Darkness surrounded. She couldn't see anything around. She tried to move. No luck... The pegasus was chained to the floor. She looked around, to the best of her ability. Nothing but pure abyss.
Spectra Hue called out, "Hello? Can anypony hear me?!"
As if the answer for her call acknowledged her, she began to hear whirring. Whirring of machines... Suddenly, a crash. The sound of pistons crashing onto hard metal surfaces.
As if her worse nightmare came true, a flash blinded the green pegasus. Regaining vision, Spectra's surroundings revealed itself. Hard metal floors, the walls were made of cloud. But seemed dense, cold, and dark.
Gears turned on the machine beside her. Spectra knew this place... She remembered this place...
"Somepony, help me!" She cried out. Nopony answered...
Instead another machine started up. A big, crane-like machine began moving around. Again, Spectra knew this machine. She would slave over this every hour of the day. Every day, inside the gruesome, horrifying, sweat-shop, infamously know as... The Rainbow Factory.
The crane move toward Spectra. It hovered over her, as if teasing her. She knew what it did, what it was made to do. But it just sat there. Seconds felt like hours as she awaited the horrid, inevitable fate that lied ahead of her.
The machine creaked, and then dropped. Slammed onto her like a herd of timberwolves, trampling her every bone and organ. Then, latches wrapped around her pegasus body.
"Ah!" Spectra cried out in pain as the crane lifted her out of the chains. They tugged, practically pulling her joints out of their sockets. Spectra eventually came loose of the chains.
The crane spun around and slammed her, now bruised, body against a steel plate. Clamps latched onto her hooves and wings. She was, once again, motionless. Trapped by her own fate. She prayed to Celestia, for one more chance. One more time to see her friends. To leave the hell that faced her at this very moment.
A drill whirred up, began moving toward the helpless mare. Spectra squirmed, tears ran down her eyes, "No. Please!" She cried out for her life. Again, no answer.
Spectra had been defeated. She sat there and faced her worse fear, the Spectrum Extractor.
Right as the machine came into contact with her forehead, a bright light blinded her.
**********
"Spectra! Yoohoo! Come on lazy feathers! Wake up!" Spectra heard a familiar voice call.
She opened her eyes to find her cousin, Rainbow Dash. She was back in her room, inside Dash's Cloudominium. The walls were no longer the dense, darkness of the Rainbow Facility. She was home again.
"Wakey wakey!" Rainbow exclaimed again, "Come on Spec! We got work today. You can't sleep all day again!"
Spectra had been having these reoccurring nightmares a lot lately. Same thing, different situation. One night, she would be caught right before being extracted. Others, she would be in the midst of falling into the grinder. Either way, nightmares were nightmares. But they were getting worse. They seemed to be consuming her. Her every will to even live anymore...
"I'm up Dash...." Spectra moaned as she sat up. Her body was aching as if she really HAD been slammed against a steel wall. She didn't pay much mind to it though.
"Good! No sleeping in all day for you. We got work today!"
Spectra yawned, "Where are we busting today?"
"Well we have a few places..." Rainbow pondered as she tried to remember the orders from Cloudsdale, "Uh... Let's see. I think Town Square is clear skies today, as well as the rest of Ponyville. Minus Sweet Apple Acres!"
"What's the Acres' forecast for today?"
"Zap Apple harvest!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"Harvest? Dash, I don't wanna help you and your marefriend harvest today."
Rainbow Dash laughed, "That's right! You haven't been here that long. To create the Zap Apples, we have to guide the thunder clouds from the Everfree Forest. The rest will take care of itself!"
"I thought you told me we should never mess with Everfree clouds..."
"Well this is different, naturally the clouds can handle themselves. But the last few years, they've need some pegassistance getting to the orchards."
"Alright then." Spectra said as she got out of bed, "Ugh..."
"You alright Spec?"
"Yeah... Just a little sore."
"What's with that? You've been sore for the last few days. Are you hurt at all?"
"No Dash. I'm okay." Spectra struggled to get out of bed. When she did, she trotted to her bedroom mirror, "So what are Zap Apples anyways?"
Rainbow Dash gasped, "You've never had a Zap Apple before?!"
"Uh... No." Spectra replied, messing with her mane.
"Zap Apples are the best thing ever!"
Spectra chuckled, "Better than cider?"
"No! Cider and Zap Apple jam is like... They're just so..." Rainbow licked her lips, "Mmmm..."
"That good huh?"
"Yeah it is!"
"Heheh, alright then." Spectra finished her morning preparations, "Let's go then."
"Hey Spec?" Dash asked as Spectra was about to fly out.
"Hm?"
"How about you cover Town Square?"
"Why can't I go to the orchards with you?" Spectra felt kind of dejected.
"Well, nothing against you. It's just. Well, your all sore. And handling Everfree clouds... Well. It's dangerous."
"Alright. I understand Dash." Spectra stretched her sore muscles in pain, "It would probably be the best for me anyways."
"Okay. Thanks for understanding. Hey, I better go now. Take your time for Town Square. Don't push yourself too hard."
"Dash, I won't." Spectra assured her cousin.
With that, Dash flew out of the Cloudominium. Spectra sighed in relief. She examined herself at her bedroom mirror. She could see several bruises up and down her back, her left wing was bent. She tried to straiten it, pain just shocked through her weary pegasus feathers.
I better get going... Spectra thought to herself, Don't wanna disappoint Dash.
Spectra flew out her room toward Ponyville. Her flying was limp, one wing flapping more than the other. She was able to stay airborne though. That's all that mattered.
***********
When Spectra had arrived, she was met by her friend, Twilight. Twilight always seemed to make her feel better, maybe it will get her mind off the damaged wing and bruised back...
Twilight Sparkle was her one of Spectra's and Rainbow Dash's friend. She was an Alicorn Princess, but Twilight always came through for her friends, no matter what royal duties confront her. Twilight always gave Spectra a feeling of happiness. It was nice for her. Maybe that's why Spectra told Twilight about her secret first?
"Hey Twi!" Spectra greeted.
"Hey Spectra. How are you-?" Twilight began asking, noticing Spectra limp flight pace, "Are you okay? You seem to be flying sort of, well, limp today..."
Spectra looked at her wing and gave a small groan as she attempted to touch it, "Yeah. I'm alright. Just a little sore..."
"You've been sore a lot lately... Are you sure you're fine? If you need it, I can clear the skies for you today?" Twilight looked around, "I suppose Rainbow Dash left you so she can direct the Everfree clouds today?"
"Yeah. But I got it Twi. I'm not grounded or anything. I can fly fine."
"Well. You know what? Fine. But I'm still lending a hoof. You can't do this alone." Twilight prompted with a wink.
Spectra chuckled, "Alright. That's cool."
No more was needed, Spectra and Twilight cleared the clouds around Ponyville. Spectra would show off with some tricks here and there. And Twilight would attempt, failing miserably.
After their job was finished, Twilight invited Spectra over to the library. Spectra gratefully obliged. When they arrived, Spectra made herself at home and hopped on the couch in the back of the room.
"Would you like anything to drink Spectra?" Twilight offered.
"Hm... What do you have?"
"Well, let's see. I think I've got water, milk, tea, cider-"
"Ooh! May I have some cider please?!" Spectra asked in an instant.
Twilight chuckled at her cider-loving friend, "Thought you might want that."
Twilight went out of the main room and came back shortly with two mugs of cider hovering in front of her. Spectra happily reached out to grab it, breaking Twilight's magical grasp.
Spectra immediately began sipping the cider, "Thank you." She mumbled through her mug.
"Heheh, your welcome." Twilight replied, "You know you can come over whenever if you want some cider. And if I happen to be out, you can head to AJ's. She's bound to have some left over from cider season."
Spectra took a break from her warm, sweet heaven in her cup, "I'd prefer to come here any day."
Twilight looked at Spectra, confused, "Why's that?"
"I dunno... I feel comfortable here. I guess I feel safe... Being with you and all..." Spectra said nervously, going right back into her cider.
"Okay then." Twilight said.
Spectra retreated from her cider again, revealing a cider mustache around her muzzle. Twilight laughed, Spectra laughed too.
"So Spectra, why have you been hurting so much recently? You're not being hurt by anypony, are you?"
"No, no, no. Of course not. I really don't know why. All of a sudden, I've just felt really tired and sore lately..."
"You should probably see Nurse Redheart then... To make sure you're okay."
"No thanks!" Spectra declined, "I don't like being in hospitals or seeing doctors. Them with their big needles and pointy surgical tools. I'm telling you, working where I worked, I am ABSOLUTELY terrified of needles."
"Alright then... Just be careful, okay?"
"I will Twi." Spectra assured, diving into her mug again.
Spectra stayed at the library with Twilight most of the day. Twilight told Spectra about books she had been reading. Spectra listened intently, meanwhile downing five mugs of cider. By the end of the day, Spectra's tummy was bloated from all the cider.
"I think you've had more than enough Spectra." Twilight dejected with a giggle when Spectra had asked for another mug.
"Aw... Come on Twi. Please?"
Twilight chuckled again, "No Spectra. You're gonna give yourself a stomach ache."
"Aw. Fine." Spectra mumbled to herself, "You ruin all my fun..."
"That's my job, being your friend." Twilight laughed, "Besides, you can come back anytime for more." Twilight reassured with a smile.
"Thanks Twi." Spectra replied, returning the smile.
Spectra got up and began towards the door, "I'd better get back home. Rainbow's gonna want today's weather report on how I did."
"Okay Spectra. You take care of yourself. See you tomorrow?"
Spectra looked at Twilight questioningly, "What's tomorrow?"
"Pinkie Pie is throwing Gummy his birthday party. She does every year. Pinkie invited you too, didn't she?"
"Oh right. Of course Twi. I just sorta forgot, that's all." Spectra replied with a wink.
"Pinkie's birthday is the day after as well. Don't forget." She winked.
"Really? Nopony told me that yet. Do you guys have anything special planned for her?"
"Well... Yes. But we plan to take an easy this year."
"Why's that?"
"Last year, she sort of assumed we were abandoning her. Kinda drove her insane..."
Spectra laughed, "Oh! Haha. Rainbow was telling me about that."
"Yeah... Well, you better head off now. I'm sure Rainbow Dash is waiting for you."
"Yup! Later Twi. See ya!" Spectra said as she flew out the door of the library in a breeze.
**********
Back at the Cloudominium, Spectra found her cyan pegasus cousin laying in her bed. Rainbow was reading Spectra's latest copy of Daring Do.
"Hey, going through my stuff now?" Spectra confronted with a sly smile.
"Give me a break. I don't have this copy yet!" Rainbow exclaimed, "Didya read this one yet?"
Spectra hopped onto her bed next to Dash, "Yup! Finished that one last week."
"Can I borrow this?!"
"Sure Dash. Just make sure you give THIS one back to me this time."
Dash chuckled nervously, "Yeah... I'll still give you that one. Just kinda... Forgot?"
Spectra returned the chuckle, "Whatever Dash. Hey, get to your own bed. I need to sleep. We have to be up to get to Gummy's party tomorrow."
"Yup! Night Spec." Rainbow said, flying off toward her room.
"Goodnight!" Spectra called back to her friend.
Spectra turned off her lamp and settled into her soft, fluffy, warm, cloud bed. She drifted off into a deep slumber.