Processing Rainbows
As the young Miss. Dash walked across the Upper floor, from the catwalk hung high above the rest of the workers, she stopped to look down and to see two young pegasi. they seemed to be of some relation, judging by the coat color and style of mane. Both strong looking colts that had failed the flight test at the academy only a few hours before hand. The younger of the two, screaming and crying loudly was quickly silenced by the quick hoof of the security Pegasus that had been escorting the group of 12 failing, and weak pegasi across the main processing floor.
“This is just a typical afternoon in the back of the factory, where the real magic of rainbows happens” thought Miss. Dash as she continued to look upon the commotion below.
It was unusual to see a pair of siblings cross the floor. She gazed over at the older brother of the young colt that had been silenced so abruptly. Something was different about him, he didn't react to his own sibling being knocked to the ground like a toy , he just stood there, no tears were shed, no trembling legs, unfazed by what was going to happen.
Miss Dash knew something was either wrong with this young colt, soon to be a young stallion… or maybe she knew something was right about him.
She bellowed “STOP!” over the sounds of the machines grinding and the screams and cries from the other ponies.
All the workers in that sector knew when Miss. Dash says “Stop”, you obey. The floor shut down quickly to a dead silence. The extracting device, used to extract the fluids and colors from a pony’s body had stopped millimeters from the next subjects body, causing the little filly to pass out from fear… it was probably for the best.
Rainbow Dash flew to the Colt with authority.. “Do you know why you are here young one? Do you know why we do what we do?”
The young colt just stared blankly back at Miss. Dash and said nothing, which infuriated her.( Smack!), was the sound of her hoof hitting the colt across the face and hitting the floor. Miss Dash looked curiously at the colt that was almost the age of a stallion.
“Where’s your Cutie mark? You’re a little old to be a blank flank aren't you?”
The young pony spoke very softly, but with authority. “I guess I haven’t found what my destiny is.”
Miss. Dash’s look of anger turned to confusion. “You are almost a stallion, you do not look like you belong here. Where do you reside in Cloudsdale?” asked Miss. Dash
Only to be shocked by the fact that the young colt had no recollection of where he was from. She turned to the younger brother who had stood back up at this point but had not stopped bleeding from being struck. “Where are you from?, Answer me!" stated Miss Dash.
The younger of the two shook fearfully ”f-from Coudsdale ma’am, that’s all I know”
The pair of siblings had been dropped off in Cloudsdale some time ago to fend for themselves, their parents still unknown. Miss. Dash looked around the processing room at the workers all staring at her. Not once in the history of her reign over the factory has she ever conversed with any of the ponies who have passed through.
“Get back to work!” Rainbow Dash screamed. Awaking the pony in the device that had passed out, just long enough for one final scream before she was drained and stripped into a colorless mass of nothing.
Rainbow Dash looked at the siblings, “that is your destiny”, she pointed to the massive vats filled with colors and different hues of all kinds….”to make the citizens all across Equestria baste in the glow of a bright rainbow”
…”why?” said the older colt “are there no other ways to make rainbows”?
Rainbow Dash laughed loudly. “You have no idea how deep the pipes of this factory go, do you?"
“Then tell me, I want to know” the colt responded. Rainbow Dash took a step back; she had not been asked this request before.
The colt said “I want to know that there is more to this than just making rainbows, there has to be. Tell me.”
Rainbow Dash, still confused, was contemplating letting the colt in on the inner secrets and workings of the Factory. “if you truly want to know, I will tell you, but at one cost.” offered Miss. Dash
The colt knowing he was to die anyway, really did not think of what could possibly be worse. “And what is that?” He asked.
Rainbow Dash lowered her head in laughter but raised it slowly with the darkest, evil look in her eyes. “you must take the controls of the device and perform the duties of your race as a Pegasus, and to uphold Cloudsdale’s reputation”, if you succeed at your task, not only will all the answers you seek become clear… but I will let you live”
The worker Pegasus who was running the machine just a few feet ahead of her quickly turned around and started to speak “but ma’am!, h-he might”…
“Silence!” interrupted Rainbow Dash. “I know what I’m doing.”
The young colt was reluctant to take the offer. How could he be responsible for essentially murdering another pony? But… he thought about it. “wait a minute.” He thought to himself, "if she will let me go, maybe I can beg for her to let my little brother go instead of me”…. Such a noble Pegasus, but a foolish one.
Rainbow Dash was awaiting an answer.
“Ok” said the colt, “but I want some information before I step up to the machine”
....”Very well” said Miss. Dash. “Did you ever wonder why the apples at sweet apple acres grow so plentiful? Yes it’s because of the rain and sunshine Cloudsdale produces, but that’s not enough is it? The soil needs nutriance that cannot be provided by weather alone. Sweet innocent Applejack knows nothing of where the fertilizer comes from for her farm, she just sees Big Macintosh hauling cart fulls of it every week"
"You see, this solves two problems my curious little pony" Rainbow Dash said with an ominous grin. " what do we do with all the bodies after processing? Leave them to rot? Nooo, that would take to long… but on the third floor below, lies yet another machine, unseen by the ponies being processed"…
“you mean?” said the colt
Miss. Dash leaned slowly in towards the colt. "Yes my young friend,...makes those apples you have been eating ever so tasty hmm?”
The young colt dropped to his knees becoming violently ill.
Rainbow dash just smiled evilly “And do you not wonder how the big city of Manehatton sustains it power grid? Where do you think the fuel comes from? How about sugar cube corner? They use the apples from the farm, Sweet Rarity uses the finest fabrics from Equestria that was created from materials woven from..."
….STOP!” cried the young Colt, “you are monsters”
“On the contrary” Miss. Dash said “You see my friend, do you think the other ponies would ever know of this? Of course not. All they ever see are the beautiful rainbows that the factory produces. But in reality, Rainbows are just the by product of an even bigger operation"
The young colt staggered to his hooves still weak and trembling from the truth. Rainbow Dash pointed to the Processing machine.
“A deal is a deal” Rainbow Dash said.
The young colt kept his younger brother in mind. As he approached the machine, the blood-soaked Pegasus in charge stepped aside and was showing what buttons to press and levers to use.
“I-il do it, but I can’t watch” said the young colt.
As he went through the motions of pressing buttons and pulling levers, all the while his eyes not leaving the machines control panel… the sounds of the machines, the cries from the other ponies and the yelling from the worker Pegasi all faded away and sound focused on the one screaming pony about to be processed.
“I CANT DO IT!” yelled the young colt.
The Pegasus in charge of the machine leaped in front of him and pressed the button to start the machine. As the screams stopped, the young colt looked up at the young pony that had been killed
…."BROTHER NOOOOO!!" cried the colt loudly
Rainbow Dash laughed evilly.
“YOU MONSTERS!” yelled the colt
Pushing the Pegasus aside and grabbing the control panel, he swung the device’s arm to grab a hold of the Pegasus who had pushed the starting button The colt slowly squeezed the life out of him while he was put through the extracting procedure. But where was rainbow dash in all the commotion? She watched but had done nothing… sound went silent in the factory floor.
The colt dropped to his knees. Rainbow dash walked over slowly covering the weeping colt with her blood covered wing. She pointed to the young colts backside
“you see my young Stallion?" The colt could no longer be called a colt after that experience...” I told you your Destiny was to make Equestria a brighter place”
... “my-my cutie mark?” the colt stuttered.
A pony skull with two crossbones…so malice looking… The young stallion arose slowly to gaze at his new found destiny in the bloodstained chrome of the device…
“Welcome to the Rainbow Family” said Rainbow Dash...
…"My name is Rainbow Processor; I am the Supervisor for the main processing floor at the Rainbow Factory located in Cloudsdale. This is the job I’m best at, this is why Miss. Dash chose me, and this is my destiny. I dare challenge anypony who doubts the importance of the Rainbow factory. For we make all of Equestria a brighter place. Now if you will excuse me, I must return to the processing floor. I have…work to do"
(Rainbow Processor)
March 02, 2013