Chapter 1View OnlineMysteryChapter 1I sat in the top row of the crowd as I watched in awe at all the Pegasus ponies. I was at the Best Young Fliers competition. Then I watched the two last ponies go out. The one with the mysterious wings named Rarity, then the one named Rainbow Dash. I ignored the Rarity as she flew closer to the sun, I was to busy watching Rainbow as she hit into the cloud and miscalculated how fast she was supposed to go when she spun the clouds. Then Rarity started plunging toward toward the ground and I stood up along with everypony else and looked down as the wonder bolts tried to catch her. Then she did it. I watched as the beautiful rainbow maned pegasus flew down and caught them all while she did a sonic rain boom which everyone thought was just an old pony's tale. I cheered my loudest along with every other pony as we watched the rainbow fill the sky. Normally i'm stuck inside the factory making these. It was a delight to see one made that didn't come from an unsuccessful pony. I shuddered at the thought of my job. The murderous person I am on the inside and I can never let someone in. In fear that they will figure it all out. I have to get out of here but if I leave my job they will track me down and kill me. I watched as everypony including the princess crowd around Rainbow Dash. I turned just as one of my co-workers nodded his head at me telling me it was time to go. I nodded my head back at him and I started my flight to the factory. As I was in the air flying towards the factory all I could think of was that pony Rainbow and I wanted to be with her. I sat down at the edge of the cloud that held the Rainbow Factory atop Ponyville. I grabbed my uniform and slipped it on solemnly. Day in and day out I kill ponies and turn them into rainbows. I turned my head down and went to to the loading dock and watched as each pegasus chained and bonded together flew in with messy manes, and tear streaked faces. In a job like this you can't have a heart, but sometimes I can feel it try to break through the cage that I keep it locked in. I look and notice a familiar pony, I went to flight school with her. I remember her failing but her dad who used to work alongside me got her a second chance. She was never a good flier and now I guess that has caught up with her. I turned my head as I felt her pleading eyes bore into my skull. I had warned her so many times of this place but she blew it off as an old ponies tale. I switched to mixing the brew of the rainbows occasionally noticing the scarlet drops fade against the rainbow colors. I stared at the brew s a menacing reflection looked back at me of broken, heartless pony. I stared deep into the eyes and leaned over the side until I felt my body tip and just as my face felt the first of the plunge in to the pony mix. I beat my wings but the hardness of the rainbow settled over my body. I flailed wildly against the rainbow. I felt the emotions of the ponies who were sacrificed to make this. They overwhelmed me. They came rushing into me shocking me. First, fear, then surprise, anger, sadness, depression, and the strongest one of all hatred. I could sense it came from her, the one I should of saved. I felt my rigid body pulled from the rainbow. I shook and cried as someone wrapped a blanket around me . I looked at my hooves and looked at my wings draped over my body. Both covered in rainbow. I could still faintly feel the feelings from them. As I flew home feeling the stickiness still stuck to my wings I slammed the door and immediately took a shower, scrubbing trying to get it off of me. After an hour of that i was no use. I could still feel it and I sat there, as the water's temperature changed to cold and beat down on my back across my wings. I couldn't get up I looked across the room at the mirror and again the reflection changed to something i'm becoming, that I shouldn't be. I decided I was going to run besides the risk of getting caught. I rose up against the beating water on my back, and spread my wings shaking them off. I opened my eyes and stared at the fogged up mirror shaking my head. I shut the water off and walked out the shower. I dried my self off and walked to bed. I slipped under the sheets and closed my eyes as the images of all those helpless, useless fliers danced across my eyelids. At 6:00 am, I awoke as the sweat soaked my forehead, but now I can't even remember the dream the one that made me act this way. I knew I couldn't leave and I flew to the factory and all day I could only think of how much of a failure I am. I can;t even leave a stupid job. I return here to kill them everyday. I am my own reflection. That reflection is true. I flew out of there at the end of the day. I ripped off the uniform that has felt like the chains that holds those pegasis' fate. I felt my wings beat against the changing winds of the upcoming storm. I felt the wonderful cleansing rain beat down on me. It made me feel better unlike the shower water that had trapped me not freed me. I dropped down towards Ponyville and crashed into a brimming lake. I rose up out of it and shook my wings off. But it hit me, I have no where to go, I have no relatives. I sat on the bank and stared at the rainbow that filled the sky and thought of all the ponies. Only a worker can watch the reflections of the ponies in the rainbows an then I saw her there again. The mare from flight school and I knew this was the last time I would see her. I was kind of relieved. I walked around for a bit until the sky cleared up. I couldn't help but wonder how long it would take them to find me.. I know of only one factory worker who mad it out alive. But no one even knows if she is alive or not. She escaped, but they searched all over Equestria for her but couldn't find her. We all thought maybe she went into seclusion. I was walking through the alley when I heard a small sniffle then a heart wrenching sob. I turned the corner and saw Rainbow Dash, and I felt my heart rattle in its cage. I went over to her and put my hoof on her back hoping it felt reassuring. She looked up at me with her big, beautiful, brilliant rose colored eyes looked up at me. We stood there staring like that for a while as I could see the rim of her eyes constantly brim with tears then overfill and watched as they raced down her face. She said with a shaky voice," Who are you?" I let out a small sigh of relief when she didn't say go away and replied with,"I'm Mystery. What has such a beautiful pony so upset?" She let out a small giggle and said," Oh, you wouldn't understand. I'm not even sure you know about this. It's too dangerous." I said flatly," Try me." She looked a bit surprised that I still wanted to know, but she urgently whispered," Have you ever heard of the rainbow factory." She immediately clamped her hoof over her mouth as I turned my head trying not to let my emotions take the best of me. Instead, I just nodded my head. She said," Well.. well... um.." I cut her off and said," Just say it." She let it all out in a rush," Well my friend Scootaloo, she was the president of the Rainbow Dash fan club, and she was one of my younger friends, and about a year ago her parents sent her to flight school, and now her parents were sent a letter saying she failed flight school and she was being sent to the Rainbow Factory." I stepped back and said," Oh.." She started shaking with sobs again and I tugged her closer to me. She said after a while," I just don't know what to do. I didn't know how much she meant to me until now." All I could do was nod my head in understanding.
Chapter 2View OnlineMysteryChapter 2She looked at me with pleading eyes and said," We have to do something... I mean if you want to help." I hesitated for a second and din't know how to reply. I wanted to tell her I really did, but I just don't think it will come out right, besides I barely know her and i'm still on the run. I blurted out before I could stop it," Yes I will help." I clamped a hoof to y mouth immediately but it was too late her face had already filled with joy and then she was on top of me with her arms around my neck and she was repeating thank you over and over again. What have I gotten myself into now. She asked," How are we going to do this?' I said," I don't know but i'm sure we'll figure something out." I guess I will have to return sooner than I wanted to. I said,"I have to go we'll meet here in two days first thing in the morning." She nodded her head and flew off but I decided to have a little fun. I flew after her and caught up in no time because the size of my wings. She turned and looked at me her eyes saying,"Let's race." I nodded my head in agreement and we flew up towards Cloudsdale. We raced through the cloud hoops. We came to a stop on a small cloud, panting and laughing. I stared at her. She was so beautiful and amazing. She turned over after catching her breath a little and she stared into my eyes and I watched her as her mane blew around in the wind and she seemed to be coming closer. She was on top of me. She said," Ready for round two?" I smiled and she shot off but I was right behind her. I made it in front of her for about 2 seconds before I saw a rainbow blur shoot past me. By the time I caught her she was already on a cloud waiting for me. I made my way to the cloud as she sat there smiling at me. I flew to the cloud and sat beside her. She looked up at me and rubbed against my chest. I said," You know I let you win." She said," Oh really. Let's have our final match?' Before I could protest she was off and I flew uselessly behind just watching her flip and do tricks in the air but she was getting tired so I took advantage of that and I flew ahead. I didn't know where I was going but my surroundings seemed familiar. I watched as she slowed behind me and abruptly stopped. I turned around and looked ahead and stopped to. I dropped about 3 feet from shock until I caught myself. I sat on the cloud surrounding it and stared off at Rainbow Dash, who was about 50 feet away staring hard at it. I stared up a the Rainbow Factory and turned and looked at her she cautiously approached. She sat down next to me. I awaited for her to get mad. But instead she asked," What is this place?" I looked at her small body and looked at the building which seemed to be about 1000 times bigger than her. I answered," This is it." Instead of running which I thought she might do she looked at me curiously. I beckoned with my eyes for her to follow. She looked at me curiously but didn't protest. I listened to the shllow beating of our wings I took her to the top of the building and took her to the side where it's supposed to be the loading dock. We sat there and watched as pony after pony was pulled in watching the occasional one that fought against them byt failed. I was able to sit there stoically but I looked at Rainbow Dash who couldn't stop fidgeting. I could see it was taking all her might to keep quiet. I moved closer to her and looked at her with reassuring eyes which seemed to calm her a bit. Then there she was, the half grown filly named Scootaloo. She was obviously a fighter. She started bucking and was even gnawing against the chains. I knew this was going to be hard on her. I turned to tell her to stay calm but she wasn't there. How had I not noticed she was gone? Of course she would be gone. I looked down and she was already about halfway down to Scootaloo. I flew down to her letting my wings beat fast against my body. I caught up to her with about 10 feet between her and Scootaloo. I put my hoof over her mouth and dragged her up to the top. It was too late though. I looked at the little filly as she stared at Rainbow Dash. I looked at her with pleading eyes and trying to tell her I would save her all while trying to restrain Rainbow Dash. I made to the top and slammed her, a little too hard, against the rooftop. I put myself on top of her as she fought against me desperately. I stared at her hard, trying to plead with my eyes. I waited until her breathing slowed into little huffs. I made my way back to the edge. Scootaloo was already inside. I knew she had about 3 days if she kept fighting like that. They let the fighters suffer, for them to await their fate. I whispered to Rainbow Dash urgently," She'll be fine for about 3 days. Forget about the plans we made, meet me here." She looked at me and I knew I had said too much. I had said to much when I first spoke to her. She asked," How do you know she will be fine?" I guess now is the time to tell her. I sighed and started off with," Listen, I know this is bad. You will hate me for it. I know all of this but I want you to listen with open ears, and an open heart. Please, that is all ask of you." She nodded her head slowly. I said,' No. I need to hear you say it." She looked up at me and said," Ok. I will." I said it all," I work at the rainbow factory. I have made countless ponies into rainbows day after day. I have hated it so much. Today I didn't after work I was trying to run away from my past. I was going to start a new life, but about an hour of being on the run, I met you. I saw you at the Best Young Fliers competition. The first time I saw you I fell in love with you."
Chapter 3View OnlineMysteryChapter 3She stepped back and looked at me with her eyes brimming with tears and they overflowed onto her already tear-streaked face. I watched her pace back and forth for a while then she sat down. She cried and cried and I went over to her to comfort her but she pushed me off. She yelled," You monster. How could you do this?" She gestured to the line of shackled ponies. She continued yelling," I can't believe you. I trusted you and you're one of them. You're a murderer, a low-life, a nothing. You're worthless. I'll get Scootaloo myself. I don't need you." I yelled back at her," I was trying to help you. I told you I wanted to get away and I did. I was helping you wasn't I? Am I not? Because if anything I did this entire day did not help you then I'm clearly mistaken in even trying!" She stepped back shocked and yelled," Well how could you do that job? All you do is kill everypony?!" I replied," Because it was all I could turn to. I used to be a horrible flier they were going to turn me into a rainbow. They told me specifically into the blue part because my coat is blue, but I knew one of the bosses, he was my dad's friend and he gave me a choice. I either come work at the factory or in the next rainbow I will be blue. So I became a worker. I disconnected from my family and friends. I've regretted it ever since" She said a small oh and turned and walked to the edge and stared at the shackled pegasi and back to me. She started crying again. She said," I'm sorry I didn't know. I didn't know you were once like one of them. But if you failed your flight test and you were once such a terrible flier then how were you able to beat me in a race?" I said," Because when you become a worker they give you a taste of one of the rainbows and it gives you good flight." She asked," Do you think they will give that choice to Scootaloo?' I said," Probably not unless she has a relation with one of the workers." She asked," So she only has 3 days before they make her into a rainbow?' I nodded my head. She said," So I guess we'll met in Cloudsdale park right before you have to go to work?" I replied," I guess so." She flew away and I couldn't resist the urge to follow her. I flew alongside her and she didn't tell me not to so I stayed with her. I flew a bit closer and playfully knocked into her. She did the same thing back and we landed on a cloud and we sat there, staring at the sunset. I kissed her lightly on the forehead. She looked up at me and we kissed, hooked on to each other that only seemed like seconds but was probably way more than that. She pulled back breathless. She said still breathless," Come with me back to my place?" I answered her by following her. She arrived at the small cottage that was her and opened the door. I kissed her and we both fell to the floor still hooked on to each other giggling a bit. We made the way to her bed. She said shyly," I've never done this before. I'm not even sure if I want to do this." I said," I haven't either. I mean if you don't wan..." I was cut off as she was again kissing me and I kissed her back. I was on top of her and she was hooked on to me as we kissed.
Chapter 4View OnlineMysteryChapter 4I awoke to her messy mane tickling my face. I smiled up at Dash and got up. I quickly showered and dressed. As I wrapped the towel around my short mane and walked in. Dash said," So what are we going to do? Can you please go over the plan again?' I replied," When we get there, I go in and act like it's a normal day. You fly to the top level of the clouds. I will be at the loading dock you will be there. When you see me get there, you will mysteriously tumble off the roof of the dock and I will catch you. Take you to the imprisonment chamber where Scootaloo should be. We get her free. Then we go to Princess Celestia to get rid of the factory." She nodded her head and then we left. I turned back for a second and stared at the small cottage before we both crashed into the cloud and watched as it feel and crashed to the ground. instantly there was a crowd around it. We flew to the factory silently. I occasionally glanced over at her to see if she was even still there. When we got there I sat at the entrace of the factory and watched as she flew to the loading dock. I went inside and no one seemed to notice I was even there. I flew to the loading dock and stared out. I tapped the all 3 times listening as the vibration passed through the metal to the roof and Dash started falling. I immediately heard my boss yell," Mystery get her! Take her to the dungeon!" I bolted after her and when I caught up I shoved her against a cloud softly and kissed her then pretended to drag her back to the factory. I took her to the dungeon cloud. When we got int the and went through the corridors. We finally came to Scootaloo in the very back. She pulled back farther into the corner when she saw me but brightened a little when Dashie stepped out from behind me. She still didn't step forward. She was eyeing me cautiously. I opened the gate and went to free her when I felt my back and wings slam into the cold, hard granite wall of the cell. I opened my eyes after wincing in pain. There were two guards on top of me. I heard the blood- curdling scream tear, and pierce the air. I looked past the guards as Dash was thrown to the ground and they started chopping at her wings with an ax. I beat my wings hard against the wall until I had thrown the guards off of me. I kicked my co-worker off of her who was the one who went to the Best Young Fliers competition with me. I looked at him with hatred and picked the ax up and cut his neck. I threw Dash on my back and freed Scootaloo as fast as possible, But it wasn't fast enough I heard the hooves clop down the corridor coming closer and closer. I slammed the cage door shut and watched my boss's furious face and about 20 guards behind him holding axes and chains. I got the window open and we flew out as my boss fumbled with the key. They got in and again I had guards tossing me against the will but I felt Dash being crushed under me and I shifted and moved he out. Big mistake the guards went back at chopping her wings off and now they were wotking on SCootallo's too. I pushed them off of me and watched as they slammed into the opposite wall. I pulled everypony off of them and did my best to keep them off of them I threw Scootaloo and Dash on my back and flew out the window. I flew through cloud after cloud until all the buildings stated crashing. They were going a bit too fast and they made an explosion. No one got out of the wreckage. I flew Dash and Scootaloo to the hospital and watched as they wheeled them down the hallway on the gurney. I paced silently in the waiting room glancing at the clock every few seconds frantically. I breathed a sigh of relief when the nurse came out and said she would be okay both of them would be okay. I asked," Can I go see Dashie?" The nurse nodded her head and I followed her wanting to run ahead but I didn't know the way. She gestured at the door to Dash and Scootaloo's room with her head and told me to enter. I walked in and sat beside Dash and laid my head on her stomach listening to her shallow breaths. I couldn't help myself and I started to cry. She awoke. She said hoarsely," Mystery? Is that you?" I nodded my head against her stomach as I heard her breath a sigh of relief. I got up and kissed her lightly on the forehead and looked at her stitched and patched wings. I handed her a glass of water which she drank down eagerly. SHe turned her head away from me. I knew she holding something back. She said," I have to tell you something Mystery and like you told me I need you to listen with open ears and an open heart. Can you do that?" I nodded my head as the possibilities of what she's about to say to me raced through my mind. She asked," You know the pony that got away that no pony found? She escaped from the factory?" I again nodded my head. She said," That pony is me." I was shocked and said," Really? How did you escape?" She replied," Yes really. One night after everypony had gone home I was there late and I heard the screams from the dungeon of all the ponies that were stuck there. I couldn't take working there anymore and I wanted to leave. I had planned it months ago day after day going over it in my head perfecting it.I let all the ponies lose and went to the fountain of the final batch of the rainbow I dipped my tail and mane into it long enough to watch the original color evaporate into the small pond and when I pulled my mane out it was rainbow." I was shocked, but I didn't judge her because I worked there, too. I asked a stupid question," What made you leave?" She replied," I was tired of seeing so many familiar faces. Every night I couldn't help but hear the screams echo in my mind. It bothered me" I said," I know what you mean." She wrapped her arms around me and said thank you for understanding. The end for now
