A Tale of Two Monsters (Sample)

Any new recruits making it to work closer to the true heart of the factory had to be tested and even retrained in more ways than one. They were to be shipped off to a hidden camp. Once there, everything they once knew about life in Equestria was to be torn apart, allowing a new foundation of understanding to be built. It was a long a grueling process and quite a costly investment. But until the they returned from their ‘ vacation’, this is where Rainbow Dash’s involvement ended. She could only wonder if they’ll return as anything samely to their old selves. It was always hard to tell.

Wondering about all of this and her devious test, there was a bit of a strut in Rainbow Dash's stride, glad to finally have pushed her run-in with Mr. and Mrs. Shy out of mind. But her trailing thoughts didn’t distract her from a clear destination. What did distract was her beeping watch, practically yelling at her that it was time for her annual second dosage of the day. She made a detour for the nearest break room.

This one was small and rather cramped, with a few square tables and humming vending machines. Up in a single corner, a hanging television silently displaying some news feed that was of no interest to Rainbow. Already waiting inside the room, making it feel ever more cramped, was one big pegasus.

He occupied a single chair, gently blowing on what was likely his third or fourth cup of coffee of the day. His jaw was thick and strong, yet his belly was big enough to fold over his belt. He often wore a cheap white buttoned up shirt - complete with rolled up sleeves along with some tan slacks. His fur coat was the color of peaches and his buzz cut mane, mustache and short-cut tail were a dirty shade of orange.

“Sargent Scanner,” Rainbow Dash nodded on her way past to the only vending machine in the room. “Lemme guess, the security office coffee brewer broke again?”

The large stallion’s eyes, green as emeralds, flashed her way. “Yup,” He said, his voice all gruff. “That and just givin’ my eyes a break from staring at monitors all day. Still, I think it's about time we throw ol’ faithful to the scrap heap.”

“What a shame,” said Rainbow Dash as she fished through her pockets for bits. “That coffee machine has gotta be the hardest worker in that room. Surprised it lasted this long.”

There was a burst of deep laughter almost strong enough to spill a few drops of Scanner’s hot drink onto his already pit-stained shirt. “Same here! Surprised they didn't label it Chief of Security instead. It even has a couple work years on me.”

Having acquired her desired canned drink from a vending machine, Rainbow Dash moved to a nice and cool-like lean against a nearby wall and crack open the ice-cold beverage. The pop of its top drew a bit of attention.

“Flim Flam Flurm again? Really?” asked Scanner as he sipped from his hot brew.

“Okay, how many times do we have to have this conversation?” said Rainbow as she rolled her eyes before she fished through her pockets to pull out a bottle of pills.

“I'm just saying, at least I know what goes into my cup.”

She huffed. “And I don't care about what's in mine as long as it tastes like there’s a party in my mouth and everypony there brought ecstasy.” She chuckled, not at her own tasteless joke, just at Scanner’s look of distaste before she focused on twisting the white cap off the tiny murky-orange bottle. “Besides, I like to have something tasty to wash down these bitter pills.”

“I get ya, but really, that's a description I could have gone without today,” Scanner shook his head, watching as she popped one of the white tablets before chasing it down with several gulps of sugary soda. “Speaking of parties, though I know it’s pointless to ask, but… me and some of the others guys n’ gals are getting together again this Friday and—”

“Pass,” Rainbow stated, her voice suddenly devoid of emotion.

“Well don't say that I didn't try for about the millionth time. You know, it wouldn't hurt to relax with us once in awhile. Besides, maybe you could actually make a friend or something.” He was then quietly eyeballed as if he could not have said anything less interesting. “Alright, rejection received.”

Rainbow Dash glanced at the clock then chugged down the rest of her drink. Casting professionalism aside for a moment, she belch then wiped a bit of dribble on the back of a hoof.

“And where you off to in a hurry?”

“As much as I'd love to stick around, I have a meeting to make.”

Oh. Almost forgot to throw away her can. With a toss to the bin from across the room… two points.

Up not too far past the recently used recruitment room and towards the end of the cubicle-filled sections of offices where fun and color seems to go to die out, there was an equally plain staircase... then suddenly cushy carpet, all soft and crimson red. Luxurious decorations of gold and silver aligned the connected upper hallway and the overpopulated pricey looking portraits of posh ponies that appeared. It was as if stepping from depressing slums straight into a lavish mansion that sat like a crowned room above the many peasants; a very peculiar and utmost pompous design choice to Rainbow.

As soon as she made her first step into what seemed to be a hall for royalty, a peculiar noise of rhythmic thumping had Rainbow Dash lifting a brow. As she continued onward, it grew louder and louder in an area that was often as quiet as could be.

Is that… drumming? She thought.

That fancy hall stretched for many paces before the right side bubbled off into a semicircle aligned with eight hardwood doors, each fancifully carved. Six of them were labeled with names that most workers would carefully use. The remaining nameless two had been left to be nothing but cellars for dust. Along the flat wall to the left, an important set of large hardwood double doors faced the others… but it wasn’t where the noise was coming from.

Entering the half-circle, it was most certainly music… muffled, chaotic and incoherent music, turned up loud enough that even the soundproofed walls all around felt like they could fall apart trying to contain it.

As Rainbow looked about, expecting one of the doors to be vibrating off its hinges, she spotted two maskless guards. One leaned next to the double doors. The other, next to the door marked ‘Silk Sway’. By no means were these any ordinary guards.

Though they dressed in the same black as the rest, their cuffs and undershirts were red enough to match the hall’s carpet. Miniature gold and diamond pins were attached; a small one for each cuff of the jackets with a large pin placed just below the knot of their sold black ties. They were proud symbols of the elite guards.

If Rainbow Dash were any other low ranked worker that wasn’t requested to be there, she’d promptly be sent off the way she came. The two present merely nodded to her as she passed by towards the guarded single door.

The instant it was opened, the sound of screeching guitars, slamming drums, and the shouts of one pissed-off pony - that sang as if he was being stabbed to death - blasted out and down the halls. Directly across the thumping office, a tall, lanky mare in reading glasses was working away behind her large desk.

She had fur and feather colored like that of asparagus. Her mane and tail as dark as charcoal, both tied with silver silk ribbons. A few shallow lines on her face faintly hinted at her status as a more experienced mare than Rainbow, but there weren’t enough to make one even consider calling her old. Her suit, olive black, hardly a shade darker than a guard’s but clearly much more over-priced, complete with pinstripes shimmering like polished platinum. Her necktie was just as silver as her hair ties and had a small ruby pin piercing its knot.

The well-kept mare didn't dance, nod to the beat, tap her hooves, nor hum. Even as the thunderous music rattled the walls, she endured it with near tranquility as she looked over a series of notepads, casually marking away with a massive quill.

“Director!” Rainbow Dash yelled at the top of her lungs from the doorway. Even so, she could barely hear her own voice. She then yelled one more time, “Director Silk!” Even added a wave. This caught the other mare’s attention. The near ear-bleeding blast of soundwaves was ceased, replaced by a voice so smooth and comforting that it might as well have been the audible form of actual silk.

“Oh, Miss Dash,” the mare smiled kindly as she removed her spectacles. “I wasn’t expecting you for at least… another twelve minutes.”

Rainbow stood in the frame, her head tilt slightly to her left.“It’s not that early. Plus, I just wanna get this meeting on and over with, you know? Hope you don’t mind me cuttin’ in like this.”

“Not at all.” The director was already out of her chair, joining Rainbow out the door while locking it behind her. The elite guard that was at her door tailed them, but at a comfortable distance.

“So just what were you doing in there? Having your own personal concert?” asked Rainbow.

“Well, simulating one, really. I was studying a new brand of music, one referred to as,” she added air quotes, “Death Metal. As far as I know, it doesn't involve actual death in a literal manner, more of just singing of dark and dreary thoughts - often with the loudest notes possible.” She stopped next to the centerpiece bench of the half circle expanse, tapping a hoof to her chin. “It is quite fascinating to see such vulgar music slowly becoming a popular stimulus to young ponies around Equestria, especially in times where major conflicts are a distant memory. However, it remains to be seen what kind of impact this musical trend will have. Will it provide a healthy emotional outlet? Or will it influence self-destructive tendencies that—” She stopped, having spotted Rainbow Dash’s wandering gaze. “My apologies, this doesn't pertain to your interest, does it?”

“Nope,” Rainbow's answer was about as blunt as a sledgehammer in full swing.

Letting the topic be crushed, Silk shook her head with her smile still spread. “Very well. So, how did your testing go today go?”

There, like a lightbulb come to life, Rainbow suddenly glowed with interest. “Oh it went great. Only with a little pressure, I got Brass Mass to snap like a twig. He straight up flattened the rat! He’s a total shoe in. On the other hoof, there’s Brave Bolt. He could do alright. Maybe. We’ll have to wait and see.”

“So when you say, ‘a little pressure’....”

“Don’t worry! I did just as I promised and kept physical damage to a minimal. Trust me. Go back and watch the security footage if you want. The most they’ll have to worry about is a couple bruises and a sore throat. The only life lost was the rat’s.”

“And the other fresh recruits?”

“One’s is kinda thick in the head. The other is clearly as green as they come… and no, I’m not making a cute pun there.”

“Didn’t even think to ask.”

“And the third recruit you said was coming... well he didn’t even show up. Heck, he wasn’t even listed. Unless, you’re adamant about him being given a second chance, he’s out.”

Silk gave a satisfied nod. “I suppose we’ll have to pick at that later. For now, shall we continue?” She gestured to the double doors, which it’s guard had unlocked and opened for the two.

Inside the large, expansive full-circle meeting room, Rainbow expected at least half the seats at its central roundtable to be filled with ponies waiting on her arrival. Only one seat was taken. In another seat off against a wall, was another elite guard, Cloudchaser; an old acquaintance and training partner over the weekends. Betraying the professional look of her enriched jewel-encrusted guard suit, her demeanor was as relaxed as could be. Very fitting with her frilled hair and frosted tips. She welcomed the Head Manager with a rather thuggish nod and grin.

At the table, in his drab lab coat only spiced up with his favorite striped tie, sat Director Atmosphere — or as he preferred, Doctor Atmosphere. Coat as red as dried blood. His hair as brown as deep dirt. His amber eyes soulless with boredom. He looked the oldest of the group as time and stress clearly took a toll on his complexion.

“Ah,” he said with a voice made scratchy by years of yelling. He glanced from his notepad, but didn’t bother to close it. “Glad I wasn’t kept waiting too long.”

“Doctor,” said Silk with a hint of surprise. “I was under the impression that you were not joining us for the meeting.”

“I’m not. There’s been a last minute change of plans as climate studies call for me to be out of town for quite some time. So, I thought I’d take advantage of this little get-together to query Rainbow Dash about her medication, rather than next week for which I might not be present.”

“Very well,” said Silk, looking slightly less perturbed than Rainbow. “But do make it quick. We have a very important schedule to keep.”

Doctor Atmosphere didn’t even nod. Just looked straight to Rainbow Dash as she sat at the table and begun immediately. “Have you been keeping up on the prescribed intake of your mood stabilizers?”

Rainbow first looked to Cloudchaser, who left them all to their privacy by stepping out of the room. Once the doors were closed, Rainbow returned the answer. “Yeah. Three a day. Up to two extra if feeling overly anxious or whatever.”

“No more and no less.” The doctor added. “Have you often been needing to take extra?”

“I… sometimes take an extra before bed.”

“Interesting,” added Silk. She took to sitting down at the far end of the roundtable. Her astute posture and puffed chest physically commanded respect, even as she softly spoke, just loud loud enough for them to hear her clearly. “Does that extra one help rid you of the night terrors?”

Rainbow Dash found herself looking between the two, speaking as if she was about to tell a joke. “You know, it never gets any less weird seeing that one boss is my psychologist and the other is my psychiatrist.”

“Well you’re lucky,” the doctor raised his voice in a flash of irritation masking a surge of deep, growing anger. His eyes no kinder. “Either I got to crack you open like an egg for some studying or get the opportunity to inject you with experimental medication. Had to do something after you killed two of our own… not shortly after you lost your cool and killed that recruit. Remember? Remember the ‘mules’ you used to get killed before their proper sacrifice with your silly little hunting games? All of that glorious spectrum flushed down a proverbial toilet.” After such sharp words, he might as well have scowled and pointed at her like a judge to the guilty, ready to throw down the anvil.

Rainbow was caught off tilt, having witnessed such a nonchalant quip spark a rather venomous attempt to dig up her skeletons and hold them over her. He hadn't done so before. Why now? Unless one's mistakes reflected on his own work, he was rather passive.

“I know, I know,” Rainbow said, trying sweep the subject aside. “I remember.”

“Do you know how hard it is for our Infowar team to cover up the death of recruits? Do you know how long it takes to train guards? Do you know how much spectrum we lose when sacrificing stiffs?”

Suddenly being second guessed as if she was some greenhorn oaf, a tick of irritation nipped at her as well. “Doctor, it has been years. I know by now. Trust me.”

“Then know before you complain again: I saved your life by agree to this therapy thing with Silk. Otherwise, I would’ve—”

“Enough,” said Silk, her voice having dropped deep and hard, but never turned to yelling. Her suddenly emotionless yellow eyes flashed over the doctor, who in return leaned back into his chair. Like a dumped cold bucket of water, she smoldered the embers of an argument. Seeing that the elder stallion kept his lips sealed for the moment, Silk's gaze rewarmed as did her tone when she looked back to Rainbow.

“Ms. Dash, we have made such wonderful progress so far. Yes, especially with the doctor’s prescription. As uncomfortable as it makes you, I dare not undue our achievements by passing you back to my subordinates. They will fail as they have before - not that I have a lack of faith in their skills, but because you have issues with listening to anypony with a lack of authority. But enough of this. Doctor, care to wrap this checkup a little quicker?”

Looking to the makeshift patient, he sighed, letting his anger be snuffed into dullness. “Are there any apparent side effects yet? Nausea, headaches, exhaustion, ect.”

“I’d say there’s the side effect of both some slight exhaustion accompanied by a horrible taste. Nothing I can’t handle, but... think I’d be able to stop taking them soon?”

He shook his head. “Absolutely not. Going cold turkey is asking for problems, same as taking too many.”

“She meant ‘gradually’,” corrected Silk. “It is something we might have to consider after the next few weeks or so.” She glanced to a wall-hung clock. “Now, will that be all, Doctor?”

He shifted an uncomfortable look between Silk and his open notebook before shrugging off whatever minor questions he had. “I… suppose that’ll do for today.”

Doctor Harbinger had closed his book and began his departure. Just as he touched the door, he stopped, turning his head just enough to look to the two with one eye filled with what Rainbow could only describe to herself as a calm uncertainty. “Farewell, and to you, Rainbow Dash… good luck.” Then he was gone.

Good luck? She was perplexed by these words and his shift of tone from what was once soft-boiled anger that then became a calm bit of… sympathy? Rainbow immediately looked to the acting director for meaning.

Silk Sway had not batted a second glance to the parting associate, as if she already had him solved, which was very likely. The mare did have a rather uncanny ability to get into the heads of those around her and she most certainly had an occupied living quarters in his. So instead, Rainbow was the soul star of Silk’s full attention. “Finally,” she said with a soft smile inching back to life. “Though, honestly, that did rather well pertain to what we have to talk about here, albeit with an unintended tone of negativity.”

Rainbow had peered around at the lack of attendees. They must’ve forgotten to show up. “And… it’s just us?”

The director nodded.

“Okay… why are we talking about it here, in this big empty room? If it was gonna be just you and me in the first place, why not just do this in your office?”

“I'll get to that in just a moment,” said Silk, her voice soothing and relaxing like that of a nightclub singer backed by the soft notes of a sax. “But first, in lieu of glossing over those negative notes of his, I would actually like to go over the positive contributions you have made over the past 10 years. Well, nearly 11, counting your own trial period before you were hired as a guard.”

Feeling a shower of compliments coming, Rainbow wasn’t eager to interrupt. So she did nothing more than puff her chest proudly.

Silk’s gaze slightly shifted to the side, as if reading off an invisible list somewhere next to Rainbow’s head. “For one, you’re always early or right on time, as if being present is a race to you.” She wasn’t wrong. Rainbow did race her way to work nearly every day. “On top of that, you almost always stay late. Heck, you practically live here with a claimed space down in the Nap Room. I don’t even recall you taking vacation time, less I told you to. The only pony I’ve seen with that much commitment is… well, the doctor. You’ve also become very efficient with organizing, especially when it comes to scheduling.”

Rainbow remembered that being the hardest thing to master around her manager promotional period. It was so much easier to direct guards when she became one of the security leads… but conducting hard hats and pencil pushers? A whole different world. Only after some coaching from Silk back then, Rainbow got into the winning mentality of looking at managing the factory as if she were organizing the world’s biggest and ‘most awesomest’ hoofball team. It’s a team she became rather proud of.

“So while you’ve helped ramp up production, you’ve also been pretty good about diffusing conflicts. Many respect you; though mostly out of fear for understandable reasons. I didn’t want to tell you this before because I’m not encouraging it, but it seems that the wide-reaching whispered story of you lashing out on those two guards had created a bit of a mental bullwhip. So, a bit of positivity did come from that horrible situation. Just… don’t ever do it again.”

Rainbow shook her head, both at the faint doubt buried in the director’s voice and to shake off the memories like a mild case of fleas. Every time those two casualties were brought up, like the flashes of cameras she’d see their disfigured faces, battered in like bloody dough mounds. “Sir,” said Rainbow, like every other time she’d try to sway Silk. “You don’t need to worry about it.”

Silk briefly pursed her lips, as if locking back a comment about distrust before continuing. “Well, in the end, respect is still respect. You’ve earned a lot of it and that is no small feat, considering the rather and often rowdy crew we’ve got. Speaking of earnings, it was your idea that sparked the creation of the Visitor’s Center. It has been wonderful for our image and has been packed with student field trips and vacation goers to the point that we we're already starting to turn a profit a year into its opening. Capitalizing on the factory’s historical value has probably been one of our best financial decisions in ages. Gold Shoe even requested that I praise you for such on his behalf.”

“Director Gold Shoe… praising?” said Rainbow Dash. “I thought that was only a legend pulled from ancient scripture.” The two shared a smirk.

“Oh it’s real. You may not see praise from the others quite so much, but it’s there. Some of us still haven’t forgotten how you helped to convince others into agreeing to opening up our facility to more unicorns and earth ponies. Not only did it open up access to a good resource of hard workers, it opened up a wider pool of… mules to sacrifice. I don’t think anypony will be forgetting any time soon the way Doctor Atmosphere danced through the factory once he was able to discover how to extract such glorious spectrum from unicorns.”

“Oh yeah! Scanner still has the security footage on file too. We sometimes watch it for a good laugh. The look on ponies faces as he shuffles and slides on by… priceless.”

Silk’s chest briefly rumbled with a soft chuckle before she sighed and tilted her head, keeping a rather pleasantly playful look about her. “How does the title ‘Director Rainbow Dash’ sound to you?”

Suddenly sitting up stiff, like an alarmed prairie dog. Her lips played with a few other words before speaking clearly. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ve heard you right over my heart skipping a beat. Did you just say—”

“Director Rainbow Dash,” Silk nodded. “Or would you prefer ‘Director Dash’? Seems to roll off the tongue a bit better.”

Rainbow lurched forward to snatch the opportunity before it could squirm away, her eyes bulging. And here she thought she was just going to be getting a pay raise. “I’ll take it!” Rainbow nearly shouted then pulled her nearly untamed voice back. “I mean, the position. Can figure out the name thing later.”

Silk had lifted and softly waved a hoof, signalling for Rainbow to ease on the brakes of her Hype Train. “As much as I wish that I could wave a wand and make you a director right now… it’s not gonna be so simple.”

Rainbow hit the Hype Train brakes, her smile slowly shrinking, but Silk clearly didn’t want that hope to be snuffed, so she reassured kindly. “The door of opportunity is opening, Miss Dash, and it’s opening wide. It would make me quite happy to see you walk through it. However, we do have a good deal of ground to cover before you can.”

Good luck, the doctor’s line struck Rainbow’s thoughts again, this time sounding ever more ominous in her memory; seeming as if he was exiting much further away down a darkened room. His one sympathetic eye gleaming through shrouds of shadow. Rainbow sniffed hard and rattled her head as subtle as she could to not draw attention to the silly thought she was shaking off. No time to daydream. Must pay attention.

“Now, as for why I brought you here to this empty meeting room,” Silk briefly panned a hoof before her. “I think it serves as a wonderful example as to how much we need somepony like you to help us. You work better with visual aids and this is a very clear demonstration of how busy us directors have been. This meeting was by no means to be attended by just the two of us. But all six of us are just so very busy these days.

Rainbow didn't think much of it before, but she did catch Silk eyeing the clock on the wall, up and to the left of Rainbow for the fourth time. Is she waiting for another meeting? But with who? All but the doctor are out. Maybe she's anxious to get out early too for the day. Or maybe she just didn't get her chocolate fix yet.

Silk continued. “There are so many projects and branches to oversee that it has become quite a problem rotating which director tends to the factory’s direct needs, especially since we’ve been down two heads for a while now, being myself and the doctor when he can spare a moment from his lab, but he hardly knows how to manage beyond yelling. I myself can’t keep staying here like a babysitter. I’ve got my own studies, therapy clinics, and disciples that I’d like to be more focused on.

“Director Harbinger has trade contracts and almost non-stop meetings to handle with all the branching opportunities that keep cropping up. Right now, he’s meeting with the Bigwigs sales company, seeing if they’d be interesting in purchasing real hair from us. Texty has her Infowar team on constant alert, keeping our dealings underwraps. That can be a full time job in and of itself. Director Hush… well, you know him. He is always off doing something secretive. Then there’s Gold Shoe, counting every coin spent between all these endeavours.

“We’ve all ended up to our eyeballs in other work. So we’ve come to the conclusion that we once again need a seventh director among us. One to be primarily focused on this very factory. Despite some resentment, the main choice among us is you.”

“Resentment?” Rainbow echoed. It was only after the word left her lips that she could imagine the upset it must’ve caused with a few head honchos, being told that such a rambunctious pegasus might fill such a high position. Maybe, she thought, that’s where the doctor’s upset came from; why he was so trigger-happy with calling out old mistakes.

Silk let out a small airy chuckle. “No matter what you do at where ever you work, there's always somepony to resent you at one point or another. Doubly so if you’re at the top of a big corporate ladder.” She explained no more. “Despite that, you're still a top pick. Along with myself, Director Harbinger has certainly been helping to sell the idea of you taking the reins around here. He really has been swept away by the idea of Rainbow Dash publicly representing the Rainbow Factory through more than our charity sporting events. He thinks you're pretty much born for the role.”

Good old Harbinger. Rainbow felt the need to track him down and give him an extra hearty hoofshake, even made a mental note to do so. He might be a natural born slick-talking sales pony with the most shark-toothed of smiles, but he never gave Rainbow any gruff as he always found the positive. She felt that if the building was burning down all around them, he'd still manage to sell the idea that it was better than freezing to death. Also with him being a fan of dirty jokes, she thought to add another hoofshake for the ‘party in my mouth’ line she stole.

There it was again, Silk eyeing the clock before she spoke back up. “Miss Dash, you've been rather quiet. Something on your mind? I hope it isn't doubt or disappointment.”

Having realized she had slowly been slouching into her seat, Rainbow sprang back up into proper posture. “No. No no. Trust me, I'm as honored as could be. I mean, this is amazing. I'm just wondering,” the word dwindled as she picked at the next few, her face warped with uncertainty. “Where exactly is this going?” She pointed to the table, signaling that she was referring to the meeting itself. “I'm thinking that you all are expecting something of me; something specific, and I doubt you're eyeing the clock for a hoofshinning appointment.”

“Perceptive.” Silk bobbed her head. “We have a test for you. So I’ve been eyeing the clock because,” She smiled sharply, like a poker player ready to slap down a royal flush, “well, it’s just about time for you and I to relocate.”

Good luck, the line struck again, like a distant echo.

Once out the door, the two ventured across the hall to a nameless office door and stopped. Well, that trip was significantly shorter than I expected, thought Rainbow and an added imagined laugh that came off more nervous than she wanted it to. There weren’t very many secure doors left around the factory that swung open in the classic fashion. Most slide in and out of the walls they were attached to, making it much harder to be barged through by anyone who didn’t have the right clearance. But each of these fanciful carved ones around these rather kingly quarters did swing, though they still had to be unlocked via neighboring electronic scanning pad. With a scan of Director Silk’s card, which was pretty much a key to the entire factory, the pad beeped. A tiny green light beaming a brilliant green. She dug her hoof into the crux of a bronze handle, pulled it, and with a satisfying click, she was able to push the door open. The breeze riding along door startled ladent dust into scattering to the air like countless crazed flies. With the lights flipped on, what was revealed to be awaiting inside the room for Rainbow’s test was... nothing; no guards, cloth-covered captives, torture equipment, or even furniture.

“Ivory Tracks’ old office? What are are we doing here?” asked Rainbow Dash as she followed her boss inside.

Though bare of chairs and tables, the room was still vibrant with personality thanks to the chandelier granting a soothing golden glow to the walls lathered in imagery of a symphony hall. Across the room, behind where once stood a desk and chair there was a large section of wall containing a collection of gathered monitors, thirty in total, all neatly arranged together to form one solid square of dusty screens. The director spotted a remote next to the wall of televisions and spoke fondly as she fiddled with it. “Though I and the other chairmen had fared well without his presence for these past years, Director Ivory Tracks’ hard work and innovation is still missed.”

“Wait, is this a history test?” Rainbow Dash abruptly asked. “Way to pick a trial related to my most hated school subject.”

The director chuckled and shook her head. “Miss Dash, what I'm doing here is showing even more visual incentive.” She found the series of buttons to bring the monitors to life, displaying white loading bars over bright blue screens. Silk then turned to meet eye-to-eye, expressing no sense of a joke. “Show us that you can meet our expectations and in due time, this old office could be your future office... of course reconstructed to your liking.”

Rainbow panned around the four corners, already painting them in her imagination. What would she would decorate them with? Rainbows? Too obvious. Clouds? Maybe. Better yet, clouds… with racing pegasus! Maybe even Wonderbolts doing formations! Or… maybe paint it all as a temple with Daring Do and all sorts of villains around! Oh wait! No no no! Half Daring Do temple leading into the other half with flying Wonderbolts! I’ll look like such a nerd, but who cares! It’s my room and I’m the boss! Er, will be.

As she continued her mental artistry, Rainbow asked, “Well, unlike back at school, you know I pass every test here. How’s this one gonna work? Wait, lemme guess: you need me to kill somepony, right? Maybe another rat?”

“Oh, that would be entirely counterproductive in showing your ability to restrain yourself,” said Silk, spying on each screen as they flashed through footage captured from various corners of the factory. “You’re to do the exact opposite of that. We need to really see that you’ve gained true self-control. Granted, each time I have promoted you, you’ve been able to step up and show a great deal of improvement; the more control I give you, the better you act. But… you’re still lacking. As much as that and these years of finding the right medicine for you has proved to be effective, really, it’s not a good permanent solution.”

Silk had stopped browsing about the screen, seeming rather captivated by a live feed of the indoor loading docks. She soon spoke again, her voice dipping low. Silk came off so serious that she might as well have been locking blinkless eye contact from inches away. “You never answered my question before, Miss Dash. Your night terrors… they still haven’t stopped have they?”

A strange dred came over Rainbow like a black cloud. She looked down at the musty carpet and muttered a quiet, “no.” She then filled the room with a groan. “Alright, can we skip to the part where you tell me exactly what this test is, or is guessing part of the test too? This prattling around the subject is killing me!”

“Well, I think I’ve devised a way to help remedy all of your problems.”

“And how’s that?”

“With some... assistance. How many trainees were to show up today?”

“Hm? Three.” Rainbow shrugged. “The two that showed up on time. The one that didn’t. Hell, he wasn’t even listed at the front desk for arrival.”

“Of course she wasn’t.” Silk corrected. “This earth pony is a very… very special case. She is actually due here any second now.” Silk’s gaze batted between her watch from beneath her right sleeve and the security feed. When the garage door in the cargo bay started to crawl upwards, letting daylight wash into the dimly lit den, the Director smirked. “I do love punctuality.”

Rainbow Dash didn't know what she expected to come through the door, but the very last thing she expected was a Tartarus Prison Transportation carriage. It slowly backed its way in with one factory guard assisting in waving it into position. Five other factory guards remained in formation at the far end of the receiving dock, as if ready to pick up a small sacrificial group from the delivery from the van. But the one scheduled wasn’t until way later in the evening and the guards almost never need to pack high powered rifles just to deal with a small pack of delivered ponies.

Rainbow Dash’s lips remained parted and her brow narrowed. She slowly shifted towards the television as if it had hypnotised her. There were four law enforcement officers that arrived with the vehicle. The two hooked to pull the cargo rested. The extra two in the front seats climbed out. One split to chat with the factory guards, the other picked through the keys on his belt.

Finally, Rainbow broke her silence. “What… in the name of Celestia is going on here?”

“I think it's time for you to be reacquainted with an old friend.”

Those rather nonchalant words immediately sent an arctic chill blasting right up Rainbow’s backside. Her breathing hitched. Blood dropped from her face as if it were suddenly heavy like led. To say that she looked like she had seen a ghost would be an understatement as she felt the beating of her heart nearly halt within her chest. For only seconds longer did Rainbow watch over the screen with haunted eyes before she turned tail.

“Wait,” Silk called out, but it was too late. Rainbow had thrown the door open, smashing it against the wall and was already gone. With beating wings and thundering hooves, she rocketed down the halls, plowing through doors and nearly knocked over several workers along the way. She couldn’t even think to apologize. The only thing going through her mind over and over was a single word.

No!

Over and over, it was all she could hear over her drumming hooves, the shouts of other workers. She felt crazy, like she was sprinting towards the gaping mouth of a hungry beast. But she needed to see it. She needed to see with her own two eyes to believe that it was even there… to believe what was even happening.

The door to the cargo bay catwalk was dead ahead. Her hooves slammed to the ground, forcing her into a skidding stop. A protector in a guard’s suit stood before her path. “Sorry, boss,” he said. “Can't let you in right now; Director's orders.”

Rainbow Dash stormed right up and placed her nose inches away from his. Her beady eyed stare stabbing into his nerves. The stink of sweat slowly seeped from his brow through his mask as he — with great effort — kept eye contact and the ground he stood on. “Please, Boss, I’m just following orders.”

She bullishly snorted before stepping aside, letting him breath easy. In truth, she was actually very relieved that he wasn’t letting her foolishly give into her wild curiosity and run right into the beast’s cage. Instead, there was a small window off to his right that she could spy through. She could see into the room beyond and one level below the catwalk. The left side of the truck was spotted quite a distance away. It's back double doors were open and a ramp had been pulled out beneath. The suited guards all around were checking their weapons. Four carried the usual stun batons. Two others carried firearms; tranquilizer rifles.

Something that Rainbow couldn't spot happened, calling the guards to stop fidgeting with their devices and to keep them ready. The ponies in blue emerged, along with them an upright dolly that contained one well restrained pony. The prisoner donned a bright orange jumpsuit, a thick white straight jacket wrapped in chains, a full muzzle, and dark brown straps to keep her pinned. She was covered nearly head to hind hoof in restraints, but all Rainbow Dash needed to see were those sky-blue eyes and that hot-pink curly mane.

Rainbow ducked out of sight and away from the window as fast as she could. Though she had caught her breath from her sprint moments ago, her panting returned all the more rapid, pulsing through her parted lips. Between them she quietly chanted, “No. No no no. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can not be happening.” Her beady eyes locking onto the floor below her hind hooves.

“Hey, are you okay?” asked the nearby guard as he took only two steps from his post.

She stared at her trembling forehooves as her panic attack drowned out the attempt to reach her. She continued to chant even faster, her voice slowly lifting. “It's her. It's her it's her it's her!”

“It's who?” The underling waited again before he prodded for a third time. “Boss?”

It was then that Rainbow gave him what she would never dare to willingly show anypony, especially some underling: a look of pure, unfiltered fear. She finally answered with a name, not caring how strange it might have sounded to him. “Pinkie Pie.”