Sunset continued sitting in silence and shock, unsure of how everyone would react at seeing her seemingly guilty of committing theft, let alone with such a valuable and cherished necklace to Applejack. It didn't help that Rainbow still distrusted her, especially with her constant belief that Sunset was still a thief. Not knowing how to proceed, Sunset took a couple more moments to process everything, including that previous theory that the pegasus thief must've planted the necklace into her saddlebag when she wasn't looking. Instinctively, she came out with the first few words to at least attempt explaining herself, despite now looking rather guilty.
"Everyone..." Sunset began, doing her best to stay calm and professional. "I know this looks bad, but I promise you... this isn't what it looks like."
"Sunset... I made an oath to protect that necklace for the rest of my life, as Granny's last wish before she was taken from us all." Applejack said with disbelief.
"Please, Applejack." Sunset insisted. "When I said I wasn't a thief anymore, and would do anything for all my friends, I really meant that. You... you've gotta believe me!"
"Well too late now!" Rainbow smirked. "It looks like we'll have to count that as a mistrial, and you'll be the one who gets punished instead!"
Sunset was praying for a miracle internally now, hoping that someone here would still vouch for her. Some of them had already known the unicorn long enough to know she would never do something so awful and selfish as this. It almost seemed to be in vain, as Applejack and Rainbow Dash already seemed to believe that this wasn't the case at all, and that Sunset really stole it. She had been nothing but kind to all these ponies these past couple of days, and it almost appeared as though this incident of getting frame was about to completely destroy everything, especially their trust and friendship with her. However, just as she had hoped a few moments earlier, somepony did end up vouching for her, in spite of how bad this looked for Sunset.
"Hold on a second, Rainbow." Twilight looked toward the pegasus with skepticism. "How come you're sitting here smiling at this, and labeled Sunset as a thief earlier, before this even unfolded?"
"I mean, I still haven't forgotten the time she stole your crown back when you stayed at the Crystal Empire, so calling her a thief isn't exactly wrong!" Rainbow replied. "Where are you going with this, Twilight?"
"Well, I also noticed that you didn't really seem that surprised when Sunset showed us all the contents of her saddlebag." Twilight continued. "Plus, back at my coronation, Sunset wasn't able to make it due to a certain somepony attempting to frame and imprison her for something she never even did. With how petty you've been acting toward Sunset this whole time, am I to understand that perhaps it was you who stole Applejack's necklace, then planted it into her saddlebag in an attempt to frame her?"
"Honestly, I wouldn't put it past her if that really was the case." Starlight agreed. "Besides, I highly doubt that anypony who knowingly stole the necklace would willingly show us all the contents of their saddlebag, assuming it was filled with stolen objects."
"Come to think of it... you're right." Fluttershy added. "Isn't it a little strange that nopony else other than Dash remotely hinted at Sunset being a thief?"
"It wouldn't be the first time I've seen Rainbow do something so dirty and dishonest." Rarity affirmed.
"I've known Sunset long enough to know she'd never be a crook, she's even shared the wonders of churros with me before." Pinkie alluded to the Postcrush Festival back in the human world.
"Now that everyone's spoken up about this, I'm beginnin' to think that makes sense as well." Applejack surmised. "Sunset, I'm so sorry for considerin' the possibility of you being the one who took Pa's necklace. I feel like such a bad friend for even thinkin' of such an awful idea."
"Thanks for having my back, everyone." Sunset sighed in relief, before instinctively handing the necklace back to Applejack. "But as for Rainbow being the one who stole and planted it in my saddlebag, I'm actually having a good feeling that it was instead, somepony else."
"Your humble approach and willingness to still defend Rainbow after everything she's done at the meeting is incredibly admirable, Sunset." Twilight commended. "But I'm afraid it's clear that nopony else could've done this, especially since Applejack gave us all phone calls last night about what happened to Granny Smith, and we were the only friends she had mentioned that necklace to, outside of the Apple family."
"That's true, other than you all, I hadn't mentioned the necklace to anypony else, since I did also consider you all my family too." Applejack recollected, before also glaring at Rainbow after finishing that last statement. "Well, most of you, anyways."
"So Rainbow, do you have anything to say for yourself?" Twilight began glaring at Rainbow as well. "For not only theft, but also attempting to pin this on Sunset out of pettiness?"
"Well... maybe she might've forgotten she put it in there!" Rainbow insisted. "It's not like she was so sneaky and subtle when she managed to actually wake all of us up back during the crown theft incident!"
"That's it, Rainbow!" Twilight snarled, truly having enough at this point. "You can drop the act now, it's pretty clear to me that since you were the only one here who kept insisting Sunset's a thief, and would have any reason to do this, you were the one who stole AJ's necklace in an attempt to ruin Sunset's image with the rest of us! I can't express how disappointed I am with you right now!"
"I stand by that belief as well." Starlight vouched as well. "You might not know Sunset as well as Twilight nor I, but she's always been a kindhearted gal, which makes me proud to label her as one of my besties, much like I did with Trixie."
"No wait, please!" Rainbow begged. "I just wanted to validate my belief that Sunset really was guilty of doing something, which would justify why she shouldn't have won the trial against me! But I'm not a crook!"
"I don't really know that I believe anything you say anymore, Rainbow." Twilight frowned. "In other words, why don't I also make it so you'll be 100% liable for all damages in this case, including paying for the repairs of my hot air balloon?"
"Really!?" Rainbow said with brief joy, but then quickly changed her tone to a more glum demeanor. "I mean... really? Well, if you insist, then all right."
Sunset noticed this strange behavior, realizing by this point that something was definitely off about Rainbow. The previous aggressive behavior could've been chalked up to her being frustrated, but why would she suddenly be happy at hearing that she herself would need to completely take the fall for Indigo's crime? Rainbow might've been egotistical and stubborn, but it just wasn't likely that she would willingly take a punishment for something she didn't do. Indigo was the one who destroyed the hot air balloon, why would Rainbow suddenly act in Indigo's favor like this? It was by this point, Sunset deduced something far more fishy was going on, and since she already knew Rainbow wasn't the one who planted the necklace to begin with, the unicorn volunteered to do an investigation.
"If we could just wrap up this meeting already, then I think that'd just be 30% cooler." Rainbow said, nonchalantly.
"Well, if you insist, then I suppose so." Twilight replied, still rather unamused.
"Twilight, wait!" Sunset insisted. "I'm glad that you all understand now that I wasn't the one who stole AJ's necklace, but I have my own reasons to believe it wasn't Rainbow either. Do you think you could at least allow me to present some evidence that would prove Rainbow's actually innocent here?"
"Well... alright then." Twilight agreed, albeit a little reluctantly. "Could you maybe give an explanation as to why you feel this way?"
"Let's just say... I know who the real thief is, but I'll need to do a little investigation to gather some clues and evidence." Sunset said with confidence. "I just know for certain that it couldn't have been Rainbow."
"Very well then." Twilight nodded, thinking she could still trust Sunset. "In that case, I'll give you an hour to find anything you can that would prove Rainbow's innocence. However, if you can't find anything, then I'm afraid my previous verdict will stand, in that Rainbow will still get all those punishments I listed before, including being 100% liable for Indigo's vandalism."
"Fair enough." Sunset agreed. "Thanks for giving me a fair chance."
As Sunset began leaving the room, she looked back for a second, noticing that 'Rainbow' was glaring at her in annoyance and frustration, despite the fact that she was trying to help her. This just further hinted that something was off about the pegasus, and that her behavior pointed toward wanting to punish herself as much as she could. There was just no way that Rainbow would be dense enough to the point of accepting additional charges for crimes she didn't commit, let alone acting happy upon hearing it. Was it entirely possible that... something happened along the way, which brainwashed her to act like this?
While looking around the castle for any hints or clues that could prove there was foul play, there didn't seem to be anything. No potions, spell books, or bits laying around that could've served as a bribe to persuade Dash into taking the fall for both Indigo and herself. However, Sunset did eventually find a small barrette on the ground, which admittedly looked like one of Lily's. It didn't seem entirely likely that Lily was still around, but seeing this had reminded Sunset that it'd be far more beneficial if she was able to locate Lily's mother, and have that pegasus mare taken into custody. When being questioned by the local authorities, it would definitely help clear up this entire misunderstanding. Though as nice as that would be, as far as Sunset knew, Lily and her mother were far gone at this point.
After finding nothing that stood out other than that barrette, it admittedly didn't seem practical to investigate the castle anymore, especially since time was running out. Suddenly, Sunset then remembered another detail Twilight brought up earlier, how she and Starlight were practically forced to drag Rainbow here with their magic from her home in Cloudsdale. Coupled with the fact that Twilight was keeping an eye on Rainbow the whole time before Sunset herself had finally arrived, this meant that nothing could've changed in between the time from her home to Canterlot. Having found nothing in the castle that could point her to anything else that could prove something was truly off about Rainbow, Sunset then decided to perhaps travel to Rainbow's home in Cloudsdale and check for further clues. This would likely require teleportation, as Sunset knew Twilight and the rest of the council couldn't wait around for too long.
She now knew how to teleport long distances thanks to Celestia, and although this would leave her magic exhausted, Sunset would absolutely do anything for her friends, just like she had exemplified earlier. Before doing so, however, she briefly used her magic to create some clouds on the floor, then stepped on them, seeing they were solid ground, which meant that the cloud-walking spell was still intact. Assured that she was in the right state to teleport to the cloud city, Sunset closed her eyes and began her teleportation spell. Once the spell executed, she found herself back on the same clouds that were primarily home to the pegasai. The only thing Sunset didn't prepare for was knowing where Rainbow's house was, but she pushed on, feeling as though somepony had to know where the famous Wonderbolt member lived. Luckily, a friend was nearby, and was more than willing to provide such information.
"Oh, hey again, Sunset!" Derpy called out from the distance, seeing her unicorn friend once more.
"Derpy, good to see you again too." Sunset smiled, but knew she had to hurry. "I'd like to catch up with you a bit more, but I'm afraid now isn't a good time. You remember the fallout I had with Rainbow Dash a few days ago? Well, I now have a reason to believe there's something more fishy going on with the Rainbow I was just in a meeting with, and I decided it was likely a good idea to perhaps investigate her home. Problem is, I don't know where that is."
"Oh, that's understandable then." Derpy nodded. "Well, if you're looking for her house, the Cloudominium, it's actually right down the corner here." Derpy pointed to the direction of Rainbow's home. "I'm a bit worried, however. When I was trotting by that area of the neighborhood earlier, I could've sworn I heard a door being banged on from within her house, along with some muffled screams. But when I checked through the windows to see what was going on, that noise mysteriously stopped. I have no idea what I could've heard then if that was the case, maybe it was a ghost?"
"That definitely sounds rather peculiar, to say the least." Sunset agreed. "I guess I have to go see what that's all about, since I'm trying to gather any evidence I can to prove Rainbow's innocence."
"Innocence?" Derpy questioned. "Over her yelling at you and ditching you back at the academy?"
"Err, not that." Sunset clarified. "Let's just say that Twilight and all my other friends are now accusing her of something else, which I'm certain was something she didn't do. Right now, I'm just looking for some evidence to prove it, since I'm also now a little suspicious that something's actually off about Rainbow."
"I see then." Derpy understood. "You're a noble pony for wanting to do the right thing, even if I saw myself that Rainbow did something bad to you. Well, good luck with this little investigation, hope you'll make a breakthrough!"
Sunset nodded as she began making her way to Rainbow Dash's house, curious at what that noise Derpy had heard could've been. It was always possible that the sound was coming from somewhere else entirely, but the fact that it was heard within the house itself, along with muffled screams, it certainly raised some red flags. She knew that since Twilight gave her less than an hour to solve this mystery, time was of the essence, and the last thing she wanted to do was let Rainbow take the fall for something that she clearly didn't do. This was especially true, given how Rainbow couldn't have snuck to The Tasty Treat to plant the necklace in Sunset's saddlebag if she was at the castle the whole time, supervised by everypony else. It had to have been Lily's new mother who did so, but Sunset didn't really have proof of that either. After finally arriving at Rainbow's home, Sunset saw that the door was strangely unlocked, a further sign that something bad might've happened here.
Upon entering, Sunset began looking around Rainbow's home for any more clues, as this mystery started to feel more and more perplexing. She searched all over, hoping that something around here could help her understand what specifically could've happened. There had to have been an explanation as to why Rainbow was acting the way she did, when it came to her somehow being happy with taking 100% liability for the situation, whilst Indigo got off scot-free, especially with the wording that she gave. Knowing the Human Rainbow also made Sunset believe that it was very much unlike the Pony Rainbow to claim something was '30% cooler', especially since she remembered her specifically stating '20%' back at the coronation.
Over time, Sunset began to feel like this was turning into nothing more than a wild goose chase, as she wasn't able to find any evidence of foul play or trickery. The closest to a clue she could gather was two empty containers on the kitchen table that looked like they would've held something magical, like a potion. But then again, those could've been anything, and there was still nothing that was able to explain the strange noises Derpy had heard. As Sunset began to feel like there was nothing of importance in Rainbow's home, she was about ready to give up and head back, thinking she merely wasted her time. However, just as she was about to do so, she suddenly heard more banging and muffled screams behind one of the closets. Going over to the source of the noise and turning on the light, Sunset's eyes widened at what she saw. It appeared to be Indigo Zap, tied up with rope and with a piece of duct tape on her mouth.
"Indigo!?" Sunset addressed, before taking the tape off of her mouth, hoping to get some answers.
"Gah!" Indigo shrieked upon the tape being ripped off. "S-Sunset? Is that you?"
"Don't try to act friendly now, especially when you did a hit and run with Twilight's hot air balloon!" Sunset frowned. "You're going to give me some answers right now! Like for example, why are you here in Rainbow Dash's house?"
"Sunset, please..." Indigo begged, whilst attempting to get up from her restraints. "I know this sounds crazy right now, but I'm not who you think I am! In fact, I wasn't expecting this at all when we took those potions."
"What are you..." Sunset tried to make sense of what Indigo meant, before remembering what she found on the kitchen table. "Wait a minute..."
Back at the meeting with Twilight and everypony else, Sunset only went into the meeting believing that Rainbow would absolutely have it out for her, which made it so her behavior seemingly made sense. However, she and everyone else had actually overlooked Rainbow's unusually aggressive behavior, which definitely would've set things straight much earlier on. Sunset admittedly didn't know this Rainbow as much as the human one she knew, but understood that everything she said during the meeting seemed very unlike her, especially if she was once the element of loyalty. Insulting Sunset, attempting to frame her, and deliberately trying to convict herself, there appeared to be more than meets the eye.
Sunset then recalled a spell she learned long ago, which Princess Celestia had primarily taught her to differentiate any creatures attempting to disguise themselves, such as changelings. By attempting to start up this spell, it miraculously worked, and Sunset's own vision began to see the 'truth' for a few brief moments. Indigo's eye color shifted from it's usual gold to a sudden shade of magenta, the exact same color of Rainbow Dash's eyes, before reverting back to normal, moments later. Seeing this supposed reveal on whose eyes were truly being shown, whilst understanding that Rainbow and Indigo supposedly both took potions together in this house, Sunset instinctively came out with what she initially believed that meant.
"...Rainbow Dash?" Sunset addressed the pegasus, trying to process what was going on.
"Yes, it's me!" Rainbow said in Indigo's body, desperately hoping Sunset would believe her. "Please, you believe me, don't you?"
"Well, given the circumstances, I might, but..." Sunset began, but kept her guard up in case 'Rainbow' were to pull a fast one. "How do I know that you're really Rainbow, and not just pretending to be her?"
"Don't you remember how you mentioned to me about recently meeting Gilda in the human world, and how the human version of me managed to get her expelled?" Rainbow refreshed Sunset's memory. "You also told me how you vaguely recall watching the Wonderbolts when you were little, and that you liked Spitfire the most."
"Okay, I'm a little more convinced now, but I'm still not entirely sure, since there's always the possibility of Indigo actually overhearing our conversation before she showed up." Sunset remained skeptical. "What did you say you liked about me back when we were getting acquainted with each other at Twilight's coronation?"
"That I admired your ability to play a guitar and rock leather outfits." Rainbow recalled. "I also commented that it's certainly playing it 20% cooler."
"Alright, you're definitely the real Rainbow then." Sunset began finally felt assured enough and untied the ropes. "So I'm beginning to surmise that you both took a potion and switched bodies."
"You'd be right for thinking that, I was pretty surprised myself when it happened." Rainbow confirmed, before getting back up and noticing a box on the floor, where she previously was. "Come to think of it, I think it's all starting to come back to me now. Let's just say, she was the reason I got locked in my own home's closet. I was desperately banging on the door, hoping somepony would let me out, but I think that banging made this box fall on my head and knock me unconscious."
"I'm definitely starting to put two and two together now." Sunset now understood what caused that noise and sudden halt, according to Derpy. "Listen, Rainbow. About what happened back at Cloudsdale with your apprentice..."
"Don't worry about that now, Sunset." Rainbow insisted. "I don't know if I have a lot of time to explain, but all I know for certain is that we have to stop Indigo at all costs! I have no idea what she could possibly be doing with my name and body right now!"
"Well, let's just say that 'Rainbow Dash' was acting pretty jerky to me and everypony else during the council of friendship's meeting. You know? The same one where we were supposed to talk things out after our dispute?"
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me..." Rainbow put her hoof on her own face in shame and embarrassment. "Where is she right now?"
"She's still in the foyer of Canterlot's main castle." Sunset recalled. "Twilight's given me less than an hour to find evidence to prove whoever was the culprit responsible for planting Applejack's necklace into my saddlebag. While looking for clues, I also began to realize the 'Rainbow Dash' back in Canterlot wasn't as she seemed, and since Twilight mentioned that she and Starlight had to drag you from your home to the meeting, it made me feel like doing an investigation here."
"Thank Celestia you decided to come here then." Rainbow said with relief. "I don't know how I'll get my identity back, or if there's a surefire way I can reverse the effects of this potion, but I know now that we have to work together to clear both of our names!" Rainbow said, determined.
"Well actually, Twilight and everyone else had already determined that I wasn't the one who stole the necklace." Sunset explained. "But time is of the essence for you, Rainbow. Because unfortunately, if I can't come up with evidence that proved you weren't the culprit who planted it there, you'll get punished pretty badly."
"What!?" Rainbow said with disbelief. "This is unbelievable, and to think I once called Indigo my friend!"
"Don't worry, Rainbow." Sunset assured. "Now that I understand what truly happened, I want to help you and sort things out with everyone else on the council."
"Sunset... why are you so nice to me, even after what I did?" Rainbow asked in surprise. "For context, I may not be Indigo right now, but I'm still the same Rainbow who yelled at you and ditched you at the academy over my friendship with Indigo, remember?"
"I know, but..." Sunset put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "I still believe in doing the right thing, regardless. Because the last thing I want is for you to get punished for something you never did. I'm curious now though, how exactly did this happen, you and Indigo switching bodies?"
"I'm afraid there's no time to explain that now, if you said Twilight gave us less than an hour." Rainbow said, concerned.
"Alright, well... could you at least explain how we can reverse the effect of the potions you both took?" Sunset pushed on, determined.
"All I know for certain is that supposedly, Fluttershy and her pet bunny, Angel took these potions too." Rainbow recalled. "I don't think we were told anything about how we can change back, but I think Fluttershy said a thing or two about how it only reversed once she and Angel finally understood each other's differences."
"Ah, sounds like we'll have to outsmart her then, if she's unaware of how to reverse the potion." Sunset brainstormed. "What specifically were you and Indigo having as far as differences?"
"She couldn't understand why I wanted to take responsibility after I yelled at and ditched you, and I couldn't understand why she refused to own up to her mistake in vandalizing the hot air balloon." Rainbow recalled.
"Alright, if what you're saying is true, it may be our only hope at putting an end to this deceptive masquerade for good." Sunset said with confidence. "I have a plan then, you'll just need to follow my lead."
Sunset whispered the plan into Rainbow's ear, which seemed like it would be foolproof, especially since Indigo really wasn't aware of how to switch bodies again. For that matter, the backstabbing pegasus hadn't even considered how she was going to switch back, and was only under the assumption that the effects would be temporary. Much like Sunset's plan with both Rarity and Vignette to stop Madame Cinch, Rainbow liked Sunset's plan as well, ready to finally give Indigo everything coming to her for this disgusting act of betrayal and impersonation.
"Gotcha, but we'll need to get back to Canterlot fast if we're going to make it on time." Rainbow said, rather worried. "Maybe we can take the-"
"Unicorn's teleportation ability." Sunset finished, whilst grabbing Rainbow's hoof, before starting up her horn's magic once again to teleport both of them back to the main castle.
Both Sunset and Rainbow returned in to the same spot Sunset had left earlier, though the unicorn's energy was now rather depleted from already teleporting long distances twice in one day
"Oh, I wasn't aware you could do that too." Rainbow said with astonishment. "Looks like I've found somepony else who could easily beat me in a race."
"Well, I was once Princess Celestia's pupil for a reason." Sunset giggled. "But we're going to have to do this fast, since I'm pretty sure Indigo's becoming impatient. Follow my lead, and come out when I give you the cue."
Rainbow nodded and hid behind some furniture near the main room where Twilight and everyone else still was, before Sunset entered. The unicorn was ready to report back to the princess about what she found, but had a trick up her hooves to put an end to Indigo's scheme.
"Ah, Sunset!" Twilight noticed her friend coming back. "Well, it looks like we have to wrap things up soon, especially since most of us still believe Rainbow must've been the one who planted Applejack's necklace into your saddlebag. Have you found anything yet that would prove otherwise?"
"I'm afraid I couldn't find any physical evidence." Sunset reported back, before looking back at 'Rainbow'. "But as for the accusation of Rainbow being the culprit, I just have a couple of questions for her."
"Fine, then." Indigo rolled her eyes in Rainbow's body. "Go on and hit me."
"Do you understand why specifically you should own up to your mistakes after you yelled at me and abandoned me back at the academy?" Sunset asked, rhetorically.
"Oh, this has got to be the stupidest..." Indigo snarled, feeling like her time was being wasted. "Look, can we just accept the fact that I'm guilty and will be responsible for paying for everything, including the hot air balloon?"
"We'll get to that." Sunset continued. "You do realize that the longer this meeting goes on, the longer you'll be here, right? So please just answer the question."
"Alright, fine, yeah." Indigo said, rather annoyed, but sincere. "I guess it is pretty rotten for somepony to act mean to a friend, then fly off without wanting to consider the consequences. You'll create unnecessary drama and make yourself look like a fool. Now, is there a point to this?"
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Rainbow on that last statement, Sunset." Twilight said, rather confused. "I don't really understand what these questions are meant to help us learn."
"Trust me, Twilight." Sunset winked to her princess friend. "It'll all make sense in a minute here. Well, I'm really glad that you feel that way, 'Rainbow', because... somepony here wants to meet you and show their understanding as well."
Sunset then signaled Rainbow by knocking on the wall with her hoof, which prompted her to come out, much to the surprise and dismay of Indigo and everyone else in the room. They all gasped with surprise as to how Sunset managed to convince 'Indigo' to come, but it was primarily 'Rainbow' who looked the most nervous.
"Errr, umm... Indigo...!" Indigo continued playing along. "How nice of you to... join us."
"Same here." Rainbow replied, before slowly trotting up to her former friend. "By the way, I've done some thinking, and I realized how I messed up too. I mean, how would you feel if somepony wrecked your property, then flew off without apologizing or compensating you?"
"I... guess I wouldn't like that either." Indigo came to terms with her own mistake, but still wanted to continue her deception.
"Well, I'm so glad that we finally understand each other's differences." Rainbow said to Indigo, before trotting up to her and giving her a hug. "Come here, you!"
"Alright then, I guess I can do this now, mostly to show that I love my apprentice enough to cover all expenses and charges for her." Indigo reluctantly agreed.
Indigo kept up her scheme, unsure of whether or not Sunset had saw through her by bringing the real Rainbow Dash back to the meeting. Unfortunately for the backstabbing pegasus, this was completely the case, as now that Rainbow and Indigo seemed to understand each other's differences, much like Fluttershy and Angel did with the same potions, both pegasai began glowing. Everypony in the room watched in astonishment, before also seeing that Indigo and Rainbow suddenly fused together for a brief moment, switching their places and bodies in the process.
"Agh, what the-!?" Indigo shrieked, now back in her original body. "What just happened!?"
"The jig is up now, Indigo!" Rainbow announced, reunited with her body as well. "Why don't you tell everyone what you did?"
"Eeep!" Indigo's eyes widened, ready to make a run for it.
Luckily, Sunset was quick enough to use her magic to slam the door shut, stopping Indigo from escaping in the process. Rainbow then grabbed a nearby rug and rolled the pegasus up in it, trapping her.
"...What in Equestria is going on right now?" Twilight asked, completely bewildered at the situation, and why Rainbow and Sunset were suddenly working together.
"Umm, I think I know." Fluttershy spoke up. "Did Rainbow and Indigo... switch bodies, and somehow just switched back?"
"But... that don't seem possible." Applejack believed. "How would either of them have casted such a spell if they're both pegasai?"
"Actually, it must've been from two potions made by Zecora." Fluttershy explained. "I took a dose with Angel once when we weren't getting along, and it helped us understand each other's problems."
"So, if we're to understand that they switched back, does that mean... the Rainbow we just had a meeting with wasn't the real Rainbow Dash?" Rarity said, astonished.
"That's right, it appears that Indigo managed to fool all of us, though I'm still admittedly unsure of what happened." Sunset spoke up. "Let's just say, I managed to find Dash stuck in Indigo's body, and she was able to prove and explain she was the real deal, whilst Indigo was here the whole time, being an imposter. Now that we've made it back here on time, perhaps you can explain what happened, Rainbow?"
"For sure." Rainbow nodded, now happy to be back in her original body. "Here's how it happened."
Rainbow began sharing a flashback where she managed to bring Indigo to the Everfree Forest, hoping to find a solution to this friendship problem that she had with not only Sunset, but now Indigo too. It was shortly after Twilight had notified the rest of the council of this dispute, urging Rainbow to do anything she could to correct for her mistakes. The two pegasai were primarily pointing a hoof at each other, and realized that they needed to resolve everything before attending the meeting. Rainbow was leading Indigo to a certain zebra's home in this forest, as Indigo was still unsure of what this was meant to accomplish.
"What are we doing here, Dash?" Indigo questioned. "I should be at home right now working on pilates. Why do you want to make amends with that Sunset pony anyways by agreeing to attend that meeting?"
"I just feel bad for yelling at Sunset and ditching her back at the academy a few days ago." Rainbow explained. "Twilight recently summoned a letter that will ask me to attend a meeting with the council of friendship to talk things out, and I just know I messed up, big time. Plus, it's not just me, you have to come as well to help me work things through."
"What's it to you?" Indigo scoffed. "She was being a bully to me for no reason whatsoever!"
"Why are you acting so childish right now, when I essentially gave Sunset an ultimatum for you over practically nothing?" Rainbow said, rather hurt. "Plus, during my time alone, I've done some thinking to realize where Sunset's intentions were coming from. She was just trying to help Derpy, and the thing is, I could understand her having this mix-up, especially since I've heard there really have been robberies committed by some orange pegasus lately. And between the two of us, you didn't really make a good first impression by doing a hit and run with Twilight's hot air balloon."
"Hey, whose side are you on, exactly!?" Indigo pouted. "She still shouldn't have jumped to conclusions!"
"I know, but... two wrongs don't make a right." Dash stood her ground. "Now that we're here, we can get what we need."
"And what are we doing here at this old tree, anyways?" Indigo rolled her eyes.
"Well, Fluttershy told me that she and Angel had a huge dispute themselves recently, and that Zecora was able to help them work things out." Dash explained. "Now, I'm not entirely sure what she did, but I'm guessing it could be something along the lines of a potion. Whatever it is, we need to put our differences aside, taking responsibility for the meeting's disputes with everyone else, and that's final."
"Alright, fine then." Indigo crossed her hooves. "But I still don't like that filthy donkey unicorn anyways!"
"Listen, I don't really care what you like or don't like at this point." Rainbow pointed her hoof at her former apprentice. "We're both in some hot water right now due to some reckless decisions, and now it's time to take responsibility! After all, you still need to face the music for wrecking Twilight's hot air balloon."
"What!?" Indigo huffed. "But you were the one who instructed me to fly that fast!"
"Did I instruct you to not look where you were going, and thus colliding with somepony else's property?" Dash asked, rhetorically. "I don't think so, so don't try to turn this around on me! Plus, I still have the receipt on those goggles and workout uniforms I bought you. If you don't come to the meeting with me and cooperate, I'll happily take those back from you and get a refund."
"You..." Indigo began, but not before grunting. "UGH, FINE!!!"
Rainbow and Indigo then entered Zecora's home, as the zebra turned around, curious at what these visitors needed.
"Welcome to my home once more, Rainbow Dash!" Zecora welcomed the pegasai. "Could I interest you in some enchanted flowers or rare hash?"
"No thanks, Zecora." Dash replied, before explaining herself. "Indigo here and I? We're just having a friendship problems with each other, and I recall Fluttershy mentioning that you did something to help resolve things between her and her pet bunny, Angel?"
"Ah, so you seek an opportunity to understand one another." Zecora nodded. "You'll want the brew that would help you think like your brother."
"Well, I don't actually have a brother, but I mean..." Rainbow began. "Let's just say it was mostly thanks to a certain somepony putting me in the middle, which unintentionally resulted in an ultimatum."
"Hey, at least I didn't force you to make that decision." Indigo pouted. "I really can't understand why you want to actually still be friends with that unicorn, she's not awesome like yours truly."
"And I can't understand why you're so insistent on avoiding your responsibilities, such as owning up to destroying a princess's hot air balloon!" Rainbow replied with a hint of frustration.
"Precisely what I had prepared for that bunny and your friend." Zecora held up a pair of small potion bottles with a green brew within, the same ones she had given to Fluttershy and Angel. "Drink these when you both get home, and your friendship problems will end."
"Thanks, Zecora." Rainbow acknowledged, before taking the potions and handing Zecora some bits as compensation. "This'll certainly help Indigo and I feel more level-headed once it's time to attend the meeting with Sunset, Twilight, and everypony else. After all, we're not exactly too cooperative with each other's wishes right now."
"No kidding." Indigo mutually agreed with snark, before both pegasai were ready to depart.
"Wait a minute, you plan on consulting with Twilight Sparkle at this meeting?" Zecora stopped Dash and Indigo from exiting. "Do you mind at least delivering a message from me, as a regard of my greeting?"
"Sure, what is it?" Dash replied, curious.
"It is a message that came to me during my fortune brew session." Zecora began. "These predictions tend to always come true, your minds must freshen."
"Sounds like a warning then, I guess it'll help Twilight out, now that she's princess of all of Equestria." Dash understood, before listening on.
"She will most likely come across a figure in her future that is the absolute definition of 'mean'. " Zecora reiterated her prediction. "Whatever happens, make certain that she knows the dangers of this tyrannical figure named..."
Zecora whispered the name in Dash's ear, though she was unable to make any sense of it.
"Alright then, I guess I'll keep Twilight posted when it's time for the meeting." Dash agreed to Zecora's request. "Thank you very much for your help."
The next morning, Rainbow and Indigo were together at the Cloudominium, ready to see if their own disputes would be resolved, well before the official meeting took place. Both pegasai had mutually agreed to take their potions simultaneously, and after doing so, they mostly just noted that the taste was a little bizarre. Shortly after, much like with Fluttershy and Angel, both pegasai began glowing, as both of their consciousnesses had switched bodies, leaving them in a state of shock after doing so.
"Hey, why are there suddenly two of me!?" Indigo shrieked, now in Rainbow's body.
"Same could be said for me, why do I see another pony who's 20% cooler?" Rainbow observed, realizing that she was now Indigo.
"Wait a minute... did we switch bodies!?" Indigo looked at her new body, unsure of what happened.
"I guess we did." Rainbow noted. "This makes sense now, I guess Zecora was intending to help us understand each other's problems if we had the other pony's life and responsibilities."
"Well, this will certainly make the meeting confusing, now that we're switched around." Indigo huffed.
"Relax, I'm sure there's a simple way we can reverse the process." Rainbow assured, before turning around to grab her saddlebag. "Now then, when we get to the meeting, we're going to have to explain to Twilight what happened, since this potion's effects are mostly to help us get along better. You have to make sure you promise Twilight that you'll pay for the damages for her hot air balloon, for starters."
"Or... how about you become liable to pay for 100% of everything?" Indigo smirked, realizing that being in Rainbow's body now gave her an advantage.
"What are you-" Rainbow began, before realizing too late that Indigo grabbed a nearby object to whack over her former Wonderbolt coach's head.
Rainbow was knocked unconscious for a few minutes, and during this time, Indigo had managed to tie her up with rope, slapped duct tape on her mouth, and stuffed her into a nearby closet with a lock on the outside. As Dash began to regain consciousness, she began to desperately scream through the tape, hoping that anypony could hear her. Unfortunately, nopony was nearby, and Indigo simply smirked upon realizing she could definitely take advantage with this identity theft.
"Sorry, Dash." Indigo began, sarcastically. "But if I can make you look bad enough as a means of persuading Princess Twilight to make you 100% liable for all damages, then I'd be perfectly fine with that, instead. You're no longer going to boss me around or push me to my limits, I'm going out there to ruin your good name so that they won't even think of punishing me, and there's nothing you can do about it! Better yet, if I can get that filthy donkey unicorn into trouble as well, it'll just be a bigger bonus!"
Indigo then slammed the closet door shut and locked it from the outside, as Dash continued to desperately make noise, hoping anypony could rescue her. Unfortunately, this went on for nearly an hour, and she wasn't able to get the attention of anypony nearby. Shortly after, Twilight and Starlight had both arrived, to fetch 'Rainbow', knowing that they needed to ensure one of their main guests would be able to make it on time.
"There you are, Rainbow." Twilight greeted. "You already know what you did to Sunset, so we'd better get going."
"As if!" Indigo scoffed, pretending to be Rainbow in an extremely petty state. "It was clearly Sunset's fault since she hates Indigo's guts so much! I don't see any reason for apologizing when I've clearly done nothing wrong!"
"Twilight, I definitely don't know Rainbow Dash as much as you, but was she always this snarky and stubborn?" Starlight questioned, disapproving of Rainbow's response.
"I have no idea why Rainbow's so hung up on this, but if she's going as far as to disobey a princess's orders, it looks like we'll have no choice." Twilight narrowed her eyes. "By the way, Rainbow, where's Indigo? We'll need her side of the story as well."
"She won't be joining us because I could easily represent both of us." Indigo snarled. "You can't talk down on my apprentice like that anyways, so I refuse to come with you!"
"Right then, in that case..." Twilight put her wings up in disapproval. "Starlight, please use your magic to drag her with us back to Canterlot."
"Wha-" Indigo's eyes widened, as she saw she was being carried away with that unicorn's magic. "HEY! HEY! LET ME GO!"
"We'll let you go once we arrive at Canterlot." Starlight said. "I really hope you're ready to give Sunset an apology yourself after what you did."
"NEVER!" Indigo growled in defiance, before kicking and screaming like a child.
This immediate bad behavior from 'Rainbow Dash' was already causing both Starlight and Twilight to lose faith in the pegasus when it was time for the meeting. They simply shrugged it off and were ready to carry the stubborn pegasus back to Canterlot, completely unaware that it was Indigo Zap in disguise, and that the real Rainbow Dash was now literally a prisoner within her own home. Rainbow remained behind, locked up in her closet, praying that somepony could eventually come to her rescue before Indigo managed to destroy her name and reputation with the rest of the council, as the flashback ended.
"Thank Celestia that Sunset stopped by and gave me the benefit of the doubt, I don't know what I would've done had she not came by my home to investigate." Dash commended.
"Yeah, I teleported there after mastering the long distance teleportation spell, and it worked like a charm." Sunset explained. "I just analyzed the clues we had to work with, and began having my own suspicions that 'Rainbow' wasn't who she appeared to be."
"So based on this story, Rainbow Dash was actually wanting to own up to her mistakes the whole time after that incident with Sunset?" Twilight recapped. "And she unintentionally took a body switching spell from Zecora as a means of working things out with Indigo?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Dash affirmed. "Like I said, I actually felt pretty bad about what I did to Sunset, that I felt I needed to make things up to her when it was time for the meeting, and that included convincing Indigo to come along. However, I needed her to cooperate and act mature about owning up to her mistakes, hence why I opted to see Zecora, not knowing what the potion was going to do. I unfortunately realized too late that Indigo having my body and voice would've ended in disaster had it not been for Sunset."
"Tell me about it." Sunset nodded. "It sounded like Indigo wanted to avoid any consequences for her actions at the expense of Dash and I. Now that's just rotten."
"I see now." Twilight began deducing the whole situation. "So in other words, we still have yet to have the official meeting with the rest of the council with both you and Rainbow, Sunset. Because we were all unknowingly criticizing Indigo Zap the whole time."
"Criticizing?" Dash questioned. "What do you... mean by that?"
"Let's just say... we all thought you were acting incredibly pretentious and mean to Sunset the whole time, that most of us brought up incidents from the past, which exemplified how we felt about you essentially disowning Sunset." Starlight confessed, rather ashamed at this huge blunder.
"And it was because of this extreme emotion that most of us also outright assumed that you were the one who stole Applejack's necklace and placed it in Sunset's saddlebag in an attempt to frame her." Twilight continued. "Rainbow, we're so sorry that we went that far, that we completely disregarded all the nice things you've done over the years for us all. I guess there really was a reason you truly was, and still is, the element of loyalty."
"To be fair, knowing what I did to Sunset when I'm supposed to be the most loyal pony of the group, I probably would've deserved it anyways." Dash acknowledged. "But I hope you understand now that before Indigo decided to impersonate me here at the meeting, I was wanting to come here and reconcile with Sunset the entire time, because I still felt rather guilty for my behavior that day, regardless of it being in the heat of the moment."
"Thanks for understanding where we were coming from, and wanting to take responsibility for your actions." Twilight smiled. "It seems as if we all had a tendency to focus on the bad things we've been through with you, that we completely forgot we've also made plenty of good memories together. We might've truly underestimated how much you've grown over the years, and are proud with how you decided to approach us now, despite these dire circumstances."
"I'm glad to hear the whole misunderstanding has been sorted out." Sunset added. "It's nice to see that my urge in wanting to prove Dash wasn't the one who took AJ's necklace ended up letting us discover this unexpected revelation. Like I've said earlier, I'd do anything for my friends, and that includes making certain they don't get punished for something that they didn't do."
"And here I was thinking you and Dashie's fight would've ultimately torn everypony apart." Pinkie sniffled, now rather emotional with joy. "I think I'm gonna cry!"
"By the way, how exactly did Indigo know all that stuff that Rainbow Dash herself seemingly knew, which made it so she was quite convincing during the meeting?" Twilight questioned the pegasus still stuck in the rolled up rug.
"All right, since you already caught me, I might as well confess." Indigo growled. "I picked the lock on Dash's diary and may or may not have read the whole thing."
"You what!?" Dash snarled in anger.
"Yeah, and in fact, I definitely recall the pages where you talked about Soarin', and the fact that you both-"
But before Indigo could even finish that statement, Rainbow quickly ripped some duct tape from a nearby table and slapped it onto her former apprentice's mouth, making certain she wasn't able to do any further collateral damage.
"Oh, and for the record?" Dash explained further. "I never told Indigo about AJ's necklace, nor did I write about it in my diary. For that matter, I don't even think Indigo has actually met AJ before, either."
"That's true." Applejack confirmed. "This is actually the first time I've ever seen her, so I reckon it wasn't likely her who had stolen the necklace."
"I suppose that makes sense too." Twilight understood. "Really sorry to hear that you went through all this regardless, Rainbow."
Everyone else on the council had also spoken up at this point to apologize to Dash for talking down on her in the meeting earlier, not realizing that it was an imposter the whole time. But despite that, Dash continued in wanting to take responsibility for her own mistakes, regardless.
"No, I'm the one who should still be sorry, especially to Sunset." Dash looked back at the unicorn. "Sorry that I acted so selfish and gave her an ultimatum, despite the fact Sunset was always more of a true friend to me than Indigo ever was. Even after what I did, Sunset still managed to come rescue me, hear me out, and helped me get my identity back. If it wasn't for her, I just... I don't know how I'd manage to sort things out at this point."
"Sunset, you've truly proven to everyone that you're always going to be a true friend in even the toughest of times." Twilight commended. "The rest of us almost entirely believed Rainbow had become such a... gosh, I can't even think of the right word to describe how Indigo was trying to portray her. The fact that you still saw good in her, and solved this rather unexpected mystery, it genuinely shows how far you've truly come in your journey in accepting friendship."
"Well, I didn't have much when I first started out." Sunset reflected. "But over time, that actually helped me appreciate what I already had, as opposed to what I still lacked. In this case, saving a friendship at all costs, especially since I know from experience, friendships aren't simply built in a day, so they shouldn't be lost that quickly either."
"I couldn't have said it better myself." Twilight nodded. "You've even taught the new princess of Equestria a valuable friendship lesson in empathy, I'd imagine Princess Celestia would be especially proud of you right now."
"Thanks, Twilight." Sunset smiled. "I know she would too."
"Now then, onto somepony else who isn't so friendly..." Twilight raised her wings in hostility and went over to the trapped pegasus in the carpet. "Indigo Zap. For impersonation, deception, vandalism, and a number of other crimes you've committed, well, let's just hope you know a good attorney."
Twilight then pushed a nearby alarm button, which prompted Max Steele to come into the castle and intervene.
"Mr. Steele?" Twilight addressed the castle's main security guard. "Please show Indigo Zap here to the dungeon, hopefully she and Sour Sweet will get along together until they learn their lessons."
"Affirmative, princess." Max agreed, before carrying the rugged pegasus out of the room and to the Canterlot dungeon.
Everyone else in the room smiled at Sunset and Rainbow for their nobleness, and made certain to glare at Indigo with resentment as she was being carried out of the room. The dispute between the unicorn and rainbow-maned pegasus had practically solved itself, making it so there didn't even have to be a meeting anymore.
"So, now that Indigo's taken care of, I see no reason to host another meeting, since it looks like Sunset and Rainbow Dash are friends again." Twilight acknowledged.
"You got that right!" Rainbow nodded. "From now on, Sunset? Anything you do is a-okay with me."
"I'm just glad that I made the right decision in following what my heart kept telling me." Sunset said, proudly.
"No arguing there." Twilight agreed, before remembering there were still two other things to take note of. "Now that this is over, I'm afraid there's still two things I need to ask before we end the meeting for good. Firstly, Rainbow? What was that name Zecora was trying to warn me about?"
"While I was stuck in the closet, a box had unfortunately struck me on the head, and I sadly forgot the name." Rainbow sighed. "All I know for certain was that the name started with an 'O'."
"Knowing Zecora's pattern of rhymes, that must mean this figure's name must start with 'O' and rhyme with the word 'mean'." Rarity surmised. "I'm afraid I'm drawing a blank, I don't believe I know anypony with such a name like that."
"Same here." Twilight reasoned, before turning to the rest of the council. "Does a name with those characteristics sound even remotely familiar to anyone?"
Everyone else on the council had only shrugged and murmured with confusion, including Sunset and Rainbow Dash.
"Well, I'm sure it's not really important right now, maybe it'll make a lot more sense later on." Twilight believed. "I still have the rest of my years to go as the princess of all of Equestria, but I suppose it'll be good to keep this name in mind in the far future. Anyways, the second thing I wanted to ask was regarding Applejack's necklace. Sunset, if it wasn't Rainbow or Indigo who had planted that necklace into your saddlebag, then who was it?"
"I don't know with absolute certainty, but I have a pretty good feeling on the actual culprit." Sunset said with confidence. "It was-"
But before Sunset could finish, somepony else came into the room, along with a familiar, small filly.
"Princess Twilight?" Flash Sentry addressed, whilst having Lily Pad follow his authority. "I found this little filly hiding in one of the castle's broom closets, and she seems to be completely unsupervised. Any idea what I should do?"
"Perhaps we could check her in to the Canterlot daycare?" Twilight suggested. "Thank you for reporting this, Flash. Now then, what were you saying, Sunset?"
By this point, Sunset realized that she definitely needed to tell the truth regarding the actual culprit behind the disappearance of Applejack's necklace. But then, she suddenly recalled one rather crucial detail. Lily actually was at Applejack's place the day before, and it was only after she had stayed there that the necklace had seemingly mysteriously vanished. Already knowing the filly's connection to the true thief who didn't turn out to be Indigo Zap all along, Sunset then began having a bad thought. Was it entirely possible that... Lily herself was the thief the whole time? Although Sunset knew that informing everyone about the other orange pegasus was practically mandatory, she was also afraid of getting Lily into trouble, since it didn't really seem like the filly would've stolen the necklace by pure choice...