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

[Yayoi]

Caraehma listened to her eldest daughter recount the events their father had vaguely made mention to her. Hands folded in her lap. Once Na'ima had finished she raised a singular hand. "You do not need to raise your voice to tell me, Na'ima. Calm yourself."

She understood what Na'ima was feeling. It may have been a while ago but she too was young and full of emotions bursting at the seems. To a point where she just couldn't understand why she was feeling so irrational. But it seemed to be a normal thing with young fillys, once she had grown out of that phase she better understood it.

Her gaze went down to Falair who was idly playing with the hem of her robes. "Did you steal one of the beetles, Falair?"

Falair gave her mother a cheeky grin, lifting the edge of her robe up to cover half her face. "Yes mama."

"You know those are not yours to touch. Do not do it again little one. Those are special beetles to me and hard to replace. I should be able to fix the one you injured but it's temperament may be off now." She sighed lightly. Breeding these special beetles had taken a lot of effort and time to get them just right. To breed the wild out of them. Now this one would be timid. She may need to just completely scrap that one as a loss.

"Also, Na'ima. I see there is mud all over the tent. I can only assume this occurred from you chasing Falair about. I believe you may have prevented such a thing from happening if you had assessed the situation a little more thoughtfully instead of barreling in with a raised voice. Don't you?" Tilting her head slightly, her eyes lidded half way. By now Falair had stood, laying her head in their mother's lap. The older mare absentmindedly picking leaves and twigs out of her daughter's hair.  

[Eight]

"Sorry," Na'ima muttered, lowing her gaze and bowing her head a bit to stare at her lap. Small fingers tugged at her skirt, grasping it tightly with slightly shaking hands. She was going to get in trouble for this. Falair was going to be innocent. Because she's just a baby. But there came hope when mother asked Falair about the beetle, and even scolded her for it. Her heart skipped a beat. Maybe she wouldn't get in trouble. Maybe--

Maybe..what...?

Her head whipped up, jaw dropped. "Wh--but..no! I..I did not go to her with a raised voice! I didn't!" She argued in a panic, "I went and I asked if the beetle was yours and she said no but I saw that it was injured and..a-and I did not..!" Falair was going to win! Again! Why did Falair always win?! Even now she was climbing onto mother's lap and was going to win her over. Again.

She sniffed, blinking her eyes furiously for a moment as she tore her gaze away from their mother.  

[Yayoi]

Both of her eyebrows lifted this time at Na'ima's slight outburst. It was all she needed honestly. Her poor eldest child. Caraehma's heart ached when she could not find a solution to this affliction. Half wishing that this stage in life could just be skipped but she also knew on the other hand that this would lead Na'ima down a path of learning.

Again she raised a hand before placing it back on top of Falair's head. "Do not raise your voice to me, Na'ima Saab." Her voice snapped with authority. Sharp and direct.

"Nana was mean." Falair eyeballed her sister.

"Do not fib, Falair." She swatted the little filly on the rump sharply. Turning back to Na'ima. "What is it that is really bothering you, Na'ima? I don't understand why you are so upset and having these outbursts all the time." She tapped her chin lightly with a finger, mulling through various thoughts.  

[Eight]

There was a sharp intake of breath as mother snapped at her, and even Falair's words sounded like a distant echo to her. Her vision blurred slightly and she sniffed again, shoulders jumping as she fought to keep her composure. She raised an arm to rub her eyes, shaking her head. "I-it is nothing," she lied, choking on her own voice.

Nana was mean.

There was mud all over the tent. Mother was snapping at her. She was in trouble. "I-it's not FAIR! Y-yo-you and fa-a-ather always take her--her side and sh-ee-she never gets in tro-ouble and if she does s-so do I when I d--" She choked again. "I did n--did not do anything! Fala-air ruins ev-everything and it is always m-me who ha-a-as to clean up after her! Sh-she's always making a mess a-and she m-makes me wi-hi-ish she had never been BORN!" Tears fell down her cheeks as she struggled with it all, the backs of her hands pressing to her eyes. She shook her head and even kicked her legs a bit. It wasn't fair! And now she was going to get yelled at again for raising her voice even more when she'd been told not to.  

[Yayoi]

Caraehma sat calmly as Na'ima had her outburst. Letting her get it all out, no matter how childish it seemed. Her daughter would feel better afterward. Instead of keeping it all bottled up inside.

Leaning down, she stroked Falair's head. It hurt her heart to hear the last of Na'ima's words. All she wished was for her daughters to bond and love each other. "Falair, go find papa and ask him to give you a bath." Before she could interject, Caraehma was shooing the filly out of the room.

Taking a seat besides Na'ima she let out a heavy sigh. Leaning her head on top of her daugther's and taking her hand into her own. Giving it a tight squeeze. "You will regret those words someday. Thankfully Falair is too young to even care what it means or remember."

Closing her eyes the mare rubbed her cheek against Na'ima's head before cupping her chin in her hand to turn the filly's face towards her own. Eyes searching her daughters face with a frown. "Na'ima one day I will not be here and I need you to understand this. And I need you to set an example for your sister. You are more alike than you know." She ran her thumb beneath each of her eyes to wipe away the trails of tears. "Your father and I hold you to a higher standard yes, but that is only because you are older and Falair is so young. She would not understand. We do this to prepare you for the future, not out of spite or favoritism. But because we love you and want to make sure that you succeed. That you can be strong if we are for some reason not with you anymore."  

[Eight]

What had she done. What had she done.

Mother was sending Falair away.

What have I done.

Terror had her shaking, her imagination already running wild with all of the terrible things mother would punish her with. She had broken all the rules. She had yelled, she had shouted, she had said terrible things about the precious filly. She was in so much trouble. And mother was sending Falair away so she didn't have to see or hear it. Na'ima whimpered, trembling as mother sat beside her. Mother took her hand and she nearly broke, instead bracing herself for the worst she was sure was about to come. She hadn't prepared herself for gentleness or affection, however.

Na'ima stayed still while mother spoke, her gaze boring into her own lap until a hand coaxed her to look up. What did she mean she wouldn't be here? That was foolish. She would always be there. But mother not being around was less unlikely than the notion that Na'ima and Falair were alike. She didn't see it.

Mother needed to stop saying she wouldn't be there.

Na'ima sniffed again, clearing her throat to fight against the lump building up so she could try and speak. "B-but how can I have a future i-if I am always in trouble?" She managed to get out, her voice a breathless whisper. "Y-you can't go away.."  

[Yayoi]

She could have scolded more. Given out punishments left and right. But in the end at this point of Na'ima's life it was time to move past that. At least for the most part. Her daughter was growing up. Struggling. And no amount of punishments would help her.

So Caraehma approached this moment in her daughter's life with a calm and clear head instead of irritation and aggravation for the way Na'ima was acting.

"What you lack, my dear daughter, is an ability to stop and evaluate the situation before you act. Instead of asking and then demanding of Falair to give you the beetle you offer an exchange. Something she would like for what you want." In all honesty it was something the mare used all the time. She had even used it on Na'ima from time to time. Even other adults on the island. "Do not offer an empty hand expecting something in return."

Turning to look about the room, she smiled. "If you are so worried about being in trouble all the time perhaps it is time for your father and I to consider sending you for apprenticeship." Caraehma chuckled, a smooth throaty laugh. "I don't not plan to."

Eight

 

[Eight]

"But what if I do not know what she wants?" Na'ima asked with a voice heavy with defeat. All Falair had wanted was that beetle. What could she have possibly exchanged for that? She lowered her gaze as much as the older mare would allow, shoulders sagging again.

Na'ima was still mulling over her mother's advice when she brought up apprenticeship. After all this? Really? Her eyes widened, jaw dropping slightly. "Really?"  

[Yayoi]

"Young filly wants are very simple. If you do not over think it I am sure you will succeed." Half the time she used simple candies and sweets. Those usually did the trick but Na'ima would have to figure that out on her own. A mother could not give away all her secrets.

She nodded. "I think its time. And it will get you out of the house. In fact..." Standing up from the bed she turned, smoothing out her robes. "I have the perfect person for you to apprentice under." Oh yes, he would do Na'ima good. And hopefully calm her down. Now all she needed was to pass the idea along to her husband, but the mare usually got what she wanted.

"In the mean time, I want this mud cleaned up Na'ima. Before dinner time. I need to go and check on your father. See how the bathing adventure is going." Falair would probably be clean but her husband was surly to be half sopping wet by the time he got her out of the tub and in clean clothes. But as she had gone to turn to leave her daughter's room a high pitched giggle came from the hallway and a call from her husband about how Falair was running about in the nude.

It was always an adventure with her daughters.  

[Eight]

The perfect person?! Really?! Na'ima looked completely amazed. Who could it be? Surely someone mother had a great respect for if she already had them in mind. Did she know them?

What?! She still had to clean up the mud?! How was that--ugh. Fine. She groaned, bowing her head and nodding with a quiet 'yes, mother'. She had almost finished cleaning the mud from lunch time, now she had to finish that and the new mud. Stupid Falair.

However, as her mother rose from the bed she looked up at her again, admiring her as she moved. Always so calm even when she was angry..

"W-wait..mother..." Na'ima rose from the bed as well, tightly holding one of her veils in her hands and wringing it anxiously. "I...I am sorry I said bad things about Falair.." She then frowned, chewing on her lip and looking down at the ground before looking up at her mother again. "I love you, mother."  

[Yayoi]

Turning from the partition, Caraehma merely smiled. "She is your only sister, you will need her as much as she will need you. Do not forget that. A sister is your first best friend. Even if you don't feel that way now you will in time."

The love of her daughters was a powerful thing. Caraehma was proud of both, loved both equally. Even if Na'ima thought that she favored Falair more than her. Her love for them was different because each needed a different type of love. It would be a concept hard for Na'ima to grasp at this age.

Taking a few steps towards her, the mare placed a kiss on her eldest daughter's forehead. Lingering for a moment before pulling back. "I love you as well, Na'ima. I always will. Nothing you do could ever make me love you any less and I am proud of you. Do not forget that." With that Caraehma passed through the room partition, heading towards the kitchen to begin preparing for tonight's meal.