2 years before...

Dr. Atmosphere puts the last few finishing touches on Sky... They can’t help but let a smile form on their face as they look upon Sky.

“There... Perfect.” Doctor Atmosphere says as they inspect Sky.

Rainbow Dash storms in, clearly angry at what Dr. Atmosphere made. “What have I told you about making these ‘experiments’ of yours?”

“Oh... Rainbow Dash...”

The smile on Doctor Atmosphere’s face never leaves as they turn to look at Rainbow Dash with that uncaring stare.

“These experiments,” Doctor Atmosphere replies with a smirk... “are necessary... They are what will help us succeed...”

“I know, but have any of your experiments worked for a change?” Rainbow Dash says, tinkering with Sky as she talked.

“I’ll have you know, this is different.” Doctor Atmosphere replies, smiling down at Sky... A sinister smile... The same kind that Rainbow Dash has seen many times before...

“Sky is different... Sky is perfect.”

“This one will work...” Doctor Atmosphere adds that same sinister smile on their face as they look down at Sky.

“Alright, but hey! Do you know what you need? A break, yeah! How about you go take a break and I’ll fix whatever mess this is.” Rainbow Dash says, sternly looking at Sky as if she was still deactivated.

“Yeah, ok. I’m tired, I do need a break.” Dr. Atmosphere said groggily. “Don’t mess with her though!” She said as she headed out the door.

“Ok...”

”Alright then...” Rainbow Dash says with a sly grin as she looks down at Sky... A cunning plan beginning to unfold...

”I have a proposition for you Sky...” Rainbow Dash says with a grin. “If you abandon Dr. Atmosphere and go against her wishes to kill people, I won’t throw you out and make you useless like all the OTHER experiments.” Rainbow Dash says. “Instead, you will be one of the workers at our Rainbow Factory. How is that? If you decline, I’ll maybe have to turn you into scraps.” She smiles.

“No!” Sky suddenly moves and pulls out her giant claw, gesturing to fight.

“Hey, hey, hey, put down that weapon!” Rainbow Dash yells, taken by surprise by Sky’s sudden attack... Sky is so fierce and aggressive, even Rainbow Dash’s cold and arrogant heart starts to race with fear as she backs up...

“Woah... Calm down...” Rainbow Dash says as she slowly raises her hooves in the air, trying to calm Sky down. “I was only kidding...” She says, giving Sky their most disarming and charming smile. She quickly moves around the room, dodging Sky’s claw as Sky tried to grab her, and she was trying to find a weapon.

After a moment of dodging Sky’s claw... Rainbow Dash grabs a heavy crate off the ground and throws it at Sky... Rainbow Dash is trying to be quick... Sky is dangerous and not taking any chances with Sky...

As Rainbow Dash throws the crate at Sky, she instinctively jumps out of the way, just barely avoiding it... All the while Rainbow Dash dashes over to a nearby workbench... Where she spies a heavy wrench... Perfect for Sky... Rainbow Dash grabs the wrench and stands in the ready position... Just waiting for Sky’s next move.

The final move that Sky made would make her lose the battle and unfortunately accept the deal too. As Sky tried to grab her with her giant claw, Rainbow Dash managed to dodge it before she could even do it. Rainbow Dash, seeing this as a moment to attack Sky, did, hitting her with the heavy wrench several times.

“Accept the deal, or I’ll destroy you completely!” Rainbow Dash said, still hitting her.

“OW! Okay! I accept! Just stop!” Sky yells as Rainbow Dash continues to beat Sky down with a heavy wrench...

“Alright, alright, I accept, I accept! Jeez, what’s with you?!” Sky asks, backing back and holding the wound in one of her wings... “Calm down!”

“Now... Do you swear fealty to Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow Dash asks with a smirk.

“Yes. Yes,” Sky says reluctantly, “I’ll do it, please just don’t hurt me anymore.”

“Good... Good...” Rainbow Dash says, still holding up the wrench, just in case... “If you don’t want me to hurt you anymore, you’d better not even think about going back on your promise...” Rainbow Dash says as they look down at Sky with an arrogant and smug smile... A sinister, mocking grin... As if this was all some twisted game to Rainbow Dash.

“Now... Make your oath by leaving a note, and then getting out of here.” Rainbow Dash says, pointing to the paper and the pen on the table. “Now.” Rainbow Dash grabs the paper and pen off the table and throws them at Sky with the same force that she threw the heavy wrench at Sky...

The sudden attack is unexpected as Sky catches the paper and pen in mid-air, just barely avoiding falling to the floor as the force of the throw pushes Sky back...

“Write down what I tell you.” Rainbow Dash snarls as they glare down at Sky with a sinister and threatening expression.

Sky nods and takes the paper and pen, and begins writing down what Rainbow Dash tells Sky to write... Rainbow Dash watches impatiently.

Sky finishes writing...

Rainbow Dash snatches the paper from Sky and reads the contents of the paper...

“Good...” Rainbow Dash says, finally letting their guard down... “Sign it.” Rainbow Dash demands.

Sky nods and signs the bottom of the page with her claw...

Rainbow Dash then throws the paper at Sky... “Take this to Dr. Atmosphere... She’ll know what to do with you... Now get out of my sight!” Rainbow Dash says in a cold, disdainful voice... It’s a voice that seems to send chills up and down Sky’s soul.

It’s not known what was written on the paper, but today for Sky was a disappointing day.

“And one final warning... do not fail me...” Rainbow Dash says with a stern look on their face... Their once charming and charismatic smile was replaced with one full of cold and calculating cruelty... A smile that is full of menace... A smile so cold it makes Sky’s entire soul freeze... Rainbow Dash turns and storms off as they leave Sky... The poor and innocent creature they once used to be is now long gone.

Rainbow Dash looks back at Sky as they walk off... One final piercing stare... As cold as ice.

Sky silently walks over to Dr. Atmosphere, looking down. The room was so quiet, her clops echoed through the room. She gave Dr. Atmosphere the note, making Dr. Atmosphere silently read the note that Sky gave them... A deep frown formed on their face as they read... Their once soft smile quickly turned into a look of anger.

Dr. Atmosphere then looks up at Sky, their eyes filled with nothing but malice and ill will. “Sky...” Doctor Atmosphere utters through gritted teeth. “If you want to do this... Then... Then, fine.” She drops the note on the ground, turns around, and walks away.

A single tear rolls down Sky’s cheek as Sky feels... Rejected. But it’s worse than that...

It’s not just any rejection... It’s the worst kind of... Betrayal.

The kind of... Rejection... That could only exist in a twisted world... A world where there is no love... A world where there is only suffering... A world where the innocent are doomed to suffer endlessly and the guilty are rewarded with riches and power.

Sky walked into the Rainbow Factory, ready to start her first shift. The Rainbow Factory is a massive, cold, steel and concrete building... It towers over the clouds with its imposing, facade... It is a hideous blight on what little natural landscape exists in Sky’s home... And Sky... Poor, innocent Sky... Sky is about to enter the Rainbow Factory... A building designed to crush whatever emotion remains in her.

She sighs as she starts working on the machine along with some other workers. The conveyor is full of dead bodies as workers sort them into carts, all of them dead on the inside too. But when she’s cursing at herself, she is interrupted by a worker tapping on her shoulder.

“Hello? I need some help here.”

Sky jumps in surprise at the interruption... She is so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed the other worker...

“What is it?” Sky asks, turning to look at the worker.

“I need help, what do I do?” The unnamed worker asks, confused.

“Ok, um, well you put dead bodies in a cart and that’s it. You gotta grab the dead body as it’s moving and put in it the cart, um... Jade Specter.” Sky says, looking at the worker’s nametag. She’s at least happy she gets to speak to someone nice.

“Thank you!” Jade says, walking away.

Sky starts to relax... They let out a tense breath... Just a little bit... The first of many many more breaths the Rainbow Factory’s cold, unfeeling, brutal production line will squeeze the breath out of Sky... But for now... For now, the first day is always the easiest.

“No problem!” Sky says, smiling. Even if it is a hollow, sad smile. But it is Sky’s smile and it is enough... For now.

But a loud alarm starts sounding... It’s a blaring and pulsing red alarm, as it blares through the facility... A warning that something has gone wrong... And it can’t be good...

The alarm continues to blare... It sounds so loud and intense that it shakes the whole building.

Sky realizes why the alarm is sounding... THERE’S A FIRE!

A fire?!

A fire in the Rainbow Factory?!

A fire in THE Rainbow Factory?!

Sky’s eyes go wide with fear... Sky realizes that if there’s a fire in the Rainbow Factory... It must be a BIG fire...

“The Factory’s on fire!” Sky says in shock.

”Get out! Get out!” Sky yells as the sound of collapsing and breaking metal fills the air... The smell of smoke and burning wood fills their nostrils...

Sky dashes out of the section as the fire spreads... The whole section of the factory starts collapsing from the fire’s fury... Smoke and flames fill the air, the section is collapsing... They need to GET. OUT. NOW!

Sky realizes she left Jade behind and she goes back into the fire... Brave... Stupid, perhaps... But brave... The smoke is thick... Visibility is extremely limited and the heat is incredible... All in an attempt to try and rescue this worker she doesn’t even know.

The fire has gotten even hotter as it ravages the factory... The screams and agony of the other ponies can be heard throughout the inferno... But no matter how hard it is to see and how hard it is to breathe... Sky can still see a silhouette of Jade waiting helplessly to be saved...

Can Sky save her before the section collapses?

Fortunately, she can and manages to get Jade out of the sector before it completely collapses, saving her and Jade. Jade and Sky flee out into the cool, clear, morning air... The blaze raging behind them...

Jade takes a deep breath... Her legs are shaking... Her heart was racing... “Oh my god, did we just do that? Did we just go back into that inferno and save each other?”

Sky smiles... Their heart still racing... Their legs still shaking... But this time... This time they are full of relief... And joy...

“Of course we did... We’re special, aren’t we?” Sky says with a grin.

“I barely even know you and you saved me... Why did you do that?” Jade said, looking at her.

Sky shrugs, “You’d do the same for me... Right?” Sky says with a sly grin.

Jade chuckles and nods, “Yeah, I suppose I would... We’re in this for each other... Right?”

“Right...” Sky says with a smile.

Jade smiles, “Well then... I guess you’ve got yourself a friend...” Jade sticks out her hoof for a hoofshake... The first step in a strong friendship...

Sky shakes her hoof, making this a relationship that would, unfortunately, end up in both of them separating.