Rainbow Dash and Daring Do both sat across from each other, sharing a piercing glare that refused to waver with a scowl set firmly on their faces. Neither noticed that the others had taken spots on either side of them. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie sat on one while Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike balanced the other.
The stare-down lasted for minutes until everyone turned to face Twilight who had cleared her throat in effort to ease the tension in the room.
“How long will you be staying in Ponyville?”
“I’m not exactly sure. It’ll depend on whether or not Dash runs me out of town in a fit.” Daring meekly looked across the room, “How long before then Dash?”
“I have nothing to say to you,” Dash spat.
“Can’t fault a girl for trying,” she said with a tired smile. “Do you have any more questions Ms. Sparkle?”
“Um, it’s just Twilight,” the unicorn said with a sheepish look.
“My apologies. After spending so much time around strange company, you learn to not throw words around carelessly. A habit like that can be difficult to stray away from.”
“It’s fine. Fluttershy mentioned that you were both sisters? And on that note, how do you know Fluttershy? You seem close.”
“Correct. To be precise, we’re fraternal twins. As for Fluttershy, she was actually my best friend before I left for my travels. Between me and Dash, I was the calmer of the two, so she and I hit it off when we met at one of Cloudsdale’s parks. She and Rainbow were just aware of each other’s presence at the time, and they only started to become friends when my sister entered Flight school.”
“I really hate to pry since this seems a little more personal, but do you know why Rainbow attacked you so suddenly? I was under the impression that she looked up to her storybook hero.”
Daring’s pleasant demeanor dropped as she turned her attention to the floor, oblivious to Rainbow’s growing ire. Everyone strained to hear as Daring’s words were but a whisper.
“You see, when we were fillies, my dream was to explore the world. To see and learn about everything the world had to offer. I even wanted to write everything down and publish it so that I could share with everyone what I had learned. Dash thought it was ‘awesome’ and helped me try to accomplish this goal. Said that an adventurer needed to be prepared. So we got into trouble when we decided to go exploring. Somewhere along the way, I got my cutie mark and was even more convinced to explore the world,” Daring spoke with nostalgia as she turned to look at the golden compass rose on her flank. “It wasn’t until a few years after Rainbow earned her own cutie mark that I got my chance.” Her frowned deepened as she took note of the snarl forming on Dash’s lips.
“My aunt Compass Rose had come to visit. She was a cartographer and was passing through Cloudsdale at the time. When she saw my cutie mark, she asked if I would like to join her on her travels. Naturally, I said yes. The only problem was going to convince my parents to let me go. Dash suggested that we split up, and try to warm up our parents to idea. After a day or so, we finally convinced them to let me join Aunt Rose. Before I left, I said my goodbyes to everyone and had even promised to stay in touch with everyone. I never kept that promise. I might as well have dropped off the face of Equestria since no one had heard from me in a long time. And when Rainbow Dash saw me, she relapsed into her favorite method of revenge from years ago. Violence.” Daring had hung her head as everyone continued to stare at her in rapt attention.
“Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, but something is plaguing my mind,” Everyone’s attention focused on the other unicorn in the room.
“First, let me get this out of the way. Rainbow Dash, I’m a little insulted that you haven’t told us this interesting bit of information.” She paid no heed to the flaring of Rainbow’s nostril. “I can’t seem to wrap my head around the apparent fact that you’re related to such a charming young mare when your current standing in that department could use…some…eh…work. Not to mention that you didn’t bother telling us about your troubles, darling. We could have helped.”
Dash’s ears flattened against her skull as she ground her teeth while avoiding the disappointed look directed at her in an effort to control the bottled anger and growing guilt.
“I’m going to assume that Rainbow Dash never talked about me.”
Rainbow Dash snorted. Twilight decided to speak up next, slightly hurt at not being trusted with such a vital part of her friend’s life.
“Rainbow, why didn’t you tell us you had a sister?”
“Like the way you told us about your older brother the day you got his wedding invite? No thanks. I’d rather keep my oh-so-amazing sister in the dark,” Rainbow Dash snapped at the lavender unicorn, causing her to recoil in surprise.
“Rainbow, that’s no way to speak to your friends. They’re just concerned about you,” Daring spoke softly as she turned towards the sulking pegasus.
“Just like the concern you showed for me? Considering the only experience I had with it was yours, and you have to admit, you weren’t the best role model or teacher Daring,” Rainbow snarled at the other pegasus.
“That’s not fair Dash! I did the best that I could!”
“If you did your best, I would have a stupid note every once in a while telling me you’re ok. I would have had an address to send my sister an occasional letter to tell her what’s been going on. Not to mention that I was still a filly! I never heard from you so how did I know you weren't dead in a hole somewhere? You know Aunt Rose can't mail a letter to save her life! You made a promise and you broke it Daring!”
Dash stood up and moved closer to her sister before stopping in the center of the circle. She bowed her head, daring the tan flier to meet her halfway. Not one to disappoint, she stood up and moved towards the blue pegasus waiting for her.
“Why do you think I’m here? I realized that what I did was wrong, and I came back to fix it,” Daring replied with gritted teeth.
Rainbow growled in response as she flew up into the air, and locked onto her sister’s gaze.
“You just don’t get it! You abandoned me Daring! You weren’t there, and you promised that you’d be! ” she quickly flapped her wings in order to push Daring backwards as her voice grew louder with every word. “You weren’t there when I moved to Ponyville. You weren’t there when mom and dad had that accident. And you certainly weren’t there when I was depressed about it afterwards! Do you know how hard it is to go through that alone? Let me tell you, it’s not easy. I was a mess. I complete and utter mess!”
Fluttershy’s ears drooped in sadness at the memory. Twilight made a move to stop them, horn beginning to glow, but was softly held in place by a yellow hoof. Looking up to meet the yellow mare’s blue eyes, she let the glow dissipate and returned to her seated position at the understood command.
Let them sort it out themselves. They need to let it out.
The other spectators began to wonder if it was a good idea to leave the pegasi alone, nervous about the possibility of another fight, flinching as Rainbow’s voice rose in pitch.
“Where were you when I won the Best Young Fliers Competition? I pulled off the Sonic Rainboom, and it was awesome to see, but you wouldn’t know because you weren’t there. Or when I risked my life against Nightmare Moon! How about when Discord took over?” Daring was silent as an eerie calm took over her sister. “I became you Daring. I just left and never looked back, abandoning everything I cared about.”
Magenta eyes mirrored each other, down to the same glistening tears.
“What were you doing while I was in the hospital with a broken wing? That was when I finally sucked up my pride and read your stupid book, did you know that? Do you know why I finally read your book?” Rainbow’s face was already tear stricken as she continued to fling memory after memory at her sister.
Daring shrunk back bit by bit at each sentence, realizing just how much she missed while she was gone. It wasn’t until that she felt her back hit the wall behind her that her tears were beginning to slowly escape as she nodded her head no. Rainbow Dash looked down as she continued her rant.
“It was because I missed you.”
Daring’s breath hitched in her throat.
“You know I bought each one of your books? Even the sappy romance ones? They’re sitting on a shelf in my room. Every single one you’ve ever written. I couldn’t stand to look at the damn things. It wasn’t until I was in the hospital that I started to read them. I was tired, I missed you, and the book was right there.”
Tears were falling freely from Daring eyes as she witnessed Dash choke back a sob. Their gaze broke as a rainbow mane covered the cyan mare’s face, shrouding her emotions from any intruders.
“Closest thing I had to my sister where those books, and I didn’t even open the stupid things until this year. I couldn’t bring myself to read them. All this time has passed, and not even a stinking birthday card or a get well card, or even a simple, ‘Hey! I miss you! Love, Daring’ note.” Daring flattened herself against the wall as she prepared for the inevitable explosion.
Rainbow’s mouth may not be talking, but her body certainly was. Lean muscles quivered and both her ears and tail twitched in agitation. As she began to shift to her weight from side to side, her chest heaved in a vain attempt to control her anger.
Heartbeats pounded inside Daring mind, fearful and cautious of her sister’s reaction.
Rainbow’s control snapped as she observed Daring’s cowering form. In a split second, her head snapped up and she frantically beat powerful wings at the body in front of her. Time seemed to slow as each flap narrowly missed its target and a gust of wind viciously tore at Daring’s face, blowing her grayscale mane every which way. Magenta eyes clenched shut as her head ducked in an effort to avoid the feathers.
To the sandy brown mare, Rainbow’s words felt so far away, mind fogging over as the words stretched and echoed.
“-rteen years Daring! You were gone fourteen years! I was barely a full-grown mare, preparing to move out and be independent for the first time in my life, and you weren’t there because you left and never looked back! You abandoned me Daring!”
“…orry…”
Rainbow Dash froze. Ears pricked forward as they struggled to hear the soft words beneath her.
“I’m sorry,” Daring spoke with more conviction before her voice began to break and fail her. “You’re right. I was gone for years and not once did I try to make contact. I’m really sorry if you thought I abandoned you. I-I…I didn’t mean to… I must have just gotten carried away with everything.
It wasn’t until I was writing my recent book that I realized just how much time had passed and all that I missed. I wasn’t there when you became an Element of Harmony, or when our parents were in the hospital, or when you left flight school, or even when you got detention in flight school; and I know you did too, you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t. I deeply regret it, and I can only hope you can forgive me.”
Dash looked up to face Daring, before standing in directly front of her. The rainbow maned mare was taken back when she noticed the watery maroon eyes before her had steeled over.
“If I wrote those letters when I had the chance, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Do you want to know something Rainbow Dash?” Daring Do stood up on shaky legs. Managing to steady herself from in her swaying body, she locked eyes with the blue pegasus. Dash was shocked by the intensity boring into her.
“I thought about you all the time in fact. To the point where I based Daring Do after you. She may look like me, but personality-wise, she’s a less rash version of you. I’d sit there in the jungle or in the desert with Aunt Rose, and the only thing I could think of was, ‘I bet Dash would love this’, or ‘Dash would get a kick out of diving off that waterfall’, and even a ‘That is definitely something Dash would say’. Whenever I was reminded of you, I’d write it down. I thought that maybe, if I kept writing, it’d make me miss you less. I was hoping that it would seem as if you were there with me, but it didn’t work.”
Dash watched with a neutral face as Daring sunk down to the floor with every sentence.
“Every time something happened, I thought of sending you a letter about it, but then it’d think, ‘I’ll do it later. The day is still young’. But, tomorrow came and went. Next thing I know, fourteen years have passed and not once had I talked to you. For that, I really am deeply sorry.”
Rainbow Dash thought that it was a miracle that Daring could still talk through all her tears. She sadly looked at the pitiful form of her sister whose eyes were red from crying, mane was hanging low over her face, and was lying on the floor with hooves cradling her head.
“I wanted to start over. Make peace with you. I know I can’t turn back time, but I do want the chance to make new memories with you. It won’t be the same, especially since I have fourteen years of memories to make up. Can we call a truce? At the very least, a temporary one?”
Daring Do stood up and held an outstretched hoof towards her younger twin, fidgeting nervously as Rainbow stared at the offered hoof before her. The voice that followed the silence was so loud in her head that she jumped in shock.
“Want to know something Daring?”
She nervously looked at the cyan mare.
“W-what is it?”
“The Element of Loyalty is an interesting thing. It can be fickle and confusing. Sometimes I don’t know what I’m supposed to be loyal to. Myself. Family. My friends. The Princesses. Equestria. It makes my head hurt if I think about it too much, but one thing I’ve learned about Loyalty is that you never actually turn your back on the important things if they’re really important to you. I’ve made that mistake a couple times, and it never ended pretty.”
Daring sat down and dropped her hoof in realization.
It’s over. There’s probably no hope for redemption at this point. I’ve completely betrayed her very essence. How did I not notice? She’s been loyal while I haven’t, even after all I’ve done. That’s it. It’s over. Here and now. I was stupid to think that this would work...
“The funny thing about Loyalty though, is that it cares and it can forgive.”
Daring’s ears perked up at her sisters words.
“No matter what you did, you came back. You made a mistake, but not one that can’t be fixed. And in the end, I’m still loyal to my friends. To my family. It’s a strong feeling. It’s one of the strongest feelings I’ve ever experienced, and it’s one that I trust above all others. You want a second chance, and deep down, you and I both know that I’ll give you that second chance.”
Rainbow Dash held out a hoof to the fallen pegasus.
“Deep down, I know you’re still my sister, the sister that learned to fly with me. You’re still the sister that partied with me when I got my cutie mark. And deep down, I know you’re still the polite, well-mannered, friend I had all those years ago that could never beat me in a race. I have to forgive you. Even just a little. Enough so that you can show me just how much loyalty you have inside. You’re my big sister.” Dash eyes narrowed. “But don’t forget this one thing, I may be giving you a second chance, but don’t expect me to completely forgive you just yet.”
Daring’s eyes welled up with tears once again as she rejected the offered hoof and instead tackled her sister in a bear hug that rivaled that of an actual bear. Rainbow Dash chuckled softly at Daring’s behavior.
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
“You haven’t changed. You’re still Daring Do Dash after all this time.”
Daring suddenly squeezed, eliciting a grunt of protest from the sky blue mare.
“That’s not my name. Stop calling me that.”
“I think it’s funny, it’s guaranteed to get your attention, you hate it, you become more awesome when my name is added to yours, and it’s my job to be an annoying little sister. So, no. I’m not going to stop calling you that Do Dash.”
The tan mare sighed as she buried her face in familiar rainbow tresses with a smile.
“You know what…I don’t even care right now. But for future reference, my name is Daring Do. Not any other name you come up with at the top of your head.”
“Whatever.”
They became silent as they were soon lost in the moment.
“Does this mean we’re not going on the picnic?”
The sisters ended their embrace as they joined the sea of baffled eyes directed at Spike. Seconds later, they heard stifled giggles coming from the twin pegasi. Once all eyes were on the mares, they couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out in laughter.
There were two thoughts within everyone’s minds.
One was, “They look more like sisters than they realize.”
The other, “Oh sweet Celestia… there’s two of them now… in the same place… at the same time… Celestia help us…”