“Lunch break starts now!” shouted the overseer from his platform overlooking the assembly line. “You have twenty minutes.” A loud bell rang, signalling the machines to stop. As they ground to a halt, all the workers began shuffling towards the dining hall. In the middle of the crowd, three fillies attempted to squeeze through.
“I hope it’s not hay and oats again today,” said Scootaloo, sighing as she took off her cap and used it to wipe her brow. “I’m gettin’ friggin’ sick of that stuff.”
“At least it’s healthier than what you ate in Ponyville,” noted Sweetie Belle with a smirk.
Next to them, Apple Bloom looked like she was about to faint. “Y’all… I don’t think I can eat another meal here.” She clutched her stomach. “My body just ain’t used to this stuff.”
Sweetie raised her eyebrow. “Hay and oats? What, did you live on an all-apple diet?”
Apple Bloom didn’t respond.
Scootaloo laughed. “You did, didn’t you? Oh man… and you thought that one week I only ate licorice was bad, Sweets.” She nudged Sweetie Belle’s shoulder.
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.
“So, like, what don’t you use apples for?” asked Scootaloo, turning back to Apple Bloom.
“Weeeeeeeeell—”
Scootaloo held up her hoof, silencing Apple Bloom. “Nevermind. Don’t wanna know.”
“Quiet!” shouted the overseer as they passed by him. “No talking during lunch!”
Instantly the three fillies fell silent, and hung their heads. In silence, they made their way to the dining hall, which was less of a hall and more of a dimly-lit room with poor ventilation. Normally they would grab bowls and wait in line to be served, but this time Apple Bloom spotted someone out of the corner of her eye. She cocked her head to the side and said, “Sis?”
Applejack looked up, her eyes suddenly lighting up. “Apple Bloom!” She ran over and hugged her sister, then noticed the other fillies standing next to her. “Hang on a sec. What are y’all doin’ here? Shouldn’t you be back in Ponyville?”
Sweetie Belle shot a glance at Scootaloo. “Well, we would be if somepony didn’t have the brilliant idea of following Twilight and the others here when they came to find you.”
“Twilight’s here?” asked Applejack, a look of concern coming over her face.
“Yep, and so is Rainbow Dash and the other three,” said Scootaloo.
“So, y’all found out where I was, huh?” Applejack made a “tch” sound with her mouth. “Well, shoot, guess I can’t hide it anymore.” She paused. “Wait a second, why are y’all here here? Like, in this factory here?”
Now it was Scootaloo’s turn to shoot Sweetie Belle a glare. “It’ll be easy, she said. We’ll make loads of money, she said.” Scootaloo shook her head. “Now I’m just kinda bored.”
“Bored?” said Applejack incredulously. “Do you understand what this place is? This is a Cherryconn factory, girl. We’re practically slaves, but with less freedom.”
“Huh,” remarked all three fillies at the same time.
“So, wait, we’re slaves now?” asked Apple Bloom. “But I thought Miss Jubilee said we could quit whenever we wanted?”
“Did she make you sign your names on a tiny piece of paper?”
They all nodded.
Applejack shrugged. “Guess y’all are stuck then.”
Apple Bloom shook her hoof. “Dang it! I knew I shoulda learned to read!”
Waving her hoof dismissively, Applejack said, “Nah, ain’t worth the effort, trust me. ‘Sides, I got a plan for getting outta this place.” She glanced around to make sure no one was listening in, and then she leaned into the group and started whispering. "I'm going to blow up the factory with a bomb I made out of spare parts I found lying on the ground, some toilet paper from the bathroom, and an old paperclip from the front office."
Nodding sagely, Scootaloo said, “Yep, makes sense to me. Let me do it, then.”
“Do what?” said Applejack.
“Y’know,” said Scootaloo, leaning in real close, and looking around shiftily, “let me plant the bomb.”
Applejack took a step back and regarded Scootaloo with questioning look. “I planted it this morning. Do you even know how a bomb works?”
Scootaloo threw up her hooves. “Well, all right, McGyver, then how am I supposed to heroically sacrifice myself?”
“Is it really all that heroic if you just come back?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Just shut up and let me do this, all right?” said Scootaloo, sighing.
Applejack raised an eyebrow. Sweetie Belle shrugged, so Applejack returned the shrug. “Well, all righty then, Scoots. If y’all wanna sacrifice yourself, then I guess go ahead. The bomb’s set to go off in two minutes. Make sure everypony gets outta here in time.” Applejack glanced at Sweetie and then at Apple Bloom. “C’mon, y’all. We better head towards the exit now.”
As soon as they’d left the room, Scootaloo jumped up on the nearest table and sucked in her breath. “THERE’S A FREAKIN’ BOMB! EVERYPONY GET OUT!”
All the workers looked up at her for a moment, then went back to eating, keeping their heads low. A few seconds later a guard grabbed Scootaloo by the legs and dragged her off the table while she shouted, “I tried to warn you! I tried to—”
A loud explosion rocked the factory as waves of intense heat washed over the dining hall expelling the entire workforce out into the desert landscape while Scootaloo was burned to a crisp, her tiny body being the only thing that shielded the rest of the ponies from dying.