Time & Space

The Past of Ash

Through the covered hole and between two walls, the two Ashes began to make their way toward one of Zach's headquarters in the city. The lanes they had taken varied in size, clearly not designed to be walked through by anyone. With the older one actually knowing the plan and where to go, she lead the way for the younger one who trailed her. Despite barely meeting, they both had a connection, empathy for each other as they fully understood each other while being the same person. 

After 20 minutes of hearing their own footsteps the entire time, the younger Ash asks the other, "I want to ask, what special occasion made you decide that now is the time to start this operation? Couldn't you have done this earlier?"

"You," The aged one replied as she pushed a wood panel which had covered another hole. She gestured to her other self to follow her as she takes a long step into the hole in the wall, continuing what she was saying. "I needed a second person to help me place explosives, I wouldn't have enough time to do it alone. Problem is, you can not trust anyone at all here. However, by some miracle, you appeared. Who else can you trust the most other than yourself?"

For some time, it went back to the sounds of footsteps and nothing more until the elder decides to break the silence. "Y'know, none of this would have happened if it weren't for those men."

"Hm?"

"All these violence, the killings, rape, rampant crimes. If men just didn't exist then it wouldn't be that big of an issue. Let's not forget that this world turned completely shite because of a man. A disgusting, egotistical, manipulative man." The Ash who had suffered spoke with contained rage.

"That certainly is true..." The younger one responded, not knowing what to say to such an extreme view.

"Remember dad?" The older one mentions their father, which immediately got the full attention of the other. 

The younger Ash lets out a burst of semi-fake laughter, rolling her eyes in the process. "Even if I wanted to, I could never forget that man."

"Right?" The two shared a complete understanding of what was being discussed. "Even the name Emily would trigger something deep in my mind. His idea for a perfect daughter was just so... fucked."

"Yea, he really thought I was going to be a quiet submissive girl who is going to marry and serve a rich man as if that was the only purpose of my life." The younger one replied in agreement.

In a mocking and spiteful tone, the older one mocks her father, "Emily, keep your elbow off the table while you eat. Emily, do not speak without permission. Emily, save yourself to the one you are going to marry, cover yourself up."

The two laugh at how they are mocking the same man, the feeling of reliability and familiarity having a play in it. The younger one then continued, "It wasn't even that rare that he would get physical too. Everyone really thought we had the best life just because he was rich. I could barely do anything, sometimes, he doesn't even feed me just for the sake of keeping myself 'desirable.'"

The older one continued what the younger one was stating, knowing the story herself. "You'd think it would be easier to make friends with all that wealth, but everyone would just avoid you, seeing you as this pampered disconnected person. In reality, you're just scared of talking to anyone because of your dad telling you how you should never befriend those who aren't 'worthy'. The only worth he sees was all materialistic too."

"At some point, it was just too much until, well, the Ash thing started. It started as a persona, a fake name paired with a fake personality. However, it just grows by itself and before anyone knew it, it felt way better to be Ash than to be an Emily. Didn't help that others liked Ash more too. As expected, dad completely hated the transition but holy damn it was the best thing ever to see his reaction when his perfect submissive virgin daughter whose sole purpose was to marry the rich slowly get 'corrupted' by freedom." 

"Remember when he found out about the black stars behind the neck? His rage when he found out that HIS daughter got a tattoo-" The elder Ash suddenly stops herself between her sentences, completely going silent.

Abruptly, she turns to the right with immense speed, pushing away the barrel of a gun that was hiding in the dark corner of their peripheral vision. She countered the man that had been waiting to ambush them by unholstering her own gun, but the man kicks it right out of her hand as soon as it was aimed at him. She hissed in pain, forcing her to twist the man's wrist, causing him to grunt and drop his gun. The man kicks the older Ash away, rushing himself to get his gun back which subsequently caused him to step into the light.

"Zach!?" Ash exclaims in surprise. The man with golden hair, the man in trench coat, he was the one who ambushed them. The both of them quickly pick their weapon up, aiming both their weapon toward each other. Before they could fire their shots, Ash had already realised what was going on and got between them.

"Ash, get out of the way, that man you're trying to protect is the worst scum of the world." The older one demanded for the other to let her kill him.

"Wait! You have to understand, he is not like the Zach you know. He's different."

"That's what they all say."

"Please, you have to listen to me."

As they exchange in words, the older Ash's expression of clear intent to kill slowly faded into a bewildered one. Looking at the two of them had reminded herself of her and her own Zach when they were still together. All the sweet memories of her and Zach that she had suppressed for so long suddenly began to return.