The Factory

Chapter 3
It was raining, that day. A good setting of tone for what was to come into place. A dark looking Pegasus pony, with blood red eyes, stepped out of almost a little cottage, into the mud and pouring rain outside.

Dark Wishes had woken up early that day, at about 7:30 A.M. He had to get prepared, for the day that was coming was an important one. He got up, drank his coffee, and waited for the carriage to arrive and take him to the city of Canterlot. He saw that it was raining, and this suited him just fine. It was always raining. Even when it was sunny, it was always raining for him.
The carriage finally pulled up, and he stepped out into the mud and rain, his hooves squelching in the mud. He walked up to the carriage. It was ornery looking and had floral and sun pattern designs, as is usual for royal carriages and architecture. A grey, stony-faced guard from Celestia’s guard opened the door for him. He sat down, and the powerful Pegasus ponies pulling the carriage began to lift off. He didn’t ask any questions or talk at all for the ride, and he assumed Celestia’s guard dog wouldn’t be too chatty anyway. Another pony probably would have been more curious, but Dark Wishes knew that when it came to these situations, it was best just to let things unfold themselves. He wasn’t generally a curious pony anyway.
The carriage finally stopped in front of the palace, and the guard motioned for Dark Wishes to step out of the carriage. He stepped out into the grass in the royal garden, and saw that it was sunny up here in Canterlot. Royal ponies are too good for rain, huh? He wondered. He had preferred it when it was raining. He walked through the royal garden, past flowers and statues, with the guard following closely behind him. He felt the sun casting its rays on to his face as he approached Celestia’s castle. The last time he had been here… Well, he didn’t care to think about that right now.
He walked slowly through the halls of the palace, past palace workers and visitors, through the perfect shiny white and sunshine patterns towards the throne room. He knew his way around here pretty well, from past experiences. Most of the palace workers were too young to remember him personally, but his presence still put them on edge, because of his natural abilities. The only thing I’m good at is scaring ponies, he lamented, but it suits me. He was still a little curious about what Celestia wanted from him, but he knew better than to ask anyone other then her majesty herself.
He stopped in front of the doors to the throne room, his hooves coming to a stop as he looked up at the towering white doors, covered, as every single damn thing in this palace was, in floral patterns and the royal symbol of a blazing sun. He couldn’t wait to get out of here and return home.
It wasn’t long that he waited until he heard a voice echoing out. It was the voice he remembered, still very clearly, from 20 years ago.
“Come on in, I’ve been waiting for you.”
He slowly trotted into the room, and saw Celestia, sitting and looking as regal as ever, on her throne. It would have intimidated most ponies, but he wasn’t the kind of pony to get intimidated. He bowed, and then got back up to face her.
She sighed. “I’m assuming you’ve been wondering why I’ve brought you in here? It’s been so long since I saw you, last time, you were only a filly…” She had a distant look in her eyes.
“I don’t know why you called me here, but I’m assuming it wasn’t for a walk down memory lane.” He said, scowling.
“No,” she said, “I have something I need you to do. It’s… a job, I guess. You’re really the only pony I could think of, to fill this empty position.
“What is it?” he said, with an almost barely detectable hint of curiosity in his voice. What was she thinking of? What position or job could she possibly want a pony like him to do? He couldn’t think of anything.
“How much do you know about… the Rainbow Factory?”