In an extreme close-up of the logo for Flash’s band on the elimination brackets. Luna reaches into view with a red marker to cross it out; zoom out to show her moving the Dazzlings’ token—three red gems and a collection of musical symbols—to the finalist’s slot on the right side. She steps away, exposing the semifinalists on the left side: the Rainbooms and the Illusions. The other thirteen acts have already been knocked out.
Flash was standing in front of the diagram, which is mounted on a rolling whiteboard; he shakes his fists in silent anger as his bandmates glare from a few steps back, then stalks away. A wipe shifts the scene to the Rainbooms backstage; Pinkie has her sticks, Twilight the notebook, the others their instruments. Sunset stands with them, smiling with fierce confidence.
“This is it. Last round, and you’re in the finals…unless you think the counter-spell is ready to be played now.” Sunset turned to Twilight as the amateur songwriter huddles miserably into herself.
“Don’t worry, Twilight. Finals aren’t until tonight. We’ll get in a little more practice before we’re supposed to hit the stage. We won’t let you down.” Applejack assured the girl. “But if we do just know we tried!” Jay added on
Nods and sounds of agreement from the others, but Twilight just turns partly away from them
“You won’t let me down…but I didn’t try at all.” Twilight whispered as Sunset looked on with concern. She then turned to the other leader, who still seemed lost in thought. She heard a faint “Why would he do that…” coming from Lloyd.
“Um, I was just wondering. We haven’t played any of my songs yet, and…” Fluttershy tried to ask. “It’s the semifinals! We gotta do “Awesome As I Wanna Be.” Rainbow gently punched the girl in the shoulder
“Don’t know why I even asked,” Fluttershy muttered, crushed. “Yeah, I don’t know why you did either, I mean, what did you expect?” Cole walked next to her and she glared at him.
Illusions: I got tricks up my sleeve
(Dissolve to the trio onstage, mid-performance.)
See me dominate ’cause I’m powerful and great
The spotlights bathe the girls in a blinding glare, to the sound of cheers; they strike a final pose and Trixie throws her guitar pick toward the crowd. It lands on the table in front of Celestia and Luna, who smile and applaud, Celestia laughing as well.
“Fantastic!” Celestia clapped.
The spots are switched off, restoring normal illumination, and the Illusions straighten up. The Rainbooms are waiting backstage; Trixie steps over to face down a decidedly unimpressed Rainbow with a contemptuous little laugh. She has shed her guitar.
“You’re never gonna top that performance, Rain-goons. You shouldn’t be allowed to, when you have such a big advantage over the rest of us.” Trixie accused them. “My superior guitar playing and off-the-charts awesome singing voice?” Rainbow smirked
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. I mean them!” Trixie pointed to Twilight, and then dragged her finger across the ninja team. “If you were really all that, Rainbow Dash, you wouldn’t have needed to bring in some magical ringer and your magic boyfriend to have half a chance. Everyone’s talking about it.” Trixe smirked.
“Hah! Puh-lease. I could win this thing as a solo act, and everybody knows it.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You mean we could win as a duo?” Kai popped in. “Of course! This band wouldn't be anywhere without this dynamic duo. Trixie’s just mad she doesn’t have a talented backup!” Rainbow slung an arm around Kai.
With the band on these last few words, resentment is taking hold on every face except Twilight’s. A disdainful little cough from Trixie.
“Sure you could. Have fun with your little boyfriend.” Trixie throws something to the floor; it explodes in a cloud of pale blue smoke that fills the screen. The view clears to the sound of everyone else’s coughing, revealing that the egomaniacal would-be wizard has managed to clear out.
Kai coughed through the smoke. “Not my girlfriend…”
“She’s gone! Oh, wait. There she is!” Pinkie noticed she was hunted behind the drum riser.
“Next up, the Rainbooms.” Celestia said over the sound system.
“Knock ‘em dead, Rainbooms!” Spike cheered on. “I’ll be here…just…watching.” Sunset sighed. She looked back up at Lloyd, who wasn’t paying attention. “Good luck Rainbooms… we’re going to need it.” He muttered.
A silhouette of Pinkie at her drums appears in the near-total blackness, a spotlight flicking on to light her up. One by one, other spots pick out the rest of the band members, with Rainbow and Kai getting lit up last as they run to the microphone. None of the others are particularly enthused.
Rainbooms: Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Rainbow: Awesome as I wanna be
(A close-up and tilt up from her guitar frames a disgruntled Fluttershy as well.)
Rainbooms: Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Kai: Awesome as I wanna be
She bounds across the stage and drops into a slide on her knees, popping up next to Twilight.
Rainbow: First you see me riding on a sonic boom
Got my guitar, shredding up the latest tune
Kai: There is nothing you can do to beat me
He shows off to Applejack and Cole and then Rarity and Nya vexing them
I’m so good that you can’t defeat me
The light flickers on and off, alternately casting the room into complete darkness and showing the two in various rocker poses.
Rainbooms: Yeah, I’m awesome, take caution
Watch out for me, I’m awesome as I wanna be
A noticeably ticked-off Pinkie leans sideways behind her kit, lackadaisically tapping out the beat with one stick.
Yeah, I’m awesome, take caution
Sunset is in the wings, the blue-green eyes widening with sudden panic. She runs to Lloyd and rapidly taps him, pointing to the two show offs.
Watch out for me, I’m awesome as I wanna be
The axe royals launches their bodies to the front of the stage and start a wild duo. All of the spotlights train themselves directly on them leaving the other nine stewing in the dark.
Rainbooms: Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Sunset’s panic grows as a spot of light begins to glow under Rainbow’s hair, followed by the emergence of one pony ear, then the other. Kai’s ears begin to pop out too, and his hand begins to catch on fire.
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
The lead guitarist/singer/jerk and her equally jerkish partner get blindsided with a flying tackle from Sunset, propelling them into Twilight…who topples over, dragging her microphone and getting caught up in Rarity’s keytar…knocking her over so that one booted foot flies up and kicks away Applejack’s bass…which goes flying and embeds itself, head down, in one of Pinkie’s tom-toms, and make Jay fall of his seat.
Only Pinkie, Applejack, Nya, Cole and Fluttershy have not wound up sprawled on the stage, and Fluttershy is the only one still holding a completely undamaged instrument. Full lights come up on the stage; the clunk of the switch being thrown is the only sound to break the deafening silence. Fluttershy pitches her tambourine over her shoulder and runs crying off the stage, an instant before shocked murmurs surge throughout the crowd. Rainbow slowly recovers her senses, the pony ears fading away and her normal ones reappearing, and Kai’s hand goes back to normal. They glare daggers at the one who derailed their performance. The prone team slowly get upright, Sunset being the last and looking desperately to Celestia and Luna for help. However, the principal hunches down to take notes while the vice-principal glares back toward the stage with not a whit of leniency. Flash stands up from his seat in the bleachers.
“Now that’s the bad girl we love to hate!”
“I knew she was still trouble!”
“The real Sunset Shimmer is back!”
The Rainbooms trudge off stage, Sunset sighing behind. “No… it isn’t like that.”
She follows the others away. The Dazzlings trade satisfied grins, Rainbooms in the wings, all without their instruments, Spike, and Lloyd.
“What was that?!” Rainbow yelled at Sunset. “Were you trying to kill us? I thought they said you stopped doing that!” Kai threw his hands in the air. “You were showing them your magic! I didn’t know what else to do!” Sunset’s explanation was met with a scoff from Rarity.
“Close the curtains? Unplug her amp? Give us a chance to deal with the situation?”
“Statistically, Sunset’s option was the best in such a timed situation since none of us could see!” Zane glared at Kai and Rainbow. “I’m sorry guys… I just wanted to help…” Sunset sighed. “Yeah well you didn’t!” Rainbow angrily shut her down. “None of this would’ve happened if you two weren’t trying to show off, as usual.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Maybe you wouldn’t be sprawled on the stage if you could work as a team, y’know, like we ARE?” Cole pointed to Kai’s chest as Kai slapped it out of the way.
“Good show, Rainbrooms.” Trixie came to where they were. “I especially liked the part where Sunset Shimmer, in a fit of jealous rage, knocked out Rainbow Dash and Kai mid-guitar solo!”
“It wasn’t a fit of jealous rage!” Sunset made Trixie back down, blushing angrily. Her friends cringe at this outburst, and she aims two mortified eyes toward the floor as Trixie stands smugly up to full height again.
“If you say so. Ooh!” Trixie turned around to Celestia and Luna, eying the clipboard in the principal’s hand. “Looks like they’ve already decided who’ll be moving on to the finals, I’m guessing it wasn’t too difficult a decision.”
Comes now the sound of the fire doors at the two sisters’ end being opened. The Dazzlings sidle in and around them, singing the five-note phrases from the diner and cafeteria. Both adults’ eyes briefly flash green as they did in Celestia’s office—the trio’s magic is taking hold again—and the lids half-close dazedly.
“Hmm?” Sunset notices this. “What can we do? There isn’t going to be another opportunity for us to play, and I had the most gorgeous outfit for the finals!” Rarity whined. “Yep, cause that’s the real tragedy here, Rarity–that you won’t get to play dress-up!” Applejack replied sarcastically. “No, no, she’s right, I was gonna get my hair done and everything!” Kai agreed as AJ facepalmed at the two of them. “Maybe your looks are more important than saving the school.”
“You know perfectly well that is not what we meant!” Rarity and Kai yelled as Rainbow shoved the three apart. “You guys wanna keep it down? They’re about to announce who’s moving on!” She pointed. “Who are you kidding? You know it isn’t going to be us.” Fluttershy pouted. “If they chose us after that ordeal, I’d say this world is more confusing than the overlord coming back three times.” Cole noted.
Celestia and Luna took center stage. “The band that will be joining the Dazzlings in tonight’s finals… The Rainbooms!”
“And there it is.”
“Did they just say “The Rainbooms’?”
Trixie stomps past them angrily. “This isn’t over!”
The confused band makes their way upstage to the Principal. “Congratulations you all, you deserve it.” Celestia smiled. Rainbow opens her mouth to express gratitude or brag like mad, but is interrupted by Pinkie. “Seriously? We didn’t even finish our s—” Rainbow elbows the girl to cut her off, and grins hugely as the Dazzlings emerge from the other end. “See you at tonight’s big show, Rainbooms. We’re really looking forward to it.” Adagio mocked. ‘Yeah well, not as much as we are!” Rainbow’s weak comeback was met by boos as they took a walk of shame through the crowd. “This never should have been you, Rainbooms!”
Trixie watches the group with indignation. “This is a travesty! A travesty!” Trixie fell backwards with her hand to her forehead. “It really is! The Rainbooms don’t deserve to be in the finals, not when your band was so much better in the semis!” Adagio caught her and gave fake sympathy. “And wanted it so much more!” Aria added on. “Alas, this is the way it’s going to be. Dazzlings versus Rainbooms.” Adagio sighed.
“Unless, of course, the Rainbooms don’t manage to make it to their set, or are held up for some reason.” Sonata said.
“Hmmm…” Trixie held a thinking expression, which morphed into a malicious grin as she began to chuckle.
—-------------------------------------------------------------
At an outdoor amphitheater, The Rainbooms are setting up their gear on the stage.
“Check, one, two, testing, testing…” Rainbow spoke into the mic. A tap on its head points out that it has no power; and Sunset, at a soundboard off to one side. She slides one of the fader controls up to its maximum setting, and Rainbow tries the mic again.
“Testing…”
The boost turns her voice into a souped-up chorus of echoes accompanied by a deafening feedback whine that sets the entire band’s eardrums and teeth vibrating—not to mention the stage. Grinning sheepishly, Sunset brings the fader all the way down again to break off the cacophony. Fluttershy is spinning her tambourine on a stand and making an adjustment with an Allen wrench.
This doesn’t make any sense. We were awful!” Fluttershy spoke up. “We weren’t awful, just a little disrupted is all, y’know, thrown off our game. Happens a lot back home.” Jay tapped his sticks boringly on the drum. “Doesn’t anybody else think it’s strange that we’re the ones that made it to the finals though?” Fluttershy continued.
“Very strange.” Her question was met by Trixie from the other end of the stage.
“Yo Trix, I think the bands that suck aren’t supposed to be here.” Kai mocked. “The losers are supposed to be up there in the cheap seats” Rainbow pointed to the seats. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is the most talented girl at Canterlot High. It is I who deserve to be in the finals—and I will not be denied!”
With a snap of her fingers, her bandmate has sized the end of a lever protruding from the floor. One yank opens up a large trapdoor under the team, dumping them. Applejack’s hat and a couple of loose pages of notes to flutter down after them. A fabric chew toy tumbles into view from behind a stack of speakers at the far edge; zoom in on this as Spike jumps out to worry it. Simple pleasure quickly gives way to slack-jawed shock, the toy falling from his jaws, when he sees what has just transpired.
In underneath the stage, where the Rainbooms and Sunset have fetched up in a sprawl of instruments and bodies. The hat lands neatly in its proper spot on the blond head as the loose notes drift lazily to the floor. Up onstage, Trixie cackles madly over her sneak attack, and Spike glares toward her and scampers off.
“See you never!”
The flaps swing shut over the indignant/scared/freaked-out captives to black out the screen. Snap to the far end of an aisle leading toward the stage through the amphitheatre seats; Adagio and Sonata step into view, their backs to the camera. A head-on shot shows that Aria has joined them, and Adagio chuckles menacingly between the others’ confident smiles.
“Told you someone would give them a shove.” Adagio smirked. “She didn’t shove them. She pulled the lever?” Sonata mentions, puzzled as Aria groans and Adagio claps a hand to her face.
“Go back to sleep Sonata.”
—————————-
Illusions: You’d better believe I got tricks up my sleeve
Stop on a long shot of them, performing onstage under a row of multicolored spotlights. All three have their wizard’s hats on and Trixie her cape; she does not use her guitar, but the others have their consoles slung up.
And I captivate ’cause I’m powerful and great, yeah, yeah [whoa, oh]
You’d better believe I got tricks up my sleeve
See me dominate ’cause I’m powerful and great, yeah, yeah [oh, oh]
On the end of this verse, the camera continues its zoom but shifts direction slightly, approaching the drapes hung from the front edge of the stage, and the view dissolves to the demoralized Rainbooms and Sunset trapped underneath. When this transition occurs, the song continues in a greatly muffled tone. Pan slowly from one end to the other, then cut to a closed door as Rainbow throws her full weight against it. This tactic gets her nothing but a sore shoulder, and she groans in mingled pain and frustration.
“Give it up, Rainbow Dash. You’ve been tryin at this for hours.” Applejack groaned. “If I had a nickel for everytime I was trapdoored into an underground bunker, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s strange it happened twice right?” Cole mumbled to himself.
“Maybe it doesn’t even matter that we’re trapped down here… I don’t think the counter-spell would’ve worked anyway.” Twilight sighed. “Course it woulda worked, Twilight… assuming some certain band members didn’t try to hog the spotlight the whole time we were tryin to play it!” Applejack motioned towards Rainbow and Kai.
“Woah woah woah, If you want to tell Twilight and Lloyd they’re getting a little too caught up trying to be the new leaders of this band, you don’t have to be all cryptic about it.” Kai shrugged. “She’s talking about you two! Lloyd doesn’t even play?!” Rarity told the two, frustrated. “Us? I’m just trying to make sure my band rocks as hard as it needs to!” Rainbow defended.
“OUR BAND!” She received a yell from the 8 other band members that was delivered with enough force to blow her hair back on her head. The guitarist with the hog-wild ego glowers at this outburst.
“But why wasn’t it working? I should know what to do! How can I not know what to do? How can I have failed like this?” Twilight freaked out.
Sunset was watching her at the end of this, after which Twilight buries her head in her knees as if wishing she could sink through the floor. Sunset looks away with a panicked grimace; to Applejack and Cole, and Kai and Rainbow facing off.
“It might have been your idea to start a band, but it’s not just your band, Rainbow Dash! You two need to understand this is a team effort!” Applejack complained. “Team effort? I am literally always on a team!” Kai yelled. “You sure don’t act like it! What’s wrong with you? Ever since we got here you’ve acted like the most important thing here is you and your girlfriend!” Cole pointed in his chest. “She’s not my girlfriend!” Kai growled in his face. “And besides, I’m the one who writes all the songs!” Rainbow said. “That is such a lie!” Jay yelled from across the room. “I write songs! You just never let us play any of them!” Fluttershy grumbled. “I had the most perfect outfits for us to wear!” Rarity cried out.
“NOBODY CARES ABOUT THE COSTUMES!” AJ and Cole yelled out. “I care! So sorry if I enjoy trying to make a creative contribution to the band!” Rarity yelled back.
“You have got to chill out. I don’t know what our leader is doing, but you’re not being a good replacement.” Zane got in Cole’s face. “Who said I was trying to replace Lloyd!? Now you’re just making up stuff, bolt for brains!” Cole shoved Zane away. “Hey! There’s no need to put your hands on him!” Rarity yelled at Cole. “Zane’s our friend!” Nya stepped in. “Some friend that stays in his room all day.” Kai muttered. “You know exactly why he does, Kai!” Nya growled at him. “I think we all know the real reason is that none of you know how to actually work as a team.” Jay raised a finger.
“SHUT UP JAY!”
“You all are actually the worst team ever.” Jay muttered. “No, you’re the worst!” Rainbow told him. “Woah, I may agree with you on a lot of things, but nobody makes fun of Jay but me!” Kai glared at Rainbow. “You can’t gatekeep a person?! That’s a person!” Rainbow threw her arms out.
“Hey! Anybody here remember fun? I’ll give you a hint! It’s the exact opposite of being in the Rainbooms!” Pinkie yelled. “I wish I never asked any of you to be in my band!” Rainbow groaned. “I wish I’d never agreed to in it!” Rarity crossed her arms.
“Me neither!” Applejack, Fluttershy, Jay, and Nya stood next to her.
“I wish we never came to this stupid world!” Kai yelled. “I wish you never came to this world too!” AJ yelled back.
There follows a lively ten-way argument, none of whose participants notices the wisps of varicolored greenish energy that begin to emerge from the group and drift upward. Sunset grabs Lloyd and they can only stare in mute terror as the verbal barbs keep flying and the power rises toward the underside of the stage.
Guitar in
Illusions: You’d better believe I got tricks up my sleeve
See me dominate ’cause I’m powerful and great
Fireworks begin bursting at low altitude overhead to the sound of hearty cheering. Cut to the Dazzlings backstage, seen from the knees up and tricked out in a new set of outfits for the finals. Adagio: short, pleated purple skirt over a light violet under-skirt; sleeved purple shawl; light violet top with the same triangle pattern as her earlier leggings; spiked bracelets in place of her fingerless gloves; same gold belt as before. Aria: gray/white-striped arm warmers; sleeveless dark purple top with a pattern of white lines, light yellow-green skirt cut high in front to expose white/purple-striped tights. Sonata: short-sleeved, off-shoulder blouse striped in two shades of magenta; light blue belt; short, dark magenta skirt set with the heart and eighth note from her jacket; matching arm warmers and necktie, the latter secured with her pendant. Adagio’s face is set in a smirk, Aria’s in a scowl, Sonata’s in a big giddy grin. The Illusions walk offstage past them.
“Try to top that.” Trixie flaunted. “Oh gosh! I don’t know if we can!” Adagio said with mock fear.
By this time, Aria is smirking right along with her; all three end up giggling maliciously after she finishes. A gesture from the boss hushes them up pronto; at one edge of the trapdoor the Rainbooms fell through. Their energy is seeping up through the crack and forming a foggy layer on the stage, the Dazzlings looking on with wonderment. Aria and Sonata both wear boots similar to the ones they have used up to this point, while Adagio’s boots are now light violet, with the same triangle pattern as her top, and darker purple soles and starred ankle bands. A round of nasty smiles and grins passes among the three exiles from Equestria.
The spectators find themselves bathed in an eerie green glow; up onstage, the Dazzlings emerge from the greatly thickened miasma, their pendants glowing at their throats. They step slowly forward to stand in line, moving their arms in a sinuous, snakelike fashion, and vocalize a unison line that splits off into harmony as their gems pull in the aura surrounding them.
Sunset, staring wide-eyed toward the camera as the sounds of the Rainbooms’ quarrel come through all too clearly. The onstage music becomes muffled at this point.
“Lloyd. I don’t know what Adagio meant, but whatever she said doesn’t apply to you. Whatever the person she was talking about, whatever happened with your father. That doesn’t define you. Your friends need you, my friends need you, I need you. You’re the green ninja, and if anyone can lead us to victory, it’s you.” Sunset grabbed the scared boy’s hands. “I’ve never had to solve a problem like this.” Lloyd sighed. “Yes you have. You told me yourself about the events of your father’s takeover. You had to fight him without your powers. They need a leader. We can’t depend on Twilight for everything…”
Lloyd nodded and stood up. “STOP!”
The 10 teens stopped fighting and paused in quietness.
“You have to stop! This is what they’ve been after all along!” Sunset walked to them. “They’re feeding off the magic inside you!”
“How can they be using our magic? It’s the magic of friendship and the powers of creation!” Applejack asked. “Ever since you started this band, and the ninja got here, you’ve been letting little things get to you. I never said anything ’cause I didn’t feel like it was my place—not when I was so new to this whole friendship thing. I still have a lot to learn. But I do know that if you don’t work out even the smallest problems right at the start—the magic of friendship and creation can be turned into something else.” Sunset sighed. “I know we’ve been… distant since we defeated the Crystal King. I thought we just needed a break from each other, but splitting apart has just made it worse. We’re not just a team though, we’re family, and well, as iron sharpens iron, family sharpens family.” Lloyd smiled.
“I can’t believe all this tension was happening right under my nose and I didn’t realize it. I’m supposed to be the one with all the answers, and all I’ve done since I got here is let you down.” Twilight sighed. Sunset lifts a hand, hesitates, then rests it on Twilight’s shoulder with a gentle smile.
“I don’t think anyone is supposed to have all the answers—but you can count on your friends to help you find them.” Sunset smiled. “You can be a leader, but a leader doesn’t always know what to do. A good leader is one who can accept help from others, not take everything on themselves. I learned that the hard way.” Lloyd placed a hand on Twilight’s other shoulder. It takes Twilight a second to get this through her head, but she comes out of it with a smile.
“I think you already have. Come on! We need to get out of here!” Twilight said with renewed determination.
She is first to throw herself against the locked door, followed by the other 12 a moment later, but they have as much success as Rainbow did—that is to say, none whatsoever. They bounce back, all but Fluttershy tumbling to the floor in a heap, and cannot believe their ears when a knock sounds from the other side. The door swings inward to reveal Spike at the threshold, a glow from the stage lights spilling in around him. One light violet, purple-eyed face breaks into a joyous smile.
“Spike!”
“Sorry I took so long. I had to find somebody who wasn’t under the Sirens’ spell to help me get you out.” Spike shrugged.
That somebody chooses this moment to peek in around the doorframe—it is DJ P0N-3.)
“Why isn’t she under their spell?”
“Never takes off her headphones.”