“Mom are we really moving in with them?”
Up in her cloud house, Rainbow Dash had been bent over a box, as she loaded it with some personalized items. Upon hearing her daughter talking to her, the cyan blue pegasus mare stood up and responded to her. “Scootaloo, we’ve been over this. Rarity and I are getting married, that means we should live together, after all, she can’t very well be your mom if she isn’t around you, silly filly.”
Turning back around, Rainbow Dash began packing the box once more. “Besides, aren’t you excited about having a new sister?”
“Step sister. Besides, she’s a unicorn. We have nothing in common!”
Hearing this, Rainbow Dash stopped what she was doing, and stood up and dusted herself off. Turning around she gestured for Scootaloo to come closer for a hug. As she did so, Rainbow scooped her up in her wings and gently nuzzled her. “Scootaloo, years ago, you and I met at the Ponyville Orphanage, do you remember?”
“Yes.”
Continuing calmly with uncharacteristic patience, Rainbow spoke finishing her thoughts. “You captured my heart, and I just had to raise you. You and Sweetie Belle may not both be pegasi or unicorns, however, did you know Rarity is actually Sweetie Belle’s sister?”
“Really, she isn’t her mother?”
Shaking her head with a sad smile, Rainbow replied. “Not by blood. You see, when Sweetie Belle was just a foal, Rarity at the age of 23, received word that her parents while on a vacation cruise were lost at sea. Sweetie Belle was too young to understand, but she and Rarity became orphans on that day.”
Scootaloo looked up into her mother’s eyes. “You mean she’s just like…”
Her mother leaned down and gently nuzzled her proudest decision; her daughter. “That’s right sweetie, Rarity pleaded with the Ponyville courts to allow her to adopt her sister. To this day, Sweetie Belle has no idea. However, you both have a lot in common. Perhaps you can still find some magic to be had with friendship between you.”
“Wow, I never knew…”
“Sweetie Belle has profusely told me how excited she is to have a sister as well. Isn’t that exciting?”
“I suppose…but is she gonna be all girly?”
Laughing and patting Scootaloo on the head with her hoof, Rainbow told her of Sweetie Belle. “Possibly, I mean Rarity is all dainty, but then again, I would pick Rarity in a military op in a heartbeat. Frilly but fierce to protect those she cares about in an instant. I have no doubt Sweetie Belle is the same as her mother.”
Scootaloo didn’t respond, instead she just eyed her mother’s artificial wing. Commander Rainbow “Danger” Dash of the 93rd Wonderbolts had been known as a dervish on the battlefields against the Sombra Regime. Her heroism resonated in every creature’s ears for the past decade. Her fierce strikes and deadly precision were known Equestria over; The pegasus that had slain Sombra, freeing the world from his tyranny. For her to make that statement… “Mom, you never told me how you and Rarity met.”
Rainbow Dash froze for a moment and as the memories flashed back, she told Scootaloo about her first encounter with Rarity and how they ended up dating. “We originally met at boot camp. I was young, arrogant and brash at the time. She struck me initially as a prissy unicorn; always fussing about everything, from mud on her hooves to wrinkles on her bedsheets…”
***
“Hey there, the name’s Rainbow Dash, everypony will know it one day!”
The alabaster furred unicorn glanced disdainfully at her before giving a half-hearted “Ugh” in response. Turning away she began fussing with her bed sheets, trying to make them wrinkle free. Rainbow tried again. “I said my name, now you say yours.”
The unicorn ignored her and now that the sheets were done began shining her horseshoes to standard. Rainbow looked annoyed and gently tapped the unicorn on the shoulder, causing the mare to turn around. “What do you want?”
“It’s custom for a pony to say their name when being greeted for the first time, especially by somepony as awesome as me!”
“I have no interest in being greeted by a macho pegasus who is compensating for her talent trying to get with a pretty damsel of a unicorn.”
“Hold on a moment I didn’t mean to-”
“Leave me be Miss Dash. I don’t need a hero.”
***
“Wow mom did you really say that?”
Rarity laughed as she and Sweetie Belle unboxed their possessions at a new beach home. “Oh my, yes. Dash and I really didn’t get along at first. She was far too arrogant for my liking.”
Sweetie Belle watched the waves rolling in the nearby surf before asking. “Mom, what was it then that caused you to take notice of her?”
Rarity placed a hoof to her muzzle in deep as though thinking about it. She broke a grin after a moment and announced. “It was during our first deployment. Dash and I had just gotten our wet ears through twelve weeks of bootcamp hell, when we were assigned to the same team. Oh how we hated each other…"
***
The Commander eyed the newly geared members of her squad with venom. “Listen up, because I do not like repeating myself. Look at the pony to the right of you. I don’t give a flying feather whether you are an earthpony, pegasus or unicorn. As Celestia's memory is my witness, you WILL set aside your biases. If you think you are better than that pony have I got great news for you worthless lot.”
Rainbow Dash found herself staring into the eyes of Rarity who grimaced at her. Dash returned the glare. It was then that Commander Spitfire announced. “That is your new partner. You will stay by her side for the rest of this worthless war. Come hell or high water you will respect that partner. Trust me, they will probably save your life.”
Rarity turned up her nose as Rainbow rolled her eyes. Spitfire, however, wasn’t having it. “Is there a problem with these arrangements, Private?”
“No disrespect sir, but I don’t like her.”
“Is that so? You listen to me, Dash. We are the best of the best. Your prowess in combat has been gauged and pushed to the limits. We are the Nightmare squad. You do not make this team; we do. We are the earthponies, unicorns and pegasi of Equestria and we are the last resistance, not you. We are sisters in arms and all of us, not one alone, are going to take back our world. Have I made myself clear, Private?”
“Yes, Commander Spitfire!”
“And you! Medical Staff Sergeant Rarity. I saw you snicker. You think it’s funny? This isn’t a game! You are no longer in bootcamp. I frankly don’t give two flying bucks what bias you have towards each other! You are responsible for her health. Go ahead. Tell me how her attitude ticks you off, how you don’t care about her when you are holding her lifeless corpse!”
Spitfire roared to everypony in the transport. “We are all that is left. Mares of Equestria, we cannot fail! There is no one else left to carry on this fight. We must work together. Especially if we are to rescue our friends and family.”
Turning to face Dash and Rarity, she said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. “So with that in mind, I want you to take your concerns and dislikes-”
Commander Spitfire’s roar was heard ringing through the ears of everypony present for the next minute. “AND SHOVE THEM UP YOUR PLOT!”
Shakingly, Dash and Rarity saluted. “Y-yes C-commander Spitfire!”
***
“Wow, mom. Commander Spitfire sounds like she was scary.”
Pausing for a moment to laugh as a tear fell down her cheek, Rainbow Dash nodded. “She was. A true spitfire pegasus, but a sweetheart who cared for her squad.”
“Why have I never heard of her?”
Her mother gave a wan smile. “Perhaps one day we can visit Ponyville Cemetery, and I’ll introduce her to you.”
“You mean she…”
“She was a hero, Scootaloo. A mother to her squad and a fierce warrior to liberate Equestria. She is not gone, she is immortalized in our hearts... Now where was I? Oh yes, Rarity and I ended up on the battlefield side by side. It was going well, and we even seemed to tolerate each other when…”
***
“MEDIC!”
The ground erupted in a spray of dirt, as blasts from the enslaved unicorns pelted the special ops squad. They were pinned down. Rainbow turned and watched as an earthpony fell, The mare’s hoof severed from her foreleg. “Rarity! Cauterize her wound, and I’ll cover you!”
Rainbow felt sick, her eyes narrowed in rage. Her commander was dead. Her squad was outnumbered, wounded, scarred. They had suffered heavy casualties; ambushed by the enemy. Now survival seemed non-existent.
When the magic shield had gone up over the enemy forces; powered by the once proud Shining Armor, the unicorns were the first to fall. The sniper squadron was picked off one by one unable to retaliate.The earthponies, with their heavy armor, were too slow to storm the opposition. Now they stood acting as a shield in their anti-magic armor; protecting the remainder of the Nightmares. We’ve lost so many. “Rarity, report!”
“Rainbow, she bled out, I can’t keep up! Ohh!”
In slow motion, Rarity fell to the ground, her horn beside her; severed by dark magic. Rainbow watched in shock as Rarity hit the ground writhing in pain. And that's when she snapped.