When a Rainbow's Tale Isn't Quite as Nice

With the Help of the Magic of This Pegasus' Device

I hate flashbacks. One minute your innocently flying along, thinking of a dear old friend's rebellion, the next minute your flat against a column because you weren't paying attention to your surroundings.

"Ow." I muttered, rubbing my head with my hoof while hovering by the column. That, of course, messed up my already messy mane, but I really didn't care. I wanted to get home.

I did my best to shake it off as I flew away from the column and back into direction of my house.

"Hmmm, what to do, what to do." I muttered while flying. To be honest with myself. It felt great to just fly for once. Despite what it seems, I never get to just fly around much. I had never realized that before. I never really appreciated the fact that I'm the only pony allowed to leave the factory.

It must be awful to have to live in that filthy place. Cooped up all day in the factory with the machine and stench of blood floating around, knowing that everything you do every single moment of the day if preparation to end a pony's life.

I stopped myself, something I had been doing a lot lately. What was I thinking? I also seemed to be asking myself that a lot as well. Was I beginning to despise the Rainbow Factory. What was wrong with me?

I seemed to be changing and not wanting to admit that I was. Something was different about me. It was almost as if I WANTED to do good. The thought scared me a bit. I can't remember the last time I was the good guy. I mean, I've saved Equestria millions of times before, but it was an all act. I hated it, right? The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

I shouldn't ever leave the factory! This place was starting to get to me. I had dyed my heart black long ago, but the roots are still red and their growing back in.

"Okay, that was the worst metaphor ever!" I laughed, but stopped myself once again. I was actually turning into her. I was turning into the crazy little kid I have to pretend to be. I was turning into that innocent fun girl who people love, who I used to be...who I still want to be.

Maybe I could be her, maybe if I told them about the factory they would still care about me and still be my friend. I mean if I found out that Pinkie Pie, I don't know, baked ponies into cupcakes or something and didn't want to do it anymore and was going to stop, I would support her. Of course if she was going to bake ME into a cupcake it would be a different story. The others I would do the same, because I don't care what they do, they're my friends, and I'll alway be loyal to my friends.

"No. I can't. I'm a monster! I'm loyal to the FACORY. They would hate me. I'd be killed. I'm loyal to the factory, loyal to the factory, loyal to the factory!" I repeated over and over again in my head, trying to brainwash myself. It wasn't working. I spoke louder and louder. Thankfully I was far enough away from any ponies so I wouldn't be heard.

"Loyal...to..." I sighed. Why was I trying to convince myself of such an easy concept. Why was I so torn?

WHY DID FATE HAVE TO CHOSE ME OF ALL PONIES TO BE LIKE THIS?!?!?!

I wanted to cry. My whole life was being thrown upside down.

I don't care about friends,

So why can't I leave them?

I hate being happy,

So why do I crave it?

I love the sound of other's pain,

So why am I blocking it out?

I loved running the Rainbow Factory,

So why do I want to leave?

I sighed and relaxed my wings in order to slowly drift to the ground. I officially hated my life. I felt like two ponies, one who lives in the darkness and loves the fillies' screams and hides from the light, and one who is happy and just wants to help out and be the hero.

No, I felt like I was acting out two lives, one where the mare  lives in the darkness and loves the fillies' screams and hides from the light, and one where the mare is happy and just wants to help out and be the hero.

Like a happy mask and a mad mask, but who is the pony behind it?

"Who am I?" I asked as I landed on the ground.

Now that is a silly question, but it is so hard to answer. Most say you are who you are when your around you friends and people who you love, but the truth is, you are who you are when you're alone.

No one would ever suspect the very element of loyalty to be betraying everypony. Not even her friends.

"I'm sorry for lying." I whispered.

"You okay, Rainbow Dash?" a kind voice asked. Despite the friendly tone, I still jumping into the air.

"Fluttershy! Don't scare me like that!" I shouted.

"Oh, im sorry, i'll just...let you get back to.." Fluttershy muttered shyly.

"No, it's fine, I'm just worried, I guess." I admitted.

"About Scootaloo?" Fluttershy asked. I tried to hide a look of shock. "She's been missing for a whole day now. I'm getting worries too."

"Yeah, that." I said.

"So, uh, why are in the middle of the valley? Shouldn't you be at work." She asked. I was impressed with her ability to create a conversation. She was getting better.

"You know, just thinking." I said. "Being a weather pony is SO boring! I mean, they gave me an hour to clear the skies above downtown. A whole HOUR! So I figured I could take a break before doing that."

More lies. I was beginning to hate myself more and more. I guess it's true that old habits are hard to break.

There was a silence for a bit. I waited for Fluttershy to say something, but it was Fluttershy...

"What do you think happened." Fluttershy questioned.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"With Scootaloo."

"Oh yeah, she probably took off for a bit. She'll probably turn up soon." I lied. I couldn't believe I was lying again! After I had just apologized, I was doing it again.

"I don't know. It's not like Scootaloo to run off like that. I talked to Twilight about-"

"YOU TOLD TWILIGHT?!?" I exclaimed a bit too scared.

"Um, yeah..." Fluttershy muttered.

"I mean, we really shouldn't bother her with little things like this." Was it possible it get worse at lying after being an ace at it for nearly twenty years?

"Well, I guess, but she's our friend-"

"And a princess! We can't bother her with missing ponies."

"But isn't that a princess's duty?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well, I guess." I sighed in defeat. "What did she say?"

"Actually, that's why I came here, I was looking for you and our other friends. Twilight wants to have a "elements of harmony meeting" or something to discuss the issue."

"Urg, again?"

Fluttershy nodded.

"Well I'll head on over to library." I said.

"Great! I'll meet you there when I gather up the others." Fluttershy smiled.

"Alright see ya!" I said and then took off towards the library.

This could end badly.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I arrived at Twilight's house first, followed by Pinkie and Rarity talking some party for upperclass ponies.Then Apple Jack and Fluttershy came a few moments later.

"Alright, now that everypony is here we can call this meeting to order. Today's topic of discussion: Scootaloo's disappearance."

"WHAT? Scootaloo disappeared? Like poof?" Pinkie asked, worried.

"No Pinkie, not like 'poof' just no pony know where she is." Twilight said after rolling her eyes.

"Oh, shoo!" Pinkie said, wiping nonexistent sweat from her forehead.

"Now, do we know who last saw her." Twilight said.

"Ooh ooh ooh! Pick me! Pick me!" Pinkie said, raising her hoof high in the air. I rolled my eyes, resisting the urge to facehoof.

"Yes, Pinkie." Twilight said with a tone of annoyment.

"It was probably Rainbow Dash because she went to Cloudsdale for that test thingy." Pinkie suggested. This time I did facehoof.

"Pinkie, just because I live in Clousdale, doesn't mean I see every single pony in it." I said. I wasn't lying, but it still counted in my book. I was deceiving them. That's not what an element of loyalty should do.

"So, Rainbow Dash didn't see her, what about you Fluttershy?" Twilight said.

"She and the other crusaders came to my house that morning asking for carrots so they could get their bunny trapping cutie marks, but that's the last time I saw her." Fluttershy said.

"Okay, what about you Apple Jack?" Twilight asked. Apple Jack snook her head.

"I saw her at the farm yesterday when she came to get Apple Bloom, but that's it." AJ said.

"Same goes for me I'm afraid." Rarity spoke up.

"And I didn't seen her at all today!" Pinkie exclaimed. Everypony looked at her

"Pinkie, she went missing yesterday." Apple Jack commented. Pinkie Pie gasped.

"That must be why I haven't seen her today!" She exclaimed. "Your good, Apple Jack!"

I felt like I should speak up before somepony else did.

"Listen, guys. This is ridiculous! I'm sure she just flew off or something! She's probably be back before we can blink." I stated, nonchalantly.

"I'm not sure, Rainbow Dash. She didn't say anything to anypony about leaving." Twilight noted.

"Yeah, and she's never done that before." Fluttershy said.

"Oh, I do hope nothing terrible has happening to her." Rarity dramatically sighed.

'Something terrible has already happened.' I thought.

Half of me wanted to scream at them that I was lying and knew exactly what had happened to little Scoots.

The other half (and more stubborn half) wanted me to lie through my teeth, and that's what I seemed to be doing.

"I'm sure she's fine." I grunted.

"Rainbow Dash, what's wrong with you today? Aren't you worried?" Twilight asked, concerned.

"Yea, usually ya freak out over every little thing with Scoot." Apple Jack laughed.

"Yeah! Remember that one time when you-" Pinkie began.

"I know, I know. But I don't think anything's wrong! She was fine the last time I saw her." I yelled.

"Then why do you think she ran off?" Twilight questioned.

All eyes were on me. The cold, uneasy feeling spread across me. I was in trouble. They knew I was lying. They could see it in my eyes. This was-what, the fifth time today I was lying? Were all my lies coming back to bite me one at a time now that I couldn't lie my way back out of it? Why was I such a bad lier today? The one day I needed to not be!

"Did she say something to you, Rainbow, Dear?" Rarity asked. I couldn't take the stares. I felt like I was going to fold under all the pressure; I've never felt like that before!

If any time would be a good time to tell them it would be now. It would seem a bit extreme to them, since they probably think she just told me a secret, not I killed her and turned her into a rainbow because that's what I do for a living.

"Well...." I trailed off. My eyes darted around the room, looking for a way out of this situation. Then I saw the time. I faked a look of horror, which wasn't hard since I was previously attempting to mask it. "Oh my gosh! I was supposed to clear the sky an hour ago! I'm gonna be in so much trouble! Gotta go!"

And with that final statement, I zipped out of the room and away for the gaze of my friends.

I sighed in relief as soon as they couldn't see me anymore. I angled my wings to slowly curve to the right in the direction of the Everfree. I needed to think, and I needed to be alone to do that.

It didn't take long to get there at the speed I was going. Defidently not fast enough to do a sonic rainboom, but faster than the average pegasus can fly.

I didn't go far into the forest so I wouldn't get lost, but far enough to be away from the rest of the ponies.

I landed on a branch of an oddly shaped tree, that resembled the one Zecora lived in, except much smaller.

I took a deep breath, and then let it out. I processed to bang my head serval times on the trunk of the tree.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid." I said each time. "URG! What is wrong with me today? It's like somepony put a truth spell on me but didn't do it quite right!"

I stopped banging my head on the tree since I was beginning to get a sever headache.

"What is this? Is it because I apologized for lying? Huh, 'Fate'? Do you want me to be evil?" I yelled. "Is this some sort of evil plot twist? My live isn't a TV show!"

Then, I realized I was screaming at sky...

I shut up fast and looked at the ground before remembering that I'm alone.

"Wow, I haven't been alone like this for years." I realized. "I'm never free to dictate me thoughts."

I used to do that with Dust Light. I would tell her everything, and she would have done the same with me, but she spent her life at the factory with me, so nothing much happened with her that I didn't already know about. There were some things about me that she didn't know about, but usually she found out.

She would always ask me about it, and she never really told me how she found out. I remember the time she asked me about Scoots...

"Hi, Rainbow." She greeted me in the same manner she did every morning.

"Hello, Dust." I mumbled.

"Something wrong?" She asked.

"Ah nothing, just stayed up late last night teaching..." I stopped myself before I could continue.

"Ah, her. So who is this mysterious and very lucky pegasus who is being trained to fly by a god."

"I'm not a god." I said.

"Maybe, but you are changing the subject." Dust noted.

I stopped.

"Her name is Scootaloo." I said and began to walk down the hall to my left.

"Well, that was easy." she smiled. I rolled my eyes. "Don't stop there! Go on."

"She's just a filly right now. Her wings are deformed, but I believe that she could still learn to fly if she used the Hummingbird technic."

"The Hummingbird technic?" Dust asked.

"Ah, yes. The Hummingbird technic. It's we're instead of flapping and gliding, like most pegasi do, one must flap their wings very fast in order to hover and move. It's hard to learn, only the most skilled of pegasi could do it. I think she can do it. She has to! I can't bare to think what would happen if..." my voice trailed off, but Dust Light knew what I meant. "But there's no need to worry. The kid's got talent, she'll make it."

Dust Light, suddenly looked sad. She stared into the distance behind me with a far away look in her eyes.

"I had an older sister once." She whispered. She turned and looked me in the eye. "She said the same thing about me."

"I'm sorry." I said.

"But don't worry. If her time comes and her face appears in the crowd to feed to the machine, I'll be right there with you." she offered.

I smiled.

"Thanks." I said.

I blinked, the real world surrounded me again. I hung my head and felt my eyes moisten.

"I'm so sorry, Dust. I should have listened to you!" I whispered.

"IF I LISTED TO YOU SCOOTALOO WOULD STILL BE HERE!" I shouted at the sky, a few tears falling down my face.

"One day, you will face one whom you love, and you will have to throw her into that machine." Her voice echoed in my head.

"Stop lying!" I screamed, still thinking no pony was around.

But this time somepony was.