//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: Melodious Songstress // Story: Power Rangers: Harmony // by ShootingStar25 //------------------------------// "Alright, go!" shouted Applejack. She currently had her arm on a table and sitting across from her was Ash. The pair were having an arm-wrestling match as they were in the park. The farm girl had invited the boy to join her for a hangout as she wanted to say thanks to her friend for carrying her during their expedition the other day in tracking down the bear zord. The day started with Applejack getting ready to do her morning chores. She had just opened the door to her house as she was about to head to the barn when there stood Ash. The girl was surprised to see her leader up at this hour. "Hey," replied Ash. "Hey, sugar. Um, what are you doing here? At this time of day?" "You said you wanted to talk to me?" "Uh, yeah. But... couldn't that wait till later?" stated Applejack. "Oh, well... I mean... you didn't say what time so I just assumed that you meant when you woke up." "Don't tell me you've been out here all night?" "No, I just got here from the command center. But if you want to talk later, then I'll just teleport away," stated Ash as he was about to touch his Morpher. "No, wait!" shouted Applejack as she put her hand on Ash's wrist to lower it. "Look, I wasn't expecting you to show up outside mah house. And me talkin' with you was just a cover. See I wanted to hang out with you today. You know, mah way of sayin' thanks for takin' care of me while I was in pain." "Why didn't you just say that from the beginning?" asked Ash. "Heh, well, I... I didn't know how you would react. I mean, you don't..." "Get out much often?" stated the boy. "You girls really think I'm a hermit?" "Well, can you blame us for thinkin' that?" asked the farm girl with a sheepish smile. "Look, I'm trying my best to get out more and spend time with you all." "I know, well, if you're here, might as well give us a hand. Come on, I'll introduce you to mah folks." Applejack then led her leader into her house. The pair of teens had entered the living room as the girl's brother, and grandma was walking down the stairs. They expected Aj to be up but were shocked to see Ash. The country gal began to introduce her family members to her friend. For Ash, standing before him were two individuals. One of them had moderate sap-green eyes like Aj. His hair was brilliant orange and his skin was brilliant orange. The last person was an elder woman who had light brilliant orange eyes. Her hair was light gray and her skin was light lime green as well as wrinkling. "Ash, this here is mah family. Mah brother, Big McIntosh and Granny Smith." "Hey," said the boy as he waved at his teammate's family. "Howdy," said Granny Smith as she approached the boy and shook his hand. "I was gonna hang out with Ash today, but he offered to come over and help with the chores," stated Applejack. "Well, hope you don't mind sweating," stated Granny Smith. "No worries, I've got plenty of stamina to spare," stated Ash as his hidden power allowed him more energy than the regular person. From there, both teens made it to the orchard. Applejack grabbed some baskets as she had an easy time lifting them with her super-strength. Ash was amazed by the massive field of trees that were on the farm. He had to give credit to Applejack for living this lifestyle and having to do this much work. The pair soon made it to a section of the orchard as they set the baskets down. Both then reached into their pockets, Ash pulling out a circle shape while Applejack had a pentagon. The two rangers had their wristbands change into their Morphers for a moment. A code was sent to the objects in their hands as they began to glow. They soon transformed into their zords in their pet sizes as both Ash's wolf and Applejack's rhino appeared on the ground in front of the pair. The two animals nuzzled their owners as they smiled. "Alright, Ash. Ready to pick these apples?" "Yeah," replied the boy as the pair began to get to work. They each set up a ladder and began to pick the fruits. Their zords also pitched in as they helped their owners. Aj's rhino merely approached the tree as it hit its horn against the wooden structure. The tree began to shake as the branches began to drop the sweet red fruit that was hanging. Ash's wolf then began to pick them up in its mouth as it tossed them into the basket at a rapid pace. And so it went for the first few hours of the morning as the two rangers were hard at work. Applejack stopped for a moment to take off her Stenson hat and wipe her forehead. The girl could already feel herself sweating as she looked back at her leader. True to Ash's word, the boy wasn't even tired. His conditioning and cardio were on full display as he kept on going. Eventually, the teens stopped for a small break as Applejack pulled out some bottles of cider. She tossed one to Ash as the boy grabbed it and began to drink it. "Still as good as when I first tasted it," stated the boy as he sat and leaned back against a tree. His wolf pup jumped into his lap as Ash allowed his zord a chance to taste the drink. "Family recipe. You won't believe how much we make off of this alone," chuckled Applejack. She grabbed her rhino zord in her arms as she sat in front of her leader. "I appreciate you looking out for me during our latest trip." "No worries, Aj. You're my teammate. It's my job as your leader to look out for the rest of the rangers." stated Ash as he petted his wolf pup. "I gotta say, this little guy is nice to have. He tries to help in any way he can," said Applejack as she petted her rhino who let out a sound. "Glad to see the zord is adapting to his new lifestyle. By the way, your family hasn't seen the little thing, have they?" asked Ah. "Don't worry. I've been keeping him and my identity a secret. It's just... it's kinda hard not to tell my family that I'm a ranger. Especially, mah little sister. She's a big fan of ours. She and her friends." "I know you probably don't like keeping secrets from your family, Aj. But that's the price you have to pay. If the Dark Lords knew who you girls are, they'll target anybody close to you. They'll do anything to make you suffer." "I understand that. I just wish I could tell them. It'd be something that they'd be proud of. Especially, mah ma and pa. If they were here, they'd be smiling at seein' what their daughter is doin'." "I can tell, you miss yer folks as well. But at least they got to rest in peace. Me... I had to watch them get destroyed right before my eyes." Ash had his head down as he was thinking back. His wolf zord sensed the feelings its owner had as nuzzled against the boy. Ash felt his pup as he looked at it. The wolf looked up at its owner with its paws on his shirt. The little pet licked his face as the boy smiled. "Thanks for cheering me up, buddy." His wolf let out a small howl as Ash petted its head. "Come on, let's finish up so that we can hang out quicker," stated Applejack. The two teens then got up as they continued their work. They soon finished their section as they loaded up their baskets and brought them back to the barn. Upon returning, Ash met the last of Aj's siblings as Applebloom was helping her big brother. The farm girl introduced her little sister to her friend. After putting the baskets in the barn, Granny Smith allowed the two teens to go have fun as they left. The pair of rangers stopped by the Sweet Shoppe as Aj stated it was a popular place where she and the girls hung out. From there, the country gal took the time to strike up a conversation with her leader as she wanted to learn a bit more about him. After that, they headed over to the park. And that was where we started. "Remember, no using your super strength." "I got it, sugarcube. I play fair, unlike Dash." The pair nodded as they began to lock hands with their elbows firmly planted on the table. Once both had a tight grip on the other, they then began their arm-wrestling match. Safe to say, both were giving it their all. It was no secret that Applejack was strong, even without using her gem's power, but HELL! She was insanely strong, so much so that they were both locked in place as Ash's muscles were bulging. Applejack seemed to have a great time, but even she seemed to struggle and put as much effort into winning as she could. The table was shaking as both held each other in a tight lock, now it was a battle of endurance! "You think you can outmuscle me, sugar," said Aj grunting. "I'm not trying to. Besides, you're slowing down. Did you forget that my gem's power allows me to have more stamina and energy?" "You said no powers!" shouted Applejack as she grunted. "I said for you, to not use your power. I didn't say anything about myself. Plus, it's not about a test of strength. Now it's about endurance. So that means, the longer this goes... means I have the advantage." said Ash as he was showing off his high levels of endurance and stamina. Even Applejack was worried at how her leader was showing off his physique. The pair was now reaching down to the final stretch as Applejack could feel her weight starting to push Ash's arm down. The boy saw his arm starting to bend as he pushed himself. For Applejack, she nearly had him beat that she could taste it. The girl was tempted to just slam him using her super-strength but before she could think about that, her arm started to move in the opposite direction. Now it was the country girl who was in danger. Ash breathed heavily as he picked his arm up and fought back against his friend. Soon he brought his arm back to their starting position as he looked Aj in the eye. The girl was staring into the eyes of her friend as he looked like a predator eyeing its prey. The best way to describe it was that Ash looked like he had his wolf's eyes as it was dead set on finishing its objective. "No, I ain't going down yet," she said determinedly, closing her eyes. She wasn't going to show fear in the eyes of the alpha that was eyeing her like a piece of meat. She then began to muster every strength she had, and it became harder to hold her in place. Ash took a relaxing breath, as he felt sweat form on top of his head, before pushing harder and slowly beginning to move her hand further down. "No, not yet," she cried out, as her hand was a few inches away from touching the table. The girl panted, sounding exhausted. She shouldn't have done that and tired herself out. With one final strong push, Ash moved Applejack's hand onto the table, winning the match. She opened her eyes and stared at her hand, pinned on the table, in awe for a few seconds, before looking at her leader. "Good fight," stated Ash as he wiped the sweat on his forehead. "Wow, you're really strong. I'm impressed," she explained. "I merely turned a game of strength into a test of endurance. Of course, I couldn't have lasted that long without putting in some of my own strength. You're strong. No wonder the emerald gem chose you." said Ash as he began to rub his hand. "Well, I would have beaten you if you didn't cheat!" shouted the country girl. "I didn't cheat. The only rule that I said was for you to not use your gem's power. I didn't say anything about myself. And I played the game from a strategic plan. Without your extra strength, all I had to do was wear you down to the point where I could take advantage. Strength isn't everything. Sometimes you need a little brain to achieve victory." "I see yer point. Still, next time, nobody uses their powers. We'll see then if you can actually beat me?" snickered the country gal as Ash merely laughed. In his lab, Thorax was at one of his computers as he looking at a screen. Ever since the failure of capturing the zord, their leader was unhappy that the rangers managed to get another ally that could defeat them. Of course, such failure didn't go without punishment as Chrysalis made sure to give her boys their consequences for failing. Right now, the mutant was in his lab as he was determined to not let another scenario like that happen. He was now hard at work on locating the other missing zords and finding the other secret item they were searching for. The general was concentrating on a task when suddenly he was interrupted. He groaned as he heard something horrible. He walked out of his lab as he followed the sound waves which led to a door. He didn't bother knocking as he pushed it open. "That's the latest song from Countess Coloratura's new album," spoke the person on the TV. "Such splendid music," spoke Starlight. "You call that music?" shouted Thorax as the girl mutant looked behind her. "Ever hear of knocking!" "Please, like you did that when we dated," snickered Thorax. "I just came here to tell you to shut that thing off. I'm busy doing important stuff!" "Like getting your ass kicked by both your mother and the rangers. I knew you and your dumb brother would fail. If anything, he should have sent me to retrieve the zord." "Whatever, keep the noise down." "That noise is music. You know that if you actually got out of your lab once in a while. And it's not just some pop garage that's heard on the radio these days by wanna-be pop stars. It's none other than Countess Coloratura. One of the biggest icons in terms of music. She was able to rise through the ranks of the music world and top the billboard charts." "And you know this because?" asked Thorax. "Just you like have the little things you enjoy about this dimension. So do I," replied Starlight to her comrade. "If you're a fan of Countess Coloratura, then you're in luck. The famous music icon will be in town to promote her new album. So, feel free to stop by the Canterlot Mall to get an exclusive signed copy of her latest music." stated the person on TV. "Exclusive signed copy, you say?" snickered Starlight. "Before you even think about it, keep in mind, we're busy with our stuff. We don't need to waste it on distractions," responded Thorax. "This is any but a distraction!!!" shouted Starlight as the whole room began to shake from her voice. "This is my chance to not only meet such a famous musical icon but perhaps show her the stellar voice that I possess. Imagine dominating the music charts with none other than the Countess." "Oh, shit," muttered Thorax. The male mutant knew what was coming as he was too slow to cover his ears. Starlight now began to sing as he was treated to the horrible sounding of his comrade's singing voice. Granted in the past, before they were transformed into monsters, Starlight had a lovely singing voice. But now, with them becoming mutants, the girl had lost that part of her as her voice sounded truly like nails on a chalkboard. "Shut up!!!" shouted Thorax. "Well, impressed?" asked Starlight. "What a shit performance," answered Thorax honestly. "How dare you?!! I still possess the lovely singing voice that I once had before our transformation." "Maybe in your head," whispered Thorax to himself. "I heard that!!!" shouted Starlight. "If you're so smart, then tell me how I can impress Countess Coloratura?" "Hmm, I think I may have just the thing," replied Thorax as he left Starlight's room back to his lab and began to design something. Rarity was currently in her boutique as she was waiting for someone. Soon the bell on the door was heard as the girl looked at who entered. Safe to say, it was none other than Applejack, however, the girl didn't expect to see another person present. Let alone a boy. "Howdy, Rarity." "Hello, Applejack. So nice you could come," said the fashionista as she hugged her friend. She then looked behind the cowgirl as there was the boy who entered with her friend. "My, darling. You didn't tell me you were seeing someone." "Huh? Oh!" said Applejack as she now realized what her friend was implying. "No, it's not like that! Rarity, this here is mah friend, his name is Ash." replied the girl while having some red on her face from embarrassment. "Hey," waved Ash. "Charmed to meet you, darling. For a second, I thought Applejack finally took an interest in someone." "Rarity!!!" shouted the farm girl. "Huh?" said Ash. "Anyways, you said you needed help," stated Applejack trying to move the conversation along to avoid further embarrassment. "Oh, right. Follow me." The girl then led the pair into a spare room as it was bare. The fashionista then began to explain to her friend how she wanted her to create a dresser room for her business. With the task now laid before her, Applejack soon got to work. "On today's "DIY with Applejack", we're gonna build my friend Rarity a dream dressin' room – in just seventy-three easy steps!" "When the hell did we start recording this? And why?" asked Ash as he was behind the camera with Rarity. One second, Applejack was drawing up the plans, and now she was talking to the camera like she was recording a video to upload onto the internet. "Shush, darling. Just let Applejack do her magic," informed Rarity who was holding up the camera. "Hello, darlings! I can't wait for my fabulous new dressing room and—" said the fashionista as she turned the camera to address the viewers. She was about to go on a tangent when she heard Aj clearing her throat. "Oh. Sorry. Promise I won't make another peep." "Let's get started!" exclaimed Aj. Soon the scene changed as the trio was all of a sudden outside. "First, ya need wood. So, for step one, I'm gonna cut down one of my trees." "When the hell did we leave the shop?" stated Ash as he noticed the sudden change in surroundings. "Ooh, just a dash of peep. How many trees are we going to need?" asked Rarity before things fast forward. "Step eight – gettin' rid of splinters. Now, ya have to give each square foot of the surface thirty clockwise strokes with the buffer..." "Thirty?! Darling, that seems a bit excessive!" stated Rarity as the farmer had a look on her face. "Yes. Thirty. And then you have to double-check those strokes by— Aw, shoot! I lost count! Well, I have to cut down a new tree." stated the girl as she left. "Alright, let me know when you're done, Applejack," said Ash as made his exit. It was a while since the boy had fallen asleep in a chair. He soon felt a tap on his shoulder as he woke up. Standing before him were the girls. "You finally finished?" asked Ash. Rarity then showed the video they recorded as she fast-forwarded to the end. The boy now saw the final result of the country girl's work as he was impressed by what he saw. The trio of teens then began to head out as they were meeting the rest of their friends. They all entered the Sweet Shoppe as there were the rest of the girls. Both Fluttershy and Pinkie were present as they were shocked to see Ash. So as it turned out, the boy had officially met the friend group that the girls belonged to as he could see the friendship that the girl had with one another. The sight before the boy reminded him of his previous group of friends and how they used to have fun with one another when they weren't rangers. All of it, made the boy feel something. He didn't let any of the girls see as he quietly lowered his head and let out a few tears. His attention was then called as Rarity was tapping his shoulder. "Ash, are you okay?" "Huh, y-yeah. Sorry Rarity. I was... just thinking about something." said the boy as he grabbed a nearby chair and turned it around as he sat. Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity were a bit confused by how the boy was acting. However, the others knew what their leader was thinking as they quickly began to talk about something else to take the pressure off their friend. Rarity did notice the wristband that Ash had as it was similar to the ones the others had. Before she could ask the boy about it, their attention was turned to Pinkie who had pulled out her phone. She was currently playing the latest song that was trending. Time for the spectacle Time for the show The lights are bright and the colors glow I'm not just anybody I think you know The time is now, it's about to blow! Razzle dazzle Glitz and glam Turn it all up, it's a spectacle Razzle dazzle Glitz and glam Turn it all up, it's a spectacle Give me more Razzle dazzle Glitter eyes, big surprise Lights, cameras Razzle dazzle Glitz and glam Turn it all up, it's a spectacle Hear the applause Here to impress Not just anybody, I am the Countess! "Well, what do you think?" asked the party girl. "I'll tell you what I think. It's awesome!" replied Rainbow. "I liked the hook that was sung," stated Sunset. "Really?" spoke Ash. The girls were all giving praise to the song they heard as Ash had a different opinion. "No offense, but... it kinda sucked." GASP The girls, apart from Applejack, all gasped as even Pinkie had to do a spit take. "Do you know who that was?!!!" asked Pinkie as she leaned into the boy's face and grabbed his shirt. "No," answered Ash bluntly. "That was none other than the famous and biggest pop star in all of the world. It's Countess Coloratura!" "Who?" Once again, the girls minus Aj all made even bigger gasps. Even the nearby patrons and Mr. and Mrs. Cake all did some gasps. They soon began to murmur to themselves as they carried on with their lives. "My frizz has been freaked!" exclaimed Pinkie as she let go of the boy. "Okay, why does it feel like I committed some kind of sin?" asked Ash as he wa being given that kind of vibe. "Darling? How can you not know who Countess Coloratura is?" asked Rarity. "Really?" stated Ash raising an eyebrow. "Oh, right," chuckled the fashionista as she was told by the girls that Ash was from out of town and had only been here for a while. "No offense, but I too don't know who the hay this Countess Coloratura person is?" asked Applejack as she was in the same boat as her leader. "Am I taking crazy pills?" shouted Pinkie grabbing her hair. "I mean..." muttered Ash quietly to himself. "Uh, I just told you that she's the biggest teen pop star in the whole world! How-how-how-how-how have you not heard of her?!" stated Pinkie. "Hey, I have a legitimate excuse," corrected Ash. "Don't know. Though I did know a gal named Coloratura when I was just a little girl," laughed Aj while doing a little pig snort, "Wouldn't it just be the funniest thing if that Coloratura and this Coloratura were the same Coloratura? Heh." "Do you mean to tell me that you actually know Countess Coloratura?" Pinkie asked rather bitterly as she glared at the farm girl. "Well, I don't think it's the same person, since my friend wasn't any sort of high-falutin' countess." "Do you remember what she looked like?" asked Pinkie sternly. "Sure do. She had this super colorful hairpin of musical notes that just shimmered in the light," replied Applejack. "You mean... like this?!" Pinkie asked as she pulled up a photo on her phone that had the image of the hairpin with the exact description that Aj had said. "Well, fancy that!" said Applejack in surprise, "That there's the very same hairpin!" "Talk about a coincidence," stated Ash. "That can't be true. Do you have any idea how demanding she is?" responded Pinkie. "Nah," said the country girl with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Yah!" Pinkie retorted, leaning into her face again. "I completely understand," said Rarity, "We artistes require certain necessities in order to do our best work." "There's got to be some sort of misunderstandin', 'cause Rara was just as down-home as me!" "Rara?!" said the other girls in unison with open mouths. "What's the big deal?" Ash replied, "Rara is a nice nickname." "Darn tootin' it was," stated Aj, "Even that big-name was too fancy for her, so I shortened Coloratura to 'Rara'!" (Flashback) Applejack then began to tell a tale. A visual was shown of a campsite where many little boys and girls were shouting and having a good time. They were all wearing an olive green girl/boy scout style shirt with a dark orange scarf around their necks and a green camp. "We had the best time at Camp Friendship!" Applejack narrated as a younger self and a pale blue girl with navy blue hair that had natural curls in it were doing a tug of war against another team. However, the two girls were soon pulled into the mud. They were both frazzled at first, but then Rara began to laugh, and Applejack did as well. "Rara was just so easygoin'!" Applejack continued as the two girls raced for the lake, jumped in, and started splashing at each other to clean the mud off, "We were like two apples from the same branch." Later the two girls were seen standing on a wooden stage before other campers. "Rara and I prepared this song for the camp talent show," Applejack said as her kid self grabbed a guitar, and kid Rara looked rather nervous, "When we performed, she belted it out, singin' in the most colorful, clear voice I'd ever heard!" Applejack then gave her friend a supportive smile as the pale blue girl began started to sing. As young Rara began to sing from her heart, young Applejack played her guitar and smiled. The other campers were blown away by the little girl's voice. Then the hairpin on her head started to glow, surprising young Aj as her friend's singing became more passionate. Soon, young Rara finished with a long note, and Applejack then gave a metal triangle a ting. The other campers were most impressed and cheered for Rara, who smiled happily with tears pricking the bottom of her eyes. (End Flashback) "After camp, we wrote to each other for a bit," said Aj, "but... then we lost touch. But Rara always did want to go to Manehattan to try and make it big. But a demandin' diva? She's just a plain old girl like you and me." Aj gave Pinkie a funny look about Rara turning into a diva. "I hope so, Aj," said Ash wearily, "When you make it big, the fame can go to a person's head no matter how down to earth they can be." "Well, putting that aside. You gotta at least admit the song was dope?" stated Rainbow to Ash. "As I said, it sucked!" stated the boy as everyone gasped once more. "Oh come on, it's true. No one appreciates good music anymore. All you hear on the radio is that pop mechanical garbage. Music is supposed to be about passion, about heart. And a song is supposed to not sound like that but to convey that message as well." "Hey, Countess Coloratura has some good music, Ash!" said Twilight as she was with Pinkie in defending the pop teen superstar. "Translation, she owns all of her music," stated Sunset to her leader. "No, I don't!" replied the bookworm with a sheepish smile. "Okay, I do. But that has nothing to do with it." "It's bad enough that you're dissing her music. Now we got to believe that somehow, Aj knows her," stated Rainbow. "I'm tellin' y'all, it's true. I do know her, well... not this countess gal. But I know Rara." "You really expect us to trust your word?" asked the chromatic girl. "Believe what you want, Dash. But I've never not told the truth about mah friends." "Well, here's your chance to prove it," stated Twilight as she got the attention of everyone. The girl had pulled out her laptop and showed her screen. "According to her website, she's gonna be in town to promote her latest album. She's also going to be signing some exclusive copies." "Exclusive copies?!!!" said Rarity as she stood up quickly with a glee smile. Her actions got the attention of the other customers as they looked at the girl. The fashionista had some red on her cheeks from embarrassment as she quietly sat back down. She then cleared her throat before speaking. "Darlings, this is the perfect opportunity. Not only will we see the famous music idol herself, but it will allow Applejack a chance to see if she's truly friends with her. And of course, allow Ash a chance to see just how amazing the Countess is." "Wait, why am I being dragged into this?" asked the boy. "Wish I could, but I got something to do tomorrow during her signing," stated Rainbow. "Same here," responded Twilight. The others all gave similar responses as Rarity made a face. She then turned to Applejack as she was hoping the country gal would at least accompany her and Ash for the signing. "Well, alright. I don't see now harm in provin' that I know Rara." "Again, why the hell am I going?" asked the boy as he never consented. "Hush now, darling. This is so that you can see just how popular Countess Coloratura really is. And you can ask her about the music she makes." said Rarity. "Like that'll change my opinion on her," muttered Ash as he let out a sigh. It was then settled as Aj, Rarity, and Ash would head to the mall where Countess Coloratura would be. Also, the other girls asked Applejack if she could hook them up with some signed copies. The next day arrived as the scene showed a mall. The Canterlot mall was one of the biggest and busiest places to be. And it was even busier as today, a famous icon would be arriving. A group of people before kids and teens were gathered near the front of the mall's entrance. They were awaiting the arrival of someone as they didn't have to wait long. A large limo appeared as it stopped in front of the mall. Four men emerged in punk rock style attires as some pop BGM music was played. A cloud of smoke hissed from the inside, which contained a throne as well as the silhouette of a person reclining on it. Some sun-shaped effects appeared in the background as Countess Coloratura appeared before them. The crowd went crazy seeing the teen icon. Among the crowd were Rarity, Applejack, and Ash. While Rarity was bouncing up and down like a fangirl, the duo had different expressions on their faces. While Applejack recognized the hairpin, her hair was styled with long gene-style ponytails and was now purplish white with some darker purple highlights. She was also wearing a dark purple jacket that had some studs along the button area with a darker purple top under it. She also had some black studded bracelets and a necklace as well as a similarly styled headband with a veil over her face. Lastly, she had on some very thick black top and bottom eyelashes. The men then began to part the crowd in front of them as they were leading their client inside the mall. As she was following them, the Countess was expressing her love and admiration to her adoring fans. They soon entered the building as they were making their way to the table that was set up for her as the crowd was following a few meters behind. "Clear the way! Stand back!" shouted some of the men as they held back some of the fans. "Keep your hands to yourselves." As they walked, several people didn't hesitate to take photos of the teen pop star as Rara walked with somewhat of a snooty persona. All the while, Applejack was in disbelief. "No... that can't be her," said the farm girl. "Shall we find out?" Ash asked as Applejack nodded, and the three teens began to walk up to the pop star as the line was starting to form with them at the front. Applejack looked at the person as she cleared her throat. "Um... hi," said Applejack as Rara seemed to ignore her. "Who should I make it out to?" asked the girl without looking at who spoke as she grabbed one of her albums and was preparing to sign it. "Um, well... that's kinda hard to say. Um, do you remember me? We met at Camp Friendship? I gave you the nickname 'Rara'?" The nickname seemed to do the trick as the pop star's demeanor softened. "Aj?" Rara asked in surprise. She then looked up and true to her eyes, there stood the girl she was friends with when they were little as she was now grown up a bit. "Yeah," the farm girl replied as Ash and Rarity stood by her side and smiled. "Wow! I haven't seen you in ages!" said the girl as she was still in shock to see an old colleague. "Heh. Howdy, Rara!" It was then one of the men appeared and whispered something to Rara. Applejack and Ash looked at the interaction curiously before they were each splattered on the cheek with a stamp that was shaped like a red heart. "Wuh?" said Ash in shock. "Hearties!" said Rara with a short laugh as one of the men held the stamp pad before putting it away. "Ooh, you got hearties from Countess Coloratura!" said Rarity, "Look! Ooh, she clearly thinks you're very special!" She showed the stamp to Applejack using a hand-held mirror. "You think so?" asked Ash as he wiped the mark off and quickly pointed at Rara who was giving out quick hearties to some other people. "Yeah... real special," said Applejack annoyingly as she rolled her eyes and wiped her cheek clean. Rara then came back to the table as the three were still in line. "It's been so long. I didn't know that you were a fan?" stated Rara. "Actually, it's mah friend Rarity," stated the farm girl as she pointed to the fashionista next to her. "Pleased to make your acquaintance," said the marshmallow girl as she shook the hand of the music idol while trying not to faint. "Oh, she also didn't tell me that she had a boy--" "NO!!!" exclaimed Aj as she cut off Rara from finishing that sentence. "Ash is just a new friend. He's just recently moved here, and I'm showing him around." "Nice to meet you, ma'am," said the boy as he extended his hand for the girl to shake. "Nice to meet you. Did she tell you that we used to know each other?" asked Rara. "Yeah, but our other friends didn't believe it," responded the boy. "It was nothing. Jut little kid stuff," scoffed the music icon. "Nothing? I... I thought we had fun when we were kids. And the song we performed at camp. I enjoyed." spoke Aj in disbelief. "Oh, yeah. It was. But... we were kids. And look at us now, all grown up. Time to move on." said Rara as Aj was disheartened to hear that from a friend she thought she knew. "Move on? How can you say that Rara?" spoke the farm girl. "I am not Rara! I am Countess Coloratura! And while we may have been friends when we were young, we have clearly gone in different directions!" Before Aj could respond, the three teens were suddenly pushed to the side as a few reporters and photographers emerged. They began to take some photos and ask the musical sensation some questions. "Countess Coloratura! What led you to be the success you are today?" asked a reporter. "I'm so glad you asked. Well, it all started... give me one second," said the teen icon as she quickly spotted Aj. "Applejack, forgive me. But can we discuss things later? But hey, here you go. On the house." Rara quickly signed an album and tossed it at the farm girl. Applejack looked at the thing in her hands as she saw the image of the Countess. A few photos of her holding it were taken before turning back to the music icon. For the farm girl, it seemed the truth was real. The friend she once knew was long gone and replaced by someone she didn't know. She let out a sigh as she left the huge crowd with Ash looking at his teammate. In the villains'' lair, Thorax had finally put the finishing touches on his device. "Well?" asked Starlight who was impatient. "It's complete," said Thorax as he picked up the device. "With this, you'll be able to impress that icon of yours. Of course, it needs a volunteer." "Say less," snickered Starlight as soon an officer appear. "Canary, reporting for duty, generals," spoke a female monster. Thorax smiled before combing his device with the officer. Back with our heroes, the signing was over. Rara and her team were preparing to leave as Rarity had managed to catch up with the music icon. She was hoping to get some insight on some clothes that she wanted to give the Countess for future appearances. As for Applejack and Ash, the pair were watching their friend escort the pop idol to the parking lot before talking. "Well, she's... something." "Yeah, I guess. Seems the Rara that I knew is long gone." "Hey, don't beat yourself up," said Ash as he put his hand on Aj's shoulder. "So what if she's changed? At least you're true to yourself. To me, that's more important than some fame or glory." "I appreciate you saying that sugar," smiled Applejack as she gave a hug to her leader. Ash returned the gesture as he put his arms around the farm girl. "And you know, maybe you're right. Maybe I don't Rara at all." stated the girl as she broke the hug. Just then a scream was heard. "Huh?" said Ash as he looked at Aj. The two teens then began to run in the direction of the scream. They heard it getting louder and louder as the pair came to the parking lot. There was Rara and Rarity, but surrounding them were minions as well as the monster that was sent by Thorax and Starlight. "What do you monsters want?" asked Rara in fear. "Don't you know? I'm a fan of yours," snickered Canary. "Come on!" instructed Ash to Aj. The pair ran as they began to engage with some of the minions. Ash managed to kick the ones holding the men away as they began to run. He then turned and did a few hand-to-hand combats before spinning in the air and using his leg to kick them. He then grabbed Rarity's hand as he led her to the entrance. "Ash?" "Get out of here!" instructed the boy to the girl as he turned back to block a strike before kneeing the minion and tossing him to the others. Rarity followed the instructions given by her friend as she ran to safety. With Applejack, she was ducking and punching her section of the minions. She fell onto the floor and then kip-up as she began to throw some fists. One of them hit the girl into a nearby car as the one on top grabbed her. The farm girl merely used her strength to grab a hold of the arm and fling the minion into the others. She then charged forward with a punch as they fell. Another scream was heard as she looked in the direction of Rara. A minion was about to attack the girl as Aj rushed and harden her skin to block its attack. She then spun the arm around as the minion forward flipped onto the ground to which she did a chop block to its midsection. "Aj, what are doing?" asked Rara. "Ask later, run now!" instructed the farm girl to her friend. The pop star obeyed as she ran while the farm girl went back to fighting. She was preparing to escape when the monster stood in front of her. Applejack quickly looked as she saw her friend in danger. "Rara!" called out the girl as soon a whole bunch of minions was holding back the girl as her hand was reaching out. "You're aren't going to leave so soon? Not after I have a request for you," snickered the monster. "Now... sing for me, little birdie!" She then used her claws to shoot out some energy beams. Rara looked away and put her hands up while letting out a small scream. Soon the energy beams began to do something. The voice of Rara was heard as it sang in its harmonious tone before a ball of energy appeared out of her mouth. The girl looked at the sphere as the voice was still harmonizing before it disappeared into the monster. "Thanks for the gift!" said Canary as she disappeared with the rest of the mutants. Applejack stumbled a bit as she then ran over to Rara who fell to her knees. "Rara? Are you okay?" asked the girl. "Yeah, but..." The girl cleared her throat as she opened her mouth. She then put her two fingers on it as she opened her mouth again. But like before, nothing came out. "What's wrong?" asked the farm girl. "I... I can't sing." "Oh, shit," said Ash in a dreadful tone. Upon returning, Canary then used her powers to make the sphere appear. The ball of energy was shown as Starlight was smiling. It then entered the general as she then opened her mouth and a lovely noise was heard. "Wow, I can actually tolerate your singing for once," snickered Thorax. He was impressed by how well his device worked in stealing one's singing voice. "Wonderful," said Starlight with a smile at how she sounded. "There you go," said Thorax as he was preparing to leave. "Canary, get back out in the field and steal more." "What?" said Thorax as he quickly returned to the room. "You heard me!" "Yes, General Starlight," replied the officer before she zipped away. "I thought you wanted just her voice," asked Thorax. "True, but... with this lovely voice. I should be the only one with it. Nobody else. That way, I can dominate the music world." "And how is that supposed to help us conquer this dimension?" asked Thorax. "It doesn't. This is just for me! Only I should have a golden, angelic voice." "This is all you. If it fails, you got nobody to blame but yourself!" said Thorax as he wasn't going to stick around for the consequences of his comrade's ambitions. The general left as Starlight let out an evil cackle. "Time to please, General Starlight!" said Canary as she was on top of a building looking down at some humans. She then landed as a few noticed her in fear. "Don't worry. I only need to hear you squeal!" She then powered up her claws as the energy beams shot out to some humans. The same thing happened before as their voices were heard in a harmonious tone. They soon exited from their mouths as there stood the sphere before disappearing into the mutant as she zoomed away. All the people were left touching their throats as they tried to sing but no sound was coming out. "Choir practice is in session!" said the monster as she absorbed some more from a group of people in front of a church. "Sharp in the key of B! More like B-flat!" said the mutant taking some more people who were singing. "Let's make this quartet into a quintet," she snickered as she did it once more. She then entered a recording studio as she zapped away the voices of the singers behind the booth. They all were in fear as soon their singing was no more. She laughed and was about to leave. "Hey!" said the last singer behind the booth who was also present. Yet for some reason, she didn't take his voice. "You can't sing for shit! You're using autotune!" said Canary as she left. "You've been using autotune this whole time!?!!" shouted the other members of the band as they were unhappy. While this was happening, Ash and the girls were watching this from the command center as Rachel was tracking the monster. "Someone has the power to take away your singing voice? That's so not cool!" stated Rainbow. "Seems the dark lords are trying to take everyone who has a decent voice and is probably going to try to convert that into energy." "For what, though?" asked Sunset. "I don't know, but right now, we need to put a stop to it," instructed Ash. "Where's Aj?" asked Twilight. "She's with Rara right now. She took her to Rarity's boutique. After she got her voice taken away, she needed someplace to lay low. Though I will say, it was devasting to see her." spoke the boy. "Yeah, I can imagine. Not being able to sing," stated Sunset. "Oh, no. I was talking about the meltdown she had. It was pretty brutal." "Alright, are we done talking so we can stop this thing?" asked Rainbow. "Right, we got a job to do. Oh, before I forget." The boy then tossed each of the girls a signed copy of Rara's latest album. "No way! You actually got her to sign one for each of us?!!" said Twilight with a wide smile. "Don't say I never did anything for you. Now come on, you girls ready?" "Ready!" responded the girls as they now stood in a line with Ash and lifted their arms for their wristbands to change into their Morphers. "Harmony Gem, power up!" shouted all four. They each traced the symbol on their devices as they appeared on a split-screen. Their gems encased the rangers into their suits as they landed on a platform. They lifted their heads as their vizors formed and finished doing their poses accompanied by their zords in the background. The four were now in front of the monster. "There she is!" stated Ash. The four rangers all pulled out their sabers and charged forward. They each tried to take a swing at the monster as she was ducking and fighting back. She made contact with her claws as she spun and hit all four. "Catch me if you can!" stated the monster as the rangers chased after her. While this was going down, Applejack was with Rara. After leaving the mall, the farm girl took her pal to Rarity's place as it would give them some privacy from any fans. Of course, there were also a few men in suits as they watched the windows and doors for any peeping eyes. Sitting down in a pair of couches were Applejack and Rara as Rarity brought a tea set. She gave one to the music icon and the girl thanked the fashionista before she went back behind the counter. "I can't believe this happened," said Rara holding the teacup in her lap. "Oh, come on, Rara. It's not that bad. I mean, it could be worst. You could have turned into an old lady," chuckled Aj trying to lighten the mood as Rara glared at her. Even Rarity heard that as she took offense to the comment made by her farm friend. "Sorry," apologized the girl before munching on a cookie. "To think my career and life are over," spoke the girl. "And I was supposed to perform at the Amphitheater tonight." "I mean, that doesn't stop you from attendin'," replied the girl. "And who knows, maybe they won't ask you to perform if you tell them the truth." "Right, and disappoint all my fans who came to see me do the one thing that I'm being paid to do. The one thing that defines my life and the entire legacy that I've been building since I was little. I knew you wouldn't understand." stated Rara. Applejack felt a bit angry at Rara's attitude as all the girl could think of was her image. Her bracelet then beeped as she heard it. "I need to go." "What?" said Rara. "I just need to do something, and I'll come back," stated Applejack as she was being contacted by the others for assistance. "No, you can't!" stated the music icon as she grabbed Aj's hand when she stood up. "Rarity will be here if you need anything. Plus, you got a security team. Nobody will bother you. I just need to step out for a bit. I promise." "But, you can't leave me. Not like this, Aj. Please... you're my friend. And I know you don't leave your friends when they need you the most." said Rara as she was scared. Applejack looked at her friend and saw just how vulnerable she was. Safe to say, it reminded the farm girl a slight glance at who the real Rara once was. "Applejack, you still consider me your friend, right?" asked Rara with pleading eyes. The country gal sighed as she sat back down. With the others, they were still fighting against Canary as she kept on dodging their attacks. The rangers were doing all they could as the monster was tougher than she looked. Ash had been flung to the side as he was about to get back into the action to help the girls when he stopped in his tracks. "Sorry, Ash. But I need some alone time with you." "Starlight! I should have known you were behind this. Ever since you transformed, you've been craving your lost voice." Starlight didn't take kindly to that as she charged up her staff and fired a magic beam at Ash. The boy felt the attack as he fell back. The girls were dealing with Canary on their own as they were taking a beating. "Where the hell is Aj?" asked Sunset as got up from the floor. "I called her, but she ain't picking up!" answered Dash as with Ash dealing with Starlight, the girls need some help in taking down Canary. A few meters away, Ash had recovered as he had his blade out and was dueling with Starlight. The boy leaped over her staff as they began to wail their weapons against each other as they clanged. Starlight managed to push Ash back into a wall as the boy rolled along the edge as the mutant missed. Once more they began to exchange attacks as Ash ducked and then back spun as he kicked the monster in her midsection. He went for a low sweep as she jumped to avoid it. They both began to spin while attacking as the yellow ranger managed to get some distance. Starlight went for a low-side attack as Ash blocked it with his blade, but that served as a distraction as Starlight hit him in the chest as he stumbled and fell. Starlight then tried to attack the boy while he was on the ground as he rolled to the side. He'd kipped up and ducked another attack as elbowed the girl mutant in her side. Starlight then managed to slash at Ash as she got the boy to which he stumbled. She went for a thrust using her staff, Ash blocked it with his blade as it was this close to his face. The boy then leaped into the air as he did several rotations while Starlight slid under him. He landed and then did some kicks to the monster's chest as Starlight fell back. "Give it up, Starlight," panted Ash while pointing his weapon at her. "What am I going to do?!" stated Rara as she was having another panic attack. "Rara, get a hold of yourself! You're not the only one being affected here! Other people are suffering the same thing as you! You think everything is about you?!!!" shouted Applejack. "And that's my problem, how?!!!" countered the girl. "Since when did being famous was all you thought about? Being popular, being not true to yourself? Where's the Rara that I once knew? Where is the girl that wasn't content with image? Where's the girl that didn't care about popularity or publicity? Where's the Rara that sang because she loved to?!!!" "That type of mentality doesn't get you anywhere in this business!!! You wouldn't understand, Applejack! You're nothing but an apple-picking farmer! Someone who doesn't have the responsibilities and duties that I have! I'm a sensational musician, someone who made it big. You're just stuck here in this place, never to get out. You're nothing but a measly apple farmer, who only has to worry about keeping the family farm from going out of business." stated Rara as she glared at her friend. Applejack felt her fists clench. She took in all that was said by the diva as her blood boiled. Still, the country gal took a deep breath as she regained her composure. She so badly wanted to tell the music icon how her life had recently changed but knew that it would violate her code as a ranger. The girl instead stood up from her couch and reached into her pocket. She pulled out several things and handed them to the pop star. "This... this was the Rara that I once knew. This was the girl that I considered my friend. She was someone who cared about others, not just herself." said Applejack as she pointed to the picture of her and the girl when they were kids at Camp Friendship. "The real perk of friendship is gettin' to see your friend bein' true to their self. And Rara, when you're simply yourself, you're the brightest star I've ever seen shine. I have to go." said the farm gal as her bracelet beeped once more, and she walked out of the boutique. Rara looked at the other things in her hand. One of them was the hairpin that she always wore. Of course, the girl always had extra accessories on that she would sometimes forget it was there. Now, she was looking at it more closely. The last thing was a flash drive. The girl snapped her fingers as one of the suited men brought a laptop and plugged in the drive. A video came up as they pushed play for the pop icon to watch. It was a recording of a dress rehearsal that she and Aj did right before performing their song for the other campers. "You sure about this, Aj?" said kid Rara. "Absolutely," said kid Applejack as she began to play her guitar. The strums of the instrument began the song as Rara cleared her throat and began to sing. Planet Earth, the place I love A land of harmony Our flag does wave from high above For all of mankind to see Planet Earth, a place of friends Where humankind does roam They say true friendship never ends Planet Earth, my home Ash was still locked in combat with Starlight. The general trying to get rid of her problem. Both crossed their weapon as their faces were inches from each other. The anger and hatred were on display. "You really think that in the end, you'll defeat us, Ash?!! If your mother and your friends couldn't do it, what chances do you or these girls have?!!!" shouted Starlight. Ash ignored the monster's comments as he flung her weapon back. Starlight charged up her staff and shot an attack. Ash deflected the blasts from the general as he kept on charging forward as Starlight tried to fire more attacks to slow the boy down. Ash then leaped into the air and spun his sword rapidly. He was tapping into his gem's power as he did several quick slashes as Starlight felt them and was tossed away. "I don't have time to deal with you right now," stated Ash as he turned to find the others. "Wait!" shouted Starlight as she had her hand out. She tried to stand up but fell to her knees. The general soon grunted as she retreated. While Ash was finishing up with Starlight, the girls managed to track down Canary. "Nowhere left to run!" stated Rainbow. "Let's cage this bird!" exclaimed Sunset. "That's what you girls think!" replied Canary. She then opened her mouth as a shrieking soundwave hit the girls as they fell to the floor. "Shit!" said Rainbow as it sounded horrible. "My ears!" shouted Twilight as she put her hands over them to stop the blood-piercing ringing. "It's over, rangers," snickered the officer as she began to approach the girls on the floor. "How do we beat her?" asked Sunset as the girls were slowly getting to their feet. Soon the ground began to shake. Coming from behind the girls was a rhino as it shoved them all out of the way and charged forward. The spirit of the animal made contact with the mutant as its horn made her go flying. "What the hell?!" said Canary as she felt like she got hit by a freight train. Standing a few meters was Applejack as her hands glowed green before disappearing. "Aj!!!!" shouted the others. "Whoops, sorry, girls. Guess I should have given y'all a heads up to move out the way of mah rhino chargin'." chuckled the girl sheepishly as she almost got her friends trampled. "You think?!!!" shouted the others in annoyance. "Another human? Perfect, another voice to add to my collection," snickered Canary. "I don't think," replied Applejack smugly. Her bracelet then turned into her Morpher. "Harmony Gem, power up!" Applejack traced her symbol and her emerald gem showed it recognized it. It then encased the girl in her suit as she landed on a platform. Her whole body turned into a suit with bits of her gem on her shoulders. She lifted her head as the face had the visor appear as it covered the last bit of her. The girl did her pose with her zord behind her. "With the strength of the rhino, Harmony Guardian Green Ranger!" stated Aj. "Harmony Saber!" The country girl then pulled out her weapon. The four girls then leaped into the air and looked to bring it down on Canary as she blocked all of them and then let out another screech as it sent the rangers flying. Aj had flown into a nearby music store as she landed near the guitar section. She noticed a nearby bass as the girl got an idea. "Think you're up for a little music duel?!" taunted the green ranger as she strapped on the bass. "Please?" mocked Canary. She opened her mouth as a screeching soundwave was coming at the girl. Aj hooked the bass into a nearby amp as she strummed a chord. It created her own soundwave that dissipated the shriek as it traveled to Canary's ears. "What a horrible noise!" shouted the mutant. Applejack then began to work her fingers as she strummed the strings of the bass guitar. The girl was showing off her talent as she played some notes on the instrument while the monster was suffering from hearing Aj play. The country gal was enjoying rocking out as she began to strum harder and faster. She then did one final strum as she slid onto her knees. It pushed back Canary as she fell to the floor in pain from the sound. "Yee-haw!!" exclaimed Applejack as she stepped out of the music store. "Hey, girls. You okay?" asked Ash as he arrived after dealing with Starlight as they gathered by their country friend. "Never better, sugarcube." "Good, let's end," stated the boy. "Put them together, y'all!" said Aj as the rangers pulled out their weapons. "Harmony Cannon!" shouted all of them. "Fire!" commanded Aj. Ash then pulled the trigger as a sphere of energy covered in their colors shot out. It hit Canary and the mutant was destroyed as an explosion occurred. "All right!" shouted the rangers as they fist-pumped the air. "This isn't over!" stated Starlight as she made it back to the base and watched the final moments. Soon the general felt herself starting to glow as out came the energy ball that held Rara's singing voice. It let out a harmonious sound before flying off. From the small remains of Canary other, energy balls were shown and flew in all sorts of directions. In the boutique, Rara was still listening to the song as she looked at the photo and hairpin. The girl was humming the song as it gave her some remembrance. A ball of energy then entered her as the girl opened her mouth to sing the final moments of the song. Planet Earth, the place that I love A place of harmony Our flag does wave from high above For all of mankind to see Planet Earth, a place of friends Where humankind does roam They say true friendship never ends Planet Earth, my home The song ended as Rara finished in her melodious voice. "My word, that was beautiful," stated Rarity as she heard Rara's singing. The pop icon then touched her throat. She then did a quick scale as her voice was brought back. The girl smiled as she was grateful to be restored. Rara then looked at the photo as she smiled. It was nighttime. Tons of people have filled the Amiptheatre as they were looking forward to seeing Countess Coloratura perform. After dealing with the incident, the rangers all returned to see the music icon as she was back to normal. They told her that the rangers had managed to take out the monster and free the captive voices. Now the girls and the rest of their friends were invited by the music icon to attend her show. She gave them all front-row tickets as they were excited to see her perform. It took some massive convincing from all of them to persuade Ash as it took the effort of all of them to drag the boy with them. The crowd was now starting to settle down as the lights dimmed, and out came the manager of Rara. "Good evening, everyone! Welcome to tonight's musical performance. It is my great honor to introduce you all to the superstar sensational- Countess Coloratura!" The people cheered as the curtains opened to reveal the pop star. She was standing near a baby grand piano. But the most striking feature was that she wasn't wearing any fancy makeup. Her hair had its natural swirls along the edges. She wore a beautiful dark violet sleeveless shirt with blue trims. She also had a matching skirt that reached down to her knees and had some gray lacing along her neck. "This song may be familiar, yet, it's totally different. Kind of like me, Rara." Apart from our cast, the other people were left stunned and confused at the nickname. Rara just shook off their puzzled murmurs and began to play the piano. [Rara - She did a mini piano solo before she sang. The view then zoomed out to show the audience listening attentively as the spotlight shined above her.] I'm here to show you who I am Throw off the veil, it's finally time There's more to me than glitz and glam, oh-whoa And now I feel my stars align [Rara - As she continued singing and piano playing, several people began lighting up their phones.] For I had believed what I was sold I did all the things that I was told But all that has changed, and now I'm bold 'Cause I know [Rara - A silhouette of a mini-orchestra could be seen behind a screen in the background of the stage.] That I am just a human I make mistakes from time to time But now I know the real me And put my heart out on the line [Rara - The audience was now watching with smiles on their faces, clearly captivated by her voice. The CMC were smiling and holding each other. Sweetie Belle raised a hand in the air.] And let the magic in my heart stay true Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa And let the magic in my heart stay true Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa Just like the magic inside of you [Rara] And now I see those colors Right before my eyes I hear my voice so clearly And I know that it is right [Rara - her voice began to echo as she continued to sing.] They thought I was weak, but I am strong They sold me the world, but they were wrong And now that I'm back, I still belong 'Cause I know [Rara - As she reached the chorus again, her hairpin started glowing and the audience cheered loudly and excitedly. The CMC were still smiling happily as Applebloom was trying to mouth the words. The teens were also smiling, especially Applejack and Ash. Applejack could feel her eye filling with happy tears. Ash put his hand on her shoulder as they exchanged smiles with each other.] That I am just a human I make mistakes from time to time But now I know the real me And put my heart out on the line [Rara - She was now crying happily as she poured her heart and soul into her singing. Then raised an arm in the air as she sang the final note.] And let the magic in my heart stay true Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa And let the magic in my heart stay true Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa Just like the magic inside of you Just like the magic inside of you... The audience roared with delight as Rara finished her song and walked to the front of the stage. "Thank you, everyone!" said Rara, her voice amplified by the hidden mic along the stage. "When I arrived, I had forgotten who I really was! But then an old friend reminded me what real friendship is about, and she told me that if I was true to myself, I couldn't go wrong!" The group of teens knew who that friend was as they all looked at Applejack. The girl blinked at being called out and felt a bit embarrassed, especially when Rara was looking at her. "So I have a very special surprise for her," stated Rara as she gave some cues. The band in the background understood as they began the music, and a spotlight shined down on the pop star. Planet Earth, the place I love A land of harmony Our flag does wave from high above For all of mankind to see [Rara - She extended a hand to pull Applejack onto the stage and held her close as she finished the song.] Planet Earth, a place of friends Where humankind does roam They say true friendship never ends Planet Earth, my home The audience cheered and roared with excitement! Aj's friends cheered loudly as well, with Ash whistling loudly. A metal triangle was brought out next to the country gal. She gave it a light tap before she and Rara shared a warm hug on stage. Applejack had a warm and teary smile on her face. She knew, that no matter how far apart life took them. She and Rara would be friends forever.