by Perdita Finn
Applejack was practical as always. “Then we’ll have to buy ourselves some time so you can keep workin’ on it.”
“And how do you propose we do that?” asked Rarity. The song wasn’t ready. Their costumes weren’t ready. This was a mess!
But Rainbow Dash didn’t think so. She had a plan. “We compete in the Battle of the Bands for real. I take over lead vocals again, and we stay alive until the finals. We unleash the counterspell then.” She turned to Twilight. “You’ll have it figured out by the finals, right?”
“Of course she will,” said Spike, jumping in. “Twilight Sparkle’s never met a problem she couldn’t solve. Right, Twilight?”
Twilight tried to smile, but her eyes were filled with anxiety. “Right.”
Rainbow Dash had the fighting spirit, though. She knew she was a great singer, a lead singer. She won every game she played in, didn’t she? “Then let’s go win us a Battle of the Bands!” she said, trying to build some energy and enthusiasm.
But Twilight Sparkle’s eye was twitching again.
Backstage Backbiting
The gym was packed. The musical groups who were competing were clustered near the edge of the stage, nervously reviewing their sets and warming up. The air was crackling with anticipation and anxiety.
Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna stepped onstage, microphones in hand. “Welcome to the first-ever Canterlot High School Battle of the Bands. I believe I speak for everyone when I say it is by far the greatest thing we have ever done here at this school.” Principal Celestia spoke with a mechanical flatness, as if reading from a script.
Still there were hoots and hollers from the different bands. Flash Sentry raised his fist in the air.
“We are so glad our three newest students encouraged us to turn this event into something much more exciting than a boring old musical showcase,” continued Principal Celestia. She gazed admiringly at Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze.
Vice Principal Luna coughed into her microphone to get everyone’s attention. “But, as this is now a competition, we can only choose one winner.” The expression on her face was almost cruel. “Who’s it going to be?”
Almost at once, the room erupted with bickering.
“You don’t stand a chance!”
“Your band stinks and you know it!”
“Don’t talk the talk when you know you can’t rock the rock.”
Everyone was in one another’s faces shouting and screaming. The audience was getting in on it, too, yelling out not only who they thought should win but who they wanted to lose.
“Losers! Losers! Losers!” one group of girls began chanting. They pointed at the Rainbooms as they hurried into the gym at the last minute, their instruments in their hands.
Amid it all, unseen, the sickly green light oozed and wafted. It snaked its way toward Adagio, Sonata, and Aria. The pendants on their necks grew brighter and brighter.
“You feel that, girls?” said Adagio, reveling in the chaos. “Our true power is being restored!”
Aria and Sonata giggled uncontrollably.
“And that’s before we’ve tapped into the strongest magic here,” exalted Adagio Dazzle. “But the Rainblossoms, or whatever they’re called, aren’t under our spell. They are just as capable of falling apart as any one else. They just need a little push in the wrong direction.” She looked where the various bands were waiting to play. “I have a feeling everyone here is going to be lining up to give them a shove.”
Green light was practically oozing from the mouths of the ill-tempered band members.
Sonata squealed as her pendant grew brighter. “Ooh! Tickles!”
The Equestria Girls were carefully watching the Sirens from across the room.
“It’s like they’re… feeding off the negative energy,” observed Rainbow Dash.
Twilight nodded her head. “That’s exactly what they’re doing. We have to get to the finals and perform the counterspell.”
Fluttershy was wringing her hands. “I am so…”
“Nervicited?” guessed Pinkie Pie.
“Terrified!”
All the girls were. Fluttershy was just the one who was showing it the most.
Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna had taken seats at the judges’ table in front of the stage. They visibly winced as Snips and Snails began performing a rap they had written.
“They call me MC Snips, and that ain’t no lie. My favorite food is pumpkin pie,” exclaimed Snips.
“I’m DJ Snazzy Snails. I like whales. When I go to the beach, I always bring my pails,” added his partner.
“Everybody knows my favorite color is orange. My rhymes are so fly, they’re better than—”
“—an orange!” finished Snails as the boys began beatboxing and making percussive noises with their mouths, although mostly they just sounded kind of strange and a little rude. As they finished, they dropped their mikes. It was just about the worst rap anyone in the room had ever heard, and a lot of people were saying so.
“Please do not drop the microphones!” announced Principal Celestia.
The boys grabbed them and left the stage, showing off to the Rainbooms as they passed. “In yo’ face, Rainbooms!” said Snips, giving Snails a high five.
Applejack waited until they moved on and then whispered to the others, “Least we know one group who won’t stand in the way of us getting to the finals.”
Rainbow Dash strapped on her guitar. “Aw, yeah. Let’s get ready to rock.”
“Wait!” said Pinkie Pie in a sudden panic. “Where’s Rarity?” She had just noticed that she was missing.
“I’m here! I’m here!” came a voice from across the gym. Rarity was running across the room toward her bandmates. She was dressed like a hippie with a long skirt and a metallic fringed blouse. It was Bohemian chic at its finest. Her friends’ eyes widened as she approached. “We are in a competition in which we will be performing in front of an audience. I’m not going to wear something fabulous?”
None of the girls said a word. There wasn’t time. They were expected onstage, and they had to get their instruments set up and tuned one last time.
“Remember,” said Twilight to them quietly. “We have to be good enough to make it through, but not so good we let the Sirens see the magic within us. They could realize we plan to use it against them.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “Got it. Be cool enough to win, but not so cool we end up showing off the whole ears and tails and rainbows thing.” She thought for a moment, her hands on the strings of her guitar. “So… about twenty percent less cool.”
Twilight almost laughed, despite her nervousness.
Pinkie Pie took her place behind her drum kit. She made sure the other girls were watching and picked up her drumsticks. “One… two… one, two, three, four,” she said, counting everyone in.
The girls launched into one of the school’s favorite Sonic Rainboom songs.
Twilight was tapping her tambourine against her thigh and singing perfect backup harmony. Rainbow Dash belted out the lyrics. They were sounding really good. Maybe too good. Maybe too cool.
But the Rainbooms were so wrapped up in their music that they didn’t notice Photo Finish and her friends looking down at them from the rafters. On Photo Finish’s command, her bandmates lowered a pair of magnets toward the stage. They were trying to interfere with the girls’ playing by connecting with one of the instruments, but the magnets caught first on the metallic fringe of Rarity’s blouse!
Rarity’s arms lifted into the air, unable to play her keytar. It was like she was a marionette controlled by invisible strings. Applejack, distracted, missed a note.
Pinkie Pie was watching the audience while she played, but she was stunned to see Apple Bloom pretending to sleep through their performance. “Boring!” she yawned. How could their classmates—even their own relatives—be so unkind to fellow performers? Pinkie Pie’s eyes narrowed. Drumming with only one hand now, she used the other to produc
e a small cannon! With a quick pull of a string, an explosion of rainbow-colored confetti rained down on the audience. But the confetti also landed on the Rainbooms!
A tiny piece of pastel confetti stuck to Twilight’s tongue, and she spit it out. Just as she looked up, she saw Flash Sentry glaring at her. Why? Did he hate her? Did he think she was disgusting? What was the matter? He turned his back on her and stormed out of the gym. Twilight felt terrible.
Even worse, Snips and Snails were shining a harsh spotlight on Fluttershy. No matter where she moved onstage, it followed her. She felt embarrassed and self-conscious. It made her not want to perform at all. As she started singing off-key, Snips and Snails started to laugh.
Rarity yanked her arms down, and as she did, the fabric of her blouse ripped. “My metallic fringe!” she shrieked.
“Forget the fringe and just play!” hissed Applejack under her breath.
But the song was over, and the girls fumbled the last notes and bowed. As fast as they could, they hurried off the stage. Sunset and Spike were waiting for them.
“Ruined. Absolutely ruined!” wailed Rarity, still upset about her shirt.
Applejack was fuming. “Rarity! Were you tryin’ to make us lose out there?”
“That was not my fault. This was an act of sabotage!”
“Yeah, well, whoever did this couldn’t have done this if you didn’t insist on dressing like… like this!” answered Applejack. “We need to SOUND good. Is there some reason that concept seems to escape you?”
Rainbow Dash was equally furious. “And what was with the confetti, Pinkie Pie? How am I supposed to shred if there’s paper stuck in my frets?”
“It was pretty distracting,” whined Fluttershy.
Pinkie Pie sniffed. “Says the girl who was running from a light the whole time. A light!”
Sunset Shimmer had never seen her friends being so unkind to one another. She tried to soothe their ruffled feelings. So much was at stake. No wonder they were stressed out. “You still sounded much better than most of the other bands. I’m sure you’ll make it to the next round.” But another thought had occurred to her. “It won’t matter if you don’t have that counterspell ready, though.”
“She’s right,” agreed Spike nervously.
Twilight’s eye began twitching again.
Sunset Shimmer took control. “You all find a place to practice where the Sirens can’t hear you. I’ll keep an eye on things around here.”
“I don’t think we should use a classroom,” said Twilight Sparkle.
She came around the corner and bumped right into Flash Sentry, who was leaning against a locker, strumming his guitar. Twilight laughed nervously. “We really, really need to stop bumping into each other like this.”
Flash didn’t look up. “You guys hear something?” he said to the boys lounging around beside him. His bandmates shrugged, and he ignored Twilight. “Yeah. Me neither.”
In a loud, clear voice, Twilight shouted, “I said, WE HAVE TO STOP…”
“There it is again,” said Flash Sentry to the other boys. “So annoying.” He went back to tuning his guitar and refused to look at Twilight.
She was astounded. This wasn’t the boy she knew! “Why are you acting like this? I thought we were friends.”
Flash Sentry’s cold, dark eyes met hers. “And then you decided to come back here just so you could beat me in the Battle of the Bands. I want this, Twilight. And you’re trying to take it from me. Some friend.”
“That’s not why…” Twilight Sparkle began to explain, but it was no use. Flash was ignoring her again.
“Come on, Twilight,” said Applejack gently. “We’ve got things to do.” She pulled her away down the hallway.
Flash called out as the girls disappeared. “You really think you’re going to help them? I bet you have no idea what you’re even doing.”
His words struck Twilight deep in her heart. Not only did Flash hate her, he’d said out loud what most frightened her. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly tried to wipe them away.
The Sirens were coming around the corner. One look at Twilight Sparkle’s face, and they knew that they were already winning.
“Tears already? This is only the first round,” Adagio Dazzle said smugly.
Over the loudspeaker, Principal Celestia announced the next band.
“Better head back,” said Adagio to her companions. “We’re supposed to go on next.”
They began to saunter down the hallway, but their way was blocked by Sunset Shimmer. Her hands were on her hips, and she was ready to stare down the Sirens. “You’re never going to get away with this,” she warned them.
“Why?” said Adagio smoothly. “Because you didn’t? Oh. We know all about you, Sunset. You’ve got quite the reputation at Canterlot High.”
Sunset stood her ground. “I’ve changed. I’m in a much better place now.”
Aria Blaze laughed contemptuously. “Waiting in the wings while your ‘friends’ have all the fun onstage?”
“Oh yes,” snickered Adagio. “You girls are so tight. And yet, they didn’t even ask you to be in the band.”
Aria raised a single arched eyebrow. “Probably afraid no one would want to see them play if she was in the group.”
“Too bad. So sad,” said Sonata with fake sympathy.
Sunset Shimmer was beginning to lose her bravado. All the things they were saying were actually kind of true.
“If it’s any consolation”—Adagio laughed—“no one is going to remember you at all, by the time we’re done.” She brushed past Sunset with a smug smile, and the other two girls followed her back to the gym.
Sunset watched them go, but she couldn’t move. She felt broken and alone. She wasn’t in the Sonic Rainbooms, she couldn’t even help them, and no one would ever forget how bad she’d been. She felt worse now than she had even after the terrible disaster last fall. Then she had just lost a dream of power, but now she felt like she had just lost her first real friends.
Friendship Unplugged
The Dazzlings were onstage and getting ready to perform. Adagio reminded the other Sirens not to go full blast until the final round. Offstage, bands had been sabotaging one another—hiding one another’s instruments, breaking guitar strings, unplugging amps. The negative energy in the room had given the Sirens more power than ever, and they were using it to their advantage. They were entrancing. Their infectious music silenced the crowd and mesmerized them.
Oh, wha-oh, oh, wha-oh,
You didn’t know that you fell.
Oh, wha-oh, oh, wha-oh,
Now that you’re under our spell.
Blindsided by the beat,
clapping your hands,
stomping your feet.
You didn’t know that you fell.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Now you’ve fallen under our spell.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
We’ve got the music makes you move it,
Got the song that makes you lose it.
We say, “Jump,” you say, “How high?”
Put your hands up to the sky.
Oh, wha-oh, oh, wha-oh,
You didn’t know that you fell.
Oh, wha-oh, oh, wha-oh,
Now that you’re under our spell.
Listen to the sound of my voice, ah, oh, ah, oh.
Soon you’ll find you don’t have a choice, ah, oh.
Captured in the web of my song, ah, oh, ah, oh.
Soon you’ll all be singing along, oh.
Oh, wha-oh, oh, wha-oh,
You didn’t know that you fell.
Oh, wha-oh, oh, wha-oh,
Now that you’re under our spell.
Oh, wha-oh, oh, wha-oh,
You didn’t know that you fell.
Oh, wha-oh, oh, wha-oh,
Now that you’re under our spell.
None of the other groups were anywhere near as good as they were. Not Flash Sentry and his band. Not Apple Bloom and hers. No on
e. Not even the Rainbooms.
Crammed into a janitor’s closet with her friends, Twilight Sparkle tried not to listen to the Sirens as she worked on her spell. Rainbow light flashed here and there and then sputtered out. One of the girls would briefly pony up, but then her tail or her pony ears would disappear. It just wasn’t working.
Enthusiastic applause exploded in the gym, and the girls knew that the Dazzlings had finished their opening act. Back in the gym, Principal Celestia posted the names of the bands who had made it to the next round. Flash Sentry fumed when his name wasn’t there. Other bands started complaining. The anger and distress made the Sirens’ pendants glow. They had somehow already secured a place in the main event, but the Great and Powerful Trixie would be up against the Rainbooms for the other position.
Sunset Shimmer, who had been in the gym, shared all this with the girls. “This is it. Last round, and you’re in the finals. Unless you think the counterspell is ready to be played now?”
Twilight shook her head emphatically. No. No. No.
“Don’t worry, Twilight,” said Applejack. “Finals aren’t until later. We’ll get in a little more practice before we’re supposed to hit the stage. We’ve just got to defeat Trixie and the Illusions to get there, and how hard can that be? We won’t let you down.”
Under her breath, Twilight repeated the words to herself. “‘You won’t let me down.’” That wasn’t what she was worried about. She was pretty sure she was going to be the one disappointing her friends.
Rarity dusted herself off and tried to be upbeat. “I’m sure getting a chance to practice without being surrounded by filthy mops and cleaning supplies will help.”
As the girls left the janitor’s closet, Fluttershy timidly approached Rainbow Dash. “Um, I was just wondering. We haven’t played any of my songs yet.…”
Rainbow Dash waved her away. “It’s the semifinals. We gotta do ‘Awesome as I Wanna Be’!”
“Don’t know why I even asked,” said Fluttershy with a frustrated sigh. She picked up her tambourine and headed to the gym with the other girls.