They woke up that morning to a warm smelling kitchen. When the Rainbooms and Equestrians exited the friendship pile, they were surprised to see Pinkie still in the room. All nine walked downstairs. They found Raspberry in the kitchen.
She set up plates and plates of food. Warm, sweet smelling French Toast, scrambled eggs, apples, and glasses of apple juice. Raspberry finished making eggs, pouring them into a bowl on the island.
“Good morning, everybody!” Raspberry cheered. Her eyes had heavy bags under them, and her eyes were still bloodshot. Her smile came too casual, too giddy for her. For anybody. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I cooked a lot. Is French Toast okay? I couldn’t decide what pancakes y’all liked and- well. Well Thorax likes French Toast. I don’t get it, he just loves them.”
“Raspberry.” Sunset walked forward. “Are you okay?”
“Peachy!” Raspberry threw up her hands. The frying pan went flying into the sink, full of bubbled water. The water splashed up. Raspberry got hit. She carried on as if she were dry. “It’s all good now. We can fix the counterspell, the friendship issues, and my not-marriage.”
Killjoy pinched the edge of her nose.
“Friendship issue?” Fluttershy and Applejack asked.
“The counterspell?” Twilight, Spike, and Sunset asked.
“Marriage?!” Rainbow Dash and Rarity yelped.
“You’re married?” Rarity gasped.
“Yeah. To Thorax.” Raspberry went back to the stove. She flipped over slices of wet bread. “We’re fighting but I figured out what I did wrong!” Raspberry told them. “I forgot Thorax’s birthday.”
“You did?!” Pinkie gasped.
“Well. It’s either today or tomorrow. Or yesterday. And I think it’s today.” Raspberry explained. She paused in her toast flipping. “Do you think differently?”
“It’s an emergency! Pancakes are required.” Pinkie leapt into the kitchen. She started pulling out more bowls and serving cups. “What kind of pancakes do they like?”
“Chocolate chip.”
Pinkie pulled a bag of chocolate chips from her hair. “How old are they?”
“He- she? They turn 30. 30 is the big one.” Raspberry pulled some slices of toast onto a plate, then got to making another batch. “So I gotta make it big.”
“Girl, not even you are that stupid.” Killjoy groaned.
“Yes. But I know at least part of it is the birthday thing.” Raspberry replied. She looked at her friends. Her smile was too fake, too clean and shaky. Hesitant and fearful, like what she was saying could get her in trouble. “I had a great thing planned. Hadn’t guessed it would happen during this, but I’ll go along with it. They’ll love it.”
Twilight stepped forward to Raspberry’s side. “His birthday? Really?”
“No. Why would it be anything else?” Raspberry asked.
That Bumblebee is still around?
That he has a sister and Thorax doesn’t?
Any number of things that happened before we got here?
Twilight couldn’t say that to Raspberry though. “Did you sleep?”
“I don’t need sleep.” Raspberry replied. She checked her wrist. “I can go 72 hours without sleep. Then the hallucinations will kick in.”
“Wasn’t it 65?” Killjoy asked.
“I got better at it.” Raspberry assured her sister.
Killjoy hummed, accepting it. She started making a plate.
“You can’t be encouragin’ this!” Applejack scolded her.
Killjoy shrugged. “No. But if I eat food, she’ll worry less.” She handed Applejack a plate. “Just eat so it won’t go to waste. Okay?”
The high school girls went along with that logic. Besides, the food smelled good. Twilight stayed beside Raspberry.
“Morgan, I’m really worried.” Twilight told her.
“It’s Raspberry, and spell crafting is hard.” Raspberry nodded. “Especially counter spells. If you’re lucky, you get to write both. We’re not lucky. Granted I could tell you the spell they used to control the students, but I don’t know how effective it’ll be-”
“I’m worried about you.” Twilight said. Raspberry pressed her lips together. She kept moving around, checking to see if the bread needed to be flipped. “I know you saw me last night.”
“I trained you in sneaking, and you still suck at it.” Raspberry dismissed, shrugging like Twilight overheard her talking about the weather with Thorax. “I don’t know how you managed it. Can we get back to the spell please?”
“No, why can’t you see it?” Twilight asked.
“Wait. I think I do.” Sunset stepped in. She held up a plate, passing it to Twilight. “Can I talk to her?”
Twilight winced. “I don’t know...”
“You’re blocking my path.” Raspberry stated. “Please clear away?”
Twilight sighed. Sunset squeezed her shoulder, trying to comfort the princess. Twilight accepted the plate. She followed the rest of her friends to the table. Raspberry pushed finished toast slices onto a plate.
Sunset turned back to Raspberry. The Reality Traveler walked over to the island, grabbing a finished bowl of batter from Pinkie Pie.
“It’s Thorax’s birthday.” Raspberry reminded Sunset. “That’s what I did wrong, I forgot. I can’t forget things. Rule four says I remember everything.”
“Morgan.” Sunset began. Raspberry started pouring out pancake batter on the frying pan. “We want you to be okay. Whatever you give us, it’s not worth it if you hurt yourself to give it to us.”
“I’m not hurting myself.” Raspberry snapped. The pancakes sizzled against the pan. “I’m not- it’s not like that.”
“So staying up all night is healthy?” Sunset countered. Raspberry huffed. “You said you remember everything? Do you remember what you said the nights I would write to you?”
Raspberry paused, like genuinely paused to consider it.
Sunset hadn’t written much at first. It took her time to warm up to the idea of writing a princess that defeated her. But one night, according to Sunset, it got bad. Years and years of guilt hit her all at once it seemed. Or, more realistically, it was built for weeks.
Weeks of people avoiding her. Of them giving her hateful glares as she repaired the school, and simply walked the halls. Study groups forming without her, on purpose. Nobody agreed to be her lab partner. Nobody trusted her. They treated her with scorn and distrust. Even the Rainbooms held her at arm’s length. Sunset had been trying to be good, to be a good friend, and she failed again and again.
Sunset spilled all of it to Raspberry. A tear stained letter talking about how awful it made her feel. About how Sunset knew what she did was wrong, that it would never be made right. Everyone’s treatment of her proved it. They would never see her as anything but the demon princess she became. Sunset would be alone.
Raspberry wrote back.
She had asked if Sunset hurt herself.
Sunset replied in a big, bold denial.
Raspberry explained that there was more than one way to hurt yourself. Sometimes, it was telling yourself all the hateful things from others. It was keeping their thoughts in your brain. It was all the hateful names you called yourself. It’s you hating yourself right back into that negative mindset from before.
Raspberry had asked if Sunset did anything like that.
When no reply came, Raspberry kept writing.
As she stood in the Pie family kitchen, Sunset wanted Raspberry to remember the many things she wrote to Sunset. Those same words that Raspberry gave to her now.
“What did you say?” Sunset asked.
Raspberry considered the answer. Raspberry said a lot to Sunset about it. The thing that stuck out the most was:
Take care of you, Sunset. Then, the people that love you can have you forever. Even if it’s nobody at Canterlot High, I would still miss you.
“It doesn’t apply.” Raspberry dismissed.
“What did you say?” Sunset repeated.
Raspberry sighed. “That I am worthy of love, and should take care of myself. But that doesn’t-”
“Thorax loves you.” Sunset started making a new plate. “Whatever is going on, he loves you. Would he want you staying up late, worrying about him, or ignoring your feelings?”
Raspberry winced. “...no.”
“Then eat something.” Sunset handed Raspberry the plate. It only had two apples, a slice of toast, and a scoop of eggs. “Then we’ll worry about everything else.”
Raspberry nodded.
==RRFTC==
Thorax never showed up for breakfast.
Raspberry found him later.
Today was Saturday. The Battle of the Bands would happen around 12, then carry on into 6 or later, depending on the number of participants. The top Battle itself was on a Sunday- to give the top two bands time to practice on the main stage.
The Rainbooms were trying and failing to practice. Raspberry dipped out at 11, saying she was going to look for Thorax. Killjoy followed her. The Rainbooms kept on praciting. They hadn’t been able to make their pony forms appear. They hadn’t even noticed her leave. Sunset did- wishing her luck.
Raspberry found Thorax at the same cafe from earlier. She found him- for he was in his male form- talking to Bumblebee.
‘Talking’ wasn’t right.
They were fighting.
Raspberry ran into the cafe. Killjoy huffed, chasing after her.
“Hi!” Raspberry called out.
Thorax and Bumblebee turned to the door, to her. Bumblebee’s face broke out in a smile. Thorax glared at her.
Raspberry ignored the pang in her chest.
She looked at the third member of the argument. A silent figure, hiding behind Bumblebee.
Raspberry smiled at them all. “Thorax, hi. I was getting worried. Bumblebee. Nice to see you again. Who’s this?”
“Hey Raspberry.” Bumblebee greeted her.
Thorax ground his teeth.
“This is my sister.” Bumblebee brought her forward.
The human version of Cicada watched her, eyes wide. “H-hi. Um- uh-”
“Raspberry.” Raspberry repeated.
“I know. My brother talks about you a lot.” Cicada squeaked. “I’m...u...” She glanced around the cafe. “Star...fish...yeah.”
‘She’s as bad at fake names as Bee was. Oh, I hope you’re the same on our side.’ Raspberry thought to herself. ‘If she wants to be ‘Starfish’, then she’ll be Starfish.’
“Starfish. Nice to meet you.” Raspberry held out her hand.
Cicada held out her’s. The two shook on it.
Thorax glared at them.
Raspberry stepped closer to his side. “That’s my sister, Killjoy.”
“Zup.” Killjoy held up a peace sign.
Cicada waved. Bumblebee grinned, beaming.
Thorax seethed.
Raspberry needed to calm everyone down. “Have you met Thorax?” Raspberry asked.
Bumblebee’s smile tightened. “Yeah, we were just talking.”
“Nice.” Raspberry smiled up at Thorax. Her smile twitched at seeing his angry expression. “Uh. He’s you.”
“...huh?” Bumblebee and Cicada asked.
“Thorax is from Equestria. He’s you. Our you.” Raspberry explained. “Or- my you? The version of you that is mine? Is that closer?”
“Yes.” Thorax moved his arm. He wrapped it around Raspberry’s shoulders. She looped an arm around his waist. He glared at Bumblebee. “She’s mine.”
It made Raspberry shift on her feet. She’d wanted to hear it. Really, she did. Thorax still wanted her. It eased the ache in her chest. That he said the words in front of...well...his alternate, that caused a lot of the issues here.
But he still said it.
No take backs.
“Yep. Us. We’re a couple.” Raspberry said. “I told you that. I know I did.”
“You did. I was happy for you.” Bumblebee nodded. He smiled at the still glaring Thorax. “Uh. If I’m you, you know that I’m not a homewrecker right?”
Thorax kept glaring. Raspberry pinched his side. “Yes.”
“Yeah. I’m not gonna steal your girl.” Bumblebee shook his head.
“Oh no!” Cicada shook her head. “No, my brother wouldn’t!”
“Sure.” Thorax replied. His grip tightened on Raspberry’s shoulders. “That’s why you’ve been asking about her, and following her.”
“No! No that’s not- okay yeah that looks bad but-” Bumblebee scratched the back of his head. “Uh. Starfish help here.”
“We were just wondering when you would come back!” Cicada explained. “Like yeah, you said 2 and a half years but, but you told Bumblebee that you would be back sooner. You just…never said when sooner was.”
“And those creepy girls!” Bumblebee reminded her.
“Yeah!” Cicada’s face brightened, like a lightbulb going off.
Raspberry held tighter to Thorax. She forced off a pained expression. She couldn’t think about their Cicada- the one she never got to meet.
“Yeah so listen. One time, I was going to get burgers, right? I waited in line when all of a sudden I got really, really mad at the person in front of me. I don’t get angry like that ever so I thought it was weird. Then I heard this big whoosh. I looked out a window to see a rainbow laser beam.”
Raspberry remembered this scene. The first one from the movie. The sirens all sat at a fast food joint, leeching off the meager emotions there. They saw the magic effects of Twilight and Sunset fighting. That Cicada watched too...made Raspberry cautious.
“Then what happened?” Raspberry asked.
“Well I was thinking about how weird it was. Cause nobody else noticed.” Cicada explained. “Except those girls. They got up from their table and left. As soon as they were gone, all my anger just kinda popped!”
“The sirens.” Raspberry confirmed. “They feed off negative emotions.”
Cicada blinked. “Wow. You figured it out that fast?”
“Nah. We’re already fighting them.” Killjoy said. She reached in her pocket, pulling out a flask. “In that band battle thing.”
Raspberry’s eyes widened. “Oh shoot! That’s soon. We need to get going.”
“It’s in, like, a half hour. We’re fine.” Killjoy drank. “If we ignore speeding laws.”
Raspberry sighed. She rested her head on Thorax’s shoulder. He didn’t flinch away, or push her off. Raspberry loved it.
“Oh, you’re competing in it?” Bumblebee asked.
“Yes. Us. Our band.” Thorax stated, curt and rude. “We’ve got it under control.”
“Yeah. Sirens’ll be gone by Monday.” Raspberry promised.
“Cause weekdays were my thing.” Bumblebee asked. His blue eyes lit up at the old joke.
Raspberry laughed. “Oh no no no. I’m beating them Sunday night. On Monday, everyone will have moved on. Weekends are still my thing.”
Thorax huffed.
“-our. They are still our thing.” Raspberry corrected. Then her eyes lit up. “Our.”
Thorax shook his head. Killjoy snickered. “No. No we’re not doing it.”
“We need someone on keys. Either of you play?” Raspberry asked, ignoring him.
“Keys? You mean piano?” Cicada asked. Raspberry nodded. “I can?”
“Yes.” Bumblebee agreed. “She’s great.”
“Great! You’re in the band. Bumblebee, you can be the groupie.” Raspberry decided.
“Yeah!” Cicada cheered. She leaned towards her brother. “What’s a groupie?” Bumblebee shook his head, obviously having no idea.
“Great! Hop in the car. We’ll drive you.” Killjoy nodded to the doors. She took another gulp from her flask. Bumblebee and Cicada happily followed.
Thorax clenched his jaw. He turned to Raspberry. “How did you get a car?”
“How did you sleep last night?” Raspberry countered. Thorax stared, eyes wide and incredulous. He kept his jaw clenched. “You never came back. I waited.”
Thorax stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Whatever.”
Raspberry’s eyebrows scrunched together. She frowned, trying to get a read from Thorax’s face. Her feelings were still hurt, yes, but Raspberry could put them on mute. The last thing Thorax would need is to feel her negativity.
Sure, Sunset asked her to focus on her own feelings. Killjoy was right too- Raspberry worried less when everyone around her was okay.
==RRFTC==
A short drive later brought them to Canterlot High. Raspberry, Killjoy, Thorax, Bumblebee, and Cicada walked into the building.
“Wow! We’re on time!” Bumblebee said.
“You’re a great driver.” Cicada praised Killjoy.
Killjoy held up the flask. “Yeah, I am.”
“I can’t believe you got us here alive.” Raspberry shook her head.
Raspberry unloaded equipment from her Bag. She handed Killjoy her guitar, and Thorax snatched away his drumsticks. Bumblebee was handed the very, very large drum kit.
They loaded up into the school. The whole gym was full of bickering students, and heated glares. Killjoy showed Cicada the song lists, and explaining their sets for the day. Thorax kept close to Raspberry’s side. As she tuned her guitar, Raspberry leaned towards him.
Raspberry recalled their fight. She asked if the emotions of the students bothered students. Sirens fed off negative emotion, and changeling fed off the positive. All the negative feelings must be hurting him. Thorax told her otherwise, and the fight continued on.
She tried to think about what upset him, still. Any number of things could be the cause. But Thorax expected her to know it, to already be working on fixing it. Or maybe he was upset that Raspberry tried to know, and got it wrong? Being wrong usually annoyed Raspberry, not Thorax.
Thorax wasn’t annoyed often. A lot of stuff slid off of him. Raspberry had no idea how he did it. Thorax got bothered by: the people he loved being in danger. But Raspberry hadn’t put them in danger or anything like that.
Right?
Except...maybe...well the battle of the bands was pretty dangerous. The sirens could incite a mob against the people of Equestria any time. Raspberry worked hard to keep herself and her friends/family under notice.
The Cicada thing was a major factor. Sure, she went by ‘Starfish’ here, but that didn’t change the fact that she was Bumblebee’s sister. Thorax’s sister. It could be that.
No. Thorax was mad and pulling away long before then.
Maybe because he knew they were visiting this dimension, with the human Bumblebee? Thorax was really upset about that. Raspberry thought they worked it out. Maybe Thorax just ignored his feelings? Until now.
If that were the case, he buried those feelings for ten years.
Well Raspberry would need to prove she could fix it. To prove that she would pick Thorax every time, all the time.
“He’s a junior.” Raspberry stated.
Thorax hummed. He kept glaring a hole into the back of Bumblebee’s head. “Huh?”
“Bumblebee. Other you. He’s a junior. That’s like- just a few years older than our kids.” Raspberry explained. “You’re 30. That’s ancient.”
Thorax scoffed. He twirled a drumstick in his hands. “You were flirting with him.”
“I wouldn’t flirt with a guy still in highb school.” Raspberry countered. She thought back to the conversation at the cafe. “We were bantering.”
“Bantering, flirting, is there a difference for you?” Thorax asked.
“Yes. I flirt with you. Everyone else gets pity banter.” Raspberry replied. Thorax shifted his shoulders, trying to loosen them but failing. ”Okay. Honesty time. I don’t actually know why you’re angry. Please, talk to me about it?”
Thorax narrowed his eyes. Except this time, he did not glare at Bumblebee. He glared at his own hand. Raspberry wondered why he would glare at a drumstick.
“Why should I?” Thorax asked. “You never tell me anything. Or anyone. Why should I tell you?”
The words hurt now just as much as last night. Raspberry squashed down the hurt. “Bee, I’m trying here-”
“Wouldn’t it be better if we were fighting? Then we get no happy pony transforming.” Thorax snapped. He grabbed the drumstick, clenching it tight in his fist. “Would your precious plan be good with that?”
“Bee.” Raspberry breathed out the word. She couldn’t stop the pain from filling that one word. It came so fast and stronger, knocking Raspberry back. She wished she was the mind reader Thorax thought of her.
Thorax shook his head.
At that moment, the doors to the gym slammed open. The Rainbooms stumbled in, all clutching their instruments and such.
Raspberry stayed where she was.
Killjoy stumbled over to them. She corrected herself. She walked straight and narrow. She went up to Twilight. “Whassit.”
“Killjoy! Where were you guys?” Twilight asked. “Did you find Thorax?”
“Both of them.” Killjoy nodded towards their group. “Do you like my guitar?”
“What the-” Twilight stared at the two Thorax’s. One still bright green, one yellow. Then to the girl excitedly talking to her brother, and the stone faced Thorax with a flat faced Raspberry. “Why is he here?”
“I didn’t wanna carry things.” Killjoy answered.
“And who is that?”
“Our pianist.” Killjoy answered. “Duh.”
Principal Celestia walked in with Vice Principal Luna. The students all quieted.
“Welcome to the first ever Canterlot High School Battle of the Bands.” Principal Celestia announced. Silently, the Rainbooms walked over to Raspberry’s corner. “I believe I speak for everyone when I say it is by far the greatest thing we have ever done here at this school!”
The students cheered. The Rainbooms took a moment to join in.
“We are so glad our three newest students encouraged us to turn this event into something exciting!” Principal Celestia cheered.
“But, as this is now a competition, we can only choose one winner. Who is it going to be?” Vice Principal Luna asked.
This, of course, immediately set off new arguments. The many bands snapped and fought with each other.
Twilight turned to Raspberry. “Why are you holding a guitar?”
Raspberry played a riff. A riff so strong and fast, it stunned Twilight silent.
“Wait, you can play?” Applejack asked.
“I’ve been alive for 207 years. Yes, I can play guitar.” Raspberry played another chord. “Killjoy too.”
Killjoy joined in harmony with her sister. “We tried this instead of violence, when I was a kid.” She finished with dramatic flourish. “It didn’t work.”
“She is good at both.” Raspberry added.
“But why are you holding them?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Cause we signed on to the competition.” Thorax stated, curt.
“What?!” The Rainbooms yelled.
“First bands!” Principal Celestia called out. “Please come to the stage!”
==RRFTC==
A few bands went on before the Rainbooms. Their first round opponents were Snips and Snails, beatboxing.
Rainbow Dash shook her head at them. “I can’t believe you signed up! We had a good act.”
“An act that couldn’t complete a transformation once.” Raspberry countered. She held out her hand. Cicada passed her a guitar pick. “We’re bettering our odds.”
“How?! You’re just taking the spotlight!” Rainbow Dash scolded.
“Said the pot to the kettle.” Applejack grumbled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow Dash snapped.
Raspberry put her hand on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “It’s good to have backup. If at any point you get kicked out of the Battle, the Cavalry can keep competing. Or, if we get exposed, you guys can keep playing. This way, we are guaranteed at least one of us makes it to the final fight. By then, we can all come together for a show stopping number.”
“That’s really smart.” Sunset said.
Rainbow Dash grumbled, crossing her arms. “Cavalry is a stupid name.”
“YES! Now we can all have fun!” Pinkie cheered. She leapt up, pulling Raspberry into a hug. Pinkie gasped. “THORAX!” She pushed Raspberry aside. Pinkie pulled a confused Thorax into her arms. “She said it was your birthday and you missed your birthday breakfast but DON’T WORRY! Pinkamena Diane Pie is on the case!”
Thorax grinned. Raspberry’s eyes lit up. “That’s thoughtful, thanks. Wait, it’s my birthday?”
Twilight winced.
Snips dropped the mic.
Everyone else winced too.
“Please do not drop the mics!” Principal Celestia cautioned them.
Applejack shook her head. “Least we know one group who won’t stand in the way of us gettin’ to the finals.”
“Let’s get ready to rock!” Dash held up her guitar, performing her own riff.
“Wait! Where’s Rarity?” Pinkie asked.
Oh! Here! I’m here!” Rarity ran up to them. Her outfit was very...70’s. A white dress, with fringed sleeves except the sleeves were metal. “We will be performing in front of an audience. I’m not going to wear something fabulous? Hmph.”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Guh..”
Cicada gasped. She looked down at her outfit. “Wait! Do I need to dress up?”
“No, Starfish, you’re fine.” Raspberry told her. Cicada let out a relieved sigh. Raspberry looked down at her own clothes. “Oh...these are yesterday’s clothes.”
Killjoy snorted.
“Remember, we have to be good enough to make it through but not so good we let the sirens see the magic within us.” Twilight reminded the Rainbooms. “They could realize we plan to use it against them.”
“Got it! Be cool enough to win, but not so cool that we end up showing off the whole ears and tails and rainbows thing. Sooo... about twenty percent less cool.” Dash nodded. She pointed her thumb at the Cavalry. “We won’t even need you guys. We’ve got this in the bag.”
The Rainbooms walked on stage. After waiting to be announced, the Rainbooms sang the song “Shake Your Tail”, by Rainbow Dash.
Raspberry leaned over. She and Killjoy scanned the room. The Dazzlings sat at the top of the bleachers, watching the Rainbooms with a curious eye. Still, the Dazzlings did not have to do a thing.
The rest of the competitors did.
Killjoy leaned towards Cicada and Bumblebee. “Okay. Time to keep idiots safe.”
“Wait, what? But they’re fine?” Bumblebee pointed out.
Raspberry snorted. She walked off towards the backstage area. Killjoy snickered.
Thorax sighed, annoyed. “They always look fine. Then the chaos starts. Come on.”
No sooner had the Cavalry got in position, chaos started.
A group of students lowered magnets at Rarity,
“KJ.” Raspberry warned.
“See it.” Killjoy pulled a knife out of her sleeve.
She threw it. The knife cut off the strings connecting the magnets to the students above.
“Party cannon incoming.” Thorax told them.
Raspberry knelt down. She pulled out a large fan from her Bag.
Pinkie turned her drum kit. A loud bang went off, confetti flying everywhere.
Raspberry pushed a button.
The fan powered up. It started blowing all the confetti off stage, out towards the audience.
“Spotlight.” Killjoy called out.
Thorax nodded. He pulled out a nerf gun. He fired shots at Snips and Snails. The freshman ran after a short pelting of foam bullets.
Raspberry breathed out in relief.
Sunset and Spike walked up to them.
“How did we do?” Raspberry asked her. She turned off the fan to put it away.
Sunset beamed. “They did great! Thank you for helping. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of that. Not that they would have welcomed my help.”
“You would’ve done great.” Raspberry assured.
“So she’s our friend now?” Bumblebee asked. “Didn’t she try to mind control us?”
“And?” Raspberry raised an eyebrow. “She stopped.”
Bumblebee shrugged.
Raspberry and Killjoy smiled.
Cicada copied their smiles. Bumblebee shook his head, chuckling at them. Thorax sighed, like he’d had this fight a hundred times.
The Rainbooms came off stage. The Cavalry and their groupie stepped aside.
“That actually went alright.” Applejack praised.
“Speak for yourself.” Rarity tried to pull off the magnets. “These things ruined my entire look!”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “You look exactly the same.”
“This was an act of sabotage!” Rarity argued.
“Yeah, well, whoever did this couldn’t have done this if you didn’t insist on dressin’ like... like... this!” Applejack motioned to Rarity’s metal accessories. “We need to sound good! Is there some reason that concept seems to escape you?”
“And what was with the confetti, Pinkie Pie?” Dash yelled. “How is anyone supposed to watch us if they’ve got confetti in their eyes?!”
“It was pretty distracting-” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Hence why we have two bands.” Raspberry explained. “So if any of us get kicked out, the other can stay and play!”
“Genius plan.” Bumblebee praised her.
“Why thank you, groupie!” Raspberry replied. “It really is.”
Thorax ground his teeth.
“You still sounded much better than most of the other bands.” Sunset assured them. “I’m sure you’ll make it to the next round.”
“I- Uh. I listened to it!” Cicada encouraged.
“I did too!” Bumblebee waved at the Rainbooms. “Ready to- shake my tail!”
“Being good won’t change the fact that we have no counterspell.” Raspberry reminded them. “I only know it because I know the future. If it’s used before anyone is ready, we’ll lose our element of surprise.”
“It’s alright.” Sunset stepped in. “You all find a place to practice where the sirens can’t hear you. I’ll keep an eye on things around here, with their help.”
The Rainbooms conceded. They went off, hoping to find a space.
“The next band to play is the Cavalry.”
Raspberry lifted her guitar. “Ready y’all?”
Killjoy pumped her fist. Thorax twirled his drumsticks.
==RRFTC==
Raspberry started off the song.
“Friday night, date night, I say ‘Pick out what you like’. I don’t care as long as you’re here.” Raspberry glanced back to Thorax. He avoided looking at her. “Surprise, surprise. Ain’t that nice? Same old chick flick, eighteenth time. You know the one with that guy.”
Raspberry smiled, fond. She and Killjoy got into the swing of the song.
“Half way through, look at you, smiling like you always do and I can’t help but just stare.” Raspberry glanced over.
Killjoy winked at her before nodding her head back.
Raspberry glanced over. 'Cause suddenly, it hits me as I watch you make believe: I want to make this your reality.”
Another student stood up in the rafters. They were holding up water balloons. Raspberry quickly stepped to the side as the balloons fell. She spotted more students in the bleachers prepping spitballs.
“And if I can be your leading lady, even though I may look crazy.” Raspberry nodded.
Killjoy looked. She started her loud intro to the chorus. She leapt up in the air, falling back in a crouch. The spitballs went right over her.
“I’ll grab your hand, ask you to dance in the middle of the street! Learn to sign cheesy lines, like ‘Baby, you complete me’!”
Cicada yelped. Raspberry checked. The poor girl got a spotlight shined in her eye. The girl cowered from the keyboard.
Killjoy was on it. She hopped back up on her feet. She flung her arm for a strong chord. As she did, a knife going out of her hand towards the cord holding up the spotlight. The handle hit the hands of the student. They cried out, letting go. The light fell back in place.
“And in case you forget where we’ve been and what we did, I’ll write it all down, read it out loud, again and again.” Raspberry stepped back out of the puddle beneath her.
Thorax glanced at her.
“I promise if you let me I’ll love you like the movies.” Raspberry told him.
Thorax looked away.
Raspberry braced herself. She walked over to stand at Killjoy’s side. “Now I’ve never been one of them gals who get the leadin’ men. Just never seemed all that real.”
“But you’re like, a superhero.” Killjoy pointed out.
“So’s Jolie.”
“True.”
“But here right now with you somehow.” Raspberry winked at Thorax. “The kind of love they write about is the kind of love that I’m starting to feel.”
He tossed up his drumstick. It bonked a student on the head, before they could reach Thorax. Thorax held up his hand. Bumblebee tossed him a spare stick from the sides.
Raspberry sang the chorus again. Cicada got back into the swing of it.
Raspberry could feel it. A small feeling building up in her chest, warning her up and making her feel joy. Raspberry looked back to see a blank faced Thorax. It killed the feeling stone cold.
“I’ll never let go, Jack. I’ll never let go.” Killjoy chuckled into her mic.
“If you’re a bird, I’m a bird.” Raspberry joked back.
“You had me at hello.” Thorax added.
All four laughed.
“Like Noah loved Allie!” Killjoy added.
Raspberry laughed. “Like Harry loved Sally!”
“Like Richard loved Julia!”
“Twice!” Cicada shouted.
“Like Tom loved Meg!” Thorax offered.
“Nice!”
“And the way he loved that volleyball!” Raspberry added.
“WILSON!” Killjoy shouted.
“The way Demi Moore loved that ghost!” Raspberry winked.
Killjoy rolled her eyes. “Please don’t.” She leaned forward, avoiding a rotten tomato.
“The way Jack loved Rose!” Raspberry sang.
“What?” Cicada asked.
“I’ll never let it go, never let it go!”
“Was she talking about a ghost?” Cicada asked Thorax.
Raspberry spotted them. Holding a nerf gun, aimed at Thorax. Raspberry jumped, putting herself in the line of fire. It hit her. When she landed, she hit the still wet puddle of water.
She wiped out.
“Hey. You good?” Killjoy asked.
“Yeah.” Raspberry rolled out of the puddle. She ignored the aches and pains on her body, especially from where her guitar dug into her body.
“Cause that sounded like it hurt.” Killjoy went on.
“Yeah should we st-”
“It did but I’m fine.” Raspberry insisted.
“Oh okay.” Killjoy shrugged.
“Uh, if I can be you leading lady, even though I may look crazy.” Raspberry coughed. “I grab your hand, ask you to dance in the middle of the street.”
Raspberry turned. She faced Thorax, looking at him. He focused on his part. Raspberry spun around, locking eyes with Principal Celestia. She sang the chorus doing that.
Killjoy grabbed her hoodie. Raspberry went with the motion. She missed a foam pellet to the face.
“Close your eyes, arms out wide. ‘I’m the king of the world.’ Carpet ride, starry nights. There’s no way I don’t kiss the girl.” Raspberry smirked at Thorax. “And in case you forget where we’ve been and what we did, I’ll write it all down, read it out loud. Again and again. I promise if you let me.”
Killjoy did a finger gun. “Here’s looking at you kid.”
“Frankly my dear.” Thorax added.
“I’ll love you like the movies.” Raspberry promised.
Thorax walked off stage. He never looked at her once.
Raspberry wanted to be okay. She wanted that so bad. How could she, though? If even Thorax, who always looked at Raspberry like she hung the moon, now couldn’t even meet her eyes?
Would anyone be okay after that?
Raspberry needed to fix it. She did something wrong (whatever that was), so she had to fix it. You make the mess, you clean the mess. If Thorax wanted to know it to fix it, Raspberry would do that for him.
Then he would love her again.
(Right?)