The Ever-Shifting Tides Of Life

by DougtheLoremaster

Chapter 3- Picking Her Lock of Doubt

Rarity wanted to ask, but her own instincts warned her about pushing the issue. Instead, she tried a less direct approach. Listening to the crunching of the wheat grains, Rarity saw her avenue. “How are they?”

Rainbow stopped chewing and looked over at the bandaged head of Rarity in slight annoyance, though she was just as confused at the indifference to her name slip. What’s going on? Does she really not care? “They're horrible. Almost done though, as promised.”

Rarity’s ears caught the tremble in her voice. Good. She is wondering why I didn’t ask about her name. Perhaps I don’t care, I can hear it in her voice. The truth is I do; I just don’t have her trust in me enough to tell me, without doubt. Though perhaps there is another way. Her words were instinctively measured her tone deliberately calm as she spoke to Rainbow. “Do you know why I’m a medic and a ranked officer at my age, as well?”

Rarity sat there listening to the silence, silently praying. This is the only way. If I reveal my own heart, perhaps she will volunteer hers willingly.

***

“Mom, not to interrupt, but why didn’t you just ask? Surely, it would have been simpler to do so.”

Rarity smiled at her daughter, but to Sweetie Belle’s surprise, Rarity shook her head. “You may not understand this quite yet. The truth is, Rainbow and I are forged of the same metal but into different roles. Her willingness to obey, my ability to command; we are not the average ponies on the streets. Back then, neither of us had a clue, but our instincts guided us. I could see it, the chain around her soul.”

“Like a magic spell?”

Giggling, Rarity continued. “No, my daughter, it was forged of grief and despair. It locked her away from my words and formed an impenetrable barrier around her being. Her past bound her, and to set her free would take a magic, not even an alicorn could simply cast. Only a bond of trust could unlock her shackles.”

Tilting her head in confusion, Sweetie Belle tried to process the info out loud. “Shackles wait if she had shackles why didn’t you mention them on her? And wasn’t your head completely encased in bandages? How did you see this strange soul chain? Mom I don’t understand.”

Rarity’s voice was gentle as the sunshine, but strong as a crashing waterfall. “That’s wonderful, Sweetie. One day, you’ll understand it fully. Until that day, don’t be in such a hurry to know everything. Stay innocent to the ways of the world. Now as I was saying. There I sat, telling her my own secret so as to forge a bond…”

***

Rainbow sat there in stunned silence for a moment before blurting out. “Five? You were five?”

Pausing in her narrative, Rarity heard herself give Rainbow an admonishing sting. “Don’t interrupt Rainbow, be a good filly.”

“I’m not a child, don’t talk down to-”

“Don’t act like one then. Now sit there and shush, mommy is talking.”

Opening her muzzle to argue, Rainbow instead bit her tongue and sat still, listening to what Rarity had to say. Rarity’s voice was once again warm and praising; causing Rainbow to feel inexplicably happy. “That’s a good mare, Rainbow. Yes, I was five when the mask fell from my face. It was one year since my family and myself were captured. I was little more than a foal but I would end up growing up sooner than I thought."

The sharp inhale of a deep breath could be heard from the unicorn before she continued. "During a raid on the compound, the rebel forces captured me and my mask was split. I found myself staring into the eyes of my guardian for the next twelve years. You know who I mean; Commander Spitfire leader of the rebellion. She raised me to avoid the use of a blade, stating a filly should never have to spill blood. Instead, I was immediately thrust into the role being a medic. I learned the craft rather quickly."

Rainbow stared at the ground in the expectant silence that followed. Rainbow Dash’s voice was slightly cracked as she asked what was now on her mind. “That must have been...Did you...You know them? I mean...Did you know who your real parents were?”

Rarity stiffened for a moment before her voice took on a happier tone. “No..Well not the ones who bore me. Growing up, Spitfire was my mom.”

“What was it like?”

“Growing up or having Spitfire as a mom?”

“Argh why you...I am not a child!”

“Rainbow, I’m shocked! Do you really want to yell at me like that when I’m trying to be nice?”

Rainbow Dash looked down and scuffed her hoof against the dirt as she sat there. “I-I-No, I’m sorry, please don’t be mad. I meant having the Commander as your mom.”

Rarity stayed silent for a moment. When she spoke again, it was a sort of pleasant sorrowful tone, Rainbow simply couldn’t explain. “She was warm, as warm as the sun that used to shine before Sombra. She would stop at nothing to make sure I was safe, taken care of; she even went without food when times were hard. Other times she was a so-called typical pegasus: Brutal in combat an expert hunter and a rage that could freeze even a wendigo's blood. Everyone saw her as just a hunter, a brute to kill everything that moved. I never understood why.”

Rainbow laughed humorously. “Yeah that’s us. The brutes of the skies. Need a target taken down? Call a pegasus. We’ll hunt it to the ends of Equestria for you, leaving the flames of Tartarus in our wake.”

Her tone was rife with scorn and...Is that guilt? Rarity’s ears had picked up the pain in Rainbow’s voice as the pegasus continued; her voice becoming sorrowful as she did. “At least that..That was us. Now it’s just Soren and me. My brother was an amazing hunter. You should have seen him; the pride of our tribe. Mom and Dad were so proud of him...I was proud to call him my..Big brother. Erm- Sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

***

“I’ve never understood that mom, I get called ‘Hunter’ at school a lot. Why are pegasi referred to as Hunters?”

Rainbow paused in telling her tale. She quickly scooped Scootaloo up in her wings and sat her on her lap. “Were. A race of warriors, the Pegasi were proud to display their strength. From slaying hydrae in the Everfree to going bare wing and hoof against a Changeling; ours was a race of conquerors.”

Seeing the adoring look in her daughter’s eyes, Rainbow continued explaining about the Pegasi. “Originally, we were Nomads. Making our homes on random clouds or treetops as we pleased. We listened to the wind and navigated by the stars as our kind would soar through the air. And then the Wendigos appeared.

We had many dealings beforehoof with the Unicorns and Earthponies of Equestria. To make ends meet, we would often sell our blades to the citizens of Ponyville. As Sellswords we were able to purchase amenities for our brethren, and so the tribe flourished. Shortly after the Treaty of Hearthswarming, our ways changed.

Instead of listening to the wind, we had gained magical insight from the Unicorns on how to tame it. It wasn’t long until we harnessed clouds and the weather itself to our will. Cloudsdale arose; the home of the Pegasi. The one thing that didn’t change, however, was our desire to hunt. For those of Non-Pegasi descent, that term was used to mock us. But only the truly ignorant would dare call a Pegasi a Hunter as an insult… Oh! I almost forgot, go upstairs and bring me your stuffed dragon toy, Scootaloo.”

“Aw, but I wanna hear more about Mrs. Rarity!”

Smiling, Rainbow nodded. “I promise I’ll tell you more about how I met your soon-to-be stepmom as soon as you return. Now be a good girl and do as I requested.”

“Alright, mommy.”

Rainbow Dash smiled as she watched her daughter; the second to last Pegasi left, rushed to grab the stuffed animal. That’s my daughter. It wasn’t long before the fledgling was eagerly begging her to continue once more as she placed the stuffed animal into the box. As promised, Rainbow Dash continued her tale once more. "It was then that..."

***

Medical Staff Sergeant Rarity sat silently in the cot for a few seconds, thinking. Did she just let her guard down? Perhaps now the lock would come undone if I asked. What if it’s too early? That’ll make it harder to set her free from her prison. I’m going for it.

Keeping her voice even, Rarity replied to the interruption. “No, no it’s quite alright. Rainbow, you’ve mentioned your brother before. Would you be comfortable explaining what you meant earlier when you said your name wasn’t always Rainbow Dash?”

Dead silence greeted her ears as she sat there. Dammit. Was I too quick? Did I scare her? I was too forward, wasn’t I? Curse my- “I don’t mind. I’m not sure why, but I-I'm willing to tell you.”

Behind the bandages, Rarity smiled. She could almost hear the key being turned as the lock of the shackles opened.

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