Dead Space: Purpose

by Dragonman461

Chapter 19: [RAINBOW FACTORY] Part 5

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Fluttershy and Celestia looked at Ellie with questioning looks before the Human sighed and shook her head.

"Yes," She started, "I am talking to you through Isaac."

Celestia backed up a bit before speaking.

"But, how? He's not even here right now."

"True. But, the Marker signal from his mind is stronger than you think. He's been able to fight it for quite some time, though, since he came here. It wasn't until that whole, 'looking through his memories,' thing that the signal fired back up, again. If you'd remember, Isaac told you that they used his mind to build one of the bloody things. He knows every which way they work, and has carried quite a number of them in his head already. The Aegis VII, the Black Marker, the Titan Station one, not to mention the hundreds from Tau Volantis."

Celestia backed up a bit and shook her head.

"Wait, hundreds!?"

"Yes."

"And he's able to send you here to-"

"No, he didn't send me. I came here of my own free will. Well, not exactly 'free will,' but more along the lines of wanting to help the lot of you."

"Is Isaac safe?" Fluttershy chimed in, rather loudly for her.

Ellie looked to the mare with a smile.

"Somewhat. Nothing he can't handle, though, I'm sure."

"What about Scootaloo?" Fluttershy nearly demanded.

"She's... with Isaac now, but someone's going to have to help her sort some things out. The Marker may have gotten to her."

Celestia's mane began to start to burn into a slight flame at the tip and around the edges as she spoke to Ellie.

"How badly has it hurt her?"

"More mentally than anything, really, but enough to notice that it's definitely the Marker's work. She'll probably be fine, since Isaac managed to comfort her first. I doubt he even noticed the Marker's energy falter away from his presence."

"Falter?" Celestia asked, her mane returning to its rainbow-flow.

"Yes. Isaac's managed to divert some of the Marker's power away from influencing others around him. That's how I'm actually talking to you now. By using the Marker's unused power to my advantage. I don't have full control, but at least I can do something to help."

"Wait, why exactly are you here?" Fluttershy asked.

"To make sure that you're safe. The Marker sees you as a threat."

Fluttershy felt her eyes widen to the point that they could rival dinner plates before responding.

"M-me? A threat? Why? What did I do?" She asked in a panicking tone.

"It's not what do did, it's what the Marker can't do."

"W-what can't it do?"

Ellie looked to Fluttershy with a faint smile.

"It can't kill you."

\\\//////

Isaac stared at the Earth Pony before him with caution, watching as the red robes began to spark occasionally as Marker symbols glowed with an evil aura. With his Plasma Cutter raised, Isaac began to speak to the stallion.

"Who are you? What is this place?"

The stallion smiled and gave a light laugh that echoed throughout the chamber.

"Ah, so you do wish to learn the truth."

"Just give me some answers." Isaac stated.

The grey Earth Pony shifted a bit in stance before looking down into the coils of the receiver as he spoke.

"Do you want to know about this factory, Unholy one?"

"My name's Isaac."

"I'll take that as a yes."

The Stallion turned to face Isaac with a smile clearly plastered on his face.

"You see, it all started over a thousand years ago. When the Nightmare essence first infected Princess Luna, it changed her into a monster with one purpose: to control everything. In that darkest of times, there were those who were lost. Those that went off to find a new light for when the world would end. One day, against all odds, a brave Earth Pony found the device to salvation: The Marker. Once the Pony found the glorious relic, he shared its knowledge with all who wanted to know, and became a hero. Soon after, when Nightmare Moon was defeated, the corrupted form of Princess Luna, the Princess of the Sun, Celestia, was at an impasse. She had to then divert power from her duty as the Princess of just the Sun to the Moon and the stars, as well. When this happened, she needed to focus more of her energy towards her new duties. So, she needed to find out which powers needed to be spread to the Ponies of Equestria, and which ones were going to stay with her. It was then that she decided to give the Pegasi the responsibility of creating Rainbows for all of Equestria. It was a deeply troubling time for the Pegasi, since none of them knew the first thing about making the colors, let alone spreading them across this fair land. That is, until the Earth Pony conversed with the All-Mighty Marker, and helped the Pegasi to find a solution. In order to please Celestia and keep Equestria happy, the Marker helped them to create this very factory. In addition to being able to fulfill the needs of the Pegasi, the Marker also lead them to how this facility could be used to purify the world, and even help with everypony's ascension to Godhood. It was so simple. The Marker gave us power, knowledge, and the will to carry all of this out for hundreds of years."

The grey stallion then looked bitterly at Isaac.

"And I will not allow my work be put to waste by your intervention."

Isaac raised the Cutter towards the Pony before questioning him.

"Who the hell are you?"

The Earth Pony smirked as he stood on his hind legs. Instead of falling back, however, he slowly began to lift into the air, red energy spiraling around his form in a double-helix shape.

"I am the Minister of Truth, the one truth, and the only truth. I am the one that has set free the sins of all of Ponykind, in hopes of salvation. I am the one that has found the means to our ascension, and shared its beauty with everypony. I am the might of the Marker. I am the first true believer. I am the one to share this gift with the first Pegasi of the Rainbow Factory, one thousand years ago. I. Am. ALTMARE!"

'Really? Really!? REALLY?!?' Isaac thought, contemplating the terrible naming comparison.

With the last shout, red lightning shot across the room before engraving every inch of the metallic walls in runes of Marker symbols, causing the entire facility to glow with a violent red tone as Isaac felt the floor quaking beneath him. When he looked up, Altmare was floating in the center of the room, eyes glowing like beacons as his red robes burned off of his fur, revealing scars that were not only shaped into Marker symbols, but were also glowing with power. Altmare raised a hoof towards Isaac as he spoke.

"NOW, UNHOLY ONE! FACE THE MIGHT OF A TRUE BELIEVER! WITNESS THE DIVINE POWER OF-"

Before the stallion could make any more of a useless rant, there was a loud bang, followed by Altmare having his head shot back as he screamed in pain. Isaac recognized the source of the sound, and turned to his left. Standing next to him, in black and red armor, wielding a S.C.A.F. Carbine, was an all too familiar soldier.

"Let's gut this fucker, Isaac."

"Carver?"

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