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// I'm So Perfect 
// Story: The Gemstone Quartet 
// by Lunafilly 
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Lyrica ran into her kitchen, where the Quartet was having lunch (during a break in rehearsal). She was grinning so widely it looked as though her face might rip in two. She wasn't much of a smiler, but she felt that this was an occasion for joy.
"We have a gig, everypony! Isn't it wonderful? We're going to play a show!" she said. Midnight Strike hoofbumped her. 
"All right, Lyrie!" she said, grinning. Noteworthy smiled grudgingly.
"I have to admit I'm impressed," he said. But Fiddlesticks appeared worried.
"Are we ready for a show? We need clothing, a band logo perhaps..." she said, trailing off into her own thoughts. Lyrica nodded. 
"I know a pony for the job, if she'll agree to it," she said. Fiddlesticks frowned.
"That's a big 'if'," she said. 
"Yeah, and who is this mysterious mare? Should we entrust our band design to her?" said Noteworthy, with an ill-disguised laugh. 
"It's Rarity, of the Carousel Boutique," huffed Lyrica, expecting dissent. To her surprise, Fiddlesticks nodded, clearly approving. 
"I know the mare. She's a friend of my friend, Applejack. She's generous, decent, hardworking. She'll get it done," she said. 
Well, that's sorted out. We'll look fabulous at the show, I'm sure. But will I be able to afford these designs? Everypony will just have to pitch in. It seemed that they were all in agreement, and so the band set off to Rarity's shop, where they were warmly welcomed. 
"Oh, I'd be glad to help, for a fair price, anyhow. So, the four outfits and then the design," said Rarity. Lyrica looked at the bill. 
Well, it'll cost me, but at least the price actually is fair. After everypony split the bill, the group walked out of the boutique, and then separated, off to their homes. Lyrica relaxed in an armchair and read her new favorite novel to the finish. She found her eyes wandering to the image on her wall of Vinyl Scratch and herself, but she promptly got up and tore it down, before crumpling it and throwing it away unceremoniously. 
I am OVER her. When I make Octavia Melody look a fool, none of it will matter. She put a coat on, and was walking out the door to go for a newly liberated stroll, when her phone rang. Lyrica picked up.
"Hello, Lyrica," said Lyra's voice. 
"Oh, hello Mrs. Heartstrings! You're the organizer for the event that booked my band, aren't you?" said Lyrica ingratiatingly. 
"Yes," said Lyra, "that's why I called. Your performance has been canceled. I'm very sorry and all of that, but I don't have time to argue, because Bon Bon—I mean Sweetie Drops, Bon Bon is my nickname for her—is setting the table for dinner. Goodbye, Lyrica Lilac." And then Lyrica heard the click. The detestable click. The click that meant an incoming tidal wave of piranhas. 
"CELESTIA DAMN IT! HOW COULD SHE DO THIS WHEN I'M SO PERFECT?" Lyrica screamed. She heard a knocking on her roof, and her neighbor telling her to quiet down, and she composed herself.  No more of the flesh of my sanity shall be eaten by those tidal piranhas! That sounds really strange. She picked up the phone, and called each member of her band, with this message:
"Emergency band meeting at my house!" About an hour later, they all arrived. 
"So, what's the deal?" asked Fiddlesticks, raising an eyebrow. 
"THEY GAVE OUR GIG TO ANOTHER BAND, THAT'S THE DEAL!" said Lyrica. She snorted heavily, sweeping her tail from side to side and pounding the ground with her hooves. Midnight Strike gasped. 
"What are we gonna do?" she said. Lyrica narrowed her eyes.
"Know thy enemy," she said. She brought everypony into her living room, and inserted a concert tape into her VHS. 
"I did some digging, and I found this tape of the band that stole our show." She switched on the tape, and everyone watched the band performing. 
"This is LolliPOP!" one of the singers yelled. 
"Are you, ever gonna love me like you shou-ould, yeah! I'm not, even really sayin' that it would be good, yeah! I'm too young for young love anyway, you're keepin' me up at night and it's not okay!" Lyrica switched off the VHS player. Noteworthy nodded slowly. 
"Okay, so they're actually really good. What do we do now?" he said. Lyrica seemed confused. 
"Obviously, we beat them up so they can't play the show," she said. Fiddlesticks frowned. 
"Is that ethical? Attacking ponies for profit?" she said. Lyrica shook her head vigorously. 
"Not for profit, for fame!" she said. After that, everypony nodded. 
"Oh," said Fiddlesticks, "that's all right then." The next day, they picked up their costumes from Rarity, and searched out the location of LolliPOP's next show, which was the Ponybeat Bar. After watching the concert and throwing things at the singer Twinkleshine, the Gemstone Quartet proceeded backstage.
"Are you sure about this? It just seems wrong," said Midnight Strike. Lyrica snorted.
"It is not wrong, because they stole our show! It's not an attack, it is simply revenge," she said, looking confident. They were stopped by a bodyguard at the back room door. 
"Reason for entry, miss?" he said, addressing Midnight Strike. Midnight narrowed her eyes.
"We're here to kick some flank," she said. He gave her a name tag, which read: Guest(s): Midnight Strike and associates. Reason for entry: Flank kicking. And so, they entered, with surprisingly little resistance. It seemed the guard was used to planned assault. Lyrica burst through the door dramatically, and yelled out instructions to her band. 
"Fiddlesticks and I will take Twinkleshine! Midnight, Sea Swirl is yours! Noteworthy, get their keyboard player, Lemon Hearts!" The result of this, of course, was that each member of LolliPOP rushed at their assigned attackers. Despite being quite familiar with the task of attack, they were an ultra-feminine filly band not much concerned with fighting. Consequently, LolliPOP eventually lost to The Gemstone Quartet. Lyrica Lilac grinned another face-splitting grin and laughed maniacally. She had worked hard ever since she was a filly, trying to be the best, as she knew she deserved.. She had been urged on by her parents, and she had spent all her free time practicing. When she got her cutie mark, she had launched her career. It had been at a low, but this was her payoff, finally.
"That gig is ours," she said.