Echoes of Harmony

by BronaFides

A Ruse Too Far

The rainbow-maned pony furrowed her brow in concentration as she slalomed between smaller clouds, trying to keep her path ever tighter. She slipped a little smile as she reached the end of the row flawlessly, then she changed trajectory to climb altitude to the larger storm clouds. She spiraled around one, then another, until they began to spin synchronously with her motion. She nodded, satisfied, then began her ascent even higher, turning as she peaked to begin the rapid descent. She tried to ignore the sweat forming on her brow. Just like I've always done it, she reassured herself. As she built up speed, the resistance became more intense, like the air was coalescing around her. She could feel the forces along the ridges of her back and wings, the air wicking away the sweat...

And suddenly the force became too much, rejecting her forward course so firmly that her flight path became uncontrollable, erratic. The couldn't read the air or the forces or even the direction of the ground until she suddenly became entangled in the tree branches.

“Oh, Rainbow Dash,” a gentle voice praised her, “You were amazing! Woo hoo!” It was barely above speaking level.

“Yeah, an amazing failure. I have to be able to perform a Sonic Rainboom. Everything counts on that!” She carefully righted herself. “There's no way they're going to believe I'm Rainbow Dash if I can't do her most awesome move!”

“Well, she doesn't do it that much,” the pink-maned yellow pegasus replied. “I'm sure you'll do just fine.” She smiled wide and reassuringly, but the flat tone of the final word betrayed her concern.

“Just. Fine?” Chambin said, still echoing Rainbow Dash in frantic tone. “Fine is not cool enough to be awesome or radical! Besides, the point is to dupe them into a confrontation and betray them. You don't think Rainbow Dash would bring her A game to a confrontation like that? Ugh.” She collapsed on the ground and watched the clouds she had spun finish losing their momentum. “I don't get it. Hey, your Fluttershy is getting pretty good.”

“Oh!? You think so? I... don't know...” Faerbin lowered her head demurely.

“See, I never thought you'd manage that timid thing considering how proud you are.” Faerbin even managed to look hurt as Chambin added, “Sorry, I mean... you're doing a great job.”

“I don't know,” Faerbin replied. “My squirrel is still a little off. Mr. Flufftail here either just asked if I'd seen any acorns or demanded you stop laying on his pickles.” Chambin quickly took to the air and checked the ground beneath him, then looked at at Faerbin, who smiled and added, “must be the acorns.” They laughed heartily, and Chambin flew up to a nearby oak and picked a couple acorns and handed them to Faerbin, feeling a little more confident again.

“Say,” Chambin said, scanning the skies, “have you had to eat?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, it's been three months out here. I've not felt hungry at all. Doesn't that seem weird to you?”

“Not really,” Faerbin said, “I just assumed that the creatures here had been feeding me their love, isn't that right, Mr. Flufftail?” The squirrel squeaked, perked his ears, and then skittered off.

“Nah, animals scare easily, and sense what other ponies can't. He wouldn't trust you if you were feeding off his love. Pets have never worked for us before. Besides, that doesn't explain me. What's different?”

“Oh, I don't know,” Faerbin said, watching the squirrel bound into the woods, an expression that was either genuine concern or a perfect mirror of it. “We can ask Chrysalis when we go back to report.”

“I guess.” Chambin wondered at his reluctance to return. Three months ago, he balked at the idea of not being by the Magnificent Queen's side. The Running of the Leaves was fast approaching, and it would be harder to hide from the weather pony patrols without cover. “I just think we'd do better to stay like this.” Chambin gestured vaguely to herself and Faerbin. “I just feel so much more confident....”

Confidence. Was that it? If you believe in yourself, was it close enough love?

Confidence.

The thought only amplified itself. Chambin was sure he'd stumbled upon something. It would be enough. He took to the sky with as rapid of a climb as he could.

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy gasped quietly. “Waaiiit.” She pointed in vain to the horizon, where she could see the actual bearers of the elements approaching. Between Chambin's focus and Faerbin's lack of volume, the warning didn't reach her. Faerbin quickly darted into a nearby bush.

* * *

“So, let me see if I have this right,” Applejack said as they walked down the road. “Last year's Gala dress won't work?”

“Oh, no, of course not,” Rarity replied, matter-of-factly. “Last year's fashion's will hardly catch anypony's eye. At least, not in a positive way, hmm?”

“Well, shucks, how about the bridesmaid dress from Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding?” Applejack countered. “That's more than fru-fru enough, right?”

“Oh! Nonononono,” Rarity replied. “Of course you musn't wear that again.”

“Ever?”

“Now you're getting it, Applejack!” Rarity praised her, smiling.

Applejack eyes widened, then she squinted at Rarity in disbelief. “Havin' you for a friend, I'm gonna need a bigger closet.”

“Look, girls!” Twilight Sparkle pointed at the picnic hill, where Pinkie pie was bouncing in from the other direction, followed closely by their two pegasi friends. “Everypony else is already here!” She was grateful for the distraction to change the subject – after the last Gala, her stomach knotted up even thinking about the uncomfortable formal event. But, in the intervening year, she and her friends had only become even bigger celebrities, and their absence would be noticed and digested into shameless gossip, and that would just make things more miserable for Princess Celestia. Twilight would be there for her mentor, and maybe it wouldn't be so bad now that she knew what to expect.

Besides, she'd already talked Rarity into going again, not that it took much. She began sketching the new dresses immediately. Applejack wasn't too hard to talk into it either – after the wedding, some of her fancier apple treats had become well sought after by the Canterlot elite, so her customers were already waiting.

“Hurry up slow pokes!” Pinkie Pie called to them. “Rainbow Dash has got a new trick she's promised she's gonna show us, and it sounds pretty neat!” She nodded, then looked puzzled, “Or looks pretty neat? Or will sound like it looks pretty neat?” She shrugged. “I guess will just have to wait and see! Or hear.”

As Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, Twilight mentally added Pinkie to the list. It may not be her favorite kind of party, but she wouldn't say no to any party her friends were going to. “Something cooler than the Sonic Rainboom?” Twilight queried.

“Oh it's like, way way way cooler!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “I call it... The Super Rainboom.” She swept a hoof dramatically in front of herself, stopping her hoof on each capital letter. As Twilight raised an eyebrow questioningly, she noted Rainbow Dash would be a harder sell after last Gala, but her loyalty would see that through in the end. “Okay, it's like the Sonic Rainboom to start, but right after it goes off, I put on the breaks, slow past the Sonic Rainboom barrier, then kick it into max speed so it goes off again!”

“Oh, Rainbow Dash, that will be beautiful,” Fluttershy nodded in support, smiling broadly. Rainbow Dash squinted at her, and she added “Oh, I mean radical,” Twilight knew she could probably just badger Fluttershy into going again, but she wanted to avoid taking advantage of her friend's timidness. Maybe the animals would be less frightened, since they'd seen Fluttershy in less noisy circumstances since last year...

“It'll be both,” Rainbow Dash said confidently. “And awesome. And you get a sneak peak! Are you ready?” To the various cheers and confirmations, Rainbow Dash began a rapid ascent.

* * *

Chambin reached the upper atmosphere and began his dive. Confidence was their power, what enabled them to exist without love gathered by Chrysalis for them to devour. “And if I have enough to survive, I have enough to do this!” She began a dive at a steeper angle than before. It was all or nothing this time, she thought as the wind began to pull at her, to resist, and as she adjusted her body and wings ever so subtly until the resistance seemed to diminish, until the wind seemed to become a part of her movement. She closed her eyes and let the feeling surround her, felt as the pressure prepared to give way to her once and for all -

“Look out!” a voice said, snapping her out of the moment. The pony that uttered the warning was a mirror image, and both ponies were stunned into inaction at that crucial moment right before their inevitable collision.

And the Rainboom.

* * *

“Ooooh!” the girls all uttered in unison below.

“That was at least six times cooler!” Pinkie Pie tallied on her hooves. The Super Rainboom was definitely different. The wave of color was vivid almost to the point of blinding, and seemed to move out not just on a single plane like one rainboom, or even two planes, but more like an expanding sphere. But when it faded, there wasn't a rainbow trail leading away, where all their eyes followed.

“There!” Rarity was the first to notice, and sharply pointed a white hoof into the sky, where a blue blur spiraled lazily downward.

Then, to everypony's dismay, Pinkie Pie's tail began to twitch.

“Somepony's got to slow her down!” Twilight Sparkle said decisively. “Fluttershy!” She turned on the demure pony who pulled her head down and back reflexively against the sudden noise. “You can get to her fastest. It'll buy some time.”

Fluttershy stood up straight quickly. “Right!” she replied, taking to the sky as quickly as her recently improved wingpower would allow.

Twilight scrambled for more ideas. “Rarity! Did you bring your fainting couch with you?”

“Oh! I decided that much drama was simply unbecoming...” The sheepish embarrassment in Rarity's expression mingled with, but didn't mask, her growing concern for her plummeting friend.

“Twi, there's a cart of hay in front of the barn that Big Mac and I could haul back here in a jiffy if he hasn't left for town with it already–” Applejack offered.

Twilight looked up, squinting against the light of the sun, and saw Fluttershy had reached Rainbow dash and was doing her best to slow her descent, grabbing her tail and dragging her back, but she wasn't as effective as Twilight had hoped. “No time.” she muttered, her horn aglow. She had walked from this spot to Sweet Apple Acres many times in the years, and she had the calculations perfect in her mind. There was a flash of light in front of them.

A very surprised Big Macintosh was standing on their picnic blanket.

“Sorry,” Twilight managed after a short delay, cringing.

“Big Brother, were you hitched to the cart?” Applejack asked.

“Eeeyup,” Macintosh answered

“Twi–”

“On it,” she interrupted, her horn already aglow again. The cart appeared in position with only seconds to spare. Hay flew in every direction as the free-falling ponies impacted, and Fluttershy, carried by the momentum crashed into them an instant later. As the cloud settled, she was first to emerge.

“I'm so sorry, I tried to slow them down,” brushing the hay dust from herself and shaking it out of her wings, “but together they were just too much weight for me.”

“They?” Applejack queried.

“Together?” Twilight Sparkle asked at the same time. They peered into the cart to find not one, but two Rainbow Dashes laying unconscious in the pile, wings intertwined and bent to odd angles.

* * *

Twilight stood at the end of the hospital beds, glancing from one to the other occasionally, then ventured a few glances down at the book in front of her. She skimmed a few lines quickly, then the book glowed purple before a few pages flipped and she skimmed some more. She bunched up her face in frustration before the book glowed and descended sloppily onto a growing pile of books. She lifted the next one from the stack and repeated the process as Spike gathered the pile of books she'd already rifled through to take back to the library.

“I picked the ones I thought would be best, just like you said,” Pinkie Pie said, nodding at the book pile, handing a fresh-baked cupcake to Twilight.

“You did great, Pinkie,” Twilight reassured her before taking a bite of the cupcake. It was crisp and sweet and reminded Twilight that she'd never gotten a chance to eat at the picnic, so she quickly finished it. “'History of Arial Milestones,' 'Famous Pegasi Throughout History,' 'The Wonderbolts Book of Equestrian Records,'” she listed off a few of the titles she'd already been through. “There's just no mention of the Sonic Rainboom anywhere except in old mare's tales and filly's books. Nothing substantial, certainly not enough to explain this.” She looked up at the two Rainbow Dashes, laying in two beds, side-by-side.

“Uhhh,” the Rainbow Dash on the left groaned, stirring slightly.

Applejack had fallen asleep standing up nearby, and snapped awake. “I wasn't asleep!” she said loudly, then, becoming aware of her surroundings, added, “She's wakin' up!”

Rarity put down some stitching that she had brought with her to pass the time, approaching. “Careful now, Applejack. Let's not startle the poor dear.” Her eyes darted to the next bed over, and she gasped, causing Twilight to turn to face that bed.

“Uhm, this one is moving, too,” Fluttershy confirmed. “Oh, don't try to move yet, Rainbow Dash!” she interjected as the bandaged pegasus tried to sit up.

“Heh, this room looks familiar,” the Dash on the left muttered.

“I guess the Super Rainboom didn't go so well, huh?” the right Dash said almost at the same time.

Both narrowed their eyes and turned slowly to peer at each other. Both blinked slowly. There was an awkward moment when nopony dared to say anything.

“Now, Rainbow Dash, I know you're–” Twilight Sparkle began.

“What the hay!?” they both exclaimed simultaneously, pointing quickly at the other, wincing in pain as they did so. “What do you mean, what the hay!?” they accused each other. “Twilight, zap her, she's a a changeling!”

Twilight took another breath and tried to start again. “We–”

“You've gotta know it's me, right?” the one on the right appealed to her.

“It's me, your old friend, we know each other too well for cheap tricks, right?” the left one followed up.

“Look, no offense,” the right one said to the left, “but nopony is as cool as the original, genuine Rainbow Dash, which is obviously me.”

“Uhm,” Fluttershy attempted to interject.

“I'm a little flattered,” the left one retorted, “I mean, I can understand why you'd want to pretend to be so awesome, but there's only room enough in these skies for one Rainbow Dash.”

“Please stop,” Fluttershy continued, ignored. “You need to rest...”

Twilight Sparkle watched helplessly as the argument moved back and forth. She had been hoping they'd wake up one at a time, giving her a chance to talk to them each alone. She realized now this was best. Let her get it out of her system. Applejack and Rarity were now holding each one back as the accusations escalated, keeping them in bed, and Pinkie Pie was trying to talk over them, something about Bran Muffins in attempt to break the tension.

“Lay DOWN!” Fluttershy finally yelled over everypony. All the noise immediately stopped, and the struggling Dashes laid flat in their beds. “First, you have an injury to take care of, and this isn't helping!”

“But–” left Dash began.

“And don't you think your good friends haven't tried to figure out who was the real Rainbow Dash while you were unconscious?” she moved closer to left Dash as she spoke, who now looked like she was trying to burrow into her pillow.

“Hah!” right Dash laughed and pointed at left Dash, only to have Fluttershy's fury turn on her.

“And you're not helping anything or getting any better with all this fighting! Now, say you're sorry!”

“Sorry,” both Dashes said to her.

“To each other.”

“But-”

“She isn't...” both trailed off as Fluttershy turned the full Stare on them. “Sorry,” they said to each other sullenly.

“Now,” Fluttershy continued, calmly and gently, “was that so hard?” She smiled.

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes, and began, “Listen Rainbow Dash,” she said, consciously trying to avoid looking at either of them while she spoke, “the first thing I did was try the changeling detection spell on both of you. Neither of you is a changeling.”

“No offense, Twilight, but are you sure you got the spell right?” left Dash asked.

“Positive.” She had done it by instinct during the Royal Wedding Incident, but working with the princesses, they were able to hone the spell, and she trained the entire Royal Guard afterwards. It was an exhausting couple of weeks, and Twilight was pretty sure she could do it in her sleep, and may have even done so during some of the sessions. “It has to be something about the Sonic Rainboom.”

“That doesn't even make sense!” right Dash countered.

“I know, but honestly, the science behind the Rainboom itself is shaky at best, and that doesn't stop you from doing it. We just don't know enough to explain it...” Twilight trailed off. “Do you remember anything from the Rainboom that might help us figure out what happened?”

“I remember the dive and the moments right before it, but the next thing I remember is waking up,” the left one supplied, looking to the right one, who nodded agreement, both lowering their heads sullenly.

“Well, I'll just have to make two of your dress for the Gala this year,” Rarity observed, breaking the silence that followed.

“Huh?” Applejack said, then, as Rarity glared at her, she understood. “I mean, yeah, and I promised to set aside a mug of cider for ya next cider season, what's two mugs instead? I'll still beat the wings off of both of ya at the next Running of the Leaves!”

“I already have to use the dozen cupcake pan for our picnics,” Pinkie added, “so that there's one for Spike. And so I can have a couple fresh out of the oven to make sure they turned out right!”

“Um, we should let Rainbow Dash... or, I mean, Rainbow Dashes, rest for a while,” Fluttershy interrupted quietly

“I'll do some more research back at the library,” Twilight said, lifting the pile of books magically with her, moving another stack forward onto the night stand between the two Dashes. “Here's the Daring Do collection. Just try to read and keep calm while we sort this out.” She tried to smile reassuringly.

* * *

From the tree outside the hospital room window, Faerbin-Fluttershy watched everypony shuffle out of the room. She watched the two glare at each other, then reach for the same Daring Do novel.

“Hey, I haven't read that one yet!” She tugged gently on the book.

“Me neither, Twilight had forgotten that her brother had borrowed it, and she'd just gotten back. And she was going to lend it to me.” She tugged back

“Yeah, I've been waiting since I finished The Alicorn's Shadow.” She tugged back, a little hard this time, wincing as her own wing twinged.

“No, I finished it.” She retorted, straining on the book now. Both began to sweat, the book not budging from the midpoint between them. “My favorite part is when she defies the Nightmare Shadow.” The strain carried into the tone of her voice.

“No way! The best part was when Daring Do got the drop on Sebastius by using his own trap against him.”

“Omigosh! I can't believe I forgot that part. She is so awesome! But that wasn't as awesome as when she-” Faerbin stopped paying attention as the strain left their voices, and they began excitedly discussing their favorite fictional character. This is excellent! We couldn't have planned this better. She quietly thanked the birds who allowed her to move their nest for a better view before she gently put it back where it belonged, then looked around before flying away. Chrysalis will be very pleased.

Author's Note:

Yes, I know the "Double Rainbow" theme is done to death, please just bear with me, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Comments

[Soft Shell]

Did the rainboomsplosion lock him in his disguise or something?

[Razzy]

Or maybe he became a real Dash?

I like your wiring style, there are some errors here and there, but overall it's quite slick.

Cya
Raziel-chan