Ashes to Ashes

by Ghost Walker

Bottom of the Rainbow

". . . Where. . .Where am I?. . ."

Daybreak awakens to a blank, empty area, devoid of light.

". . . Why is it so dark?. . ."

Suddenly, it sounded as if there was a million voices talking around him. Whispering.
"Is it worth it..."

"Wh. . What?"

"Everything you've gone through for this filly, whom you barely know."

"Ashes?"

"And a brother who's absence has led you to this abyss . And yet, here you are. Why?"

"They… I need to help them. They need my help."

"And look where your help has gotten you. A wanted pony. Got both you and that filly captured. And now, here. "

". . . Where is here?"

There was a long pause before a response could be heard.

''The Rainbow Factory." A distant, metallic, pounding could be heard along with the grinding of gears. " The place where any pegasus deemed unworthy are put to use."

"Oh no…" Daybreak was remembering all the stories his Grandfather told him. If those tales of a rambling pony were true, then his brother and Ashes were in trouble.

Pleading with the voice, "Please, you must help me. You know already that my family is trapped here. All that I want is to free them. There must be something you can do. I'm willing to do anything in return."

". . . Anything. . . for their freedom?"

"Ye..Yea. I'm willing to do anything to get them out of this place." He was contemplating thee answer he just gave. Every single outcome came to mind.

". . . If that's what you want, then so be it."

Daybreak gave out a sigh of relief.

i]"Come find me and I shall help."

"Wait. Find you? How."

"The highest part of this factory is a door labeled with an O. That is where you can find me. But you must be quick. Once you go, they will be looking for you. So wake up."

"…What?"

As if there was somepony standing right next to him, there was a small subtle wiser in his ear.

"…Wake up!"

.

.

.

"Ahh!!"

Daybreak awakens inside a jail cell. His eyes were a bit fuzzy and adjusting to the lack of light. The room was surrounded by blank walls covered in mold, rusting pipes jetting across the ceiling with water dripping. As he tries to stand up to get a better understanding of his surrounding, he felt a weight around his neck. He takes a hoof to his neck and feels a cold, metallic object surrounding his neck. He remembers what happened that night; His brother's burned house, the ambush, Ashes being taken, the collar placed around his neck, the shock.

"That bastard. He'll pay. But first, I need to find a way out of here."

The entrance to this cell had a sturdy, metal door with a window with bars over it, letting in some light. Peering out of this opening, he notices that the lock had a good coat of rust on it and seemed easy enough to break.

"Okay, just one good hit."

He steps back some. Being in a small area didn't give him much room to work with. He tries to build up momentum running and hits the door.

*bang*

"Ouch…Okay. Again."

Steps back and tries again.

*Bang* The door jingles a bit.

"One more."

As he steps back a third time, he raises his wings. This time when he runs, he pushes his wings down and builds up momentum.

*CRASH!!*

That last push breaks the lock and the door swings open and he goes crashing on the floor and slides to a wall. Looking around quickly to see if there was anypony that heard the noise. He heard nothing but didn't want to stick around to see if a guard would show up. He closes the door, sweeps the rusty, broken lock out of sight, and makes his escape. Which direction to go was a different story. Daybreak just looked down each hallway with confusion.

"Okay. So the voice said, um, highest part of the factory. Something with a label. A sign on a door? Doesn't matter right now. Just got to go up. Now, um, What's down here?" And he goes letdown a corridor and comes up to a corner. He peers around the corners to see if the guards were alerted to his breakout.

"I could have sworn I heard something"

"Could have been your imagination. Being down here for long periods of time will do that to ya."

"Uh-oh" Daybreak thought as two guards were trotting down the hallway. He turns around, wings extended, and bolts away. The other way lead to a dead-end and he was still visible.

"I'm telling you, something's not right."

"Will you just calm down. Nothing ever happens down here."

"But what if…"

"But nothing. All we do is hold captured prisoners till the Warden tells us what to do with them."

They were getting closer.

"Crap, crap. Gotta hide. Where, where." Daybreak is looking franticly and notices a ventilation shaft over head. In one swift motion, he reached up to open vent, jumps inside, and closes it. He stays frozen not moving a single muscle, till they were gone.

They turn the corner and start to to walk closer. They stop right below Daybreak.

"See, nothing down here. You're hearing stuff again."

"But I could have sworn…"

"This section of the factory is old and makes a lot of noises. It happens to all of us."

"Hmph… Guess it really was nothing."

As they began to walk back, Daybreak shifted a bit in the vent, causing a low creaking noise.

"Wait…What was that?.."

"Like I said, it was nothing. Now let's go. This place is creepy as Tartarus. "

Both guards left.

He looked at the options presented to him. On one hoof, he could traverse the hallways, avoiding guards and other obstacles that could be lurking in this factory. There is a higher risk of capture and that was not part of the plan. Option #2: Crawl through the ventilation system to his destination. It is the path lest difficult. Like the guards said, this is the old section of the factory and it makes a lot of noise.

"Well... Not much of a choice, but I am up here already so, the vents it is."

He began his journey through this metal maze before him, praying that it will lead him to his destination, and to that mysterious pony.