The Color Factory

Chapter 2

*BEEP BEEP BEEP* Went the alarm of Rainbow Sunrise, waking up the multicolored pegasus.

“YAWN” Went Sunrise as she slipped out of bed. “Good morning world.” she said to turn off the alarm. “Another day in Ponyville.” this command folded up her room revealing a fully equipped bathroom. With another yawn she went to the mirror, picked up her brush in her front hooves and began to brush her steel gray coat, and blue wings. “What is on the agenda?”

“Too much I’m afraid” said the masculine voice of her room. “The south armada is losing moral just as  fast as there losing people, and the undertakers lost another squad to flash freeze, and The Mage Guard are getting stir crazy.”

“Better skip the shower than,” she responded finishing her brushing. “Let's get dressed.” and with that the bathroom folded away to make room for a rather sparse wardrobe. Pushing a button on the floor Rainbow Sunrise selected her default winter outfit: A sky blue skin tight bodysuit covering her from neck to tail with holes for her wings and maine, a quartet of red with gold highlight leg warmers made of synthetic fur, and green wing covers. When she finished getting dressed, Sunrise stepped out of her room and into the hallways of the Rebellion Headquarters.

Home sweet home. Thought Sunrise as she trotted through the living crystalline halls. Now what should I do first. South? no they can hold out ROOM always overstates them. The Guard is closer. Then she spotted an earth pony listlessly pushing a cart down the hall. Uh-o incoming depressed pony.

“Hi Green tree!” She said walking over to the plodding pony. “How are you?”

“Not well Sunny,” He responded gloomily.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just feel bad. My brother is in the undertakers and was injured in the flash freeze, I don’t know if he’s ok or not.”

“Is he in the MainCare?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m sure he'll be fine, CareNet is the best. Is that a cake?”

“Ya.” Said Green Tree, made a little happier by the change of subject. “Bubble berry’s having another party for the Mage Guard and a contest of skill.”

“Good that will keep them occupied.” She said starting to walk away.

“Wait!” called Green Tree. “Dusk Shine set word that he wanted you in his lab when you woke up.”

“Ok see you later!” And with that Sunrise trotted off down the hall leaving behind a much happier pony.

Now I’d better go see what Dusk Shine wants. Sunrise thought as she picked up the pace. A few minutes later she was knocking on the door of the Shining Labs.

“Come in!” Called a voice from inside the lab. Sunrise opened the door and walked inside. On the other side of the door was a huge room absolutely filled to the brim with scientific instruments. Large telescopes and microscopes, things bubbling in jars and computers composed of pure gemstones.

“Dusk?” Called Sunrise seeing that there was no one in sight.

“I’m in the shop!” came a voice from behind the instruments.

“Ok I’m coming.” She called back, carefully picking her way around the largest telescope. In order to maneuver herself out the back door.

The shop itself was just as chaotic as the main lab, with bits and pieces of half finished products strewn about the room, a smell of machine oil and raw magic everywhere. In the center of the chaos there was a cleared area where Dusk Shine stood next to something under a tarp.

“Hi Dusk, what do you want?” Said Sunrise as she walked up to him.

“Well I was working on my improvements for the city's heat grid when I realized that the weather gems could be miniaturized with my minimizer scope and because of the Square-Magic law would not lose their power. And that lets them do more in smaller areas thanks to Starswirl’s Principle of Area Effect. And with the mini tablets I've recently developed the magic can be controlled in real time!”

“Thats impressive, but why am I here?”

“Let me show you.” And with a small magical tug Dusk Shine pulled the tarp off, revealing an dressmakers mannequin covered in several metal bands that connected different colored gemstones that glowed with magic. “Using the now small whether gems and a mini super tablet.” He said pointing with a lavender hoof at the device on the top of the assembly. “I can now generate personal fields of optimum weather. That can be generated without the support of the village grid.”

“So someone wearing this could go outside the grid in the winter or summer?” Sunrise said looking thoughtfully at the mannequin. “Thats great! But have you tested it yet?”

“Thats where I need your help. You're the best flier I know and you can take advantage of the hope this device can bring better than anybody.”

“The pegasi could walk on clouds again!”  She squealed jumping up and down in excitement. “Suit me up Dusk, you have your volunteer.”

Smiling Dusk proceed to do just that, lifting the device piece by piece and affixing it to Sunrise's torso and head.

“Now you have to be careful, this is delicate and I dont know how much it can take. So don’t stay out of the grid to long.” He said as he fastened the last buckle.

“I understand. Now how am I to get outside the grid in the first place?”

“I have a waygate that will take you to the edge of the grid, Gard has been alerted and will let you out.”

“Ok Lets go.” I said stepping onto the magic circle he indicated.

“Wait !” Dusk said handing her what looked like a new small form of the ear communicators the military uses. “This will let me keep in contact while you are off grid.” And with that he activated the waypoint and teleported her over seven miles to the edge of the weather control grid.

Woo that was fast. Thought Rainbow Sunrise as she stumbled out of the other circle. Guess I’m testing three new inventions today.

“Rainbow Sunrise come in, I repeat Rainbow Sunrise come in.” Came Dusk Shine’s voice from the earpiece in Sunrise’s hoof.

“I’m here.” She said placing the piece in her ear. “What do you want?”

“Do you see the edge of the grid?”

“Yes.”

“Good, There should be a gate in the barrier that will let you throu. Good luck.”

“Roger that. I’m off.” Responded Sunrise, as she started to hike to the aforementioned edge of the grid. Standing before Sunrise was a huge semi transparent red barer stretching miles in the sky, to eventually curve over in a giant dome that covered the entire 100 square miles of the main Rebellion headquarters. The dome itself was so tall that it ran into clouds, making them condense against it, creating a sheen of water on the outside cover that made rainbows when the sun hit it in the spring. But right now in the dead of winter the sun was too far away to light up the now half frozen water.

But it’s still beautiful. Sunrise thought as she hiked up to the black circle in the dome that marked her exit. To many see it as a prison. As she got closer to the exit a red dot on the top of the circle lit up and identified Sunrise as someone to let through. When She was close enough to touch the exit, it spiraled open letting in a blast of cold, ice bearing, air.

Burr, Thought Sunrise as she stopped short of going out. Better call Dusk and make sure that the personal weather control field is on.

“Hey Dusk the door is open, can you make sure your experiment is working?”

“It should turn on when you start to exit the city control field.”

“Ok here I go.” And with that Sunrise stepped out of the shield. Befor her hoof touched the snow coated ground the various gems flared to life and she felt a lot warmer. As she stood in the snow it started to melt and sizzle from the heat that her shield was giving off.

“It’s working!” Yelled Sunrise as she jumped in the puddle of melted snow.

“Good -....- the earpiece -...- not gonna be able to -...- go walk on a cloud and report ba -...” and with that the earpiece cut out.

Dang, Thought Sunrise as she took out the earpiece and stowed it in her pocket. Dusk is gonna be stewed, oh well, better stretch my wings and go walk on a cloud like he said. Stretching her wings, Sunrise leaped up and took flight, Looking around for a good first cloud to walk on.

There's one, She thought as she alighted next to a medium sized cloud. And with a little trepidation she flew in close and set her hooves down. The results were a surprise, the cloud was soft and warm, despite being a snow bering winter cloud. With a small flap of her wings she stirred up the cloud creating patterns that no pegasi had sean in generations.

“Oh my gosh.” Gasped Sunrise as she flopped down on her rump. “It’s beautiful.” The patterns in the cloud swirled and looped in 3D fractal formations. Unknown to Sunrise these patterns were created by the interactions between the her native magic and the clouds background magic, and because no pegasi had been out on the clouds in generations, they were a bit eager.

“Hun? What's happening?” Shouted Sunrise as hundreds of clouds started to be gathered by the suddenly fierce wind. Before she could even spread her wings the winds ripped her from her perch and tossed her head first into the infant (But fast growing) blizzard.

Cupcakes! She thought as she spread her wings and tried to fight her way outside the storm. This is bad. The winds tossed her about and set her tumbling wildly out of control. She pumped her wings as hard as she could but to no avail, no matter wat she did the storm pushed her out faster that she could fly back in.

O man, Dusk is going to blow a gasket if I break the new whether control harness. She thought as she barely dodged the lightning that was flashing between the clouds. And I have to get home.

But try as she might she might she could not break free from the storm’s pull. But just as she was about to pass out she spied a cave through an opening in the clouds. Pulling up the last of her strength she dove for it. Not knowing that it would lead her on the journey of a lifetime.