still lingers on to this day,” Nightmare said with a snort. “But yes… She told Queen Bumble she could fix everything: her people’s problems in the cold wasteland and her desire for revenge on the Flutter Ponies. She claimed she could do so by using the Sunstone to heat up her land while also slowly destroying Flutter Valley, where the Flutter Ponies lived, in the process.”
“Really? The Sunstone is that powerful?” Scootaloo wondered in awe.
“Oh it was much more powerful than Queen Bumble ever bargained for. It wasn't long before she realized Hydia had double-crossed her, the Sunstone wouldn't stop warming everything up and it wasn't long before Queen Bumble’s own home was nothing more than a fiery death trap. I don't exactly remember how it ended—I think there was a peace treaty for a short while, but neither of their species is around today, so perhaps they ended up destroying each other after all,” Nightmare said thoughtfully. “Wait… I actually didn't have anything to do with that conflict. Oh well.” The ethereal eyes in the helmet once more focused on Scootaloo.
“Next was King Charlatan of the South Pole, whom I encountered during a bitter winter. Now there was an evil tyrant if I ever did meet one. No offense to King Sombra, he was my favorite student throughout the ages, and also the one who eventually made me turn my attention towards Luna, but Sombra never had genocidal ambitions like King Charlatan. Through the use of my powers, he enhanced his natural ice magic to the point where he could literally freeze the world and create an ice age,” Nightmare said with a huff. “The fool would have succeeded as well, if not for the fact that his own son stood against him with the ponies. There was only one thing King Charlatan truly loved in the world, and that was his son. So when he accidentally froze him, he lost his will to expand his kingdom and power. It turned out he had done everything for his son. He wanted him to have a frozen paradise for the Penguins to live and thrive in without any opposition. When he finally understood that his son had many friends outside the kingdom, he stopped, and let the ones he had frozen in his prisons go.”
“Wow… I wish I had somepony like that…” Scootaloo said reservedly. “You know, somepony who would actually destroy the world if they thought it would make me happy… Not that I would want that!”
“Don't you worry, my little one,” Nightmare said with a calm voice. “I already know what you want… and we are very similar in that respect.”
“Really?” Scootaloo asked.
“Yes…” The Nightmare simply stated. “But we will get to that later.”
“Okay… So…” Scootaloo looked thoughtful, “you said something about a human witch earlier. Was she the only one?”
“The only what, child? Human or witch?” The Nightmare asked.
“Ehh… both I guess?” Scootaloo said sheepishly.
“No on both accounts. Hydia was most definitely not the only human or witch,” the disembodied entity continued. “Hydia herself had two daughters, both were witches with mind boggling shortcomings. The only other witch worthy of mention would be Catrina, but she was not a human.”
“So you didn't have to be human to be a witch?” Scootaloo wondered.
“No, but Hydia was definitely the worst one.”
“Why?” Scootaloo probed.
“…The Smooze,” Nightmare stated and would have given a shudder if she could have.
“The Smooze? What's that? It doesn't really sound like anything scary,” Scootaloo stated confidently. The silence that met the young filly’s statement made Scootaloo shuffle a bit uncomfortably.
“The Smooze was a gargantuan slime-monster. It was semi-sentient and able to form hands and faces which always expressed rage and malice. It had some limited speech, but mostly stuck to animalistic roars and grunts. Nothing could stand in its way. It devoured every last bit of land before it, endlessly hungry as it expanded more and more without end,” The Nightmare said with disgust while Scootaloo’s jaw was hanging open at what she was hearing. “Not even that accursed Rainbow of Light, or Rainbow of Harmony as it is known today, stood a chance, ultimately being overwhelmed by the Smooze's power.”
“Wow… but…” Scootaloo’s face scrounged up, “why isn't the world covered in Smooze today then?”
“The Smooze, being such an insubstantial entity, was only susceptible to one thing… wind magic,” Nightmare said and cocked one of her eyes at Scootaloo expectantly.
“Oh! Oh!” the little orange filly exclaimed excitedly while raising her hoof, like she was back in Miss Cheerilee’s classroom. “Wind magic! Like what the Flutter Ponies had?!”
“Correct!” chuckled Nightmare. “Those little wind mages managed to push the Smooze back and eventually force it down into an active volcano.”
“Awesome!” Scootaloo shrieked while she jumped up on all fours in excitement.
“Yes, only someone as completely mad as Hydia would be capable of releasing such a vile creature. She was truly and utterly insane. Not even Grogar, the demonic ram necromancer, or my master, Tirek, would even consider something so utterly foolish!”
“Your master?” Scootaloo looked down at Nightmare, nestled securely in her helmet, head cocked in curiosity, the motion causing her fuchsia mane to fall across her face, her ear twitching in anticipation while the silence dragged on for quite some time before a shaky voice finally answered.
“Yes, my one and only master, Tirek.”
“Who… who was he?” the orange filly carefully asked while sitting down once again.
“I...” Nightmare's eyes shifted off into the distance. “The first memory I even have is of him stroking me as I lay pulsing under his right hand. And still… I do not truly know what he was; there has never been another like him before or after. All I know is I was connected to him. He drew upon my power for strength… and somewhere along the way, I think I gained my self-awareness through him.” Suddenly Nightmare’s ethereal eyes shot open. “Wait! Why am I telling-”
The wary quiet that settled after Nightmare suddenly stopped talking was beginning to get oppressive between the two of them.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to pry…” Scootaloo whispered while shifting nervously.
“No, Scootaloo… It's okay. I just haven't said that to any being… ever,” Nightmare uttered thoughtfully. “I have seen your life, your pain, and your suffering along with the never ending excuses for why no pony ever helps you. Unfortunately, the answer is only too obvious and damning.” Nightmare growled. “They don't truly care about you… Not even the so called heroes could be bothered to check in on you even once.”
“Thanks…” Scootaloo answered with a smile, to which Nightmare’s eyes shot open in surprise.
“For what? Telling you that your friends don’t care?” the dark apparition wondered.
“No… You called me Scootaloo, you haven't done that before.” The young filly laid down a little closer to Nightmare again.
“Oh… I hadn't realized…” Nightmare murmured.
She had tricked this little filly into coming here with the intent of persuading her into letting Nightmare take over the youngster’s body. But during the night, she’d seen all of Scootaloo’s haunted memories: the pain of losing her parents, the awful life she found herself in afterwards, the way no pony seemed to really care for her… It was like she had truly found a kindred spirit in this abused and neglected child. They were both, in all honesty, looking for the same thing.
Suddenly, the thought of adding more pain to this already battered soul wasn't at all sitting well with Nightmare.
What am I thinking? Am I actually considering joining with her completely? Not just let her use my power as an avatar? Nightmare thought, looking at the orange filly in a completely new light. Why am I having these… feelings of being whole around her… like the void inside me isn’t so big anymore?
Nightmare’s focus settled squarely on the filly in front of her, eyeing her critically.
Could she even survive the process? The physical pain is one thing I might be able to help with somewhat… But is Scootaloo mentally strong enough to keep herself together through the process and not lose herself in my personality? the dark presence wondered.
“Yes…” Nightmare murmured. Scootaloo was strong, there was no doubt about that. Otherwise, she could not have lived through what she had.
“What?” the filly questioned when she didn't quite catch what Nightmare said.
“Nothing, just…” Her sigh sound through the chamber. “Now then, if you want I can join a small piece of me to you. I won't lie; it will hurt. But it will make you stronger—something you will need to be if you want to avoid the others when they get here.”
“The others?” Scootaloo asked before her eyes went wide in panic. “Nonononono! I won't go back! They'll just put me in another orphanage and it will start all over again!”
“I won't let that happen Scootaloo. I promise,” Nightmare said reassuringly. “If you agree, then as I said, I can let a piece of me join you for real. With it, I will not only be able to heal you, but make your body stronger. Strong enough for you to withstand a complete merge with me.”
“Why can't we just do it now?!” Scootaloo demanded.
“We could, but you might not survive the process in your current state. That is a chance I am not willing to take,” a stern Nightmare asserted.
“Okay… then yes. You can do that stuff you said; pain doesn't really bother me anymore,” Scootaloo affirmed, trying to keep a brave face.
“Very well, Scootaloo. I'll try to make it as painless as I can,” Nightmare assured.
With that, several small pieces of her armor melted into shadow. They rose up off the floor, coalescing into a small arc in front of Scootaloo’s very curious eyes.
“This is me. This is what I truly look like, Scootaloo.” The orange filly watched the little mesmerizing ark hovering in front of her in awe.
“Wow… It looks kinda like a… rainbow. But black and sparkling instead of colorful... like it was made of night,” Scootaloo whispered in reverence, almost feeling drawn into the endless depths of the void it seemed to be made of.
“Actually, my first name was The Rainbow of Darkness,” Nightmare answered with what sounded like amusement. “Now, Scootaloo… brace yourself.”
With that, the piece of darkness shot off towards Scootaloo’s neck, settling at the base of it, along her spinal column. There was an intense sting which caused Scootaloo to wince and then catch her breath. However, after that, the pain was over.
“Ha! That wasn't bad at all!” Scootaloo said confidently.
“I'm sorry… That was just me making my way down to the spinal column. It is only about to begin now,” the spectre said sorrowfully.
“WhaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH—”
The word transformed into a scream which only stopped when Scootaloo finally ran out of air. She lay on the ground, twitching as if she were having a seizure, as Nightmare strengthened her small body. While the dark being worked on her, Scootaloo had but one thought: Nightmare was right; it hurt.
****
A jolt ran through the filly, making her jerk awake. With labored breaths, Scootaloo took in her surroundings until her eyes focused on Nightmare’s ethereal ones. With gritted teeth, she tried to move her legs, only to gasp at the first twitch they made. Pain shot through them with terrifying intensity.
“I'm sorry for the pain you're feeling… I put you under as quickly as I could, but there were a few steps I had to do while you were awake,” Nightmare said solemnly. Scootaloo only grunted in acknowledgment.
“You need to get up…” the dark presence carefully encouraged.
Another pained grunt was the only response from Scootaloo.
“You have to move, young one; five mares from your home of Ponyville have almost made it to the castle. If they find us, I don’t think I have to say what will happen,” Nightmare encouraged, urgency saturating her voice.
“Oh, come on…” the little filly wheezed, slowly moving each one of her limbs while gritting her teeth.
“Good. It will hurt less the more you move around,” Nightmare encouraged.
After a few minutes of agonizingly slow progress, Scootaloo made her way up on all fours again. Shortly after that, she was trotting back and forth while slowly flapping her wings. As the orange filly finally felt somewhat limber again, she looked back towards the armored helmet Nightmare was confined to once again.
“So where are they now?” Scootaloo inquired while she cracked her neck quite loudly before giving out a sigh of relief. “Ohhhh… that hit the spot.”
“They are at the bridge separating the Everfree Forest from the castle.” At the panicked look from Scootaloo, Nightmare continued calmingly, “Don't worry; just hide me away, then you can keep yourself hidden while they search through this place.”
“Okay… But why can't you just turn into that Rainbow of Darkness stuff and hide yourself?” Scootaloo wondered while she looked about for someplace to hide the broken armor pieces.
“Do you not think I would have done so a long time ago if it could be done without consequence?” Nightmare asked rather shortly. “In my natural state, my magic is exposed. Even from this far away, the princesses would feel a disturbance if I released all of my power, then come to investigate. It wouldn't take them long to realize I have not been destroyed as they believed.”
“Oh… Okay, that makes sense I guess…” Scootaloo mumbled.
“Now then, the second step up onto the dais has a stone in it that is loose; it was made specifically for Celestia and Luna to hide their toys when they were younger. Now it will have to serve me until those damned supposed heroes leave this place again,” Nightmare growled, not looking forward to the hours she would be spending hidden away like that.
It didn't take long for Scootaloo to hide her new friend. She checked one last time that the stone was securely in place again before taking off to see what her old friends were up to.
As she ran through the overgrown garden back towards the main entrance of the castle, she could see a multicolored streak heading towards their location from the direction of Cloudsdale. At the realization of who that was, Scootaloo’s heart started to beat faster.
Rainbow… the little orange Pegasus thought, unable to stop from smiling gleefully at the thought of seeing her idol again.
“So all six will be here: you had better be careful.” Nightmare’s voice sounded like she was standing just behind Scootaloo, causing the filly to stumble and nearly fall flat on her face in surprise.
“You almost gave me a heart attack!” Scootaloo yelled, feeling a bit annoyed as she spun around to confront Nightmare. To her surprise, nothing was there. “Huh?”
“Perhaps I should have warned you: since I'm literally with you at all times, I can talk to you without anyone else overhearing,” Nightmare's voice informed the now even more annoyed filly.
“Ya think!?” Scootaloo snorted. “Hearing your voice in my head when I’m near your armor is one thing, but hearing it anytime anywhere is downright spooky…”
“Sorry…” Nightmare said with a bit too much mirth in her voice. “I'll try to keep the conversation to a minimum.”
With that out of the way, Scootaloo once again set off towards the entrance. As she neared, she started hearing voices calling out.
“Scootaloo! Scootaloo!” The unmistakable voice of Twilight echoed through the building. “Why isn't she answering? I am positive the scrying spell showed me the castle of the two pony sisters. She should be here…”
Slowing down and moving as quietly as she could, Scootaloo peeked around one of the pillars in the caved-in entrance hall. Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and… Applejack, were all standing just inside of the entrance to the castle. Looking around, expecting Scootaloo to come trotting out and be ‘rescued’.
“Why that little varmint just won't stop causing trouble fer us. Now she won't even come when we call ‘er! That's jus’ plain unhelpful!” Applejack stated irritably and stomped her hoof into the ground.
“You… you don't think she's hurt? Oh, that would be so terrible…” Fluttershy mumbled, looking even more frantically around the entrance hall.
“Are you sure it was here, Twilight darling?” Rarity wondered as she trotted up next to Twilight, somehow still looking immaculate even after going through Everfree Forest.
“Yes, I'm sure- Aaou! That hurt!” Twilight whined as she pulled out the twig from her mane.
“Oh WOW! I'm definitely going to use this costume for my next Nightmare Night party!” Pinkie said gleefully bouncing up on the other side of Twilight from Rarity. Her pink swirly mane full of branches and twigs, somehow making it look like she had a very impressive set of moose antlers. “Be right back! I just got a hide this in one of my emergency costume hideaways in Ponyville!”
With that, Pinkie Pie blurred off out through the door of the castle, leaving four very perturbed looking mares behind.
“Did she just…” Applejack sighed. “It's just Pinkie being Pinkie.”
“Rainbow Dash is almost here! I saw her while I left the costume,” a completely branch and twig-free Pinkie proclaimed loudly next to Fluttershy, who gave a surprised ‘eep’.
Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack just looked at Pinkie while Fluttershy hid behind the orange farmer. Pinkie Pie only smiled happily before starting to bounce off deeper into the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, all the while singing something about Gummi Bears.
"Anyhow, I cast the spell three times. Despite the magical turbulence of the Everfree Forest, which seems to be even more focused near the castle, it still showed the same location each time,” Twilight clarified as they followed the energetic pink mare. “Although I couldn't look inside the castle for some reason.”
“I'm sorry for doubting you, darling, it's just… This place is so, yucky! Not at all a place fit for a lady. And don't even get me started on the decor here; it's just so decayed! Some pony should really do something about that…” Rarity's features suddenly grew very thoughtful. “Hmmmm… Maybe…”
“Okay! Where is that little squirt?!” a very aggravated Rainbow Dash shouted as she flew in through a broken window, snapping her head from side-to-side. “I'm going to give her a piece of my mind! Do you guys have any idea how furious Spitfire was when I told her I had to go look for the same filly that pulled me away from training a few days ago again?”
“Ah’m with ya, Rainbow. We’re all tired of this here nonsense. Why, when I get mah hooves on that filly, ah’m telllin’ ya, she’ll be gettin’ a spankin’ she ain’t gonna forget anytime soon!” Applejack grunted, just as annoyed as her flying rainbow-maned friend.
“Oh come now, I do not believe physical violence is the answer here ladies,” Rarity said as she trotted past Applejack.
“I'm with Rarity…” Fluttershy said as firmly as she could, only to squeak when Applejack and Rainbow turn to look at her in annoyance. “I mean… if you don't mind that is…”
“Rarity and Fluttershy are right; do you two really think Scootaloo will step forward if you two openly threaten her with a spanking if she does?” Twilight said while looking back at the two most hotheaded ponies she knew. “First thing we have to do is get her back to Ponyville safe and sound. Then we can talk about suitable punishment for all the trouble she's caused.”
“I reckon yer right, Twilight,” Applejack said in a huff. “Fer now, let’s just find the little troublemaker an’ git back home.”
“Good. Now that that's settled, you and Rainbow can head off to the right and search for her there; Rarity and I will go left; Fluttershy, you go straight ahead after Pinkie Pie,” Twilight instructed, pointing off in different directions. “It will be much more efficient to split up during the search. We'll all meet up again in the central garden when we're finished looking through each of our parts of the castle.”
“Okey-dokey-loki!” Pinkie Pie shouted all the way down from the other side of the entrance hall.
“Oh my… wait for me Pinkie…” Fluttershy stuttered as she sat of after the pink poofy-maned mare.
“We’ll meet ya back here in a jiffy,” Applejack said as she trotted off toward the right exit of the hall.
“Yeah! We'll find that stupid little squirt in no time!” Rainbow Dash yelled with all the confidence in the world as she shot off after Applejack.
“Really, those two…” Rarity sighed. “Well, shall we darling?”
“Yes. The sooner this is over, the sooner I can get back to my studies. There is a special project from Princess Celestia I really need to be focusing on. Not that this is an important… But still. This excursion could actually make me tardy on my project.” Twilight whined while the two of them headed out to the left exit.
After a few minutes, when she was sure no pony would come back, Scootaloo came out from her hiding place behind a large pillar. She looked towards where Rainbow Dash had disappeared with Applejack. From the corner of her eye, a single tear made its way down her cheek.
“I am sorry you had to hear that.” Nightmare whispered. “But it's not like you hadn’t realized it already.”
“Yeah…” Scootaloo said solemnly. “Still, I thought she would be worried about me… Rainbow said she would be my sister…”
“And how many times has she stood by that since the camping trip?” Nightmare asked with spite. “How many times has she said she was too busy, didn't feel like it, or just flew off pretending she didn't see you, only for you to find her sleeping on a branch not long after-”
“I know… I know…” the orange filly cut off the spectre, trying to swallow her emotions. “But I always hoped…”
“Hope is for fools, something you have had to learn the hard way.” Then Nightmare said soothingly, “If some ponies like us want something in this world worth keeping, we will have to take it, especially since no pony has even given us a chance to begin with.”
With only a grunt in acknowledgment, Scootaloo wiped her tears and stomped her hoof defiantly.
“You're right; can you help me hide from them until they leave?” the purple-maned filly wondered.
“Of course I can, and you are actually in the perfect place to hide right now, my brave Scootaloo. Make your way up on top of one of the broken pillars and I will hide you with a spell,” Nightmare said confidently. “Not even Twilight will be able to see you, especially since she's looking for a Pegasus without any magic to help her hide.”
“But I can't climb up on a pillar; they're too high.” Scootaloo hung her head, defeated by her shortcomings.
“That may have been true yesterday, but remember, you are strong enough now… I guarantee it. I can also help with your grip, or lack thereof,” Nightmare reassured.
With an uneasy look at the pillar she was standing next to she moved over. As the young filly looked up, Scootaloo could see that surface was quite full of cracks and indentations and more or less covered in clinging vines. With a little more belief in herself, Scootaloo started making her way up.
Every time Scootaloo put her hoof against a hold, all the shadows nearby seemed to stretch out and cling to her, ensuring she would not lose her grip and fall. With little to no problem, she found herself standing on top of the broken off pillar a few minutes later. A grin spread across her face from ear to ear.
“That was awesome!” Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly.
“Hush child! Though I might be able to assist in hiding you, I’m of no use if you're standing up there, bellowing out where you are!” Nightmare warned, sounding quite cross at the little filly’s foolishness.
“S… sorry…” Scootaloo stammered with her ears lying flat to her skull.
“It's okay… Just be quiet from now on. Now lie down and don't move again until I tell you to; the spell will make it look like there's nothing on top of this pillar except a bunch of vines,” Nightmare explained while Scootaloo both saw and felt how shadows started to crisscross over her.
Soon thereafter, she was no longer recognizable as a pony from the outside, but could still look down at the entrance hall beneath her. With a last shuffle to make herself comfortable, Scootaloo settled in for the long wait until the six heroes of Ponyville would leave.
****
Scootaloo’s eyes once again opened. She didn't know if she had been asleep for ten minutes or two hours, but what she did know was that she heard ponies approaching. They did not sound happy.
As quietly as she could, Scootaloo scooched up to the edge of the pillar and looked down at the disgruntled mares now entering the hall.
“Darn it! That filly just won't stop causing trouble for us! She can stay in this here castle and rot for all I care!” Applejack bellowed in anger.
“Oh, please Applejack, don't say that…” Fluttershy whispered. “She's probably just scared; I know I would be…”
“No offense, but you’re always scared, Flutters,” Rainbow Dash said with a snort, making the yellow Pegasus shy away. “But this is way past being annoying! I mean, look at my wing! I'll be grounded for a day, maybe even two because of that stupid rock falling on me! That's all her fault, making us search in this stupid castle!!!”
Rainbow’s loud accusation made Scootaloo cringe back from the edge of her hideaway, so she wouldn’t see the angry look on her idol’s face.
“Now, it isn't just her fault; you weren't paying attention to what you were doing, Rainbow.” Twilight said a bit reproachfully. “Still… I should've been back at the library hours ago to study. This unnecessary interruption is definitely keeping me from my very important research. That's just rude of her and quite frustrating. What if the Princess thinks I'm tardy? What if she thinks I don't take my study seriously? What if-”
“Now, darling, what did Cadance say about working yourself up so much over trivialities? Also, I really don't think you have to worry about Celestia abandoning you, especially now that you're a Princess as well,” Rarity said teasingly.
With a disgruntled look at Rarity, the newly crowned Princess took a deep breath and started the calming hoof motion exercise Cadance had shown her the last time they were in the Crystal Empire.
“Much better,” Rarity said with a smile. “Now, can we please leave this depressing place? The color scheme alone is enough to give one nightmares.”
“Oh, but we can't leave yet!” Pinkie exclaimed happily, though it was quite clear to all that Pinkie’s smile and happy demeanor was quite forced at the moment. “If we go back without Scootaloo, I can't throw a big, ‘Yay! We found Scootaloo in the scary castle’, party! And that would just be sad! I mean, that would be one less party for me to throw! And that's just wrong, no matter how you put it!”
“The little vermin doesn't deserve a party! The minute she’s found, I say we put her on a train to that military school we were talkin’ ‘bout earlier in Stalliongrad. At least they might be able to buck some sense into that stubborn head of hers! Otherwise, she'll at least be useful as she cleans out the latrines of the mares and stallions in training to become Royal guards,” Applejack said with ill-hidden contempt for the troublesome filly.
“Oh ponyfeathers!” Rainbow suddenly exclaimed. “I can't fly back to the Wonderbolts’ training with a sprained wing! Spitfire is going to have ME cleaning out the latrines next time for sure! If there will even be a next time for me!”
“I don't think they'll do that,” Fluttershy said soothingly while she patted Rainbow on her back. “You're here for a good reason, so once she's calmed down-”
“Calm down! Don't tell me to calm down!” Rainbow barked.
“Oh, no. I didn't mean you-”
“Spitfire was furious when I left! Now I won't even come back for the last two days of training! I mean, only a Royal pardon from Celestia is going to stop her from kicking me out on my flank!” Rainbow shouted in panic, not hearing a word Fluttershy tried to say. “I mean, I'm a flightless Pegasus! Do any of you have any idea how useless a flightless Pegasus is?!” Rainbow yelled as her panic rose. “Well, I'll tell you! There is nothing more pathetic than a Pegasus who can't fly!”
The shout from Rainbow reverberated through the castle halls, bouncing around and coming back as an echo to the surprised mares, who, one and all, looked at the heavily breathing Rainbow Dash. Nevertheless, she was finally getting a hold of herself again.
“Feel better now, sugarcube?” Applejack said, smirking at the somewhat flustered-looking Pegasus.
“Yeah… hehe… sorry,” Rainbow said as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Still, it doesn't change the fact that everything has gone to Tartarus for most of us lately because of her! She should really just come out and take what's coming to her instead of hiding like some little filly!”
Right then, the six mares heard a soft sniffle from above them. At the top of one of the pillars, they could now all see what looked like a filly made of green vines.
“What in tarnation is that?” Applejack asked in confusion as they saw how the creature moved towards the edge of the pillar it was standing on.
With a leap, Scootaloo exploded out from the vines which quickly melted away into shadows.
The shocked mares could only look on as the filly they had been searching for all day spread her wings and glided over to land at the rearmost exit, leading deeper into the castle.
Scootaloo looked back at them, tears streaming down her face. When Rainbow’s eyes finally met Scootaloo’s, the brash Pegasus froze in place. Rainbow couldn't even feel her heartbeat.
If it was true that the eyes were the windows to the soul, then Scootaloo’s soul was now nothing more than an empty void of sorrow and betrayal.
This chilling realization filled Rainbow with dread, fear and sorrow. Even though she wanted to deny it, she knew she had a part in whatever had pushed Scootaloo so far from any form of happiness a filly her age should be enjoying. Then, another horrifying realization struck Rainbow as though the whole of Canterlot mountain came crashing down upon her."
“No… No… she didn't… did she… hear us? She… she wasn't supposed to hear us,” Rainbow Dash said in a whimper.
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy squeaked at the alarming comprehension.
“Good heavens, no,” Rarity whispered.
Scootaloo looked back one last time at the dazed mares who sat there, gawking at her. This time, the look she gave them was not one of sorrow or betrayal. No, Scootaloo’s gaze was now filled with pure hatred for the six ‘heroes’. Each and every one of them cringed back when they saw the expression the little filly gave them before dashing off into the shadows of the castle.
The six friends only sat there quietly as they heard Scootaloo gallop off deeper into the darkness surrounding them before finally managing to react.
“Scootaloo! Come back!” The desperate young filly distantly heard the other ponies shout, their hoofsteps echoing down the corridor after her.
****
“She hates me… She hates me! Rainbow… hates… No. Not just her. They ALL hate me!” Scootaloo screamed as the anger inside consumed every bit of her being while tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Quick! You need to get back here! If you put on the armor, I will still be able to strengthen you without risking a complete joining!” Nightmare’s voice called in desperation.
This had not at all gone according to plan. The two of them were supposed to join slowly over time, but now the Elements of Harmony were chasing Scootaloo through the castle.
However, all may not be lost; something drastic would have to be done. It would be painful for both of them, but hopefully the element of surprise would work in their favor.
Scootaloo skidded to a halt in front of Nightmare’s hiding place, viciously kicking the loose step stone from in front of the hideaway. When she looked down into the dark, the desperate filly was met by Nightmare’s ethereal eyes looking back at her. Immediately, all the pieces of the armor flew up and started swirling around Scootaloo.
“Will you join with me willingly, Scootaloo?! Will you let me make you more powerful than any creature I have ever joined with?!” Nightmare called out to the little filly in front of her. Then, she said something she had never said to any being before in her life.
“Will you be my friend?” Nightmare asked, hoping against hope to hear that one answer she had always secretly craved, but never dared ask for.
“YES! I will be your friend!” Scootaloo shouted so loudly it echoed through the castle, instantly halting the six mares that had just burst into the audience chamber, all of them breathing heavily from their pursuit.
In absolute horror, Twilight and her five friends watched as the armor pieces snapped onto Scootaloo’s body one after the other, melting and readjusting to her small frame.
And all the while, the little filly laughed as if she could find nothing funnier in the world than the surreal situation in which she found herself. Slowly, Scootaloo began rising into the air as more and more power coursed through her.
“NO!” Rainbow Dash yelled. Spreading her wings, she set off towards Scootaloo at near sonic speed.
A tendril of darkness shot out, viciously knocking the chromatic-colored mare back, only for Rainbow to be saved in the last instant from crashing headfirst into the stonework by Applejack and Pinkie Pie.
As the magic in the room intensified, it seemed like all sound and light was being sucked into the twirling maelstrom of darkness that was now surrounding Scootaloo. The dark storm exploded outwards in a shockwave that sent all the six friends flying before they smashed into the back wall of the chamber with bone crunching thuds.
As Twilight rose again, she noticed she was the only one who had done so. The rest of her friends were still lying on the ground, groaning from both the magical and physical impacts they had just endured.
“You will not hurt either of us again!” a booming voice sounded from the other end of the throne room.
Twilight staggered forward, lifting her gaze to look at Scootaloo, only to gasp at the sight of the filly. She had the unmistakable armor of Nightmare Moon, although it covered a much larger part of the orange filly’s smaller frame. Slowly, as Twilight watched in stunned horror, a fake horn grew out of the helmet.
“Oh, Scootaloo… you were corrupted after all… now it all makes sense. But don't worry, we will save you!” Twilight called out, only to be met by laughter.
“You will save me? Where were you when I actually needed saving?!” Scootaloo shouted back in anger.
“Don't believe in the Nightmare’s lies! She's tricking you! Fight her, Scootaloo! Fight her for us! For the princesses! For Equestria!” Twilight shouted hoping to encourage the filly in a desperate battle against the corrupting darkness. The response the purple alicorn got was not at all what she had hoped for.
“For you?” Scootaloo laughed. “For Equestria? For the princesses?!” The armor clad filly spread her little wings in defiance. “What have any of you ever done for me, except turn your backs on me?!”
“What?” Twilight uttered in surprise at hearing Scootaloo’s own voice. “We have… I'm sure we… I mean we haven't—”
“You haven't done ANYTHING!” the enraged filly screamed down at the stuttering Twilight and her friends, who were just now starting to pick themselves up.
“Brace yourself, Scootaloo! This will hurt!” Nightmare called out in warning.
“Do it!” Scootaloo immediately answered. The filly started to float up into the air as magic energy started to crackle along the black protrusion on the helmet.
“Wha—”
Twilight was cut off when an enormous beam of energy shot out from what she'd so far taken to be a fake horn. Caught completely off guard, Twilight immediately buckled under the powerful barrage.
She was pushed down against the floor, and then into it. She screamed while the torrent of energy continued, pushing her down, down, and further down still.
The attack Nightmare had released had pushed her through the floor of the audience chamber, down through the bedrock, and out through the mountainside, leaving her crumpled body to lie at the bottom of the ravine outside the castle. It didn't take very long for Twilight to lose consciousness.
Scootaloo now lay panting on the raised dais while Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie sat in complete and utter silence, unable to comprehend what they had just seen.
With a low, pained chuckle, a smoking Scootaloo rose to her hooves again.
“So… who wants to play a little game of tag you're dead?” both Scootaloo and Nightmare’s voices said simultaneously. “If any one of you make it back to Ponyville, I will think about letting that pony go unharmed. Now… RUN!”
Instantly, all but one of the five ponies set off at a gallop—Rainbow, however, simply sat there looking at Scootaloo with empty eyes.
“How… How could you—Why would you betray us like this? Aren't you supposed to be my number one fan?” Rainbow Dash croaked out through the tears that ran down her face.
“How? Why?” Scootaloo said without any pleasure as she walked to stand in front of her former idol. “Let me show you why.”
With that, she pressed Nightmare’s horn against Rainbow’s brow, sending the chromatic Pegasus into a loop of never-ending dreams of every instant they had been together, viewed from the filly’s point of view: from the very first time Scootaloo saw Rainbow right up until the second the filly trapped the Pegasus in a nightmare of her own making.
“Now then,” Scootaloo murmured as she left the twitching body of the unconscious Rainbow Dash behind her. “Two down, more fun to go!” the smirking filly called out as she disappeared into the darkness. “Ready or not, here I come!”
And with that, sobs, screams and shouts of anger started to rip through the otherwise quiet night as the hunter caught her prey one after the other. Through it all, both Scootaloo and Nightmare had one of the best times of their lives so far.
****
Thanks to Mikemeiers - pre-reader/editor
Thanks to Evanescyan - pre-reader/editor
Thanks to Syvvak - pre-reader/editor
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Well, that was dark. However, it was a great story for a villain, showing perfectly how evil is made and not born. Kudos.
4435468
Thank you very much Coli Chibi, that was actually one of my intentions for the story. Now it's almost complete, so I hope you stick around to the end. It will be two maybe three chapters more.
3145023
Well, seems like you were right in the end. It took a while but it got featured. Kudos for your prediction!
Wow, i would never have thought about the nightmare 'essance' in that way. Way to put character behind it.
4435468
Maybe the author should put a tragedy tag. At this point, there is no chance the whole thing ends well.
Story summary typos are especially bad because they are what inform prospective readers about your story and help hook them in.
"Though it's new guise is familiar, it is unexpected. Until Twilight walks the path that led her friend to Nightmare's side."
"it's" should be "its"—remember, "it's" means "it is" so if you can't say "it is" then it shouldn't be "it's".
The second sentence is a fragment. Until Twilight walks the path ... what? Am I supposed to read that as "it is unexpected, until Twilight walks the path"? Or is there something unknown that will be true until Twilight walks the path?
4435548 You never know. Star Wars had a planet explode and it ended okay.
4435481 I'll try.
4435521
It is actually a thought I've had for a long time, I noticed how similar Nightmare Moon’s mane was to the classical rainbow of darkness in Escape from Midnight Castle. Even her travel form as a sparkling cloud, somewhat reminded me of it.
Always thought someone would make the connection before too long, might be someone out there who has but I haven't read that story so far, it's a big site after all. So I ended up writing about that possibility myself.
So I'm very happy that you like my little explanation for where the ‘essence’ to her originates from.
4435548
We will see how the story ends… If you still think I need to put tragedy tag on it after its finished, then I will do so… Deal?
4435565
Definitely maybe!!! Also I will try to fix those issues immediately. Thank you for pointing them out!
Either wrap it in " marks like the rest of the chapter, or italicize it like it was in earlier chapters [since it is in her head. Thus technically a thought].
________________________________________
I like the Rainbow of Darkness thing, and ties to Tirek. Although I wonder what happens when that evil goat-demon shows up from his wondering around the world, stalking ponies to steal their magic [and if LunaVerse is to be believed his worshipers souls]. Especially now that RoD has a friend for the first time ever, and Scoots has an entity to truly call family, although I wonder how they talk to one another now that they share a body. Do they have two personalities that interact / share with one another [as pre-merger]? Do they talk to one another but share a body, mind and will? What is their relationship like now that they are friends? And RoD's wish has been granted.
Uh oh. Damn it Applejack, still an insensitive jerk.
Smooze? Cult Leader Fluttershy I swear I am going to kill you if you brought over Lord Smooze to THAT world.
4436679
Thank you for noticing, I had actually missed that…
Most of your questions will be answered in the following chapters, although Tirek will sadly not be making an appearance in my story. When I began the story I had no idea Tirek would be making a comeback in MLP so I made no plans for that.
Basically everything that happened in season four is non canon in my story.
4436785
There is a reason for it, stay tuned for more!
4436794
Are you familiar with MLP G1? If not I recommend MLP the movie, where you will find out exactly what the Smooze is. All of the characters mentioned in this chapter are actually canon from G1, with very small tweaks to make it work better in the story.
4436863 I hope so. You make almost everypony sound like the ponies from the Mentally Advanced Series. Especially AJ. She sounds like Pinkie from the series.
4436863
Awesome. Although I really, really, really hope there's a sequel to this someday. And S4 is redone in this AU. Seriously if this becomes a series it could possibly rival KillerRarity / Who Rules in terms of awesomeness. Even though it's just started it shows lots of potential, great World-building, utterly fantastic characterization, and an amazing story [as sad, heart breaking, and horrifying as it has been for Scootaloo] that I'll be sad to see truly end.
Edit:
Also you're one of the few to make the Nightmare not only likeable, but somepony that a person can relate to more than as ... "Big Bad Villain". Especially since she can be a force of good as much as one of evil.
4130351
...damnit.
How did we miss that?
4440205
No pony is perfect Evanescyan, all we can do is try.
Besides, without you guys helping me, my stories would be more or less unreadable…
This isnt evil. This is justice.