"Doctor!" The purple unicorn mare ran behind the brown stallion who she called the doctor. He pushed the doors of a blue phone book open with his hoof. He looked to the purple mare who was being chased by changelings.
"Melody, hurry up!" He yelled out with a thick British accent.
"Like, I'd go any slower?!" She jumped and slid into the phone box and then he jumped inside as well. He shut the door behind him and all they heard was the body of the creatures banging against the door. "Time to go!" Melody jumped up and ran to the center of the huge futuristic looking machine. She flipped a switch and a vroom sound was emitted from the machine. The brown colt jumped up and hit two buttons as the blue tube in the middle began to glow and move. VROOM VROOM HEEEEGGGEEE VROOM. These sounds came from the machine and then the sounds of the banging disappeared and they knew they were safe.
The two ponies fell on the floor and leaned on each other's backs. "Running, always running."
Melody giggled and nudged him, "I don't know how you have such a butter butt when you're always running." She was teasing him and his obsession with butter.
"Oi! What's wrong with butter?! At least it's not pears! And I'm not fat!"
The purple unicorn moved her brown mane out of the way and giggled, "Yes you are." She stood up and walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. The Doctor stood up as well, his brown short spikey mane flipped back onto his neck. Melody soon had a look of curiousness on her face. "I wonder why those changelings were chasing us anyway."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Why were those changelings chasing us?" She now looked up to him and he was tinkering with the central command system of his machine. "I mean what were they wanting? Do you think the TARDIS could see what their motives were with its galactic library?"
He hit a button with his nose and a screen popped up but then disappeared, "Hold on a sec." He pulled out a small device and he went under the dash board and began to tinker, the sound from the small device was a high pitch buzz, good thing they weren't dogs or that would hurt. She shook her head and then walked down one of the halls of the larger on the inside phone box. She looked around with a smile; it had been a year since she met up with the Doctor. She thought she was the last of her kind and he thought the same. They were both Time Ponies or Time Lords if they were human in appearance. Back before time itself there was a time war and all of her friends and family were destroyed, she was able to escape using her TARDIS, but it was destroyed later on in her life, to be exact when she arrived in Ponyville, she crashed and it busted. So she was stranded in this new and strange world. She soon realized she wasn't like the rest of the ponies; they were all multicolored and so bright. She was a dark purple and brown mane. She knew she was different and this set her off from making friends. About three years in living in Ponyville she heard the sounds of a TARDIS and ran toward them. That's when she met the Doctor. He didn't know but she was also a Time Lord, she soon told him and they had been traveling with him for a year now. She thought about all the adventures they had together. When they went to Paris, Prance and defeated the cyber ponies, when they had to defeat the weeping Pegasus and the newest one was defeating the changelings who had teamed up with the Daleks. She sighed and then giggled, she felt so stupid. She now realized why the changelings were after them, she was in love with the Doctor and she was just now realizing this. Those creatures feed off the love one pony has for another, she ran back to tell the Doctor and all of a sudden the TARDIS stopped, and with a jolt. She fell over and then stood up and shook her head, she ran into the main room and she saw the Doctor rubbing his head.
"What happened?" She helped him up and he groaned.
"Well apparently we have stopped. Something must be wrong with the TARDIS or in time, she doesn't just stop like this. Let's take a look outside!" He ran outside but then halted, they were on the clouds in Cloudsdale, and unless you were a Pegasus you couldn't walk on the clouds.
"Why are we in Cloudsdale?" Melody looked around and saw a poster.
It read, flying finals today, every Pegasus between the ages of 18-25 is to report to the Wonderbolt stadium and pass a test. If you fail you will not get to try again. She looked to the Doctor, "Think maybe that's why we are here?"
"Possibly, but we need to be a Pegasus in order to take part in this exam. And I know just the machine that will do that, it turned me into a human so if it can do that I'm sure it can turn us into Pegasus for a day." He trotted back inside and walked over to a helmet and a switch board. "Here I'll go first." He put on the helmet, "Now, flip that switch and turn that knob until the screen says Pegasus, when it does hit the big red button." She did exactly what he said and then he screamed in pain, she jumped back and she witnessed as Pegasus wings grew from his back, they were large and the same color as his coat. After a minute or two the wings were fully grown and he stopped screaming. He took the helmet off, "You're turn." She gulped and put the helmet on and the same thing happened to her. She took off the helmet and her horn was gone, she looked weird without it. She extended her wings and a breeze came through and it blew her mane back and the sunlight glistened off her glossy wings, the Doctor's eyes widen and his wings popped opened. He had a blush on his face and Melody began to die laughing. He glared at her and then closed his wings. "Well, now let's try to fly."
It took about 30 minutes but soon they had the hang of flying and they nodded to each other, they were ready to see why the TARDIS had brought them there. They flew out of the doors and closed them behind them. They didn't have to worry about camouflaging the TARDIS because when some pony sees a big blue police phone box, what are they going to do? They're going to leave it alone and walk on by. They flew over the clouds streets and cloud buildings; they don't call it Cloudsdale for a reason. She looked all around and saw ponies of those ages heading to the stadium. Once at the gates of the stadium they had to sign in and show proof of them being born in Cloudsdale, lucky they both had physic paper and was able to fool the guard. The physic paper was able to make people see what they want to see, in this case, it was a birth certificate. They walked inside the stadium and they saw an obstacle course, she looked at a sign and read that the exam consisted of clearing the clouds, endurance, agility, and speed. They had just learned how to fly how did they ever plan on passing, not like it mattered they would turn back into themselves at the end of this test, failed or not.
One of the directors, escorted them back to the holding room and each one of them received a number. Melody was 13 and the Doctor was 12. Melody sat down on the cloud couch and waited for the test to begin.
"Maybe we should look around and see what's so important about this test?" She asked the Doctor.
"Maybe, but I think we should just lay low for now." He kicked his legs back and forth in boredom. It was clear to see that the Doctor wasn't used to sitting in one place for a long period of time.
"I think I'll get us some energy drinks," she trotted over to the punch bowl and poured them two glasses of drinks. As she was flying back she overheard two Pegasus talking about the exam. She flew in closer and listened in.
"What happens if we fail?" A yellow and orange mare Pegasus asked her black Pegasus stallion friend.
"I heard they take anypony that fails away in a black carriage and your never heard if again," he smiled trying to scare her.
"You idiot, quit trying to scare me, I really want to know what happens if I fail."
"I'm serious Fleet Wings, that's what I heard happens. Remember that Pegasus who couldn't fly, uhh Scootaloo?"
"Yeah?"
"She failed and no one ever heard from her again."
Melody had heard enough and she flew back to the Doctor, she handed him his drink and then sat down beside him. She proceeded to tell him everything that she had heard from those two Pegasus. The Doctor placed a hoof under his chin and began to ponder.
"Wait Doctor, remember a while ago, Princess Luna had to leave and Celestia had to take responsibility of the sun and moon again. She gave the responsibility of the weather back to the Pegasus. Maybe what happens when they fail, the failures are subjected to work in the weather facility for life."
"Yes, that is a possibility. In order to get to the bottom of this one of us will have to fail. And before you say anything, to keep you out of trouble I'm going to fail."
"No, I will. I can get myself out of trouble and I know how to take care of myself. I will fail the test, you just come and find me after it's over and if there is any trouble we will put a stop to it." She smiled to him.
"But I can't lose my only Time Lord companion."
She placed a hoof on his shoulder and smiled, "You won't."
He nodded and a trumpet sounded, signaling the start of the exam. The first Pegasus flew out of the waiting room and proceeded to take the exam. One by on each Pegasus flew out and took their exam, so far only 2 had failed and it was the Doctor's turn. Melody paced the floor worrying he would fail and try to protect her. She stood outside of the curtains and waited patiently. Her heart was beating furiously inside her chest, did he fail? Did he pass? She waited and waited and finally she heard the results. He had passed and he had stuck to the plan.
"Number 13," the announcer said as she stepped outside of the curtains. She looked at the course and gulped. She knew she had to fail but she was still nervous. After hearing that stallion Pegasus she was worried about what would happen to her. The gun shot rang out and she sprang from the cloud she sat on.
The first part of the test was clearing the sky within a time limit; she had thirty seconds to clear 100 clouds. She mustard up her courage and flew out. She bucked, flew fast and wildly worked to clear the clouds. But she purposely only cleared half the clouds and even when the time had been called she continued working like she was desperate. The examiners forced her to move on to the next part of the test.
The next part of the test was endurance, this part consisted of seeing how far and fast she could fly in the longest time before she had to quit. She popped her neck and flew about as fast as Fluttershy; she had only flown 10 meters and then pretended to stop for breath. The test administrators looked at her with disgrace and rejection. Within the first minute they put an F on that part of the test. She soon moved on to the third test, agility.
This part of the test consisted of her flying through hoops, and over an obstacle course of clouds, tunnels, and rings of flame. She rolled her eyes and flew into the tunnels but didn't come out. An administrator flew in and pushed her out and then she flew into a pole. Again they put down an F for that portion as well. Finally the last part of the test, speed.
This was the easiest one to fail of them all; she gingerly flapped her wings and flew slowly to the finish line. In total time, this whole test took her 30 minutes to complete. It was already clear what the judges where going to say and she was right. Her poorly done performance lead to her failing the test. Two stallions flew up to her and lead her out the back archway. But these stallions were dressed different than the others, these had on lab coats and their eyes were covered with goggles. As they were leading her out, she turned over her shoulder and saw the Doctor nod to her and she nodded back.
Once they were outside of the stadium, the two stallions tossed her in a complete black carriage, there were no windows and only one light was emitted and that was a small lantern that was hung from the middle of the ceiling, the smell was that of fear, sweat and was that death she smelled? When they slammed the door she saw two more Pegasus. One was a mare and the other was a stallion. The mare had a broken wing, she was pink with blue hair, and her cutie mark was a pen and paper. The stallion was grey and black mane, he had a mane just like the Doctor, short and spikey, and she noticed also that his cutie mark was a constellation. The carriage jolted forward, and Melody knew they had taken off. The pink mare began to cry and the stallion hugged her with his right wing. Melody pulled out the sonic screwdriver which she had stolen from the Doctor and began to try and undarken the windows to see where they were going. Once she saw where she was she would send a single to the Doctor for him to save her. The small device began buzzing.
"Put that up, they may catch you and take that away from you!" The stallion said to her as he moved over to her.
"Oh please, they would have to take this from my dead hooves before I'd give this bad boy up." She continued on with her work then the pink mare raised her head.
"You don't get it do you?"
Melody stopped at the tone of the mare's voice, it was cold and deathly, "What do you mean?"
The pink mare shed a tear and then looked to the stallion and then back to Melody, "They are going to kill us."
"That's preposterous; Princess Celestia would never allow that in her kingdom." And Melody was right, Princess Celestia was a kind and just ruler who wouldn't want any of her subjects killed.
"If she doesn't know she can't do anything," the grey stallion said.
"So please, put your small device away before the guards hear you," the pink mare shed another tear as Melody put the screw driver away, but she sent out the signal so the Doctor could track their movement.
"Well what are your names and stories?" Melody decided to change the subject to try and get this young mare from this crazy idea.
"My name is Leon, and I failed because when I flew into the tunnel I tripped on the way out and also I didn't clear all the clouds, and my speed wasn't what it should've been." The grey stallion acted like he hated to admit all of these things.
"My name is Papyrus, I failed because when I flew through the agility part my wing hit the ring and it snapped." The pink mare looked over her shoulder to the limp wing, "If that hadn't happened I would have passed."
"Why did you fail," Leon asked her.
"Oh I failed on purpose," Melody pushed this off as if it was nothing, "I'm not really a Pegasus, my friend gave me Pegasus wings to investigate what really happens after these tests and why the poster says that we won't be able to take it again."
The two ponies were shocked by this discovery, why would somepony purposely fail a test? "Are you crazy?!" They both asked her.
"No, I'm an investigator and I'm determined to get to the bottom of this." The carriage then stopped, it had landed and outside she heard hoof taps, and churning gears, machinery thuds and one scream. This faint scream stunned Papyrus and she froze in her place in fear. Leon placed his wing around her again. The lab coat Pegasus opened the door and the trio slunk out of the carriage and into the day, but what was day was now night, a night made up of thunder clouds. Lightning flashed all around and it scared Papyrus, Melody on the other hand stood strong and without fear, yet.
The lab coat creatures led them into the large building, and down into what seemed to be a labyrinth. With confusing twist and turns, they were led further and further down into what seemed a never-ending stair case. The sounds of machinery and clanking could be everywhere, the ducked under scaffolds and stepped over steam pipes. Melody looked around and took everything in. She looked for an escape if necessary, but everywhere she looked there were no windows, or doors, the only doors led into larger rooms, but not outside, not even air vents could be seen, but then she saw one, just one air vent, but it was in another room. She had seen this exit through a small opening in the wall, and from this small opening a scream was emitted. Again this frightened Papyrus and she shook in fear. Melody frowned and then her high paced mind began to try and wrap her head around this. Number one was where they were and why were they here? Number two was why Celestia would allow this if what Papyrus said was true. And number three, if what the pink mare said was true, would the Doctor save her in time? As they were led further and further down she saw some of the machinery and it was covered in rust and there were large tubs of bright colors, there were six colors in each tub, colors of the rainbow, red, yellow, orange, blue, green, and purple. She saw chains hanging from the ceilings and the large hallway was soon ending and she saw a door, it was a large metal door. One of the lab coat ponies opened it and the trio was pushed inside. This room, it was large, cold and deathly. Melody stood proud though, she was not about to accept defeat. When she was pushed in she saw other Pegasus as well, but she hadn't seen these Pegasus from today, these must have been past failures. And it hit her, this was where all the failures where sent to.
Melody walked over to other ponies to talk to them and left Papyrus in the caring hooves of Leon.
"What do you know about this place?" She asked a bright red mare and yellow stallion.
"All I know is we are in The Factory, this is where they do all the weather." The red mare said.
"How long have you been here for?"
"I've been in here for 2 weeks," the yellow stallion breathed.
"I've only been here 3 or 4 days," the red mare cooed.
Melody was about to ask another question to the two scared ponies when the lab coat creatures busted through the door.
The lab coat ponies pushed the failures into a corner and another pony stood before them, he had on glasses and you could actually see his eyes. They were a grey color and his coat was blue and his coat was covered in some rust, he must have been working on the machinery.
"Good evening, my name is Professor Atmosphere; I am the leading weather leader here at The Factory. Here in Cloudsdale you know we make the weather and all things that are needed to survive. We even make the happy and peppy rainbows that everypony enjoys." When he said that sentence his grimaced at the word happy, it almost seemed to give him pain. "Now how many of you have taken a tour of the Factory, or at least what they show you?" Some of the other ponies nodded, Melody had never had any reason to see The Factory so she wouldn't know. "Very good, and you all know that the tour starts at where the spectra we need for the rainbows is made." The Professor was soon surrounded by lab coat ponies with Tasers, Melody's hearts dropped at this sight. The evil professor smiled, but it was evil and psychotic. "Now would you pitiful creatures follow me." This wasn't a question it was a command. "Don't fall behind though."
The large group followed behind him, there were more ponies than what Melody had realized. The Professor pushed a large metal door open but some of the ponies were scared and didn't move, but then the lab coat ponies shocked them with the Tasers. The 3 fillies shook in a spasm that was uncontrollable, their spit and blood flew out of their mouths and some of it landed on the group. They began to scream loud and in increase agony. Their eyes went pale and their fur began to burn in a large fire, it was clear to see that the Taser were set to an inhumane level. The three foals fell down on the ground and their fur began to smoke. Melody gasped and the few kids never rose up. Papyrus froze in fear but Leon pushed her forward so she wouldn't have the same fate. The Professor neighed with delight at this sight and then the door shut behind the group. They were in a long hallway and he was leading them somewhere, there were lab coat ponies behind the group, but after seeing what happened the group was filed right behind the Professor.
"You simply must be careful in this facility," he laughed with a psychotic joy. "One could easily get hurt." Melody's breath began to quicken, she realized they weren't sent here to work; no something terrible was going to happen to them. She had just hoped that the machinery hadn't interfered with her coordinates that she had sent to the TARDIS. Sweat began to form on her forehead, as the Professor lead them up some stairs and over gangways, each pony could feel a plethora of heat on their bodies. As they continued walking the heat was getting hotter and hotter. The Professor stopped at a large metal door and behind this door there were echoes of screams, the vibrations of machines could be felt under their hooves. The sounds of banging metal mallets and assembly lines could be heard all around. Louder and louder the echoes came and the more Melody's heart pounded in her torso. The Professor looked to the group, "Like I said Cloudsdale has been given a special honor to make Equestria a wonderful and thriving place, and we can't have failures like you flying around wearing the "Cloudsdale" name now can we?" His smirk returned and another scream was heard from behind the door, after the scream came three knocks. "Now, you're not all useless, here you will find your use." He pushed open the door, and the group filed into the larger room, the lab coat creations pushed them in with their Tasers.
"Enjoy the rest of your pitiful lives."
The heavy door slammed shut behind the group and with that thud everypony jumped. Melody forced herself to calm down and she looked around this new room, it was large and she saw the large containers of the bright and vibrant spectra again. And to her relief this was the room with the one air vent, the only exit to civilization. She saw a large machine and tubes running from this machine to the large containers of colors, the chains hung from the ceiling and swayed lifelessly. Melody's mind began to race and she tried to think like the Doctor, he would have found a way out by now. She paced the floor with her breaths shortening and her heart pace quickening. Leon moved to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder, he looked her in the eyes and Melody calmed down. Just then a lab coat pony came behind her and hit her over the head and Melody fell to the floor, the last thing that ran through her mind was the Doctor.
Minutes later, the unconscious pony awoke and she lay on the cold and hard floor. A door burst open up on the gangway and the entered someone Melody never thought would be here. She saw a cyan colored mare with a rainbow mane. Melody's heart dropped. Her mind raced. Her breaths quickened. How could Rainbow Dash be here? She was the element of loyalty! How could she betray fellow ponies like this?! All these and more questions ran through Melody's mind.
Even though it was Rainbow Dash something was not right about her. Her magenta colored eyes were pale and not lively as they once were. In fact, Melody looked deep into the cyan mare and couldn't find a sliver of Rainbow Dash left at all.
"Now! You ingrates have been brought here to actually make use of your pitiful lives! You can't fly and so you are no use to Cloudsdale and improving our name! But let me tell you mules a story, back over 1000 years ago when Celestia had to banish Luna to the moon, she was in charge of only two things, raising the sun and spreading rainbows, she entrusted the Pegasus to take care of the weather. But when she had to banish Luna, she took of the responsibility of the moon as well, so she gave the rainbow responsibility to us Pegasus. In the first few hundred years we were given the help with the magic of unicorns to help create the spectra. But we were tried of these unpegasus ponies helping the creators of the weather, so a few genius ponies saw that in us ponies, the spectra and magic ran free, so now these days we don't need the help of the snobby unicorns and their magic anymore. We just harvest the spectra from you! This also relieves us from you donkeys ruining the Cloudsdale name. We get the rainbows and get rid of you filthy ingrates!" She laughed manically and flung her head back.
A brown stallion, that looked like the Doctor, minus the hour glass cutie mark, sprang from the metal ground and flew toward the small opening in fear. The lab coat ponies flew after him with the Tasers. The colt tried to pull the air vent off and just as he did, the lab coat ponies jabbed their Tasers in his side. He flung in a spasm as the electricity coursed through his body. Rainbow Dash just took on step over and watched the colt die and the wicked smile spread over her face. The lab coat ponies pulled their Tasers away and the stallion fell to the floor and the sounds of snaps and a loud squish could be heard echoing through the room. Rainbow Dash looked down at the body and ordered one of the lab coat ponies to dispose of it.
Rainbow Dash looked back to the group of frightened ponies. Melody looked to them in fear, but she knew she had to be strong, yet without the Doctor by her side… she was helpless. She looked over to Papyrus and Leon and Papyrus began to shake in fear, her eyes were dull and were staring into space, not at anything just space. Melody saw that the fear had made the young Pegasus snap.
"Now let's have a test subject to show you the power of your machine." The psychotic mare looked over the group, Melody tried to stand proud but as soon as the red eyes of the disgruntled Pegasus burned into her soul, the brave mare disappeared and she coward under the burning glare. Then her gaze turned to a shaking pink mare and red stallion. Leon had put his wing over Papyrus to try and comfort her, and Rainbow Dash would not have security and happiness in her factory. The wicked smile slowly and devilishly slipped onto her face and she pointed her hoof at the two. "Them! They shall be the first to go!"
The two young ponies jumped in fear and gasped. Melody wanted to act like the Doctor and jump up to save them but the burning gaze of the rainbow mare hit her again and she fell down to the floor in fear. This fear seemed to give the Pegasus power. Lab coat ponies then surrounded the two Pegasus. They moved in slowly, for fear was their tool. They didn't want a commotion, so they didn't just run in. No, they slinked in like a snake ready to attack its victim. The two frightened ponies were cornered.
Suddenly, the hum of the large machine came to life. Melody looked over and saw the gears begin to turn and the chains move closer to them. That's when she realized that the chains weren't chains, they were shackles, and the rust she saw on top of the tubs and the red rust on the lab coats were blood. The failures were sent here to become rainbows. The rainbow what seemed to joyous and full of happiness was now a symbol of death.
The small hum of the machine grew louder and louder, it was now a roaring machine. Like a lion ready to kill its prey, the shackles soon were above the two cornered ponies. The shackles soon turned into snakes, and with a furious speed they grabbed the ponies by their hoofs. Two shackles grabbed their front hoofs, and two other shackles grabbed their back hoofs. Then the two ponies were lifted above a large hole in the floor, they were sprawled out as if they were lying on a stretch bed. While the mare in command wasn't looking, Melody quietly trotted over to the center and looked over the rail. Below the two hanging ponies was a large shedder. Its metal teeth grinding and chomping, looking for its next meal. Melody, in fear jumped back from the rail and back to the group.
The machine's roar stopped and all was silent. It had been a minute now that the two Pegasus were hanging from the ceiling. They struggled. They jolted. They fought with all their might. But the shackles would not let go of the two victims. Sweat and tears poured from their faces. This only made Rainbow Dash happier. Her devil smile returned and she slowly raised her hoof up and moved it across her neck. "We find that the machine enjoys its meal more when the victims are broken."
Melody didn't even have to ask what she meant. Cause just as Rainbow Dash finished her sentence, the silence was broken and the roar and grinding of the machine returned. Melody witnessed as the shackles began to turn in opposite directions. Making the upper half of the victim twist to the left and the lower half turn to the right. The screams emitted from the ponies were sheer pain and agony. Melody gasped when she saw the rib bones of the ponies ejected from their sides. Blood splattered over the floor and on their jagged bones. Their screams of pain disappeared to just raspy gasp for life. Now they could hear the snaps and cracks of bones that happened within the ponies. The smell of death was in the air. CRACK! SNAP! The grinding of the machine and the demonic laugh from Rainbow Dash rang in the air.
Rainbow Dash nodded to a lab coat pony and he pressed a button. The shackles were back to their original position. The two ponies were slowly trying to stay alive. They barely lifted up their eyes and the last thing they saw was the evil grin of an evil pony. The shackles released its prey and the two ponies fell into the large grinder. CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! The sounds of their bones being crushed rang in their ears. The tubes gushed bright reds and blues and the colors filled up some tubes of the same colors. Melody looked over the edge and she saw the bloody and dismembered hoof of Papyrus on the side of the grinder and out of its death reach.
Her heart raced. Her breaths short and fearful. Her eyes wide. Scared. Frightened. Tortured. She felt all of these emotions course through her body. She closed her eyes- she could still hear their shattering shrieks.
Melody had enough of this madness, and she decided to be brave for once in her life without the Doctor beside her. The purple mare jumped up from the cold metal floor and there was a flame in her eyes. She stood in front of the group and looked up at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash glared at her, but the deathly gaze no longer affected her. "HOW COULD YOU! HOW COULD YOU BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS!? YOUR PRINCESS?! AND YOUR COUNTRY!?" There was a fire in the mare that could not be quenched.
The rainbow mare was silent. But the silence was soon stopped by a scream of rage, "I did what was best for my kind! I didn't betray my country! I continued working so Equestria could thrive! After I preformed the Sonic Rainboom these ponies confronted me to try and see how I was able to create a rainbow without having to use the spectra magic. But we could never find out how, so I worked up in the ranks and made it to be manager. I saved Flutter Shy from this death and I tried to save Scootaloo as well but she failed on her own time! How do you think I was able to afford that cloud house?! I tried to keep this from my friends to save them! But the secret has driven me insane! And now I work to keep this country thriving!"
"You're the elements of LOYALTY! Does that mean nothing to you anymore?!"
"NO! IT DOESN'T! GRAB HER! SHE'S THE NEXT TO GO!" Rainbow Dash has snapped, all of the previous Rainbow Dash was gone and she was replaced with this psychotic pony.
The lab coat ponies flew down to Melody and slowly began to corner her, just like they did for Leon and Papyrus. Melody saw what they were doing but there were too many of them for her to fight off. And she was useless, but then she remembered the Sonic Screwdriver! She pulled it out and held it in her hoof; she aimed it at the lab coat ponies. "Back off! I will use this!"
"What is that?" One of the lab coated creatures asked.
"It's a Sonic Screwdriver! And I know how to use it!"
The lab coat ponies looked at each other and began to back up. Rainbow Dash ran to the shackle controller and pressed a button. Melody smirked and began to move forward but then the shackles grasped her hoofs. She dropped the Sonic Screwdriver on the cold metal ground. She reached for it but the shackles pulled her over and hung her above the grinder. She looked down at the metal teeth began to spin round and round. She looked over to the screwdriver but then one of the lab coat ponies kicked it in the grinder. "NO!" Melody wanted to use her unicorn magic but she was still a Pegasus. Silence again rang out through the halls of the building. Being a Time Lord she had a strange power- usually when a Time Lord dies they just regenerate into another body and continue living. But she knew that this death would be far too quick for her to regenerate from. Melody's breaths were short and before her eyes her life flashed.
She saw her past, when she escaped from her home planet; she remembered the pain of losing all her friends and family. She saw it when she crashed into the town hall of Ponyville and it destroyed her TARDIS. She saw when she first met the Doctor. She saw the time when the Doctor jumped in front of her to protect her from the Daleks. She saw him and her sitting by a fireplace and sipping hot coco during winter. And she saw the night they fell asleep on a hill after they had been stargazing. Then she saw today, and how he was so scared to lose her.
"I don't want to lose my only Time Lord companion." He said with an echo in her flashback.
She saw her place a hoof on his shoulder and with a reassuring smile she said, "You won't."
Her flashback was broken by the hum of the machine getting ready to come to life. But something inside her lit up. She couldn't die! She promised the Doctor she wouldn't! Rainbow Dash pressed the button for the shackles to turn. Melody's body and the shackles shook as she fought back their power to turn. She moved her hoofs together in the center of her body and with a quick and mighty force, she flung her hoofs back and the shackles broke in pieces.
Rainbow Dash gasped in surprise and the crowd of failures cheered for her. She was the first one to ever escape the shackles death grip. She flapped her wings and hovered above the grinder. Rainbow Dash screamed with rage as the lab coat ponies flew up to her and tried to Taser her. Melody bucked, and punched, and she kicked the lab coat ponies away from her. Each one she bucked they landed in the grinder, and it spewed an array of colors from its belly. The crowd of failures flew up and it caused a distraction that Melody used to fly toward the air vent. Rainbow Dash saw her trying to escape and she flew after her, but was then pinned down by the crowd of failures. She bit and bucked her way out of the pile and all of the failures landed in the grinder.
Melody crawled through the small space of the air vent; it was tight against her body and pressed down her wings. The heat was intense and shortened her breathing. She began to get light headed from the tight space and lack of air. The only thing running through her mind was the Doctor. She never told him that she loved him. She promised him she would be fine! She had to return to him! She pushed her way through the tight space and saw an opening. There was light and she pushed on it. But when she looked down she saw that she wasn't out of the grinder room. She looked around and then Rainbow Dash saw her head sticking out of the hole. Rainbow Dash growled and sprang from the gangway and bolted toward her. Melody gasped and began to crawl back. She moved ferociously and wildly trying to escape this deranged pony. Rainbow Dash flew into the vent as well and chased after her. Melody was the only one of the failures who hadn't been turned into a rainbow yet, and Rainbow Dash was determined to make sure she didn't escape. The two ponies crawled through the small space and soon the air duct began to creak. Melody moved faster, but she felt the grasp of Rainbow Dash at her heel. Melody looked back and saw Rainbow Dash with an evil grin holding onto her heel. The air duct broke and they both landed on the gangway right above the grinder. The gangway shook to and fro and it creaked. It was rusted and was about to break any minute.
Melody jumped up and was face to face with Rainbow Dash. The rainbow mare growled and snorted and patted her hoof on the ground ready to charge. The lab coat ponies stayed on the ground and watched as their leader was about to maim this rebellious Pegasus. The two ponies circled around each other and their gazes never left each other's eyes.
"I already had to deal with a rebel just like you. Scootaloo didn't want to die either and her pride led to her downfall. She tried to escape just the same way you did. That's how I knew how to catch you. And now your fate will be the same as hers!"
"No! I have someone I love to return to! And I'm not going to let him down!"
"We'll see about that!" The blood covered rainbow mare jolted toward Melody and Melody flew toward her. They were soon in an all-out hoof fight! Rainbow Dash pinned Melody on the ground and began to punch her in the gut, but Melody wouldn't let that stop her. She kneed the mare in the gut and reached up and ripped some of her feathers out of her wings. Rainbow dash jumped back and hovered in the air looking at her damaged wing. Melody took this opportunity and pinned Rainbow Dash to the wall, but Rainbow Dash bit at Melody's neck and drew blood from her gullet. Melody grabbed Rainbow Dash by the mane and ripped out her hair. The blood trickled down Melody's neck as she backed away. Rainbow Dash's face was now covered with blood and so were her teeth. They stopped for a second to catch their breath and then continued to battle. They had each other at a standstill, each hoof pressed up against the other's shoulders. Rainbow Dash flew up and then grabbed Melody's ear. Melody screamed in pain as Rainbow Dash ripped Melody's ear clean off her head, and she spat it down into the chipper. Blood ran from the spot where her ear used to be as she placed her hoofs on the wound and stumbled back. Rainbow Dash was now taking her time, as to let the victim loose blood and bleed to death. She slithered up to Melody and was about to buck her in the grinder.
"Melody!" A British voice rang out to her. Melody opened her eyes and looked over and saw the Doctor in the TARDIS. She smiled and he reached a hoof out to her. She jumped from the gangway and flew over to the entrance. She knew she was safe now, the Doctor was here. He would take her back home and they were put an end to all this madness. She reached for his hoof. But just as they touched, Rainbow Dash bit down on Melody's tail and she flapped her wings backwards, pulling Melody and herself down into the grinder. If she had to go down with Melody, she wouldn't let anypony escape the Factory! Melody's hoofs frantically reached for the Doctor's hoof. "Melody, reach!" The Doctor reached out for one of her hoofs. But it was just out of reach. A tear escaped from Melody's eyes and she looked up to the Doctor. She couldn't fight back Rainbow Dash's wing strength and she knew this was it. She lowered her head and sighed, she stopped moving her hoofs and lowered them. She looked back to the Doctor.
"I love you." She cooed softly. Rainbow Dash grinned seeing her victory. She pulled Melody down to the grinder.
"No!" The Doctor jumped from the TARDIS and landed on Melody's back. Melody's eyes widen at this extra weight. The Doctor grabbed Melody's neck and turned and kicked Rainbow Dash in the face, and the wing, in turn shattering its main bone. The mare gasped, which released her grasp she had on Melody's tail. Melody began to flap her wings and she looked down at the falling Pegasus. She screamed as she fell down and then she landed in the grinder, she tried to fight it back but its jaws were too powerful. It swallowed her up and it released a bright rainbow of colors. The brightest of the colors yet. She flew back over to the TARDIS and the Doctor got off her back. They both looked down in the grinder as it was still giving out an array of colors. He placed a hoof on her shoulder and she looked at him and nodded. He walked away and began to command the TARDIS to take them back to the beginning of this madness. Melody looked back to the grinder and it finally stopped giving off its colors. She saw the bodies of the dead Lab coat ponies, the remains of the grinded failures, and the blood stained floors. A tear fell from her eyes and it merged with a blood drop from her wounded ear. The bloody tear hit the floor and she closed the TARDIS doors.
She sat down at the door and began to cry. The Doctor ran over to her and hugged her. "If I was you, I could have saved them all!" She cried into his chest. He hugged her and closed his eyes and patted her on the back. At this time the TARDIS used its powers and healed her ear, neck and any other injury she had. The doctor kissed the top of her head and smiled.
"You saved yourself, and we will save them. We will go back and stop this madness before it begins. You were very brave," He lifted up her chin and looked into her deep blue eyes and she gazed lovingly back into his. "I am so proud of you! And I love you too." He then kissed her lightly and wiped away her tears. She smiled and he stood back up, she followed him and then rubbed her head on his neck. "Now, where is my Sonic Screwdriver?" Melody's eyes widen and then giggled uncomfortably.
"Well uhh you see… I uh."
He glared at her, "Yes?"
Her mouth opened as if to say something and then she closed her mouth and sighed. She looked back up at him and said, "Race ya to the pool!" And with that she ran off down one of the halls, and the Doctor ran after her with a laugh. Their laughs echoed throughout the TARDIS halls.
They later then told Princess Celestia about what would happen in the future and she ordered that the responsibility of the rainbows was to be taken away from the Pegasus and given to the unicorns. And now the unicorn Melody smiled and made a rainbow with her magic, the symbol of death was no more. As they were walking out of the castle, she saw Papyrus and Leon flying around doing some shopping, they didn't know each other, and they didn't know Melody. But she smiled seeing that they were safe and were going to stay safe.