''March, Civilian!''

He stumbles to the ground, crying in agony. He won the flight test, why is he getting treated like utter shit?

Sighing slightly, still having tears in his eyes, he proceeds to march forward. He has been inside a waggon for around 2 hours, why even walk more?

‘’Ah’ know what cha thinking, civilian.’’ The masked pony gives out as whisper to him

He goes close up to his ear, cramping him onto the ground

‘’Don’t you dare to think about escaping, or you’ll end up like the other trash that we dump off here at the rainbow factory, GOT IT?!’’

He gives out a small nod

‘’Good.’’

The masked pony goes right behind him

‘’Now get up, you filth. You’re going to be at this darn facility to work, not to be lazy.’’

Both of the ponies enter the gigantic metal doors that separates the facility from the outside world.

‘’By the way, what’s your darn name again?’’ The guardian asked in a rather aggressive tone.

He whimpers out sofly.

‘’WHAT IS IT?!’’

‘’...It’s… Featherdawn…’’

‘’Alright then, pass on, Feathercaw or whatever your name is.’’

Featherdawn passes on, as he hears the doors close behind him in a swift motion. He gets a bit of an uneasy feeling, just standing there.

He walks down a narrow corridor, until he reaches what looks like a door, just randomly in the wall. He opens it, it’s just a room with more doors.

He gives out a small, calm whimper and closes the door slowly.
He continues to walk down the narrow corridor, until he reaches a big metal door. He opens it, and suddenly without realizing, he gets hit by something. He falls a bit back onto the floor, stroking his now struck head. He gives out a small, frustrated sigh.

‘’Oh my godness, im so sorry sir!’’ He can hear a voice from a mare. ‘’Are you okay?’’

‘’Yeah.. it’s fine.’’ he gives out as a response.

The mare gives out a small gasp, as she gives the injured stallion a good look.

''You're really injured! Come on, let me get you to Soarin. He knows a lot about medicine.''

''No, i think im f-hhh'' Featherdawn gives out as a response.

''Insist on it or agree, you're coming with me.'' she gives as a response to Featherdawn.

The mare maanges to get him up onto her back, and begins to walk down the hall. Other ponies passing by, acting like it's a normal day, normal abitions.

The mare whom'st carrying him, suddently gives a turn, and walks down a longer hall.

She opens a door, entering a room. She inspects what looks like a soda machine, and starts clicks the code in a really strange order.

''1-6-4-8-1'' the machine gives out a beep for every number. Suddently, a mechanic voice asks the mare.

''What is the secondary passcode?'' it asks.

The mare gives out a deep breath.

''Dié quevaciva, múresantes.''

''Understood.'' The machine responds. The door gives in, opening for the mare.

She walks down some stairs, still carrying him onto her back, until they reach a room.

''UH-HUM! Soarin, im back.'' She shouts.

''Oh, welcome back, Firefly!''

''I kinda need your help. I have a stallion here who's been badly injured from the guards, might you be able to help him?'' Firefly desperately gives out.

''Well, it depends. He also seem to have a big, deep cut inside his cheek, which might be a lot to, repair, but i'll try my best to.'' He solidly convinces Firefly.

Soarin takes over Featherdawn onto his own back, slowly carrying him over to a table with a wierd looking machine to the side of it. He slowly lowers down Featherfly onto the table, and puts some mask over his muzzle. Featherdawn tries to react from it, but his vision becomes slowly blurry. He feels more and more exhausted, until he blacks out.

Featherdawn woke up with a deep breath, his legs trembling a bit. He looks over to his left. He can see Soarin, who is smiling gently to him.

''Do not be afraid now, i've only modified you a bit. You'll be surely satisfied with it.'' He assures Featherdawn.

Featherdawn goes down from the table, stumbling onto the floor, but swiftly getting back up.

''Here, lemme get you a mirror so you can look at yourself!'' Soarin proudly instructed.

Featherdawn takes a small handmirror that Soarin signals at him. He looks at himself. Is this really what being healthy is about? Is this how im actually supposed to look like?

He drops the mirror, which hits the metal floor, shattering into pieces. He falls to the floor, giving out some tears.

Soarin does not know what to do in this kind of situation, yet he might still know. He sits down in front of Featherdawn. Featherdawn tuckles into his hooves, shuttering.

''T-thank you so, so much.'' He gives out, still crying.

Soarin puts his hooves around him, also giving out some tears. ''You're so welcome, my friend.''

Featherdawn and Soarin trotted up back into the hall, where a rather serious looking stallion was approaching to, on the other doorside.

Soarin lifted himself up, and stood with pride. The stallion looked at him, confused for a small second.

He approached Soarin. The stallion was wearing almost a military looking jacket, with some sort of medals on the left side of it. His mane was gently brushed to the left side of his head.

''So uhm, Soarin ye... Boss got work for you.'' He gently talked with Soarin.

''Oh, come on. Again? I did another duty like yesterday or, i don't even remember.''

''Welp, it's boss orders.'' The stallion gave out. ''Hey, why cannot that pony work with ya, if you think the work here is so hard?'' He gave out in a laughter.

''Sounds okay, i guess. What do you say, Dawn? Some lil' work here at the factory might be rewarding.'' Soarin confronted Featherdawn with a gentle smile.

''I-i guess so...'' He muttered.

The stallion gave Featherdawn a positive smile. ''Good!''

''Soarin, you'll be goin to go work on that blade you didn't finish to clean off, alright? And you, Feather, you'll be goin down to the baserment to search for some fireworks. We'll be having a certain birthday of the generals newborn daughter, Rainbow dash, and we would appreciate with some extra... *ahem*... Glamour! If ya know what i mean.''

Featherdawn took a bit of a second to think, but he knew that the reward for going down into the baserment just to search for some fireworks, would surely be worth it. He nodded.

''I can surely do that, sir!'' He gave out. The stallion looked pleased.

''Righty, why don't you go and do that right now, if you're so anticipated for it?'' He gave out following with a laughter.

Featherdawn nodded in pride, as he trotted over, opened the door that had a clear sign with the letters following ''Baserment''. He started trotting down the narrow path of stairs.

It took him, what felt like minutes, before he reached a room with 2 separate doors inside of it, and some boxes. He gave out a small sigh, and opened the door that was in front of him when he entered the room, from the baserment stairs.

It was empty. He sighed in frustration.

''So it seems like i have to go through all of them...?'' He gave out in distress.

He began to trot through each and every room. It must've taken him some time, because he encountered a clock in one of the many rooms he has walked past. It read 05.40. He sighed.

He entered into this building at around 9 AM, hoping to get atleast an easy mission. Instead, he gets to walk around multiple doors, looking for fireworks. Pssh, and what a darn mission.

Finally, after what felt like hours, he got into a room with 2 things, those being:

1. The fireworks, all piled together in 3 different boxes.

2. A mysterious orb of some sort.

Featherdawn walked towards the strange orb, as he felt it hovering, giving out small vibrations that gushes through his body.

He reached in with his right front hoof to atleast try out what it felt like. He reached in, and he was immediatley launched back with force, crashing into the opposite side of the rooms wall.

landing on the floor, he looks up to the orb. It was no longer there, but there was surely fire.

He got up quickly, regaining conciousness to get out and warn everypony that a fire was breaking out. However, how was he going to get back up to the corridor again without making the fire spread so rapidly?

There was a crash, as Featherdawn launched himself into the locked door that lead out to the hallway for the entrance. He rushed out and screamed. Ponies around him were bothly confused and a bit petrified on what was going on.

''FIRE, EVERPONY! THERE'S FIRE IN THE CORRIDOR!'' He screamed. The ponies around him ran out from the corridor, screaming for help.

Featherdawn ran towards the main hall, where he launched the door open, screaming there was fire.

Every pony that he could see, started to run out from any entrance to the building, evacuating it.

Featherdawn, however. He stood there in his place. He knew that maybe the top officer of the facility would blame him, accusing him of starting the fire, judging him to execution, the main reason of treasonary and misbehaviour in the facility.

Firefly and Soarin grabs him, forcing him out of the main hall. They manage to get him out from the flames just in time, but he collapses to the ground in the entrance corridor.

Firefly and Soarin can see the glazing blaze of the corridor, looking down at Featherdawn.

The green Stallion with a yellowish mane, looking down the corridoor to the entrance, tears in his eyes.

''FUCKING, JUST RUN!!! RUN FEATHERDAWN, GOD DAMMIT!'' Firefly screams.

He does not responds within, what seems like 20 seconds, but it felt like 20 minutes.

He silently gives out whimpers as he begins to cry, but his expression swiftly turns into a smile.

''They will take care of you guys. Do not come back here, it's not worth risking your lives over what will be in the future. DO NOT examine the factory when returning, i beg you.'' He screams to them.

With noticed agony on him, he closes his eyes, and turns around.

''NO!!!'' Firefly gives out, tears streaming.

Featherdawn turns his head half around, looking down at Firefly. He smiles.

''Im sorry.''

He turns his head back, and walks into the flames, letting them consume him. The noise after that could only be heard, was the sparkling sound of the flames rising atop to the roof.

''Firefly, we MUST retrieve back to ponyville. Now.'' Soarin speaks to her.

Firefly stands there, looking down at the corridor.

She turns around to Soarin, nods at him, and off they go.

Featherdawn walks through a slightly narrow hall, filled with flames. He is not able to recognize the walls, not even the floor.

He walks into the middle of all the chaos, the flames lifting, sparkling, heat getting more and more intense.

He puts his hoof up in the air. It burns. He holds his tears back, yet he still somehow cannot feel any pain.

He closes his eyes. Whatever faith will be punished upon him, he will accept.

The flames coming closer, fading him up.

He screams.

Author's Note

The Prequel to The Creature Down Below. Ending (sequel) coming next year. :)