//------------------------------// // "Them" // Story: Fraternal // by Melody Song //------------------------------// "Who?" Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Soarin asked as one. But Rainbow knew who she meant. "Mom and dad." Rainbow responded "We should go now, before it gets much later in the day." Daring advised, looking out the window "They're retired, it won't matter." Rainbow replied "And they just love to see their daughter." Spitfire teased "When are you going to get over that incident?" Rainbow muttered "When you stop getting embarrassed." Spitfire responded. Rainbow took a breath. "I have three words for you Spitfire: Equestria. Games. Tryouts." Spitfire stiffened, then looked away, muttering under her breath. Daring was pretty sure she was swearing. "Fine, I'll shut up. Happy?" Spitfire spat "Yes. Sorry, I know you don't like being reminded of that." Rainbow said, leaving her bedroom. The others followed her. "Let's go Daring." "We'll wait here for you two." Fleetfoot said, and Rainbow nodded gratefully. Daring grabbed her saddlebag, putting her cloak inside it to use in case they needed to walk around out in the open. The two mares left the house, side by side. Rainbow took off and led Daring into the distance. "Where are we going, exactly?" Daring asked "To Cloudsdale, where my parents live. It's usually near Canterlot this time of year." Rainbow answered. They flew in silence for a while longer, until Daring spoke. "Rainbow...what if we really are siblings? What happens then?" "Then nothing changes, right? We'll still be friends, we'll just...be closer. You'll still get annoyed when I join you and then don't think. I'll still tease you for not being as good a flyer and not knowing how to relax. We'll act the same way we do now, but at least we'll know why we act this way." Rainbow replied. "I wonder...if we're related, then which one of us is older?" "Probably you. I give off more of a "little sister" air, don't I?" Rainbow asked, flipping onto her back. Daring giggled, then tried to copy her. "But...wait, we're both twenty-one, when's your birthday?" "September 5th." Rainbow replied. Daring's eyes widened. "What?" "That's my birthday." Daring said, and Rainbow stopped instantly. Daring backtracked in order to stop beside her. "Rainbow...what if neither of us is older?" "What are you saying? Foals can be different ages and have the same birthday. It's uncommon, but it can happen." "But we're the same age Rainbow. And by that logic then one of us would have to be a month or two older, but if our birthday is the same day..." "We need to talk to my parents. Now." Rainbow shot off without another word. Daring caught up with her as they neared the spires of Canterlot. "Where's Cloudsdale? I don't see it!" Daring called as they flew. "Around the other side of the mountain." Rainbow replied. They swerved around the mountain's peak and saw the city of clouds. "Well...let's go." Daring said, taking a breath. She pulled out her cloak and put it on. Rainbow nodded, then flew down to her homeland, Daring following. Rainbow landed on the street, which at this time of day was mostly empty. She led Daring down one of the roads. "Mom and dad's place is down this way. I take Scootaloo up here to visit them sometimes." "Why?" Daring asked, voice muffled under the hood on her cloak. "They like seeing her. Since she's my honorary sister, they treat her like their daughter." Rainbow replied "So, they treat a filly that's not even biologically related to them as if she were their daughter, and yet if what we think is true, they gave up their own child?" Daring muttered "Daring, we still aren't sure which one of us they gave up. For all we know, my parents adopted me, and your family is my real one." Rainbow reminded her. "Either way, somepony's got a lot of explaining to do. Besides, I thought we'd already agreed that since my family has no Pegasi relatives that I know of, your parents must be my parents." "Well, maybe your dream was wrong, and our real parents gave both of us away. My mom and dad would still know what happened though. Maybe that's the truth, because my parents would never give up their own child." Rainbow hissed "Are you really so sure about that? In my dream I heard a stallion and a mare talking about giving somepony up to an uncle. My Uncle, Gallant True, looks like me, almost exactly. He's obviously my biological uncle. That means he must be related to one of your parents, and he's who they were talking about." Daring spat. Rainbow stopped suddenly and turned to glare at Daring. "You take that back, my parents would never do that, and if they did it was probably the best thing!" "Are you saying I deserved to be taken away?!" "Of course not, I'm just saying they might have had good intentions!" Rainbow said, putting her head against Daring's. "Rainbow Dash I swear, if you say anything like that again." "Well, Daring Do, if you try to say those things about my parents again..." "You'll what? Sonic Rainboom me?" "It's not supposed to be a weapon Daring!" "What have I told you about shouting my name?" "The street is deserted." "But the way you're yelling we could draw a crowd." Daring snapped, turning away from Rainbow, heading in the direction they'd come from. "Let's just go-" "How long have you been standing there?" Rainbow interrupted. Daring spun back around, her hood flying off as she turned. A Pegasus mare and a stallion were standing in front of them. The stallion had a purple coat, amber eyes, and a rainbow mane. The mare had a short orange mane, magenta eyes, and a blue coat. "Rainbow, we saw you and wanted to say hi. Who is this..." the stallion trailed off as he noticed Daring's mane, eyes, and coat color. He and the mare both looked like they'd seen a ghost. "Mom, dad, meet Daring Do."