As the room faded a near grey toned Rainbow Dash sat down drenched in sweat from her recent physical exertions. Feeling ashamed at the sides of herself that she was forced to come face to face with she focused on moving forwards so she could find a way to make it up to her friends how she had been acting. With great trepidation she walked to the next room.

As the room shifted again facehoofed, groaning in annoyance, “Not again! I just got done with this bucket of horseapples. Well I might as well get this over with. Come give me your best shot!” She ended with a scream as she was standing in a replica of her cloud houses doorstep. The rainbow waterfall cascading to her left side as a warm summer breeze blew through her mane.

“That won’t be necessary. You’ll find this place more to your liking.” Rainbow Dash heard a voice beside her. Looking she noticed that she lacked the darkness and the evil eyes that she previously had. In its place was a glow so bright that she seemed to radiate a cyan aura, and her eyes glowed with rose colored flames that gently shimmered out the sides.

“What are you supposed to be?”

“Silly I’m you. Simply the purified version of your dark side.”

“Purified how?”

“The Elements of Harmony, for you and the others when you pass through the darkest side of yourselves you in turn purify that side of yourselves. This place is simply a transitory area that will show you the better side of yourself. Each place though is different for each of you. Although all of you are linked, what you need to see, as well as what you learn is special for each of you.” The double replied.

“So what do I need to see then? Didn’t you show me how horrible I am already?” Dash said holding back tears as she mentally relived the seeing the worst of herself.

“Didn’t you listen silly? This will show you the better side of yourself. Trust me you’ll like this.”

*****************

The Pegasi that weren’t affected by the feather flu had finished pulling off a water tornado that was big enough to send the water from Ponyville to Cloudsdale. Including, interestingly enough, Fluttershy. Afterward everyone went to Pinkie Pie’s “Yay! We replenished Cloudsdales water supply Party!”, other than two Pegasi. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

“Hey Flutters I just wanted to say thanks.” Rainbow Dash said sitting on Fluttershy’s couch in the middle of what could be considered her living room. As Fluttershy sat on the arm chair that sat beside it.

“Your welcome Rainbow Dash, but what I did wasn’t all that special. I almost failed completely.” Fluttershy said deflecting the comment as she was want to do. Not wanting to seem immodest, or as if she thought she was better than anypony.

“That’s just the thing though, you didn’t. You really made me proud of you Flutters. I mean it. You could’ve stayed down and we would’ve failed, but you got back up. You really showed everypony how awesome you are.” She took Fluttershy in a half hug eliciting a blush from Fluttershy.

“You really mean it? You think I’m awesome?”

“Of course. I always knew you had it in you. I’m just glad that you’re finally starting to come out of your shell a little bit.”

“I’m glad” Fluttershy whispered audibly into her mane, before saying in a slightly louder voice,“Aren’t you going to the party? I think the other’s would like to see you there.”

“Why be with all of them when I can be with my friend who helped make it all possible.”

**********************

Rainbow laughed at the memory, not because it was funny but because it was one of her favorite memories with Fluttershy. Her color slightly returned going from near grey, to darker shades of her normal colors.

*********************

Rainbow Dash was sitting on a cloud above Twilight Sparkle. It was her first flying lesson and she was more proud than the time she got Scootaloo to hover. With a ear to ear grin so big that it could be heard in her voice, “Your doing good Twi. Remember the power is in the down stroke, remember it’s not about flapping fast it’s about flapping strong. All the speed in the world won’t make a difference if you don’t put power behind the strokes.

Now that doesn’t mean that flapping fast doesn’t make you go faster, but just like when you were racing. It’s all about knowing your strengths and how to pace. Now I want you to angle your wings forward to go higher and angle them downward to go lower. I want to see what you got.”

Twilight being older than most Pegasi when they learned to fly was sloppy. But being older she had the wing strength to get some air. So with that out of the way Rainbow Dash had spent the earlier part of the day hovering and going over wing movements. Now it was time to get her flying.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean shouldn’t I learn more about hovering?”

“Ha! Twi your such a laugh. You already know how to hover, you got the movements down pat and you got the natural skill. If I say your ready than trust me your ready.”

Rainbow Dash was happy to see Twilight flying. To know that she was responsible for showing a Princess the ropes. Even though she felt so weak in this new body, to see her friend so happy. It was a true blessing.

**********************

Rainbow Dash’s color was almost back to normal her eyes glazed over with unspilt tears and a lazy grin crossing her face. “ I forgot about that. Wow it really has been a hectic few months.”

“See you aren’t such a bad pony. You just lost sight of what’s really important to you.”

“Yeah I did didn’t I?”

“Yes you did, but now you know what to fix. As for what you saw about Scootaloo. Well nothing can really be said to fix that, but at least she still respects you. That and I know you’ll try being a better part of her life.”

“That’s true. So what now?”

Her doubles reply was to give Rainbow Dash a hug. With that she was awashed in a flood of memories and emotions that she had long ago forgotten. Times when she was a little filly, having awoken fitfully from a nightmare ran to her parents bedroom. For her mother to hold her in her wings singing,

“ I’ll love you forever, I’ll love you always.
From the first time I saw you, to the end of my days.
From morning to night time, forever I’ll stay.
For my love is for ever, forever always.”

This was her special song she sang for Dashie ever since she first held her. Her and her husbands special rainbow. When Rainbow Dash would finally fall asleep she rested her between them. Their wing wrapping around the little filly letting her know that she was beyond a shadow of a doubt loved. It was this love that she had felt she had forever lost, but when the memories came to the forefront of her mind she was knew that their love lived inside her. And was always there.

Then came memories of Fluttershy protectively wrapping a loving wing around Rainbow Dash in those early years. Her own shyness disappearing in her need to comfort her friend, to try and protect her from the sorrows that threatened to drown her heart. Next was memories of her other friends. Ponies who were always there for her when she was down, who always did what they could to be there for her even when she thought that no one could possibly care about her.

It was that friendship, that support, that love, that made her at that moment realize something important. She was never truly alone all along. Her friends were her new family, and they had been through so much together. With that revelation her body returned to normal, all the loss and darkness she was forced to live through was dispelled. The overwhelming joy of that moment brought tears of joy to her face as she returned the hug full force to her double.

“Thank you so much, I’ll never forget you.”

“I know and I’ll always be with you. Even if you can’t see me. No matter what you choose to do, I’ll be there with you cheering you on. Just remember that those around you aren’t chains holding you down. They are clouds holding you up. Like that earth pony saying goes, 'Every cloud has a silver lining’, your friends are your silver lining. The good that will help you through the bad.” With that a door appeared before them. “It’s time for you to go to the next room.”

Author's Notes:

Next up is Fluttershy. I'll probably be in about two weeks for me to get her completely finished and posted.