Author's Notes:

This one was one of my first deleted scenes, if not the first one. Originally, it was part of chapter 18 when they were in the weather factory but I thought the reference would be a little too much and would detract from the overall experience and light-heartedness of the chapter. If it makes you feel better, you can listen to the dark song as you read this.

P.S. I have not read the story behind the music yet, but I have no intention of doing so. I have only seen the videos and just from that I do not want to read it. I would like to keep my happy feeling when reading about our favorite characters, thank you very much.

“Come on, you two; lets go.” Twilight chided.

Connor felt his eye twitch a little and he stopped to scrub at it to make it stop. Eventually, he got it to stop but in his moment of pause he noticed a door slightly ajar off to his left. His curiosity peaked, he walked over to it to investigate.

“Connor?” Twilight called to him wondering what he saw but he was lost in his own world, too focused on the strange door. The door itself was already hard to spot if it weren't for it already being ajar and the door handle that simply blended too well into the wall.

Connor slowed his pace as he approached the door in question, trepidation and anxiety filling his being. What was behind this odd door? He slowly reached a hoof out to grab the door handle and he slowly pulled it farther open just enough to peer through.

Inside he could barely see anything because it was so dark. But he could make the distinct shape of giant pistons moving up and down in a hypnotic pattern. The pistons hissed steam every time they retracted back up before slamming down on a conveyor belt below. Chains rattled somewhere off in the distance and Connor spotted a row of coat hooks with lab coats splattered with something that looked like fresh blood.

The smell that hit Connor in the face was nauseating and made him want to gag. It was a smell that he had never smelled before, but his mind could only describe it as death and burning flesh. Connor's mind reeled at the possibility that this world could be hiding something so horrid as burning corpses and yet keep up such a light hearted exterior.

Connor recoiled back a step from the shock of what could be hidden behind this door, but his drive to discover the truth made him want to push forward. The door suddenly slammed closed and locked itself tight with a heavy click. Connor jumped in surprised and looked around to find the cause of the door slamming closed. Rainbow was quietly hovering overhead holding the near invisible door closed and giving him a serious look.

“Rainbow... what the hay is in there?!!” Connor shouted pointing frantically at the door.

“What is what in there?? I have no idea what you are talking about...” Rainbow responded in almost a robotic tone, still giving that serious look that was making Connor start to worry.

“Rainbow Dash, what is behind that door? What did I see? What did I smell?? It smelt like... burning flesh and death,” Connor was looking scared and worried as he looked to his flight instructor for answers.

But she gave no answers, “You saw nothing, Connor. Lets go back and join the rest of our friends.” her answers were not natural, like they were forced or she was trying to force Connor to forget what he witnessed.

“Like buck I’m leaving without getting some answers! What is in there?!”

“Connor, for your own safety,” Rainbow moved up next beside him and put a hoof around him, “Please, forget what you saw. It's something that I don't want you to know because once you find out about it ponies start to disappear; and it usually starts with those closest to you.”

She glanced over their shoulders and Connor followed her gaze. The pegasi workers in the room were all staring at them with hard, serious expressions; waiting for the next move to be made. Connor understood just how deep this secret went, and Rainbow Ddash was trying to protect him from making a possibly fatal mistake.

He turned back to look at the door in front of him. It molded so perfectly to the wall that there were barely any signs of a door there; no hinges sticking out, no frame, no seems showing an outline of the door. The only thing there that gave any signs of a door being there was the door handle.

“I guess it was just my imagination,” Connor said in an overly loud voice.

“Right! I told you, it was just a trick of the light! Now lets go before I stick your head in the purple pool! Ha ha!” Rainbow kept her hoof around Connor as she half escorted him out of the room. Connor felt extremely uneasy with Rainbow saying that last part as it felt more of a threat than it did a joke.

He kept his head facing forward as Rainbow lead him out, but his eyes were watching the rainbow workers carefully. They all seem to nod in agreement and deemed Connor not a breach in security and secrecy. Connor never imagined himself coming so close to government secret; but now that he brushed up against one, he wanted to keep as far away from it as possible for now until he had plans made to expose the dark secret and still get out alive without killing the rest of his current caretakers.

For now, he would just play it safe and let things be.