Dark Spectrum: Public Enemy is a fanfic written by Bootsy Slickmane. Following the events of Mare-Do-Well, Rainbow Dash still finds herself being treated like a pariah, after getting assaulted by an angry mob at the marketplace, she’s had enough. Ponyville thinks she’s a villain, then they’ll get a villain.
Can be read here
Dark Spectrum Public Enemy contains examples of:
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Shining Armor and the Changelings, who in canon wouldn’t show up until the Season 2 finale.
- Apathetic Citizens: Nopony bothers to check on Rainbow after she gets attacked at the marketplace.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Changeling’s plan is thwarted, but Rainbow is still hated by most of Ponyville due to her actions as Dark Spectrum and has to fix all of the damage she caused and is on constant supervision, but her friends still care about her and promise to help her every step of the way.
- Break the Cutie: Rainbow Dash goes through a lot of pain, seemingly betrayed by her friends and then becoming a pariah.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Rainbow’s attack on her friends, they all go down quickly, the only one who attempts to fight back is Fluttershy, even then, she still goes down quickly, Rainbow is actually confused at how quick it took. Justified as they’re actually changelings.
- Easily Forgiven: Subverted, while the Mane Five and Spike forgive Rainbow, the rest of Ponyville does not.
- Evil Plan: The Changelings goal was to turn the Mane 6 against each other, they failed.
- Evil Is Hammy: Rainbow Dash.
- The Ghost: Chrysalis is mentioned but never appears.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Chrysalis, while she never appears psychically, is the one who sent the changelings to Ponyville.
- Halfway Plot Switch: After the changelings are revealed, the story focuses on the Mane Six stopping an invasion.
- Hero Antagonist: Spitfire, Soarin, and Misty Fly, who are only trying to stop Rainbow.
- Hero with Bad Publicity: Rainbow Dash is one due to ponies thinking she ran Mare-Do-Well out of town. She is still one in the end, but at least she has the support of her friends.
- Heroic BSoD: Rainbow Dash has one after she kills the changelings that were disguised as her friends.
- Immediate Sequel: Takes place a few hours after The Mysterious Mare Do Well
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: The Changeling that was disguised as Rainbow appears to show genuine sympathy to Rainbow Dash, telling her she has great friends who care about her. It only said it to guilt trip her into turning herself in.
- Kick the Dog: The marketplace ponies refusing to sell anything to Rainbow Dash. later subverted, as they’re actually changelings.
- Morality Pet: Tank, Rainbow still loves and cares about him.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Rainbow breaks down in tears after she seemingly kills her friends.
- The Reveal: Rainbow’s friends in The Mysterious Mare Do Well were actually Changelings, the real ones were in Canterlot with who they thought was Rainbow but was actually a Changeling disguised as her.
- Sanity Slippage: Rainbow Dash gets more unhinged after her friends seemingly ignore her villainy, going from wanting to humiliate them to wanting to kill them.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: Changeling Fluttershy expresses its desire to see Twilight dead and mutilated. Rainbow socks it in the face, knocking it unconscious.
- Then Let Me Be Evil: Rainbow becomes a villain after being treated like a pariah and getting assaulted at the marketplace.
- Villain Protagonist: Rainbow Dash.
- Walking Spoiler: The changelings it’s impossible to bring them up without spoiling The Reveal.
- We Can Rule Together: Rainbow wants Spike to be her sidekick, but he refuses.
- Wham Episode: Chapter 7: A Night of Wonders, Rainbow’s Sanity Slippage reaches its breaking point and she destroys town hall. Spitfire, Soarin, and Misty Fly arrive to stop her, and she gets into a fight with them, resulting in all three Wonderbolts getting severely wounded. After she defeats Spitfire, Rainbow decides she’s going to kill her former friends.
- This is followed by Chapter 8: Vengeance, where Rainbow attacks and kills her friends, only for them to turn into changelings after their deaths, with her real friends showing up immediately afterwards.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Twilight’s friends call her out after she uses a mind control spell to interrogate the changeling.
- Bon Bon calls out Lyra who’s actually a changeling after she punches Rainbow in the nose.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Rainbow doesn’t hurt Spike after he turns down her offer to be her sidekick and vows to stop her, instead dropping him off in a bush. Later subverted when she decides to send a huge rainstorm onto Ponyville, she knows Scootaloo might get hurt, but dismisses it as collateral damage.
