Ashes to Ashes

Chapter 1 Cages

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Metal wires and a solid roof was all that surrounded Dusty. He looked around with scared eyes at the rows upon rows of similarly caged ponies. He was lucky enough to be put in one right next to his mother, giving him small amounts of comfort...though it wasn't enough to keep him from shaking.

Despite the metal wires, he held onto her her through the cage, wrapping his tiny hooves around her right forearm. She wanted to nuzzle her son so badly; she wanted to hold him in her arms before they met their fate. But the wires were too constrictive and impassible. The only thing that could ever pass through were foal arms and rodents, but all of the rodents had been exterminated with cruel indiscretion. It had been a gruesome sight; sentries roaming cities with spray cans full of deadly gas, spraying all small creatures to "clean up" the streets.

She looked down at her little foal and rubbed his tiny hooves wrapped around her forearm with her free hoof. She pressed herself as close to her foal as she could, only barely feeling his gray fur against her own.

“It’ll be okay, Dusty,” the mother said soothingly, but she could still sense her son’s fear and troubled nature. He looked around wildly, looking out for sentries. Just like his papa.

The mother looked around at the other cages. Each one was filled by a silent occupant. There had been a time when many would scream for help, but over the years, people realized that there was no returning after being taken to Court. All who were taken fought until they arrived, but even then hope was lost, flushed from their bodies at the horrid sight of hundreds of cages with ponies awaiting Court. Just the nature of outside of the building itself was said to been atrocious and miserable. At least she and her son were sparred view of such a location.

Srchhh! Thunk!

The silent occupants were no longer silent. They all turned to the mother and her child. Their time had come and the mother could no longer hold back tears of fear. Tears and sadness. Why did it have to be the last thing he saw? He was only a child. It wasn’t his fault he was like this…

...then there was singing. There had never been singing before. Who was singing?

Amor. Honor. Officium. Imperfec. Vita.

Et ideo utrumque carissimum.

Odio. Abominantur. Pudicitia. Alium.

Super parvulum reprehendunt.

Latin: the language of the Royal Guards. They still remember...

The mother cried softly, nuzzling her son’s trembling hooves. She leaned over and planted a kiss on her son’s head, stirring him quickly. He looked up at her, turquoise eyes shining against the bright overhead lights.

Srchhh! Thunk!

The masses began to sing. Not just the one anymore, but the entirety of the hundreds upon hundreds of trapped ponies began to shake the floors with their bolstering lyrics.

Familiae seorsum non cogunt.

Non sperare liberos tollit.

Retorquendo Pugnabimus vobiscum.

Vita amoris et familia tenemus feres.

She could only cry.

“Mommy...I’m scared.”

She held his hoof carefully and whispered, “I am too, but it’ll be alright. Daddy’s waiting for us.”

“But I don’t wanna see Daddy yet…”

Pugnabimus!

Regina et patriae!

Vivemus!

Familia et vita!

Srchhh! Thunk!

The mother didn’t dare look behind her, fearing the worst. She knew it was directly behind her and her foal, readying itself to take her, but looking at it would make her afraid. If she was afraid so would her foal.

For Queen and Country!

For Family and Life!

We stand for harmony!

We stand for love!

The ground shook violently. No. Their cages shook as they were pulled off the rails each cage was attached to.

“You have been found guilty for harboring an Aura,” a metallic and robotic voice said to the mother. She only turned her head slightly, catching only a glimpse of the great red Eye.

“He’s only a child!” she screamed angrily. Her horn glowed violently.

“You have been found guilty of procreating with an Earth pony and creating a Hybrid Abomination.”

“He is not an abomination!” The child trembled even more now.

“You have been found guilty of being a Hybrid Abomination of a Unicorn and a Pegasus.”

She growled angrily, but she knew the Eye had no emotions. It was a robot with a designated task, much like those in control of it.

“These charges have only one punishment: Death by fire. We forgive you for your impurity as it was out of your control. Please make peace with your god or gods.”

She looked at her son silently, listening to the cries of melodic singing growing louder and louder.

For Queen and Country!

Regina et patriae!

For Family and Love!

Familiae et amoris!

“I love you, Dusty. Mommy’s so sorry…”

“Please don’t go Mommy!” he cried. “I don’t wanna be alone!”

Feeling the stab to her heart, she watched her cage being separated from her foal. The foal pulled his arms away from his mother and out of the fence cage. He stood in the middle and watched her. She could only cry.

“It’ll be okay!” she said to him, shouting over the song and screeching metal. The foal ran to the edge of the catch pushing one hoof through, screaming for his mother. His mother only cried quietly, looking at her son proudly. She stood up straight and proud. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered. She had to look brave. She didn't want her son to be more afraid; she needed to be brave.

“Mommy!” he cried out terribly. Then horror struck her eyes…

His body began to form into a ashy substance, slipping right through the wires of the cage as though it weren't even there. But there was nothing for him to fall onto. Below each cage was another cage and another and another with no platforms to land on...

And he just fell right through one.

“Dusty!!” she screamed in terror, watching her life and worth hurdle towards the dark pit below, a never-ending darkness where there was a bottom that no had ever seen before.

“Mommy!!”

Amor. Honor. Officium. Imperfec. Vita.

Et ideo utrumque carissimum.

Odio. Abominantur. Pudicitia. Alium.

Super parvulum reprehendunt.