Chapter 6: Red, Mauve, Orange, Yellow
(\PoV: Scootaloo/)
"So… Do we just..?" Lightning and I angled toward what was the Rainbow Factory.
He nods. "We enter and find the other pegasi in your group, and the rebel Guardsponies. With luck, everyone will be unconscious, so that we can do so without interference." Yeah, that's probably a good idea, I don't really wanna go back there seeing that whole… Thing happened just now but… The others are still in there, and I can't just leave Borealis and Virgo there!
"Sounds like a plan."
He nods again. "If you would like, I can teleport us to that landing platform on the lower structure." Now what's he-Oh! The Send-Off platform! Yeah, that'd work! Wait… I thought Twilight said…
"Don't you need to see it more clearly?" He blinks in slight surprise. I guess from me knowing something about high-end magic like Teleportation?
"True, teleportation usually takes a clear visual or vivid mental image. My own brand is simply… Different." Huh?
"Different how?"…I'm going to regret sayin' that, aren't I?
He shakes his head with a chuckle. "I think we can save lectures on advanced spell theory for when you're actually ready for it, meaning much later," Phew… He looks back to the Factory. "For now, let's simply say that mine often results in frizzled manes, tails, and occasionally singed eyebrows." Wait, singed-Suddenly, we're surrounded by electri-ohmyCelestiawe'removingfastowbrighttoobrightTOOBRIGHT!
"We're here, goraan gein."
Really? I slowly open one of my eyes. Then the other. Yeah, we're here. "YOU COULD HAVE WARNED ME ABOUT THE LIGHT!" Seriously! You didn't say anything about the way-too-bucking-bright light!
He smiles sheepishly and scratches the back of his head with his hoof. "Apologies, I suppose I should have."
"Darn right!" Now… I take a good look around and check the clouds beneath my hooves. They feel… Strange, like rough sand, and close up I can definitely see embers and ash. Huh, ash clouds. Gonna make Cloudsdale's job as main weather supplier of Equestria hard to do. The Send-Off Platform itself looks pretty normal: A large disc that served as the landing platform for transports with a cross made from clouds that looked like they had more embers in 'em than normal, connected to a large storehouse that led inside the Factory.
As for the storehouse, it used to look like any run-of-the-mill warehouse or earth pony workshop. Now, it's made of light gray clouds with embers in large groups all in a line… Right about where the old electric lights were. I still don't know why we use models that don't look like anything I've seen anywhere else, but I guess that doesn't really matter now: firelight, in a cloud city! It's almost unbelievable! I wonder what else-
KRACK-BOOOOOOOOM!
What the heck was that?!
"The sound barrier breaking," …Oh. I said that aloud. Oops. Wait… The sound… Oh no. "With hope, it is reinforcements from the local government," …There's only one pony who's broken the sound barrier in a thousand years.
"It… It's not help…"
He turned and blinked at me. Then he took on a more serious face. I guess I looked worried. N-not that I was! 'Cause I'm not! I-I just-"Then we must move quickly. Come, and let us get to the Mausoleum!" Alrig-HOLY-He blasts past toward the door into the Factory!
"H-Hey, wait up!" I kick it up and try to at least keep up. He was so slow in the air though! How can he be that quick on land?! We get to the door and inside the main factory. We were moving too fast for me to see any real differences yet except for the ash clouds and firelights, and eventually we found ourselves inside a steadily darkening tunnel that gently rose. I wonder why it's getting darker? Thicker ash, maybe? I dunno. Anyway, after about ten seconds we found ourselves at a huge door made out of… Ash-stained titanicloud? Maybe? I have no-My cutie mark is on it. Right in the center. What. The actual. Buck.
CRASH!
That sounded like it came from inside! Lightning frowns. "It appears that we will not be alone inside the Mausoleum," He turns to look at me. "Are you ready, goraan gein?"
I… "Y… Y-yes. Yes, I am." His eyes soften, and seem to glow for a brief moment, before turning to the door and using his magic, which was sky-blue and gold in color, to lift it up. The first thing I noticed was a large, ember… Spike, with names written on it in ash. The second thing I noticed was that this place was a lot bigger on the inside. Big enough to hold what looks like everypony in Cloudsdale, unconscious, at once! How… Then I noticed the hole in the wall to the left, away from Cloudsdale.
"Ouuuuugh… Not trying THAT again…" … I looked down, and saw her. Rainbow. Motherbucking. Dash. I started seeing red…
(\PoV: Rainbow Dash/)
Owwwwww… Hitting solid Titanicloud at Mach 1 hurts… At least nothing seems broken…
"YOU MURDERING BITCH!" What the-
What the-OOOFBITCH!" br...dashI suddenl An orange blur tackles me and starts trying to trample me!
"What the hay?!" What the hay is going on here?! Wh-"AAAAAAAAH!" M-my wing… I look up to s… "S-scoots..?"
She grimaces and practically snarls at me! "Like you get to call me that after all the crap you've done!" She sends a hoof right to my cheek. Ow, probably gonna bruise… But what the hay is she talking about? I just got here from Canterlot! I knew she was there, and then the explosion and-and just-WHAT THE HAY IS GOING ON?!
"Wh-what are you talking about Scoots?! Why did you-"
"Silence, krivaan." …H… Wh-who was t-that? I turn my head to see-…A…Ali… "Goraan gein, get off her."
"A-alic-corn…" Scoots moves, but I kinda don't pay much attention to that. More of the angry male (!) alicorn who's looking down at me. He has a look of cold, detached fury on his face… What the Tartarus is going on here?
His dark gray armor shifts as he lowers his head to further glare with those furrowed, frozen blue eyes and concrete neutral expression… And I've read too many of those new sci-fi books. (Seriously, the level of description in some of those…) "Questions. I will ask. You will answer. Is that understood?"
I nod quickly-not fearfully! J-just quickly! "Where were you approximately fifty-point-two-five minutes ago?"
"I-I was in Canterlot, w-with the rest of my friends." He doesn't relent.
"Do you know of the operational procedures of the Rainbow Factory?"
The Rainbow… But… "Th-that's just an old mare's tale parents tell foals so that they behave!" His expression breaks, and for a moment an eyebrow shoots up. He quickly schools it back… Though Scoots is lookin pretty mad over to the right… No… Nonono that's-I-it can't be! "I-isn't it?"
The alicorn turns his head to Scoots, then back to me. He motions to something behind me. I slowly turn to look at it while getting up… "Oh Celestia…" A Memorial Obelisk!
I… There's so many names… Oh… Oh Celestia… I-I know that some of the old battle sites from way back when have 'em… But… T-this... Th-The Schism Memorial doesn't even have this many!
"The total count of the dead," The alicorn says in a tired voice behind me. "As told by the dead, for remembrance by the living," He walks to my right. His tone becomes somewhat softer. "And it would appear there are many amongst them recorded here…" And then, he starts saying something even quieter in a language I don't even understand. "Nuz orin fin tarim het los malingren fod borii wah fin tarim do dii siifur…" …I guess he might be paying his respects? Maybe?
It stays quiet for a moment as Scoots seems to have stopped being angry and looked at the Memorial with a growing look of sadness… "Y'know, I really oughta thank you Warmbloods."
That sounds like me! I turn to the hole I made and-"CHANGELING!" A pony that looks almost exactly like me is sitting on the rim of the hole, thing is the bug got the details wrong. I have mauve eyes, not blood red ones! I don't wear anything other than the Wonderbolts flightsuit, and she's wearing some sort of thin blue night barding? Yeeaaaaah, I've gotten drunk before, but I don't give a single buck about that horseapples!
The bug chuckles and looks at me, even as Scoots and… Whoever the alicorn is turn to look at it as well… And his eyes widen? "Sosnaak…" He shakes his head then glares at it. "And what is it that you would want, blood-drinker?" Wait. Blood… VAMPONY?!
The vampony grins… Showing off a WHOLE lot more meat-eater teeth than I thought they were supposed to have! "Ah, and one who knows the Oldspeak as well? This has been quite an interesting day!"
"Seriously?!" Scoots shouts. "Now Vamponies are real?!" She shakes her head and throws her forehooves in the air. "Y'know what? Buck it. Too much horseapples to deal with at once! Just… Just why?" …I don't know whether to smack her or join her. Leaning more towards joining ya there, Scoots. The alicorn looks at Scoots with an unreadable expression before turning back to glare at the vampony.
She laughs, sounding a little too close to my own voice. Yeesh, talk about creepy. She then looks back at us with half-lidded eyes. "For getting rid of both that accursed mask and removing my weakness to sunlight and fire? I personally think that last one alone is a thing to be thankful for." Mask? And did she just say what I think she just said?!
The Alicorn's eyes widen. "Niid…" He… Doesn't quite glare this time so much as stare intently. "This mask, what exactly did it do?" And why is he focusing on some mask when a vampony just-so-happens to now be immune to sunlight?!
The vampony rolls her eyes. "Pft, what do you think? It was a mind-altering artifact," She puts one of her hooves to her chin. "Hmm… At least, that's what I thought it was. Now? I'd actually think that thing was a Sil-Gro Kaask," She tosses an expectant look at the alicorn. "I expect you know what that is?" What the heck is a 'Seal-Grow Cask'?
Apparently, the Alicorn knew. He sets his face in a very serious expression. "If that is so, then the situation has only grown in complexity."
Alright, y'know what? This is getting old! "Will everypony please stop talking about stuff that Scoots and I have no bucking idea about?!"
Both the alicorn and the vampony turn to look at me, the alicorn with a small grin and the vampony with a put-off expression. "Hmph, didn't you learn to respect your elders?"
The alicorn gives a small chuckle. "Actually, she reminds me greatly of myself in my first two or three centuries."
The vampony blinks in surprise. "Huh," She grins. "Well, you nearly fooled me, Goldie!" …Goldie. Just… Just what is with today? Is it International Buck-Your-Worldview Day? Is that an actual thing? No, bad Dashie! That line of thought leads to the same place as Pinkie Sense! Baaaad idea!
The alicorn chuckles and then smiles at the vampony. "An apt nickname it may be, but perhaps not the most original. Why don't we trade names, so that such things do not get stuck in the heads of younger," He gives a look at me and Scoots, then grins. "Less mature, ponies."
"HEY!/HUH?!" Hey, I'm plenty mature!
The vampony shrugs, "Eh, sure. The name's Narva." Narva… Why does that sound familiar..?
The alicorn nods. "My name is Lightning Flash, a pleasure to meet you." …Great. Wonder if he's related to Lightning Dust?
One of the vampony's ears twitch. "Sorry to cut this conversation short, but I gotta scram. See ya!" Wait, wh-Aaaand just like that, she jumps outa my hole… That doesn't sound right even IN my head!
Not a minute after Narva leaves, Soarin' and Spitfire fly in through the hole. The first thing they notice is the thing any normal pony would… When did Scoots get a Cutie Mark? …And a horn?! And why am I just now noticing this?! And-"ACK!" Oh… Right… Wing… Ow… Why is everything..? Suddenly, I fall over onto my wing. There's a HUGE amount of pain, then black…
(/\)
The screen shifts to show Hunter and the newer Umbra, who is now wearing a beat up, KILLME Orange cape around his more draconic frame. Oh, and Shadow is sitting next to Hunter. What else did you expect?
Hunter: Hello, everyone! We have come back from the dead!
Umbra: And by that, he means he finally got his rear end in gear and got to writing.
Hunter: Well, you try worrying about getting through your senior highschool year while have Advanced Functions and Trigonometry!
Umbra: And yet you have time for your work, choir, reading, YouTube watching, your schoolwork, scribbling in your five journals, drawing… Actually, forget the last bit, it ended up making me look a great deal more original! Not to mention all of your church activities INCLUDING being the lead singer of the worship team!
Hunter: …Well the Church stuff's different!
Umbra: And the rest of it?
Hunter: …
Umbra: I thought so.
Hunter: In any case… We're back. So… Hopefully you all will forgive my slothfulness… Umbra…
Umbra: Yes?
Hunter: When did Rumbling Thunder get nearly one-hundred views?
Umbra: Most likely while you were otherwise engaged.
Hunter: …Huh. Well, I guess I ought to make something special to celebrate. Anyhow, without further ado…
Hunter/Umbra: Farewell!
The screen fades to nothing…