> Guitar Hero: Equestria Girls
>  by ThePegaKris
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1. Shenanigans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 One sunny afternoon in Canterlot City, Sunset Shimmer was at her local gym, working up a sweat. She lifted some weights, ran on a treadmill, and even did some yoga. She, while in a bit of pain, said, "Ooh, I think that's it for today!" As she went to the locker room, her phone was ringing inside her equipment bag and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"HEY BUDDY!!!" Pinkie Pie yelled into her phone.

"Owwww!" cried Sunset while covering her ear, "Hey Pinkie, what's up?"

Pinkie, while jumping up and down, replied, "Come to the bakery, quick!" She felt all sorts of excitement and nervousness, or "nervouscited," as how she would call it. This gave Sunset no time to waste.

"Okay, okay, I'll be there!" In a rush, Sunset wiped all of her sweat of her body with her towel and ran to Sugarcube Corner, while still in her workout clothes. She thought to herself, "I guess today's training worked really well!" She was completely unaware, though, of a construction worker watching her in excitement outside the windows high above on a scaffolding lift.

"Oh yeah..." The construction worker's boss, also on the lift, then immediately slapped his employee in the face for not working, "Ouch!!"

"Hey, man... Sorry, but there will be time for peeking and playing later. Now these windows aren't going to wash themselves! Get moving!"

The worker, scared and about to fall down, replied, "Sir, yes, sir!"

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was relieved to see Sunset Shimmer already at Sugarcube Corner. "You're here!" and as for Sunset, her ears started to bleed, "What do you think of THIS song???" 

(Metallica - Master of Puppets) 

Pinkie, seeing her friend annoyed, turned off the song, "Sorry!!!"

"Ehh, that's okay, but why did you call me just to listen to this song?" she looked at Pinkie who scratched her head, "We've played this song on Guitar Hero: Metallica, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I remember that game!" she thought of something while giving her friend a smirk, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Sunset returned a smirk to Pinkie Pie, saying, "Oh, a trip to the past, right?" She knew that Sunset and her had the same idea, and so it was, "You want me to call the other girls?"

"Yes please!" She saw Sunset pull out her phone in order to call their best friends, "Put it on speaker."

"I will," she scrolled through her phone list and called Applejack, "Hello A.J.?"

Applejack, with a big smile, picked up her phone, "Eeyup?"

"Hi, Applejack, it's Pinkie and Sunset," as Sunset received the line, "Listen, you're on speaker phone right now and we've got something to tell you." 

"Shoot away, gal!"

Pinkie took the phone and said, "Are you down for some Guitar Hero?" then Applejack giggled a bit, "Hello?"

"Of course I am, sugarcube! I didn't know you wanted to ask me that! This is darn amazing!" A.J. put down the phone for a bit in excitement, "Should they come along? Okay." and as she picked it back up, "You still there, gals?"

"Yeah," replied Sunset, "Should we get everything?"

"No need, sugarcube, because the rest of us already have everything at Rainbow Dash's house!" The rest of the girls smiled to Applejack as their other best friends decided to come in, "You coming, Sunset and Pinkie?" Sudden silence occurred.

The two girls on the other line both have the same look of confusion as they answered, "Wait, how do you have...?" As they grew even more confused, they now know why all the instruments are at Dash's house,
"Never mind, we're coming! You can start a song without us. Bye!" Pinkie and Sunset hung as they walked out to Rainbow Dash's house.

To Applejack's disappointment, however, she was left hanging, "That's oka... Hey, who's still there? Pinkie?
Sunset?" as she hung up her phone, she just dusted it off, "I guess we can start! Okay gals, it's my turn!" She went and picked up Rainbow's other guitar controller, now acting as a bassist.

Fluttershy quietly cheered for her friend, "Yay! What song will you play, Applejack?" Next to her on the couch was Rarity, who already knew what Applejack was going to play.

"Judging by the way that she's smiling, darling, I already know!" 

Applejack gave her biggest smirk, "My favorite song...EVER!!!"

(Metallica - Orion)

Every one of the girls, including Spike, simply admired A.J.'s skills at the game, starting with Sci-Twi, "Woah!!!"

"Amazing!" Fluttershy's jaws dropped.

"What a fabulous performance, my sweet Apple!" Rarity declared.

"So awesome, A.J.!" Rainbow Dash said with confidence. 

"That's my girl!" as Spike clapped his paws.

"Thanks y'all!" as Applejack turned around completely, not facing the screen, "Now don't panic y'all, 'cause I could do this song with this darn thing behind my back." To everyone's surprise, she was still in a full combo, hitting every single note with the guitar behind her back while not facing the TV, "Oh yeah!"

"Are you getting jealous, Rainbow Dash?" as Rarity gave her a smirk, "I think you are, hehe!"

"No, I'm...not!" She looked away, crossing her arms, and her face turned red, "I ain't jealous of my bestie..."

"I thought I was your bestie, Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy questioned nervously. She shivered to what she had just heard. 

"You still are, Fluttershy," as Rainbow tried to calm down, "But can you tell your bestie to stop?" They both turned to Rarity, "Rarity?"

"Okay, okay, my apologies, ladies!" apologized Rarity. "I'm terribly sorry, Miss Dash!" She opened up her arms all the way, "Hug?"

Rainbow Dash opened up her arms too, "I accept your apology! Now come here, you!" Fluttershy joined in the hug as well. The two fighting finally made up as it made the rest feel better. "A.J... That was a great run!"

"Aww shucks, thanks," as she took off her hat and held it on her chest, "Thanks for also saving me the trouble of putting some sense into either you or Rarity! Fluttershy, don't worry, I know it's not your fault."

Fluttershy quietly cheered again, knowing that nothing wouldn't go wrong, "Woohoo!" Suddenly, there was knock on the front door, so she got up to answer it, "I'll get it!" At the door was finally Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie Pie, whom Fluttershy greeted, "Hi girls!"

"Hey Fluttershy!" They both smiled and waved back.

"Do you want to come in?" She asked.

"Of course," replied Sunset without hesitation, "TWILIGHT!!!" She ran inside the house to give Sci-Twi and Spike a tight hug.

"Umm, hi...Sunset!" as Sci-Twi couldn't breathe. "This...is...so nice of you... Can you...put us down now?" Sunset snapped out of it and released her arms. "Thank you!"

"Aww, but I kind of liked this!" Spike complained. After spitting these words out, his owner and best friend slap his paw, which hurt him.

Over in the living room, the other girls were hilariously watching their friends get so cuddly. Fluttershy, in her mind, thought, "Aww, now that's what I call pure kindness! I wonder why Sunset's now going crazy over Twilight..." 

"I think Sunset loves this Twilight even more," as Rarity suggested.

"No kidding!" Rainbow Dash sarcastically said. "They've been doing a lot together ever since the Friendship Games and Camp Everfree."

"Well, I think it's swell, Rainbow!" Applejack added. "Pinkie, your drums are waiting!" They both winked at each other as they got ready to play another song.

"YEAH!!! Let's PARTY!!!" Before Pinkie Pie sat down to play the drums, she pulled out her party cannon out of nowhere and shot it loudly. "Okay, I'm ready!"

"Typical Pinkie..." Sunset and Sci-Twi thought the same thing.

"Wait," as Rarity panicked, "Who's going to sing?" Currently, Applejack has the bass, Rainbow Dash has the guitar, and Pinkie Pie gets the drums, but no one so far has touched the microphone. 

"Hmm, so that leaves me, Sunset, Fluttershy, and Rarity." Sci-Twi thought. "I guess I'm sitting this one out since I don't have musical experience." Her friends all frowned, having heard her say this. 

"Fluttershy and Rarity, what about you two?" Sunset asked.

"I'll...s-sit this one out as well." Fluttershy committed.

"Why, darling?" Rarity demanded to know, "You have the sweetest voice out of all of us, no offense ladies!"

"I'll be fine without using my voice. After all, I'm...Fluttershy..." Rarity patted her bestie's shoulder, accepting her declaration.

"If you're not going to sing, dear, then neither am I! Don't worry about me too, my vocal chords do need some rest after those campfire songs. Now those, I do admire..." The only one left to take the microphone now was Sunset Shimmer.

"I guess it's time for me to sing!" Without further delay, Sunset sat down on the couch and picked up the microphone. The four, game band members have been decided and they're now ready. "So what song should we do?"

"I'm cool with any, honestly." Applejack said.

"Me too!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Your call, Sunset!" as Rainbow Dash fist bumped her buddy.

"Okay, I choose...this one," as Sunset giggled somewhat awkwardly, "How does this one sound?" Her choice was almost entirely agreeable with the other members, except for Applejack.

"You kidding me, Sunset? This song's too long!" Everyone turned to her and stared at her funny. "What?"

"Don't be lazy, A.J.!" They all said with a passion. To her disappointment again, Applejack gave in and now wanted to play Sunset's song.

"Alright, load...and HERE. WE. GO!!!" as Pinkie chose the highest difficulty and started the song.

(Metallica - Mercyful Fate)

As of this song, Applejack usually falls asleep and messes up on it sometimes, but this time, she's pulling through. "Yeah," as she stood up, "How do you like me now, game?"

"Don't get too cocky, A.J.!" Rainbow grinned at her. "There's only about a couple of minutes left, so hang in there!" She stood up beside her friend which always reminded her of the good old days.

"BAM, BAM, BAM!" Pinkie Pie drummed harder than ever.

"Would you like at that, my dear Fluttershy?" Rarity asked while pointing at the TV screen. "They are about to do a flawless run!"

"Like always...," as Fluttershy gave a wandering smile, "I love these games..." Sci-Twi and Spike then patted both of her shoulders as a sign of agreement. While they were still sitting down & watching the screen, Sunset, Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie went on to perfect their current song.


> 2. Real Practice 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a very long, full combo of a long Metallica song, Sunset, A.J., Rainbow, and Pinkie took a break with the rest of the girls. As they all left to go eat lunch, the four Rainbooms still remained hyped to play more songs.

"It feels good to have this kind of fun again!" Sunset joyfully fist pumped her friends.

"You said it, partner," as Applejack gave a bump back, "There's nothing like playing a virtual bass to keep me in my boots!"

"We're so awesome, and I pretty much say that about everything, but it's...true!" Rainbow both awkwardly and happily giggled.

"Fun is my middle name!" Pinkie Pie jumped up and down. "Oooh, we made it!" Before she went inside the girls' favorite diner, she frowned at a hungry Fluttershy, saying, "Aww, I know how it feels..."

"I know... I just can't believe I skipped breakfast, but hey, what can you do? It's a weekend, after all." Fluttershy's friends were surprised at her, most notably Rainbow Dash and Rarity.

"Wow, umm...," as Rainbow was speechless, "I never expected you to be this...down. Really, if you're this hungry, then I truly feel sorry for you!" She put a hand on her friend's left shoulder to comfort her.

"Me too, darling!" Rarity put a hand on Fluttershy's right shoulder to comfort her as well. "It hurts me to see any of my friends suffering from famine and I don't want that to ever happen, my dear! Girls, allow me to treat you all to lunch!"

"Really? Thank you so much, Rarity! You're the best!" as everyone thanked her.

"You're very welcome, my friends," she replied, "After all, not only am I now a successful fashion designer, but generosity is my main thing as well... Come on, let's go inside!" As the girls and Spike went into the cafe, Rarity was the last one going in, after giving Fluttershy a big hug, showing how much she cares about her. "You'll be okay, Fluttershy!"

At the counter awaited the girls' usual seats, and a waitress immediately approached them. "Welcome back, girls! Long time no see!"

"Hey Sugar Belle!" They all replied.

"Looks like you've all returned...from Camp Everfree." She shyly pointed out. "I heard that something terrible happened over there! Any of you know anything about it?"   

"Yes, everything actually," as Sci-Twi took a seat. She took a breath, and said, "We actually stopped the destruction of the camp ourselves."

"Oh, that's incredible!" Sugar Belle relieved herself. "That must have been tough for you girls, huh? How did you do it?" Sunset Shimmer awkwardly laughed after being asked this.

"Let's just say...that we couldn't have done it without a little...magic!" She and her friends all winked at Sugar Belle. 

"Hmm, I see." Sugar Belle, although not knowing the whole truth behind what happened at Camp Everfree, gladly accepted what she got anyway. "Oh, wait! Since you're all here again, can I get you the usual?"

"YES, PLEASE, THANKS!" Fluttershy took her head off the counter, still waiting for something to eat. She then accidentally attracted other customers after bursting out. "Sorry!"

"Ooh, is...there something wrong, Miss Shy?" Sugar Belle wondered.

"Ehh, you could say that..." Rainbow Dash, still feeling bad about her childhood friend, couldn't stand to see her starve. "She kind of skipped breakfast and is now feeling VERY hungry!"

"VERY hungry!!!" Pinkie Pie repeated. "If you can, Sugar, would you mind immediately getting our food, especially Fluttershy's? I hate to see my buddies sad..."

"Okay, I'll get them right away! Don't you worry!" She rushed to the kitchen and the girls were patting Fluttershy's back to keep her from groaning.

"You should keep your head down again, Fluttershy," as Applejack took off her hat and put in on Fluttershy's head, "The more you lash out, the more bad it gets."

"I know..." She mumbled down on the counter. "Thank you so much again, Rarity!"

"Don't mention it!" Rarity continued to pat her back.

Suddenly, the hanging TV screens stopped their current broadcast and metal music started to play. "ALERT! MUSICAL INTERMISSION!" The TV then cut to a girl that caught Applejack's attention. "Hey there, all you real rockers and game rockers!"

"Rara?" Applejack's jaw dropped hardly.

"I'm Countess Coloratura and I have a very exciting announcement for all of you! In two weeks, I will be hosting a Guitar Hero tournament, right here in Manehattan! The rules will be explained then, but for now, I'm seeking real & professional bands to compete and they will be selected, according to city. The grand prize will be a grand total of 3 million dollars, as well as the title of 'Best Guitar Hero Band Ever!'"

"Wow!!!" The girls exclaimed. 

"I will name all the bands as the days go by, so today, I'm starting with Canterlot City!" Rara added. "The band that will be entering the tournament is...the Rainbooms!!!" The announcement of this has officially made the girls shocked, but at the same time, stoked. Rara held a picture of their band up close to the camera, and it made everyone in the diner cheer for them. "Ooh, it looks like I'm almost out of time, so with all that I've said, I can't wait to see these girls rock it in the tournament! Also, for all you regular folks and fanatics, don't forget to purchase your tickets to actually come and watch it live! Bye bye for now!" She blew a kiss and the TV screen cut back to its original program.

"Applejack, dear, since when did your pop star friend know about us playing Guitar Hero?" Rarity curiously wondered.

"I can explain... Rara already knows that we play in an actual band and she deeply admires that, so I also told her that we're darn good at the game, and she admired that too. I didn't know she would actually make a tournament!"

"This is going to be so AWESOME!!!" Rainbow Dash squeaked so high in interest. 

"You four are very lucky, you know," as Sci-Twi pointed to Sunset, Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie, "This will be your first ever gaming tournament!" 

"Yeah, though it's going to be feel very weird with me on lead vocals." Sunset noted to her. "Usually, Rainbow Dash or...the other Twilight has that role in the actual band. Me? I'm just a backup vocalist and rhythm guitarist!" All of her friends looked at her strangely. "What?"

"I'm back with your food!" Sugar Belle finally came out of the kitchen with a bunch of burgers, fries, and milkshakes, waiting to be served to the girls. "Enjoy yourselves, and congratulations on your band's announcement! I'll be going to the tournament to cheer you on!"

"Thank you, Sugar Belle!" They all responded happily. As they received their food, they began to dig in, especially Fluttershy, who was acting like a hungry dog with her tongue sticking out and so she began to munch the heck out of her meal.

"So GOOD!!!" She couldn't be more happy to eat after so many hours.

"And don't forget, my dear Fluttershy, that it's all on me!" Rarity gave her buddy another pat on the back. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie turned to Sunset for a serious conversation.

"Anyways, back on topic! Are you out of your mind, Sunset? Your singing is crazy good! How could you not be used to it?" 

"I mean, I do love singing myself, but I don't think there's anymore to it than that." Applejack then layed a hand on her shoulder while eating with the other.

"Mmmm...," as she gulped, "Don't be so modest, sugarcube! Everyone gets a chance to shine on stage. You got yours when you helped us and Princess Twilight defeat the Dazzlings. You'll definitely get another one when we're going to be in the tournament!"

"Applejack's right." Fluttershy straightforwardly agreed with her friend after taking a bite. "Dashie is right about using someone to help me on backup vocals, and that someone is you. You really are a great singer!"

"While Princess Twilight is also part of our band too, you will always fit in with us as well." Rainbow swallowed her food and winked at Sunset.

"Even though I have little musical experience, I do believe that you are a talented person at heart!" Sci-Twi put down her food and wiped her hands, just to give her best friend a big hug.

"A girl like you is perfect in every way possible." Spike joined in.

"Delicious!" Rarity still continued to eat. "Ooh, sorry! But yes, I couldn't agree more when I say that you, Sunset, are truly amazing when it comes to your voice and guitar playing! Once a Rainboom, always a Rainboom!"

Sunset finished what was on her plate and began to cry emotionally, "Thank you all...so much... I don't...know what else to say, but...I'm glad you're all my best friends!" Lunch was finished and they all gave warm hugs to Sunset. "I really wish Princess Twilight was here, too!"

This gave Pinkie Pie an idea. "Well, do you want to write her a message? Because I have something fun we could do later with her!"

"Uhh, Pinkie, I forgot my book at Canterlot High... What do I do?" Sunset scratched her head.

"You forgot something else, too," as Rainbow remembered something, "Vice Principal Luna is teaching a weekend class and it's still going on right now. She and her sister have always allowed students to come in and pick up or drop off things in their lockers." 

"Oh wow, I totally forgot!" Sunset awkwardly continued to scratch her head. "Thanks for the heads up, Rainbow Dash!"

"No problem!"

"So what do you want us to do with Princess Twilight, Pinkie?" A.J. asked.

"Before you, Sunset, Dashie, and I hit the stage in two weeks for the tournament, do you want to actually practice with our REAL instruments? This time, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Princess Twilight will be joining."

"That's a great idea, Miss Pie!" Rarity exclaimed. She then paid Sugar Belle for the food and even tipped her. "Here you go, darling!"

"Thank you girls so much for coming back again! Remember, I'll be watching you at the tournament!"

"Bye Sugar Belle! Thank you!" They all left the diner after waving to Sugar Belle and were heading to Applejack's garage to do real band practice. 

"So Pinkie, thanks for suggesting this!" Fluttershy said.

"Your welcome, and this time, our pony friend will be coming back!" Pinkie continued to skip merrily to where the girls are supposed to be going.

"It has been awfully been a long time since we've rehearsed one of our songs, right?" Sunset asked as she remembers the current time now. 

"I'll say, partner," as Applejack calmly replied, "Gaia Everfree has destroyed a lot of terrain and even though we kicked her to the curb, I still hope that she didn't lay a claw on Sweet Apple Acres!"

"Wait, where did you go after we left the camp?" as Sci-Twi got anxious.

"Safe to say, she spent the night with me and Fluttershy at my house." Dashie then looked at her two friends closely.

"Yeah, I was so beat after what happened a while ago, I couldn't even bring myself to go home!" Applejack got frightened for a bit after remembering the incident at Camp Everfree. "So, I really needed some company to help me recollect, and I had Rainbow to thank!"

"Same here," after Fluttershy jumped into the conversation, "Thank you too, Rainbow Dash!"

"You both are very welcome!" After Dash stopped talking, everyone has finally arrived at Applejack's house, which was still in great shape. "See Applejack? Nothing to worry about!"

"I guess so, sugarcube..." She took off her hat to cover up her tears of joy. 

"I see that our instruments are safe as well," said Rarity, "Let's get inside and set the stage...for real!"

"Okay, Sunset, listen," advised Pinkie, "We need you to quickly go to school in order to get your book, so we can message Princess Twilight! Got it?"

"I'm on it! Bye girls!" Sunset proceeded to run to Canterlot High as she waved to her friends.

"I'm sure she doesn't mind if we do some songs without her!" Rarity said smiling. "Ladies, I have an idea as well!"

"What is it, Rarity?" They all stepped forward into the band area.

"Twilight, do you want to be the lead singer for now?" Rarity smirked. Everyone first looked at her as if it was a good idea, then they turned to Sci-Twi.

"Me? Really? But I don't know any of the lyrics to your songs, girls!"

"Twi, this is just practice!" Rainbow Dash reassured her friend. "Besides, we've got lyric sheets right here to all our songs and you don't need to master them in one day. You can read off of them while on the microphone, so while we're playing, pretend that we're not here! We will never judge your skills!" The girls happily agreed with their lead guitarist.

"Mmm, okay," as Sci-Twi got excited and looked through the lyric sheets, "Hmm, I like to try this one!" She pointed to one sheet, to which the rest of the band would like to play along to.

"Perfect Day for Fun, huh?" Pinkie Pie got even more excited. "Okay, let's do this!"

"Ready!" The girls all readied their instruments. "You got this by the way, Twilight!" This no longer made her feel nervous.

Pinkie counted, "1, 2, 3, 4, GO!!!" 

As Sci-Twi started singing with the band, they think she actually sings just as great as Princess Twilight. Amazingly, she was able to recognize the rest of the song's lyrics, even though she only looked at them for like two minutes. Her friends were both in shock and awe after hearing her voice. While Sci-Twi continued to sing, she thought inside of her mind, "This practice is actually paying off!"

> 3. A Surprise Player
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile at Canterlot High, Sunset Shimmer grabbed her magic book from her locker and she was now able to contact Princess Twilight, like she always did. "Alright, now to get back to A.J.'s house and..." Suddenly, she was stopped by Principal Celestia in the hallway.

"Hello Sunset!" The sun then shined down on the elder.

"Hi, Principal Celestia," as Sunset replied, "I was just about to be on my way out!" She gave back a big smile.

"I see. So what seems to bring you in today on such a fine day? It's also clear that my sister and I know that you have not done anything wrong these past couple of months. But, it's always nice to see you, regardless!"

"Oh, I know!" Sunset awkwardly laughed. "Anyways, I just came to get my special book, you know the one that I write messages to Princess Twilight in."

"Hehe, you've always seem to be into that delightful girl," as Principal Celestia joked, making Sunset blush, "Well, if you don't mind, but would you kindly ask her if she could come back to school? All my students seem to miss her so much, as well as my sister and I. No disrespect to the other Twilight, but it would be nice to see them both at once!"

"She's awfully busy with her royal duties, but I'll try to convince her." Sunset said. "I won't let you down, Principal Celestia!"

"Thank you, Sunset! Now if you will excuse me, I've got some very important calls to make in my office. Feel free to come back anytime...except on days like tomorrow! Goodbye Sunset!" She waved to her as she went to her office.

"Nice meeting you! Okay, back to Applejack's house!" As the daring girl left the school, she had no time to waste, so she started to dodge traffic, cut a bunch of corners, and take shortcuts. "I'll never get tired of this!"





As for Sci-Twi, her friends were impressed with her very first rehearsal. After finishing their first song of the day, they immediately put down their instruments and turned their attention to the current lead singer.

"That's my girl!" Spike clapped loudly.

"You rock, Twilight!" Fluttershy quietly cheered.

"You are...SO AWESOME!!" Rainbow Dash gleefully made an adorable face.

"Simply fabulous, darling!" as Rarity got charmed.

"Nice one, sugarcube!" Applejack took off her hat with pride.

"That was so...GOOD!!!" Pinkie Pie jumped for joy.

"Aww, thanks so much, girls," as Sci-Twi fixed her glasses, "Though I must say, I did...feel kind of nervous
going in." When she finished talking, arrived at the front yard, was her bestie, Sunset.

"She's back, guys!" Rainbow pointed at Sunset, then proceeded to regroup with her.

"I got the book, and let's hope that the Princess of Friendship is not caught up in another time travel loop!" She scratched her head while laughing. "Okay, gather up, girls!"

"Wait, what are you going to write to her, Sunset?" Fluttershy wanted to be reminded again.

"Umm, hehe, I thought you wanted me to invite her! Ah, never mind!" She took out a pen and began writing magic words. "Dear Princess Twilight, how are things going so far in Equestria? How are your new duties as not only a princess, but as an aunt as well, going too? Anyways, the girls and I really miss you again, even your best dog friend, and we were hoping you could come back! We have something special planned for you and it will be great! Your bestie, Sunset Shimmer. P.S. Principal Celestia also misses you and was hoping if you could come back to school." Sunset finally finished writing as the magic message was sent.

"And now we wait..." as Pinkie looked at the sky.





It was now the evening as Sunset's group were bored out of their minds while waiting for their pony friend to show up. Luckily, she did, and that even stopped Applejack from cutting down her apple trees like a crazy girl.

"I'm here, I'm here!!!" as Princess Twilight ran out of breath.

"Oh boy," as Fluttershy got up, "I was about to go hungry again!"

"Please don't..." Rainbow, and Pinkie began to get scared as they imagined another hungry Fluttershy.

"Hey friend..." Sunset gave the princess a smirk. "You didn't reply to my message, but I'm still glad that you came!" She gave her a big, old hug afterwards.

"Okay, it's good...to...see...you too, but can you please let me go now?" Sunset did so and dusted her off politely. 

"Hi Twilight!" Everyone in the garage greeted.

"Hi girls! Sunset, I'm very sorry I didn't reply soon enough! I read your message, but didn't get enough time to write back because my brother had too many things on his plate at the time. So, I helped him, but I rushed through the portal so I didn't want to keep you waiting longer!"

"That's quite alright, Twilight!" Rarity frowned a bit. "As your best friends, we too, understand how much you value your family as much as we do with ours. You could've taken all the time you need with your brother and we'd still wait for you!"

"I agree!" Everyone else said.

"Aww, thanks so much, girls!" Twilight then went to hug all her friends, having resolved her small problems a bit more. "So, what's the special occasion?"

"Allow me, gals," as Applejack stepped up, "You ever wanted to practice as a Rainboom again, Twi? We just heard the other you sing and boy, she was pretty good!"

"Well, I have always wanted to improve my vocal chords, so why not? I'm in, and it'll be like old times!" She high-fived her friends in excitement. "Anything else?"

"You ever heard of the game, Guitar Hero, Princess?" Rainbow asked.

"Of course! It's literally in every arcade in Equestria!" This gave Sunset memories.

"Now that, I do remember! Before...everything, I played the heck out of it and ever since I got to this world, I continued to play!"

"Okay, what about Guitar Hero, girls?" Twilight was eager to know more.

Sunset couldn't wait to reveal the other good part, so she said, "Pinkie, Rainbow, A.J., and I were chosen to enter a tournament that deals with the game and whichever band wins, gets three million dollars and the title trophy of 'Best Guitar Hero Band Ever!'"

"Awesome," Twilight replied, "But who chose you four?"

"We actually decided amongst ourselves!" Pinkie added. "The host of the tournament is actually Countess Coloratura!"

"Eeyup." Applejack agreed, along with her brother, Big Macintosh, who came out of nowhere. "Speaking of Rara, she just texted me, saying that the rest of you get to see us compete for free! The tournament will be in Manehattan."

"We're definitely going to win!" as Rainbow Dash brought out her usual confidence.

"This is incredible!" The Princess of Friendship stated. "But I don't think I can make it!"

"I'll take care of it, Twilight!" Sunset Shimmer held up her magic book.

"Wait, I thought her friends from Equestria still don't like you, Sunset," Sci-Twi noted.

"Relax, dear, Princess Twilight told them that she's very good now!" Rarity brought up.

"Indeed I did. So, I can't wait to do more band practice! What song should we do?" Suddenly, Fluttershy held up her notebook, containing all her songs, and pointed to one that she wanted to do.

"How about this one?"

"Ah, I remember this one!" Pinkie grabbed the notebook. "Excellent choice, Fluttershy!" The other girls happily agreed to do Fluttershy's song, which made her squeal.

"Hmm, but who's going to be the lead singer now?" Rainbow disappointingly wondered. "Twilight or...Twilight?" This gave Sunset an idea.

"Why not both?" She smiled at what she thought was a good idea. To her surprise, both Twilights hugged each other, seeing that this will be their first duet with each other, or rather...themselves.

"Don't worry, Twilights!" Fluttershy calmed down for now. "I have the lyrics here if you need them and remember that this is just practice!" Sci-Twi was actually the one who needed it more. At last, the rest of the girls picked up their instruments in order to play the next song.

"Is everyone ready?" Applejack tuned her bass to the way it's supposed to be. 

"Ready!" They all eagerly awaited.

"Pinkie, darling, you have the honors!" as Rarity fretted her fingers on her keytar.

The drummer hit her sticks together to start the countdown, "1, 2, 3, 4, GO!!!" And so, the Rainbooms were more energetic and lively than they ever were. Surprisingly, neighbors all around were impressed by what they were hearing. Both Twilights' vocals sparkled, Sunset's rhythm guitar was in style, Fluttershy's tambourine swayed back and forth, Rainbow's lead guitar was shredding, Rarity's keytar charmed, Applejack's basslines were knocking it out of the park, and Pinkie's drumming really laid the beat down.





One week has passed by and the day was currently Wednesday. The girls and Spike have went back and forth from school, usually each day, including Princess Twilight. At one point during her lunch period, she finally got to meet the human Starlight Glimmer. "Hmm, you look so familiar, but it's nice to meet you anyway! I'm Twilight Sparkle!"

"I know!" Starlight acted like she knew the obvious. "Your friends have told me all about you and I find, not only them, but you too as well to be very nice! I'm Starlight Glimmer and it's nice to meet you too...,Princess!"

"Starlight Glimmer?" The princess look confused but regained her focus. "I actually happen to have a best friend with the same name as you from Equestria! Same hair style and everything! You know these two worlds as well?"

"Yeah!" The two apparently new friends then smiled at each other.

"So, Starlight?" Sunset asked. "Do you have any plans later this week?"

"No, but I have one next week! Before I say it, I will congratulate you four girls for being entered in the Guitar Hero tournament!" She pointed to Sunset, Rainbow, Pinkie, and A.J.

"Thanks!" They replied nicely.

"I must also say that I wish you the best of luck! I'm going to be in the tournament!" Starlight gave a big, happy smile to the rest of the girls.

"Really?" Fluttershy seemed to be both happy and curious about her. "I can't wait to see you play! Good luck!"

"Wait a minute," as Spike got suspicious, "What band are you in, Starlight? I'm surprised you haven't joined a band at this school!"

"Yeah, what band do you play for?" Rainbow also got curious.

"I'm the lead guitarist for the Manehattan band, the Enforcers!" Starlight said with a passion. The girls were surprised to hear this, but at the same time, felt great about Starlight.

"Well, we wish you great luck as well!" Pinkie stretched her neck over. "We're all going to rock and roll!"

"I'll be very honest and say that it doesn't matter who's band will be better than the other." as Applejack got sentimental. "What matters is trying your hardest and especially, having fun with your friends!"

"And winning is something to be proud of, not to brag about!" Rarity added. "I learned that the hard way, and even though I won't be competing in the tournament, rooting for my best friends is what I care about the most!"

"Same here!" Sci-Twi counted herself. "Like I've said a couple of times, I may not be a musical expert like the rest of the Rainbooms, but I have great respect for what comes from their hearts! I will always love you, girls..."

"That, I couldn't have said better myself," as Princess Twilight felt a soft spot in her heart, "It's unfortunate that I've only been in this world a few times, but I see what you all can do... You all are great friends and I love you all as well!"

"We'll always be friends, Twilights, and same with you, Starlight..." Sunset turned red in an emotional way.

"We're all awesome friends...and that will never change." Dashie felt a soft spot in her heart.

"Aww, thanks so much girls!" Starlight almost cried. "I really appreciate all of your support and I'm definitely sure that you four, especially, will do great in the tournament..."

"Group hug, anyone?" Spike put out his paws. "I'm feeling emotional inside now... I'm rooting too for both bands!" The girls all got together and hugged each other, with Pinkie's hug being the tightest.

After their big hug finished, lunch was over. Everyone went to their last couple of classes and went home for the day. Starlight, before leaving the girls to go home, explained, "I'm going to be practicing for the tournament, so good luck again!" She ran off and waved.

"Bye Starlight! The girls responded and waved back.

"So, should we train too?" Sunset got multiple thoughts on what to do next.

"Yeah, back to my house, it is!" Rainbow started marching until Pinkie stopped her.

"Wait! We're going to train more than ever for the tournament if we're going to be at our best!"

"But Pinkie, it's just Guitar Hero!" Rarity laughed out loud. "You, Rainbow Dash, Sunset Shimmer, and Applejack are already great with your real instruments, so there should be no problem with the game instruments!"

"She does have a point, you know..." Fluttershy whispered. "What if an injury or an accident happens in Manehattan?"

"Which is why I thought of setting up a training montage for the four of us," as Pinkie looked at the fact that she was still in her Camp Everfree clothes, "I've even got an epic song for us!" So, Pinkie pulled out a stereo out of nowhere and dragged her fellow, three members to get serious.

"Oh boy..." The rest of the girls hilariously thought to themselves. "Pinkie, Pinkie, Pinkie..."

> 4. The Tournament Begins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another week has passed as it was finally time for Rara's Guitar Hero tournament. As the girls got on the train to Manehattan, all engines were set. Sunset took care of Princess Twilight's worries about Equestria by writing messages, hoping that her pony friends will understand everything, Sci-Twi felt both nervous and excited, Fluttershy actually managed to eat breakfast this Saturday, Rainbow Dash imagined herself and her friends winning, Rarity put on some makeup, Applejack ate an apple casually, and Pinkie Pie was banging her head as she was extremely pumped.

"The express train is now leaving for Manehattan!" The train conductor shouted. "Please step in immediately!" As a few more passengers got on, he closed all the doors. "All aboard and now leaving Canterlot Station!" Now, the train finally left.

"I'm honestly excited, myself," as Applejack finished her apple, "How about y'all?"

"Yeah!" They all fist pumped each other.

"I can't wait to see who else we're competing against, other than Starlight!" Sunset wondered.

"Which reminds me..." Fluttershy looked up into space. "Why didn't we watch Rara announce the other bands that you four are competing against?"

"We wanted it to be a surprise, Fluttershy." said Rainbow Dash. "If we found out the other band lineups, it would make it easier for us to figure out their playing strategies. I actually wanted this to be a fair time for us..."

"Makes sense." Princess Twilight got to thinking. "It's possible that either the other bands have all heard each other's announcements or they're probably trying to be smart like you and not hear the announcements."

"If I had to pick which one could be true, it would be the latter, Twilight!" Rarity pointed at her for fun. "By the way, I think Sunset, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie should wear something fabulous on stage!"

"Sorry Rare, but maybe we'll wear something awesome when we get to the finals!" Rainbow Dash awkwardly smiled. "Plus, you deserve to chillax after all that you've done for us at Camp Everfree. Thanks for the suggestion, though!"

"Oh, okay!" as Rarity looked a bit disappointed. "Fair enough, I guess! What is definite to happen is you four winning the tournament!"

"Agreed!" Both Twilights put a hand on each other's shoulders. "We really are the same, huh?"

"I'll say," as Spike was sitting on Fluttershy's lap, "This will be the most epic thing that I'll be seeing!"

"Yeah, up here!" Pinkie Pie high fived his paw in excitement. "How do you feel, Sunset?" Her friend hilariously rolled her eyes.

"You're kidding, right? YOU KNOW HOW PUMPED I AM!!! WOO!!!" Sunset stuck her head out the window and her hair blew as the train was speeding up. "YEAH!!!"

"Hehe, should I pull her back in?" Sci-Twi asked.

"Shh, let her have this, darling!" Rarity wanted her friends to just sit back and watch their trusted leader let out her hype.





The train then finally reached Manehattan and it came to a stop at the station. The girls and Spike got off as the door behind them closed. The conductor called out, "Next stop: Trottingham! All aboard!" As more passengers boarded the train, it left. It was currently noon, and Rara was expecting the Rainbooms in two hours.

Rarity, taking a fresh breath, looked at the beautiful city of Manehattan and said, "What have you done to me?"

"You always ask yourself that whenever we come here, do you Rarity?" Applejack raised an eyebrow in remembrance. 

"Next thing you'll know, she'll break out in song again!" Rainbow Dash slapped herself on the knee after bursting out laughing. Everyone else except Rarity laughed very hard too.

"How unprofessional of all of you to do this!"

"Hehe, we're...so sorry...,Rarity!!" Sunset tried to hold it together. "But, you gotta admit that you do love to sing in Manehattan!" Rarity's faced turn red.

"Grr... Maybe, a little bit..." She was denying how true this is. "Maybe I should take back what I said earlier?"

"Okay, okay, we're totally sorry, Rarity!" Princess Twilight stopped laughing. "No one should have to get this mad over something this small." 

"Phew... You're right, Twilight! I'm sorry, too." Rarity finally calmed down. This made the others stop laughing and agree to stop.

"Glad that's over!" Spike wiped off his sweat. "So what are we supposed to do before the tournament starts?"

Fluttershy pointed to the Bridleway Theater, which was located a few blocks right from the train station. "Do you four want to check in now? It looks like the theater's getting crowded!"

"Those people are probably just buying tickets to actually watch the tournament." said Sci-Twi. "Who knows how Sunset, Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie could get in?" Suddenly, Applejack got a text message.

"Shh, it's Rara, gals!" They all gathered together.

Her exact words were, "What's up A.J.? Have you made it to Manehattan yet? If so, I would love for you and your band to meet me at my apartment! I've got some things that I want to talk about with you all. I'll be waiting, bestie! XOXO, Rara. P.S. I've already signed the Rainbooms up, so you're good to go!"

"Well, looks like everything's taken care of!" Applejack got relieved. "C'mon, let's go to Rara's place! I remember where it is."

"WAIT!!!" Fluttershy halted the group and even attracted the attention of pedestrians and a crossing guard. "...Sorry, I'm hungry again..."

"You just ate, remember?" Rainbow Dash asked wildly. "You actually remembered to eat breakfast! How could you be hungry now?"

"That was three hours ago, Dashie!" Fluttershy acted up. "My stomach hurts now!"

"Alright, sugarcube, don't worry," as Applejack attempted to quickly make her relax, "Look, I see a McDonalds right across the street! You can catch up after you get something to eat over there. I'll explain everything to Rara once we find her apartment. Got it?"

"...Got it..." Fluttershy tried to bear the pain of her stomach.

"You should probably get moving, darling!" Rarity replied. "Like I said two weeks ago, it always hurts me to see you like this!"

"I'll meet you girls later!" The shy girl waved as she went to look for the nearest crosswalk.

"Come on, there's no waste!" as Sci-Twi confidently clinched a fist.

"Right!!!" Everyone else then followed A.J. to Rara's apartment. The clock was ticking, signifying that the Rainbooms must make it on time to both her place and her tournament. While running, the girls and Spike are still admiring the beautiful architecture of the city.

"Huff," as Princess Twilight tried to catch her breath while running, "You know... There are...places that I've never been to in this city, not even in Equestria's Manehattan!"

"Maybe, when we win this thing, I might come back with you to Equestria and we could hang out in the Manehattan there for a while!" Sunset suggested. "Don't worry girls, I'll come back to this world!"

"Where do you live in this world, by the way, Sunset?" asked Sci-Twi. The group came to a stop as they stood in front of Rara's place.

"When I used to be...obsessed with magic like you, no offense Twilight, I lived with a bunch of bad girls who were just like me in some low-rent neighborhood. After I was free from my desire for power and changed my ways, Pinkie Pie offered me a place to stay and even a job at Sugarcube Corner! Thanks for being so nice to me, by the way, Pinkie!"

"You're always welcome, bud!" She played around with Sunset's hair, making her laugh.

"That's still touching to my heart, y'all!" said Applejack. "Well, this is the place! It looks mighty taller than from what I remember, but let's take the elevator to the... Uhh, you okay, Rainbow Dash?" She notices her jaw dropping hardly.

"You may have brought us here before, A.J., but...THIS IS STILL THE MOST AWESOME APARTMENT ANYONE COULD HAVE!!!"

"Absolutely divine, indeed!" Rarity tapped Rainbow's nose. "Just look at all the chandeliers, tiles, doors, and ceiling!"

"Wow..." as both Twilights and Spike were amazed.

"C'mon, let's go gals!" Applejack held the front door for her friends and approached one of the elevators. "Hey there, sir!"

"Good afternoon, you girls!" said the receptionist.

"Hmm, there it is: Floor 15," as A.J. went inside the elevator and pushed a button, "Going up!" As everyone waited patiently while ascending the building, they all looked up.

"Nice elevator music!" Pinkie pointed out.

"Ehh, not the kind I really like, sorry!" Rainbow Dash shrugged.

"It is MY kind!" Rarity began to hum along.

"It sure is nice," as both Twilights looked at each other, "Hehe..."

"Don't forget about the great view behind us!" Spike noted that the elevator had glass in the back so that anyone can see the entire city from inside. To the girls' surprise, they enjoyed the view. 

"I think I can see Canterlot High all the way from here!" Sunset said happily.

"How do you see our school?" asked Rarity. "When we traveled, the city before Manehattan was Las Pegasus."

"Not only do I have visions of what other people can see, but I also can see a thousand miles away!" as Sunset brought up her new powers she had obtained back at Camp Everfree.

"That makes two of us hawk buddies!" Rainbow fist bumped her friend. The elevator came to a stop. "Ooh, we're here!"

"Let's see, left, left...and...right!" as Applejack directed the group to Rara's apartment. "This is it!" She knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

"Hey girls, I see Fluttershy down there!" Pinkie Pie looked out another window and saw their friend all the way at street level. "She must have went through her food already!"

"Duh!" as Sunset giggled. "Whenever we bring her to McDonalds, she always orders like two or three Happy Meals! It's practically her most favorite thing on the menu, next to a McFlurry! I even know how fast Fluttershy eats!"

"All this talk is now making ME hungry!" Rarity felt her stomach. "I would sure love a Big Mac..." Suddenly, she was slapped across the face by Applejack. "Oww, what was that, dear?"

"I hope you were talking about the burger and not my brother..." She was getting ready for another slap.

"Sorry, I really meant the burger, Applejack!" Rarity struggled to look forward.

"Good..." The door finally opened and not surprisingly, Rara answered.

"Applejack, hey! It's always great to see you! I also see your friends are here too! Come in!" Both childhood friends hugged each other and the pop star let the Rainbooms in.

"It's good to be back in a perfect place like this!" Rarity soaked in all the best features of Rara's apartment which even made her roll her eyes hilariously. "I admire your outfit by the way, too darling!" Rara happened to be wearing a short sleeve black shirt with blue jeans and black long boots. She then blushed at Rarity's complement. 

"Hehe, thank you, Rarity! Anyways, I assume you got my text, A.J.?"

She showed Rara her phone and said, "I sure did! So, you have some important things that you want to elaborate on with us?"

"Yes, I do! Let me first say that I'm excited for you and your band to be entering my tournament! Even though, technically, I signed you up myself, I'm still stoked about the Rainbooms playing!"

"Hey, what's under this sheet?" Pinkie wandered off into a corner.

"Hehe, uhh, try not to break that, Pinkie Pie!" nervously replied Rara. "Under that sheet is the actual trophy for whoever wins the Guitar Hero tournament."

The engraving read, 'To The Best Guitar Hero Band Ever.'

"That's cool, but where's the grand money prize?" asked Rainbow Dash. Rara immediately turned to her.

"It's at the theater, being safely kept in storage by my team of security! Wait, I just noticed something! Where's Fluttershy?"

"She ate at McDonalds and even I'm surprised to find someone who's more into it than I am!" as Princess Twilight looked back the old days.

"Oh okay, but anyways, which four of you will be playing?" Rara brought up.

"I will be singing, Rainbow Dash will be on the guitar, Applejack will be playing the bass, and Pinkie Pie's going to sit for the drums." said Sunset.

"Excellent," as the pop star was filled with glee, "I'm sure you four will do great! So, are you ready to meet the other bands later?" This made the group worry.

"Actually, Rara..." Applejack took off her hat to scratch her head. "We haven't paid attention to the rest of your band announcements. We're giving ourselves a little challenge, if you know what I mean!"

"Oooh, even better! I'm not going to ruin any more surprises for you girls, so if you're comfortable going in blind, be my guest!" Suddenly, the door bell rang. "You may come in!"

At the door stood Fluttershy, who was carrying some French fries and a McFlurry. With her mouth full, she mumbled, "Mmm, hey girls! Look who I found at McDonalds!" Standing next to her was another shy girl.

"Coco Pommel?" as everyone else stacked their heads against the door.

"Hi!" She stepped into the apartment to greet the Rainbooms. "I didn't know you girls were friends with my boss!"

"Boss?" Rarity got curious. "Hehe, what do you mean, Miss Pommel?"

"Miss Coloratura needed someone new to take care of her stage attire, so she offered me the job based on my experience! Don't worry, I'll still work for you, Miss Rarity!"

"Rarity you have, indeed, also hired a brilliant designer!" Rara joined back in.

"Thank you both very much!" the fashionista replied. "Oh dear, what time are we supposed to be at the tournament?"

"We still have one hour left." said Rara.

"Which reminds me..." as Sci-Twi thought deeply. "Shouldn't you be preparing some things too at the theater?"

"Oh, Twilight, heh!" The pop star giggled. "I already prepared what I had to over there: the rules, the different Guitar Hero games, the instruments, the console, and pretty much the roster."

"So, I'm guessing the set list will be widely different, right?" asked Rainbow Dash. "If so, that would be awesome!" 

"Looks like your band is going to have to find out!" Rara daringly smirked.

Fluttershy, still eating, mumbled, "Where do the rest of us get to sit? I really don't want to get in the way of the audience's view."

"Front row seats sound great?" asked the pop star.

"Uh-huh!!!" Everyone screeched joyfully. "Thank you so much, Rara!"

"No problem! I'm always glad to help out friends! Is there anything else I should go over, A.J.?" She winked at her friend.

"Nope, I think ya got this covered, Rara!" Applejack proudly responded. "So what are we going to do before we get to the theater?"

"Well, based on how much more it's getting filled up, I think we should already get going," as Princess Twilight looked out the window, "Anyone else think it's good to go now?"

"I'm...I mean...you're right!" nervously replied Sci-Twi. 

"Let's get to it, shall we?" Rarity added. "Umm, Fluttershy, sweetie? Do you mind eating a bit more...quietly?"

She continued to munch and said, "Sorry... I can't help it! I think I have a problem..." Fluttershy got low to the ground like an elevator.

"I can get like her, sometimes..." Coco randomly pointed out.

"If the rest of you are ready, then so am I!" confidently said Sunset.

"Ready!!!" All the Rainbooms huddled up and put out a hand. "1, 2, 3, Rainbooms Forever!!!"

"That's the spirit!" said Rara. "Come on, I'll get you girls to the theater in no time!" She pulled out a pair of shades and her hoodie. "Be ready to run, or else one of you can get caught by the fans!" 

"Tasty..." Fluttershy finally finished eating. "I mean, I hope that doesn't happen!"

"Where are we supposed to enter, the back door?" asked both Twilights. "I'll never get tired of myself... I mean, you, err, ME!!!"

"I've known Rara almost my entire darn life and based on what she does as a celebrity, the back door of the theater is our best way in!" Applejack elaborated.

"Race you there!" Rainbow Dash literally races out the door and the others try to catch up. Thankfully, the speed girl knows how to really control her new powers.





With time to spare, Countess Coloratura, Coco Pommel, and the Rainbooms have made it to the Manehattan Theater in one piece. While the pop star was still disguised, one of her security guards at the back door was able to recognize her figure and decided to safely let her and her friends in. They all proceeded backstage, where all the other bands were meeting.

"I think I see Starlight." as Sunset kept a sharp eye.

"How do you know?" Rainbow got a bit annoyed. "I could barely see in here and we're not even inside completely!"

"First off, Rainbow Dash, the carpet on the floor has lights illuminating on each side." Rarity lectured. "Secondly, she has her powers, remember darling?"

"Oh right..." Rainbow looked down at the floor.

"Should we talk to her?" Sci-Twi asked.

"If you know that she'll be competing as well, then you might as well meet her fellow band members." Princess Twilight replied. "A.J., Pinkie?"

"Ehh, why not?" They both simultaneously agreed and nodded.

"Let's go see her, girls!" Rainbow started to rush towards Starlight. With backstage being barely lit up, she tripped on a cord and landed face first.

"Rainbow Dash?" Starlight tried to get her back up. "Hey, uhh, it's good...to see you!"

"Yeah... Same here!" as Rainbow attempted to recollect herself. "Thanks for making me not eat dirt!"

"Hehe, you're welcome! Girls, you're...all here too? Also, Miss Coloratura?"

"Hi Starlight!" They all look so happy to finally meet their friend at the tournament. 
"What's up?"

"Just warming up a bit," as Starlight stretched out her arms, "I know, it may seem silly to exercise every part of my body, but practice makes perfect, you know?"

"You're quite right, Starlight!" Rara joyfully said. "I'm so glad I got to select your amazing band to represent our hometown!" Speaking of her band, her other members were approaching from the bathrooms. "Look who it is!"

The four Rainbooms were shocked but thrilled to see who was coming. "Babs Seed, Suri Polomare, and Cheese Sandwich???"

"Hey there y'all!" as Babs Seed flipped her hair.

"Hehe, it's so good to see you..." Suri chuckled.

"Yahoo, it's nice to see my friends wanting to party rock!" Cheese Sandwich jumped high up. The Rainbooms and the Enforcers now meet face to face and greet each other friendly as this competition seems to also be. Rarity, on the other hand, was mad.

"Starlight, darling, what's SHE doing here?" She pointed to Suri while her left eye was twitching and tried not to loudly get insane.

"Suri? What seems to be wrong between you and her, Rarity?"

"Oh nothing really...except that SHE TRIED TO MAKE ME TURN ON MY BEST FRIENDS BECAUSE OF MY GENEROSITY!!!!!!"

"Woah, calm down!" Suri actually got afraid of her yelling. "First off, that was two years ago, and second, you've actually made me realize how good it is to be caring and generous myself! I no longer trick others into doing what I want!" 

"WHY YOU..." Rarity then snapped out of it. "Wait, you've changed entirely...because of me?"

"Seriously." as Suri raised a hand. "I even promised myself that I would no longer take advantage of someone like that again!"

As Rarity's friends were still holding each other due to her rage, she finally managed to calm down and accept Suri's understanding. They both then patted each other's shoulders. Rara now realized that it was finally time for the tournament to start. 

"Ooh, we're almost on! A.J., if you don't mind, I can quickly show the rest of your friends where they will be sitting. In the meantime, the rest of you must stay up on stage until I come back. Got it?"

"Knock yourself out, Rara!" A.J. replied.

"We got it, ma'am!" The rest joined in.

"Thank you all so much for coming and good luck to you all!" Rara quickly put back on her disguise and lead the rest of the Rainbooms and Coco to their front row seats. Surprisingly, their other friend, Sugar Belle was sitting in the same row. Then, Rara went backstage again.

"Girls? Hello, hello!" Sugar Belle waved.

"Hey Sugar Belle!" The girls responded as they sat down.

"I'm glad I made it all the way here! If you're wondering why I'm not working, it's because I told Party Favor everything about this tournament and he thankfully said that he would cover for me while I'm here. My boss thought it was a good idea too!"

"We're all glad you made it, Sugar!" Fluttershy reinstated happily. "Now, I no longer feel hungry, so you don't have to worry about me! But..., I'm still eager for dinner!"

"Hehe, my sweet Fluttershy, looks like you'll have to wait again!" as Rarity brought her head to lay on her lap.

"I'll never get tired of this..." Both Twilights hilariously sighed.

"Shhh, girls, the lights are out!" Spike whispered loudly. "It's starting!!!"

The main lights turned off and Rara's visual crew on the catwalk, opposite of the stage, directed only two spotlights to the actual stage. The crowd was in complete silence at this time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" Rara spoke into the microphone behind the curtains. "Without further ado, I welcome you all to the very first Guitar Hero tournament, right here in Manehattan, live!" 

The crowd applauded and the curtains opened up, with Rara being the only one on stage so far. Some guys even in the audience fell head over heels due to the pop star's gorgeousness. Sunset, Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie were applauding backstage as well as Starlight's band.

"Okay, settle down, all you wonderful people!" Rara pointed out to the crowd. "Now let me explain the rules very clearly. In front of me is one full band kit that each band will be taking turns using."

"Turns?" Sunset shrugged off.

"Screens please!" After Rara called out, her technical crew turned on three big screens. "The biggest screen in the middle is where all of you will be seeing the gameplay, this screen to the far left is the band roster, and the right screen shows what band members will be going up & what songs will each band play."

The right screen's band member settings said, 'Guitar Only,' 'Bass Only,' 'Drums Only,' 'No Vocals,' 'Guitar Battle,' and 'Full Band.'

"Oh no, this is crazy!" Pinkie whispered backstage.

"Each band must get a higher score than the other in order to advance to the next round and if one band doesn't do so, they're out of the tournament!" Rara said straightforwardly.

"Even if I solo this, I'd never win!" Rainbow also whispered.

"The last two bands in the finals will also have to best each other's scores if whoever wants to win!" The pop star wrapped up. "There will be two rounds and if there is a tie, both bands will go into sudden death! Is everyone ready?"

"YEAH!!!" Everyone in the audience, including the other Rainbooms, shouted cheerfully.

"Alright, here we go!" The pop star turned to the far left screen. "I shall activate the panel selector and it will randomly land on our first matchup!"

The selector toggled through all of the bands and shockingly, the four Rainbooms were up first. All of them panicked and even confused Rara and the crowd.

"Over to my right, let's see what band members and song will play!" Rara activated another panel selector and it landed on 'Full Band.' 

"Ohh, thank you!" The four Rainbooms got relieved and sighed.

"The Rainbooms will be first up against the Trottingham Blazers!" Rara noted. "Girls, come on up and here's your song!" 

Without further delay, Sunset, Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie walked to the top of the stage to take their instruments. Before that, they shook Rara's hand and smiled at her. The crowd continued to applaud as well their friends. The pop star loaded up the song and it was time for the Rainbooms to shred.















> 5. The Rainbooms vs. The Shadowbolts 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Manehattan Theater, the tournament was still going on and the audience was still thrilled to see the Rainbooms' performance on their first Guitar Hero song. Interestingly enough, they weren't missing a single note. They had their eyes focused on the big screen and only turned once to smile to their friends in the front row.

"Look at them go!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"Nice..." Both Twilights charmingly sighed.

"Absolutely amazing!" Rarity flipped her hair smoothly. 

"Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" as Spike got pumped up.

Backstage, Starlight's band, the Enforcers, had their own screen to watch the Rainbooms. As they wanted this to be a fair and friendly competition, they were also impressed by their performance.

"Aww, they're so darn good!" Babs Seed said with a little bit of jealousy.

"Way to go, girls!" Starlight whispered to herself.

"Hehe, not bad!" Suri giggled.

"Woooo, now that's what I call a show!" as Cheese hyped up. 

"I'm glad you girls showed up..." as Rara stood near the band happily.

Meanwhile, in another backstage waiting room, the Trottingham Blazers were readying themselves to take their turn with the same song the Rainbooms just did. The four members were nervous to see if they can top their score. It was finally time for the Blazers to hit the stage.

"What a great run for the Rainbooms!" Rara said while leading them backstage. "Everyone give them a big round of applause!!!" The audience did so. "With a score of two and a half million points and a full combo, that's going to be hard to beat! Anyways, let's welcome the next band to take the stage. The Trottingham Blazers!!!"

The Blazers walked out to the top of the stage to receive many cheers from the crowd, including Rara herself. The lead vocalist was Pipsqueak, the guitarist was Sassy Saddles, the bassist was Moon Dancer, and the drummer was Trenderhoof.

"Oh no, not him again..." Applejack groaned as she watched a screen revealing the other band.

"It's funny how you STILL can't get over Trenderhoof falling for you!" Pinkie Pie laughed uncontrollably, only to be headbutted by Sunset. "Owwie!"

"Leave her alone."

"We were awesome out there, weren't we?" Rainbow Dash asked excitingly. "Actually, I shouldn't say that because we KNOW that already!!! Wait, I forgot something!"

"What is it?" as Sunset, A.J., and Pinkie all stacked their heads on one another.

"Why did we freak out earlier?" Rainbow scratched her head with her eyes zoomed out all the way.

"I don't know, sugarcube." A.J. replied. "But I can tell you that I wasn't expecting us to go first already!"

"Either that, or it must be the rules that Rara established." Sunset added. "Whenever four of the entire Rainbooms play together on Guitar Hero, they seem to perfect it. However, some of us have the chance to screw up even just ONE note. But, I think that only happens whenever an instrument's missing."

"You mean if a band has a guitar, bass, and drums, but no microphone?" Pinkie wondered. Sunset then put a hand on her shoulder.

"Exactly. So that means we play the best whenever we're all together. If one of us was to drop out during one of the rounds, it could be bad!"

"You're right, Sunset!" Rainbow joined in. "But can you think of a time when one of us messed up? I don't remember any!" This made Sunset facepalm.

"Hold on, let me think. Remember the week right after the battle of the bands?" Rainbow's face turned red.

"What? Shut up!" She made a pouty face.

"Oh come on, Rainbow!" as Sunset, A.J., and Pinkie smirked at their guitarist. "How could you forget that time?"





One week after the Rainbooms' victory in C.H.S's musical competition, Sunset Shimmer, the new leader of Princess Twilight's human friends, continued to get even more and more respect from students after seeing how much she has changed since then. Even her ex-boyfriend, Flash Sentry, slowly started to become attracted to her again. It was 7th period lunch and Sunset was sitting with the rest of the Main Six.

"So, the day's almost over!" Fluttershy said as she was getting ready to go to the city zoo later.

"I never thought I'd say this, but today was so BORING!!!" Pinkie groaned. "Ehh, I'm always going to feel better with you, girls!"

"Thanks Pinkie, but the reason today was so boring for you is because you forgot to liven up the mood!" Rarity noted.

"You know me! I love to liven up the mood ALL the time, but that doesn't mean I can do it wherever I want!"

"Makes sense." as Applejack finished an apple. "So what do y'all want to do after school? I'm off from work, which means that my family will take care of business at Sweet Apple Acres."

"Does Guitar Hero sound awesome, anyone?" Rainbow asked as she pulled out a guitar controller out of her backpack.

"Great idea, Dashie!" The rest responded. A.J., although excited to play, got suspicious of her best friend.

"Wait a darn minute... Where were you two periods ago?" Rainbow laughed then answered back.

"Duh, I was in the game club owning other students on Guitar Hero!"

"Hehe, so that's why you weren't able to join us during that free period!" Sunset chuckled. "You're TOO awesome!"

"Thanks Sunset!" as Rainbow Dash blushed. "So are we going to my house right after school?"

"Sadly, I have to work today, but I'll see if I could come later!" as Fluttershy frowned. "Sorry Rainbow Dash!" She then patted her shoulder to comfort her.

"That's okay, Fluttershy! Do what you got to do, we always understand!"

"Yeah!" The rest all joined in. The shy girl finally felt better now.

"Thank you girls..."

"Sunset, dear, have you ever played Guitar Hero before?" Rarity questioned.

"I used to, but after...everything I did, I kind of stopped playing."

"Aww, we don't want you to get emotionally sad again, Sunset!" Applejack assured. "We'll always be there for you, no matter what. You and Twilight have helped us defeat the Dazzlings last week and we honestly couldn't be more proud of you than we are now! Hopefully, getting back into the game will also cheer you up! Right Pinkie?"

"Right!" She then finished her juice box.

"I guess you're right, A.J.!" Sunset calmingly breathed. "I don't know how to thank you all after getting me through the past."

"I'm just telling the truth!" Applejack winked back at her.

"This is going to be so AWESOME!!!" Rainbow both accidentally banged the table and screamed. "Hehe, sorry!"





After lunch has finished as well as the Main Six's last period, it was time to go home for the day. Usually on a Friday like this, the girls would go outside and hang out. But, Rainbow Dash's idea made them feel excited to play one of their favorite video games of all time. Fluttershy, on the other hand, couldn't make it. As they were walking, they approached Rainbow's house.

"Here we are!" Rainbow got her house keys out of her pocket and opened the front door. 

"Wow, this is a nice place you got here, Dash!" Sunset said. 

"I take it that this is your first time here, I assume? Either way, thank you!"

The athletic girl went to quickly get all the Guitar Hero games that she could find, along with the band kit.
She plugged them in and layed the games on her couch. Meanwhile, her friends hilariously stood quietly because of how fast Rainbow Dash went back and forth. 

"So what song should we play?" Pinkie wondered.

"Actually...I was wondering if Rainbow could show me how good she is at the game!" Sunset suggested. "Since she's already awesome on a real guitar, then she should be the same at a game like this!"

"Really?" Rainbow scratched her head awkwardly. "I mean, I'm already fine with you girls doing any song, but you actually want me to go first, Sunset? By the way, thanks again for the compliment!"

"Is that okay with you girls? You're welcome, too!"

"Whatever makes our new best friend happy is absolutely fine with me!" Rarity then tapped Sunset's nose.

"Knock yourself out, Rainbow Dash!" Applejack said as she layed back in a chair.

"Go ahead, Dashie!" Pinkie joyfully cheered.

"Alright, here goes nothing!" Rainbow then finally grabbed her guitar controller.

Rainbow Dash then inserted Guitar Hero: Metallica into her console. Most of the songs were hard for the others, except for her. So, she went even further by selecting possibly the hardest song  in the entire game, according to her friends. The song that she chose has loaded up.

"She has lost her mind, hasn't she?" Rarity whispered to A.J., Pinkie, and Sunset.

"No kidding..." They all winked at each other.

As Rainbow's selected song went on, she was doing very well. Sadly for her, she missed a note and this was the first time that Rainbow slipped up on the song. The other girls really tried their best not to burst out laughing.

"NOOOOOOoooooooo!!!!!!" Rainbow cried. She was getting ready to give up, but still continued to play.

"I was right!" as Rarity let out a tiny bit of laughter. "I'm so sorry, Rainbow!"

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!!!" She managed to focus still on the game, all while turning around and getting angry.

"Oh man, that sucks..." Sunset disappointingly added in a low voice.

A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash completed her selected song, in which she thought to perfect it once again. This time, she was so close to doing so by only achieving a 99% note streak. She also did her best not to start rage quitting like a sore loser.





In present time, Rainbow now finally remembered what happened to her months ago. She was still in denial, but just forgot all about it completely. Her fellow band members were still smirking at her.

"Okay, you had me, girls! But, you know I don't like to make silly mistakes!"

"Yeah sure, we'll keep that in mind!" The other three sarcastically joked around.

Meanwhile, on stage, Countess Coloratura was observing how well the Blazers were doing with their performance. They had the same song as the Rainbooms, but still, they couldn't top them.

"It's over..." Rara sadly stated in the microphone. "Sorry guys, but you...are...ELIMINATED!!! You managed to get a full combo, but you've only secured 1.9 million points."

"Aww..." The audience all had depressing reactions.

"I've failed you all, mate!" as Pipsqueak layed the game microphone down.

"It's not your fault, we all tried our best..." Moon Dancer then put the bass guitar. "Forgive me, Twilight..."

"We were amazing, but sadly, we didn't win in style!" Sassy Saddles put down the other guitar.

"I'm going to have to write about this one day, I'll never forget it, you three!" Trenderhoof bursted out and put down the drumsticks.

"You four are truly one of the best bands, but you are not able to make it to the second round..." Rara said. "I'm glad, however, that I chose a great band to represent a great city like Trottingham! Thank you all for coming and I wish you all the best of luck! Everyone give one last round of applause to the Trottingham Blazers!" She shook all of their hands.

The audience finally got their spirits lifted and cheered like they never did before. All of the Rainbooms, too, applauded them and they saw the Blazers take a bow before leaving the stage. Afterward, Sunset, Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie went to go shake their hands as well.

"Hey, ya did very well, little one!" as A.J. patted Pipsqueak's head.

"The rest of you were awesome too, I'll admit that!" Rainbow agreed.

"Yeah, it was nice competing with you four!" Sunset reinstated.

"I had a lot of fun getting to see your great playing!" Pinkie hopped all around backstage.

"Why thank you so much, ladies!" Pipsqueak tipped off his head.

"We loved your stuff, too!" Sassy Saddles then pointed at them.

"Ditto when I say you four rocked!" Moon Dancer smiled.

"We may have lost, but it was a fair and excellent way to show off all your remarkable skills!" Trenderhoof finished.

In the front row seats, Rarity and Sci-Twi were wanting to meet Sassy and Moon Dancer backstage. So, Fluttershy, Princess Twilight, Spike, and Coco insisted on saving their seats. With just a quick nod, Rara let the two go backstage.

"Moon Dancer!" Sci-Twi asked eagerly.

"Sassy!" Rarity also talked enthusiastically.

"Hi!!!" The two Blazers spoke as they went to hug their friends.

"With the first matchup complete, let's move on to the next one!" Rara, in the Rainbooms' spare time, decided to go on with the tournament until the second round can be announced.

"I didn't know you moved to Trottingham, Moon!" Sci-Twi said. "You never told me that!"

"Oh, you don't remember, Twi? I got accepted into the city's number one university, so I moved there and thought, you know, maybe to be a part of a band there!"

"That's where I come in, folks!" Pipsqueak randomly called out.

"Thanks for that, Pip!" Moon Dancer replied.

"You're very talented, Moon Dancer..." Sci-Twi established.

"If you wondering about me, Rarity, I'll be delighted to fill you in!" as Sassy stepped in.

"Go ahead, dear!" Rarity was now ready to listen to her manager's story.

"You already know that I'm from Trottingham and I still have connections with associates of mine over there. 
Trenderhoof, our drummer, found and offered me a spot. I really hoped to make you proud, Rarity, and to represent my hometown as well!" 

"That's lovely, darling, and of course, I'll always look up to my manager!" Rarity charmingly stated. "I'm always proud of you!"

Sci-Twi, Sunset, Rainbow, Rarity, A.J., and Pinkie all gave a big group hug to the Blazers. They all went into one room to watch the rest of the bands, while Sci-Twi and Rarity went back to their seats. Not a surprise to the Rainbooms, they even watched their friend, Starlight Glimmer, advance as well, along with her fellow band members. To them, she's probably the one that they're really looking forward to facing. The evening was approaching fast as the first round has already concluded.





It is now officially the second round of the Guitar Hero tournament and Rara fully prepared herself again. She, however, finds it funny and tiring to be going back and forth on stage each time a band's done playing.

"Whew! Welcome back, folks, to the second round of this annual tournament of mine! Remember, all your donations will greatly benefit this city's charities all around! Enjoying yourselves so far?"

"YEAH!!!" The audience cheered.

"Great!" as the pop star wiped off her sweat. "So anyways, let's begin our first matchup of this round!"

Rara then activated the roster selector to see who would be up first in the second round. As it came to a stop, it landed on the Rainbooms' matchup, with 'Full Band' active. 

"Woah, again?" Sunset got lost in her mind.

"Ahh, who cares?" as Rainbow got confident. "We got this for sure!"

"All the way from Crystal Empire City, they will be facing the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts!" Rara announced.

"The Shadowbolts?" Both Twilights alarmingly asked.

"I'm still not really into them." Spike said boringly.

"Since the Rainbooms went first last round, the Shadowbolts will go first this time!" Rara declared. "Come on out, you four!"

Walking out on stage were Sunny Flare, Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, and Lemon Zest. Sunny is the lead singer, Zap's the guitarist, Sugarcoat's the bassist, and Lemon Zest's the drummer. The audience cheered just as much they did for the Rainbooms.

"Wow, it seriously got more lively, hasn't it, ladies?" Rarity happily assumed.

"I'll say!" Fluttershy replied. "It's as if they're cheering for our band and the Shadowbolts the most!"

"Yeah..." Both Twilights agreed. 

"Watch and learn, Rainbow Dash..." Indigo whispered to herself. 

They both may have made up after the Friendship Games, but they are still friendly rivals when it comes to any game.

"Alright, let's roll this baby once again..." Rara then began to activate the song selector. "Okay girls, you got yourselves another epic song! Get to your places!"

Sunny Flare, Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, and Lemon Zest took their instruments and were ready to play. Immediately, they were in full concentration. The audience were literally at the edge of their seats, headbanging and acting hilariously insane. Fluttershy & Spike got squished between two people, Rarity held on tight to both of her armrests, Coco kept her head down, and both Sci-Twi and Princess Twilight attempted to switch seats, but they fell down and landed on top of each other awkwardly.

"Ooooh, look what's happening out there!" as Pinkie opened up a small part of the curtains.

"What a bunch of animals our pals have to deal with now..." Applejack sighed. Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash are the only two focused on watching their rival school's band play.

"I didn't expect them to be that good, but they really are!" Sunset claimed.

"Yeah, even I admit that they're having an awesome run!" Rainbow gave in.

"Hmm, I think I've seen them done a full combo at a party once..." as Pinkie started to remember things. "If they do it again this time, beating their overall score's what matters most to us! I forgot who it was, but that person made them a bit cranky when he or she did that!"

"Then we must win this match if we want to move to Round Three!" Applejack stated. "We played together well last round and honestly, I think we could do it again!"

"Yeah, A.J.!" The rest huddled up and put out all their hands together to do their usual chant again from earlier. The Shadowbolts, on the other hand, are making their song a breeze.


> 6. Metal Girls
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ahahahowwwwww!" as Lemon Zest was banging away.

"Hehe, I don't think this is the first time I ever saw my old classmates compete this well!" Sci-Twi let out in the audience.

Countess Coloratura, the Rainbooms, Coco Pommel, and the entire crowd all watched as the Shadowbolts continued to dominate the start of the second round.

"What an amazing run by the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts!" Rara informed.

"Woooo, way to go, girls!" Sour Sweet exclaimed right behind Fluttershy.

"Hey Sour Sweet!" She waved to her.

"WHAT? Oh, I mean, hey Fluttershy!" The bipolar girl replied. "I really need to fix myself..."

"Ummm, okay?" Fluttershy whispered. "Anyway, how come you're not backstage with your friends?" 

"Well, since they know how I can get, they told me that's it best not to destroy anything backstage or on the stage! I'm REALLY trying not to get angry, so I'm staying as optimistic as I can! By the way, your friends are up next, and I wish them the best of luck as well!"

"Oh, that's real nice of you!" Fluttershy said. "I CAN GET LIKE THAT TOO!"

"Woah, hey, calm down!" Sour Sweet backed up a little.

"Ehh, sorry, it's true!" Fluttershy simmered down. "Seriously, I'm rooting for your friends, and so far, they're doing great!"

"Thank you, Fluttershy!" Sour Sweet sat upright in her seat. "We are becoming the same, aren't we?"

"I can see that."

"Wow, they are better than from what I remember!" Sunset worded backstage.

"Now see, what did I tell you?" Applejack reminded. "It's kind of hard to get a long with someone who beats you at everything."

"Yeah, but I know for a fact that during every time the Friendship Games came around, there weren't any Guitar Hero events, and this is our first time facing the Shadowbolts in that game." Rainbow acknowledged.

"Oooh, you're right, Dashie!" Pinkie got anxious. "Looks like we're going to have to be even more careful when it comes to facing them at something new!"

"No kidding." Sunset worked up. "Hmm, they're not cheating and they're just about to finish the song. If we can just get a score that's a bit or more high than theirs, we should be fine."

"Isn't that what the point of this entire tournament is, Sunset?" A.J. brought up. 

"Of course, but who knows what Rara will throw at us next? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with her rules, but I just wanted us to be safe and all."

"You know what?" Rainbow jumped in. "You're right, but let's just focus on beating the Shadowbolts and be prepared for any rounds that might separate us!"

"Right!" A.J. and Pinkie agreed.

"It looks like they're done." as Sunset looked from behind the curtains. "You three ready to rock?"

"Rainbooms Forever!" They all chanted.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, please give the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts a big round of applause!" Rara instructed. The crowd bizarrely clapped. "Up next to take the stage once again, all the way from Canterlot City: the Rainbooms! Can they top seven million points?"

"Rainbooms, Rainbooms, Rainbooms!" The crowd went nuts.

"Good luck, ladies, you'll need it!" as Sunny Flare walked backstage.

"Enjoy the epicness out there!" Indigo Zap lead the way for their rivals.

"May the best band win!" Sugarcoat stepped aside.

"Have fun out there!" Lemon Zest then did a powerslide.

Playing it fairly as usual, the Rainbooms accepted their complements and walked to the top of the stage.
Upon returning to the band kit, they weren't expecting the entire theater to be very active, when it comes to all of the attendees cheering.

"This is the second round and already, these people are acting like this is the match of the century?" Sunset asked while dusting off the microphone.

"These people came here to see and listen to awesome musical groups, like us!" Rainbow pointed at herself.

"How right you are, Rainbow, and now let's give them the best time they've ever had!" as Applejack adjusted the bass' strap.

"I always love seeing fun seekers!" Pinkie dozed off after sitting down.

"Welcome back, Rainbooms!" Rara recapped. "Are you four ready?"

"We're ready, Rara!" They tightly held their instruments and faced the big screen.

"Let's see, load, select the song, and you're good to go, girls! Now if you'll excuse me everyone, I need to rest my voice for a bit, so for now, I'm going to pause the game for a bit. Audience, please welcome my friend and fellow rocking buddy, James Hetfield!"

"James, James, James!" as the crowd cheered the man's name. He now takes the microphone.

"YEAH, how's it going out there, guys? Rocking out so far?" He rushed out on stage. 

"YEAH!"

"If you're all wondering where Kirk, Rob, and Lars are, they weren't able to make it here." James said.

"Awww." The crowd sighed.

"Is that...Metallica's lead singer, Rarity?" Fluttershy whispered.

"Why yes, of course, sweetie! He's not only the lead singer, but he's also the rhythm guitarist as well."

"I didn't know there can be another counterpart of a REAL life human." Princess Twilight inquired.

"Well, if you were to compare the real James with this one, I'd say that they're both exactly the same." Sci-Twi theorized.

"So, you four girls are the Rainbooms, huh?" James asked. "From the looks of it, you all seem serious about my dazzling friend's tournament, and I like that!"

"Thank you, Mr. Hetfield, and we're in this to have fun as well!" Pinkie stretched for a bit.

"We weren't expecting an awesome guitarist like you to show up, however!" Rainbow bloated.

"Hehe, I can relate to you in so many ways!" Sunset wandered off.

"I admire your honesty, girls!" replied the singer. "I guess Ms. Coloratura forgot to tell you that I'm the co-host of her tournament. She's probably afraid of me taking the spotlight the second she introduces me! Nah, I'm just kidding! You four have to show these people your skills once again. Do you feel what I feel, ladies and gentlemen?" 

"YEAH!" The crowd shouted.

"That's what I love to hear!" James looked back to the front of the stage. "This screen does say that you are playing the same song, which is one of my band's hits, as the Shadowbolts. I love that even more! Are you four really ready?"

"Ready!"

"And start!" as James resumed the game.

"The suspense is real!" Fluttershy gasped.

"Yeah, I'm positive that our best friends will win this again, though it may seem a bit more challenging to try and beat these Shadowbolts." Princess Twilight lectured.

"Seven million points and this song is about eight to nine minutes long, so there's plenty of room for error, even though I don't want to see them mess up." Sci-Twi thought.

"Relax, Twilight." Rarity said. "Sunset, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie can get through this entire tournament, no matter how hard or easy it is to beat another band, and the same goes for the Shadowbolts. Challenge is normal, darling."

"For a moment, I'd like to reconsider, think of myself as A.J., and say what you've just said is very true, Rarity. Thank you for getting my head straight!"

"You're welcome as always!"

"Haauuummm, what's going on?" as Spike woke up. "I must have gotten tired from trying to avoid all these deranged fanatics!"

"The girls are now up against the Shadowbolts, Spikey-Wikey." Rarity cooed. "Rainbow now has a guitar solo to deal with!"

Everyone continued to stand on their feet as one half of the crowd was nervous and the other half was as excited as the rest of the group.

"What's the score now?" Sour Sweet popped up from behind. "I can't see very well now!"

"Hmm, six and a half million points, though it looks like it's going to be close." Fluttershy observed.

"I never realized how much Sunset's voice has changed since the battle of the bands!" Princess Twilight exclaimed. "She sings more beautifully than I could remember!"

"Well, since we're glad you came back, Twilight, you now know what else Sunset can pull off!" Rarity said.

"98 percent now and then they'll tie!" as Coco eyed the big screen. "Just a bit more than seven million, come on!"

"You can do it, girls!" The rest of the group cried.

"Awk!!" Sunset coughed.

"NO!" The group panicked.

"Oh shoot, it's going to be close for sure!" James Hetfield pointed out. "And, finish!" The song finally ended.

"Ahh!" as the audience looked away.

"Did they win?" Fluttershy began to shake. "I can't look!"

"They won, and wooooo, those are my girls!" Spike clapped.

"Congratulations, Rainbooms!" James declared. "You've managed to get not only a full combo, but you've also racked up 7.1 million points! Everyone, let me hear all your support for these ladies!"

"Yeah! Rainbooms, Rainbooms, Rainbooms!" 

"Nice job, ladies!" Sunny Flare nodded.

"That was unbelievable!" Indigo Zap added. "Awesome, if I must say!"

"They beat us." Sugarcoat admitted. "I've got to hand it to those four and say that I'm impressed!"

"You rocked, woohoo!" as Lemon Zest threw up peace signs.

"Huff." Sunset caught her breath. "I thought for sure that we'd be eliminated! But we did it!"

"You said it!" Rainbow said. "I knew we were going to be awesome!"

"To be honest, I'd say that we clutched it!" Applejack laughed.

"Hehe, it was a scary ride, but I'm glad we had fun!" Pinkie hopped up and down. "Come here, girls!" She went and tightly brought Sunset, Rainbow, and A.J. into a big group hug.

"Okay, okay, you can let us go now, Pinkie!" as the other three were squeezed tightly.

"Teehee, sorry!"

"Looks like you four are moving on to Round Three!" James explained. "Oooh, I have a surprise for you, by the way! Can I see that really quick, Rainbow Dash?"

"Uhh, sure!" She gave him the guitar.

"Thanks!"

"What are you doing, James?" Sunset asked. "That's the cheat code menu."

"I know, but this isn't really a cheat. I'm putting your faces into the game!"

"WHAT?" The Rainbooms blasted.

"Hah, every time you're up on stage, you're able to see your very own character models in the game!" James replied. "Enjoy!"

"Thank you!" The band smiled.

As the Rainbooms walked backstage, the Shadowbolts come face to face with them once again.

"We saw you struggle for a bit, but you were able to pull through and win!" Sunny Flare put out a hand. "That performance was amazing and it was like a work of art! I've never seen anything that dynamic and lively before!"

"Thank you, I'm glad you supported us, and we also admired your run!" Sunset shook her hand back.

"We both had awesome runs, but I have to say that I found yours to be more than just that!" Indigo Zap claimed.

"Really?" Rainbow wondered.

"You all had determined looks, and even though one slip up occurred, you never gave up." Indigo answered. A winner never quits! I'm saying that you four fought your best, and you didn't act like some of those people who only cared about winning. Back at the Friendship Games, you and your friends have taught us the right way of working together! You deserved this win for sure!"

"We always have played fair." Sugarcoat stated. "It was really Principal Cinch who made us boast every year, attempting to keep her reputation, which we all destroyed in the end! But nonetheless, we will still continue to root for you, even if you win or lose! Being that this is the very first time we've competed with each other in Guitar Hero, you blew us away with your skills!"

"Aww, that's real nice of you, sugarcube, thanks!" as A.J. wiped off her sweat.

"Pinkie, girl, what else can I say?" Lemon Zest was speechless. "I mean, my friends have already said it themselves, but I still want to let you know that your band rocked! It really got me in a mood I've never been in my entire life! I felt the energy, power, and devotion between you four!"

"Thanks buddy! We already had fun watching you Shadowbolts play and the crowd went wild for both of us!"

"Ah, it feels so good to no longer be conceded and to adore other people like you!" Sunny Flare said.
"Since we were the first two bands up and to finish, would you like to hang out with us for a bit, girls?"

"Wait, I should probably text Rara first!" A.J. reminded. 

"You don't have to, bestie!" The pop star then came up from behind.

"Hey Rara!" Sunset, Rainbow, and Pinkie waved.

"Eek, you startled me for a bit there, Rara!" A.J. calmed down. "So, umm, is it okay if you let us walk around a bit, maybe eat something too while we're at it?"

"Of course, A.J.! Take all the time you need and you can also bring your other friends too by the way. No one is going to steal their seats while you all are gone because everyone in the audience has an assigned seat, according to their tickets. However, you should also probably all try and be back in one hour before the next round starts. I'm pretty sure you know how silly James can get on stage and how long these songs take, right? One last thing, congratulations to you both!"

"Thanks Rara!" The Rainbooms and Shadowbolts united.

"No problem! Now, you should all probably head like you said you would and be back in time for Round Three! Take care, players!" She walks away and waves.

"Yes ma'am!" Both bands then left through the back door.

"After you, fellas!" as a guard opened the door for them.

"So where should we head to first?" Sunny Flare asked. 

"Rara left me a set of spare keys so that I can go and visit her apartment whenever I want!" A.J. brought them out. "But, I don't think there's a reason for us four to go back up."

"You want to grab a bite, really quick?" Sunset suggested.

"I'm down for that!" Rainbow replied. "Then that means we're going to have to invite...you know who!"

"Fluttershy!" Pinkie came up. "Can someone text her and the others because my phone is about to die?"

"We'd love to come along!" Sugarcoat stepped in. "I happen to have her number, by the way, so I'll do it!"

She typed, "Hi Fluttershy, it's Sugarcoat! Your friends beat us and we just congratulated them! Anyway, if you can, bring yourself and the others, because Countess Coloratura allowed both of our bands to take a break in the meantime. If you leave your seats, it's fine because everyone else has an assigned seat. Much appreciated :)!"

"And send!" Sugarcoat said.

"Now we wait." Lemon Zest tapped her foot.

"You said it, Lemon!" Indigo Zap winked.

"Hey Sunset?" Pinkie smirked.

"Yeah?"

"I just realized that your hair is bacon!" She played around with it.

"Why does everyone keep saying that? STOP. BITING. MY HAIR! Ahh, whatever."

"It does look like bacon." Rainbow and A.J. thought.

"We have arrived!" Rarity entered with the rest of the group.

"Hi again!" Coco and Fluttershy crept out from behind.

"Great, y'all made it just in time!" A.J. said. "So, how do sandwiches sound then? I feel kind of empty inside!"

"Ooh, maybe I'll have mine with extra bacon!" Pinkie teased. 

"Shut...up." as Sunset had enough. "But seriously, good idea, Applejack!"

"So this is what really goes on between them at Canterlot  High." Lemon Zest whispered.

"I can sniff their silliness all the way from our school!" Sugarcoat noted.

"Shall we get going, girls?" Sunny Flare asked.

"You don't have to ask me twice, darling!" Rarity answered. "Take my hand! I know a fabulous sandwich shop around here somewhere, so follow my lead, everyone!" She then drags Sunny Flare along with her.

"There they go, riding off into the sunset." Sci-Twi looked. 

"At least I, umm, I mean, we...get to eat!" Fluttershy corrected herself.

"You're a savage, you know that, right?" Rainbow eyed her friend.

"I know."





After one delicious meal, it was time for the next round. As night fell, everyone took their seats again and the Rainbooms headed backstage as they were supposed to.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Round Three of my Guitar Hero tournament!" Rara announced. "Aaawah..."

"I'm sorry, but was that a yawn?" as James spoke into another microphone. "We don't stop rocking until we feel like it! Am I right, all of you?"

"YEAH!" The audience demanded.

"All right, all right, I get it!" Rara gave in. "Anyways, we've had the Rainbooms go first in the last two rounds, so can they pull it off again the third time?"

"We will win this." Rainbow Dash thought to herself.

"Let's see who they will be facing." James activated the roster selector. "Their opponents, all the way from Appleloosa, are the Gunslingers! Now let's see which member, or members, will be up for the challenge."

The next screen cycled through and then landed on 'Guitar Only.'

"Looks like we've got our first guitar battle of the tournament!" Rara honored. "If you all can, can you please give a strong round of applause to Rainbow Dash?" The audience cheered loudly.

"Hooo." Rainbow breathed in and out of her mouth. "I really need luck this time!"

"You can do this, Rainbow Dash!" Sunset assured. "You always can."

"You'll be facing my cousin, Braeburn, who might buck a bit than he could, but I honestly know that you can make this an easy one for us!" A.J. noted. "We believe in you, Rainbow."

"Don't worry, Dashie, you don't have to feel pressured!" Pinkie clapped both of her hands together. "Be as awesome as you want to be and know that we always have your back. Have fun out there and we'll be celebrating your victory in the meantime!"

"Thank you so much girls...for everything!" Rainbow almost started to cry. "Do you mind if..."

"Aww, come here, you!" The rest then gave Dash a big hug. 

"Come on up here, Rainbow Dash!" Rara requested. The athletic girl finally took to the stage and picked up the guitar.

"Oooh, there she is, girls!" as Princess Twilight pointed to the front.

"She looks so stunning!" Rarity got giddy. "You got this covered, Rainbow Dash!"

"Go get 'em, Rainbow Dash!" The rest of the group chanted.

"I'm ready!" She confirmed.

"Can you activate the song selector, Ms. Coloratura?" James asked.

"With pleasure, James!" Rara activated the last screen which began to spin through the big set list.

"Wow, I love quick and fast ones like this one!" James claimed! Let me load this up, really quick, and...you're good to go, Rainbow Dash!"

"Phew." She let out.

The song began and Rainbow was immediately thrown in.

"I just realized something." Sci-Twi got curious.

"What's that, Twilight?" Coco reached over.

"I think that our band is set to go first every round because Applejack's pop star friend announced our city first, but that's just my guess."

"No, I think you are right, dear!" Rarity put a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "The band pattern for the last two rounds were exactly the same, so it has to be for this round as well."

"Makes sense." Spike shrugged. "Look at how Rainbow Dash is doing right now, by the way!"

"She's killing it with those guitar harmonies!" Fluttershy stated. "It makes you wonder how she even got that good at her real guitar."

"Two reasons." as Princess Twilight was about to laugh. "One is that, well, she's Rainbow Dash, and second, you probably know what she does with her hands in her spare time."

"Umm, I'm not even going to think about that!" Sci-Twi rejected.

"She's now on the guitar solo, girls!" Rarity called out. "Star Power would come in handy for increasing her score."

"Aww yeah!" Rainbow gloated. "I can't be stopped! Nothing will-"

"Hold on, stop the song!" Rara yelled. The audience got furious and puzzled.

"Come on! Boo! Finish it!"

"What's going on?" as James scratched his head.

"It appears I'm getting reports that my handlers are hearing about Braeburn, the Gunslingers' guitarist, wanting to call it off for his band and therefore giving an automatic win to the Rainbooms this round I can't believe I'm saying this, but...I accept that decision."

"WHAT?" Everyone, including all bands, attendees, and James, were shocked by her announcement.

"Allow me to explain." as Braeburn walked out on stage.

"C-Cousin..." A.J. was lost.

Rainbow Dash, who was also confused, dropped the guitar and walked to her opponent.

"I'm sorry, but why are you letting us win? I mean, that sounds like a good thing, but it's not a fair match if I go down fighting and you don't!"

"You, Rainbow Dash, are too good for me to beat, partner, and I would accept either a loss or win either way!" Braeburn replied. "However, my cousin, or your best friend, being happy is what matters more to me than this entire thing. I would love to see you and her continue to shred through the tournament!"

"Aww!" Everyone else felt their hearts.

"Th-thank you, Braeburn." Rainbow closed her eyes.

"I guess...that means the winner of the first match of the third round, by request, is the Rainbooms!" James declared. "Rainbow Dash was able to acquire 450 thousand points before we called it off. Everyone, we understand if you wanted to see more this match, but if you still are feeling good out there, can you please put your hands together for both honorable bands?"

"Hooray! Wooooo! Yeah!" The audience calmed down and got into a good spirit.

"Congratulations once again, Rainbooms!" Rara said. "And Braeburn, you and your band may not have played yet this round, but I'm glad I got to choose an amazing band like yours from your hometown!"

"Thank you, Countess Coloratura!" He and Rainbow both took a bow and went backstage.

"Let's see who's up next!" James wondered back up on stage.

"Cousin, you didn't have to do that, you know." A.J. sighed. "We wanted to see you play, too! I'm darn speechless right now."

"There's no need to cry, Applejack. I'm happy with either one of us moving to the fourth round! Besides, not only do  you want to make your friends proud, but you also want to make your family proud too, right?"

"Yeah, Mom, Dad, Granny, Apple Bloom, and Big Mac would love that." as A.J. wiped her tears. "Thank you cousin, for being honest and able to support us! You were great out there too, Rainbow Dash!"

"Thank you so much too, Braeburn!" The other Rainbooms joined in.

"You're all very welcome! Just be sure to take care of cousin, will you? I'd appreciate that very much and so would Appleloosa!"

"We got it!"

"Another group hug, anyone?" Pinkie extended both of her arms.

"I knew you were going to say that!" Sunset rolled her eyes. "Ahh, come on, gather around!"





Round Four. It was bright in the Manehattan Theater and it was even brighter in the actual city. Citizens were heading to either parties, home, or their jobs. Inside, a full house was still present.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Round Four of our Guitar Hero tournament!" James spoke out. "Sadly, this will be the last round for the day as it is getting late, according to my beautiful co-host. But, the tournament will continue and start at the exact same time tomorrow, so don't forget to save your tickets!"

"Encore, encore, encore!" The audience demanded.

"Thank you, Mr. Hetfield!" Rara replied. "You all know the drill, so let's see who the Rainbooms will face before the night comes to a close!" She activated the roster selector once again. "The Cloudsdale Twisters, it will be!"

"Home!" Rainbow and Fluttershy commented.

"Now let's see which exact member, or members, will go up!" James said. "Hit Screen Number Two!"

The next screen cycled through all band positions and landed on 'Bass Only.'

"It looks like we finally get to see two bands drop the bass for the first time!" James laughed. "Right?"

"Haha, so funny...not!" The pop star groaned. "Just hit the last screen, James!"

"We got another metal track  here for you, folks! Hit the lights because it's time for the country girl, Applejack, to shine! Everyone, do your thing!"

The audience, as usual, rooted for the Rainbooms.

"Buck 'em all, A.J.!" as Sunset got confident.

"Stay strong out there, A.J.!" Rainbow hoped.

"Make us proud and joyful, Applejack!" Pinkie jumped up and down.

"Y'all can count on me! This is for you, sugarcubes, and for my family!" 

"1, 2, 3, Rainbooms Forever!" They all chanted.

"Come on up here, A.J.!" Rara called out.

"Wait!" as Rainbow Dash halted A.J.

"What's up, Rainbow?"

"Am I...really your best friend, Applejack?"

"Of course you are. You all are."
> 7. The Real Guitar Battle 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Applejack was working her way through each bassline, she was in deep thoughts while the crowd had adrenaline pumping through their veins. 

"I never thought I'd get this feeling again. I actually haven't been this engaged since Camp Everfree. When I win this for the people I care about the most, there's no doubt that I'll share the rewards that go with it. I shall sleep tonight, knowing that I've tried my best. Win or lose, that's what really matters to me. To Sunset, Rainbow, and Pinkie."

"Woah, what is she doing?" as Sour Sweet was about to freak out.

"She's not making any errors, that's for sure, but I think she's meditating!" Rarity replied.

"How can you tell, Rarity?" Fluttershy put a finger on her chin.

"I mean, she's not doing the kind of meditation where you cross your legs, but she's just standing there with her eyes closed, facing the big screen, and standing perfectly straight, all while holding the bass guitar! That's incredible, but weird, too!"

"Now who do I know that is also into meditation?" Spike snickered.

"SPIKE!" Both Twilights then slapped his paws.

"I've never seen a bass player who is this focused and more determined to win than ever!" James Hetfield stated. "Almost as great as my other friend, Robert!"

"You can say that again, James!" as Rara pointed at her co-host. "Just look at that fretting! She's not even breaking a sweat!"

"Is it just me or does A.J. seem a bit odd right now?" Rainbow mumbled. "She's doing great out there, no doubt, but I don't think it's necessary for her to be THAT into it!"

"Nonsense!" Sunset let out a chuckle. "Ever since we got our new magical powers, I can now sense every little thing we all do, including Applejack. She likes to focus on her inner self, which is how she's able to build up her strength whenever she needs it. In this case, she's doing that."

"Hey, hey, can you please read my mind again, Sunset?" Pinkie begged.

"I don't...want to go back in there." Her eye pupils have shrunken down.

"Aww!"

Suddenly, one of the waiting room doors opened and out came a fairly tall girl.

"Hi Rainbow Dash!"

"No way... Vapor Trail? It's so awesome to see you!"

"It's awesome to see you as well, Rainbow Dash! How's Twilight?"

"She's good, and in fact, she and our other friends are watching Sunset, A.J., Pinkie, and I compete here! Girls, this is Vapor Trail, by the way!"

"I love meeting new people and becoming their friends!" Pinkie said. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Ah, I see!" as Sunset quickly looked up and down. "So you must be the one that Rainbow and new Twilight helped out? I'm Sunset Shimmer and I'm glad Rainbow introduced us to you!"

"Thanks you two!" Vapor replied. 

"You both are probably wondering how I met Vapor Trail, huh?" Rainbow asked.

"Yeah, how?"

"Shall I tell them, Vapor?"

"Go ahead, Rainbow!"

"Okay, so this all happened the following week after Camp Everfree." Dash explained. "I think you both remember the fact that I decided to show Twilight around Cloudsdale, where I was born and first lived before moving to Canterlot City. Anyways, we came across the Top Bolt Academy, a school for those who dreamed of flying high one day. Outside the front entrance was where we found Vapor Trail, alongside her best friend, Sky Stinger. We were able to fix their problems about fighting over their studying routines, thanks to Twilight's friendship mastery and my awesome knowledge of aviation! After that, the four of us started hanging out, up until we found out that Countess Coloratura was hosting a Guitar Hero tournament."

"Wow, that story is amazing!" Sunset admitted. "I never thought that two of my best friends would go somewhere far and solve a friendship problem the very first minute! I'm proud of you, Rainbow, and the same goes for Twilight!"

"Thanks Sunset!" as Rainbow snapped her fingers and pointed at her.

"I hope you and this Sky Stinger guy are getting along as well!" Pinkie said.

"Oh, of course, we are!" Vapor Trail smiled. "In fact, I...think I like him more than just as a friend! Don't tell him I said that, please!"

"Oooh, where is he now?" Sunset blushed and wondered.

"He's watching Applejack play right now, along with our lead vocalist, Lightning Dust, and our drummer, Angel Wings! Not only are they great friends with Sky and I, but they also play very well when it comes to Guitar Hero and actual band practice!"

"Hmm, Lightning Dust?" Rainbow got curious. "I'm not so sure if I can fully trust her, though."

"Why, what's wrong?" Vapor Trail asked.

"Well, she almost got my friends into a major accident, but that was a long time ago. Now that you've mentioned her name and looking back, I think I'll let it slide now. But, I'm still going to watch her every move when I see her!"

"Good to know!" as Sunset backed up with Pinkie.

"What an astonishing and first solo run by Applejack!" Rara claimed. "Everyone give her some love!" The audience went wild. "Now let's see if Vapor Trail of the Cloudsdale Twisters can top 220K points! Come on up here, gal!"

"Wish me luck, girls!" She then hugged the Rainbooms and went to the top of the stage.

"Give it your best!" They all shouted.

"Good luck, sugarcube!" A.J. complimented while leaving the stage.

"A.J.!" Rainbow exclaimed. "That was awesome, but a bit strange, if I had to add."

"Strange?"

"Ehh, never mind her!" Sunset excused. "You did very well, though!"

"Agreed!" Pinkie joined in.

Upon leaving the waiting room was a guy with light sea green hair.

"Oh no, I'm too late!"

"Sky Stinger?" Rainbow turned around and noticed him. "How are you, buddy?"

"Rainbow Dash? Nice to see you! Listen, have either you or your friends seen Vapor Trail? I forgot to wish her good luck one last time!"

"She's already performing and don't worry, my friends and I have already given her all our support! I'm sure she'll do great!"

"You must be Sky Stinger." Sunset recapped. "I'm Sunset Shimmer and these are my other best friends, Applejack and Pinkie Pie! We are thrilled to be competing with you!"

"Howdy!" A.J. tipped off her hat.

"Hello there, Sky!" Pinkie greeted.

"What's up girls? Thank you for being positive to my friend, too! As for Applejack, our band wanted to give her lots of praise and support as well!"

"Thanks partner!"

"No problem!" Sky replied. "So, Rainbow, I assume that you told your band about Vapor and I?"

"Eeyup, everything! I also told them how cool it was to hang out with you, Sky!"

"Great! Angel, Lightning, you can come out now!"

The two other Twisters have entered.

"Oh my gosh!" Angel Wings dropped her jaws. "I'm not only here competing with some of most favorite people, but I'm also competing against more of my favorites! Good job making it this far, Rainbow Dash!"

"Thank you!" She nodded back. "Hello, Lightning Dust." Rainbow's left eye twitched.

"Rainbow Dash. I have to also agree with Angel over here by saying that I'm also impressed myself by how far you and your band have come!"

"I don't need your opinions, Lightning Dust!" Rainbow groaned. "I didn't expect you to even show up at a place like this. Trying to drive someone else into danger?"

"Woah, easy!" She frightened. "I'm just trying to be supportive, that's all!"

"Come here, you!" as Dash attempted to hit her rival.

"Alright, y'all both stop!" as Applejack got between them. "Lightning Dust, you almost tried to kill us with your driving, but I'm sure that's because you succumbed to your own ego. I know you didn't mean to actually do that, am I right?"

"Yes, you're right, Applejack." Lightning admitted.

"And Rainbow Dash, you have to forget about that as well!" A.J. turned her back to her bestie. "You don't have to actually murder her, now that you know she didn't mean to do it to us!"

"What? But she tried to..." She got very low.

"I'm just being truthful, you know." Applejack shrugged. "Accidents always happen."

"Come on, Rainbow, don't be like that!" Sunset jumped in. "We're your best friends and we'll make sure you won't ever get hurt again!"

"Dashie, we've been by your side all the time and we always will be!" Pinkie attempted to get her back on her feet.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let go of it!" Rainbow began crying.

"Wait, where are you going, Rainbow Dash?" A.J. saw her running out.

"I'm going home! Find someone else to take my spot! You don't deserve to win with someone as pathetic as me!"

"Rainbow, no!" Everyone else cried.

"...She left us." Sunset sighed.

"I'm sorry, Vapor Trail, but it looks like you've only managed to secure 190K points!" Rara announced on stage. "You were close, but not quite. The Rainbooms win the first match of Round Four! Everyone give them and the Cloudsdale Twisters a big round of applause for unbelievable performances!" The audience cheered loudly. "James, do you mind taking over for me for the rest of the night?"

"Certainly!" He replied. "Let's move on to the next match!"

Meanwhile, Rara and Vapor Trail tried to go home out the back, but found depressed Rainbooms and Twisters.

"What happened here?" They both wondered.

"Rainbow Dash left us." Pinkie's hair became deflated.

"Left you?" Vapor asked. "As in her rushing home already? That's no surprise coming from Rainbow Dash!"

"No, not like that!" Sunset snapped. "She decided to quit the tournament and because of a past accident, it has come back to haunt her and now she's very sad!"

"My, I mean, our best friend...gone!" A.J. tried to cover up her tears.

"WHAT?" Rara and Vapor got shocked. "That's terrible!"

"I...I had no idea that it would come down to this!" Lightning Dust looked down.

"Again, it's not your fault, but I think it's too late for Rainbow Dash to accept that now." A.J. said.

"Well, what're you going to do now?" Sky Stinger pleaded. "Vapor and I can't believe that one of our best mentors has suddenly just decided to abandon a big competition!"

"I'm going to miss her!" Angel Wings frowned.

"There, there!" as Rara patted her shoulders. "A.J., what're you and your friends going to do now?"

"I honestly have no idea! Whenever Rainbow Dash gets depressed, it takes a really long time for her to recover."

"Why don't you get one of your other friends to take Rainbow's position as the guitarist?" Rara suggested.

"We can do that?" Sunset scratched her head.

"Of course! Just be sure you don't replace more than one band member!"

"Replace Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie was still blown away. "She's going to be even more sad if we do that to her!"

"No, she won't." Rara confirmed. "Earlier in my apartment, I saw the strong passion and determination from your entire band and by the looks of it, you four are all the best I've ever seen and victory will definitely mean a lot between you! You all want to make each other proud, don't you? That's what Rainbow Dash would want, even if she's not here, right?"

"I guess you're right, Rara!" A.J. cheered up. "But I don't think I've seen our other friends play guitar!"

"I have." Sunset smirked.

"Who is it?" Everyone else butted heads together.

"Rarity!" Sunset thought up.

"Silly, there's no keytar in Guitar Hero!" Pinkie joked.

"I know that, silly, but she's our only hope now!" Sunset worried. "I don't want Fluttershy to get scared in front of this huge crowd and also, both of our Twilights seem to only be into singing and no instruments! Besides, Rarity can kick some serious butt when it comes to a guitar battle!"

"When was the last time she played Guitar Hero with a guitar, Sunset?" Pinkie asked.

"The week after Rainbow Dash finally messed up on that one song? That's when, and she absolutely shredded!"

"At least it's better than nothing!" Rara passed off. "Try to get her to play with the rest of you tomorrow. I believe there's a high chance of either Rainbow Dash cheering up and coming back or Rarity helping you three win! I really don't want you girls to be sad!"

"It kills me to do this, but we have to do this for Rainbow Dash!" Sunset assured. "I'm calling Rarity!"

"For Rainbow Dash." Pinkie and A.J. looked at each other.

"Hello Sunset, dear!" Rarity spoke into her phone. "What can I do for our victorious friends tonight?"

"Can you come back stage, Rare? It's...very important. Bring the rest of our friends, too, okay?"

"Oh, sure, anything for you!" She laughed.

"Thanks Rarity!" as Sunset hanged up her phone.

"Spikey-Wikey? Twilights? Fluttershy? Coco? Do you mind if you come along with me backstage? It's a Rainboom conference!"

"Yeah, okay!" They responded and yawned.

Backstage, everyone except for Rainbow Dash is present.

"So, what's the occasion, darling?" Rarity desired.

"Rarity, can you...fill in for Rainbow Dash as our new guitarist for the tournament?" Sunset played with her hands.

"Me? What happened to Rainbow Dash?"

"It's a long story, but the point is that she went back home while still feeling sad, so now we need you to take her place in the meantime!" A.J. explained.

"I mean, I could, but..." Rarity stopped.

"But what?" Pinkie demanded.

"It'd be absolutely rude to replace Rainbow Dash and she would never forgive me for that! Besides, I'm a bit...rusty at Guitar Hero, if you know what I mean."

"Actually, I don't think so!" Fluttershy stepped up. "I've known Rainbow Dash since when we were kids and whenever she gets sad and can't go on to carry her tasks, she'd always count on her friends to do them! Now Rarity, you have to play with our friends so that not only they can win for us, but they can also make Rainbow Dash very proud! That's what she would want from us."

"You're right, sweetie!" Rarity clinched a fist. "But like I said, I'm still rusty at this point!"

"You'll be fine, Rare!" Pinkie turned her attention to her. "If you get separated or stick with us in Round Five tomorrow, we'll have your back either way!"

"Okay, I'm in!" Rarity said.

"Yeah!" Everyone else counted on her.

"That's the spirit!" Rara said. "Now you should all probably get some shut eye for the next round tomorrow. It's getting late, so have a good night!" She waved to both bands and exited the theater.

"Good night!" They responded.

"C'mon let's go, guys!" Sky Stinger requested. 

"Right!" as Vapor Trail and Angel Wings left too.

"Ooh, wait, you can go ahead, because I've got something to do first!" Sky changed his mind. "Sunset Shimmer?"

"Yeah?"

"Rainbow Dash told me all about you and said how beautiful, friendly, and strong you are!"

"She did?" Sunset blushed at Sky. 

"Yeah, and she also gave me your phone number, in case something goes wrong. If you don't mind, I would like to show you some of my individual playing  in a video!" He texted to her immediately.

"Rainbow Dash gave me your number too, Sunset, so I thought I'd like to show you my playing!" as Vapor Trail overheard and came back inside. "Here you go!"

"Same here!" Angel Wings also came back in and added. "I think we all play the best when we're together! Here's our full band video for you, Miss Shimmer!"

The three Twisters all proceeded to text Sunset their gameplay videos.

"Hehe, okay, okay! My friends and I will definitely watch these when we get a chance, but in the meantime, it's getting late! Good night to you all!"

"Good night, Rainbooms!" The Cloudsdale Twisters headed out with Lightning Dust leading the way.

"Let's go home too and come back tomorrow to win this for each other!" Sunset gained back her confidence. "For Rainbow Dash!"

"For Rainbow Dash!" All the Rainbooms huddled up. "1, 2, 3, Rainbooms Forever!"





The next day, the Rainbooms woke up to see the beautiful sun shining and have all raced to the train station to catch the train.

"Should I try and cheer up Rainbow Dash quickly before we leave?" Sci-Twi asked. "I hate to see her like this!"

"We can't take any more chances with her." Sunset let out. "She'll get better eventually, but for now, let her have some time alone."

"All aboard the express train!" as the conductor came to a stop.

"Poor Rainbow Dash." Princess Twilight shook her head. "Let's get on and try to think positively about her."

The Rainbooms have entered the train, which was heading for its usual stops. Canterlot City has always been a bright and happy city, but today, it wasn't the same case for Rainbow Dash.

"Ugh..." She was laying in bed with her eyes tightly shut.

After the train finally approached Manehattan, the girls arrived at the theater just in time and waiting for them at the back entrance was James Hetfield.

"Hey girls!"

"Hi James!"

"So... Ms. Coloratura told me everything last night and man, that was some heavy stuff! I'm sorry things turned out like that. I've been down that road before. Come inside!" They all walked in.

"Rainbow Dash would never leave us, Mr. Hetfield." Pinkie said. "She's awesome in every way and deep down, she'd always find a way to stand by our side!"

"Hmm, I see." He noted. "There's Countess Coloratura near the curtains!"

"Rara!" A.J. rushed to her childhood friend.

"A.J.!" They went to hug each other. "I'm glad you came back to continue playing with your friends! Are you sure this new setup will work?"

"Trust me, sugarcube! Rarity's got both the looks and the skills of a real star, like you!"

"Aww, thank you so much!" Rarity and Rara both blushed. "Oooh, it's time!" Rara then made her way to the top of the stage.

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen!" She announced. "You all are well-rested out there?"

"Yeah!"

"I can't hear you!"

"YEAH!" The audience raised their voices.

"Alright, so without further ado, let's get to Round Five!" Rara turned her attention to the screens. "The Rainbooms, in this tournament, are set to go first each round, so let's see what we got here! However, I'm going to change things up a bit and go to the member selector screen, first!"

"Umm, okay?" Rarity got confused.

No surprises, it landed on 'Guitar Only' once again.

"This is your time to shine, Rarity!" Sunset encouraged. "Go get 'em!"

"You can do it, Rarity!" Pinkie and A.J. cheered.

"You can count on me, ladies, because I've got this in the bag for all of us, mostly for Rainbow Dash!" She went to the top of the stage.

"Folks, unfortunately, Rainbow Dash dropped out of the tournament due to personal circumstances, but taking her place as the Rainbooms' guitarist is Rarity!" Rara wooed. "Everyone put your hands together for this fabulous girl!"

"Yeah!!!"

"She's hot." Some random guy whispered.

"I'm ready, Rara!" Rarity confirmed. "So which band's guitarist am I facing?"

"Oh, you won't be facing a band! You'll be facing one of the in-game bosses as your opponent!"

"What?" Rarity twitched. "I mean, let's get to it, shall we?"

"Oooh!" The audience became even more interested.

"You know how this works, Rarity?" Rara clarified. "Instead of Star Power, you must use Battle Power-Ups to disrupt your opponent's performance before he does it to you! If you get hit too many times or reach Death Drain, your band will be eliminated!"

"...I'm ready!" Rarity restated.

"Very well! Battle Start!" The game has begun.

> 8. Pinkie Pie Style 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Take that, Tom!" as Rarity used a power-up attack.

"Wow, she's actually hanging in there!" A.J. noticed.

The battle threw more notes at both guitar players.

"Yay!" Fluttershy squealed while sitting in the audience. "You rock, Rarity! Woohoo!"

"Stick it to him, Miss Rarity!" Coco cheered.

"Show him how it's done, baby!" Spike clapped for his crush.

"Get him, Rarity!" Both Twilights stood up.

"I will destroy you!" She grunted at the screen. "Oh, did I break one of your strings? Too bad! What if I doubled your notes? Get some, get some, get some!"

"Okay, maybe she's taking it TOO seriously!" Sunset freaked out. "I'm just going to back away!"

"Don't." A.J. stopped her. "This is how she has fun if she's playing the guitar! Right, Pinkie?"

"Right!" They both grinned at each other.

"Look at her go!" James Hetfield exclaimed. "But, uh oh, it's almost time for the Death Drain! Can Rarity finish off Tom Morello before she runs out of attacks to hit him with?"

"Say no more, James!" Rara replied. "I sense a strategy going on with her attacks. As you can see folks, she's waiting to unleash all of them on Tom once he gets a flurry of solos going."

"I guess I'm not the only one who can sense what Rarity's up to." Sunset rolled her eyes.

"And...now!" as Rarity used all her power-ups. "Here's some whammies, difficulty spikes, and amp overloads for you! Owned!"

"Someone get me my book." Sunset had a blank expression. "I need to record what I just saw.

"Uhh, you okay, Sunset?" A.J. waved her hand in her face.

"I guess that's her way of saying how impressed she is with Rarity!" Pinkie giggled. "She won!"

"The battle's over and you've all witnessed here, ladies and gentlemen!" Rara announced. "The winner of the first match of the fifth round is the Rainbooms' newest guitarist, Rarity!"

"Let's see those hands in the air!" James urged.

The audience blasted the theater with their audible screams of joy, even with some boys, including Spike, fainting over Rarity's beauty and victory. She then wiped off her sweat.

"Thank you, thank you!" as Rarity took multiple bows and poses for the crowd.

"Congratulations Rarity!" Rara applauded. "Thanks to your first time playing in our tournament, the Rainbooms will now move on to Round Six!"

"Hehe, thank you so much!" She winked at the pop star.

"Before you step off the stage, Rarity, do you mind if you do one last thing for me?"

"Absolutely, Rara!"

"Audience, if you are nice enough to do what I ask of you, it'd be much appreciated! You too, James."

"Hmm?" Everyone wondered.

"I'd like us all...to take a moment of silence for Rainbow Dash. It's very sad knowing that she preferred to no longer compete in this tournament. She has been and always will be a loyal friend to those that she has ever known, including James and I, and most importantly, the Rainbooms. Her athleticism, musicality, friendship, and love will not be forgotten, along with her spirit! So please everyone, I want us now to all bow our heads and deeply think about all the good deeds she has done..."

The room was filled with complete silence.

"Thank you so much, everyone." Rara got her head back up. "You may go now, Rarity."

"Yes ma'am!" She saluted and went backstage.

"Shall we move on, James?" Rara questioned her co-host.

"Of course!" He fist pumped.

"I want my childhood friend back." Fluttershy covered herself up.

"Oh man." Spike was in disbelief. "Now the more time goes on, the more I feel sorry for Rainbow Dash. I'll probably pass out again!"

"We're proud of you, Rarity!" Sunset said. "Why do have your phone out?"

"I'm calling Rainbow Dash." She replied. "I'm not going to back out, I'm just going to check up on her and see if she's feeling any better." She then dialed up Rainbow's number. "Hello?"

"Ugh, who's this?" Rainbow was still tired and grumpy.

"Now that's no way to talk to one of your best friends!" Rarity sassed. "Rainbow Dash, it's me, Rarity! How are you feeling?"

"Dead inside. Why did you even call me, Rarity?"

"What? But, I...just said I wanted to check up on you, that's it!"

"Oh sure..." Rainbow Dash mumbled. "Next thing I know, you'll probably brag about taking my spot!"

"Wait, how do you know that?" Rarity got curious.

"Duh, I remember Rara saying that the tournament would be live and I'm here at home watching it." Rainbow answered. "Look, I love you, Rare, but now is not a good time to talk to me. Maybe I'll come back, but in the meantime, I don't have the energy to do that, so I'll probably talk to you later. Right now, Scootaloo needs me to do some important favors for her. Good luck out there! Say hi to Fluttershy and the others for me!" She hanged up the phone.

"Rainbow..." Rarity was cut off. 

"What did she say, Rarity?" A.J. asked.

"She's watching us play on TV while doing some favors for Scootaloo. She didn't tell me what they were, but I don't think that's relevant. I still miss her, but she did say that she'll consider returning."

"Really?" Pinkie was anxious. "I can't wait!"

"It's a maybe, Pinkie." Sunset facepalmed. "What're we going to do now?"

"The only thing we can do is continue to play in the tournament." Rarity suggested. "Like Applejack said before, it usually takes Rainbow Dash a long time to recover from sadness, so our only bet is to just stay alive until the finals. She'll probably come back then." 

"Got it!" The other three responded.

"I will admit that I'm actually having quite a bit of fun, now that I'm playing with you, girls!" Rarity smiled.

"Same here!" The other three patted Rarity on the back.

"Are you okay, Fluttershy?" Princess Twilight checked up on her.

"Hmnpf." She sniffed. "A little bit."

"I've got some tissues for you, Fluttershy." as Sci-Twi took them out. "Wipe yourself up."

"Thanks Twilight." She continued to sniff. 

"Excuse me, but I have to use the restroom, ladies!" Coco said. "I'll be right back!"

"Take care!" The rest waved to her.





Round Six. Nothing too crazy happened in the previous round, other than the audience getting wild and acting like complete maniacs.

"This is the sixth round already?" Sunset scratched her head. "I don't even like the number!"

"What makes you say that, darling?" Rarity asked.

"You wanna guess?" A.J. eyed her. "It stands for bad luck and unfairness!"

"No, I think you and Sunset are just exaggerating!" Pinkie bursted out laughing.

"We'll see about that, Pinkie!" Sunset smirked.

"Welcome back, folks, to Round Six of the Guitar Hero tournament!" James raised both of his arms. "How do you feel?"

"Fun, fun, fun, fun!" The audience chanted.

"Okay, not the response I'm looking for, but close enough!" The heavy metal vocalist said.

"Who will the Rainbooms go up against this time?" Rara turned her attention to the first screen. "Hit it!"

"All the way from Camp Everfree, near Everton City, are the Everfree Serpents!" James declared. 

"Did he...just say Camp Everfree?" Sci-Twi looked confused.

"Now which band member, or members, will be up for the challenge?" Rara then activated the second screen.

It stopped and landed on 'Drums Only.'

"Yay, that's me!" Pinkie jumped up and down.

"This time, Timber Spruce will go up first this match!" Rara tried to gather him.

"Aww." Pinkie frowned.

"Baby?" Sci-Twi's jaws dropped.

"I didn't know Twilight's boyfriend would be here!" Sunset whispered.

"Neither have we." A.J. was straightforward in her answer.

"This is for Gloriosa, the rest of my family...and for Twilight!" Timber Spruce became confident.

"Hold up, let's get your song ready, Timber!" James said while activating the last screen. "Bingo! You're good to go! You get to play along to one of my band's tunes!"

"I'm all set!" He nodded.

"Begin!" as Rara started the song. 

"I've got this!" as Timber sat back.

"Meh, we're off to a slow start." Spike fell flat on Fluttershy's lap.

"I actually don't mind that at all!" She smiled.

"You have a boyfriend?" Princess Twilight went into a bit of a fit of jealous rage. "I mean, sorry! I'm happy for myself, err, you! Fluttershy, what has Flash Sentry been up to, by the way?"

"Sorry to say this, but Sunset Shimmer...kind of told him at Camp Everfree to get over you because he was worried that you're not coming back."

"Oh." The princess sighed.

"Cheer up, Twilight!" Sour Sweet poked her head in. "Now that you're here, you can at least try to ask him out, even though his received amount of rejections might bring him down more."

"Oh no, I just thought of something!" Sci-Twi gasped. 

"What is it, Twilight?" The rest turned to her.

"Who am I supposed to be cheering for? Timber or Pinkie? I love them both, but I'm seriously stuck at this point!"

"That is a problem." Coco gulped.

"I'd say both." Princess Twilight replied. "We both know Pinkie Pie very well and even though I don't know Timber Spruce well enough, it's fair to admire both of them for their skills, that way neither of them get disappointed!"

"Thank you!" Sci-Twi said.

"Wow, I guess Camp Everfree added Guitar Hero as a new activity!" Sunset thought. "Timber's actually pulling off some things here! If he can do this, then so can you, Pinkie!"

"Thanks buddy!" She leaned in forward towards the curtains.

"I really hope Twilight doesn't get her head stuck in a barrel if she sees Pinkie beat her boyfriend." A.J. brought up.

"I'm sure she'll understand, and besides, it's not like Pinkie's going to be conceited, all of a sudden!" Sunset laughed like a horse.

"Nah, I would never be like that!" Pinkie agreed.

"Yeah, yeah!" as James Hetfield observed the current drummer. "Now we're really going into thrash metal territory!"

"I'm digging this!" Rara lit up with glee. "Way to go with changing the Star Power color to green by the way, James!"

"Thank you! I find it to be a nice touch!"

"He's not wrong!" Rarity coughed.

"You can do it, baby!" Sci-Twi cheered.

"Nice encouraging, Twilight!" Fluttershy booped her nose. "See, we have no problem with you cheering for either Timber Spruce or Pinkie Pie!"

"My best friend being happy is what I always love to see!" Spike looked up at Twilight.

"That's the spirit!" Princess Twilight swooped her arm around. 

"It's time for the big finish!" as Timber hit a few more kick notes.

"He's almost done and so far, he now has 580 thousand points." Sunset said. "Are you ready, Pinkie?"

"I'm always ready to drop the beat! I won't let you down, girls!"

"Do your best, Pinkie!" Rarity then hugged her.

"Knock 'em dead, Pinkie!" A.J. hugged her too.

"And just like that, it's over!" Rara announced. "Up next is the Rainbooms' drummer, Pinkie Pie! Will she destroy and stomp on the bass pedals like there's no tomorrow, in order to beat 584K points? Let's all applause for these two drummers as well!" The audience cheered.

"Let's do this: Pinkie Pie style!" Pinkie smirked as she jumped on stage.

"There she is!" Coco pointed at her.

"You got this, Pinkie!" Sci-Twi chanted.

"Ready, Miss Pie?" Rara asked.

"Ready!"

"GO!" as James restarted the song.

"I need some gum." as Pinkie waited for the notes to come. "Here's one!"

"Remember the fast chugging part in the song?" Rarity asked. "Imagine the insanity coming from Pinkie!"

"I can already tell." Sunset looked back.

As Pinkie reached the midway section of the current song, things were kicking in faster. She banged away like a crazy gorilla and still kept a flawless run going.

"I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON, GAME! WHAT IF I USED THIS?"

"No..." as Sunset tried to breathe. "Is she doing what I think she's doing?"

"Why is she going to pony up with her magical geode?" Rarity was outraged. "Applejack, you know Rara is now going to disqualify us for using magic, you know?"

"Relax gals! I've told Rara all about our magical fights in the past, including the one at Camp Everfree. Heck, you can't even lie about not remembering that we showed her all our powers! She'll probably just pass it off as something fancy!"

"What about James and the audience, A.J.?" Sunset included. "They're not only going to kill your childhood friend, but they're going to kill us along with the rest of the girls who aren't even playing for cheating! I'm pretty sure Twilight would be even more sad than seeing one of her friends lose!"

"No, they won't! Trust me!"

"Then you better hope that not only Pinkie wins, but also the audience doesn't get to destroy us!" Rarity snapped. "Maybe you're the reason why Rainbow Dash left us!"

"I did not make Rainbow Dash run off like that!" A.J. denied. "I was trying to help her out, you know? We're all doing this for her, remember that!"

"...She's right, Rarity." Sunset calmed down. "Don't be so quick to judge! I tried to help out Rainbow Dash too, but I saw her run off as well. At that point, A.J. and I couldn't do anything else but to ask you for help."

"You're right, dear. I'm sorry for getting carried away and making that assumption, Applejack."

"It's okay, Rarity. I honestly had no idea what to expect as of right now. Friends?"

"No need to ask that." She said. "We are best friends!"

The two of them, including Sunset, came in for a warm hug.

"Woah, she's glowing!" A random person looked at Pinkie's transformation.

"Well, that's new!" James got weirded out. "I guess rocking out TOO hard gives you pointy ears and a magical ponytail, huh? I should try that sometime with the guys!"

"Stay focused, James!" Rara halted him. "It might seem obvious that with Pinkie Pie's new transformation, she will be the winner of the first match! She just passed 600K points!"

"Boom, boom, boom!" She yelled. "That's how it's done!"

"Maybe I should take back what I said about Pinkie not being conceited!" Sunset's eye twitched.

"What are you talking about, Sunset?" Rarity asked. "Pinkie Pie just won!"

"See, now what did I tell ya?" A.J. took off her hat. "Great job, Pinkie!"

"I lost." Timber spit out. "I failed you both, Gloriosa and Twilight. I'm sorry."

"Woo, nice job, Pinkie!" Sci-Twi clapped harder than before. "I'm proud of you!"

With the first match of Round Six complete, Pinkie Pie headed backstage, all while receiving praise from her friends, the audience, and Timber Spruce himself.

"You did it!" Sunset was thrilled. "I thought your pony up was going to cause us to lose!"

"No, it wasn't!" Pinkie fooled around. "While I was playing and ponying up, all I heard was people paying attention to me! It was a fun experience!"

"Excuse me?" as Timber approached the Rainbooms. "That was an impressive performance I just saw from you! Congratulations on getting the win, too!"

"Thank you, Timber!" They all replied.

"So Timber, where's your sister?" Sunset questioned.

"Gloriosa is still busy outside, arranging some important business meetings very later on at the camp. However, she did wish me good luck and I took it with all my heart! She's the lead singer, by the way, but she happily made me the leader of our band. Our guitarist, Zecora, is meditating somewhere quiet right now and our bassist, Discord, is...being his usual self."

"Discord?" A.J. scratched her head. "I thought you might say his name. He's all over the place!"

"Ehh, what more do you expect from him?" Pinkie shrugged. "Working at Canterlot High has gave him some blues and now he's living near Camp Everfree."

"He is a nice guy, but definitely going to take time getting used to!" Timber said. "Have any of you seen Twilight, by the way?"

"I'm right behind you, hehe!" as Sci-Twi came up and blinded him.

"Haha, hey baby!" Timber and Twilight then kissed each other.

"Aww!" The Rainbooms felt their hearts pounding.

"I'm so sorry you didn't win, but I loved your run though!" Sci-Twi claimed. "Will Gloriosa take it well, Timber?"

"She will. I've got this! Your friends are truly amazing and after seeing Pinkie Pie drum like that, I gotta give them even more credit!"

"Thanks again!" They all blushed.

"So, what're you going to do now?" Sci-Twi asked her boyfriend.

"Well, I was planning to hang out with you again, but I've gotta sort things out with Gloriosa. Once all is quickly said and done, then we can have fun later!"

"Teehee, I love you!" Sci-Twi had bedroom eyes. "Do you mind if I come and meet your sister, too?"

"I love you too, Twilight!" Timber replied. "Let me show you the way!"

The two lovebirds started to grip each other's hand and walked out the back door.

"Should we follow them?" as Sunset's curiosity was aroused.

"Shh, let them have this, darling!" Rarity watched the couple exit.

"If only Rainbow Dash was here..." Fluttershy sighed.

"Don't worry, she will!" Spike stood up. "She can do anything and there's no way she'd miss out the rest of this tournament!" 
> 9. Bitter and Cheap 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later on the second day of the Guitar Hero tournament, Sunset Shimmer's group was hanging out with Timber Spruce by eating at a nearby mall. All of them were seated by a grand view of Manehattan.

"I'm really glad you could join us, Timber!" Sunset acknowledged.

"Thank you! My sister is always busy, but she does knows how to squeeze in some free time for me and that's one of the many reasons why I love her."

"Aww, how precious!" as Rarity took a bite of her sandwich.

"Mmm, you're not finishing your pasta, Fluttershy?" Sci-Twi looked at her friend.

"I can finish it. I just...don't want to get my stomach immediately clogged up like my brain."

"What do you mean?" Pinkie asked.

"She's still sad about Rainbow Dash not being here with us, which I can totally understand, but now I feel even more sad just thinking about her as we go through this tournament." Spike explained. "I wish she was here, too!"

"Yeah..." The rest added.

"Miss Rarity, how're you feeling so far?" Coco wondered.

"Absolutely delighted, honey! In fact, I'll actually continue to help our friends win this thing and share all the glory!"

"Be careful not to indulge in too much of it, Rarity!" A.J. warned her. "Rainbow Dash is counting on us!"

"Should I try calling her again, darling?"

"If you need to support your friend with all of your hearts, then go for it!" Timber favored.

"Thanks Timber!" Rarity replied. "I'm calling her now." The other line picked up.

"Hello?" Scootaloo called. 

"Wait, Scootaloo?" Rarity held on for a second. "Why do you have your sister's phone? Where is she?"

"Rainbow Dash is in the shower right now, probably trying to wash away whatever she's going through right now. You have anything to say to her?"

"Yes, tell her that my friends and I miss her very much and that we wish for her to come back to the Guitar Hero tournament!" Rarity listed. "By the way, what favors does she have to do for you, Scootaloo?"

"She promised to upgrade my scooter, drive the other Crusaders and I to the mall, and bring us somewhere to eat."

"Can you put it on speakerphone?" Sunset swooped in. Rarity then switched her phone setting.

"Oh, that's nice of her, and by the way, you're on speaker!"

"Hey Scootaloo!" Everyone greeted.

"Hi girls!" She said while rubbing her neck. "Is there anything else you need from Rainbow Dash?"

"Are ya sure your sister's not hiding any secrets from us?" A.J. got suspicious. "We need some answers from her because we miss her and you're the closest we've got!"

"I'm really sorry, but there's nothing else I can say!" Scootaloo answered. "Even if she was hiding something from all of you, I doubt that she has a reason to do so. She'd never try to disappoint any of you or me!"

"...Thanks Scootaloo." Pinkie sighed. "Have fun with Rainbow Dash."

"Bye!" She hanged up.

"Now what?" Princess Twilight lost hope.

"Looks like A.J.'s right about the amount of time it'll take for Rainbow to get better." Sunset concluded. "Rarity, Pinkie, A.J., and I are just going to have to keep going until the end."

"I have no objections." Rarity raised her hand.

"Me too." A.J. also raised her hand.

"Me three." Pinkie raised her hand as well.

"Baby, you were really great out there today, and I can only assume that things will get even harder from now on!" Sci-Twi spoke to Timber. "But, you four are able to win the tournament, no matter what Rara throws at you!"

"Thanks Twilight, even though Rara really did nothing wrong!" Sunset giggled.

"I know, I didn't mean it that way!" She stuck her tongue out at her.

"Pinkie, where are you going now?" A.J. raised her eyebrow.

"Going to get ice cream? Why? Do you want some?"

"Please don't put sprinkles, please don't put sprinkles!" Rarity prayed to herself.

"I can say the same thing, Rarity!" Sunset read her mind.

"How did you...? Never mind, dear! Fluttershy, sweetie, what're you watching?" She looked at her phone.

"Our concert for Camp Everfree!" She replied.

"Ah, I remember that!" Timber recalled. "You girls really put on a show that saved the camp! I have to thank you even more for that!"

"You're welcome!" The Rainbooms politely responded.

As the group was finishing their food with Timber Spruce, Sugar Belle happened to spot them and quickly rushed to them. "Hi girls!"

"Hey Sugar Belle!" They greeted in unison.

"I'm glad I finally got to run into you here in this city! I saw all your performances and I loved them!"

"Thanks Sugar, but where were you?" Sunset realized. "We were trying to find you this entire time and I don't think we've ever saw you once yesterday!"

"Fortunately for me, I got a seat all the way up in the Elite Circle, where you can get the best possible view of the tournament!" Sugar Belle magnified. "Another thing, too, is that the seats up there are very limited and expensive, but that wasn't a problem for me!"

"Well, how do you feel about Countess Coloratura giving us seats in the very first row for free?" Sci-Twi bragged.

"Aww, I feel outdone!" Sugar Belle lightly stomped the ground. "You all are even more lucky! How did she get you free seats all the way up front?"

"Applejack, over here, grew very to Countess Coloratura when they were kids and they still are best friends!" Fluttershy told of reminiscence. "The rest of us are very grateful for whatever they provide for us and we shall always be! Right, girls?"

"Right!" The rest piled up.

"Aww shucks, y'all are welcome!" A.J. glanced around. "What time is it, by the way?"

"It's time for you to get a watch!" Pinkie mocked. "Hehe, my bad! It's actually almost time for us to head back inside the theater. Is everyone ready?"

"You all have fun and go on without me, because I literally just got here!" Sugar Belle noted.

"We're way ahead of you!" Sci-Twi raced out while her hand was being held by Timber Spruce.

"I still can't get over how adorable those two look together!" Rarity dreamed. "Who's going to clean up after them now? It certainly won't be my job!"

"Uhh, Rarity?" as Sunset crossed her arms. "You do realize that Twilight just her magic to take out her and her boyfriend's trash, right?" Rarity answered while being dumbfounded.

"Oh yeah, I forgot! This place is pretty colorful, so it's kind of hard for me to see her magical aura, even if I had my glasses."

"How about you, Princess?" Fluttershy asked the other Twilight. "You're done eating? If you don't mind, would you kindly carry Spike? My hands are a bit messy."

"I wouldn't mind that at all! Come on, Spike!" She whistled to the dog.

"Aye aye!" He said as he got up.

"Let's go!" as Sunset tilted her head towards the way out. The rest of the group started to follow her and walked down the escalator to the first floor. Sunset, while checking her phone, said, "Oh, we really have to hurry back!"

"Have we been here very long?" Rarity questioned. "Wait, can I just check inside these store windows quickly? I need some new threads for the cold weather."

"Rarity, it's still the summer, and you don't even need those things!" A.J. ranted. "C'mon, I got you!" A.J. began to drag Rarity away and she started whining.

"But I wannntt itttt!" She wallowed.

"Ahh, you look good in your clothes already, Rarity!" Pinkie randomly pointed out. "No need to get even more touchy!"





Back at the Manehattan Theater, everyone who was trying to get in made it safely, as it was about to rain.
As usual, Countess Coloratura and James Hetfield were on stage waiting to do their part. The Rainbooms were very eager this round, being that seven is their lucky number.

"Welcome, yet again folks, to Round Seven of our first annual Guitar Hero tournament, right here in Manehattan!" Rara pleased the audience.

"Hard to believe that we've come this far already, huh?" James relieved himself. "It seems we have a champion band on the rise! Who do YOU guys think it is?"

"Rainbooms, Rainbooms, Rainbooms!" The audience chanted.

"That's right!" Rara said into the microphone. "Who will be their lucky opponents now? Everyone, pay attention to the screen and let's hit the lights!"

"YEAH!" as James literally tossed his microphone up into the air and broke a spotlight. "Hehe, oops?"

"Grr, I'm not paying for that!" Rara angered. "Just roll it!" The first screen activated. "The Rainbooms will be facing the Neighon Warriors! Which of them will be going, however? Hit the second screen!"

It stopped and landed on 'Guitar Only.'

"Ooh, it's my time to shine again!" Rarity filled herself with energy. "Wish me luck, ladies!"

"You'll do great again, Rarity!" as Sunset proceeded to hug her.

"We believe in ya, Rare!" A.J. went to hug her as well.

"Give it to 'em!" Pinkie pleaded and hugged Rarity.

"Come on up here, Rarity!" Rara made her upstage the competition. Then the fashion girl finally picked up the guitar controller.

"I'm ready!" After Rarity prepared herself, James activated the song screen.

"Crap, it looks like you're playing a song from one of my band's biggest enemies! Ah well, at least it's not going to bring you down, right?"

"Nope!" Rarity replied.

"3, 2, 1, Start!" as Rara initiated the song.

"Goodness, she's already being thrown in!" Fluttershy gasped.

"No need to panic, Fluttershy!" Princess Twilight assisted. "I see no reason why Rarity would mess up our band's winning streak."

"Exactly." Sci-Twi outspoken. "I'm surprised the other bands we've met so far have given the girls on stage support, including my boyfriend! It's good that we haven't met any haters."

"I'm enjoying this as usual!" Sour Sweet laid back.

"Speaking of support, where are your friends, Sour Sweet?" Fluttershy asked.

"They're still backstage. When you and your friends left last night, Mr. Hetfield announced that at the end of the tournament, he and Countess Coloratura will congratulate all the bands that have showed up and competed. I find it both funny and sad that my fellow Shadowbolts are trying to avoid me! It's like they see two of me, huh?" She made tongue noises.

"Uh-huh." Fluttershy turned around blankly.

"You've got this, Miss Rarity!" Coco cheered for her boss.

"I've lost track of how many solos we've been through so far, but Rarity's dominating right now!" Rara was snowed. 

"I want to watch you bleed!" Rarity lost it and babbled at the screen. "Aargh, we will win! Take this and that!"

"Seriously, someone hold me back!" Sunset trembled. "I think she's gone mad!"

"What do I gotta keep telling ya, Sunset?" Applejack interrogated. "This is how she has fun with this game! It's perfectly fine!"

"Fine? If Pinkie blowing up Camp Everfree's dock a billion times made Rarity faint, then Rarity acting insanely crazy at the game will do that to me!" Sunset tried to nurture herself.

"Good thing Rainbow Dash and I stayed behind that day to fix it once again!" Pinkie communicated. "S'more, Sunset? I really hope you don't lose it like both of them!"

"...Sure." She finally tranquillized herself and ate a s'more from Pinkie's pocket. "Mmmm!"

"Better?" Pinkie wondered.

"Better." Sunset reciprocated. 

"Glad to see that taken care of!" A.J. said in an undertone voice. "Rarity's outbursts might be her strategy, don't ya think?"

"That's ridiculous!" Pinkie disagreed. "I remember Rainbow Dash saying that we're going into this tournament blind and it'd be no fun if Rarity dropped that entirely! She'd never strategize something evil as anger!"

"Pinkie's right, A.J." Sunset came to terms. "You've been too relaxed, haven't you, Applejack?"

"Now that you mention it, I have! I'm sorry for not noticing this before. It's as if a part of Rainbow Dash's relaxed personality was inside of me."

"And seeing Rarity focus that hard at Guitar Hero and being all serious must mean that she's got the competitive side of Rainbow Dash." Sunset identified. "I think I got it now!"

"You do?" Pinkie asked.

"Yeah, it's all clear to me!" Sunset acknowledged. "Rainbow Dash is really counting on us! With my magical powers, I can tell that the Element of Loyalty, her Element of Harmony, has transferred some of itself to us! So, it's safe to say that Rainbow Dash is actually here, metaphorically speaking! I'm being completely honest throughout this whole tournament too, Applejack!"

"So we all share our Elements of Harmony? That's incredible, sugarcube!"

"Do you think Rarity will notice this?" Pinkie leaned towards the curtains.

"Probably." Sunset guessed. "What's the score, Pinkie?"

"450K points with a full combo!"

"I see." A mysterious guy said from behind. "You must be the Rainbooms!"

"Who the heck are you?" A.J. turned around.

"Allow me to introduce myself." The guy proposed. "My name is Heiru Shinozaki and I'm the leader of the Neighon Warriors."

"Shino-what?" Pinkie was puzzled. "I don't think we've ever heard of you."

"And you never will!" Heiru uttered out of his mouth. "You and your friends may have gotten this far, but there's no way you're beating our band!"

"What makes you say that, sir?" Sunset solicited madly.

"Where we come from, the Warriors are truly unstoppable and nobody else has ever outperformed us, both in real competition and Guitar Hero competition! Your so called friend, Rarity, doesn't stand a chance against our fellow guitarist, Stone Edge!"

"That's correct!" as Stone entered the conversation.

"Stone Edge, huh?" A.J. blinked. "You both got a lot of guts thinking that you can beat the Rainbooms! We got this, right gals?"

"Right!" Pinkie and Sunset saluted.

"It looks like your friend is done with her run." Heiru detected. "However, you four are literally about to be done winning once my friend, Stone, gets out there and destroys Rarity's score!"

"We won't let that happen!" The other Rainbooms defended.

"Excellent run, Rarity!" Rara proclaimed. "Everyone give her some standing ovation once again!" The crowd applauded, making Rarity blush.

"Thank you so much!" Rarity took a bow and even blew a kiss.

"Up next, we have the Neighon Warriors, who are undefeated in their hometown!" James Hetfield emitted. "Get over here, Stone Edge! Make some noise for the guitar player!"

As the audience was cheering for the Warriors for their feat, Heiru gave Stone a firm handshake and he moved on to take the stage, even secretly shoving Rarity while leaving the stage in the process.

"My bad...not!" Stone attacked.

"Psst, what's his problem?" Rarity accused. "Who's this guy?"

"I am Heiru Shinozaki and who you just ran into was my friend and band's guitarist, Stone Edge."

"Ran into?" Sunset freaked out. "We just saw him put Rarity aside in a rude way, and that's uncool!"

"Whatever." Heiru halted. "The point is Stone will beat Rarity in a flash and you can't even do anything about it. Even if your other friend, Rainbow Dash, was still here, I doubt that Stone would even fall to her!"

"You leave Dashie out of this!" Pinkie sparked.

"Yeah!" A.J. stormed. "Rarity and Rainbow Dash could kick your band to the curb, even if they were by themselves!"

"Yeah, what they said!" Rarity joined in. "I may or may not be amazing as you claim to be, Heiru, but I do know that your arrogance will be your band's downfall! My friends and I count on each other to win, not our egos!"

"Not so confident now, huh?" Sunset retorted.

"We'll just see about that." as Heiru remained optimistic. "Your comebacks could only work if this was a dream, but it's not. Stone, right now, is catching up fastly to Rarity's score. So just save your breath!"

"Wow, who is this guy?" James was astonished by Stone. "I literally have seen this guy for only a couple of minutes and he's completely wrecking!"

"Such raw skill and focus!" Rara adored.

"Haha!" Stone chortled. He was holding the guitar behind his back, not missing a note, and doing moves that only Rainbow Dash would do. "How do you like me now?"

"My goodness!" Fluttershy panted. "I'm scared of this player!"

"Don't be." Sci-Twi doubted. "Whatever this Stone guy's doing up on stage, it won't be enough to beat Rarity! That's for sure!"

"You're right as usual!" Princess Twilight returned. "Rarity ended off strongly with 500K points, and so far, Stone has only 350K. No way he's beating her by showing off like that!"

"Boo!" Coco hissed.

"Umm, Coco, can you please not do that?" Fluttershy requested. "Rara wants this tournament to be fair and have nobody talk badly about each band."

"Sorry, but I really don't like this guy!" She huffed.

Suddenly, as Stone was continuing to play the same song as Rarity, he spun around and tripped on a cord. "Bweh!"

"Uggh, what are you doing, Stone?" Heiru whispered. "Get back on your feet!"

"Hehe, we told you so!" Pinkie insulted.

"Oh no, he's in trouble!" Rara distressed.

"Wait, hold the phone!" James paused. "He's still going! This could be a turning point, ladies and gentlemen!"

"Wow!" as the audience watched Stone lay down on the stage and continue fighting.

"Looks like my friend siked you out!" Heiru smirked. "How do you like them apples?"

"Shut up, you fool!" A.J. barked. "We don't like complete nonsense! Rarity perfected her run and Stone missed a note!"

"It doesn't matter." The leader of the Warriors naively responded. "Even a mistake like Stone's could be a benefit to him until the end! Just look at his score."

"Gah, 475K points!" Rarity drooled. "He's not going to beat me, or rather, us!"

"Don't worry, this will only your hurt your reputation...A LOT!" Heiru began to laugh maniacally.

"C'mon, c'mon!" as Spike was nail biting his paws. "I swear, this dude better not beat the love of my life!"

"He's almost tied with Miss Rarity!" Coco called out. "Please don't win!"

"I can't watch this anymore!" Fluttershy covered herself up again.

"Hold me!" Both Twilights clenched onto each other and turned their attention away from the big screen.

"Screw this." Rarity walked into a dark corner and put on her magical geode. "Say goodbye!" Without anyone noticing, she magically made gems appear out of the ground and they jabbed Stone's back, making him get off the floor and drop the guitar. "Forgive me, girls..."

"What just happened?" Heiru asked.

"Oww!" as Stone attempted to recover. "I have to continue playing!"

"I'm afraid it's too late, Stone." James hindered. "You failed to finish the song."

"What? But, something just hurt my back! I..."

"We didn't see anything that made you get back on your feet." Rara said. "We, including the audience, clearly just saw you moving around a lot. Am I right, folks?"

"Uh-huh!" The audience nodded in unison.

"Sorry Stone, but the Neighon Warriors are eliminated!" James announced. "You were very close to beating Rarity from the Rainbooms, but after a slip up like that, you fell short of the goal. We all hope you understand!"

"...Yes, Mr. Hetfield." Stone gave in to a bit of tears.

"Don't be sad!" Rara comforted. "You didn't disappoint us, that's for sure! A great guitarist like you can be something greater in the future! Everyone give Stone a big round of applause!" The audience cheered.

"Thanks for playing!" James congratulated. "We hope you come back to try again to win!"

As the two hosts and the audience gave Stone their support, he walked backstage to find his best friend furious and happy Rainbooms.

"We need to talk!" Heiru started to grab Stone's ear and walked out of the theater.

"Let me go!" He begged. The two Warriors have officially exited. "I'm calling the others!"

"Who's going to be in the next match now?" Rara, in the meantime, wondered.

"THAT. WAS. CLOSE!" The rest of Sunset's group in the crowd were relieved.

"Rarity, I know you're hiding!" Sunset yelled. "Come on out!"

"Yes, how can I help you three?" She casually walked back to her friends.

"Help?" Pinkie zoomed her eyes in on Rarity. "We know you used your magical geode to make Stone lose! Even though you helped us win, I don't think it was fun to cheat like that!"

"Tell the truth, Rarity." Applejack prepared herself.

"...Okay, you caught me! I couldn't help myself to use this! I'm actually putting my love of fashion aside and being serious right now. I...just want us to win!"

"We know it's not your fault, Rarity." Sunset read her mind. "I actually found a reason why you've been this anxious!"

"There is?"

"Yeah." Sunset replied. "I figured out something about the Elements of Harmony. They can actually transfer themselves between all of us, and even you! Rainbow Dash's loyalty transferred some of itself to all of us, so that means she's actually inside of us and counting on us! You were reacting violently and excited at the game because a part of her competitiveness went to you and A.J. here got the relaxed part of Rainbow Dash. You get what I'm trying to say now?"

"Yes, I think I do, dear!" Rarity shook her head. "You've really been getting more honest with us, haven't you, Sunset?"

"Hard to believe that even my Element of Harmony can reach my best friends!" A.J. wiped off her sweat.

"Duh, Princess Twilight did explain all of that when she first met us!" Pinkie stuck her tongue out. "Good times, huh? I'm glad we're not only winning, but we're also having a blast!"

"YEAH!" The rest jumped up and down.

"I'm confident that another accident like that won't happen again during the remainder of this tournament!" Sunset remarked. "We're proud of you, Rarity!" 

"Good job, sugarcube!" as Applejack took off her hat with pride.

"Way to go, buddy!" Pinkie high fived Rarity.

"Thank you all so much, I love you!" She blushed. "I promise I won't use my geode for the rest of the tournament!"

"Good." Sunset said.

"Hmm, who's calling me at this time?" Rarity asked and picked up her phone. "Hello?"

"You sneaky little devil, you!" Rainbow Dash bragged. "I saw what did you on TV! Nice job, though!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity exclaimed. "No one else over here witnessed what I did! How did you see it?"

"The stage was really bright! How could I NOT see your gem spikes?"

"Point taken." Rarity noted. "I put you on speaker phone, by the way, Rainbow Dash!"

"Hey Rainbow!" The other Rainbooms greeted.

"It's so good to hear from you again, girls!" Rainbow shed a tear. "Listen, I think I might come back to compete tomorrow!"

"Really?" Sunset squealed. "That's awesome! But, what...has gotten into you recently, Dash?"

"I don't know. I guess...I really let that past incident with Lightning Dust get to me deeply. I vowed that day that I'd never let something like that ever happen to my best friends again!"

"Don't worry about it, Rainbow Dash!" A.J. advised. "Like we said many times before, we always got your back! You literally are awesome at saving us, too! Your loyalty will never die out with us!"

"Our friendship with you will never die out, either!" Pinkie smiled.

"We love you, Rainbow Dash!" Sunset admitted.

"...I love you too, girls!" The athletic girl cried. "Dang, I never thought I'd get sappy again! Anyways, I'm glad to have you and the rest of the girls as my best friends! I mean it with all my heart! I'm coming back tomorrow, for sure!"

"We know you do." Sunset confirmed. "So, what're you up to right now, Rainbow Dash?"

"Right now, I'm with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Babs Seed at Canterlot Mall! Say hi, kids, you're on speaker phone!"

"Hi girls!" The Crusaders greeted.

"Hey sisters!" The Rainbooms answered.

"Babs, what in the hay are you doing all the way in Canterlot City?" A.J. questioned.

"Oh, I get to hang out with my friends for as long as I want! I just have to make it back to Manehattan in time for the closing ceremonies, just like Miss Coloratura announced!"

"Don't worry, sis!" Apple Bloom spoke into the phone. "We're having a good time so far!"

"I was going to say the same to you, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle added. "Can you get me some cake later, sis?"

"Ummm, no?"

"Oh come on!" Rarity's little sister complained.

"Well, it was nice catching up with you girls, but we got more Crusader-related things to do!" as Scootaloo was about to wrap up the conversation. "We can't wait for Rainbow Dash to return to the tournament tomorrow, right?"

"Of course, because I'm awesome like that!" Rainbow replied. "Ooh, I'm running low on battery life! I gotta hang up, girls, sorry! I'll see you tomorrow!" She hanged up.

"Bye Rainbow Dash!" The Rainbooms finished and Rarity ended the line.

"This is going to be even more exciting!" Pinkie glorified.

"Yes, it is..." Rarity gloomed.

"What's wrong, Rare?" Sunset pouted. "As much as we loved your guitar playing, I'm afraid Rainbow Dash originally had that position."

"I know." She almost started crying. "Can I at least play one more time? Rainbow Dash's coming back tomorrow and we still have one last round for the day."

"You know what?" A.J. rubbed her chin. "Knock yourself out, Rarity! You can play before Rainbow Dash gets here tomorrow!"

"No denying from me!" Pinkie agreed.

"Same here!" Sunset encouraged. "If you really had fun with the guitar, then I don't see why we should argue about you playing one last time! Of course you can still play!"

"Oh, thank you, thank you, ladies!" Rarity was pleased. "I've had a great time with you all! I'll make this last run really count for us! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"No need to think twice!" Sunset giggled. "Gather around, girls!"

"1, 2, 3, Rainbooms Forever!" The band chanted.





Round Eight. Night time came around faster than yesterday, but everyone was still in a good mood. Countess Coloratura and James Hetfield then marched up on stage to do their job as usual.

"Good evening, folks, and welcome to Round Eight of the Guitar Hero tournament!" They both declared.

"Hooray!" The crowd admired.

"Guess what time it is?" Rara reached out to the crowd.

"Night?" James joked.

"No!" Rara facepalmed. "It's Rainboom Time, once again!"

"Oh, my bad, hehe!" James corrected himself. "Let's hit the last screen this time!"

"Last screen?" Sunset observed as it rotated through the members. "Duel time."

'Guitar Only' was chosen again.

"That's two in a row for Rarity!" Rara lectured. "Come on up here again, Rarity!"

"Wow, am I famous or something? Ehh, wish me luck again, ladies!" She hugged her friends tightly and walked to the top of the stage.

"Rarity, Rarity, Rarity!" Everyone demanded an encore.

"Look at how lively the crowd is tonight for this fabulous girl!" James stood back. "She must be the MVP!"

"No kidding!" Rara said. "Are you ready for your second guitar battle, Rarity? It'll be a bit harder!"

"Ready!" as she picked up the guitar controller. 

"Begin!" James turned around and started the game back up again.


> 10. Reunion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hello?" as Heiru talked into his phone outside. "We need you three tomorrow as soon as possible. Be on time, though. What time you said? The finals. Yes, you can have as much fun with the Rainbooms all you want! Okay? Good, we'll talk soon." Heiru hanged up.

"Are you sure they're coming?" Stone grew curious.

"Yes, my friend." Heiru put a hand Stone's shoulder. "The Rainbooms will pay for beating us at our own game! Cherry Blossom, my dear?"

"Yes sir?" A girl with hair that's colored according to her name asked.

"Make sure you block off all the exits tomorrow when it's time." Heiru instructed. "We don't want the world to miss the real show!"

"You got it, chief!" Cherry obeyed.

"Excellent." Heiru menaced. "And Rina, baby?"

"Yeah babe?" His girlfriend, Rina Ice, approached.

"Stick close by Stone and I tomorrow. We're going to need all the help we can get!"

"What makes you so sure that your other friends are actually going to show up, Heiru?" Stone raised peculiarly.

"I've got something that they've been looking for. Next stop: Canterlot City!"





Back inside, Rarity was dealing with her second guitar duel. She wasn't backing off easily this time.

"Pow! You don't mess with someone fabulous like me!" She ranted at the screen.

"Watch out, Rarity!" Sci-Twi called out.

"Bah!" James Hetfield yawned.

"What is wrong with you?" Rara immediately smacked him with her microphone. "You can't be yawning in the middle of an exciting match!"

"That wasn't on purpose, I've been holding it in for quite a bit!" James kidded.

"Is this a new Battle Power-Up?" Rarity's jaws dropped. "Whatever it is, I will be delighted to use it! Eat 'Fret Shrink!'" She jumped up and activated it.

"Woah, the boss's fret is really small!" Sunset noticed. "This is the first time I've ever seen that Battle-Power Up. It seems to be helping Rarity, though!"

"Rarity, Rarity, Rarity!" The crowd continued to be amazed.

"I don't remember that being in the game!" James scratched his head. "Ah well, Rarity's about to win! Her attacks are super effective!"

"Good going, girl!" Spike solaced as he stood up in Princess Twilight's lap.

"GO AHEAD AND WALLOW...in whatever it is that video game characters wallow in!" Rarity continued to bash the opponent. "What is it that you want? Tonight, I'm serving up 'Lefty Flips' for the main course and for dessert, I will shrink your fretboard even more! TAKE THIS!!!" She held up the guitar as that of a real rockstar and delivered more attacks to the boss.

"Maybe I'm enjoying this as much as I should be!" Sunset imagined.

"Now see, what did I tell ya, Sunset?" A.J. alluded to her. "She's just having fun, that's all!"

"I'll remember that forever in my dreams!" Sunset laughed.

"According to me, having no fun is illegal!" Pinkie comprised. "My Fun Meter is telling me that the amount Rarity's having is over 9000!"

"Ah, so you're the police officer of fun now, huh?" Sunset tried to hold her giggling in. "You're going to arrest us now for fun-ception, Pinkie?"

"Nope!"

Starlight Glimmer then enters by herself and meets the Rainbooms for the first time in a while. "Hi girls!"

"Hey Starlight!" The Rainbooms exchanged greetings.

"So, both of our bands have made it very far, huh? You girls are so lucky because Countess Coloratura gives 
your band stronger opponents and she gives us Enforcers ones that are too much of a breeze!" I'm still happy for you, though!"

"Thanks Starlight!" Sunset appreciated. "The finals are about to get closer and hopefully we see you there!"

"We'll see about that!" The Enforcers' guitarist smirked. "Don't lose before we face you later! Sorry, I'm just kidding! Seriously, it'd be cool to play against my best friends in the finals, and we're always up for a friendly 
competition! You four would love that too, right?"

"Sure thing, Starlight, but we hate to break this to you." A.J. took off her hat. "You know the Neighon Warriors, the ones that Rarity beat earlier, right?"

"Yes, I do. As a matter of fact, I used to roll with them before I met you girls, but they've decided to abandon me just because I was too sympathetic, and seeing how all of your friends have changed my life, I'm really glad I got to make friends with you!"

"Really?" Pinkie asked. "We're always glad to be your friends, too! Back on topic, the Neighon Warriors acted like a bunch of meanies!"

"Let me guess, they want to prove that they're better than you, right?" Starlight predicted. 

"How did you know that, Starlight?" Sunset wondered.

"Like I've said, I used to roll with them, and their bragging was another reason why I hated them. I may have indulged in it from time to time, but I dropped their pride entirely. Heiru, luckily, wasn't too harsh with his words for leaving me alone, but Stone was even more arrogant with me!"

"Of course he is!" A.J. figured out. "You know what else that lousy Stone did? When Rarity's turn was finished, he just shoved her out of the blue right before she left the stage!"

"That's terrible!" Starlight lamented. "Great, now the more we mention Stone and Heiru, the more annoying they get!"

"What's up, players?" Rarity popped out of nowhere.

"Gah!" The rest got startled. "Rarity?"

"Hi! I just won the match! Is something wrong?"

"Ehh, no, we're fine." Sunset assured. " Good job Rarity! Starlight's here, by the way!" She waved to her.

"Hey Rare!" 

"Hello Starlight, dear! Where's the rest of your band?"

"I'd say that they're all enjoying themselves!" Starlight replied. "I think I have an idea of the member patterns that Countess Coloratura, or Rara as you call her, has been laying out. They may be computer-generated, but she probably input some codes to save the full band battles for later. In other words, she's giving my band a lot of relaxation time!"

"Hmm, that's odd, but let's go with it!" Pinkie bought. "Maybe that's why Babs was hanging out with her fellow Crusaders."

"Maybe." A.J. thought. "So Rarity, you won for us again? That's darn impressive of ya!"

"I sure did and I couldn't have done it without all your support! Huuah, I'm feeling drowsy, though!"

"Ain't that the truth?" as Rara came and put on a coat. "So am I!"

"Rara, hey!" A.J. gave her a hug. "Ya leaving already?"

"Hehe, of course! James will be taking over for me whenever each day is about to end, so there's that. You all are leaving as well?"

"Yes ma'am!" The Rainbooms and Starlight answered.

"Alright, very nice runs from all of you today, by the way!" Rara complimented. "Rainbooms, I hope you make Canterlot City proud, and same goes for you, Starlight, with our hometown of Manehattan! Have a good night!" The pop star left the theater.

"Night Rara!" They yawned and waved.

"C'mon let's go home, girls!" Sunset directed. "I'll text one of the Twilights and tell her to bring our friends to the station, okay?"

"Got it!" The others huddled up.

"Hello?" Sci-Twi picked up her phone. "Sunset, what's up? Okay, we're coming now, bye!" She ended the call. "Girls, it's time to go home!"

"Okay, I might as well head back to my apartment!" Coco gleamed. "Have a good night!" Coco turned around and proceeded to the main entrance.

"Bye Coco!" The girls bid their farewell. 

Sci-Twi, Princess Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy then went upstage and through the back to meet Sunset and the others. It was almost pitch black outside as most stores and businesses were closed, but the rain kept on pouring.

"The station's only a short walk away from here!" Sunset said.

"Yeah, but how are we supposed to cover ourselves up from the rain?" as Fluttershy protected her head.

"Allow me, ladies!" Rarity put on her geode and created a hovering gem roof over the girls' heads.

"Uhh, Rarity, don't ya think people will look at us funny?" A.J. blurted.

"Everyone's got an umbrella on their head, Applejack! They can barely see a thing, so let's just breeze to the station!"

"If you say so!" Pinkie didn't mind and skipped merrily. "Lalalala!"

"Starlight, where are you going?" as Sci-Twi saw her going in the opposite direction of the train station.

"She lives here in Manehattan, remember?" Princess Twilight assumed. "Canterlot High even saved her the trouble of commuting with costs."

"Oh." Sci-Twi harmonized.

"Hold up, look who's by the train!" Fluttershy pointed at it.

"It's Heiru and Stone...with two other girls?" Rarity scratched her head.

"Why are they getting on the train going to Canterlot City instead of their home?" A.J. raised her eyebrow.

"I don't like it one bit, but we should get in a different car and ignore what they're doing!" Pinkie suggested.

"Why?" Sunset crossed her arms. "I could just read what they're thinking about, it's not a big deal!"

"You saw how Heiru dragged Stone off, right?" A.J. recapped. "I bet those two are so damaged in the head after no longer being undefeated that they ain't got anything better to do!"

"Uh-huh." The rhythm guitarist still felt something fishy going on. "Come on Rarity, hurry up with the roof!"

"Uhh, Sunset? We're already inside the train. You probably didn't see the light of my, or our, diamond roof in the dark outside."

"All aboard the express train to Canterlot City!" The conductor shouted.

The girls & Spike boarded the train and the tracks were all lined up, ready for the train to depart from Manehattan. The rain, luckily enough for them, seemed to have died down into nothing but short drizzles.

"It's getting cold." Fluttershy shivered.

"Let me see what I can do, Fluttershy." Sci-Twi then used a tiny heating spell to keep her warm. "How's that?"

"Toasty! Thanks Twilight!"

"No problem!" She winked at Fluttershy. "I figured you girls also might want to join in on this as well, huh?"

"Ahh, I can't wait for Rainbow Dash to come back to the tournament!" A.J. squealed. "Anyone else with me?"

"Mm-hmm!" The others joyfully nodded.

"So Rarity?" Sunset nervously pulled her shirt.

"Yes Sunset, dear?"

"I don't remember you...acting that crazy at Guitar Hero! Do you purposefully do that or what?" Her mouth closed.

"You saw me during each round I played, haven't you?" Rarity brought up. "Sorry, I can't help myself, but I don't think I've ever had that much fun with a game at all! Applejack might agree with me on this!"

"I told ya, Sunset!" A.J. smirked.

"Haha, you got me, okay! I literally freaked out every time we saw you shred, Rarity! I should've listened to A.J. more often about relaxing."

"I almost died laughing because of that, it was darn too funny, even for me!" A.J. began to laugh again. 

"Are you okay, Applejack?" Princess Twilight checked up on her. "Hehe, now your laughter is starting to get contagious!" The princess let out a chuckle.

"Great, we're all going to laugh now!" Pinkie joined in. As she got on the floor, so did the other Rainbooms, and their laughing at this point had officially attracted the other passengers. "Sorry, sorry, heh, we're good!" Everyone sat back down.

"This is interesting." Spike snickered.

"Hehe, oh..." A.J. calmed down. "Hmm, who's calling me this late?" She picked up her phone. "Hello?"

"What up, sis?" Apple Bloom said on the other line. 

"Apple Bloom? What in the hay are you doing up this late?" A.J. scolded.

"Duh, it's still the weekend! Besides, Big Mac ain't minding me at all!"

"Eeyup." Her brother confirmed while passing by.

"Okay then." as Applejack shook her head. "What can I do for you?"

"Is Cousin Braeburn going to be alright, Applejack?" Apple Bloom worried.

"What makes you say that? I forgot that the tournament was being put on television, did I? Anyways, I'm honestly sure about him getting his head out of the gutter. Braeburn ain't one to be messed with if you say something mean about his feelings!"

"So is that a yes, sis?" Apple Bloom went over.

"Yes, he'll be fine. Look, I'll be home soon, so take care of yourself, Apple Bloom! I love ya! Don't eat Granny Smith's last piece of the pie from yesterday by the way, that's mine!" 

"I love ya, too, Applejack." Apple Bloom worded with a smile. "Don't worry, I won't eat the pie...yet!" She hanged up.

"Haha, darn, I knew she'd use that tomfoolery on me!" as A.J. turned off her phone. "That little rascal..."

"Ahem." Rarity coughed. "What are you thinking about right now, Sunset?"

"I'm not sure, Rarity. Are you actually fine about switching back to normal with Rainbow Dash? What if she changes her mind and lets you continue to take her spot?"

"Of course I'll be fine, Sunset! This swap was only temporary and yes, I still feel a bit sad about dropping out, but you said it yourself: Rainbow Dash is the original lead guitarist of the Rainbooms. I have no problem with either continuing to play along with you, Applejack, and Pinkie, or Rainbow Dash coming back tomorrow."

"Just making sure, thanks." Sunset closed her mouth. 

"I just can't wait to go to bed!" Sci-Twi stretched her arms up. "You all want to sleep over at my house?"

"Would Shining Armor allow it?" Princess Twilight wondered. 

"My brother, your brother, or technically our brother, is always happy to let our friends sleep over, so yeah!" Sci-Twi factored. "So you girls are in?"

"Yeah!" The others agreed. "Thanks Twilight!"

"You're all welcome!"





Later at Sci-Twi's house, the girls were all in their pajamas and slippers in Twilight's bedroom. Sunset and both Twilights were pillow fighting, Applejack was brushing her teeth, Pinkie was making s'mores, Rarity was watching TV, and Fluttershy was spending more time with Spike.

"Come here you!" as Sunset chased the princess.

"I regret nothing!" She retaliated and threw another pillow.

"Eat this!" Sci-Twi then hauled one across the room.

"Woah, easy!" Fluttershy ducked as she watched the three girls have fun with the pillows. "Uh-oh, I'm hungry again!"

"You want Twilight to poof up a smorgasbord of food?" Spike looked up at the shy girl.

"I think she can only use her magic to make things disappear, but let's see if you're right! Twilight?"

"Which one: me or my royal self?" Sci-Twi asked.

"You." Fluttershy pointed to her. "If you can, Twilight, do you mind if you can make food appear using your magic? I'd really appreciate it!"

"Hmm, I never tried that before, but it's always fun to seek an opportunity like this!" Sci-Twi daydreamed. "What do you want to eat, Fluttershy?"

"A chicken salad, perhaps?" Her mouth was watering already.

"Here goes nothing!" Sci-Twi closed her eyes. "Umm, girls, do you mind if you could all back up a bit? I need to focus all my energy into this."

"Mm-hmm!" as the other girls and Spike moved away to a corner.

"Ggrnnngh!" With full concentration, Sci-Twi's magical aura came out of her forehead and in just a flash, she actually managed to make the food that Fluttershy wanted appear right before everyone's eyes. "I DID IT!"

"YAY!" Without hesitation, Fluttershy dug in her salad and munched away. "Thanks Twilight!"

"Hehe, you're welcome, Fluttershy! Now if you would all excuse me..."

"Why is she sticking her head out the window?" A.J. minded.

"HAHAHA!" The glassed girl laughed. "HEAR ME WORLD, FOR I SAY THAT MAGIC EXISTS! WOOOOO! MY FRIENDS AND I ARE GOING TO RULE THE WORLD!"

"Should I pull her back in?" Pinkie attempted to do so, only to be stopped by Rarity.

"Shh, let her have this, darling!"

"Zzzz..." Princess Twilight walked and began to sleep in her sleeping bag.

"My goodness, is it time for bed already?" Fluttershy said as she dropped her fork. 

"You can still eat, Fluttershy." A.J. reminded her. "Just...try not to watch us sleep! It's kinda creepy, if ya ask me!"

"I'm turning off the lights now, so good night girls!" Sunset flicked the switch and proceeded to sleep next to Sci-Twi.

"Night!" as the rest all jumped into their sleeping bags.

"Fluttershy, sweetie, can you please not chew so loudly?" Rarity's head stood up just before she could lay it on her pillow.

"Sorry!" And so, she chewed away again, except with less force of her teeth.





The next morning, the sun was shining so bright that it woke up and almost blinded Sunset Shimmer's eyes. After closing the blinds, she woke up her friends and they all took turns showering and changing in the bathroom. They walked downstairs to the kitchen to eat breakfast before they could leave for the tournament.

"So, what did we all dream of last night?" as Pinkie took a bite of her toast.

"You're asking that like we're acting dirty or something, Pinkie?" Rarity giggled while in disbelief.

"No! I even Pinkie Promised myself that I'd never dream of something dirty!"

"Okay then!" Princess Twilight put aside.

"Someone's knocking!" Sci-Twi speculated.

"I'll get it!" Sunset then partook in getting the door and upon opening it, she freaked out. "AAAAHHHH!"

"Did you miss me, Sunset?" Rainbow Dash awkwardly asked.

"Wha-what?? Rainbow, wh-what're you doing here? I mean, it's great to see you again, but...how do you know that the girls and I are here?"

"First off, you and I are hawk buddies, and that means we can also hear like one! Secondly, I overheard Twilight joyfully screaming last night all the way from my house. You need to fix your hair, by the way, it's looking like bacon!"

"IT'S. NOT. BACON!" Sunset yelled. "...Sorry, you may come in, Rainbow Dash. I thought you might've heard her scream last night."

"Exactly!" Rainbow nodded happily. "Thank you!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Everyone else left the kitchen and gave her big hugs.

"I'm so glad to see you girls again!"

"We're all glad to see ya, too." Her bestie, A.J., acknowledged. "What happened to you?"

"You and Sunset were both right." Rainbow got to her point.

"About what?" They both butted heads.

"About you having my back. I really let that incident with Lightning Dust get to my head and I was so scared that something like that might happen again, but no! I promised myself I wouldn't let any of my best friends be in danger and I know that they'll look out for me, too!"

"Thank you so much, Rainbow Dash." Sunset took a deep breath. "You want to know something else, too? We'll always have each other's backs, by the way!"

"Thank you too, Sunset! What is it?"

"You deserve to be the Element of Loyalty." This made Rainbow Dash speechless.

"I...have something that I want to tell you all as well."

"Huh?" The other Rainbooms grew curious.

"I love you girls so much, and it will always be an honor to be with you all!" Rainbow cried. "I may not be super emotional, but now, I feel like it's a good time to express myself. I can't wait for us to win the Guitar Hero tournament!"

"We love you too, Rainbow Dash!" The girls and Spike all circled in and hugged tightly.

"Rarity?" Rainbow pulled her shirt.

"Yes Rainbow Dash?"

"You were awesome in the tournament, and I really wish that you could shred some more, but I'm afraid to say that I have to step in and carry our band now again. I hope you understand!"

"I'm not sad, I understand!" Rarity accepted. "You are destined to be the Rainbooms' lead guitarist! You even said it the very first day that you started this band with us! I'm never going to object your membership."

"Thanks Rarity!" Rainbow replied. "You're also destined to be my best friend, just like all of you, girls!"

"Thanks Rainbow Dash!"





After finishing breakfast and traveling by the train to get back to Manehattan, they've arrived faster than expected. They went to go to the Manehattan Theater and saw it filling up again.

"Hey, over here!" Countess Coloratura whispered out the back door.

"There's Rara, and just in time, too!" A.J. fist pumped. "Let's go, gals!"

"I'm really glad you all made it again! I see you have Rainbow Dash again on your side!"

"I'm glad to be back too, Rara!" She winked at her. "Where's James right now?"

"He's inside, just him being himself." Rara said. 

"Okay, Rara, there's something wrong with one of the other teams!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Those Neighon Warriors weren't so friendly to us and they're probably going to get back at us somehow for beating them!"

"Good thing you girls all told me about them on the train!" Rainbow remembered. "If I see them, we're going to kick their butts!"

"How do you know that they're going to get payback?" Rara interrogated.

"We don't know much, except the fact that after we left here yesterday, we saw them get on the same train as ours, instead of theirs." Sunset gathered. "I wanted to check them out, but my friends found risks for doing that."

"Hmm, I see." Rara rubbed her chin. "In that case, should I up the security detail in case the Warriors get back in here and cause trouble?"

"We'd really appreciate that, Rara!" Princess Twilight smiled.

"Thank you! Anyways, you all should get inside while I am going to call for backup. You can count on me, A.J.!" She assured her friend and pulled out her cell phone.

"And I can count on you too, sugarcube!" A.J. then walked in with her friends.

"Hello?" Rara called. "Can you please send some extra security down here? We've got a possible threat coming sooner or later! Really? I'm really grateful to have you as my assistant, thanks! Okay, bye!" She hanged up and walked in.

"YEAH!" as James Hetfield was warming up his vocals. "Well, who do we have here? Our future champs: the Rainbooms!"

"Hi James!" The band greeted.

"I assume that you all know why you're here earlier than usual, right?"

"Is it because that you and Miss Coloratura wanted to fit the finals in today?" Rarity guessed.

"Correct!" James dinged. "I would also ask you why she went out for a bit, but I don't want you all to miss one bit of the tournament, so I'll just ask Countess Coloratura myself later, alright?"

"Alright!" The Rainbooms didn't mind.

"Great." James sighed. "So who's got the guitar now: Rarity or Rainbow Dash?"

"I've got this!" Rainbow raised her hand up high.

"Ooh, it's time to start!" James realized. "You four know the deal, right?" He asked and rushed to the top of the stage.

"We're always the first ones up." Sunset noted.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" James announced. "You're probably all wondering where Countess Coloratura is at the moment, but don't worry! I see a full house already this morning and it's going to get crazy! You feel me?"

"YEAH!" The crowd chanted. "Rainbooms, Rainbooms, Rainbooms!"

"That's what I like to hear!" James replied. "Let's see who they'll go up against this early. Hit the first monitor!" It began to rotate. "From the Hive Suburbs, the Rainbooms will be facing the Changelings!"

"Changelings?" Spike theorized while being seated on Fluttershy's lap. "Thorax must be here! That guy's so cool!"

"Who EXACTLY is up?" James exaggerated. "Number Two, please?"

The second screen fastly activated and as it stopped, 'Full Band' was in effect.

"Alright, we're together now!" Rainbow fist bumped her friends.

"It has been a while since it's been like that in this tournament!" Pinkie lectured.

"Changelings?" James poked around. "Come on out and everyone, give them some big hands!" The audience clapped. "The lead singer is Thorax, who's famously nicknamed 'The King,' the guitar player is Rover, the bassist is Steve, and their fellow drummer is Bob! Are you guys ready?"

"We're ready, sir!" as the Changelings looked at the big screen.

"I bet Spike's happy to see these guys again!" Starlight said in a waiting room.

"Aww, I can't tell who Spike will root for now!" Sunset frowned.

"He knows the answer to that: both of our bands." A.J. stabilized her.

"Let's get the song ready!" James checked the last screen. "Folks, this time, you're going to help them count it in, alright? 1, 2, 3, 4!"

"1, 2, 3, 4!" The crowd countered.

"Begin!" as James started the game.

As James Hetfield played the song, the Changelings were already rocking.

"That's what I call a riff!" Sunset commented.

"Now who's dropping the bass?" A.J. grinned.

"Wow, that guy might be as fast as I am!" Rainbow gasped.

"I've never seen anyone hit the bass pedal that hard before!" Pinkie amused herself.

"Look at them go!" Fluttershy squeaked.

"Fabulous posture, indeed!" Rarity allured.

"Wow..." Both Twilights tempted.

"Guys, go!" Spike cheered.

"Now I see why Thorax's nicknamed, 'The King!'" James bowed. "All hail 'The King!'"

"All hail 'The King,' all hail 'The King,' all hail 'The King!'" The crowd hailed.

"We're not really in a kingdom, are we?" Princess Twilight shrugged. "Back in Equestria, I have a friend who's also a Changeling, and he's also named Thorax! Instead of him being 'The King,' ponies simply call him King Thorax."

"Oh." Fluttershy put a hand on her mouth.

"Is it almost over already?" Rainbow scratched her head. "This is definitely a speed metal track!"

"I'll say!" Applejack mumbled. "They ain't even breaking a sweat!"

"Focus, girls!" Sunset snapped them out of it. "We have to win this, remember? I'm impressed by Thorax and his band as well, but we can't get distracted!"

"That's true..." as Pinkie Pie continued to watch their opponents.



> 11. Stepping Down 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Thorax and his buddies now up on stage, the Changelings were literally rocking out like any other crazed fan at a concert. In this case, the fans attending Rara's Guitar Hero tournament are just as excited and hyper as the band.

"Can I ask you girls something?" Rainbow doted on them. "Why do they never take off their hoods?"

"They must feel REALLY comfy in them!" Pinkie stated.

"I don't know, but I'm with Sunset on this one!" A.J. consented. "We need to stay focused."

"You know, Spike may act hilariously out of control sometimes, but there's no way he would actually put down any of his friends." Sunset retained. "We've all allowed him to support whoever he wants and he hasn't bragged about who's better than the other, correct?"

"Uh-huh?" The other three were fazed.

"So, what're you trying to say, Sunset?" Rainbow tried to procure. "We love Spike as a friend and he knows it. We also don't mind his decisions, and that's only if they're reasonable. You forgot about everything he's done, haven't you?"

"I was going to ask you that, but I figured that I shouldn't. Maybe, I'm just restating the obvious here. Sorry if I thought that you all forgot!"

"It's alright, Sunset!" A.J. ministered. "Truth is that our little buddy is happy with either of us winning, that's how much he cares."

"Looks like 'The King' is persisting in style with his fellow bandmates!" Rara, who was back inside, annotated.

I'll say!" James reckoned. "I like their little karate moves that they show while playing!"

"Kyyaaa!" as Thorax did an air kick.

"Huuuahh!" Rover headbanged.

"Hiyyaaaa!" Steve growled.

"Boom!" Bob banged on the drums.

"That's how they roll!" Spike alleged. "Are you seeing this, girls?"

"Yes we are, Spikey-Wikey!" Rarity ogled. "In fact, we're all glad that you enjoy watching  your other friends perform, right ladies?"

"Really?" The dog gaped. "It's okay if I root for both the Rainbooms and the Changelings?"

"Yeah!" All the girls signaled. 

"Thank you!" Spike eased. "I can't believe that the score's over six million points right now!"

Backstage, the Rainbooms were bracing themselves for their next run. They couldn't wait to face friends from another band, especially.

"Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out." as Pinkie took control of Sunset's body. She pinned her down on the ground while smiling.

"Pinkie, can you please get off of me? I'm not nervous, so there's no need for...you...to..do this!" 

"Ah, that's what they all say..." Rainbow teased.

"A.J., help...me up, or I'm going to kill all of you!" Sunset roared.

"Easy, easy, I got ya!" The country girl startled and pulled her friend up. "Pinkie, this is for you!" She then suddenly slapped her across the face.

"Owwie!!!"

"Oh great, how can I sing when I can't even catch my breath?" Sunset meandered out of her mouth.

"Aren't you nervous?" Pinkie danced in a circular motion.

"Why you..." as Sunset steamed up. "COME HERE!" She lunged at Pinkie Pie, only to be stopped by Applejack's super strength.

"You obviously haven't forgotten about my powers, sugarcube. What's gotten into ya, Sunset?"

"Yeah, what gives?" Rainbow Dash psyched out. "I come back to the tournament with my best friends, only to find that one of them is getting upset for no reason!"

"...I'm so sorry, girls!" Sunset apologized and felt her heart skip a beat. "Pinkie, it's not your fault, it's mine for snapping. Maybe, I really am nervous because we made it this far and I fear that this might be it!"

"Oh, Sunset, that's ridiculous!" A.J. disputed. "What makes you think that we're just going to lose all of a sudden? This ain't like you at all! Is it because of us?"

"N-no, it's not like that! I love you girls, but I don't know what'll be thrown at us for the last couple of rounds!"

"I'm sorry too for messing with you like that, Sunset." Pinkie diminished. "It's good that we've gotten this far, and we couldn't have done it without your help. We need you more than ever. I say that's it less fun giving up rather than losing."

"I never thought I'd meet a girl who sings and plays guitar awesomely, and that girl is you, Sunset." Rainbow admitted with her eyes closed. "If it makes you feel better, I feel a bit nervous too at this point, even though I just came back. But there's no need to worry, because we've all got each other!"

"...I know, thank you!" Sunset almost weeped. "I'll always be there for you, girls."

"Aww shucks, I'm think I'm tearing up!" Applejack said. "I'm glad you said the same, Sunset! Sorry for busting your chops as well! Ya feeling better now?"

"Yeah, I do!"

"Awesome!" Rainbow rejoiced in jubilation. "The Changelings won't know what's coming to them!"

"Absolutely!" Pinkie leaped for joy. "Let's do this for Spike!" She put out her hand.

"Right!" The Rainbooms consented. "1, 2, 3, Rainbooms Forever!"

"Alright, Changelings, that was a beautiful performance!" Rara regarded. "An astonishing seven million points! Everyone, please give them your applause!" 

"All hail 'The King!'" One side of the room called out.

"Changelings, Changelings, Changelings!" The other side cheered.

"Hahahaha!" The band hysterically laughed as they ran around in circles on stage, holding each other in pride. "Suck it, world!"

"Hehe, do I actually find this funny or what?" Fluttershy giggled. "Seriously though, these guys rocked!"

"This is what they always do if they did a good job, and I'd say yes to both!" Spike acknowledged.

"Kudos to your guy friends, Spikey-Wikey!" Rarity approved.

"Yeah!" Both Twilights adulated.

"That was amazing!" Coco's voice cracked.

"Up next, we have, possibly the tournament's most promising competitors!" Rara listed. "You've stuck with these fantastic female players all the way, people! Give it up for the Rainbooms!"

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" The crowd drew their attention to the Rainbooms.

"Good luck out there!" Thorax and his buddies complimented as he walked off stage.

"Will do!" Sunset had a keen eye. "Are you girls ready?"

"Yup!"

"That's what I was going to ask, but thank you for saving me the trouble of doing so!" James passed off. "You four may take your places now!"

"Yes sir!" The band cooperated.

"Loading now!" as Rara glanced at the big screen. "3, 2, 1, Go!" 

And so, just like the Changelings, the Rainbooms were immediately thrown in. Everyone watching, including both hosts, jumped again due to not expecting a quick array of notes flying at them.

"ACHOO!" Sunset sneezed. "Heh, why do I feel so bored right now? Is it because that the lyrics don't come in until later?"

"First, can you please cover your mouth next time?" as Rainbow Dash shook off Sunset's droplets. "Second, you should really pay attention to when the lyrics come!"

"Aye aye, Captain Rainbow Dash." The vocalist blurbed.

"There's definitely some tension between those two." Princess Twilight pointed out.

"This isn't the first time you've mentioned that." Sci-Twi said. "No matter what happens, Sunset, Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie have got this under control!"

"Whoever wins this round doesn't really matter to me." Spike raised. "Just like you girls, Thorax doesn't act like a sore loser whenever he loses a competition."

"How do you know that, Spike?" Fluttershy looked down at her lap.

"Simple. Twilight, Starlight Glimmer, and I actually hanged out with him a couple of days after...we helped him fix his suburban neighborhood from the damage dealt by some vicious woman. Even Thorax couldn't believe that I'm a talking dog! Anyways, he found me to be cool because I was very friendly with him and he was the same back to me!"

"Indeed, he was, and that's what I like about you, Spike!" Sci-Twi smiled.

"Interesting!" Rarity claimed. "Keep going, Spikey-Wikey!"

"You're so beautiful, I...I mean, I'll continue! So, Thorax invited us to his house and actually let us hear his awesome singing! The very next moment, that's when he introduced us to Rover, Steve, and Bob, and they're just as nice as he is! Finally, we all just kicked back and played Guitar Hero like there's no tomorrow!"

"That was a nice story!" Coco put out. "Do you know why Thorax is nicknamed 'The King?'"

"He got that because his neighborhood saw him as a big hero, as he told us that he's done a lot of good deeds ever since we helped fix his town!" Sci-Twi brought up. "Starlight really likes Thorax, too!"

"Cool story, bro!" Sour Sweet popped up from her seat.

"...Please don't scare me like that again!" Fluttershy whispered.

"Hmm, did you say something?" Sour Sweet asked.

"N-no, never mind!" Fluttershy replied.

"Oh no." Coco stuttered.

"What's wrong, Miss Pommel?" Rarity wondered.

"Look at Pinkie Pie, she's tiring out!"

"Hahahaha, good one!" Princess Twilight chuckled. "Even in Equestria, the Pinkie Pie I know there NEVER grows tired!"

"Umm, Twilight?" Her other self pulled her shirt. "Coco's not kidding! Look on stage!"

"I'm party pooped..." Pinkie sighed.

"Uh-oh, it looks like Pinkie Pie's down for the count!" James Hetfield announced. "Can she recover?"

"This is not looking good." Rara tried to calm down. "The Rainbooms are still going strong, but they only have 6 million points and the song's almost over!"

"Hang in there, girls..." Starlight prayed in a separate room.

"I never thought it would come down to this!" Fluttershy began to cry, then Rarity held her head closely to her body.

"I almost can't bear to watch this anymore, sweetie! Pinkie Pie can lose energy, unexpectedly by the way, but she can always gain it back, and there's no way she would make our friends fail miserably!"

"C'mon, you can do this!" Spike believed.

"She just dropped her magical geode." Sci-Twi's jaws dropped. "My phone's ringing, what now? Hello? Baby!"

"Hey Twilight, baby, are you watching this?" Timber Spruce was on the other line. "One of your friends isn't not feeling well right now."

"I can see that." Sci-Twi fixed her glasses. "Where are you right now, Timber?"

"Upstairs, watching. Countess Coloratura needs my band at the closing ceremonies, and I'm pretty sure she told you the same thing with your friends' band, right?"

"You're not wrong, hehe!" The smart girl giggled. "Look, I'm sorry if I have to hang up, but..."

"You want to help out your friend, Pinkie Pie, in case she's about to pass out, right?" Timber predicted. "I always knew you were a very nice girl! I do understand your situation, however. Feel free to go to her if something goes wrong, okay?" 

"Okay, thank you so much, baby!" Sci-Twi cooed. "I'm glad you were able to guess what I was thinking! I gotta go, so I'll talk to you later! I love you!" She hanged up.

"I love you, too!" Her boyfriend ended the chat.

"Six and a half million!" Rara noted. "It's going to be close!"

"If only I had my magic, I would be able to do something!" Princess Twilight suggested. 

"I know, and I believe that only you can pony up when you sing." Rarity anticipated.

"Twilight, take this!" Sci-Twi then gave her magical geode to her pony counterpart.

"Why are you giving this to me? You're the sole bearer of this geode!"

"I am, but our friends have told me that you know a lot more about magic than even I do." Sci-Twi submitted. "I may have come very far practicing with my geode, but I don't think I'm nowhere near as experienced as you are. You think you can handle this?"

"What do I have to do?" Princess Twilight asked. "Ooh, I think I know a spell where I can make people or ponies no longer exhausted, but I'm not sure if it'll still work in this world!"

"Try it!" Fluttershy cried. "You can do this, Twilight!"

"Do it for the Rainbooms!" Spike begged.

"Alright. Here goes nothing!" The princess then put Sci-Twi's magical geode around her neck and she could feel the aura within herself. As she stared at Pinkie Pie, she was trying to remember the correct spell to help her play more actively. "Mmnneh!" With full concentration, Twilight closed her eyes and began to reinvigorate Pinkie in her current state of exhaustion. "It worked, it worked!"

"It's time to rock and roll...again!" as Pinkie sat straight up. "Bah-bam!" She was banging on the drums and bass pedals with full energy again.

"Last guitar solo!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "ARHWOOO!"

"Could this be a comeback that I see?" James was stoked out of his mind.

"Wow, look at them go now!" Rover dashed behind the curtains.

"Now I know just how hard Spike's girlfriends can hit!" Thorax thought.

"Is it over?" as Coco tried to get a peek.

"Huh!" Sunset caught her breath as the song ended.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we...have our first draw!" Rara declared.

"WHAT?" Everyone, including the Rainbooms and Changelings, were shocked.

"That's right, folks!" The pop star confirmed. "Even with Pinkie Pie's recovery, she only managed to help her band get the exact same score as the Changelings, which is seven million points. We will have the tiebreaker in just a little bit, but for now, both bands must rest for a couple of minutes!"

"This is insane." James mumbled in disbelief.

"Pinkie, are ya okay?" A.J. tried to comfort her.

"Yeah, I'm good. I think I might've ate too much on the way here, though."

"Wait, we've seen you eat a lot a dozen times before, and not once have you ever had stomach pain!" Rainbow caught on. "What did you eat, Pinkie?"

"More s'mores?"

"I should've known." Sunset Shimmer sighed. "You know what? We're here to help you feel better, so you should know that it's not your fault."

"It's not?" Pinkie burped. "I've gotten really addicted to a camping snack, haven't I?"

"No, why would we ever pin it on you, buddy?" Rainbow reassured. "Besides, you're not the only one who was binging on the s'mores at Camp Everfree!"

"I couldn't help myself either." Sunset admitted.

"Same here." A.J. raised her hand.

"Come on, let's get you off the floor!" Sunset, along with Rainbow Dash & Applejack, pulled Pinkie up and dusted her off. "You can still play, right Pinkie?"

"Yeah, don't worry! I've got this!"

"You're giving this back to me already?" Sci-Twi flipped as her other self handed her back the geode.

"We don't want magic to be the destruction of this tournament, right? I don't think I could bring myself to use it again!"

"She has a point, darling." Rarity agreed. "Who knows what'll happen if we unleash magic in a packed place like this?"

"That could be the end of everything!" Fluttershy and Spike shivered.

"Sunset Shimmer, Thorax?" Rara requested. "Can I please have your attention?"

"Eyes are open!" Sunset reported.

"What'll it be, ma'am?" Thorax stepped up.

"For the tiebreaker, both of you will not be singing, and instead, it's up to either of your fellow band members to take the lead." James Hetfield laid out. "So, no vocals will be required for this next track."

"Don't forget that which ever band loses this one is eliminated from the tournament!" Rara straightforwardly put out. "Understand?"

"Yes ma'am!" Both Sunset and Thorax united.

"Good, both of you may sit this one out, now!" The pop star responded. "Can we get the other big screen up, please? Instead of taking turns, both bands will be facing each other using two band kits! Bring out the second kit, please!"

As the technical crew lowered the second big screen and immediately hooked up the other band kit, the Rainbooms overheard the rules in the meantime.

"We won't let you down, Sunset!" A.J. nodded.

"Yeah, we got this one for you and the others!" Rainbow said with confidence.

"Ditto!" Pinkie joined in.

"I know you three will never fail, and that's what I love about all of you!" Their leader sobbed for a bit. "I know you'll do great!" She proceeded to hug her friends and sat on a chair to the side.

"We're going now!" The three other Rainbooms then took the new instruments and were strapped on.

"You guys got this!" Thorax encouraged and sat down on the other side of the stage. "Make our hometown proud!"

"These girls are tough, but we're not going to lose now!" Bob clinched a fist.

"This is for everybody we know and love!" Steve elaborated.

"Let's bring this victory home, boys!" as Rover lead his friends to the other band kit.

"Excellent!" James clapped his hands. "I see that both bands are in position for the tiebreaker! Rainbooms, are you ready?" He pointed to the left.

"Ready!"

"Changelings, are you ready?" James pointed to the right.

"Yes sir!"

"The honor is all yours, Miss Coloratura!" as James allowed to start the next song.

"3, 2, 1, Vámonos!" Rara initiated the tiebreaker song.

Back outside, the Neighon Warriors were approaching the Manehattan Theater. It was still early in the morning, but none of them grew tired after their elimination.

"Let's get inside." Heiru said. "Excuse me, sir!"

"Hold it!" A security guard halted him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Our band is supposed to be here for the closing ceremonies, just like Countess Coloratura said with every other band!" Rina explained.

"Well, Miss Coloratura apparently made it clear to my fellow buddies and I that you four seem like a threat to another band that's here right now!" The guard worked up.

"And would that other band be, sir?" Cherry Blossom grew curious.

"The Rainbooms." The guard spoke.

"Drat, they must have found out about our..." Stone talked, only to have Heiru's hand cover his mouth.

"What was that?" The guard tried to clean his ear.

"Ehh, nothing sir!" Heiru nervously coveted up. "W-why do you think Countess Coloratura sees us as a threat?"

"I ain't telling any of you!" The guard held a grudge. "Y'all should know or remember what you did the night before, and maybe if you wouldn't have done it, Miss Coloratura would let you back in! On her behalf, you have either two choices: leave with no interferences or you can allow me to get reinforcements called upon the four of you!" 

"W-we prefer the latter!" Heiru chose his answer. 

"Good, now beat it!" as the guards scared off the Warriors.

"Crap!" Heiru stomped on the ground. "Alright, which of you slipped up by telling the Rainbooms what we're up to?"

"None of us, baby!" His girlfriend panicked. "How are we supposed to get in now?"

"I'm calling them now!" as her boyfriend pulled out his cellphone.

"Them?" Stone scratched his head.

"You know who he's referring to, do you, imbecile?" Cherry slapped him across the face.

"Shh!" Heiru shushed. "Hello? We need you down here immediately, because Plan A failed. Yes, I still have what you want and I'll give it to you and your two other friends if you come. Make it quick, okay? Thanks, bye!"

"Now we wait..." Rina then leaned by Heiru who stood in place.

"Ooh, so close!" as James snapped his fingers back inside the theater. "The Changelings missed a bass note, but they're very close behind the Rainbooms' tails!"

"The victors of this whole thing will go down in history!" Countess Coloratura imagined.

"Go, go, go, go, go!" The crowd blazed.

"It's good to see Pinkie healthy again!" Rarity said. "At least, she didn't manage to make Sunset, Rainbow, and A.J. lose."

"Yeah, you have me to thank for that!" Princess Twilight awkwardly reminded. "I'm seriously not pulling off something risky like that again!"

"Even though it was dangerous, I will still thank you for trying to help out our friends!" Fluttershy put her hand on her shoulder. "There's also no need to feel guilty, Twilights!"

"I'm surprised nobody caught you in the act, Princess!" Spike inaugurated. "You really had my Twilight and I worried!"

"Let's just forget about the two magical mishaps that happened so far, okay?" Sci-Twi entreated.

"Okay Twilight!" The others favored.

"I feel so proud of them!" as Sunset sat back and watched her friends play. "It sucks though that I'm not out there with them, but ehh, what can I do? Hmm, this screen says that we have two bands left to face: Starlight Glimmer's and another band that we don't know of."

"The semifinals are after this, I presume, and if we win that round, we might face either my friend Starlight or someone else." Thorax said to himself. "Keep it up, guys!"

"The end is coming in HOT!" As soon as James screeched into the microphone, everyone's ears were ringing.

"Aargh, keep it down, will ya?" Rara fumed. "Thank you, technical crew!"

"No problem, Miss Coloratura!" A man up on the catwalk spit out.

"Oh, Star Power Finale!" The pop star detected. "Both bands really want to rack up the best score, but who will come up on top today?"

"Huh?" The crowd were in suspense.

"And...bam!" James clocked in. "The Changelings have earned 1.2 million points and the Rainbooms have earned...1.3 million points, so they're the winner! Give it up for the Rainbooms, folks!"

"Rainbooms, Rainbooms, Rainbooms!" The audience went nuts cheering their name.

"Those are my girls, woohoo!" Spike praised. "...I'm so sorry, Thorax."

"Yay!" The other girls filled themselves with glee.

"Way to go, girls!" Sunset exhilarated. 

"We lost?" as Rover put down the guitar.

"We did." Steve and Bob clouded up.

"Aww, I thought you guys had it!" as Thorax tried to take it all in. "It's okay, we'll get 'em next time!"

"Yeah!" The Changelings cheered up. "Rock on, guys!"

"I'm so sorry that you four couldn't make it to the end, but you came very far!" Rara said with a passion. "Thank you so much for accepting to compete in my Guitar Hero tournament and I hope you all come back next time! Everyone, please give the Changelings some standing ovation!" The audience stood up and howled positively for them.

"Thank you!" The band took a bow together and left the stage.

"I've got an idea!" Rara brainstormed. "James, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"We should throw our clothes off?" He got slapped by his co-host.

"NO! Since everyone here really favors the Rainbooms the most, why don't we move on to the next match who will be joining them in the finals?"

"They have to be in the semifinals, you know?" James directed to Rara.

"James, this crowd really adores them and if they're looking forward to seeing the Rainbooms in the finals the most, then we should listen to them! You guys want that?" She extended the microphone so that it was facing the fans.

"YEAH!"

"Fair enough, I guess!" Mr. Hetfield reluctantly tagged along. "So, the Rainbooms are just going to sit back while we sort out the semifinals?"

"Exactly!" Rara pinpointed. "Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, A.J., Pinkie Pie?"

"Yes Rara?" The big four stacked their heads on one another.

"You four may sit this one out if you wish. Right now, the semifinals will be between the Manehattan Enforcers and the Ponyville Savages! We see the future champions within you!"

"Okay!" The Rainbooms left to go backstage and they found Thorax with Starlight Glimmer. "Hey guys!"

"Hi girls!" Thorax and Starlight waved to them.

"Wow, you four are ones that are not to be messed with!" Thorax blushed. "Congratulations on beating us, by the way!"

"Thanks bud!" Rainbow wiped off her sweat and shook the singer's hand. "Where are your friends, by the way?"

"They're in the bathroom. We still feel sad about losing, but we're not sore losers!"

"Spike wasn't kidding about you, huh?" Sunset asked.

"About what?" Starlight added. "I find that dog to be very cool, although...he gets too playful sometimes. He's one of those friends who cheers for all of his friends, right?"

"Bingo!" A.J. made a gunshot noise.

"Hey, look who it is!" as Pinkie pointed to Starlight's other band members.

"Howdy again!" Babs Seed commenced.

"Hehe, how's it going again?" Suri Polomare laughed dryly.

"It's fun to meet you Rainbooms again!" Cheese Sandwich got giddy. "You four really have put on a show so far!"

"Babs, Suri, and Cheese!" A.J. frolicked. "Y'all too did a good job of making this far as well!"

"Hehe, thank you!" Suri giggled. "We're just about to go on right now!"

"We know you're going to feel good about this one!" Cheese professed.

"Oh, we will, don't worry!" Pinkie didn't abide. "Hey Applejack, isn't that your sister over there coming out of the bathroom as well?"

"Apple Bloom? How in the hay did she get here? Why are the Crusaders here too?"

"Sis!" Apple Bloom called to Applejack and she went to go hug her. "Look who else is here!"

"It's...so good to see you again, little sis!"

"Hey girls!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo entered.

"Hi, how are you three?" as Sunset patted the Crusaders' heads. "Don't tell me you all got lost!"

"Nah, we didn't!" Sweetie acted like it was no big deal. "Applejack remembers that she grew close with Countess Coloratura and she hasn't forgotten about how close we've gotten with her, too!"

"So, we gave Countess Coloratura a call, which she politely picked up, and she allowed us to come down to Manehattan to watch you girls play!" Scootaloo told. "We hitched a ride on the train, in case you're wondering."

"Why didn't your sister drive you instead, Scootaloo?" Pinkie interrogated.

"Well, after she told me that she was going back to compete in the tournament, I got excited! However, when I asked Rainbow Dash to see if she could drive me here, she complained about how far it was from her house to here. It's funny how lazy she acted the next couple of hours!"

"Don't push it!" Rainbow groaned.

"Come on up here, Enforcers!" Rara affirmed on stage. 

"It's time to shine too, Savages!" James Hetfield stated.

"Wish us luck, even though we're not going to need it!" Starlight stuck her tongue out. Her band then followed her to the top of the stage.

"Good luck, Starlight!" Every one of her friends supported.

"This is it: the deciding factor of who gets to face the Rainbooms!" Thorax eagerly awaited. "How do you four feel about this?"

"I think I know who'll take this one!" Sunset idealized.

"My money's on Starlight!" Rainbow patched in.

"Eeyup, same here!" A.J. decided.

"Me three!" Pinkie almost fell down.

"Hey, there's Starlight Glimmer!" Princess Twilight pointed to her. "You got this, Starlight!" The crowd cheered hard enough for the beginning of the semifinals as well.

"Show them what you've got, Starlight!" The rest of the group acclaimed.

"Over to my left, we have the Manehattan Enforcers!" James said. "The lead singer is Babs Seed, the guitarist is Starlight Glimmer, the bass player is Suri Polomare, and last but not least, Cheese Sandwich is the drummer!"

"And over to my right, we have the Ponyville Savages!" Rara turned in that direction. "Their singer is Quibble Pants, the guitarist is Amethyst Star, the bassist is Saffron Masala, and the drummer is Button Mash!"

"Wait, something's not right here." Sunset stopped. "Isn't Button Mash a bit too young for this?"

"I don't see any age restrictions on the rules!" Rainbow handed her a copy of the tournament's rules. "Quibble Pants is a cool guy, but we're still kind of on opposite ends when it comes to the aspects of Daring Do."

"There are new books?" Pinkie asked.

"A.K. Yearling will never give up being an author!" The athletic girl swore.

"Shh, it's about to begin!" A.J. quashed.

"Are all Enforcers ready?" James scouted.

"Ready!" 

"Savages, how about you?" Rara scrutinized.

"We're ready!"

"Just do it!" The audience demanded the song to play.

"Miss Coloratura, our next track?" James crooned.

"I have it!" Rara readied up. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Go!"

"And they're off!" Spike zoomed in.

It was now noontime and everyone outside was seeing the finale of the tournament live on TV screens everywhere, including the giant ones on Bridleway.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" The same security guard ranted at the Warriors. "You can't come in!"

"I guess third time's not the charm, huh?" Heiru ridiculed. "I guess I have no choice. Adagio, you know what to do."

"Hahahahaha!" The leader of the Dazzlings laughed. She, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk, all had their red gemstones repaired and lit up. "Sir, I'm afraid that you must die!"

"You and what army?" as other security guards backed up the back door.

"None!" Aria answered.

"Take this!" Sonata attacked.

Out of the Dazzlings' three gemstones came their true Siren forms whose eyes were bloody red and jaws were sharper than ever. All together, they sang musical notes of poison, which affected all the guards at once, and they slowly died.

"Great work, you three!" Stone called out. "Now we can exact revenge on the Rainbooms once and for all!"

"Actually, about that..." Adagio had second thoughts. "We want to thank you so much for fixing our red gemstones that gives us our musical voices again, but it seems like your services are no longer required."

"That means we have to eliminate you four now!" Aria snickered.

"Why are you doing this?" Rina shivered in Heiru's arms.

"I thought we trusted you!"

"Too bad, so sad!" Sonata joked. "But seriously, you need to die!"

"Oh whoa whoa oh!" The Dazzlings all harmonized and their Siren forms came out again. This time, they choked the Warriors tightly enough until their necks snapped.

"Eeack..." They all struggled to breathe, but failed.

"That was too easy!" Sonata chuckled. "Before we get inside, can we get some tacos?"

"Not now, you buffoon!" Aria smacked her head.

"Enough, let's go!" as Adagio lead her friends into the theater. They all had sinister looks.



> 12. The Rainbooms vs. The Enforcers 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"As we're watching this battle before the last, I notice that I've felt something change." Sunset Shimmer thought. "Twice in this Guitar Hero tournament, magic was used quite drastically, and I can't tell if it's cheating or not. If I said it was the former, my friends would probably disagree with me on that. I just don't want them to be disappointed with all the fun they're having, despite the magic. I was the girl who told all of my friends at Camp Everfree to embrace the magic, but now it seems like I have lost that ability! We know for a fact that it follows us everywhere we go, so is it really something to fear or embrace?"

"Something wrong, Sunset?" A.J. checked her out and she returned to reality.

"Uhh, nothing, Applejack!" She faked a smile.

"Come on, don't lie to her, Sunset." Rainbow negotiated. "She can tell whether if something's up or not."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not hiding anything! I'm just thinking, that's all!"

"If you insist." Pinkie didn't mind. "Even if you're not hiding something from your friends, there's no need to keep it unspoken of. We'll always help you out if there's a problem!"

"Thanks Pinkie, but really, I've said all that I need to." Sunset said. A.J. went from a suspicious look to a firm one, letting Sunset know that she won't try to get anything else out of her. "It's hard for me to see who will win the semifinals!"

"Yeah, our initial thought is Starlight still, but she's pretty leveled with Quibble Pants' band right now, if you ask me." Rainbow went out on a limb. 

"Let's just see who can hang in there, y'know?" A.J. requisitioned. "It's anypony's, I-I mean, anyone's game at this point."

"Did I hear you correctly?" Sunset turned to Applejack, only to burst out into a bit of giggling. She vigorously shook her head.

"Sorry, force of habit!" A.J. excused. Recalling what Rainbow Dash said about who would win, she went along with her. "But yeah, Starlight's got this!"

At the center of the stage, Countess Coloratura and James Hetfield got as thrilled as they could, being that this is the last day of the Guitar Hero tournament. Sunset's friends in the audience were enjoying themselves as well.

"Well, would you look at this?" James casted upon Rara. "A full house giving their full attention to two full bands at once!" The host agreed with him.

"Tell me about it, James!" Rara appraised. "I, for one, really love the drummers here! Button and Cheese are assaulting like crazy!"

"Good thing there's a lot of batteries in these controllers!" James mentioned. He then took a quick glance at Starlight Glimmer and Amethyst Star's right hands. "Look at the downpicking of the guitar players!"

"Aww, that's cool!" Rara said. "I don't think anyone can come close to your level of downpicking, however! It's the most natural and good picking I've ever seen."

"Why, thank you, Miss Coloratura!" The vocalist replied. 

The two hosts continued to stand back and watch the semifinals. With no effort, the Dazzlings made it inside the theater. The three demonic singers tucked themselves into a dark corner.

"Just follow my moves and sneak around." Adagio whispered. She was checking both ways before advancing. "Be careful not to make a sound."

"Ooh, that rhymed!" Sonata alluded. 

"Can't we just take them on now, Adagio?" Aria badgered, only to get shushed by her leader.

"Quiet!" Adagio demanded. "We'll wait until the Rainbooms have their matchup with the Enforcers, which is the name of the other band, I believe."

"If the Rainbooms lose to them, then what?" Sonata asked.

"Either way, they're still going down!" Adagio vowed. Sonata and Aria continued to follow her until they found Rara's dressing room. "We can hide out in here in the meantime."

The Dazzlings then entered the room and found a guard by the wardrobe. "Hey, who are you?" As he tried to pull out his walkie-talkie to call for backup, the three harmonized to summon their Siren forms, which knocked the guard out heavily.

"An earthquake?" Sunset felt the ground shake. "There's obviously no fault lines in this city."

"I didn't feel anything." Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Maybe it's how hard these guys are playing! I love it!"

"Yeah, but I think it must've been coming from back here." Sunset tilted her head towards the dressing room. She went to it immediately. "I'll be right back!"

"Where ya going, Sunset?" Applejack inquired. "Starlight's winning right now and we're about to go on."

"Come back!" Pinkie cried.

"This'll just take a sec." Sunset called out.

As Sunset Shimmer walked towards Rara's dressing room, the Dazzlings were hearing her footsteps near the door. They quietly panicked and butted heads. Not surprisingly, a pop star like Countess Coloratura would have a very big wardrobe in her dressing room.

"Quick, hide!" as Adagio took cover in one of the closets.

"Eeeek!" as Sonata went to hide behind the couch facing the door. 

"Aaah!" as Aria slid underneath the couch.

When Sunset opened the door, the Dazzlings were out of sight, trying to hide. However, the girl noticed the guard's unconscious body laying down on the floor. "What happened here?" She took a closer look around. "Hmm, I guess this guy fell asleep on the job just looking at all these cool outfits, hehe! Oh well, I've got to get on stage!" Sunset left the dressing room.

The Dazzlings took a deep breath and got out of their hiding spots as Sunset left. Adagio locked the door from the inside. "Next time, turn off the lights, and secondly, hide our evidence!"

"That should've been your job, Aria!" Sonata bashed. Aria slapped her across the face again.

"My job? Someone lazy like you could at least do something productive for once!" Aria continued to argue with her vigorously. "Did you ever think about any inspectors, Adagio?"

"For once, you're actually right!" Adagio accepted. "Maybe I should've listened to Stone a bit more often, but no, our precious gemstones are more important than him at this point!"

In the audience outside, Sci-Twi, Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, and Coco were continuing to watch Starlight's band play until the end. In contrast to their opponents, they had two and a half million points, while the Savages only had two million. Babs Seed had a higher vocal range than Quibble Pants, Starlight's fretting hand was faster than Amethyst Star's, Suri had better bass timing than Saffron, and Cheese couldn't stop dropping the beat.

"Maybe these guys aren't so bad after all!" Adagio, while looking at a TV, had a smirk. "What do you say we add them to our checklist, girls?"

"But these Enforcers, or whatever they're called, don't have Equestrian magic!" Aria apprised. "What use do they serve to us?"

"I think I've figured it out!" Sonata imagined herself with a lightbulb over her head. "At the Battle of the Bands, it isn't Equestrian magic that makes the Rainbooms their strongest, it's their friendship. So, they must look like they're friends with this Starlight Glimmer!"

"How did you think of something that smart, Sonata?" Aria's eyes widened.

"No, she's actually right...for once!" Adagio caught on. Her two friends looked at her confusingly. "This Twilight Sparkle seems to know a lot about friendship and the connection between her and her friends feels very strong! What if we feed off of that magic?"

"Will friendship make us no longer evil?" Sonata minded.

"Nonsense, we're still going to be evil!" Adagio replied. She started to giggle out of control. "Once we see the Rainbooms all together at once, we'll make them as powerless as possible!"

"They're obviously going to fight back against us, you know?" Aria reminded. Her leader met her with a long face. 

"This time, we'll play by their rules and actually compete in this tournament!" Adagio confirmed. Sonata and Aria looked at her like she was crazy. 

"But, there's only three of us, so who's going to be our fourth player?" Sonata asked. 

"I will sing and play the guitar at the same time!" Adagio came up with that idea.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Adagio?" Aria reckoned. She felt uncomfortable with her plan, while Sonata enjoyed it as she couldn't feel more excited than ever. "I guess I'm on bass, then!"

"Drums for me!" Sonata raised her hand. With her loud voice, her two other friends shushed her harshly. Then, she went back to her hiding spot.

"Sorry Savages, but your time is up!" James uttered outside on stage with a frown. Everyone in the audience was in shock and awe. "Congratulations on making it this far!" The band's spirits were lifted, even after they lost.

"It was such an honor to have you here, you guys!" Countess Coloratura flattered herself. "Before you leave, I would you like to give you something very special!" The pop star clapped her hands, prompting two of her staff to bring out a trophy.

It read '3rd Best Guitar Hero Band Ever.' It wasn't as big as the first place trophy that the Rainbooms saw in Rara's apartment, but it was fairly big, nonetheless. Each of the Ponyville Savages looked happy, knowing that they've earned something after battling to the very end of their run.

"Here you go, guys!" as Mr. Hetfield handed the trophy to Quibble Pants. He held it up high with his fellow band members. "Everybody, give it up for the Ponyville Savages!"

The crowd cheered wildly like never before on the very last day of the tournament. Even the rest of Sunset Shimmer's friends applauded for both the Enforcers and the Savages. The latter took a bow and welcomed the crowd's praise before they got off stage and the former gave them their support by clapping, too.

"Whew, that was something!" as Starlight wiped off her sweat.

"Them fellas did fight hard!" Babs admitted.

"Heh, tell me about it!" Suri chortled.

"Woooo!" Cheese exhilarated.

"Ehh, hey, Rainbow Dash!" Quibble Pants greeted his friend backstage. She and her friends waved back. "So, we just lost!"

"We saw everything, Quibble." Sunset ratified. "We're sorry that you and your band just lost. I'll admit that Starlight Glimmer shouldn't be messed with!"

"Noted!" Quibble smiled again.

"Thank you!" Saffron Masala exalted. "I guess you must know her then! She did cook up some exquisite tricks!"

"Bummer, ain't it?" Amethyst looked gloomy. "I'm sure Twilight enjoyed watching us, right?"

"You're friends with Twilight?" A.J. interjected. "Which one?"

"There are two Twilight Sparkles?" Amethyst scratched her head. "Well, in case you forgot Applejack, I'm friends with the one who seems to not be around from here. Is Equestria the name of the place where she's from?"

"Yes, exactly!" Pinkie Pie jumped. "Girls, you do remember that I used to live in Ponyville, right? So, I took Princess Twilight on a trip down memory lane there back then! I had good times..."

"Maybe too much." Sunset whispered in Rainbow Dash's ear, and then they giggled.

"I hope my mom won't be sad over our loss!" Button Mash bit into his fingernails. 

"Aren't ya a bit too young to be competing here, sugarcube?" A.J. patted his head.

"Nope!" Button straightened his propeller hat. "My mom allowed me to compete and plus, Countess Coloratura has no age limit in her rules!"

"Rara really loves children..." A.J. thought relatively of her childhood friend. She rolled her eyes but while in a good mood. 

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's FINALLY time...for the grand finale of our first annual Guitar Hero tournament!" Rara spoke with pride. 

The audience all stood up from their seats, ready to get crazy like never before for the last battle. With the Ponyville Savages eliminated, the Manehattan Enforcers will finally go up against the Canterlot Rainbooms.
Both Twilights, Spike, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Coco have also risen up to wish their friends the best of luck, hoping that the money and trophy will be claimed by them.

"Can we please have the Rainbooms come up to the stage?" James Hetfield started.

"This is it!" Sunset was on edge. "Ready girls?"

"Ready!!!" Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie huddled up. 

"1, 2, 3, Rainbooms Forever!" All the Rainbooms chanted. They have now officially went to the top of the stage.

"Good luck!" The Ponyville Savages supported.

On stage, the Rainbooms and Enforcers are looking at each other, face to face. Half of the inside and outside were screaming, "Rainbooms, Rainbooms, Rainbooms!" The other half of the everywhere cheered, "Enforcers, go!"

"Excellent!" James snickered. "The rules will pretty much be the same, except that both bands will actually be using both kits. There will be two rounds and whoever wins both, wins the trophy and grand money prize!"

"But, if there's a tie, then we will go to the sudden death round." Rara warned. "Remember, the highest score is what we're looking for! Does each band understand?"

"Yes ma'am!" Both the Rainbooms and Enforcers agreed.

"Good, then shake hands and get to your spots!" James ordered.

"May the best band win!" Both bands shook each other hands and walked in opposite directions.

"You can do this, girls!" The rest of Sunset's group united.

"James, my dear, you have the honors this time!" Rara said. "Would you be kind enough to select one of our very last songs?"

"With pleasure!" as her co-host activated the song screen. "Let's see what we have here.... Aha! How about one of my band's tunes?"

"Very well!" Rara replied. "Folks, you're going to help us count in again, okay? Rainbooms, are you ready?" She pointed to her left.

"Ready!" They nodded.

"Enforcers, are you ready?" Rara pointed to her right.

"Ready!" The opponents notified her.

"Five!" Everyone yelled. "Four!"

"Three!" James counted.

"Two!" Countess Coloratura counted.

"One..." Everyone joined back in. "GO!!!"

James Hetfield started up the song with the remote control and both bands were off. Meanwhile, the Dazzlings are witnessing the first round of the finals on TV inside of Rara's dressing room. They locked the door from inside so no one can catch them.

"Remember girls, we want to save the good stuff for when our full power has been restored!" Adagio clinched her gemstone necklace.

"Didn't you say that back at Canterlot High?" Aria wheezed.

"Yes, but this time, we will actually win!" The leader of the Dazzlings laughed dementedly. "I think I've found who exactly will be our main meal!"

"Who is it?" Sonata Dusk wondered.

"Sunset Shimmer." Adagio suspected. "Back then, she seemed to be the key to our defeat, and now we have to take her out first."

"What about her friends?" Aria reminded.

"It will be easy to eliminate them once we get rid of their precious leader!" Adagio planned. "There's only three of us, yet we somehow managed to overpower six of Sunset Shimmer's friends! It's perfect, I'm telling you!"

"She has a point!" Sonata went along with Adagio's plan.

"Since when did YOU make a good point?" Aria bickered.

"Since when did YOU..." Sonata fought back, but was cut off by Adagio.

"Enough, you two! You can go back to your usual cat fights after we get our revenge on the Rainbooms. Right now, they are actually doing well against these Enforcers, if I do say so myself."

"I thought you'd never compliment anyone else except for us." Aria pointed at Adagio. At this point, the Dazzlings were arguing with each other for no reason. Aria got up from the couch and peeked out the door. "No sign of security."

"That's good, so at least we can have fun with each other in the meantime!" Sonata screeched.

"Not like that!" Adagio groaned. "And by fun, you must mean us destroying the Rainbooms, right?"

"Ehh, right!" The blue-haired girl twitched. "I'm really digging these new guys, by the way!"

"Doesn't matter, they're not important." Aria obstructed her friend.

"This whole world's going down anyway right after we get rid of the Rainbooms!" Adagio bulked up. "HAHAHAHA!" 

"SHHH, QUIET!" Aria shushed.

"...Whoops, silly me!" Adagio simmered down. "Hey girls, who do you think owns this dressing room? It's literally dazzling! See what I did there?" She checked the door and on it was a star labeled 'Countess Coloratura.' "Ah, so this must be Applejack's best friend!"

"How in the world do you know THAT?" Sonata questioned her leader but got slapped in return. "Oww!"

"You idiot! What else did you think we've been doing these past few months besides spying on these seven girls? And you better not say anything about our taco trips!"

"I'll pass!" Sonata gulped.

Back to the main event, the Rainbooms and the Enforcers went head to head using their best efforts. Sunset and Babs were vocalizing in tune, Rainbow tried to outsolo Starlight, A.J. had to keep her basslines intact against Suri, and Pinkie wouldn't let Cheese drop a better drumbeat.

"This is a tough one!" Sci-Twi claimed. "Even with magic, this match would still be neck and neck for the girls."

"Yeah, especially since our friends and Starlight's friends are within the same score range, which is three million points." Princess Twilight contemplated. "What do you think, Spike?"

"Difficult." The dog disclosed.

"I really hope Sunset wins this for us!" Fluttershy entreated.

"Come on!" Coco recited.

"Beat them, ladies!" Rarity hurried.

"Wow, this is so crazy!" Sour Sweet came forth from her seat. "Your friends look like they're in trouble, Fluttershy. I hope they can still win!"

"I hope so too!"

"It seems like neither band wants to give up, nor go down yet, James!" as Rara beamed the competition. "Wait, no! The Rainbooms have a slight advantage now with Star Power!"

"Uh-oh, the Enforcers have some as well!" James spoke. "It's a race to the finish!"

"Oooorah!" A random guy howled in the audience. "This is rock and roll!"

"Crap, it's going to be close!" Sci-Twi stood up. "C'mon girls!"

"Language." Fluttershy and Rarity spoke softly.

"Cut, and that's a wrap!" Both hosts finished and so did the song. "The first round goes to the Rainbooms, with four and a half million points!"

Everyone outside and inside watching all had mixed reactions at the end. Some were shocked, disappointed, or excited by the Rainbooms victory. Even though they won the first round of the finals, the girls kind of worked themselves up too much. During all the cheering and booing, both bands had to stretch for a bit.

In Rara's dressing room, the Dazzlings just witnessed their number one enemies win the first round. Adagio was actually clapping slowly for them, but Sonata and Aria weren't having any of it.

"Impressive." Adagio admitted.

"It would've been if the song was different!" Aria complained. "It's not heavy enough!"

"As in heavy metal?" Sonata asked, but received yet even more slaps across her face from Adagio and Aria. "Oww, how many times are going to do that to me? That really hurts!"

"Okay, we will be gentle...when you stop asking so many stupid questions!" The leader mumbled out of her mind.

"What she said!" Aria parted ways.

"James, will you excuse me for a bit?" Rara requested. "I've gotta get the trophy ready for the champions!"

"Of course, but where is it?"

"Inside my dressing room." Rara confirmed. "The money is in the security room, too."

"Okay, I'll take it from here while you get the trophy." James said.

"Thank you!" as Rara proceeded to go offstage.

"Shoot, we were so close!" Babs raged. "Just a single point away from victory!"

"I really need to take it easy!" Rainbow huffed. "This ain't the first time I've been in a tight situation like this since Camp Everfree!"

"Neither have I!" Sunset attempted to breathe in and out.

"We'll get them this round, hehe!" Suri chuckled and readjusted her strap.

"Hmm?" Rara looked confused. "I don't remember locking my door at all today. Ah, it's a good thing I always have the keys! Lester must really love being secure!"

"Shh, hide again!" Adagio whispered. Then, the Dazzlings returned to their hiding spots.

"Lester?" Rara tapped on his unconscious body. "No pulse... Who could've done this to him? Meh, I don't have time for this! A.J. and her friends need me, so I'm just going to pick this up and get back on stage where I belong! Sorry man..." She picked up the trophy, turned off the lights, and left the room.

"Okay, who forgot to hide this guy's corpse?" as Adagio examined the guard.

"It was her fault!" Sonata and Aria both pointed at each other.

"Aargh, whatever!" Their leader passed off. "After this last round, it will be our time! Nobody will stop us!"

"MWWHAHAHA!!!" All three Dazzlings laughed demonically.

"I'm back!" Countess Coloratura rushed to her position. "I thought you were going to start without me!"

"I wouldn't want you to miss a single bit of this!" James insisted.

"Oh, you're very sweet, thanks!" Rara blushed. "Ahem, so where were we?" The host picked up her microphone and placed the trophy on a table. "If the Rainbooms win again, then they will victoriously go home with the grand prize! However, the Enforcers still have a chance to redeem themselves in this next match!"

"Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen." James pretended to put out a hat. "Just kidding, don't gamble!" No one got the joke. "For this next song, it'll be something emotional but epic at the same time!"

"I think I know what song you're talking about, James!" Rara caught on. "This time, may I start it up?"

"This is your tournament after all, so knock yourself out!"

"Ready Rainbooms?" The pop star pointed to the left again.

"Ready!" as the four powerhouse girls readied themselves.

"Enforcers, are you ready?" The pop star pointed to the right again.

"Yes ma'am!"

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Begin!" Rara started the next or last song.

Just like that, both bands went off once again. Unlike the last song, this one was a bit slower. According to James Hetfield, it's one of his favorites. For the record, Sunset wouldn't mind a change in style. After all, she gets to lead the girls to victory...or defeat. But, nobody unexpectedly looked more nervous than A.J.'s friend, Rara, since she really supports her hometown.

"Hmm, this game's missing something." Hetfield stated.

"What's that?" Rara minded.

"A rhythm guitar player!" Her co-host cried. "Without one, the band is incomplete! The game makes you play both rhythm and lead in one, but you can't see each one separately!"

"Maybe you should write a book about that..." Rara said under her breath. "The Enforcers are off to a great start, people! They're taking a bit of a big lead on the Rainbooms."

"Hey, what gives?" as Spike sat up in Fluttershy's lap. "Why are they behind?"

"I don't know!" Sci-Twi panicked. "This is only just the beginning of the song, they can catch up!"

"Sir, can you please get off of me?" Princess Twilight found herself being hustled by a crazed fan.

"Oh, I don't like where this is going." Rarity concluded. "Shall I do that thing again?"

"We can't use magic anymore, Rarity!" Fluttershy stopped her from activating her geode. "Sunset wants us to lay off of it unless it's a REAL emergency!"

"Even I can't bring myself to use my own magic!" Princess Twilight exchanged worried looks with Fluttershy. Both of them nodded at each other, knowing that it's wrong to use magic for the third time during the tournament. "We must not let any casualties happen due to magic!"

"Didn't you use it on that Stone guy before, Miss Rarity?" Coco pulled on her shirt.

"Yes, but that was a very tempting accident, dear. I had to do it, otherwise Stone would beat us! Mmm, now that I'm saying this again, I feel like it would be such an unfair, competitive move."

"It's not your fault, Rarity." Sci-Twi reassured. "At least, you had it in yourself to stop using your magical geode and the same goes for the other me with my geode!" The Princess of Friendship smiled awkwardly after hearing this.

"Geez, our friends are down by about 500K points." Fluttershy frowned. "But just like Twilight said, they can still catch up!"

"With a big gap like that?" Spike looked up at her. "We'll have to keep watching in order to find out. Zzz..."

"Are you seriously sleeping at a time like this, Spike?" Sci-Twi ranted.

"Hnngh, yeah..." He stretched his paws and laid flat on his back. "Wake me up when the girls win..."

In Rara's dressing room, the Dazzlings were warming up their voices while watching the second round of the finals. Their sitting positions were those of actual meditators. Not a surprise to the other two, Adagio's voice is that of the girl who will brook no argument with her plans. 

"That was barely worth the effort, Adagio." Aria slumped down.

"The energy in this world isn’t the same as in Equestria. We can only gain so much power here."

"Wait a minute, haven't you two said those words before the Battle of the Bands?" Sonata asked. Her tone gives her away as probably not being the brightest bulb in the box. "For realsies, I think it's true!"

"For realsies, you have finally asked a good question!" Adagio grinned sarcastically. 

"Yay!" Sonata cheered.

"Psst, and that will always be the best question from you..." Aria whispered. This time, she gets slapped by Sonata.

"Jerk."

"Perhaps we can hold off the Rainbooms until a bit later!" Adagio thought. "I want the three of us to toy around with the Enforcers!"

"But I thought we all knew that they don't have Equestrian magic." Aria rephrased. "Just because they're beating the Rainbooms this round doesn't mean we have to go and face them."

"Just follow my lead." Adagio said. "The weaker ones go bye bye first and the stronger ones shall bid the world farewell, hehe!"

"I'm on board with this plan!" Sonata raised her hand. "I think I say that all the time, don't I?"

"No kidding." Aria and Adagio let out to each other silently.

"Grr!" Rainbow Dash cracked on stage. "This is too painful!"

"At least the lyrics are over." as Sunset dusted her microphone.

"This is our chance!" Babs praised. Her band's score almost passed eight million points, with the Rainbooms behind at 7.7 million. "Don't let up, pals!"

"Ooh, this is not looking good for the Rainbooms!" James bit his lip.

"You imbecile!" Rara facepalmed. "You wrote the song. Did you already know what was going to happen?"

"No, not at all!" James freaked out. 

"Good, because I was just about to stop this entire thing and throw you out of here for destroying the rules!" The pop star felt empowered.

"Please don't do that, it'll make my band look worse!" The rhythm guitarist begged.

"Then don't pull off any stupid stunts." Rara sealed her lips. 

"Star Power, go!" as Pinkie activated it. "Get higher, score!"

"I'm trying to help!" Applejack called out. "Shoot!"

"NOOO!!!" The rest of Sunset's friends in the audience all embraced each other tightly.

"Huff, huff, huff." Rainbow panted. "It's...too much."

"Game over!" Rara announced as the song ended. "The Enforcers win the second round of the finals!"

"They have amazingly accumulated a score of 8.2 million points, beating the Rainbooms' score of eight million!" James Hetfield inspected. "Give 'em a round of applause, folks!" The audience, except for Sunset's friends, did so.

"Nnmm, did they win?" Spike woke up.

"No, Spikey-Wikey." Rarity disappointed him. "They lost."

"But they still have one more chance, right?" Fluttershy hoped.

"Yes, but Sunset, Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie all look pretty tired after this song." Sci-Twi noticed. Her other counterpart hummed in agreement to that. At this point, Sunset's friends all looked sad, but they weren't ready to give up. "There's no way those four are going to lose! Not then and not now!"

Both Twilights, Spike, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Coco all laid a hand on each other's shoulders. They took deep breaths as they were getting ready for the sudden death round. Sunset had to clear her throat, Rainbow had to shake her wrists, A.J. had to stretch, and Pinkie had to get up from her chair.

"We're tied, and there's only one thing left to do." Sunset ran out of breath.

"What's that, Sunset?" Rainbow tried to comfort her friend.

"Win. For our friends and everyone we care about. Are you three with me one last time?"

"We are!" Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie replied. 

"1, 2, 3, Rainbooms Forever!" All four band members chanted.

"This is it, ladies and gentlemen!" Rara said into the microphone. "It all comes down to the sudden death round! To do something special this time, may I ask both singers to step down?"

"Yes ma'am!" Sunset and Babs obeyed on opposite sides of the stage.

"It's an instrumental battle, so no vocals are required for this last round." James said. "Understand?"

"Yes sir!" Both leaders cooperated.

"Okay, you may be seated!" James offered. Sunset and Babs shook hands and stood by their bands' sides. "It's a three on three of the century!"

"More like...a rematch of the century!!!" Adagio came out of nowhere.

"That voice..." Sunset overheard. "No, it can't be!"

"The Dazzlings!" The other three Rainbooms pointed at them.

"That's right, Rainbooms!" Aria stuck her thumb at her friends. "We are back!"

"And we're here to kick your butt once and for all!" Sonata proposed.

"Who are these thieving ladies?" Rara was blown out of her mind.

"Security!" James yelled.

As soon as a few guards showed up, the Dazzlings harmonized to summon their Siren forms again and tied up the guards using a magical rope. They couldn't move their feet or arms. When everybody tried to run for the doors, the Dazzlings sang, causing the doors to be magically locked.

"Where does everybody think they're going?" Adagio smirked. "You're right about one thing, Countess Coloratura: the world shouldn't miss this!"

Sunset's friends went to join them on stage and all nine of them were together. Coco remained in her seat as she couldn't move like everyone else due to their fear.

"What do YOU three want with us?" Sunset grew so curious. "Did stepping in to save my friends prove nothing to you?"

"Oh, of course you proved something to us, Sunset Shimmer!" Adagio responded. "You actually have a heart! We didn't think you had it in you to turn things around the Battle of the Bands!"

"She-Demon was a part of me, but not anymore! I've changed dramatically and I've helped my best friends overcome even more obstacles!"

"You mean an obstacle as weak as Gloriosa Daisy?" Aria brought up.

"How does she know about my sister?" as Timber was watching everything in another room.

"How do you know about Camp Everfree?" Sci-Twi demanded an answer.

"I'll give you a hint: it starts with an s and it rhymes with lying!" Sonata giggled.

"You've been spying on us?" Princess Twilight angered. "How long have you been doing so?"

"Ding ding ding!" Adagio laughed. "Ever since we lost to you, we've been following you around for quite some time now! We even found out that you have a new Twilight Sparkle! If only that Principal Cinch taught you better..."

"Principal Cinch?" as Sci-Twi fixed her glasses. "What does she have to do with this?"

"Wait!" Aria halted. "We peeked on Sunset Shimmer after she tried to chase you on to that bus one day, so we followed that exact bus all the way to Crystal Prep Academy! Principal Cinch was actually dumb enough to believe that we were exchange students about to attend her school!"

"It was a really fun plan!" Sonata felt a lot of joy. "She had to make us go home the first day since we were new and the Friendship Games were happening, too!"

"Son of a..." Rainbow Dash almost snapped. "Then what?"

"Camp Everfree was our next stop." Adagio explained. "This Filthy Rich guy that we ran into managed to hitch us a ride with him in his limousine and as soon as he arrived at the camp, we snuck into the woods and forged shelter. We luckily kept ourselves free from Gaia Everfree, or should I say, Gloriosa Daisy's evil clutches!"

"She ain't evil, it ain't her fault!" A.J. defended in memory of the camp director. "Honestly, you three have been making dirtier moves than a bull!"

"And I'm proud of what we've accomplished!" Adagio clapped her hands.

"Sunset, look around their necks!" Pinkie pointed at the Dazzlings.

"I see. How in the world do you have those gemstones again?"

"Let's just say that our old buddy, Heiru, was kind enough to fix them up for us!" Sonata mentioned. "It's too bad we didn't get to repay him properly! We just killed him!"

"Oh yeah?" Princess Twilight tried to make a comeback. "You're not the only one with magic!" She pointed at her friends' magical geodes.

"How do you like these apples?" A.J. was determined to fight back.

"Like fighting fire with fire, huh?" Aria asked. 

"We've beaten you clowns once and we can do it again!" Pinkie claimed.

"I'd love to see you try!" Adagio crossed her arms.

"Not so fast, girls!" Starlight Glimmer stepped in. "If you want to get to my friends, you're going to have to get through us, first!"

"Agreed, hehe!" Suri chuckled.

"Bring it on, Dazzlings!" Cheese put up his fists.

"Starlight, what are you doing?" Sunset worried. "These girls, or rather, musical creatures are too dangerous for you! Leave it to us!" 

"Don't worry, Sunset!" Starlight put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's see how they feel about being humiliated in a video game! I've heard from you a long time ago that the Dazzlings sing really well, but can they play really well?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing, Starlight Glimmer!" Adagio returned the favor. "Have no fear, we'll play by Miss Coloratura's rules and actually play the game!"

"Babs, stand down." Starlight instructed. "This is an instrumental round, after all."

"B-but, I..."

"It's alright, Babs!" Starlight ameliorated herself and Babs. "Call your Crusader friends in the meantime and tell them that you're a little bit busy, okay?"

"...Okay." The Enforcers' lead singer finally sat down.

"Mr. Hetfield, why don't you go and get the song ready for us?" Adagio politely requested. She picked up the guitar, Aria picked up the bass, and Sonata picked up the other drumsticks.

"Y-yes ma'am!" as he nervously stood up.

"E-Enforcers, are you...r-ready?" Rara attempted to focus.

"Ready!" The three looked fierce and ready to go.

"D-Dazzlings, are you ready?" Rara pointed to the left.

"Of course we are!" They rushed her.

"Th-three?" James counted.

"T-two!" Rara uttered.

"One!" Both hosts spit out. "Go!" The song started up.

"Be careful, Starlight!" Sunset and all of her friends supported.

The song quickly threw in a bass riff which kept Suri and Aria on their feet. The two mashed buttons in an attempt to reach the top of the scoreboard. Right now, this was a battle to see who will face the Rainbooms once and for all. Originally, the Enforcers were supposed to go up against them, all until the Dazzlings showed up.

"If my friends win this, then you better get your darn flanks out of here!" Babs negotiated.

"Deal!" as Adagio came in with some guitar riffs. "But, you better pray that they actually do win, because it doesn't look like it's about to happen so far, little one!"

"MWAHAHAHA!" All three Dazzlings burst out satanically.
> 13. Rematch of the Century 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things were going so well during the finale of Rara's Guitar Hero tournament, until the Rainbooms' old enemies, the Dazzlings have returned to seek revenge on them once and for all. The girls didn't expect the Neighon Warriors to be behind the repair of the gemstones that once gave the Dazzlings their true voices. Just as the Rainbooms were about to defeat them for the second time, their friend, Starlight Glimmer, wasn't having it either. Her band, in front of the entire world, now faces the three Equestrian evils in order to protect the Rainbooms and everyone else inside the theater. It was four against three, but it seemed pretty even right now. 

"I will beat you like a Cherokee drum!" Cheese admonished.

"Is that so, handsome?" as Sonata banged away on her drums. "Two can play at this game!"

"There's three of us, moron!" Adagio echoed. "Eyes on the big screen!"

"You will not win!" Starlight retaliated. "I got sick chops you girls can never hope to play!"

"Hey, doesn't that sound like a lyric from one of my songs?" Rainbow randomly selected. She got a massive pinch from Applejack. "Ouch!"

"No time for jokes, sugarcube! This is serious, y'all!"

"We gotta stop the Dazzlings again before they unleash their musical, evil magic to the entire world!" Princess Twilight begged.

"I think we can let Starlight handle that!" Sunset suggested. "The Dazzlings lost last time and got booed offstage, so another crushing defeat will give them a lot of humiliation!"

"I'm not sure if this is a good or absurd idea." Sci-Twi said.

"Are you crazy, Sunset?" Pinkie's mouth was gaping widely. "Starlight and her friends don't even have magic like us."

"Just trust me on this, girls!" Sunset heartened. "Come on A.J., back me up here!" The country girl gave her a weird look.

"...I hate to admit it, but I'm with Sunset on this one. She did nothing wrong, but I'm quite concerned about where this is going. Gals, flip on your magical geodes in case the Dazzlings pull off something suspicious!"

"I was about to say the same thing!" Sunset replied. "Good thinking, A.J.!"

"Yeah, good idea, pal!" Rainbow thanked.

"Aww shucks, thank you!" as A.J. took off her hat. "But seriously, keep them eyes peeled, y'all. Rara!"

Her pop star friend then nervously trembled and almost tripped until she met up with Applejack. "Y-yes?"
She put a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"Everything's going to be alright, Rara!" Fluttershy calmed.

"What?" James Hetfield turned his head to the Rainbooms. "Did you just see what those three ladies did to our security detail? They're monsters!"

"A.J., do you think this'll be a good time for you and your friends to transform, or pony up, as you've showed me before?" Rara wondered.

"I think we all want to, Rara, but Starlight Glimmer might have something up her sleeve. If she fails, we'll be on standby. Alright?"

"Okay..." Her friend replied.

"Let's see how you can handle these lead licks, Adagio!" Starlight challenged her. She got up closer to her and both leaders were at the center of the stage.

"Throw everything you've got, Starlight Glimmer! Once we breeze through your band, the Rainbooms will be our concern!"

"Huh, is that so?" Suri objected. "Activate Star Power!"

"We can do that too, you know!" as Sonata struck the button to activate Star Power.

With her band dueling out the Dazzlings, Babs Seed met up with the Cutie Mark Crusaders in Rara's dressing room, which was left unlocked by the demons. Everything was still going live around the city and world as the four kids watched both in horror and suspense. They sat down on the sofa and looked at each other.

"Our sisters better handle these Dazzlings again!" Apple Bloom cried. "I ain't gonna let Applejack be beat by some filthy maniacs!"

"Oh, Rarity better act fast!" Sweetie Belle worked herself up. "What're we going to do?"

"Can we call Gabby to try and get us out of here?" Scootaloo asked. "She's almost as fast as Rainbow Dash, so there shouldn't be a problem trying to bail out."

"Sorry y'all, but the Dazzlings locked us all in this place with their crazy magic." Babs noted. "The only way we're leaving is if your sisters' band kicks them to the curb!"

"Umm, I thought you said Starlight Glimmer was taking care of the Dazzlings." Apple Bloom said.

"She's barely holding them out there with Suri and Cheese, and I got a bad feeling that something strange is 'bout to happen in the end!" Babs countered.

"Like what, Babs?" Sweetie grew curious.

"I don't know, but it's definitely something. We gotta warn the Rainbooms right this instant, maybe ask them to do their magical transformations like you gals keep telling me about." Babs put on a grin of hope, while her three friends still look worried and not joyful in the slightest bit.

"No." Apple Bloom intervened. "I think I'm starting to have more faith like my sister, Applejack, and I say that your friend, Starlight, has got this. There ain't no way she's losin' to these wranglers!"

"What makes you say that?" Scootaloo minded.

"It's the honest truth." A.J.'s sister came to terms. "Just trust Starlight. After all Babs, she picked you to be a part of her band, am I right?"

"She did."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders all sat together and watched the battle between the other Enforcers and Dazzlings, which was still going on. On stage, Sunset Shimmer and all of her friends kept on cheering for Starlight, while all members of the audience cowered in fear and held on to each other for safety. For Starlight, this was considered to be the second round of the semifinals.

"Is that the best you girls got?" The Enforcers' guitarist roused. "You three actually suck!"

"How is she making this so easy and awesome at the same time?" Rainbow hinted at her friends.

"Meh!" They all shrugged. "Go Starlight!"

"Ugh, you girls are supposed to be helping me back there!" Adagio commanded.

"We're trying so hard!" as Aria strained with the bass guitar. "Maybe you should pick it up, Sonata!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" She gave lip. 

"Oh, what's this?" as Rara peeked at the big screen. "The Enforcers are actually winning against these Dazzlings so far with nine million points!"

"Everyone, move up and give them your loudest and heaviest screams!" James directed at the audience. "Let's bring Manehattan to glory, shall we?"

"GO, GO, GO!" The crowd blared. "Let's go, Enforcers, let's go!"

"Uh-oh, looks like you three are down for the count!" Cheese Sandwich grinned.

With everyone's support, including the Rainbooms', the Enforcers looked more fierce than before as they were about blow the Dazzlings out of the water in these last few moments of the current song. Adagio grumbled, "We're not ready to lose! Why don't you try this on for size? C'mon girls!"

"Whoa oh oh!" All three Dazzlings harmonized to summon their true Siren forms again. This time, they've created melodic notes that took control of the entire game. "MWAHAHAHA!!!" Their band chart was now glowing red.

"Hey, you girls can't just cheat by boosting your score like that!" Sunset argued.

"Enough playing by the rules!" said a glowing red Adagio. 

"What evil person would follow the rules anyway?" added Aria.

"Not us!" followed Sonata.

"You still won't win, Dazzlings!" Starlight fought back. "You may not have realized it, but your score is SLOWLY increasing and is nowhere near ours!"

"Hehe, take a look!" Suri chortled.

"MORE POWER!" Adagio yelled. "Without magic, you can't do anything!"

"Say goodbye to your high score, Enforcers!" Aria commented. "We can change our Star Power into...Leech Power!"

"EAT THIS!" as Sonata struck a cymbal button. 

With the Dazzlings' dark magic, things took a turn for Starlight Glimmer and her band as their score started to decrease and add on to the Dazzlings' score. Leech Power was taking tens of thousands of points away from the Enforcers, causing the panicking to return in the room. 

"Sunset, we have to do this now!" Sci-Twi leaned over to her friend.

"Fine." She replied reluctantly. "Hold hands, everyone!"

"Right!" The other eight united.

"Here we go again..." as Sunset closed her eyes. After flashing lights reflected off every surface of the room, she and her friends have turned into Crystal Guardians again, thanks to their magical geodes. "Come on, girls!"

"Wait, look at the princess!" Fluttershy paused. 

"She looks...FABULOUS!" Rarity gushed.

"Wow, you look almost exactly like me!" Sci-Twi revealed to Princess Twilight. "The only thing you're missing is my pair of goggles."

"Wow!" The rest of the girls came in.

"Thank you!" Princess Twilight ushered in. "My vision is perfectly fine, so I don't need goggles."

"So, what're we waiting for?" Rainbow Dash hastened. "Let's kick the Dazzlings' butts once again!"

"No need, girls!" Starlight interrupted. "We won!"

"WHAT?" Everyone, including the Dazzlings, broke off. 

"Who's dazzling now, hehe?" Suri bantered. "Sorry..."

"I was going to make that joke!" Cheese clouded up.

"Unbelievable." Rara picked up the microphone again. "The Enforcers...actually won!"

"They dropped from nine million points, only to have recovered themselves back to that exact spot!" James announced. "I've never seen that happen before!"

"YEAH!" The crowd and world incited. "Woohoo!"

"Sunset, over there!" Pinkie pointed to the Dazzlings. "Their red gemstones have a little crack in them!"

"You're right, Pinkie." as she observed. "But, I'm pretty sure they're too embarrassed by another defeat to even fight back!"

"Hahaha!" The other Rainbooms laughed.

"You made a deal, Adagio." as Starlight walked over to the rival leader, who was kneeling down on the ground. "That being said, I want you and your buddies to get out of here! Don't come back, either!"

"L-let's go, Adagio!" Aria simmered down.

"Adagio?" Sonata went to check her out.

"We lost... WE LOST??? NO, I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT!!!" Her red aura came back and she started to release an even darker and bigger version of her Siren form.

"This ain't good!" as Applejack started to feel the ground shake. 

"AHHHH!!!" Everyone else freaked out.

"Get down on the ground!" Rara instructed.

"Hold up, what?" Rainbow stopped in her tracks, trying to escape. "Why do I have my real guitar?"

"Mine came out of nowhere as well!" Sunset exclaimed at the top of her voice.

"All of our instruments poofed up, too!" Pinkie shouted.

"Two microphones?" Princess Twilight inspected.

"We're going to need all the musical firepower we've got, ladies!" Rarity said.

"Sonata, let's run!" Aria rushed her.

"No kidding!" Both of them went out the back door, which was the only exit left.

"They were useless to me, anyway!" Adagio passed off. "You're going down with me, Rainbooms!"

"Not today!" Sci-Twi stepped up. "You've lost to my best friends once, so you're going to lose again!"

"Is that so, Twilight Sparkle?" Adagio bet. "They may have handled three different beings from Equestria, but can they handle three of me?" Suddenly, she sang to summon two other clones of herself.

"Enough talking!" Sunset concluded. "You want a rematch? Then we'll give you one, alright! Huddle up, girls!"

"1, 2, 3, Rainbooms Forever!" They all chanted.

"Instruments up, y'all!" A.J. reminded.

"Aww, how cute!" Adagio remarked. "But just as Sunset said, let's stop talking and fight once again!"

"Bring it on!" The Rainbooms stated.

Inside the game, both bands had their note charts powered up, with the Rainbooms using their magic to add the remaining instruments to the game, while the three Adagios' charts glowed dark red, so they all had tricks up their sleeves.

"Be careful, Rainbooms!" The Enforcers encouraged.

"Stay safe, baby!" Timber Spruce hoped.

"Do it, sis!" Apple Bloom cried.

"You can do it, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle praised.

"Do your awesome thing, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo pumped herself up.

> 14. Victory of Harmony(Final)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Take this!" as Adagio attacked with Leech Power. Out of herself and her clones, she still had the guitar and microphone. "Just lose already!"

"Not on our watch!" Rarity gloated. "We shall catch you on the flip side!" She raised her keytar to unleash a Lefty Flip Power-Up. "Isn't that glamorous?"

"No effect!" A clone of Adagio said.

"Double Notes, go!" as Sunset accelerated an attack with her guitar. "Can you keep up with the rhythm?"

"On top of that, why don't you have a taste of these apples?" A.J. cued in with her bass. "Did I break your strings, sugarcube?"

"You still have to beat our vocals, Adagio!" Sci-Twi brought up. 

"Whoa oh whoa!" All the Rainbooms harmonized.

"Keep going, my girls!" Spike psyched up. "Thorax?"

'The King' and the other Changelings hurried to the stage to witness the destructive battle going on between the Rainbooms and the Dazzlings. "Over here, Spike!" Thorax called out to him and so, the dog came over. "Good to see ya, bud! What the heck is going on right now?"

"You know those stories about my friends battling magical forces of evil that I keep telling you about?" Spike asked. "Yeah well, this freak of nature happened to be one of them and now she's back to seek revenge on my friends!"

"Ooh, this is not good!" Rover freaked out.

"You're telling me!" Steve added. "I almost had a heart attack when the ground shook!"

"Same here!" Bob touched on the subject.

"Spike, is it me or do your friends look a bit more different than what you've mentioned about them to me?" Thorax further questioned.

"See those shiny gemstones around their necks? Ever since those girls obtained them, they've gotten even stronger, magical powers! It's unbelievable!"

"That must be the same case with these Dazzlings, right?" Thorax asked.

"Pretty much, but technically the big, bad one's all alone, so she just musically cloned herself right now." Spike elaborated.

"There you are, Thorax!" Starlight approached. She then gave him a big hug. "What're you doing out here? It's not safe yet!"

"I know, I was just looking for Spike."

"I hope Twilight and Sunset have a plan for this!" Starlight worried.

"Uh, make that two Twilights, Starlight." Spike corrected. 

"Right. Ooh, I never should've tried to take the Dazzlings on in the first place! It's all my fault!"

"Starlight, it's not." Thorax bolstered. "Either way, they would doom us all! At least you won that little match."

"Uh-huh, but we still triggered them!" Suri rephrased.

"Look how bonkers they are!" Cheese exclaimed.

"I guess it's up to our friends to stop them, and I can see that they added more instruments to the game." Starlight said. "Ooh, I wish that I haven't told Babs to run off!"

"Say no more, gal." She entered with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "No way I'm taking the Dazzlings down now!"

"That's why you have us!" called out a busy Pinkie Pie. "How do you like us now, Siren?"

"Talk all you want, but you eight fools won't reach the top of the scoreboard!" The real Adagio flamed.

"Don't be surprised if the three of us pummel you easily!" A clone annexed.

The Rainbooms, even with their full lineup, were fairly matched against Adagio and her clones. She was still singing and playing the guitar as a human, but her Siren form was glowing and attacking out of her heart. It was the same thing for the clones, too. Their magic, as well as the Rainbooms', played to each other's disadvantages.

"Kids, get away from there!" Rara cried over the CMCs. 

"But we need to see what's going on, Rara!" Apple Bloom tended.

"I can't see the score in all of these black clouds!" Sweetie Belle was staggered.

"Well, we can and so far, the Rainbooms are barely winning." Mr. Hetfield pointed out. "You four can see for yourselves if you just scoot over here!"

"I see what you did there." Scootaloo deviated from the danger. "Coming!"

"I can't see a darn thing!" as Babs tried to look at the big screen. "Y'all need to excuse my height."

"The Rainbooms have nine million points and the Dazzlings have 8.75 million points." Rara observed at her stance.

"Still not going down, huh?" Sunset challenged. "I'll drop you like it's hot!" She waved her guitar around to send out a Battle Power-Up.

"My hands are burning!" Adagio shook herself and dropped the guitar for a bit. "What did you do, Sunset Shimmer?"

"'Fret Fire' for the win!" She gloated. "That actually felt so good!"

"Drat!" A clone of Adagio's conceded. "Get back up, master!"

"Not so fast, Equestrian scum!" Rainbow halted. "It's time to ride the lightning! Hiyaah!"

"That's cheating for sure!" Another clone argued. "You can't break our band charts!"

"You started this whole thing!" Sci-Twi disapproved.

"And now you're going down again!" Princess Twilight opposed.

"Adagio's getting tired!" Fluttershy perceived.

"She's about to suffer miserably!" Rarity convulsed. "All together for the finishing blow!"

"Right!" All eight Rainbooms banded together. 

Their instruments touched each other and combined, ready to blast Adagio's clones out of existence. A rainbow was forming above and it swooped down, completely destroying them with no effort, whatsoever.

"NOOOOO!!!" Adagio broke out and kneeled down again. "How could you do this to me?"

"It's for your own good!" Sunset stepped up. "Wait, what's happening to me?"

"So bright!" as Pinkie shielded her eyes.

"Agh!" The audience were blinded as well by the bright light.

"Is it over?" Spike assumed.

"Sunset, ya have wings?" A.J.'s jaws dropped. "That's mighty incredible!"

"Yeah... Why do I sound different now?"

"Hmm, her wings look completely different from the Twilights' wings, Fluttershy's, and mine." Rainbow Dash detected.

"They are!" Fluttershy beamed.

"I have phoenix wings." Sunset said. "This isn't the first time I've transformed and received these wings!"

"We remember that glamorous story, darling, but we don't remember your voice getting a change." Rarity
paused.

"Hold on, I think I know why she sounds like that!" Sci-Twi defined. "She's not getting louder, but her vocal range is exceeding her current one!"

"Really, how?" Pinkie wondered.

"We're about to find out, girls!" Sunset replied. "You're finished, Adagio!"

"Her gemstone's almost cracked entirely, so let's finish the job!" Princess Twilight wrapped up.

"Right!" The eight girls united with their instruments.

"That's the way it's done!" Spike cheered. "Woohoo!"

"Are you sure it's over, Spike?" Starlight asked. "What if she gets back on her feet and becomes even more insane?"

"She looks as if she's almost dead." Thorax deemed.

"That sounded dark, dude!" Rover shivered.

"Sorry." Thorax apologized and laid a hand on Rover's shoulder.

"Everyone, come back upfront and chant your wildest screams!" James enjoined.

"Rainbooms, Rainbooms, Rainbooms!" The whole world fortified.

As of right now, the girls not only got the top score, but have successfully minimized Adagio's efforts in complete destruction. All they had to do was finish her off.

"I'm getting blind again!" Babs complained. "Turn off the lights!"

"No, it's not the house lights, dear." Rara calmed down. "I've been told a story about the Rainbooms joining together and rising up to the challenge!"

"As in floating up like that?" Sweetie Belle adduced at the band holding hands.

"Yeah, according to A.J., this is their finishing blow!" Rara exhilarated.

"What's it called, Rara?" Apple Bloom interrogated.

"Honesty!" A.J. shouted.

"Kindness!" Fluttershy shouted.

"Laughter!" Pinkie shouted.

"Generosity!" Rarity shouted.

"Loyalty!" Rainbow shouted.

"Magic!" Both Twilights shouted.

"Redemption!" Sunset shouted.

"Together, we are Canterlot Wondercolts, Crystal Guardians, Rainbooms, and most importantly, the Elements of Harmony!" All eight enforced themselves in a group.

"S-so?" Adagio coughed.

"You no longer have magic like us! We, in fact, shall always carry ours for good, unlike you! Together, we possess...the Magic of Friendship!" 

Their eyes started glowing white and upon the still shining rainbow, the same Alicorn spirit from the Battle of the Bands was summoned. Its horn began to glow and it shot out a bigger rainbow at Adagio.

"That is what it's called, ma'am?" Hetfield poked his head around Rara.

"Eeyup! They've won! That was a quick one!"

"YEAH!!!" as the whole world was pleased. "Rainbooms, Rainbooms, Rainbooms!"

"Woohoo, those are my girls!" Spike clapped his paws. "Victory!"

"Oh yeah!" The Changelings praised.

"Good job, girls!" Starlight applauded.

"Hehe, that was amazing!" Suri giggled.

"Woohoo, rock on, Rainbooms!" Cheese glorified.

"Way to go, sis!" Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo howled. 

"They knocked her down hard, yeah!" Babs was impressed.

"You did it, baby!" Timber relieved himself in another room.

"Wow, the crowd is so happy with this kind of result!" Rara announced on the microphone. "That was totally magical!"

"I'll say!" James complimented. 

After their very last attack, the Rainbooms descended to the stage, ponied down, and released each other's hands. They immediately found a big hole in the ground.

"Where's Adagio?" Fluttershy asked.

"I guess we literally made her vanish, haha!" Pinkie played around. "Seriously, she's gone!"

"Did we send her back to Equestria?" Rainbow questioned.

"I don't know, but she'll be too powerless to try and conquer that place if she ended up there." Princess Twilight hypothesized.

"No doubt about that." Sunset remarked.

"At least nobody got hurt...except for her." Sci-Twi said awkwardly.

"Congratulations, ladies!" as James approached them. "You won the Guitar Hero tournament!"

"WHAT?" The eight looked puzzled.

"Oh, don't be so modest!" Rara passed off. "You all have true musical skills, whether they're applied to real life or a video game!"

"But, we haven't finished the sudden death round with the Enforcers!" Sunset reminded.

"It's perfectly fine, Sunset Shimmer!" Starlight walked up to her with her band mates. "You deserve to win after all that you've been through with the other girls. Countess Coloratura's right about your skills, too!"

"Wouldn't dream of a better way to tie up loose ends, hehe!" Suri chuckled.

"Agreed!" Cheese butted heads.

"Ditto!" Babs nodded.

"Are you absolutely sure, my dear Starlight?" Rarity checked.

"Trust us. That was a tough battle we've just seen and we don't want to overwhelm you again. You may take the win!"

"...Thank you so much, Starlight!" as the Rainbooms and Spike went to have a group hug with the Enforcers. "We love you!"

"Aww, I love you too!" She responded. "You're very welcome, by the way! What're friends for?"

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, I guess it's safe to say that the winner of our first annual Guitar Hero tournament is, indeed, unanimous!" Rara announced. 

"We, James Hetfield and Countess Coloratura, hereby declare the Rainbooms the 'Best Guitar Hero Band Ever!'" They both declared. "Bring out the trophy and grand money prize!"

Quickly, a security crew came out with the first place trophy and the three million dollar prize, w was divided into multiple briefcases full of money. The technical crew then shined the spotlight on the Rainbooms.

"Here you go, girls!" as Rara handed the trophy to Applejack. "A.J., I want to thank you and your friends so much for accepting my invitation to compete here!"

"Here's the money, too!" James exclaimed. "Save it wisely!"

"We will!" The Rainbooms nodded.

"Everyone, free cheers for the Rainbooms!" Both hosts encouraged.

"Rainbooms, Rainbooms, Rainbooms!"

"Haha, we did it!" Rainbow concluded and fist bumped all her friends. "That. Was. Awesome!"

"It's all thanks to our friendship, which will never die out!" Sunset claimed. "I love you so much, girls!"

"We love you so much, Sunset!" They replied and hugged each other again.

"One last photo, Rainbooms?" Photo Finish requested as she was standing at the front of the stage.

"Sure!" The Rainbooms complied and got in close enough for the photographer to take the picture.

"I think that came out quite well!" Spike revealed.

"Oh, one last thing, girls!" Rara insisted. 

"What is it, Rara?"

"If you don't mind, can you let a friend of mine say something real quick? It's very important!"

"What's it going to be, Applejack?" Rarity asked. "It's your call now!"

"Send her out, Rara!" The country girl accepted.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please? Before we call out the other bands for applause and a bigger group picture, I'd like to welcome someone very special to the stage! We've produced some songs together and they came out as a success! Please put your hands together for...Sapphire Shores!"

"Woo!" The crowd cheered as the other pop star walked out.

"Thank you, Countess Coloratura!" as Sapphire grabbed a microphone. "How's everybody doing today? You all had a lot of fun throughout this tournament, right?"

"YEAH!"

"Marvelous!" Sapphire replied. "I've come out here to talk to the Rainbooms about two important things. Congratulations on your hard battle with your elegant instruments of musicality!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Shores!" The band hailed.

"Secondly, in a couple of months, I will actually host my very own Guitar Hero tournament, and I was wondering if you're all interested."

"Where is it going to be?" Sunset inquired.

"All around the world, and I'll be joined by Mr. Hetfield and Ms. Coloratura, as well!" Sapphire Shores thought. "Are you in, Rainbooms?"

"We'll think about it, Mrs. Shores." Sci-Twi answered back. "We're kind of tired at the moment."

"Oh, that's okay! We still have some preparations to take care of, so you'll have plenty of time to think it over! If you've made a decision, you can either get in touch with my agency, the Countess, or the metal man. Here's our phone numbers!" She handed them out on small cards.

"They'll come in handy!" James smiled.

"They sure will, so thank you again!" Pinkie acknowledged.

"Now how about an encore?" Rara smirked. "You girls want to play one last song before we bring everyone out?"

"Sunset?" The other seven tilted their heads towards their leader.

"Encore, it is!"

"Excellent!" James cleared his throat. "Audience, you're going to count us in one last time, okay? Let's get the last song ready!"

"Bingo, we're good to go!" Rara loaded the game back up. "Ready Rainbooms?"

"Ready!" They readied their instruments back up.

"Five!" One side of the theater counted.

"Four!" The other side counted.

"Three!" Sapphire counted.

"Two!" James counted.

"One!" Rara counted.

"GO!!!" Everyone came in.