He was running down a decrepit corridor. His body ready to give out at any moment. He could hear the snarling of the beasts behind him, but he didn’t dare turn back to look. His cuts were oozing blood all over the floor as he ran for his life. His metallic wings were twisted and bent at unnatural angles. He was ready to pass out, but the end of the hall was just a few meters away. With all the remaining strength he had he launched himself into the room and slammed the door behind him. With a few, shaky breaths he collapsed and fell into a light sleep.

He awoke to the sound of banging on the door. He quickly rose and slowly backed away, not once taking his eyes off it. After a few tense minutes that seemed to be hours, the sound finally died away. He released the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. After spending a few moments recomposing himself, he turned and observed the room he was in.

The walls were old, their original white color dulling with age. A large station with many monitors gave him a complete overview of the factory. The creatures were still rampaging, running amuck throughout the facility and killing all living beings they found. He hadn’t gotten a good chance to look at them before; but now he stood at the monitors, noting every little detail he could. Although he did the best he could, the poor quality didn’t allow him to see any of the details. Focus man! He thought. How was he going to escape? He had found all the evidence he needed, now he just had to get out in one piece. As the adrenaline wore off he began to feel his wounds weaken him. He studied himself and noted how much blood he was losing. It’s a miracle I’m still standing… He thought as he grabbed a first aid box and began treating his wounds.

After he was finished, he began searching the room for any means of exit. He saw the door he entered from, dented and ready to give out. Not going back out there. He thought. As he scanned the room he saw that he had no other chances. He sighed.
Alright beasties. You wanna play? Let’s play.

He quietly exited the room. He scanned the corridor ahead of him to see if there were any threats, he found it to be deserted. Finally! Something goes right. He thought as he sneaked to the end of the hall. He quickly peered around the corner before taking a right. As he continued to navigate the maze-like structure, he became paranoid. Every shadow he saw was a monster lurking in wait. Every sound instant death waiting to ounce on him. Eventually he entered a room and closed the door. He looked around. He was in a small room that oversaw the work floor. Oh Celestia… he thought, right back where we started… He looked around the room before collapsing into a chair, utterly exhausted. After a while, he decided that this wasn’t the best place to rest and began to leave. He was suddenly struck in the back of his head by a heavy object, immediately knocking him unconscious.

He awoke sitting in a chair, his hooves tied to it. The room was completely dark, except for a single light hanging above him. How ironic… He thought as he remembered how many times he used this exact setup to interrogate ponies. “Hello.” A sultry voice called from the darkness. “So glad our new friend could make it… I’ve been so lonely.” From the shadows, a Grayscaled mane slowly stepped into the light.

__________________________

Three weeks…

Three weeks had passed since she was shamed by Twilight Sparkle and her “magic of friendship”. Trixie had been struggling to get by, being run out of almost every town she visited. Looks like my reputation precedes me. She thought bitterly. She was currently living in an alley in outer Manehattan. When she had first arrived, it seemed like heaven. Street performers laid it out on the streets, earning more than enough bits to get by. She gave it a go and was well received at first. But as always, ponies began to resent her, ignore her, and sometimes were just plain rude to her.

She was taking a stroll through the city, deep in her thoughts when she saw a rather strange looking pony. He was gray, with a brown mane and tail. His cutie mark was an open eye. It wasn’t his looks that caught her eye, but his demeanor. He was slowly walking through a crowd, eyes open and scanning the area. He was obviously looking for something, maybe she should help. Like they helped you? She thought as she turned away. But before she could take a step her curiosity got the better of her and she soon found herself tailing the mysterious stallion.

As she followed him, she noticed that the crowd began to get thinner and thinner, the buildings more run-down and decrepit looking. She didn’t like where this was going. Oh pony up Trixie, she thought to herself, you’ve stayed in worse manure-holes than this. Eventually the mysterious pony entered a vacant building. Rather than risk being detected, she decided to teleport herself onto the roof.

Luckily for her the building was old and run down, she found a hole in the roof and peered in. She saw a strange scene unfold.

The mysterious pony was tied to a chair, with a single black eye. He casually examined the room with a smirk, “So…” she heard him call out, “Is that all the love you’re gonna give?” A pony walked towards him from the shadows. Trixie’s eyes widened as she say it was levitating a bat over its head. She was paralyzed, watching the scene before her and unable to move or even speak. The pony silently raised the bat higher over its head, ready to bring it down.

“STOP!” Boomed a commanding voice. “We don’t want him dead… yet. First we gotta get everything we need from him.” The pony lowered the bat to its side and settled for a solid punch to the face before retreating back to the shadows. Another pony stepped into the light. He wore a cloak that covered his body and a helmet that covered all his features. “Hello Open Eye..” the pony began, “Let’s have a chat.”

Trixie watched a brutal scene unfold. The mysterious pony began beating the one called Open Eye. Ruthless in his assault, the pony made sure every inch of Open Eye’s face was given punishment. Trixie couldn’t bear it any longer. She used her smokescreen spell and slipped in while everypony was confused. She undid Open Eye’s bindings and teleported the two to the back of the building. “Are you ok?” Trixie asked. Open Eye spit out blood before answering.
“Just fine. Could’ve taken em.” Trixie raised an eyebrow.
“Oh really? You mean if the Great and Powerful Trixie hadn’t come in, you would’ve been just fine?”
“Absolutely.” Said Open Eye with a proud nod. “It’s just that those guys were very important for reasons my boss didn’t tell me. I don’t know why, I’m obviously the best qualified stallion for the job…” He grumbled to himself. Trixie grinned.
“So you’re name’s Open Eye, huh?”
“Yes mam. And I’m assuming you’re the ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie?” He said with a mocking tone. Trixie huffed and stuck out her chest.
“Why yes I am. The Great and Powerful Trixie proved that when she saved your plot.” Open Eye laughed.
“I like you kid. Tell me, are you in need of a job?” Trixie blushed.
“Y-yes… I am…” She said, some of her haughtiness evaporating at the admission.
“Alright. Come with me, I think I have something you’d be interested in.”

________________

Six months…

Six months had passed since that day. A lot had happened, it still made Trixie’s head swirl just thinking about it. Open Eye was true to his word. He took her back to the headquarters of the publishing company he worked for, The Observer. They were… different than most publishing companies. For one, they only published secrets. Things that most companies and important ponies never wanted the public to know. Secondly, they usually acquired the information through informants, espionage, and sometimes interrogation.

As it turned out, Open Eye had reason to brag. After all, it was he that successfully infiltrated the Rainbow Factory and exposed the atrocities committed within it’s walls. And that was only part of his repertoire. He was also responsible for the uncovering of many governmental conspiracies and coups. All in all he was well decorated in his line of work.

He permanently retired after a fatal wound received during his latest mission. Everypony grieved his loss, and immediately turned to his prodigy, Trixie. She quickly rose through the ranks, receiving missions that were simply getting more and more dangerous. She had gone through several partners, each one lasting a few weeks at most before either quitting or getting KIA. One, however, stood out from the others. The world famous Daring Do… Trixie swooned at the thought of all the moments they shared. She was the perfect partner, a team player, always had Trixie’s back, was kind and caring but firm and commanding when she needed to be. She was a great friend, one that Trixie would do anything to get back.

Friend…

Trixie stopped as the word crossed her mind. Could this have been… She pushed the thoughts from her mind as she continued back to her office.

She stopped as she saw a folder with some of its contents spilled out. She quickly retrieved the folder and its contents and decided to do a little reading.

Codename: Grayscale Factory
Status: In progress

The Grayscale Factory is thought to be the center of an epidemic of a rash of disappearances of many ponies in the area. Many investigations have been made on the subject, but none have succeeded.

Late Operatives :
Twinkle
Striker
Ace
Equinox
Dusk
Moon
Speed
Discharge
Angel
Facade

Practice extreme caution when entering the area. Images show a highly defended perimeter. No information about the interior has been successfully retrieved. WARNING Strange energy readings have been originating from the factory. Beware any “surprises” that may be waiting. Full briefing inside.

She couldn’t resist, she had to know what secrets were so carelessly lost as well as why so many operatives had died for it. Once they hit a certain number, wouldn’t they stop and reconsider their tactics? Oh well… she thought to herself as she entered her office and closed the door behind her.

Watcher was walking through the office, wondering just how bad things would have to be before the Royal Guard finally stepped in. He decided to go to Trixie’s office to try to convince her to take a new partner. She kept refusing saying that “after her, I can’t take the losses anymore.” Oh well… He thought as he approached her office. He stopped at the window and felt his blood turn to ice. Inside he saw Trixie reading a file. He prayed he was wrong, but prepared for the worst as he walked into the room.

Trixie had just finished page four of thirteen and was about to take a breather when she heard her door open. She saw her boss, Watcher, walk in. He was a strong, built earth pony. His coat was green and his mane and tale were striped with a warm red and orange. His eyes were a dark orange and his cutie mark was an eye within a triangle. He walked up to her desk and looked at the file she was reading. She heard him mutter something under his breath. He looked at her and said in a stern voice, “Stay late today. We have to talk.” before exiting the room with a nervous stride.

The sun was setting and the moon was rising. All her co-workers had left hours ago, yet she remained. Her door opened. “Trixie.” Came the familiar voice. “It’s time you know what our biggest concerns are. This,” he said, throwing the folder onto the table so that its contents spilled onto the table, Trixie took a look at the folder detailing the factory, “is the biggest concern we’re currently dealing with. We had Open Eye on it at around the time he picked you up actually. To make this as blunt as possible, there’s been a large amount in disappearances in the region surrounding this factory.” He began, using a holocrystal to project the schematics. “We know that this factory is the cause of these disappearances, but none of our operatives have survived long enough to transfer any valuable information to us. Hell, we don’t even know what the inside of the damn thing looks like! Now… normally I would never ask you to do something of this caliber, but you’ve seen too much to let it blow over. And besides… you’re the best qualified pony we have for this.” She looked at him, willing him to continue. “And so…” he began, “Will you accept this mission?” She nodded. Not trusting her voice. “Good. Now go home and take some time off. You’re escort will pick you up in about 8 days time. Strengthen your mind, your body, and your magic. They’ll be what gets you back here safely.” Once he finished their was an air of silence. Watcher rose and placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. He mouthed the words “You got this” before turning around and leaving.

Author's Note

Hey guys. I'm starting to get more frequent aren't I? Well, you can expect this one to update at a decent pace. If you would please give me your time and tell me what I could improve on, I would be forever in your debt. Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your stay here at FIMfiction!