Rainbows and choices

23

I knew Smolder. I knew her techniques, plans and way of thinking. She hides herself. Thinking that she can escape when it is a little calmer. But that wouldn't happen. I searched every corridor and room carefully, knowing that Smolder would be in one place. Without moving. I had just searched the bedrooms and flew into the office of Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was not there. She had a teachers meeting at school. I looked everywhere, but couldn't find Smolder. I just wanted to leave when my eye fell on a door in the wall. It was a shaft with an elevator with which various desks sent documents to each other. All major desks were built one above the other. I opened the door and saw ... nothing. I looked up. The dark nothing stared back. The same thing happened when I looked down. I just wanted to close the door when I heard something. It was very quiet and it was wonderful that I heard it. A silent, quick breath that echoed through the shaft. I crawled into the shaft myself and hovered down with spread wings, but I kept looking up at the open door. It was the only bright light source. The rest of the shaft was softly lit by the light breaking through the clouds. It was still dark. My hooves touched the top of the elevator. I could'n't go any lower. I stretched my wings and flew up. When I almost reached the top of the shaft, I saw something move. Too dark to see. 'I know you're here, Smolder!' I said loudly. The shaft was too narrow for Smolder to pass me and we were already high above the highest door. A bright flame flared up out of the blue and shot at me. I had no place to dodge, so I closed my wings and fell down a few yard outside the reach of the fire before I opened them again. I had not fallen far down, but it was too far. Smolder popped through the first door and I followed her. Smolder lay on the ground and was held in place by Robo Fly's hooves. Apparently we had flown into her office. 'My apologies, Ma'am. She belongs in the pegasus device, but tried to escape. I almost had her.' I said in an almost shy tone. 'Almost isn't good enough!' Said Robo Fly. She did not scream, but the cold, blunt tone in which she said it was worse. Both her normal and her glass eye seemed to look straight into my soul, and her metal-coated wings were spread in aggression toward Smolder. I unintentionally cowered. Robo Fly was the second most important pony in the Rainbow factory. Rainbow Dash might have been higher in rank, but Robo Fly was much more intimidating. 'I caught the other two.' I muttered defensively. 'And one mouth is enough to reveal our secrets! Take her with you and make sure she is no longer a problem! I don't want to see her here again! NOW!' Said Robo Fly. Half huddled, I took Smolder from her and dragged her outside. Smolder did not oppose. Even she seemed impressed by Robo Fly's authority and intimidation.

'What happened to her?' Smolder asked when we were in the hallway. 'What do you mean?' I asked. 'The glass eye, the metal feathers, you know.' Said Smolder. 'You saw how I act around her. Do you really think I asked her?' I asked. 'I hadn't expect to see you like that ever since you came back.' Said Smolder. 'To see me how?' I asked angry. 'Weak.' Smolder said softly. I threw Smolder against the wall with all the power I had. I hit her in her face. Hard. And again, and again. 'DOES THIS SEEM WEAK?' I cried. I had never felt so angry. I had felt weak a few times, but I hadn't actually been weak. Smolder would soon learn that I was not weak. Anger made my vision blurred and I barely heard Smolder's screams of pain. Something orange entered my image. It was a hoof trying to pull me back. The owner of the hoof said something, but I didn't hear anything. I could only focus on Smolder. Who deserved it. No one calls me weak. I felt how I was pulled away from Smolder. I fought the hooves that pulled me away and tried to get to Smolder. I was just so mad. Anger doesn't yet describe half of what I felt. Only when I was pushed to the ground and Smolder disappeared from my field of vision did my senses slowly return. 'Take that dragon away!' I heard someone say. I began to calm down slowly and when the ponies that stopped me noticed that I was no longer struggling, they let go of me. I slowly rose. It was Techno Fly and Rainbow Dash who had separated me from Smolder. 'Everything okay?' Asked Rainbow Dash. I did not expect that. I expected that ... I don't know what I expected, but not that. 'I am fine.' I answered. 'What was that?' Asked Techno Fly. 'Nothing.' I said with a sigh. 'We aren't mad. You know we don't mind beating up failures.' Said Rainbow Dash. 'Then why did you stop me?' I asked. 'The pegasus device is not working that well with corpses.' Said Techno Fly. 'And you no longer had control. You can kick failures, you can be guided by anger, but you cannot let the anger take over.' Said Dash. 'Sorry.' I said. 'They put her on the pegasus device for you. Finish her and go home. You can use your sleep.' Said Techno Fly. I nodded and walked away. 'Good thing I came over after the meeting.' I heard Dash say. 'Yes, she is stronger than she looks.' Said Techno Fly and I felt a spark of pride.

'Do you still think I'm weak?' I asked when I entered the room with the pegasus device. 'Anything but.' Smolder replied. I didn't feel like stretching it long. 'Do you have any last words?' I asked as I tried to banish Scootaloo's voice. 'No, I won't give that to you.' Said Smolder. 'What?' I asked. 'Admit it! You enjoy it. Our last words have no meaning for you! You enjoy it when we beg! But I'm not going to beg! I don't give that to you!' She said. I got angry again. Perhaps it was just still the rage from earlier. How thankless can you be? How rude? I'm just asking my friends. Because they are special. I thought of Dash pulling off the wings of Aurora. In a fit of anger, I grabbed Smolders wing and pulled as hard as I could. Smolder screamed in pain, but I couldn't get the wing off. You did not just pull off a completely healthy, not injured wing. I aimed and kicked hard at Smolders wing joint. It shattered under my hooves and I pulled the wing off. Smolder screamed and cried. I had never seen Smolder cry. But she had probably never been in so much pain. I pulled her other wing and kicked the wing joint. This wing was also released from her body. I threw the wings in machine and landed at the handle of the pegasus device. I looked into Smolder's tearing eyes and pulled the lever.