Disclaimer: This is an unofficial prequel to 'Rainbow Factory' by Aurora Dawn
Rainbow Factory:
Rainbow's Descent
Now a Rainbow's tale isn't quite as nice as the story we knew of sugar and spice.
There’s long been rumors as to how, exactly, rainbows are made in Equestria. Every so often a small group of fillies, branded failures and outcasts by the the state, discover the horrifying truth with their own eyes. Today was one of those days.
"Welcome mules!" a large and powerful voice commanded. A group of fillies where huddled together in the middle of the factory floor, cowering in fear before the voice behind their fate. Every one these fillies had been failures in the eyes of Cloudsdale and had been brought to the factory to be rung dry of what little worth they still possessed. Several of the suited ponies surrounding the group moved to make way for a deep, dark red pegasus dressed in a white lab coat.
The pegasus approached the group of scared fillies with a happy grin, "I'm so happy you all could make it. I am Dr. Atmosphere. Remember my name fillies for I will be your salvation!"
"You mean you're going to let us go?" one of the fillies spoke up.
"Let you go!? Ha ha ha ha ha! Stupid filly, why would I do that? No I have something more important in store for you lot. Everypony thinks your worthless, but not me. You aren't worthless little ones, no no no. You're more valuable than anyone could give you credit for. That's why you're here. You're hear so we can give your lives purpose. Get comfortable fillies because you're going to be spending the rest of your lives in this factory. And don't try to escape," Dr. Atmosphere let out out a maniacal laugh, "lest we have ourselves a little accident."
Dr. Atmosphere left the group of scared fillies as the machinery around them came to life. He worked his way to the door and turned to the group one last time.“Enjoy the rest of your pitiful lives." And with that he slammed the door closed, the muffled sounds of tasers and screaming heard behind the door as The Machine performed its purpose.
He enjoyed spending his time with the children's last few moments. Seeing the hope drain from their eyes was extremely satisfying and broke up the monotony of the administrative job of a forecolt. Sadly the fun was over and it was time to return to all the boring paperwork. He was about to return to his regular work when he felt a slight rumbling. Out the window he saw something he had been waiting for for so many years now- a rainbow ring shockwaving across the landscape.
"Oh happy day! Happy day!" Dr. Atmosphere put a hoof on an intercom on his desk to speak into it. "It's time. Bring me Rainbow Dash."
******************************************
It was the best day ever. Rainbow Dash did a sonic rainboom, saved her idols the Wonderbolts, and won the best young flyer competition. Nothing short of being asked to join the Wonderbolts could have made that day any better. The next morning Rainbow Dash was still riding the high of those events. She was home, polishing the tiara she had won, when she heard a knock on the door.
"Oh hi Scoots, come on in." It was Scootaloo, she had come to admire her idol.
"Oh man you're so awesome Rainbow Dash! I still can't believe how fast you flew yesterday, and then you did that sonic rainboom! You think you could show me how to do that?"
"Heh, maybe when your a little older champ. You gotta be a pretty strong flyer to be as awesome as me, and that only comes with practice."
"Well maybe you could train me to be a strong flyer like you?"
"First show me what you got, and maybe I'll think about it."
There was another hard knocking on the door, as if somepony was trying to knock it down. Rainbow Dash walked to the door to answer it, Scootaloo following close by. Upon opening the door they saw two dark suited pegasi holding up badges.
"Miss Dash? We're with the Cloudsdale Intelligence Agency. We're going to have to ask you to come with us."
"Whats going on? Am I in trouble?" the worried rainbow pegasus asked.
"No mam, but its priority number one to Cloudsdale that we take you with us. There are a few things we need to discuss with you."
"And if I say no?"
"We're under orders to take you in one way or the other."
"So I don't really have a choice do I?" Rainbow turned to look at Scootaloo, "Go home Scoots, this might take a while."
"Awe man, I'm so jealous, You get to do something super secret for the city." Scootaloo walked away from the scene with her head drooping low to go home.
The two black suited pegasi nodded at each other and then proceeded to escort Rainbow Dash to an ominous looking carriage waiting nearby. They allowed her to enter the carriage alone and the two Pegasi went around to the front to fly it. Inside Rainbow could see a dark red Pegasi obscured by shadows.
"Hello Rainbow Dash. I'm Dr. Atmosphere, so nice to finally meet you." the figure extended out his hoof in a friendly gesture.
"Uhh...do I know you?"
"Know me? Oh no, no, no. But I know all about you. We've been watching you for a very long time Miss Dash. Ever since you made a sonic rainboom as a filly. All the reports made it sound very impressive. We didn't know if it was a fluke or if you where the real thing. So we kept a close eye on you, watched you grow up, until we saw you recreate that marvelous rainbow trick of yours."
"What's my sonic rainboom got to do with anything?"
Dr. Atmosphere let a smile creep across his face, "You see Miss Dash, making rainbows isn't so easy. It would take many unicorns days to make just a small amount of spectrum. We would very much like to know how you are able to make rainbows without spectrum. What I'm saying Miss Dash is that I'm offering you a job. At least a temporary one, but trust me it will pay well."
"What about by job with the Ponyville weather team? They'll be down a mare and won't be able to keep up with the weather orders."
"Don't worry, arrangements have already been made. We're confident you'll say yes Miss Dash, for this is a matter of great importance to Cloudsdale. My higher-ups are making sure everything goes smoothly and are sparing no expense. What do you say Miss Dash? Whats your answer?"
"Well it pays well, and I could really use a break from working with Ponyvilles weather. I'm not going to have to spend all day in some dark room will I?"
"I assure you, you'll have as much time to yourself as you do now. All you would do is come in for a few hours each day and let us run a few tests on you. Your personal life will remain intact."
"Well then in that case you got yourself a deal."
******************************************
But a rainbow's easy once you get to know it....
Every day Rainbow Dash came to the factory, never suspecting what secrets lay behind its doors. Every day she was the subject of tests and experimentation run by the factory's rainbow scientists. Every day walked out those doors leaving behind the frustrated screams of scientists unable to unable to unlock her secrets. The cycle of failed experimentation went on for months with no progress before Rainbow Dash was called into the office of Dr. Atmosphere to put an end to it.
"Ah come in Rainbow my dear. Have a seat." Dr. Atmosphere motioned.
Rainbow dash cautiously walked further into the office, uncertain of what the doctor had called her in for. "What's going on?"
"I'm sorry to say that your time with us at the factory is over, at least as a research subject. As you know the whole time you've been here has yielded no positive results. However it is that your body makes rainbows is beyond our instruments to determine. The city higher-ups weren't very happy to pour money into a dead-end project and so have decided to pull the plug. This however opens up a new opportunity."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow at this, "New opportunity?"
"You see a few days ago one of our factory workers had a...little accident. Oh you should have seen it. Very messy, took hours to clean up you know."
This made Rainbow Dash less than enthused but she kept on listening out of curiosity.
"Suffice to say we've been looking for a replacement. It's unfortunate that this project of ours had to be cancelled but still the timing couldn't have been better. And the pay is still significantly higher than your old job."
Rainbow was never one known for greed or even striving for advancement. She had been perfectly content with the honest work as Ponyville's senior weather mare. But at the same time she was never one to pass down a once in a life time opportunity, unless of course she had to choose between it and her friends. "Sounds interesting. Show me around the factory a bit, I wanna see what I'll be doing, and maybe I'll think about it."
Dr. Atmosphere became giddy at the thought of having Rainbow as a new recruit, he couldn't wait to see how long she would last. He led Rainbow out of his office and began walking her to the part of the factory that held The Machine.
"Tell me Rainbow, have you ever wondered how Spectra is made?"
"Isn't it made with magic?"
Dr. Atmosphere chuckled at her assumption, "Well yes you could say it's made with a magic of sorts. Though not the kind you'd expect. Once you see it you'll be amazed with the genius of pegasus engineering. It is truly marvelous."
Rainbow dash was slightly confused. "You mean it's not made with unicorn magic? Well what else could it be made with?"
"Oh you'll see. Look, we're already here."
Dr. Atmosphere opened the door and the bright light from the hall flooded into the dim factory floor. Suited pegasi could be seen guarding the doors as per usual. She did not expect to see, however, a small group of fillies escorted by the same pegasi in the middle of the factory floor.
Understandably confused, Rainbow asked "Hey what are these kids doing here? They having a field trip or something?"
"Yes that's right...a field trip."
"Lucky them, I don't ever remember getting to see this part of the factory when I was a kid."
Rainbow walked up to address the group, "You fillies having fun touring the factory?"
Rainbow Dash recoiled in surprise and disgust as one of the fillies unexpectedly spat on her, "Hey kid whats your problem!?"
Dr. Atmosphere shook his head 'no' behind Rainbow dash to tell the suited pegasi not to strike the child. "Miss Dash, if you would? Follow me and we'll show you how you'll be making Spectra."
Rainbow Dash shook off her anger for the brat that spat on her to follow the doctor. He had led her up to an observation room from where the workings of the whole factory could be seen. Rainbow walked into the room expecting Dr. Atmosphere to follow but she heard the door slammed shut and lock behind her.
"Whats going on? Dr. Atmosphere?"
There where speakers in the upper corners of the room through which the doctor spoke to Rainbow Dash. "Don't be alarmed Miss Dash. This is necessary for your own safety. Most ponies get a little rowdy once The Machine starts its work and we have to subdue them. Please direct your attention towards the observation window. I would hate for you to miss out on this."
Rainbow Dash was angry at Dr, Atmosphere for locking her in this room and very confused with his choice of words. She wasn't going anywhere as long as she was stuck in there so she reasoned she might as well do as the doctor says. Rainbow looked down below and felt a slight rumble as The Machine came to life.
A panel of the factory ceiling slid open and revealed several devices as they slowly lowered to the same level as the observation room. Rainbow could see a pony sized metal rack with straps and harnesses dangling from the sides. From the dark space previously hidden by the ceiling panel a leather harness attached to a long cable shot out towards the group of fillies. It snatched one of them up, straps instantly wrapping and tightening around them. The filly was drug up kicking and screaming, crying out in pain as she desperately tried to use her wings that where being crushed under the tight grip of the harness.
Rainbow Dash fell back in horror as she saw the filly thrown onto the rack, straps coming to life and ensnaring her just like with the harness. "What!? Is this some kind of sick joke!?" The filly released a gut-wrenching scream as gears around the rack came to life and started pulling her body apart.
"NO!" Rainbow Dash jumped up against the glass window of the observation room and began to pound it with all her strength, tears streaming down her eyes. "No! No! Stop this!"
"Once The Machine is turned on it cannot be stopped until the process is complete!" Dr. Atmosphere yelled through the speakers.
The filly breathed hard and fast as the maw of The Machine opened up and many little arms descended, each implemented with a different cutting tool. Rainbow Dash sobbed and banged on the glass window even harder and faster but it would not break. The cutting tools jabbed forward and the filly let out another scream that was quickly silenced as a knife cut into her throat. Rainbow Dash could only watch in horror as the life left the fillies eyes and color drained from her coat. The rack released the corpse and let if fall to the ground with a loud thump, releasing even more screams from the terrified group of fillies below. The Machine's harness once more shot out towards the group to start the process all over again.
Rainbow could hear a hiss as the room began to fill with gas. "Why!? How could you do something like this..." Rainbow's speech gradually got weaker as she began to feel light-headed.
"Very soon you'll understand it's for the greater good." was the last thing Rainbow heard as her vision faded. With a groan she finally fell to the ground and everything went dark.
************************************
...with the help of the magic of a pegasus device
"Ugh...where am I?"
Rainbow Dash awoke in the middle of a massive grassy field. She looked around and saw that it was surrounded by a thick forest, so thick that it would be impossible to move through it on foot.
"Rainbow Dash, you're here!"
Rainbow heard the voice come from behind. She turned to meet it but was surprised when she saw a certain orange pegasus.
"Scootaloo? What...?"
The pegasus jumped up happy to see her idol. "Rainbow Dash you think you could train me to be as awesome as you?"
Before she could answer the sky around them darkened and completely filled up with thick black clouds. The rumbling of thunder could be heard from the clouds as the light faded from around them.
"Oh no. It's here!" the frightened orange pegasus whimpered.
"Whats here? Whats going on here Scoots?"
"Run! Just run Rainbow Dash! You can't let it take you!"
The earth began quaking beneath her feet as Rainbow could hear a horrible screeching metal roar come from the clouds above. From the black cloud cover she could see familiar machinery descend. The same machinery she witnessed torturing and slaughtering fillies.
"What!? No! How can that thing be here?"
Rainbow ran up to Scootaloo and grabbed her, ready to fly off with her when she realized she couldn't. To her horror she found that her wings where gone. The earth trembled again as The Machine released another screeching roar and shot out the harness towards the two. Rainbow wouldn't be able to move both herself and Scootaloo out of the way in time, so she decided to save Scootaloo from this horrible fate and pushed her away so that the harness would take Rainbow instead. The Machine snatched Rainbow Dash and pulled her up into the sky and thew her onto the rack, straps quickly constricting her limbs. The only thing Rainbow could do was scream.
************************************
"AAAAAAH!"
Rainbow awoke in a colt sweat, gasping for air. Had it all been a dream? She found herself in a cold metal room. It was perfectly illuminated but there was no obvious source where the light could be coming from. She looked around and behind her she found a metal door. She ran up to it and began banging with all her might.
"Let me out! You here me!? Let me out of here!"
A panel on the door slid open revealing the face of a deep red pegasus through a screen of protective glass.
"Ah. I'm so happy to see you finally awake. Have any pleasant dreams?"
"Wh- AGH!"
Rainbow Dash fell to the ground screaming, desperately covering her ears with both hooves. Her head was throbbing in pain, traces of blood trickling from her eyes as a deathening screech filled her mind and faded as suddenly as it appeared.
"What did you do to me!?" she weakly shouted through gritted teeth.
"Do? Oh I didn't do anything, aside from bring you here that is. Lets just say you're in the belly of the beast. Very soon your eyes will open and you will be made hole. Until then Miss Dash, try not to hurt yourself."
Dr. Atmosphere slid closed the door panel and left Rainbow Dash to herself. He had nothing left to say to her, the rest would just be a matter of time. Rainbow Dash curled up into a ball on the floor and silently wept, not for herself, but for her own kind for being capable of such evils.
She had now been in the room for hours, eyes swollen from crying for so long. She lay in the center of the room hardly moving that whole time. She was scared for her own sanity. Over the course of hours she had started hearing things that she knew weren't there. A drop of water falling to the ground, an insect skittering behind her head, something scratching at the metal wall. Was she going crazy? Did they do something to her head? She couldn't tell. All she could do was try to hold onto her grasp of reality as sleep eventually overtook her.
"AAAAH!"
Rainbow opened her eyes and screamed as a great pain overcame her body. She was in a rack, limbs continuously being stretched out. She was in the same place as her nightmare from before, strapped into the torture rack of The Machine. Above her she could see the outline of a device obscured by the clouds but close enough to notice. She could see the outlines of several mechanical arms, dancing and twitching in anticipation as her body was being tenderized. Rainbow remained in the rack all throughout the night in unbearable pain, screams eventually dieing down as her mind began ignoring the pain.
Eventually she awoke once again, desperately gasping for air just as before.
Soon after Rainbow awoke from her living nightmare she writhed in pain on the floor as her mind filled with screeching and exploded in pain somehow even more intense than the first time. She had felt like she was about to die when it suddenly stopped, the sudden lack of pain like a euphoria. Soon after her descent into madness truly began. Insects crawled under her skin. All she could hear was a maddening sound like glass slowing grinding against itself. Her vision would fill with flashes of her own flesh melting and blood running down the walls. She shivered and twitched in paranoia as the hallucinations continued all day until eventually she fell asleep once more.
Every night her dreams took her to the same rack in the sky. Every night the cutting device descended closer and closer to her body. Every day she awoke in even greater pain than before. Every day was spent in madness as the hallucinations gradually became more vivid and horrific. This continued for nearly a week until eventually the cutting device of The Machine fought its way right in front of Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow dash had endured so much pain for so many days now that hey body had become numb to it. She had been broken. Broken in body, broken in mind, broken in spirit. Broken in every way imaginable. She no longer had the will to resist and now the cutting tools where positioning themselves. A single tear of blood ran down her cheek. She had accepted her fate.
The blades of The Machine jabbed into her to do their work, color slowly draining from Rainbow's body. Before too long all that remained was a gray husk of her former self. The rack released and discarded the lifeless corpse, plummeting to the ground below. The earth rumbled as The Machine receded back into cloud layer and vanished.
Rainbow was now a corpse on the ground, her tongue swollen, her body beginning to bloat. Her eyes still had a spark life and she could still see but she could no longer move her body. She couldn't feel anything, she couldn't hear a sound. Within her vision she saw Scootaloo appear, weeping for Rainbow Dash. She gently nuzzled her, although Rainbow couldn't feel it. She knew that Scootaloo would keep alive the small spark of herself that remained as she faded from consciousness.
Rainbow opened her eyes, the light of the room now blinding to her. All her strength that had been suppressed for nearly a week returned to her all at once and her mind felt more clear than ever before. She began to chuckle to herself as she drug herself up off the floor.
"Ha...haha! HAHA HAHA! I get it! I finally get it! Oh its so beautiful. So magnificent! The perfect system."
Rainbow slammed herself against the metal door and began profusely banging on it.
"Doctor Atmosphere! Let me out of here! I can finally see! Ooooh I've never felt so good! I have to see it again! I have to see it wipe out the pathetic excuses of pegasi!"
Rainbow continued to rave and rant at the door until Dr. Atmosphere finally showed up to answer her calls. He opened the door and let her out of the room she had been trapped in for the past week.
"Very impressive Miss Dash. You managed to hold out twice as long as anyone I've ever seen. I must admit you surprised me."
"Ya ya, pats on the back and medals all around. You can stuff the speeches doc. Just show me where it is. I have to see its magic at work again!"
"Hehehe...right this way Miss Dash. Welcome to the rainbow factory."
A/N: Hope you enjoyed my attempt at a dark fic. Sorry if the writing isn't too good for this one, I wanted to get it off my chest asap. I wrote this mainly to see what kind of range I have. Anyways onto my rant.
When I first read Rainbow Factory I felt like a few things had been missing and there where some inconsistencies that had bothered me: Rainbow said she was approached after she did her sonic rainboom but it was her second time so why didn't they approach her or her parents when she did it the first time as a filly? If Rainbow was the element of loyalty how was she convinced to become part of the factory? How was the factory able to keep itself a secret the whole time? (I didn't buy the whole sworn to secrecy bit but I could imagine them all going mad) So I decided to write this prequel to address some of these issues I had.
I imagined the machine that ground ponies up into spectra as kind of its own living entity. I imagined that it was able to effect the minds of those around it into madness (explaining how anyone that ever left the factory was too mentally unstable to confess what they saw/did). So when it came to Rainbow working for the factory I imagined that The Machine would be able to invade her mind and drain the color from her very soul, leaving her as a mad, evil husk of her former self. Her dreaming was just supposed to be a representation of what was happening to her mind.
Anyways if you haven't read 'Rainbow Factory' and want to see Rainbow Dash's story continue (in a much better written fic) the link is in the description.
P.S. If anyone is interested in pre-reading/grammar-checking for me feel free to send me a message.
