Rainbow Factory

The 3 Failees

Scootaloo cranked into the bottom part of the ring, falling backwards several feet and hitting the ground. With a sudden intense flash of fear, she flipped herself onto her feet and began flapping her wings, levitating off the ground. Maybe that didn’t count as a failure, she thought. I can still fly. There was a distraction on the field. She spun around to the judges. Three hooves, pointed down. Scootaloo started crying there, tears welling up and blurring her vision. This wasn’t right. This shouldn’t have happened. None of it. Orion should have passed his test, and cheered her on from the east gate. She shouldn’t have looked at him, she should have focused on flying. But there was no room for excuses.

Defeated, she slowly hovered towards Orion and settled down next to him. She looked at him with her purple eyes. He looked back, offering a smile. “You did a good job.”

Scootaloo dropped her head and sobbed. She then walked around Orion, lifted a wing of her own, and helped Aurora walk to the west gate. Before them stood a long, unlit hall, with only a cheap sign stuck to the wall, notifying ‘Test Failees’ to proceed down the hall. They waited, only briefly, to gather themselves and prepare for where they would be taken, and then all stepped forward together.

Against an empty carriage at the end the lonely hall were three imposing ponies, leaning in a disinterested and bored pose. One of them happened to look up as the sorry looking trio stumbled out into the open. They were on the bottom edge of the coliseum, with the vast rolling hills and plains of Equestria visible far below.

“Hey, Boss. We got some ‘dem worthless pegases,” the first one called to an even bigger pony on the other side of the carriage. “I suppose it’s get ‘ta work time is it?”

“Cool it, hot shot. There may be more, too.”

“N-no... I was the l-last student to go,” Scootaloo spoke in sobs. Orion could only hang his head. “It... It’s...” She paused and breathed deeply, determined to remain as strong as she could. “It’s just us three. Aurora’s wings... they’re broken. She needs help.”

“Ain’t dat just a cryin’ shame, it is. What’s it to us? All da better she don’t come flying back to us no more.”

“We may have failed our damned test but that doesn’t mean we’re not worth keeping alive!” Scootaloo shouted in a flash of rage. She was determined to hold on to as much dignity as she could.

“Alright, alright, sheesh. Hey, Patches. Doctor her up before we head out. I don’t want any blood on dem seats, I just washed dat thing. You otha’ two. In the cart.” Orion and Scootaloo hopped into the carriage and got as comfortable as they could on the hard seats, but made sure to leave room for Aurora. As soon as the third of the large ponies finished bandaging her wings, Aurora carefully stepped onto the vehicle, and lay down on the bench at the back. Scootaloo inched closer to her, and leaned down to talk as the door to the carriage slammed shut. The Boss pony was inside the back, standing by the door, watching each of them.

“So,” Scootaloo began quietly, trying not too speak too loud. “You’re Aurora? I’m Scootaloo. I’m sorry we had to meet like this.”

“Any meeting of a friend is a welcome meeting,” Aurora spoke gently, with sincerity in her eyes. “We did our best. That’s all we can say. That’s all any of us can say.

Who’s to say that the city of the deported isn’t a good one, anyways?” The thought struck Scootaloo as she considered it. No one was ever told about where the pegasi were brought. Most ponies considered it to be some odd land, like where the Zebras hailed from. That made Scootaloo realize something even more profound.

“Hey, if where we’re taken is where Zecora’s from, then there’s got to be a way to get back. It’s not as if we’re banned from Equestria. Fluttershy, an old friend of mine, she’s a Pegasus who lives in Ponyville. She never passed flight school, she never took her test. They’ve never come and taken her away.”

“Exactly,” Aurora agreed with a nod. Orion overheard, and offered his thoughts.

“I think the reason we’re sent far away is because no pony from Cloudsdale ever wants to admit that someone who failed flight school could come from their city. What a fucking horrible place, now that I think of it. I never want to go back.”

“Maybe that’s why no Pegasus ever comes back. They just don’t like Cloudsdale.”

“You goddamn worthless ponies can hardly call yourself ‘Pegasus’,” Boss spoke from the door. He was swaying ever so slightly as the carriage was lifted and moved to an unknown location. “Useless failures is what you are. No pony comes back from exile. Regardless of reason. Can’t even pass your goddamn test, you three make me sick.”

Scootaloo jumped up from her seat, lifted herself into the air with her wings and dove legs first at Boss. “You shut the HELL up about us. You have no right to treat others like this!” Boss raised a hoof and backhanded Scootaloo out of the air, onto the floor.

“I can treat you however I want. You hardly classify as ‘Ponies’ to Cloudsdale, or any of Equestria for that matter. Now sit the fuck down and shut up until you get to your destination.”

“Where are we being taken, anyways? Not like we can tell anyone now, and I’m sure as the deliverers, you guys should know,” Orion cautiously reasoned.

“Hell if I know. We hand this carriage off to ponies in suits, and we get a bagful of coins to keep quiet about the whole thing. It’s how it’s always been, for a thousand years.” The three fillies huddled together again, scared of the unknown. They kept quiet as they waited through the unbearable trip, all lost in their own thoughts. Friends, family, loved ones and pets. All will never see them again, and some would never find out why. An hour passed. And then another. Finally, the uncomfortable quiet was broken by a sudden lurch as the carriage stopped in its flight.