Rainbows and choices

6

'Please, don't do it.' Snow Star cried. I didn't look at her. Slowly I grabbed a scalpel and put it against her fur. I took a deep breath and pushed. The scalpel slid through her skin and slowly I drew a circle around her cutie mark. Snow Star cried, but she didn't scream. She wouldn't give me that pleasure. I did the same with her other cutie mark. Then I picked up a large kitchen knife and slowly began to cut her cutie mark loose. This time Snow Star couldn't contain it and she screamed in pain. I tried not to listen. I always thought Snow Star was on the weaker side, but apparently I was mistaken. I had hoped that the pain would make her unconscious, but she stayed awake as I walked to the other side of the table and started cutting her other cutie mark. She screamed and screamed and I heard one of the other failures vomit. I placed both cutie marks on a scale and gave it to one of the workers. He had to wash the blood from the cutie marks and hang them up. I turned to Snow Star, who was still crying. Now the worst part came.

I disconnected Snow Star and flew her to the pegasus device. She didn't resist. She probably couldn't. The pain weakened her. I tied the chains of the machine around her hooves. 'Do you have any last words?' I asked. I immediately received a flashback from Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo's voice rang back in my ears. "You have beautiful eyes." I shook it off. With difficulty, Snow Star raised her head and said, 'You're not Black Blue. You're a monster.' Those words touched me. I wanted to shout, scream. Saying I wasn't a monster. Saying it was for the greater good. But I didn't want to show any weakness. I smiled meanly in an attempt to hold back my tears. 'Turn the machine on!' I shouted as I flew back to the floor. I didn't look at Snow Star. I did point my head at her so that all the ponies behind me thought I was looking, but I kept my eyes closed. I tried not to shock when I was busy holding back my tears. I barely heard how Rainbow Dash said the machine worked better if the ribs were broken. I knew what came next. A loud scream and screeching echoed through the room as the machine brutally wrung Snow Star like a rag and broke all her ribs. Her screams weren't loud enough not to hear the cracking of the breaking bones. 1 single tear escaped from the corner of my eye. It rolled down all over my face and dripped to the floor. When a second tear escaped, I decided to wipe it away before someone saw it. My head followed the fall of Snow Star in the machine without opening my eyes. Finally her screaming stopped and the machine stopped. I opened my eyes and just saw the beautiful blue of Snow Stars mane flowing through the tubes of the machine while I didn't try to sink through my legs.

I turned around as soon as I was sure that they could no longer see at my face that I had been crying. Someone had vomited a second time. I couldn't blame them for that. I had done that the first time I saw the machine working. Snow Star was what kept a bit of sanity with me just like Scootaloo did with Rainbow Dash. Only my sanity stuck to more than a pony. To put it in numbers I would say that Snow Star had around 25%. Smolder, Sandbar, Gallus, Yona, Ocellus, Silverstream, my brother Cloud Walker and my sister Spitfire each had just over 3%. Together they also represented around 25%. The last 50% went to Devo. I don't know why Devo is so much more important than the rest. He is just my best friend. Maybe I even felt something more than friendship. In any case, this was the moment that I felt 25%, Snow Stars 25% breaking.

'Rainbow Cloud, de-cutie mark Owen Zipper and Lovely Gold for me. Look for a solution with Owen. Black Blue, I want to talk to you at my office. The rest, put those failures to work.' Rainbow Dash called. I was worried. Why did Rainbow Dash want to talk to me. Had she seen my tears? I went to her office with Rainbow Dash. She sat down at her desk and looked at me. 'Close the door and sit down.' She said. I obeyed. 'Do you have any idea how long you've been here?' Asked Rainbow Dash. 'In two weeks a year.' I answered. 'Your letter that you sent to your friends shortly after your test made them know that you had passed. I could no longer use that excuse.' Started Rainbow Dash. 'I told Twilight and the others that you were selected for the SRAFC. The Secret Reserve Air Force of Cloudsdale. Of course that doesn't exist, but they don't know that. Now, my problem, Black Blue, is the fact that they do expect you back at some point. You have proven your Loyalty to the Rainbow factory. For me you can go back to the school of friendship and come back to work outside school hours.' I was shocked. I could see my friends again? Thinking of them had always strengthened me, but now I could really see them again? Although I didn't know if I dared to face them after killing ponies for almost a year. If they knew ... I would never tell them anyway. The Rainbow factory is for the greater good. But how should I come back and pretend that nothing had happened. 'Would you like that?' Asked Rainbow Dash. My emotions defeated my thoughts. 'Yes, very much, Headmare Dash.' I said. 'Beautiful. You leave next Wednesday. I'd love to see you again at my office on Tuesday afternoon.' Said Rainbow Dash.