Ashes to Ashes

by Ghost Walker

Mistaken Identity

“So…you and the father in the picture are brothers I take it?”

“Yes…well, more like twins. You see, we were always different from each other, like day and night, hence the names.”

“I see. Well, do you know where he is then?”

Daybreak looks at the doctor with a sadden look on his face.

“Unfortunately no. I haven’t talked to him since his wedding. He moved to Cloudsdale so we would always keep in touch by writing letters to each other. Until one day, when the letters stopped. I tried writing to him, but received no reply. The last letter he sent me, said that he was going on vacation to a small cabin in the woods with his wife.”

“Did you go visit?”

“I never asked him where it was. I knew the stress of work gets to him, being on the weather control team an all, so I didn’t want to bother.”

“Now the real question, when are you going to tell her?”

Both ponies look over at the sleeping filly. Daybreak is unsure what to do for a moment.

“I’m…I’m not sure. I don’t want to put more pain on here than she has already endured. This could devastate her.”

“I know what you mean but she needs to know.”

At that moment, Ashes wakes up from her sleep, eyes still a little drowsy. She looks around until she sees Daybreak looks at him with a smile on her face. The doctor looks over at him and motions for him to walk towards her. The doctor then leaves the room.

“Ashes, I…I got something to tell you.”

“Yes daddy?” She looks at him with an expression of happiness, the same look she had in the photo.

“Well…It’s about that. I’m,” he pauses for a moment, “I’m not your father.”

“Wh-what?” She looks at him with disbelief but returns the smile on her face. “Oh daddy, you sure like to joke around.”

“I’m not joking. I’m not your father…your father is my brother. Twin brother. I’m your uncle.”

“You…you’re not joking?”

“No. I’m sorry.”

She becomes devastated after hearing this. Tears forming and falling down the sides of her face.

“Then…then where is my dad at?”

“That I don’t know. I need help finding him. Can you help?”

Still crying, “How…how can I help?”

“Where was the last place you saw him?”

"Well...there was this place he had in the woods before...the fire."

“Well, You may not like this, but we need to go back.”

Fear. After hearing this, fear was all Ashes felt. She started to shake violently and began to cry, as if she was reliving that terrible event over again. She never wanted to feel that type of pain again. Not again.

“I don’t want to go back. They will find me; take me away,” she yelled.

“Do you not want to find your father or know where he is at?!”

The response silenced her for a moment. “Daddy,” she said, calming down.

“I promise that everything will be fine,” Daybreak said, moving towards her, comforting her. “We will find him. You two will be back together, as a family.”

“You sure?”

“I guarantee it.”

He could see a smile beginning to form on her face.

“Thank you.” She gave him a big hug.

“That’s what family is for”
Commotion was heard outside the door.

“You’re not allowed in there.”

“Who gave you permission to be back here”

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“You are holding somepony here who shouldn’t be here. We were sent to get that pony. Once our job is done, we will leave.”

“Sir, you can’t…”

The door swings open and two Pegasus with suits were at the doorway. They look at the bed.

“We found her.”

Ashes begin to scream. “It’s them.”

They then look at Daybreak. They were confused.

“What the…How did you escape?” The first Pegasus says.

“Escape?” Daybreak says back.

The second one says, “We can worry bout that later, get them.”

The two Pegasus began to move forward; One heading to Ashes and the other towards Daybreak.

Daybreak remembered that the window was open.

“Ashes, hold on”

He quickly grabs Ashes from the bed and bolts out the window. Flying through the air, they were safe but it didn't take long for the two pegasus to catch up to Daybreak and Ashes, who is holding on the best she can.

*Come on think, think Daybreak. How can I lose them?*

"The forest! I'll lose them in the forest. Ashes, hold on tight now."

"O-okay," she replied, tightening her grip.

He dashes into the forest, determined to lose them within the dense foliage. Zooming past trees, he was able to increase the distance between them and the pegasus chasing them. Soon, Daybreak lost sight of them. They took shelter inside of a nearby cave hoping the two would fly by. It gave Daybreak a time to rest. Suddenly, he heard them approach and stopped outside of the cave entrance.

"Crap, we lost them."

"This isn't good."

We got to find them. We cant screw up again. We already let the little one get away the first time. We can't lose her again."

"We have to split up. They could be anywhere by now."

"Agreed. I don't want to go back emptyhoof."

"Okay. Remember: Be quick. Be silent."

"Got it."

The pegasus sped off, each going in a different direction. Daybreak observed the entire conversation from the safety of the cave and came to a decision.

"Ashes?"

"Yes?"

We are going to stay here for a short while. At least, until it is safe to leave."

"Okay."

A few hours pass with no activity seen outside of the cave. He took this chance to scout around to make sure it as safe.

"Wait right here."

He take a few steps from the mouth of the cave and takes a quick look. Nothing so far. A few more steps. Listening for any noise. Anything...out of place. The noise he hears is that of the woodland creatures running around and the wind blowing through the trees. Nothing else. He takes one last look around. Nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe they gave up the search. Daybreak turns around and heads back into the cave to get Ashes.

"Ashes?"

"Yes," she replied, awakening from her nap.

"It's safe for us to go now. They haven't been back for a while."

*Yawns*"Okay."

"Quick, hop on."

She hops onto Daybreaks back and he begins to exit the cave. He is still cautious when leaving so he does one last look around before taking off. He takes off into the and files slowly, still able to watch his surroundings.

"Ashes, I have a question for you."

"Yes?"

"You may not like this but, what do you remember about...the fire...that happened."

"Um...," That painful memory returns to her. "I was there with my daddy, on vacation. It was always a lovely whenever we would go. He was acting weird though, always checking the windows every now and again, and saying we are not allowed outside for a while. But then, I saw a couple of pegasuses standing outside the cabin and a fire started. It started to consume the house. He told me that I needed to get out and run. I pleaded with him to come with me but he just repeated that everything would be okay. The fire started to get bad and I was scared, so I did as he told me and ran. The last thing I heard him say to me was...I love you." She pauses to wipe some tears away. "I ran. Had no Idea where where I was going or if I was going to end up somewhere. I just kept running. I had to get away from the fire and the bad pegasuses. I ran for what seemed like forever. I had no idea where I was going. I was scared, lost, and started to get delusional and, somehow, ended up in that alley where you found me."

"And...how long ago do this event take place?"

"It seemed like it was a couple of days ago."

"A couple days ago?"

"Yes, I believe so. Why?"

"Hold on."

Ashes held on as Daybreak flew above the tree line.

"What are we doing up here?"

"Based of of your memory, you said this happened no less than a couple of days ago. If that is true, there should still be a sign."

"What sign?"

Daybreak scanned the horizon, looking for anything that could help. Just then, off in the distance, he sees smoke. It's faint, but there.

"There! It's a few of miles out, but it's there."

He flies off towards the smoke. This is the best bet he has so far. Upon arriving at the source of the smoke, both Daybreak and Ashes laid their eyes on the charred remains of what used to be a house, a cabin. Daybreak couldn't believe what he was looking at. This seemed like an event that happened recently.

"Ashes, is...is this where it happened?"

"Ye...yes."

"I know you don't want to be here but there has to be something here telling us where he is at."

"How...how do you know he's not...gone?"

"Back at the hospital, one of them thought I looked like your father and said something about escaping. That means they are holding him somewhere. He may have left us something here to tell us where."

"So daddy is ok?"

"I'm sure he's fine. Now we have to start looking."

"Okay."

Both of them start to search the cabin or, at least, what's left of it. There really wasn't much searching they could do. Ashes looked around a little bit while Daybreak looked around the remains of a desk. One touch though, and the desk fell into a pile of burnt wood and ash. He noticed something in the pile. Something grey. As he pushes the debris away, he uncovers a small, stone box. It survived the fire. Genius. Daybreak removes the top lid and looks inside. All that is in there is a note.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daybreak,

I know I haven't written to you in a while but I figure now would be better than nothing. I wish this could have been under better circumstances. I think it's time you knew what I do. I am a part of the weather control team but that is just a cover job. You remember the stories and legends we were told as fillies about the Rainbow Factory? They weren't stories. Everything we were told, It's true. I was forced to sign a contract where I could not tell anyone about this but what goes on in there...it's horrible. I couldn't believe it. The worst part was that they were using the pegasus who didn't pass the flight test. Our school friends were there. Pegasus we never saw again. I broke my contract when I found out that my own daughter, Ashes, didn't pass the test. I took her away when they tried to take her. We needed to hid, but I fear they will find us soon. If worst goes to worst, I will send her to you. If it comes down to that, please take care of here and protect her. I...I have to tell someone. I need you to get the word out. Pleas tell the others about this horrible place. They will more than likely take me away so don't worry about me, just be there for Ashes. Take care of her. Protect her. This may be the last letter i'll send to you. Please, tell Ashes that I love her. Tell her, that even though I may not be there with here, I will be watching over her.

Stay safe,

Night-Breeze.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He couldn't believe it. Those stories. How could they be true? And worst, his brother was involved. He had to go rescue him.

"Ashes, you won't believe what I found. It's a letter."

He looks around. Ashes is out of his line of sight. He starts to search the cabin.

"Ashes?...Ashes!. Where did that little filly go?"

He though she just went outside so he walks out from the burnt wreckage of the cabin. The minute he did though, he was immediately surrounded by a group of pegasuses, along with the two that were following them earlier.

"You can't escape us. I will give you credit, we did lose you for a while. You may outrun us, but you can't escape."

"What is it you monsters want?!" Daybreak yelled at them, his body filling up with anger.

"Monsters? How are we monsters?"

"I know all about that you do, your operations in the Rainbow Factory."

"We are no monsters. We merely provide...a service."

"How is what you do considered a service?!"

"We weed out the weak in our society. We don't want any weaklings tarnishing the Pegasus name. And plus, we make rainbows that all ponies, unicorns, and even pegasus can enjoy."

"That doesn't excuse what you do or your methods!!"

"Well...someone sure is angry."

"You damn well better believe I am."

"Well, let me tell you what's going to happen. You are going to come with us, along with the little filly you've been helping out."

"Now why would I go along with this!?"

"Oh, we are not asking for your co-operation."

Suddenly, a metal neck brace was attached to Daybreaks neck. A sudden pulse of electricity went through his body.

"AAAHHHH. What is this?!?"

"That's just to make sure you don't run off on us again."

"You monsters."

He then hear a faint whimper. a whimper that sounded like Ashes. He looks over and sees two of the pegasus holding her. He charges at them. The electric pulse went through his body again, more intense than before.

"Ah ah ah, I would't do that if I was you."

"Let.Her.Go." He charges again. The pulse knocked him to the ground. He was out cold.

"He just doesn't learn, does he. You two, pick him up. We got a factory quota to meet."

They picked up Daybreak and they all flew off to the Rainbow Factory.

Author's Note:

Geez, this took longer to do than it should have. A lot going on at the moment for me. Got to stop getting so easily distracted. And also, stop working on these at night(specifically around 2-4am.)Starting from when they enter the cave, the rest was written on one hour of sleep.(New record!!!(Not sure if good or bad)). Probably could have worded some of this better. It's either that or the one hour sleep talking. Meh.

Comments

[Ghost Walker]

1619920
I fixed the capitalization problem you pointed out(even though i'm like a month off.)