Rainbow Factory: Reconstruction

Chapters

Prologue: Dealing With Dr. Atmosphere
Chapter 1: Physical Progress, Mental Recession
Chapter 2: Hiding Out (With an Unexpected Visitor)
Chapter 3: Filling in the Blanks
Chapter 4: Second Chance
Chapter 5: Grinding Initiated
Epilogue: Silo's Mind

Prologue: Dealing With Dr. Atmosphere

It was a peaceful night in Cloudsdale, and everypony was sleeping soundly in the security of their homes. At least, almost everypony. One lone, cloaked figure made his way towards a large house with a sign in front of it, which read: Property of the newly deceased Rainbow Dash. The disguised figure knocked forcefully on the door, but no one answered. The figure knew who lived there. It also knew that its target was home. The property in question belonged to one Doctor Hide Atmosphere, former co-manager of the Rainbow Factory. The pegasus was under witness protection, but his hunter was persistent. There was a perimeter of guards around the premises, but they were... out, for the moment. They were systematically silenced by the figure's teaser. The figure removed his cloak, revealing himself to be a green pegasus with a black vest. This pony was Siphon Green, and he was determined to make Atmosphere pay.

Siphon kicked down the door, triggering several alarms. He knew exactly how much time he had before the authorities arrived. It was enough to get the job done. As he rummaged through the building, he spotted a dark-red pegasus bolting down a hall. Determined to not let his target escape, Siphon pursued. Atmosphere was fast, but not fast enough. Siphon easily caught the pegasus and threw him into a nearby wall. He then punched Atmosphere in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him. As the dazed pony gasped for air, he rattled off a few questions.

"Wh-who are you, and *cough cough* what do you want from me?" Seeing that there was no possible way for Atmosphere to escape, Siphon decided to answer his questions.

"I'm Siphon Green, Cloudsdale Weather Corporation enthusiast, and I want you to shut up and take your punishment like a good traitorous bastard." Siphon pulled out his teaser. It was a standard CWC-licensed model, once used on rebellious filly captives. Atmosphere knew what his captor wanted.

"Look, I did what was best for the corporation. That factory relied on inefficient methods. I merely wanted it to be more cost-effective is all. Besides, who would want to grind up little fillies anyway?" Siphon responded.

"I would."

"Why? What kind of monster are you?" At this notion, Siphon's once green eyes turned a rather familiar shade of crimson. One that Atmosphere knew all too well. "Rainbow Da-" ZAP! A now possessed Siphon fired the teaser, immobilizing Atmosphere. Once Atmosphere was out for good, Rainbow Dash flew off in Siphon's body to collect much-needed documents, crashing into several walls in the house. By the time she dragged Atmosphere away, her old house was a mess. Meh, she thought as she flew away clumsily with Atmosphere and the documents on top of the body she was currently possessing, I can let my friends clean it up for me.

Chapter 1: Physical Progress, Mental Recession

The last thing Siphon remembered from his encounter with Dr. Atmosphere was the doctor's statement about trying to rid himself of his memories of the Rainbow Factory. The next thing Siphon knew, he was back at his house in Ponyville with all of Atmosphere's files on the Rainbow Factory. As he thought about what could have happened, a very familiar boyish voice spoke in his head.

"You're welcome, Siphon Green. I took the liberty of subduing Hide and acquiring all of the files myself, just to make sure it was done my way."

Rainbow Dash!? You've returned early! I intended to bring you back myself, but it seems like you've found an... alternative... way to live on past the grave, Siphon thought. Speaking of the grave, what did you do with Atmosphere? You didn't kill him already, did you?

"No way," responded the voice of Rainbow Dash. "Besides, I've been in your mind now. I know what you have planned for Hide, and I've gotta admit, you're a genius when it comes to my kind of... creativity."

Of course I am. After all, I learned from the best. You should know by now that I have studied everything there is to know about you and the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation. I must say, I am genuinely impressed. Project 'Rainbow' was a tremendous step forward for all of pegasus kind. It removed more blemishes upon Cloudsdale's reputation than ever before, and would have continued to do so if it wasn't for that fool of a doctor. Soon, he will learn the consequences of attempting to halt societal progression.

"Make sure he does. Also, I have a favor to ask of you. In addition to the files on the factory, I managed to find documents about a secret project Hide was working on, one that he never even told me about."

Go on.

"I want you to read the documents on it. The project's codename is SEEP."

Wait a second, how did you find this particular file, exactly?

"It was inside of a wall that I crashed into. I never did get used to the way your wings handle. Anyways, remember Siphon, do not fail me, or I will do very painful things to you beyond your imagination!"

I am yours to command, mi'lady, Siphon thought to himself as the spirit of Rainbow Dash drifted out of his head. Now it's time to see if the authorities noticed our handiwork from last night. Oh, who am I kidding. They've probably moved on by now, considering how little people trusted Atmosphere anyways. Nevertheless, one can never be too careful, Siphon thought as he switched on his television screen.

"This is Lyra Heartstring here with breaking news!" said the News pony on Siphon's T.V. "Last night, there was a confirmed theft and kidnapping at Rainbow Dash estates, resulting in several missing government files and the sudden disappearance of former Rainbow Factory executive Doctor Hide Atmosphere. Now to Sweetie "Bon-Bon" Drops with live feed from the estates."

"Well Lyra," the reporter, Sweetie, said from inside Rainbow's house. "As you can see, there are obvious signs of a struggle here. Random objects seem to have been thrown all over the place in, according to private investigator Hoofman, 'a fit of lunatic rage.'" Bon-Bon made her way up the stairs, with the camerapony not far behind. "From the looks of it, the upstairs part of the building isn't much better. Every room and hallway is littered with random papers thrown about randomly. However, government sources say that the most important documents in the facility are gone. Here with me now is princess Twilight Sparkle, who has generously agreed to lead the investigation into this crime with-" Siphon immediately turned off the T.V. I have to leave Cloudsdale ASAP! Siphon realized as he hurriedly began packing his portable possessions. The most suspicion he had anticipated his actions would generate were from nutty conspiracy theorists, not a princess! Worst of all, this wasn't just any princess. This was the Princess Twilight Sparkle! Siphon happened to read up on Rainbow Dash's closest friends as well, and he knew what Twilight was capable of when it comes to forensics. The only place in Equestria he could go to avoid being traced, other than Tar-tar-us, was his old hideout near Saddle Arabia.

As Siphon was packing for the journey, he heard chains rattling from a crate just large enough to store a full grown stallion. He opened the wooden lid to find Dr. Atmosphere, who was feebly attempting to escape from his wooden confines. Showing only his typical stern facial expression, Siphon pulled out the CWC teaser and shot Atmosphere. Immediately after making sure Atmosphere was out cold, Siphon continued his preparations, acting as if nothing had happened. After Siphon prepared himself for the journey, he weighed out the risks and benefits of dragging Atmosphere to his hideout, eventually deciding that every moment Atmosphere suffers is another victory for himself. However, pulling that crate would draw unwanted attention, as well as leave obnoxiously visible tracks if he were to drag it through the desert's sand. So, instead of lugging the crate himself, Siphon called an old acquaintance of his. Besides, he would have to contact him sooner or later, since he was the only person Siphon could trust to build the Rainbow Factory.

A few hours later, there was a knock at Siphon's door. Siphon opened the door and greeted the brown unicorn with a black hard hat and a tool belt outside with an emotionless welcome.

"Hello again Jeyden, long time no see."

Jeyden responded by saying, "What do you want me to do for you this time, Siphon? You only call when you need something done that you can't do yourself. Normally, I'd do anything for you without question, but not this time. I only came to your house because of how close it is compared to my current job sites. If what you want takes more than a week, then I won't help you at all."

The added stress from the possibility of Jeyden not being able to assist him caused a portion of Siphon's sanity to snap. Jeyden was the only person Siphon could rely on to finish his plans. If he didn't help, Siphon could only fathom what Rainbow Dash would do to him for allowing Atmosphere to run free...

"Listen here, you filthy unicorn!" yelled Siphon in a sudden fit of rage, as his face contorted into an expression of pure, unrelenting hatred. "I need you to transport this crate, without peeking at its contents, to your new project site! You better have a clear schedule, or else you will soon find your wife disposed and your kids hanging from their entrails over their beds! Have I made myself clear? Either you sacrifice a few days of your miserable life or your entire bloodline!" As he said this, the blood vessels within Siphon's left eye popped from the physical strain being placed upon them, turning the eye blood red. He continued his rant. "I, Siphon Green, pinkie promise that I will hunt you and your relatives down relentlessly, never sleeping until the last of your disgusting lineage is removed from the face of goddamn Equestria!"

"Calm the buck down Siphon! This isn't your normal calm, collected self!"

"What do you know about me? We're only acquaintances! The last time I saw you was 8 months ago!"

The blood vessels in Siphon's right eye also popped, leaving both his eyes blood red. Siphon ignored the pain in his eyes and continued to say what the voices in his head told him to. Pain, Siphon thought, is beneath me. Am I right? Of course I'm right. I'm me, after all. Indeed, pain is just weakness leaving the body. Right me? Right.

"Siphon, who are you talking to? Clearly, you need to rest. In the meantime, I'll take this crate to Saddle Arabia and build whatever it is you want me to build, if that's what it takes to help remove some of your stress. Speaking of which, what's so important that you need me to build it, anyways?" Siphon responded by showing Jeyden the blueprints for the Rainbow Factory with the addition of project SEEP. Jeyden whistled in astonishment.

"Wow Siphon. You always did say you had big plans, but this is far larger than I imagined. Luckily, I can have the full building with the added project completed within a matter of days. However, since none of this is legal, I'm not going to build this thing unless you can guarantee my anonymity."

"Consider yourself anonymous," Siphon lied as the two connected hooves.

"Then it's settled. You get some rest, while I build this special facility of yours. Before I go, I need to address one more thing. If you ever threaten me or my family again, I will personally bury you alive. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way," said Jeyden as he lifted the crate with his unicorn magic. As Jeyden walked away from Siphon's house, Siphon flew down to the Ponyville train station, thinking about how much he was starting to enjoy the presence of the voices within his head...

Chapter 2: Hiding Out (With an Unexpected Visitor)

It had been a long day. Siphon had just arrived at his base of operations, right outside of Saddle Arabia. The train ride was mentally taxing, as he conversed with the voice in his head the whole duration of the trip. Siphon decided to give the voice a name: Silo. Silo became the vocal manifestation of Siphon's insanity, fears, and worst of all, his most passionate desires. Silo was Siphon as much as Siphon was Silo. The two of them constantly bickered about every little thing, even as Siphon walked for three hours in the opposite direction of Saddle Arabia after he departed the train. Now the incessant Silo was all Siphon heard, even when he wasn't thinking about anything. Siphon was more than relieved to finally relax within the two story house in the middle of nowhere. He admired the relative location of his house compared to the new factory, for it was but three minute's walking distance away. From the rooftop balcony, Siphon could observe Jeyden as he worked tirelessly on the factory in the middle of a basin. The geological formation of the basin would make the factory unobservable from eye level, forcing one to be airborne to pinpoint the facility's exact location.

For the first construction day, Siphon did nothing but study facility management and ownership, as well as pony anatomy, psychology, and physiology. He also engaged in mentally stimulating conversations with Silo, as the two verbally fought for dominance over Siphon's sanity. However, Siphon arrived at a bleak conclusion.

He was fighting a losing battle.

Sooner or later, Silo would best him, converting Siphon into a deranged, psychotic masochist hell-bent on restoring the factory and grinding up the 'fodder' for spectra. Silo knew it, too. As each second passed, Silo's offers grew more alluring, provocative, and desireable. On the second day, as Siphon admired his near-complete factory from the comfort of his home, a mocking voice resonated from behind him.

"Building a 'secret' factory, eh, Siphon?" Siphon quickly spun around, taser in hand. However, before he could fire it, the figure snapped its fingers, converting the taser into a toy. Siphon threw the now non-lethal taser at the figure, which stopped it in midair with some sort of mystical force.

"I hope that's not how you greet all of your house guests," spoke the figure. Once Siphon caught a good look at the figure, beads of sweat started to form on his body. He knew who the newcomer was. The figure before him was none other than Discord, the god of Chaos himself. Siphon responded. "Discord, I presume. What have I done to attract the attention of a great being such as yourself?"

Discord answered. "You know very well what you've done, with your whole 'rainbow factory' gimmick. I've been sent to personally investigate recent abnormal smoke sightings in these deserts, since the others are busy helping Twilight investigate the recent break-in at Rainbow Dash estates. I knew you had a hand in that, but you're lucky the other element ponies did not consider the possibility of a correlation between the two cases. Their ignorance does not make you clever. I immediately recognized your handiwork in both of these cases. Such a sloppy job, you did. Personally, I think it's a miracle you aren't behind bars already."

"Enough of the bragging, Discord. What do you want? If you wanted to arrest me, you would have arrived with the authorities to brag about your detective feats as I was being forcefully restrained in cuffs."

"Well Siphon, I came here to negotiate. I have a mutually beneficial proposition for you. You see, life around here has been rather boring recently, with no chaos since the Rainbow Factory incident. And recently, people in power have been growing suspicious of you and your 'work,' constantly gathering evidence that points to you as the cause of these recent anomalies. However, I have a solution that will redirect their suspicions. I will help you dodge the authorities, but only if you do something for me. You must use your factory to cause a ruckus among the people, instilling chaos within their souls. Keep it minor, however, as there are certain authority figures I cannot bypass, such as Twilight. As long as you don't target too many important people or individuals within Ponyville, Canterlot, and the Crystal Empire, then you should have no trouble with the authorities."

"And if I decline your offer?"

"Then I hope you have a nice pillow. I hear they don't have those in prison, along with many of your other current accommodies."

"Well Discord, it would seem as if you've backed me into a corner. But how can I be sure you'll uphold your end of the bargain?"

Discord took on a look of insult. "Are you saying I would go back on a promise I made? I'm simply not that kind of person. Personally, I take offense to your distrust, Siphon."

Siphon sighed. "Fine. I agree to your proposition. But if you backstab me, I'll do everything in my power to make your life a living nightmare."

"I would love to see you try." With those last words, Discord snapped his fingers, vanishing into thin air. After he left, Siphon walked downstairs, tripping on the now normal taser. Once downstairs, Silo entered his mind again.

He lies to you. The disgusting amalgamate lies to you, Siphon. Let me take over, so we can ensure his full cooperation.

Siphon talked back. Discord won't betray us. He's right about the recent blandness about everyone's daily lives. The last major news story was indeed the rainbow factory.

Still, that does not guarantee his allegiance to our cause. Kill him now. Leave no witnesses. His blood will draw no attention. He's hated by all. Removing him would be beneficial to us. Kill him now! You know you want to.

Siphon could not argue against Silo's words. Deep down, he really did want to see Discord die by his hands. The freak did deserve it, after what happened with Tirek. Still, Discord's death would only draw more unwanted attention. Plus, Discord is the only ally Siphon has that holds power over powerful political figures. Losing him would be detrimental to his restoration project. Besides, if Discord became an issue, he had a backup plan. However, he would have to ditch the project entirely if it came to that.

Fine. Don't kill the abomination yet. Kill Jeyden once he's done with the factory. Enforce your 'no witnesses' policy. I'm sure he'll understand.

Yes, thought Siphon. Jeyden will have to die. The thought of ending his best worker tomorrow lingered in his mind for the rest of the day.

Chapter 3: Filling in the Blanks

Halfway through the third and final day of construction, the factory was completed. The one-story one-basement facility was covered by the shade, giving it a sinister appearance. Siphon went out to congratulate Jeyden on the factory.

"Nice work Jeyden. This is exactly what I envisioned. You never fail to impress me."

"Thanks Siphon. Is this all you need me to do?"

"There is one more thing you can do."

"What?"

"Fall unconcious." Before Jeyden could react, Siphon whipped out his taser and zapped him, immediately knocking him out. Siphon emotionlessly dragged Jeyden's unconscious body inside the factory through the first door on the left in the basement. He chained his best friend next to Dr. Atmosphere, who watched with disappointment.

"You know the factory is a lost cause, right Siphon?" Asked Dr. Atmosphere.

"You're right, Hide. It is a lost cause. But I'll be the one to find it again." Siphon then exited the factory, for there's no cell reception within its walls. He couldn't start up the factory just yet. No, he still needed a legal corporate banner to operate under, as well as fresh meat for the grinder. Using his phone, Siphon called up a close friend of his.

"Hey, Martin. I need you to do something for me real quick. I've formed a corporate alliance with Dr. Atmosphere, the co-executive of the now condemned Rainbow Factory, and we have good news. We've successfully discovered an alternative way of producing spectra. This revolutionary method does not involve the brutal slaughter of pegasi children. It's also more cheap and affordable."

Martin responded. "Siphon, that's excellent news! I'm so happy you found a new and affordable way to create spectra. Now, we pegasi can experience the joy of rainbow production once more, but without the deception!"

"So does that mean you'll advertise my corporation's spectra sales?"

"Of course! I'll broadcast this announcement over the entire Pegasi News Network! Before you know it, you'll be swamped with spectra orders and employee offers, especially from Cloudsdale!"

"Thanks Martin. I knew you would come through for me. To make requests, pick up spectra orders, etc, tell them to head out about three hours walking distance southeast of Saddle Arabia."

"No problem Siphon! Remember, you can always call me if you need a corporation advertised!"

"Yeah, I'll remember Martin. See you later." Siphon ended the call. He thought to himself, excellent. All is going according to plan. All I need to do now is bring back Rainbow Dash to run the facility in the background, trustworthy employees, and victims. Once these are part of the factory, spectra production can begin as overseer Dash sees fit. She may even love me after this. Or not, it doesn't really matter. All that matters is the factory. Siphon entered the factory again, this time going through the third door on the right past the main lobby. Above the door were the letters S, E, E, and P. The room only had one item. A genetically engineered replica of Rainbow Dash. Above the Dash copy was the acronym of SEEP presented in an acrostic fashion, reading:

Synthetically

Engineered

Equine

Prototype

The moment Siphon closed the door, the Rainbow Dash replica sprung to life and flew straight into Siphon.

"So, overseer Dash, are you going to slit my throat or just stare at me with your unnerving crimson eyes," Siphon joked.

Dash laughed. "No Siphon, you've done an excellent job. In fact, I hereby grant you the right to take Hide Atmosphere's place, once you kill him. Man, this new body is awesome! You know why? It doesn't require food! I can live a full life and never grow hungry! Isn't that great!"

"It sure is, overseer Dash."

"Please Siphon, don't call me overseer. Just call me Dash."

"If you say so, Dash," said Siphon with a big grin across his face. Together, the two raced to the lobby and switched on the T.V. Martin obviously did his job. On almost every channel, the advertisement for the new "Spectra Corp." played during commercial breaks. Siphon changed the channel to his favorite news program. On the screen appeared the same reporters as before, this time right outside of the factory. After sharing a quick glance, both Siphon and Rainbow Dash rushed outside to introduce the citizens of Equestria to the new "Spectra Corp." As the two ran outside, the green reporter was barely audible.

"-s is Lyra Heartstrings here with a rather interesting story for you tonight. As you can see, me and my associate, Bon-Bon, are standing right outside the corporate HQ of the newly formed Spectra Corporation. Running up to us right now are managers Siphon Green and-" She paused, as everyone gawked at Rainbow Dash.

"What are you-" Siphon started to say before realizing what they were staring at. "People, allow me to introduce the brand new co-manager of Spectra Corporation, Rain-Bloom. Serving as Hide Atmosphere's final contribution to the project before passing away, Rain-Bloom is a near-perfect genetic copy of the Rainbow Factory's old manager, Rainbow Dash."

"Helloooo people of Equestria," hollered Rainbow Dash. "As you've already heard from my good friend Siphon here, I'm Rain-Bloom. I promise I'm not as evil as my genetic template, Rainbow Dash, was. Unlike her, I intend to not contribute to the deaths of hundreds of pegasi, but instead work towards a better future in which pegasi can once again manufacture spectra successfully, but with way less casualties."

Everyone regained their composure. "Well, you heard it here first, everypony," said Lyra. "This 'rainbow factory' is kid-friendly, and promises to deliver much needed spectra to those pegasi in need. Stay tuned for Bon-Bon's interview with Siphon Green, while Rain-Bloom introduces us to Spectra Corporation's new facility." At this remark, Rainbow Dash whispered into Lyra's ear. "Well, Rain-Bloom has just told me that, to our dismay, the facility is not quite ready for tourism at the moment. For now, you can listen to Bon-Bon's one-on-one interview with Siphon Green. Until then, stay tuned everypony." After announcing this to the public, Lyra Heartstrings and her crew departed from the factory via balloon, while Bon-Bon and her cohorts remained on the scene. From there, Bon-Bon unleashed a maelstrom of questions upon Siphon.

"What started your interest in spectra production?"

Siphon responded. "Ever since I was a young colt, I've always dreamed of working for the CWC. I passed my flight test with flying colors, so I figured that was the time to work for them. However, the day after I registered, the whole Rainbow Factory fiasco happened, leaving me more depressed than I've ever been. Shortly afterwards, I wandered the streets of Ponyville, disheartened by the recent turn of events. That was when I looked up and saw a rainbow that I knew my destiny was to bring back the factory. At the time I still had a blank flank, so I was surprised to find that staring at that rainbow had caused my cutie mark to appear. Ever since that moment, I've worked tirelessly to bring the dream of rainbow production back, and with Hide Atmosphere's help, my dream has come to fruition."

"Where did you find Rain-Bloom?"

"I didn't find her, I made her."

"Made her? How can you make a pony? No scientist has ever done such a thing before, so how did you?"

"Well, I didn't make her alone. She's Dr. Atmosphere's last contribution to the company. Rain-Bloom is the product of a highly experimental genetic engineering project, codenamed SEEP."

"How exactly does SEEP work?"

"I don't quite know. Atmosphere was the only one who understood genetics. All I did was give him the work space he needed and the materials he required."

"You said SEEP was Dr. Atmosphere's last contribution to the company, correct? What happened?"

"It was your last story, the ransacking of his house, that happened. Ever since that day, I haven't heard anything from him. Not only that, but the documents that were stolen are the ones that describe our partnership, SEEP, and Spectra Corp. Whoever took them has what you need."

"Thank you for the answers, Siphon." Bon-Bon stared at the camera. "Well, that's all the time we have for today, folks. Tune in next time, as we interview Princess Twilight Sparkle on a new lead she's found regarding the disappearance of Dr. Atmosphere. This is Sweetie 'Bon-Bon' Drops of Heart News, signing off." With these last words, Bon-Bon and her crew made their way back to the news station to meet up with Lyra.

Siphon and Rainbow Dash made their way back into the factory. Once inside, they began to hire employees to manage the main floor of the facility. The two decided that nopony was trustworthy enough to run the basement of the place. They would facilitate that level themselves. However, after running a trial work day at the factory, they realized that they couldn't manage both the basement level and the employees alone. They needed somepony else to assist with the moving and restraining of the prisoners, as well as cleaning the device. Unbeknownst to them, the answer to their problem was running straight to them.

Chapter 4: Second Chance

Running. That's all Hazel has done for the past day, aside from crying. Running from her past, her life, and the world. She never wanted to stop running. Fate had proven its cruelty to her the day before she ran away. However, she was growing tired. She had no idea where she was now, nor did she care. In the distance, Hazel saw what appeared to be steam. As she ran closer to it, she saw that the steam was coming from a factory of some sort. She didn't know why, but she continued running towards the factory, as if something was calling her there. When she was but a few feet away from it, Hazel collapsed.

When Hazel awoke, she was met with two faces staring her in the eyes. One of them green, the other cyan.

"Wh-where am I?" asked Hazel.

The cyan one answered. "Safe, for now. Tell me, what's a nice hazel-colored filly like you doing out here in the desert?"

Hazel broke into quiet sobs as she answered. "Running. I'm running from everything. It's not fair, why did they have to die like that? Why did he have to kill them? Why? Why? Why?"

"Whoa now, calm down for a second. Tell us everything that happened, from beginning to end," said the green one.

Will they understand? They'll probably think I'm a lunatic child. Oh well. I have nothing left to lose now, do I, thought Hazel as she gathered the strength to tell them her story.

"It was on the day I passed my flight test. My parents and I went out to celebrate my success. We went to my favorite restaurant and arcade and had lots of fun. However..." Hazel felt the tears rising to her eyes. "On the way back home, they, they..." she broke into a cry. "They were murdered!" She cried harder. The two strangers looked at each other, with a look of shock, disgust, and... delight? They directed their attention back to her. The green one asked in a rather paternal voice,

"What's your name, child?"

Hazel sniffed, "Hazel."

"Don't worry Hazel. Everything's going to be fine from here on out. I'm Silo, by the way, and this here is Rainbow Dash. We'll take good care of you from here on out. How does that sound?"

Hazel's spirits rose. Are things finally turning for the better? Can they really take care of me?

"That would be very nice of you," she said. Hazel thought to herself, If they're willing to take care of me, maybe they can do something I want. I wonder... She asked her biggest question. "My parents' killer. If I told you who he was and what he looked like, could you kill him for me? To avenge my parents."

Their answer surprised her. "We can do better than that, Hazel," said Rainbow Dash. "We'll bring him to you, so you can kill him yourself."

"That's perfect!" shouted Hazel. "Okay, his name is Soarin. He's a white pegasus-"

Rainbow Dash cut her off. "I know that guy," she said.

Oh no. Is he friends with her? Hazel started to worry. If this was the case, then her parents would never be avenged. Rainbow Dash continued. "Yeah, he cheated on me with some other pegasus. Don't worry Hazel, I'll bring him to you."

Hazel exploded into a fit of joy. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Don't mention it, Hazel," said Silo as Rainbow Dash flew out the doors. While she was away, Silo took her on a lovely tour of the factory. This place is beautiful. Certainly larger than my old home, Hazel thought to herself as they toured the basement of the facility. Silo explained how she would work here with them, and how they would be one happy family forever. They arrived at the prison room, where two stallions, whose identities were unknown to Hazel were hanging in chains.

She asked, "Who are they, in the chains?"

Silo responded. "The first one was a friend of mine. He betrayed me, so now he's paying the price for betrayal. The other one destroyed our previous business, leaving us poor and at the mercy of society."

"They must be horrible ponies then, right Silo?"

"That's right Hazel. They're evil ponies who do nothing but hurt innocent people, like you and me."

Just like the stallion that killed my parents, thought Hazel. She was excited by the concept that she'd help them kill evil ponies, and not innocents. Siphon kneeled down beside her.

"Hazel, I want you to understand something. The ponies we kill here are mainly fillies and colts your age. However, they're not innocent."

Hazel was confused. Others my age? But I'm only ten years old! "I don't understand. How could others my age be guilty of anything?" Hazel asked.

Silo continued. "They failed their flight test, Hazel. If we allowed them to continue living, then they would make us pegasi look weak. We pegasi want to look strong and fierce for everyone, but we can't do that with those failures around. If we don't look strong, then the other pony races will laugh and mock us. Do you understand now, Hazel?"

She understood perfectly, and admired her new parents even more now. Wow, she thought to herself. Silo and Rainbow Dash are the best parents ever! Not only are they going to help me avenge my parents, but now they've given me a second chance at life!

"Silo," she said. "From this day forward, I promise to do my very best helping you kill the bad ponies in the world for as long as I live."

Silo's expression was one of approval. "I'm proud to hear that, Hazel. I knew you'd help us the moment I saw you."

"Really?" Hazel asked excitedly.

"Really," responded Silo, a huge grin across his face. Not long after the tour, Rainbow Dash returned. Entering through a secret back entrance to the facility, she threw Soarin's body with disgust on the floor in front of what they called 'the Device.' From what Silo told her, it grinds up the bad ponies into a beautiful liquid called spectra. Hazel couldn't wait to start grinding up evil ponies, starting with her parents' murderer.

"Well," Rainbow Dash said. "Ready to avenge your parents, Hazel?"

Chapter 5: Grinding Initiated

Soarin woke up to find himself in an unsavory predicament. He was suspended in chains dangling over the maw of the Device, the twin crushers within currently inactive. Besides the controls of the machine were three figures: Silo, Rainbow Dash, and Hazel. On the other side of the machine was Dr. Atmosphere, who locked eyes with Soarin. He gave the soon-to-be-grinded pony a look of sympathy. The three noticed that he was awake. Silo was the first to speak.

"Hello, Soarin. You have been found guilty of homicide and abuse. How do you plead?" Confused, Soarin responded.

"What the hell are you talking about? I didn't commit any crimes!" Rainbow Dash flew towards him, hovering mere inches from him.

"Wrong answer!" She yelled as she slapped him across the face with her right hoof. "You know what you did, you cheating bastard!" As she screamed in his face, Hazel activated the chains. They pulled at Soarin's wing, leg, and arm bones, causing him to panic.

"I didn't do anything, I swear, I swear!" The chains continued to pull, further increasing Soarin's hysteria. "I'll do anything you want! Anything! Just please don't kill me, please don't kill me please don't kill me!" His bones snapped, causing him to scream in pain. Tears leaked from his eyes, pouring down his face. As Soarin was writhing in agony, Dr. Atmosphere looked away in disgust. Dash and Silo were grinning ear to ear, admiring the machine's efficiency. Hazel was giggling with glee at the sight of her parent's killer being murdered slowly and painfully. She released the chains on Soarin's legs and activated the lowering mechanism, which was slowly lowering Soarin into the grinders. Hazel trotted over to observe the imminent carnage. As Soarin's broken body was inches from the machine, Hazel said what she wanted to tell him since he killed her parents.

"You killed my parents! Now, I'm going to kill you!" Hazel began to laugh as the machine started tearing at Soarin's legs. His already-broken bones were being grinded slowly. He could feel his muscles being ripped apart, his tendons twisting, his blood leaking out of him. Soarin let out many tremendous shrieks, none of which sounded like a pony. They sounded like something from Tar-tar-us. The machine wasn't even halfway through tearing Soarin apart before he died. As the machine had mangled half of Soarin's corpse, the chains restraining his arms were detached. What was left of the pegasus was slowly ground up in an incredibly gory mess.

The machine was coated with blood. Intestines littered the bowels of the device. Soarin had died horribly, and Hazel had never been happier. At long last, her parents were avenged. Sure, she was the one that had to clean the machine, but that didn't matter to her. She was in her own world of joy. Giggling with glee, she thanked Rainbow Dash and Silo for being her new family. Now that Soarin's dead, she awaited orders from her new parents. There was only one more pony left to face justice...

The trio chained Dr. Atmosphere to the machine.

"It's ironic, isn't it Hide," Rainbow Dash whispered in his ear, "that you'll die at the hands of your own creation?" Atmosphere did not reply, staring deep into Dash's eyes. The machine began to stretch his bones. As his bones were broken, Atmosphere thought about Rainbow. What happened to you, Dash? You used to be fun to work with. You were a great boss until you went off the deep end. The machine began to lower him into the rotating grinders. Before his senses were flooded with anguish, Atmosphere spoke his last words.

"Dash," Atmosphere said, "it was an honor to work for you. Goodbye." The machine grinded away at his body, and he screamed in unimaginable pain. As he died, a tear escaped from Rainbow's right eye.

"Goodbye, Hide. You were my favorite employee," Dash muttered under her breath. "But you betrayed me, so now you pay the price." A few seconds later, and it was over. Hazel grabbed a sponge and began to scrub away at the machine, washing away the remains of the two very dead pegasi. While she scrubbed, Silo and Dash collected the light-blue and dark-red spectra from the machine. As the price of the spectra was being estimated and the flight schools that failures would be abducted from were mapped out, both Silo and Rainbow Dash shared one single, collective thought.

The Rainbow Factory had returned.

And it wasn't breaking down anytime soon.

Epilogue: Silo's Mind

He finally lost the battle within his head. The day of reckoning had arrived for Siphon, as he felt himself being locked away in his head. There was only Silo, now. A swirling vortex of hatred, sadistic intentions, and love. As Siphon was locked away, he felt himself being freed. Through Silo's insanity, he was freed from the restraints holding back his true form. His true form, was Silo. Siphon was never real. He was only a facade to disguise the real personality within. At long last, his darkest side could roam freely, fulfilling the goals they've always desired. And now, with Hazel under his protection, he was complete.

He would raise Hazel to be just like him. A sadistic psychopath with the desire to expunge the weak from society. But was he insane? No, he wasn't. He was the sane one. Everyone against the factory was insane. They'd rather see the pegasi as weak and feeble, rather than a race to be feared. What was wrong with them? Silo had no idea. He only knew that he had to ensure that the pegasi reputation was safe and secure. He was the conduit from which justice would be enacted. The light in the dark. The beacon of fairness. All of these things and more he saw himself as.

But that's not all. No, he was the start of a new order, one that brought about the end of all pegasis' struggle everywhere. He solidified their race as being superior. From now on, they'd be the ones mocking the other races. As a young colt, Silo was always made fun of for failing his flight test. That's right. Silo never even passed his flight test. He always used a balloon to move from place to airborne place. As a result, he was always scorned by his own parents and belittled by both unicorns and earth ponies wherever he went.

That's when he heard about the Rainbow Factory. He never really knew how he dodged the authorities of the factory. So he made up his own reason. Silo imagined that the reason he was alive as being his second chance at retribution. He would redeem himself by ensuring that no other ponies that failed like him underwent the same humiliation he suffered. Indeed, Silo would be the one to save them from their own failing. Death was much more merciful than the scorn of others, in his eyes. That was when he set out to make it happen. Nothing would stop him from saving those he truly felt needed to be saved from themselves.

At least, that's what Silo thinks. But is it true? Only Siphon knew what the truth was. He did fail his flight test. He did believe that he was justice served. Did he ever think he was saving anyone? No, he didn't. That was just to hide the fact that he lost the game within his mind to the residue of Rainbow Dash's ghost fair and square. He would never admit to being bested, even if it was only within himself. He forced himself to believe in a lie, since the truth was so unbearable.