Prolugue: A Wolf In Sheeps Clothing
"...u..p. Wake up." a female voice faintly called out.
"W...What? Where am I? Mist asked slowly returning to consciousness.
"Hell." the voice said bluntly.
"But I'm still alive... that makes no sense."
"Trust me. You're in Hell... well the closest thing we have in the world of the living anyway."
"And that is where exactly?"
"The Rainbow Factory" she said, fear evident in her trembling voice.
I feel it necessary to wind the clocks back a bit so as to avoid any confusion. Let's try a few hours shall we? It was a typical Ponyville night, most ponies were sound asleep by now, but not Mist Chaser. No you see his job is (in case the name didn't give it away) to create and regulate foggy/misty weather. And that's where his story begins.
Mist Chaser is a pegasus with gray fur and a spiky black mane with dark blue highlights. His eyes are a deep saphire matching the mane and tail. His cutie mark is a purple kite shield with two swords behind it. On the shield is a gray cloud with a light blue lightning bolt.
"Luna has truely outdone herself." Mist thought as he finished his nightly work clearing up the fog covering Ponyville that eavening. "Now that that's taken care of..now what? Think Mist think..ugh. I work too fast." with a sigh of frustration he decided to take a short flight until a beautiful sound made his ears twitch. "Wait.. is that.. music? Meh I've got nothing better to do." with a shrug he set off to find the source of the alluring music. He reached a massive willow tree where he found two mares. One was a very bright blue/green unicorn with a white streak in her mane. She was playing the lyre with unrivaled talant. "It fits" Mist thought, "I mean her name IS Lyra Heartstrings." He glanced over at the other mare. She was a pale green pegasus with a bright yellow/ green mane and tail. "Hmm never seen her around before" Mist thought as he landed to greet the two of them. "Hi Lyra." she stopped and smiled, "please don't stop on my account" she continued playing. Mist turned to face the other mare, "I haven't seen you around before. I'm Mist Chaser. What's your name?" She gave Mist a look that sent shivers down his spine, "Name's Woodentoaster but call me Glaze."
We both sat and listened to Lyra's music for an hour or so, "So Glaze, what do you do?" Mist asked
"I'm a musician from Cloudsdale."
"What kind of music?"
"Hmm how best to describe it... well I guess you could call me a DJ. I make remixes as well as my own pieces."
"That's cool."
"So what do YOU do hmm?"
"Remember the fog that was around here?"
"Ye...Wait. Where did it go?"
"I got rid of it."
"That was you?"
"Eeyup."
"I didn't even notice it disappearing."
"It's a talent"
"Heh I bet"
"So what're you doing here in Ponyville?"
"I have a few friends here. Isn't that right Lyra?"
Lyra laughed, but didn't stop playing, "We just met, but yes. I consider you a friend.".
"I haven't been to Cloudsdale since my final flight test" Mist said feeling nostalgic.
"Really? You pass?" Glaze asked curiously.
"Obviously. Best in my class actually" Mist said with pride.
Glaze whistled "Impressive"
"Thanks. Cloudsdale's always churning out better fliers. I haven't heard of a single failure in at least three years." Glaze smiled "I know. Isn't it great?"
"Yeah. It is."
The conversation continued on for another half-hour or so until Lyra stopped playing.
"It's kinda late isn't it?" Glaze said.
"Or early depending on how you look at it." Mist remarked.
Glaze and Lyra both laughed as they bid eachother farewell. Glaze stayed behind and turned to Mist.
"So...where DO you live?" she asked.
"Hmm.. not sure how to answer that.. I don't exactly OWN a home. I guess you could think of me as something of a nomad."
"In that case.. would you like to stay at my place in Cloudsdale?"
Mist shrugged, "Sure. I don't have anything better to do."
At that moment something hit mist up-side his head, knocking him out. Cold.
As consciousness returned Mist woke up completely confused as to what happened and where he was. He spotted Lyra in the room with him. She was crying.
"Lyra..what's going on? Where are we?"
"Hell" she whispered through tears and sobs.
"But we're still alive. That makes no sense."
"Then we're in a living hell!" she yelled out
"Lyra. Calm down. Now start over. Where are we?"
"The..the rainbow factory"
Mist looked at her, confused "But that's just an old ponies tale to scare young pegasai into better fliers."
"No. This is real." she cried
"Lyra." Mist said sternly
"Y..yes?"
"Do you know teleportation magic?"
"Well..yes but why?"
"Get us out of here."
"I..I'm sorry. I'm not strong enough to get us both out of Cloudsdale. I can't take you with me."
Mist contemplated the situation think of all the potential options. Then he finally said, "Go. Get out of here."
"What?! And leave you here to die? I can't do that!"
"Just go! I'll make it out somehow and when I do I look foreward to hearing your music again."
"O..ok" She teleported off without another word.
Mist too that time to take in his surroundings. "Okay" he thought "no windows, solid iron bars..definately no way out from here.. hmm should I try to fly for it when the guards arrive?"
Not long after that three pegasai came to Mist's cell. Two stallions in labcoats and one mare. "Where's the other prisoner?!" one of the scientists asked angrily.
"Gone."
"And how'd she get out?"
"Magic"
"And she left you behind? How selfish."
"You think I'd still be here if she could've gotten us both out?"
"Hmph. A fair point. Well we've brought you a new cellmate then" The scientists opened the cell and shoved her inside. She hit the ground with a thud.
"I don't suppose you could enlighten me as to why I'm here?" Mist asked with distaste
The scientist looked at Mist as if he were stupid, "You're here to provide us with SPECTRA. The key ingredient to all of Equestria's rainbows"
"I see. According to the old ponies tale SPECTRA is a pony's life force. Pray tell why Celestia and Luna allow such atrocities to be committed?"
"Why should I tell you that?
"Seeing as I don't have much longer to live where's the harm in giving away a few secrets?"
"Nice try smartass. Well unlike you. I have imoportant matters to attend to. You two play nice now."
"Whatever"
"Now don't go anywhere. We'll be back in a few hours."
"Obviously"
The scientists left and Mist took the time to observe his new cellmate more closely.
She was a pegasus with white fur and a black mane with blue highlights. Her wings were long and feathery with black tips. Her mane was covering her right eye, but the eye Mist could see was a deep saphire like his. Her cutie mark was a willow tree with some kind of carving at the base. She laid thre, not moving a muscle, crying softly.
"Hey.. you ok?" Mist asked, concearned.
"I.. I think so." the mare said, slowly getting up.
"So.. you got a name?"
"Yeah. I have a name."
"Well what's your name?"
"I'm not sure I should tell you that."
"I'm a prisoner just like you. There's nothing to fear from me."
"I have no way of knowing you speak the truth."
"Fair enough. Not the trusting type huh?"
"Nope."
"Well maybe when we get out of here you'll start to trust me."
"And what makes you think we're getting out of here alive?"
"I don't break my promises."
She gave Mist a puzzled look, but decided not to question it
"Though. I only wish I knew how we're going to get out. They definately spared no expense to keep us locked up."
At that moment a voice came from the loudspeaker in the cell
"Welcome, honored guests, to the Rainbow Factory. Oh don't look so sad everypony. You're all here to serve a higher purpose. We're giving your pathetic lives meaning. Now. Without further ado, please wellcome the head ofthe maintenance team Tech Turner.
"Ahem. As the head of maintenance, I keep all of the equipment running without a single snag"
"That so?" Mist thought, "Interesting."
"Now. I could go into boring detail as to how everything works but... NAH! All you need to know is because magic. Thank you all for your generous donations to all of Equestria."
*Click*
"Well. It looks my carefully thought out escape plan has just been cut short." Mist said sarcasticly
"You had a plan?" the mysterious mare asked
Mist laughed, "Nah. Shame I put off coming up with one huh?"
"Hehe. Yeah that is a shame. Nothing we can do abou it though."
Minutes later two stallions in suits (and tazers) approached and opened the cell.
"Right this way maggots. You gonna come quietly?"
"And if I don't feel like it?" Mist retorted
The guards wasted no time tazing him till he collapsed. They waited till Mist got up then tazed him again.
"Anything else you'd like to contribute?"
"Nah. I'm good. Lead the way jackass."
"Tch. Fine. Both of you you're in line A. MOVE!"
"So this is it?" the mare whispered
"Yup this is it. The end of the line." Mist whispered back