//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11 
// Story: Speed of a Different Dash 
// by entiegon 
//------------------------------//

(WW)



Meeting Adagio Dazzle was not what Rainbow Dash had expected at all. She still looked the same, with her yellowish skin and her orange hair which always seemed to look like it had gone through some massive tumble dryer, not to mention her piercing red eyes. But it was how she acted that completely freaked Rainbow Dash out.

Where before – during the Battle of the Bands – Adagio was a known sadistic and manipulative schemer who loved playing with dark magic and forcing everyone to love her (at least, that’s what the Rainbooms thought of her), this Adagio Dazzle wasn’t so dark. Yes, she tolerated her sisters and their antics, and she was highly intelligent, but the magic she seemed to work with was more like the friendship magic that Rainbow was used to. And, though she clearly still manipulated to some degree, it was more unintentional than anything else.

But one major difference that Rainbow Dash noticed was Adagio’s want to help others and generally focus on people who weren’t herself. And it freaked her out big time when, after arriving at the massive mansion that Adagio called home, Dash saw the siren replica standing at the front door waiting for her. Having not heard hide nor hair of the sirens in her own world after their defeat, she was having a hard time getting her mind around the fact that these people that surrounded her in Fluttershy’s family minivan knew the sirens… or at least their replicas. 

Not even when Applejack and Twilight Sparkle helped her into the wheelchair that she had been forced to borrow to get to the mansion, could Rainbow even begin to understand how these people could be friends with people she believed to be evil. Then again, half of that disbelief was probably because she couldn’t understand how the siren replicas had managed to get their hands on such a massive mansion if magic wasn’t supposed to exist in this world.

The mansion was that big, it had to have an entire block just for the front yard if not more. There was a fully functioning fountain in the middle of the driveway complete with seahorses spouting water into the massive basin while balancing a platform with a giant penguin of all things on their heads, so it had to be massive. And the building behind it looked more like a miniature castle than a house. The covered entryway alone looked like it could house a miniature truck and still have room for people to move around under it. 

So, with the fact that she was staring at something that looked like it had just popped up out of some cheesy fantasy movie that Sweetie Belle probably made her friends watch, it really wasn’t too surprising that Rainbow Dash was wide-eyed at the scene before her. Nor was it surprising (to Rainbow, at least) that she was staring at Adagio’s outstretched hand once the latter had reached the bottom of the stairs to greet her guests, considering what was going on in her mind. 

Eventually, Rainbow realised that the siren copy actually wanted to help and greet her with that same outstretched hand and not magically whisk her away only to lock her up somewhere and drain all her magic out of her. Of course, this realisation had to come with the words spoken that accompanied said outstretched hand.

“ So you’re the Rainbow Dash Sunset was talking about earlier. It’s nice to meet you.” The yellow haired girl said, a warm smile gracing her face. “ Judging by your reactions, I gather you already know who I am?”

“ Adagio Dazzle, former world dominating siren from Equestria.” Rainbow replied darkly, still eyeing Adagio, though this time her line of sight had travelled from hand to face.

“ I can assure you, I am not who you think I am. Now come. Let’s get you inside so that we may talk more privately.”

Without another word, Adagio waved her outstretched fingers just slightly towards her. the next thing Rainbow Dash knew was that her body was being lifted out the wheelchair and onto her feet of its own accord. Behind her, a number of voices called out in both shock and horror, all focussing towards Adagio, but it was background noise. Rainbow was more ecstatic about the fact that her legs were holding up her weight once more. She hadn’t even realised that life had found its way back into them, she had been so focussed on other things.

A small chuckle managed to escape from Adagio at the look on Rainbow Dash’s face, making the rainbow haired girl look back over to her with mixed emotions clearly showing. “ You were ready to stand as soon as you passed those gates over there. Now come. The tea should be ready by now. If you would like, Fluttershy, you may leave your car keys with Belvadair and he will find a parking spot for your minivan.”

With that, Adagio led the group up the stairs and into the house, passing a tall man with light brown skin and blue and silver hair who was bowing and had his hand out, ready to accept Fluttershy’s keys. Applejack, however, walked beside Rainbow Dash just in case her legs gave way underneath her as she walked while Sunset folded up the wheelchair and returned it to boot of the minivan where it had been kept during the car ride. 

The inside of the mansion wasn’t that much different from the outside in the sense that it was massive. However, the inside looked more like something from ancient times with all its pillars running down the length of the large hallway and leading to yet another massive stairway which led up to the second floor. But Adagio didn’t go up those stairs like Rainbow had thought. Instead, she led the group down a hallway to the left and into the third door on the right. Applejack had to pull Rainbow Dash along just so she wouldn’t go up the stairs and get lost.

And, just like everything else – as Rainbow Dash noted – this new room was massive. An elegant looking chandelier was the only source of light within the enclosed room. There was a fireplace on the side wall, but it was currently not in use. In the far corner stood a grand piano, much like the one that Rarity had once dragged into band practice with help from the Diamond Dog Boys. An acoustic guitar also sat in the corner, which Rainbow Dash eyed before being dragged over to sit at the group of lounges in front of the fireplace.

“ Can I interest anyone in some tea or hot chocolate?” Adagio asked, indicating to the warm beverages sitting on the table in front of them.

Rainbow Dash watched silently as the other six girls she had arrived with accepted either one drink or the other. She even watched Adagio pour herself some tea. But she was more concerned with what else could be in the drinks other than just tea or hot chocolate. It was clear to the others that she didn’t really trust their Adagio Dazzle, which in turn made them wonder what it was that the Adagio Dazzle from Rainbow’s world had done. And this was all despite the fact that Rainbow had summarised it just the night before.

Adagio, however, chose to ignore the suspicion that her guest was treating her with, instead choosing to take a sip of her tea before starting the conversation.

“ So, what brings you to my lovely abode?” She asked.

“ We need help.” Fluttershy said quietly.

“ I gathered. But why do you need me of all people?”

“ Because we don’t know how to get this Rainbow Dash back into her own world, how to get our Rainbow Dash back home, or why they even swapped places in the first place.” Twilight replied, a little rushed.

“ Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. You’ve been playing around with your gadgets again, haven’t you?”

“ Why is it always a bad thing that I like science?”

“ To be honest, I am completely fine with you studying science and so is everyone else in this room. It’s just, even in science, there are things that just shouldn’t be messed with. And, unfortunately, you have a bad habit of creating things that are perfect in finding the stuff that shouldn’t be found. In fact, I’m pretty sure I told you not to go collecting anything with those gadgets this week.”

“ You did?”

“ Yes. Two weeks ago.”

“ I must have forgotten. Sorry.”

Twilight had the decency to look embarrassed as Adagio gave her a small but smug grin. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, had managed to pull herself from her silence. 

“ Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me that you knew that I was going to show up in this world?” 

Adagio returned her focus to the rainbow haired girl. “ Did we not establish this?”

“ How can you know about the future?”

“ It’s quite simple considering you-”

That was when the conversation was interrupted by an extremely loud bang coming from the far wall as someone tried to make a new wall decoration using a door that Rainbow had managed to overlook when she had entered the room herself. Beyond the sound of the bang came the sound of a very excited squeal, almost akin to Pinkie Pie, especially when the squeal seemed to reverberate through everyone’s heads as well as the mansion they sat in.

Around her, Rainbow Dash noticed a number of worried looks being passed around with the exception of Pinkie Pie who was smiling excitedly and threatening to jump right out of her seat. Even Adagio was doing a slow motion faceplant when her sigh caught Rainbow’s attention. But the thing that sent shivers down Rainbow’s spine was not the familiar sounding squeal or the dread that, for some reason, felt like it was slowly thickening the air; it was the simple fact that someone was touching her hair. 

She didn’t know how, but she could sense someone else’s fingers skimming through her rainbow locks and making her head feel like it wanted to shrivel up. And the only person she allowed to ever touch her hair – other than the odd hair dresser on those rare occasions – was herself. So it was understandable that she had frozen where she sat thanks to the touch. Rainbow was also thankful to Applejack, who had noticed her tense up and gotten a serious look to her features.

“ Sonata Dusk! How many times have Ah told ya ta keep yer hands offa Rainbow Dash’s head!” the farm girl growled as she turned to face whoever was behind the lounge she sat on.

“ Sorry, sorry. It’s just… rainbows…” Sonata stuttered, standing up and whipping her hands behind her back so as to keep them out of any more trouble.

“ Ah know. Just… go sit next to yer sister.”

Adagio finally removed her hand from her face, returning to gaze at Rainbow Dash, as Sonata sulkily made her way over to the other lounge.

“ You’ll have to excuse her. She has a disturbing fetish for hair.” The older of the siren sisters deadpanned. “ Now, as I was saying, my sisters and I are, in a sense, similar to you, Rainbow Dash.”

“ How so?” Rainbow asked, running her fingers through her hair just to get her head to relax.

“ Magic, duh.” A third voice answered, once more sending a chill down Rainbow’s spine.

From the same door that Adagio had led the group through, a shadow emerged. By voice and figure, this newcomer was definitely female. She also had her hair styled in pig-tails, though her clothes obviously styled a darker personality. Yet, Rainbow Dash was quick to notice that nothing seemed to have changed much between her world’s Aria Blaze and this world’s Aria Blaze. One just had to look at her to realise that she was a trouble-maker.

“ Isn’t that why you’re all here?” Aria continued, placing her left hand on the top of the couch her sisters were sitting on.

“ Actually, we came for help in figuring out how to send this Rainbow Dash back home to her world and bringing back our Rainbow Dash… preferably before something bad happens.” Sunset explained.

“ Yeah, like I lose my legs entirely!” Rainbow added in a slight panic.

Applejack sighed, like they had been over this before. 

“ Yer not gonna lose yer legs, Dash. You’ll lose feelin’ in yer legs, but ya won’t lose yer legs entirely. I already told ya that mah Rainbow Dash is paraplegic, not an amputee. She still has her legs, she jus’ can’t use ‘em.” She said.

“ Regardless,” Adagio spoke up before any true panic could arise, “ We will help you, Rainbow Dash. But in order to do so, we’re going to need time; figure out if your magic has anything to do with why you’re here. We may even need to do some tests, I don’t know. For now, though, try not to get into too much trouble.”