The Secret of a Rainbow

by Little Brave Heart

Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Secret of a Rainbow

The group of mares were trotting further and further towards their goal. They didn't even stop to catch their breath. They needed to be there as soon as possible. As they were running, they knew more and more failures were getting killed. They had no time to loose. The royal city came into view as they picked up their pace. "T...Twilight? What do....you think....the princess will think about this?" Fluttershy said out of breath, starting to fly. "I....don't know..." The purple unicorn replied. "Ah think we'll...just have to see." Applejack chimed in.

Canterlot was very close to them now. Just a couple more miles, and they would be in the city. They picked up their pace even more, they needed to get there. The cutie mark crusaders were now close behind Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie pie and Rarity. "We've caught up to them!" Scootaloo said with joy. "Ah think ya'll being there will get them to stop this kinda thing!" Apple Bloom said with a smile. "Yeah! They need all the help they can get!" Sweetie Belle said. They began to trot faster, nearly by the group of mares side.

The elements of harmony charged into the city, the three fillies following behind. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were running out of breath. Luckily for them, the mares stopped. "Anypony hear something behind us?" Twilight Sparkle asked her friends. They all nodded their heads yes. They all looked behind them. "Apple Bloom!" Applejack yelled at her younger sister. "Oh, Sweetie Belle! Why did you come her with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom?" Rarity whined. "Ya'll need all the help ya can get big sis. Having Scootaloo with ya might get them to realize that what they're doing is wrong!" Apple Bloom replied.

"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle told Rarity. Applejack and Pinkie pie chuckled a little. "Well, ah guess we didn't consider that!" The farm pony said nudging the pink earth pony. "Ah think it'll help a lot. Now come on everypony! We've got no time ta lose!" Applejack said. The Cutie Mark Crusaders and The Elements of Harmony began walking toward the royal palace, which wasn't too far from where they were.

On the stone ground, their hooves made a clicking sound. Walking gave them a chance to catch their breath too. Nopony spoke, all they did was take heavy breaths. The white. purple and gold castle was coming closer and closer into their point of view. They walked up to the gates, and met two royal guards guarding the gates of the castle. "Halt! Who goes there?" The guard on the left spoke in the royal Canterlot tone.

"I am Twilight Sparkle, the princess's royal student. These are my friends." Twilight said gesturing a hoof toward the bunch of ponies. "May we come in? We need to report something to Princess Celestia." The two guards looked at each other and nodded. "You may pass." The one on the right said. The gates opened, and the five mares and three fillies walked through.

Scootaloo began to look nervous. "Hey, Scoot, ya'll alright?" Apple Bloom asked. "Well, not really. What if I get sent back to the Rainbow Factory? What if I get killed?" Sweat began dripping down the orange fillies forehead. "Don't be silly Scootaloo. The princess is understanding and would never do such a thing." Twilight Sparkle chimed in, taking notice of their conversation. "Well....okay...." The peagasus replied, but still a little uneasy.

They were now walking through the inside of the huge palace. Everypony stared in amazement at all the beautiful vases, pillars and royal artifacts. This soothed Scootaloo a bit. At the head of a long hall, sat Princess Celestia on a bright pink and gold throne. "Hello Twilight. I was informed you have come to tell me something? You even brought The Cutie Mark Crusaders, but where is Rainbow Dash?" The white alicorn said with a look of concern.

Scootaloo gulped. She approached the princess. "Um....shes at....the R-Rainbow Factory." She stammered. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gasped. "Well, yes. That is her job, to help with the making of rainbows and the weather patrol, nothing more." Celestia said taking a sip of tea from the side table. "No! Its more than that! Just because a peagasus fails his or her flying test, doesn't mean that his or her should be killed!" Scootaloo yelled. The princess nearly spit out her tea. Sweat was now dripping down her forehead. All of them knew something was up.

"Princess? Is this....true?" Twilight said looking deep into Celestia's rose eyes. "Why should I hide it? Yes, it is true." Everypony gasped. "You see, when Luna was banished, I had to take control of rising the sun and the moon, and I couldn't make the rainbows anymore. I didn't have enough magic. So I handed the job over to Cloudsdales weather patrol. They devised a plan that would make beautiful rainbows that were real, and much better quality than when a unicorn made one. It was sick, but I accepted it and allowed it. Then Luna came back. I couldn't stop the rainbow production then, because then a lot of ponies would loose their jobs, the building would be demolished, and the secret of the killings would get out. What kind of princess would I be then?" Celestia said letting tears flow from her eyes.

"But.....can't we use unicorns to make rainbows instead? The ponies in the factory could just mix the spectrum. They wouldn't lose their jobs, they would just have a different job! Please? I don't want this happening." Scootaloo said. "I....never thought of it that way...." "Then Rainbow Dash IS a murderer? How could she!" Rarity chimed in. "Because I made her!" The princess retorted. Twilight and the others gasped at her sudden remark. "I'm sorry....but....I made her. I made her become a murderer. Don't be mad at her, be mad at me." Celestia told them. "But....Rainbow Dash is the element of loyalty...." Fluttershy pointed out.

"Yes, but I still made her." She informed. The rest stayed silent. "You had no choice princess. What would Equestria be without rainbows?" "No! I did have a choice. I could have said no to the weather patrols idea, but instead I said yes. I could have prevented this. This is all my fault. I need to fix it." Celestia flew to the balcony, where all of Canterlot could be seen. "Attention! Attention citizens!" Everypony looked up at their princess. They all gathered at the castle gates, murmurings rippling through the crowd.

"The only time she announces something is when something horrible happens! Not once was it ever something good." A elderly purple earth pony said. "Whats she gonna say?" A blue unicorn asked her friend. "Silence!" Princess Celestia yelled at the top of her lungs. The murmurs quickly stopped. "Now, I have gathered you all here today to reveal a devastating secret." Scootaloo watched in horror as her secret would be announced to all of Equestria. What if somepony working for the Rainbow Factory was listening if the princess announced that Scootaloo escaped? What if Rainbow Dash was listening? But she didn't stop her, she would be embarrassed in front of hundreds of ponies.

"Most of you pegasai know about The Rainbow Factory. The place where the rainbows are made. But what you all don't know about it is HOW exactly they make the spectrum for them. Most of you think unicorns help, but that is not the case. They kill peagasai, the ones who fail their flight test. Scootaloo almost faced this horrible fate, but she escaped. Rainbow Dash is the boss of the Rainbow Facility, and is also Scootaloo's mentor. Rainbow Dash IS a murderer, but do not be angry with her, be angry with me. I made her do it, she had no choice." Murmurs of surprise rippled through the crowd. Some cried, knowing some of their siblings or family members had failed the test and that's where they were sent.

"Ah can't believe its come to this." Applejack said, lowering her head. "Whats gonna happen to Dashie!" Pinkie pie said, a fresh tear flowing down her cheek.

"So, do what you want with me." The princess announced. "This isn't true!" Said a green pony. "The princess wouldn't lie to us about something like this! She has never lied!" A brown unicorn said. "But, wait!" The murmurs stopped again. "We are going to stop this! At all costs!" Scootaloo's eyes lit up, as well as the others. She stepped away from the balcony, the ponies below cheering. "Lets get to the Rainbow Facility."

Comments

[KiKo4]

Happiness

[MAHLITTLEPONY]

Of course Celestia knew about it, she just didn’t bring the old fashioned rainbows made by unicorns cause she’d rather sit on her rump in the castle