Disclaimer: I do not own MLP nor am I doing this for profit. I'm just doing this since Hasbro is ok with fandom sharing.

Deep in the pages of history Lies a shadow hiding in a mystery. A late night story buried far away
Until it once again sees the light of day. When the little colts and fillies turn out all lights they tell a story of a factory as black as night. The luxury of rainbows comes at a price. Mare beware, ignore the screams, and don't think twice.

There were hardly any lights in the factory part of this was due to low amounts of funding. The other part of it was due to the fact that it put the fear into every pony that was in the building. Course if the dimmed lights did not bring about a sense of easiness, the sound of abysmal screams and rusted machinery would.

Absentia swallowed it as much as she could. At least she tried. She still could not sleep at night, and oddly enough it wasn't the noise. It was the nightmares. She still could not remember who she was. Based on what rainbow Dash had told her, she had always and forever would be Absentia a failure not even worthy of the wings she had. The only thing that kept her from suffering the fate of dying in the Pegasus device was that Rainbow had some kind of affection for her. Even then it took her pulling a lot of strings to convince them to let Absentia work as an engineer. But the purpled maned pony knew there was more. Something inside her told her that this was all wrong. Maybe she didn't know what her destiny was but something told her this wasn't it.

Sometimes when she was alone in the bathroom, she would remove her lab coat and look in the mirror only to find a faded area where a cutie mark clearly used to be. Every time it would end the same way. She'd grit her teeth, sulk put her coat back on and get back to work.

"Absentia!" The Pegasus looked over to see the head Pegasus herself dressed in a tight black leather suite and a while and red masked that covered the left half of her face.

"Yes High Councilor Dash." Absentia whispered quietly.

"What do you have to report?"

"Machines are working albeit barely. I asked some mechanics to check some of the springs and oil some of cogs."

"and the prisoners?"

Absentia turned her face a bit.

"some of them have been trying to dig their way out. Some of them have tried smashing into the walls in an attempt to break them down. There were a couple of scuffles but riot ponies were able to break things up."

The High Councilor let out a snarl. "Halve their rations. clip the Pegasi's wings if you have. As for the non-Pegasi muzzle them.

Absentia's eyes widened in horror. The prisoners were already treated inhumanly some of the mothers and fillies would cry in hunger because they were barely fed.

"I don't understand. Why can't we put them to sleep and let them go out in peace?"

A foul grimacing smile came over Dash's face. "I want them to know what it's like to live in fear in the face of real power."

Absentia wanted to snarl but she couldn't she didn't know why. Perhaps it was because of fear, or maybe it was because of her years of conditioning. Or maybe she was just tired, but like always, she simply turned her face away.

"Yes High Councilor."

Dash looked down at the young mare. "Absentia don't tell me your conscious is bothering you now is it?"

Absentia looked up, her mane looked deflated as it covered her right eye.

"I just don't see the need for the brutality that's all."

"Oh Absentia, naïve as a filly and naive as a mare. Still I remember when I was like you. Tell me Absentia, when you look at a rainbow, what do you think of it?"

"it's beautiful." Absentia whispered as a feeling of shame and regret.

"And you know where those rainbows come from.

"All of the failures. That is what fuels our success."

Dash smiled. "Good girl. Now go check on the prisoners.

This was all that Absentia new. Every part of her felt like a hallow shell. She would walk by and see the different colors of the rainbow spectrum ooze into metal tins. It made her sick inside to know where those things came from. Why she did not run she could not tell. However, a part of her resigned it to herself being a coward.

The young mare went to the elevator at the far end of the hall and pressed the button. The elevator doors opened with a bit of a squeak. A pony with orange and purple hair gazed at her with tired uninterested looking eyes.

"What floor?" He asked.

"Basement." She showed him her pass.

"Same." He replied a deadpan voice.

The elevator made no sounds except that of a high pitched screech.

"I wish they'd add some elevator music ." Absentia remarked

"Yeah" the pony next to her said you'd think they'd a least let us have fun with our job.

"I think only the most sadistic of ponies would have fun in a job like this."

"Hehe. Look who's running the thing."

The doors let out a loud hiss as it opened. Already you could see hooves reaching out of the bars. Some others were humming what sounded like a catchy tune. The warden stood in the center of the room. From the look of his muscles he was certainly mostly brawn. How much brain he actually had Absentia didn't know.

"the High Councilor wants a report." Absentia commanded firmly.

"No riots. We found a couple of fillies trying to dig holes, found another pony sneaking around the factory. This ones…different."

Absentia raised an eyebrow. "And how do you define different?"

"She hides her face behind a cloak, and she seems skilled with magic."

"So she's a unicorn."

"Well we assume but we can't tell under the cloak. There is another thing. You hear the whistling from the prisoners right?

Absentia nodded. "Yes actually. It's catchy, and surprisingly cheerful sounding."

"It all started when she showed up."

"She?"

The guard took Absentia to the very far end of the hall. Considering this wing was preserved for ponies that were high security risk and likely to cause riots, then it meant that this pony was either extremely dangerous, extremely powerful, or both.

Absentia peered into the dark cell she could see the outline of what appeared to be a pony. She could here humming coming from the cell.

"Hello there." She shouted. "Mind coming out so that I can see who you are?"

The pony got up from the shadows. She appeared to be dressed into a black cloak covering everything put her lower legs and muzzle. The two things that became interesting of note was that she wore gold bangles, and her left front leg appeared to made of a silver-like metal.

"Who are you?" Absentia asked.

The pony simply gave a smirk.

"I'll only talk if you and I are alone Absentia."

Absentia looked over at the guards "You heard the mare."

The two guards bowed and walked away. Absentia then gave a sharp look.

"Now tell me who you are Pony scum."

The cloaked figure just chuckled "I remember when you were just a small filly. You were so tiny, so innocent, so adorable. You and the rest of the crusaders."

"The Crusaders?" Absentia asked.

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders. Don't you remember?"

Absentia shook her head.

The figure sighed. "She did a number on you. Why Dash, you were the best of us?"

Absentia couldn't help but continue to stare at the metal leg. "Mind explaining that?" Absentia asked

The figure lifted the hoof. "Oh this?" She asked with a chuckle. "I got in a bit over my head and I lost my original hoof in an accident?"

"You lost a hoof? How in sweet Celestia do you just lose a hoof?"

"You don't want to know."

"Actually I do."

The cloaked figure let out a sigh.

"Alright, but don't blame me if your mind becomes blown."

Absentia laid down figuring that she might as well get comfortable.

"A lot of ponies view the universe as a constant field of space. The truth is, the universe is like a river. It starts out as like a large pool, but it splits into different directions. I'm probably not explaining this very well."

"Alternate worlds." Absentia said "That's what you're talking about right?"

"So you do understand. I have an ability to…Interact beyond the realms of space and time. "

"Magic?"

"I don't know what it is. It's just something I do."

"So if you wanted to, you could just poof up a portal and split."

"Mmhm."

"So why do you stay here if you could just get out of here?"

The cloaked figure just smiled

"Why do YOU stay here?"

Absentia grimaced. "What kind of a question is that? I work here. This is my job."

"In body yes. But inside, you feel hallow. In reality, you feel like a hallow shell of yourself.

Now Absentia was snarling. "Oh so now you think you know me?"

"I know that you hate your job, you hate this place. There is a part of you know that this isn't right. This isn't your destiny. You know there was something else. You can't remember the faces or the names, but there is something inside you that knows they are real."

Absentia found her chest tensing up. A drop of sweat slipped from her brow. This wasn't even a fight and yet somehow she felt as though she were losing. Who was this Pony and how did she know so much about her. Heck it seemed like this woman new more about her than she knew about herself. She felt cornered, and she was afraid if High Councilor Dash found out something about this, she really would be history.

"You're sweating." The cloaked figure said. "Afraid of Rainbow Dash are we?"

Absentia gulped. "You didn't answer my question. If you can so easily just poof out of here, then why don't you?"

The cloaked figure laid down. "I guess you can saw. I'm waiting for someone, and I'm still holding out for somepony."

"and by somepony you mean me?"
"I don't know you tell me."

"Absentia," One of the guards shouted as he walked down the hall. High Councilor Dash desires your presence immediately.

Absentia turned around but then looked back at the cloaked Mare. "We are not finished."

"You're right. I don't think we are."

Absentia went back upstairs and saw High Councilor Dash staring at a pony strapped to a table. Absentia knew what this meant.

"Absentia!" the High Councilor. "This Pony has been on our radar for a while. We found her snooping around the factor. Will you do the honors. Her color will contribute beautifully to a rainbow."

Absentia grabbed the syringe from High Councilor's hand. Looking at the pony she appeared to be a unicorn with white fur and a pink and purple. The pony Proceeded to struggle, but for some reason she stopped once Absentia stood in front of her letting out an audible gasp.

"Sc-Sco-Scootaloo?"

Absentia froze in her tracks.

"What did you call me?"

Dash proceeded to snarl. "Shut up. Absentia inject her."

Absentia continued to pull the syringe, but the pony continued to whimper.

"Scootaloo it's me…It's Sweetie Belle. I'm…I'm your friend remember?"

Scootaloo found herself hesitating. Pictures started to enter into her mind. Flashes flickered like dreams or mirages.

"We were Crusaders together remember?"

The flashes proceeded to get more vivid momentary became pictures, but it was all the same it was the same shadow of three ponies.

"Enough! Absentia inject her!'

Absentia's eyes started to twitch slowly edging the needle to Sweetie Belle's neck. But she dropped it."

"I…I Can't…" Absentia whimpered.

Enraged Dash smacked Absentia across the face with enough to knock her to the ground.

'Fine! I'll do it! You Stupid, Stupid Mare!"

"Please don't." Sweetie Belle whimpered. Dash continued to rant

"I took you into my home. Taught you everything I could, and you can't do the most basic of things right! I have had enough. When I'm finished with her I'll make sure you learn the price that is paid by those who disappoint.

Dash nearly stabbed the syringe into the unicorns neck but not before feeling the force of a massive kick

"No!" Absentia screamed.

The High Councilor toppled forward causing the table to fall backwards. Absentia chewed of the straps freeing the unicorn. Tears started to flow from her eyes.

"Thank you!" She said

"Follow me." Absentia whispered "Run!"

"After them!" the High Councilor shouted with an inpony shriek.

Absentia took the lead heading down the hallway galloping faster than she could ever have imagined."

"Where are we going?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Absentia took her pass key and activated the elevator. One of the Unicorn guards sent a flash of life hurling toward the two fugitives. The bolt made impact with the elevator doors as they closed leaving a dent in the metal. For a moment, things were quite.

"Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle Whispered visibly shaking. "I'm scared."

Absentia gritted her teeth. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

Before Sweetie Belle could answer that question, the doors opened. Absentia dashed straight to the cloaked pony's cell Sweetie Belle followed behind. The Cloaked Pony smiled upon seeing the two.

"I knew you would come around."

Absentia swiped the key opening her cell. "I don't care what you do just get us out of here."

"Get behind me Sweetie Belle." The young Pony did as she was told getting behind the cloaked figure.

The Doors opened again this time revealing The High Councilor and a handful of guards.

"There're coming!" Absentia shouted.

"We need a distraction. Sweetie can you use your magic to open the locks on the cells?"

"I can try."

Sweetie Belle closed her eyes trying to concentrate. Her horn started to glow and the cells unlocked. Ponies came out and started to charge at the High Councilor and her guards.

"Great that bought us some time but how do we get out of here?"

The cloaked figure pulled a book from her cloak and tossed it into Absentia's direction. The book was dusty and it looked wrinkly and brown.

"What is this thing?" Absentia asked

"It's called the Necronomicon. Sometimes it's referred to as the book of the dead. But in our case it can be used to open portals to other worlds.

Almost on cue the book flipped open to a marked page. Absentia's eyes widened.

"You want me to jump through a portal? Are you insane?"

"Well that depends on who you ask, but we don't have time for that now. The World that that spell will sent you to is one that I think has ponies that will be willing to help. Each one of them holds an element of Harmony. Tell them what is going on.

"What about you and Sweetie Belle?"

"We'll catch up to you later." The cloaked figure then directed toward what appeared to be her ration trough. "I cooked a little something up."

Absentia was not sure what to think of all of this. Frankly she would have chalked it up to a dream, but she did not think any amount of pinching would help.

"Ok ok!" "What do I do?"

"Hold the book to your face and shout the words Tattoo, Vinegar, Nectarine. Make sure to over exaggerate the syllables. "

Absentia grabbed the Necronomicon. Her Hooves were shaking.

"Tattoo, Vinegar, Nectarine!"

Nothing happened

"Tattoo, Vinegar, Nectaar…" The last word was interrupted by bit of a cough. But it was enough for the book to glow and with an earthquake like shake, a portal opened up. Absentia's jaw dropped.

"That worked."

"I think the book worked out of pity but close enough."

The cloaked pony pushed Absentia into the portal. Absentia let out a scream but the portal closed leaving silence.

The Guards managed to break through the rioting crowed Sweetie Belle started shaking.

"Now what?"

The cloaked figure darted toward the ration trough.

"In my travels I learned a lot about witchcraft. You would be surprised what you can do with just some common kitchen ingredients. In this case, open a portal."

"Have you done this before?"

"Nope."

Sweetie Belle let out a large gulp. The doors were opened with dash and her guards cornering them.

"You have nowhere to run." She snarled. "Now accept your fate and die in the Pegasus device."

The cloaked figure began to grin before she started muttering an incantation.

ni pmuj ,latrop eht nepo

rettab ot snrut rettam eht sa hctaW

nomannic dna twen a fo eye

cigam yspyg ym krow I sa Hctaw!

The ground began to shake and a portal appeared. The Force of the Vortex began to suck in Sweetie Belle and the Cloaked Pony in. Dash ad the guards were shielding their eyes, dazed and confused as to what was going on.

"Hang on!"

The two fugitives were sucked into the portal. With a crack and a bang, the portal and the ponies disappeared.

"What just happened?" One of the guards asked.

Dash's gritted her teeth. Her eyes started to twitch. "Find them!"

Absentia felt herself falling. The light within the portal was blinding. Before she knew it however, the Portal opened up revealing open ground.

SPLASH

Absentia fell straight into a narrow brook. The impact dazed her causing her to lose her balance. Too exhausted and drained, she collapsed.

A/N: Sorry the chapter was so long. No this will not be common I tried to keep the whole cloaked pony thing mysterious, but I'm pretty sure it's easy to figure out who it is. Still I hope you enjoy it. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.