The Rainbow Factory

"Damn it! Can YOU HEAR ME!" a blonde dark blue earth pony said as he slammed a hoof upon a table within his office, being filled with paper work of all kind. "I said the V8 HAS to be done within the week... Not a month, not a year. A week! If you can't simply do it, then I'll send your bloody life down there with others and get a replacement who can!" He continued, glaring down upon a pegasus, frightened to death right now and was wearing a lab uniform around himself.

Upon realizing his death, he nodded softly. "Yes sir, it shall be done within the week!" He said quickly as the blue one smile softly, sitting down.

"Good. Now GO, and let me get back to my work." After those words, the pegasus quickly walked out of the room, shutting the door on his way out. The blue pony looked down upon his papers on the desk, reading them. They were files of a few families living in Cloudsdale and he was looking for something specific within them.

A knocked came on his door and he pushed a button on his desk to open it, revealing a light greenish pegasus with green and yellow mixed hair. "Ah... Glaze... What is it now?" The blue one asked, looking at the pegasus who is now entering the room.

"Sir. I'm here to inform you that we are out of supplies for our machines and will be unable to supply rainbows within the day. Might I ask if you've found a new supply source to collect yet?" Glaze asked, standing in front of the desk now.

"Well then... I've been looking for quite some time but it seems like nopony within Cloudsdale is considered 'useless' anymore." The blue pony replied, thinking for a moment to himself before adding, "But I think we can, so to say, change the meaning of a word so we can have a supply. Don't want to leave Equestria without rainbows; and getting unwanted attention here... Right?" Glaze nodded softly to that as the blue pony quickly put some files into a folder then hands it to Glaze, who held it in his mouth for a moment and moved the folder into his side pocket of his lab coat, which are worn by the workers to keep themselves clean on the job.

The blue pony smiled once again and said, "I think you know what is in those files... Right?" Glaze nodded softly upon hearing this.

"The supply." He said softly then turned around and left the room without any other words, as he knows what's needs to be done.

"Now that's done, I can watch the fun down below." The blue one said, turning around and walking up to the back wall of his office, where a window is which allows him to see down below...

As expected, the last of the current supply was just about to be used. Two pegasi, both in their suits and wearing goggles, was escorting another pegasus behind. The other was quite young looking but had plenty of scars and bruises, showing signs of beaten and misuse. The pegasus was obviously female, due to her snout, and was a yellowish color with a bright light purple hair. Her wings looked broken, probably to keep her from trying to escape, and her cutie mark lies untouched, being a pen and paper. She was also chained to something being held by the workers, so that she was forced to walk with them.

They all got to a giant machine, where a section of it had a metal platform big enough to hold a pony laying down. The workers took the captive pony, undoing the chains and then she willingly went up onto the platform, getting help from the workers to do so. Once on, she laid down and then was hooked up to the platform, so she couldn't move. The two workers back away now then looked up to a platform sticking out of the wall. Part of a walkway that goes around the whole area, however, this part lies levers and buttons of all sorts, probably the control system for the machine. Standing in front of it was grey blonde pony who didn't had a tail and had robotic wings, instead of normal ones. The two below nodded toward this pony who simply raised a hoof and pulled the lever, with no emotion of any kind upon his face...

The platform holding the female pegasus moved down machine as she just sits there, crying softly to herself. Part of the machine lowered down, revealing a giant knife of some kind which then was used to slightly cute into her but also missing anything important, as to keep her alive. That was when she begun crying out loud as she feels her own blood splashing around slightly. The pony controlling the machine hit another button, which had the knife-arm be raised back up as another lowers itself, a needle of some sort. The needle-arm quickly stabs deep into the cut wound, then begun it's magic.

It begun to take out a strange liquid, which is also mixed in with some blood. The more it takes out, the greyer the victim gets. Eventually, the victim was fully grey and her cutie mark gone, she laid there crying softly and weak... Unable to do anything at all but also showing sign of not caring anymore. Once the needble-arm raised back up where it was, the machine slowly moved the platform toward a giant furnace at the end of the room. Raise it was there, it unhooked the pony then slowly began to raise until she slid off and down into the pits of the furnace. Once that happened, the platform was brought back to its original place and the furnace's doors closed...

Glaze finally came into the room then, looking at the two workers who were watching the whole events. Glaze nodded a bit then turned around and left as the two workers quickly went right behind him, knowing what the nod meant. The blue pony also left his office and was heading toward the food hall, as it was time to eat after watching a show. The grey pony, now left alone, continue to stand there, watching softly as he stared at the furnace. Then softly to the metal platform, which the pegasus was laying on, and looking at the blood stains upon it. His right eye twitched softly as he said to himself, "I don't know those eyes I've seen in the blood stained chrome." His voice was highly robotic, but he just sat there now. Quiet and watching the room; waiting for something...

It felt like an hour has passed as he still stand there, watching. Now looking at a poster upon the main wall that says "Don't Question! Listen, Obey, and Work!" His eyes still twitching softly as he moved his head around a bit, checking out the other parts of the place then finally he hears a door open. He quickly faced toward the main doors, watching as Glaze and the others returned but this time, they brought back three pegasus who were all hooked up. One was a white blank flank who had purplish hair and was flapping his wings and jumping about. Trying to break free of the metal bonds that are tight around him. The second was also male and was also trying to fight, though seems to be having a harder time at it. This one was a light grey color with a lightning bolt as his cutie mark. His hair was the color blue, matching his eyes. The final one was a mare who was white and had reddish hair. Her eyes was also blue and she had a book as her cutie mark.

That was when the blue earth pony finally came into the room, smiling at them all then gives Glaze the nod. "You sure? We should be good for awhile." Glaze asked softly, looking over at the blue pony who simply was using his hoof to point at the poster on the wall. Glaze sigh and nodded then hooked up the white male and the mare to the wall so they couldn't get away while they take the other male to the machine, who was still struggling. However, he failed to do much and the three pegasi in uniform was able to get him strapped down onto the machine. The other male was struggling still against his metal bonds as the blue pony laughed softly at him.

"I love fighters. Makes things more interesting when you break them." He said, grinning at the one he is talking to then that was when the grey pony got the nod and turned on the machine as the new victim followed the same path as the old...

The other male stopped his struggling as he watched the pegasus go through the process... From the cut of the knife, to the greying, and finally into the pit which can now be called his tomb. Once it was all over, the female left crying and alone as the male finally lose it and struggled with all his might. The blue pony laugh and just shrug softly. "Just taze him and get them both into cells." He said to Glaze who nodded softly as he used his mouth to pull out his personal tazer from his easy-to-reach pocket. The other two workers quickly went into action to holding down the struggling pegasus, both wearing protective gear. Glaze simply walked up to the struggler and leaned down and stab the pegasus with the electric end of the tazer, then turned it on.

However, instead of knocking the pony out, he begun to feel charged and was able to break free, releasing a minor, but powerful, burst to remove the shacklings around him and get the ponies off of him. He didn't knew what just happened though and stood there in disbelief of what just happened as his cutie mark finally appeared, a set of storm clouds. The blue pony smiled softly, thinking of an idea and softly stood in front of the pegasus who still is wondering what happened. "How about we make a deal... I mean, we both know you'll die fighting anyways and I highly doubt you want your mother to go through torment, right?" He said to the pegasus, smiling.

The pegasus finally sighed a bit and chilled down from that then looked at the blue pony and the other pegasi, who are all ready to take out his life in moments. He nodded a bit though after a moment and said, "Okay. I'm listening."

The blue pony smiled once again then let out his offer, "You stay here, with us, as a worker; and not a supply... And we can promise that your mother can live freely... What you did just now can be of use to us, you know."

After a few moments of thinking, the white pegasus finally said to the earth pony, "I just saw my own father's death and you think I'll just work with you guys?" Then he sighed a bit, knowing something, and added, "But you are correct; fighting will means my death and my mother will have the same fate so I'll do it as long as long you stay true to your saying."

The blue pony nodded softly, "Don't worry... I will. Now mind if I ask, what is your name?" He asked the white pegasus, happy to hear he'll be gaining a useful tool.

"Storm." The pegasus said, staring at the blue pony with angered eyes.

Storm was sitting down in the food hall, eating once again after days. Glaze was sitting right by him, looking at him curiously as he said, "Good you are finally eating." Storm sighs a bit and nodded. It hadn't even been a week and he was still having issues of doing these things... Being here as a worker of the Rainbow Factory.

The blue pony walked past the two, holding his own plate of food in his mouth, and headed upstairs, and out of sight of the workers who have to eat in the food hall. Then Storm's ears perked a bit then looked at Glaze. "Any idea how an earth pony is in charge of this? Let alone being up here?"

Glaze stopped for a moment and shrugged softly. "I actually don't know..." They both blinked a bit as they think about it for a few moments then quickly went back to eating...

Though they, like many, don't know the story of long ago... When the Rainbow Factory had a strong light blue stallion with dark bluish hair as the headpony. He was the first, and last, pony that was allowed to actually leave the factory as he was trusted in with that from his superiors. So every night, he goes back to his home down below on the ground where he was married to an earth pony and had an earth pony as his son... His son being that same blue pony that leads the factory currently. One day, as the father was getting ready for work, the son decided to 'pull a trick' and hide within his father backpack. Once the father made it to the factory and into his office, that was when the son 'surprised' his father, not knowing the rules for all others who entered the Rainbow Factory... One being "Once enter, never leave". From there on, the son was forced to stay within the factory and since he was an earth pony, he could never leave the factory even if he wanted to as once he steps off the metal, he'll fall to his death. The father's ability of leaving the factory was removed that day and later that night, his wife 'disappeared'. From there out, the father and son lived together in the factory as the son grew up being around that all his life... Once the son was of age and the father was gone, he became the headpony of today...

In the dark of a room at night, two eyes begun to glow a light. A yellowish color came from them as a robotic voice, barely heard, mumbled "Awake... Awake!" but then it went dark and total quiet for the rest of the night, no longer did that happened again as all the workers slept silently in the room right by, for this dark room was the 'bedroom' for the robotic tools and the room nearby was the bedroom for all those living and working in the factory.

"We need to do something about our 'Rainbow Factory'!" One stallion said out loud as he looks at his fellow workers in the meeting. They were all pegasi, each important pony for the city of Cloudsdale. The one who was demanding a change to the factory was the newest mayor.

"We're sorry, but it has to remains as such. It is part of a long contract." Another said, looking at the mayor who growled a bit.

"No! Do you realize what is going on? I will not allow this within my city!" Some of the other ponies at the meeting just watched and yawned softly.

"Mayor, we all know as it said specifically in our contract. However, we cannot simply change nor denied anything within it." The mayor slammed his right hoof onto the table they were sitting at.

"Then I'll let everypony know of this! This government is foul and corrupted... It needs to be stopped!" He said then quickly got up and walked out of the room as the others just shrugged softly.

The mayor quickly picked up his suitcase on his way out with his mouth then headed down the stairs to the exit however, he accidentally bumped into another pony and quickly apologized, dropping his suitcase in the progress. The mayor blinked for a moment then went to pick it back up again but then he felt a pinch of something and his eye sight begun to blur softly. He tried to walk again but instead, went down to the ground as Glaze stood behind him, looking at the needle on his side. "Sorry Mayor but not every leader is fit to rule you know." He said, quickly getting the mayor onto his back and headed off... Glaze is known as the collector as well as the commander within the factory. He is allowed to leave only when called onto duty to collect unwanted or useless ponies, and he recently got a call directly from the factory's superiors about a 'leader pony who will cause trouble if not taken out'.

Everypony in the office that day did nothing and allowed Glaze to walk out with the unconscious mayor. Specifically, they helped him out of the back exit; used specifically only for emergencies. Later that day, news of the mayor's disappearance hits the papers, saying that it would be best to allow the others elect their own mayor until the 'true' one returns, which will never happen... The family members had to deal with their lost one now and all of them held onto false hope given to them.

A door swung opened as the headpony walked into the room, where the pony who was in charge with V8 waits. "So... Is it completed?" He asked, staring at his worker with uneasy eyes who only nodded softly and removed the covering to reveal a fully robotic pony of all sort. It was made of pure metal, no hair at all, and had jets on the side for flight. It also had all sorts of different tools and weapons on the sides. It's eye was just one line where eyes should be with a red light moving back and forth.

"I think you would love it. I've designed and crafted it the way you've asked; though I'm curious... Why all the weaponry requests?" The pony asked, standing as he looks curiously at the headpony.

"That is for myself only... But first, did you make sure this one isn't 'pony' at all?" The headpony said as he softly walked over to the robot, checking it out.

"Oh yes sir! I did not used a pony at all for this... Like you said, no brain. No heart. Nothing like that. It is fully mechanical and electrical." He explained to the blue earth pony who smiled and nodded.

"Good. Didn't want another H8..." He said softly to himself, grinning as he thinks deviously.

Glaze was standing in front of the machine, watching it and waiting. He was called for a private supply load that the headpony had requested, which he respectfully accepted. He turned around once he heard the doors opened and the headpony came in, with the mother that he promised to let live. "Sir, didn't you made a promise about her?" Glaze asked curiously, raising an eyebrow as the headpony laughed softly.

"Oh Glaze. When will you learn that nopony leaves or escapes the Rainbow Factory!" He explained, smiling softly.

Glaze blinked a bit then quickly added, "But what of Storm? He's been working here for quite some time and know many things about the factory that even I don't know, though only because of his strange ability... He could cause issues for us if-" However, he couldn't finished as the headpony stopped him.

"He will not find out." Then it went quiet for a moment but the following was added, "We share a responsibility here in Cloudsdale. Ours being the creation of rainbows no matter what the cost is, and I think this one here will be quite the supplier." Glaze nodded a bit, knowing already he should stay quiet and then he helped the headpony load her up, surprising she wasn't resisting. He must've had her locked up somewhere all this time doing something, though what that is nopony knows.

As she was loaded, H8 stands above watching and waiting for his moment. He knows what to do for it has always been his life, he thinks. Once Glaze gave the nod, H8 begun working the levers and buttons for this machine, sending the mother down the same fate as many others before. But, before she could be stabbed... He stopped it. "H8, I command you to stop malfunctioning and do what you are program for, and would you kindly happily smile about it." The headpony commanded, glaring right up at H8 who nodded softly and undo the action he had, continuing the process.

H8, however, mumbled once again to himself... "What cause do I have to feel glad..." Eyes twitching once again and the headpony below just growled a little and walked away once the machine was done. Glaze watched with curiosity though, wondering what is going on with that robot...

Meanwhile, Storm was in the generator room down below where the generators are at. They what run the whole entire factory and keep everything in order. Due to Storm's ability with electricity, he is able to stay within the room without being harmed at all by any loose electric wire or sparks. He sighs softly to himself as he sat there, watching. "I guess this is my life now... My responsibility that I have now doomed me here..." He said to himself, talking about that now he has to do this in order to keep his mother alive, though not knowing the lies that were given to him. He did, however, heard a loud female scream from above and was alerted immediately. "Mother?" he asked softly to himself but then brushed it off out of his mind. "No. I need to keep my mind clear of that." He said, sighing softly. Smiling a little, though a fake smile it is since his happy thoughts are not working as he wished them to be...

Storm and Glaze sat together once again during lunch hour at the food hall. Glaze, however, been quiet for quite some time, though Storm never knew why. However, Storm decided to get a chat going and asked him, "How did you end up here? Doing these things?" Glaze blinked a few times, stopping his eating motion.

Then he gently explained, "I was caught instead of my marefriend. From there, it was simple as yours... I did something to impress the headpony and was given the same offer... Though it was a bit different than yours at the same time..."

After explaining that, Storm smiled gently a bit at that then quickly asked him, "How was it different?"

Glaze sighs a bit and decided to just simply spill it, "I was the only one caught. With you, both you and your mother came together... And you know what they say... Once entered, never leave." With that Glaze decided to quickly get up and get going... Not even bothering to finish eating as Storm sat there, thinking for a moment then finally realized what happened that day.

H8 was standing in his usual spot once again as the workers below brought in the next victim for the machine but then something unexpected happened to him... He let out a breathe, then back in. Let out another and back... Before he knew it, he realized he was breathing and body begun to relax and tensed as he begun to feel the air upon his ears, mane, and face. Then smiled softly, thinking to himself: "I've Awoken." He looked down quickly then around the area, checking everything out for a quick moment to think of something. Once his quick thinking triggered an idea, he went into an action and hit the emergency shutdown button, which was there only when something extreme happens... The confusion it'll create will be perfect.

In matters of seconds, the whole place went dark and red blinking lights went off every as the warning sounds begun. H8 had already made a break for it as the workers, and the victim, panic for a moment. The headpony, who was watching H8 the whole entire time just turned to Glaze. "Hit the switch. I'll take care of this." Then he went off.

Glaze took a moment before realizing what was going on and what was asked of him and he mumbled a bit, "Why do I have to do everything in this factory..." and walked over to the turn-off switch to end the emergency mode and get everything back to normal.

However, H8 already had a head start and was running along the top railing and heading toward the supply entrance, which was left open due to all the confusion. The headpony came out of the doorway though and stand right in H8's way. "I knew you were gonna break... Oh well. Glad a replacement has already been made." He said then leaped himself at H8 who let loose his wings and manage to actually go a flight in the sky, having headpony landed on the hard railing.

"Sorry boss but I quit." H8 said and slam himself down onto the railing, snapping it in the middle with his weight and speed, having both pieces fall down with the headpony falling straight down.

However, two of the factory workers below was calmed enough and notice the fall and both quickly flew to the aid of the headpony as Glaze simply just stood there, watching everything. That was when Storm came into the room simply saying, "What's going on?"

Glaze laughed a bit then looked at Storm, "H8 has finally broke... Finally." He said as he smiled softly then looking up as the two workers softly put the angered headpony back down onto the ground softly. Meanwhile, H8 quickly used his wings to fly straight out, leaving the factory and finally looking around to see the fresh world before him but instead of going into Cloudsdale, he went straight down to be with the grounded world, already knowing how bad it is within Cloudsdale for now.

As the headpony begun ranting and yelling out about what just happened Storm and Glaze decided to sneak out of the room as Storm mentioned, "Okay. The wait is over. I'm going to part the plan into action... You did left the door opened, right?"

Glaze nodded softly as Storm said what was planned earlier, "Every day since we've made the plan. Kinda funny how this headpony never thinks about checking up on my things..." They both smiled then and went their own ways, Glaze went directly to the room where V8 sat, off. Glaze simply took a bag and put some of the pieces left on the table, including a voice changer used to allow the robots to talk. Then he was on his way, still hearing those rants and yells...

Storm went straight to the generator room and smiled softly. "Okay; let's hope this works as I wished for." He said to himself as he gently held his tail by the generator, absorbing some electricity and then, used his to tail to slash open one, causing it to malfunction and shake. Storm smiled a bit then turned around and ran for it as the slashed one continued to shake and then exploded from the burst of energy released. Once the first exploded, the rest begun to do so and within moments the whole factory went off with all sorts of stuff, scaring everypony as the headpony stopped his rants and finally gained a calm unimpressed face...

"Storm." he only said as the machines begun exploding everywhere, causing destruction. Everypony were screaming and running about, not knowing how to react to this for they always told to stay within the factory, even if it means death. The victim, however, took his own chance on finding an exit...

Glaze was waiting on a cloud outside, watching the site from afar then Storm finally flew out as fast as he can at the time and landed on that same cloud. "Loving the view?" He said as they both laugh then watch the end of a terrible part of their lives... The whole factory begun to collapse and pieces begun falling through the clouds and onto the valley down below and within minutes the whole entire factory ended up onto the ground down below, though just in time as the victim earlier manage to get out and was heading straight toward Canterlot, probably freaking out and getting help.

Storm smiled greatly after all of that then looks at Glaze. "I think the third survivor is gonna get the Royal Guards into this mess... I hope so. We really need harmony brought back to Cloudsdale after all of that." He said then stand up on the cloud. "Oh and see ya dude, I'm heading toward Ponyville. Sounds like a peaceful spot to live."

However, before he took off Glaze chuckled softly. "How do you know I'm a dude? I could be a mare."

Storm rolled his eyes. "Nice one." He said then flew out and away. Glaze just chuckled softly then finally took off himself...

Within the rumble down below, V8 climbed out with a big full bag behind it. The robot gently set it down and opened it as the blue pony climbed out, all messed up now with a hole in his ear and dusty. "They say I'm paranoid. They say nothing will destroy the factory... Well looky here... I guess I was smart for having an unicorn enchant this bag and for having this built." He said to himself, poking his robot friend. Then he looked into the sky, growling a little then stared quickly at V8. "Come V8, we have planning to do..." He said as he walked off with the robot away from the rumble and into another direction...