"Discord," said Twilight sternly, "No! Just like the last four ideas you've had, this idea is entirely too... chaotic!"
"Twilight, I am Discord", replied Discord in deadpan. "Chaos is my business. I can't have an evil plan without chaos."
"I know," said Twilight. "But can't you think of something a little less... conspicuous? Something that doesn't result in mass destruction of property and terrorizing the citizens of the town?"
"Hmph," said Discord grumpily as he folded his arms. "You're not giving me much to work with."
"Oh, come on!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she threw up her arms. "We've been sitting at this table for nearly an hour trying to think of something! I'm going stir crazy!" Rainbow started to hop up and down in her chair with her wings."
"Rainbow, I told you!" said Twilight. "We can't risk letting you leave until we have real plan!"
"But I need to fly!" insisted Rainbow Dash. "And the whole town is out there just waiting to be explored!"
"Rainbow," said Twilight reasonably, "you've seen Ponyville before. I know that it will be hard, but you need to stay here! You can fly for as long as you like after we solve this."
"It's not the same!" cried Rainbow. "Ponyville changed over the last few years! And don't get me wrong, Ponyville in the future is a fantastic place, but there are some things about it that just never will be the same again! What's the point in going back in time if you can't even go anywhere because somepony might see you?"
"I can understand if you are feeling nostalgic," said Twilight, "but... well, this is more important!"
"But we aren't getting anywhere!" whined Rainbow. "Come on, please? Just until the two of you finally work something out? What if you use your magic to give me a disguise or something?"
"Umm..." Twilight thought about it for a bit. "Well, I could change your coloring, but I can't just hide your cutie mark. Even magic can't hide who you truly are."
"Twilight," replied Rainbow Dash, "you can just use makeup to cover it up."
"Well..." said Twilight hesitantly.
"For the record," added Discord, "I agree with Rainbow Dash. I would be out enjoying myself right now if I could, but unfortunately I have to stay here and think of something. Not to mention that I don't think I'd be able to resist making just a few tiny little changes here and there."
Twilight glared at him.
"Hey, I am holding myself back, am I not?"
"Does it really mean that much to you, Rainbow Dash?" asked Twilight sincerely.
"I dunno Twilight," replied Rainbow gloomily. "I've always been about living in the moment, about the here and now! But... now that I stop and think about it... I just wish that I had taken more pictures from before everything changed. I don't even own a camera!"
"Here's one," said Discord, pulling out a camera from nowhere and tossing it to Rainbow Dash, who caught it in her hooves and stared at it for a moment. "Knock yourself out!"
"Discord!" cried Twilight accusingly. And then she looked into Rainbow's pleading eyes.
"...Well," said Twilight. "Okay. But you are not going out without a disguise."
"Lavender? Really, Twilight?" said Rainbow Dash.
"Oh, come on, I think it looks good on you!" Twilight replied to her newly dyed friend.
"And a black mane?" Rainbow continued.
"Well," said Twilight, "because your mane features every color of a rainbow, those colors would bleed through in different ways and your mane would still not be a solid color. So the only way to hide it completely is to go completely black."
"Ugh, whatever you say," said Rainbow Dash. "So what are you doing for my cutie mark?"
"I realized that that camera could be a perfect cover story for you," said Twilight as she finished applying the last bit of makeup to Rainbow's flank. "You're going to be a traveling photographer with a camera for a cutie mark! And if anypony asks you what your name is, tell them that it is Flash Photography! There! All done!"
Rainbow Dash turned her head to get a look at her new 'cutie marks'.
"I guess it will have to do," she said. "At least now I can go outside, right?"
"I guess so," said Twilight reluctantly. "But please try to stay out of trouble!"
"Come on, Twilight," said Rainbow Dash dismissively. "What are the odds of that?"
"That's what I'm afraid of," said Twilight.
"I'm just going to go out taking pictures," said Rainbow Dash as she picked up the camera that Discord gave her. "It will be fine. Now can I go?"
"Yes," answered Twilight. "But remember, you're just taking pictures!"
"Finally! cried Rainbow. "And I know just what I'll take a picture of first!"
"What would that be?" asked Twilight curiously.
"The library!"
"The library?" said Twilight in confusion. "Why would you want to take a picture of the library?"
"Oh!" said Rainbow Dash, realizing her mistake. "No reason. Just felt like it. I don't have any pictures of it yet, after all."
"Of course," replied Twilight knowingly. "That makes sense."
"Well, see you later Twilight," said Rainbow as she ran toward the door.
"Be back in a couple of hours!" Twilight shouted after her.
"Excuse me," said Rainbow Dash, who was currently inside Carousel Boutique. "But could I have just a moment, Rarity?"
"Oh, hello there Rainbo- oh!" said Rarity as she turned to look at Rainbow. "You're not- It's just that from your voice I thought... Well, it doesn't matter, how may I help you?"
"My name is-" suddenly Rainbow stopped and coughed, and when she began talking again her voice had changed. "Uh... Flash Photography. And I've heard all about you."
"Have you?" asked Rarity. "Oh, but of course you have! My reputation does precede me, after all!"
"Uh, right," continued Rainbow Dash. "Anyway, I'm taking pictures all over Ponyville and I was hoping that-"
"Oh, but of course you can take pictures of my designs!" squealed Rarity. "It would be sure to help draw more customers!"
"Um, well actually," said Rainbow hesitantly, "I was hoping to get some pictures of you."
"Of me?" asked Rarity in surprise. "Oh! But of course! And I know just what to wear!"
"Wait!" shouted Rainbow Dash before Rarity could rush away. "I just wanted to get a picture of you. Not you wearing some fancy dress, just... you!"
"Oh! You wanted to a before and after sort of thing?"
"Rarity, listen!" cried Rainbow. "I didn't come here to take pictures of dresses! They're nothing special!"
"Nothing... special?" said Rarity, tearing up.
"What I meant was," said Rainbow quickly, "that... they're not nearly as special as the pony who created them!"
"Do you mean that?"
"Of course I do! So, will you do it?"
"Well, I understand what you are thinking," said Rarity. "but wouldn't you rather have pictures of both myself in a gorgeous dress?"
"Ugh, fine. But let me take at least one picture without a dress?"
"I suppose so," conceded Rarity. "That way, everypony who sees your pictures will be able to see just how much more fabulous my designs make me look!"
"They don't do that much for you..."
"What?"
"What I mean is, you're already so fabulous that there isn't much left that they can do for you!"
Rarity began to tear up again. "That... That's one of the nicest things anypony has ever said to me..."
"Oh, give me a break..." muttered Rainbow. "I mean, no problem!"
"So you do or do not want me to take a picture?" asked Rainbow Dash.
Fluttershy squeaked from her hiding place behind Angel, who had an annoyed look.
Wordlessly, Rainbow raised the camera up and snapped a picture. Fluttershy had no further reaction other than to continue to cower.
"I'll take that as a yes then?"
"Eep!"
"Well, goodbye, I guess."
"A picture?" asked Applejack. "Of me?"
"Of course!" said Rainbow Dash. "And maybe a few around the farm. Like, uh, the barn?"
"But ah'm workin'!" said Applejack, who then proceeded to buck an apple tree. "Ah'm all sweaty and tired lookin'! Maybe ya should come back later?"
"But I... uh, I'm... showing off everywhere in Ponyville! I've already taken pictures of the water tower, the library, the town hall, the market square, Carousel Boutique, and other places like that."
"Oh, ah see!" said Applejack. "You're trying to capture what life here in Ponyville is all about!"
"Um, sure!"
"Well then, how aboutcha get a shot of me right in the middle of a good ol' apple buck?"
"Um, sure!"
"I suppose that's enough pictures..." Rainbow Dash mused as she flew back toward the library. "Twilight did ask me to not be gone for too long."
She had decided that it would probably be a bad idea to try to find Pinkie Pie since she would probably somehow see right through the disguise.
Suddenly a colorful splotch in the clouds caught her eyes. "What is that?"
She inspected it for a moment. "Oh, of course, that's just my other self! Maybe... Maybe I should get a shot of... her too.
She took off into the sky and was quickly hovering in front of the sleeping other-Rainbow Dash.
"Wait, do I really look like that when I'm asleep?" she asked herself. "That's not cool. There's no way I'm taking a picture of that."
Rainbow hesitated. "I could wake her up... But I'm not supposed to let my other self see me. Although, I am in disguise..."
"HEY!"
"Whoa! What? Huh?" cried the suddenly awakened Rainbow Dash.
"Oh," said past-Rainbow. "Who are you? What do you want? Can't you see that I was taking a nap?"
"Yes, I could see that," said Rainbow. "My name is Flash Photography, and I have been photographing the coolest ponies in Ponyville! But I guess that the pony who pointed me to you must have been mistaken."
"Whoa, hold on," said past-Rainbow angrily. "You've got the right pony alright. Only the coolest in Equestria!" she struck a pose.
Rainbow grinned to herself. 'This is too easy!' she thought. Suddenly, she felt rather embarrassed for the same reason. Regardless, she raised the camera and snapped a picture of the other Rainbow Dash.
"Hey!" cried past-Rainbow in annoyance as she dropped the pose.
"So," said Rainbow. "You talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?"
"Is that a challenge?"
"You know it is! They don't call me D- Flash for nothing!"
"Ha! Well they don't call me Dash for no reason! But I hope you're up for more than just walking!"
Without another word, past-Rainbow flew off.
"Hehehe," laughed Rainbow. "It is on." She jumped into the sky and began to follow her past counterpart.
After a little while past-Rainbow flew by her while doing some looping tricks. "Hey, slowpoke! I'm doing tricks around you!"
"That's just what I was hoping for..." cackled Rainbow to herself before snapping another photo.
She allowed past-Rainbow to stay far ahead of her for long enough to get a couple dozen pictures before the camera finally ran out of film.
"Aw man," Rainbow said to herself. "Oh well, that should be plenty. Now time to crank it up a notch."
She accelerated toward her past self and slowed to match her speed when she was right beside her, grinning.
"Whoa!" cried past-Rainbow. "You devious pony! You've been holding back!" she said with a grin of her own. "But you still can't keep up with this!"
Suddenly past-Rainbow dive-bombed and future-Rainbow quickly followed suit.
'We're heading straight at Ponyville Lake!' Rainbow realized. 'She's going to pull up at the last minute! And she thinks that I will either pull up before her or I will crash into the lake! Well, I'll show her!'
Rainbow watched as the lake came closer and closer, but she was resolved not to make a move until her other self did so. At the last moment, past-Rainbow pulled up and then-
*SPLASH*
"Bwahahahaa!" laughed past-Rainbow. "You know, I didn't think you had the guts to even try it. Are you okay?"
Future-Rainbow surfaced in the lake sputtering and coughing.
"Huh?" said past-Rainbow in confusion.
When future-Rainbow had finally stopped coughing, she began to fly out of the water and said, "Well, I guess you win, huh?"
"What happened to your mane?"
"My mane?" Rainbow looked up into her mane and her pupils shrunk.
"And what happened to you're cutie mark?" shouted past Rainbow. "Why are you impersonating me?"
"Uh, uh-" Rainbow no longer bothered to change her voice.
Suddenly, with a rush of wind, both Rainbows had taken off.
"Hey!" shouted past-Rainbow. "I'm talking to you!" She managed to tackle Rainbow Dash to the ground.
"Who are you, really?" she shouted into her face.
"Why, she's exactly who she says she is!" said Discord's voice. "She's Rainbow Dash."
"Huh?" said past-Rainbow, suddenly panicked. She looked up and saw that, sure enough, Discord was laying on a cloud and watching.
"Or should I say," he continued. "She's the better Rainbow Dash. You see, unlike you, she's my friend! And I am her friend!"
"What are you talking about? How did you escape, Discord? What are you doing in Ponyville?"
"Oh, wouldn't you like to know. Seriously, it's all rather interesting, but unfortunately for you, I can't tell you. As for what I'm doing in Ponyville, well, let's just say that I have the most interesting of plans.
"Oh yeah?" shouted past-Rainbow as she began to hoof at the ground. "Not on my watch!"
"And Rainbow Dash here," continued Discord, indicating future-Rainbow, "is going to help me do it!"
"Huh?" Past-Rainbow stopped and stared at her other self in shock.
"You see, I've learned a lesson since you imprisoned me," declared Discord. "I should make some friends!"
"That is not what that means and you know it!" shouted past-Rainbow with a stomp of her hoof. "You can't just force everyone to like you and call them your friends! And that Rainbow Dash is a fake!"
"Oh, I think you will find that my friend her is quite real," assured Discord. "You see, I need one of her... special abilities."
"What are you talking about?"
"Your sonic rainboom has a rather interesting power," said Discord, but suddenly future-Rainbow Dash flew up to him and slammed a hoof over his mouth.
"You can't tell her about that!" she hissed to Discord.
"Don't worry," he replied back to her from behind her hoof. "I know what I'm doing." He moved her out of the way and turned his gaze back upon the other Rainbow Dash, who was watching with even more confusion.
"The sonic rainboom has the fascinating power to inspire everypony around it, to remind them of everything beautiful in life," explained Discord. "And when my dear friend Rainbow Dash makes a sonic rainboom for me, everypony who lays eyes on it will finally see the beauty of chaos! They will finally see what they have all been missing, and nopony will even want to stop me! Muahahahahaha!"
"Well, that's not going to happen!" shouted past-Rainbow as she started accelerating toward Discord.
Suddenly her head collided with something.
"OW! What the-"
"Of course, I can't have you running off and telling everypony that my friend isn't the real Rainbow Dash now, can I?" said Discord as past-Rainbow stared horrified at the giant candy cane cage that she suddenly found herself in.
"Oh, how ever will you escape from this?" laughed Discord as the cage was lowered to the ground.
"Ugh!" grunted past-Rainbow as she bashed the candy cane bars with her front hooves with all her might, but they didn't even crack. "Ewwww!" she moaned as she realized that her hooves were sticking to the bars.
"Buahahahaha! Ahahaha ha ha ha HA!" Laughed Discord.
"Hahahahaha!"
"What are you laughing at?" demanded past-Rainbow as she pried a hoof off the bars and pointed it at the other Rainbow Dash.
"You look hilarious in there!" answered her double. "Hey, Discord, got any more film for this camera?"
"No problem, my friend!"
Future-Rainbow took the film and quickly exchanged it for the spent roll inside the camera, then snapped a picture of the Rainbow Dash in the cage. "Oh, I am never going to let myself live this down!" she laughed to herself.
"Hey!" shouted past-Rainbow as Discord and future-Rainbow turned and flew away. "Get back here! You can't leave me like this! Help! HELP!"
"Hi there Rainbow Dash!" said Pinkie Pie.