As Rainleaf kept slipping in and out of her coma, she heard sections of the captain's conversation with his boss.

"She needs to die right after..." The boss was saying.

She struggled to remain consciousness, but it was a losing fight. The captain's boss turned around and Rainleaf was able to catch a glimpse of him. Then everything went black. Again.

~

The next day...

~

Rainleaf blinked open her eyes, just in time to see her siblings being carried into a... Cage, I think, Rainleaf thought. But why would the boss, whoever he is, need my siblings? Oh, wait a wing flap. I think I remember what he looked like and what his name was...

Rainleaf ran a mental scan of all the possible pegasi she had met plus their names, through her mind. Ah-ha! Rainleaf remembered his name. Brackentail!

Ah, yes. Brackentail, It was that voice again! As my friend once said, "Once a betrayer, always a betrayer." She was a wise, wise, mare... The voice, once again (Rainleaf was getting annoyed by that), drifted off.

"Brackentail!" Rainleaf nickered. "Let my siblings go!"

Brackentail, surprised by his name being called, lifted his head curiously.

"Rainleaf, you're awake!" Brackentail trotted cheerfully towards her.

"How do you know my name?" Snapped Rainleaf. "I barely know you!"

"Now, that, Rainleaf, is where you are wrong," Brackentail stood confidently above her. "Let me tell you a story. It all happened before you or your siblings were born. Riversun, Petalcloud and Nightwing's filly, was growing up to be a beautiful mare. She won all the stallions' hearts, including mine. Even though it was only a little time and Riversun was tiny, she was raised by Petalcloud and Nightwing, and they expected her to have only the best. So, Riversun held a competition and made challenges for all the young stallions participating. I was one of the older and more experienced stallions. Riversun made outrageous challenges, but guess who always ended on top? Your sire. He was the only one who made me worried if Riversun would pick someone other than me. And guess what? I lost. Riversun picked your father, not me. So, after you were born I decided to pay a visit to your parents. Riversun, although raised by Stormtail, was sweet, kind, loving, and reminded me of Shadepebble, actually. But Riversun was perfect, which I'm sure you would probably guess. Anyflaps, I knew she was perfect, for me. Not for your imperfect father. I decided right then and there that they would pay."

Brackentail suddenly didn't look so angry. He looked, sad.

"I'm sure you didn't hurt them though, right?" Rainleaf saw Brackentail painfully remember that day. Fear rose within Rainleaf. "You didn't have anything to do with them never being seen again? Right? Tell me I'm right Brackentail!"

"Rainleaf," Brackentail swallowed. "I was young, angry, and naive. Unfortunately, Rainleaf, you're wrong. I, I killed your parents. I'm really sorry, I am! Please forgive me?"

Rainleaf stared at her siblings and knew they had heard everything too. She knew what happened, and she now knew who her mother was.

"Who is my father?" Rainleaf lifted her tear stained eyes to meet Brackentail's. And made sure not to have any tears fall to the ground, in case Brackentail didn't know about her starfire.

"That would be..." Brackentail walked closer to her, ready to whisper the secret into her ear. "Now!"

The huge stallion, now Rainleaf recognized as Stormtail, found her weak spot and knocked her out.

"You and your siblings will make great bargaining tools. You three, for Morningleaf. Fair trade, in my opinion." Brackentail smiled. "Don't worry, the story was true, but not the sadness. Oh, and you can keep your forgiveness"

That was the last thing she heard until everything went black. For the third time! This was really getting on Rainleaf's nerves.