//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8- Saving Twilight 
// Story: Rainbow Rocks: Friendship Makes Magic 
// by ImNoPony 
//------------------------------//

With Spike by her side, Sunset was walking down the hall and making her way to meet sirens. Her pony features went away so she has something up her sleeve if something happens. She also parted ways with that music girl that she became friends with on the roof but she will help her out if she gives her a call. Clenching her phone in her hand, Sunset wasn't what was going to happen, but she wasn't scared anymore.

Sunset eventually made it to the meeting point as she saw the Dazzlings standing about by the backstage door. When Adagio spotted her, she called her out. "There You Are Sunset!"

"Yep, here I am" Sunset responded, sounding quite callous about it. "What do you want?"

As Sunset got closer to the group, Adagio explains to her: "Listen: all things are set for us to take over this pathetic little school and it's students."

"Really!?" Sunset asked.

Sonata responds: "Yep! After that fiasco that caused everyone to hate you, we absorb enough negative energy to totally restore our power. Isn't That Great!?"

"What! So you were just using me to restore your magic?"

"Well if you put it like that, it sounds like we intentionally set you up for the fall" Aria remarks.

While she and Adagio was smiling, Sonata tries to confess: "Well... We kind of sort of Di..."

"SONATA!" Adagio shout, cutting her off from finishing. Sonata then shuts her mouth and try not to incur her wrath again. After breathing out her frustration, she turn back to Sunset and tell her: "So yeah, while we win this pointless contest that we set up, we want you to make a list for all the stuff we need for went we invade Equestria."

But then, as the three was about head in for their semi-final performance, Sunset said something that shocked all of them. "NO!"

"What was that?" Adagio replied as she look back with great anger.

"NO!" Sunset reiterate. "I'm not gunna do!"

While Sunset was testing Adagio's patience, Adagio still try to play the nice. "Look, if you are still upset with that incident that we put you through, we're sorry. Happy now?"

However, Sunset responds: "No, I'm not happy. You waltz right in, muss up my school and try to make everybody into your mindless slave. I'm not gunna be a part of that plan any longer." When he saw Sunset standing her ground, Spike couldn't help but give her a smile.

"Tough talk for somebody who had the same plan" Adagio retorted.

"I... may had the same plan, but that's behind me now. I now know what's really important: my friends! They helped save me from being a monster and together, we will stop you!"

She paused for a bit, but Adagio let out a large sigh to show of frustration. She then began walking towards Sunset with a menacing glare and face full of fury. Even Aria or Sonata had seen her this angry before. "Listen Sunset, you really don't have the high ground here. We knew you were being a spy on us and try to relate our secrets back to your friends. And speaking about your friends, they hate you now. They never believed that you changed and think you are as bad as us."

Sunset slightly intimidated for a sec, but she stood her ground and fought back. "That maybe true, but I won't blame or hold it against them. I might not have show it off to them yet how much I changed, but I know at least Twilight trust me!"

When she said that, Adagio burst out laughing. Even Aria and Sonata was chuckling to Sunset's confusion. "Twilight?" Adagio said as the last few laughs went out of her system. She then states: "We already took care of her."

"What?" asked a confused and worried Sunset. 

She explains: "Let's just say we put her in a place where you can't find or get to her. And even if you could, you won't be able to bring her back in time to save the day."

Sunset couldn't believe it. Fears were running in her head on what they might have done to Twilight. Did they hurt her? Did they hypnotise her? These fears were racking her nerves and want to know what happened to her. However, before she could anything, the three sirens had her surrounded and they all look pretty angry at her.

Adagio tell her: "Face it Sunset, you've failed!"

Sunset was pinned in a corner and she must think of something fast. Even though Spike was growling fiercely at them, Sunset knew she couldn't take them all in a fight. It's 3 against 1 and she isn't sure if she can pony-up in time. Her best bet is to find her way out of there and relocate somewhere else. Adagio said that she has failed in her mission. While she did in fact not find out much else about them, there was something that Sunset managed to pick up that she was pretty sure about.

In one short breath, Sunset quickly shouted out: "You-Pendents-Are-Your-Weakness!"

Startled, Adagio ask: "What!?"

"Your pendents are your weakness! With out them, you are pretty much powerless."

Adagio was honestly quite surprised by this event. What Sunset said was 100% true and she could understand how she knew. She figured that she was bluffing, but she want to make sure want to convince her the fact wasn't true. "What! W-What gives you that idea?"

"... Sonata told me."

"SONATA!" yelled both Adagio and Aria furiously.

Surprised, Sonata frantically says back to them: "Wait! I-I Didn't!"

And then, while all of them were distracted, they heard "She Didn't!" coming from down the hall. When they look towards the direction, they saw Sunset and Spike running away and she yells to them: "But You All Pretty Much Confirm It!" They all were shocked. They couldn't believe that Sunset has out played them like that. When Adagio finally snapped out from being surprised, she saw her getting away. Raged beyond belief, she yell to Aria and Sonata: "AFTER HER!" and all of them game chase.

Sunset was running as fast as her legs could carry here. She sure that she had a good head start, but one look behind her and she notice that the sirens were not far behind her. She thought she could lose them by making some sharp turns and nocking over some deserted stands for good measure, but she couldn't shake them. And then, much to her horror, they actually were catching up. As the gap between them were getting closer, Sunset thought her goose were cooked.

But then, something weird happen. As the sirens were a few meters away, a great puff of blue smoke suddenly erupted in front of them. Before any of them could react to what happen, all of them ran right into the smoke and their sight became obscured. There was then loud crash and when the smoke finally cleared, Adagio, Aria and Sonata were lying on top of each other on the floor with aching bodies. When the sirens were finally well enough to stand, they found themselves in the middle of a interaction. They look around at everyone direction and Sunset was nowhere in sight. Baffled and angry, Adagio yell out: "WHERE DID SHE GO!"

Meanwhile, in a nearby classroom, Sunset and Spike was also on the floor and reeling with what happened. "What just happened?" she asked herself.

But then, three hands cover her mouth and people told her to shush. When Sunset saw who it was, she saw that it was Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, much to her surprise. Before she could comprehend what was going on, Sunset saw notice Adagio in the doorway window. She wasn't looking in, but if any of them make a noise, she might. They all remained to be silent until they saw all of the sirens had went away. Once they felt they were sure that all of them were gone, the Crusaders let go of Sunset's mouth and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally having attention on them, Sunset ask the crusaders: "Girls, what were you..."

But before she could finish, all there pounce her with hugs. "SUNSET!" they all cry out to here.

"SHHHH! They might come back" she told them.

"Sorry" Apple Bloom apologized. "We wanted to come find you to see if you wanted to hang with us."

Sweetie Belle the tells her: "Yeah, but then we saw you singing on the roof and we thought that was amazing!"

"Really!" said Sunset, feeling slightly embarrassed about it.

"Yep" Scootaloo replied. "But then we saw your meeting with those girls out there and how it went sour. We thought about saving you so we pulled you into this classroom."

"Aww" Sunset responded, touched by their kind assistance. But then, she then thought of something. "Wait. So it was you three that caused that puff of smoke?"

The three girls then pull back with some slightly awkward faces. Sweetie Belle explains: "Actually Sunset, we're just the ones who pulled you in. She was the one who caused the smoke." She then point to a certain individual behind them.

When look and see, Sunset became utterly surprised when she saw who it was. "Trixie!" Yes, it was Trixie. She standing about a meter away and was waiting patiently for her to notice her. When she got up from the ground, Sunset ask her: "Why would you...?"

"A-Bub-Bub-Bub!" Trixie interjected. Before you say anything Sunset Shimmer, let gets a few things straight! Yes, I knows that those three girls were the one who put you up to it."

"How did you...? "

"AND... I also know that those three are also planning something bad for the school and you are trying to stop it."

"That's great that you know, but..."

"HOWEVER... Even though you tried to save me, you're still partly responsible for ruining my performance! So unless I hear a really good apology from you, this is as far as this little "friendship" will go."

"Now Hang On A Minute!" said Apple Bloom as she raised her voice.

However, before Apple Bloom or her friends could do anything, Sunset stop them. "That's alright girl, she right" Sunset told them. "Even though I did try to help her in the last minute, I could've prevented the thing from happening." As she said that however, Apple Bloom and the other Crusaders were confused as they weren't around while that happened. Sunset then turn to face Trixie who had her arms cross and waiting patiently. "Listen Trixie, I know we don't eye to eye much and we don't get along, but I never really thought anything bad about you. And even if you still hate me afterwards, I'm sorry..."

Trixie didn't respond.

"... to the Great and All-Powerful Trixie!"

"... Eh. Good enough." She didn't like to show it, but Trixie was doing her best to hid her smile (even though a few of them could still see it).

As they all were enjoying the happy moment, a sudden buzzing rang out in the room. When they all check their phones, it turns out that Sunset got a phone call. However, when she checked the caller ID, she was surprised to see it was Rainbow Dash. "Sorry. Let me get this" she said before she answer the call. "Hello?"

"... Hi Sunset" Rainbow responded over the phone. By the sound of her voice, Sunset could tell that Rainbow wasn't in the brightest of moods. "How are you doing?"

"Um? I'm doing good thank you" Sunset responded, not knowing what else to say.

For a second, the scene was about to fall into an awkward as either person didn't know what to say to the other. But then, Sunset suddenly heard Pinkie over the phone.

"I'M SORRY SUNSET!"

"Pinkie, Calm Down!" Rainbow yelled.

"I'm Sorry Too Subset!" yelled a voice that sounded like Fluttershy.

Applejack voice the came on the phone and said: "Dagnabbit Rainbow! Give It Here!"

"I'm Getting To It AJ!"

"Then Do It Already!"

After a large huff, Rainbow ask Sunset: "Listen Sunset... do you want to be band's lead singer?"

Sunset froze for a sec before responding. "... What!?"

Rainbow explains to her: "Yeah, we sort of realize that we have been real jerks to you."

Rarity then squeeze her voice in and says: "We haven't really thought about your feelings."

"Or giving you a second chance" said Applejack.

Rainbow then tells her "I know you went and hang with the sirens so you can get dirt on them and stuff, but we made you feel like that you had to do it in the first place. If we were more nicer to you, then you might have..."

"Now hang on for a minute Rainbow!" Sunset interjected. "It's my responsibility for getting myself in this mess in the face. You all shouldn't feel ashamed of yourselves because of me."

"But... we are ashamed" Rainbow replied. "We were purposed to be your friends!"

"Yeah, friends who should have seen the bright side of you!" said Fluttershy.

"So We're Really-Really Sorry Sunset!" cried Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow says: "Twilight said that she didn't want to sing no more, so we thought..."

"Since your our back-up bandmate and all..." added Rarity.

"... We thought we give the open space to you... if you want it."

"Wow guys..." muttered Sunset. After hearing all of that, Sunset felt so moved that she was on the verge of joyful tears. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, who over heard parts of the conversation, also felt moved by. Not so much from Trixie and Scootaloo who thought it was a bit too much sappy for their taste.

However, as she was about to accept their offer, Sunset remembered something. "Wait, Twilight! Where's Twilight!" Sunset asked.

Startled by the sudden question, Rainbow Dash replied: "Oh Twilight!? She sort of ran after you after what happened at the gym. Why, she isn't there with you?"

"No!" she responded with a certain fright in her voice. Sunset slowly began to panic and the other people in the room with was slowly seeing he worry. "Listen! I think something bad happened to Twilight!"

"What!"

"I think the sirens said they were locking her up somewhere and keeping her until after to competition."

"WHAT!" yelled everybody from over the phone.

"Aren't you still friends with the... Wait, I mean: "friends" with the sirens? Don't you know where she is?" AJ ask her.

Sunset explains to them: "Let just say that I'm no longer on the best of terms with them anymore and we're no longer "friends."" She then hear moaning from the other side as they realized that she broke with them.

Rainbow then states: "Don't worry, we will come and help you look for her."

"No!" Sunset responded. "You need to get ready for the finals."

"But I don't think we would be as strong without you or Twilight!"

Sunset stopped and weigh her options. She don't want anything bad happen to Twilight, but at the same time, the Dazzlings also needed to be stop. She could look for Twilight by herself, but she realized that would take too long. But then, Sunset looked and see her friends that she made in the room and could see that they were very worried. She then got an idea.

"Listen! You go and get ready while I go out and rescue Twilight!"

"But CHS is a big school!" Rarity responded. "Do you think you can find her in time?"

"Not to worry" Sunset replied. She look at her Trixie and the Crusaders and tells her friends on the phone: "I have a few people who might be willing to help."

Her friends on the phone weren't quite sure what she meant, but they know that she is sounded confident about it. "Ok Sunset. If you think you can handle it, we put our trust in you."

"Thanks guys" Sunset replied with a smile.

After telling Sunset that she should meet them by the big stadium by the field, they were about to hang up the phone. However, felt like she had one more thing to say. "Oh Sunset! One more thing!"

"Yeah?"

"By the time that you arrive, I should have made your new outfit by then." As she heard a few annoyed moans on the phone, Sunset paused and smile.


_ _ _ _ _


After the phone call, she gathered the Crusaders, Trixie and Spike around her as she stood in front of the whiteboard. She knew that Spike will probably help her but she didn't knew if the others would. However, even before she asked, they seemed ready and willing to help her. With her team in front of her, Sunset went over their "mission".

"Ok, the finals for the Battle of the Bands is gunna start in like... [checking the clock] 20 Minutes! We have find Twilight by then and bring her back."

But then Sweetie Belle raised a question. "Yeah, but she could be anywhere. Could we even bring her back in time."

With her hand on her chin and with a thinking expression, Sunset tell her: "I don't think they could have taken her far. Hopefully, she is still somewhere on campus."

"Still, that is a pretty big place to find somebody" Apple Bloom pointed out.

Everyone were then deep in thought as they try to brain storm on where Twilight could be. She could be in the school's supply shed on the field, one of the janitor's closets across the school or even the school's basement. They could split up, but it's likely that the Dazzlings would set up countermeasures for anybody who try to get Twilight or Twilight try to escape herself.

But then, as everyone was still thinking, they began hearing Trixie chuckling to herself. Confused and distracted, Scootaloo ask her: "What's so funny Trixie?"

Getting the few laughs out of system, Trixie says to all of them: "Sorry. It's just that while you all were thinking "where is Twilight Sparkle?", I already have a clue on where she maybe."

"YOU DO!" yelled everybody in surprise.

"Tell Us!" begged Sunset.

After getting over the initial surprise of the yell, Trixie explains: "After I found out what those girls were up to no good, I thought I secretly follow behind them and see what they were planning. Along the way, I heard them talking about placing a guard by the door."

"Did they say where?" Apple Bloom ask her.

Searching her memories, Trixie thought out loud. "Let see um; The blue one were wondering if she could escape, the other two said it's unlikely that she could and... OH!" But then, as she thought harder, Trixie finally remember what they said exactly. Excited, she loud proclaims: "They Said There's No Way She Could Escape From Under The Theatre!"

"The Theatre!?" Apple Bloom exclaims.

"I didn't thought CHS has a theatre?" Scootaloo ask out loud.

Sweetie Belle then explains to the both of them: "Yeah, it's outdoors and on the far end of the field."

"And also the stage for the finales" Sunset added. "It's a long shot, but it's the only place that we have."

With an idea on where to search, everyone then rushes out of the classroom and hopefully go to the place where Twilight is.


_ _ _ _ _


Later, a crowd of students had already amass by the theatre and were waiting patiently for the finals. Everyone was anxious as the incident at the gym was still fresh in their heads. However, they were still excited to hear the two bands face off in the finals and see who could come out on top.

And behind the curtains, both the Rainbooms and the Dazzling were preparing for their biggest performances yet. The Rainbooms were trying their best to get themselves bumped, but with Twilight being held hostage, it's hard to keep their spirits high. With their minds distracted, they don't think could transform into their pony forms. I also didn't help matter when Adagio says as she and her group walk pass them: "Oh! Where's your lead singer?" Rainbow Dash was rolling up her sleeves and was ready to deck them, but her friends hold her back and calm her down.

But meanwhile, at the back end of the theatre, Sunset, Spike, Trixie and the Crusaders were peaking their heads out of the bushes to the entrance for under the theatre's stage. There, they saw that the sirens indeed put up a guard: Bulk Biceps. Bulk is a big and burly student with a lot of muscles in his arms and heart but not so much in her brain area. Normally, you wouldn't expect kind-hearted Bulk to help evil people like the sirens but he is easily, hypnotising voice magic or not.

Looking at how sentry-like Bulk Biceps was in front of the door, Sunset wonders out loud: "Hmm... How can we get him to move away from the door?"

Searching out her pockets, Trixie suggests: "Maybe I could distract him with some of my magic tricks?"

As they were contemplating the thought, Scootaloo suddenly got an idea. She ask Trixie: "Hang on! Trixie, do have any invisible string?"

Offended, Trixie replies: "What! Of course I do! I never leave home without it." She then pulls out and show them a roll.

Wondering what Scootaloo was thinking, they listen when she said: "I have an idea."

A few moment later, Bulk Biceps still stand firmly in front of the door. Aside from looking side to side, he wasn't moving a muscle. But then, something peculiar happened. Out from the bushes, Spike came rushing and jumping out and ran pass him. And then, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo appeared and chased after him.

"Come Back Spike!" screamed Sweetie Belle.

"Leave The Squires Alone!" yelled Apple Bloom.

After they ran pass him, Bulk Biceps scratch his head in bewilderment. But then he felt something down by his feet. When her look down, he saw a lucky $10 note sitting by his feet. He didn't knew where it came from, but Bulk felt like a very lucky person. However, as soon as he bend down and grab it, it slip right through his fingers and blew a meter away from him. Bulk try to grab it again but it moved yet again as soon as he got near it. Properly annoyed and distracted, Bulk Biceps then began chasing the money the keep moving away from him. 

Unbeknownst Bulk however is that the money was connected to Spike's collar through invisible String. As soon as Bulk is about to grab the money, the Crusader moving away from him and the money would escape Bulk Bicep's grasp.

With Bulk moved away from his post, Sunset and Trixie finally came out of the bushes and was at the under-stage door. "Way-to-go girls" Sunset happily exclaims. However, she then told herself now wasn't the time to celebrate as they still need to get Twilight out.

They first try opening the door, but predictably it's locked. Sunset then try banging on and yelling out to Twilight. "Twilight! Are You There!?" There was no response. She try banging on the door and yells: "If You're In There Twilight, Please Say Something!" For an instance, it seemed like nobody was on the other side... but then cry out

"Sunset!?"

Recognizing it as Twilight's voice, Sunset yells to her: "Yes! It's Me Twilight!"

"Oh It's So Good To Hear You!" screamed Twilight. "I've Been Trying To Open The Door From Here But Nothing Is Working!"

"Don't Worry Twilight! We'll Get You Out!" But as soon as she said that, Sunset soon realize that there's no other lock on the door other then the one that requires a key. Let with no other option, Sunset then try to bust down the door.

On the first couple of attempts, Sunset tried slamming her side against the door. When the door wasn't budging and Sunset was looking like she hurt, Trixie got her to stop so she can bust down the door... with equally the same results. They then try to bust it down together, they felt something dislodge a little bit but not enough to get it down quickly. Then, as Sunset was getting tired and injured, a sudden voice from behind her ask her something.

"What are you girls doing?"

Surprised, both Sunset and Trixie screams "AH!" and quickly turn around and got into fighting stances. However, when they saw who it was, they became utterly surprised.

"Flash!?" Sunset cry out.

"Yes, It's Me!" Flash replies, taken back their sudden fighting stances.

After letting down their guards, Sunset tells him: "Sorry, you just startled us. What are you doing here?"

Suddenly appearing more melancholy, Flash told them: "I was thinking about... what I'm gunna do." When he got a confused look from Sunset and Trixie, he explains: "Me and Twilight got into this big fight. We both said something and we got very angry, but I can't remember what cause me to be angry in the first place!" Getting more frantic, he then says: "Now I said some stuff that I wish I could take back but now Twilight hates me and probably wouldn't even want to speak to me. I now want to make it up to her, b-b-but I don't know what to do or say to her!?"

Both Sunset and Trixie were quite speechless by how distraught Flash was. But as they process how much her want to make things up with Twilight, they both got an idea on how to get the door down much easier.

On the other side of the door, Twilight was wondering why the banging stopped. She was keeping a safe distance away just to be safe, but she started wondering if Sunset is having a bit of trouble. But then, the banging resumed and they sounded more forceful then ever. It sounded like the person on the other side was throwing their whole bodies at the door. Eventually, the door's hinges finally snap off and the door topple. Flash, severely battered by all the slamming that he did, soon collapse over the fallen door.

"Don't worry FLASH! TWILIGHT Is here to RESCUE you!" muttered a delirious Flash Sentry.

"Flash!" Twilight gasped.

However Flash's presence was forgotten as Sunset Shimmer came into the room and rushes over to Twilight. "Twilight!" she cried out.

Upon seeing her friend, Twilight happily cried back: "Sunset!"

The two girls happily reunited together with a strong and joy filled hug and rejoicing that the other is well. The hug eventually ended as they soon realize that Flash was still one the ground and need help getting. But as they got him on his feet, Trixie made her presence known.

"AHEM! Where's my "thank you"?"

Twilight, only just noticing that Trixie was there, stumbles for a response and says to her: "Oh um... Trixie was it? Thanks a lot for saving." Trixie didn't like it that she didn't remember her name right away, but still appreciated it regardless.

The happy celebration was cut short as Sunset soon realize the time. "Ok guys, this happy moment is nice and all, but we got no time." She then turn to Twilight and tells her: "Twilight! We need to get back to the others and stop the sirens."

"Ok" Twilight replied, both feeling happy and focused.

With Flash being well on his feet and Trixie by their side, all of them then run out of the room and head to the theatre where the final battle is about to unfold.