Chapters "You have beautiful eyes."
That's all I remembered before I felt nothing but pain and relief from the grinding blades of the Pegasus Device, while the pegasus that I had admired all my life laughed at me in the hour of her bittersweet victory. I was nothing but trash to her. A nuisance. A pawn in her game of murdering innocent pegasi, just because they failed at a flying test. I never thought this could happen, nor that the pegasus who had accepted me as her sister could dispose of me without shedding a single tear. I thought she loved me, but apparently, I was mistaken.
After the sound of my own flesh and bone grinding had subsided, I remember falling into a darkness. My only thought was that I was going to be stuck in that factory as one of the many innocent victims who had met their fate through the Pegasus Device, but this darkness was not anything like the factory itself. It was always quiet, and I was the only pony there. I was alone for eternity. At least that's what I thought, until I heard a faint cry within the dark void I had ventured through for countless years. I had found another pony. Another victim.
Something was different about her. Her wings were missing, something I found both sad and humiliating. I didn't know whether or not to approach her, even though I was dead and I couldn't be killed again. I knew that her wings had been removed by some sort saw, due to the consistency of the two severed limbs on her back. They were cut neatly, and still swollen. Her wings had been cut off by force. Somepony had removed her of what makes her a pegasus. A hanus act that should never be performed.
I was angry, sad, and lost. I hadn't seen somepony in years, and if anything, neither had she. She needed somepony in this place. This void of darkness that I couldn't explain. I decided to approach the young pegasus, and as I did, she became aware of my presence.
"Who's there?" asked the pegasus.
"It's alright. I'm lost, just like you," I spoke.
She turned toward me, her eyes full of tears. She hesitated to say a word to me, seeing I was only a stranger to her.
"How can I trust you?! For all I know, you could be an Orchestrator here to laugh at me, all because I have no wings!" snapped the pegasus.
I didn't know how to act. She still thought she was in the factory, left to die in some part of the large building. How had she gone, I wondered. Had she met her fate through the Pegasus Device, or had she met her end a much worse way? She couldn't have flown to save herself from the guards. Had she been tazed to death? Committed suicide somehow? All these options reminded me of my time in the factory. I was so close to escaping the factory that I could taste it, but I was outsmarted by a pegasus I didn't even recognize anymore. She was only a monster to me now.
"I'm no Orchestrator. I'm just a pegasus," I said. "I met my end through the demented machine you and I both know as "the Pegasus Device." A machine designed to extract spectre to create rainbows."
The young pegasus calmed herself, looking at me differently. I was prepared for anything she planned to do.
"If you died through that machine, then why do you still have your wings!?" she asked me. "When I was forced into the factory, I was taken as one of the weaker pegasi, and my wings were cut off by one of the Orchestrators! The one thing that makes me a pegasus was taken from me and tossed aside like garbage, and broadcasted for everypony to see! I was humiliated!"
The thought of a pegasus's wings being cut off against a pegasus's will, made a chill run down my spine. Had Rainbow Dash truly gone so low to do something so horrid? Rainbow Dash used to be a legend, but now I saw her as nothing but a ruthless monster. Going so low to remove the wings of pegasi seemed a bit extreme, but after seeing her true colors in my final moments of life, nothing would surprise me.
"At the time I was taken to the factory, cutting wings off wasn't a necessity, so I got to keep mine," I said. "However, in the time I was in the factory, I lost somepony I loved and cared for. He was taken from me by Rainbow Dash, all because I failed to pass the flying exam, after teaching me everything that she knew. Everypony makes mistakes, and just because I made one tiny mistake, I lost the one I loved through greed and selfishness! I HATE HER!"
My anger had startled the young pegasus, and I was surprised just how angry I had gotten. It was as if I had released all of my hate for the monster I once knew as a sister in one sentence. I did hate her! She was a horrible pegasus that I wished I could inflict the same pain I felt in my final moments ten-fold! I was dead though. I would never get that chance. As much as I wanted to kill her, I had to accept that I had lost that opportunity.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," I confessed. "It's just that the pegasus you know as the factory's ruthless leader used to be somepony I was very close to, until I saw her true colors."
The young pegasus looked at me with a surprised look. She wiped away her tears, turning toward me.
"You.. were close to her?" she asked me.
"Closer than you can imagine. We were practically sisters, but before you think I had anything to do with that factory, I never knew, until I was taken there. I tried to convince her what she was doing wasn't right, but she didn't care. She didn't even show any emotion when I attempted to convince her, so it's clear that she will never give up her madness. If only the other pegasi in Cloudsdale knew that the pegasus they all look up to, is only out to kill them."
From the expression on the pegasus's face, I could tell she could care less about anything I was telling her. If anything, I was only making myself seem as if I were Rainbow Dash's right-hoof mare, even though I wasn't. I decided to continue onward, since I wasn't getting anywhere with this victim of the Rainbow Factory. I was only wasting my breath and effort. I took two steps from her, until she spoke out, and said something that I wasn't expecting her to say.
"I-I'm sorry," she confessed to me.
Her voice was innocent, as I turned to face her once more.
"For what?" I asked.
"You were close to her, and she played you for a fool," she stated.
I shrugged my shoulders, speaking back to her, holding back as much anger as possible.
"No need to be," I replied. "It doesn't matter anymore anyways. I'm dead. That dirty mare lives on, killing innocent pegasi, while we wander throughout this darkness after death. I wish I could've stopped her, but I was too weak. She outsmarted me, and made me pay the ultimate price."
The young pegasus put her hoof to her chin, as I stood in confusion. What could she be thinking in such a depressing place? She turned back to me, and asked me an unlikely question.
"Let me ask. If you had a second chance to go back, would you?" asked the pegasus.
I paused, wondering how to answer her question. The obvious answer was "yes," but I had already said enough. She could've been setting me up, seeing I had claimed I was once close to Rainbow Dash. I just decided to be honest, because what's the worst she could do?
"I would. To take down Rainbow Dash for good, but that's impossible. There's no second chances here, kid," I answered roughly.
"Nothing's impossible," replied the pegasus. "I know somepony who might be able to give you a second chance at destroying Rainbow Dash."
My ears perked. I was immediately intrigued at the sound of the pegasus's words. I wasn't sure to believe her about such an impossible opportunity. One that I wanted. One that I needed.
"Who?" I asked.
"His name is unknown, seeing he forgot his name in his years of working in the Rainbow Factory," she responded. "He has been waiting for somepony like you to come along, to take out that factory, but he needed a strong pegasus."
I wondered who this pegasus could've been, but at the same time, I didn't care. If I could have another chance to destroy the Rainbow Factory, and its ruthless leader, I'd take it. What surprised me the most though, was the fact that this pegasus had worked in the factory, but he had somehow ended up here. Had he rebelled against Rainbow Dash, died in some sort of factory accident, or had he eventually met his fate as I had?
"Speaking of names, I never caught yours," I said.
"My name is Crystal," she responded. "What's yours?"
"It's Scootaloo," I responded.
She paused, as her eyes bulged.
"You... You were the leader of the first assault against the factory workers!" she claimed. "You were the first pony to ever get into Rainbow Dash's head! Your death weakened her!"
I was surprised. How could she know this? My assault against Rainbow Dash was before she was admitted into the factory, and by then, I was already being presented as a rainbow.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"The pegasus I mentioned before told me about it," she confessed.
My death had gotten into Rainbow Dash's head? It sure didn't seem like she cared the slightest when I was fed into that machine. All she did was laugh. With that information, I knew that the key to escaping that factory of nightmares was to kill Rainbow Dash, and since I had known Rainbow Dash more than anypony, I knew how to do it. This was my chance. My chance to end her game of madness. All I had to do was "push" her both mentally and physically.
"If this pegasus can give me one chance at Rainbow Dash, I promise to destroy her, along with the factory itself," I spoke. "Rainbow Dash looks at herself as a god. If I can have another chance at life, I'll prove otherwise. She isn't a god. She's just another pegasus that needs to be taken out. If anypony can destroy her, it's me."
Crystal could see clearly that everything I said wasn't just to intimidate her. Everything I said was true. I no longer had any sort of love for Rainbow Dash, only hate and disgust, and my only wish for the pegasus I once knew, was for her to die the same way I did with no mercy spared. Crystal knew that, as she nodded her head, and stood back on all hooves.
"Follow me, and I'll take you to him," she stated.
I didn't smile or make any sort of grin at the sound of Crystal's words. Instead, I just proceeded to following her deeper into the void of darkness.
It seemed as if I had been walking for hours, when Crystal finally came to a stop. My hooves were weak, as I planted my back end on the cold ground, fear and hatred penetrating my mind. I had no idea what was coming next, nor who this pegasus was that Crystal had spoke of. I knew I couldn't die, but I could still feel pain, even if I was dead.
"Wait here," commanded Crystal, taking a few steps forward.
I nodded my head as a response, even though my instincts were telling me to run. I ignored my instincts, despite my fear. If there was any sort of possibility to return to the factory, and destroy everything that Rainbow Dash had managed to create, I couldn't refuse that opportunity. The factory had existed for millennia, killing and poisoning the minds of innocent pegasi. It's existence was futile. I had to destroy it, along with it's ungrateful leader. I couldn't let another pegasus die over greed and selfishness.
I watched, as a tall pegasus stepped out of the darkness. His coat was grey, and his mane was yellow, much like a pegasus that I had met when I still had a life in Ponyville. Her name escapes me, due to my mind being ridden of all memories outside of the factory, along with all the countless years I had spent here. This endless darkness had slowly corrupted my mind, coating it with some sort of fog that had changed me. I wasn't the pony I was before. If anything, I was just an empty shell.
Crystal gave me a signal to step closer, now that she and the other pegasus had finished their discussion. Once again, my instincts erupted, telling me to run, but I ignored them, stepping closer. Standing next to the much bolder pegasus made me feel uncomfortable. He clearly was much more powerful in both strength and wits. I could see that he had been in the factory for a long time just by his stare. It was intimidating, causing me to hesitate and wonder just how long this pegasus had been in the factory.
He continued to stare at me, sending a chill down my spine.
"So, you're the pegasus that stood up against the mare that we both used to admire?" he asked me.
Once again, I nodded my head as a response. We were both equals, yet I still felt weak next to him.
"I admire your bravery. You were the first pegasus to make Rainbow Dash worry that somepony was going to escape the factory," he stated to me. "She admitted it to me, not too long after you were put through the Pegasus Device. Unfortunately, your efforts led to a grim requirement. Something she entrusted me to do, which was cutting off the wings of every newly-admitted pegasus. That's what made me finally gain enough courage to try and escape the hell I was stuck in. Yet, I was outsmarted, just like you."
I was shocked. I really had gotten into Rainbow Dash's head. I had pushed her to a point where I thought she'd never go. Her wings were part of her destiny, and just because of my near-escape, she had enforced that all pegasi who were admitted into the factory shall have their wings cut off. I truly was Rainbow Dash's greatest adversary.
"How did she get you?" I asked.
The pegasus let out a long sigh before answering.
"She knew of my plans to escape long before I finally decided to escape," he admitted. "The only exit to the roof of the factory was sealed off without me knowing, and despite putting a nasty impression on her head, she had thought ahead. The only exit turned out to be a death trap, and foolishly, I, along with another young pegasus named Starlight Spark died of lack of oxygen. I was doomed from the start."
Anger was all I felt at the sound of the pegasus's words. I had heard enough.
"If you can give me one shot at Rainbow Dash, I promise that I'll her pay," I stated, my voice low and raspy.
"I know you can," replied the pegasus. "You are much bolder than me, otherwise I would've went back myself. As much as I hate that bitch, I could never come as close as you did. I was there when you nearly escaped, and even though I was a factory worker, I truly wanted to see you escape. Maybe then, I could have gotten out of that factory much sooner, and avoided the many terrible things I was forced to do! ALL BECAUSE OF RAINBOW DASH!"
His words surprised me. He truly had been in the factory for a long time. He had seen and done horrible things to survive, including cutting off the wings of Crystal, and unlike the other workers, he cared for the helpless victims that he had to kill and torture by force.
"One chance. That's all I need," I confirmed. "I. WILL. FINISH. HER."
The pegasus could see I wasn't kidding, so he nodded his head.
"One chance," he spoke. "Once you get the chance, don't hesitate. Kill her."
I nodded my head. At long last, after all these years, I finally was going to get my chance. I had one chance to finish the factory and Rainbow Dash both. That's all I needed. I felt a surge enter me, as I was transported to the roof of the weather factory.
A strong wind blew through my mane, as I felt raindrops collide against my skin. The sky visible from the roof of the weather factory was only an overcast of black and grey clouds, along with lightning strikes. A thought of pure horror plagued my mind, as I realized what would follow the storm. A rainbow composed of innocent pegasi that had died through the Pegasus Device would form in place of the storm. The thought made my stomach turn, as I admired my surroundings.
The roof was long, wide, and open, with one lone entrance on the far right side of the roof. Surprisingly, the roof wasn't barricaded by any barb wire or an electric fence. It was completely open. Any factory worker could jump from this horrible place if they wanted. They could escape a horrible life of murder and torture, but most of the pegasi were either too afraid or driven to madness by Rainbow Dash's tactics. They'd be stuck here for the rest of their lives, killing innocent pegasi, driven to where murder was only second nature to them.
The rain continued to pound against my skin, so I decided to find some cover. I scouted the area for any sort of cover, but of course, there wasn't a single spot where I could escape the rain. There was only one way I could get out of the rain, and as much as I didn't want to, I knew I had to do it. I had to return to the inside of the factory. The place I had died in, along with Orion and Aurora. The screams of them in their final moments still plagued my mind, especially Orion's pleas, as his ribs were snapped, and he was thrown into the Pegasus Device like a piece of trash.
Those thoughts had caused tears to form in my eyes, as I became surprised. I had not felt sadness for years, nor had I not cried ever since Orion's death. The warm tears rolled down my cheeks, as I wiped them away. Was I truly alive again? I decided to check by placing my right hoof against the left side of my chest, only to feel a beating within my chest. My heart was beating again, pumping blood throughout my body. I truly was alive again, and this time, I would not fail to avenge my fallen friends. This time, Rainbow Dash would be outsmarted. She wasn't going to win again.
However, before I could do anything in my quest for vengeance, I had to find a way to blend in. My best option was to disguise myself in a full-body suit, otherwise Rainbow Dash would have her entire security squad on me. I couldn't be seen. She couldn't know I was here. The factory was packed with surveillance cameras, along with a strange darkness that you couldn't see. It was much like the same darkness in the void, but much more powerful. I would have to be absolutely careful, and remain hidden like a ghost. Once I would be able to blend in, I could get to work on sabotaging the empire Rainbow Dash had created.
I carefully examined the area for any security cameras, and fortunately didn't see any, as I carefully stepped toward the only entrance on the far right side of the roof. My mane and coat were soaked by the time I reached the far right side of the roof, where a green light glew through my blurred vision, due to the rain. The green light glew from just above the entrance, illuminating from a neon sign that read "EXIT ."
I took a close look at the door, only to quickly realize that it was one of those doors that required a certain code to open. I wanted to cuss in frustration, until I suddenly heard a beeping noise erupt from the other side of the door. I wasted no time, and quickly rushed to hide from whoever was on the other side of the entrance. The door opened, revealing a female pegasus dressed in a pitch-black suit, with only her tail, wings, and face visible. It was just like the one Rainbow Dash was wearing the day I was admitted into the factory.
Could this have been one of the "Orchestrators" that Crystal mentioned? The pegasus walked right out to the edge of the roof, mumbling to herself. She was gripping something in her hoof, as she stuck it in her mouth.
"Ugh. I hate taking these things, but it's the only way to escape the horrible shit I'm forced to do," she spoke to herself.
I wondered what to do, seeing she wasn't even aware of my presence. I peeked my head around the corner, noticing the door still open. The pegasus was clearly too busy mumbling to herself, so I took the opportunity, immediately trotting from my hiding spot, through the open door, and into the factory.
Inside the factory, a heaviness came over me, as I looked around, fortunately not seeing any other factory workers. I wondered what sort of medication the factory worker had taken. Apparently, it was strong enough to make somepony forget things, due to her stating so. At the same time, I could care less about what sort of medication the factory worker had taken. I had to focus on my task, which was getting to the bottom floor without being seen. I'd have to stick to the shadows, seeing there were cameras everywhere, and the only way I could stay hidden, was to stick to the darkness.
My current position was a short narrow hall, that led to a longer hall just across from the hall I was in, along with a long skywalk to the left. The entire factory was visible through the glass along the sides of the skywalk, including the Pegasus Device. The machine I had died in was silent, but it had recently been used, due to the visible blood on the grinding blades of the death machine. Another sign that it had recently been used was the fact that the spectre storage tubes were full to the top.
I was lucky. No factory workers were visible on the factory floor. That's when it hit me; I had no idea what time it was. For all I knew, the factory workers could have departed to wherever they rested, for the day. I still wasn't going to take any chances, because I couldn't imagine the cameras being shut off at any time, due to all the rebellious pegasi that had turned against Rainbow Dash. I still had to stick to my plan, not to mention that I had to keep moving, because I knew one factory worker was still awake.
The most obvious way to go was across the skywalk, and hopefully find an elevator. The darkest spots in the skywalk was the sides of the long walkway, so I'd just have to trot as fast as my hooves could manage. I took a deep breath, sticking to the left side of the skywalk, and with all my energy, trotted across the skywalk. The hall seemed to drag on for miles, when it really was only my mind playing tricks on me. I was afraid. I hated this place, but it was the only place where I could find the mare I hated the most. I couldn't afford to make any mistakes, because I had just this chance to take out the factory and Rainbow Dash.
After what seemed like forever, I finally reached the end of the skywalk, where I met another code-embedded door and another long hallway, where at the end of it, I could see an elevator. This almost seemed too easy. I had not seen any other factory worker, except the one female pegasus I had encountered, and I had no idea where the hell I was going. For all I knew, I could be walking right into a trap, seeing the bold pegasus that had given me this opportunity had met his end through a set-up trap. Rainbow Dash knew of his plans long before he planned to do so.
I couldn't underestimate Rainbow Dash. Her act as the tomboyish pegasus that represented loyalty made her seem like she didn't even have the qualifications of her TRUE self. Nopony would have ever guessed her to be clever and cunning. Just goes to show you that you never TRULY know somepony, until you've seen their true colors. Rainbow Dash was a murderous pegasus, and the overmare of a factory of nightmares. The fact that I had admired Rainbow Dash all my life made me want to vomit. I shook my head, as I wondered what to do next.
My best bet was the elevator, so I wasted no time, stuck to the darkest areas, and trotted down the long hall. Once I reached the end of the hall, I examined the elevator, quickly noticing that it had a hoof scanner, along with an eye scanner.
"Shit!" I exclaimed. "Now what?!"
Suddenly, I heard hoof steps from down the hall, immediately causing my heart to drop. I had to hide, fast. As the steps got closer, I decided to hide in a dark corner, and hope that I wouldn't be spotted by the factory worker. I placed my hoof over my mouth, silencing my breathing, as the female worker came into view, approaching the elevator. An idea came to me through my fear, noticing that once again, the worker didn't notice my presence. With all my bravery, I jumped from my hiding spot, grabbed the pegasus, and put my hoof over her mouth, thrusting her violently in my grip.
"Listen up, and listen good!" I commanded her. "If you don't shut up, I'm going to snap your neck!"
She continued to struggle in my grip, so to give the worker a sign that I wasn't kidding, I violently smacked her face into the door of the elevator, causing her to cooperate, as I pulled her back into my grip.
"Refuse again, and I'll do worse!" I threatened. "Now, here's how it's going to go. You are going to get me into that elevator, take me to the bottom floor, and lastly, take me to where they store the full-body suits."
The worker didn't struggle anymore, and nodded her head instead. I quickly, forced her in front of the eye and hoof scanners, as she cooperated, placing her hoof on the hoof scanner, and her eyes against the eye scanner. A series of beeping noises, along with a female tone voice erupted from the two scanners.
"Access granted ," spoke the scanner, following the elevator doors opening.
The inside of the elevator was dimly-lit, making my situation much easier, seeing I had to stick to the darkness if I planned to make any sort of progress in this demented factory. I continued to hold the pegasus tight in my grip, as I navigated backwards, into the compact elevator.
"Take us to the bottom floor," I commanded, thrusting the factory worker toward the keypad.
She didn't fight me, and just did as I had commanded. After pressing a few buttons, the elevator door closed, proceeding to the factory floor. Along the way down, the factory worker turned her head to me, freeing her muzzle from my grip.
"Kill me," she said to me.
Her words surprised me. I had no idea how to even respond to something like that. What was I supposed to say? Yes? Was she trying to trick me, or was she being serious? Judging from what she said on the roof, I believed that she was being serious. She had grown tired of this life of murder, and wanted out of the Rainbow Factory, forever. She was my only guidance though, so I decided to make a proposition with her.
"Ok, I'll free you from this place, but first, you have to do something for me," I stated.
"What's your proposition?" she asked me.
"You know your way around the factory, so here's the deal. Get me a map, and keep me out of Rainbow Dash's sight," I proposed. "If you can get me to Rainbow Dash, I'll free you from this hellbent factory."
The worker raised an eyebrow at me, following an unsettling look on her face.
"Best way to get to Dash, is to gain her trust," stated the pegasus. "It's not easy to gain her trust though. You'll have to do some wicked shit to get on Dash's good side. Only few pegasi have been able to do it, and what they've done to gain her trust is best left unsaid."
Without a doubt, I knew that the worker wasn't kidding the slightest. Rainbow Dash was ruthless, and I could only imagine the unspeakable things required to gain her trust, but I planned to gain Rainbow Dash's trust using stealth and manipulation. I had been closer to Rainbow Dash than anypony had ever been. I knew things about her that others didn't. Things that could ruin her, and scare her.
"Trust me. I can gain her trust, but I need time to do it," I stated.
"I don't know what you are planning, but I can buy you time," she replied. "Can you loosen your grip though? It kinda hurts."
Despite what she had stated, I wasn't going to loosen my grip so easily. I knew just how manipulative these workers were, and they would play the "I'm just an innocent victim, so trust me" game.
"I'll release you, but first, dispose of any lethal weapon you have on you," I claimed. "I know you have a taser, gun, and pepper spray as defence against any victims who try to escape. Dispose of them, and I'll release you."
She didn't rebel, and disposed of all the lethal weapons she carried on her belt, dropping them to the floor of the elevator. She had disposed of a taser, handgun, pepper spray, knife, and night stick, as the elevator came to a stop on the bottom floor. I carefully released her from my grip, as the elevator doors opened. Just outside the doors, I saw the base of the Pegasus Device. It was supported by four steel bars, holding it in place.
The sight of the machine caused the memories of my final moments in the factory to flash before my eyes, as I stared at the steel wall next to the machine with rusty chains hanging from the rafters. The chains that my hooves had been restrained in, as I was lifted, and dropped into the grinding blades of the death machine. Those memories caused my entire body to quiver, as I saw the metal platform to the side of the death machine. The place where Rainbow Dash had stood, mocking me, Orion, and Aurora.
The machine was quiet now, but it wouldn't be long before it would erupt back to life, hungry for more innocent pegasi who had failed the flying exam. I did notice something different about the area though. A giant projector screen was positioned just above the control room for the Pegasus Device. Suddenly, Crystal's words echoed in my mind.
"The one thing that makes me a pegasus was taken from me and tossed aside like garbage, and broadcasted for everypony to see! I was humiliated!"
That must've been what she meant by that her forced wing-removal was "broadcasted." What a horrid thing for any pegasi to see! The thought of being forced to witness a pegasus being removed of their only identification of being a pegasus made my stomach turn, nearly causing me to vomit. I remained strong, as we continued to navigate along the factory floor, toward another room.
"What's in there?" I asked.
"It's the locker room for the female factory workers. I can get you a full-body suit from an old worker's locker," she said.
"Don't they still work here?" I asked.
She turned to me, giving me a look that answered my question.
"Many workers die in factory accidents, especially the workers who have to clean the Pegasus Device blades," she confirmed. "Once you get stuck in that machine, it's impossible to escape."
"Or, Rainbow Dash does it on purpose, just for extra spectre," I claimed, knowing that I was correct.
"Yeah. That too," she agreed, placing her hoof on the hoof scanner.
Once her access was granted, we entered a long narrow room with rows of lockers on both sides of the room. The worker switched on the lights, closing the door behind her.
"Rainbow Dash doubled the security of the factory ever since an escape attempt by one of the Orchestrators," she stated. "That's why there's a scanner on every door, so nopony can just simply escape."
I immediately knew that the worker was talking about the pegasus that I had met in the void. He was an Orchestrator, but was outsmarted by Rainbow Dash.
"Did you know this Orchestrator?" I asked her.
"Sorta. He was one of the more quiet Orchestrators, but we did work in the same department," she replied. "Such a shame that he had to die here. I really wished the guy could've escaped, but Dash knew about his plans before he even had a chance. I took his place as Dash's second in-command, and ever since it's been the same ol' story. Pegasi come to the factory, we give them the same speech, kill the weakest one, and so on."
"I've wanted out of this place ever since my first kill, but I've been too scared to do anything. Dash watches all the workers like a hawk, and if anything seems out of place, she acts immediately. I once thought about starting a rebellion with the other Orchestrators, but I quickly figured out, that's like asking for death on a silver platter. This place changes you, and not in a good way. Some workers have committed suicide to escape, before they were driven to madness."
"The eldest worker came here with a heart of gold, and at first, refused to kill anypony, but after one kill, along with the effects of the factory, they became a ruthless killer, driven by madness."
"And, who was that?" I asked.
"Dash," she confirmed.
One kill is all it took to persuade Rainbow Dash to take her role here in the factory?! My blood ran cold. How long had Rainbow Dash truly been here? How many other Overmares had there been in the factory? Was Rainbow Dash the only one? My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a locker door opening, as the worker pulled out a full-body suit. It was coated with dry blood, along with some splats of spectre from the tubes around the chest area.
"Here. Put this on," she commanded, tossing the suit at me.
I grabbed the suit, and quickly slipped on the suit. It was clear what this suit was used for. It was for handling any toxic chemicals, and working around any toxic gases. My guess was this factory worker handled spectre, and organized it.
"Make sure to blend in with the rest of the workers," said the pegasus. "If you get caught, I can't help you. Another thing, if any other workers ask for assistance, it's best you just do as they say, despite what you are forced to do."
"Very well, but remember our agreement," I stated. "Find a map, and get it to me. I'll work on getting on Rainbow Dash's good side, but not the way other pegasi had to."
"I'll get one," she stated.
I nodded my head, as another thought came to me.
"By the way, what time is it?" I asked.
"If you're wondering if the factory is shut down, fortunately for you, it is," she confirmed. "The shifts just barely ended, but that doesn't mean we're safe. We need to get out of sight, so I guess I'll take you to my custom room that Dash gave me, once she gained my trust."
"Hard to believe that she'd do something so "kind," I stated.
"By the way, I never caught your name," she asked me.
I panicked. I tried to think of a fake name, seeing if I gave her my real name, she'd recognize it immediately. Through my struggling, I remembered what Crystal had said about the unnamed pegasus I had spoke to. He had forgotten his name.
"I forgot mine, long ago," I stated, hoping the worker would buy my bluff.
She raised an eyebrow, showing that she didn't believe me.
"Don't give me that bullshit," she claimed in an annoyed tone. "You assaulted me out of nowhere, so you somehow got into the factory. Tell the truth, and don't lie."
I knew I couldn't lie again, so I came up with a fake name, close to my real one.
"Fine, it's Scoots," I replied.
The pegasus gave me a strange look, placing her hoof to her chin.
"Strange. Dash used to mention somepony she used to call "Scoots" for short," she claimed.
I cussed in my mind, knowing I wasn't getting anywhere with her. Here I was in the place I had died in originally, about to die again, unless I found some way to persuade this worker otherwise. Luckily, I managed to do so.
"That's better," stated the worker. "I forgot my name long ago, so I just refer to myself as, Absentia."
I recognized the word "absentia" immediately. It matched anypony who had lost their identity perfectly. The word "absentia" is a reference to being forgotten. Left behind. Absent from where somepony originated. Everypony's name in this factory had gone absent long ago through the countless years of killing innocent pegasi. A sad thought that I couldn't fathom.
"Let's get out of here, before we get caught by security," stated Absentia.
"I agree. Let's go," I replied.
As we turned to leave, I had no idea what to think. Had I just entered a trap with Absentia? Had I just made a mistake by making a deal with a factory worker? All I knew, was that I wasn't safe in any way. If anything, I needed to watch my back. I was in the Rainbow Factory, where fears and horrors come true, and not a single soul gets through. I was in hell. Nowhere was safe.
Chapter 2: First Assignment
The blaring of the factory alarm was what woke both Absentia and I the next morning. I had no idea what time it was, but it didn’t matter, seeing I had not slept well. The fact that I was in a place of death and horror had me wide awake the entire night, and I doubt that I was the only pony within this place that was restless. I had only been here for less than one night, while others like Absentia had been here for countless years. The factory was their home now, as was it mine, but not for long. I didn’t plan to stay in this factory for long. I had to get in, do what I came here to do, and get out.
Absentia groaned, as she rose from the bed, following a message over an intercom. The voice was all too familiar, and made my blood boil at the sound of it. The Overmare. Rainbow Dash.
“Good morning, workers, ” Rainbow Dash spoke sarcastically. “As you all know, our latest group of failures caused our beautiful machine’s blades to jam, and the next import of failures will arrive in two days. So, somepony will have to clean those blades, and since I know that all of you will refuse, the worker will be chose randomly from our worker database. Also, due to last night’s storm, our main power supply was damaged by a lightning strike, causing the security cameras to lose power. Somepony will have to fix that as well, but be careful not to get electrocuted. As for our spectre handlers, the amounts of spectre produced are dropping, therefore a meeting will be held to fix that issue. Now, onto choosing the worker to clean the Pegasus Device. ”
The way Rainbow Dash spoke was unlike anything I had ever heard. It was a cold and ruthless tone. It was as if she didn’t care at all for her workers, and only cared that pegasi were being murdered through the Pegasus Device. How could Rainbow Dash pull off such a misleading act as a pony who represented loyalty, defeated evil tyrants, and inspired other pegasi, when she was really a cold-hearted monster?! It blew me away at just how well Rainbow Dash could pull it off, after countless years of being the Overmare in this factory. The intercom static was replaced with Rainbow Dash’s cold voice once more.
“The worker cleaning the Pegasus Device, will be “067138, ” confirmed Rainbow Dash.
Absentia gave me a look of horror, as I raised an eyebrow.
“What?” I asked.
“That’s you,” she confirmed.
My heart dropped, as I saw the numbers embedded into the name tag on my suit. It was as if Rainbow Dash was taunting me. Why did THAT have to be my first assignment?! Not to mention that I couldn’t clean that machine in this heavy suit. My cover would be blown!
“Dammit!” I cussed through my frustration. “What do I do, Absentia?!”
“Hey, calm down,” she started, putting her hooves on my shoulders. “First, don’t panic, otherwise you’re going to expose yourself to the Orchestrators that survey the factory floor.
I’ll be honest with you, Scoots, there’s nothing you can do except obey and watch your back every second you’re in that machine. There’s only one way in and out of that thing, so you’ll need to be absolutely careful and just do your best to get the task done ASAP. However, there’s one thing needed to be done before you even think of stepping into that machine, so come here.”
I raised an eyebrow at the comment, answering with an appropriate response.
“What for?” I asked.
“That mane of yours is just asking to get tangled up in those blades, so I’m going to save you a potentially easy way to die and cut it short enough to where it won’t get caught kn anything,” she concluded.
That actually wasn’t a bad suggestion, it would help with my identity, and Absentia wasn’t kidding about my mane; It was long and unkempt after years of no maintenance. Strangely, I had grown in my time in the void as if I’d never stopped living, and that had always taken me aback, seeing most say that when you die you don’t age beyond death.
But I had aged and grown into an adult mare, so either ponies were wrong about life after death or the void had properties to it that were beyond my understanding.
The sound of Absentia impatiently clearing her throat made me come back to reality, deciding not to question her any further, and walking to where she was. I planted my flank to the cold floor as she pulled a knife from the drawer next to her small bed that she had outgrown over her years in this place. She lightly lifted and tugged my mane to where it was sturdy enough to cut through with ease, stating only one thing before starting the task.
“It’s not going to be anything pretty, just something good enough to prevent getting caught on anything in that machine,” stated Absentia. “So, hold still and don’t cry when you see your reflection.”
I nodded, doing my best to keep my head still and feeling the blade’s edge touch the outer strands of my tangled fleece.
With accuracy and gentle care, Absentia applied the first cut , the cold steel cutting through as if my hair were butter, and, after meeting the opposite side of my mane, tossed it into a nearby garbage. The weight upon my head had lowered massively, as she worked more toward my neck, cutting it to where it only stood two inches off my neck.
“So, what’s your story, Absentia?” I asked, attempting to make conversation.
“Nothing important, kid,” she answered rather quickly.
I didn’t accept that.
“I don’t think so,” I started. “Something tells me that you’re different from other workers here.”
Absentia winced at my words, and, with that, I knew that my assumption was correct.
“What makes you say that? For all you know, I could be pulling a ruse and be waiting for the right moment to kill you. I could slit your neck right here if I wished.”
“I know you won’t, because I know very well that you could’ve easily overpowered me last night, but you held back, hoping I’d just kill and free you from this place. If you were like the others, you would’ve taken me to Rainbow Dash and had me thrown into the Pegasus Device.”
Another wince. She hadn’t expected me to be so thorough, and that was enough to break through the mask she wore to avoid looking weak in Rainbow Dash’s eyes. I’d managed to bring out her true self that existed before the horrors of the Rainbow Factory had corrupted her mind and personality.
“I’ll give you one thing, Scoots, you are excellent at reading ponies. You’re right, I did hold back last night in hopes of you breaking my neck or suffocating me into the bliss that is death. I’ve wanted death to greet me ever since I became Dash’s second-in-command, having to do things that I could never forgive myself for.
I never dreamed of becoming an elite flyer, but my parents forced me to. I was doomed from the moment I signed the document that admitted me into the Flight Academy. I was never good at flying and wanted to actually become a model for magazines, because where I failed in flying I made up in beauty.
Believe it or not, my mane used to be full of long curls, and I was admired by most pegasi as a fashion icon. I had caught the eye of a very known company in the fashion industry and had even landed a spot as a model, up until my parents got in the way and ruined it all. I was sent to Flight Camp before I could even have a chance at my dreams, and, as soon as I failed, was taken here to be grinded into spectre. Hope the bastards are proud now.”
A ping of anger and sorrow pierced my heart. Absentia’s dreams had been taken from her out of selfishness and pride, only to be replaced with assured death. However, the fact she was alive rendered that ending impossible, so that led to my next question.
“What did you have to do to get on Rainbow Dash’s good side?”
Absentia sighed, continuing to cut further up my neck.
“Things that I regret. When I was admitted, I was admitted with another pegasi that gave me shit on a daily basis. I was confused and lost, and had no idea what to do, or what to think in the darkness of the factory. During the first night, the effects of the factory plagued my mind, and I decided to get some much-needed revenge. The asshole that had treated me like shit all my years in flight camp was at his most vulnerable, so I took my opportunity, and beat him to a pulp. He begged for forgiveness, but he didn’t deserve it, so I killed the ungrateful bastard.”
Absentia’s voice was cold and bitter with a hint of sorrow and grief. The sound of her words made my ears twitch, along with the sound of her blade slicing through my mane. I shivered, as Absentia continued her story that I had asked for.
“After he was dead for sure, I had expected to feel happy or satisfied. I didn’t feel like either of those things, and, instead, felt sad, horrible, and looked at myself as a monster. I had killed one of my fellow pegasi, and, despite all he had done to me, I felt terrible. If anything, I was no better than Rainbow Dash. It became clear the next morning, when Dash came to the containment room and saw what I had done.
Blood was everywhere, and I was covered with it. Dash took it as an opportunity, and made me into a factory worker on the spot. I’ll never forget that devilish smile and stare; she just had laughed and applauded me for my actions, and, after the fact, had patted me on the head and said only two things.
”You may be worthless to all pegasi as a flyer, but it’s clear you have use to me in another way. Welcome to the weather factory, worker.”
“I couldn’t believe I was still alive, and I had only been relieved that I had been given another chance. However, not long after, I had wished that Dash had killed me that day. I had been forced to end other’s lives over simple mistakes that hadn’t even affected the factory or its progress in committing murder to produce artificial rainbows.
However, that’s not what Dash thought, and had tasked me with smashing their skulls against the ground until their brains littered the floor. The sounds of their final moments still echo in my mind, and their faces haunt my dreams. I have never lost count of how many I killed, and will never forgive myself for letting my fear and hope for survival result in the gruesome end of seventeen ponies that were no different than me.
Pink Diamond, Minty Fresh, Stormy Cloud, Windy Trail, Blue Skies, Ember, Lightning Flash, Starry Night, Sunny Day, Dazzleflash, Shining Star, Snowflake, Rocky Twister, Silver Wing, Twinkle Star, Ivy Rain, and Starry Breeze. Their lives all taken in gruesome manners by my own hooves.
It wasn't until seven years after the day I killed my worst enemy that I was finally promoted and freed of my role as an executioner to pegasi who didn’t meet Dash’s standards. I was beyond relieved, up until I had learned why, and, to avoid ending up like him and the filly that had joined him in their escape attempt, I just buried the old me and learned to just follow the rules and play along.”
Her story nearly brought tears to my eyes, realizing that if anypony wanted to get on Rainbow Dash’s good side, they’d have to do something so morbid that it would cause the pony to become somepony they weren’t. Luckily for me, I planned to do it another way, unless an opportunity was given. I will kill the bitch, along with this factory.
“How long have you been here?” I asked.
“Twenty years, kid,” she replied. “Long enough for me to forget my birth name, become a hollow shell of nothing but pain and trauma, and devoid any sort of feeling or emotion. Something nopony would ever want to become unless their life depended on it.”
I could only imagine Absentia’s pain. She had been here for twenty years. Twenty long years of murder and nightmares. I had been dead for countless years, before I was reborn into this living hell, only this time, things were going to be different.
Absentia had finished the haircut, to where my mane was only two inches off my neck and head. An easy buzz cut to where I looked just like Absentia.
“There. Now you look like the rest of the workers and are safe from any potential danger while inside that death machine,” said Absentia.
Out of the silence of the room, the intercom erupted once more with the sound of Rainbow Dash’s cold voice.
“Worker 067138, report to the factory floor !” commanded Rainbow Dash.
Absentia gave me look of severity.
“Best go before she comes looking for you,” she stated. “Her and her security squad.”
I nodded my head, as I turned to leave, until I was stopped by Absentia.
“Almost forgot,” said Absentia, grabbing something from her nearby makeshift closet that was nothing more than a hole in the wall. “You might want to put this on.”
Absentia tossed a black rubber suit toward me, which I recognized as the same one she wore. I didn’t question her, and quickly slipped on the flexible rubber suit. It was surprisingly comfortable, and fit me perfectly. Once the uniform was on, Absentia handed me a small button, one that had the label of the weather factory on it.
“You’ll need that, or Dash will be all over you,” stated Absentia.
I stuck the small button on the suit, feeling a sick feeling come over me. I looked just like one of the factory workers no; a fact that I refused to accept, seeing I was only wearing it temporarily. It was the only way I could stay out of Rainbow Dash’s sight.
“Good luck, Scoots,” said Absentia. “You’ll need it.”
I nodded my head as I turned to exit the room and make my way to the factory floor, but was stopped shortly by Absentia.
“Hey kid,” she called out, to which I turned to look back at her.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for the chat.”
I smiled and nodded my head before turning to the door and exiting to the factory.
Through the night, Absentia had given me some pointers on how to get to the factory floor without an elevator, due to her being here for twenty years and gaining access to the places that most of the workers don’t know of. Rainbow Dash and Absentia must be close to know of all the secret passageways within the factory. There was secret halls, staircases, and even simple tricks to get past the scanners on the doors. Tricks I needed to know if I planned to survive here.
As I walked across the skywalk, I passed other factory workers, each of them looking at me with looks of curiosity. All of them were Orchestrators, due to their outfits being just like mine, each of them wearing their own share of scars, and manes cut just like mine. Absentia wasn’t kidding when she said that I would look just like every worker, but, even though I looked like the workers, I was far from safe. I was scared to death, because one wrong move is all it would take to earn a one-way trip through the Pegasus Device, so I had to be on alert at all times.
At the end of the skywalk, I was accompanied by a familiar face.
There stood the cyan pegasus with her rainbow mane and rosy-pink eyes.
There stood Rainbow Dash; the mare I despised with all of my being.
She was winged by two other guard ponies holding two electric spears, meaning I couldn’t attack.
Not now.
My anger rose on the inside, as I stood less than two feet from her. I rose a hoof to my forehead, as she examined me from head to hoof, giving me a look that spoke pure death.
“You’re late,” stated Rainbow Dash with an annoyed sigh. “I’ll let this mishap slip for now, but I expect better manners from now on, worker!”
The little amounts of sense that I had left were the only thing keeping me from lunging forward, as I swallowed my pride in response.
“Yes, ma’am,” I spoke, swallowing the small bit of vomit I had in my mouth.
She didn’t say anything, only moved her head closer to mine, looking at me closely. I noticed a nasty scar just visible on her forehead, which I figured was from the anonymous pegasus that stated he had left a “nasty impression” on her head during his escape attempt. It had even left a dent in her skull, changing Rainbow Dash’s appearance as the once bold pegasus she used to be, and instead, showing her more as the monster she really was.
Her sudden observation toward me made me feel uncomfortable, and only grew more uncomfortable as she raised her right hoof toward my head. I expected her to do something, but all she did was gently brush her hoof against my mane, watching small bits of loose strands of my freshly-cut mane fall to the floor.
“Hygiene,” she said to me. “Work on it. I won’t deal with shedding around my factory.”
“Will do, ma’am,” I replied, continuing to hold my breath.
“Good. Now, let me show you to your station,” she said, turning from me, and placing her hoof against the scanner of the elevator.
I followed her, as the elevator doors slid open, and I, along with the rest of the party of murderous pegasi, entered the small space. The entire time I stood in the elevator, I had to hold back the urge to attack, but I knew what the outcome would be if I attacked. If I was going to get Rainbow Dash, I had to wait until she wasn’t guarded. I had to play my cards right, and right now was not the time to play the ace. I’d just have to wait, and stay out of trouble.
If only it were that easy.
The elevator came to a stop on the factory floor, where I could see the Pegasus Device in full light of the florescent lights that hung from the rafters. The giant grinding machine was silent, and I was about to enter it’s blades. My heart skipped a beat as Rainbow Dash approached the bottom of the machine, a small slot leading to the inside of the device open and long hose off to the side of the opening.
“Your job is simple,” said Rainbow Dash. “You just have to use this hose to spray the blades, but not just the bottom blades, all the blades. I want this thing spotless. Not a single speck of remains from the last run better be visible when I check back, worker, or there will be consequences. Got it!”
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied.
“Good. Now, get to work!” she commanded, handing me the hose.
Rainbow Dash turned from me as I held the hose in my hooves. My anger level was at it’s peak, but I kept myself calm.
Now was not the time to strike. I would just have to cooperate for now, and stay out of trouble.
“Water on!” commanded Rainbow Dash, as I noticed a worker on the far side of the room turn a water valve, immediately following a high pressure within the hose.
Water burst out of the end, nearly causing me to lose my grip, but I somehow managed to hold on.
“Remember. Not a single speck, worker!” stated Rainbow Dash, as she walked out of sight.
Once she was gone, I immediately turned to the inside of the machine and started to clean the blades. The sharp elongated daggers were coated with dry blood, chunks of rotting flesh, and some clumps of meat that hadn’t cycled through. The bottom section of the machine was coated with bone and teeth fragments, several fur fragments that were a plethora of colors, and blood stains along the walls of the interior that had been the result of the death device’s last meal.
The area was permeated with the smell of lead and death, nearly causing me to vomit, but I powered through the overwhelming stench somehow, remembering Absentia’s words clearly. I did my best to just blank out the smell and decided to start with the bottom of the machine, seeing it was easily the most accessible section of the inside for a much-thorough cleaning job.
I aimed the hose at the steel walls and washed away all of the blood that had stained them. It didn’t take much effort, the high pressure of the water stream making quick work of the stains as I did a 360 to be sure I got every single bit of the crimson litter. After a good five minutes, the entire bottom was as clean as it could get, so I moved to the upper section, aiming the water stream at the stained blades above me.
Once again, the high pressure made quick work of the clutter, releasing their hold on the steel with just one hit of the raging water. Upon contact, the blades spun as well, making my job easier and faster. I kept the hose aimed at the spinning blades while making sure to wash every inch of the blades as well, knowing that Rainbow Dash hadn’t been lying about anything she’d said prior to entering the machine.
I had to be absolutely sure I got every inch and groove of the massive metallic teeth spotless, otherwise I’d become the next meal for the Pegasus Device. I just kept repeating those words in my mind as I continued to spray the blades clean of the debris left by whoever had last met their end through this machine, up until something broke my concentration.
A deafening roar pierced my eardrums as I lost my grip on the hose, the metal floor beneath me beginning to rumble at the magnitude of a massive earthquake.
The machine had been awoken with me inside of it.
My worst fear had become reality.
I immediately abandoned my task and turned toward the exit, only to find that it was shut tight and the hose was still spraying out and filling the lower floor of the machine with water at an alarming rate.
I was trapped.
My heart sunk at the realization of the situation as I scrambled to find any solution. The roar of the inside of the machine made it hard to think straight, but I knew I had to act fast, so I pulled my thoughts together amongst the chaos and formulated my options of escape. I couldn’t go up without being grinded to pulp, so waiting for the water to raise me up wasn’t an option, and I couldn’t open the only escape door, because it was locked.
My only literal option was to either yell and hope somepony would hear me from among the sound of the Pegasus Device’s roaring engine, or I’d have to hope that the hinges of the door were as fragile as glass. The water level was rising quick, so, with all my strength, I took a deep breath and bucked both of my back hooves against the door, hoping that the hinges would shatter upon contact.
As expected, the door remained shut and didn’t budge an inch, immediately causing me to enter panic mode.
“HELP!” I yelled, praying for somepony to hear me from among the deafening rumbling of the machine.
As expected, nopony could hear me, and to make matters worse, the water was already to my upper torso.
My time was running out.
“HELP!” I yelled again, but there was no answer.
I continued to buck my hooves against the door, the water making it hard to exert any sort of force against the door. The water level was at my neck now, and my heart was racing at a rapid pace. I didn’t have any other options, except death. I couldn’t budge the door, and I couldn’t go up.
I was dead. I had failed again.
The water was now just past my muzzle, as I took my final breath of life, and dunked myself underneath the water.
Beneath the water, I searched for any sort of alternative that could save me as a last ditch effort, but only one option came to me in the murky water, and I doubted that it would even work. The water pressure from the hose might be enough to force open the door, or was I just wishful thinking now. Seeing my options were not the best, I decided to try it, quickly grabbing the hose from the floor of the machine and aiming the nozzle at the door, praying for my efforts to be rewarded with freedom.
However, fate taunted me, and the door remained stiff and strong.
I was dead.
Despite my efforts, my second chance at life had been cut shorter than my original life in Ponyville.
I dropped the hose as my lungs began to collapse from the lack of oxygen in the cold and murky water. In my final moments, the burning sensation in my chest turned into serenity in the dim light of my second grave. My body began to turn numb as I saw my life flash before my eyes for the second time, and, in my defeat, I spoke my last humiliating words.
Congratulations, Rainbow Dash. You win again.
With that final statement, I took my last breath, feeling the cold liquid surrounding me turn my chest into ice. My sight became blurry and lifeless, falling into a deep darkness, and in a cruel twist of fate, the Pegasus Device had killed me once again.
“Come on, kid!” spoke a distant voice, as my eyes slowly opened.
The voice was familiar. A voice I had heard before.
I could feel a force against my chest as well, like two rough hooves pressurizing against my upper chest.
“Come on! Wake up!” spoke the voice again.
The voice became more clear, as I felt a large amount of water escape my lungs and extract from my mouth onto the cold floor. I started to cough massively, coming back to reality. I was next to the Pegasus Device and Absentia was just above me wearing a face of worry and horror. Her hooves were wet, as were mine, along with the rest of my body. That’s when I remembered what had happened, as I lunged upward, only to be pushed back down by Absentia.
“Easy kid,” she stated.
Out of my blurred vision, I struggled to speak, breathless and dumbfounded on what had come to pass.
“What happened?” I asked in a weak voice.
“You tell me,” stated Absentia. “I just saved your life. The door was locked from the outside of the machine.”
My head was groggy, as I attempted to stand up.
“Somepony trapped me in the machine! It was no accident, but an attempt to kill me!” I snapped, continuing to cough.
Absentia gave me a look of severity. We both knew who had set it up.
“What in Equestria happened here!” shouted a familiar voice.
Rainbow Dash walked toward Absentia and I, her face angry.
“I gave you a simple assignment and what happens?! My factory floor ends up flooded!” she snapped.
Absentia objected to Rainbow Dash’s words, seeing it was clear that this attempt was set up.
“Hold it, Dash,” stated Absentia. “Somepony deliberately locked her in from the outside in an attempt to drown her! I had to save her, and even performed CPR for ten minutes before she came back to life!”
Rainbow Dash expressed an angry look, but surprisingly, calmed down.
“Is this true, worker?” Rainbow Dash asked me.
Catching my breath and continuing to cough, I gave her my best response.
“Yes, ma’am. I was locked inside the machine while doing the task I was assigned,” I responded. “The machine was started unannounced and the door was shut from the outside by somepony in an attempt to kill me.”
Rainbow Dash sighed as a response, grabbing her radio from her belt.
“Security, I want you to check the footage of all the cameras positioned around the Pegasus Device. Apparently, the worker assigned to cleaning it was nearly killed due to somepony intentionally closing the only exit and locking it from the outside.” She spoke.
A voice came back over the radio.
“Yes ma’am,” spoke the security guard. “Give me around an hour to go through the footage and I’ll get the results back to you as soon as possible.”
“Copy that. Get to work,” Rainbow Dash replied.
After finishing her short conversation with the security pony over the radio, Rainbow Dash turned to Absentia and I with a strict look.
“You two better not be lying, or I’ll have both of you disposed,” threatened Rainbow Dash. “This little mishap has cost me valuable time, and now I need to postpone the arrival of the next group of pegasi.”
Her gaze met mine instantly, her magenta eyes glaring at me with murderous intent.
“You!” she commanded in my direction. “Get out of my sight. You better pray to Celestia that the footage proves your claims true.”
Her gaze averted to Absentia.
“As for you, Absentia, you’ll take over this failure’s duty. I trust that you can finish the job in time and without any sort of issue?”
“Affirmative, ma’am,” Absentia accepted.
“Good, then get on it!” Rainbow Dash commanded, to which Absentia followed immediately.
Following Absentia’s departure, Rainbow Dash turned her gaze back to me. She eyed me in a way a predator would stalk its prey, but said nothing. It felt as if a spotlight were on me on a stage, but instead of it being on me to present me as the main focus, it felt like tiny daggers were being shot at me, tearing me apart thread by thread.
I just tried to remain calm and give no reason for her to suspect me any further, and, after what felt like eternity, Rainbow Dash finally averted her gaze elsewhere and left without another word. The silence scared the living hell out of me, seeing I had no idea what she was thinking in her head. There was no use in worrying about it now though, so I did as Rainbow Dash had told me and took off out of sight, unaware of what was to come for the remainder of my first day in the hell known as, the Rainbow Factory.
Chapter 3: The True Nature of Evil
The bell for lunch rang, causing me to jump in my anxious state of paranoia and fear. After the confrontation with the mare I hated most, I'd just returned to Absentia's room and thought about all that had happened that morning. The first thing I knew about the situation was that somepony was out to kill me, but had failed out of some sort of miracle that I had been spared just in time.
I may have survived for now, but when would they strike again, and, more importantly, why did they want me dead? Did they actually know who I was and saw me as a threat to Rainbow Dash? I hadn't expected this much to happen so fast, but it was clear that I wasn't safe here at any time.
The second thing I realized was that Absentia was not afraid of Rainbow Dash, given how she'd acted in response to Dash's outrage aimed at me. She hadn't even hesitated or questioned the potential consequences, and, judging by how my greatest enemy had reacted to Absentia's defense towards me, it was clear both mares had a good amount of trust in each other.
Therefore, making an alliance with Absentia had been a huge advantage in my mission, seeing she was the closest pony to Dash and knew almost everything about her. She was easily my best ally here and my best shot at getting close enough to Rainbow Dash to end her life once and for all, but it was clear my target had eyes watching me and that getting close enough to land the fatal blow wouldn't be easy.
It made sense, she was the Overmare and all of her workers were like pawns on a chessboard guarding the king. I'd just have to find a way around those pawns to checkmate the bitch into death, and that would take time and patience.
The door to the room opened, causing me to jump yet again, but my nerves calmed once I saw that it was just Absentia. I didn't say anything and just allowed her to talk, seeing it was clear just by her expression that she was here to say something important.
"Thought I'd find you back here," she started, continuing to hold the same expression as she continued. "Come on, Dash wants to speak with you about the events of this morning."
I didn't argue and just did as she said, feeling the pit of my stomach start to become unstable at the thought of Dash's verdict. Would she actually give Absentia and I a fair judgement and be truthful about the results of the footage, or would she just lie and kill both of us for free spectre? She was already delayed, so the latter seemed far more likely than what I hoped, but maybe Rainbow Factory Dash had some sense to her and actually gave a damn about her workers.
The answer was unclear to me, as we made our way to the factory floor via the elevator and met back up with Rainbow Dash by the machine that had nearly taken my life a second time. One glance at her, and immediately I could tell that she had calmed down from her demeanor in our last confrontation. Something that gave me hope as she met our company upon hearing our approach.
"I brought her, Dash," Absentia confirmed, leading the recipient to nodding her head.
"Excellent, you may go join the others for lunch, Absentia," Dash responded rather calm and strangely in a tone more close to the pegasus I'd once admired like a god.
Absentia took her leave, leaving me alone face to face with the monster I had a burning desire to kill. However, I knew this neither the right time or place to do so, so I just kept eye contact and continued to play my mirage of a factory worker.
"You wanted to see me, ma'am?" I stated, to which Dash nodded again.
"Affirmative, worker," she responded in that same harmless tone. "I received the footage results, and it turns out you're in the clear. Somepony did indeed trap you in the Pegasus Device, and increased the water pressure to intentionally drown you. Something I find disgusting and unacceptable in my factory."
I was relieved. I'd dodged a fatal bullet, but the fact still remained that somepony was out to kill me.
Dash practically read my mind, placing a hoof on my left shoulder.
"Unfortunately, our little rat is smart, seeing we couldn't identify them due to them being fully clothed in a full-body suit, but don't worry, worker. I recognize the severity of the situation and am willing to take any action necessary to prevent another murder attempt. I've already assigned guards to keep an eye on you within close vicinity, and, if anything happens, to take proper action to assure your safety."
My relief escalated, despite the fact that it was Rainbow Dash saying this. My emotions were a chaotic web that had become tangled by an accidental intrusion by some kind of force. This pony speaking to me didn't seem like the same mare as earlier that day, but more like the Rainbow Dash I once called my sibling, causing my thoughts to twist and converge like a raging tornado.
However, I knew I had to say something, so I just played along.
"Many thanks, ma'am," I responded with absolute loyalty.
"No need to thank me, I'm just playing my part in keeping this place in order. We'll catch this dirty rat in no time, even if we couldn't see their face on the cameras. We have means of finding them beyond just surveillance. Now, go off to lunch."
"Yes ma'am," I answered, watching as Rainbow Dash turned and walked off to elsewhere.
I had no idea where to go for lunch, and luckily Absentia had thought ahead, her steps echoing amongst the large room as she approached me.
"Well, considering you're still here and Dash's demeanor, I'm guessing your claims turned out true?" Absentia said, addressing me directly.
"Yeah. She actually investigated the situation, and it turns out there's definitely a pony out for my head," I clarified. "However, she's already taken proper action to avoid another situation like what happened earlier, so I shouldn't have any trouble going forward."
"Good, but I want you to remember one thing, Scoots. That mare is not here to protect anypony except herself. The only reason she said that was to make herself look good, and judging by your response just now, it worked."
Absentia's words made all of my initial relief disappear. She was right. How could I have let Rainbow Dash assure me of anything!? She doesn't care about anypony's safety or wellbeing; she'd rather see them die for free spectre.
Absentia recognized my anger of being manipulated by Dash so easily, and quickly worked to calm me down.
"Don't beat yourself up, kid," she started gently. "Dash is a master of manipulating the mind, so there was no doubt you'd believe her. I was the same, up until I learned through experience that anything she says is poisonous to the mind. Let this be your first lesson on figuring out how Dash works, and I do hope that it's one you won't easily forget."
"Don't worry, I won't," I assured.
"I'm glad to hear that, because I have something to show you. Something you aren't going to like, but it will set the tone for just how evil and heartless she is."
Absentia started back towards the elevator, to which I followed and watched as she selected a floor labelled as "B." I immediately guessed that it stood for the basement, feeling a chill slither up my spine as the elevator doors closed and we began our descent deeper into the bowels of the factory.
As we began to lower past the lowest floors of the building, it suddenly began to get cold. It wasn't cold enough to make my teeth chatter, but more like the type of breeze that blows right before a rainstorm. Something that told me we were deep underground in a secret area that only certain ponies knew of.
I didn't know what to expect, as the elevator came to a stop, and the doors slid open, revealing a dark damp room that carried the scent of mildew. The only light was the bright rays glowing from countless storage tubes of spectre littered all throughout the massive area, giving a rainbow-like hue to the entire vicinity.
Where the hell were we?
"What is this place?" I asked.
"The basement," clarified Absentia. "Also known as the spectre storage room."
The sight of the dimly lit room made my blood run cold. Here I was, in a room of victims to the Pegasus Device, now visible by only the radiant colors of their coats. There was an array of every color imaginable within locked cages containing the storage tubes, and the more I examined the room, the more I started to feel sick. I walked further into the room, admiring the countless colors and trying to keep my stomach at ease.
Five locked cages were lined up on both sides of the room, leading to the end of the room, where six streams of spectre glowed in six massive storage tubes. However, the spectre was not filled to the top, but only a quarter of the way full.
"Do you see it, Scoots?" Absentia asked.
"Yeah, the spectre tubes are low of their contents," I clarified.
"Exactly. Lower than they ever been in this factory's existence," added Absentia. "So, you must know what that means, right?"
I thought hard, then I jumped upon remembering the transmission earlier that morning, Rainbow Dash having mentioned that the amounts of spectre were dropping, and, as a solution, a meeting would be held.
The puzzle pieces assembled quickly, revealing a horrid realization that made every speck of my fur stand up straight.
"Sabotage," I responded in a frightened whisper.
"Dash is afraid that the factory is meeting its end, and I believe you and I both know what she's planning to do," stated Absentia.
"Exactly," confirmed Absentia. "I've seen this coming ever since the first day she threw one of our own workers into the machine, claiming he had died in a "factory accident" and did not want to waste his spectre. The real truth is that pegasi are starting to break the usual plan Dash assembled to keep spectre production going without a hitch.
The past three flying tests were passed with no failures, showing that pegasi are starting to be able to pass the flying exam without failure, breaking the stead that had kept spectre production on a consistent schedule. That raises issues that could lead to the factory being found out of its true nature, seeing if there's no rainbow after a scheduled storm, that's going to raise suspicion over time.
Dash got lucky that at the time of the decrease, the winter months had started, so she's had time to plan, and, without fresh pegasi to feed the machine, there's only one thing I can see her resorting to, and I truly think it's already happening. Workers have gone missing in the past two months, resulting in Dash only being able to make two rainbows in that time. She cloaked it to weather ponies as a "factory incident," but it's really just her stalling for time to collect enough of us to produce a rainbow.
However, that's not where the horror ends. She's also planning to rig the flying exam to assure failure, but that's still being worked on. Therefore, everypony in this place is a potential target, including you and me. Do you remember what she said earlier regarding arrivals?"
I thought back, immediately remembering that Dash had stated that arrivals would be here in two days, but, with this new information, it was clear she meant that workers would mysteriously end up deceased in two days time.
My stomach turned at the horrifying realization.
"So, to keep herself clear if what goes on in this place, she rather kill her own workers than face the consequences of her crimes…
"Exactly. Along with intentionally sabotaging innocent gifted flyers just to remain undiscovered," Absentia confirmed. "Now, do you understand just how twisted and malevolent that mare truly is?"
I was froze in place, but I nodded my head in full assurance of understanding the clear message she had brought me down here to deliver.
"Good, then let's get out of here. This place makes me si-
Suddenly, a sound from across the room made Absentia and I freeze. It was the sound of the elevator arriving.
Why was somepony here during lunchtime? I didn't have time to think further upon Absentia snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Quick! Hide!" commanded Absentia, rushing to the far side of the room and hiding in a darkened area..
I rushed to the other side of the room, hiding behind one of the spectre tubes where I couldn't be seen. Upon covering my muzzle to silence my breathing, I heard the elevator dock, following with the doors opening. Two sets of hooves echoed upon exiting the compact box, following shortly with a voice I recognized vividly.
"Clarify to me the current spectre levels," Rainbow Dash's voice commanded to the other pegasus.
Upon the other pony's response, it was clearly a male.
"Our current levels are 38.6% on average; nowhere close to what we need for a perfect rainbow, which is possible at around 75.8%"
Rainbow Dash grunted, clearly stressed and disappointed at the result.
"Urgh! Dammit!" she cussed. "I thought we could make that up in a week! The weather ponies upstairs won't accept another day for me to get what we need!"
She was in a major panic. It was clear she was out of options, and upon thinking further about the current situation, my blood froze.
This wasn't just a checkup on spectre levels, it was a setup for murder…
"Overmare, please calm down," the other pegasus attempted. "I believe that you will find a solution to this. For better clarification, we'd only need at most two pegasi to fill the gap, and I'm sure you can find two in time!"
Upon seeing Rainbow Dash's face, I knew my assumption was correct. Her eyes gleamed of malevolence and her lips were curved into a devious smile.
There was nothing I could do, so I did my best to find a happy place in the darkness of this factory.
"Hehe, two you say?" Dash asked in a more gentle tone.
"Affirmative, Overmare," he confirmed.
"Huh, that's actually not too hard to get, but let me ask you something first,"
She had paused briefly, stepping forward towards the giant tubes.
"Do you remember what I said to you when I made you a part of my factory?"
I could read between the lines. She was about to corner him with manipulation.
"Of course. I swore to obey you and do my duty until the day I die serving you."
That was the final nail in the coffin. Knowing what was coming, I tried to blank out the horror, but, no matter what I tried, the factory refused to spare me.
"Correct. So, if I were to ask you a simple favor, would you do it for me?" she cooed.
"Of course, ma'am."
Her smile extended, knowing she had him wrapped around her hoof.
"That's good," she answered, turning around and walking back toward the other worker. "Then you wouldn't mind dying for me, would you?"
The pegasus jumped and his face immediately turned pale. He'd signed his death certificate.
"O-overmare, f-forgive my questioning, but w-why?"
"As I recall, you said youd obey me no matter what, so will you keep your word or was your commitment just a lie all along?" she questioned, guilt-tripping him into submission.
The pegasus was trapped, and he knew that no matter what he chose, he was dead. I just kept my muzzle covered and continued to listen.
"I-I…
"You what?" Dash blamed, grabbing her defense knife from her belt.
She toyed with the blade, continuing to hold the same grin as she encroached toward the worker even closer.
"I-I…
A pause followed and I was expecting to hear the sound of flesh tearing and blood splatter, but my heart turned to ice upon hearing the next response.
"F-for the good of the factory and your success, I will humbly give my life for you, Overmare."
I was beyond bewildered. I never expected him to actually accept the request, but apparently that was the amount of control Dash had on these workers. I had to hold myself back from retching, awaiting the inevitable conclusion to this whole situation.
"I'm glad to hear that," Dash answered. "Your loyalty was tested and you remained true to your word, therefore, I'll be sure that your spectre shines bright in the sky after the settling of the next storm."
"Thank you, Overmare. I am glad to have served you!"
Dash chuckled, following with a response that felt like a reward for the stallion's services.
"You're cute."
Then the sudden sound of the blade piercing his flesh met the room, echoing in my ears like a hoof against a chalkboard. I shivered as I heard the stallion start to choke on his own blood and emit a gurgling sound that I can only describe as death rasp. I couldn't look and just closed eyes tight and covered my ears to spare myself of the horrid sounds, but they still broke through and permeated my skull like a hive of angry bees.
I knew that Dash wouldn't do too much damage, because she had to keep herself clean of any treason. My guess was that she had stabbed him in the neck and his cause of death would either be asphyxiation or blood loss.
It felt like eternity by the time I heard the stallion's body collapse and gurgling stop, finally opening my eyes again and watching as Dash approached the corpse with that same devilish grin.
"What an idiot. He actually thought I gave a damn for his services. All he's worth to me, is another successful save in my current struggle. Best get this guy upstairs before he loses every bit of his color."
Her words were so cold and careless, causing my anger to rise yet again. I couldn’t believe this was the same pegasus that I used to train with, and just thinking about the memories of her shaping me into the flier I became prior to this whole nightmare made me shed a tear.
As she'd said, she grabbed the husk and dragged it into the elevator, proceeding back up to the factory floor. Upon her exit, I finally let myself breathe again and cried.
Absentia quickly trotted to my position, putting her hooves on my shoulders as some sort of comfort.
"It's alright, let it out," Absentia said calmly. "I know how you feel. Death is no simple thing to experience."
I lunged into Absentia's chest and hugged her tightly, immediately surprising her, but she didn't push me away.
Instead, she wrapped her hooves around me and rubbed my back.
It was a feeling I hadn't felt in such a long time and Absentia knew it, allowing me to just weep in the room of several remains of innocent pegasi who had been taken out of this world for no reason.
My fit of letting my emotions out lasted for a long twenty minutes, and, upon pulling away from Absentia, she smiled for the first time since I'd met her the previous night. Apparently, she'd seen or felt something that struck a part of her that made her feel like her old regular self for just a moment in the space.
In return, I smiled as well, somewhat-proud that I gave Absentia the chance to feel like her old self again, even if it was only for just a second.
"The warmth of a hug is something I haven't felt in over a decade," she explained. "For just a moment, I remembered something; the last time I was ever embraced like that. I have a sister, and she hugged me before I left to take the exam…"
Her voice was full of melancholy and happiness. I tried to remember the last time I'd hugged a pony, and it didn't take long. I had last wrapped my hooves around Aurora before she'd faced her assured death, giving me time to find an escape.
Her hooves had been so warm and delicate like a mother's embrace to a foal. She had known the outcome of her act, but she'd given her life to save mine, a true act of friendship and loyalty.
The memory had erased the horrors that I had just witnessed for just a minute, but upon coming back to reality, I knew we had to leave before Dash would become aware of our absence above.
I turned back to Absentia, speaking some words to assure her to never forget that memory she'd recollected.
"That's right, you do have a sister outside of these walls somewhere, and I'm sure she's still searching for you," I encouraged. "Never let Dash take your memories away again. Hold onto that image of your sibling and never let it disappear."
A tear rolled down Absentia's left cheek, wrapping me in her hooves yet again.
"Thank you so much, Scoots," she said, sorrow in her voice. "I never thought I'd find a light in the darkness of this place, but you've given me hope that I can find a way out…"
I hugged her tightly, feeling my heart flutter in my chest.
"I'm glad I could help find the light," I stated, releasing her and pulling myself to my hooves. "Let's get out of here."
Absentia followed, getting up and nodding her head.
"I agree, let's go."
We carefully avoided any of the blood on the ground and made our way back to the elevator shaft, the floor of it clean of any crimson stains, meaning Dash hsd been careful to cover her tracks. Upon stepping in and Absentia pushing the proper button to the factory floor, the doors slid shut and the compact box began to ascend. In about twenty seconds, the elevator docked and opened to the sight of the Pegasus Device just off to the left, the factory floor dead and quiet to our relief.
Once again, there was no trace of Dash's act, and that made it clear to me that she had been killing pegasi long enough to know how to remain undetected. It was no wonder why she had been Overmare for so long, and a chill ran down my spine at the thought.
"Well kid, if you don't mind, I'm going to head for the showers to get any residue from those blades off of me," Absentia alerted.
"Not at all," I replied. "I'm just going to head back to the room. I'm exhausted after all that."
Absentia nodded.
"See ya in a few, Scoots," Absentia finalized, turning and heading for the showers.
With that said, I pushed the button for the second floor and started the trip back to Absentia's room. The doors closed again, and like earlier, the elevator began its ascent. The rooms were on the highest floor of the building on the far east side, so it was about a five minute walk. Upon the elevator meeting its stop, the doors slid open and began the walk down the long hall to the right.
As I walked, I got the feeling that I was being watched, but the hall was very dimly lit, so it always felt ominous. I arrived at Absentia's door after a minute of walking, and upon reaching for the knob, I froze.
A voice met my ears.
"Well, it looks like we meet again, worker," the voice Rainbow Dash spoke from the shadows. "Seems strange that our paths keep crossing, wouldn't you say so?"
"Affirmative, ma'am," I played. "Perhaps it's just a coincidence?"
"Hehehe, there's no such thing as coincidences, worker. There's only destiny and fate, and, I must say, both of those have really played a heavy part in the time you've been here. Why is that?"
I was absolutely lost on what she was saying, so I just kept playing along.
"I'm not sure, ma'am," I responded.
"Oh, I think you do, worker, or should I call you Scootaloo?"
My heart dropped. She knew.
I scrambled my thoughts on what to do, but it was as if I couldn't move an inch.
"Surprised? You really shouldn't be. You see, you were trapped in that machine for ten hours, and, unless you have gills or are not a living pony, you should've very well perished. Hehehe, so what are you? A ghost? A doppelganger possessed by her spirit? Whatever you are, it doesn't matter, because it's all gonna end the same as it did all those years ago.
You can come back however many times as you want, but it'll always end with you going through the blades of the Pegasus Device, Scoots. In fact, please do keep coming back; getting to see you die over and over is a sight I'd love to relive over and over."
She was just as cold as the first time with no sign of the Rainbow Dash I used to know. However, that wasn't important. I needed to focus on how I was going to counter and kill her, but my target was somewhere in the dark where I couldn't see her.
"What? No words for your sister? Don't you love me, Scoots?"
"No! How could I love somepony who killed me over selfishness and greed!?" I answered in rage.
"Selfishness and greed? I didn't do anything of such nature! In fact, I made sure you were the most beautiful rainbow Equestria had ever seen! Ponies admired you, Scoots! I carried on your legacy by marking you down in history as one of the most perfect rainbows ever produced!"
"At the cost of my life! You murdered me and my friends for your own pleasure, you bitch! You mentored me, taught me, and took me under your own wing as a sibling, and you repay me with cold-hearted betrayal and eternal darkness! What the fuck went wrong with you!? Why did you become such a heartless monster!?"
Tears began to flow, and my emotions were flooding out like a volcanic eruption.
Then a voice broke the temporary silence. A voice I didn't recognize.
"I can answer that, my dear."
The voice was deep and made every hair on my body stand stiff. Suddenly, my entire body was met with an electrifying sensation, dropping me instantly like a rock in water. My vision became fuzzy, unable to move or speak anything, then I saw a pony walk into the dim light of the hall.
They were tall and dressed in black, cloaking their identity and making me realize who they were. They were the pony that had shut the door of the Pegasus Device.
"I must admit that I am quite surprised to see your face again, Scootaloo, but, don't worry, you don't have to feel the pain of those blades again; we have plans for you, seeing killing you would be pointless. You'll just come back again, and we can't risk you interfering with our business.
No. Instead we plan to initiate you as one of the best Orchestrators this factory has ever seen, making your existence liable. Ms. Dash here was our first, and you'll be the second, so rejoice in your new reawakening. There will be pain, but only temporarily, so be a good girl, and go to sleep. When you open your eyes, you will be gifted a whole new life without the pain of your beloved sister betraying you."
I couldn't move or object. I wanted to run, analyze his statements, and find Absentia, but I was pinned. My vision grew blurry as my eyes closed from the exhaustion and pain singing my nerves.
Darkness drowned me, and all I remember before losing control over myself was the cool feeling of water slithering down my throat.
I'm sorry, everypony. I lost…
Chapter 4: Ingest. Swalllow. Kill. Present.
"Ingest…swallow…kill…"
"Ingest…swallow…kill…"
"Ingest…swallow…kill…"
"Ingest…swallow…kill…present…"
It had been like a dream.
Those three words had repeated for what felt like an eternity, up until I finally opened my eyes to the sound of the blaring factory alarm.
How long has it been? How long have my eyes been shut? Why was I here? What was my mission…
Rainbow…Da….
Rainbow…Da…
Rain…bow…
A mist.
Nothing but a blank that cuts my memories off like a bridge that had collapsed.
My name is 067138.
I'm in the weather factory of Cloudsdale.
My job is to kill pegasi and turn their spectre funneled by the Pegasus Device into a rainbow.
That's all I am supposed to do.
Ingest.
Swallow.
Kill.
Present.
The alarm stops as I find my way out of the sheets of my bed, my head feeling as if my brain is a massive lead block weighing down on my neck and shoulders. I switch on my lamp and notice a small bottle filled with small red capsules, my first instinct being to take one of them using the water in the small cup next to the medicine bottle.
Wait. How did that get there?
I don't remember.
What happened last night?
As soon as I try to recollect my memories, something stops me instantly. That word that repeated like a skipping record in my long sleep.
Ingest.
I give my thoughts no further attention or caution and just move to open the medicine bottle, plopping a single pill out on my hoof and popping it into my mouth. To wash it down, I use the provided water, swallowing the contents down and tossing the cup into the garbage next to my bed.
Swallow.
Upon looking into the trash bin, I notice a large amount of the same small cups. That's definitely odd, but, like before, something urges me to not investigate or even worry about it. I should just get up and hurry to the control room of the Pegasus Device.
Kill.
I slip on my usual black rubber suit and move out of my room, down the long hall, and into the elevator that takes me to the bottom floor. I reach the factory floor in little time and make my way towards the stairs that lead up to my workstation. However, before I can even reach the first step, a voice calls out to me.
A voice I feel is familiar but also abstract.
"Scoots!"
I turn to the voice, only to see another factory worker trotting in my direction. She's worried and relieved at the same time, but I can't seem to know why.
Have I ever met this mare?
Kill.
"Scoots! For Celestia's sake, I've been worried sick that you had ended up in the basement as spectre! Where the hell have you been for the past month!"
A month? Had I been asleep for a whole month?
"Hey! Scoots, are you okay?"
Scoots? That's not my name. I'm 067138 .
Ingest…
Swallow…
Kill…
Present…
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you're mistaking me for somepony else," I respond to her.
"Huh? What the hell are you talking about? Scoots this isn’t funny, so stop playing dumb."
I'm confused. Why do I feel like I actually do know her? Do I know her?
"I don't know who you are, ma'am. If you are looking for somepony, please refer to Overmare Rainbow Dash."
The mare's face turns pale as if she were sick.
"Oh no…she got you…"
She grabs me.
"Kid, it's me, Absentia!" she pleads to me. "You've been brainwashed to forget about your mission!"
Mission? What mission?
That name…Absentia…
I want to say I've heard it, but my instincts speak otherwise, like a conflicting force.
Absen…
Ab…
A…
"Get off me!" I snap, pushing her away. "You'll be lucky if I don't press charges, now get lost before I do report you to the Overmare for harassment and assault! That's your only warning!" I say unconsciously.
Did I really just say that?
My head is so heavy….
I return to my duties, leaving the mare alone. The itching sensation that I know her doesn't go away, and I can't shake it off. My mind wants to eliminate any idea of her from existence, and eventually it does, covering everything that happened just moments ago in a thick fog.
I close the door to the control room and take my position, awaiting the Overmare to give me further orders on what to do. The heaviness in my head doesn't go away, but I just ignore it as I feel my body start to go numb.
Why is this happening? Am I tired? Did I stay up too late?
Then everything suddenly turns black, and I close my eyes.
It's not long before I hear the same four words again, repeating like a broken record.
Ingest.
Swallow.
Kill.
Present.
Silence.
Chapter 5: Beauty's Testament
Twenty years.
Murder.
Screams.
Death.
My name is Absentia, and I am a mare that was robbed of a beautiful life.
My real name disappeared long ago, along with my sanity and ability to feel anything.
My blood is ice.
My heart is stone.
My life is misery.
Killing the pony I despised at the time of my admission here was only the start of my descent into a sea of hopelessness, later to sink to the bottom and become a fossil of my former self; a mare with golden curls and beauty unmatched.
I had a sister.
Her name was Sapphire Glaze.
She was beautiful too, with a mane of blue curls and white fur. Her eyes were a bright violet, and her talent was singing.
Her voice was like an angel's, soft and emotional, but also energetic and radiant. I always wondered after so many years if my talent was related to hers, because, while I was once beautiful and wanted to be a model , my cutie mark was the symbol of a theater of actors; comedy and tragedy.
Was I an actress but couldn't find the courage?
Was I a talented singer of operatic ranges?
Was I a gifted scriptwriter?
I always asked myself these things and would cry myself to sleep thinking about it, but, after time, the hopes and dreams of my past life became obsolete to me.
I'm a murderer now.
An executioner.
A taker of innocent lives.
I'm ugly and rotten like a wicked witch or monster in fairytales. My beauty had faded along with my hopes and dreams, replaced with a life of an endless cycle of tragedy, grief, and regret.
I was trapped and cursed for eternity.
When would death finally greet and free me from the darkness?
I thought I found the answer when Scoots ambushed me that night. I prayed in my mind for that to finally be the answer to what I'd wished for for so fucking long!
But, once again, my hope was nothing but a fool's illusion.
It's been three years since the day she forgot who I was.
She has killed over a hundred pegasi in that time and enjoys it.
I tried several times to get through to her, but Scoots has long since vanished into the void of this place, just like my hopes, dreams, memories, and name.
She's become a hollow shell, just like the rest of us. What I thought was finally a sign of hope and freedom.
I've given up, and, like a zombie, mindlessly just do what fate gifted me.
Murder.
Kill.
Obey.
That's my life.
An endless cycle of watching other ponies die a cruel and painful death.
It's so natural to me anymore that I don't even flinch or feel emotion at their screams of pain and torture.
It's disgusting.
Immoral.
Unforgivable.
Hell.
Ponies say that Tartarus is a place of endless torture and misery, controlled by the most vile monsters imaginable.
That's the Rainbow Factory.
A literal Tatarus in reality, cloaked by the facade of an innocent purpose.
Rainbows.
Beautiful creations that are meant to symbolize the aftermath of a storm.
It's all a lie, but nopony will ever know. Nopony except the slaves forever bound here.
Both in life and after death.
My name is Absentia, and I am no longer the mare with golden curls and unmatched beauty.
I no longer have a sister.
I no longer have a destiny.
I no longer have hope.
I am a shell trapped in reality's Tartarus.
I am nothing.
The same alarm that wakes me every morning blares in my ears as I open my eyes and remove my bed covers from atop me. I repeat my usual daily routine, moving to my hooves and walking to my closet to pick out my everyday attire; the same black rubber suit that prevents me from conducting any electrical currents and receiving any nasty effects from the vapors of concentrated spectre.
Spectre.
Sounds harmless, but it's actually pretty nasty and potent. Over the years of the factory's existence, ponies have learned through contact with fully concentrated spectre that it can cause fatal issues.
The vapor that releases from spectre is known as Spectorium, and inhalation of it is an immediate death ticket. It has a very sweet smell very similar to cotton candy, but that sweet scent is a very deadly venom to the lungs. The vapor contains little microscopic bubbles of another liquid that resembles hydrofluoric acid, so breathing in even a speck of the vapor will result in your lungs getting eaten away by the acid-like micro-liquid.
A very horrid way to die at a very slow pace.
I've seen at least ten workers die at different rates, and, to say the least, it's a mix of suffocating, organ failure, and dying of severe blood loss, only internally. It's a horrible thing to watch, and, to end the victim's misery, are usually shot in the head out of mercy.
It's a relief that I don't even have to go near the processing plant where the rainbows are produced and released. A very dangerous and delicate process that requires the same amount of caution as a surgeon performing brain surgery. That's why spectre must be stored in the tubes and shipped very carefully to the upstairs area, otherwise things will get nasty and very bloody.
Now dressed, I move out of my room and start for the elevator to the factory floor. I'm there in less than a minute, due to my unintended habit of walking fast, and, with a push of the right button, the elevator descends, docks, and opens to the sight of my usual workstation; the base of the Pegasus Device.
I'm in charge of keeping the machine's heart pumping, and have managed to keep it running smoothly for over twenty years. The machine has never broken down, and, as long as I was maintaining the engine, it'd never break down. Its guts consisted of two main circuits that controlled the two main separate parts of the machine; the engine and spectre extractor.
The most important was the latter, seeing, like I said before, spectre is very toxic and deadly. If that shit didn't extract into the storage tubes correctly, it would leak into the lower section and kill whoever had to clean the blades next.
Upon examining the two sets of wires, I clarify that the machine is ready to run. There's a group of failures coming in soon, so, to avoid pissing Dash off, I look over the two circuits one more time. The result is the same, so I close the metal hatch that covers the practical arteries of the Pegasus Device and take off to the nearby bathroom to do my private business.
It isn't too far away, the walk taking me a mere twenty seconds to find, enter, and perform my bodily duties.
After doing my work, I approach one of the three sinks to wash my hooves clean. The cold water embraces the ends of my front limbs as soon as I turn the tap, reaching for the soap and pumping a bit-sized puddle onto my left hoof. Upon rubbing the lemon-scented fluid together, it quickly turns into suds and begins to disinfect my hooves.
After a good amount of scrubbing, I rinse my hooves, shut off the water, and pull some paper towels from the dispenser off to the side to dry my ligaments clean of any residual H2O. Once I'm dry, I toss the moistened cloth into the garbage and walk back out, but, upon exiting, the sound of the intercom erupting to life with Dash's voice makes me jump in mild fright.
I open my ears wide, knowing this is important.
"All main floor workers please report to the main conference room on the second floor. I will be holding an emergency meeting regarding a major issue in ten minutes."
I don't like the sound of that, but know I should just play along. There hasn't been an emergency meeting in years, so whatever is going on is clearly critical. I brush my speculations aside, work my way across the factory floor, and enter the elevator to attend the meeting upstairs.
The conference room is quiet as I sit in wait for the meeting to start, eying my fellow colleagues all around the table.
'Colleagues' isn't the right word for the other ponies I work with, seeing as we never associate or talk with one another often. We usually keep our distances and just do our job in this hell in Equestria. This place isn't a casual workplace where you befriend your co-workers and have a laugh while talking during the lunch hour.
This is more a case of ponies just trying to survive in a life of misery.
There's no happiness, relief, or comfort; only despair, horror, and fear.
Everypony is just trying to get through their lives and survive, hoping for death to free them in an act of mercy.
The main door opens, pulling me from my thoughts as Dash enters and walks to the far opposite side of the room, a project positioned dead center.
She stops in front of said device, and turns her gaze to all of us.
"Good day, everypony. I apologize for the unexpected announcement, but, upon analyzing our current spectre levels, it's become clear that the same crisis we faced three years ago has arised yet again. With a current level amount of 28.5% and only two days until another storm is scheduled to happen, even with a group of three failures arriving later, that still won't be enough.
Therefore, my fellow pegasi, that means we must resort to something that I really don't want to do, but I'm aware many of you hate it here, so allow me to give you your ticket to freedom."
My heart skips a beat. There is no way she is about to ask what I think she's going to…
I'm wrong.
"Who's willing to give their life to save the factory? I'm giving three of you the opportunity you've been looking for for years, so raise your hoof if you are willing to be given your freedom for your spectre in return."
My stomach turns.
This is another level of evil that I can't believe she actually resorted to publicly. The room becomes lively with chatter, and, just by looking at the expressions on the others' faces, I can tell that some are actually thinking about submitting to Dash's offer.
This is disgusting, immoral, and just plain demonic.
I look at Dash and notice that she has a smirk on her face that speaks carelessness. Her eyes are burning with a fire that gives her the appearance of some kind of malevolent creature, causing every speck of my fur to stand up straight.
This is nothing to her. To her, this is nothing but ridding her empire of a bunch of useless bags of bones that, through manipulation and control, served her for decades.
My blood turns to ice upon seeing a hoof raise high into the air, the worker being a young stallion with a brown coat and black mane.
He is so young and still has so much to live for, and seeing his life being taken away from him causes my blood to boil.
I refuse to just sit and watch this madness succeed!
"Stop!" I bark, standing up from my chair on my back legs. "This is madness, and I'm not going to sit and watch innocent pegasi throw their lives away because of this bitch!"
The room falls silent and nopony is moving an inch. My objection has clearly caught their attention, and that is exactly what I want.
I want to show them that the Overmare isn't invincible, and that she can be stopped.
"Don't you all see what she's doing?! She's making you throw your life away to keep this place alive! Don't feed the machine, my fellow pegasi! If we don't give her what she wants, this factory will finally be investigated and found out!"
My words have shaken my fellow kin, due to them beginning to speak and understand that my words are the truth.
However, the next voice I hear isn't any of my brothers and sisters.
"Well well, seems like you've finally shown your true self after all these years," Dash taunts me. "Hahaha! Do you really think they'll listen to you? Here's a fact, these ponies would rather escape this place than give a shit about the consequences! Your little speech is nothing but empty words to them.
These slaves lost their strength and will to hope for anything years ago. They're nothing but soulless husks that live to serve me, so you're wasting your time in trying to persuade them to listen to reason, fool. Now, do me a favor and shut your muzzle. Don't worry, you'll be dealt with when this is all over."
Is Dash right? Am I just wasting breath on a hopeless cause, and, now that I've opened my mouth in objection, am going to die after this chaos concludes?
I want to cry, but I choose not to as I start to move back into my seat.
However, something stops me. A voice.
"No! She's right!"
I look across the table and see a stallion standing tall.
"She's been manipulating our minds and plaguing us with fear to keep us from seeing past the real truth! Open your eyes, everypony! Open your eyes to the truth!?
The volume of the chatter increases, expressions turn from fearful to determined, and more pegasi begin to stand in objection to Dash's statements prior.
My words were beginning to root in the minds of my co-workers and blossom.
"They're right!" a female voice calls.
"It's the truth!" another mare shouts.
"We can fight back for our freedom!" another stallion shouts in determination.
More and more voices of the prisoners of the Rainbow Factory stand up in protest, ready to fight for their lives.
The tables are turned, and Dash has no chance of winning against over a hundred ponies that are deadset on tearing her to shreds.
I eye Dash with fire blazing in my eyes.
"You have no chance, Dash. Surrender now or we attack!" I command.
Dash just looks at me with a crooked smile.
"Hehe, you have no idea how outmatched you are, Absentia," she says calmly. "All of you either take your seat and obey, or you can be fools, and face the penalty of disobeying the Overmare."
Nopony budges at her threat. While her calm demeanor is unsettling to my instincts, I'm dead if I just surrender, so it is better to go out fighting than surrender like a coward.
"We'll never take another order from you again, you fucking monster," I answer with unadulterated pride.
Dash sighs in return.
"Shame. I really thought you all were smart and obedient, but now I see that even the most loyal ponies will just end up stabbing me in the back at some point. Whatever, come at me then, peasants, and learn the price you pay for stepping out of line."
I ignore her and initiate the attack.
"We're taking back our lives that you stole!" I clarify. "Everypony, show her no mercy! Show her the pain you've felt ever since being forced here!"
I lead the ponies forward, every single one not holding back in their charge toward the twisted mare they all hated.
However, just as we all got close enough to knock her on her back, something immediately stopped us.
Dash hadn't been bluffing.
A piercing ringing sound and heavy pressure attacks my skull, and, upon looking around, I'm not the only one. Every single one of my fellow brethren are holding their heads, gritting their teeth, screaming in pain, and collapsing onto their backs.
I can't even think straight, due to the sensation puncturing every single fiber of my skull, feeling as if my head is being crushed by a vice. It gets worse with every second, and, upon peeking my eyes open, I see it.
The heads of every single one of my soldiers in the assault on Dash were exploding, killing them instantly. It's a horrible sight to watch, their craniums popping like balloons and blood and brain matter flying across the room.
Some's eyes eject before the explosion, while others suffer longer before they are finally spared. It's a gruesome and visceral nightmare that seems like it's never going to end, however, it does after the longest thirty seconds of my life.
Strangely, unlike my comrades in arms, I'm somehow still alive by the time the horrid sensation ends. When the deafening ringing finally dissipates, I'm barely managing to remain conscious, Dash's hooves right before my eyes shortly after the horror show.
"Confused?" her voice echoes in my ears. "You should know by now that I don't lie about anything serious, fool. To give you the easiest explanation on what just happened, it's quite simple. Whenever I recruited a worker, I secretly implanted a microchip into their head that would act as a control device, should the pony get out of line.
The usual level would do no more than cause the victim discomfort, and temporarily make them unable to move or focus. However, when activated at the highest level, the frequency is so high that it causes a massive amount of pressure that will eventually cause the head to explode.
That said, with you being my most trusted Orchestrator, I intentionally made it so it wouldn't kill you. I knew you'd eventually jump out of order and rebel, and, when that time came, I'd kill you the most fitting way. Blowing your skull to pieces isn't enough of a punishment.
No. You deserve to go out the way you were originally supposed to from the day you were brought here."
I can't say anything, but I know what my punishment is.
The dishonor of becoming an artificial rainbow.
Before I lose consciousness, I look around at the bloody massacre again, and, upon eying the table, I see one lone pony still seated and alive.
The pony I once called a friend.
The pony Dash would make my executioner.
"S-scoots…" I practically whisper before I pass out.
Author's Note
So, did any of you figure out the password? Hope you enjoyed this story, sure was a fun fun fun time writing it!
Ch. 6: The Spectrum's End
Darkness.
That's all I can see.
Why am I here?
What's my purpose?
Who am I?
I want to say my name is 067138, but, deep down, I feel as if there's more to my identity than just six numbers. It's weird and alien to my mind, as if there's some sort of wall or obstacle that's guarding what I need to know.
All of my memories…
My old life…
I can see a picture in my mind of my old life, but two figures are blanked out. Who were these ponies, and what purpose did they serve to me?
I try so hard to remember it all, but it's as if the "wall" I mentioned is made of concrete. I can't break through, and, if I tried, my hooves would either end up a bloody and broken mess, or I'd fall asleep again.
I don't want to fall asleep…
I want the ache in my head to stop…
I want to see the light that's missing in this place composed of a heaviness that feels like it's crushing my body at a very slow pace. I want to feel something; for my heart to circulate warm blood to seize the endless cold, for radiant light to shine down on me, and for the dreadful atmosphere permeating my soul to be extinguished by happiness.
I don't even have a voice in this place.
I can't talk.
I can't laugh.
I can't scream for help.
All I have are these thoughts.
Hopeless fragments of my remaining sanity that are clouded by something I can't see or recollect.
How did I get here?
What did I do to deserve this?
Why doesn't somepony come save me?
Was I ever loved by anypony?
Did anypony care about my existence?
All questions I can't find the answer to, a recurring phenomenon that seems to repeat every day I'm here.
How long has it been since I last awoke?
It feels like eternity, but I know it hasn't been. The darkness just makes it seem that way, because it's all I see in this wavering sea of tranquil madness.
It's dreadful but also peaceful.
As if something was making this place just bearable enough for me to feel comfortable.
Is this life after death?
Limbo?
Somewhere in between both?
More questions with no answers.
Why do I even bother trying to figure out hopeless things that I can't even begin to understand?
Why do I even bother living a life anymore?
Is this the life I've always wanted? A life of silence and hollow existence?
More questions.
No answers.
I close my eyes again in an attempt to escape the void and hopelessness around me.
Maybe I should just listen to the darkness and sleep.
What's the point in staying awake anyways?
To just stare at the same view I receive whenever I sleep anyways? To step even closer to the brink of insanity? To be crushed even more by the strength of this sea of black?
I decide to just stop questioning myself in hopes of my pounding headache to go away.
It doesn't.
My eyes have been shut for five minutes now, and I can feel the claws of slumber beginning to drag me into submission.
Another minute passes.
Another minute.
Another minute.
Another…
…
…
…
A sound caresses my ear, pulling me out of slumber's embrace. It's faint, but it's also familiar to my every thought and instinct.
Could it have been me slipping in and out of a dream? I decide to test that theory by listening for it to hopefully repeat.
…
…
The sound meets my ears again, this time more clearly.
A scream. A dreadful and painful one.
It's familiar, but I can't seem to point it out, due to the "wall" cloaking it along with everything else.
It goes off again, and now I know that it's something I needed to find. No sound hadn't come through as clear as this one in all my time here, so I needed to listen and find the source.
The only problem is that I can't move a muscle.
Or could I, and it was only my mind playing tricks on me?
In fact, was this all just an illusion?
An agonizing pain suddenly strikes my head like a bolt of lightning, and, while the pain is horrid to my every nerve, I realize something within the time of being attacked by the ruthless jolt; anytime I begin to think logically about my predicament, the pain of my aching head escalates.
It's as if somepony or something doesn't want me to realize that I have more power over this place than it seemed on basis.
With the scream I had heard moments ago on my mind, I now know that I have to try and figure out what this unknown force is keeping from me. Something vital is right in front of me, and I can't let this opportunity escape me.
Slowly, as I begin to feel the pressure of the void release, and the numbness that had enveloped my body dissipate, I begin to recollect things I'd been searching for.
Memories that had been hidden by an invisible wall begin to take full form again. The two ponies of my past life are revealed, and I start to remember them. The memories come in waves, like a slideshow playing in rapid succession.
Apple…
Apple…
"Apple Bloom!" I shout, remembering my old friend's name, following with the second pony as well.
Another raging ache attacks me, to which I grunt and grit my teeth, but I power through it.
"Her name is Sweetie Belle, and…those two…were my best friends!"
Another charge hits, but I stand tall as the memories continue to become clear.
My years of crusading with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, my sessions with Rainbow Dash, my success in passing the test to qualify for the flying exam.
However, as soon as I reach that particular memory, things begin to change.
I took a failure in order to aid another pegasus who had broken her wings during her attempt.
Me and…
Once Orion becomes clear to my mind, everything comes back to me.
Orion's death.
Rainbow Dash's betrayal.
My death.
The void.
Absentia.
My mission and purpose returned to me, and upon my realization, I know exactly why I'm here and how I got into this mess.
"My name isn't a number! My name is Scootaloo, and I'm in the Rainbow Factory to end the horrors of it and the twisted mare who runs it!"
The darkness immediately shifted, twisting and disappearing, revealing a lit room behind it. It's massive and carries a warmth, as if somepony connected to me had called out and led me here. I look out, catching the image of a face I recognize very well.
"Orion!" I call out as I begin to trot toward the figure, tears escaping my eyes as I approach.
However, upon reaching the pony I thought was Orion, all I meet is a door. It's nothing particularly unique or symbolic; just a casual door that you see in any house. I stare at it, saddened by the figure being only a trick of my eyes. However, I quickly calm down in realization of what I've been led here to do.
It's time for me to wake up and return to finish what I started.
Destroy Rainbow Dash and her empire of nightmares.
My heart pounds every second my hoof gets closer to the knob, knowing that, as soon as I walked through, I'd immediately be initiated into a battle against the Overmare.
It would be do or die, but I was ready to end it all.
"Thank you, Orion," I state proudly as I turn the knob, open the door, and step back into the void of the Rainbow Factory.
I opened my eyes to a place that I didn't recognize, my surroundings being a dashboard of two levers and buttons. I was seated and my head was pounding like a drum, causing me to grunt and rub my head in an attempt to ease the pain. However, my blurry vision and aching skull are immediately forgotten upon the sound of an agonizing scream that made my fur stand up straight.
That's when I realized that a long glass window was right in front of me, and the sight outside of it immediately made me sick to my stomach.
Absentia was hanging from the arm of a lift by chains, and her back legs were gone. With that, I immediately knew where I was, and exactly what I needed to do.
I was in the control room for the Pegasus Device, and I was running the mechanical arm that she was connected to.
I immediately panicked and lifted her from the entrance of the death machine, hoping I could still save her from dying an assured horrid fate. However, upon seeing just how much damage had already been done, I connected the dots and began to cry.
Blood was pouring from her open wounds and she was convulsing from the unimaginable pain.
She was in shock.
I wanted to scream and cry massively, but I knew it was useless. I knew what was best for Absentia, but didn't know if I could do it. I just stared out at her, pounding my hooves on the glass and screaming like a banshee.
However, upon looking up, I saw that Absentia was looking at me. Her eyes were full of tears, but she was also smiling. I wasn't sure why, but I had some guesses as to why, in her final moments, she'd be happy.
It could be that she was finally going to be freed from this place or that she knew I had come back to my senses. However, once I saw her mouth move, I could read her lips clearly.
Do it.
She was begging me to free her, and, in that moment, I knew that both of my assumptions were true, and that meant that I couldn't fail. As much as I didn't want to push the button to end her life, I knew I couldn't just let her suffer. I wiped my tears and fulfilled her last wish, pushing the button to release her into the blades.
It was as if time were slowed down as she fell from the arm, into the machine, and into death's comfort. I couldn't watch, so I turned my head, fell to the floor, and weeped, silencing out the horrid sounds of her body being grinded to spectre.
"I'm sorry…I am so s-sorry, Absentia…"
It had felt like an eternity by the time I stopped crying, finding my way back up and wiping my swollen eyes free of my dried tears. Upon getting up, the door to the control room opened, entering a much too familiar face.
"What the hell was that!?" Rainbow Dash yelled, storming towards me. "You were ordered to make that traitor experience pain unlike no other! That was pathetic!"
Anger rose up. Grinding her legs to paste was not enough punishment for something I wasn't even aware of!? What kind of sick and twisted monster do you have to be to toy with a living being!?
"Hey! I'm talking to you, 067138! Explain yourself! Explain why you didn't obey orders!" she continued to yell.
My rage grew more, my blood boiling and teeth gritted.
"Whatever. I'll just have the boss up your dosage to assure that little bitch can't influence you again. For now, get out of my sight, you worthless scum! You'll be getting a visit later."
That was it. She'd insulted me, used me, brainwashed me, killed me, and forced me to do horrible things for too long! I didn't care if it wasn't the right time anymore! I played my ace and attacked!
"Y-you ignorant evil bitch!" I yelled as I threw my hoof straight into her face, surprising and throwing her back against the wall.
I wasn't little helpless Scootaloo anymore, and I let her know it clearly with that attack. I had thrown everything into her ugly and scarred face, and I made absolutely sure that it was powerful enough to stagger her. She had hit the back wall and bounced off it, putting her into a very vulnerable position, so I took advantage of it.
I trotted over and bucked her so hard on the right side of her body that it made her scream, knocking the wind out of her.
"That was for Aurora!" I yelled, bucking again, and, this time, striking her jaw.
I didn't hear a crack, but the hit had been enough to disorient her to where she couldn't recover fast enough for my next strike.
"That was for Orion!"
I followed up with an uppercut to the underside of her chin, causing blood to start leaking from the right corner of her lips.
"That was for me!"
Too out of it to fight back, I used every bit of my strength to pick her up and lift her over my head like a trophy.
"And this is for Absentia!" I shouted with pride and anger, throwing her through the glass window and all the way to the death machine below.
I didn't care if she had broken her back or met the blades in a poetic manner of revenge and karma as I ran from the control room and made my way to the top of the Pegasus Device. Upon making it all the way up, the crowd of workers were in absolute shock and fear of what was happening, but I didn't care as I approached Rainbow Dash.
She was squirming and attempting to drag herself to the blades in hopes of escaping my wrath.
Not on my watch.
She muttered little moans of pain and agony as I approached her and grabbed her left back hoof, dragging her away from her only mercy.
"No. You won't get mercy that easily. Not after all you've done!"
She was at my mercy now as I walked around to where I could see her bloodied face clear as day.
"W-wait!" she spoke through her unadulterated agony.
I ignored her and kicked her in the left side of her face. She groaned, coughed, and gritted her imperfect teeth, having lost some from my assault.
"P-please, listen to m-me, Scoo-
Another kick. More blood. More coughs from the monster before me. I could tell from the damage of the fall that she didn't have much longer to live, so I used every bit of that time to give her as much pain as I possibly could.
I kicked, punched, and abused her without any hint of remorse, up until I knew it was time to end her for good. While it had felt good to just beat her up relentlessly, I knew I had to finish it at some point. Therefore, I started the elimination of Rainbow Dash in a fashion that I felt was retribution for Crystal and several other pegasi who had met their fate by the blades no more than five feet from me.
I grabbed and extended Rainbow Dash's left wing towards the blades, allowing the ligament to be the first thing to lead her into the machine. As the wing was just about to make contact, something immediately caused me to stop.
"Scootaloo, please stop!" Rainbow Dash had yelled so loud that it had shook my will.
I froze.
The way she'd spoken wasn't like before in all my time here. It was different, more like the voice of the mare I'd grown up training with. I wanted to ignore her, but, for some reason, my instincts made me stop and listen. I turned back to her, immediately noticing tears in her eyes.
Not from her wound and injuries, but from something else.
"Please, Scoots," she spoke, and upon her addressing me by name, I immediately knew there was something different about her.
As much as I didn't want to, I let her wing go, hoping that I hadn't just made a grim mistake.
"Hehe, thanks, squirt," she greeted, causing me to jump.
Now I definitely knew this was a different pony entirely. Rainbow Factory Dash had never addressed me as that, not even when I was brought here all those years ago. I was confused, angry, and lost.
"R-rainbow Dash?" I muttered in disbelief.
"I-it’s been a l-long time, Scoots," she answered. "Y-you've gotten so b-big."
There was no doubt. This was the Dash I knew as Equestria's greatest flier and a sister, but how?
"B-but how are you…"
I lost my words instantly, but Rainbow quickly caught on and began to explain everything.
"Y-you must be s-so confused, so l-let me explain. I-it all began r-right after that day I-I performed t-the Sonic R-rainboom. A-after the Wonderbolts d-departed, I-I was approach by some p-pegasi that asked if I-I wanted to help produce t-the next r-rainbow. I-I was curious, so I went w-with them, and, u-upon finishing t-the rainbow, w-was offered a job to h-help cover the cost of l-living in my h-house.
H-however, it t-turned out to be a t-trap, and I was k-knocked unconscious by the t-thugs who were my g-guides. A-after that, I was t-taken and given some k-kind of medication that made m-me into that m-monsterous alter e-ego. I couldn't d-do anything, b-because they threatened t-to kill you and my o-other friends if I said a-anything.
I-I'm so s-sorry, Scoots! I-I wanted to not train y-you, but t-they forced me t-to! I-I wanted to s-stop, but I c-couldn't!"
She was crying now, and the cold truth of how Rainbow Factory Dash had come into being had made my own tears form. All this time, my sister had been a victim, just like the other pegasi who had been led here through false promises.
I wiped her tears, now aware of who the real enemy was.
"I forgive you, big sister," I stated between tears. "I now see that you were always a victim and never the villain. All I wanna do now is make things right, so please tell me what I need to do to end this nightmare."
It took a moment, but eventually Rainbow gave me the answer.
"D-do you always remember what I t-told you whenever y-you wanted to give up on y-your dreams?" she questioned.
"Reach for the skies," I answered, those four words being a very fond memory that I never forgot.
"T-that's right," she clarified. "G-go to the office on the third floor, a-and you'll f-find everything. T-that's my dying wish for you to accomplish. G-go and put an end to all of this!"
"What do you mean, big sister?" I asked, doing my best not to cry in realization that I had led her to this point. "I don't understand."
"J-just trust me, S-scoots," she answered. "P-Please do whatever y-you can to destroy this p-place. For me a-and all of the pegasi who died h-here!"
I still was unsure, but I trusted her enough to know that I'd be able to find the key to this place's demise. Therefore, I just nodded my head and trusted her intuition.
"T-thank you, S-scoots, a-and know that I-I'll a-always…b-be… p-proud of…y-yo…."
Her last breath faded, and Rainbow Dash was finally free of the control of Rainbow Factory Dash. I wanted to, but didn't cry or mourn, knowing that's not what she would've wanted.
I had a mission to finish.
I had to find what Rainbow wanted me to seek in her dying breaths.
I needed to go to the third floor and finally uncover the secrets that this factory had hid away for far too long.
Ch. 7: Room 0
Two workers flanked me on my way to the top floor, both of them having witnessed the fall of the Overmare and wanting to help me in my final act in burying this Celestia-forsaken hell for eternity. Their names were Flurry Twist and Lightning Flash, and they carried the same hatred as me for this place, and were willing to assist me in detaining the real puppetmaster that had been pulling the strings ever since the beginning.
We arrived in no time, and, after a short walk, found the door to the executive office. The keypad on the door was something more complex than the other ones throughout the entire factory, having more than just the casual nine-digit interface. This one had letters instead of numbers, and had the entire alphabet as an interface, to which I followed by entering the phrase that my sister had mentioned as the password.
Upon finishing, the red light that signaled the door as "locked" turned green, and, upon turning the knob, it opened to a darkened room where only a single light lit the large desk on the far side. However, something told me that this wasn't all the room had to offer, and upon passing the doorway, I was right.
In the corner to my right was a wooden chair that looked like some kind of torture device, straps for the head and all four hooves meant to restrain the victim nailed to the arms and legs of the chair. Off to the side of that was a giant pinboard that was layered with hundreds of pictures of young pegasi.
Targets for the factory and Pegasus Device.
I shivered at the sight of the demented display, approaching it and following the pins across the board. From what I was getting out of the pattern, it was clear that the monster of this establishment had eyes on specific pegasi that they would intentionally fix their test to get into the flying exam, and, from there, led here.
Judging from the selected victims' grades and stats, none of them were not very good at flying and lacked the skill majorly. In other words, they were passing bad fliers for easy spectre; this was their solution to low spectre levels, and it was horrifying to even think of it being a real ploy somepony had come up with.
Lightning said it before I did.
"Holy shit…they were literally picking runts of the litter for easy production…"
Flurry jumped at his words, clearly disturbed, but I knew this wasn't the only thing Dash had wanted me to find. There had to be something else here. Something huge.
"While this is a massive discovery, I doubt that everything this place has to hide," I stated. "Keep searching, but be sure to watch your backs."
They both nodded and turned in the opposite direction of the room to search further. I decided to start by searching the desk, seeing it was where a variety of bloody deals and schemes had been arranged. I pulled out every drawer and searched their contents very thoroughly, the majority of the clutter being paperwork, diagrams, and a variety of pens and pencils.
Nothing particularly relevant to my goal, and, up until I had finished rummaging through the clutter, had I realized exactly why my search had ended in failure.
Things meant to never be revealed to the public were usually kept hidden away in things such as safes or hidden compartments. Upon realizing the flaw in my actions, I began to search again, but, this time, I fixed my focus on a different target.
A key.
However, to my disappointment, no such thing met my sight after sifting through the mess of papers and casual things you'd find in any office space. That's when I realized that this was going to be harder than I had originally anticipated, and completely abandoned the mess at my hooves.
Flurry and Lightning had the other side of the room covered, so I decided to see if I could find any entrance to a hidden room. There had to be more to this room than what we could see, so I walked up the left wall and planted my right ear to it. If the wall was hollow, I'd be able to hear through, meaning my guess of a secret room would be proven true.
Immediately, a sound of a very subtle and muffled cry grazed my eardrum. I was right, but the question was, how do I open the wall?
I didn't have to think for too long, Lightning answering the solution to the matter quickly.
"Hey guys, take a look at this," he called from about ten feet behind me.
I quickly turned and walked to his position, a grandpony clock just in front of him and open. Upon eying the inside of the clock's chamber, I saw a clear hole big enough for a grown pony to crawl through. On the opposite end I could hear the same muffled sound that I'd heard just a moment before, meaning we'd found the way into whatever hell was intentionally hidden away.
"Good work, Lightning," I assured as I moved toward the secret passageways without fear or worry of what could be in the opposite side. "I'll take point and let you two know if it's safe to go."
Neither of them argued, likely scared out of their wits of whatever secrets they were about to discover. I wasn't afraid, knowing that whatever was on the other side was what Rainbow Dash had wanted me to find in her last moments. Therefore, I moved into the passage and carefully crawled through to the other side, making sure to stay cautious the entire way.
Upon reaching the opposite end, I heard something aside from the muffled crying; whistling. That assured me that there were two occupants ahead, and, judging from the differences of their demeanor, I knew that the one whistling was hostile. With that in mind, I knew I had to be careful, so I proceeded forward as quietly as I could manage.
Upon meeting the other side, I was met with a sight that made my blood freeze. The room was the same diameter of the office with only a single light illuminating the wide space, however, that wasn't the chilling aspect. Across the room, a pony was restrained to a wooden chair very similar to the one in the office, and, off to the side, was a tray of several tools made of metal.
Off to the side, prepping themselves for whatever horrible procedure was about to happen was a very familiar face that I had encountered upon my arrival to the factory for the first time.
Dr. Atmosphere.
His blood-red fur and white lab coat were a dead giveaway as I watched him grab something out of my line of sight and approached the seated and muzzled pegasus.
"Are you comfortable?" he asked his victim in the same voice and tone as I remembered.
The mare only continued to cry in her despair, trying her hardest to break free.
"Good. You don't deserve comfort after your pathetic performance. You're an embarrassment to all of Cloudsdale, dear, but, do not fret, because your failure will make up for hard labor. Now, allow me to put you to sleep for awhile. Don't worry, when you wake, you'll be a brand new pony with only one purpose; to obey the great Overmare and question nothing else."
He held up a syringe, and, upon seeing it, I knew what it meant. I didn't know what he planned to do to her, but it couldn't be anything good, so I took action. I shimmied out of the hole and worked quick to stop the mad doctor from further progression in his tactics.
"Drop the syringe, now!" I yelled, catching his attention instantly and making him freeze.
However, his response was as calm as usual, responding first with a chuckle.
"And what is a rat doing out of its cage?" he responded. "Has the effects worn off and you have managed to wander somewhere you shouldn't be? I'd suggest you wander off elsewhere."
"Don't talk to me as if I'm a test subject, you monster!" I snapped back. "I simply came to my senses from whatever the hell you did to me!"
"How interesting," he said, finally turning to face me. "Ah, Experiment 067138. It's been awhile hasn't it? Hehe, you certainly are a special case, indeed. A pony I swore was eliminated by our beautiful machine, yet stands before me all these years later as if nothing ever happened.
You certainly were the first subject to ever come close to escaping, but eventually was caught in the trap and tossed in the garbage. I must give you credit for your incredible resilience and ambition, but just as it happened all those years back, you'll never escape this place. Not as long as we have control over you."
It was infuriating to listen to him speak so nonchalantly as if I were still chained above the maw of the Pegasus Device, but I refused to let him win and dashed his confidence in retort.
"You have no control. The Overmare is dead and this factory is finished."
He only chuckled again, catching me off guard.
"Child, it doesn't matter if the Overmare is dead or not. You see, our grip on rainbow production goes beyond just this establishment."
He paused, starting to pace over to where he originally had been upon my arrival.
"Allow me to tell you a story. There once was a grand pegasus that could fly so fast that he could break the barriers of sound and speed itself. One day, said pegasus decided to try going beyond the limits of both, and, in doing it, created the phenomenon known as, the Sonic Rainboom. This event caused a massive explosion of a spectrum of colors, catching the eyes of many, and leading to those many wanting to recreate what he had performed.
They had worked and tested several methods to create an artificial Sonic Rainboom, but always ended up falling short in terms of stabilization. Then came the day that everything came full circle, and the answer to stabilizing the experiment was founded. During a test of attempting to convert colors of objects into a liquid form, a worker in the experiment accidentally fell into the very machine that was designed to extract pigment from the target. A terrible tragedy, but, out of it, came a perfectly stable recreation of what that pegasus had made.
On the very close of a storm that day, ponies looked up to the sky and witnessed the very first rainbow to ever exist, but knew not the process of how it had been made. Even the princesses had seen it themselves, and, given how ponies had reacted to its presence on the eve of a storm, had made it a tradition for a rainbow to grace the skies after every downpour had passed. That accident is the very thing that led to the production of rainbows, and, in all the time since that day, every single one you've ever laid eyes upon was made through the same method as now."
I wanted to throw up. Could this really be the true story of how rainbows were discovered and made?! If that were true, then the machine that had killed that pegasus on accident was…
The dots connected instantly, and I could feel goosebumps rising on my skin at the horrid truth of how this whole nightmare had started.
"The truth is quite appalling, isn't it?" he mocked. "Now you know, child. There was never any moral way to make rainbows; it has always been done the same way as it started! Even if you were to somehow expose the process to the princesses, do you seriously think they'd stop what they declared as a tradition?!"
He really was insane. The mere thought of the princesses allowing this genocide to continue just because they had set it as a traditional occurrence was baffling.
"I know they would!" I fired back. "Tradition or not, if they knew how this all began, the Pegasus Device would've been terminated instantly! Unlike you creeps that have no love for anything except your pathetic selves, Celestia and Luna would never lead their beloved subjects to slaughter!"
Dr. Atmosphere only chuckled under his breath, somehow thinking that the rulers of Equestria would allow pegasi to be treated like farm animals that were only fed to be killed for their meat. There was no swaying a pony who had already lost his mind and become a monster that lived only for murder and profit.
"Believe what you wish, filly, but I know the truth about the cruel reality outside these walls," he attempted. "Now, back to the present. What do you plan to do now that you've killed the Overmare? Are you going to kill me as well? Free the worker's here who lost their sanity years ago? Obtain victory by being nothing better than the Overmare or I?"
"I'm nothing like you and never will be," I answered simply with confidence. "Killing you isn't an act out of the purpose of obtaining power or profit; it's a victory in ending the horrors that have remained hidden behind these walls for far too long. It's also a declaration of freedom for every soul trapped here, and the workers that you forced into lives of misery and pain. By killing you, they can finally escape their life here and heal from all that you've done to them.
That is my purpose and promise I made to all of them. To all of the victims that gave me this opportunity to finally end the Rainbow Factory for good!"
He chucked again.
"You're wasting your time. Think about it, releasing these weaklings is like releasing patients of an entire mental ward out into the world without any sort of control. Their grip on reality has been severed over the years of being forced to contribute to the purpose of this factory's existence; they've lost their way and can't see past anything except their life in this place."
I gritted my teeth in anger, but kept myself still as I countered his words.
"You're wrong. I've been here long enough to see the pain and grief hidden behind their fear of being killed if they even make one small mistake. Absentia was one of them, and she had been here for twenty years. She remembered pieces of her past that you bastards forced her to forget by shoving that medication down her throat!"
Dr. Atmosphere jumped at the mention of the practical poison, his smile slowly beginning to collapse into an unsure expression. I capitalized upon the clear opening that he'd given me to shake his core to nothing but dust.
"Surprised!? You didn't expect me to remember anything about what you used to lock me away for Celestia-knows how long, didn't you!? Well, I've got news for you, there's too many pegasi that are counting on and supporting me to finish the very thing you started! Does the name Crystal ring any bells?! How about Orion or Aurora?! The pegasi you and the Overmare you forced my sister to become killed out of nothing but selfishness and desperation!
I, along with every worker and past victim, remember everything! Our pasts and the futures that you and the Overmare took away! We are not zombies or puppets that you control through fear anymore! Everything you tried to use to make us into nothing but lifeless shells failed, and now it's our turn to deliver you the very pain that you did to us!"
Another chuckle escaped his lips.
"Whether or not you were able to figure out what kept every one of those dogs leashed and disciplined doesn't matter to me. You talk big, runt, but how do you plan to kill me? You know well that I am able to submit you in more than one way, and with as many years as I have in this factory, you should know full well that you are outclassed in both experience and agility.
I don't need the Overmare to beat a filly who doesn't know how to stay dead, and will finish you just as you were all those years ago. Therefore, I invite you to take your best shot, but after you've failed to bring me down, I'll be sure to strike back in a way that will be sure to put back to sleep, and, this time, I'll make sure whatever fragment of you remains stays dead."
It was a trap, and I knew he was just trying to egg me into an inescapable strike. I didn't bite, and, instead, responded with something that even he couldn't have predicted.
"Lightning! Flurry! Come on through!" I called, to which the madpony flinched and froze.
Before long, my two companions successfully wiggled through the tight space and were at my side. Upon seeing Dr. Atmosphere, they shivered in fright, up until I reassured them that he wasn't anything they needed to fear. He was outnumbered now, and his confidence that he could easily submit me had dwindled.
"You two have nothing to fear," I assured. "It's three to one, and he knows he can't take all of us. As long as you show him that you aren't afraid, he will no longer be able to control you!"
Flurry and Lightning heard me clear and knew I was right, both of them smiling proudly and nodding in agreement. Their gazes then turned to the monster before them, eying him with confidence and anger.
Dr. Atmosphere's lips slowly curved into a deranged smile that made him look even more unhinged than he already was. Following that, he slowly began to laugh in a way that didn't seem confident or evil, but more like a surrender. His laughter started slowly, then gradually built up to the point where every intimidating feature of his being began to disappear. He was more like a colt who had not gotten something they had wanted for their birthday, and it was actually quite disturbing to watch.
In his descent into absolute madness, Lightning and Flurry had taken the initiative to release the mare bound to the chair, while I just watched as the real monster behind this macabre facility accepted his defeat and continued to delve deeper into his sea of insanity.
Once the mare was free of her binds, she didn't waste any time and walked over to my current position and began to serve the scientist justice. She punched his left cheek hard enough to knock him to the floor, and, in absolute anger and rage, dealt him a cold serving of revenge, pounding her hooves down onto his head.
After the first punch, his unhinged laughter was still hearable, but, after the second, his laughter turned into the sound of crackling and gurgling. The third hit produced the sound of blood splatter and a gushing sound when her hooves made contact with his brain matter, now littered on the floor. Every hit following produced that same gorey and slushy noise, up until she finally stopped after the tenth stomp.
Nopony had attempted to stop her, because we all wanted to do the same thing. However, given her situation prior to my interference, Flurry, Lightning, and I just let her destroy the monster as she wished, having not said a word or moved an inch the entire time. She breathed heavily and was drenched in her act of revenge, having turned to us and said something we weren't expecting.
"I'm sorry…but I had to."
Lightning had been the first to speak, to which I was thankful.
"You don't need to be. He deserves nothing less than to be stomped on, just like he did to all of us for countless years."
She nodded, turning her gaze to me, and expressing a look of desperation.
"Everything you said…is it actually true?" she asked me, her voice hopeful and pleading for my previous statements to be true.
"Yes. The Overmare is dead," I assured.
She gasped and tears began to form in her eyes at the relief of the very pony who had trapped her here, could no longer control her.
"Then a-are we finally f-free?! C-can we all finally g-go home?!" she asked in a way similar to a foal being found after being lost in the woods for weeks.
I smiled in assurance, nodding my head and giving her an answer that she'd thought would never have come for the rest of her life.
"Yes."
She smiled and broke down into a fit of happiness, crying tears of joy and absolute relief. She'd never have to wake within the walls of this prison ever again or have to witness the horrors of pegasi being grinded to nothing but spectre.
Never again would a rainbow manifest upon the closing of a storm.
Never again would a pegasus be ridden of their goals and dreams.
Never again would the Pegasus Device awaken to devour the innocent.
It was over.
However, there was still one thing that needed to be done.
"Lightning, take her and lead all of the other workers out of the factory," I commanded. "Flurry, I still need you to help me find what you'll need to make sure this place is buried."
"Gotcha," Lightning agreed, turning his sights back to the hidden passage that he'd shuffled through to get here. "Let's go," he addressed to the other mare, to which she followed him, leaving Flurry and I to investigate further.
Once the coast was clear, Flurry started by asking me a very obvious question that I knew was coming.
"What exactly are we looking for, Scoots?"
"Evidence of the murders that happened here," I answered. "Words aren't enough proof, so we need something that will give definite proof of the truth of what happens here."
"Ah, I see, so something like documentation of all of the victims and their death dates?" she guessed.
"Exactly," I confirmed. "Now, the question is, where would that be?"
Flurry and I both put hoof to our chins, thinking about where Dr. Atmosphere would store a collection of documents regarding all of his victims. One thing was absolutely clear, we were in the right place; this room was hidden, related to the victims, and was usually occupied by the puppetmaster of the factory. Another factor was that I don't think Rainbow Dash had just wanted me to find the true monster. It was surely one of the things she wanted me to find, but there had to be something else that would really open the truth about this place.
Then it hit me. The answer was right in front of me.
I approached the remains of Dr. Atmosphere and began to search his lab coat pockets for something that I knew would be there; a keycard. Upon checking his inner right pocket, I found it and gripped it in my hoof, reading the text along both sides of the card.
While it was dimly lit where I stood, I could make out the text, and, upon one glance, I knew where I needed to go to find the truth.
Dr. Atmosphere's bunker.
"What did you find?" Flurry asked.
"The key to the truth," I answered. "Come on, Flurry. We're going to Room 0 aka. this monster's living quarters."
Room 0 wasn't easy to find, but luckily, Absentia's advice had finally led me to the keyslot of the place Dr. Atmosphere had called his home. There were only three specific large pipes that did not connect to the main network of the entire factory's pipe system, and, after checking the very one that led deeper into the bowels of the factory, had found another hole in the wall that looked like a result of erosion over the decades of the factory's existence.
However, it was also the perfect disguise for a secret passage that housed something forbidden, so, after passing through and walking about a-hundred-and-fifty yards, we came to the door we now stand before. It wasn't any different from Absentia's door, only more hidden away to keep something from the eyes of the public. It was very clear that there was something hidden beyond, so I stuck the keycard into the provided slot and awaited to be granted entry.
Upon hearing the metal lock shift, I turned the knob and prepared myself for whatever was to come. Once the door was fully open, a light flashed on within, revealing a massive room full of file cabinets that were alphabetically sorted.
Jackpot. There was no doubt that this was the place we needed to find and expose.
Flurry and I remained silent as we entered the large room of nothing but metal cabinets that held all of the secrets that were needed to destroy this place for good.
The question was where do we even start? However, I was answered as I moved deeper into the room and came across a cabinet that was labeled "resources."
This cabinet had caught my attention the most, and I didn't know why. All I knew was that I needed to investigate this cabinet, so I did, grabbing the handle and pulling out the contents. Upon seeing the guts of the case, I knew my instincts were correct to open this container first.
Inside, all I saw was red.
A red hue that had been from the several packaged crimson pills that were neatly sorted in rows. I recognized the sight instantly as the poison that Dr. Atmosphere had used as a suppressant and controller for the pegasi who were initiated by Rainbow Factory Dash.
However, upon a second glance, I noticed something that disturbed me to no avail. There were names at the top of each of the slabs that harbored the packaged supplement; the names of those who were forced to take it and forget their families, dreams, and pasts.
It was disgusting to look at, but it was a piece of what was needed to fix those still affected by the venomous medication.
Flurry had caught sight of me, and, upon her meeting my position, had matched my expression.
"Celestia above…" she whimpered in shock and horror. "I-I remember…that fucking red pill…I'd be aware…then I'd….vanish into just black. I-it wasn't until I…woke up with t-that…headache that I… escaped and…just pretended….to take it and acted…l-like a zombie…to s-survive…"
Her description matched the same exact experience I had had while I'd been forced to become somepony else against my will. I'd be conscious for a minute, but then I'd lose memory of what I was doing and just get swallowed up by nothing but darkness. However, her comment about a headache had confused me, but that was besides the point, so I came out of my thoughts and addressed the situation.
"I know how you feel, and this is one piece of what we need to prove this factory 's true purpose," I assured. "All we need now is documentation of the murders, so let's keep looking."
Flurry nodded, shaking off her initial emotions and focusing on the clear objective.
I closed the cabinet and continued the search, moving to another cabinet right next to the current one. This one especially caught my attention, the label reading "special subjects."
This was it.
While I hadn't looked yet, I knew this was where the thing lied that Dash had wanted me to find.
Opening the drawer to the cabinet, I was met with an estimated amount of fifty files, all neatly organized in alphabetical order. However, I knew which one I was looking for immediately upon seeing one lone file under R.
It was my sister's folder.
I didn't know what I was supposed to find, but I knew it would be obvious once I saw it. I grabbed the folder and pulled it from its confined space, flipping it open and seeing the horrors of the process and creation of the Overmare.
Subject name: Rainbow Dash Gender: Female Age: 26
Experiment A
Patient was captured and submitted by the use of a taser, to which she quickly lost consciousness and was taken to the conversion chamber. Conversion started with an injection of a liquefied version of the main medication used to control and make all subjects forget about their pasts and families.
Injection was a success, the patient having reacted in a very negative manner, having screamed and cried upon the liquid meeting her bloodstream. The injection process lasted for a total of ten minutes, and, in that time, the patient never once stopped exerting exclamations of pain. Whether or not the effects of the medication were successful remains yet to be determined, and we will check back in the morning to check if we were successful.
Analysis A
After analyzing the patient, I can concur that the injection process was successful, but she will need further observation to determine how much influence the medicine has over her psyche. This will take several days, so I will continue to administer the serum in low doses over the next 72 hours to avoid causing her mental stress of fatal levels.
Analysis B
After 72 hours, the patient has suffered mental trauma and continues to sweat profusely. Patient claims to be experiencing severe hot flashes and has occasional episodes of her complaining that "acid is flowing through her veins." I suspect this as nothing but a side effect of the conversion process and will continue to monitor her for any abnormal occurrences.
Analysis C
It has now been 168 hours since injection of the serum. In the time since the previous entry, patient has become increasingly physically weak and unresponsive. Nothing to worry about, this is all part of the conversion process, and soon her current self will cease to exist.
Analysis D
It is now day nine, and I can confirm that my patient is ready for the next step in the conversion process. I will administer the catalyst for the activation of the next procedure and wait for the process to naturally take its course.
Experiment A-1
The catalyst, Calcidium, has been administered, and, as per usual, the heart rate is slowing to fatal rates. This concurs that the second step of the conversion process was successful, and it is now safe to administer the last serum to complete the process.
Experiment A-2
The heart flatlined one minute prior to this documentation, leading me to administer the last step of the process. I have begun the vaccination of Calidine, the second catalyst that will react with the main substance and cause a reignition of the heart, usually taking around five seconds to fully process.
Conclusion
In final, Rainbow Dash's conversion process was a success, but I will be keeping an eye on her for a week to be absolutely sure that nothing remains of her previous self. I will continue to administer the capsule version of the main agent to assure I remain in full control. Shall any abnormal events occur in the time she is under my control, I will perform the necessary procedures to assure my experiment remains successful.
I lost it.
Tears escaped my eyes at the horror story that I had just read.
Rainbow Dash had been tortured and slowly killed against her will with no hope of escape or mercy, and yet I had somehow reawoken her true self from deep within. How had I done it? I could only assume it was fate intervening in an unlawful and truly horrifying situation that had resulted in nothing but pain, anger, and murder.
That didn't matter now though.
She was dead and free, and the monster who had caused it all was burning in Tartarus. All that mattered now was the truth, and burying the horrors along with the factory.
I went to close the folder, until I noticed something out of place; a lined paper that looked like it had been hidden behind the main contents for a reason.
I flipped the paper over, and, upon seeing the hoofwriting I knew I had found what my sister had wanted me to find.
Her proof that she wasn't the one who murdered all of those pegasi.
To whoever finds this, I'm writing this to you as a last stand for myself.
My name is Rainbow Dash, and I am not a murderer. I have been kidnapped and am slowly in the process of dying as I write this, and want the pony who finds this to know the truth. The weather factory is a death trap for pegasi, and rainbows are what those victims become after being harvested through a machine that siphers their pigment to make the spectre that's used to produce rainbows.
I managed to wriggle out of my binds long enough to write this final testimony. The damage is already done, and I'm already starting to slowly lose my memories, forget my name, and lose hope of anypony miraculously coming to save me. Therefore, to whoever reads this, please take this letter to the princesses as evidence of my remaining existence.
They must know the truth and end this madness before it's too late, and innocent pegasi become victims of a horrible way to die. Rainbows were never beautiful, and were the beginning of a bloody production line. So please, if Princess Celestia or Luna are reading this, as my last wish and will, protect the pegasi of Cloudsdale.
Destroy the weather factory's secret business of murdering pegasi!
-RD
This was the answer to ending the factory, and now it was time to fulfill my sister's last wish.
"Flurry, come here!" I called, being met by said pegasus not long after.
"What is it, Scoots?" she asked me, but before I opened my mouth to reply again, something became clear to me.
I didn't even need to test it to see if it was true. I couldn't be the one to deliver the truth, because I was still dead and trapped in the factory.
"Scoots, are you okay?" she spoke to me again in a worried tone.
I didn't even hear her, and, instead, spoke what I needed to say before I would go back to the void again.
"Listen to me," I started, closing the file and handing it to her. "I need you to take this to Canterlot and show this to the princesses. It's all you'll need to prove everything about this place."
She took the file and held it tightly, but upon lowering my hoof back to the floor, she questioned me further.
"I will, but we're going to do it together, right?" she questioned. "Scoots, you're scaring me."
I wanted to say the truth, but knew I couldn't. I could feel myself beginning to get lighter, and, upon looking around, I could see something that made me smile.
Just behind Flurry was Crystal, Absentia, and my sister smiling in a proud display. I was frozen in place, but I could feel a warmth fluttering inside of me, knowing that, while it hadn't gone how I'd expected, my mission was accomplished.
I no longer had anything to do here.
"I'm sorry, Flurry, but I can't leave here," I said with a smile. "Don't worry though, your nightmare is over, so as a last request, do what I can't and take that evidence to the princesses."
She was beyond confused, but there wasn't much I could do. I just gave her my last wish as I began to feel as if I were floating.
"Wait, what do you…
She stopped and just stared at me, and, at that moment, I knew that she knew that I wasn't lying and had to be the one to finish the job. I just smiled as I saw Rainbow Dash say one lone thing from across the room.
"It's okay, Scoots. Come home."
So I did, and, with only a smile on my face, walked forth past Flurry. She didn't move and just stood completely still as I rounded the corner and returned back to my family and friends.
My work was done. Flurry had to be the one to take the next step, and, as I met up with all of the ponies I cared for in this place, I was surprised. The void was no longer cold or felt unwelcoming; it was warm and comfortable like you'd imagine life after death should be.
Then, off in the distance, a bright light graced the darkness, tearing through the endless black like a knife and growing with every passing second. It was blinding, but I knew that this radiant light was the next place for all of the victims to finally pass onto. They were finally free of the shackles of the factory, no longer bound and trapped in purgatory.
It was finally time to go home.
Absentia and my sister touched my shoulders, smiling brightly at me in the moment we all had been waiting for for so long.
"Ready to go, Scoots?" Rainbow Dash asked me, to which I smiled and nodded my head.
"Yeah," I answered. "I think we all are."
With no other words, I held my smile as Absentia, Rainbow, and I walked forward into the next step in our life beyond death. Upon passing the light and feeling a warmth envelope my body, I finally cried tears of happiness that I had wished to shed many years ago.
I'm finally home. I'm free at long last.
THE END
