Ink Well and Ditzy burst through the back door of Processing, following the piping and coming out in another thin hall, small doors lining either side. A quick glance showed the hall the only viable path, as even as they hesitated the doors were opening, ponies in pursuit ready to surround them. “This way!” Ink Well yelled, nudging Ditzy to start her going. The fact that he'd had to tell her to move, had to grab her to make her escape, told him everything he needed to know. Ditzy didn't yet know how to run. While finding the simplest exit was second nature to him, it being his go-to action when words failed him, Ditzy was blind to it. She'd need a helping hoof, especially as she worried about Dinky, still clutching tightly to her back.
Ink Well shot down the hall, kicking doors shut as they opened and keeping a path clear for the mother behind him. He followed the water pipes from before. While they wouldn't lead him out, they would definitely lead him somewhere worth investigating. Above him they veered right, and so did he, ducking into a connecting hall as guards flooded the one before him. Ditzy skittered to a halt, eyes widening at the crowd before her even as the one behind caught up. Ink Well had reached the end of the hall and checked the door, seeing nothing in the room beyond, before Ditzy began running again, a solid wall of ponies behind her. Ink Well egged her on, holding the door open as he beckoned with a hoof and yelled at himself mentally. Darn it! Stay closer to her Ink Well, you know she needs the motivation. “C'mon! C'mon!”
Ink Well checked the room one more time, glad to confirm that nopony was about to jump on him. He also spotted something at the corner of his eye, a plan beginning to form as he looked back to Ditzy. She was almost there, seemingly a million ponies on her tail, but she would make it first. He held out a hoof, giving her all the encouragement he could with his eyes. She was going to make it. There was no other option. The gap closed, Ditzy giving one more full gait, then reaching out her own hoof towards his.
The two connected and in one fluid motion Ink Well pulled Ditzy through the door and slammed it shut on the horde. He then grabbed a cabinet by the door, pulling it until it tipped over, crashing to the ground and creating a makeshift barricade. Behind it the door moved, angry shouts filtering through the solid metal, but it held, the cabinet no more than scraping slightly on the ground. Ink Well sighed, the relief sinking into a smile. One more escape made. Now to get out of the factory...
“Ink Well... What is that?” Ink Well turned, about to ask Ditzy to clarify when the answer made itself apparent. In front of him was a massive ethereal steed, fierce eyes glowing white as it stared him down. Just the sight of it, the power radiating off of it and the despair just looking at it generated, caused Ink Well's heart to chill. It seemed ready to run him down, but something was holding it back...
It took Ink Well a few moments to realize it was captive, held inside a large clear container. Four more of the beasts swirled through the air behind it, running like a winter storm in the tiny area, all snorting and whinnying angrily, a flurry of snow flying in their wake. Around the viewing window, which took up much of the large wall behind them, were various dials marked as measuring temperature, snow creation, and activity. Painted above the whole scene, in large yellow letters like those that marked the rest of the wing, were the words 'Snow Generation,' casually downplaying the gravity of the situation.
“Woah...” Ink Well saw Dinky tap at her mother's back, running up to the window as soon as she was put down and looking into the creature's eyes. Ditzy kept a close eye on her, never more than a step away, ready to protect her child from anything.
Ink Well walked up behind them, stunned by what he was seeing. “Ditzy, do you know what those are?” Ditzy gave him a confused look, her mismatched eyes only adding to the effect, so Ink Well continued. “Those are Windigos!”
Ditzy's eyes widened and she looked upon the caged creature with new respect. “Windigos? Like from Hearth's Warming Eve? I thought those were a myth!”
Ink Well nodded. “They are. There hasn't been a single documented Windigo sighting in recorded history, as far as I'm aware. There just hasn't been enough general contempt or despair to keep them fed. But these ones look really healthy...” If the legends were true, the ponies outside wouldn't be nearly enough to keep these five fed and fit. It's an ingenious way to make snow, all truth be told, but where is the despair coming from?
Dinky frowned at the tank. “Mom, they look sad... can we help them?”
Ditzy looked conflicted, frightened by the beasts, but not wanting to disappoint her daughter, whose large eyes continued to ask the question. After a few seconds, she relented. “Of course dear. I don't know how, but we'll try.”
The cabinet by the door sliding stole the attention of the three from the tank. Immediately Ink Well's running instinct kicked in and he looked around, spying for an exit and finding one in the form of a catwalk running through the upper edge of the room. He had no clue where it went, but it was better than nothing. “Time to move, let's go!” He flew up to the walkway, looking along it to see if there would be any interference, but it seemed to have been forgotten by their pursuers. Satisfied, he turned back to find the others not yet with him. Both were on the floor, Dinky looking fearfully at the door, while Ditzy held her in her arms, looking fearfully towards him. Confused, he flew back down to her. “Ditzy, what's wrong? We need to move.”
“I... I don't want to fly while holding Dinky.”
Ink Well looked to the door, briefly making eye contact with a guard behind it as he shoved and pushed. They didn't have time for hesitation. “Can you not do it, or...”
“No, it's not that, it's just...” Ditzy looked to the floor, cheeks burning red with shame. “I don't always... fly right, and I'm afraid I might hurt her, or drop her when my balance goes... weird, or-”
Understanding her concern, Ink Well offered the easiest solution. “Do you want me to do it?”
“NO!” Ink Well jumped back as Ditzy's hug tightened around Dinky, true panic appearing in her eyes, which only seemed to fade after a good long while, recognition replacing the terror in her. “No... it's not you, it's just... I can't lose her again, and.... and I don't...”
Ink Well leaned down next to her, placing a hoof on her shoulder, which she ignored, looking down at the filly in her arms. “Ditzy, look at me.” When her gaze was pulled towards him, he met it with a serious one, holding her attention. She had to know that he meant every word he was about to say. “Ditzy, you will do fine. Just because you fly funny doesn't mean you're suddenly going to forget you love your daughter. In the short time I've seen you together I already know that you would never let anything happen to her, even accidentally. You need to have a little faith in yourself. You act like you're unable to do anything, like just because your eyes are odd means everypony has the right to treat you like nothing, and that simply isn't true. You are a pony, like everypony else, nothing more, nothing less. And while that may not seem like much, it's the most important thing there is. Because one pony, in the right place, at the right time, can change the world.” He paused, watching as the words sank into Ditzy, the fear still present in her eyes slowly disappearing, replaced by a cautious confidence. After a moment, he took a step back, extending his wings. “I know you have that potential, and what's more, I know that you would never let Dinky lose her chance at the same.”
With that, he took off, landing on the catwalk moments later. He took a couple steps towards the exit, looking ahead when he heard the cabinet slide and the door slam open below. In an instant he was ready to fly back down, prepared to hop into the fray when he heard another set of hooves touch down behind him. Turning, he saw Ditzy with Dinky delicately balanced on her back, a sureness in her that he hadn't seen since their time with The Doctor. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, opening her mouth to speak.
“Up there! C'mon colts, after them!”
The shout from below cut off her words, but Ink Well seemed to get them anyway, just letting his smile deepen. “You ready for another run?”
“It's better than staying here.” In unison their hooves rattled the catwalk, though it was quickly drowned out by the legion in pursuit.
---
Dinky seemed to weigh nothing at all as Ditzy galloped behind Ink Well, copying his every move. She didn't know what it was about his pep talk, but just hearing that she was worth something from somepony that wasn't herself, well... it made all the difference in the world.
Still, she couldn't help but feel awkward at the occasional misplaced hoof or slight roll on a spin. Ink Well was faster than any squirrel, darting down catwalks and gliding between floors, and Ditzy simply didn't have the capacity to keep up with him, try as she might. The worst part was every misplaced hoof would cause Dinky's grip to slip, and she'd have to slow down to make sure her Muffin didn't fall off. Behind them, hoofsteps, ever pounding closer, ever growing louder, and she dared not think about the pursuit, focusing completely on following the ink black tail before her.
Which is why, after another sharp down a hall, she was shocked to find it missing. Muscles burning and mind shocked from the disappearance, she didn't even have time to react as a hoof shot out to grab her, pulling her and her daughter into a side room where the door shut tight. She gasped heavily, preparing to scream before she was met with the sight of Ink Well, one hoof to his mouth to silence her as the sound of guards rushed past. Second by breathless second slowly passed, until, after an eternity, silence finally came. Knowing they were safe for a moment, Ditzy knew her first priority. “Dinky, how are you holding up? You alright?”
Dinky nodded, poking her head over Ditzy's shoulder. “I'm fine. Just scared.”
Ditzy smiled calmly, nuzzling her daughter. “It's okay Muffin, I'm scared too.” They both shared a nervous laugh, letting the tension ease for a bit as Ditzy caught her breath and Dinky stretched out her hooves. It was then that Ditzy realized Ink Well had moved off a way, leaning over a railing and staying oddly still. She walked over to him, an edge of worry for her savior on her words. “What's going on, Ink Well?” When he didn't respond, she looked over the railing, and in an instant she understood.
Below them were at least a hundred gryphons in strange machines that held them over treadmills, each of which was connected to what looked to be a generator, with wires running off to the side of the room. Not a single one of them didn't look thin and haggard, most limping or scrambling desperately at the rollers. Those who moved too slowly had sharp spines driven into their rear by the apparatus around them, urging them on past fatigue. Even as she watched, one particularly frail gryphon tripped on the machine, met only by a tether choking around his neck and long pines drawing blood from him. He gave out a tired screech, then went limp, not even registering as more and more of the cold metal sunk in.
Wincing and choking on the surge up her throat, Ditzy turned from the sorry scene, her own body aching in sympathetic response. By Celestia's mane, who could do such a thing? “Mom, what's going on over there?” Her face blanched when she heard her daughter's voice, thinking of what might happen if Dinky saw this... When she had swallowed down the problem and her breath was to a manageable state, she turned, trying her hardest to smile.
“I'm fine, Dinky, just... just stay over there, okay?” Dinky nodded and Ditzy inched next to Ink Well, her eyes still wide with horror. “What are they doing to them?”
Ink Well looked coldly on the scene below, an obvious anger on his face. “They're being used for power.”
Even though it fit what she saw, Ditzy mind couldn't actually process that thought. “What?”
Ink Well changed his position on the rail, his hooves clenching around the top of it. “Those sick monsters are using enslaved gryphons as a cheap energy source!” His hooves then relaxed, and with a severe look he locked eyes with Ditzy. “This has to be stopped. This can't just be told to the public or brought to light, this has to stop now.”
Ditzy could feel the seriousness radiating from his stare, the pure righteous anger that drove him just beneath the surface. This was past a moral objection, this was wrong for him on a fundamental level, and nothing was going to make him stop here. And if he was going... “How can we stop it?”
It was almost as if Ink Well only finally noticed her then, his anger immediately shifting to uncertainty. But before he could try to convince Ditzy otherwise, a slam sounded from the door, followed immediately by a cry of “Mommy!”
They both spun to see Dinky pressed against the door, her horn glowing brightly and sweat running down her face. Just above her head the lock was glowing as well, though that was barely holding the door together. They both ran over, pushing against the door with their own weight right as Dinky's horn flared, her magic going out. “Dinky! Are you alright? What happened?” Worried, Ditzy rubbed a hoof on her head until a jolt from the door brought it to her full attention.
Dinky shook her head slowly, one eye shut as she pushed through a pain in her head. “A bad pony was trying to sneak through the door, but I saw him and slammed it shut.” Outside shouting could be heard, the pursuit growing once more once their target was found. Dinky looked forlorn at that, her head sinking slightly. “I'm sorry. Now they know where we are...”
“No! Don't be sorry, we-” another jolt at the door pushed Ditzy off, but she shoved back, easing the pressure for a moment, “-we wouldn't have stopped them if you hadn't thought fast with your magic. You did amazing!”
Seeing Dinky perk up a little and lean her whole weight into the door again, Ditzy turned to Ink Well, where she already saw the gears of thought in motion. She didn't even need to ask him for a plan, as he had one ready before she was focused past holding the door. “Ditzy, on the count of three, take Dinky and fly over the gryphons and look for the nearest exit. You two are getting out of here.”
What? Is he crazy? “What about you? You can't hold this alone!” As if to prove her point, the pressure on the door rose again, causing all three of them to grunt with exertion as they put their entire body into holding it shut.
Ink Well shook his head, smiling a terribly confident smile. “I'll distract them, get them chasing me deeper in. I should be able to outrun them.”
Even with his confidence, Ditzy could feel doubt creeping in. “I can't move as fast as you, what if they catch me?”
Ink Well's smile faded, replaced with a serious promise. “They won't. Just remember, it's not about where you're running to, it's what you're running from. The 'to' will sort itself out.” A hard slam at the door pushed it open a crack, cutting off any further discussion on the matter. Ink Well swallowed, braced against the door harder, and began counting.
“One.” Ditzy took one last look at Ink Well, surprised by how calm he was, even under the strain of everything about to happen, and resolved to do what he asked.
“Two.” She tensed her legs, ready to grab Dinky and spring over the railing. They would be fine. They'd make it out. Ink Well had promised. Entire body prepared, she waited for the last count.
“Thr-”
Pandemonium struck as the doors flew open, bowling over the three ponies on the other side. Ditzy scrambled to right herself, he skewed sense of balance trying to fight her every step of the way. She had to run. She had to grab Dinky and run!
“Mommy!” Ditzy finally seemed to get her legs under her in time to spot Dinky being grabbed by a guard, her lavender coat disappearing beneath his burly sky blue hoof. Another glance to the side saw Ink Well held strong, two ponies on each limb and another clamped onto his back, preventing all movement.
Three ponies were advancing towards her, and her legs tensed, half of her head screaming to leave while the other half pulled her towards her friend and family. She panicked, both options fighting for control of her body, when she saw Ink Well slowly shake his head. Though his eyes were still filled with fury, his face was calm, telling her not to fight it.
Taking his advice, she relaxed, standing still and loose when the guardsponies took hold of her, roughly moving her to the others. Once they were together, the whole mob's attention shifted to the door, where two familiar ponies stood.
One was the wretched stallion that knocked her out, walking with an aloof, smug air towards them. Behind him was Rainbow Dash, whose appearance struck Ditzy completely off guard. Last Ditzy remembered, Rainbow had been yelling at her, firing her after the Town Hall incident. What was she doing up here? However, moreso than her location, she didn't look herself at all. She was obviously conflicted and confused, neither of which Ditzy had ever seen on her face, and they only got worse as she neared the railing and spotted the sight below.
She didn't have time to think about it as everything began happening at once. Ozone approached them, looking at them like a nuisance before turning and smiling to the lead guard. “Please take him to the extraction chamber and the others to the observation deck, will you?” The guard just nodded, motioning for those around Ink Well to follow him.
“Thanks,” said Ozone, giving them a friendly wave before turning to the remaining two intruders. He seemed to be inspecting them, but Ditzy didn't pay it any mind, instead watching as Ink Well's head bent low for a moment, then rose just as he left the room. Something white hit the floor behind the guards, ignored by them, but drawing Rainbow's attention. She hurried over, picking up whatever it was and putting it in a pocket on her lab coat quickly.
“Move,” said the guard behind Ditzy, pushing her with a hoof to get her moving and breaking her from her curiosity. Ahead of her, Ozone and Rainbow walked off in one direction, while the prisoners and their guards moved in the other. As she walked, she looked over at Dinky, still held by the other pony, her giant eyes showing nothing but fright. Ditzy's heart panged and every fibre of her being quailed, but she continued walking, putting on a strong front and ready for whatever was coming.
---
Rainbow followed Ozone unsteadily, looking down the hall and trying to see where Derpy and Ink Well had been taken. With all the things she'd seen just in the last few minutes, her mind was reeling, the horrors of Processing seeming to know no end. Yet, Ozone had promised to explain, and she had to give him some credit. This is going to need one heck of an explanation.
As if responding to her thoughts, Ozone's pleasant voice drifted back to her. “Ms. Dash, I am sure you have a lot of questions, especially after that little impromptu tour, but I hope that any misgivings you may have will be assuaged at the end of our talk.” He turned a corner, giving her a friendly smile as he did so, one that just unnerved Rainbow further. With all the things you see, how can you just smile like that?
If her wondering bothered him, he didn't show it as he spoke. “You see, Ms. Dash, the weather factory is about much more than just the weather. Although that is indeed one of the primary functions, the actual application and maintaining of weather is up to the separate parts of the nation. We simply make the clouds, they schedule and empty them, and the cycle keeps on turning. We then provide overseeing to ensure the weather is uniform, giving citations when necessary.” He laughed warmly. “Really, a paltry job, unworthy of the finest Cloudsdale minds. Still, it is a challenge, and we have done everything in our power to live up to it, including some things that many ponies below may find... questionable. However, Princess Celestia's wishes stand, and so they remain in the dark.”
Rainbow stumbled in her tracks, almost landing face first on the concrete, her mouth wide in shock, while Ozone just continued to trot along like nothing happened. “Wait, the Princess knows about all of this?”
Ozone stopped, turning with a slightly puzzled look. “Of course she knows. She's the one who told us to do it.”
Rainbow's mind shut down at that point. The image of the Princess, smiling, laughing, the benevolent ruler of the country, telling them to do unspeakable things to ponies, enslave and torture gryphons, and capture and feed Windigos just to keep the weather running... It couldn't be right. “She can't possibly have said all of this was okay.”
Ozone just chuckled, walking back and hanging a friendly hoof over her shoulder, drawing her to walk along side her. “Rainbow, she did. Three hundred and fifty years ago our beloved ruler, Princess Celestia, commissioned the weather factory to do two things: create, stabilize, and manage the nation's weather at any cost, and collect and store magic for use of the nation's unicorns. What you have seen either applies to one or the other. Windigos provide an endless source of snow while also being kept far from where they can harm any pony. As for the gryphons, they provide us an efficient, cost effective way of generating power for thunder storms. In return we give them shelter, food, and other gryphons to play with. It's a paradise.”
The image of the gryphon impaled on the machine below haunted her, the blood oozing from the wounds and his face locked in a soundless scream, while the others toiled away around him. It was no paradise she'd ever seen... For just a second, it was not his face, but Gilda's she saw, and her heart pounded in her chest, her head shaking to get the awful picture away. When it stopped, a new image held strong: the pile of bodies outside of the tank. “What about the bodies?”
Ozone seemed slightly saddened by that. “Ah, yes. Unfortunately, it is unsavory work, but I can assure you it is for the most noble of causes. And is much of the reason why you are here.” Ozone's hoof left her shoulder, and he took a few quick steps to be just ahead of her as they continued down the hallway. “You see, we are in a magic shortage, and have been since Nightmare Moon's Rebellion over a thousand years ago. It sowed the seeds of distrust among the populace, which grew to resentment, which grew to hatred, gnawing and tearing at the very fabric of magic, the rest of it being twisted by Nightmare Moon's own power until it was weakened considerably. In the years of the aftermath, unicorn magic began to fail, pegasi found flying and fixing the weather difficult, and even earth ponies couldn't grow plants as well as they hoped. Farms were dying, forests were shriveling, and if nothing stopped, Equestria was going to perish.
But, as the crisis reached its peak, Princess Celestia commissioned the brilliant minds of the Cloudsdale pegasi to solve the problem, masking it beneath the request to stabilize the weather. On her orders, the factory was built within months, and research began. It took less than a year to find the answer, and once they had, the founders were worried. For magic is inside of everything: the air, the plants, the ground, but most prominently, in us. Living things, particularly sentient ones, were the strongest sources of natural magic, and when they die, it slowly diffuses back into the system over the course of a decade. If we wanted that magic back, we would have to do something to the corpses, a great taboo of society, even back then. However, when brought before the Princess, she said but one thing: 'Let nothing stop you. Do whatever must be done.'”
Ozone turned to face her, a triumphant grin on his face. “That was a scant three hundred and fifty years ago, and the nation, thanks to our efforts, has prospered and thrived. We get magic into the system as fast as it leaves, through processes we have refined over the entire time, exactly to the Princess's orders. We remove the sick, the disabled, the ancient, and the dead and return them to the pure magic they came from, for the good of everypony. That was what you saw in that tank.”
Princess Celestia ordered it... Rainbow brought up the picture again: The Princess, the factory founder in front of her, approving of every action. Even in a time of strife, to let them happen... If she allows them, then it cannot possibly be all bad, right?
The very thought frightened Rainbow, but she found she wasn't actually frozen from it like she thought she might be. Yes, they were atrocities, but they were committed for the good of the country. For the betterment of everypony in Equestia. If that was the case, were they still horrible? Or were they something less... As Rainbow debated this, a comment Ozone had made nibbled at her mind, and she jumped on it. “Professor, how is this the reason I'm here?”
Ozone walked to her, looking her in the eyes. “Because you have a unique talent which could be a breakthrough in magic gathering. You have a move that you can complete, the Sonic Rainboom, which creates a rainbow in its wake. Apart from being a very nice effect, this has staggering consequences you're probably not even aware of. Rainbows are the visual representation of what happens when magic is separated from another substance. Liquid rainbows are the result of our process here in the lab, where it is bottled and shipped off to the various stations to follow the rain and ponies who use it for decoration. Your Rainboom, on the other hoof, is a result of you breaking the magic barrier with your flying, something nopony has ever done before.”
Rainbow blushed at the admiration seeming to flood from Ozone's eyes, the complement getting her to laugh nervously and lose some of her previous fears. “Yeah, I am amazing...”
“You are, Ms. Dash. You have a natural talent at magic collection, one you weren't even aware of. With proper training, you could lead Equestria into a new age of prosperity. This is why I sought you out. Under my wing, you will grow to become the leader this factory needs.” Ozone wrapped a hoof around Dash, pulling her into a hug while he showed her the future with his other hoof. “You, Ms. Rainbow Dash, will be the next head of the Weather Factory.”
The excitement caught up to her, sweeping her from her fears and placing her on cloud nine. “I will? I mean, of course I will! Who else is right for the job?” She could see it, Equestria bright and happy, stronger than it had ever been, and all because of her! She could be more than just one of the Elements of Harmony, she could be a true hero. She looked over to Ozone and beamed. “Where do I start?”
Ozone beamed back. “Wonderful!” He opened a door, ushering her inside. “Your first lesson begins now.”
Rainbow trotted merrily into the room, her mood dropping as soon as she saw what it held. A blur of grey and blonde lunged at her, held back at the last moment by two very burly guards. The fireball didn't stop, though, a clear anger in her eyes. “How could you do this Dash? How could you be a part of this?”
It took a moment for Rainbow to recognize the pony in front of her as Derpy, little Dinky being held behind her by just one pony, a hoof over her mouth, though it failed to hide her large, weepy eyes, which asked her simply 'Why?' At the accusation of both ponies before her, she stammered, no answer ready in her head.
Ozone walked past her, breaking the line of sight with the firebrand before her. “Ms. Dash, ignore her. The ponies below will never understand the truth of the matter, the reason this is all needed. They let their hearts cloud their minds.”
Derpy pushed forward against her guard. “This is wrong! Whatever you're going to do to Ink Well, it's wrong!”
Ozone just shook his head. “This is a perfect example. This is why we work in silence: to let them witness is to never get anything done. Air Pressure, please silence her.” Derpy was about to speak again, but a heavy hoof clamped down over her muzzle. As she struggled, Rainbow looked around the room. There was the panel of a machine set into the left wall, a door opposite the one Rainbow entered, and an observation window to her right. Curious of what was below, she walked towards it.
Below, Ink Well was strapped to a table, his four hooves spread open and his muzzle and wings strapped shut. His outfit had been removed, along with his bag, leaving him utterly helpless, though that didn't mean he didn't fight against the restraints. The rest of the room around him looked very much like a room in a hospital, complete with a tray of tools beside him, bright lights above, and a myriad of large needles and saws attached to a stand next to him. He was flanked by two ponies in goggles and surgical masks who were preparing the room, placing more implements on the trays and applying something to Ink Well's chest.
“Quite the sight, isn't it?” Rainbow jumped a little at the voice, ripping her attention from below and turning it to Ozone, whose face held a subtle smile. “It has been a long time since we have used this method, inefficient and barbaric with recent advances in extraction techniques. This was the first operating theater, right at the factory's core, when ponies were still unsure of the ethics. They even set an emergency shut off into the room, to bring down the entire factory if things went too far, only to be activated by the factory's head.” He laughed shortly. “A silly notion, but one that has been passed down just as faithfully as Celestia's own orders.”
He then looked from Ink Well to Derpy, a slight frown forming. “Unfortunately, these three have damaged our newer methods, and so we will have to practice the ancient, barbaric arts. It will only take a few hours to repair, but such a nuisance as the one they caused cannot be allowed to go unpunished.” He placed a hoof on her back, showing his trust in her. “This is your first test. If you hope to lead the factory, you must be willing to make tough choices without hesitation. You must deal with dissent swiftly and effectively.”
A yelp came from the guard, who shook his hoof in pain as Ditzy spat fur from her mouth to speak. “'Deal with dissent?' What kind of leader fights against saving ponies from being stolen from their homes and thrown in a tank to drown?”
Ozone spun on the spot, his smile strained as he walked towards Derpy. “This is for the good of Equestria, my dear Ditzy. We remove the flaws and imperfections of pony kind, returning them in the form of magic, pure and simple. The crime you state is a speck of dirt on an otherwise sterling action.”
“Sterling action? You hurt ponies! You hurt their families, their friends! They'll never know what happened to the missing pony! They will just wonder forever. What kind of leader would hurt friendships so-” Derpy's rant was stopped by Ozone's hoof striking across her face, snapping it to the side and sending her eyes rolling in her head.
“Silence! You could never hope to understand what we do here, you would only destroy it. This is why you will be removed.” As he walked away, the guard's hoof fell, covering Derpy's mouth once more. However, the guard holding Dinky began to struggle against the squirming, screaming ball in her hooves. Dinky kicked and yelled at Ozone from her prison, but he ignored it, instead straightening his glasses and his hair before smiling at Rainbow once more. “I'm sorry you had to see that.” He then pressed a button against the window, talking into a microphone beside it. “How far from beginning the procedure?”
One of the surgeons below turned back, her voice tinny in the speaker. “Just a few more minutes. Stitch went to get the anesthetic. When she gets back we will apply it and then we can begin.”
Ozone pressed the button again, his smile never fading in the slightest. “If you would be so kind, don't bother with the anesthetic. It will only slow us down further. Thanks.” The surgeon below nodded, and Ink Well began to struggle once more, his bonds holding tight.
Seeing him fighting, Rainbow felt a deep cold in the bottom of her heart. You can't let him do this! Ink Well's your friend! You can't let him die.
But he will bring it all to light if freed. came the response. He will ruin everything this factory does. Besides, he isn't even that close a friend. Would you really suffer if he were lost?
But what if it were Pinkie Pie? Or Fluttershy? Would you be so willing to lose one of them?
But if it would benefit Equestria, isn't any sacrifice worth it? If the Princess wanted it, would you go against her wishes?
Even if the Princess asked, could you really go through with it?
You could lead the whole factory. You could control the weather, the fate, of all of Equestria. You could lead it to a brighter future.
As a bureaucrat, and in a job you don't even truly care for. You're a flyer, not a factory pony... Do you really want to abandon your dream for that?
What is your dream against all of Equestria?
The argument played out over and over in her head, both sides repeating the same points, both sides pulling her in opposite directions, while she simply gazed into the room below, unable to look away. She could hear Dinky struggling, Derpy's muffled voice joining her after a little bit of time. She also heard Ozone chuckle warmly- though the warmth could no longer be felt, only heard- as the missing surgeon entered the theater with a large tank only to be told it wasn't needed. But none of them registered, her mind lost as it was in its own personal duel.
And then, like a bolt, a new thought entered it. Look at the paper. Thinking the thought strange, Rainbow's eyes slowly focused, noticing that Ink Well was looking directly at her. A moment later the thought repeated. Please Rainbow, look at the paper. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew it was from Ink Well, and she almost ignored it, but the thought that it may provide some sort of relief from the argument in her head caused her to follow the order.
It was just a blank piece of paper in a small leather holster, the front clear so it could be seen. She didn't even really know why she'd picked it up, just that she'd seen it fall and was drawn towards it. But it wasn't going to help! It was blank! Her argument started again in her head, driving her mad with the conflicted voices. She was about to throw the paper in anger when words appeared before her eyes, writing themselves out, then disappearing as she passed them only for new ones to take their place.
It read: 'Rainbow, I don't know what's going on up there or what might be going through your mind, but if I know you half as well as I hope I do, you're conflicted on what to do right now. What is the right move, who to believe, whether to jump in and try to save me or leave me to my fate... I don't want you to worry about that. Put everything aside: Ditzy, Dinky, Ozone, Equestria, your friends, me, your duty as the Element of Loyalty... everything. Don't worry about any of that.
Just be loyal to yourself. Follow your values, your heart and your mind, and do what you truly believe is right. The rest will follow. – Ink Well.'
As the paper returned to blank, Rainbow looked up around the room, the moment freezing in time. Derpy and Dinky, struggling and fighting against the guards. Ozone, confidently awaiting the process to begin. Ink Well, flanked by the surgeons, their tools in hoof as they readied for the procedure...
And everything was suddenly clear.
---
Ditzy yelled into the hoof clamped against her muzzle, trying in vain to bite it like before. She had to stop this, for the sake of Ink Well, herself, and her daughter. She had to make this happen, because it was clear Rainbow wasn't helping. If anything, Rainbow seemed to be in on it, and Ditzy was already prepared to fight her too, if it came down to that. But first she had to escape.
She tried to maneuver to kick the guards, but they were smarter than that, holding her in such a way that she just couldn't get an angle on them. And strain as she might with her wings, they were pinned as well, signaling she really was trapped.
She turned her head as far as she could, getting to see Dinky just out of the corner of her eye. Her Muffin was fighting away as well, little flickers of magic popping up, though they never lasted long. She had never been strong with magic, and with all the excitement, getting her to concentrate would be impossible. As if responding to her thought, Dinky tried to make a spell happen, only succeeding in shooting a spark from the tip of her horn. Her eyes spun slightly, the backlash from before still having an effect on her. She then slumped down, looking at Ditzy with eyes full of defeat.
Ditzy wanted to put on a brave front, especially with Dinky's pure eyes on her, but she just couldn't. Looking the other way, she was just barely able to see Ink Well below. However, instead of getting the inspiration she hoped for, her heart sank at what she saw. He was laying calmly on the table, eyes closed, breathing slow, as the surgeons' blades got ever closer to his chest.
He had given up. After all of his bravado, all of his promising, he had given up... Ditzy let her shoulders droop, looking down at her hooves, or she would if the hoof on her face wasn't blocking her view. It was over. Ozone had won.
She glimpsed up at him, anger burning in her as she watched him smile at the impending incision. He didn't care about ponies, and for all he spouted about the good of Equestria, he didn't know a thing about it. He was locked in a stale way of thinking, and it was going to carry on. Ditzy sighed at the depressing thought. He will go on, while Dinky will be snuffed out... She closed her eyes, body tensing for the pained screaming to come.
Alarms blaring caused Ditzy's eyes to shoot open, revealing the red glow that bathed the entire room. All eyes were on Ozone, who slowly turned around, confusion evident on his face. Everyone's eyes traveled with him, looking to the other end of the room, where Rainbow stood at the panel set in the wall, Ink Well's paper in one hoof, her other poised over a large red button, the glass case that had been protecting it raised.
Ozone's face became stern, a look more menacing in the red light, the alarms trying to drown out his words. “Ms. Dash, what do you think you are doing?”
Rainbow didn't move, her hoof not wavering in the slightest, her own face matching his. “I am doing what I should have done the moment I entered this room.”
Ozone seemed puzzled, like it was something that could never have occurred to him. “How did you open the case? Only the factory head has that authority.”
Rainbow smirked. “You kept saying I'd be the next head of the factory. I guess it heard you.”
Ozone took a step forward, a clear objective visible on his face as he cautioned Rainbow against her action. “Ms. Dash, I want you to think seriously about this. What you are doing will not just endanger the lives of everypony in the factory, but all of Equestria.”
“I know.” Her hoof lowered a little, just touching against the red metal.
Ozone took another step forward, a greedy grin on his face. “You could be a great leader. You could decide the fate of the world.”
Rainbow stopped, thinking about it, her hoof raising. “You know, I could...” Ozone's grin slowly became a smile, while Ditzy's heart stuttered. No! Rainbow! You were so close!
Rainbow tapped a hoof on her chin, then seemed to come to a decision. “A great leader has to be willing to make touch choices without hesitation.” Her hoof fell from her chin, slamming onto the button in full force. “And I'm choosing to take this factory in the right direction.”
Immediately the alarms stopped, as did the red light, and for just a moment everything hung in silence. Then the building shook with an almighty rumble, rocking and swaying before tilting heavily, gravity pulling it like a stone.
---
The sensation of the entire building falling was unnerving, like the ground beneath you, while still being there and solid, slowly pulling away from your hooves. However, that was nothing compared to the quaking, the tremors strong enough to throw Ditzy and Dinky free of the guards' grasps. The guards immediately ran for the nearest door, flying down the twisted hall in an attempt to escape the building. Ozone watched them go, venom in his gaze, but no attempt at stopping them made.
Once free, Ditzy looked around the room once, scanning over Rainbow and Ozone before coming to a decision. She leaped for the observation window, smashing through it and flying down to Ink Well below. The surgeons had scattered, their tools sliding across the floor with the titling of the building. Ditzy pulled rapidly at Ink Well's binding, watching as a surprisingly calm pony got up from the table, one sentence exiting his lips. “I knew she'd make the right choice.”
In the main room, Rainbow Dash stared down Ozone, whose so often kind face was a mask of anger. They simply stared for a few moments, both of them tense, and then, in unison, they moved, Rainbow shooting towards Ozone as he galloped for the door. Just as she was about to connect, he slid, causing her to slip, her momentum carrying her past him and hard against the microphone next to the window. The wind shot out of her system, but she fought it, forcing her unwilling muscles to continue the chase.
After what felt like an eternity, she was up, only to see Ozone had gone nowhere. He was tripped by the door, pulling on his rear right hoof, which was covered in a lavender glow. Behind him, Dinky was glaring at him, determination and anger on her face. “You do not hurt my mom!”
Ozone glowered at the filly trapping him, lunging and raising a hoof at her in anger. Before his hit could connect, he was slammed into from the side, Rainbow Dash pushing him against the back panel and pinning him against the wall. He coughed, glaring into her eyes with a frightened ferocity. “You foal! Do you know what you have done? If we don't leave now, we will never escape before the factory crashes! We'll all die here!”
“Then you are going down with us.” Ink Well landed behind Rainbow, a dark smirk on his face.
“After all, you brought us here, you get to live with the consequences.” Ditzy landed beside Ink Well, a matching look on hers.
Ozone looked between the three of them, hatred for them all seeping from his every fiber. “You are all foals of the highest calibre.”
“That's better than a monster any day.” Rainbow brought back her hoof, smashing it into Ozone's muzzle and slamming him against the wall, knocking him out cold. She then turned around, a sheepish look on her face. “I'm sorry everypony...”
Ink Well stopped her, shaking his head. “Don't be. You made the right choice, in the end.”
Rainbow looked surprised, expecting anger, not forgiveness. “But we won't make it out in time. We're gonna crash.”
Ink Well shrugged. “Yeah, but no matter what happens, we can take solace in two things. We stopped the Weather Factory...”
“...and we're all together.” said Dinky, running up and hugging her mother's leg. Ink Well just smiled. It was better than his second reason.
Ditzy looked down at Dinky, her victory bittersweet as the factory shook around them. “It's been a good run.” She leaned down, hugging Dinky back, then offering a group hug to the other two, who graciously accepted. Then, the four of them, together, braced and waited for the inevitable.
---
The wreckage from the crash and subsequent magical explosion of the Weather Factory wrecked havoc on the rolling plains beneath Cloudsdale. Wisps of low hanging cloud drifted, caught on jagged edges of metal and concrete that peppered the unpopulated area, while pools of rainbow formed in low lying vales. One hill looked like the center of a localized blizzard, covered in feet of snow, and the ethereal remains of two Windigos, while another had sprouted a glade of giant mushrooms, all of which glowed brightly with their own light.
Almost immediately salvage and search and rescue crews had descended upon the broken factory, joined by the Wonderbolts and the Royal Guard, both of which were led by Princess Luna, sent as an emergency responder from Canterlot. They dug through the remains of the building with two jobs: to search for survivors, and number the dead, and while they had been trained and mentally prepped for the job, they weren't prepared for what they found.
After just the first hour of digging through the rubble, over one thousand dead ponies had been identified and tagged, with many more being unearthed every minute. The work, gruesome as it was, led to the resolution of countless missing ponies cases, though it raised more questions than it answered. Of course, the relatively intact bodies seemed almost cheery compared to another find.
One room, primarily intact after the impact due to its solid construction, revealed hundreds of gryphons in tiny cages, many starved or showing signs of years of neglect and abuse. Bruises, cuts, and punctures covered them, many infected from the unsanitary conditions of the cages that had ironically saved their lives. As soon as they were found they were released, the Princess setting to work at once to find out more and set things right. They had been abducted from the gryphon homelands to the north for years, some of them even being born in captivity... They wanted nothing more than to go home, and there would be a lot of paperwork involved to make it happen.
Three hours into the rescue operation, the Wonderbolts managed to discover the first pony survivors of the day. Huddled together in the center of the factory, spared either by design or pure luck from the crushing tomb around them, were four ponies; three pegasi and a young unicorn, and the unconscious body of another. One by one they were extracted and taken to paramedics, Dinky, Ditzy, Rainbow, Ozone, and finally Ink Well. All of them sported bumps, bruises and scratches, but the worst injury among them was a twisted ankle, meaning all of them could walk away from the wreck. However, while the others were treated under kind care, Ozone was placed under watch, the testimony from the other four more than enough to build quite the interesting case around him. As soon as he awoke, he'd be asked to defend himself against the accusations, but that looked to be a long time off.
As the search efforts gained a new energy, the finding of survivors breathing new life into the crews, Ink Well found himself visited by Princess Luna. Despite his protests, he had an IV in his front leg and a scowl on his face, though he did bow as the Princess approached. “Princess, it is an honor to see you, especially when you are as busy as you must be.”
The Princess nodded to him, her eyes friendly, but filled with a coldness at what she'd seen today. “How could we not, after hearing you were found amongst the wreckage? We take it you know something about this?”
Ink Well smirked, shaking his head slightly. “Huh, my record proceeds me.” He stopped, nodding. “Yes, Princess, I do. I have uncovered quite a lot about this factory that I think the ponies of Equestria would like to know. I was hoping to publish an article should a magazine take it, but I will have it all in some form or another in the next few days.”
Luna looked slightly concerned when he said that. “May we see your findings before you send them to the press? It would mean quite a lot to us to know what it is that was going on here.”
Ink Well raised an eyebrow. “Is that 'we' as in you and your sister or 'we' as in you?”
“'We' as in my sister and I, though I admit I would prefer it for myself alone. She always has claimed some knowledge of the factory, and I cannot guarantee what will or won't be allowed to be sent for publication.” She sighed, looking at him no longer as a Princess, but as a friend with a problem. “Our sister has always had the ability to wear her face like a porcelain mask. Whatever her reaction, we wouldn't be surprised...” After a moment her regal demeanor returned, her face carefully neutral. “We can say that any information you could give to us would be greatly appreciated, and that any lost revenue from a delayed or canceled publication would of course be compensated.”
Ink Well nodded. “Of course, Princess, all of my findings will be sent through you. Though, if I may, I need something in return.”
It was Luna's turn to raise an eyebrow. “Oh? And what is this?”
Ink Well pointed to the IV in his arm. “I need you to get the doctor to let me leave. I asked her three times, and she keeps refusing, saying it's not safe to move yet. But I promised Rose I'd be back in Ponyville by this evening, and I'll barely make it on time if I leave right now.”
Luna smiled as he said that. “Ah, yes, you and your promises. And to your wife no less...” She nodded. “We'll see what we can do.” The Princess then gave him a slight bow, which he returned, before turning to leave. A few steps away, however, she stopped. “Oh, one more thing. We found this while searching. We believe it to be yours.” From beneath her wing she pulled a crumpled, torn and battered brown fedora, barely holding its shape after what it went through. Ink Well's jaw dropped, and Luna's smile grew. “Ah, we take it we are correct.” She brought it to him, placing it in his hooves. He turned it over, amazed to see anything survive the crash, let alone his hat. As he examined it, Luna continued. “Nothing else has been found, but should it be, we will be sure it gets to you.”
Ink Well nodded. “Thank you...” Luna just nodded as she left, returning to her duties with the gryphons and the search teams.
Ink Well returned the hat to his head, feeling right as it settled over his ears. Sure, it was dusty and misshapen, and he could feel his mane poking out of a few rips, but it was his, and after that mess inside, it was nice to return to a little normalcy.
Not five minutes later, Ink Well's IV was removed, though the paramedic continued to caution against him flying, especially any sort of distance. Ink Well just thanked her for her words of warning, tipped his hat, and took off, flying after the sinking sun.
It was a long flight to Ponyville, and he had a promise to keep.