Viventis Anathema - Story of a Cursed Mare

In the middle of the industrial chaos of the shrine, Grimwood was face to face with somepony who would know who the Maker is. She retained her guard lifted. Her gaze locked on his face.

"Who exactly are you and what the hell are you doing in this hellhole?" Grimwood asked distrustfully.

"Not here. Follow me." Sunlight said.

The two ponies headed toward a corridor. As goes through this path, she could glimpse some Spectra measuring machine appearing in some part of the walls, but hasn't the time for that since she had to avoid the security who would trying
to hunt them down. The enter inside a door leading to a restroom and Sunlight closed it.

"Sorry for the hurry," Sunlight said apologetically.

"Spare me courtesy and tell me who you are?" Grimwood insisted.

"... A pony with a weight of remorse that I carried until now. I am a pseudo worker pretended working in this factory and has no courage to stop all of that."

"What are you talking about?"

"All of this... Anything that has been related to him."

"You said you know the Maker, right? Then spit it."

"...... Let me tell you a story of mine."

A few months ago, I was a tutor assisting a yellow maned orange mare with a good healing talent named Ambrosia. She was intelligent, clever, careless but also insecure and timid. She can be recognized by her glass right eye with a butterfly shaped pupil, which was substituting the real one she lost during an incident.

Her talent was that of develop many things in scientific and magical ways to heal other ponies and contribute to benefit Equestria, but was also ostracized by other ponies who thought that her talents would also allow her to create dangerous thing. Her talent was both appreciated and feared at the same time. But that was the case.

The real reason was her past. Her parents resorted to a forbidden art named Necro Alchemy, an horrific art that twists life and dead to the user's rules. They ended up being burnt by that, being reduced into ashes. Ambrosia, being neglected and abused by them, and having a link with their deeds, literally resented them. She was later rescued and the case was silenced as a secret by Princess Celestia herself. Unfortunately, years after that, somepony leaked the news and so almost everypony know this horrific story, leading them to distrust her.

Ambrosia has put every effort to gain their trust and put her past behind, but the distrust was so strong that even Celestia defending her wouldn't be enough.

One day, I saw her being so lost, so frustrated that she wanted to give up everything and live in the shadows. I didn't know what to do to help her when somepony me a Necro Alchemic tome, the one book of the same league of art that leaded her parents to their deaths. Initially I was reluctant but then she was convinced that if she use that for good deeds, in contrast to her parent's madness, maybe that will change her situation.

I told that to her, who was rather disgusted than grateful. However I managed to convince her to use it for good reasons and she had accepted and decided that was our secret. She studied this art in secret for days and never leaved the room. Then one day she had disappeared. I tried to find her, but she was never heard of her ever again.

Until I discovered what went wrong. A few days before her disappearance, I heard in another village that she had resurrected a filly who was accidentally killed by the fire of a dragon, who was having a fight with another one. Ambrosia was there when that happened and simply carried the promise that she made to the filly: Don't let her day. However, the filly was resurrected as a half corpse and was put to fire by her parents, who immediately berates Ambrosia for her choice.

The ponies of the village threw everything at her, including rocks, which one of them broke her glass eye, making her bleed. In a fit of rage, Ambrosia exclaimed her words of spites before leaving.

"YOU ARE A BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES!!"

That was what I heard from them. Not only that but I discovered that she had joined a cult that nopony, not even the Princesses knows it's existence: Dominus and used that art for their own benefit, including the disaster that you had witnessed in Canterlot.

As for me, I only joined this cult just so I can follow Ambrosia's movements. This Rainbow Shrine is both a wretched rainbow factory that a branch for Dominus. However, the Rainbow Cult is not part of it. It's just only an assist to their plans. The only Dominus cultist being there leading this junk is actually Ambrosia herself.

"So you are telling me that madmare has created these monsters replacing other ponies," Grimwood said calmly but angered. "And destroying Canterlot because of your act."

"Even now I regret this," Sunlight said, a moment before grabbing his head.

"I am actually wanted because you. Now you better tell me where she is. After I found her, I will decide in which way I will
put her to justice."

"If stopping her is what you want, I won't stop you." Sunlight said calmly.

"Then you will follow me, that you want or not." Grimwood said, letting Sunlight out of her grasp.

"I understand," Sunlight said. "But be careful. This factory is highly guarded and their surveillance is largely improved in the higher floors."

"One last question. What exactly this Rainbow Cult does?"

Before Sunlight could say anything, a scream of a filly was heard from behind the door. Grimwood headed toward the door and then turned her head toward Sunlight.

"You better not cross me."