darkSpyro

Dusty took a deep breath, his patience was wearing thin. He was sick of words and it was time for action. He calmly walked up to the pyro, pushing one of the other guards to the side. He then quickly grabbed Hellena by the horn and dragged her over to the carrier then proceeding to throw her in, all as quick as possible to avoid a reaction and possible fatal incident. Before she got up from being thrown he pulled out his sword "now you will remain there and if you try to exit you will receive more than burn marks. And all thatt crap about a unicorn's horn is BS I have seen a few cut off in my day" he said obviously irritated.

Hellena shuddered, glaring up coldly. Wordlessly, the unicorn struggled up, lurching to the side, horn sparking up again. A similarly-coloured glow enveloped the blade of the sword. No. Murder didn't need words, a pointless monologue. She was done playing around.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your life looking like me, she thought. A few minutes, tops, of blistering agony. It won't fail me now.

Dusty quickly dropped the sword and leaped forward. He reached his hoof forward and grabbed Hellena's head. He then proceeded to slam her head onto the hard floor of the carrier, multiple times. Bang, bang, bang. He soon realized what he was doing and where he was quickly stopping and stepping back before he killed the pony before him.

Ooc: ok so I got it. Everypony's Avenged Sevenfold theme song Gulaven: Nightmare, Steel: Save Me, Dusty: Dangerline, Sicolus: Natural Born Killer, Hellena: Unbound. Whatcha think?

Steel halted in the hallway. He had passed somepony familiar. He slowly turned,his head and spotted it. A stark black pegasus with a disheveled black and red name. His metal leg and wing glinted in the fluorescent light.
"You should have killed him, Steel." it said, disappointed.
"I have no reason to kill Gulaven, Ripper."
"Liar!" it spat. "You have plenty of reasons! That rich, narcissistic asshole needs to die."
"He gave me a second chance!"
"He's using you!
Steel scoffed at the similar pegasus.
"And what about Echo?"
He fell silent.

OOC: its in his head btw.
And pretty cool, sandman.

"Ha, I'm Ballistic Beats," she bumped her headphones with a hoof, "And you?" she sat.

OOC: whoa! I will advise you not to go and beat other players ponies, especially so quickly. You haven't given her time to react or fight back, resist maybe. Have you two talked this out? Can't have an out of control pony running around putting others' faces in the floor. My guards could have done something to avoid conflict, but if you'd rather leave it be, I'd oblige.

The royal guard ran over toward the carrier, but was blocked off by the factory guards, "Factory business as usual. Now I'd watch my step if I were you," the guard had a glad to the royal's chest.

"I will not have you threaten a guard of the princess," he swatted the blade away to draw his own. The dark guard returned the swat only to clash metal with the other guard. They exchanged several counters and dodges. "Royal guards," the light suited leader started, "Do not let them take the mare in the carrier."

The dark guard was soon overwhelmed but two joining guards. He was cut on his legs and a gash on his cheek by the time he backed up, "Don't just stand there watching. Help," he eyed the other factory guards.
--
Rainbow Dash looked up to the bright eyed stallion, his wings tucked at each side, "I... I hope it was... a dream," she shivered a little. She closed her eyes as a tear formed and lowered itself down her face. A warm wing rests on her back, and she doesn't move.

The scientist scientist brings himself lower, "I'm sure it is all just a bad dream," he tilted his head, "But of course there is the possibility that is was a forced dream from some sort of medicine you may have taken," his eyes then fixed themselves on a camera. Quickly turning away, "Anyway, I suppose it's time for my break then. I'll be back latter," he stood looking at Rainbow Dash who was still slightly balled up in the corner, "I guess I can stay till my relief arrives."

OOC: I dunno, this wasn't exactly planned. I wouldn't expect it would be that easy to throw about someone like Hellena, even though she's physically delicate and that Dusty is strongly built. It generally isn't a good idea to grab a unicorn's horn while it's basically on fire.

Ooc: yah I admit that really sucked on my part.

"Spark fire," Spark answered, and sat beside the pony. she looked around her suspiciously before continuing to speak. "Have you.... ever heard rumours about the factory?" she asked

OOC: I'll be largely inactive for the next few weeks, so it might take me a while to respond to the roleplay. Just a heads up.

OOC: Do what you gotta do(on both subjects)

Rainbow Dash reopened her eyes, "I'd like that," she stood up, "And I think... you'll have time... for one more before you go," she placed herself behind the controls again. The next pony was being propped up in position for the extraction of the blue.

A voice come on over the intercom in the room, "Attention extraction team: the piping for the blood has been clogged by hair. Please turn the blood pump off. I repeat: the blood pump is clogged, turn it off."

"Can't get through one day without that word!" Rainbow Dash slammed her head onto the controls. Her head had landed on a button that made the mechanical extraction arm lunge forward, piercing the blue pegasus through the head instead of its chest. Killing the pegasus immediately, "Every day it's the same thing. Stabbing, stabbing, stabbing..." she continued.

The scientist pegasus lowered his goggles, "Rainbow..." he was cut off by Rainbow Dash suddenly jerking around to face him, pupils were just pencil tips, and a dreaded smile was imprinted on her muzzle. "Rainbow Dash?" the scientist questioned holding his position firmly, and practically no fear shown.

"Same thing, day in and day out, blood, death, and blood. The colors, the sounds, the smells, the sights, the sounds, the blood," she started shaking her head, and bolted for the door. An of weering pulse sound was heard and the door locked before she could open it.

"Hhhh..." Hellena wheezed, all too aware of the blood dripping down her face, with pain in similar areas. Perhaps quite a bit of bruising, a broken nose, and at least a few teeth. "Hhhhh... gonna, you're gonna get it, hhhhhnow..." she managed too force out.

The dark guards, the other seven stood behind the first guard, "We don't need to have a blood bath here, especially in the city of the royals." the first guard said with a few pants of minor exhaustion.

The royal guard only narrowed his eyes, "The rough neck earth pony just beat her face into the cart, we cannot simply stand by and let you get away with attacking am innocent pony, let alone a mare who is not familiar with the area," he did not back down, the other three guards stepped up to join the others, "Stand down and let her go."
--
Rainbow Dash tried the knob a few time then looked up at the lock and went to trying it next. Neither of them would let the door open, "Let me out!" she banged on the door only to make the a thud and dent. Whipping around to the scientist behind her, who was tucking the large pen into his pocked and closing it with the button, "What is that? Unlock the door and let me out."

"Not until you calm down. You see, I can't just let an unstable mare run around the factory... Again," the brown Pegasus sat looking at the camera again, "Besides, I think the "Doctor" should see this state of yours."

"Who do you think you are holding me prisoner like this. If you want Gulaven to see me in this state, let me go find him then," she started walking toward the scientist.

Without moving or flinching he replied, "I'm John Smith, and I am part of the extraction team here at the Rainbow Factory, a bit of an odd place for my usual line of work, but none the less a better place to stay for adventure."

"What are you talking about? You call killing other ponies and sitting around in such a dark place an adventure?" Rainbow Dash stopped just in front of his face, glaring directly into his eyes.
--
Gulaven drops onto the third story catwalk of cell block B and looks about the empty room, "Hmmm..." he looked over the railing, Their is usually a shout of some sort about this time into the extraction. What is going on down there? His eyes narrowed, then he pulled back up quickly as a thought hit his mind, "I need to check on the imports... Been a week or two since I've last checked," he continued a walk to the southern side of the room to go through the door into the barrack halls and directly though the door in front of him. The refinery was the most old school of the factory, with rusted over pillars and machine covers. The room was lit by a twenty by twenty single lights that hung low from the high ceiling. Air ventilators lined the eastern and western walls which were the exits of the machines' exhausts which was converted to moisture containing clouds. Six separate conveyer belts were two ponies apart from one another that start with large containers if alternate colors, going from red to orange to yellow and on. They connected 3/4 of the way to the furthest southern wall where the entered an area that was restricted to most workers and guards. Gulaven took a deep breath of the warm air, "Familiar smell of rotted pony flesh and blood stained gears, make a pony want to cry," he smiled sharply to himself and continued on the catwalk.

"What that they really only have one stallion working there? Can't believe it," Ballistic Beats grinned. Seeing Spark's expression, "Ok, what rumors?" she dimmed down seeing as this could be someing more serious than a single hoofedly operated facility.

"You may be right" Dusty replied as he noticed what was going on "I think I really messed up this time". He gave a deep sigh as he rushed into the fray trying to push to the front and use his body as a barrier between the two groups of guards. 'You know Dusty I was just thinking, maybe its not such a good idea to throw yourself in front of a bunch angry ponies waving around swords. Then again my body armor should protect most my vital areas and what is a few lacerations, they will turn to scars later on'.

Innocent? Not familiar? I didn't spend my childhood here locked up in the orphanage. she thought, as she shakily struggled to her hooves. At least in the Badlands, attacks were supposed to fairly quick, and lethal. Pain usually didn't last long, whether it ended with death or with relief. Hellena didn't like feeling so vulnerable. But no one is supposed to know that yet.

OOC: I've noticed Wyrstel hasn't been on(or posted) for a while... Anyone know what's up?

OOC: Sorry for not posting SpyroD, I've been having a very bad week. I'm really down emotionally.

I reach into a pouch at my side and start putting in the screws before slowly starting to tighten them with the wrench in my mouth. After doing that wipe my brow with a cloth before carefully starting to repair a damaged part of the ventilation pipe. Sweating from all my work does not stop me from continuing my work. I patch up the corroded place with new material.

The royal guard backed up one step to let there be space between him and Dusty, "Surrender yourselves now and face charges of kidnapping, refusing to compromise, and threats against the royal guard."

"Not even Celestia herself would stop us from doing our job. So just put that little toy away and leave us the hell alone," the third guard stepped up.

"Shall I add insulting authority?" the royal guard replied, "I need each of you involved in this crime to come with us to the castle for Celestia to determine your punishment for these actions."
--
Namomo had finished with her morning break and walked out into the hall to see Gulaven walk though the door into the refinery, "Was that?" she questioned herself as she started for the door, but stopped, "No, just another worker," she told herself.
--
The scientist pony with the metallic rear leg looked at Sicolus, "Either take it now or give it back," he glared down at him from the partly lifted platform.
--
"A mare such as yourself, if you don't mind me calling you so, shouldn't be in this place. Now I would think you'd be out playing ball, or jumping rope, or even flying with your dad..." Rainbow Dash had no reply, but her eyes seem to grow back, and her eyes dropped a little, "No father huh? I know what it's like... To loose someone you love." the scientist pony's bead lowered to Rainbow Dash's, "But we live on to tell others of those great ones we've known."

Rainbow Dash looked up, "It's not fare... He didn't do anything wrong," she leaned into the science ponies chest, "He always told to me to aim high, but not for the impossible. And being free is impossible," she sobbed.

"There is nothing that is impossible... Well surfing a super nova would be one heck of a tale to tell."

"Gentlemen." Hellena voiced as loud as she could, leaning against the wall of the carrier. "I thi-think that this behhhhhaviour is unreasonable, no?" She stepped down, wiping a globule of blood from above her mouth. "The team back hhhome co-operate better... than this. Thhhat's saying something, ghahahe."

Dusty ignored Hellena as he thought of how to escape the situation with as little violence as possible. Violence had already erupted more than once, and a fight would not help get their job done. What he really needed was a quick escape, but how was he going to get these guards to leave. He turned towards the factory guard behind him and said in a hushed tone "take the carrier and escort it back to the factory, we don't need to fight. We have what we came for lets not make another big scene with these guys, we are all on the same side even if they don't understand it." Dusty then turned back to the royal guard "We are doing our jobs, you are disturbing us. go away."
---
Sicolus looked back at the pill and then back up to the worker "no".

"Then I am forced to do what... Well what I wanted to do in the first place," he smiled making a syringe slide down his hoof and stuck Sicolus in the leg, "My only problem is moving you myself," he removed the empty syringe, "Just make sure you land on the pad," he patted the platform he stood on.
--
The guard nodded wiping the cut on his face, "We can only try," he turned back to the cart, "Get her back in the cart, we're getting out of here before somepony pays the ultimate price."

Two factory guards by the cart nodded and blocked Bellena's path to push her back in.

OOC: ok since it's still rather early in the RP, what did you plan on Hellena doing? I can do whatever for the first few pages, but it'll get to point where it gets tight on options... Then it will open again.

OOC: I'm fine with anything happening to her, really. Brought to the factory, encountering Celestia, I don't really mind.

Her laugh trailed off into a coughing fit, extinguishing the glow that was beginning to blossom around her horn. Blood splattered on the ground.
No! the mental screech resounded in her mind as she was forced to back up. Denial, bitter disappointment and anger. Almost pleadingly, she gazed at the cloud city in the distance. It was almost taunting her. I can't fail yet! It hasn't even begun!
'I don't recall you falling to pieces this quickly, firebug.'
Whether he was sentient or a part of her subconscious, he had a point.
'Regardless, think. She says that he's Cloudesdale, right? In the supposed Factory?'
Yeah?
'Unfortunately, this might just be the best way to proceed. You can't fly, you can't walk on clouds.'
"...Thanks for the advice, Loony." Hellena muttered absently.

Dusty nodded to the factory guard and gave a quick glance to the no seemingly mad mare "great, just what we need another one" he muttered to himself. He then turned to the royal guards daring them to make a move. 'I might not be going to the factory today' He thought to himself 'I may have to cover their escape and then its a long political process from there, and I'll probably spend most that time in prison. fantastic, lets just hope it does not go that route'.
---
Sicolus became dizzy and walked in a dazed circle for a second before falling down and muttering something under his breath.

The scientist pont stepped off the platform to retrieve the tossed pill and close the cell door. Returning to the lift, he dragged Sicolus onto the lift and activated the switch. The lift raised to the third floor catwalk and pulled a floor cart up to place Sicolus's body onto the low cart to pull it through to the empty cell block, "Not what I had in mind, but it gets the job done," he looked down at his tail, "Hm?" he took some strands and tied them to the handle bar and walked regularly through the room yo the last door. Going into the hall way, he turned right. Faced with a large metal foot with a wheel lock and bulked bolts holding the heave door to the wall. Rotating the wheel a few times in clockwise manor, his removed a key from his pocket and inserted it in the key hole on the left edge of the door. A crank was turned inside the wall and released the door. The thick hinges creaked as the metal slid against each other. The area beyond the door was as bright as the hall he stood in. There was a step he had to lift the wheels of the cart over to get it through, "I still have five minutes minimum to get him there, enough I guess," he sighed pulled the door shut and turning the door wheel on that side to reset the locking mechanism.
--
"Quit mumbling to yourself and set back in the carrier before we force you," one of the two guards said as the pushed toward Hellena.
--
"Your father, another rainbow mane? Blue tone and a rainbow going through a cloud for a cutie mark?" the scientist leaned back as he asked for he was in thought.

"Yes, did you... Did you know him?" Rainbow Dash sniffed the mucous away from her nostrils, "How?"

The scientist snapped out farley quickly, "He was a friend of mine some time back," his eyes wandered, mouth never seeming to close completely, "Me and your father were... well friends I believe you could say," his eyes return to the cyan Pegasus in front of him, "We traveled around, seeing many things, just exploring really."

"Do you know what happened to him?" she sat keeping hr head hung.

"Ah yes," his head raised some, "I tried to stop them... When I was someone else," he paused as the room went silent.

The door knob was shaken a few times from the outside, "Hello, how is this door locked? Did the knob get jammed?"
--
Gift Wing was working as usual in his station, the chemicals' fumes began shifting around. The fumes were regularly vented out through the ceiling, but it required some maintenance. The workers clothed their faces with masks that blocked any toxic airborne chemicals. Gift Wing retrieved a jar from his coat pocket, filled with a multicolored fluid, partly gas, partly liquid. It suspended itself in a U formation like a rainbow, but less vibrant, and less spectrumized. The floating liquid and the gas was then removed from the jar where it hovered just a 1/4 hoof hight above the table top. A saucer slid under it, and Gift Wing selected a dark green vile. He raised it over the rainbow form and let it stream down out of the small container onto the colored fixture. The gases of the form levitated higher than the liquid, completely separated. The empty space that remains was totally black, "Finley, a successful separation."

"No. I don't owe you anything but the burn of your life." Hellena replied grittily. Though the horn wasn't glowing anymore, she brandished the pointed appendage in a threatening manner. "Long overdue. Move aside, I need to talk to someone civilized."

"Are we not civilized enough? We gave you two options, now choose one," the second guard stepped up an raised her head, "or we will."
--
"Oh yes excuse me," the scientist stood up from Rainbow Dash and walked over to the door and the same noise pertruted from the scientists area and the door opened, "Yes it was being fixed, and I just got it. There you go, onto work then," the scientist walked bast the other worker who eyed him as he entered.

"Who was that, never seen him before," the worker commented as he closed the door, "An earth pony with an odd pen."

OOC(edit): lol woops, I done jacked that up...

"Hhhhhe... hhhhhehehee." she laughed wheezily, muffling the sound in one end of the charred scarf. "Intimidation, what a classic! Hilarious."

OOC: sorry everypony, busy n' stuff. X. X

Echo had pressed herself against a nearby wall. The blind pegasus had scampered from the struggle as quickly as she could. She could listen well, yes. And her echolocation was her special talent, but that was next to.useless in a fight. Ponies react faster than sound, so.a direct fight would be catastrophic. Although, she could do that one thing, but it hurt her throat and ears. If she could, she'd rather not have to.


"Echo is...important." Steel finally stated.
"For the love of Faust, Echo is MY WIFE!" Ripper yelled.
"My wife."
"You didn't marry her, I did. You're not even real."
"Don't start bucking with my head, Ripper." Steel threatened.
"Stop calling me by my middle name. My name is Steel Ripper Pteryx. And you're just a leftover coding from a scrapped factory microprocessor manifested into a controlling, overly-obedient A.I. the hallucination stated matter-of-factly.

The guard smiled back, "Yeah," he let go and shoved her in closing the carrier gate, "I guess it is," he stepped away as the gate automatically locked, "Let's get out of here, got what we came for," he called out as he walked over to Dusty, "Let us know if you need a lift," he hooved over a device that would rest atop an ear and extend into the ear canal, "Call in, we'll get you somepony to help," he patted his shoulder before returning to the carrier.

The royal guard was about to charge when he was given an order to "stand down." He turned to see the captain approaching, "The factory's business is the factory's business, now all of you stand down," he walked all the way up to Dusty, "Take her and get out of my city, and she will be the last one you will just kidnap. I want those guards out of my city never to return."
--
Rainbow Dash shook her head, "I... I don't know," she sniffed getting up from the corner, "He made no sense about half of our talk," she looked out through the window into the extraction chamber, "Accidentally pressed the plunge too soon. Need a new one in there," she went about her job taking a deep breath and rubbing her face in a loose cloth that hung from the back of a chair.
--
Namomo questioned whether to follow the pony she thought she saw or get some sustenance for the workers, then again anypony in the factory is usually a worker anyway. She chased after the figure as the metal legged science pony passed by taking Sicolus out into the surrounding hull of the factory. The outer hull was a place of "peace and quiet" as she had heard rumors of it being a way out, multiple ways out actually. She dared not follow him, and went about her business in following the other pony, Gulaven.

Out on the catwalk, Gulaven had reached the other side as he crossed observing the entirety of the refinery, "The blue is still rather low. We need to find more of those ones then," he rolled his head over to the metal door next to him as Namomo just entered the refinery behind him.

Namomo tilted her head as she tried to identify the pony in the distance. She took out a pair of glasses and placed the in front of her eyes to squint a little at the Pegasus down at the other end of the refinery, "Has to be him," she quickly tucked the glasses away and flew across the room, following the catwalk.

She screeched obscenities at the locked door, battering against it with magic. Hellena mentioned something about cowards, her mother that used to be quite high up in court, and 'messing with the wrong mare'.
'Calm down, you'll be fine.'
She ignored him.
'Look, it's unpleasant. But then you can get this done quicker. Leap from the heavens as a fiery ball of death. Then go home. Simple'
"It won't be that simple." Hellena muttered hoarsely, in between another shout. "I'm -we're- going to bloody die."
Then it was the imaginary friend that remained silent.
"HHhhhh... hhhh... BUT NOT WITHOUT TAKING YOU COWARDS WITH ME!" she bucked the wall.

Dusty looked at the guard "you know I am just doing my job" he said. "you should understand that, how long have you been a guard? you do what you have to to keep these ponies safe, even if it does seem unreasonable." Dusty was a little excited to know the situation had calmed down, truthfully he wanted to stop by a restaurant or bar before he went back to the factory, but a royal guard was trying to kick him out and his ride was leaving. Now he would have to wait on another one to get there and probably deal with an annoyed stallion who wasn't too pleasant.

"My employment is not something I discus with ponies like you," the captain stated looking back at the guards behind him, "Get back to your stations, report nothing," he turned back to Dusty, "As much as I respect Princes Celestia, I think the made the wrong choice in black lining the Factory's existence. If it were up to me, the place would he blown sky high, whatever sky high is for the cloud city."

A factory guard walked up to Hellena as the others surrounded the carrier, "Kick all you like, the wood finish is rather decieving to the eye," he tapped the bars, "Quarter hoof wood over a whole 3/4 iron."
--
The extraction chamber was emptied of the body, and another scared pony was brought in as a replacement, Who was that pony? He had no tag, she started the mechanical arm's decent, His voice wasn't too familiar either, the pony's scream cut in on her thoughts.
--
Sicolus was set up in a status chamber, with wires attached to limbs, and one close to his heart. The tube was filled with a breathable liquid, but it was as clear as water. The science Pegasus approached the tank, "He should wake soon, I didn't want to have to put him under like that," he was speaking to a few other scientists in the room, "He has little to no mental stability, and his brain waves make it seem like he is having a conversation with someone, but he replies to his own thoughts."

One of the few other pegasi steps closer to the tank, "So he's some what of a spycotic idiot that only thinks about killing?"

"Well that is one way to put it, yes and no. The Doctor believes he can use this illness in some experiment for cloning. Most of the subjects come out hostile, but he is going to try one that is already violent and hopes for a better outcome," the metalic legged one replied, "Now, when he wakes, you will see just how different he is, so do be careful with words... The pod will keep him from using magic, so it is safe to have items near the area. He has a tendency to take anything and use it as a weapon."

"Yes, thanks." Hellena replied curtly, turning away pointedly "I'll keep that in mind while I mull things over with my confidante."
'Hmm?'

The nearby conversation sparked Echo's interest. "Blacklined...the factory?" She asked, peeling herself from the wall.

"Go away. I have work to do." Steel demanded the apparition.
"Fine, just remember, I will be back in control of my body." it said before trotting down the hall and vanishing.

"ponies like me, huh?" Dusty said a little quietly "if that incident did not happen 10 years ago you would be taking order from me, child! I have given everything I had for this kingdom. That factory is necessary evil, we are the monsters that keep the monsters. Now you may not like it and a lot of times neither do I, but that factory up there is what lets your children sleep safely at night. But now I have no family, no friends, nothing but a secret place in the sky, so watch your mouth. Because that's the only home I got left" He said a little irritated.
---
Sicolus's eyes popped open and locked on the pegasus who decided to insult him. He did not smile, just stared. 'where am I?' he thought to himself 'I don't know but I do know who is going to die first'. He examined the room taking in all he saw 'well, this is new, well not new. Kinda reminds me of Georgia. Did I ever go to Georgia? I must have considering this place reminds me of it. No, no the hospital in Las Pegasus. aw Las Pegasus, the never did solve those murders. Where am I, this place reminds me of the old asylum. I am not crazy, oh wait yes I am. I am not idiotic though, I have a degree in astronomic physics. I know how to do physical harm to your astronomy, atomony? anatomy! Wait what am I doing here? when does the fun begin? where is the blood? where is the pain? where is the fear? Wait, think, how am I going to get out of here?' He looked at his horn which refused to work 'ok so thats off the menu. so we have to do this old school. I have seen plenty of people bust out of these chambers. But they where giants, I am not. So can't use brute strength, never really been an option.Wait! wait. Wait? no, YES! maybe? where was I? Ok yeah, no?' "can I have that pill now" he asked calmly. He did not make sudden movements but instead kept a calm demeanor not letting out a hint of a smile or mocking voice.

"Do not call me "child", and I highly doubt a factory maggot, such as yourself, could run an army as well as I do," the Royal Captain replied, "Now if you must stay here for your ride back to your rats nest, I advise you not to disturb the ponies in this city."

The factory guards all flew up into the air, with two pulling the carrier up and away. The third guard of the Canterlot patrol team looked back to spot Echo in the alley, She has to know. I don't care who's side I'm suppose to be on, but ponies outside the factory walls should not suffer like this. He continued on with the rest of the guards as they returned to the Rainbow Factory.
--
The scientists didn't understand Sicolus's comment about a pillow, "Sorry, but you'll get your "pill" when the tests are over," the mechanical legged one replied from the exiting door, which was also metal, but less bulky than the one out in the hall they had come in from before. The science Pegasus left, and the door shut on its own with a series of moving parts(if no one has noticed I have a Fallout(game) theme running in the factory), first a large piece came up with a set of four levers coming out of a circular part pertruding from the middle. On both sides of the door, some flaps came out over the edges of the metal center, locking on key parts to seal. A final "beep" and air hissing signaled the air tight seal.

"Well he is awake but is not showing hostile signs, but we mustn't ignore warnings," one of the remaining ponies stated as he approached a computer terminal with a hanging keyboard, "Blood sample... Taken," one of the attachments on Sicolus pulsed as it pulled some of his blood from his foreleg, "Tissue sample... Excavating... now," another near his neck, which was a little larger than the last, stung him for it had removed a small portion of skin.

Lost in thought about all of the materials he needed, Steel finally reached Starlight powering through his repair job. "Hey Star! Put down your stuff for minute, Gulaven needs you to do something."

Rather than risk trouble with the two guards, Echo took off on wing, clicking as she expertly weaved through the buildings. She wasn't very fast, and had to stay low to the ground, but it was still a calming sensation.

"MAGGOT?!?! you see thats what you lack, respect. You may defend royalty but I fought for them. For every last one of them I gave everything, I lost everything my friends, my family, and hell I might as well be dead myself. And what do you do? dress up in a pretty piece of armor and where a fancy title, you ARE a child. Just a child playing dress up who has no sense of respect or self sacrifice." Dusty said irritated, he was not going to take lip from this clean coat "What have you ever had to sacrifice? you work 5 minutes from home. The only action you ever see is somepony littering, and then you have 4 guards hassling them about it. You are nothing but a spoiled piece of trash all shined up."
---
Sicolus flinched "ow, whats going to happen to me?" he said sounding worried. 'its hard keeping ones mind so still, I don't see how other ponies live lack that, but I have to think of one thing at a time especially if they are monitoring my brain waves.'

I hear my father and nod after screwing in the last bolt into place. I fly down and embrace my father with a smile. My eyes glisten brightly as I gaze into his own.

"Hey dad, how are you, I say smiling. What is it that Gulaven need me to do," I say making sure I have all my necessary tools.

"I'm alright, Star." Steel smiled back, ruffling the younger pegasi's mane. "The 'Good Doctor' requested you fix a draft in the hall just outside his office. You know, the T-shaped one."
Steel took out a piece of paper and a drafting pencil from his belt and clumsily scrawled a note with his hooves. He stuck it behind Starlight's ear like a pencil. "If anypony important, besides Gulaven, asks what you're doing so close to his office just show them that."

I embrace my dad in my hooves and wings.

"Alright dad, I get right to it. See you soon," I smiling before flying off in the direction of Gulaven's office.

Hellena sighed, and finally allowed herself to collapse to the cold, hard floor.
"In all honesty, this really hurts." she whispered wearily, ignoring the jars and bumps of the moving carrier. "I didn't... sign up for this. Should've refused... to come here."
'She would've passed this on to someone else.'
"Yeah..."
'You know this would've happened. To any of you. Both the kidnap and the rescue.'

"Tissue sample extracted," the pony got off the terminal and walked over to a table with various papers and tubes of assorted mixtures. Picking up one of the papers, he came back over to sicolus, "A simple cloning process. We have tried cloning before, but they all came out with agression. Agression was not in any of the tested ponies before they were cloned." he had the peper held to the glass by a hoof so sicolus could see it had equasions and pictures of required steps, "So if we take one that is already hostile, we hope for a better outcome," this light green Pegasus informed the test subject.
--
"I have respect, and I have my duties. I'm sorry if you think I'm a child for not being in the guard at a time of crisis like you were," the Royal Captain was starting to dislike this earth pony, "Just because Equestria is in a time of peace, you think I can't fight?" he stamped a hoof on the ground. The Captain was a unicorn with a specialty in protective magic, "And we deal with more than just a few pieces of trash on the roads, I've had to kill a pony to protect my troops. In fact, we wouldn't be able to stand here if I let him live longer. We've dealt with manticores, magically over grown spiders, some dragon who though the castle was a toy for itself to take, and plenty of those selfless changelings."
--
The ride to the factory was fairly short since Canterlot wasn't far from the floating cloud city. They entered the Rainbow Factory through a door high up in the upper floors. This area was as clean as most of the halls on the lower floors, but it was more colorful too. More spacious, more activity from working ponies, and even more natual light from the sun out the windows.

A few workers approached the carrier as they landed in an opening, "A unicorn mare, late 20's early 30's, burn scars over her form which is rather poor in condition. Her color is not useful to the rainbows, but with a few tests, we could have her working in the labs." it was a dark red earth pony scientist with a odd sound in her voice, like her mouth had some sort of deformity. Her jaw was in proppercplace, and her tounge made propper pronunciation, but there was a distinct difference in her tone that separated her from all the other voices analyzing Hellena.
--
Namomo stopped in front of the door Gulaven had vanished through, "What is back there that they have to lock it to everypony who isn't special in some way?" she questioned turning around and walking the catwalk in wonder.

Gulaven, on the other side of the door, clapped to the sight of a shipment truck arriving, "Finally... If you could, have them taken to the labs on floor B4, marked by black lettering," he requested walking over to the boxes that had been dropped off. Stamped with "Classified" red letters, they were moved to a large elevator to the right of the door Gulaven had entered in from, "Excelent, I'll make my way down there to see that it is assembled properly. It is for a very special guest I've had for a few years."

"I know, just- HHhhhh- L-?"
'You know what to do.' Loony interrupted hastily, sparing her sanity from the the eyes and ears of the Factory ponies. Hellena caught a glimpse of the light pink unicorn in the crowd. 'Just wait. You haven't shown them anything compared to what you can.'
"...True." the once-amber coloured unicorn wheezed as she forced herself to her feet, wary eyes seemingly glowing beneath her charred mane. "So very... true."

This peaked Sicolus' curiosity 'if I am but a remake of the original and I came out this way, what would a remake of me come out like? could he possibly be non-violent? not likely I don't have that gene, perhaps fearful? No, I don't have that one either, the original did though. Perhaps that could be passed through me. Anyway this got a whole lot more interesting'. He contemplated rather to keep the guise or not and decided for now just to remain quite.
---
Dusty laughed "no I wasn't a guard, I was a soldier. I was in a preventive assault force. I worked with a small squad in sabotage, assassination, starting revolutions, and sometimes we would get with other squads and have all out war. One day a group slipped past us and the higher ups said to leave it be, finish the mission. Turns out those rogues got into my parent's farm on the edge of our borders. They killed them, my brother, the livestock and burned down. My whole childhood destroyed in the blink of an eye and thats when I was a private. I spent the next years of my life studying battle tactics and training, I had nothing else. I quickly ranked up and the soldiers who picked on me as a boot quickly became subject to me, they where my friends, my brothers. We would go out fight like hell and come back the next day go to a pub and drink and tell stories. At that time I wasn't the highest rank In the squad, but I was the youngest Lt. in the standing army at that time. Our Captain and squad leader died in battle. Now I had seen several of my brothers fall before, but we all mourned this loss. We spent the next missions swapping out who was in charge. Then one night in a pub, not even on the field but in a pub, a flash and they where all dead. I suffered some burn marks but I should really be dead. I was ready to get back in the field, but they wouldn't let me. Told me I wasn't in a psychologically fit condition. They relieved me of my duty. Well there went the rest of my life and all my aspirations. Then Gulaven showed up, gave me a job, something to live for until I die. Heh guess I am just an old soldier rantin' on huh? But when you get old and your done fighting you will understand the importance of stories."

The Royal Captain skilled at Dusty, "Then we do have some common ground, heh." he removed his helmet, "I lost a team of mine in a changing raid out in the badlands, before it became "the badlands". Those changlings aren't like the ones in the Everfree. The little alicorn pests out there ate their bodies, feeding on their bones and muscle, not love or compassion, pure solid pony meal," he eyes looked down at his helmet, "Of course, I was still rather new to fighting, so I hid in a hole as their screams echoed endlessly through the night," he then looked up with anger and pride, "But no more," he put his helmet back on, "None of those who follow me will fall because I can't fight. Being Captain of an entire military force puts strength in you when it has all been sucked away by the evil in one's eyes, laugh, and hoof," he tilted his head, "But... Unlike you... My mother still lives in the city I swore to protect," he looked back to Dusty, "I saw enough fighting," his prideful smile held up, "How about a drink then? Just down the road, until your ride returns?"
--
The dark red earth scientists tapped the carrier, "Hey," she stepped into Hellena's line of sight, "Who are you talking to?" she glared.
--
Namomo shook herself, "I'll see him later... I hope," just then the door behind her opened and the brown Pegasus stepped out almost bumping into her, "Whoa hey, Doctor, sir." she stumbled away to let him through, "Uh, ho-"

"I know what you want to know, and you know what I'm going to say, so lets just walk and talk. I'm quite busy at the moment," Gulaven walked by her and followed the catwalk again, "If you must know, I was neck deep in paper work I simply had to finish, organize, and file. I thank you for the daily sustenance drops by my door, but I have you know it was unnecessary."

Namomo started after him, "Oh, but-"

"Need I say more? I had prepared myself for the work, now lets leave it at that," he stopped with his hoof on the door, "Oh deer, wrong floor... I'll get lower on the other side," he said to himself as he continued through, "If you want to keep following me, at least say something."

"I was going to ask, sir. If you want me to get something for you?" she asked a bit slowly trying to think as she spoke, Why are you stalling? Oh yeah, he could have you killed! she bit her lip.

"Doesn't matter if I tell you or not, either way." she replied, almost icily. Hellena lurched slightly, and went to leaning against the edge of the carrier for support. "Call me insane if you have to, it won't be a new diagnosis."

OOC: Welcome to the Badlands! We have murderous nutbags and flesh-eating Changelings*!
*Excluding 'gentlestallion' french hybrid.

"yeah that sounds good to me" Dusty said with a smile "maybe you can tell me whats been happening since I been gone, they don't let me out of the factory much"

Steel watched Starlight go with a smile. The colt was a son to him and the cyber-pegasus was glad. Starlight would succeed Steel one day, when...how to put it gently...his "warranty expired". After all, he was just another hunk of machinery in the factory. Only Starlight and his little friend Rainbow Dash seemed to think otherwise. The pegasus sighed as he once again began going over his supplies.