Rainbow Dash rejoined the group after going halfway around the world to see if the connection between us would work just as strong as it did now. We all found out that not only was it strong, but it never weakened the farther she went. However we did begin to worry when she didn’t turn around and she must have sensed that because when our worry escalated she stopped midair and dashed right back to us. She just landed in front of us with a sorrowful smile on her face.

“Sorry I ran off.” she started.

“Nah, it’s ok.” I responded. “Isis is going to show us how to share a physical form now, aren’t you Isis?”

“That’s right. And I think it would be best if I go first, so you would all know what to do.” she answered with hesitation.

I noticed it, but I pushed it aside. I knew Isis had used me in the past to get what she wants and I assumed she wanted me to be a part of her permanently or something along those lines. I am a good fighter, and she’d be able to use my skills to take as much power as she wanted for her own goals if she got it. So I had to be sure.

“So, if we fuse with each other do we share the power we naturally own?” I asked.

“Well, yes and no. I will be able to control the weather to a certain degree if Rainbow was a part of me, but to have full control over it she needed to lend me the strength.”

“Fair enough. How about instead of you going first, we have Rainbow go first.” I said avoiding having to be potentially trapped in Isis forever.

Isis was taken aback a bit from it and Rainbow raised her eyebrow in confusion. “B-but what if she can’t expel us and we remain in her forever!” Isis protested.

“Well, I can live with being inside Rainbow Dash for the rest of my life.” I stated calmly.

“It’s a risk that I don’t want t-” she froze mid-sentence and her eyes narrowed at me and she had a look of disappointment. “You still don’t trust me?” she sounded hurt.

“Trust comes with truth. You’ve lied to me a few times too many. I will allow you to regain my trust, but I must be shown I can trust you… why you first, it shouldn’t be too hard if you’re sure enough that the action of fusing alone was enough to teach us.” I asked suspiciously.

I risked a glance at Rainbow and she hung her mouth open in shock. Her gaze quickly became judgmental as she bore holes in Isis’s flesh with her eyes. I looked back at her to find she had a guilty expression on her face as she looked at the ground.

“I was going to hold onto you both while in the next universe I plan on visiting. I told you that there were worlds that don’t really appreciate new creatures like ponies or humans. I was going to plan on going to a location where men and women are at an eternal war with each other.” she didn’t need to say any more.

“And if Rainbow and I were spotted, then we’d cause a panic and destroy the chances of diplomacy.” I finished her thought in understanding. “We are in this together, remember that. I will follow you to the gates of hell if I have to. You brought me here for a reason, and I intend to make the best of my new life.”

“Wait, Isis brought you to us?” asked Rainbow Dash with a quizzical expression.

“She did. And since then she’s been secretly using me to achieve her goals. I would fault her, but to be honest, her goals were also my own.” I responded, keeping Isis in the clear of Rainbow’s wrath.

“Oh, ok. That sounds a little evil though.” she replied giving Isis an unsure look.

“I promise I don’t intend either of you harm.” came Isis sincere voice.

I eyed her for a moment. “I trust you.”

“Yeah, me too.” Said Rainbow.

“What do we need to do?” I asked.

“Umm, hold my hand.” began Isis.

We both grabbed hold of her hands and we felt a very complex spell being cast on her soul. But it was so complex for something so easy. It didn’t require a lot of magic and I could easily replicate it if I wanted. It’s like learning to push a ball across the room… trivial, but the process to learn and become aware of your muscles during infancy would have been very difficult to achieve the desired effect. It was like skipping infancy and already having the muscle strength to push the ball.

Rainbow seemed to get the idea too and she smiled as the spell started to pull on us and we faded from existence as our energies flowed into Isis. I saw our bodies fade and I felt my soul melt into her as it rested comfortably next to Rainbow’s. The next thing I knew, I was looking through Isis’s eyes and feeling her body. I would admit that being in a smaller body was a little foreign but exciting.

“You all can hear my thoughts right?” poked Isis within her mind.

Rainbow responded first. “Yep.”

I responded after. “Is it at all possible to tickle Rainbow’s soul?” I asked mischievously.

“Actually.” replied Isis. “That would be considered soul sex…”

There was an uncomfortable silence.

“THAT’S A THING?!” shouted Rainbow’s soul.

“Tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle.” I said as I felt Rainbow’s soul try to squirm away from me.

“NO! STOP THAT!” she suddenly whacked my soul with a ghostly limb that spouted from the red orb that represented Rainbow’s soul. “Wait, why is your soul so small?” Rainbow asked curiously.

“It’s because he has no heart.” responded Isis.

Rainbow’s soul was four inches wide if you could measure it. Mine… was three.

“Wait, Pup has a heart! Why would he be so kind if he didn’t have one?” Rainbow reasoned.

I decided to step in. It’s true. I have no heart. “Rainbow what Isis is saying is true. But my mind follows a very lawful path, and I have a sense of honor. I protect my friends not out of fear of losing them or of loyalty, but because I feel it is the right thing to do. I noticed that it’s really hard for me to find love in my world, because I can’t give it back. The closest thing to love, is my loyalty to those I trust and who show me kindness.”

“…I don’t know what to think about that.” Rainbow replied. Her ethereal voice carrying no emotion.

“Then know me not by the facts of what I am, but by the actions I’ve shown you. I’ve been on your side since the beginning even though it may have caused pain and grief for my kingdom and my relation with Celestia and Luna. I won’t risk losing you any more than I already have.” I responded emotionlessly.

“Wait, you’ve almost lost me?” Rainbow’s voice asked with a questioning tone.

“When we were changing your body we had to literally pull you apart to fit everything new. I saw your leg on the other side of the trunk while your head was near the top. It was pretty gruesome and I’d rather not talk about it. But even though I thought I was going to lose you I didn’t feel nervousness, regret, or guilt for making you enter that tank Radiant fashioned.”

“What would happen if I didn’t make it out alive?”

That took a few moments for me to respond to. Both Isis and Rainbow felt a sinking feeling in their hearts. Rainbow’s was more like the core of her soul started to sink deeper into Isis’s body but I understood the meaning of it.

“I’m sure I would have gone to the funeral, but I wouldn’t cry.” I finally replied, bluntly.

“…I’d cry at yours.” she replied weakly.

“And I’m grateful. You mean more to me than I have the capability to express, Rainbow Dash. You’re a great friend and a strong ally. I’d come back for you if you were lost. Even if that means I get lost too.” I finished reassuringly.

“That makes me feel better.” I felt joy return to Rainbow’s soul.

Doubt however remained in Isis. I knew Rainbow could feel it because I could feel it. Doubt returned to Rainbow Dash after assessing Isis’s feelings.

“We need to continue on our journey. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.” ordered Isis, interrupting the awkward moment.

“Agreed.” I replied enthusiastically. “But let’s not go to priority places right now. Not when our trust is so shaken.”

“Why does that matter?” asked Isis.

“I’d rather have people fighting with me that know my flaws and accept them. Especially Rainbow Dash. There could be a time where we would need to be in her, and she’d keep me inside her body so I won’t be able to leave and cause damage. Trust is very important to the survival of our mission.”

“I… I understand. Where should we go?” inquired Isis.

And like that, I didn’t know. I knew we needed to visit Tamriel but the problem was that we only just got this ability and we already don’t trust each other with it. We needed a test of wills and a place that would stress our knowledge and potentially force us to work together to strengthen our bond through obstacles we couldn’t overcome by ourselves. A place where it was controlled and potentially a real threat that will group us together and a place with enough plants to charge Isis.

“God damn it, I don’t know. Maybe another alternate Equestria that would… bring us together. Rainbow how do you like the idea of meeting your friends in a different light?”

“What do you mean?” she asked suspiciously.

“I mean Isis and I will be inside you while you interact with new ponies that look and act almost like your friends. They are friends with each other as well, but they all act different. Chances are you’ll see another Rainbow Dash and be able to understand the differences between worlds. Think of it as an expedition that Daring Doo goes on, and finds a new tribe of ponies that never saw another pony outside their culture. It has all the risks of that scenario and you can exercise your trust with us.”

“Why don't you go to another universe and we give you advice?” asked Rainbow.

“Because you’re new to this. We’re not. We are only as strong as our weakest link, and currently that’s you. And I’d rather not see you get into deeper trouble down the line because of a misunderstanding.”

“Do you really think I’m stupid enough to get myself in trouble?” Rainbow asked irritably.

“Rainbow it’s like on the job training. You can’t be good at something naturally, you need to practice it and improve on what you know.”

I felt Rainbow’s irritation with me, but I could also feel her finding the logic in my statement and calming. Though her pride seemed to not allow her to look past it and she readied herself to defend her logic. But she felt I knew what she was doing and she stayed quiet.

“All right then. Isis I have a request.” I said to Isis's soul.

“What is it?”

“Bring us to an Alternate Equestria where there are ponies. Make sure that world isn’t in immediate danger or in danger from future events. I’d rather not get pulled into an adventure to save Equestria again.”

“Done and done.” replied Isis.

In the real world Isis was standing there for a few minutes gathering energy. A few people felt it and came out to watch and quickly noticed the lack of the two other beings. Goku approached Isis with a confused look on his face.

“Hey, where’s Rainbow and Puppet Master?” he asked.

“Already on their way. I’ll be joining them shortly. Maybe we’ll meet again and be able to share a few funny stories and a few more about our adventures.” she said with her voice laced in passive joy.

“Yeah… I’d like that. Maybe we’d need your help next time and-”

“DID I HEAR RIGHT!?” shouted Vegeta as he marched over to them.

Given the distance was only a few meters away it wasn’t all that impressive. But the glare he gave Isis was.

“DID THAT COWARD ALREADY LEAVE!? HOW DARE HE ESCAPE MY WRATH WITHOUT A REMATCH! Fine if I can’t have him then I’ll have you.” He held up his palm and faced it toward Isis.

“VEGETA NO!” shouted Goku.

I realized now that this is an alternate Dragonball Z universe where Vegeta hasn’t gotten over his pride of being a saiyan prince. His need for honor drove him to lash out against Isis and I was blind to it.

“Need hel-”

“YES!”

I gave her my power to wield cursed flame and crystal storm and she responded by throwing up a crystal shield before the kai beam smashed into it. She continued to gather energy while I surrounded her in a crystal shield using my own magic reserves to power it. Vegeta kept pouring power into the shield to dispel it and I could see through Isis’s eyes that Goku was holding him back. Isis found she can pull more power when in a panic and was able to charge enough energy to stop them from fighting with the amount that was going into her.

I found the calm relaxing, until I noticed her body physically reacting to the power by feeling the lack of weight pressing down on her shoulders. She calmed down significantly to slowly draw in energy. I thinned the shield out to see what they were doing and found everyone’s open mouth reaction toward Isis’s energy level.

“Time to go.” she thought.

Rainbow and I silently agreed and we suddenly felt a tug that brought us to a place EXTREMELY far away. It was beyond a feeling I ever thought I’d feel. And even if I did I wouldn’t be capable of imagining the amount of distance I actually traveled in just milliseconds.

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When it was over, Isis was standing in a forest with the two souls of her friends still within her body. The sun was high in the sky and had not yet reached its zenith but was nearing it. Isis took in the smells of the forest and reminisced about the Terrarian forest she was born from. She released Rainbow Dash and she materialized in front of Isis. She turned around to face her with an uncertain look on her face.

“Now Rainbow Dash. You need to follow our advice, no matter what. I’ve been in other universes and even observed so many. I know exactly what to expect and Puppet Master somehow knows how to handle situations I could never even prepare myself to face. With Puppet Master and I as your guides, I know that we can teach you the art of… well I’m sure we don’t have a name for it.” she finished sheepishly.

“Nah, it’s ok. I’ll listen to you guys really well! Although I admit… I’m afraid of you Puppet Master.” she admitted to me, but looked through Isis’s eyes since I was still in her body.

I wanted to say something to her but given I was stuck in Isis that would be hard.

“Grab my hand Rainbow.” stated Isis.

Rainbow did as she was told and instinctively started pulling her in with me in tow. Once we were fused I spoke to her mind with words I thought would be reassuring in some way… and maybe a little sensitive to.

“I can’t say that your fear of me hurts me, but… it doesn’t mean I don’t like it. But regardless of your fear Rainbow Dash I will always be your friend.”

“I really hope you aren’t lying.”

“Have I ever let you down before?”

“…no.”

“And I promise that I won’t start now.”

Rainbow raised her head up and looked around making sure to soak in the surroundings. Not only did she recognize the area, she knew it very well. This was the Everfree Forest. Rainbow Dash didn’t show it, but I could feel the fear she had for this forest. It wasn’t strong enough and she would likely joke about it given the chance. But that fear didn’t exist in me or Isis and Rainbow felt that.

She spoke out loud. “You realize how unnatural this forest is right guys?”

“It’s extremely normal in other places. You’ll need to adjust to the fact that there are rules to new worlds. Remember that. Maybe here the Everfree is dangerous, but in another place it could be so peaceful that Fluttershy moved here.”

“Doubt it.” she replied in her mind.

“Rainbow there’s something you need to live by now. And it’s going to be one of simplest statements you might find meaningless.”

“What’s that?”

“New world, new rules.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“I saw that.”

“Hehehe.” she chuckled.

Rainbow walked through the forest toward a direction unclear to Isis and I. But the reason behind it was soon very clear when Rainbow reached a small clearing that I recognized. In the small clearing was a patch of very green grass and a sun beam from the heavens above that landed in the middle of the patch. This was the specific location of the Equestrian Portal.

“To think my adventure started when I went through that.” she thought out loud, fondly expecting an answer.

But she found guilt that emanated from my soul.

“You were responsible for that weren’t you?” asked Rainbow nonjudgmentally.

“Yes.”

Rainbow was silent for a while as she watched the patch of grass until her face contorted into a scowl.

“I hope it was worth it.” she replied irritably.

“I brought Isis through that portal to save her… it was then used by a corrupt Darkness, who then took that portal and used it to spread the corruption into Equestria… I don’t believe that a yes or no applies in this situation.”

Rainbow huffed and flared her wings and beat hard to clear the canopy. I was impressed with how fast she flew up because I’ve also done the same thing she did. She had more force and agility than I did, I would only get a few feet off the ground and would have to do consecutive flaps to do what she just did in only one. It was only now I realized how amazing Rainbow Dash really is.

She flew over the tree tops in her noncombat form and flew over the tree tops and rose higher into the sky to see more of the landscape. The first thing she noticed was the Canterlot Castle land mark. She felt the need to return home and sleep in her own bed. I quickly tried to snap her out of those thoughts.

“Rainbow this isn’t home. Take a look to your left.”

Rainbow complied and saw nothing dominating the skyline. The White Tower that was the capital of my kingdom no longer stood solid and true. Instead there was open air and no sign it was ever there. Rainbow felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she thought of her friends… her real friends, not the clones she would soon meet.

“Rainbow, just because your friends are far away doesn’t mean they don’t love you any less. Just don’t get carried away with the ponies you’re about to meet. They may turn on you for being a double of Rainbow Dash or they may accept you entirely. There is also the off chance that Twilight will want to run experiments on you… Don’t let her experiment. You have been given a power that allows you to control weather without touching clouds. Don’t give them that ability. It’s too complex and can be used for so many evils.”

“Doubt it. Weather can’t be that destructive and even if it was, ponies wouldn’t let it get out of control.”

“Rainbow you need to trust me completely. No pony must know of your ability to transform or control weather. If Twilight wants tests, tell her you know why you’re here and she doesn’t need to know.”

“Ok, understood.”

Rainbow flew over to the small village that she immediately recognized as Ponyville. She had a goal in mind. And that was the Library that Twilight lived in. She looked in its general direction and spotted the tree home with little effort.

Rainbow gulped. “Well… here I go.”

“Trial by fire, miss Dash. I stated to her.