Weather Manifesto

by _Medicshy

Intentions Revealed

Ink Well took off his fedora, replacing it with the white hard hat of the tour and placing it in his bag, which he managed to slide under his stomach and hide beneath the white lab coat provided. He wasn't going to go anywhere without it, and while it did make him move slightly awkwardly and look a little chubby, it didn't draw any attention. Really, that was the key to most investigations: getting information without drawing attention. More than once he'd been cornered by ponies who were tired of him asking too many questions. While claiming he was with the Royal Bureau of Investigations and flashing the psychic paper to prove as much got some ponies to back down, that never stopped the tougher ones from trying more physical measures. Measures he was never prepared for. Ink Well was a pony of words; when it came to a fight, his only weapon was the speed of his wings and his fleetness of hoof, both of which had gotten him out of more encounters than he cared to admit. And those few times he failed...

He shuddered at the thought. No, the best idea is to just stay low on this one. Observe what I can from the tour, sneak only if need be. It might take a little longer, but it's definitely better than worrying Rose with a stint in the hospital. Just then the tour guide entered the room, a pink pegasus mare with a cyan mane hidden beneath her own hard hat. She also wore the white lab coat, covering her tail and cutie mark. The only difference between her coat and those provided rest of the tour was an ID hanging on her breast, declaring her a member of the staff. “Hello everypony,” she said brightly, “and welcome to the Weather Factory! I will be your guide for this tour, so if you could all just kindly-”

“Um, miss tour lady? I have a question!” Ink Well heard the voice, striking stock still as he realized it came from right beside him. All eyes turned to face him and his companion, Ditzy, who had yet to put on her hard hat and still had her mail bag obviously present. Ink Well turned to look at her as well, slightly stupefied. No, Ditzy, not at the start. You must know better. Please don't- “I've got this package to deliver, and I was wondering if I could give it to somepony while on the tour.”

Ink Well's head swiveled from the grey mare to the tour group, seeing the array of confused, offended, and annoyed faces, along with more than one shaking head. He was about to move to distance himself from her, about to make it clear that he didn't know this mare and that they should not ever be associated, when he noticed something further about the looks on the other pony's faces. They weren't just angry, they were openly so, like they thought Ditzy wouldn't realize they were mad. Like she was too stupid for that, and that got his blood boiling. Writing off as clever a pony as Ditzy due to something as silly as her eyes... He wouldn't have any of that. However, correcting them would only draw attention, something he desperately didn't need, so he instead simply stayed by her side, giving her support through the visual onslaught.

Even the tour guide's smile had dropped almost immediately, turning into the barest hidden scowl as she responded. “There is no business allowed on the tour, and shirking your job to join it isn't going to help. There is a delivery dock for packages. I suggest you go there.”

Ditzy looked from the tour guide to the other angry faces, her confidence in her question melting as she saw them, her voice getting softer. “But, I looked for it, a-and I couldn't find...” her voice trailed off as she kicked at the ground, staring hard into the flooring beneath her.

The others then wrote her off, coldly turning to the front, listening to the tour guide go through what was and wasn't allowed on the factory floor. Ink Well ignored them, going instead to Ditzy and placing a comforting leg around her shoulder. “You okay, Ditzy?”

She shook her head, continuing to examine the flooring. “I messed up again, didn't I? I should just go out and look again for that darn door...” The way her voice was shaking, she was on the verge of tears, though she was strong enough not to show it.

That was too much for Ink Well, who was tired of seeing this side of Ditzy. C'mon Ditzy! You're a bright, confident mare! No need to sulk like this. We've got to get you back in form. Ink Well leaned in front of her, trying to look into her eyes, though they refused to rise. “Now, now. None of that. We're going to find somepony to give that box to, just your wait. We're just going to have to do it without them noticing, because they won't like it. Not because we're doing anything wrong, just because we're doing things differently, and not all ponies like it when things are different. But we're not going to let their opinions get to us, right?” She lifted her eyes, the pep talk bringing a spark of confidence to her, though it was hidden behind a wall of doubt. Ink Well just tried again, smiling to make her feel better. “Right?”

Ditzy smiled weakly back, some of her doubt disappearing. “Right.”

“Right! Now put on your helmet, follow close, and don't draw attention to yourself. We'll figure this one out yet.” Ink Well watched her jam her hard hat onto her head, smashing the brown cap beneath, and smiled at her determination. This looked a lot more like the Ditzy he knew. Turning, he found the rest of the group almost out of the room. He and Ditzy hurried, catching up with them right before the door closed.

Once the Weather Factory tour started it didn't stop for anything, the guide moving from room to room and describing each one as fast as possible. Cloud condensing, storm planning, sun scheduling, biome zoning, and wind control all sped by, the dozen ponies on the tour happily following along. The pace was conflicting for Ink Well; sure, he'd get home all the sooner for it, but the combination of her hurried path and the silence of the group left him wanting for information. He hardly had time to look at the machinery or examine the workers, only barely picking up anything but the slimmest principles of weather control, and what use was that in finding missing ponies? No, the tour had to slow down, ideally without him or Ditzy being the cause.

Luckily, the perfect way presented itself in the form of a young colt. As the trip went on, Ink Well began to notice the light yellow colt looking avidly at the machinery around them, wide eyed with every one he saw. And, more importantly, he saw the little guy's look of devastation and defeated curiosity every time he had to move to a new room. As they left the wind control room, Ink Well caught the colt sadly looking back at the machine and asked him about it. “Why so glum, buddy?”

The colt just looked at him with big, sad blue eyes, a sigh in his voice. “I had some questions I wanted to ask, but the tour guide is moving too quickly and I don't want to be rude.”

Ink Well pretended to ponder the problem for a moment, holding back his joy at the situation. This was exactly what he needed, now he just had to make it work. “Well, are you with your parents? You could ask one of them to slow her down.”

The colt just shook his head. “No, I'm just with my older sister, but I don't think she's very interested.” He pointed to a light blue teenage filly, with headphones beneath her helmet blocking out the world around her. Her head was bobbing to the beat, but the rest of her looked truly bored with the factory around her. This just made the colt look even sadder. “I asked her to take me here instead of giving me a Hearth's Warming present, too...”

Ink Well tilted his head, curiosity pausing him for a moment. “What's your name?”

Eventually the colt answered. “Nimbus...”

“You must really like the Weather Factory to want to visit it for your present.”

This perked him up, causing Nimbus to nod excitedly. “Oh, yes! I love the weather! It's my dream to be able to design it someday like the ponies here do.”

Ink Well smiled at that. “A noble dream to be sure! And to that end, I think I have some information you might like.” He then brought his head to the colt's level, talking in a low, conspiratorial voice. “I happen to know that the tour guides love to talk about the factory, and will strive to answer anything you ask them. All you have to do is speak up.”

Nimbus' eyes brightened. “Really?”

Ink Well nodded. “Yep. In the next room, when she tries to move on, don't let her. Just speak out and ask her anything you want to know, and she'll happily answer it! You have my word.”

Nimbus nodded happily. “I will! Thanks, mister!”

“No problem. Anything to brighten up your trip. And a happy Hearth's Warming to you!”

“You too!” Ink Well then watched the excited Nimbus as he ran to the front of the group, almost getting right on the tour guide's hooves.

As they continued to walk, Ditzy appeared by his side, slightly curious. “Is that all true?”

Ink Well shrugged. “Mostly. I do know that the tour guides are required to answer factory-related questions from foals like him in an effort to steer them into the weather teams of each town, but I doubt they do so happily. I suspect that's why she's been moving the tour along so fast.”

Ditzy smiled. “Well, she's going to have some work to do now.”

“Yep. Let's just hope she's been trained well.” Silently, Ink Well hoped for a never ending stream of questions. It might be a little cruel to the pink pony, but after how she'd treated Ditzy, he figured she could use a little cruel.

He didn't realize just how well his plan would work.

“Why are there so few ponies working on the snowflakes? Are there other rooms?” “Wouldn't it take millions of hours of work to make just one snowstorm, let alone winter in Equestria?” “The snow is hoof-crafted, but is it hoof made? Or do you have a machine that does that?” The flurry of surprisingly insightful questions exited the young colt's mouth immediately as he entered the snowflake crafting room, giving Ink Well plenty of time to survey the area. The room was sparsely decorated, with grey walls and giant snowflakes hanging from the ceiling above some work stations, where ponies dressed in essentially the tour outfit looked through magnifying glasses at their hoofiwork. There was a pair of small hatches set into one wall, one for incoming snow and another for outgoing, and three doors, one into the factory with an 'employees only' sign and the two the tour would take.

Really, there was nothing suspicious about it at all. Yet, looking around at the half dozen ponies steadfastly ignoring the tour to shape their snowflakes, Ink Well realized that little Nimbus had a point. There were things that didn't add up, primarily in the ponies here. It looked too idyllic for a large factory and too unrealistic for the demands of all of Equestria. It couldn't be this simple.

And the most interesting part was the lack of solid answers from the tour pony. “Well, winter is just one season, so we need to have ponies ready for other times, but every single snowflake is crafted in this room.” “Yes, but we at the Weather Factory work twenty-four seven to make sure the weather runs on schedule.” “The snow itself is machine made in full flakes, chilled to perfection due to a magical refrigerant built into the machine.” She was rattling off the required responses, that was sure, but magical refrigerant? Ponies on all day shifts? It sounded nice, but Ink Well suspected it would all add up to a load of bunk if put under scrutiny.

The next room didn't fare her much better, even though it simply contained a giant battery and a power meter reading 'full.' “And here, in this energy storage unit, is where we store all the electricity for Equestria's lightning storms.”

Nimbus immediately raised his hoof, innocent confusion on his face. “But wouldn't the energy needed for just one lightning bolt take a battery three times the size of the weather factory?”

The tour guide forced a smile, trained for this question as well. “Well, that would normally be true, but years ago we were able to, with a particularly smart unicorn's help, create a battery that can store infinite energy.”

Nimbus's curiosity didn't let up. “Where do you get all the energy from?”

“We build the energy from wind, solar, and watermills from all over Equestria.” She answered, content to let it rest there and let the tour continue.

Nimbus wasn't. “But I saw no wind turbines anywhere near the factory, and wouldn't it take a solar panel the size of Cloudsdale to generate that kind of energy? And there were no wires or cords, so how does the power get up here from the mills?”

Ink Well was the first to admit he didn't know anything about the weather, but he was completely blown away by the questions the colt was asking. They almost seemed to come out of a university class, not a single grade school colt. He really knew his stuff, and moreover, he knew more than the guide if the worried look on her face was anything to go by.

She was gritting her teeth by this point, using every ounce of patience to create a smile. “Well, there we again were able to obtain the unicorn's help, creating a crystal that we store in a special dome atop the factory, though which we funnel wind and amplify light, creating much more power than any machines could do on their own. It is also magically linked to every mill around Equestria, drawing power from them for our use.”

At this the colt looked very confused. “But I didn't see...”

“Moving on everypony! The next stop, the rainbow falls!” The tour guide swept the grumbling group from the room, cutting off anything else on Nimbus's mind, but Ink Well's was running wild. The way she dodged the inconsistencies was more than obvious, and the explanation of magic to waive away anything that seemed impossible was, well, impossible. Unicorns were powerful, especially those of old, if the stories were to be believed, but all of this just a few hundred years ago? No. Even with modern advances, magic had limitations like anything else. It wasn't a cure all, and it certainly couldn't explain all of this. Besides, I didn't see a crystal either Nimbus. It's just another hole in their story.

Ink Well's suspicions were confirmed in the next room, though the spectacle was quite the sight. Liquid rainbows ran from the ceiling and every wall, pooling in levels and running off into larger fountains and pools. A dozen pegasi in the factory uniform flew between them, stirring them with large paddles and taking samples to monitor and measure. It all looked very impressive, but all it took was a careful eye to see the samples went nowhere, and the workers were just making rounds. He looked to Ditzy, and she seemed to notice something off as well, though it didn't seem like she could put her hoof on it. Ink Well could. I know a set when I see one. Now the question is, how to get backstage?

While he surreptitiously searched for an exit, the tour guide led on, oblivious as she showed off the room. “And here we have the rainbow falls, where the beautiful rainbows you see after rains are formed!”

“What are they made of?” Nimbus asked immediately, bringing an audible groan from the group. They were as tired of his constant questions as the guide was, too busy taking in the show to ask for the facts. The only ponies who seemed to react differently were Ink Well and Ditzy, who were as interested in the answer as he was, and his sister, who turned up her Trotman.

However, the groan was exactly what the tour guide needed, and she leaped on the chance to be done with it. “That is a Weather Factory secret.”

“But...”

The pink mare cut him off, hissing in his face as she did. “No buts. If we answered that question, anypony could make rainbows, and then they wouldn't be very special, would they?” The venom in her eyes was enough to silence Nimbus, and with him quiet, she began to go through her prepared spiel, which the rest of the tour ate up.

Realizing he wasn't going to get anything else useful from her, Ink Well bumped Ditzy with his elbow. “I think it's time for us to head out.”

Ditzy looked at him, confused. “Huh? But the tour's almost over, and I still haven't found somepony to give the box to.”

Ink Well smirked, leading Ditzy slowly from the main group. “Exactly. Both of us have run out of things to be gained from this tour, and so...” He stopped, tilting his head towards the door now beside them. It was hidden from the room by one of the falls, with 'Do Not Enter: Employees Only' across it in bright red. “To deliver the box, we need to think outside it.”

Ditzy looked scared at the prospect, her head darting around as she looked out for anypony watching. “We can't go in there! That's for employees. We'll get in trouble.”

Ink Well seemed to consider it for a moment, scratching his chin with a hoof. “Well, I suppose that's true, but won't you get in trouble if you don't turn that thing in? And wouldn't an employee-only door seem the perfect place to find an employee to give that to?” He could see that he was getting to her, though she still seemed very worried by the idea. Come on, Ditzy! You were so eager with The Doctor, why the trepidation now? “Besides, aren't you a little curious about what's behind that door?”

A guilty look spread across Ditzy's face, her eyes slowly appraising the door. “Well...”

Ink Well let a smile back up his words. “Trust me, it'll all be fine.”

Ditzy took one look at his smile and nodded, her own appearing again. “Alright, maybe I am a little curious.”

Ink Well's smile deepened. “I knew it.” He turned the handle, feeling the door slide open without a hint of protest, and slipped inside, Ditzy on his heels.

Beyond the door was anticlimactic, a stark white hallway which didn't go very far at all before it bent off to the right. It was nothing like the bright, color filled room they'd just left. Backstage, where all the rigging shows. Now all we need to do is avoid the techs. Ditzy started to move, and Ink Well stuck out a hoof, holding her back. He then took his lanyard from beneath his coat, moving the psychic paper from it to his breast, right where an ID would go. When that was done, he turned to Ditzy, talking in a hushed voice. “If we run into anypony, let me do the talking, alright?” She nodded. “Good. Just look like you belong and everything will work out fine.” With that they stood up, went down the hall, turned the corner, and nearly ran face-first into a guard.

Really, it was the way he held himself and his build that screamed 'guard' instead of regular employee, as the outfit the dark grey colt had on was the same white lab coat and hard hat of the rest. But his firm build and his 'I am only allowing you to be here because it would be inconvenient to kick your flank out' attitude was a combination that belonged to all guards, and was instantly recognizable.

Ink Well recovered quickly, passing it off as a moment of clumsiness, while Ditzy hopped back, visibly shaken and quite nervous. This drew a suspicious eyebrow raise from the guard: already a step in the wrong direction. Ink Well just shook his head sadly and pointed at her. “Sorry about that, she's a bit on the skittish side. Got thrown off when the tour came through. You know how the newbies can be.” He then chuckled knowingly.

The guard was not impressed, his eyebrow lowering to his neutral, less than friendly gaze.

Ink Well coughed nervously, letting his chuckle die. “Right... Well, I'll just get her inside and leave you be, if that's alright.” He pulled Ditzy closer, stabilizing her despite the way her body was shaking, and offered his psychic paper to the guard. The guard leaned in closer, scrutinizing him, his 'ID,' and his companion much more closely, which just got Ditzy shaking harder. It got so bad that Ink Well had to tighten his grip to a point where he feared he'd hurt her just to make sure she didn't get them both vibrating.

After what felt an eternity under the guard's gaze, he flicked his head towards the door and stepped aside, giving them permission to get out of his sight. Ink Well just smiled meekly, leading Ditzy through the door and into the hallway beyond, where she broke out of his grasp and backed against a wall, still shaking. “How did we not get caught?”

Ink Well smiled, his own adrenaline pumping from those last few moments. “Luck, mostly, but I suppose the 'ID' helped.” He pointed to the psychic paper, then walked further down the hall to an intersection. The paths were identified with 'Processing, Holding, and Disposal' to the right and 'Administration' to the left.

Ditzy followed, her face furrowed in confusion. “ID? What ID?”

Ink Well turned around, also confused. “The one on my chest, what other one?”

“But that's just a blank paper.” Ink Well's heart dropped at the words, fear clogging up the back of his mind. Had the psychic not worked? Had the guard let them in just to trap them for others to come? If he started running now then maybe he could- Hold on. Check it first, then panic. He unclipped the psychic paper and looked at it, at once seeing the blank sheet it was and what he had meant it to be: a perfect replica of a Weather Factory ID.

His fears assuaged, he clipped it back on, frowning at Ditzy. “No, the psychic reads as an ID. Don't go scaring me like that!”

Ditzy tilted her head. “Psychic? What? It's a blank piece of paper!”

“Well, yes, but it's slightly psychic, and...” Ink Well frowned. “Wait, why do I have to tell you? You gave it to me.”

Ditzy shook her head. “I don't think I'd give something like that away.”

“No, you gave it to me right after the whole...” He stopped, a thought that had been nagging at him moving to the forefront. “Ditzy, how's The Doctor?”

“What Doctor?”

“The Doctor.”

Ditzy looked at him like he was slightly crazy. “I'm sorry, I don't know any doctors. I don't really like hospitals.”

Ink Well felt another pang of fear, a possibility he'd never even considered hopping into his head. No.... It can't be. “This may sound odd, but when was the last time we met before today?”

Ditzy didn't even take a moment to think, which was slightly odd in its own right, though the answer blew that out of the water. “It was right after the Grand Galloping Gala last year, when you gave me that story for Dinky. She loved it by the way, and I never got a chance to thank you...”

Ink Well's pupils shrank, his mind rushing in on itself. The Gala before last? That was almost two years ago. And to not know The Doctor...

No. That can't be right. You don't just forget about The Doctor. So maybe it's... “Ink Well?” Wait, what was it he'd said? In the TaRDiS, right after she'd gotten there. She was talking about something you did together, and he'd stopped her. What was it he said?... That's it! “Five months!” Five months... “Are you alright?”

Ink Well staggered on the spot, the connection made, and the implications much too powerful. My trip with him was five months ago, so that would make whatever happened... be happening. He looked at Ditzy, at once seeing her worried face in a new light and not seeing her at all. No wonder she hasn't been herself! She isn't her yet! She won't be her until after today. But... what happens today? “If it's about the blank paper, I'm not worried about it anymore. I'm not going to question good fortune.” Oh geez, what if I change something? What if I already changed something? Is that still a paradox if I don't know what's different? Those temporal phage things he mentioned did not sound pleasant. Maybe we can still get out of here and just go on our way.

No, that won't work, she said whatever it was happened at a factory. So I need to make it happen, but without changing what would happen, or I will destroy everything... No pressure. But. what am I supposed to do? “Ink Well? You're starting to scare me...” Well, I'll just have to make sure she is safe, because she was fine when I found her in the future... past... whenever that was. She just can't get hurt. But didn't she mention running? Then... Ugh, why can't time travel happen in order? It would make everything so much easier!

He felt two hooves land on his shoulders, bringing him back into focus on the skewed golden eyes of Ditzy. “Ink Well! Are. You. Okay?”

Ink Well shook his head to clear it, but no matter what he did, he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that he was treading a knife's edge. “Yeah... yeah, sorry. I just...” As he tried to explain himself, he felt his attention pulled to his psychic paper, as though it were calling him. Glad for the distraction, he unclipped it once more, reading the words that wrote themselves across it.

'Ink Well, hurry home. Something important came up and I need you here as soon as you finish your investigation. And... be safe, okay? I love you. ~Rose.'

Just reading it, he could tell there was something on her mind... Oh, what he would have given to be by her side. But Rose said to finish the investigation, and time paradox or not, he was going to finish it. He replaced his psychic badge, then looked up to find Ditzy still waiting for an answer. Unfortunately, he didn't really have one to give her. He thought for a moment, then shrugged, going for the only thing he could keep in his mind. “This is all going to work out. I promise.”

Ditzy nodded, though not with the same confidence she'd had even just outside the door, and Ink Well didn't blame her. He wasn't so sure about it either. But a promise is a promise, and I always keep my promises.

---

Ditzy slowly followed Ink Well through the halls of the factory, trying to keep focused on the path, but her heart wasn't in it anymore. It hadn't been since she realized Ink Well didn't want her there anymore. He was nice enough on the trip, but the fear in his eyes, once they got into the halls and the way he'd ignored her told him a different story. And then, after his strangeness with the paper, he'd asked a few more questions, said something about her being 'immune to psychic paper,' and went quiet. They'd been walking the halls for about five minutes now, with just one factory pony entering their sight, and he hadn't said a word to her except to dodge and silence her questions.

He must have gotten tired of her, or maybe he was scared she'd mess something up. He'd probably just realized he'd been being friendly with Derpy and come to his senses... Whatever the reason, he was regretting her now. Her face ran hot as she thought about that, just one more pound of shame to add to the pile.

But if he was nervous, how did he think she felt? I only came in because it was you, Ink Well. You were so friendly and kind last time, and you were even being so nice out front... Guess an hour is as much Ditzy as anypony can handle... Pretty soon he'll start calling me Derpy and then it'll all be over. He looked back at her, giving her a half-smile before continuing on his way. His smiles used to profess that everything would be fine, that nothing could possibly go wrong, if you just trusted him, but now they were just to put a stop on his own nerves, which worked about as well as damming a river with a single stick.

He was channeling his energy well, using it by looking for something amongst the many offices that lined either side of the walls. As he did so, something felt odd to Ditzy, though she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. The administrative section was jammed full of offices, and yet there was hardly a pony to be seen. It felt wrong, eerie, like there was something big staring her in the face, but she just couldn't see it. Instead, she focused on more pressing matters. I need to just deliver the package and get out of here. Maybe I can just-

“Aha! Here's something! Ditzy, hurry up, we can't be spotted.” She let her thought slide as Ink Well ducked into one of the rooms, motioning her to follow. She came in after him, stumbling slightly and bumping against the door in her effort to move quickly. Silently she berated herself for losing control of her balance, but in the process she missed the next thing Ink Well said to her, only realizing he was talking as he finished his sentence. Annoyed by her own inattentiveness, she looked up to see him gesturing to the room, which was filled to the brim with rack after rack of cardboard boxes. The end of each row was marked with two dates, about two and a half years apart. Ink Well flew over to the nearest box, pulling it down and opening the top to reveal that it was packed full of papers, so she guessed they were records or something.

But, what were they doing in a record room? “Ink Well, I-”

Ink Well shoved his box towards her, looking at more boxes instead of talking to her directly. “Start going through these and look for anything suspicious. I'll go to the earlier ones and see what I can't pull up.”

She bent closer to the box, scanning the list of slightly blurry figures with confusion. “Suspicious? What would be-?” She looked up to see him leaving, her question dying before it could be formed. “Um, Ink Well, I don't...” she started, but he was already gone, disappearing between two of the racks further down.

Ditzy returned her attention to the papers beneath her, concentrating on bringing them into focus. Whatever it is, he trusted me to do it, so it must be important. That or he's getting rid of me... Shaking that thought away, she looked over the figures, what appeared to be a pay list for all the ponies in the factory. She tried to read more, but the numbers began to swim, and the names wavered, so she moved it aside, looking at the next one. Another pay list, identical to the first. And beneath it, another, and another, and another... it was full of them, and all of the tiny numbers were starting to make her eyes and head ache. She put them back, closing the lid and putting the box up before grabbing the one next to it.

This one had the same issue, with tiny written words for lines and lines, broken with dotted lines and so many numbers. She focused, forcing her eyes to stay for a second, and read down the line. This was for Ink Well, one of a hoof-full of ponies who still called her Ditzy. Maybe if she could just work hard enough she'd get on his good side again. With as few friends as she kept up with, she wasn't going to go losing one more.

Ditzy shook her head, focusing on the paper instead of the pony she was reading it for. It still looked like a load of complex things, but eventually two things popped out at her: That this was a delivery form, and that there were consistent, heavy crates coming in almost every day from all over Equestria. However, any significance from this was drowned out by a large, nagging thought. Don't you have a package to deliver? Looking through these papers isn't going to help Dinky.

Ditzy immediately stopped, dropping the few papers she'd been holding and scattering them around her. She looked at them for a moment, hesitating in her decision, then turned around, heading to the door. “I'm sorry Ink Well, but Dinky comes first.” She pushed it open, entering the hallway beyond. As the door closed behind her, she felt a tinge of guilt, but she pushed it away. I hope your search goes well, but I can't mess around right now. I'm sure you'll understand. With that she set off on her own search, all alone, as she normally was.

---

Ink Well was absolutely fascinated as he moved from box to box through the records, mostly for one simple reason: it was a treasure trove of information. Every single thing in there just screamed conspiracy. Like the pay lists, listing under fifty ponies as working at the factory. No matter how efficient it was, there had to be more. Just the number of offices made that obvious, even if they were mostly empty. And what was this large chunk of money simply labeled 'operating costs' that totaled more than three times the salaries combined? He'd been through enough shady records to recognize it immediately.

And then there were the deliveries, vague in all the right ways. Just listing after listing of 'raw materials' coming from every corner of Equestria daily, with deliveries from seemingly every post office and shipping company in every town. That in itself was strange, and Ink Well broke the silence in the stuffy room with his musings.

“Wouldn't they at least ship with the same company? There would probably be some sort of discount. And 'raw materials' every time? Not even logging what it is. And the weight differences, everything from fifty pounds to over seven hundred...” He moved on from that box, walking down the aisle to find one from a different year. Pulling it open, it was more of the same, though now there were orders coming in from outside of Equestria, primarily in the Gryphon lands, though it was still listed as more 'raw materials.' Ink Well held up the paper, staring at the words with so much curiosity running through his head. “Just what is in those boxes?”

Ink Well went from row to row looking for any clue to them, but there was simply nothing, a prospect that bugged him. There's just no proof if I don't get something clearer. Suspicion abounds, but then, that's why I'm here, isn't it? He slid the latest box back onto the shelf, then walked around the corner and directly into a cyan pegasus, who dropped her box, the papers inside flying everywhere. “What in the hay do you think you're doing?” she said as she ran to catch the ones still in the air.

Ink Well dropped to the floor, pulling together what was near the box while trying to get them in some semblance of order. “Oh, geez, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying any attention.” he said as he took a look at what he had, still on the search for clues. These were all recent delivery logs, and still, nothing but 'raw materials' in the descriptions...

The pegasus came to a stop next to him, front hooves full of paper. “Just watch where you're going next time, alright? It took forever to put these in order.” She dropped the papers in the box, which Ink Well then closed before picking it up and offering it to her. However, instead of taking it, her brow furrowed, and the last thing he expected to hear passed through her lips. “Ink Well? What are you doing here?”

It was then that Ink Well took note of the maroon eyes set into the cyan face, all extremely familiar, especially with the messy locks of rainbow mane framing the whole thing. He took a step back, equally as confused as she was. “Me? What are you doing here, Rainbow?”

Rainbow Dash frowned. “I work here, Inks.”

Ink Well's confusion deepened. “Since when? Just the other day you were talking about your big break with the Wonderbolts tryout and how you were 'totally going to get in this time!' This seems a little off the mark.”

Rainbow got in his face, suddenly defensive, and Ink Well knew he'd hit a nerve. “I got recruited here instead, okay? They saw my performance and, with my work on the Ponyville weather team, figured I deserved a promotion.” She then backed down, looking towards the smooth grey wall instead of him. “Besides, who wants to work for the crummy Wonderbolts when you can work at the Weather Factory?”

“They turned you down, huh?”

Her tail flicked angrily, but her gaze didn't move. “They didn't even consider me. As soon as I was off the course Ozone said I was cut.”

“Ozone? Is that one of the Wonderbolts?”

“Pff, no, they didn't even have the time to talk to me. Sent over the guy from the factory that was keeping conditions stable.” She kicked at the floor angrily, then turned, her face slightly brighter. “But he saw my talent, and offered me the job here.”

Ink Well tilted his head. “So you just gave up on the Wonderbolts like that? That doesn't sound like the Rainbow Dash I know.”

Her face darkened slightly at that. “Look, just drop it, alright? What do you think you're doing here? It's employees only, and even if you got the badge, that can't be real.”

Ink Well took a step back, trying to calm her down. She was still really angry about whatever happened, and pushing it wouldn't help. However, he was caught red hoofed, and he knew it, so he just came clean. “I'm on an assignment and I needed a little info.”

“You're being a spy? I thought you were over that after the whole Equirer thing.”

Ink Well took offense at that. “I'm not spying, I'm investigating. And, believe it or not, this is a situation just like the one at the Equirer. There's something big going on here, and I aim to find out what.”

Rainbow looked at him like he was crazy. “Yeah, like they're doing something shady here. This place is more boring than modeling for Rarity.”

Ink Well shrugged. “So was the Equirer, and we both know what came out of that. Heck, you helped me break into that one.”

This caused Rainbow to chuckle, a smile forming on her face. “That was a ride, wasn't it?”

“A dangerous one.” Her smile vanished, and he could see the memory of the aftermath flit through her mind. He knew now was the time to make his move. “That's why, if you could, I need you to look away, just this once.”

“What?”

“Pretend I was never here. I can't have the guards chasing after me like they did at the Equirer offices, and I definitely don't need it getting back to Ponyville again. If you can do me this one thing, I will owe you big.”

Rainbow stalled, seeming to go over what he was asking in her head. It didn't seem like anything too big, but then, if she was actually intent on working here, this would be the end of the line. After a few moments of thought, she relented, nodding her head. “Okay. Just for today, I never saw you. But are you alone, or did you bring somepony else to help?”

Ink Well shook his head. “No, I'm in here with Ditzy...” A red flag popped up in his mind as the words left his mouth. Ditzy would have been spotted before him, if Rainbow came in the same way he did. And she never had checked in with him after he gave her that assignment... A chunk of ice formed in his gut, a cold fear slowly spreading through him. ...who I haven't seen in far too long...

Rainbow smiled, disbelieving, but Ink Well wasn't paying attention, instead trying to remember just how long Ditzy had been gone. “Wait, you're here with Derpy?” It has to have been at least fifteen minutes. No, a half hour minimum. No, it can't have been that long, can it? How many boxes did I go through? “I mean, she's nice and all, but she'd be better for breaking up the place, not sneaking through it.” If she left right at the start, she could be anywhere... and anything could be happening to her. And if something happens to her, then what does that do to me? To everypony in this factory? They could all be in danger! Rainbow Dash gave him a puzzled look, taking a step closer and waving a hoof in front of his face. I've got to find her. “Something on your mind?”

Ink Well's focus seemed to snap back on her as he dropped the box, making a mad dash for the door. “I'm sorry, I need to go!” He didn't even wait for a response, charging out into the hallway and looking both directions. There was no sign of the delivery mare anywhere, and really no clue as to where to start looking. He picked a direction and ran down it, one thought on his mind. Where is Ditzy Doo?

---

Ditzy walked through the administrative offices, looking from door to door for the best one to finish her job. She already didn't like being back here, so if she could just deliver the package and be done, maybe Mr. Crate would look kindly upon her. Unfortunately, the plain brown package didn't say who it was for, so she didn't know where to leave it. It would probably be safe to give it to the head pony. They'd know who to give it to! She scanned the many nameplates, growing a little more anxious with each one. Secretary... Head of Processing... Public Relations... No, there must be a President or an Executive or...

She stopped, her face lighting up as her eyes focused on the nameplate before her, reading it to herself. “Professor Ozone: Weather Factory Director! Perfect!” Smiling, she opened the door, walking into the room with a spring in her step. She walked up to a cloud desk in the center of the room, rummaging through her bag for the parcel. Oh, Mr. Crate will be so happy he'll give me a raise, and then-

“Can I help you?” Ditzy stopped, slowly looking up from her bag. In her haste to deliver the package, she hadn't noticed the pure white pegasus behind the desk, who appraised her from behind a pair of small circular glasses.

The two of them stared at each other awkwardly, the tension only breaking when Ditzy nervously smiled, her eyes dropping to the floor. “Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't know anypony was in here...”

The aged stallion just smiled, laugh lines appearing at the edges of his eyes. “Worry not, friend, I wasn't doing very much anyway.” His calmness brought Ditzy's gaze back up, a sincere smile edging onto her face. It was then that she noticed the degrees hanging on the wall behind him, as well as the books and trophies around the room. It all felt very cozy, not at all what would be expected when looking at the outside of the factory. Eventually she brought her eyes back to the pony before her, and was confused by what she saw. When she looked into his silvery eyes she saw a kind curiosity, which he confirmed when he spoke. “Would it be safe to assume you aren't a member of our workforce? I think I would remember hiring a pony with such interesting eyes as yours.”

Ditzy blushed slightly, in part when she noticed she was still wearing the hardhat and coat of the tour and in part when she realized his tone of voice was complimentary. Feeling a little guilty, she took off the factory clothing, revealing her delivery uniform as she spoke. “Yeah. I'm sorry I had to sneak in, but I was sent to deliver a package, and I was having problems finding the delivery dock, and the pony at the front desk wouldn't help, and-”

The stallion held up a hoof, stopping her there. “Do not worry, though I hope you do not make sneaking into places a habit, young lady. It is not the best conduct for a mail mare.” Relived, she laughed to get the tension out, and he chuckled as well. When the moment passed, his curiosity returned. “Now what was this about a package?”

Ditzy pulled the parcel free of her bag, placing it on the desk between them. “Of course! Right here, mister...”

“Professor. Professor Ozone, Ms...” He leaned forward, examining the name tag on her uniform. “Ditzy Doo?” He chuckled again. “Fitting.” He looked her in the eyes again, seeming to take in every detail of them.

Ditzy just smiled, slightly uncomfortable with the attention she was receiving, and turned back to the door. “Well, I'm sorry to have troubled you, Professor, so I'll just see myself out.”

Ozone seemed let down when she said that. “Just like that? Aren't you a little curious as to what the parcel was, Ms. Doo?”

She hadn't been before, but now that he mentioned it... What could be so important for this factory in such a small box? All their normal deliveries are so heavy. And she'd come back here after one curious impulse, she'd just be lying if she ignored this one. She turned back around, taking a step closer to the desk. “Well, maybe a little...”

Professor Ozone smiled, taking a letter opener from his desk and cutting the tape from the box. “Ah! Wonderful.” As he carefully took care of the tape, he talked, excitement in his voice. “You see, it's not very often that I get to share my hobby with other ponies. It's a bit of a strange one. I collect oddities; misprinted posters, flawed statues, defective clothing; anything the world may see as imperfect.” He took note of her looking around the office and shook his head. “No, I don't keep them here, I take them in my home, placing them in my personal museum where nopony can see them.”

With the box finally open, he lifted the flaps and took out the cushioning around the object, revealing a stunning crystal alicorn, rearing up and wings spread wide. It would be beautiful, except that one of the front legs was damaged, extremely dull and a different color from the rest of the piece. He held it up for Ditzy to see, smiling sadly to himself. “Would you look at that? Such a work of art, marred forever by an error in creation...” He moved around the desk, revolving it so she could see it more clearly as he stood next to her. “It is truly unique, the very definition of one of a kind, and yet it could never be displayed. Just like you and your eyes.”

Ditzy felt a change in the atmosphere and turned to look at him, finding his attention locked on her. He continued to talk, regarding the statue, but looking straight at her, his face not quite so friendly as almost fearsome. “Imagine if this was the standard for these statues! Everypony would think that they were all this flawed, that it was normal to be disfigured, and that is just not true, now is it? No, things like this really have no reason to exist. They would make the world a better place by leaving it than by staying around, and so I hide them away.” Ditzy took a step back, feeling a chill going down her spine from his words and the way he looked at her. Yet, for each step she took, he took one towards her.

The Professor let the statue fall, keeping his eyes entirely on Ditzy, all the kindness and curiosity lost from them, replaced with a cold malice. “This piece is a monstrosity that shouldn't even go into the collection.” Ditzy took a few steps back, feeling the open door frame behind her, every muscle screaming at her to run, while at the same time they told her not to take her eyes off of the pony in front of her. He continued to advance, his suddenly angry rant coming to a calm conclusion. “The best thing to happen to this piece, were for it to be -” Ditzy's rear hoof reached the door and she spun, muscles tensing to flee. But before she could move, something impacted the back of her head, immediately causing her vision to blur. Pieces of crystal flew past her as she fell into the hall, everything going dark to the last word of the Professor's dark speech. “- destroyed.”

---

The white stallion looked at the mess strewn across the floor, running a hoof through his short white mane and fixing his glasses. With that accomplished, he let out a deep breath, regaining his composure and his slight smile. He then bent down, pulling the unconscious grey mare into his office.

When she was inside, he closed the door, then walked to his desk, calmly sitting down and pressing the button for the intercom. “Would the two nice colts at the delivery dock kindly come up to my office? The package arrived at the wrong door, and I will need your help to get her to processing. Thank you!” With that, he leaned back, looking over at the blood trickling from the grey mare's head and onto his floor, and leaned forward, tapping the intercom button again. “Also, if you could bring a dust bin and a mop, that would be lovely.” He then leaned back once more, looking to the ceiling and shaking his head. “Such a shame... I had the perfect place for that statue too.”

Comments

[_Medicshy]

Ah, so sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I got flooded with things happening and a strong bout of the lazies and just couldn't find the motivation. But I promised myself this would come out before the next semester of school started, and since my first class is in 5 hours, I may have cut that close, but I followed through!

That said, if you see any obvious errors, feel free to point them out and I'll fix them right up!

Also, if you couldn't tell from this chapter's conclusion, this is going to be a much shorter piece than the two before it (I think five parts, but nothing is set in stone quite yet). Hopefully it is still to your liking!

Thank you for your patience, and I hope the next one doesn't take nearly this long!
Have a wonderful day everypony!
_Medicshy

[DreadedCandiru2]

Oh, dear.....Time for a Storm of the Oncoming variety to shake things up, wouldn't you say?

[Lemonschooner]

The plot thickens!

[Nealend86]

Eugenics is a sick and twisted philosophy and I will enjoy seeing Ink Well bring this place down.

[Magic Llama]

I have selected to handful of authors to whom I shall declare myself their Number One Fan. Anyone who disputes this, I shall fight to the death. Congratulations, Medicshy. I'm your number one fan! Now let's pretend it's Foursquare and you give me free stuff.

[_Medicshy]

1125045 I have no free stuff to give...

[DreadedCandiru2]

1122730
He'll have help doing it: somepony who's definitely a madcolt with a blue box. If these freaks aren't running for their lives, they should be.

[Altairey]

Awesome, as always. Keep it up!

[AppleTank]

Well, fuck. I'm not fond of thrillers.