//------------------------------// // Chapter 2- Forging Her Chain // Story: The Ever-Shifting Tides Of Life // by DougtheLoremaster //------------------------------// “The second I collapsed in pain, she was by my side. I looked up with tears in my eyes as her face contorted in rage. I had never seen Rainbow care about anything except herself. In that moment, she became terrifying, yet alluring. She became a passionately wild beast. With a roar she charged the enemy.” Sweetie Belle watched as her mom’s face took on an expression of admiration. Then she glanced at her mom’s unicorn horn; like Rainbow’s wing, it too had been formed from alchemy. However, it was merely for aesthetics; Rarity could no longer use magic. “Wow mom, that sounds amazing.” Rarity continued unpacking a box labeled: ‘Sweetie’s Room.’ Her voice was filled with passion as she continued her tale. “Oh, it was. She took off and at first was flying normally, but then she went faster and faster still. Suddenly…” *** A blast of color erupted from behind Rainbow Dash as, unsheathing her sword, Rainbow Dash flew at insane speeds towards the enemy. Her blade flashed in the light of the rainbow blast radiating from behind her. Everywhere at once she no longer cared. Enslaved after Enslaved fell to her now crimson coated blade. Tears streamed from her face as her rage took her and she cut down her former friends. Those that did survive her onslaught, saw their mind controlling masks fall from their eyes. Rarity watched in stunned awe as the proud pegasus tore through the enemy; a bright trail of colors following closely behind. *** Scootaloo was breathing heavily, the story was so descriptively intense she could almost see it. Mom must have been wild back then, way different than now. Giving her mom a big hug, Scootaloo looked up into Rainbow’s comforting gaze. The mature pegasus nuzzled her daughter, lovingly. “The next thing I remember, the remainder of our squad were back in a tavern and everypony was celebrating; including the 45 we managed to free. Rarity was in a medical tent, and I went to see her. It was then that she told me what had happened. And it was then we made a real connection.” *** Rarity lay asleep in the military cot, her bandaged skull minus her unicorn horn sadly on display for all to see. Next to her sat Rainbow Dash, as she had, for the past 17 hours. The head of the exhausted pegasus was drooping and her eyesight was fuzzy. She hadn’t eaten or slept the entire time. Her eyes were hooded as she brooded over what had happened. Again and again, Rainbow went over her actions, her smile was long gone. I wasn’t fast enough. Some protector I am, couldn’t even react fast enough to protect anypony; let alone her. As she sat there, Rainbow ruffled her wings in annoyance. “Wh-who’s there darling?” Rainbow glanced at her, startled. Now sitting up in the cot, Rarity was wildly turning her head, as if looking for something. She doesn’t know it’s me, maybe I should stay quiet. Don’t want her angry at me. These somber thoughts went through Rainbow Dash’s mind as Rarity spoke up. “Rainbow, I would know the sound of those wings anywhere. How long have you been there?” Rainbow stared at Rarity in disbelief. The unicorn’s entire skull had been wrapped in a bandage after a skin graft was used to cover the spot where her horn had been. There was no way she could have known or seen that the pegasus was there. And yet, a slight rustle of her feathers had been identified instantly. Caught off guard Rainbow, fatigued and starving, muttered. “N-nosh lorng.” *** “Her words were slurred and almost incoherent. Rainbow had been sitting there without any thought to herself watching over me.” Sweetie Belle looked at her mom in disbelief. “You couldn’t see her, but you identified her by the rustling of her wings?” Rarity laughed. “Before she sported her metallic feathers, Rainbow had the most adorable nervous habit. Whenever she grew nervous or scared, she would rustle her feathers and it had a unique sound to it. I would liken it to the sounds of leaves during a soft breeze. I first noticed it at basic training.” “I thought you didn’t like her?” “You are right I didn’t, but I will admit it was a rather guilty pleasure seeing her nervous. Though that day I saw a side of her, I never knew.” Rarity pulled out a death metal poster and smiling at Sweetie Belle, asked her. “Sweetie, where would you like me to hang this?” Pointing at a spot above the bed, Sweetie Belle, spoke excitedly. “There!” Rarity was no longer a young mare, but as her daughter watched, it was evident that her training had never left her. Without the ability to use her horn to levitate objects, Rarity had undergone training to allow her to hold and move things like an Earthpony. The agility she had once displayed in combat clearly evident as with a swift forward flip, Rarity stood on the bed calmly hanging the poster up. Once done she backflipped off to stand beside her clearly impressed daughter. “There you go.” “Do you think my new sister will like it?” Rarity chuckled thinking of what Rainbow had told her of Scootaloo. “I have no doubt she’ll love it.” “Hooray! So mom, what happened with Commander Dash?” Rarity laughed. “Oh yes, where was I...Ah right. She wasn’t doing too well, having not eaten or slept since sitting there and I was not happy about that…much to her chagrin.” *** “You sound horrible, when was the last time you’ve eaten?” Rarity’s tone was one of concern. Rainbow’s reply was completely nonsensical.“Mhrf.. like…” Like a mother chiding an infant for stealing a cookie, Rarity brought the brunt of her medical expertise to bear on the incoherent pegasus. “Food, now.” Apparently this caused Rainbow to find her voice as she stated. “I’m fine, Rarity.” Rarity was having none of it. “You listen to me, Dash. You WILL go to the mess tent, and you will get some blasted food. You WILL make sure it has sugar in it, and you WILL bring it back here to eat in my presence or Celestia’s memory preserve me, I WILL BEAT YOUR FLANK!” A look of shock appeared on Rainbow’s face. Rarity had never spoken like that to her before. So commanding, so absolute. Her way or the skyway. And surprisingly, Rainbow for once, didn’t mind being ordered around. “-Have I made myself clear, soldier?” Normally she would have told Rarity to shove it, to stop ordering her around. This time however, Rainbow felt a desire to do as she said; no arguing, just submission to her command. “Yes ma’am!” Rarity took pause for a moment, her thoughts going wild. Did she just agree to do what I said? Is it really Rainbow? The sound of movement, followed by the tent flap lifting, let Rarity know Rainbow had left her presence. What’s gotten into her? Rainbow Dash stood in line at the mess hall, wondering the exact same thing. Sure she was sleep-deprived, probably had low blood sugar, but still. What made me obey her? It wasn’t magic and even more so, it felt natural; like I should, like I knew I should. “What’ll it be Dash?” Rainbow wasn’t paying attention and said compulsively. “Don’t worry Rar; I’m getting the bucking food.” “Huh? Dash, snap out of it! What do ya want to eat?” Rainbow blinked and finally noticed the irate cook pointing and gesturing at two dishes; one a bowl of powdered shredded wheat. The other was a delicious looking salad, made with hay bacon and sunflower petals; a rare delicacy in these times. Rainbow hated shredded wheat grains, but the salad didn’t contain sugar. Sighing, she replied. “The wheat, Soarin.” “Really? But I saved you the salad ‘cause it’s your favorite.” Laughing wanly and looking disgustedly at her bowl of sugar coated shredded wheat grains, Rainbow nodded. “It is, and I hate shredded wheat.” “Then why did you-” Turning her back to the mess cook, Rainbow replied nonchalantly. “I don’t know why, Soarin. I just know I promised her I would, gotta go.” “Her? Rainbow what are you-” Soarin watched as the formerly depleted Rainbow Dash seemed to have a slight spring in her hoof steps as she made her way back to the medical tent; her bowl of wheat grains careful held so as not to spill them. *** “Why would you do something you didn’t want to, mom?” Rainbow Dash paused and blinked. Finally, she laughed and explained it all to Scootaloo. “Right now, I’m your mother, but 20 years ago, I was quite the wild mare. In my prime and very...active, so to speak. An alpha, I was cocky, I was the best and then I met Rarity. Rarity, the prissy unicorn who refused to let me give the orders. At that time, I had no clue, but secretly I adored that commanding nature. Do you understand?” “Um...Not at all mom.” Rainbow Dash grinned and gave her daughter a noogie with her hoof. “One day Scoots, you’ll realize that love is truly the easiest way to make a mare or stallion brain dead and unable to willingly use logic. Even I had no clue what I was thinking.” Loading the box of valuables onto the cargo helicopter; designed by the now retired Tech Sergeant Twilight sole survivor of the luckless Unicorn Recon Squad, Rainbow Dash continued speaking. “Let’s see where was I? Oh yes…” *** “Rainbow is that you?” As Rainbow Dash lifted the tent flap and stepped carefully inside, attempting to avoid spilling her wheat grains, Rarity’s voice greeted her. The cyan pegasus’s wings stood upright in excitement upon hearing the almost demanding tone of her voice. What’s wrong with me? Blushing, Rainbow folded her wings quickly. “Yeah, it’s me.” Rarity sat in the darkness of her face cast, eyes closed and listening. She heard a slight flutter and then it was followed by a whoosh. She smirked. How cute, Rainbow is excited to see me. I wonder why. “Don’t you address me in that tone, Dash. You’re late! What took so long and what have you brought back?” Her voice came back to the ears of the annoyed unicorn. “I-uh-I’m not late! You didn’t even give me a time limit! I got your damned food with sugar and I-” Rarity listened, thinking to herself as Rainbow’s voice broke during her rant. She’s crying, I guess I pushed too far. Let’s try another approach. "Hush now and listen to me.” Immediately, Dash’s voice ceased, and the sound of her wings unfolding could be heard once more. Continuing in her gentle and now silky-toned voice, Rarity quelled Rainbow’s outburst. “You are right, I didn’t give you a time limit. From now on, however, I want you to perform my expectations within 5 minutes. Can you do that for me, Rainbow?” As expected, the Private answered her in a hushed tone, and Rarity noticed her wing had not been retracted. “Yeah, I suppose I could…” Alright, while she is calmer, let’s push a little- “Wait a minute! Why should I listen to you? You have no right to command-” “Rainbow Dash, sit down and shush, NOW!” A sudden flurry of movement graced Rarity’s ears. The scraping of a chair as the pegasus rushed to sit down made Rarity smile. Alright, perhaps now I can understand her better. Let’s see, what should I ask her...Think quickly before she decides to do as she wants again! The words of Rarity flowed with a silky, gentle tone once more.“Tell me, why are you so prideful, Rainbow? Why is it so hard on you if I ask a small favor of you, such as doing as I say?” There was no sound for a moment, but then Rarity heard the most somber, terse voice ever to come from a normally chipper mare. “My parents. I-It’s a promise I made to them. Back in Cloudsdale.” Rarity froze. Cloudsdale. The name of that ruined city hadn’t been uttered in over 8 years. “You lived in Cloudsdale?” There was the familiar sound of rustling wings, but it had a different ring to it; one of pain. “Yeah, I mean yes. I was there that day. Just a stupid, weak teen. Unable to do anything as Sombra brought Cloudsdale to fall from the sky...with his dragon slaves.” *** As Rarity spoke these words, she stared at her daughter with an expression of sorrow on her face. Though Sweetie Belle could tell; it wasn’t her that her mom was looking at, it was the Rainbow of the past as she spilled her heart out. She gave her mom a hug and spoke up. “We learned about that place in school. The city in the clouds. I thought for sure Mrs. Cherilee was telling mares tales but it really existed huh?” Rarity shook herself out of her reverie and stared at her daughter, thinking. That’s right, she wasn’t alive back then. She didn’t see it. The Fall of Cloudsdale. Considered the most devastating event in the history of Equestria, Sombra’s invasion of Cloudsdale had ended in the almost complete annihilation of the Pegasus race. Speculation of why no prisoners had been taken had flown fast and furious between the historians of the world for the past two decades. It was widely believed that the pegasi; being winged warriors of immense pride in their freedom of the skies, had refused to be taken alive...Or rather, let those Sombra enslaved leave alive. The battle cry had been heard across Equestria that day: “Fly Free or Die Free!” The sky had erupted in fire and blood as the cloudy city had been engulfed in dragon’s fire. That’s when the war started. “Yes Sweetie, it did. Only seven pegasi were known to survive the invasion. Five of them had been captured successfully only to be slain by Rainbow’s sword. Only one was freed during the war, only to fall one fight later. Of the two that had fought for vengeance, only one survived the war. Her name; Rainbow Dash.” Sweetie Belle froze. But that would mean she...was the last of the Pegasi. Wait, but she had a pegasus daughter...Didn’t she? “Mom what about her daughter, Scootaloo?” “After Sombra fell, Rainbow found herself being followed by a little orange ‘fledgling’ as the children of pegasi are known as. An orphan, with clipped wings, this little pegasus had seen her family perish when Sombra invaded Ponyville. Rainbow took her in. Scootaloo was never able to live in Cloudsdale, sadly, but Rainbow did make sure she got to live in a cloud house eventually.” Oh wow, that must have hurt so much having no other fillies or colts to talk to. And being the last, that...I can’t even imagine. Sweetie Belle then watched as her mom pulled out a treasured possession from a box she had been unpacking; an old, torn and tattered stetson. She looked at it sadly for a moment before putting it on and smiling, continuing her tale. “You see, at the time, Spitfire was believed to have been the only survivor of the Fall of Cloudsdale. But there Dash sat telling me something she had been hiding and a promise she had made. One she had never told anypony. ” *** “Rainbow Dah-ling, you have a brother?” “Had...I...I had a brother, Rarity.” “What was his name?” “Rainbow Dash.” Rarity sat frozen in the medical cot with trepidation. For some reason she hesitated asking her next question. “Isn’t your name Rainbow Dash?” “It is..Now, anyways, but you see it...It wasn’t always.”