The Ballad of Xyclone

Ponyville, Equestria, midday

As Xyclone leaves Twilight's library with Lyra and Bon-Bon for lunch, everypony says goodbye to each other and splits up. Even Twilight leaves to eavesdrop on Xyclone and Spike goes upstairs to take a nap. The library is completely empty. Suddenly, a few minutes later, the door to the library swings open again. A rose-eyed pony donning a ninja uniform then enters the dark library.

It's Rainbow Dash. She quietly sneaks over to the portal and walks into it. She soon arrives back in Xyclone's bedroom. She spots his laptop and dashes over to it, opening it up. "Okay, let's see here..." she says to herself. "'Rain...bow...Factory..." She fumbles to type as her huge hooves clack on the small keys. "Aha!" she says finally, clicking on the first search result she finds. "This can't be that bad..." Rainbow Dash says to herself, beginning to read. As she quickly reads, her expression slowly changes from excited to shocked. "'I did love you! But you failed me!'?" Tears begin to run down Rainbow Dash's horrified face as she continues to read. "''We find that the machine works better if the limbs are broken,' Rainbow Dash says menacingly'?!" Rainbow's face turns pale green with nausea and she begins to retch. "'Suddenly, the rose-eyed Pegasus bursts through the pile of ponies, her blue fur now the color of crimson'?!?!" Rainbow grabs a nearby garbage bin and holds it under her head. "Ugh...BLEHHH!!!" she groans as she vomits into the bin. "Who...ugh...would write something like this?!" Rainbow cries in between dry heaves. "This is terrifying!!" She vomits again. Then she continues reading. "''Any last words, you miserable whore of a foal?' Scootaloo groaned weakly. 'You have beautiful eyes.''?!?!?!"

Rainbow Dash loses it. She begins blubbering like a filly who just lost her mother. "NOOO!!!!" she wails. "NOT SCOOTALOO!!! WHYYYYYY?!?!?!?!?! WHO THE HAY WRITES THIS STUFF?!?! I WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO SCOOTALOO!!!!"

"R-Rainbow Dash? I-Is that you?" a voice says.

"H-Huh?" sniffles Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy, wearing the spy outfit Rarity had made for her when Trixie returned, looks at Rainbow Dash with a concerned look on her face. "A-Are you okay?" she asks.

"Here...g-get over here and read this," cries Rainbow Dash in between sobs.

"W-What is it?" Fluttershy asks.

Rainbow Dash sniffs. "J-Just read it!" she cries angrily, taking off her ninja uniform.

Pretty soon, Fluttershy has the same facial expression as Rainbow Dash. "O-Oh...m-my...C-C-Celestia..." she whimpers, her voice quivering. Fluttershy's sadness suddenly turns to anger. "W-Who?!" she shouts, her voice still trembling. "Who would write such a story?!?!" Her anger returns to sorrow as tears fall down her face like a raging river of heartache and pain. "Who would do this?!" she screams.

Rainbow Dash hugs her tightly. "I know, Flutters, I know," she says, her voice cracking. "We need to remember, though, this is just a story. This will never happen, okay, Flutters?"

"Oh, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy wails. "It scared me so much!"

"Shh...shh...it's okay, it's okay. It's just a stupid little story."

The two horrified ponies buried their tears in their embrace as they both continued to sob.

A short while later, they both return through the portal. They both look horrible. Fluttershy's mane is soggy and damp from her and Rainbow Dash's tears.

The same goes for Rainbow Dash, except her mane is slightly more unkempt. "We can't tell anypony about this, understand?" she says. "They can't know about this horrible story."

Fluttershy nods in agreement. "I...I've got to go," she says, removing her spy outfit. "I need to wash myself off. I'll...I'll see you later."

Rainbow Dash waves goodbye and waits for her to leave the library. Then she looks down. She begins to cry again. She runs out the door, tears streaming down her face. Rainbow Dash spots Apple Bloom alone in the middle of Ponyville and approaches her. "H-Have you seen S-S-Scootaloo?" she asks her, her voice breaking.

"She's over at th' Cutie Mark Crusaders Clubhouse, takin' a nap," Apple Bloom answers. "Hey, are you okay? Ya look terrible."

"No time!" Rainbow Dash calls back. Rainbow Dash runs as fast as her hooves can take her, forgetting that she had wings. The tears in her eyes begin to cloud her vision, but she ignores it. When she spots the clubhouse, she refuses to slow down. She breaks down the door and sees Scootaloo lying fast asleep in a sleeping bag. Rainbow Dash pounces on her, instantly waking her up.

"Rainbow Dash, what the hay?!" Scootaloo yells. "I'm trying to sleep here!" She sniffs. "Ugh, and why do you smell like sadness and vomit?"

Rainbow Dash pulls Scootaloo into a tight embrace. "Oh, Scootaloo, I'm so sorry!" she sobs.

Scootaloo just looks at her. "Um...what?"

"I'm so sorry if I ever did anything to hurt you!"

"Rainbow Dash, what the hay are you talking about? You could never do anything to hurt me! You're my idol! You're too awesome to hurt anypony!"

Rainbow Dash says nothing; she just beams and hugs Scootaloo tighter.

"What's wrong with you today?" Scootaloo asks.

"I just realized the wonderful opportunity that's been hiding right under my nose this entire time," Rainbow Dash replies, her voice delicate. "Scootaloo, I-I want to adopt you."

Scootaloo's jaw drops. "Wh...What?!"

"I want you to be a part of my family. Scootaloo...I-I want to be your sister."

"You really mean it?!" Scootaloo asks ecstatically. "For real?!"

"Yes, Scootaloo, I mean it. I love you, Scoots. You're like the awesome little sister I never had. I want you to be the awesome little sister I do have. I want to be by your side. I want to watch you grow. I've ignored you your entire life, failing to notice all the potential that you have. I see so much of myself in you, Scoots. I can't believe I've let this opportunity slip through my hooftips for so long. Well, no more! I never want to leave your side. Tomorrow, Scootaloo...I'll sign the adoption papers tomorrow."

"Oh, my gosh, Rainbow Dash, you're too awesome!"

"Don't tell anypony, though. I want to surprise them!"

"Oh, you got it, Rainbow Dash! I...I love you, big sister."

"I love you too...little sis." Rainbow's voice quakes as she speaks.

The two of them begin to cry happily, dampening the wooden floor of the clubhouse with their tears of happiness and joy.

"I'm so sorry, Scootaloo..." Rainbow Dash whispers silently.