Rainbow landed on the balcony after an hour or so out in the sky, and looked out over the city of Cloudsdale. The white clouds glowed in the bright morning sun, and she was forced to shield her eyes. As usual, they were pure as ever. She wondered if she'll go for a drink to kill the boredom.
Shaking off that thought and going back inside, she put down the speakers and plugged them into her laptop. She put on some rock music in the background, then began conducting internet searches, raking through gigabytes of data.
The music seemed to dim as her mind sharpened when she came across a photo of Melony, Dainty, and their parents. It looked distant from reality. All of them were smiling, happy. Together.
Rainbow hesitated. Will she want to find out? The very thing that pushed her towards a dark carrier, will she want to find out more about it?
She gritted her teeth. She had to. Octavia is coming back, and she'll make sure that it happens.
She read on. Below was an article on the murder of the parents. They lived in Manehatten, and were both shot to death. A few years later the body of Dainty was found on the streets of Manehatten, roughly three hundred miles away from the house. Melony was no where to be found. Dainty's body then later mysteriously disappeared from the autopsy room, where it was stored for later investigation. The article said that it was presumed that the science faction was behind all of it, although individuals couldn't be pin-pointed.
Rainbow sighed. Neon must've stolen the body, but how did she revive Dainty...
The only way is for her to go to the old mines, where she found Dainty. Although it had been blown up, she might still be able to find something of use there.
Dainty won't need picking up until in seven hours, so she decided to go to the mines.
She looked up, spotting her old black coat hanging on the door, still failing to lose its silky texture. The black gangster hat was next to it, the white band still shiny.
Rainbow picked the two items up and put them on. She felt something heavy brush against her leg as she shrugged on the coat. Rummaging through her pocket, she found a small metal canister, red light leaking out of gaps in the shell.
She re-pocketed the canister. She might be needing it.
Locking the door behind her, she left the house.
*
The mines were the same as the last time she saw them. Dark and eery- except that it was day time.
She strode through it, her hoof steps echoing in the silence. She walked through the giant crater, rocket craters and bullet holes littering the ground and sides.
Rainbow stopped in front of a pile of boulders- that's right, Octavia ordered the car to block the entrance.
There was the distinct sound of metal rubbing on metal as Rainbow flicked out the canister, pressing a switch. It began unfolding, forming a giant cleaver as the last piece slid into place. The red Element of Loyalty crystal glimmered in its slot, located in the cleaver handle, going through the center and popping up on both sides.
With a few quick slashes, Rainbow reduced the boulders into little pieces of rock.
Folding the cleaver, she walked into the dark tunnel.
She could barely see in the darkness, and could only follow the light in front of her from the other side.
Rainbow stepped back into the sunshine, shielding her eyes, waiting for them to adjust. Everything was left untouched since one year ago- the two turrets still lay disabled, and the sparks had stopped popping. They must've cut the power supply.
The building was up ahead, looming over her. The hole she cut in the gate was still there.
Stepping through and into the darkness, she looked around her. Her own shadow was cast onto the floor in front of her as sunlight poured in. She remembered every bit of the events that unfolded here- the ambush, and Octavia's death.
She ground her teeth together, walking on.
Light poured in through the hole Neon made in the wall when she clawed her way in. Rainbow eyed it, inspecting the shredded metal. Nothing special.
She walked towards the end of the long room, where Neon was launched by her sonic rainbubble through the wall and into the complex of pipes.
She stood on the edge, remembering Neon leaping down from the ceiling, claws flashing. She rubbed her oddly tired eyes. She could see every memory clear as day in her mind.
Dropping down onto the complex, her wings outstretched to create a softer landing; Rainbow touched down gently on the concrete floor beneath all the pipes. Streaks of light leaked through the gaps between the pipes that covered the area above. There were some craters and dents in the floor from where Rainbow fought Neon, a clear trail of destruction with it.
The small building she was looking for was up ahead. A solitary room, it stood amidst the chaotic mess of pipes. It looked out of place, with its fresh look and all; compared to the old rusting environment around it. Maybe Melony still had some conscious inside Neon when she was working on the revival machine- the place seemed to serve more than just purpose. There was still a bit of love, however tiny the amount.
Right now, its door was swinging on one hinge, the other blown off. Black burn marks spread from the exit and out into the open, a clear indication of an explosion inside.
Rainbow stepped in, the sunshine from outside being her only source of light.
Inside she found piles of debris. She could see a portion of the bed she found Dainty in. There were twisted metal scraps here and there. She began digging, hoping there might be something underneath all the crap; hidden from sight.
Suddenly there was a white flash, and she fell back into a pile, yelping in surprise. Lifting the rim of her hat so she could see, she saw the silhouette of a familiar friend standing in the light in from of her. She could see every detail- the folds in her coat, to the individual strands of hair.
Octavia had her back to Rainbow, and she was wearing her black coat and hat. Her dark mane and coat seemed to flow in an undetectable breeze as she stood there.
"Octavia- Octavia!" she called, scrambling up to her hooves. Octavia stood silently, her head slowly turning. "Please! Come back!" Rainbow continued her calls, stumbling forward. Octavia had half her face facing rainbow now. Her iris was a sudden burst of purple from all the black and grey, and she wore the same sensible smile she left with. There was another white flash, and Octavia disappeared. There was nothing to prove that she was ever there- no unsettled ash, no moved debris.
Rainbow clutched her head, grunting in frustration and falling onto the ash covered ground.
"Seeing things! I'm bucking losing it...." she cursed, squishing the ash on the floor under a hoof. Her knee brushed against something with an odd texture as she knelt down, trying to calm her nerves.
She looked down, and spotted the corner of a leather book poking out of the ash. She quickly brushed away the ash, and plucked out the book.
It was a diary, without a name however. She simply presumed it was Neon's. She flicked it open- inside were a bunch of formulas, both ticked ones and crossed out ones.
This was it- instructions as to how the machine works. She found them.
Rainbow quickly stuffed the small hoof-sized book into her pocket. Soon, Octavia. Soon.
*
It was lunch time, and Dainty sat alone on one of the many wooden benches in the school playground. There was a loud slurp as she sucked in the last few drops of juice in her juice box through a straw, and a clang as she tossed the crushed box into a metal bin.
"Well well, little Dainty sitting alone again, aye?" a gang of foals approached. Dainty couldn't see their faces properly due to the sun shining in the opposite direction.
"What, no friends?" a boy chuckled.
Dainty said nothing. These idiots had been making fun of and picking on her ever since she got to this school. None of the other fillies dared befriend her, as they might get picked on as well. Overtime she just accepted that she won't be getting any friends for some time. Everyday she simply looked forward to getting home with Rainbow- her only source of comfort now-a-days. She continued ignoring the gang, until one of them bumped her lunchbox and her sandwich fell onto the floor.
"Hehe... Oops." a girl giggled.
"Oi!" Dainty stood up, her yell completely un-intimidating due to its relatively high pitch. After all, she was grade one.
"Ooh, Dainty mad!" chuckled a boy, and the gang began laughing.
"Stop it!" Dainty shouted madly, but it only made the gang laugh harder.
"Hey! You lot! Leave her alone!" a voice said from behind Dainty, and she turned to look at Miss Cordy, her teacher. The gang froze, their laughing expressions fading away.
"Miss-" the girl that knocked Dainty's sandwich onto the floor began.
"Don't try and act innocent! I heard and saw everything!" Cordy said.
"We-"
"Apologize." Cordy said sternly.
"We're sorry..." the gang muttered half-heartedly.
"Now, move off- don't let me see you bullying Dainty again, you hear?" Cordy said, and the gang slowly trotted away with their heads lowered, muttering. "You alright?" she turned to Dainty and sat down to match her height.
Dainty nodded, although she wasn't exactly in a happy mood. Cordy just looked worriedly at her. She'd been told about Dainty's past.
"Come on-" she said, grabbing Dainty's hoof and standing up. "Come with me to the tuck shop... I'm sure we'll be able to find something for you there."
"But I didn't bring any mo-"
"Let me worry about that, darling." Cordy smiled gently, picking up Dainty's lunchbox and leading her away from the playground.
*
At first Rainbow felt something touch her mane, and opened her tired eyes slightly. Then whatever was on her head chirped noisily, and she flailed her arms in the air in panic.
The bird chirped again, flying out the open window. Rainbow sighed, then banged her head on the desk in frustration as she remembered what she was doing before falling asleep. The bang echoed out the window, mixed with the sound of cracking wood. Sheets of paper fluttered in all directions, slowly floating towards the ground. Rainbow rubbed her head.
The formulas in the book didn't make any sense to her. Right now, more than any other time in her life, she regretted not paying attention in class. She tried doing research, but the complicated things required the basis of understanding(which, she didn't have.). It's like trying to add two numbers together without being able to count. She might be able to work out the formula following the rules, but she won't understand the answer. Ah well. She'll just have to take the answers and formulas to a real scientist that might understand this crap. Although... She really didn't trust scientists anymore, not after the Science Faction invasion.
She tried re-organizing the papers she scattered, but could no longer make any sense of them, not even the formulas; as she forgot everything after she fell asleep.
Pounding her head on the desk, she began starting over again.
An alarm clock went off. She roared, and slammed a hoof into the screen, shattering it and sending the clock off the table and out the window. She ignored the yelp of a stallion that came from outside.
Placing 'Buy another alarm clock' and 'See psychologist' on her list of to-do things, she shrugged on her coat and left to go pick up Dainty from school.
*
Oddly enough, Rainbow didn't find Dainty waiting outside Cloudsdale Primary. It was raining- and the pounding rhythm amplified Rainbow's unease- a sick feeling she immediately got when she didn't see Dainty at the gates.
She waited, standing and leaning against the brick wall surrounding the school, watching parents and relatives pick up their beloved fillies. Still no Dainty.
Rainbow was still standing there by the time everypony left, hoping Dainty would just surprise her and come out. It had been hours since school ended, and the sky was getting dark.
"Hey! Miss Dash. Can I help you?" Cordy said, exiting the school gates. She had her hoofbag with her, and was obviously leaving.
"Ah, hello Cordy. I was wondering if you've seen Dainty?" Rainbow pushed off the wall gently, turning to face the school teacher.
"Dainty... She left straight after school. I escorted her to the gates- then went back to mark their homework... She's doing exceptionally well, by the way. Why? Did you not see her?"
The unease tightened around Rainbow's heart, making it physically ache by the slightest. "No. I didn't see her."
"Oh dear..." Cordy ran a hoof through her mane. "Should I call the cops? I'm sure they'll find her..."
"No. Don't." Rainbow said. The last thing she needed is for Dainty to attract attention and have the science faction know where she is, and from what she heard, there might still be a traitor in the royal guards- which, is basically the cops. "Thanks for the help anyway. It's raining pretty darn hard- you be on your way, miss."
Cordy nodded worriedly, then headed for her car.
Rainbow stood in the rain for a moment or two, trying to think of a place where Dainty might go.
Driving the car back home, she creaked the door open, but her heart fell immediately as no light came out into the darkness. No one had turned the lights on, meaning Dainty probably wasn't home. Still having a thin thread of hope, she walked in, the rain slipping off her coat and making puddles on the tiled floor.
"Dainty! Dainty!" she called. No reply.
After searching all the rooms and not finding the filly anywhere, her heart officially plunged into a guilty panicky feeling. She turned and turned around the living room, hoping that she missed a spot, and that the little filly was hiding there, waiting to be discovered. There was no such spot.
"It's only one place..." Rainbow muttered to herself. "Plenty of possibilities... Come on Rainbow... Think... THINK!"
And then the horrible thoughts started kicking in, worming and forcing their way into her brain, despite her struggle to keep them out. What if Dainty was snatched? What if the Science Faction has her?
Rainbow clutched her head. "Get out!" she screamed at the thoughts. "GET OUT!!"
She felt something cold press against her chest. She was suddenly aware of the thin chain around her neck, and she lifted the necklace of her own cutie mark out from underneath her shirt. The necklace Dainty gave her this morning- for her birthday.
She crumbled down onto the floor, burying her face in the carpet and sobbing quietly, the necklace held tight in a hoof.
"No... Not again..." her voice faded into a whisper. "Please... Not this again..." she thought of Octavia, and how useless she had been when her friend was dying.
For a long period of time all she could hear was the pounding of rain on the window, and the rumbling of thunder, accompanied by her own sobbing.
It pained her even more as she remembered that Dainty was afraid of lightning, of thunder and rain. And here she was, not being able to do anything about it.
Rainbow didn't know where to start looking for Dainty. There was no where to start, and Dainty had never been anywhere else other than the school, the markets and shopping malls, and home. The markets and shopping malls were too far away, so she couldn't possibly be there. All Rainbow could think of was the poor filly wondering the streets, cold and shivering, just like back in Manehatten.
"I'm so useless..." She muttered through irregular breaths, raking a hoof through the carpeted floor, her face pressed against the soft fur.
Slowly getting up, she decided to just drive through the streets.
There was no anticipation nor expectation as Rainbow drove the bright orange car through the dark streets. She didn't have any raised hopes when she saw distant figures in the rain. She drove on through the streets, slow enough so she could scan the side walks. By now all the ponies were inside some type of shelter, whether it be home, or a restaurant. There was nopony out. Not even a car. It was only Rainbow, driving her expensive race car, all alone in the pounding rain and the howling winds.
She by now had driven through all the streets and roads, five times over. Still no sign of the blonde maned green filly.
Rainbow's mind was in a mist of confusion. She couldn't think clearly, and her eyelids were drooping down. She saw a dark shape, walking along the street.
Octavia turned around, a calm expression on her face. Time seemed to slow, and the darkness began to fade. Everything became distorted and unclear, except for Octavia.
"Come... Back..." Rainbow said, her strength drained.
Then everything bounced back into focus, and Octavia was no longer there.
Rainbow's mind abruptly cleared, and she slammed the breaks as she saw the left turn up ahead. The car skid out of control, the rain lubricating the tires. Rainwater flew in all directions as the car spun, then slowly skid to a halt inches away from a brick building, the side mirror clipping the wall.
Rainbow's tight grip on the steering wheel loosened, cold sweat covering her body as if she'd been in the rain, her irregular breathing sending puffs of steam into the cold night air. She leaned forward and rested her forehead on the steering wheel, slowly calming her breathing.
"Damnit..." she whispered, tapping the steering wheel with a hoof. "Damnit..."