“What are you doing here?” Scootaloo asked.
“Close the door.” Rainbow said.
The shock faded, leaving an aching anger behind. She’d seen Rainbow Dash several times since that night at the clubhouse, but seeing her now, eyes full of anger, brought Scootaloo’s own anger back. Rainbow Dash had been the first to learn about Scootaloo’s situation, but rather than helping, or at least staying out of it, she’d gone to the orphanage and arranged for them to take Scootaloo away. In a single thoughtless action, Rainbow Dash had almost taken away everypony Scootaloo cared for.
Scootaloo turned her snout up in stubborn defiance. Who did Dash think she was, coming in and ordering Scootaloo around? She’d leave the door right where it was.
“Close. The. Door.”
The door clicked softly as Scootaloo eased it shut.
“Come here.” Rainbow Dash’s voice was calm, free of anger or the promise of violence. She was past that. Miles past it. Scootaloo shivered and edged closer, her defiance wilting under the cold glare.
“The princess.”
“What about her?” Scootaloo tried to mimic her idol’s calm, but her voice cracked on the last word.
“I know how it works. Once you’ve used the element, you can’t just go passing it around to anypony that fits the bill.” Rainbow’s calm shattered as she snarled, “You turned the princess to stone!”
Scootaloo fell back from the sudden rage.
“You lied to use when we were trying to help you. You used us. You betrayed everypony!”
“I don’t care about them!” Scootaloo screamed, surging back to her hooves. Dash flinched in surprise, not expecting to have her anger trumped. “I don’t give a flying feather about what anypony else wants! I care about me!”
Scootaloo’s wings came up aggressively as she marched forward and simple knocked Rainbow to her haunches. “My parents died. I was torn away from my friends, my family, everypony who cared about me. They put me in a dull gray prison where I was bullied and picked on. The only pony who cared about me was me.” Scootaloo jabbed a hoof at Rainbow Dash. “And when I finally got out of there and found some real friends, you tried to send me back!”
“I—” Rainbow Dash started, but Scootaloo wouldn’t be stopped.
“Of course you don’t understand. You’re the great hero of ponyville, saviour of ponies on a daily basis, the universe’s gift to ponykind, but I don’t care what happens to anypony else. I’m done with the cold nights. I’m done going hungry. And I’m done being alone.” Tears began to fall down Scootaloo’s face as she shouted.
“And if I have to change the world to get what I want, then I’d do it again twice as fast!”
“You stupid little foal!” Dash snapped, swatting Scootaloo’s hoof away. “Do you really think you’re the only pony who’s ever gone hungry? That you’re the only pony who’s sat up at night, aching with loneliness?”
Scootaloo stumbled back, blinking through her tears.
“I know it hurts. But nopony else is selfish or arrogant enough to think they can change the world just to make themselves feel better. Do you really think any of your friends would have just forgotten you? I was just trying to get you off the streets. I was only doing what nopony did for me.”
Scootaloo’s retort caught in her throat.
Rainbow’s voice dropped to an angry hiss. “I had to drop out of flight school and get a job just to get by. Never let anypony know about it. But it never even crossed your mind that somepony might know better than you.”
“Rainbow, I—”
“Save it! You chose your friends, go tell your sob story to them.” Rainbow turned away.
“They care about me too. All Discord wanted to do is help me!”
Rainbow spun back to her. “How stupid can you be? Discord manipulates everypony he meets. He nearly tore apart my friends. He had the changeling queen lock Rarity in a basement for a week and sent Princess Luna nightmares until she panicked and stole the elements. Do you have any idea what kind of ponies you’ve sided with?” Dash made a sound of disgust and turned toward the back of the room. “We’re going to find the elements and stop Discord. For your sake, I hope I never see you again.” Dash marched out onto the balcony and flung herself into the open air.
Scootaloo watched her go, a cold weight in the pit of her stomach. Rainbow Dash was supposed to be the embodiment of Loyalty. Some small part of Scootaloo had hoped that her idol wouldn’t believe... that she’d still...
What did Dash know anyway? She was just a stupid adult, always thinking she was right. She’d never even stopped to ask Scootaloo what she wanted.
Dash was wrong about Discord. He’d been there for Scootaloo since they’d met. He’d never do anything to hurt her. She hadn’t heard about Chrysalis locking Rarity up, but it didn’t surprise her. The changeling queen was evil. It didn’t mean Discord had ordered her to do it, or that he even knew she had.
Still, why would Chrysalis want to...
“Spike!”
Jeez man slow down, you're gonna burn yourself out at this rate. I couldn't stand it if this stopped.
I agree with TheLocoPony although he is loco you been posting a lot of content in a short amount of time and although it's great you still ned to take a bit of a break.
If you can keep it up, I'm all for it. And I just realized something. Scootaloo is the Element of Betrayal, never said who she had to betray...
1058658>>1058681
Discordant has been finished for about two days. I'm only spreading it out as much as I am cause I'm evil.
Lengthen the chapters! and slow down before your hands get a cramp!
And once again my predicting powers worked. I had been thinking for a while that Dash may have gone through the same thing that Scoots did(homeless, living on the streets, etc...) and this is almost how it played out in my head too.
Yay for updates though. I'm really liking this story.
WOW, talk about tough love moments.
Seriously though, I'm impress with how far you're taking this storyline in the course of 2 days.
Anyway back to the story....I got to say Rainbow ripped Scootaloo a new one and may have just destroyed the last bit of faith that Scootaloo had in her.
Yet, I guess in a way this story shows that neither Pony nor filly knows what the other truly wants in the end, huh ?
It seems that Scootaloo is getting a clue as of whom she trust, but will Rainbow Dash trust her again....I mean she is the Element of Loyalty, right ?
Please take your time and keep up the good work upon such a great tale.
DISAGREEMENT! Work faster typing slave! xD Jk, it's nice that' you're cranking these out, but slow down and take a break. Don't want to write so much in so little a time that your hands cramp up for a few days!
If they do beat Discord what will happen to Scootaloo and her fellow elements? Will there be a sequel about Scootaloos life as a villain?
1058696
NOOOOOOOO
fuuuuuuuuuuck so close to being first
1058696 Oh you cheeky bastard.
Still though, nice chapter
1058696
Are you dating Doctor Whooves?
While the “you can't change the world” argument is god on paper, the fact of the matter is that Scoots can change it.
Oh no, no no no. Your previous chapters were wonderful - but this one... this one just seems so trite and cliche.
Hell, scoot and dash's entire conversation can be summed up as; "My life sucked!", "Yeah? So?"... and that's just terrible!
Had Scoot given an argument that was better than 'my life sucked' and perhaps actually delivered some worthwhile barbs then maybe it would have been better but as it is she just seems to fold the moment Dash starts talking - which is kind of at odds with how assertive she's been and how much she believes that she's doing the right thing.
I love the fic, but this confrontation just doesn't seem to stack up with what I was hoping for given the strength of your prior writing.
1058726
In all honesty, Dash's past problems have nothing on Scootaloo's. Reading this chapter just makes me side with Scootaloo even more, because she's completely right and Dash's logic otherwise is completely misplaced and only weakens her point. So if anything, Scootaloo should lose faith in Dash, because she's being just as selfish.
Of course, I'm completely biased because I believe Scootaloo is best pony.
1058803
I DON'T believe that and I still think Dash is wrong.
Honestly, Scootaloo had the right idea of it to begin with, and even now I think that getting rid of the cutie mark system would be a good idea.
1058803
1058860
Personally i do agree with Rainbow Dash i mean sure she did kinda misplaced her logic and saying 'I was just trying to get you off the streets' instead she should've just said '' I had no idea what a horrible life you had in the Orphanage, I was only looking out for you because.....your my Number 1 Fan''
1058694
I sense a Plot twist coming up
You are the posting KING! The KING I SAY!
1058897 You seem to be mostly on your own there, almost everybody else wants Scoots completely evil, and I do too! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Scootaloo_lolface.png
1058696
... You devious bastard you.
i cant wait for more, please hurry up and finish this, the suspense is driving me CRAZY!!!... also, dat cliffhanger
Hmn, something just occurred to me. Why would somepony who is the Element of Betrayal betray only one side? Scoots isn't Loyalty, so why is anyone expecting her to stay loyal to Discord? Especially if she starts putting together the pieces of how he has been manipulating everyone else.
Personally I rather enjoyed watching Dash tell her off. I hope it started to knock some sense into her.
1)Okay, the speech between Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo doesn't work. Scootaloo is talking and arguing like an adult. Not like a little filly who thought she'd been betrayed and who betrayed everyone back. A child's accusations would be more basic, more blunt.
2) And so Dash knows what it's like to be an orphan? Grew up alone? So what's her excuse for grabbing the idiot ball? Her throwing her own tough life back in Scootaloo's face does nothing to win her points with me. She'd have to KNOW what the orphanage was like. She'd have to KNOW Scootaloo would be terrified of going back.
What's Rainbow Dash's excuse?
3) For all the BS Dash is throwing at Scootaloo about loyalty, Discord is the one who fed her. He fed her and sheltered her and protected her-- something nobody else did, or could bother to. Scootaloo is what, eight or nine years old? What child that age wouldn't throw their trust to someone who fed them when they were starving? Who should she trust--- the adults who weren't there for her, or the draconequus who was?
Dash, on the other hand, was too busy fluffing her own ego to notice that a filly that practically worshipped her was starving and freezing on the streets. She did nothing for Scootaloo but squeeze her for more praise...... And then toss her back to the timberwolves because she didn't want to take responsibility for a filly.
no, in case you haven't guessed, my sympathy is not with Rainbow Dash at this moment.
4) I have a rather cunning guess as to what Celestia meant when she said what she did about Scootaloo. I can also guess what Scootaloo's mark really is from...
Cutie Pox.
Or rather, Discord gave her his own home-brew variant... just potent enough to give her one, and only one cutie mark. Remember how when Applebloom got her case of the Cutie Pox? Every cutie mark she got, she was uncontrollably compelled to do whatever special talent that cutie mark represented. Discord gave Scootaloo a Betrayal cutie mark... and she doesn't even realize it, but she's being compelled by it to betray her friends.
Which is what Celestia meant when she said Scootaloo never had a chance....
It was a day or two before Applebloom got her second cutie mark. I wonder if Scootaloo will be getting a second one soon.
And I hope they have one of those flower seeds handy....
Dash is right about Scoots being selfish but the question at this point is does she care? She certainly doesn't seem to mind other ponies having problems at this point.
1058803
I agree completely, so I should point out that she did lose faith in Dashie. Which makes her characterization a lot better. She really believes in her cause, but has looked up to Dashie as an idol until now so she just. Couldn't stand up to her. But now...
1059060
I think thats kinda the point of Scootaloo's Character you cant really deem her 'evil' because didn't have a good life then Discord comes and pretty much offers her everything on a silver platter so of course she accepts his terms.
I pumped out 5 chapters in a day once, I want 2 more chapters by the end of the night!
1059060 The thing is Scootaloo never made it publicly known that she was an orphan. Nobody knew she was going hungry and sleeping in the clubhouse until the events of this story. She also never told anybody how bad the orphanage was. Rainbow Dash contacted the orphanage because she thought it was better than what she had as a filly. Instead of explaining that the orphanage blows, Scootaloo ran off and aided Discord. Dash's point was that Scootaloo turned against everyone, thinking that all her friends would abandon her based on the words of a guy who's known to manipulate ponies.
I'm going to throw in my two cents.
I have to honestly wonder how old Rainbow Dash was when she had to live in the streets. If she does know what kind of environment an orphanage is, that leads me to think Rainbow was at least in her early teens when she was in the streets. Scootaloo is less than ten. I also don't think she knows just long Discord had to work on Scoot in order to eventually make her the Element of Betrayal. Except for Spike, all the other elements only needed him to work on them maybe a day. Spike took Chrysalis disguising herself as Rarity and telling him dragons and ponies can't be, in order for Discord to even begin work on him. Discord took months to get Scootaloo on his side as well as actually demonstrate how much he 'cares.'
I hope really does live up to being the Element of Betrayal. She betrayed Rainbow Dash, the other Element of Harmony and Celestia. What's to stop her from betraying Discord (knowing him, he will see the irony in the and laugh himself silly before he is turned back to stone.)
1058803 (this also applies to 1058726 1059060 1058860, but to a lesser extent)
You can't really say that, can you? Dash hasn't said anything about her past, except that she too was on the streets. So for you to say that Dash's past has nothing Scootaloo's is completely unfair. Additionally, what you want isn't always what's best for you. So one orphanage was hell and you don't want to go back to an orphanage. Shouldn't you trust your friends, especially the Element of Loyalty, not to mention the other Elements, to find an orphanage that actually cares about the orphans? Or better yet, trust them to find foster parents that actually care about their adopted children? Not all orphanages and foster parents are evil. Scootaloo is blinded by her past experiences, which, though understandable, does not make her right. She was entirely in the wrong for thinking Dash was just going to throw her back into a horrible orphanage that let mayhem rule the place.
1059519
Except Rainbow dash COULD have adopted scootaloo herself, but just planned to write that responsibility off by sending her back to the orphanage she came from. Rainbow said she had to drop out of flight school to earn money, but that means she would have to be OLDER than Scootaloo to get any real sort of job! So Rainbow argues that she knows how its been for her simply because she had some money problems when she was younger? It doesnt seem she knows a fraction of what Scootaloo has been through! She was the first in her class to get her cutie mark! She is the fastest flyer in her age group! She is the fricking hero of her community! Scootaloo was alone and mocked for having no cutie mark or being able to fly. No one ever cared about her or tried to stop what was done to her. Maybe Rainbow should have asked herself why scootaloo would live on the street starving, rather than go back to that place?
Spike? Spike what?
1058696 You evil, evil author!
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzyjgc6NAk1r22t8yo2_r1_500.png
Hmm, good? yes, i will go with that, this is amazing (Ha it was another word!) BAd still getting better (I still don't get it)
1059060 Feels like that's the way this should go, to me, but... ultimately it is ezra09's story. *shrug* Also, for Scootaloo:
Use-->us
Meanwhile, in another dimension...
Scootaloo's anger had reached its peak. So, she put her hooves together, and all of a sudden, Dash found herself being restrained by the curtains that hung on Scootaloo's window.
"You wanna know something, Rainbow Dash? At first, I was TERRIFIED of you when you suddenly showed up here!" Scootaloo said, laughing, with a glint in her eye that Rainbow had never seen before. "But then, as time went on, and you had the sheer, unmitigated gall to sit there, and compare your life to mine, I just grew angrier, and angrier. You seek, Rainbow Crash. you wanna know how I got to be the way I am today? Well. here's my life story, straight from your soon-to-be executioner's mouth."
Rainbow started to say something, before Scootaloo put her hooves together again, and the curtains covered Rainbow Dash's mouth. "Ah ah ah, can't have any talking from the "big, scawy, Rainbow Crash, now can we?" Scootaloo said mockingly. "So, when I was a filly, say, no more than 7 or 9 years old, my loving parents decided to try and kill me, by abandoning me. Right on the spot! I know!" Scootaloo says, laughing. "Hilarious, right? Well, I survived that, and I would have continued to survive had you not shoved your unwanted muzzle into other pony's business."
"But no. You just had to go and give little ol' Scootaloo false hope that perhaps, just perhaps, if I showed undying devotion to you, that maybe, just maybe, some of that loyalty would be paid in kind. That maybe, JUST MAYBE, when the Element of BUCKING Loyalty learned that I was a homeless orphan, instead of sending me back to that hellhole of an orphanage, where I was doomed to never get adopted, because I couldn't bucking fly, that maybe, JUST MAYBE, that same Element of LOYALTY would adopt me. But, alas, I learned the hard way that the Element of Loyalty made a horrible mistake when it chose you, and that the only thing that you're loyal to is yourself. So, not only will you not be stopping Discord, but you will be a very nice addition to the new stone garden that I'm starting. Hay! You'll even get to see Celestia in there!"
She lets the curtain fall down from Rainbow Dash's mouth, and allows Rainbow Dash to speak her final words.
"But...I thought that sending you back was the only way!"
"Well you were wrong, weren't you, you failure of a pony. I don't know why I ever looked up to you in the first place, Rainbow Crash. In the few short weeks that I've known her, Gilda has been a much better influence on me than you ever have." Scootaloo says, before calling out "Oh Discord! I've got another failed pony here for you to turn into stone!"
Discord appears, wearing a sombrero. "Oh goody, Scootaloo! You're right! It is a failed pony, isn't it? Should we turn her into stone though, or should we just remove her ability to move about unless asked to go somewhere? I can see deep into your heart, Scootaloo, and though you are very angry at this failed pony, I sense that you want Gilda and her to be friends again and for her to be the mother that you never had. I can make it so, if you want me to."
Scootaloo replies with, "will it be willingly, Dissy?"
Discord replies with, "Of course it will, Scootaloo! You forget, she's the Element of Loyalty, remember? Sure, the Element itself made a mistake when it chose her, but I can fix that mistake!" Discord said, smiling,
"Yay!" Scootaloo said, before saying "All right Discord! Go ahead and do it!"
The end!
Meanwhile, in an alternate dimension from the one above,
https://youtu.be/lYaMA80PsDo?t=3m32s
If you're under 18, or aren't comfortable with sadism, only watch the link above. If you are, than meh? Yeah, definitely meh. Either way, the video from the link above is beautiful! IT'S ABSOLUTELY, TEARJERKINGLY BEAUTIFUL!
9173945
Good alternate scene