Chapter 9: Confessions
Rainbow felt like she'd been sucker punched, and was sputtering nonsense, completely lost for words. Rarity wasn't though. "Ooh. I must say that outfit is positively dashing, my dear," the unicorn said with a wink. "Is that why you disappeared yesterday afternoon? To pick it up?"
As Twilight stepped forward off the train, her hoof struck the black creature that had been Fluttershy only a moment before. She stared at it for a second, blinking a few times. "What in Equestria is that?"
Rainbow Dash shook her head, trying to clear her mind as Twilight knelt down to examine the black creature in the crater. "What the heck is this thing? Twilight asked. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. Fluttershy, have you ever seen one of these before?"
The yellow pegasus shook her head. "No, Twilight, I haven't."
Rarity looked down at the black thing only then, recoiling at the sight of it. "Oh, my heavens! What a dreadful-looking beast. Is it alive?"
Twilight shook her head, replying, "I'm not sure. It looks like somepony smashed it into the floor here."
"Look, there are more of them," Fluttershy added, pointing a hoof at the other creatures scattered across the station. "Do you think they came from the Everfree Forest?"
"What in the hay is going on?!" Rainbow suddenly screamed, snapping everypony's eyes to her.
"Rainbow, are you feelin' alright?" Applejack asked. "You seem a little distressed."
Rainbow's mind reeled as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. She reached out and poked at Rarity with a hoof, finding that she was indeed solid to the touch. She shut her eyes. There were so many questions buzzing around in her head, like a swarm of flies, and she was desperately trying to focus so she could ask one of them.
Pinkie gasped suddenly, bringing Rainbow's eyes back upward. "Dashie!" she whined, "You never told me you could make copies of yourself! We could've been having twice as much fun all this time! No, wait, one-point-five times as much fun. No, wait...."
Everypony turned in the direction Pinkie had been looking before she'd digressed, and Rainbow's confusion doubled. There, walking across the platform and looking as though she were desperately trying not to be seen, was another Rainbow Dash.
Now, Rainbow Dash knew who she was. She also knew that the pony on the other end of the station platform was certainly not her. Something clicked in her mind, and she sprang forward, wings spreading. The other Rainbow Dash saw it coming and tried to fly away, but the Rainbow in the Dark Spectrum costume was having none of it. She latched onto the impostor, looped around, and landed back on the platform with the other Dash under her hooves.
The other five cantered over to the two as one struggled to get out from under the other. "Who are you?" Dash asked the impostor, putting a hoof down against her face.
"I'm Rainbow Dash, duh. Who're you?"
"I'm Rainbow Dash."
"No, I'm Rainbow Dash. Girls, help—" Dash smacked a hoof across the impostor's face, stopping her mid-sentence.
"Shut up and talk!" The Rainbow on top paused for a moment. "I mean tell me who you really are!"
The Rainbow on bottom looked over at the five ponies gathered nearby. All of them looked utterly bewildered by the scene before them.
The costumed Rainbow extended one of the blades from her leg and cocked back her hoof. "Spill the beans, you phony pony, before I spill them for you!"
"Well, that one doesn't look like the Rainbow I know," Twilight said, grabbing the costumed Rainbow Dash and lifting her off the ground. The other Rainbow started to get up, but she wrapped that one in her magic, too. "But we can't know for sure without performing some kind of test. Girls, I have a feeling that those black creatures are somehow connected with all of this. Gather them up and meet me at the lab. It's time for science."
* * * *
Both Rainbows were strapped down in Twilight's basement laboratory. They'd left the Dark Spectrum costume on one of them, though they'd taken the liberty of removing the attached leg blades. It had been a surprisingly-quiet journey from the station to the library, as nopony seemed to be out and about. It was probably for the best, since they were carrying dead monsters with them.
Upon first entering the basement, Twilight had wondered aloud where all her tools had gone. Rainbow had just kept her mouth shut, as she had since they'd left the train station.
Twilight watched as Applejack deposited the last of the black creatures on the floor. "Thanks, girls. Now, we have to find out which Rainbow Dash is the real one."
Dash knew which one was real, but both of them would say the same thing, so it was pointless to tell them. Besides, she was still too busy trying to puzzle out what was going on. She remained silent.
Twilight picked up a book and continued, "I've prepared a number of spells that I think should do the trick, but I've never performed any of them before, so I can't be sure how well they may work. Everypony stand back." Her horn visibly glowed as Twilight poured her magic out, creating a stream of light that struck the naked Rainbow Dash in the chest.
The cerulean pegasus shut her eyes and seemed to be straining as the magic flowed through her. Then she appeared to relax as the spell faded. Twilight's expression didn't change as she turned and cast the spell at the costumed Rainbow Dash with the darker mane. This Dash shut her eyes as well, but was surprised to find that she only felt a slight warming sensation spreading throughout her body, and relaxed immediately.
Once the spell was finished, Twilight hummed thoughtfully and made a note on some parchment. She then repeated the same process a second time with a different spell. And then a third time. By the time she'd finished the fourth round of spells, she was panting and leaning against a table.
"Okay, I think I've got an idea of which one's real, but I have to be sure. There's one spell left I can try, but it's dangerous."
"Do her first!" both Rainbows shouted in unison, both then turning to glare at the other.
"Hmm.... Does anypony have any bits on them?" Rarity was the only one who did. "Can I borrow one? Thanks." Twilight held the little coin in her magic and then tossed it into the air, letting it bounce and come to rest on the floor. She looked down at the coin for a few seconds, and then turned to the naked Rainbow Dash across the room.
Twilight powered up for a moment and then hit the pegasus with a blast of purple, breaking the straps and sending an insectoid monster tumbling across the room. Everypony gasped as it came to rest against a wall, clearly dazed by the spell. The creature tried to stand, but collapsed after a second.
Twilight turned to the other Rainbow. "Wait!" she said, but Twilight hit her with the spell anyway. Dash was blasted out of her restraints and sent flying, sliding up next to the black creature who'd been pretending to be her only moments before. The room was spinning, but Dash stood up without trouble, having gotten used to spinning out and crashing into things back in flight school.
The other five approached the two subjects of their experiment cautiously. "I can't believe it," Twilight said, shaking her head. "The whole time in Canterlot, we thought you were there with us." She turned to the other five creatures in the room. "Were they pretending to be us while we were gone? Rainbow?"
Suddenly it all made sense. "You mean you girls really went to Canterlot? I had thought that you canceled." Rainbow looked long and hard at the pile of black creatures, deep in thought as the other five passed around speculations. She didn't care very much about why these creatures had pretended to be her friends, not at that moment. What mattered to her was that her friends hadn't been in Ponyville for four weeks. They really weren't my friends at all....
Rainbow was about to speak again when the basement door opened. Everypony turned as Spike's voice called out from above. "Twilight? Are you down here? Please be down here." The little dragon came into view, and he wasn't the only one. Scootaloo was by his side.
Scootaloo gasped as she caught sight of the five ponies gathered around Rainbow. "No! Wait!" she called out, going down the stairs as fast as she could. "Don't hurt her!"
Spike came down a little more slowly, followed by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. All three stopped next to Scootaloo as she continued, "Please don't hurt Rainbow! She's not evil, she's just a little out of her mind! It happens! I go nuts sometimes, too!" She dove across the room, latching onto Rainbow's leg as the mare stared in bewilderment and ever-increasing anxiety. Scootaloo's eyes were watering as she pleaded, "She's not a bad pony. She's not bad, she's not bad, I know she's not. She can't be."
The five mares looked down at Scootaloo, then slowly pitched up to look at Dash. Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Uh, is somethin' goin' on that we should know about, Rainbow?"
Rainbow Dash looked pained, and let out a sigh. "I guess I should tell you what's been going on in Ponyville while you were gone."
Rainbow Dash laid it all out to her friends. Her real friends. The filly in the well, the Rainbow Dash Fan Club, her egomania. Mare Do Well's rise, the ceremony in the new hero's honor, the reveal to Dash of the hero's identities. Her fall as a hero, her rise as a villain. Everything that had happened since she'd woken up and missed the trip to Canterlot all the way up to her assault on the five impostors and the arrival of the train.
Everypony stared at Rainbow, their jaws dropping further and further as she continued her story. They asked a question now and then, but they'd mostly stayed quiet. The only one who said much was Scootaloo, and it usually just consisted of whispered words of denial.
Spike was the first to say anything meaningful once the story was finished. "Wow. If they were really these... monster things, then that explains why Twilight was acting kinda funny all last week," the dragon said as he scratched his head. "I thought it was a little weird, but well...."
Scootaloo was sitting on the floor in tears. "I... I didn't believe it. I couldn't." Rainbow reached down to comfort the filly, but Scootaloo backed away from her costumed hoof.
"Rainbow, I..." Twilight started, but Rainbow didn't let her finish. She knew how awful it all was, and didn't feel like being scolded.
Rainbow shook her head, sighing. "Alright, I told you my story, now it's his turn." Rainbow turned to the black creature that Twilight had tied back up. Everypony converged on the creature as Rainbow put her hooves on its chest, shaking it awake.
It's solid blue eyes opened slowly, and its head twitched from side-to-side. "Not good," the creature stated as it took in its situation. It's voice was raspy and scratchy, but clear enough to be understood.
Rainbow prodded the creature. "Alright, you freak, tell us what's going on."
It shook its head. "That's not going to happen," it said flatly, as if it were simply stating a well-known fact.
Rainbow glared at the beast and pointed a hoof at the pile of dead creatures like it. "Do you see your friends over there? I did that, and I thought they were my friends. What do you think I'll do to a monster like you?"
The creature didn't blink. "You're a lot more unstable than we initially thought, Rainbow Dash. You're much more emotional than you typically let on, it seems."
Dash wasn't sure how to respond, but she knew she was angry. She slapped a hoof across the creature's plated face. Scootaloo winced.
It spoke in a monotone and its face remained expressionless. "Your furious violence only furthers the point."
Rainbow cocked her hoof back, but found it wrapped it Twilight's magic. "Rainbow, stop it! There's a better way." Rainbow put down her hoof and stepped back from the creature.
Twilight stepped forward and began casting a spell on the creature. It shuddered for a moment, shutting its eyes. Then it sat still. "Alright," Twilight said, "what are you?"
"A changeling," it said, its tone as flat as before.
"What's a changeling?" Sweetie Belle asked, crinkling up her muzzle.
Twilight turned around to answer, "It's a crea—"
The changeling cut her off with an answer of its own. "A being which can disguise itself as ponies of all types and feeds on love. That's the simple answer. Would you like the complex answer as well?"
Twilight shook her head. "I'd heard of changelings in books, but I never knew what they looked like. Most changelings remain in their disguises and nopony gets to see what they really look like."
"That's not entirely accurate," the changeling corrected. "When we are on infiltration and espionage missions, yes, but not when we are going into combat or amongst our own kind at home."
"Enough about changelings!" Rainbow suddenly shouted. "I don't give a flying feather what you are, I wanna know what's been going on for the last three weeks!"
The changeling shook its head, replying, "I don't know all the details; I wasn't here." It turned to point its muzzle at the pile of changeling bodies nearby. "My remaining team member knows, however. If you want the answers, I suggest you ask it. You should restrain it before waking it, however, as it will resist if it can."
"One of them survived?" Rainbow asked, and the changeling nodded.
Pinkie was poking at the pile of creatures. "I can't tell them apart, and I'm great at remembering who's who. Which one is it?" The changeling turned and shot a little green spark at one of the creatures.
Applejack pulled the indicated creature away from the rest and held her ear down in front of its muzzle. After a few seconds, she stood up. "Yeah, he's breathin'. Barely." She turned back to the creature, her eyes narrow. "Yer bein' mighty helpful," Applejack said, her voice heavy with suspicion.
"I can't help it; Twilight Sparkle's magic is powerful, and I'm bound to be truthful and helpful to all of you."
Rarity's mouth opened in a silent gasp. "Twilight! I had no idea you could cast mind control spells."
"I did," Fluttershy said quietly to the floor.
Twilight hung her head a little, her ears falling flat. "I'm sorry, but I was worried what you might think if you knew I could...."
The changeling finished her sentence for her. "If they knew you could control them like puppets. Your worry is not irrational, as most ponies are indeed afraid of beings that can control their thoughts and actions."
Twilight glared at the changeling. "Thanks a lot," she spat.
"Sorry. You seemed to be having trouble explaining yourself and I was trying to help."
Twilight shook her head. "I don't know all that many mind control spells. It's not that bad, really. And I would never use them on any of you without your permission, I swear!"
"Twilight, I'm surprised at you," Rarity said as she stepped closer to her friend and put a foreleg around her. "We're your best friends. We know you'd never do something like that to us. Well, there was that one incident with Discord, but you cast those memory spells on us for our benefit and to save Equestria, so it's quite alright."
Four of the other five mares crowded in and gave Twilight a hug. Spike joined in, too. Rainbow, however, hung back with her ears flattened. Rarity's eyes turned to the outcast pegasus and she stepped away from the hug.
"And Rainbow Dash, how could you ever think that we would conspire to humiliate you like that?" Rainbow looked at the floor and Rarity paused before continuing, "I didn't mean for that to sound so scolding. What I mean to say is that we're your best friends, and we won't ever betray your trust like that." Rarity pulled Dash into the hug, and the focus shifted from Twilight to Rainbow.
"Yeah, Dashie," Pinkie chimed in.
"We all love you, don't we girls?" Fluttershy said. Everypony hummed in agreement, nuzzling in against the blue pegasus.
Rainbow felt a little better and even worse at the same time. Rarity was right, Rainbow should have noticed that something strange was going on. Those five hadn't been the friends she'd known and loved, and she had just accepted it like it was nothing. Some friend she was.
The changeling stared at them, its expression still blank. "My remaining team member is likely to wake up soon, so I suggest you stop hugging and restrain it quickly." Everypony in the room (and Spike) paused to glare at the changeling. It shrugged. "Just trying to be helpful."
After a few more moments of hugging, the six ponies went about tying up the other changeling. Even though the changeling claimed there was only one other alive, they checked to see if any more were breathing. They weren't. Once the second changeling was securely strapped down, Twilight cast a quick spell to wake it. As soon as its eyes opened, she cast another spell.
It looked around the room, holding its gaze on the other of its kind for several seconds before turning to the ponies. "You want to know what's been going on for the last three weeks, yes? I suggest you find comfortable seating, because this is going to take a while."
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Awwwwww dang it I was hoping that actually WAS the main six, I mean this does have a Tragedy tag after all
Aw man i really wanted to see them die!
That... That was not at all where I thought this story-line was going to go
Works, though.
One thing I'll say is that all of the excitement seemed to die, personally, when I found out they were changelings. Just throwing that out there. I just can't help but feel like you were on such a good roll! And you were! The story was great! Then.. this... I... I don't quite know how I feel about this and I don't wanna be harsh: empty, maybe? Dissatisfied? Disappointed, even? Something along those lines. But, I shall continue reading.
Didn't see that coming.
Kind of hoping that Rainbowdash would remain a Villain by the end. Although I have a thing for liking stories were a Mane 6 turns evil.
Anyway still good work though.
I would suggest that encase you get bombarded from fans for a sequel think about a dark alternate ending. Sort of like in Star Wars games where you have light side dark side endings
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Sorry, guys, but that's the way it is. This was the driving concept behind this story since its inception.
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Well, it's not actually over yet.... I certainly understand your reaction, though. Sorry to disappoint you.
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I knew from the beginning that, upon releasing these chapters, there would be a backlash. As I saw the comments from people who loved this and expected something completely different, I admit that I was very tempted to change things. But, to do that, I'd have to either rewrite the whole story or come up with some other reason for why everything in Ponyville was so strange. This was the second core concept of this story from the start.
3647439 Dude, if you notice, this isn't the end. Calm down.
3647602 Well I'm not totally disappointed by the ending. I'm more surprised to be honest. I kind of had the feeling Rainbowdash would snap out of it in the end. I mean she was trying to be a Villain but she just wasn't enjoying the evil part. Rule #1 of being a true Villain you have to enjoy being evil and enjoy your work.
Still I think this is a well written story.
Personally this story is doing something i wish the actual Mare Do Well Episode actually did. Basically Third act of the episode should have been, Rainbow snaps and become a Villain and then snap out of it. I mean every time I watch that episode I keep saying to myself "Oh why doesn't she just be a Villain to get Mare Do well...come on Rainbow snap!" So you are fulfilling a dream of mine my friend.
Dude. Love the story. Don't listen to all these other fans who are disappointed (well, I guess listen to them, they do have good points). Anyway,
unlike so many others, I actually love the plot twist at the end of the chapter. Dashie's traitor friends weren't actually her friends but changelings? Stroke of genius in my opinion ;)
good job. Can't wait till the next chapter.
Drat! I was hoping for evil!Dash...
Still good. And I liked Scootaloo's bit part. And the twist explains a lot of MMDW...
This pleased me.
May we some how have more?
You know, Dash, there's still the matter of committing terrorism against Equestria by bombing town hall, conspiring and attempting to murder your friends (legally, I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter that it wasn't actually them, it's all about intent), and assaulting members of Equestria's armed forces to deal with.
So... Rainbow Dash inadvertently helped uncover the actual bad guys via her rage?
...
...
...
...
I'm okay with this.
Just read the latest chapters.
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It's certainly not something everyone will love, that's for sure, but it's good to see that some like it.
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You've just found the original point of the story. I set out to make sense of the mess that the episode was.
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Yeah, she really tore Ponyville a new one.
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Yeah, I was waiting for that.
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Tee-hee...
dark chaos emerald:alright i'll bite.i will wait for the explanation first before i say my thoughts on this.
3648027 Well looks like Dash will need to start packing her bags for a nice trip to the moon. Or the Pony version of Arkham Asylum.
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And then, real Villain Dash begins...
Yes...
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I'm mostly wondering if she told her friends that, and if so, how they will take it. Or if they logic it out after she doesn't tell them.
Fractured Loyalty, much?
3647602 I actually loved the twist to be honest. Look I said I wanted Rainbow to break them not kill them. This makes it so that she can still be a hero in the end. There will be a sequel right?
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I knew it, man. As soon as I saw your comment earlier, I knew that you'd figured it out. Kudos.
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A sequel? Possibly.
Honestly, no matter the concussion know, I think this needs to be said:
We hope you enjoyied no-moral theater!
Nice
.
I'm not normally a fan of MMDW fixfics, but I gotta say I'm enjoying this one.
I feel for Dashie though. No matter what else happens, she's gonna have to live with the memory of killing her friends.
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I did notice that, thanks..
But I said it's either her or all of them.
And now I expect it to be the changeling.
I'm relieved that Dash didn't kill her friends, but she still hurts bad Spitfire. Very bad.
Also, that fight it would be more awesome in a storm
Correct me if I'm wrong, but EVERY epic duel is better in a storm. I agree with you.3650658
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Anyways, it was very, very awesome how it is write. One of the best fights I ever read in an story
Yet again, I totally agree. I love a good fight scene, and that was one if my favorites. This story is very well written. I am actually finding that bronies are great authors. I have only been into mlp for two months, but I am loving every fanfic I have read so far, (and I have read quite a few). I'd give the author a standing ovation right now, except that I should probably be asleep right now, and would get in trouble for not being asleep :P
Anyhoo, good job, and...
WRITE MOAR RIGHT NOW PLEASE. YOUR FANS ARE WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER. THANK YOU. 3652479
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Heh, yeah, I can't think of a life lesson to be gained from this one.
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It's awesome to hear that you like it anyway. And yeah, that can't be a fun memory to have.
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Hmm.... Yeah, probably would have made the fight cooler. Ehh, I already had a battle against the cops in the storm, so oh well.
You honor me, truly. A lot of effort went into that chapter and that fight scene, and I'm glad to see it wasn't wasted. And here comes some more.
Well, I kinda second-guessed it with how the Mane Six changelings died. It seemed too quick. If it were the real ones, it would've had details about Rainbow's hatred towards them.
Otherwise, unexpected twist.
Damn...
I was begging for them to be changelings as I read.
I was ready to hate you so hard!
Also, I do believe that the train station attack is going to haunt rainbow for the rest of her life.
So... let me get this straight... The Rainbow Dash *ahem* Dark Spectrum that we've been follow for the past 8 chapters was a changeling the whole time?
...So...Yeah...
You've lost me.
I mean, every chapter had this steady buildup, this growing suspense, this tremendous rollercoaster of excitement, leading finally to the moment we all knew was coming...
And then they were Changelings... And the rollercoaster has completely derailed... That growing emotion in your chest stopping and sinking like a stone, instead replaced by an empty, slightly disappointed, feeling.
So ...Yeah... I guess I had something darker in mind (And judging from the comments, so did a lot of other people.)... Yeah...
Yeah...
It's still a fantastic story... And I'll keep reading, but it's lost that allure that kept me interested in the other chapters before now...
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Um, no, that one was the real Rainbow. The one that followed the other five to Canterlot was the fake.
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Going off the rails was sorta the point, but... yeah, sorry if you've been disappointed by how this kinda appears to turn into a different story between chapters 8 and 9.
Psycho Dash stared at Scoots, "You mean you help throw foals into the Rainbow Factory wood chipper too? Huh, and here I was about to toss you in tomorrow!"
Everypony in the room was shocked and horrified at these twisted revelations, except Fluttershy who had known about the gruesome murderous practice all along and was too cowardly to speak about it. She finally gave in to the guilt and misery and threw herself to timberwolves... which took a real long time graphically killing her (which was much appreciated by the grimdark fans who clopped to it).
The bloody revolution began the next day. Millions died. Then Discord, who was also a psycho, got out from da chaos and stuff and killed everything else. And then the world blew up.
(This has been a lesson in "How to escalate things totally out of all semblance of plausibility"...)
Honestly, if the changelings wanted the Mane 6 out of the way and had no problem with killing them... wouldn't far more sensible plan have been to just lure them one by one into a secluded place and, ya know, kill them?
Why this highly obtuse method that entirely depends on Dash going psycho, which in any real world setting most likely would NOT have happened?
Again, it's changelings utilizing a plan that has every possible chance of epic failure when they have such overwhelming advantages in their favor, the two biggest being that they can perfectly transform into anyone they wish and that ponies at the time don't even know they exist.
Dash, run. Actually, both Dashes should better run...
Btw, that poor changeling didn't know what he was getting himself into... He was just pretending to be Rainbow Dash and then bang, he's in the middle of the argument between the Mane 6. I guess he was always the unlucky one...
Well that's a big cop-out if there ever was one. An impressive one, sure, but still a pretty big one.
I was wondering what Scootaloo was doing during all this. I'm glad she never gave up on Rainbow Dash.
I couldn't help it. i loled.
i39.servimg.com/u/f39/17/64/22/51/head-e10.jpg
Well...
Thx for making it an awesome twisted ending!
Aww.... I kind a wished for a epic battle like the one with Spitfire....
1. Is Rainbow going to jail for this?
2. I love that Changeling. He so helpful in the I am trying to be helpful but I'm not kind of way. Feed little Changeling! Feed! Feed!
I call bullshit. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit! There is so much bullshit that you could profit of a manure company! Why does this happen every time!?
It wasn't bad up till this point but whether they intended to humiliate rainbow or not they still did it and they need to say sorry and try to make things right.