Glaze stared at me. "... Shut down the factory...? I can't do that!"
"Well, I can. That, or I'll die trying." I said stubbornly. "I want it to stop, and if your not gonna help me, I'll do it myself."
He shook his head. "Good, cause I'm not gonna help you. You made me leave the factory against my will, so i will stay loyal to it. Failures must go!"
"This isn't just about the failures!" I protested. "They're after us too! If we don't shut it down, it'll stay that way! We'll NEVER be free."
Glaze sighed. "I want to live my life, but that doesn't mean I'll rat out the factory. I was loyal to them all my life, and that's not going to change."
"Whatever, I never said you had to come with me. You can go back to your god damn stupid Rainbow Factory for all I care! I'm just saying, if you ever want to have a life, you might want to help, cause then we'd have a better chance."
"You're right, you have no chance alone. Exactly the reason I'm not helping you."
"I'll help." A small voice spoke up from across the room.
I looked over at Amber, who was hiding under a table, away from our brutal argument.
"Stay out of this kid, you don't want to get involved. I suggest you get home to your family, or find somewhere new. That second option might be better, cause if Cloudsdale finds out that you were suppose to be exiled, they're just gonna send you back."
"Exactly! I want my freedom as much as you ponies do! As much as all of the flight school failures do! If we shut down the factory, we can all go home to Cloudsdale! And if we tell Princess Celestia about the Rainbow Factory, then maybe she'll reward us! Does she even know about the corporation?!"
I facehoofed. "Of course Celestia knows about the Weather Corporation! She was the one who assigned the responsibility of rainbows down to us in the first place!"
"No, I meant does she know what they're doing? Has she ever even inspected the facility?! How is she completely oblivious to the fact that they're killing ponies up there and grinding them up into rainbows?!"
"Let me explain how the factory works..." I started, but Glaze interrupted.
"Mystery, that's confidential. You can't tell her what we don't even tell a pony as important as Celestia."
For saying something as serious as that, his tone was surprisingly calm. He had cooled down considerably since he first got in here.
I stared at him, searching my mind for a reason to tell Amber what was going on. She deserves to know.
"That poor filly has been through a lot in the past few hours, I think she deserves to understand what the hell is happening!"
Glaze shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Telling her would be breaking factory protocol. Nopony who doesn't work for the upper Spectra Division is allowed to even know how rainbows are made, let alone how we cover it up."
"I DON'T BUCKING CARE ABOUT FACTORY PROTOCOL! I. Don't. Work. There. Any. More. And. Neither. Do. You."
He watched me for a second, then slowly turned towards the door to leave. Fine. He can just go right ahead.
Amber crawled out from under the table. "Glaze?"
He turned. "What now."
"Have... Have you ever known somepony who failed their flight test?"
Glaze stared at her for a second before turning back to the door and setting his hoof on the knob.
"Wait!"
"Amber, let him go. He'll do more harm than good."
"Just answer the question!" She protested.
He sighed. "I don't like to talk about it.
"Ok, just... Think about it. Think about that pony, whoever it was. If they saw you now, DEFENDING the place that led to their death... What would they think?"
He paused for a second. "I had a choice to work for the Factory. I joined out of my own will, even though I knew I would have to kill somepony I was close to someday. It shouldn't matter what they think of me now. It's done and over with. I've gotten over it, and you're not helping by reminding me of it."
"He doesn't need to come, in fact, it's probably better if he doesn't," I warned.
"Mystery, we need all the help we can get! We can't shut down the Factory on our own!"
I sighed. It may be true that we have little chance, but is Glaze really the best one to bring along? He hasn't exactly been the most... Helpful pony...
I looked at him, annoyed. "Are you coming, or not? Cause I want to find someplace comfortable to spend the night before dark, and we're not going to make it if this arguing goes on much longer.
Glaze opened the door. "The answer is still no. Go ahead and try to shut down the stupid Factory. You'll never succeed anyways. I'm not helping the ponies who ruined my life."
He slammed the door behind him.
I nodded. "Alrighty. That's done and over with. Now, first of all, we need to figure out where the hell we are."
Amber sighed. "We need him!"
"No, we don't. So far he's been more of a problem than a help. Were better off on our own." I decided I change the subject to prevent more arguing. "How is your wing?"
She tugged at the bandage. "Bad. I think I dislocated it... Again."
"THIS, is the kind of problem that were gonna run into if we bring Glaze along. It's his fault that your wing is destroyed," I said pointedly.
"I guess so..." She still didn't seem convinced.
"Whatever. Right now it doesn't matter. We'll figure out a plan tomorrow, right now we need to find somewhere to spend the night."
"How? We have no money," she said.
"Yeah..." I thought for a second. We can't stay in a hotel, that would cost too much. I don't know about Amber, but IM not sleeping on the street. I did far to much of that after my parents were killed. If there's another option, I'm not going back to it. That leaves one other solution, at least that I can think of.
"Do you think somepony would house us? Just for the night?"
Amber looked at the floor. "I don't want to annoy anypony..."
"It's our only option, unless you want to sleep on the street," I warned.
She sighed. "I guess so... But where do we start?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, I guess we just go up and ask a random house...?"
I opened the door and cautiously peeked out into the alleyway to make sure there were no guards in sight. All clear.
"I think they're gone... We'll just have to be careful."
Amber nodded and followed me outside. We went out into the street and walked casually down it, making sure not to attract any attention.
There were mostly just stores on this street, but when we turned down the next, we reached a section with a few houses. I hesitantly walked up to the first house and knocked on the door.
A few seconds passed before it opened. A mare's face appeared at the opening.
"Umm... Hello? Can I help you?"
I nodded. "Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you'd be able to provide shelter for me and my... Uh... Little sister, just for the night? We don't have any money to pay for a hotel, and we're unable to get home today."
The mare looked at her feet. "Uhh... I'm sorry, but I don't think I have enough room for you..."
I peered behind her at the gigantic room filled with comfortable looking couches and chairs, perfect for sleeping on. She just doesn't want us here... Oh well, might as well else her alone. There's plenty of other houses on this street.
* * *
SLAM!
I sighed as the 5th door closed in our faces. This isn't working. Nopony trusts us.
"Mysteryyyy, I don't like this! I don't wanna keep bugging these ponies if they're just going to say no!" Amber whined.
I glanced down the street. There was only one house left.
"Come on, let's just try one more..." I sighed halfheartedly.
We made our way to the last house and I knocked on the door. It creaked open.
A gray mare with a darker gray mane appeared at the door. She stared at me.
"Uhh... Hi. I was wondering if me and my-"
"Mystery?"
"Huh?" I was confused."Do I know you?"
She didn't answer me. "How did... How did you get back from exile?"
I gave her a weird look. "Exile?"
"You... Failed your flight exam, didn't you?"
"Who are you?" I didn't want to answer her without knowing who the hell this mare is.
She sighed. "You don't recognize me, do you? Figures."
I took a long look at her. She had two purple and green streaks at the front of her mane, which was cut short to her shoulders. She was wearing three gold bracelets on her front hoof. She did look familiar.... But the one thing that made me realize who I was looking at, was the blue diamond shaped necklace thy hung from her neck. The same necklace that I had given to my best friend in flight school. The same necklace, whose twin lay in my bedroom drawer, back at the Rainbow Factory.
"Jace?"
She smiled and nodded. This looks nothing like the Jace that I knew. Back when I used to know her, she was way more... I don't know, plain looking.
"Wow... You look different. Like, in a good way, but..."
"I know," Jace looked at her feet. "But that's not the point. What did you need?"
"Oh... Me and my friend Amber are looking for a place to spend the night."
She opened the door wider. "You can stay here. On one condition."
I looked at her expectantly.
"You need to tell me what the hell is going on here."
I nodded. "It's a long story, and you have to promise not to tell anypony, alright?"
"My lips are sealed. You know I was always good at keeping secrets." Jace moved aside to let us in. I nodded at Amber, who hesitantly walked in. I closed the door behind us.
"Sit down," ordered Jace. "Myst, you have some explaining to do."
I sighed. "Amber, you go to bed, I'll deal with this, ok?"
Amber shook her head. "I want to hear this. I feel like you haven't told me the whole story either."
I facehoofed. "Whatever, it's not like I can stop you..."
I sat down on the chair across from Jace, and Amber lay down on the floor.
Jace drank from a glass of water and wiped her mouth. "Let's start at the beginning. Where the hell have you been all this time?! I thought you were exiled! We all did! You failed your flight test, didn't you?"
I shook my head. "No. I didn't." I sighed. "I... Never took my flight test. I knew I'd fail. I couldn't fly then, still can't fly now. Figures."
She narrowed her eyes. "So where did you go? Have you been hiding this whole time?"
I shook my head again. I guess there's no harm in telling Jace the truth. She can keep a secret.
"I went to work at the Weather Factory."
"Myst, you need to be able to fly to work there..."
"I CAN FLY." I said angrily. "I took the night shift on..." I hesitated, catching myself. "I... Took the night shift in the Spectra Division."
"The wha?" Jace was confused.
"Spectra Division." I explained. "Where they make rainbows. Also known as... The Rainbow Factory."
She nodded. "They just... Let you in? Without a flight school certificate?"
"I took my test there. Rainbow- err, a pony let my take it at night. I passed, making me a useful enough Pegasus to work there, though she wasn't qualified to give me an official certificate."
"That doesn't explain why I haven't seen you around. Where have you been living, and why do you need to stay here for tonight?"
"I lived in The Factory, and wasn't allowed out. I was tired of living there, so I escaped the other night, and now I don't have a home." I explained. No use in telling about the killing unless it's completely necessary.
"Makes sense I guess..." She said, satisfied. "What did you do there?"
"Oh, you know... Made... Rainbows..." I answered nervously.
Amber glared at me.
"What?"
"Don't you think she deserves to know? Maybe she could help us."
I sighed. I guess she does have a point...
Jace looked at me expectantly.
I hung my head. "Are you going to judge me any differently if you know what I did there?"
She shrugged. "I guess it depends on what it was."
"...alright, but I just want you to remember that I escaped, because I hated doing what I was doing, and I knew that it was wrong."
She nodded.
I looked at the ground. "Rainbows... Are made out of a substance called Spectra. We learned that on our tour of the Weather Factory. But, nopony knows how the Spectra is made. That's what I did. I made the Spectra."
"Is that really so bad?" She tilted her head.
"Hold on, I'm getting to that. Spectra used to be produced by powerful unicorn magic. It was made artificially by magic for a few years, before the scientist made a breakthrough discovery that you could harvest it from..." I paused.
"From what?"
I turned away, not wanting to meet her gaze. "Live ponies. I killed fillies for a living, Jace. That's why I wanted out."
Jace stared at me. "W...what?"
"The flight school failures. They don't go into exile. They never did. They get sent to the Factory, to be recycled. I thought it was amazing the first few years, getting revenge on the ponies that led to my downfall. Now I know why so many of the workers before me went crazy."
"...What made you finally realize that?"
"They haunt your dreams! Every single night, they're like zombies coming back from the dead, chasing me until I can't run anymore! I recognize them too! They're specific faces, like those two that I killed before the big rebellion last year, and..." I trailed off, putting my head in my hooves. I've never talked about this to anypony before, and surprisingly, it's harder than I thought. It's like reliving the whole nightmare over again...
I sighed. "Whatever, I'm getting off topic. What else did you want to know?"
"How did you escape, and why did they keep you locked up in the first place?"
"They couldn't risk other ponies outside the corporation finding out about it. Celestia would shut it down if she knew that ponies were being killed there."
"Celestia doesn't know?"
I shook my head. "She'd never allow it. As for how I got out, WITH one of the flight school failures, to be exact..." I glanced over at Amber. "It's a long story, so if you want to hear it, you better get comfortable.
With that, I told Jace the entire story of how me and Amber escaped the Rainbow Factory. I explained Glaze's betrayal, the Factory's efforts to stop us from getting word out, even our plans to shut down the Factory, though we hadn't thought it out much yet.
When I finished, Jace was nodding slowly. "I think I get it. You must be exhausted though..."
"Very."
"Alright, I have a spare mattress under my bed. I'll pull it out and you two can sleep there. Get ready to tell me more in the morning though, I still have a ton of questions."
She left the room and came back pulling a huge mattress. She set it in the middle of the floor.
"Thank you Jace, for everything. I really appreciate you letting us stay here for the night."
Jace smiled. "Oh, I'd let you stay for as long as you want. After all these years, it's nice to have my best friend back."