The orange mare known as applejack walked down the dirt road that lead to rainbow dash's house. She hadn't seen rainbow dash as much as she used to.
"ah hope rainbow actually has time to talk today" thought applejack.
She approached the cloud house, just in time to see a rainbow blur fly away towards cloudsdale.
"dagnabbit!" yelled applejack.
She stomped her hoof on the ground.
"what the hay does she even do that keeps her so occupied!?" she yelled to herself.
Applejack looked at the distant city of cloudsdale. An idea formed in her head.
Applejack entered the library of twilight sparkle, inside the purple unicorn was happily reading.
"hey twi!" greeted applejack.
"hey aj" said twilight, looking up from her book.
"ah need a favor" said the orange pony.
"sure, what?" asked twilight.
"could ya use that cloud walking spell on me?" replied applejack. "ah want ta see rainbow in cloudsdale."
Twilight levitated her book back on the shelf.
"of course"said twilight "in fact I think I'll join you."
Aj smiled.
Twilight's hot air balloon landed in cloudsdale. Inside were the two ponies.
"let's find rainbow" said aj.
The two got out of the balloon.
"we should check the weather factory" said twilight. "maybe she's there"
"good idea" replied applejack.
The two trotted off in the direction of the weather factory.
Twilight and applejack entered the lobby of the weather factory.
"I'll ask the receptionist" said twilight.
Applejack nodded and twilight approached the receptionist who was sitting at her desk looking at something on her computer.
"scuse me" said twilight. "I'm looking for my friend rainbow dash"
"sorry, she's busy." replied the receptionist.
Suddenly a ringing noise was heard and the receptionist answered her desk phone.
"yes?........ Oh...... Now?............... Alright I'm on my way."
The receptionist hung up.
"sorry but I have to go." said the receptionist.
She got up and trotted out the door. Twilight sighed.
"sorry applejack" said twilight.
Applejack got up and sat down in the receptionist's seat.
"applejack!?" said twilight with a shocked expression. "what the buck are you doing!?"
"ahm going to get some answers!" replied applejack.
She began to search through various files on the computer.
"every day fer the past five years, rainbow dash has been too busy with work to spend time with us!" said applejack. "and she never told us what it is she's away doing!"
Applejack's attention was grabbed by a particular file.
RAINBOW CREATION.
Applejack clicked on the link and several documents appeared.
"subject profiles?......... Project briefing......... " muttered applejack.
"aj your going to get us into trouble!" yelled twilight.
"why the hay would there need ta be subjects in rainbow creation".
Aj opened project briefing and was shocked at what was inside.
"this...... This can't be right......" said applejack horrified.
"what's wrong?" asked twilight.
She looked at the computer and gained the same horrified expression that aj had. The briefing detailed the gathering of young flight school rejects, then throwing them into a machine that grinded them into spectra, which was then used to grind rainbows.
"no......" said twilight.
Applejack opened another document, this one listed various pegasi that failed the flight exam.
"ah know some of these names twi....." said applejack.
"rainfly...... Evening glory...... Archer..... Scootaloo....." twilight read from the list.
"that's where scootaloo went!?" yelled applejack. "applebloom was so worried! Ah can't begin to imagine-"
"there's another document there" said twilight.
Applejack opened up a document containing a list of weather factory employees.
"these ponies..." began twilight. "they.... They are murderers."
"ah wanna know thaw sick pony in charge of this!" yelled applejack.
She scrolled down to the bottom. The name listed shocked the two beyond all known belief.
HEAD OF RAINBOW PRODUCTION- RAINBOW DASH.
"rainbow.... She's...." said twilight.
"a murderer!" finished applejack.
Applejack pressed the print button and began printing the documents.
"what are you doing!?" asked twilight nervously.
"ahm gettin evidence." said applejack. "were gunna tell everypony the truth."
"no you won't."
The two turned to see rainbow dash looking at them with a taser in her hoof.
"rainbow!" yelled applejack.
"I didn't want things to go this way" said rainbow dash.
"you killed these ponies!" yelled twilight.
"your not the rainbow dash that was mah friend!" yelled applejack.
"I had to sacrifice for the good of equestria" said rainbow dash.
Rainbow dash turned the taser on.
"I'm sorry it had to end this way."
"look the wonderbolts!" yelled applejack, pointing her hoof.
"that trick won't-"
Twilight used her magic to throw rainbow dash against a wall, knocking her out momentarily.
"we have to go!" yelled twilight.
The last document printed.
"grab the papers!" yelled applejack.
Twilight picked the papers up with magic and the two ran out of the building.
They had successfully escaped to the library.
"oh no oh no oh no!" panicked twilight.
Applejack slapped twilight.
"get it together twi!" yelled applejack. "we need ta plan!"
twilight pulled herself together.
"your right aj!" said twilight. "but what of they come after us!?"
Applejack thought for a moment.
"first things first, we need to copy these documents so we can have backups" Said applejack.
"who do we know that has a copier?" asked twilight.
applejack smiled.
"rarity!"
Inside carousel boutique, rarity was designing her newest dress.
"fabulous." rarity said to herself.
Twilight and applejack barged in. The later wearing a saddlebag.
"what happened to knocking?" asked rarity.
"no time photocopier! Now!" yelled applejack
They ran towards the device that was rarity's photocopier.
She used it mainly to create backup copies of dress designs, make flyers to advertise business, and sweetie belle used it once to make posters advertising a bake sale she and applebloom were holdibg in an attempt to earn their cutie marks.
Twilight levitated a stack of papers out of applejack's saddlebag and began copying them individually.
"girls what are you-"
Rarity stopped when she noticed a document in the pile. She floated it over to herself. Its contents horrified her.
"fillies......... Rainbows........ Grinding........ Rainbow dash!?"
Rarity fainted.
An hour later, twilight managed to make three copies of the documents. Applejack was occupied explaining things to rarity.
"she's a murder!" yelled rarity.
"ah know she is." replied applejack.
"element of loyalty my flank!" yelled rarity.
"rarity" said twilight. "we need you to keep quiet about this."
"we can't spread this around ourselves" said applejack. "were going to send a copy of this to the newspaper. Untill then please keep quiet."
"understood" said rarity. "but we must tell pinkie and fluttershy."
"that's not such a good idea" said twilight. "fluttershy is too fragile for this information."
"and pinkie actually tasted that spectra stuff!" added applejack.
"I see your point" said rarity.
"ahm going to show mah family" said applejack. "they need to know."
"im going to get spike and spend the night at here If that's ok." said twilight. " I don't feel safe in the library tonight."
"of course" said rarity.
Applejack put a stack of the documents into her saddlebag and left.
Applejack had just finished showing big macintosh and applebloom the documents.
"ah don't believe mah eyes....." said big Mac, supprised.
"I didn't at first either" added applejack.
"ahm glad that granny smith ain't round to see this" said big Mac.
Granny smith died two years ago, big Mac was now the caretaker for the family.
Applebloom took things much differently. After she saw scootaloo in the subject list she cried her eyes out.
"ah....... Sniff...... Ah thought she moved!"
Tears poured down her face.
After scootaloo mysteriously vanished, applebloom and sweetie belle stopped their crusading, it wasn't the same without scootaloo.
"don't worry applebloom" said applejack. "tomorrow were sending a copy of this to the newspaper. The ponies responsible will pay."
"aj ah think we should spend the night out of here, it's rather dangerous here" said big Mac. "those weather ponies could come after us."
"ah'll call caramel and see if we can stay with him." said applejack.
Applejack left the room leaving big Mac to comfort his heartbroken sister.
"why would somepony do this!?" cried applebloom.
Caramel sat in his home reading a book. Then a knock was heard at the door.
"must be aj" said caramel.
Caramel set his book down and walked over to the door. He opened the door to find the three apple ponies on his doorstep.
"please come in" said caramel.
The three ponies entered the home and caramel closed the door.
"thanks fer allowing us to stay fer the night". Said big Mac.
"it's nothing really." said caramel. "go make yourselves comfy in the guest room, I'd like to chat with applejack for a bit.
Big Mac nodded and lead applebloom to the guest room.
"aj, something is up." said caramel. "you call and ask If your family can stay here for the night, this isn't normally like you."
Applejack looked at caramel.
"caramel, me and twilight learned something mighty scary, it could change equestria as we know it." said applejack.
She sat caramel down at the nearby table.
"what I'm about ya could put ya at risk." began applejack. "but ya need ta know."
Applejack reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the pile of documents.
"what's that?" asked caramel?
"the truth." said applejack.
Applejack spent the past 30 minutes showing caramel the documents detailing the horrors of the weather factory.
"sweet celestia...." said caramel, shocked by the information. "wind whistler's little sister was on that list........"
Applejack looked at caramel.
"i was just as suprised as you were." said applejack. "imagine how I feel, my best friend is heading this."
"I'm sorry." said caramel.
"were gunna put a stop to it tomorrow." said applejack. "I need you to keep applebloom safe, with big Mac."
"I can't just let you go face them alone!" said caramel.
Him and applejack began dating a year after rainbow dash became head of rainbow production. He was very protective of her.
"ah ain't gunna be alone caramel." said applejack. "ah got twi with me, she's gunna see if she can get the royal guard to help."
"still seems dangerous." said caramel.
"caramel." began applejack.
She placed her hoof over his.
"ah aint worried."
Applejack had fallen asleep on caramel's couch that evening. The next morning she awoke to caramel's shouting.
"applejack!" yelled caramel.
Applejack quickly got up.
"I found this nailed to my front door." said caramel.
Caramel handed applejack a note labeled to applejack.
"what the hay?" said applejack.
She opened it up inside was sloppy red writing and a picture of a dead mutilated Pegasus filly.
ThE rEst DiE ToMoRRow
"celestia...." said applejack in horror.
Underneath was another message, this one written in pure spectra.
InCluDiNG YoU.
"oh no..." said applejack.
Caramel embraced applejack.
"i pinkie promise, I won't let them take you!" said caramel.
"I'm goin to see twi." said applejack, as she trotted out the door.
When applejack entered carousel boutique, it was a nightmare. The inside was vandalized, torn dresses everywhere, a pile of ashes on the ground, three large masses wrapped in fabric, and rarity's photocopier was destroyed. Rarity was weeping at the ruined dresses with her left eye covered in bandages and her horn was chipped, spike was doing his best to clean up, and twilight had bandaged ribs and was nursing a cut hoof.
"twi!" yelled applejack.
Twilight turned to applejack, revealing a blackened eye.
"a group of pegasi barged in last night." said twilight. "we tried to fight them off, but they burnt one of our copies."
Rarity did her best to regain her posture.
"then those ruffians attacked us." said rarity.
"cut me pretty good." said twilight.
"what happened to the pegasi?" asked applejack.
Rarity gestured to the fabric wrapped masses.applejack walked up to one of the masses and lifted a fold of fabric up, inside was a restrained Pegasus.
"we could have been killed." said rarity. "if it wernt for our new friend."
"what new friend?" asked applejack.
As of on cue, a yellow unicorn stallion with a blueish mane walked down the stairs levitating a roll of bandages.
"I brought the bandages from upstairs." said the pony.
"applejack," began twilight. "this is comet tail. He saved our lives."
Comet tail looked at applejack.
"you must be applejack then" said comet tail.
Comet tail set the bandages near twilight, who began to apply them to injured hoof.
"I was looking through my telescope last night and I noticed three troublesome looking pegasi flying here." said comet tail. "I decided to check it out. I heard loud noises when I got closer, so I though something was wrong."
"and we are all thankful he was right." said spike as he picked up a ruined dress.
"he barged in and saved us" said rarity.
"he was kicking flank!" yelled spike.
"did they try to attack you?" asked twilight.
"no" said applejack. "ah stayed with caramel, he found this on his door."
Applejack showed them the note.
"oh my." said comet tail.
Rarity fainted at the picture of the dead filly.
"we need to stop her before anymore innocent ponies get hurt!" said twilight.
She got up.
"what the plan twi?" asked applejack.
"rarity and spike." began twilight. "you two need to get this to the newspaper."
Twilight levitated three books off a nearby shelf, revealing a pile of documents behind them.
"least I could hide these." said twilight.
"good thinking twi!" said applejack.
"what about these guys?" asked comet tail, gesturing to the pegasi held captive in the fabric.
"applejack, can you tell big Mac and caramel to bring them to the ponyville police center?" asked twilight.
"can do!" said applejack.
"then you me and comet will get to Canterlot and try to get my brother to commence an all out attack on the rainbow factory." said twilight.
"let's end this madness once and fer all." said applejack.
A few hours later, applejack, caramel, spike, rarity, big Mac, applebloom, twilight and comet tail stood near a train as it was being boarded. Rarity was wearing a saddlebag and big mac was pulling a covered wagon carrying the three restrained pegasi.
"rarity." began twilight. "I'm counting on you."
"fear not twilight." said rarity. "I'm going to make sure that these documents make it to the newspaper office. The truth will be known."
"and one more thing." said twilight. "this may be the last time we see eachother....... If I don't come back..... Could you..."
Rarity gave twilight a brief hug.
"I'll be sure to tell fluttershy and pinkie how great friends they are." said rarity.
"dont think like that twi." said spike.
" ah hope ya know what yer doing sis." said big Macintosh.
"have more faith in me big brother." said applejack.
"we need to board the train now." said comet tail.
Twilight and comet tail boarded the train, caramel approached applejack.
"guess this is goodby....." said caramel. "if you don't return, I promise you I will never be with another pony for as longs I live!"
"oh I'll be back caramel." said applejack in a somewhat seductive tone.
She gave him a brief, but passionate kiss, then Turned to board the train.
"somepony has to keep an eye on you." said applejack with a smile.
She boarded the train. Slowly the train began to leave, twilight and applejack waved from the window to their friends as they vanished in the distance, both knowing that they may never see them again.
Three hours later, The trio arrived at the Royal guard headquarters in Canterlot.
"you sure your brother will help us?" asked comet tail.
"my brother wouldnt let the massacre of ponies go unanswered." replied twilight.
The three entered the facility, all around guards were training.
"wow...." said comet tail.
Twilight looked around for her brother.
"where is he?" asked twilight.
Applejack noticed shining armor standing next to a recruit.
"try harder" said shining.
"ah see him twilight." said applejack.
Twilight turned to see her brother.
"shining!" yelled twilight.
Shining armor turned to see twilight, but his expression immediately changed to one of shock after seeing her blackened eye and bandaged hoof.
"twiley?" said shining.
Shining ran to twilight.
"sweet celestia twi," said shining. "what happened?, are you alright?"
"big bro! We have a serious problem!" said twilight.
"you think!?" yelled shining.
Shining looked towards the nearest recruit.
"get her an ice pack!" yelled shining.
The recruit saluted and ran off.
"not that." said applejack.
"take a look at this." said twilight.
She levitated the pile of documents out of applejack's saddle bag and set it in front of shining.
"what's this all about?" said shining.
Shining began to read through the documents individually, growing more horrified with each document.
"what...... I don't believe.......... The weather factory?" said shining.
"the weather factory has been grinding the flight school flunkies into some spectra stuff that they use to make rainbows." said applejack.
"I always wondered about the rate of pegasi vanishing, but this is unbelievable..... " said shining.
"that's not all!" said twilight.
Comet tail, who had been quiet most of the conversation spoke up.
"three of the rainbow workers tried to kill your sister and her friend rarity." said comet tail.
Shining's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.
"if it wernt for comet tail here twi wouldn't be standin here right now." said applejack.
Shining turned to face comet tail.
"thank you for saving my lil sis." said shining.
Comet tail smiled and nodded.
"big bro we need a raid on the weather factory." said twilight.
"I wish I could, I really do, but there's a bunch of influential government ponies who invest heavily in the factory." said shining. "If the guard just attacks it, we could loose alot of support, maybe even suffer a funding cut."
"but the pegasi!" said comet tail.
"there has to be something you can do!" said twilight.
"shining listen! Ah recieved a note this mornin, it says that they are goin to kill us tomorrow." said applejack.
Applejack handed shining armor the note.
"celestia." muttered shining as he looked the note over.
Shining looked at twilight.
"when I joined the guard, I took an oath to protect the unprotected, not become tainted by the deeds of others, and to stop what is deemed immoral. " said shining.
Shining smiled.
"and this is as bad as it gets." said shining armor.
Twilight smiled at her bbff.
"are the guards prepared to fight the pegasi?" asked comet tail.
"well I have a little device that will even the odds." replied shining.
Shining led them down a hallway towards a steel door.
"after the changeling incident, the government began exploring more lethal means of dealing with threats." said shining.
Shining opened the door revealing a small armory of black devices designed to slip onto a pony's hoof.
"the result was this."
Shining levitated one of the devices onto his hoof, then with his opposite hoof he pressed a button on the side, making a bullet fly out of an opening and damage a wall slightly.
"sweet celestia." said applejack.
"we call it a hoof gun." said shining.
Comet tail looked at it with interest.
"Glad I'm not a weather factory employee right now." said comet tail.
"I'll arm my troops before the attack." said shining.
"you need the cloud walking spell?" asked twilight.
"yes, I need you to cast it onto my troops" said shining.
"that will take alot of magic" said twilight.
"I'll help you cast it." said comet tail.
Twilight smiled.
"thanks."
"cast it on me twi." said applejack.
Shining looked at the orange mare.
"it's too dangerous." said shining.
"ah don't care." said applejack. "ah need to confront rainbow face ta face."
Shining looked at twilight.
"let her." said twilight. "one of us should be there, and in my condition i can't go."
Shining armor sighed.
"alright then, but I don't want you dying out there." said shining.
Shining had gathered his troops and armed them. They were boarded into an air yacht. Among them was applejack.
Next to shining stood twilight and comet tail.
"you can preform the spell twiley." said shining.
"twilight and comet closed their eyes. Their horns began to glow. A bolt of light shot from their horns and split into many smaller bolts, each coming into contact with a pony. After all the ponies were affected, their horns stopped glowing.
"nice work twiley." said shining.
Twilight passed out. Comet tail opened his eyes.
"she must have worn herself out." said comet.
"my wife will arrange a ride home for you two." said shining.
"thank you." said comet tail.
Shining boarded the yacht and looked at his troops.
"gentlecolts, today we deal with an evil that has hid from the eyes of society!"
Shining stood valiantly.
"the weather factory has been lying to us for many years., they murder their youth and grind them into pure spectra."
Shining paused for a moment, then continued.
"every time you looked upon a rainbow, you looked upon the crushed spirits of a hundred pegasi!"
Shining looked down at the floor, then back at his troops.
"this mission is not authorized by the higher-ups. We may be in trouble, I may even be kicked from my position........ But if losing my position means that no more young pegasi have to die in that factory, Then I'll gladly accept that!
The guard ponies cheered loudly.
"now let's end this nightmare once and for all!"
With that the yacht took off, flying towards the city of cloudsdale.
The factory was within applejack's view.
"ah have a few choice words fer ya rainbow dash...." muttered applejack.
Shining began to explain the last details of the mission.
"this isn't a kill anypony you want deal." began shining. "use your weapons only if the pony in question has incentive to kill you. And don't forget, our primary objective is to get those pegasi out."
The yacht was preparing to land.
"alright mission begins in 30 seconds!" yelled shining.
The yacht landed and the ponies got ready.
"move!" yelled shining.
The guard ponies and applejack ran into the weather factory. The receptionist sat at her desk, suprised by what was going on.
"what's going on?!" asked the receptionist.
"miss this is royal guard business! We need access to your basement." said shining.
"we uh...... Dont have a basement...." said the receptionist nervously.
"listen." began shining. "we know what happens down there, and I can have you arrested for your life if you don't let us down there."
Shining smiled smugly. The receptionist was scared.
"Oh why of course." said the receptionist.
She took out a set of card keys and handed them to shining, who passed them out to his squad leaders.
"thank you." said shining.
They trotted towards the elevator and the door opened.
"once we get down there there is no turning back." said shining, checking his hoof gun.
Him, applejack, and three guard ponies got in while the other broke up into smaller teams and entered nearby elevators.
"ahm coming rainbow." said applejack.
The elevator doors closed and began their decent into the dark secrets of the weather factory.
Down in the rainbow production area, the employees worked to begin preparations for the fresh batch of rainbows that would be produced tomorrow, their planning was cut short when the elevator doors opened, revealing the royal guard aiming their hoof guns at the workers.
"your all wanted for involvement in cruel and unusual acts against ponykind!" yelled shining. "turn yourselves in and we will not have to resort to force!"
One worker stared at shining.
"I'll turn my self in when you suck my-"
The worker's insult was cut short when shining fired his hoof gun, the bullet hitting the worker in the head, killing him. The workers began to attack the guard ponies, some workers flying around trying to ram them, while others fought them with hoof tasters. The guard ponies fought back, firing at the pegasi.
"A and B teams! Take control of this floor!" yelled shining as he fought off the workers. "C team, save the captives!"
Three groups of ponies broke away from the fight, going separate ways in order to complete their objectives. Applejack broke from the chaos and ran through the factory, past distracted workers.
"where are ya rainbow...." thought applejack.
Applejack burst into a large room with a machine in it, the machine poured out liquids of various colors.
"that must be the machine that does it." muttered applejack.
She took a moment to let it all sink in, this room was where scootaloo, along with many other pegasi were killed.
"why did you do it?....." said applejack softly.
"for the good of equestria." answered a voice.
Applejack turned to see the pony she once knew as her friend.
"applejack, I've been expecting you." said rainbow dash.
"you!" yelled applejack. "nothing justifies what you have done here!"
"silly silly applejack." said rainbow dash. "equestria needs rainbows, sacrifices had to be made."
"your a disgrace rainbow!" yelled applejack. "your a disgrace to the pegasi, to equestria, and to your element!"
"I'm no disgrace." said rainbow dash. "I'm being loyal to equestria."
"well it ends here!" said applejack. "the newspaper has the documents, your factory is under siege, you lost!"
Rainbow dash let out a laugh.
"oh applejack, don't you get it." said rainbow dash smugly. "I have access to resources that can deny this incident, and brand you as a loon."
"what happened to the rainbow dash that was my best friend!?" yelled applejack.
"that rainbow dash is dead!" yelled rainbow.
"you tried to have twilight and rarity killed!" yelled applejack.
"all for the good of equestria." rainbow.
The Pegasus began to walk around applejack.
"I've always kind of liked you aj." said rainbow dash. "that's why you didnt get visitors last night."
"beg your pardon?" said applejack confused.
"aj, you were my best friend." rainbow dash chuckled. "I wanted to deal with you myself, in my turf."
"you coward." grunted applejack.
"coward!?" yelled rainbow dash.
She smacked applejack with her hoof! Knocking her to the side a few feet.
"I'm a god here!. A god!" yelled rainbow dash.
Applejack got up.
"your no god dash." said applejack.
Applejack kicked rainbow dash with her hind legs.
The two ponies were similarly matched, applejack had stronger legs from her farmwork. Rainbow dash was fit due to her status as an athlete. Each was the others perfect opponent.
Rainbow dash flew at applejack, tackling her against a wall.
"commoner!" yelled rainbow dash.
Rainbow dash began punching applejack in the face.
"bitch!" yelled applejack.
She knocked rainbow dash off of her and got up. Suddenly rainbow dash pulled out a hoof taser and charged at applejack. The orange pony sidestepped, then countered by bucking her in the ribs, causing her to drop the taser. the sound of bones cracking made applejack smile.
"what kind of god has broken ribs?" mocked applejack.
"the same kind of god that will do this!"
Rainbow dash headbutted applejack's lower jaw, causing her teach to cut her inner lip. She stumbled back a few steps.
"why you....."
Applejack charged at rainbow dash, the Pegasus attempted to fly out of the way, but applejack but onto her tail, keeping her grounded.
"let go!" yelled rainbow.
Rainbow dash kicked applejack's snout, breaking her nose.
Applejack lost her grip and cried out in pain.
"aw what the matter aj? Can't handle the pain!?" yelled rainbow dash.
Rainbow dash picked up the taser and electrocuted applejack. She collapsed on the ground, she felt everything going black. then she heard a voice.
"keep tryin applejack."
A filly applejack sat in a kitchen looking at a burnt apple pie, next to granny smith.
"ah blew it didn't I?"
"dont feel bad applejack." said granny smith. "it was your first time."
Applejack began to cry.
"ahm a failure granny!" cried applejack.
granny smith gently nuzzled her.
"keep tryin applejack, just keep trying."
Applejack's eyes shot open she forced herself to get up.
"ahm not done yet." said applejack.
Applejack spun around and kicked rainbow dash as hard as she could, the force of it sent rainbow dash crashing into the machine.
Applejack slowly approached rainbow dash.
"what do you have to say now?." said applejack.
"Later aj!!" yelled rainbow dash.
Rainbow dash flew, trying to escape. Applejack tilted her head down, allowing her stenson to drop. Inside her hat was a lasso.
"not this time dash." thought applejack.
She picked up the lasso in her mouth and began to ready it. She only had one shot. She threw the lasso, the loop successfully made it around rainbow's neck. Applejack Gave the rope a hard tug. The noose tightened, the speed at which rainbow was going was too fast, when she was pulled jack by applejack, it caused her spinal cord to snap. Rainbow's eyes rolled into the back of her head as her body hit the floor. She was dead.
"ahm sorry rainbow....." said applejack.
Applejack put her Stetson back on and looked at rainbow dash's body.
"ah truly am sorry......"
She felt contempt that she had eradicated one who she viewed as a monster. but at the same time, she felt sadness at the fact that she had killed her former best friend.
Epilogue
The raid on the weather factory by the royal guard was a success. Ten workers were killed in the fight. Many more were wounded. The royal guard however, also suffered casualties, they had lost five of their own. But it was worth it. The guard rescued one hundred pegasi from the factory. Shining armor himself opened the cells holding the captives.
guards lead arrested workers onto the yacht. An ambulance chariot was parked outside tending to the wounded. Shining armor was watching as the freed pegasi were being treated by a doctor.
"ya did good shining, ya did good." shining muttered to himself.
"SHINING ARMOR!" yelled a voice.
Shining turned and saw celestia herself flying towards him.
"princess!" said shining.
Celestia landed in front of him with an angry expression on her face.
"care to explain why you led an unauthorized raid on the weather factory using experimental technogy?" said celestia.
"your majesty-"
"wait!" yelled a voice
The two turned to see twilight and comet tail running towards them.
"we have evidence to justify my brother's actions!" yelled twilight.
The two stopped in front of celestia.
"what are you talking about?" asked celestia.
Comet tail levitated the documents out of his saddlebag and set them in front of celestia.
"the pegasi have been making rainbows using their youth for years." said comet tail.
Celestia looked over the documents in horror.
"all these pegasi...... It's.... It's all my fault." said celestia.
"it's not." said twilight. "you never knew they would-"
"I had forgotten how responsibility can change a pony, for better or for worse." said celestia.
Celestia looks at the factory, then back at the ponies.
"I guess it's time for me to reclaim the duties of rainbow production." said celestia. "now that Luna is in charge of the moon again, I can afford the responsibility."
Celestia looked at shining armor.
"I will let you pass this time shining armor." said celestia. "your causes were just."
Shining smiled at the news.
"thank you princess!" said shining.
"bro, where's applejack?" asked twilight.
"right here." said a voice.
Applejack approached them, wounded from her fight and carying rainbow dash's body on her back.
"princess." said applejack.
"what happened to rainbow dash?" asked twilight.
"ah had ta put her down." replied applejack. "she was mad with power, thought she was a god."
Twilight put a hoof on applejack's shoulder.
"it's ok." said twilight.
She pulled her friend into a comforting hug.
"it's ok...."
The train pulled into pony ville station where big Mac, caramel, and applebloom were waiting.
"aj!" yelled caramel.
The train reached a complete stop and applejack ran out of the train, her wounds bandaged.
"caramel!" yelled applejack.
Applejack have caramel a long hug.
"your alive!" said caramel.
"ah told ya I'd be back." said applejack.
Comet tail and twilight stepped off the train.
"we did it." said twilight.
Applebloom trotted over to twilight with a newspaper in her mouth.
"mmmmmfffffmmmmmmfffff"
Twilight levitated the paper out, allowing her to speak.
"spike and rarity did it!" said applebloom. "now ponyville will know the truth.
Twilight looked at the front page article.
Conspiracy in the weather factory!
"we should see how pinkie and fluttershy are takin the news." said applejack.
Twilight nodded and the two walked in the direction of sugarcube corner.
When the two entered the bakery, rarity was sitting at a table with a crying fluttershy while sounds of vomiting could be heard in the back.
"it's alright fluttershy." said rarity.
"it's not!" cried fluttershy. "all those poor sweet little pegasi!"
Rarity noticed twilight and applejack.
"your back!" said rarity.
twilight smiled.
"shining and his troops delt with the factory." said twilight. "celestia said that she is going to return to rainbow making duties, nopony has to die there anymore!"
Fluttershy gave a weak smile.
"thank celestia that nightmare is over." said fluttershy.
Pinkie walked in from the back, her face a shade of green.
"I can't believe I tasted that stuff!" said pinkie. "I'll never feel clean!"
"don't worry." said applejack. "mah super spicy apple tamales can clear your taste buds."
"and what of rainbow dash?" asked rarity.
Applejack paused for a minute before replying.
"she's in a better place now......"
The five elements of harmony looked down sadly at the floor.
Spike was helping rarity clean up the last of the carousel boutique mess.
"finally, all ship and shape." said rarity.
"took awhile though." said spike.
The door opened and twilight entered, her injuries fully healed.
"twilight!" said spike. "your all healed!"
"comet tail had a spell that fixed me right up." said twilight.
"he's a fine colt." said rarity.
"that's why I'm here." said twilight. "he asked me out, I need a dress to wear."
Rarity's eyes beamed with joy.
"of course darling!" said rarity. "I'll get started right away!" rarity ran upstairs to start planning twilight's dress.
At sweet apple acres, Apple bloom and sweetie belle Sat in the crusader clubhouse.
"she was dead all along." said sweetie belle.
"all this time...." said applebloom.
She looked at a drawing on the wall of them and scootaloo happy.
"sweetie belle, the time has come." said apple bloom.
"what?" asked sweetie belle.
"it's time we return to our quest to get our cutie marks!" said applebloom.
"but applebloom-"
"sweetie belle!" said applebloom. "scootaloo would want us to find our marks!"
Sweetie slowly smiled.
"your right!" said sweetie belle." for scootaloo!"
"for scootaloo!" said the two in unison.
The cutie mark crusaders were back in business.
Meanwhile in ponyville, applejack sat in the center of town looking into the town's water fountain.
"ah guess it had to be done." muttered applejack.
"applejack." said a voice.
She turned to see caramel approach her with a saddlebag on his back.
"caramel?" said applejack.
"all these events got me thinking" said caramel. "I almost lost you aj."
Caramel reached into his bag and took out a small wooden box.
"I don't want to loose you again." said caramel
Caramel opened the box, revealing an engagement earring with an ruby cut to look like an apple in it.
"caramel?....." said applejack, trying to process what was happening.
"will you marry me?" asked caramel.
Years started to form in applejack's eyes.
"yes! Of course I will!" said applejack smiling.
She ran to caramel and gave him a long hug. Within the past two days applejack had lost her best friend, but gained a fiancé.
TEN YEARS LATER.
The weather factory stood tall, gone was the facility that once created fear and terror. In its place was a storage area. The rainbows that celestia created were more vibrant that any the pegasi could have created.
At sweet apple acres a small rust orange filly with a brown mane and a green bow looked happily at a vibrant rainbow.
"it's beautiful." said the filly known as apple treat.
"apple treat!" said a voice.
An older applejack and caramel approached the filly.
"mommy daddy! Look at the rainbow!" said apple treat.
Caramel and applejack smiled.
"it's mighty pretty." said applejack. "now come in sweetie. Aunt twilight and uncle comet are waiting at sugarcube corner."
As the three trotted away, applejack thought about the events that occurred ten years ago and how they changed her life.
The nightmare was finally over.
The end.
