Sigma & Lambda's Tales: The Rainbow Factory Incident

by Echo Montana Juliet

New Ponyville

Chapter Five: Day Two: Fifty Hours Remaining

Still flying around in the olive green cargo plane, Echo and family continue flying through the immense forest towards, "New Ponyville" as best they could name it. Discussing various issues they felt were wrong with the world, playing games, so on and so forth. They began to approach the air space of the base-like camp.

"You know, another thing I find wrong with our old planet? You buy things you didn't need, with money you don't have, to impress people that you don't like. It's ridiculous."

"Yeah, it's a real shame Jules, but look, try not to bring our problems to the ponies down there, alright."

"I'll see if I can't try my best."

"Good, we're nearly over the drop zone, get to the cargo bay door."

They all huddled around the giant doors to the back of the C-130, it was dark, except for a red light next to a set of switches.

"Are we just going to drop?"

"That's the plan, yes."

"Seems fun, sure we won't land on any civilians?"

"We're ponies, Sigma, not tanks."

"What's the difference, we're built like them."

"A tank has a larger- You know what never mind."

The light turned green, Echo pressed a button, and the cargo bay door opened. Echo then proceeded to tackled Sigma out of the plane, and the rest of the family followed close behind. Jules yelled something inaudible, but it sounded like something related to famous last words related to jumping. They fell through the night sky, the sun just inches from the horizon, producing nearly invisible rays of dim, yellow light. None of the ponies were around and about, most likely because it was so early. When they'd all landed, they set off towards the large, multicolored house at the end of the path. Walking in, they heard a commotion coming from the "Honesty" wing of the house. They walked into the kitchen, and saw Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and a completely unharmed looking Rainbow Dash. Sigma flashed for a second, and in his place stood a human, but not his original human figure, but man in a blue suit with black hedgehog style hair. Lambda, Jules, and Echo took a step back, and seemed to fade into the background.

"So, Rainbow Dash, you're back?"

A similar effect had taken place on the other group talking, and in the foreground stood the rainbow maned mare.

"Yeah, I've been here for a while. Where'd you go?"

"That should not concern you. What should concern you is my curiosity. You flew through a window at approximately fifty miles an hour, most likely broke your ear drums from the sound, and should be lying dead in a grave from blood loss. How are you standing here?"

"Well, none of that happened, you must've imagined it."

"I didn't imagine it, and here's my proof-"

He slammed his hands flat upon the kitchen island with great gusto, and exclaimed loudly two words.

"TAKE THAT! It happened, and I can confirm it because of the blood on Big Macintosh's bed, and in the hallway that the event occurred."

Rainbow Dash's face was shocked, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Okay, so what if it did happen, I-I'm a quick healer."

"That wouldn't matter, and the reason is-"

This time he pointed his index finger with excited power, before exclaiming the words again.

"TAKE THAT! No mortal being could survive such a thing, and it nearly killed me."

Rainbow Dash was beginning to become even more worried looking, and when she regained her composure, she was still frazzled looking.

"O-Okay, I got help from-from Nurse Red Heart! Yes, that's it, Nurse Red Heart helped me back to health."

"That's a lie, and I can prove that because-"

With no special gestures, just hands at his hips, he announced the reason.

"There were no tracks of blood towards any of the houses, however there were some headed out the forest."

Rainbow Dash appeared as though she'd been defeated, head hanging, and she let out a deep sigh.

"Alright, so I got hurt, I didn't get healed by anypony here. What do you think happened?"

"What I think happened is that you are a member, if not the leader, of the dreaded 'Rainbow Factory' and that you sent out a distress call to your allies to come pick you up and get you the special attention you needed to become fully healed once more."

Rainbow Dash looked up to Sigma, and then the others came into view once more. They'd all heard the argument.

"Yes, it's true. It's all true."

Then suddenly Rainbow Dash's face cracked a smile. It wasn't a happy one either, but one of madness. The quickly grabbed a knife off the counter, and lunged at Sigma. Sigma dodged, and she tripped. Echo and Jules tackled the fallen cyan pegasus.

"Freeze criminal scum! You've violated the law!"

Rainbow Dash struggled, to no avail. The duo pinned her down like a lion pins a gazelle.

"What law! This is the apocalypse, there is no law!"

"The intergalactic police say otherwise!"

"What are you talking about? And get off me!"

They got off of Rainbow Dash's back, and placed cuffs around her hooves and wings.

"Hey! What's the big idea, huh? Get these stupid cuffs off of me!"

"Not until you disclose the location of the 'Rainbow Factory', little miss-y."

"I have no idea where it is!"

"LIAR! YOU RUN THE PLACE! How do you not know where it is?"

"It was in Cloudsdale before, then when Lambda knocked it out of the sky, it changed positions!"

"And you didn't bother to check where you landed?"

"No, because it was a nuclear wasteland, and the hazmat suits were still in Cloudsdale being cleaned."

Sigma began to chuckle.

"Man, your awful, you know that?"

They all looked to Sigma.

"First you nearly die, then you comeback, thinking we wouldn't ask questions. Then you try to lie to my face about this entire thing, and assume you can simple just kill me. And now we've discovered that the place you run is in the middle of some glassed wasteland, and you can't even remember where it fell. Geez, can this day get any better?"

A knock is heard at the door, in an erratic pinging sound.

"You guys stay here, I got the door. You're in charge Sigma."

Echo walked over to the door, and opened it, then slowly closed it again.

"Sigma, you jinxed us."

"Come again? I did what now?"

"Just look out the door real quick."

Sigma looked to Lambda, she shrugged. Sigma jogged over to the door and opened it. Standing there was a bulky, blue steel colored robot. It had visor-like eye, that appeared to be scanning the entry way. Sigma slowly closed the door.

"So I did, so I did. What should we do about it?"

"I assume it's intelligent, or has programmed responses at least."

"Lambda, would you be so kind as to come over here for a second, bring Jules too."

And so they walked over, opened the door, saw the robot, and closed it.

"What are we going to do about it?"

"Why don't you try talking to it Lambda, you are the best with responsive beings."

"That's one way to put it, sure, but what am I asking it?"

"How about, 'To leave', sounds solid."

"Like his fists, now here's a better thing to ask, 'why are you here.' because that's less likely to aggravate it."

"It's a robot, Sigma, it's very hard to aggravate a robot."

"You'd be surprised, Lambda."

"Anyways, just ask it why it's here."

Lambda nodded, and opened the door. When she did, a commotion could be heard coming from the kitchen, where they'd left all they're allies. The robot also appeared to be gone.

"The stupid robots gone."

"Jules, go check around outside for the robot, me and Sigma will handle the kitchen."

"Yes sir!"

Jules and Lambda ran out the door to look for the elusive robot, as Echo and Sigma raced to the kitchen to see the commotion. When they got there, they saw a bloody floor with Big Macintosh laying upon it.

"Ah man, come on Echo, let's patch him up. Deal with the insane pegasus later."

"Alright, I'll see if I can't locate some bandages and pain killer. In the walls right?"

'Yeah, check around. Might still be some in Big Macintosh's room where you gave it to me."

Echo began to feel along the wall for hidden cabinets and drawers. Sigma lifted the, now more blood red, stallion onto the kitchen island and began to examine the wounds.

"He got it bad. I'd say Dash broke the chains and began to assault them. Mac here probably tried to be the hero and took the frontal. I suppose there's a reason I occasionally hear the name 'Red Rainbow' Dash, not very merciful."

"I can't seem to find any secret openings in here."

"Well hurry up, go check his room, it's the one with the giant green apple on it."

Echo ran out of the room and up the stairs. Sigma, who had been in his pony form since he'd gotten onto the plane, changed into his human form. He patted the dying horse.

"You'll live, trust me. If seen worse, and still managed."

Big Macintosh started to cough vigorously. It nearly caused him to fall off the table. Sigma caught him before he rolled off.

'Woah there, come on, easy now, you'll live for now."

"Sig-Sigma. You've got to go."

"Save your breath there friend, we can go together, soon as you're fixed up. Echo! What are you doing up there! Hurry up!"

"Not- Not enough time- Family- Factory-"

"Calm down. We got time, odds are the factory isn't in fully functioning condition, if they can't even figure out where they are."

Sigma gritted his teeth. Looked to the stairs, then to Big Macintosh.

"Alright. This is going to burn. A lot, but it'll get you back on your hooves, got it."

Big Mac managed a nod, however very shaky. Sigma place one hand on the ponies neck, and the other on a gash in the hind leg. The room went dark, except for a fiery orange glow coming from Sigma's hands and eyes. The glowing intensified, and flames began to protrude out from under Sigma's hands. Big Macintosh began to whimper, then the room returned to it's previously lighted state, and Sigma removed his hands from Big Macintosh. Any wounds that were there previously were now gone, but left behind a scar. Also, any blood on Big Macintosh's body not became a color similar to charcoal, which was to say, the majority of his body. Sigma fell back onto the bloody floor, sitting against the wall. He was coughing up ash and soot.

"Go- Find Echo, he's upstairs. I don't think I'll be walking out of here."

"Eeyup."

Big Macintosh rolled off the counter onto his hooves, and ran up the stairs. Sigma fell asleep. When he woke, he found himself still on the ground, except more ash had covered him. In the doorway to the stairs stood Echo.

"Come on, we got a job to do."