Chapter one:
Now, a rainbows tale isn't quite as nice, as the story we knew of sugar and spice
(excerpt from rainbow factory)
It was a beautiful day. The wind blew into my grey mane. All it was missing was a rainbow.
"I wonder if the rainbow factory needs help." I thought aloud. I sometimes help put the rainbows in the sky. I blasted in full speed into Cloudsdale. "HEY!" I called to the workers. No response.
I tilted my body towards the large double doors leading to the main factory. The soft cloud began to touch my hooves. I folded my wings and opened the illusive doors.
Chains. Everywhere, chains. I moved into the area, investigating the rusty area.
"Huh? Blood... How'd that get th-" my voice trailed off. Suddenly paranoid, I turned around and flew out as fast as I could go, towards the library.
"Where is that book on rainbow factories!" the librarian mare sounded frustrated. "Here it is!" a voice replied. "Thanks spike!". She handed me the book
It was a blue book with a rainbow on the front. Rainbow factory was in bold letters at the top. It clearly hadn't been read in years.
"I wouldn't go into that Rainbow Factory stuff" the kind mare warned. "Some Foals looked in that book, and 'mysteriously' went missing, and was never to be seen nor heard of again. There names, sugar and spice."
"Ummm... my mom works at the rainbow factory" I explained. "She's blue with a pretty rainbow mane."
"Whats your name, little foal?" Asked the old, purple unicorn.
"GreySpark" I replied. "What's yours?" I asked
"Twilight sparkle"
"Nice to meet you, ." I called, as a walked out the door with the book clasped in my hooves.
"Wait!" Twilight called. "Whats your mothers name?"
"RainbowDash."
"R-R-Rainbow D-D-D-Dash?" Twilight stuttered. She stumbled backwards into a shelf. Thats when I noticed the wings.
"WOAH! YOUR AN ALICORN?"
"Thats irrelevant! Its imperative you DO NOT read into that!" The strange alicorn called. "I don't think she's that coldhearted, but then again..." her voice trailed off. I spotted the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She uttered one name "Scootaloo..."
This isn't normal behavior. I need to see what this is. If others have died, its worth knowing. I ran out of the library.
Chapter two:
But a rainbows easy once you get to know it.
(EXERT FROM RAINBOW FACTORY)
I had traveled to a remote field. I sat down and opened the book.
Rainbows: they lighten the day with there colors and soft glow. Its a big responsibly for the harvester to find ponies qualified to help make the colors. They must be ponies no pony needs, none big in society, who no pony will know is gone. The colors are created when the chosen ponies are placed into a grinder. All the colors inside and out will be used to create a rainbow. Red will always have a special glow, for it is in all ponies harvested. No soul ever makes it out.. The rainbow factories functions are runs in a family line. The current owner is-
"Spark!" I heard my mothers voice call. "Ive been looking everywhere for you!" she stopped dead when she saw my book. And my expression. The last word. RainbowDash.
"So, I guess you know." RainbowDash sounded betrayed.
"How could you?" My voice cracked with grief. "Mom? To all those innocent ponies?"
"You know too much. Come with me if you want to live."
Chapter three:
With the help of the magic from a Pegasus device. In the rainbow factory, where your fears and horrors come true. In the rainbow factory. Not a single soul gets though.
(EXECERT FROM RAINBOW FACTORY)
She carried me to the cloud where the rainbow factory was. She looked at me dead in the eyes and said "You need to see what this is." I walked along with her to a cell with one-way glass into a small room with plain white walls. There was what appeared to be a mechanical alicorn.
"You see the mechanical alicorn?" she asked
"Yes..." I relied absentmindedly.
"when you look directly at it with nothing between you, it shows what you fear most." she explained. "It gets the colors out of the ponies, makes them feel like they're..." she hesitated "dead inside."
I inhaled sharply "no soul ever makes it out" I whispered to myself.
"After they feel as if there never going to make it, it attacks them, damaging them slightly. Its all just a game. We make them feel as if there escaping. They don't even try because they already think they are. The colors are dulled and removed when there fears are present. Once they think they have escaped, thats where I come in. I get them into the grinder while there colors are brighter"
" You monster" I said, looking dead into her eyes.
" Its how it must be."
I peered into the window looking at the stallion in the room. His wings were broken and he had a gash in his left flank. He backed into the wall, where a trap door gave way.
" Not this way"
I head-butted into Dashes stomach. Blood spurted from her mouth.
She twisted her head into an uncomfortable looking position. "You wont win this battle." She sounded possessed as she spoke "I'm too powerful. We're too powerful!" She held her head up high as she let out a maniacal laugh. "Its your destiny!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" I put all of my weight into the delusional Pegasus before me. She stumbled back into the glass, it shattered before her weight and she was put face-to-face with the trembling stallion.
Chapter five: The soul that made it though.
"You! You monster!" The red stallion shouted as he pushed away the mechanical alicorn. He blinked hard. But... how are you here and there? Rainbow didn't notice. She had locked gases with the device. I walked over to the trembling monster under my feet. I put my hoof on her shoulder. Then I saw what she did.
It was me. The mech-me walked towards rainbow. "I hate you. Your just like the other monsters. Hurting others for a rainbow." mech-me stared straight into her eyes and said one thing "Monster" it walked away. On the way, it sliced her leg. I saw rainbowdashes mane darken. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "your right" she whispered. I looked at the mechanical alicorn. It looked back at me. I'm next.
I saw a small earth pony. I took a closer look. No, It was an alicorn. There were gashes where the wings and the horn should be. I took a cautious step back. "HELO" it was two voices. It turned to the side. A second head grew out of the body. I skidded back on my hooves. I saw the mechanical alicorn glitch for a second. "I know its you." I snapped at the alicorn. It glitch back for another. I looked into its eyes. I saw its true self. I places a hoof on its shoulder. "Leave. Your not forced to be a monster. It may be how you were programmed, but its not how you can be." It stared into my eyes. It hugged me. "Thank you" The mechanical voice uttered.
I went to my mom. She was a mess. Her eyes were closed, blood was pooling beneth her limp body.
"I forgive you" I whispered to her. I walked out of the rainbow factory, blood gushing from gashes. I flew home knowing the 3 souls that died, came back.