Chapter Five
They all stepped out of the elevator onto the bottom floor of the Factory. It was empty, except for them. They all headed toward the front of the building.
"What do we do now?" Corona asked.
"Well, the first thing I would do is go tell my parents that I passed the test, as it were. Then come back here so we can all get this place back in shape," said Hide.
"Why would we want to ever come back here?" asked Cloud.
"Well, as partners, your help and presence would be greatly appreciated as we go through this transition."
"Partners? Wait just a minute now!" protested Rainbow." This is still MY Factory you know."
"My apologies Ms. Dash, but I think that this is the least we could do for our new friends, and old. After all that they have been through to bring back Scootaloo and end all the violence. Don't you agree? Plus, I will need some help since you will want to spend most of your time with your little sister, I'm sure."
"Fine, I guess I can see your point. Welcome to the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation family."
With that, they had reached the front doors.
"Scoots, let's get you to a doctor so we can get to flying again. What do ya say?"
"I would like that Dashi!"
"Where do you want to go first, Corona?", asked Cloud.
"I'm not really sure."
"My house first then. We'll be back soon."
"Sounds good to me," said Corona.
As everyone went their separate ways, leaving Hide Atmosphere to himself, he thought of how glorious this new factory was going to be. Ponies coming from far and wide to donate blood for the purpose of making rainbows. They would even pay to do it. Right then and there he was working on what needed to be done to get the factory up and running again only with the new changes, opposed to the old ways.
---
Rainbow gently helped Scootaloo wash the twenty years of grime from her body. She used extra care with her wings. The wounds left from the barbed wire were pretty deep. She had scars from all the years of torture and persecution. As the grime disappeared, Rainbow couldn't help but see just how beautiful Scootaloo had become. She was heartbroken to see that Scoot's cutie mark had never appeared.
"I promise that I will help you get your cutie mark Scoot's, if it's the last thing I ever do!"
"Thanks Rainbow, but I don't think that it really matters anymore. All that matters is that I get to fly again."
"Are you kidding? That's what you were all about! Being part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and all!"
"That was in a former life. One that has been long lost and forgotten."
"I'm so sorry Scootaloo. I...... I know I'm the one responsible, but I wish there was some way I could make it up to you," Dash said with tears in her eyes.
"I just want to be out there flying. I know my wings are going to get better and seeing the doctor will help, I'm sure."
"You're right. So let's finish getting you cleaned up and we'll be off in a jiff."
Rainbow had a nagging question that she needed answered. A question that, with the anger and disappointment she had felt that day, she was unable to ask. She felt that this was as good a time as any.
Tentatively, she said, "Scootaloo, I didn't have the ability or control to ask you what happened to cause you to not pass your flight test that day. I would understand if you don't want to talk about it."
Scootaloo took a breath and sighed deeply. "Well, we were all nervous. Orion especially. AuroraDawn was the first up. She cleared, flew, and fell."
"So, she passed."
"No. She was the last pony you killed to get to me. And she was my friend."
"Scoo-"
Scootaloo cut her off. "She opened her wings at the end of her fall and they disjointed. She had done that move perfectly in all of our practices. Then, no one came to help her. It wasn't her fault!", Scootaloo was yelling now. "She couldn't help it, Dash! No one helped her!" Calming in an instant. "Except Orion. He refused to take the test. My best friend. He failed himself to help her. The others just ignored them. They took their test and left. Left them to die, Dash. I was the last to go. I had flown with you so much that I knew I could pass with no problems. I took off, instinct took over and I cleared with no problem. I started through the rings... 1... 2... 3, but as I was headed toward the fourth I glimpsed Orion and Aurora. It broke my concentration, knowing I would never see them again, and I ran into the bottom of the ring." Scootaloo was crying now.
Rainbow dash wasn't sure what to say or do. She wanted to comfort Scootaloo, but SHE was the one that had killed both of her friends. Her mind was racing. She was angry again. But the anger wasn't for Scootaloo. It was for Orion. It was his fault that Scootaloo failed her test. She was shaking. Not from the anger, but from the thoughts of what she had done to Scootaloo by choosing him first. Then she remembered the filly with the bandaged wings, that was the last pony between her and Scootaloo, and what she had done to her. Instead of feeling anger, she felt sick. She collapsed. She couldn't take it anymore. All of the images from that day flashing through her mind. She was ashamed of everything she had done.
Rainbow was curled up on the floor sobbing and muttering that she was sorry for everything. Not just what she had done to Scootaloo, but everything.
Scootaloo didn't know what to do. She didn't think that Rainbow Dash was going to break down like this, or she wouldn't have told her. She would have lied. Told her she couldn't remember. She wiped the tears from her eyes and curled up next to Rainbow, like she had done so many times before when she was young.
Rainbow hugged Scootaloo for all she was worth. "Scoots, please help me. I need you. I am so ashamed of what I've done. What I've done to you. Don't forgive me. Just be here for me, please.
"I still love you, Dashi. I don't know if I can forgive you, but I will always be here for you," Scootaloo said softly.
"I love you too," replied Rainbow.
They finished getting ready and headed to the doctor. The visit went well. Although the doctor was concerned that Scootaloo didn't have her cutie mark. They made up some outlandish excuse about how Scootaloo has tried so many different things in her life that her cutie mark just doesn't know what it should be and that they were still working on it. The doctor reluctantly accepted their excuse. He prescribed good food and short flights until her full strength returned and the wounds on her wings had healed.
"Did you hear THAT! You will be up and flying in no time. What a team we are. Coming up with that excuse on the fly like that," Rainbow beamed.
"We were an unstoppable team weren't we?" Scootaloo said with a pang in her voice.
"What do you mean 'were'? We still are. What gives?"
"I've dreamt of this for so long, Dash. Now that I have it, I don't know if it's real or a dream."
"This is as real as it gets, Scootaloo. Me and you together. And Cloud and Corona alive. They have you to thank for that you know. I hope you see it."
"I know. I also know that if it weren't for them we wouldn't be here together. For being failures, I think they passed something much harder than the flight test."
"Please, don't use that to describe them, but you're right. They are the reason we are here right now, and I don't want to disrespect anypony that helped that happen. I just hope that one day all of you can forgive me for what I've done."
"I think we should get back and find the others."
"Ok, Scoots. Whatever you want."
---
"Mom, Dad I'm home! I made it!" screamed Cloud Cover as she ran in the front door.
"What happened to you? Are you ok? You look terrible!" her parents said together.
"We, Corona and I, just had the most horrible experience. We actually failed the flight test and were going to be killed in the Rainbow Factory!" Just then she heard the TV in the background. It was showing Dr. Atmosphere in a news conference explaining what has been taking place inside the walls of the upper factory for centuries. That there was new technology that would change that forever.
Cloud felt as if she were going to throw up. She wasn't sure why, only that it had something to do with the fact that she was now an official part of this. She also felt that she should be at the conference. "Mom, Dad we have to go. Sorry to cut this so short. I love you." With that they ran out the door and back to the factory as fast as they could. Leaving her parents dumbfounded of what their daughter just told them.
---
Dr. Atmosphere was there when they returned, along with Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo.
"Where are all the cameras and reporters," asked Cloud Cover skidding to a halt in front of the group.
"You must have seen the newscast then. It was prerecorded," said Hide.
"What newscast?" asked Rainbow.
"The one that is telling the world of the atrocities that have happened here. Also they are being told about the new technology that will be taking us to a new level for pegasi kind."
"I knew it was going to happen, but not this soon. Damn it Hide!"
"Ms. Dash-"
"Don't be a smart-colt, Hide."
"Rainbow, then, we needed to get this out as soon as possible. That way we can get the wrath of the Princesses out of the way."
"The Princesses! I didn't think about that!" She got that crazy look in her eyes. Scootaloo reached up and hugged her tightly and cooed to her that they were all in this together. That it would be ok no matter what happened. That brought her back.
"Yes, well, we will be visited by Princess Celestia and her team of investigators soon. I just hope that she will understand," Hide said not too sure of what the outcome might be.