The Secret of a Rainbow

by Little Brave Heart

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Secret of a Rainbow

Twilight Sparkle and Sweetie Belle practiced and practiced the levitation spell as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo watched in fascination. Then came the greatest moment of the whole teaching session.

"Alright Sweetie Belle. This time, your going to get to watch the levitation spell done by you!" Sweetie Belle looked confused. "You see, your going to keep your eyes open this time instead of closing them. Just do what I told you last time, just with your eyes open." The purple unicorn explained. "Oh, I get it. Let me try!" The white filly focused, and her light purple and white magic began to glow from her horn. The book slowly began to lift off the table, and she gasped in surprise.

"I did it! I did it!" Sweetie Belle squealed in delight as she walked around the room with the book following her. "Ah knew ya could do it!" Apple Bloom said. "Yeah, now you can use one spell, and maybe she can teach you another one!" Scootaloo suggested, wanting to keep her mind off the Rainbow Factory. "Oh, no girls. Its really late, see?" Twilight said levitating a clock over to her. "Eight o'clock!" The little pegasus screeched. "Yeah, we've been working on it a long time, you best hurry home!" Twilight said pushing them out the door.

They walked down the dirt path as Sweetie Belle levitated anything she could find like rocks, flowers, or scraps left behind.
They all yawned. "I guess we should go back home, no more crusading for today, and the doctor says I need rest." Scootaloo told her friends. "Well, okay." Sweetie Belle sighed. They waved good by and all went their separate ways. Scootaloo was lost deep in thought, luckily Apple Bloom said nothing.

She hoped greatly that she wouldn't have another nightmare when she went to bed. But Scootaloo already knew that having a nightmare again tonight was likely. Apple Blooms farm was a long way away, so the orange filly thought of how to keep her mind off of the horrible Rainbow Facility. Well, she had her friends, but that wasn't enough, she couldn't just forget it so easily. Maybe some good sleep will help. Or flying? No, she couldn't do that for another week. I guess she would have to settle for a lot of bed rest and sleep to help cope with her problem.

Many thoughts like this circled the fillies mind, and before she knew it, she was at her temporary home; Sweet Apple Acres. The two fillies walked through the entrance and onto the property. Applejack and Big Macintosh were already done with their farm work for the day, no where to be seen in the orchard. "Big Macintosh and Applejack are probably inside." Apple Bloom figured. "What? Oh, yeah. I guess." Scootaloo said, still thinking. "Scoot? Ya'll okay? Your acting weird." The yellow farm filly gave the pegasus a questioning look.

Sweat began to drip slowly from Scootaloo's forehead. "Nope, everything's great!" She gave a smile. "Scoot. Look at me." Apple Bloom demanded firmly. She looked at her friend. "There's nothing ya'll gotta hide from me. Ya can tell me anything." Scootaloo gulped. "I'm not hiding anything." The orange filly said lowering her head, not bearing to look her friend in the eye.

"Ya know, ever since ya came back from the flight test, ya'll been different. If ya can't tell me anything, then leave me alone!" Apple Bloom said trotting into the house. "Apple Bloom, wait!" But it was too late. The small filly ran into her house, slamming the door behind her, but luckily not locking it. The peagasus slowly walked over to the unlocked door. She opened it gently with a hoof. Inside she found a shocked Applejack, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. "Whats gotten into that filly?" Granny Smith weakly asked. "Ah don't get why shes so mad and sad!" Applejack piped up. "Eeyup." Big Mac said as usual.

Scootaloo sighed. "Its because she thinks I'm hiding something from her, but I'm not. I think we both need some rest." Before anypony could respond she rushed upstairs and into her room. She flopped onto her bed, curled up, and fell into a deep, deep sleep.

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Scootaloo, sure enough, had another nightmare. It wasn't as bad as the last one though. She was running through the confusing twists and turns and zig-zag halls of the Rainbow Facility. Rainbow Dash was right on her tail, catching up with her more and more, seemingly getting faster. "Leave me alone!" The orange filly yelled. "Never! Your spectrum will be beautiful, and you can't go around carrying the Cloudsdale name when you failed your flight test!" Rainbow Dash harshly replied. Scootaloo started to fly faster. She knew she had to get away.

But Rainbow Dash was too fast, she reached a hoof toward her tail, and grabbed it. The filly struggled, but Rainbow Dash was stronger. She was pulled away into the darkness, still struggling. "No! NO!!" She screamed as she was dragged.

She finally woke up, but she woke up screaming, to find Applejack by her side. "Scootaloo! Whats gotten in ta ya?" The farm pony said with a look of concern on her face. "Huh? What? Oh, just a...um, bad dream." The peagasus told her. "We all get those Sugar cube. Mind tellin' me what it was about? It will make ya feel better." Scootaloo's blood ran cold. Telling her what the nightmare was would reveal her secret, and what would Applejack think of one of her dearest friends as a murderer?

"No! I...I don't want to." Applejack looked at her with a confused look. "Why not? Ah won't be upset with ya'll. We all have crazy dreams, but they aren't real." But this nightmare was real, Rainbow Dash was a murderer, her wounds were not from a bad landing on her flight test, and getting dragged back to the second floor was real! "No, I...can't." Scootaloo managed to say. "What do ya mean ya can't?" Applejack protested. This was going no where. But she knew she shouldn't tell her about the rainbow factory.

"I told you I can't!" Scootaloo said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Well, alright then! Sorry, but ah thought it would help." Applejack said and turned to walk out of the room. "Ya can either get up, or get some rest sugar cube. Ah'll be out bucking apple trees." The farm pony walked out of the room. Soon, Scootaloo saw her from her window out on the apple orchard. The orange filly let out a sigh of relief.

She knew she couldn't go back to sleep, she'd just have another nightmare, wake up screaming, then she would really have to explain herself. If she kept on having nightmares, then the secret would just spill out, which she so desperately wanted to happen, so all this could end, but she didn't want anypony to find out, it would be chaos! "Maybe....just maybe....I could tell Apple Bloom? Other wise I won't sleep for weeks. She can keep a secret!" Scootaloo reassured herself.

She got out of bed and walked to the door next to her, seeing the familiar sign that had the name Apple Bloom on it. She gently opened it with one hoof, knowing that the door was really creaky and old, but she was supposed to get a new door soon. The door made a small creak, but not too loud, and there was enough room for Scootaloo to slip through the small opening in the door. Apple Bloom was up, which was a surprise to the orange filly. She was staring out the window, watching Applejack on the apple orchard.

"Apple Bloom? What are you doing up so early?" The pegasus questioned. She simply just looked at her, obviously still mad. "Your still mad huh?" Apple Bloom nodded. "That's what I came here for." She informed her friend. "Sit down, this is gonna take a while." They both sat down on the white bed with a apple shape stitched onto it. "So. The reason I've been acting so weird lately is because I didn't really pass my flight test. I escaped from the Rainbow Factory. I know this sounds crazy, but they kill pegasi for spectrum there. Rainbow Dash is the boss there. I've been having horrible nightmares about it.

I escaped, but I can never return to Cloudsdale because of it. Or else they'll send me back and I'll be back. Also, the cuts and bruises are because I almost did get killed, but I broke free from the chains, thanks to training with Rainbow Dash. So, now you know, can you understand?"

Apple Bloom looked at her with a scared and surprised look on her face. "I understand why ya couldn't tell me. Ah know Ya have never lied to me before, but Ah'm having a hard time believing ya. But ah think ah'm gonna believe ya, cause that explains the cuts and scrapes, ah knew a cloud couldn't do that much damage." The two hugged each other. "But you can't tell anypony. If I wake up screaming, its because of a nightmare. Come wake me up, I don't want Applejack coming in, otherwise I'd have to tell her the secret. That's one of the last ponies I want to tell."

"Ah promise!"