Rarity was frantically running into the Everfree Forest at a pace and speed she had never known before! But she knew she had no time to stop and catch her breath! If she didn’t act soon, she could very easily lose her friend Rainbow Dash, possibly forever. To make a long story short: The fashionista had decided to make use of the magic mirror pool to clone herself, only for the clones to dress up Rainbow Dash when the brash speedster had been sent to round up the clones. And now, said clones were dragging a dolled up Rainbow back to the mirror pool with them.
Try as she might, though, Rarity simply could not keep running so fast. Her lungs and her legs just couldn’t take any more. Reluctantly, she found herself forced to stop. The unicorn fashionista hated doing so, and wished more than anything she could teleport to the mirror pool at this very moment. Oh, if only she had the rest of her friends to help her out.
Alas, Rarity knew she was on her own for this one. So after resting for just a moment, she resumed her headlong rush into the Everfree Forest, her destination clear in mind! “Please let me be in time! Please!” She thought to herself again and again.
At last, the fashionista reached her destination: The mirror pool’s entrance remained uncovered, the huge rock that had once sealed it away had been moved. And judging by the many, many hoofprints she was seeing, the clones had already made it back to the pool’s entrance as well. Time was running out! The fashion loving young mare could only hope she wasn’t already too late!
Tumbling and stumbling her way down the entrance, Rarity was slow to get back on all four hooves. One thing was certain, she was going to need a long spa trip after this. And even then, she feared her body would be sore for days to come, if not longer.
Yet the unicorn mare with a white coat now stained black from scratch marks and covered with dust managed to lift up her head. What she saw utterly astounded her! And she had already seen herself be copied multiple times over in the blink of an eye.
Whereas the fashionista had been expecting to see a bunch of Rarities and a still heavily dressed up, gussied up Rainbow Dash, she instead saw a tarnished and torn dress resting at the edge of the mirror pool. And instead of there being just one Rainbow Dash, there were about as many there had been Rarities before. All of them apparently just standing there with blank expressions upon their faces, as if waiting for Rarity to speak first.
The unicorn shook her head and rubbed her eyes. No, she wasn’t seeing things. And the pain she was still feeling told her this was no dream. It was all very much real. The Rarity clones had disappeared, and in their place it seemed that a bunch of Rainbow Dash clones had risen up. But how? And why?
Suddenly, the Rainbow Dashes all parted, as one trotted up to the unicorn fashionista with a smile on her face. “Hey, Rarity. You don’t have to worry about your clones anymore. That situation is… taken care of.”
Rarity found herself struggling to find the words she wanted to say. “Rainbow Dash… how did… I mean… why would you… I mean… whatever is the meaning of this?”
The brash speedster massaged the back of her neck with a hoof. “Well, your clones did try to take me into the pool with them. But for whatever reason, even when they went under the surface, I didn’t go with them. I guess it’s part of the pool’s magic: You can make copies out of your own reflection, but you can’t actually swim around in it like a normal pool.”
Rarity began to smile. Before suddenly remembering that it could very well be that she wasn’t talking to the real Rainbow Dash. With all the clones currently standing there, how was she to know that she wasn’t talking to one of them? “Is it really you, Rainbow Dash?”
“‘Course it is!” Rainbow said with a laugh. “Go ahead: Ask me whatever you wanna ask that you think will prove it.”
The fashionista bit her lip, trying to think of a good memory to bring up as part of her test. She didn’t want to risk revealing anything too embarrassing. Yet she couldn’t think of anything else that only the real Rainbow Dash would know about her. So, with a deep and reluctant sigh, she questioned. “Do you recall that… incident from the Best Young Flyer’s Competition in Cloudsdale a few years back?”
The rainbow maned pegasus laughed. “How could I not? That was the time you got all wrapped up in those magical wings you discovered from a spell, and ended up causing them to burn up when you flew too close to the sun. But hey, it’s how I pulled off a Sonic Rainboom for only the second time in my life. So I guess it all worked out in the end.”
The unicorn mare with a still stained white coat breathed a faint sigh of relief, wiping a bead of sweat off her brows. “Oh, thank heavens! It really is you!” Yet her relief soon gave way to a more puzzling and concerning question that came to her mind. “But why in the name of Celestia did you think it was a good idea to make copies of yourself? You saw what happened with my clones.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled and waved a hoof, dismissing the concern. “Oh, don’t worry about it. I didn’t make that many copies. And they’re not gonna stick around for long. I just figured that after what I had to endure while rounding up all of your clones, I might as well make copies of myself. Because the only thing that cheers me up after having to be dressed up and dolled up so heavily, is an intense round of sports. It’s the only way to unwind.”
“Oh, I see. And once your little… er… workout is done,” Rarity remarked in a hesitant tone of voice. “I assume you’ll be sending all of your clones back into the mirror pool, and then we can both put this entire ordeal behind us?”
The brash speedster firmly nodded. “Yup. That’s exactly how it’s gonna be. And I made sure all my clones knew that. They may look like me and have the same awesome looks as me, but unlike me they’re not the type to put up a fuss. You tell them to do something and they’ll do it, no questions asked. I think where you and Pinkie went wrong is that you made too many copies, and let them all run free without supervision. If you just make a few copies here and there, and keep an eye on ‘em, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
The fashionista unicorn took a step back. “Well then, it seems my work here is done. I shall just be waiting topside for you and your clones to get done with your round of sports. And once they’ve all returned to the mirror pool, we can seal it off again,” She was quick to whisper. “This will just be our little secret. Nopony will ever know but us.”
Yet Rainbow insisted at that very moment. “You know what, Rarity, I was thinking maybe you should come along with us. I think it’ll be easier and safer if there’s somepony besides me watching all my double mes. Plus, that way you can keep score, not that I think it’ll be needed. Even a clone of me’s no match for the real deal!”
At that, a realization of sorts dawned on Rarity. After everything Rainbow Dash had had to go through on her behalf, it would be absurd for the pegasus not to ask something of the fashionista in return. So it was that Rarity sighed and agreed. “Oh, alright. I suppose I do owe you for all you’ve had to put up with today, darling.”
“Great!” Rainbow Dash excitedly exclaimed! “Now come on! Let’s go topside! I think I know just the place where we can all hang out and play without anypony finding out!” She then gave a whistle, getting the attention of her clones. “Hey, all of you, or should I say all of me?!” When her duplicates looked at her, she quickly gave the command! “Follow me back to the surface, and do exactly what I say! If you don’t, I’m sending you all back into the mirror pool! Got it?!”
The clones all chimed in unison. “Yes, Rainbow Dash!” And they all followed their creator as they flew back up from the underground passage in the blink of an eye.
“Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dashes! Wait up!” Rarity hollered as she ran catch up to them all!
Since she had not had much time to rest and recover, the fashionista unicorn was all but out of breath once again by the time she made it back up to the surface and stood next to the hole that was the mirror pool’s underground entrance.
Fortunately, it seems that Rainbow was indeed telling the truth about her clones. They were all standing around, waiting for further instructions from their creator. Not one had broken away to do their own thing (and that was probably for the best considering they all seemed to have the pegasus’ incredible speed).
The original Rainbow Dash, for her part, just smiled when she saw Rarity standing nearby. “Okay, Rarity,” She called out and instructed. “You stay here and make sure none of my double mes try to run away or go anywhere. If they do, do whatever it takes to stop ‘em, even if it means you gotta zap ‘em back to the mirror pool.”
“You do know that I never learned that spell, right?” Rarity saw fit to point out. “Twilight never taught me it, because she never imagined needing to use the spell again after the first incident. I’m already surely going to catch an earful from her as it is just for making copies of myself despite knowing what happened with Pinkie.”
“Well, just do whatever you can to keep them all here!” Rainbow instructed. “I’ll be back as soon as I can! But I’m pretty sure you won’t have to do anything.” Then, quick as a flash, she zoomed away, leaving behind a rainbow colored blur of energy.
The fashionista unicorn blinked. No matter how many times she saw her pegasus friend display such dazzling feats of agility, it still astounded and amazed her. As a result, she almost forgot about the other Rainbow Dashes. They were all just standing around, doing nothing. Some of them even seemed to be complaining about it, albeit in far less enthusiastic tones than you might have expected. They may have inherited some of Rainbow’s impatience, but not enough of it to where they might actually rebel or disobey orders.
It was only a moment or two at best before the rainbow maned athlete returned, another rainbow colored blur of energy announcing her arrival! And she had brought with her several different objects, almost all of them ball shaped. “Alright, this is it!” She declared, commanding the attention of her clones. “If any of you can come even close to matching me, I might just decide to let you stay, at least until Twilight finds out and makes me send you all back. But if I end up leaving you all in the dust, every last one of you’s going back to the mirror pool. So, are you girls ready to do this?!”
“Yeah!” The clones all cheered in unison!
“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you:” The brash speedster replied and asked again. “I said: Are you girls ready to do this?!”
“YEAH!” The clones roared back, much louder this time!
Rainbow Dash smiled. “Now that’s more like it! Now all of you do what I do! And we’ll let Rarity here,” She gestured to the unicorn. “Keep score. Oh, and if any of you runs away, or outright refuses to take part in anything, it’s an automatic forfeit on your part. So either bring your best, or don’t waste my time!” She proceeded to put on her coach’s hat, sunglasses, and whistle. “Okay, double mes, here we go!” She all but hollered. “Let’s start with some basic stretching exercises: Get those muscles all warmed up and ready. One, two, three, GO!” And she began using her wings to push herself up off the ground, then lower herself back down to the ground, before pushing up again and starting the whole process anew.
Rarity, for her part, watched with a faint sense of interest and intrigue.
By the time Rainbow called an end to the stretching exercises, a few of the clones already looked like they were exhausted. They were all panting heavily, and some were even wiping sweat from their brows with the tips of their wings. That’s not to say the real Rainbow Dash wasn’t showing any signs of exertion either, she was taking a few audible deep breaths too. Yet she didn’t seem anywhere near as exhausted or worn out as her copies.
“Alright, newbies, not bad so far,” The rainbow maned speedster proclaimed. “I’ll give you all a minute to rest and catch your breath. Then the real fun begins! And I don’t wanna hear any crying or whining! When the going gets tough, the tough getting going!”
“Darling, do forgive me for questioning your coaching,” Rarity spoke up with concern. “But doesn’t this seem a bit much? Why not just ask Applejack to help you compete and unwind? Or, why not let me do it? Sports may not be my forte, but I’m sure I could fill the role for this occasion instead of making all your clones wear themselves out.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Just look around you, Rarity. They’re just like me: They’re not about to give up just because things are hard.”
Indeed, when the fashionista looked around the clearing, she could see that not one of the clones seemed to even remotely show an interest in quitting. And not just because they didn’t want to go back to the mirror pool either. They were all smiling, apparently looking forward to whatever would come next, regardless of how tough it might be.
So the unicorn mare said nothing further. “Rainbow Dash seems to know what she’s doing. If she’d really wanted it to be me, I’m sure she would’ve said something. I suppose, in her own way, she too is tempted and intrigued by the mirror pool,” She thought to herself. “Although that does beg the question: What would it be like if one of our other friends made copies of themselves through the use of that pool? Or what if somepony else entirely were to do it? Would the results be better than what Pinkie and I tried to do?”
Meanwhile, the brash tomboyish pegasus blew sharply on her whistle, once again drawing the attention of all of her clones. “Okay, break time’s over! Now it’s time to get down to business!” She pulled out one of the balls from the huddle. “We’re gonna start with some good old fashioned buckball. You’re each gonna take up different positions while we work on your ball control. Just try and keep up with me!” She proceeded to demonstrate a series of lightning fast moves, including flying back and forth between goal posts, and jumping through hoops. All in the blink of an eye.
The clones each made their own attempts one by one. None of them could quite match the original in speed and precision, but many of them showed a surprising amount of dexterity given their recent creation.
This went on and on through a series of lightning fast drills in things like basketball, baseball, volleyball, and even hoofball. Rarity, for her part, found it difficult to keep tabs on all the Rainbows, all of whom looked alike down to the most minute of details. Yet through it all, she was amazed and astounded that the clones seemed able to at least somewhat challenge their creator, forcing her to work hard in order to not be outdone.
Eventually, the original Rainbow Dash blew sharply on her whistle and declared. “Alright! You’re all doing fine. I’m glad you’re all giving me a good workout. There’s nothing I enjoy more than breaking a sweat to help me unwind after a long day. It’s so much better than waiting around for a spa appointment,” She then smiled. “And luckily for all of you, I’ve saved the best for last: A race through the entire Everfree Forest. It starts here, swoops past the Castle of the Two Sisters, loops back around Zecora’s hut, detours to Froggy Bottom Bog, and then finishes up right back here.”
The clones all eagerly lined up besides their creator, not one of them would even dream of walking away at this point. Despite the visible exhaustion some of them were showing, they all looked ready to enjoy what was likely to be the last thing they would ever get to do.
“On your marks, get set, go!” Rainbow bellowed! And with thunderous roars, she and her clones all zoomed away! It was so fast that you could blink and you would miss it.
Rarity, for her part, could only wonder aloud and express her worry. “I hope you’re not making a terrible mistake, Rainbow Dash.”
The next few minutes seemed to tick by in agonizing slowness for the fashionista unicorn, who kept pacing back and forth in the clearing next to the entrance to the mirror pool. It was all she could do, and all she could think to do. Just what was taking all those Rainbows so long? The race only lasted one lap, surely the real Rainbow Dash would’ve finished by now.
At last, after what felt like an eternity, several loud swooshes and roars signaled the return of the Rainbow Dashes. One zoomed across the finish line just ahead of the others, all of whom slowly screeched to a halt afterwards.
“Whew! That was a lot closer than I thought it would! But I wouldn’t have it any other way!” The real Rainbow declared, still sporting her hat, sunglasses, and whistle. “I really wish I didn’t have to send you all back to the mirror pool. I wish I could keep you all around to keep on challenging me and pushing me to be the best I can be. Or just to have you on hoof in case I need somepony to take my place while I’m doing something else.”
But just then, who should come trotting up on the scene but Twilight Sparkle herself? And judging from the look upon her face when she saw all the clones standing around, she was anything but pleased. “Not you too, Rainbow Dash!” She groaned in annoyance, putting a hoof up to her forehead. “Do I have to put up a sign that says ‘Off Limits’ or something? Cloning yourself with the mirror pool is strictly forbidden. I can’t believe I have to remind you of that.”
Rainbow blushed and let out a sigh. “Sorry, everypony,” She spoke to the clones. “Twilight’s right. As fun as it is, it’s time for you all to go back where you came from. Equestria just can’t handle so many Rainbow Dashes. There’s sadly only room for one.”
Rarity unhappily sighed as well. “This is really my fault. You’d never have even gotten the chance to clone yourself had I not already done the same, and caused you to be dragged off when I sent my duplicates back to the mirror pool.”
Twilight could only shake her head in disapproval, watching as all the clones of Rainbow Dash trotted back to the underground entrance of the mirror pool and disappeared down it. Once the last one had retreated back beneath the surface, Twilight used her magic to move the huge boulder and cover the hole once again. Then, for good measure, she threw a bunch of magical chains all around the boulder, making sure they were all firmly in place. “There. At least now hopefully that’ll deter anypony else from doing what you two have done.,” She turned to her friends. “Now come on, let’s go back to Ponyville. And we’re never going to discuss the mirror pool with anypony ever again.”
Rarity and Rainbow Dash reluctantly obeyed.
