"Can we go see where the rainbows are made again? I'd like to take a few notes." Twilight Sparkle, the purple unicorn of ponyville said. She looked at rainbow dash with a grin. "I'd like to see if there is a way I can help make things more efficient with my new spell."
The blue Pegasus with the rainbow mane looked at her funny. "Are you sure about that?" She questioned. "I mean you can't fly."
"But I do have a spell I can use to walk on clouds." Twilight pointed out.
Rainbow Dash looked at her uncertainly, rubbing her hoof on the side of her head. "I don't know… I mean we have been making rainbows the same way for centuries…"
Twilight gave Rainbow dash her pleading eyes with a pout. "Please I know I can help make things easier for you all…"
Rainbow looked at her friend and gave in. "Alright… Fine, we leave tomorrow at dawn but if you aren't ready then I'm going without you." She said sternly.
Twilight grinned. "Thank you Rainbow Dash and I will be ready. I already have all the preparations ready to go I just need to pack a few more things and prep the spell." She stated with a happy appearance now that Rainbow agreed.
Rainbow Dash smiled at her. "Alright… See you at dawn." She stated and spread her wings taking flight in a matter of seconds, leaving a rainbow trail behind her as the filly made her way to her usual cloud to sleep on.
Twilight sparkle waved her goodbye before prancing into her tree house happily and began to pack for tomorrow's trip to the clouds.
Rainbow Dash was there just as she said she would be and waiting outside her door, looking to the sky as the morning sun rose, painting the skies it's luxurious, milky colors as it peeked up to greet the ponies. She appeared impatient, looking down and around, tapping her hoof irritated.
Twilight Sparkle stepped out to greet her, just on time. "Good morning Rainbow Dash." She stated with a grin. "Ready to go?"
Rainbow Dash nodded simply. "Yeah." She stated as she smiled at the purple mare.
Twilight beamed back happily before going to the air balloon she had set up the night before and got in and used her magic to release the ropes so she could take to the skies. Dash flew over and grabbed a rope in the mouth and took the lead, pulling the balloon away toward Cloud's Dale swiftly. Twilight watched as clouds flew by them as Rainbow took them all the way to the city in the clouds.
Dash dropped the rope and looked to Twilight as she jumped out and landed on the fluffy cloud under her. She had done the spell shortly before walking out to meet Dash so she would have the next three days to walk on clouds.
"Okay can you take me to the lab then?" She asked her Pegasus friend.
"Of course, right this way." She said taking the lead to where they do their work to create the weather.
When they got over there a Pegasus made them put on lab coats and goggles to keep their selves safe in the lab. A sign nearby stated 'Safety Frist' near the equipment, Twilight found the sign useful and liked that it was there. After all, rules were set for a reason to keep every pony safe.
Twilight's thoughts were broken when she heard the door open and spotted the rainbow Pegasus walking inside the lab. Twilight quickly pranced over and caught up with the filly as Rainbow Dash lead her though the maze all the way to where the rainbows were made. Twilight couldn't help but feel a little bit excited; her spell could very well increase production and create more rainbows everywhere in Equestria. She looked around at all the flying ponies as they worked on mixing colors and making sure everything ran smoothly. Twilight remembered the last time they were there, Pinkie Pie leaped into a rainbow pool but hated the taste of the rainbow. Then again, rainbows were known for their colors not taste.
Rainbow Dash was walking away from her, talking to one of the ponies there when Twilight looked around spotting a door that stated 'Do Not Enter'. Curiosity kicked in and Twilight Sparkle moved in closer for a look just as Rainbow Dash spotted her. Dash glided over with amazing speed and stood in between Twilight and the door with a nervous look on her face.
Twilight looked at her curiously as Dashie spoke. "You can't go in there. That's the secret ingredients room for the rainbow." She stated quickly with an uneasy look.
"Oh really? Can't I just take a peek though?" Twilight said, seeming curious to know what rainbows were really made of.
"N-no." Dashie stated seriously. "Nobody is allowed in there except a select few ponies."
"Oh… Okay then…" Twilight said and turned away but her curiosity grew even more, she just had to know what was in there now, but she had to keep away, but could she? She might need to go n there to use her spell to show them a faster way to make rainbows.
She had to know now, there were no books after all stating what is used to make a rainbow so it was her curiosity for knowledge that made her want to know even more.
She would have to go tonight.
Twilight got up in the middle of the night, restless to know now the secret behind rainbows. So she snuck out of her room, tip toeing as best as she could out of the room toward the lab, slipping on the uniform and stepping in cautiously. She began to think. Why was Rainbow Dash so nervous about me seeing what was behind the doors? Perhaps it was because it is another one of those traditional secret recipes nobody was supposed to know about? She thought to herself before reaching the door.
She could feel the bubbling curiosity inside her make her excited as she finally opened the door and stepped inside the dark room in front of her but she could hear the sounds of workers on the inside making the rainbow colors before her. She stepped inside cautiously and looked around the highly advanced lab systems in wonder before looking out at the glowing pools of colors. She stepped closer to the railing before looking over as Pegasus after Pegasus flew over, pouring more colors into the giant tubs of colors. Her curiosity perked up and she started away to the bottom floors to investigate further.
She looked around and spotted a pony lying on the floor with a solid white coat. She looked over curiously and started over. "Are you alright?" She stated before stopping when she noticed the pony wasn't breathing. She gasped and started to run over but stopped when a Pegasus landed nearby and picked up the limp body, the cutie ark on the pony's hip was so faded away at this point Twilight couldn't even make it out anymore. She moved closer cautiously as the Pegasus dragged the body into another room and dragged the pony onto a table where a scientist went over and began to cut a Y-shape onto the pony's exposed underside.
Twilight gasped in horror then backed up quickly and turned but froze, hearing a familiar voice nearby.
"Father, do you think twilight's spell will be of use to us? I've seen her sue it before at the sugar cube corner bakery and I can't tell you how much business picked up, sweets were being finished in a matter of seconds."
It was Rainbow Dash's voice but who was this 'Father'? Rainbow Dash ever told Twilight about her family before so it picked up her interest now as she turned. She wanted answers now. What was happening here? Was all Twilight can think of now. She took a breath to calm herself and moved over to peek in a doorway. She spotted a large male pony scientist that gazed down at Rainbow Dash with a cold and serious expression. Was this her 'Father'?
"I believe it will be of use for us, our production will more than certainly pick up if we can get her to stay and help us." He stated in a cold voice.
"Yes, and I can help try and get Twilight Sparkle to stay and help us. I'm sure I can." Rainbow Dash stated.
"Yes well…" He started in thought. "I'm sure it won't be hard for you to trick her into staying experiment 001."
Experiment 001? Twilight thought in surprise before Rainbow Dash turned toward the door, hearting Twilight as she shifted positions nervously. Dashie started toward the door and Twilight backed up as the door swung open.
"Twilight, I thought you were still in your room." Dash said seeming surprised. "I told you not to come in here." She said as Twilight continued to back away.
Twilight opened her mouth to speak when she heard a thump and turned, a Pegasus dropped a solid white pony on the ground at the same place the last pony was dropped then flew away to continue working. "What is going on here?" Twilight demanded shakily as she looked back to the scientist pony and the mare she once considered a friend.
"Why… this is the color room where the colors for a rainbow is made." The scientist pony said as if it was obvious. "If you come this way we will show you everything there is to know here."
Twilight looked uncertain but nodded slightly, she wanted answers though, inside her heart was screaming for her to turn tail and gallop away before she makes a horrible mistake. She probably should have listened to her instincts more than her thirst for knowledge. She made a small gulp as she started to follow the large stallion as he took the lead to show her the main area where the colors were made. The young filly, Rainbow Dash, was right behind her as they took her to the next room.
Twilight gulped as they opened the door and instantly her ears rang with the screeching screams inside the sound proof room. She pinned back her ears as she stared inside in horror. She saw torture tables where ponies of every color in the rainbow were strapped down, screaming in pain as they were carefully extracting their life and color from within them. Twilight watched as a teenage pony with gold flanks and a matching mane, that was strapped down and connected to various wires and IVs, was turned pure white as snow as the color drained from her body. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she muttered one found word: Help. Rainbow Dash seemed emotionless by the sight as she stood by her 'father'. Twilight, on the other hoof, felt sickened by the sight as they carried away a bucket of yellow color out and a second bucket of crimson blood from the pony out to be dumped in with the mixture.
"Isn't it magnificent?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking to Twilight Sparkle who looked at the filly in shock.
"I don't see this is magnificent Rainbow Dash, this is just cruel. How can any pony even do this? If princess Celestia knew about this she would be unhappy with you all." Twilight Sparkle pointed out, noting her distaste for this kind of cruelty.
Rainbow Dash looked at her seeming a bit dumbfounded but didn't argue as she looked at the new pony being pulled in against her will to be strapped down and have her life taken away from her. "But Princess Celestia does know… This is how she controls the pony population and keeps it from getting out of hand it is also how we make those rainbows everybody loves." She stated simply.
Twilight Sparkle looked at her in shock, unable to believe what she was hearing. "What? Bu-bu-but Princess Celestia wouldn't do that!"
"But then why does she allow it Twilight?" Dash countered, turning toward her.
"Easy now experiment 001." A voice cut in before Twilight can speak. A new scientist stepped in and looked at her. "I say it is time for Twilight to see the other faculties of this sector. 001 please do go for examinations now."
"Yes sir." Rainbow Dash said then walked away.
Twilight Sparkle gulped softly as she stared at her so called friend, finding it hard to believe this once magnificent, head strong filly was obedient to these stallions. In a way, it made since though, it showed just how loyal she truly was, almost, but this? Twilight couldn't believe it herself but she turned to the new scientist as he gestured for her to follow him. She felt fear's grip on her heart but she followed him, she didn't want to know what else they did to ponies here but if she ran, what could happen to her? She could very well be the violet in the very next rainbow. She felt an icy shiver run down her spine at the thought of it.
The new room she was lead into was now the room she saw where they cut a Y shape into that one pony. Twilight shuddered but followed in and saw the pony she saw be drained on the table. She was barely alive still and struggling but was too weak to do any harm as she silently squealed out in pain as they cut the mare open but there was no blood if any, it was a miracle that she could even live but she only had seconds of life left before she fell fully limp and was no longer fighting
"We do have the occasional fighter but they don't last long." The scientist stated but Twilight couldn't help but feel disgusted by him and the sight before her as they began to strip the lifeless pony of her inners that had turned from their pink color to solid white like the rest of her. It was like they sucked every last bit of life from her.
"Wha-what are you going to do with her now?" Twilight asked quietly, feeling herself get shaky, wishing she could run away.
"Come, I'll show you."
I was afraid you would say that…. Twilight thought to herself as he turned but she followed, her ears folded back as she walked with her head lowered. She felt horrible for these ponies.
The next room was a room with millions of scientific devices of all kinds and then lined on a wall tubes with ponies curled up inside them, each with a rainbow mane.
Twilight cut herself off. A rainbow mane? She thought then stopped. Rainbow Dash… She is called experiment 001, was she the very first experiment here? Is this what they are doing with the ponies after they suck out all their life? She felt sick by the thought as she stared at the ponies in the tubes, all curled up in the fatal position inside with wires connected to them, ranging in a variety of ages from newborn to adult.
"Interesting yes?" The scientist asked her and Twilight looked at him horrified.
"You are the one in change of this aren't you?" She asked quietly.
"No, that would be a different pony." He stated.
"May I speak with him?" Twilight asked.
"No, he speaks with nobody."
"But there has to be another way to make rainbows without killing ponies!" Twilight pleaded.
He frowned at her silent in a grim way that made the unicorn back up a bit fearfully before he spoke. "We have tried many things to make a rainbow in a… more civilized way… but this is the only way that works easiest and has less effect on the ponies."
"Less effect? But you are killing ponies!"
"But think about it Twilight Sparkle. If we used things in nature we would need millions of it to make one thing and that would make food for you run out or medication then every pony will be hurt. This is different; one pony for every color is all that is needed to make a rainbow or two. It is more efficient and not as disastrous. Then we use what is left over to make the perfect Pegasus, one that will be able to make rainbows without this barbaric recipe." He stated as he looked to the ponies in the test tubes.
Twilight backed off slightly and looked to the ponies there, feeling sorry for them, and to think, Rainbow Dash is one of them, to be exact, the first of them. She winced and lowered her head then looked to him again. "You can't do this." She protested again. "It's wrong."
He was about to speak when a new voice cut in. "Leave her ve." Twilight turned to see an older stallion walk in with a bit of a limp.
"Are you the boss here?" Twilight asked with a small gulp.
"Ves, I am." He said in a thick accent.
She didn't understand why but the accent made her uneasy, almost gave the feeling that he didn't belong here to her but she didn't question. "Please… there must be another way to do this."
"No, ver isn't." He stated simply. "vut, vou may help."
"If I can help in any way I will do it." She stated seriously, she wanted to help them find a different way to make rainbows, one less brutal but her choice of words did not support her for he had clearly took it to mean another meaning.
"Vood, very vood. Ven come vith." He stated as he turned Twilight to another room, a generator that very clearly controlled the process of removing the colors from the ponies.
Twilight froze. "No, I don't mean this, I didn't mean this I-" Twilight was cut off by a powerful blow to the back of her head. She collapsed to the cold, tiled floor, her vision fading to black as she gazed at the scientist before her before finally giving in.
Twilight awoke with a pain at her sides and unable to move. She felt weak and drained but she lifted her head, gazing out at the room ahead of her. She was inside a glass sphere it seemed and as she glanced around she saw that she was being held in place by a machine, making it impossible to move and was forcefully draining her magic from her horn. She winced as she tried to pull away but gave up after a moment to gaze out the glass. She had a perfect view of the factory before her. She watched as the production of the rainbows grew more rapidly and a pile of solid white ponies form.
All because they were using HER magic.
Twilight felt sick. How could they do this? To her of all ponies. She felt weaker by the second and disgraced to be doing this. She hung her head sadly when she jerked back up when the machine turned her direction toward the scientist that she saw before passing out.
"Vou like vour new job?" He asked her with a sly smirk.
"No! You can't do this! You can't get away with this! Princess Celestia will stop you when she learns of what you're doing to me!" She yelled then winced in pain when she attempted to sue her magic to get free, the power she used only got to be absorbed by the machine a lot quicker and it weakened her. She frowned at him with a pained look but he merely laughed and hit a switch, making the machine turn back to the view so she could watch as they killed ponies in a rapid pace now.
Twilight had no choice but to watch the sight in horror, blaming herself for all of this now. She felt her heart shatter as her spirit break. She couldn't escape, unless she could get a friend but how can she get to help her? Rainbow Dash? But Rainbow Dash is obedient to them and finds this whole process magnificent, it would never work. With that, the purple mare hung her head, feeling salty tears run down her cheeks as she felt herself steadily grow weaker.
Twilight had lost count of the days at this point. She didn't know how long it had been. She had been in this machine, mass producing rainbows for who knows how long in the same dreary lighting and watching the barbaric scene before her replay over and over again. She had grown emotionless, the only thing left was her pain at this point. She was weak, she felt powerless and here she was, trapped.
She felt the machine turn and she lifted her head, her body had grown thin, her ribs showing. Her only thought was: It must be time to eat again… But no, it was something better. Before her was the whole gang. Flutter Shy, Apple Jack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and even Rainbow Dash. Twilight lifted her head, obviously surprised. She never had imagined seeing all her friends here like this; she had given up days ago. "You-you found me?"
"Actually sugar cube it was Rainbow Dash who told us about this happening." Apple Jack said stepping up.
"Yes and when we heard we just had to come get you back." Rarity put in, "I even mimicked that spell of yours to make us able to walk on clouds."
"Yes… Then Rainbow Dash snuck us in to save you…" Flutter Shy added in a hushed, shy voice.
Twilight Sparkle smiled, clearly relieved to see her friends again, watching as Pinkie Pie jumped up and down excitedly with a wide grin. "Yes, yes, now let's get you out!" She said as she skipped her way over to the machine.
"Shush Pinkie! They might hear us!" Rainbow Dash scolded Pinkie who stopped in her tracks and looked at the rainbow colored filly with a nod.
"That's right, now come on; we have to be careful to get this thing to let you out…" Apple Jack stated as she stepped over, examining the device.
"Well, it can't be that hard…" Rarity stated as she moved in closer to the control panel, examining it before pressing a button.
Alarms went off and Rarity backed up, her eyes wide in surprise as she looked around uncertainly. "Oh my." She stated as she backed up into Flutter Shy who screamed as an army of ponies came in.
Apple Jack kicked the machine and the glass sphere opened and Twilight squirmed, her new, thin body able to squeeze out of the machine now as she made it out and stumbled out onto the tiled floor, making all production stop.
"Vou vill ve sorry for vat." The leader of the enemies stated coldly. "Get vem!" He bellowed in rage.
The army of winged ponies dove at them. Rarity used a spell to make a shield to try and hold them off but it failed, shattering before her as they grabbed her. A Pegasus flies by and snatched Twilight before she could fall though the cloud since the spell had worn off days ago. Being as weak as she was, Twilight could barely put up a fight as they carried her away. Flutter Shy ducked for cover fearfully but was dragged out by her tail. She squealed in pain, trying to pull away watching as Apple Jack ran at her to help but was grabbed and thrown back into the wall.
And all the while, Rainbow Dash did nothing but stand there, watching the sight with a content smile.
"Rainbow Dash help us!" Apple Jack yelled but Dash just watched her with a smile as she was taken away and strapped to a table.
"Rainbow Dash!" Flutter Shy whimpered as she was taken and strapped to the table beside Apple Jack.
"Unhand me!" Rarity yelled but was thrown into the device and strapped in. "Release us!" She demanded then watched as Twilight was strapped down in a table with a view of her friends as they finally.
Suddenly the scientist froze. "Vait, vere is Pinkie Pie?"
"Right over here!" Laughed the voice of the pink pony as she charged at them, leaping out of her hiding place, taking them by surprise as she hit them in an attempt to rescue her friends in vain, for the pink pony was stuck from behind. Pinkie then fell unconscious to the ground and laid there limply now.
"Get her bevore she avakens!" He demanded and at that command two winged ponies picked pinkie up and strapped her down beside her two other friends. "Is vat all of them?" He questioned, looking to the rainbow Pegasus who simply nodded. "Vood, now extrat their colors in the vost vainful vay and vake sure Twilight and Rarity vatch it vall."
The ponies then shifted the clouds, moving Flutter Shy, Apple Jack, and Pinkie Pie closer to view of the generator and separated Twilight to be next to the generator to watch. A pair of scientist then strapped the device onto poor Flutter Shy first. She shrunk back slightly in protest but they strapped it on her then set up mirrors so the other ponies can watch as a scientist took out a scalpel and began to cut at the live pony's flesh.
Flutter Shy gasped, screaming loudly for once as it pieced and sliced at her flesh. She squirmed to get free but it only made the clean cut jagged as they continued it up her stomach. She flapped her wings wildly to get away but once he finished the line he stabbed her wings down onto the table with the scalpel. She shrieked as she thrashed about but he then used his hooves to force the cut wound wide open.
"Flutter Shy!" Twilight yelled, a frightened look in her gaze, tears welling up as she watched the scientist begin tearing though her inners and stabbing her heart.
The crimson covered scientist then switched the machine on and all the blood was sucked up into a container as Rarity was wincing in pain as they sucked the magic out of her to remove the color from the yellow pony with the pink mane. They then dumped the lifeless body down for expimentation, the device now being moved onto pinkie pie. The pink pony didn't even seem frightened as it was strapped onto her.
"Oh sugar cube…" Apple Jack murmured, looking over at Pinkie in fear, terrified of what was to come to her now after watching Flutter Shy.
"Please stop this!" Twilight Sparkle pleaded but it was too late, the scientist had begun to slice Pinkie Pie across the stomach in horizontal lines going up her body. She tried to laugh at first but once he started to slice into her she screamed in pain, the sight too much for Twilight to bear. She already watched poor sweet Flutter Shy die before her but Pinkie too? Twilight turned her head away but one Pegasus forced her to continue watching no matter how much she tried to turn away. She watched as Pinkie Pie was sliced and her limbs sliced off while she was conscious. She cringed as she watched Pinkie yell out one final time just as the Pegasus stomped her heart and sent blood spewing everywhere.
Apple Jack gasped as she watched as well though the mirrors, trembling when the blood splattered onto her face. She turned her head over watching as the machine then drained the lifeless body of her old friend. The once pink pony, now a ghostly white, was thrown down with the body of Flutter Shy. Apple Jack knew she was next but fear made her turn to Rainbow Dash. "We're friends aren't we? Please sugar cube! Stop this!" She begged with a weak smile but the filly merely smiled at her.
"I will always treasure our friendship Apple Jack."
With those words, Apple Jack's heart sank, her mouth opened in shock as she watched the Pegasus walk away from the room. She couldn't believe her friend would do this to them, trick them then leave them to die. In her distraction she didn't notice the scientist moving to her and when she looked over he had stabbed the weapon into her side. She gasped hard, biting her lips as she tried to get free but all attempts failed. It was too late. He stabbed into her again, and again, before slicing an X over her chest and began to pull out her organs. She screamed as crimson blood spewed about before going limp. Her death quicker than the two before her which made her lucky.
Rarity turned away, unable to bare the horrid sight any longer. How could she bear it? Her closest friends dead before her eyes and nothing she could do? She heard the machine kick on. "No…" She murmured, trying to fight its power as it tried to use her magic to drain Apple Jack of her colors. She tried to free herself, thrashing about and crying loudly and complaining but they ignored her, simply taking more and more of her power until Apple Jack was solid white. Once Apple Jack was done they shut the machine off and threw the lifeless pony down with the others.
Twilight looked to the scientist. "What now? You're out of ponies…" She said with a cold glare but the stain of pain and terror showed in her eyes still as she gazed at the stallion.
He chuckled. "Vai… Vou're next Twilight." He stated as the Pegasus moved her closer under the mirrors.
"What!? No! You can't! Princess Celestia will be upset! I'm her student!"
"Student or not vou're next in line." He stated as he connected her to the machine before slicing into her. She screamed as she felt her flesh tear open and her blood sliding down her flanks as he continued to cut her abdomen open in an odd pattern.
"Please stop this!" Rarity cried, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at the stallion that was over Twilight.
Twilight screamed, turning her head away as he then used his teeth to tear her flesh off and throw it aside adjusting and rearranging her insides while she was alive, purposefully doing this to her. "Why are you doing this to us!?" She cried as tears ran down her cheeks.
"Because vi can." He stated with a menacing grin before ripping out one of her lungs. Twilight left gasping as he ripped out the other, the poor mare suffocating now as the machine was switched on. She could feel the nerves in her body stretch and tense as the color was being pulled out of each and every one of them. The pain of it squeezing each part of her body as she faded to white, agony filled her body but there was nothing she could do for the ever spreading pain. Just as she was about to black out she felt a final stab, one in her heart that ended it all.
That was the last anybody had ever seen those ponies but since then rainbows appear more often and faster and there are even more pegasi about that have rainbow colored manes and could do various tricks with rainbows. Rainbow Dash does seem a bit upset but seems cheerful for the most part, glad that rainbows are more common and every pony seems happier but it was just never the same without Twilight and the rest of the gang. Only Rainbow Dash knows what happened to them all. After Twilight was murdered Rarity was drained of all magic before she was killed and they continued the process, using the magic of unicorns to fuel the need for rainbows.
