Useless. I thought Bitterly as I glared down below me, such a thing does not deserve to grace me with its presence.
Two guards were repeatedly breaking down a once beautiful machine. I only grimace at the once elegant design. Two familiar ponies trotted in, staring in shock at the odd display.
“Stop” One of them cried out.
I simply look to see Dawn and Plain trying to stop my guards from destroying the elaborate metal frame.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Plain growls at them
“How can you destroy this device Rainbow worked so hard on?!” Dawn exasperated, wondering if she was even capable of trying to piece the thing back together.
“We’re under orders to demolish this madams” One of the guards stated urgently as his face was stoic as ever.
“Orders under who! Who the hay has authorities to demolish this here contraption?” Plain demands the Stallion.
“They’re under my Orders” I stated while going down a flight of stairs
“Rainbow?” They gasped and I only look at the machine disdainfully
“I’ve had it with this machine, there is no use saving it” I simply stated, I then nodded for the stallions to continue on with their work “If it won’t work,” i stated while i watch one stallion grip a platinum sheet “Destroy it” and with that the stallion ripped the metal sheet off, tossing it aside with a loud clang.
It irked me how the stallions were taking so long to tear the thing down, grimacing I then realized that the girls were still there. Looking towards them I coughed into my hoof.
“So” i stated turning my attention back to the destruction “What are you gals doing here?” I asked while my attention was still on the crumbling device.
“Oh my, we were worried about you dear” Dawn states, walking closer to me, but for some reason, kept her distance. “I mean you have, eh~ well, to put it bluntly”
“We’re worried about ya hun” Plain states, sitting on her haunches. “You’ve been in this place for over a week”
As i heard that my ears perked, swiveling to the side before flipping back, “Damn, I didn’t think I was this behind” I gritted my teeth at the thought. “I was hoping to find a solution by now but as you can see this is a major set back, granted i already have a new machine devised to be set up but we can’t be spending precious time with the war still raging” I stomped my hoof before trotting off to a different vicinity, the girls following me behind as I tightened my lab coat to pull out a clip board.
“Flint! Steel!” I shouted for two ponies to rush up to me, one being that of a dark gray color and the other a silver
“Yes ma’am!” They exclaim, saluting me
“This isn’t a war zone” I Growled “I need this machine’s equipment accounted for yesterday!” I grabbed a blueprint from underneath my wing when i noticed something on the blueprint, searching all over me before I found my pencil tucked behind my ear i grabbed it and furiously scribbled something on to the blueprint, naming the types of metal and all the different fuses we’re going to have to use “Short Fuse! We need those fuses now!” I shouted above me to see a pony working on the upper deck of the lab
“On it ma’am!” She shouts before scrambling away
Throwing the blueprint at the head engineer I ran into my own office to look for something, I briskly remembered that the girls were still there
“Sorry girls, i can’t do anything today” I went towards a drawer to grab something when i tripped over the new piece to the device, growling i kicked it and it slid out of the room, only for steel to catch it in his teeth, now piecing together the new and improved magnificent device.
I grabbed another blueprint, one that was not meant for the prying eyes of others as I moved my hoof at them, shooing them away “Go on ahead” I Say now putting two hooves on my desk as I read and reread the blueprint “I’m not leaving here any time soon”
I then thought a moment “Dawn, seeing how the new machine isn’t up you can take the leave, but it wouldn’t hurt to have more subjects, i already released the other inmates, they were too terrified for me to do anything to them so just go for any other creature will ya Plain?” I asked her without even looking
“You got it Rainbow” She states tilting her head at me
“And i shall assist you, it’ll go much faster if i come with” Dawn said happily
“Good i can use the company, are you going to be alright Rainbow?” Ps asks as she peers at me worriedly
“We’re all not going to be alright if i don't finish this” And with that my eye twitched as I tried to think more
The girls didn’t know what to say after that so they excused themselves out of my vicinity as I griped over my blueprints. I couldn’t help but fall forward before I caught myself, standing back up I shook my head, I couldn’t remember the last time I had slept.
“You’re going to injure yourself if you continue on like that” A cool voice rang through the room, looking up I saw a dark purple pony, her coat being that of a dark shade of purple and her main being midnight blue with a lighter shade of blue streaking through it
“Should you be working on other affairs Midnight?” I asked as I smoothed the curved edges of the blueprint
“My research if just fine Rainbow, it's yours I'm worried for” She states walking closer to me
“You think i can’t do that” I stated, it wasn’t even a question
“Oh no, I believe you can do this, but not without a little help” She states looking at me
I finally looked away from the paper, my interest peaked “And what can you do to help?”
“Upon further study I saw that I can sustain a pony with a long duration of time with no intervention of sleep, if you let me i can…” She was behind me now “Help you keep away the wicked tiredness that plagues you”
My eyes grew wide as I heard this “You can!” I exclaim and without hesitation “Then do it! We have no moment to hesitate” I ordered
She inspects me for a bit before smiling “Alright Rainbow, have it your way” Her horn began to glow as it connected its spark to me, enveloping me in a violet glow.
It was like I was being revitalized as new found energy envelopes me before I found no need to sleep.
I looked at my fore hooves before smiling “Yes, I can feel it, Now i can work even more efficiently!” I exclaim
I now peered back at my work as new schematics entered my mind, “Good, we can’t have our main mare passing out before she could finish her work, the fate of Equestria rests on your shoulders, you don't have time to dilly dally on other ponies affairs.”
My mind then went straight to Dashy, i grimaced at this
“Yes even her” I heard her voice echoes through the room, looking up i saw that she was gone, sighing I decided she was right, this was for her sake as well, i couldn’t fail to do this, I had to do this! And when this is all over we can be together, we can spend as much time as we can together and I can even help her become the Pegasus she deserves to be!
I then went straight to work, unknown of the magic that was working under the seams.
I lost track of time, sleep evades me as I saw no suit to it, putting the machine up with its new features i had even added more during the process of its progression. More gears and I had even added grinders, making sure everything was well oiled i turned towards a pony and nodded, they took a strip of fur that had belonged to a critter unfortunate enough to fall through the cloud and met its end at the bottom of the cliff. Dropping the small thing into the machine and I watch with great intensity as it had done so.
The machine whirring into life as it in took the small thing, smashing it and twisting it as it took every bit of matter it could take and turning it into the very thing i sought after, soon the spectra separator was in issue as the color brown was separated into different main spectra that belonged to nothing more than a rainbow.
“We did it ma’am, the very first batch of Spectra!” The colt exclaims and i couldn't help but smile in pride.
I was excited until a voice rang through my head
‘It’s not going to work you know’ it mocks
I grimaced at this ‘what makes you so sure?’ I spat back
‘I know because it wasn’t alive’
‘What difference would that make?’
‘Spectra is vibrant and alive, this spectra looks… dead’
“Or so we think” I stated grimly, making the colt stare in surprise
Blinking i looked into the vat, reaching in another pony tried to stop me but I flared my wings in protest, telling them to back off without me having to say a thing as I put my hoof into the mixture, pulling it out I inspected the now newly created red mixture and just as i thought, it was not ‘alive’. I growled at this as it was proven even more as it dissipated in an instant
“No” I rang out coldly “We failed… AGAIN!” I growled in frustration, now lashing out as i kicked at the vats of fake pigment. They fell over and soon dissipated in another instance
“We can add something to the pigmentation, make it so they’re more lively and preserve for longer amount of time” The colt rang out
My eye twitched “If we had done that in the first place we wouldn’t be in this mess,” The colt recoiled as I stepped closer to him “You think this is easy? I spent countless time to build this machine and your so called ‘bright’ idea was so simple that I hadn’t thought of would be permitted to exist!? I-I- UGH” I growled i then stared at the now empty vats, pulling them back up “These pigmentations are not… alive” And it was then a dark thought hit me, blinking I came to a revelation
“IF dead specimens create dead spectra…. then…” I then turned toward the colt once more, now determined “Grab the next test subject” He got up and went to retrieve it when I called out once more “Bring it back… Alive”
A cold chill ran down his spine as he trotted off towards the species kennels as I turned back to the machine, smiling as I had once more came up with such a great idea
“This time for sure” I Stated, putting a hoof onto the vat that showed my reflection perfectly “Soon Dashy, just wait a little more, Please, wait for me”
The pony returned with a bird this time, I stared at it astonished, i then nodded my head towards the machine, the pony held the bird above the machine, he was shaking, he closed his eyes and tried to drop the thing when the bird chirped and he looked at its pleading eyes.
“I-I Can’t Miss Rainbow” He recoils as he brought the bird back
“You WHAT!?” I growled, stomping my hoof
“This is wrong! This is so Wrong!” He was crying now as he held the bird to his chest
My eye twitched “So let me get this straight you would throw the whole fate of Equestria for a little bird!” I growled
He sniffs as he looks at the bird “but taking in another life is horrible, no matter what! and in such a way” He whines
I whinnied as I rose my two front hooves up and slammed them down right in front of him as he recoils in fear
“You didn’t seem to have a problem ‘putting them to sleep’ before? The hell is the problem now, what these creatures are doing is serving a better purpose and saving the equine race!” I then snarled at the pony “Now, throw the bloody bird into the machine, now!”
“N-no” He takes a step back
“CloudTrotter, Drop the bird, Now” I growled lowly, so threatened that it made his blood run cold
he then puffed his chest out “No! I will not!” He said so defiantly
“You’re just like a foal, not doing what they were told, such ignorance will not be permitted in my vicinity!”
“Then I quit! I’ll tell Celestia of what you're doing and I’ll reveal to everyone the horrible things you’re doing!” He shouts
“You think i do this out of fascination of seeing creatures below me die!? NO, if there was another way i would gladly take it but this is the only way, now unseized the bird before I take it from you” I pawed at the ground ready for the fight
The bird chirped so pathetically as it thrashed in his hold, He opened his wings and began to beat madly for the door when I inhaled a good amount of air.
“GUARDS! Seize him!” I shouted
“Yes ma’am!” They billowed out, flying after the colt as they were dead set on their mission. I paced back and forth as I watched the Colts and Mares go after CloudTrotter before they finally caught up to him. smiling I stood with my chest puffed out as i had won this little excursion.
“Now, CloudTrotter, i give you a choice, throw the bird in there, or you're both being thrown in there” I called out mercilessly
Even the guards looked at each other and i glared at them only for them to stand cold still, remembering their place.
“You can’t keep doing this Rainbow! This is too horrible, and if you throw me in there you’ll be no better than Nightmare Moon!” He shouts
My eye twitched at that before a smiled “There is an old saying CloudTrotter, You die young as a Hero” I say while looking right into his eyes, i then peered at the machine “Or live long enough to see yourself become a villain, no matter what, good will triumphant, so when this whole war is over i will gladly take the role as the villain for the sake of pony kind” I growled “I will taint myself over and over again it it means i can protect the ponies most closest to me, and i will not have that all taken away from me because some colt deems it necessary to throw all MY hard work in the gutter, now are you going to throw the bird in there or am I going to throw your whole carcass in there!” I Shouted
Tears sprang from his eyes as he looks at the bird, there was such a long moment of silence the only the hum of the machine was to be heard as the tension in the air was so permeating that you could choke on it. He soon got up and the guards let him go, although the kept their guard up as they readied themselves should he try to make a break for it. Slowly he trotted towards the machine, holding and coddling the bird he rubbed his face to it.
“I am So, so sorry” he cooes so sadly that it moved my heart.
Hardening my heart i watched him closely as he held the bird out, with a moment of determination he drops the bird into the machine, it's horrifying shrieks penetrating the air as it was pulled and pushed in all different directions as the grinder was now enacting before small arms reached out and grabbed ahold of anything it could latch themselves to as the bird traversed down the beautiful machine. CloudTrotter looked away in horror before I grabbed his chin roughly and forced his head back.
“These are the sacrifices we have to bare for the betterment of Equestria, do not look away as you had helped paved way for this event, it would be a disgrace if you were to look away from the pegasi’s greatest creation” I called out
Soon pigments began to bleed from the machine, the spectra separation machine finally enacting as we got a wonderful hue of blue from that one bird. Taking a clipboard I wrote down notes before I flipped the page, marking down a blue jay from the list.
“I keep tabs of all the animals that were brought to this machine, so that when this is all over, I will put of a memorial for them all, I might even come out and reveal these horrible deeds, so hold tight CloudTrotter, we mustn’t dwell on our own morals as there are filly’s out there that need protection from the wicked Nightmare Moon, I think the sacrifice of our moral and sanity is a good enough sacrifice for their safety.” I then put them at ease, letting them go be free and to continue their duties.
CloudTrotter sauntered slowly away with his head hanging low before he stops in mid hoof step.
“From this point of Rainbow, you have my every attention, I will follow you until the end” he states before turning away “Just to see you fall when this all blows over” he says with such determination
I smiled at this “I will look forward to it CloudTrotter” I then peered over at Midnight who was watching the whole spectacle, “It's a pity that I don't like to leave loose ends that threaten the fate of Equestria” I sighed before nodding at Midnight
“Wait, what?!” He exclaims as he was lifted into the air
“You said you will follow me no matter what? Well, your loyalties seem to sway in every which direction so you appear as if you are a loose cannon to me, something I don’t like should it point at me, so I'll just enhance the loyalty to me and nothing more, you will serve a higher purpose than anypony here” I then nodded before Midnight's magic took hold of him
“Please, no!” He exclaims as he tries to fight back, I then peered all around me to see those spiteful eyes of my guards, how they were watching me, thinking I was growing dangerous and pondered upon telling Celestia herself, I saw it, it was written on all of their faces. My eye twitched when I saw this.
‘They’re going to get you’ the voice started up again
‘They’re all going to take my research away!’ I screamed in my head
‘You have to make them understand’
‘This is for their own good!’ I tried to reason as I was becoming more unhinged as I pointed my hoof at the next guard, Midnight's magic now looping toward them
‘I have to do this, they’ll understand, they all will!’
I began to laugh as each guard and work pony was put under a spell, each of them having their mind warped to be that of only work, to help the Factory any ways they can, i got up to the podium as I Stared at my new group of followers.
“I couldn’t risk the chance of losing a single pony here, each of you represent something to help hold this whole operation a float, so please, give all your all to the further production-” i then stared at the empty wall behind me as I grinned “To the Further Production of the Rainbow Factory!” I exclaimed.
And I was rewarded with cheers and whoops from the work ponies below, the guards now standing at full attention with eyes glazed over, watching for any trouble and the rest of the ponies working with so much more vigor.
“No matter what, you will not fight against the Rainbow Factory, for it is part of the Pegasi’s new crowning jewel, a symbol that will over take Equestria in hopes of setting it free from the reign of Nightmare Moon! Together we will be the superior race!” I chanted as my eye twitched with such delight. I then began to laugh as they all followed suit.
The Rainbow Factory had been born...