Awoken: Fall of the Rainbow Factory

So, the next chapter of Awoken. I hope the first wasn’t too dark. Don’t blame me if you thought it was; blame AuroraDawn, seeing as I just took the whole flashback from the original story that Aurora wrote. Anyway, this is set on the same day that Hate Seed broke out of the Rainbow Factory.

Enjoy!

Toodledoo!

Quillin Words

Applejack POV

It’d been almost three weeks now since Rainbow Dash had disappeared. Applejack was beside herself with worry; after all, the pegasus was her closest friend, and having not seen her in such a long time caused AJ much anxiety.

Applejack looked up at the sky, hoping to see a blur of rainbow fly by. “Gosh darnit, Rainbow….Where are you?” Tears once again began to form in the cowpony’s eyes, something all too common since her best friend disappeared. All Applejack could do now was keep bucking the apples, and look for her friend in any spare time she had.

AJ trotted slowly over to the next tree and gave it a half-hearted kick, causing a few apples to fall into the baskets below. She sighed, and gave it a few more kicks, finally clearing the tree of all the red fruit. Once again, Applejack’s gaze returned to the blue yonder above, desperately wishing for a sign of Rainbow Dash. Any news would help.

Now I know how everypony else felt when I didn’t come back from the rodeo, Applejack thought sadly, pushing back tears. A speck of grey was in the corner of her eye, and AJ repeatedly tried to shake out the water in her eyes, believing them to be the source. She shook and shook, but the speck remained in her view of the sky. Finally irritated beyond belief, Applejack turned her gaze on the speck, and became confused when it didn’t shrink or move away; rather, it was getting bigger, and getting closer.

Applejack squinted her eyes, trying to see what it was. As it got closer, she gasped to realize it was a mist grey pegasus, eyes closed, flying straight for a patch of trees just west of Applejack’s position. The stallion disappeared underneath he leaves of the apple trees, and his crash echoed throughout the early morning fog of the farm. What in tarnation….? Applejack wondered. She galloped quickly to where the pegasus had crashed, and when she reached him, she got her first good look at the colt.

He was grey as mist, with a mane of golden yellow. He appeared to have no tail; strange. The feathers on his wings were a mix of sterling silver and luminescent gold. He was cut in many places, his breathing also heavy. The cowpony could hear him uttering words that were nearly inaudible.

“Dashie….”

Applejack raced to his side, quickly picking him up onto her back. “What was that you said now, fella? You just rest, I’ll get you to a safe place.”

“No….”

“It’s alright,” Applejack assured him. “We Ponyville folk can take care of you.”

Suddenly, the pegasus spoke up. “You’re Applejack, aren’t you?”

The hair in AJ’s mane stood on end, and her gallop slowed to a cautious trot. “Well….yeah, but how do you know that?”

“She told me….” He whispered. “Dashie told me….”

“Wait, who?!” Applejack yelped. “What was her full name?!”

“Rainbow Dash….” With that, the light faded from his eyes, and he fell into a deep slumber.

Twilight Sparkle POV, in the Library

Twilight gazed out the window for what seemed to be the hundredth time. How long has it been since the rainbow mare had last crashed through this very window? Far too long, it now seemed, though Twilight would complain when she did so before. Now, she would give anything to hear the whiff of the cyan pegasus flying by her and knocking into the bookshelves.

Outside, a rainbow sprouted out, seemingly mocking the unicorn as if to say, your friend is just over here. Come out and look for her!

“Oh Rainbow Dash….” Twilight cried, tears welling up once more. “Where are you? You didn’t abandon us, did you? What happened to your loyalty?”

Suddenly, below her, Twilight heard the door crash open, Spike yelping, and the sound of galloping hooves to her room. She turned just in time to see her door get kicked open, revealing Applejack, who was breathing heavily from the burden on her back.

“Applejack, what are you doing?!” Twilight yelled. “Couldn’t you just knock?”

“Sorry Twi, but you need to see this.” Applejack said, gasping for breath. She dropped what she was carrying on her back, which turned out to be a grey pegasus pony. “He crashed onto the farm….I found him…..and brought him here.” The orange mare gasped for breath between phrases, clearly exhausted from her flight to the library.

“What’s the big deal?” Twilight asked, sounding unworried as she checked his vitals. Hmm, he seems to be fine. “Why didn’t you just bring him to the hospital?”

Applejack wheezed a few more times, before finally regaining her composure. “Because, when I found him, he knew my name.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “So you think a spell might be on him or some—”

“No, Twi, you don’t get it. He said she told him.”

Twilight froze, hope budding in her. “Wh-who told him?”

Applejack smiled, face full of excitement. “He said that Rainbow Dash told him.”

Hate Seed POV

Seed was sitting on a cloud. Nothing else was around him, save another puff of white softness, carrying a sky blue mare eating an apple. Once finished with the apple, she threw it behind her and belched.

“Sup, Seed?”

Tears sprang in Seed’s eyes. “This…this can’t be real. You’re dead, Dashie.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Well, duh! This is just your dream, smart one!”

“But….so you aren’t real?”

Rainbow chuckled. “Now, who said that just because it’s a dream I’m not real? I’m as real as you want me to be.”

Seed coughed a bit. He was glad to be talking with Dashie again, but anger started to spread forward. “Why did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Why did you have to let yourself get killed? You could’ve escaped!” Seed yelled, vision blurred from burning streams of sadness and anger. “Why did you….why did you torture that poor filly?”

Rainbow turned and looked out at the sunset that was to the west. “You know, Seed, I think you know the answers to those questions. I couldn’t live with myself after what I did to Scootaloo. I didn’t find it impossible to escape from the machine; I couldn’t pull free from the chains of regret. I didn’t want to torture her. Scootaloo has been like my little sister forever. I wasn’t in control. That thing inside of me made me do all of those horrible things.”

Seed followed Rainbow’s gaze and looked out at the beautiful sunset. “I know, I know…..but of all the things that could happen….why did you have to die?”

Rainbow once again rolled her eyes at the silver pegasus. “You just asked the same question. Twice.”

“How can you take this so lightly?!” Seed bellowed, now standing on his cloud, glaring at the mare he loved so. “You’re dead, I’m good as dead now that I’ve broken out, and nothing’s changed! How can you still feel so care-free?!”

Rainbow smiled that lovely smile that always made Seed calm down. “Well, I’m fine because I know that my legacy will carry on. You say nothing’s changed, but some things will change, Seed.”

“How? I don’t understand.” Seed cried. “I know what I want to do, but I have no idea how to go about doing it!”

“That’s where you’re wrong Seed.” Rainbow said in reply, soft as a breeze. “You will figure out what to do. I’ll be with you.” She flew over and pressed her hoof to his chest. “In here.”

Seed cried. “I’m….I’m so sorry Rainbow Dash. I couldn’t save anypony. I couldn’t save you.” He let his head fall into the multi-colored mane of his love. Tears streamed forward, not letting up.

Rainbow hugged Seed, smiling sadly. Then her eyes grew steely. “You’re wrong. You did save me. You saved me from the darkness within me, and now, you can still save lives.” She leaned up and kissed the crying pegasus on his forehead. Warmth spread throughout his body, calming his nerves and dousing the flames of his sorrows. “I give you my blessing. Carry on my work, and ensure that my sacrifice wasn’t in vain.”

Seed took a shaky breath, and looked at those lovely violet irises once more. “I…I will do what must be done. On my life, I will make sure this will end.”

Rainbow smiled, as if knowing that her efforts had been passed on. “Thanks Seed. Now, why don’t you go meet my friends?”

Seed grinned in return, and began to turn away. Then, he was pulled back, and Rainbow once again kissed him on the forehead. A sudden flash occurred on his hind flanks, and Seed started to drift away, wondering what the rainbow mare had done.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a little parting gift, to you and my friends.” Rainbow Dash said, giving him her usual impish smirk. “Good luck, Seed. I’ll be watching from inside your heart.”

With that, he awoke.

Narrator(no pony) POV

Pinkie Pie hopped all around the room, knocking over book cases and statues. She couldn’t wait! Apparently Applejack had found some silly colt who crashed onto the farm. The best part? This colt was someone who knew where RAINBOW DASH WAS!!!! How could she NOT be excited?!

“PINKIE!” Twilight screamed. “Keep your hooves on the ground, will you?!”

Pinkie stopped bouncing, turned and smiled. “I’m sorry Twilight, but I just can’t wait for that guy to wake up, cuz then he’ll tell us where Dashie is, and then we can go find her, and then she and I can start pulling pranks on everypony, and then we’ll throw a HUGE party to celebrate her returning, and—”

Applejack shoved her hoof in Pinkie’s mouth. “Darling, we’re all excited, but please. That colt needs his rest. He hasn’t gotten up for the past two days.”

“But Applejack, you said he knows where Dashie is!” Pinkie moaned.

Rarity chose to enter the conversation then. “Of course she did dear, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep bouncing all over the place and ruining this ah….wonderful décor.”

“Hey, you have a problem with the way I arrange my library?” Twilight demanded.

“Why of course not, Twilight, I was just saying—”

Pinkie interrupted. “Hey, I have a question. How come Fluttershy is the only one who’s allowed to be in the same room as that guy?”

“Because she’s the quietest one and knows how to deal with hurt ponies the best, Pinkie.” Applejack said. “You’ve asked us this hundreds of times, pumpkin.”

Before Pinkie Pie could reply, a huge yell issued from the room above, followed by a frightened squeal.

“Wh-where am I?”

“It’s okay, you’re in Ponyville…”

“Wait, you’re Fluttershy! Dashie sent me to find you. Where are the rest?”

Pinkie disappeared from everyone’s sight, and ran up the stairs.

“Here I am!” Pinkie cried. “I mean, I’m not everypony else, cuz then that would be WEIRD. But I am me, the one and only Pinkie Pie! I heard you asking where everypony else is, so I rushed up here faster than you could eat a nice frosty cupcake at Sugar Cube Corner!”

“Pinkie! Settle down, will ‘ya?” Applejack said, now entering the room. “And you, young fella, already know me.”

The grey pegasus nodded. “You’re Applejack.”

Twilight stepped forward. “I’m—”

“Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville’s smartest egghead.” The pegasus said.

“Why yes, I am…..wait, what?!”

The grey pony smiled. “That’s just what Dashie would call you all the time.” He then pointed at Rarity, and said, “You are Rarity, the best dress maker in all of Equestria.”

“That’s me!” Rarity said, fanning her face, evidently flustered. “Now, if you need anything, just come find me and I’ll make you something, okay?”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He said, grimacing at the thought.

Then Fluttershy flew up next to him. “Hi, I’m Fluttershy…”

“Dashie often talked about you. He said you were really nice, but could stand up for yourself more.” The pony said.

Twilight cleared her throat, signaling the end to casual conversations. “Well, now on to business. Sir, you seem to know who we are. But who in the wide world of Equestria are you?”

At that, the pegasus seemed to lose any spirit he had. “My name….is Hate Seed. I came here on a mission.”

Twilight stopped him there. “I understand, but first I—we¬—need to ask you a question. You talk about Rainbow Dash a lot…..do you know where she is?”

Tears began to form in his eyes, and Seed tried to blink them out. “I-I……I’d better tell you this now, so it won’t pain you later.”

“Rainbow Dash isn’t lost.”

The other ponies smiled and cheered, until they heard what Seed said next.

“She’s dead.”

Woah! So there’s the second chapter.

I gotta say, this fic is being really weird to me. It’s different from the other ones. It just like, won’t stay out of my head. I am constantly thinking about it, and it makes me feel both sad and happy. Mainly because of how Rainbow Dash is dead…..but hey. At least her spirit is with Seed, right?

Anyway, please review and all that! If you do, I’ll try and get the next chapter up real soon!

Toodledoo!

Quillin Words