[Flashback PRP] Sand Sisters (Falair x Na'ima)

[Yayoi]

It had rained during the night but by morning the Famine island was bathed in sunshine once more. Dark clouds lingered on the horizon, threatening another rain dump but they were just empty threats. Low rumbling of thunder in the distance.

None of the island residents seemed bothered by it though. It was normal weather from time to time. And so as day broke they all began to go about their business. Some spent some time shaking out the puddles that had collected on top their tented homes. Water seemed into the damp ground. Larger collections of it streamed down the streets. The island was buzzing like a hive once more.

Falair had awoken rather early, gobbled down a small breakfast then run out the door to play with the group of little kids that she normally ran amok with. She would spend a good majority of the morning scampering about with them before returning to the large family tent for lunch. When she did, she came in covered in mud and dirt. Sticks and leaves stuck in her short blue hair. Her mother could only give an amused look at her youngest. There was no point in suggesting a bath at this point, Falair would just run out and get dirty again.

Once lunch was done, the young filly went back outside. Settling on playing in a shrinking mud puddle next to the tent. Building a mud castle. She had swiped one of father's beetles, making it the princess of the castle. "No no stay in there, you need to eat your mud pies so you grow big and strong and can have many buggie babies when your prince comes to save you."

Eight

 

[Eight]

It was disgusting out, all the mud and water everywhere, so unlike some fillies, Na'ima had stayed inside all day. She read, she studied, she painted a few scarves and veils, and she even attempted to make some jewelry. It was at lunch that she realized just how disgusting outside it was, and it was Na'ima who was left with cleaning up the mess Falair had made through the tent. How could mother and father be so okay with this? She was dirtying their home! It was unruly and disgusting! And it was annoying when she was the one left cleaning it up.

"Na'ima," called her father, his gentle voice tearing her attention off the dirt she was sweeping up. Na'ima blinked and looked up. "Have you seen a scarab? I had three..I seem to be missing one. Your mother will never let me hear the end of it if I lose one of her beetles.."

Na'ima blinked again. "Ah...no, I have not."

"...buggie babies when your prince comes to save you..."

Wait..

She looked toward the exit of the tent. Did she just..?

The broom was handed off to the stallion who took it with a look of bewilderment. "I think I know where it went," she grumbled as she made her way outside. And sure enough there was Falair. With a castle. And a scarab beetle.

"Falair, is that one of mother's beetles?" Na'ima asked with clear disapproval, frowning and crossing her arms.  

[Yayoi]

Shoving her small hands into the mud castle, Falair rooted around until she found the beetle that had taken to hiding in the wet dirt. A large grin on her face as she pulled it out.

When Na'ima stepped out of the tent, the young filly didn't turn to look at first. But when she questioned about the beetle Falair held it up by a leg in each hand."Nu-uh it's papa's." She made it dance in the air, showing the mud covered bug to her big sister. The beetle made a high pitched noise of disapproval. Then one that seemed to scream 'save me save me!' "See she wants to be a pretty princess and dance. And eat mud pies till her prince comes and they can have buggie babies and live happily ever after."

Giggling loudly, Falair flopped back into the mud. Hugging the beetle to her chest as she kicked her legs. Mud flying all about.  

[Eight]

Everything within Na'ima screamed 'no, no, no, no, no!' when Falair held the poor beetle up by its legs. What was she doing to it?! What if she broke off one of its legs?! They were delicate! She stepped forward, hands out and ready to try and take the beetle back in the least painful way possible.

"It belongs to mother, she is just letting father borrow i--be careful, Falair!" She was going to kill it! Inside Na'ima was screaming, and it very nearly escaped her when Falair flopped back and started flinging mud around. She raised bony arms to try and block as much of the mud as she could. "Falair! You're going to kill it if you keep doing that!"  

[Yayoi]

She stopped rolling about in the mud, sitting upright now. Falair kept the beetle clutched to her chest, stroking it's smooth back with one hand. Frowning lightly at Na'ima's raised voice. "Nana don't know beetles. They don't die from mud." The beetle squirmed and flailed it's legs at being held tightly, one of it's legs seemed to be broken as it barely moved and when it did it was an awkward type of movement.

Falair looked at Na'ima's hand then back to her face. Back at her hand, then her face. Hand, face, hand, face. "No! She is waiting for her prince!" Scrambling out of the mud puddle the filly ran towards the entrance of the tent, leaving a trail of muddy foot prints behind her. "You'll kill her!"  

[Eight]

"I am not saying the mud will kill it, I am saying you hugging it will." Na'ima lowered her hands and looked to the beetle again, spotting the broken leg easily. "Falair! You broke its leg! Mother is going to be so upset!"

And then Falair took off. Na'ima groaned, rubbing her face and shaking her head. Why, why, why couldn't she have a normal sister? It took her a minute to realize just where Falair had run off too, she'd run into the tent. Slowly Na'ima's hands lowered from her face and she looked to their tent entrance with a look of utter horror. "FALAIR!" She shrieked as she took off running after the younger filly. "Falair, stop!"

Their father poked his head out from between one of the curtained off entryways into a room the two young fillies ran past. "What are you.."

Na'ima ran by, startling him with the fact that she was running. "Falaaaaaair!"  

[Yayoi]

Falair squealed as she ran through the tent. Barreling through cloth partitions as she moved from room to room. Still clutching the beetle to her chest. "Papa Nana is being mean!" She didn't stop running about though when she darted past the stallion. Finally making a beeline for their parent's bedroom.

She quickly glanced around, trying to decide her next move. The filly wasn't going to let her sister take the beetle so easily. Having decided that the beetle was her's now. After all, she had built a castle for the bug and fed it. Obviously it was now her responsibility to take care of it. Running in place she finally decided to hide beneath their bed. Wiggling her small body into the tight space, oblivious to the trail of mud she had left behind that obviously gave away her hiding spot.

The beetle squealed. "Shhhh, quiet. Its ok. I won't let her take you away."

Eight

 

[Eight]

Na'ima followed her into their parent's room without hesitation. She stood in the entryway, arms out to block Falair's only exit without endangering the integrity of the tent structure. "Falair. You are going to hurt it. Do you not care about the beetle? About mother and father's feelings? They like that beetle, and you are hurting it. And scaring it."

Lies. All lies.

Yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

Her bottom lip wibbled at her sister's words. She loved the beetle. More than anyone else could. There was no way she was hurting or scaring it. It loved her too she could tell!

Moving further back under the bed, she pet the beetle's smooth back. "Its my beetle."

Eight

 

[Eight]

She sighed and got down on the ground so she could see under the bed. "No, sister, it is not. Father asked me to get it back for him so mother will not be cross with him."

Na'ima frowned. "Do you want mother to be angry at father?"

Yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

Silence as she stared out at her sister who had now gotten down on the floor. A sniffle then a tiny "No..."

Falair stroked the beetle's back a few more times before opening her hand and letting it crawl away. More like limp away really as one of it's legs was broken and another seemed on the verge of it. The noise it made was almost one of victory as it scrambled away from the filly as fast as it's legs could carry it.

Eight

 

[Eight]

There came a jingle of jewelry and the brush of a long robe over Na'ima as their father stepped over her to collect the released and injured beetle. He gently scooped it up off the ground and held it with tender care, making a sound of disappointment when he realized the condition it was in. "Thank you, Na'ima," he sighed.

Na'ima's eyes widened. She could feel her heart sink into her stomach. "You're welcome, fath--"

"Now if you'll both wait in your room for your mother to return," he continued before turning to walk out of the room. Na'ima gasped. What?! Why her?! She hadn't done anything wrong! That wasn't fair!

"But..!"

"Both of you, Na'ima."

He disappeared into his work room again and Na'ima turned a narrow-eyed glare at Falair. She slapped the floor with her hands and pushed herself up to her feet before storming off to the room she and Falair shared and sitting down on her bed, arms crossed and eyes filled with tears.

Yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

After a moments hesitation Falair finally wiggled her way out from underneath the bed. Rubbing her eye with the palm of her hand, smudging the already drying mud that was on her face even more.

She knew Na'ima was upset, but in all honesty it was a common thing with her sister so she rarely payed it any mind. Though instead of walking into that bombshell she merely settled to sitting on her feet outside the partition that separated their room from the rest of house.

After a minute she began to hum softly to herself a happy little tune. Swaying side to side. "One buggie likes leafs, one buggie likes meats, one buggie likes sweets, and they eats eats eats..." Falair tapped her fingers against her knees with no particular rhythm.

Eight

 

[Eight]

Na'ima sniffed, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand and then crossing her arms again. Her lip trembled but she fought against it, managing not to whimper or cry more than the few tears trying to fall free. It wasn't fair. She didn't do anything wrong. It was Falair again. It was always Falair. Why did she always have to get in trouble too?

And where was Falair?! Father had said--oh. There she was.

"Falair, father said we are to wait in our room until mother comes for us," she called out, her voice thick with typical pre-teen rage. "Get in here or I'll tell mother and father you disobeyed them. Again."

Yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

Falair moved her foot so that it was inside the room, toes peeking out from beneath the partition. "I am in." He didn't specify that her entire body had to be in the room.

Eight