Awoken: Fall of the Rainbow Factory

Chapter six everypony. This is by far the farthest I’ve gone with a story. I’m proud of this, it’s like the jewel of my writing. I love this story, and strangely enough I also hate it. It became an obsession for a little while, and it was all I ever thought about. Luckily, seeing as I’m almost done, that obsession is dying down. Oh, and then there’s the fact that for this idea to work, my favorite pony had to die.

On a side note, I’m thinking about doing a one shot after this for Derpy, because they’re going to can her in season four. Thus, it’ll be like a dedication for her. I’m so sad to see her go…I love Derpy.

Secondly, there is a song in this chapter called “Loyalty”. It’s something made by MandoPony, not me. I’m just using the lyrics. Also, the version I’m using is the Aviators remix, so it’s more techno. I highly suggest listening to that song while reading this.

Also, we’ll have a surprise guest in this chapter…..

Anyway, let’s move on, shall we?

Toodledoo!

Quillin Words

Seed POV

                Seed and Fluttershy flew up into the sky, the cold chill of the morning breeze tickling their hooves. It had been two days since they had talked with Princess Celestia. The words she had said, the memory that was now in their minds…it was still all very hard to believe. Still, they had to believe it; there was no other explanation. Hate Seed was now the Element of Loyalty.

                Just thinking about it made Seed’s hind flank tingle. That beautiful lightning bolt stood as a testament to the spirit of a rainbow mare that now lived on within him. Rainbow Dash may be gone, but she was definitely still with them. That, however, wasn’t enough to stop the events that were to fall before them: Today was the day of Rainbow Dash’s funeral.

                As they flew, a silence enveloped them. That suited Seed fine; today was going to be a hard day, and him and his five new friends wouldn’t have much to say until the funeral. Besides, Fluttershy rarely spoke anyway. Still, it was a little awkward.

                “So Fluttershy…..” Seed said, trying to start a conversation. “What’s going on right now?”

                Fluttershy looked at him, sadness written across her face. “Well….I’m just a little sad for today. I mean, I am happy that Rainbow Dash is still with us….but I wish she could really be with us.”

                Seed’s heart fell. Was she blaming him? “Oh….I get it. It’s me, huh?”

                “Oh no!” Fluttershy gasped. “Of course not. I just meant that….”

                “Doesn’t matter now. We’re here.” Seed said, not meeting the yellow mare’s eyes. They had finally arrived at their destination: Rainbow Dash’s cloud home. Seed tried to remember what Twilight had said….

“Rainbow Dash had said that if her body wasn’t available to cremate, then she’d want us to find a locket of hers that she keeps in a drawer next to her bed. It’s important that you get that, so that we can release her spirit into the wind.”

“Fluttershy, wait here.” Seed said, trying to sound nonchalant. “I think I can find the locket on my own.

                “Oh…..ok.”

                Seed pushed open the door, and entered the residence of the best flyer in Equestria.

                The first thing he noticed was the chill. It was so cold, Seed could see his own breath in the air. Something unnatural was taking place here, something that gave Seed an apprehensive feeling. Ignoring his suspicious thoughts, Seed simply pushed through the house and made his way to Dashie’s room.

                Seed walked through the corridors, shivering in the cold. It was almost as if the house was mourning the death of its owner. Seed took in his surroundings, noticing everything that was around him. Seed smiled whenever he saw pictures of the Wonderbolts; Rainbow Dash would often rant on and on about those elite flyers. Sadly, now there won’t ever be a rainbow mare joining those hallowed ranks.

                Suddenly, Seed ran into something hard, and took a step back to rub his throbbing nose. He had been too busy looking around to see where he was going. He looked up, and saw that the what he had hit was a door. Not just any door, however. Nailed onto the wood was two letters: RD.  Seed had found the door to her room. Seed took a deep breath, and then pushed open the door, determined to find the locket.

                Seed smiled when he saw the room. The familiarity of it….it was almost funny. Rainbow Dash’s room had almost the same design as her living quarters back at the factory. There was just one difference; there were not dried blood stains here. Still, Seed felt nostalgia wash over him as he remembered the conversations the two of them had. Once again, Seed shook his head, and focused on his task: find the locket.

                “Ok….so the drawer next to the bed…” Seed muttered. He located the drawer, and opened it. Within was the golden cloud locket, and something else—a folded note, with the words I am Loyalty written on it. His curiosity piqued, Seed put the locket around his neck and picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it. He scanned the words written upon the sheet, and tears came to his eyes. This….this was beautiful. Seed opened his saddlebags and slipped the note in. He’d have to contact somepony to get this put into the funeral.

                Once out of the house, Seed looked at the yellow mare who sat aside looking off into the distance. Seed felt guilty; perhaps he had taken her previous words too harshly. Now she was obviously upset.

                Seed swallowed and spoke up. “Hey, Fluttershy?”

                Fluttershy turned and looked at him. “I’m sorry Seed….I said something mean earlier, didn’t I?”

                “No, it was my fault….” Seeds said, kicking his hooves aimlessly. “I took your words wrong, and I’m sorry for that. It’s just that today’s going to be hard, you know?”

                Fluttershy smiled, walked over, and put her hoof on his shoulder. “Don’t worry Seed. Rainbow Dash wouldn’t want us to be too sad. This is supposed to be celebrating her life and accomplishments.”

                Seed, sighed, and looked upon the rising sun. “It’s not just the funeral that scares me….it’s what follows after.”

                With that, he flew off, leaving the yellow mare wondering what he’d meant.

Narrator POV

                The six gathered upon the highest cloud in Ponyville. The entire land of Equestria could be seen from this view; the perfect place to release the spirit of a mare close to their hearts.

                Twilight, having used her spells to allow her to walk on clouds, stepped forward tothe edge of the cloud. A box containing the ashes of the locket floated next to her, holding more than just black remains—they held Rainbow Dash.

                “Rainbow…” Twilight said, voice struggling not to crack. “If you can hear me…I’m sorry that we never realized the pain going through your heart. I hope I got your funeral just right.”

                Applejack spoke up. “I’m sorry for all that huff and puff that I gave you all the time…I’m also sorry I couldn’t save you when I had the chance. You told me, and yet I didn’t do a thing. I…I’m sorry.”

                “Dashie, if you can hear me, I don’t mind that you broke your promise.” Pinkie Pie giggled. “Just remember that when I see you again, I’m going to give you a big noogie!”

                Fluttershy stepped forth, and looked into the skies. “Rainbow Dash, I never thanked you for not giving up on me during the flight test. Without you…I would never have made it through. Thank you.”

                Rarity put her hoof forward, careful not to fall off. “Rainbow Dash, I really do hope you like the corsages I made for your funeral. Had it not been for you….I wouldn’t have been able to finish them. And you’re right—those opals do match your mane.” Rarity smiled, and then Seed took a breath.

                “Look Rainbow, I’m not sure what I get to say. I haven’t been your friend as long as these ponies have.” Seed said, voice shaking. “But I hope you realized that I loved you like no other pony loved me, and I am determined to carry on your will. Thank you for choosing me as your successor, though I doubt I’ll ever really take your place. Good bye Dashie…though I expect I may be seeing you soon.” Seed shook his tears away, and beckoned for Twilight to open the box of ashes. A cool breeze suddenly arose, as if a train had arrived for its passenger. Twilight took the ashes out, and spread them into the air, and as she did so, they could almost hear a brilliant laughter ringing through the air. A feeling of lift enveloped the six, and they knew that Rainbow Dash’s spirit was finally free.

                Free, that is, except from their bittersweet memories.

Seed POV

                Sinking. That was all that he felt as he fell into the depths of his mind. The ocean wasn’t water; he was drowning in his own memories. Seed couldn’t breathe, yet he didn’t need to. Each and every memory of the factory swam by him.

“Seed, I just don’t know if what we’re doing is right anymore.”

                Rainbow Dash. That one mare changed his life forever. The never-ending routine   that haunted him and her final ended with her sacrifice. Now, Seed had a new life, but at what price?  The death of another? Perhaps it wasn’t that simple. He didn’t even know who he was now. Seed didn’t think much about this until he saw that note that Rainbow Dash had written. It sat next to the locket, almost as if it had been intended for him to find it. After reading it, Seed realized how unsure of himself he had been. He had been hiding the façade of that slaving monster for so long that he forgot who he was completely. The factory was all he knew. Loyalty may reside within him now, but could he really stay true to that?

“But with all great things comes great responsibility.”

                Those words were inscribed on the factory walls, and unfortunately its meaning had been taken to the extreme. Too many had died to fulfill that responsibility. Seed had caused the death of but a fraction of those fillies. Now, an even greater responsibility fell to Seed, one he wasn’t sure he could complete: he had to reconcile with those souls he’d extinguished, and avenge them. How? Seed still was unsure. For how could he avenge deaths that he himself had caused without killing himself? Seed knew he had to destroy the Rainbow Factory, but that alone seemed impossible. He couldn’t just simply walk into the factory and declare it to be shut down.

“We need to clean up this mess before anypony comes to investigate.”

                Dr. Atmosphere had said that so calmly after he killed Scootaloo. To say something so cold and simple, after commiting a monstrosity….it was like the stallion didn’t even have feelings. However, there was something about that last part that Seed had purposely left out of his story. There had been a factory worker that held down Scootaloo as Dr. Atmosphere killed her. That worker was him. Seed had the chance to save her, to release her. Why hadn’t he done so? Simple. He was afraid. Dr, Atmosphere commanded an entire factory, an army, one whose eyes told Seed that while what happened was traumatizing, they were still loyal to the Doctor. Now, Seed didn’t care: Dr. Atmosphere must die. He was the key to all of this. If Seed wanted to tear down the factory, he’d have to tear down its leader along with it.

                Something about that crimson stallion was unnatural, however. Seed felt some dark power constantly emanating from the his heart every time he walked by him. Seed often tried to reason that it was simply his imagination, but was it really? Something sinister was inside Dr. Atmosphere, and it wasn’t just a cold heart. It was something older, darker.  Something almost familiar to this feeling of loyalty, yet different…..

                Seed felt panic rise up within him, and he opened his mouth. Water rushed in, and he thrashed about, desperate to make it to the surface of this ocean of memories. Certainly, that stallion hadn’t taken control of such a dark power?! It’d make sense though; years of betraying his own kind would lead to such a thing. Seed was now straining to breathe, and he couldn’t make it the surface in time. Was he going to drown?!

                “Of course not, you idiot.” A familiar voice mused. “It’s just a dream.”

                Suddenly, all of the water drained away, leaving Seed gasping for breath on a cloud that had appeared out of nowhere. He looked up, and saw somepony that he thought he’d never see again.

                “Rainbow Dash?!” He gasped, still straining to catch his breath. “What are you doing here?”

                Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “I did say I’d be watching from inside of you. I saw you having a little problem with the water, so I thought I’d pull you back into the sky.”

                Seed blushed a bit. Of course. How had he forgotten that Rainbow Dash’s spirit still resided within him? Not only that, but now she saw him panicking in a dream of all places. It was all just a little embarrassing.

                “Well, either way…” Seed said, having finally calmed down. “I’m glad to see you again.”

                “You know, you shouldn’t act so calm when you’re just about to burst into panic.” Rainbow Dash said, eyebrow raised. “I know what you were thinking. It also came to my mind.”

                Seed whimpered softly, then collapsed onto his cloud. He looked off at the blood-red sunset, and sighed. “Rainbow Dash, if Dr. Atmosphere controls something like that, how do I even stand a chance?”

                Rainbow Dash tossed her man aside. “Seed, did I ever tell you about the time my friends and I defeated Discord?”

                “Yeah, you told me that story before. What does that have to do with anything?”

                Rainbow sighed, and then turned to face the silver colt. “Well, I’ll just say that for a little while, I became someone I wasn’t. For some reason, I just wasn’t Loyalty.” The mare shook her head, something obviously bothering her.

                Seed suddenly got a bad feeling. “There’s something more to this, isn’t there?”

                Rainbow Dash looked at him, and gave a grim nod. “I realized, after reading some stuff up with Twilight, that Discord wasn’t just trying to tear apart our friendship so that we couldn’t use the Elements of Harmony…..he was trying to bring back something else.”

                “Wait…..by something else.....” Seed thought for a moment, before a shudder passed through his body. “He was trying to recreate the Downfalls, wasn’t he?”

                “Yup. By corrupting us, he hoped to bring back those things.” Said the mare. “Luckily, Twilight got everything fixed as usual.” Rainbow Dash looked over at Seed, giving him a look of sympathy. “Has what I said answered your question?”

                Seed gulped. “Unfortunately yes….I guess I have to do it.”

                Rainbow Dash smiled. “There’s the stallion I know. You have that same sense of duty that I had. Now, don’t you think it’s about time you woke up? You’ve got some stuff you need to take care of before the reception.”

                Suddenly, Seed sat straight up. He was breathing heavily. Seed realized that he had been dreaming once more….yet it all always seemed so real. He could almost smell her citrus-scented mane, almost see her bedazzling mane of rainbows. Sadly, it was all but a dream.

I’m as real as you want me to be.

                If that was true, then why wasn’t Rainbow Dash standing next to him right now?

                Seed shook his head, then remembered he had business to attend to. He looked at the clock, and saw he had a couple of hours. Seed sighed in relief, seeing that he had time. He went out the door, and as he did so, he muttered to himself, “I wonder if she’s still a dj?”

Applejack POV

                Town hall was filled with murmuring mares and stallions as they came to pay their final respects to a pony who had put such excitement into everypony’s life. They all went up to the marble statue of Rainbow Dash, which stood between two portraits of her, and each pony took the time to say a few words.

                Applejack herself couldn’t do that until the end. She had drinks to serve, drinks she had made herself by hoof but a few days ago. She had drunk some of the apple juice, and she was right: it was the bitterest thing she’d ever taste.

                Turning her head to the small crowd of thirsty ponies heading her way, Applejack started pouring some juice into glasses for everypony to enjoy. They chatted away, most not too bothered by the fact that it was a day to remember a special someone, rather than to socialize. Most who were here were most likely dragged along by a friend. Applejack bit her lip to hold in her anger as they chatted away so leisurely; surely these ponies had some heart in them, to realize that the mare who served them drinks was someone directly affected by the occasion of the day?

                “Hey! Applejack, you there?”

                Applejack blinked, and looked towards the direction of the voice. “Oh, hey Seed. Surprised to see you here. Aren’t you going to visit the shrine?”

                “Well, I just thought I’d check in on you first.” Seed said, careful with his words. “You seemed a little….on edge.”

                Applejack let out a nervous laugh. “On edge? What’s that supposed to mean.”

                Seed simply gave the cowpony a bemused look. “You were shooting daggers at the group to my left. I’m sure that’s what most ponies call ‘a little on edge’.”

                Applejack tried to argue, but eventually just sighed. “Yeah, I know, Seed. It’s just that….these ponies are acting like it’s just another day, waiting to get back on to their own business. Don’t they realize what today is?”

                “Hey now, don’t let it get to you.” Seed said, a kind smile on his face. “They’re all just young stallions, barely passed grade school. They were probably dragged here by their parents.”

                Applejack grinned a bit. “Thanks Seed, you sure do know how to make a pony feel better.” Then she noticed a strange looking mare with mixed blue hair and pink sunglasses behind the pegasus. “Oh, hey there Vinyl Scratch. Glad you could make it!”

                Seed looked a little surprised. “Wait, what? You two know each other?”

                Vinyl laughed. “Geez, Seed. You were gone for some time! Rainbow and I were best friends, along with AJ here. We did all kinds of cool stuff.”

                Applejack nodded, grinning at the memories. “Yeah, like the time when she DJed for us during Rarity’s fashion show.” She looked back to that day, remembering the ridiculous outfits each of the friends had worn. “It was a tad bit embarrasin’. We looked like a bunch of rotten apples.”

                Vinyl stifled a giggle. “No kidding! They looked downright hilarious!”

                Seed laughed, then turned his gaze onto Applejack. “Well, it’s good to see that you’re finally yourself, AJ.” He nudged Vinyl Scratch. “Hey, don’t you need to go get set up? You’re up in a few minutes.”

                “Oh shoot!” Vinyl gasped, looking at the clock. “Sorry Applejack, I have to go! I’ve got something to do!” With that, a blur of blue and white rushed away to behind the shrine.

                Applejack raised an eyebrow, confused at the DJ’s sudden disappearance. “What exactly do ya have planned for us, Seed?” Her face got serious. “This is a funeral. Vinyl’s great and all, but her music ain’t exactly fitting for the occasion.”

                Seed simply grinned back at the orange mare. “No worries, Applejack. Vinyl and I did something for Rainbow Dash. It was something she’d want.”

                “Is the song that weird dubstep stuff?”

                “Well, it’s more of techno if anything.” Seed said thoughtfully. “The lyrics are special though.”

                “What’s that’s supposed to mean?”

                Suddenly, a voice rang out in the hall. “Good evening fillies and gentlecolts. I’m glad we could all gather here to remember someone who was a friend to the end: Rainbow Dash.”

        Everypony turned their eyes to the shrine, where Vinyl Scratch had set up a small station with dual speakers. They all raised their eyebrows, wondering why a party pony like here was here.

        “Now, I know what you’re thinking.” Vinyl said. “‘Why in the world is she here?’ Well, Dash was my friend too.” Eyes continued to bore into her, wanting more explanation. Vinyl soon obliged. “You see, Rainbow Dash had left in her will that she didn’t want anyone to be too sad at her passing, rather to be happy. She left something here for us, a note, really.”

        Applejack’s curiosity was piqued. What was this note?

        “Seed found this in her home when he went to get Dash’s locket.” Vinyl said, a slow beat now starting in the background. “It was a poem that Rainbow had written about herself, and he thought it was beautiful. So, he brought it to me, and he and I made a short song about somepony who stuck by us till the end.”

        The speakers suddenly let out a huge blast, followed by mallets being played. Sweet music, loud, but not obnoxiously so, began to flow out into everypony’s ears. Seed suddenly flew over next to Vinyl and grabbed a mic. More synths and mallets played, and Seed stood there with his lids closed, waiting for his chance. Suddenly his flew open, and he began to sing.

Seed POV

        The minute Vinyl began to talk, Seed knew it was his time. He took a deep breath and ran through the song again in his head. Then he flew up and went to the stage, where he took mic and closed his eyes.

        The beat started to go a little faster, with the synths and bells mixing together in perfect harmony. Suddenly it all stopped with a drum beat, and a small silence ensued. Then, eh let his voice do the rest.

You see me soaring through the sky

I see you below as you walk on by

I could clear the sky in 10 seconds flat

Well how about that, well how about that!

I could be sitting here on a cloud

Watching the sun as it starts to go down,

And the only thing missing

Is you by my side!

        Here he opened his eyes and saw that Vinyl was hard at work to his right, working her DJ magic to ensure that the music kept going. She lifted up her shades and winked at him, giving him a look that he was doing great. See turned to face the crowd, and saw that many had tears in their eyes, showing him that he was doing the right thing. He smiled inwardly, and began once more.

Give me a smidge of confidence,

Give me a speck of something that makes sense!

Give me an idea of dependency,

Give me a dash of loyalty! Loyalty…..

        Vinyl’s horn began to glow, and shot out a beam of multi-colored lights, which formed into the shape of a pegasus. It formed a pegasus that was the very epitome of what this song spoke of--Loyalty. The figure danced to and fro with the beat, performing graceful movements. The tears fell freely when Seed saw the silhouette of Rainbow Dash, and he had to ignore the painful lump in his throat to continue on.

I could save my lonely soul for you!

But the feeling in my heart can’t follow through….

You can give your broken heart to me,

Cause you know that I’ll stay with you!

That’s why they call me loyalty! Loyalty…..

Seed flew up in the air, gaining altitude to relieve the pain in his hoofs. The DJ Pon3 was below, struggling to keep the movements of the laser figure together while maintaining the music. Finally, the time came for Seed to sing again, so he sank back to the stage. Water streaming from his face, he now sang with earnest.

The sun shines bright yet the rain pours on,

Rainbows here one minute and then they’re gone!

They remind me of me and you;

What did you do?

What did I do?

Determination in those eyes,

Where has it gone; has it said goodbye?

A lot has happened, but I’ll stay by your side!

        Those words that came out of Seed’s mouth spoke to him the most. Her fiery determination that burned in her eyes.....they were gone now. But, even though she was dead, Rainbow Dash stayed with him.

Give me a smidge of confidence,

Give me a speck of something that makes sense!

Give me an idea of dependency,

Give me a dash of loyalty! Loyalty…..

I could save my lonely soul for you!

But the feeling in my heart can’t follow through….

You can give your broken heart to me,

Cause you know that I’ll stay with you!

That’s why they call me loyalty! Loyalty…..

        Everypony in the room, especially the other Five, were in tears now. The song was something that Dash had written herself, and they could almost feel the spirit of the rainbow mare emanating from the music. Seed, having paused for a moment to catch his breath, took the mic up once more.

I could save my lonely soul for you!

But the feeling in my heart can’t follow through….

You can give your broken heart to me,

Cause you know that I’ll stay with you!

That’s why they call me loyalty! Loyalty…..

Seed looked over at Vinyl, seeing her sweating from the combined effort of the laser figure and the music. She looked up at him, and nodded. It was almost time.

Time stands still when you’re with me….

How can I make you see?

Your crazy antics make me want to scream,

Your name so loud till my throat starts to bleed—to bleed!

        Suddenly, Seed took off from the stage floor and went up to Rainbow Dash, whose lighted eyes seem to smile at him. The sight made his heart plunge, but he knew he had to go on. The two started to dance together, twirling through the air gracefully. They became a union of harmony, two pegasi yet one moving body. The music matched their movements, sad and yearning, yet energetic--much like the mare Seed was dancing with. However, the music solo was almost over, so Seed had to stop the ballad, and simply hovered in the air next to his companion. Rainbow Dash seemed to grin at him, even though the figure had no mouth. He reached out to stroke her mane, but when he made contact, the figure evaporated away. With that, Seed knew he’d seen the last of Rainbow Dash. He sank below right as the solo ended, and began to sing softly once more.

I could save my lonely soul for you!

But the feeling in my heart can’t follow through….

You can give your broken heart to me,

Cause you know that I’ll stay with you!

That’s why they call me loyalty!

I could save my lonely soul for you!

But the feeling in my heart can’t follow through….

You can give your broken heart to me,

Cause you know that I’ll stay with you!

That’s why they call me loyalty! Loyalty…..

        He finally finished singing, and simply let the music finish. The last synths and bells rang in the hall, and Seed knew he was done. Tears gushed out like a rushing river, and he didn’t care that everypony in the room could see him cry. He didn’t care that this was possibly the last day he would see any of these ponies.

        All he cared about was that he had gotten one last chance to see Rainbow Dash.