Awoken: Fall of the Rainbow Factory

Chapter 4!!! Yay! I am really excited for this one, but there’s really no real reason for it. I just like writing this fic. Hopefully y’all are enjoying it as much as I am. Anyway, I won’t stall anymore. Onward!

Toodledoo!

Quillin Words

P.S. I couldn’t find a pic of Hate Seed’s cutie mark ANYWHERE, so I ended up just making on up. I’m in the process of asking H8_Seed for that info, and am awaiting a reply. Once I get the message, I’ll go in and change this.

Hate Seed POV

Seed shielded his eyes as the sun bore down on him. He once again breathed in the crisp morning air, enjoying the feel of it. This was definitely better than the air back in the factory. There was just one problem.

There was no Rainbow Dash to share it with.

Seed just sighed at the thought now, having spent all of his tears. Still, at least Rainbow’s friends seemed to have gotten better over the past few days….with the exception of Applejack. Seed felt for the mare; he knew from what Dashie told him that the two of them were best friends. They shared many an adventure together—the good, the bad, and most definitely the ugly. Without Rainbow Dash, Applejack just didn’t seem complete anymore. It was like someone had taken the ink out of a pen. The look of despair and sorrow in those green eyes caused a break in Seed’s heart. Guilt filled that break, even though Dashie said herself that it wasn’t his fault.

Whistling coming from above snapped Seed out of his thoughts. Strange. Fluttershy, who had seemingly been the most broken after AJ, seems to be just fine now. Seed still was completely dumbfounded as to why the pegasus had been laughing herself to near Pinkie Pie proportions just minutes earlier. And that line she replied with? That made no sense at all. Perhaps it was just stress? Seed felt otherwise; he saw the look of relief and healing in her face, and he knew that she had gotten over her depression. While Fluttershy may be the weakest, she is most definitely the strongest, as Rainbow Dash once told him. She said that when it came down to it, if riled enough, Fluttershy was a force to be reckoned with. Apparently she yelled down a full grown dragon before because it hurt her friends. Seed shuddered, and hoped that that Fluttershy wouldn’t turn on him.

Suddenly, hoofsteps were heard in the distance. He turned to see the other ponies trotting over. He tried for a smile, and approached them. “Hey guys. Rough few days?”

Applejack seemed to just glare at him. “Yeah. Not that you’d know.”

“Applejack!” Rarity gasped. “What are you saying?”

Applejack whinnied, and shouted her response. “I’m just saying that if he hadn’t come down here to Ponyville, we might not be in this gigantic mess!” Seed immediately backed away, not expecting this kind of morning welcome. He felt unsure of himself. Surely, Applejack didn’t blame him for Rainbow Dash’s death, did she?

“Applejack, you’re being utterly ridiculous.” Twilight said, not looking up from her copy of A Pony’s Guide to Pegasus Funerals. “If anything we should thank Seed, because if he didn’t tell us what happened, we would still be wondering where Rainbow Dash was!” Hate Seed felt utterly queasy, scared of the argument he had caused. Rainbow Dash said that her friends rarely fought….and yet—

“I’d rather keep on wondering than have to make the apple juice for my own friend’s funeral!”

“Just be grateful we can even have a funeral at all!”

Applejack let out a sickly laugh. “So, you’re glad she’s dead, aren’t ya?”

Everypony backed away from the two, feeling the tension in the air build up. Twilight finally dropped her book, a horrified and angry look etched on her face. “What?! How could you say that?!”

“Well, for one, there’s all this funny business about you being the only one knowing what to do for the funeral.” Applejack retorted. “Then there’s the fact that all you’ve done is boss around without so much as a ‘please’ and a ‘thank you’! I reckon that now that Rainbow Dash is gone, you think you can finally lord it over all us Ponyville folk!”

Twilight just stood there, mouth agape in shock. Applejack had never had an outburst like this. “I-I….I would never think that! You guys are my friends. I love you like a family!”

“That’s a load of mule dung!”

Seed watched this exchange, hopelessness rising from his heart. This is just what Dashie had feared…that her friends would become….broken. She was afraid that without her loyalty, the five would break apart. This fear had come up repeatedly during their conversations, and now it was unfolding before his very eyes.

Applejack pointed her hoof at Seed, while still glaring at Twilight. “This pony’s brought us nothing but trouble! How do we know he ain’t lying?”

Twilight barked back an answer immediately. “The story he gave us made complete sense! Rainbow Dash is gone, Applejack! Why can’t you just realize that—”

The rest of her sentence came out as a surprised yelp as Applejack hind hooves connected with Twilight’s mouth. The orange mare was breathing heavily, tears burning in her eyes. “Don’t you dare say that! We don’t know that Rainbow Dash is dead! She’s still out there somewhere!”

Twilight got up, murderous intent in her eyes. A bolt of magic flew from her horn, striking her friend in the chest and sending her back into the bushes behind her. “Applejack! You can’t keep thinking like that! Whether we like it or not, Rainbow Dash is gone, and you have to accept that fact! If you don’t….” Her horn glowed again once more, this time with a blacker, sinister color. Twilight’s eyes flooded with light. “I’ll make you.”

The cowpony had staggered up, defiance written all across her face. She let out a snort, followed by Twilight giving her a beckoning gesture, as if to say, What’re you waiting for? I’m ready! Applejack screamed an angry cry and charged. Twilight then responded back, shooting black lightning at her. Rarity pulled away, too scared to watch. Pinkie Pie dove under the bridge, hoping to avoid the blast. Fluttershy flew back into her home, cowering behind its walls.

Seed could only stand there as the two friends, once close like sisters, let out their death cries and threw all they had at each other. His eyes wouldn’t close, his heart frozen in place as time slowed. Lightning arched at Applejack, who simply stared defiantly at them and kept pushing forward. Seed wanted to look away, but something held him there. He couldn’t do anything as the two friends were about to kill each other.

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light came from Seed’s hind flank, just like in his dream with Dashie. A ball of cyan blue energy flew out from it and engulfed the two friends. Twilight’s spell was broken, and Applejack’s charge was stopped. The ball just held them there for a moment, before dropping them. Seed looked continually back and forth between his hind flank where his cutie mark was, and at the two ponies in a heap before him. The other three came out, equally bewildered.

“What just happened?” Applejack said, groaning in pain.

Twilight shook as she got up. “I…I smelled something, while in that ball of light…it smelled like Rainbow’s mane…citrus…”

Applejack began to cry. “I smelled it too….but…how?”

Seed just closed his eyes and tried to make sense of the situation. Nothing came to him until there was a burning feeling on his flank, causing him to scream and jump in the air.

“Holy horse apples!” he yelped. He spread his wings and caught himself in the air before he could fall. He turned to see that his cutie mark, once two twin scythes crossed in an x-formation, was now something else….more specifically….

“Whoa!” Pinkie Pie said, amazement in her voice. “It looks just like Dashie’s!”

So it did. Everything was right, from the lightning bolt colors to shape of the cloud. But….how? Seed turned to Twilight, hoping for answers, and his heart fell further when he saw her eyes filled with fear. She then said something that completely changed the gravity of the situation.

“We need to see Princess Celestia. Now.”

Twilight Sparkle POV

The six of them rushed into the library, Twilight and Seed ahead of the pack. Twilight turned and kicked the door open, startling the purple dragon inside, causing him to drop the books he was organizing.

“Twilight! Why can’t you guys just knock?” Spike complained, rubbing his arms where the books hit.

Twilight simply walked past him, deep in thought. “Not now Spike….we need you to take a letter to the princess.” Immediately Spike saluted and grabbed a quill and scroll, standing at attention, ready to write. The others stopped and sat down where they could, taking a moment to rest.

Twilight cleared her throat, and started to speak. “Dear Princess Celestia….There has been a strange matter of magic regarding your loyal subject, Rainbow Dash. The thing is…she is d-dead, and something happened just earlier that I could not explain. In order to tell you all of the details, I humbly request an audience with you immediately. I hope that you’ll be able to help us, because right now…without Rainbow Dash…we’re more broken then we’ve ever been. Please, I beg of you, answer quickly. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike finished scribbling her last words, then rolled the scroll up and blew his enchanted green flames over it. It burned into ashes, then flew out the window and away to Canterlot. Almost immediately, Spike’s cheeks puffed up as if he was sick, and he belched out another scroll, whole and sealed with the royal coat of arms. He opened it, and everyone gathered around behind him to read the few words written upon the parchment.

My dearest student Twilight Sparkle,

Come see me as soon as possible. Bring your friends and Seed as well, and we’ll discuss this in my office.

Your Mentor,

Princess Celestia

Twilight threw the scroll down, and began packing her bags. “C’mon, guys. You heard what she said. We need to get there now.”

“Now wait just a minute.”  Applejack said, frowning. “How in Equestria are we going to get to the princess in lickity-split, just like that?” Twilight simply ignored her, and closed her eyes. Her horn glowed, and everyone in the room except Spike started rising in the air. A flash of light filled the room, and when it subsided, they were gone.

Twilight concentrated, knowing that if she lost focus, she and her friends would be lost into the abyss of the Nexus. This, as Princess Celestia explained during one of her lectures, was the fastest type of teleportation magic anypony could attempt. However, it was also the most dangerous. It was the only way to teleport a large group of ponies, but it was rarely attempted because of the danger involved. The Nexus was where the darkest and most evil creatures were locked away, in a place where time and space had no meaning. If a unicorn had enough magic, she could use it to travel anywhere. If the will of the unicorn failed, she and those with her would be left to the devices of the monsters locked in the Nexus, which meant certain death even for alicorns like Princess Celestia or Princess Luna.

As she and her friends flew through the abyss, the demons locked by spells holding them back sent out their magic to attempt to break Twilight. The magic hit Twilight like a brick wall, causing their progress to slow. Her knees shook as they filled her mind with the horrible images of how Rainbow Dash died….her final cries of agony and regret as she was sucked into a machine that tore her apart…..the battle in her mind between the loyal pegasus and the cruel taskmaster….Twilight’s eyes began to tear, and the glow on her horn flickered. She couldn’t do this; she would end up failing her friends, her master, herself….then she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She turned to see Seed—but not just Seed. She saw Rainbow Dash.

His determined look gave her a feeling of relief and nostalgia that made her tears flow freely. It was the same look Rainbow Dash would give her when she had a great task before her, a look of unwavering loyalty that said, Hey. I know the going’s going to be tough, but no matter what, I will stay with you, till the end if necessary. Immediately, Twilight’s heart filled with courage, and her horn glowed brighter than before. She turned back to face the dark creatures, who hissed at the light of her magic. They clawed at the bubble protecting them, only to be deflect by cyan bolts of lightning….crystal liquid flowed from Twilight’s eyes. Rainbow Dash never abandoned them in life, and even death wouldn’t stop her. The bolts weren’t Twilight’s doing. She saw the silver stallion next to her also deep in thought, concentrating to fend off the beasts. This only confirmed her suspicions further.

Suddenly, bright light surrounded them, and the six ponies flew from the dark Nexus and into the bright study of Princess Celestia.

Narrator POV

The princess herself was standing next to the window, shocked by the sudden appearance of her student and her friends.

“Twilight!’ Princess Celestia gasped. “You didn’t use the Nexus, did you?!”

Twilight looked up weakly at her teacher. “I-I had no choice. Any other form of travel would have been too slow.”

“I said come here as soon as possible, not immediately.” Princess Celestia scolded. “You should’ve just taken the train.” She stopped her lecture, however, when she saw how weary everypony was.

The princess looked over her six subjects, and knew immediately why they took such a big risk. The looks in their eyes, the shattered hope….it was as if they each were now made of thin glass—save one. The silver pegasus standing next to Twilight had a saddened determination about him, and a familiar spirit resided in his eyes. Suspicion rose in her mind, but she couldn’t confirm it until she heard the full story.

Princess Celestia used her magic to soothe the crying five, and they immediately stopped sniffling. “Now…I understand that you ponies have been through a lot, not just from getting here…I apologize, but to help you, I must hear the whole story.” Her gaze fell on the only pony who hadn’t been crying before—Hate Seed. Princess Celestia nodded, beckoning him to begin.

Seed stepped forward andcleared his throat. “This is going to shock you princess, but this has been going on for years now. Do you know how rainbows are made?”

Princess Celestia frowned, and said, “Why yes. By a request from the Cloudsdale Weather Corp, a select group of unicorns was sent to use their magic to make spectra. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well…” Seed said. “That isn’t how it’s done.” He then delved into the tale of the Rainbow Factory and the true process of making a rainbow. He described it in almost painful detail. “First of all…the Rainbow Factory is a secret building kept hidden even from you, Princess. It is a place few ponies know about, and the only ones who do know about it are the ones working there, and the six ponies sitting before you.” Dread filled Celestia’s heart, for she knew the tale was going to take a sinister turn. Seed began the next part of his story. “Most people believe that if a filly fails the flight test, they get sent off, banished to an icy wasteland.” Celestia nodded, remembering the how she had to negotiate with the leaders of Cloudsdale to make such a deal.

Seed’s face grew dark. “However, that’s just a cover. The place they really get sent to is the Rainbow Factory, where they get used to make rainbows.”

“What?!” The princess cried, now standing in outrage. “Child labor, in my kingdom?!”

“No, princess, you misunderstand my words…” Seed said, tone softening. “When I say they get used to make rainbows….they literally get used.” Confusion was spread across Celestia’s face, which was slowly by horror. The other five ponies simply looked at the ground, having heard the terrible tale once already. Seed swallowed, and tears began to form in his eyes. “The fillies…they get chained to machines. These machines slowly pull them apart, and grind them to pieces, turning them into the purest form of spectra.”

The regal eyes of the princess were blurred with water; surely it couldn’t be true? Celestia spoke the question in her mind, though she knew the answer already. “What…what are you trying to say, Seed?”

“Princess Celestia,” Hate Seed said. “Rainbows are made by grinding up any filly who fails the flight test, turning them into the spectra in the arches of color we see in the sky.”

Anger seethed through the Princess, and she had to collect her thoughts and calm down before she could speak again. “Go ahead, continue.”

Seed swallowed, knowing the next part would be the hardest. He took a deep breath, and told her of the fateful day that Scootaloo failed her flight test, and as a result was sent to the Factory that he worked at. He told her how Rainbow Dash was the manager, and how the spirit of two fought within her. Seed described to her how the Scootaloo had almost escaped, only to be surrounded by factory workers. He told of how Rainbow Dash tortured the poor filly once she was caught, and how her mind dissolved to insanity because of it. His voice choked when he got to the most important part of the story….how Rainbow Dash died. Seed’s voice was shaky as he described her slow and painful death. He told how Dr. Atmosphere came in, and told them to cover this up, and then cold-heartedly finished off the already dying Scootaloo.

“After that, something inside me broke.” Seed said, voice a mere croak. “I realized how wrong it was, what we were doing, and I had to escape. So…I broke out of the Rainbow Factory, came to Ponyville, and the rest you know.”

The princess, having regained her composure, looked at Twilight, who had her hoof raised as if in class. “I think not. There is still a bit left to your sad tale, isn’t there, Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yes, princess, there is. Before we came here…Applejack and I got into a huge fight, and…..we almost killed each other.” Twilight said softly. “But then, right before my spell hit Applejack, this ball of cyan blue light hit us and engulfed us….the light…it smelled just like Rainbow Dash’s mane…the scent of citrus.” Applejack, who stood next to Twilight, choked on tears as she remembered that smell.

Applejack broke in. “Then, after stopping our attack and keepin’ us afloat for a few, it just dropped us on the ground. Nopony knew what had happened. That was when something weird happened to Seed, here.”

Seed glanced back at his hind flank, warmth filling his heart when he saw that red, blue, and yellow cutie mark. It somehow calmed him, and gave him a sense of….duty? He wasn’t sure, but he knew he just couldn’t leave these six. Not until the job was done.

“His cutie mark changed, didn’t it?” Princess Celestia said, eyes trained on Rainbow Dash’s mark.

“How did you know?” Twilight said, surprised.

The princess smirked. “Well, for one, Seed has been staring at it for the past minute or two. And two….you know why I know.”

Twilight’s heart fell. “It’s…it’s the tale of King Eclipse, isn’t it?”

Princess Celestia nodded. “Indeed, my student. This is going to be a long and complicated story, my little ponies, so….” Her horn glowed and six chairs appeared. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

Once everypony was comfortable, Celestia took a deep breath and began. She looked at each of them in turn, and said and said something that denied everything that had happened.

“Let me start out by saying this—the Spirit of Loyalty isn’t dead.”

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand BAM! Yet another cliffy! I’m such a jerk. But hey, it gets the job done, no?

So a few things about this chapter. It was originally supposed to be the funeral chapter, but then I realized that I missed a VERY important thing, and that was something I wrote in chapter 2:

Seed grinned in return, and began to pull away. Then, he was pulled back, and Rainbow once more 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.”

So that was a huge part of the story that I COMPLETELY forgot. It was the whole cutie mark change, and the next chapter will explain how that’s even possible.  So, hope y’all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it, and I’ll see ya next time!

Toodledoo!

Quillin Words