Banned From Equestria

“So…that goes…there, and this goes…here?” I asked Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah! That’s it!”

I lifted the heavy box into the carriage. “So, Rainbow, where’s all this stuff going to, exactly?” She smiled at me and pointed a hoof towards a facility in the distance. “Cloudsdale Weather Facility!” I shuddered at the name.

“What do you do there? Make rain and stuff happen?” I asked her.

“Of course! We also are responsible for the beautiful rainbows you see in the sky!” She said with a hint of coldness, as she drew her hoof across the horizon.

Why did she say it like that?

“Right…well it’s too bad I’m not a Pegasus. I coul-“

“What? You don’t need a Pegasus to work at the Weather Facility!”

“Wait, really? But I thought that only Pegasi were allowed in the Rainbow Fa-..err, I mean the Weather Facility.” Her jovial nature turned ice cold when I almost said ‘Rainbow Factory’. She flew a little closer and I noted the guards craned their heads backwards to look at me.

“What did you say?”

“Weather…Facility?”

“Before that…were you going to say ‘Rainbow Factory?’”

Let’s see…lying would get me in the same boat as in telling the truth. So let’s try lying.

“What? Me? Rainbow Factory? What is that, even? I mea-“

Rainbow Dash suddenly clapped her hooves together and the guards were over me in an instant. They packed me into one of the boxes and then I felt myself being lifted off the ground.

I was headed towards the Rainbow Factory.

Sometime Later...

“Oh…for bucks sake.”

I awoke in a large, circular white room. It would have appeared that I was the only one there. I sat up straight.

I only remember what happens in the Rainbow Factory; pegasi that fail their flight test get grinded up into Rainbows…but, what exactly do they plan to do with a fully grown-

“Welcome, vital participant, to the Cloudsdale Weather Facility Enrichment Program. You have chosen, or been chosen, to be a vital participant in our Rainbow Study Program. For today’s test, you will go through a painless procedure.” An intercom spoke, echoing throughout the room.

I breathed thankfully. “Ok…so this is pretty weird so far. I thought I was going to die, but I guess I just have to…work here for the rest of my life or something. Which means…well, I’m sure I’ll find a way back home.”

“…Is what we would have said, ten years ago. No, Earth, you will be dying today.” The voice over the intercom growing dark and cold.

I’ll find a way out of this.

Four heavily armored guards entered the door above me, and a red Pegasus entered as well.

“Welcome, Earth, to the Rainbow Factory. I’m-“

“Dr. Atmosphere.”

“By Tartarus, how do you know these things?”

I looked up, defiant. “I know everything that goes on here. I know everything that will go on here. How’s Scootaloo, by the way?”

“Wh-…How…?”

“Never mind that. What do you have planned for me? Other than death, that is.”

He ruffled his coat briefly before glancing back, his face becoming worried. “I’d better let the CEO explain this herself.”

He stepped aside briefly to be overshadowed by a pegasus wearing dark black mask and clothing, complete with a monochromatic rainbow mane.

“Now then, off to business; we've never really bothered trying to use a Spectra Machine on fully grown ponies...in fact we only use them on foal to teenaged ponies who are pegasi.”

“So…you’re telling me I’m the first fully grown pony AND a unicorn to go into that horribly named device of yours? Oh, and take off the cowl, please, Rainbow Dash, I can barely hear you.”

Rainbow ripped off her cowl and glared at me, staring straight through me. “Cut the shit, Earth!”

I shrugged. I had a strong feeling that I was going to die, so I figured I’d make my last few moments as painful as possible for everypony else in the room.

“You are the first, yes.” She resumed, “And especially for you, we’ll crank up the wattage's to make it as painful as possible!”

“H-Hey…Rainbow what did I ever do to you, exactly? What’s up with all the anger all of a sudden?”

She chuckled darkly and turned away. “It’s just business.”

The guards escorted her back while Atmosphere lagged back. He took a look back at me and adjusted his glasses before murmuring something and continuing.

Silence filled the room then, and for the next minute I could hear my own heart beating quickly.

Ha…Hahah…I’m going to die here. I…I just want to go home...

I collapsed.

Acting quirky isn’t going to help me get back home. My goal isn’t to die; that’s already happened once. There isn’t going to be any second chances.

I stood up and began yelling at the door hysterically.

“THERE ISN’T ANY SECOND CHANCES!”

I rushed up to the wall and looked up. A good twenty feet above me stood the balcony. I concentrated hard and attempted to teleport. I was within hooves reach...

And then I fell.

Putting all the concentration I could into my magic, I managed to teleport myself onto the balcony. I tried opening the door, to find it amusingly unlocked. No wonder those two foals could take down the entire facility; these ponies really don’t know how to secure a room. I took a few steps in the hallway when I suddenly remembered that…

…the only reason those two fillies could cause that much damage was because…was because ATMOSPHERE PLANNED-!

I fell through the floor, landing on a conveyor belt.

“Fuck, I fell into their trap.”I said, annoyed.

“You fell into our trap!” a voice crackled over the intercom.

I attempted to stand up, only to feel cold metal sliding over my hooves, gripping them uncomfortably tight.

“Ah, right. If the harnesses are a little tight, just remember these are meant for foals and not adults!” the voice crackled.
I struggled with the harnesses, and I looked directly in front of me to be greeted by some sort of black box with faint multicolored lasers beaming inside it. When I entered the box, an intense heat was suddenly blasted and I felt woozy. I collapsed forward, blacking out.

Sometime Later...

“Hey…I recognize you.”

“Wha-“

I shook my head, shaking away the dizziness. I tried to feel around in the darkness only to discover my hooves bound in metal.

“Who’s talking?”

“Hey! Who’s that?”

“That’s me, doofus“

“No, who’s the new guy?”

“Oh. I dunno. The orange one says she recognizes him though.”

The orange one?

“Scootaloo?” I called out timidly.

I heard a cough, then a sudden sharp intake of breath. “Wait a second, h-he’s an adult! He isn’t like us!”

My eyes slowly began to adjust and I could make out the form of a white pony at least two feet in front of me.

“What did you do, mister?”

“Yeah, how’d you get here? Wait…this must be a mistake!”

“No, no! It’s a trap! They’re trying to figure out our plans!”

I tried to shut out all the voices, but they were too shrill and annoying for me to do so. I just needed to think. My eyes adjusted even more and I could make out a red pony next to the left of the white one, and a green pony to its right. I could make out the white pony’s faint blue eyes.

“Where’s Scootaloo?” I asked them.

“Woah there boss, we ain’t telling you nothing!” an orange pony spoke up beside me.

“Easy there, Don, I think he’s one of us.” The white pony across from me spoke.

“Yeah, right. So was that light blue pegasus who came in here before. Next thing we know, she dragged off my…my little brother and…and she…” he lost his “tough guy” act and was silent.

I shook my bonds a little bit.

They feel weak.

I shook harder and heard a crack. It drew the attention of “Don” and the green pony.

“Hey there bub, what do you think you’re doin?”

I pulled hard against the chains one last time and broke free, much to the surprise of the nearby ponies. The red one began to holler, so I unfortunately had to give him a swift hoof to the chest to shut him up.

“Why’d you do that for?!” the white one said, harshly whispering to me.

“See?! I told you, he was just a spy!” The red one managed to say, painfully.

“By Celestia, SHUT UP!” I yelled; the sudden outburst made them all go quiet. “I’m like you, a prisoner. I don’t know why I’m here. I need to find Scootaloo. Does anypony know where she is?”

None of the prisoners spoke, and a cough was emitted to my left. I followed the sound only to find Scootaloo badly injured.

I-I can prevent Scootaloo from being imprisoned. I can stop it.

“Sc-Scootaloo?” I asked, fearing for her life; funny, considering I had only known her for a few brief hours, I somehow felt the dire need to save her.

“Y-You…got your cutie mark yet?” she chuckled lightly.

“Where are we?”

“The Main Theater Room.”

The name echoed throughout my head.

This is the room where all the ponies get rounded up to die. This is the room where Scootaloo has to spend over ten years locked up.
I knew we had to escape.

“I’ll be back” I whispered to her. I cantered back to the other ponies and broke them free. “You all need to find a way to escape.”
“Yeah boss, like we know where we’re going. We were blindfolded. We don’t know our lefts from our rights in this place.” Don spoke.

I picked up Scootaloo and turned to face the group of escapees. I shifted Scootaloo and asked her if she knew a way out.

“The way out…yes…I was, so close…”

“Alright then, let’s…! Oh…no!”

The escapees turned to face me, some worried, while others were annoyed. I slumped slightly.

“I don’t have any wings…” I murmured, seeing the other ponies spread theirs.

“Listen, you need to take Scootaloo. I’ll stay back and provide the distraction.” I handed Scootaloo off to the other ponies, and told them to tell everypony what these bastards did here. Once they were off, I trailed behind slightly, entering a Spectra Research room. When I entered, I found two scientists with their backs turned to me. I fired a bolt at them, exploding the vial that was in-between them.

“Sweet Celestia!”

“What the buck!?”

They turned to face me, with wings spread.

“Ah! Is that a…unicorn?! How’d he…!?”

“I don’t know, but we need to get out of here and warn the oth-!”

I fired a bolt at the left one, my bolt going clean through his jaw. The other one hit an Emergency Button planted on a nearby wall. I was too slow. The alarm filled my ears with unpleasant beeping and I heard Rainbow Dash’s voice over the intercom.

“FIND THOSE FAILURES…AND KILL THEM ALL.” She screamed into the mike.

I ran back into the Main Theater room and saw a small orange form slumped on the wall.

Those buck…Those fucking dicks! They didn't take her!

I ran down to Scootaloo, and picked her up. Once she was relatively secured, I began to search the floors for a grate; I found one. When I entered it, I was in the Maintenance Tunnels. I didn't know which way to go, so I just ran forward. Eventually, I came to a grate that would allow me to drop into the room below me. I was just about to do so when I heard a shrill voice, and saw guards zoom past the grate. I then heard scuffling, and saw the guards dragging the white pony across the ground. Tired of his struggling, one of the guards withdrew a baton and brutally murdered the white pony, spreading his brains across the wall.

“Oh…Oh my god…” I whispered, drawing my hooves up to my mouth.

“How do you like that you dumb bitch?!”

“This is what you get for trying to escape you pathetic bucking failure!” both the guards screamed at the now dead body of the white pony.

“Come on…let’s get this failure to Disposal.”

“Yeah…it’s gonna be hilarious when we hear the story on a white pony falling into Ponyville’s Local Water supply again!”

Disposal…? Local Water Supply? Maybe…Maybe that’s a way out?

I decided to follow the guards stealthily through the maintenance tunnels. When they reached Disposal, I saw them open a hatch and rather carelessly toss the deceased body out. Through the hatch was a great blue patch of water, surrounded by land.

The fall might kill me…but it’s worth the risk.

To get into the room itself, I had to backtrack the maintenance tunnels and exit. The only way into disposal was through the main doors. When I reached the hallway, I noted two guards patrolling the entrance.

Just my luck! Wait…maybe I could fool them? I’m not a foal…perhaps I could make up an excuse?

I debated my options, and suddenly heard the sounds of talking coming from behind me. There wasn’t anywhere I could hide; the entrance to the tunnels was a ways back. The only way was to push forward. I took a deep breath and emerged from hiding. I calmly trotted pass the two guards, who simply flickered their eyes in my direction. I entered the door and was in Disposal.

Good. They must’ve thought I was going to get rid of Scootaloo here.

I tapped her gently with my hoof, and she murmured lightly in response. I then heard voices intensifying behind me. Feeling a bad omen, I blockaded the door with a heavy metal cabinet; no sooner after I finished pushing did the door suddenly begin to throb with a heavy force. I struggled desperately to wake up Scootaloo, but to no avail. If I couldn’t survive the fall, then there was no chance she could either. I didn’t want to leave her behind, but I knew I should. I took note of a dark corner where she likely wouldn’t be seen. Assuming she was curious, she would wake up and explore the hatch, leading to her escape. The shouting behind the doors suddenly erupted into an ominous scream and the banging increased. I put Scootaloo gently down and she opened her eyes briefly.

“…What are you going to do?”

“When I’m gone, go through that hatch.” I pointed behind me. “It’s a long drop. You can use your wings to slow yourself down.”

“Can…hardly use wings.”

“You won’t need too. Just flap. Find a way to slow yourself down.”

I patted her on the head gently, “Good luck, squirt.” I told her.

I opened the hatch, and looked at the door. The metal cabinet was knocked over and I had just enough time before I fell to see the angry looking cyan pegasus watch me fall. I turned to face earthward, and watched as the water grew larger.

Those fucks…this whole thing will be televised. Everypony’s gonna know about this.

I felt hooves being wrapped around my stomach and turned to see Rainbow Dash.

I powered up my horn, but Rainbow Dash’s punch was quicker. I powered it up again, only to be hit in the face again. I struggled to move, only to notice guards surrounding me.

Scootaloo still has a chance…

I looked around to see if there was any hope Scootaloo escaped. For a brief second, I thought I saw an orange flash. I hoped what I had seen was actually her.

“Rainbow Dash?”

She simply glared at me with her bloodshot eyes in response.

“Go ‘buck’ yourself.”

She growled at me then winded up, knocking me out.

Sometime Later...

It was time.

When I awoke, I was bound by metal to a conveyor belt, and my horn had been sawn off. Luckily, I hadn’t been awake to witness that; it must be extremely painful. It is bone, after all. I struggled to move, but found myself unable too. The Pegasus Device grew larger.

“I sincerely hope this thing fucking blows up and drags all you bastards to hell!” I yelled, only to be met with odd looks.

Ugh, I’ve gotta translate that.

“I sincerely hope this thing bucking blows up and drags all you bastards to Tartarus!” I yelled, causing them to glare angrily at me. I felt compelled to look to my left and saw Atmosphere standing there, with a malicious grin on his face. He withdrew something from his pocket and waved it at me. It almost looked like a scanner device of some sort, and the screen indicated a small orange blip on it.

The blip was moving.

He then flipped a switch and I suddenly saw what seemed to be a mobile camera moving through the hallway. The camera looked down to show two little orange hooves.

N-No! That bastard had a tracker!? Scootaloo…did she even get a chance?

He realized that I had it all figured out, as he simply placed his tracker away and waved his hoof at me, disappearing into the shadows. I looked in front of me and was greeted by a plethora of sharp syringes and lasers.

For the last ten minutes of my life, I writhed as I was surgically cut, injected with various muscle disablers, and the remainder of my horn removed. When I thought it couldn’t get any worse, I was then dipped in a toxic liquid which slowly burned away my skin. When it got to my neck, I looked out of The Pegasus Device. There, stood Scootaloo and Dr. Atmosphere, a short distance away from Rainbow Dash.

She had no clue.

No clue her “sister” was actually alive.

But, she’d pay for that later.

That was my only thought as I was finally fully submerged in the liquid; Rainbow Dash would get her just desserts eventually…
…A beautiful rainbow briefly filled my vision before everything turned black;

The Device worked.