Tales from the Dark Side of the Mirror

by GrimWolf

BONUS: We're (Not) Tough

Oh, hey there. Want to talk to me? Hang on a second, I'm kinda in the middle of something.

“Are you ready, Scooter Girl?” asked my pilot, looking back at me.

“Always ready, let's do this!” I replied, putting on my awesome, special helmet that hides everything but my muzzle and walking up to the edge of the helicopter. And cue music.

[=Swat Kats Opening Theme=]

I jumped out and folded my hooves up to the side, diving straight down and building up speed. I see my target, a big elaborate base built into the side of a volcano. Why is it always a volcano? Geeze, it's like Dr. Cloudburst is running out of ideas. Dr. Cloudburst? He's my archenemy of course! Every great hero needs one after all! Well, okay, I've had like five, but he's my biggest one! Probably why being in his helicopter while it was crashing into an oil refinery which exploded didn't kill him. Did give him a nifty mechanical arm though!

I spread my wings and glad down, trying not to lose too much speed so when I grab my scooter off my back and I'm still moving wicked fast!

The two goons in front of the entrance see me, but before they can react BAM! I jump forward and kick one right in the kisser and then WHAM! I swing my scooter around and slam him right in the face!

“What's a matter? Sleeping on the job?” I quipped. “Then you won't mind if I take...this!” I said, rummaging through one of their black uniforms to find a key card and using that to open the door.

Okay, let's see, security cameras...

“Sweetie Belle, can you hack the cameras?” I asked into my cool earpiece, putting a little receiver into the nearest terminal.

“Can I? Tsk, it'll take ten seconds flat.”

I take out my watch and look at it...and the cameras start glitching out and exploding right on time. “Right on time, as per usual.”

“I don't know why you'd ever doubt me.”

I take out my scooter and start down the hallway. “Alright, let's see. If I were an evil mad scientist with an attitude problem, where would I keep my stolen relic?” I asked, looking around as I sped down the hallway...and suddenly big steel doors begin slamming right behind me. “Looks like he knows I'm here!”

I speed up, racing as fast as I can, the doors slamming shut right behind me. The last one, naturally, begins closing in front of me, so I do a slide on my scooter, going right underneath it. Slams shut like an inch from my head. “That was cutting it close, even for me...”

I dust myself off and continue on into a great big room. “Sweetie, I'm in a big room.. Where's the stolen Lava Ruby?”

“You're going to have to be more specific that, Scoots.”

“It's big, dark...”

And of course I'm now suddenly surrounded by a room of mooks who weren't there five minutes ago.

“Full of bad guys...” I say, giving a pause.

“Still going to have to be more specific than that.”

I jump up to dodge one jumping at me and kick the one behind him BAM, right in the muzzle! Then I flip off him and swing my scooter off my back and smack another BLAM! Right in the side of the head!

I extend the handle of my scooter and begin using it as a staff to smack 'em around! Why does my scooter turn into a staff? Because its bucking awesome, that's why! Besides, my codename is SCOOTER Girl, what else would I have for a weapon?

One back flip later and KAPOW! Last three are out cold!

“What about a room full of unconscious bad guys?” I ask Sweetie Belle.

“That narrows it down.”

Some unicorns pop out on an upper level so I hop on my scooter and put on the rockets, launching forwards and dodging their beams like they're nothing!

“Go down that hallway!”

“Which one?!” I replied, dodging more lasers. One of them freezes the ground in front of me, and I ALMOST spin out but barely manage to catch myself and dodge another beam from his buddy that lights the entire floor on fire!

“The one with the blinking red light on it that isn't on fire!”

“Oh, okay, I see it.”

I fly through the door and continue down the hall way...until I see somepony standing in front of the final door in my path. She's a filly about my age, wearing a black cat disguise with a whip in hoof, a crown on her head with a black cat in the center, yellow muzzle exposed.

“Catastrophe!”

She smirks, flipping her red mane. “The one and only. Figures Ah'd see you here. If yah want the Lava Ruby, you'll have to beat meh to it!”

Who's that? She's my rival! Of course I have a rival, what good hero doesn't have one?! She's a phantom thief who's always trying to steal the things my bad guys stole!

“Shoulda guessed that it wouldn't be that easy...” I muttered, taking off after her. How can she keep up with me? She has the speed of a cheetah thanks to her magic amulet! You're new to this, aren't you? What?! No, she's not my love interest! He's back at the X-Games waiting for me to get back!

We rush down the hallway and take blows at each other. Of course, she didn't beat me, she only did that when I first met her and a few times after that! Now we just tie most of the time!

Finally, I managed to tackle her through the final door of the hallway and we rolled over each other before launching off one another and landing on different sides of the room.

We both take our fighting stances...then notice the big pedestal in the middle of the room. “The Lava Ruby!” We both yelled.

We both looked at one another and raced right for it when BAM, a big robotic arm knocks us back!

The bottom and top of the room both rearranged and aligned themselves, coming together to become this big robot with the jewel at its core! The ceiling opened up and down came a big glass cockpit with a certain smug griffon with a robot arm inside.

“Dr. Cloudburst, I knew I'd be seeing you here!” I yelled, staring up at the mecha suit twenty times my size without a bit of fear.

“Oh yes, little Scooter Girl and Catastrophe! It has been a long time!” he announced, as bombastic and hammy as ever.

“Eh, I kicked your flank last week,” I replied, then gave my best cocky smirk.

“And Ah've certainly pick pocketed mah share of stuff from yah,” Catastrophe mocked. Hers is ALMOST as good as mine.

“Laugh while you can, you little nuisances! With the geothermal power Lava Ruby powering the products of my brilliant mind, nothing will be able to stop me! Including you two!” he yelled, preparing for battle...

“And...CUT!”

Aww, scene done already? Anyway, name's Scootaloo, or as I'm called on my action figures, Scooter Girl! Yeah, secret agent code names don't have to be super creative, especially if its a stage name, but it suits me doesn't it? Oh, the burning tire Cutie Mark? Well, it's actually fake. I'm trying to get my Cutie Mark. In what? Being badflank awesome! That's what!

---

Finally, ugh. I can stop using big sister's fake accent. Makes you sound dangerous and all, but it is so hard on the throat. Me? I am Applebloom, youngest daughter of the prestigious Apple Family and co-star of this show.

“Good work, cousin,” said Liberty Belle, my cousin and stunt double. What? You think somepony as important as me is going to do my own stunts? Then again, maybe that would get Grandmother worked up. Hehe. Maybe try that for next season. Anyway, Liberty's my age, we have the same mane and coat color, so she was a perfect fit. She's grateful I was nice enough to get her a job, or if she's not she really should be.

“Yes, it was, wasn't it?” I said, giving a chuckle.

“Were my stunts okay?” she asked.

“Eh, they were okay,” I replied. But who really cared? She was the stunt double, I was the one everypony came to see.

Scootaloo?...Yeah, her name's in the title, I guess. But I'm her co-star, this show got so much better when I joined the cast. The only reason I'm not in the title too is the producer found her first. But they recognized talent when they saw it and made me just as important as her. Am I in every episode? Not EVERY one, but most of them since I showed up! And I get superpowers, all Scootaloo gets is a lousy scooter! And I haven't checked in awhile, but I bet my toys sell better than hers! They sure did when I kicked her flank in my first episode!

The cat get up? Hehe. My idea. They wanted to introduce a bad girl rival for Scootaloo, so I thought 'black cat crosses your path,' made sense to me. And given the ratings, it definitely did to everypony watching.

“Good job, Applebloom,” Scootaloo said, coming over to me.

“I know...you were okay.”

“You were great!” Liberty chimed in.

“Thanks, you were good too, Liberty Belle,” Scootaloo replied.

I cleared my throat.

“Oh, and great one liners, Applebloom.”

“Yes, they were, weren't they?” I asked, giving a pose. “My sister was right, the accent makes me sound so much more badflank.”

“Uh...yeah...you've told me that before...”

“Yeah, I know.”

The accent? I don't know where sister got it, but it definitely sounds cool, doesn't it? My sister always gives me pointers on how to look tough. She's always telling me how she's a big wanted crook back in Canterlot, so I'm learning from somepony who knows a thing or two. Certainly get along better with her than I do with Grandmother and Big Macintosh. Oh, you've talked with Applejack? Then you know our Grandmother doesn't give a darn about either of us, huh?

Only thing about Applejack I don't get is why she doesn't like being a rich pony. Especially with the whole 'evil Princesses' thing. Part of why this show gets so well funded. What? You thought a TV show would get our budget because the King liked it? Hardly, though I don't doubt he loves it. Entertainment does wonders to keep ponies' minds off what's going on. Scared? Hehe, nah. We move so often the Princesses never get a look at us. Right now we're filming at the beach. Sure, I can travel wherever I want to (that's the power of money), but this way I get paid for it (not that I need it) and more ponies get to see me. You can always go see the world, but how often do you get to let the whole world see YOU?

My Cutie Mark? Eh, it's a fake. Though a black cat would be great for the one I'm GOING to get. What am I going to get it in? Being a badflank bad girl, what else?! Why do I want that?

Hehe. Just watch and you'll figure it out.

---

Good, I can finally get out of this stuffy room! Ugh...

Who am I? Names, blech, Sweetie Belle. Don't blame me, mom picked it! Like I'd pick a sissy name like that if I got a choice! Laugh at me and you'll find yourself missing a few teeth!

What do I do? Ugh...this is why I told the producer I should be one of the bad flank leads, not tech support! I mean they said its because I look smart, and of course I do, but I'd rather be in the 'busting heads' part! Oh, my part of the show? I stay back in my little den giving 'Scooter Girl' tech support as a kid genius super hacker. Yeah, it's cool, but why do the other two get to be out there punching mooks in the face! I'm the toughest out of all of us! Yeah, I'm a unicorn, what of it? You racist or something?

That and I keep having to wear sun glasses just coming out of my set! Do they HAVE to keep it that dark?! At least its cooler out here than outside in Celestia's heatwave. Oh, and I ALSO sing all the music for the show, including the theme song. THAT part everypony knows like the front of their hoof. If only because mom and dad won't stop playing it for the neighbors EVERY time they come over. Not that I blame them.

“Good job, you two. I guess,” I tell the others as I trot over. I have a monitor so I can see what's going on and make up stuff on the fly.

“Thanks,” Applebloom replied, looking as smug as ever. “I'd say you did a good job, but we didn't see you.”

“Oh shut up,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “At least the camera SEES me instead of my cousin!”

“You sounded good, Sweetie,” Scootaloo said, getting between us, like she normally does.

“Thank you, at least somepony appreciates how hard I work.” Scootaloo's girly, but at least she appreciates me. Hehe, what's a matter, surprised? Most people see the bad flank kid spy, not the girl who collects dolls and gets hooficures. Like I said, I should be the one out there doing the punching mooks lights out!

Still, being here beats the Tartarus out of being back home with my parents. As screwed up as my big sister is, she was right to get out of there. Our parents are bucking control freaks! I know what I said, want to make something of it? I'd like to sing more if they weren't always bossing me around about it and expecting me to be the next Muse Sister!

'Sing louder, Sweetie Belle, you want them to hear you in the back!', 'No, sing softer Sweetie Belle, ladies don't shout!' 'Ladies do this,' 'No, Sweetie, ladies do THIS!'

And they wonder why my sister turned out to be a huge mess. If you listened to everything our parents said, you'd end up a giant mess too!

Oh, and then there's the fact they want me to be a classical musician like Vinyl Scratch. Well guess what? I don't wanna! I wanna be a rock star like Maud Pie! Hehe, at least my parents are so desperate to get a famous kid I could be a famous super villain and they'd still approve. Why do you think they keep playing my rock music all the time?

Oh, my Cutie Mark? Eh, like I'd have a geeky computer! It's fake. What do I REALLY want for it? To be a bad flank, tough girl!

Huh? My friends said the same thing? Hehe, of course they did! Who doesn't want to be badflank? And besides, who wants to have a DIFFERENT Cutie Mark than their friends? That'd be lame! No, I'm not afraid of us splitting up if we get different Marks! Oh, you didn't say that?...Well, I'm not!

---

I'll admit it, even though I get bummed when the scene ends and I go back to the real world, I like chilling out back at the trailer as much as anypony. Especially since we get the star's trailer! Only annoying part of sharing a room with my friends is when Sweetie makes fun of me for being 'girly.' So what if I collect dolls and read fashion magazines, that doesn't mean I'm girly! And even if I was, I AM a girl, so what's the big deal?

Besides, I'm the star! And the star gets to do whatever she wants to!

“This is the life, huh?” Applebloom asked, eating some fancy fruit. What's fancy about it? It's got a name I can't pronounce I guess. Apparently the fruit used to be 'sweet,' but I don't think I've ever tasted something sweet. Or I have and not known that's what it was.

“Yeah, I guess,” Sweetie replied with her normal tough girl act and reading one of her comic books.

What am I doing? Getting a hooficure, stunt work is murder on the hooves. I mean yeah, I'm not really hitting ponies in the face (in my mind I am, but I wouldn't be doing my own stunt work if I really did), but your hooves tend to hit the ground pretty hard no matter what you do. Sweetie's giving me that 'you're being lame' look again, but what does she know? “Don't know how it could get much better than this!”

Okay, maybe it was better back when Luna wasn't evil...Though on the other hoof, the show was a lot darker back then. They made it a lot happier after that. The director said it was to make Equestrian smile again. I don't mind, less dark stuff means more adventures and more chances for me to look awesome! Though I do kinda miss that season I went into space and fought aliens, even if the big bad that season was kinda generic 'I want to destroy the planet because reasons' sorta guy. His actor loved every minute of it. Hehe The director liked to joke how his 'diet consisted mainly of scenery.' Do I know what that means? Yeah, means he's a big ham! What? I'm an actress, I know THAT much. Shame his character fell into a black hole and he left the show, he was fun.

Huh? Am I related to that rainbow maned pony? Nah, she just ends up crashing while we're filming a lot of the time. Happens so often the director made her a background gag and considered hiring her to do it but then got the insurance estimate. I don't know anything about her except she's a mess and keeps asking for my autograph. Not that I blame her for THAT!

---

You know the difference between the hired help back at our mansion and here? These are ours! Not Grandmother's, but OURS. Which means it's ME they're scared of disappointing and not Grandmother. Why does that matter? Because it means it's ME who's the center of attention! They're paying attention to ME not, Grandmother's rules. Why does THAT matter?...It just does!

“Get me a daisy sandwich,” I ordered.

“Yes, Miss Applebloom,” our servant (okay, he's some fancy word, but he's our servant as far as I know) said, and went off to get it. Miss Applebloom. That has such a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

Only problem with this is it's harder to be a bad girl when bossing them around is what I'm expected to do...

“Hey, did you notice that the script says I finally find out your secret identity next episode?” Scootaloo asked.

That? Well long story (like three seasons long) short, I first showed up as Scootaloo's rival in extreme sports (okay, Liberty Belle does the actual sports, but I still do all the actual acting, and that takes so much more talent), then showed up as Catastrophe when she went on a mission, but neither of us actually realized we're each other because we both wear masks.

“Eh, I don't write this junk, I just act it,” I said, and it's true. Not sure who's writing this episode.

“Yeah, if you did, it'd be called Applebloom and the Appleblooms,” Sweetie remarked with that grin of hers.

“Would not!...Though that does have a nice ring to it,” I reply. What? It does! And my character's name isn't Applebloom, so that wouldn't work as a title. Maybe 'The Amazing Catastrophe!' or something like that.

Ah! There's my daisy sandwich! Thank him? Why? He's just the hired help.

“I'm just wondering how we should actually react to that...” Scootaloo replied. Ugh, she gets all caught up in the scripts whenever we go over it. Director said she's a' method actor' or something like that. I just memorize the scripts and try to act like I should for that scene. So long as they don't do anything to ruin my attention basking, I'm fine. “And I think we kill off Cloudburst.”

---

“You mean like the LAST time we killed him off?” I asked. “He's 'died' more times than Owlmare!”

Conveniently, she just 'died' again in the comic I was reading, so I show them. She even screamed 'not again!' as she fell into a power plant smokestack!

“Tartarus, even I 'killed' him once! Applebloom 'killed him' the first time she showed up!” I yelled. How did that happen? I hacked one of his big machines and cut the power while he was flying after Scootaloo.

Applebloom took a smug pose. “Well I WAS the new badflank rival! What better way to show how bad flank I am than beating up the big bad guy by myself?”

“When I 'killed him,' it lasted a lot longer,” Scootaloo bragged. I gave Applebloom a smirk. Kinda fun seeing that big head of hers get popped. Applebloom keeps forgetting MY family is rich too. But being 'old money' apparently meant somehow she was better than me!

“Well I 'killed' him cooler than you did!”

“What I'm wondering,” I said. “Is when they'll actually let me out of the bucking control room again!”

Seriously, I've only gotten out of that control room twice! Once to get into a different control room when we fought aliens in space, and once to teach a bunch of phony so called 'heroes' for hire who were trying to get rid of Scootaloo a lesson about hacking MY system by turning their base's defenses against them! And that was the first, and so far only, time Scootaloo's character has actually interacted with mine at all!

Scootaloo looked at the script. “Says here you arrive in person to hack the defenses of Cloudburst's mecha suit.”

“FINALLY!...Oh wait, I need to read that...”

Okay, so I normally don't need to memorize the script as much as those two because I'm STUCK IN A BUCKING ROOM with one camera pointed at my face the whole time or in a sound booth recording a song, sue me!

And now Applebloom's getting that 'I'm not the center of attention' face again. Eh, fine by me, that normally means we get out of this dump and stretch our legs for a bit! Why? Hehe, watch this.

“Eh, I'm getting bored and we're done for the day,” she said, then got a devious look. “Let's go out and look for some trouble to get into.”

“I'm game,” I replied, putting the comic down. Red Mane beat Owlmare again.

“I don't know...” Scootaloo said, being a baby and trying to chicken out. Just like she always does. Girl will do the most dangerous stunts you can think of, but is scared to death of a little mischief! Thankfully, Applebloom can be pretty persuasive.

“Oh I understand. If you're too chicken, you can just stay here,” Applebloom said, in a tone that made it hard to tell if she was being friendly or mean. She picked it up being a high society type, trust me, you learn how to hide your words. Why don't I? Don't want to.

“Am not!” Scootaloo yelled back. “Just...I just got a hooficure!”

“Well I guess Catastrophe knows Scooter Girl's big weakness now: chipping a hoof!” Applebloom replied.

“Lamest hero weakness ever,” I replied. What? Scootaloo needs to toughen up a little bit! How do you think our fans would react to seeing their big tough hero afraid to chip a hoof?

Scootaloo got red in the face. “FINE! Let's go! I'm in!”

“That's better.”

---

We're walking through town, looking for some mischief to get into. Like we always do. Got conned into doing it?! Nah...Applebloom was right, I shouldn't be afraid of a few pranks! I'm a big tough hero! I've got a reputation!

Speaking of which, getting requests for autographs left and right. Now this is the part of going out I like! The fans wanting me to sign their pictures and figures! Did you know I have a toyline? I mean yeah, half the stuff in it will never be in the show and is just there on the off chance a kid wants a figure of me with a capture claw gimmick, but come on! I have an action figure of me with a capture claw gimmick! And yeah, I have all my own action figures, they give them to me. Applebloom has hers back at her family's estate on a gold shelf with like twelve spotlights on it.

Sweetie Belle? She's got a couple, though most of them are of the robot drone she's sometimes used to join missions. What did you expect them to do with a unicorn who barely ever leaves her room?

“Alright, girls,” said Applebloom, getting that devious look she does. We're in front of a big house in the middle of the small town we're filming near. It looks old and run down...probably not going to be the only thing we do tonight... She picked up a rock and threw it straight through one of the windows. Sweetie used her telekinesis to do the same thing. “Your turn, Scootaloo.”

And now they're both staring at me. I pick up another rock and threw it through another window. Sweetie takes out that bottle of spray paint she keeps on her and writes our CMC logo on it.

CMC? Cutie Mark Crusaders of course! Why?...Well we're trying to get our Cutie Marks in being badflank and the Crusaders part sounds badflank, so why not?

“Alright, that's a good warm up, let's find something a bit better to do.”

Why do we do this? Applebloom says it makes us look badflank and her big sister does it all the time. Sweetie says it's fun. Me? I do it to be badflank like Applebloom says. She's right, I don't want to be a chicken.

---

Alright, this place looks good. We were just practicing, now we're going to throw a rock straight through a big fancy house window!

Why am I doing this? Hehe. Well, you see it is a game really. One I like to call 'How Far Can I Push.'

Big sister kept trying and trying to get Grandmother to pay her mind. Still is. And I thought that was a wonderful idea! And at first, I gave it a shot...but then I realized one thing. Grandmother has a surprisingly high tolerance for misbehaving fillies (guess Applejack beat me to a lot of the good stuff). Acting out never got me attention from HER. But after spending day after day being a pretty little doll? It did wonders to relieve my boredom! After spending so long being an accessory for my family, it drew attention to ME from the hired help. It made them have to pay attention. But they'd gotten used to my sister's antics I guess, so I decided to try something new. I'd keep pushing and pushing until they blew up! Blew up at ME! Focused on ME!

HAHA! I must say, there's nothing more fun than seeing a babysitter get so fed up she quits! Grandmother has gone through quite a few. And the best part? I ALWAYS get away with it! Grandmother just hires another one so long as I act like a pretty little angel for the guests!

So why do I do stuff like throwing rocks through windows? Simple: to see how much horseapples I can get away with! And being the child stars of a popular TV show? We can get away with a lot. Why? Two things: first, we're minors. Which means 'we're too young to know any better.' And two? We're too important to let go! What are they going to do? Hire another three fillies who can act and do stunts that look exactly like us then say we all had plastic surgery? As if. GOOD foal actors are WAY too hard to replace! The producers just pay all the damages to get the charges dropped and back to work we go!

That's the fun part about being rich and famous! You get the best of everything and can do whatever you want! Besides, if big sister does it all the time, it has to be tough, doesn't it? She sure makes it sound like it!

Besides, I'm the bad girl character, I'm supposed to act like this.

Spoiled rotten? Hehe, if you think I'm rotten, go talk to my brother. You haven't seen anything yet.

Anyway, time to cause a little trouble!

---

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Scootaloo asked as we looked up at the fancy house Applebloom picked out. Though the place was still kind of a dump. Considering how everything is, guess that's to be expected.

“Bawk bawk!” Applebloom clucked. “Chicken!”

“I'm not chicken!”

Huh? Why do I go along with Applebloom? Cause mom and dad wouldn't like it if they knew I was! Just like they don't want me to sing rock music or wear these crazy outfits!

Why does THAT matter? Because my big sister listened to everything they said and look how she ended up, duh! Why should I listen to anything they say? I don't want to end up a mess like her!

Anyway, Scootaloo finally gets riled up to grab a rock and throw it. Me and Applebloom follow up really quick. Lights come on in the place and I make sure to spray paint our CMC mark onto the side of it before we high tail it! Why leave our mark if we run? Because we're going to get away with it like we always do, that's why!

Anyway, rest of the night goes like you'd expect. Broke some more windows, wrote some graffiti here and there. Dumped a trash can with a skunk in it in someponies house. Guards catch us FINALLY.

“Call our producer,” Applebloom says with that smug grin of hers.

“We'll pay for the damages,” the producer says back.

And then we're back at our trailer in time for bed. What? You expected anything else?

Huh? Teddy bear. Uh...no, I don't have a teddy bear here! Goodnight!

---

Okay, so big final battle scene being filmed. Liberty Belle climbs up onto the big robot prop 'Cloudburst' is in, and swipes the Lava Ruby from the chest. Blah blah blah, will dub my voice in later on. Scootaloo does something big and flashy. Blah blah blah. Ah!

Me and Liberty Belle swap out when the camera is on somepony else and we run full on down the hallway, CGI explosions will be added in later on so we look extra awesome!

“See yah at the next race Scooter Girl!” I yell, then throw down a smoke bomb and exit all cool like. “Ah ain't gonna go easy on yah now that Ah know yer real name!"

---

Ugh...I finally get out of the control room set again and it's to be in ANOTHER control room set! At least I'll finally get the bucking chance to do the cool 'run away from the exploding base' scene and have a moment meeting up with Scootaloo this time! Geeze!

“Need a little hoof ?” I ask, looking at the big fake robot holding her in one claw as I push random buttons that apparently equals 'hack his suit and make his chest panel open up to reveal his weakpoint'.

---

Okay, so we're fighting Cloudburst's big mecha suit after making a big escape from the death trap he put us in last episode (and finding out each others' secret identities)! He grabs me in it's claw, prepared to crush me to bits!

“Need a little hoof?” Sweetie Belle asks in my earpiece.

The big door on his chest opens up and there's the Lava Ruby!

“Ah'll be takin' that!” Catastrophe yells, swinging in and grabbing the Ruby right out of his chest.

“NO! MY LAVA RUBY! GIVE IT BACK!” Cloudburst yells, now a big sitting duck in glitching mecha suit! “YOU...YOU...YOU ROTTEN BRATS!”

I get out of his claw and grab my scooter, using my wings to launch me up the side of the volcano ledge and BLAM! Right back into his cockpit!

He topples backwards and falls right into the volcano! “NOOOOO! CURSE YOU!” he screams as he disappears into it and the volcano starts to go!

Time for a dramatic escape as the whole place goes boom behind us!

“See yah at the next race, Scooter Girl!” Catastrophe yells, then throw down a smoke bomb and disappears into thin air. “Ah ain't gonna go easy on yah now that Ah know yer real name!”

I gave a chuckle. “I wouldn't have it any other way!”

“And cut!” the director yelled.

Aww, over already? Oh well, the adventures won't be ending any time soon!

---

“That was the series finale, the show is over...”

“What?!” all three of us asked.

“Sorry, kids,” said the producer, I never bothered to learn his name, I barely ever talked to him. I didn't...really get to know any of the crew. He then shrugged. “We've been at this for so many seasons the writers are out of ideas and felt that was a good way to end it. Especially with some sensitive information we've gotten from up above, can't tell you until it's made public. Better to go out on top, you know?”

“But...but...but...” I muttered. It's...it's over? No more Scooter Girl? No more big adventures? “It's really over?”

“Well, we might make a movie, and we'll call you back if we do. Don't worry, you three are good actors...if a bit high maintenance, and decent foal actors don't come along every day. I'm sure you can get another job soon.”

I'm sorry...I...I don't feel like talking right now...

---

So yeah, show's over and we're heading back home. Oh well, guess I'll go back to playing with the servants.

We were dropped off at Rich Apple Acres for our parents or guardians, or whatever to pick us up cause my family works with the place and Captain Good Guy promised my great something or other he'd protect the farm. And something or other about 'the danger's past' or something. Don't know who's supposed to pick up Scootaloo, never met her parents.

Why not just send us straight home? Hehe, I made our private chauffeur’s so miserable they quit. Three times. Good times...

Sweetie Belle nudges me as we sit on a bench and wait. “Applebloom, look at Scootaloo.”

I look over...and she's still moping around. Had been since we got the news. I thought she was just upset she'd not be the star of the show...but she looks...

Scootaloo's a lot of things, but moppy isn't one of them. Getting depressed...it just feels wrong.

“What's wrong, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked.

---

What? I'm...I'm not soft! I just don't want Scootaloo moping around! She's bad enough when she's just girly! That's all!

She jumps up. “Oh...uh...I...I was just thinking...how...we don't all live in the same place...We're...we're not going to stay together, are we?”

We...we all looked at each other.

“I...I hadn't thought of that...” I said.

Me and Applebloom live in Canterlot...Scootaloo doesn't...Well, officially she DID while working on the show, but before that? I don't know anything about that.

“Well...I can invite you over sometimes,” Applebloom said. “I've got hired chariots and besides, it'd be boring without you two around.”

“Yeah, that's right, so do I,” I replied.

Scootaloo smiled a tiny bit. “That...that'd be nice.”

Huh? How did we meet? Me and Applebloom met first, parents are both big ponies in Canterlot and mom sells her cookies at the Apple Family's store. Long story short, mom figured out a way to make really good cookies without sugar and everypony loved them, blah blah blah. Point is, I met Applebloom at a business meeting and our parents thought it'd be good if we got to know each other.

Well Scootaloo was already Scooter Girl by then. She was at an autograph signing and we both went to it. Normally, it'd just be, you know, 'here's our action figure' get the signature, ask a couple questions (well, Applebloom wanted to ask to maybe join the show, but I was mainly hoping to see her get shot down). But that changed when somepony crashed the party.

Heard of Empress Cadenza? Us fillies used to call her the Boogie Mare, back before Luna took over that name. Rumor has it that she likes to find ponies who love each other and only take one of them to take back to be her slaves, leaving the rest behind. Parents used to say 'don't wander off alone or Cadenza will take you away.' She used to work with Celestia, but ended up turning on her aunt and taking some place up north for herself.

Any way, she decided to attack Scootaloo's little gathering and kidnap her to drive her fans into despair. And maybe snatch a few more slaves while she was there. Thankfully, Chrysalis was there (apparently she's a big fan of the show, who knew?) and fought her.

...We spent the whole thing hiding under a desk together until a stray beam almost caused a roof collapse on us...

Applebloom won't admit it, but Scootaloo ended up saving us both by pulling us to safety. THAT'S why I try to toughen her up, I know she can BE tough.

Anyway, Chrysalis won, but Cadenza got away. Chrysalis got her autograph (and Scootaloo got the biggest hug I've ever seen). One thing lead to another and we became friends...Yeah, I said, we're friends! Say something and I'll punch your lights out!

---
Why did I save the others? I...I didn't think of why...they were there...I grabbed them and pulled them out of the way.

I did feel like a hero...I liked that...I liked feeling like the hero...just like I liked being the hero on the show...I felt special...just like I did when we were...

---

“Oh, it's you.”

I turned to see...oh, well look who it is. Little pink filly with a white and purple mane. Her names Diamond Tiara. Don't know why, she doesn't wear one, just a stupid cowboy hat that matches her Cutie Mark. Reminds me of an old picture I saw back at the house, but can't remember the details.

“Oh, hello, Diamond Tiara,” I replied, giving a smirk. “How are you doing? Well, other than poor of course.”

She gave a snarl. “Ah'm NOT poor.”

Oh, right, that's where my sister got that accent.

“Close enough.”

“Applebloom, who's this?” Scootaloo asked. Oh right, she's never met her.

“This is Diamond Tiara. Her and her father do my family's manual labor,” I replied. What? It's the truth!

“She means we do the work that keeps her family's entire business afloat,” Diamond replied. Ugh, of course she's still just as proud of being a dirty farmer! Always was, I don't know why.

“Hardly. Grandmother does the REAL business,” I reply, giving a chuckle.

And Diamond is grinding her teeth. Good. “Look, pa told meh to come ask yah if yah want some food while yah wait.”

“I wouldn't mind-” Scootaloo started.

“Ugh, country food? As if,” I replied. “I will have the servants make me a big gigantic feast when I get home, I don't need to stoop to such a thing.”

“We're the ones who GROW yer apples!” Diamond yelled back.

“And we're the ones who actually SELL them. Besides, why eat carnival fair here when I can eat like a queen back home?”

What do I have against her? Eh, maybe I just don't like her, did you ever think that? It's not like she has anything for me to be jealous OF or anything!

Huh? Why does my head feel wet now?

We all look up and...the sky's full of clouds...dark ones...

Diamond puts her hoof out and looked at the water landing on it. “It's...It's raining!”

“How? The pegasi cities were destroyed?!” Sweetie Belle asked.

“PA! IT'S RAINING!” Diamond yelled and ran back towards the farm house.

Good riddance!

“Applebloom! We're getting wet!” Sweetie Belle yelled.

Darn it she's right!

“Wait for us!” Scootaloo yelled and they ran off towards the smelly farm house, taking their stuff with them.

“FINE! If you want to stay in the gross farm house, then go right ahead!” I yelled...and sat here in the rain...Alone...in the dark...by myself... “HEY WAIT FOR ME!”

---

“Oh, so they decided to come in after all?” Diamond Tiara's mom said, looking a bit shy. She might've been pretty, I guess, if it weren't for that crooked nose of hers.

What do I think of Diamond? Eh, nothing really. She seems tough. Thing that bugs me is how Applebloom was acting. She kept looking at Diamond Tiara with that 'you have something I want.' Oh, that's not weird. It happens all the time, it's just normally she just calls somepony who works for her and orders it, or tells me and Scootaloo to write it down so she can later. I mean yeah, we kinda got fired and all, but she's still got her family fortune. It wasn't like her to be jealous and NOT tell us to get her what she wants.

“Yeah, ma, but that ain't important! It's rainin'!”

Mrs. Rich's eyes went wide. “Raining?!” she asked, running out.

Applebloom looked to Diamond. “What is with that accent of yours, anyway? Your family weren't cowponies.”

Diamond snarled back. “Where's YER accent? Yer family WERE!”

Hehe, I'm tempted to get some popcorn, this is going to be fun.

To Be Continued In Legends From The Dark Side of the Mirror

Comments

[Comickook]

Hey there. Thanks for getting this bonus chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. Love the introduction (in your continuity) to the Mirrorverse counterparts to the CMC and Diamond Tiara. The exchanges, emotional content and humor are all well done in all the right places. Also, the stuff about the show being on for so long that the writers ran out of ideas is a nice little (possible) Leaning on the Fourth Wall nod to how long the canon series has been running. I'll definitely be looking forward to your next Mirrorverse story as soon as time and inspiration will allow.

[Alex Warlorn]

7022169

They haven't run out of ideas until the rest of the mane six get to be immortal too.

[ShadowLDrago]

7022229

I doubt that. With all the hassle that was ascending ONE of them, do you really want to real with the fandom drama and reprecusions of 5 MORE Twilicorn fiascos?

[Alex Warlorn]

7022659

I love everything the fandom hates, and hate everything the fandom loves anyway.

[ShadowLDrago]

7022719

So by that logic, you're a contrarian. That explains, SO much.

[Alex Warlorn]

7022721

;-;

[ShadowLDrago]

7022734

Don't give me that, I'm just saying, by your own logic, you are a contrarian. Your logic, don't blame me.

[Comickook]

7022229 Yeah. Or when Celestia and/or Luna actually get to defeat a major villain or monster ON THEIR OWN for the first time in more than a thousand years as opposed to making Twilight and her friends do the dirty work and/or getting Worfed when they actually DO try to handle it themselves.

[howard035]

So Apple Tiara, Meanie Belle, and I can't place Scootaloo. Anyway, I've always wondered about an idea like this, with Apple Bloom and DT switched, so I can't wait to see the sequel.

I hope we get to see some of Empress Cadanza and Shining Armor too, the last two chapters have really made me wonder about them.

[GrimWolf]

7029840 It may take a while to come out. But we have plans to give those characters the depth and growth they deserve as main antagonists.

[Eruantalon]

7022229 7022659 I think the rest of the Mane Six should ascend, yes, but only as the grand finale to the last season. Anything else would create far too much drama and change the series far too much.

7031202 I'm looking forward to that!

[DracoDarastrix]

It was interesting to read the sequel. I hope you write many more stories about the mirror verse. You seem to have a niche for it.

[GrimWolf]

7525407

I'm very glad you enjoyed our story.

And I hope you also enjoy the bonus chapter and the sequel "Legends from the Dark Side of the Mirror"

[Godiswithus3]

Damn. Can't believe this is finished, too many loose ends that need to be tied up and I notice that the sequel is not finished. *sigh* great ride.

I don't like Applebloom. She really presses the wrong buttons on me.

I can very much sympathyze with Sweetie Belle and I like Scootaloo a lot. Nuff said I can say.

[Rune Soldier Dan]

This was a very, very good read. It trod from comedic, to sad, to sweet, and brushed so many ongoing issues with this band of misfits I find myself eager to see what happens in the sequel. Thank you for writing this.