Chapter Six
Gauge lay on the bed in the emergency ward of one of the upper levels. The piece of steel had been removed from his leg, but it left him unable to help get the factory back up and running like he was used to. He could barely get around on his own. He had his own personal helper for that though. Gentle Butterwing, the newest engineer to the team, helped to get him where he was allowed. Which was pretty much the emergency ward and the new location for the control room. It had comfortable chairs for them to sit in and help to orchestrate the cleanup, repairs and renovations that the factory was now under. He was also given the task of trying to 'fix' Gentle Butterwing's mind.
Gentle's mind had been twisted by all the violence happening in the upper factory. The deluge of horrible information that was given to her. The factory disintegrating in front of her, and finding Gauge with that piece of metal in his leg was the last straw. But seeing Gauge getting better, working with him and focusing on getting the factory up and running again, with no more violence, was all that was keeping her together. With the help of the workers, Gauge and she were able to get rid of most of the rubble and were starting to plan the actual repair of the factory.
Contrail mostly kept to himself and his work. He wasn't sure if he liked the thought of the 'new' technology and the fact that the 'herd' would have pegasi that weren't actually worthy of the lives they were now able to live. The old way was so ingrained in his mind. He figured he would have to accept the change or stand losing any sanity that he had regained. All he knew was that he worked for Cloudsdale Weather Corporation and it needed his help to get back up on its feet and on top of the weather again. It also kept his mind off of the loss of his friend Pipe Wrench, who was one of the unfortunate victims of the recent 'incident'.
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During Princess Celestia's investigation of the Factory, she wanted nothing changed from when the news conference came out. She needed to see for herself exactly what two foals were able to do to this impenetrable Factory. She was told that Scootaloo was also somehow involved in this. A name that she had not heard in some years.
As she was shown all of the floors to the factory she couldn't help but imagine the atrocities that happened here. In the back of her mind she knew what was going on in the upper factory. She could just remember when the Factory was opened and the deal that was struck.
She also knew that these workers, in the upper factory, were all on the edge of sanity. She had met some of them. After all, they were on the front lines of the violence that occurred here. She wasn't sure how they could handle it at all.
What she was sure of was that Rainbow Dash and Dr. Atmosphere were sincere in their feelings of regret for what they were forced to do, and that they were the ones, along with their new partners, to get the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation out of this barbaric age and on the right track with this 'new technology'.
"Rainbow Dash, Dr. Atmosphere can you show me this Main Theater that I have heard so much about, please?"
"Yes, Princess Celestia, at once," they said in unison.
"Thank you. I believe that is where Scootaloo has lived most of her days?"
With tears welling up in her eyes, Rainbow Dash hung her head in shame and answered with a choked, "That's right."
Dr. Atmosphere stepped up and took over. "Princess, Rainbow Dash was unaware that she was still alive until the recent 'incident'. I don't think Ms. Dash should be put under any undue stress about this matter. I was the one who kept her alive, although it was not under the best of circumstances as we were still under the old ways. If we could excuse Ms. Dash from this part of the tour?"
"No! I-I need to do this. I need to go back. I need to go in there. I need to see for myself what it was like in that room for twenty years." Tears now completely filling her eyes.
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Rainbow couldn't see for the tears and she let Hide lead her and the Princess to the Main Theater. It took all the courage she could gather to step through the doors. She wiped the tears away and she looked around the room. Again, she remembered. The floodgates opened, and she remembered. All the rage, all the disappointment and the way she wasn't able to bring herself to hurt her little sister. The way she had just left her hanging there to die on her own. Thinking, that in that way she would be spared the torment of watching her little sister torn to shreds in the pegasus device. She also noticed all the bones left on the floor and the barbed wire that was not there when she left Scootaloo hanging to die all alone.
The Princess and Hide had to pick her up off the floor because she was too distraught to even stand on her own. They helped her to the emergency ward and called for Scootaloo to meet them.
Scootaloo was waiting when they arrived. After seeing Dash in the state she was in she ran to her side.
"What happened?"
"She went into the Main Theater."
"How could you let her do that? You know how fragile she has been!"
"She insisted on going. I didn't want her to go. I figured, with the Princess here, that maybe she would be able to handle it," Hide said.
"I think she needs you my dearest Scootaloo," insisted Princess Celestia.
"Yes, Princess. If you think that would be best? I don't like coming back here, but I would do just about anything for Rainbow Dash." As she helped Dash into the room Dash started apologizing and saying how much she loved her. Sobbing like she never had done before.
"I know," said Scootaloo. Holding Rainbow Dash as tight as she could. Letting her get it all out of her system. Hoping this might help with some kind of closure for her older sister.
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"Now, Dr. Atmosphere can we continue the tour?"
"Yes, Princess, as you wish. Where would you like to go next?"
"I would like to meet the two foals that caused all......THIS!"
"It would be my pleasure, Princess."
Cloud Cover and Corona had been down on the bottom floor of the factory when they received the call to meet Dr. Atmosphere and Princess Celestia at the elevator. They did not like being in the upper levels of the factory, as it still felt like they were not part of the family. They had been avoiding the Princess too. They both figured that they were going to be punished for all of the damage they had done to the factory.
They reached the elevator just as the doors opened. Out stepped Princess Celestia and Dr. Atmosphere. They went into a deep bow for the Princess. She acknowledged this and asked them to walk with her.
"Did you have a plan to cause all this destruction?" asked Princess Celestia.
"No. Not in the beginning. We were trying to run away is all," said Cloud. "When they told us that we were going to be 'used' to make rainbows, we were scared. We found an exhaust vent that was broken and fell down it. We were ready to give up when we found, Absentia, I mean Scootaloo."
"Absentia? How did you come by that name?" asked Princess Celestia.
"Cloud came up with it. From the old tongue. Cloud is really smart, like a bookworm. She was our editor of the school paper," said Corona proudly.
"Really. I had a Student once, who liked nothing more than to sit and read. She is extremely smart like you. Do you know Princess Twilight Sparkle?"
"I know who she is, but I have never met her," Cloud sighed.
"Perhaps that could be arranged," said Princess Celestia smiling. "And my sister, Princess Luna and Princess Cadence."
Cloud Cover almost passed out. She was certain that they were going to get punished, not asked to meet all the Princesses of Equestria.
"I don't understand Princess. I was sure that we were going to be punished for all the damage done."
"Cloud Cover, Corona you were not the cause of the damage to the factory. That was the workers trying to stop two scared foals running for their lives. I wanted to meet both of you. To congratulate you on bringing Scootaloo back from the dead and Rainbow Dash back from the brink of insanity. To thank you for helping bring the factory into the light for what was done here, and also for helping to start the change that so desperately needed to happen, sooner than later."
With those words she bowed deeply to the two foals standing in front of her. Dr. Atmosphere followed suit.
Cloud felt her legs go soft. It was all Corona could do to keep her on her feet. Neither could believe what was happening.
The Princess thanked Hide Atmosphere and left for Canterlot leaving the rest of the investigation of the factory to her investigators. She had been there long enough in her opinion.