“That’s nihilism, darling.”
“That’s devil-may-care!”
“No!” Rarity pouts and pokes Rainbow Dash in the shoulder. “You are not allowed to use classy phrases solely to sway me to accept your point.”
Rainbow Dash flicks Rarity’s hand away as if it were a fly, grazing Fluttershy’s head in the process, and dusts her shoulder off. “Why, whatever would you be implying, my colleague?”
“Verbosity does not equal intelligence!” Rarity argues with excitement. She sounds annoyed, but the laughter creeps in at the edges like her smile.
Rainbow Dash curls her eyebrows in a way that it makes her look like a mean girl from an early 2000s preteen film. “Whatever, gurl.”
And they both give in to a shared roar of laughter, Rarity grabbing on to Rainbow’s shoulder for support as if all the air in the universe wasn’t enough to fulfill her laugh. Fluttershy's giggles get lost in the storm, but sparkles in the dark of it.
The two are trying to collect themselves – Rarity wiping tears out of her eyes and scolding Rainbow for causing her makeup to smudge – when the music room doors fly open, practically off their hinges, to allow Pinkie to bounce in, Applejack, Twilight, and Sunset in tow.
“I hear a-LAUGHTER, I come a-RUNNING!” Pinkie screams as he approaches Rarity. She bends sideways and stares as if to investigate her. “A-huh. Breathlessness, teary eyes, and yet perfectly un-smeared eyeliner on a pretty face. This was either a really good laugh, or you just hit the climax of your chick flick where everything seems lost and he leaves you.”
“Told you it wasn’t smudged,” Rainbow says smugly.
“In danger of smudging,” Rarity corrects, and then collects herself with one more deep breath. “Would’ve torn you a new one if it smudged, given how long all this takes to get this perfect.”
Applejack comes up beside Pinkie. “Rares, I could sheer a sheep in the time it takes for you to finish an eyelid.”
Rarity narrows her eyes at Applejack, and asks with serious curiosity, “But do you actually do things like that? Do you actually, in fact, sheer sheep up north on Old McDonald’s Barn?”
“Really? That the best you got?”
“Well, apparently, I’m in a preteen classic movie and that’s the best I’m allowed to come up with.”
“Oh!” Twilight perks as she and Sunset close in the circle of seven. “I think I know what movie you're talking about: Legally Bond – no, Blonde, right?”
“No – “
“But we should!” Rarity cuts in, galvanised, while Rainbow groans.
“Maybe we should first talk about what you guys called us in here for,” Sunset suggests, holding out her phone.
Rarity looks only slightly deterred. “Very well. But – “ she points at Twilight “ – you owe me a conversation.”
Twilight nods, her glasses sliding a bit. She pushes them back up as she says, “I'm looking forward to it.”
“So –“
“SO?” Pinkie screams, in what would have been in unison if Applejack’s voice could have been heard at all. Applejack doesn’t look at all bothered though; tickled pink by Pinkie, actually. “What’s the big news? Is it a surprise?”
“Yep!” Rainbow Dash says. She and Rarity look at each other, and then she turns back and smiles at everyone in the way she does when she’s trying to brush off the worst of it.
“We’re breaking up!”
“Didn’t know you two had a thing goin’,” Applejack says, quick-silver.
“What?” Rainbow’s voice cracks as she recoils, looks back at Rarity, and squints. “Nah, man. Rarity’s a Tessa and Scott, and I’m more of a Wickenheiser.”
Applejack nods, but Twilight and Pinkie look a bit confused. Fluttershy nods and mouths “I get it” to Rainbow; given it’s almost December, the ice-skating references are highly appreciated.
“What Dash means to say,” Rarity continues, “is that we’re breaking up the band. Ta-ta, tue-de-lu, au revoir.”
“Adios, amigos!”
Sunset looks over at Twilight, quietly saying, “We should go for mangoes later.”
“I am looking forward to it,” Twilight agrees.
Applejack surprisingly doesn’t interject Sunset’s plans with anything apple-related – instead, she crosses her arms and says, “Why’s nobody talkin’ ‘bout you guys splittin’ the band like we’re a final book turned two movies?”
“We all saw it comin’, AJ. Writing on the wall, in neon pink.” Pinkie leans herself against Applejack. “And boy, do I know pink.”
“That so?”
“Me and Rares kinda fought it out a little ago,” Rainbow starts to explain.
“Oh, ‘s that why ya’ll were so awkward last week?”
Rainbow frowns. “We weren’t awkward.”
“You called Rarity a stubborn mule-faced snot-rocket.”
“YOU SAID WHAT?!”
“No – “ Rainbow turns to Rarity “ – and no – mostly – “ she turns back to the rest of the group “ – we were awkward ‘cause we fought over the future of the band and stuff.”
“And the present,” Rarity continues, still glancing suspiciously at Rainbow. “And all of it, really. She wanted one thing, we all wanted something else.”
Rainbow half-laughs and says, “Nah, I’m pretty sure it was the other way ‘round.”
Rarity titters in the same stale tone. “No, darling, t’was that way ‘round. The right way.”
Applejack and Pinkie share a look, as do Sunset and Twilight.
“No, dude, it wasn’t. See,” and Rainbow chuckles again, “this is what I meant when I said you were stubborn.”
Rarity raises a perfectly arched eyebrow. “Oh, you mean a stubborn snot-nosed rat-faced mule?”
“Mule-faced snot-rocket, and I told you I didn’t say that.”
“Well, I’m sure you didn’t, just like I didn’t say you’re so full of your stale movie-jock ego there’s no room for an iota of decent mannerism.”
"'That how it's gonna be?”
“She didn’t say it like that, Dash,” Sunset offers sheepishly.
Twilight nods. “Oh yes, she did. I remember. I was proud of her use of a scientific unit of atomic measurement.”
Through clenched teeth still in the form of an awkward smile, Sunset mutters, “Not helping, Twilight.”
“Oh – sorry.”
Rainbow had started to say something when Applejack takes a half-step forward, raising her hands. “Forget all that now, lunch time’s a wastin’ and I got a peach fritter with my name on it. Are we really endin’ the whole band thing?”
Rarity and Rainbow both make a face, but seem to think better of continuing their banter and instead shrug. “If you want. Rares said it’s a team effort, and there aren’t enough m’s and e’s for everyone to think of themselves. I still don’t get what she means, but she got me to bite.”
Rarity takes over. “It’s in the air. If you’d like to stay in the band, you can continue on with Rainbow Dash. Otherwise, you can throw up your white flags. Whichever all of you feel most comfortable with.”
The group glances around, gauging each other’s expressions: worried, reflective, apprehensive, mildly-surprise, perpetual smiling.
Sunset is the first to speak. “I mean, it was super cool while we did it, in spite of our differences.” She shrugs. “Because of our differences. But I just don’t think I have the time anymore, y’know? Advanced Calc and stuff.”
“Agreed,” Twilight says, pushing her glasses up. They slip as soon as she puts her hand down. “Although, I wasn’t ever really a core member, so to speak.”
“You’ll always be a core member to me, Twi.”
“Uh, thanks, Pinkie. I think.”
“And I think the band was great!” Pinkie throws up a handful of confetti, most of which falls on Applejack. “But I really hate playing drums. Gives me a headache.”
As she picks stray paper off her shirt, Applejack says, “Pinkie’s right. I’m glad for the whole shebang – gave me an excuse to play, ‘cause bass really ain’t an instrument you wanna play alone for long – but it got me so plum-pissed some days.”
Rainbow winces. “Yeah, Rarity said that a few times.”
“Plum-pissed?”
“Well, not like that. No one says that.”
“I do.”
“I do.”
“No you don’t, Pinks.”
Pinkie sighs. “I know. I just wanted it to sound like we got married.”
“I ain’t marryin’ you, Pinkie.”
“I know. You’re married to apples.”
Before Applejack can respond, Rainbow turns to Fluttershy and says, “So? You can quit if you want, not much of a band if it’s only two of us anyway.”
With hesitance, Fluttershy says, “Oh, I really don’t mind.”
“So, like, is that a yes or a no?”
“Don’t rush her,” Rarity defends, quickly stepping to Fluttershy’s side and taking her shoulders. “She didn’t get the week to brood over it.”
Rainbow groans. “But I don’t wanna wait.”
“Rainbow!”
“Oh, please, wait – I mean don't – oh my.” Fluttershy gently holds Rarity back to prevent another week of fighting and possibly breaking up the group next. “What I was trying to say is that I don’t mind taking a break. But I know you’ll want to come back to a band, Dash. You never liked playing alone.”
“Eh, prob’ly," Rainbow concedes without much complaint. "Yo, remember the band we made as kids? And we were just pretending to play those dumb toys with the record player on?”
Before Fluttershy can speak, Applejack holds a hand out lightly. “Listen, can we just keep the home VCRs away ‘til later? Food’s a-waitin’.”
“Right, good point.” Rainbow turns to the rest of the group. “So, I guess that’s it, yeah? Not much else to say.”
“No last performance for ol’ time’s sake?” Pinkie suggests, already holding dreaded drum sticks.
Rarity considers it briefly, but decides that – “It wouldn’t really feel right.”
“Leaving it like this doesn’t exactly feel right, either,” Sunset points out, not harshly. “But I get your point too. It’s just in limbo, I guess.”
There’s a pause where everyone expects someone else to say something, or at least Pinkie to break out a limbo pole. Finally, in her usual nonchalant fashion, Rainbow shrugs and says, “Eh.”
Laughter seizes the group in a fitful, escaping way, as if it’s passing them by them like time.
“Well, yes,” Rarity agrees happily. “Isn’t that just the mood of it?”
Rainbow salutes. “Yup. Aight, someone call it.”
Sunset takes the first honours, smiling. “A good beginning makes for a good end. And I’d say we had a pretty magical beginning.”
“So here’s to the end!” Pinkie shouts, throwing more confetti.
Applejack seems content with just letting it fall on her this time as she tips her hat in solidarity and says, “Rest easy, with the memories of our youth.”
“We can have a reunion a few years down the line,” Twilight suggests.
Rarity rolls her hand and half-bows. “Until then, take a bow, and let the curtain falls. C’est fini.”
“That’s a rap,” Rainbow finishes, dusting her hands. She tips her chin at Fluttershy, who quietly waves goodbye.
“C’mon, let’s celebrate with peach fritters! I hear a chick called Applejack’s got some ready!” Pinkie exclaims, already skipping off and dragging Twilight on the way to the door.
Everyone filters out with them, Applejack making an attempt to save her fritter, with Fluttershy keeping the rear.
With that, the band ends in the place it began, ended by the ones that started it, with the unanimous feeling of finishing a pretty decent and forgettable book.
And then lunch continues.
Except such a seamless ending doesn't often happen.
At least, it doesn’t feel that way when Rarity’s listening to a song she thinks the band should cover until she remembers they can’t. And it doesn’t when Applejack talks to her cousins at the get-togethers and habitually uses the present tense with the Rainbooms.
It’s not quite over while Twilight almost tells Sunset they’ll catch up after practice, or when Sunset smothers the urge to complain about something lest it be beating a dead horse.
But Pinkie tries not to think about it when she’s booking a group to play at her next big party, and Fluttershy learns to accept that the feeling of missing will one day pass.
At the very end of it all, Rainbow convinces herself of all the things people do when they’re moving on: that it’s for the best, that it’s an opportunity for new ventures, that it’s time to let things lie as they are.
And so they do.