The Little Pony Legend: Rainbow Rocks

by MaggiesHeartLove


The Mane Event

The Mane Event

The next day at Applejack's place, the Rainbooms were practicing their counter-spell. However, for some strange reason, Twilight's singing was slightly off-key. Korra tried to keep up with the lyrics to the song, but found it very hard to feel the flow of the music with Twilight's, uncharacteristically awful singing. Korra was singing a bit better than her friend, but only managed to sing bits of the words since her currently soften singing was being overshadowed by Twilight's high-pitch singing. Sunset and Spike were beside the amplifier, which was a pretty big mistake. Sunset was the Rainbooms honorary tench-supervisor, so she was trying to see if there was a way to help with Twilight's singing, maybe make it sound slightly less…well, like it sounded now.

Hey, hey, listen.
We've got a message for you
We're not all alike
But our friendship is true

Twilight's voice grew higher and Sunset was forced to lower the intensity and covered her ears. Even Korra winced at the sound.

Yeah, we're really different
But we still get along

Fluttershy played her tambourine a bit louder to help, but Rainbow shook her head, telling her to stop and wait for the right moment

So hey, hey, listen to our song

Rainbow gestured to Fluttershy and she played her tambourine louder to help with Twilight's high pitched high note.

You may think you're in control
But we're here to prove you wrong

Applejack and Rarity could feel the ears appearing, but winced when the static of the mic hurt their ears. They turned to Pinkie Pie, who had briefly stopped playing, and the two narrowed their eyes at her and she continued playing. Thought she really didn't believe it would help.
Even outside, Granny Smith had to cover her ears with apple cores to cancel out the noise. Rainbow Dash played her guitar louder and saw her pony ears beginning to appear. But Korra knew that this was not working. After trying too hard to sing the song Twilight wrote, she stopped.

And the friendship in our music
With the power of our song
Gonna stomp our feet, clap our----

"Okay, stop, stop! Stop, please, cut the music." Once they stopped playing, the possibility of Rainbow's ears disappeared. "What's the big idea, Korra? We were so close."
"We weren't even a millimeter close." Korra said before turning to the human alicorn. "Twilight, what was that?"
"Um, singing?"
"Honey, that wasn't singing. That was you the time you coughed on a sunflower seed."
Twilight didn't even argue. She knew her singing was terrible. Spike tried his best to soften the blow, "Eh, it sounded... way better than the last... five times you've played it. Heh heh."
The human Big Mac passed by the window carrying a bucket of apples and said to the dragon dog, "Nnope."
"I think it's pretty obvious what's going wrong with this counter-spell." said Rainbow Dash.
"You're turnin' what should be the chorus into a five-minute guitar solo?" said Applejack while narrowing her eyes at Rainbow.
"I had to pick up the slack somehow! Are you girls even trying?!"
"I'm trying." said sweet Fluttershy.
And like many times before, Twilight was two seconds (maybe less) closer to having one of her infamous episodes. She nervously laughed. "It's fine. It'll be fine. One more time from the top!"
After that terrible performance, the girls realized this song was not the counter spell they were looking for. Fluttershy rose her hand, "Um, maybe Korra could try singing it this time."
Twilight did her best to put on a brave face, "Oh, uh yeah sure. That could, um…work."
Korra placed her arm around Twilight's shoulder sympathetically. Rarity then decided to take advantage of this situation.
"Or, perhaps we could take a short break, try on some of the wardrobe choices I've put together?" she pulled, surprisingly out of nowhere, a clothing rack and took out an outfit, "I'm particularly fond of this one." she pushed the rack aside to reveal a sparkly pink marching band-leader's feminine upper top over her casual cloths, "Eh, of course we could always go with something a bit more modern."
Applejack face palmed herself and groaned. Leave it to Rarity to care more about looks than what was important. "We're tryin' to save our school here. Enough with the costumes!"
"Oh, you could never have enough costumes!" she said while now wearing a futuristic, sparkly yellow jump suite, added with a helmet with flashing pixel diamonds on it and spoke in a robotic voice from underneath.
"She just wants to make things fun!" said Pinkie Pie before pouting, "Isn't that what being in a band supposed to be?" she played rimshot angrily.
"You don't have time for any of this!" said Sunset Shimmer, "You're supposed to check in at the Battle of the Bands in fifteen minutes!"
The others gasped in shock and realization. The five girls all rushed to gather up their instruments and make it to school on time, scattering all over the place collecting what they needed.
"What? But it's not ready!" Twilight exclaimed with worry, "If we play our counter-spell in the first round and it doesn't work, the sirens will know what we're up to and make sure we don't get a chance to play it again!"
They all screeeeeeched! to a halt. Twilight was right, they needed to have this spell ready and fast.
"Then we'll have to buy ourselves some time so you can keep workin' on it!" said Applejack.
"But how do you propose we do that?" Rarity asked.
Rainbow Dash said, "We compete in the Battle of the Bands for real! I take over lead vocals again and we stay alive until the finals! We unleash the counter-spell then!" she turned to Twilight and Korra, "You'll have figured it out by finals, right?"
The two princesses both looked at one another unsure when Spike walked over and smiled confidently. "Of course they will. Korra and Twilight Sparkle have never met a problem they couldn't solve. Right, guys?"
Twilight forced on a smile and said not so confidently, "Right."
"Then let's go win us a Battle of the Bands!" said Rainbow as she took the lead and the others followed, leaving Korra, Twilight and Spike alone to work on the counter-spell.
"Way to add more pressure on us, Spike." Korra said sarcastically while narrowing her eyes at the dog.
"Oh, come on! You guys have handled way worse stuff than this." he said confidently…until he remembered exactly just what these poor girls had to face, "Uh…never mind."
Twilight sighed and placed her back onto the wall before sliding down and lowering her head in depression. Korra understood this emotion all too well. "I just don't know what's wrong with me." said the purple girl, "I've never had trouble with magic or spells before, and my singing was awful, which you know never happens. I--I'm tentative, I'm out of sync, I just can't seem to do anything right."
Korra sat beside her friend, "Twily, maybe you should---"
Twilight rose her head up, "No, no I'm sure if I just---"
"Twilight, I understand how you feel. Even when I try and practice my bending it feels off. I get you're trying your best to move forward but, maybe you need to slow down a bit. You're getting even more anxious than usual and I'm worried."
"And you don't get like that?"
Korra was silent. It was true, there were hundreds of times in which Korra wished she could revert back to the way she use to be. But deep down she knew, after all she had been through, she wasn't going to be that exact same girl again…and that scared her, just like it scared Twilight.
"We have to get this spell right. Will you help me?"
"…of course I will. I'm here for you."

(~)

"Welcome to the first ever Canterlot High School Battle of the Bands."
Principal Celestia and her sister stood on the stage in the gymnasium as a whole crowd of students and contestants lined up, ready to compete. Their desire to be the best burned within them like a flame…but not the good kind. Their desires were fueled by greed and envy. Even the Principals were oblivious to the change in their students, still being under the influence of the Dazzlings' spell.
"I believe I speak for everyone when I say it is by far the greatest thing we have ever done here at this school!"
The students all cheered.
"We are so glad our three newest students encouraged us to turn this event into something exciting!"
Adagio, Aria and Sonata smiled arrogantly and waved from the top of the bleachers at their adoring public like the divas they were. Soon, this is how the world world will be like. Vice-Principal Luna took the mic, "But, as this is now a competition, we can only choose one winner. Who is it going to be?"
The students all argued with one another. Friend turned against friend. Brother against brother. Sister against sister, ect. Their care and love for each other had faded away, being replaced by nothing but anger and mistrust…which manifested into the green mist that was absorbed into the red pendants of the Dazzlings.
Adagio smiled, "You feel that, girls? Our true power is being restored." Aria and Sonata giggled with glee when the doors of the gym opened and the Rainbooms entered. Adagio silenced the two, "And that's before we've tapped into the strongest magic here." she said as she look down on the Rainbooms, all looking nervous…all except for one.
That girl with the powerful voice was present. Just the sight of her made Adagio's blood boil over. This one little pest was a threat to their plans. If they were going to succeed, they needed to make sure this girl was out of the picture. So long as she remained, the Rainbooms had a fighting chance against them. She knew this for a fact. However, there was still something very familiar about her. Her glance, the way she placed her hands on her hips, and the way she stood so strongly with such determination. She knew she had seen that kind of fire from somewhere in her past. But she just couldn't put her finger on it.
"But the Rainblossoms, or whatever they're called, aren't under our spell." Aria mentioned, "How exactly are we supposed to get to their magic?"
"And what about that new girl?" Sonata asked, "I mean, did you see the way she talked back to Adagio? That must have been sooooo humiliating for you. Nobody, and I mean nobody has ever talked back to you. But she did!" the more Sonata spoke, the more and more red Adagio's face became, "Plus, her hair is pretty awesome! I wonder where she get its done? And did you see those arms? She must live at the gym, wonder if she can give me the number of her personal trainer."
"SHUT UP!!"
Sonata flinched and her irises shrunk in fear at seeing Adagio so infuriated. She slowly calmed herself down and glared at the competition down below, "The Rainbooms are just as capable of falling apart as anyone else. They just need a little... push in the wrong direction. I have a feeling everyone here is going to be lining up to give them a shove."
As the Rainbooms prepared themselves for the audition, Korra looked up and spotted the Dazzlings. Her cerulean eyes narrowed at the sight of them. Her eyes locked on Adagio, who gave her the most intimidating look she could give, but Korra simply scoffed and turned away with a stoic expression.
"What about her?" Aria asked, "We all know she's going to be a problem."
"Even if by chance she does become an even bigger pest, we've still got our other secret weapon…remember?"

(~)

The auditions began and the first up were Snips and Snails. The two were a hip-hop duo, they even looked the part. With hoddies, backwards hats, medallions and those glasses with no lenses. The two beatboxed, but very, very poorly.

Snails;
Aw, yeah! Snips and Snails indahouse, yo!

Snips;
They call me MC Snips and that ain't no lie
My favorite food is like pumpkin pie

Snails;
I'm DJ Snazzy Snails, I like whales
When I go to the beach, I always bring my pails

Korra and the Rainbooms could only winced as they watched performance. However, Pinkie Pie was dancing and actually enjoying the show. It's Pinkie Pie, don't question it. All of the other students simply shook their heads, rolled their eyes or winced in disapproval. Even the Principals disliked the performance while Aria and Adagio snickered at how bad it was. But Sonata was nodding her head, enjoying it like Pinkie Pie.

Snips;
Everybody knows my favorite color is orange
My rhymes are so fly, you better... uh... um...

Snails;
Orange, yo!

Snips;
Yeah!

Snails;
Yeah!

Snips;
Represent!

(beatboxing and freestyling poorly)

Snips;
Bam! That just happened!

Snails;
Aw, yeah! We out!

Snips;
Snips and Snails outta here!

They both dropped their microphones, which caused a screeching sound, forcing everyone to cover their ears from the annoying sound. Celestia and Luna remained unfazed. "Please do not drop the microphones."
The two friends were completely unaware of how horrible their act was, but they none the less high five and left the stage, bypassing the Rainbooms.
"In your face, Rainbooms!"
Korra arched an eyebrow at this. "What was that monstrosity?" she asked.
"It's called Rap." said Applejack.
"Rap what?"
The other Rainbooms looked at one another. Apparently, Korra's world isn't all that modern compared to theirs. "Least we know one group who won't stand in the way of us gettin' to the finals." said Applejack.
"Let's get ready to rock!" said Rainbow Dash with all the confidence she had. But Pinkie Pie then noticed that one of them was missing.
"Wait! Where's Rarity?"
"Here! I'm here!" Rarity came running and panting as the metal fringes on her ankles and jacket shimmered and clang against one another. She was wearing a hippie inspired outfit added with a headband and sandals. She proudly flipped her hair, striking a pose as the fringes jangled. The others remained silent.
"We will be performing in front of an audience. I'm not going to wear something fabulous?"
Applejack face palmed herself and grunted while Korra smiled at Rarity's new look. "I think it's very you, Rarity." she said kindly, making the white girl smile.
"Thank you, Korra! At least somebody appreciates my vision."
Korra then turned to Twilight and pulled something from her pocket. A long arm warmer. "Here Twilight. Don't want to raise any questions about your scar."
Twilight took the arm warmer without hesitation. She wasn't bothered at all. She may be fine with her new scar now, but that didn't meat it won't make some folks feel uncomfortable. She already got that enough from Flash and the other girls, she didn't need anyone else to freak. Granted, they didn't pay much attention at first, due to their focus being primarily on the competition, but now that they were going on stage, better safe than sorry.
"Thanks."

(~)

It's been a while since Korra had been on a stage in front of people. She suddenly felt butterflies flying around in her stomach as she observed the students chattering with one another, glaring in disapproval at their competition. Korra looked up at the bleachers and saw the Sirens, smiling wickedly. That's when Korra pushed away her fears and focused on the task at hand. She and Twilight stood at the mic while the girls readied their instruments.
Twilight instructed to the others, covering her mic with her hand so no one else heard what she said, "Remember, we have to be good enough to make it through but not so good we let the sirens see the magic within us. They could realize we plan to use it against them."
"Got it!" said Rainbow Dash, "Be cool enough to win, but not so cool that we end up showing off the whole ears and tails and rainbows thing. Sooo... about twenty percent less cool. I can totally pull that off."
Korra rolled her eyes, "We're in trouble." she said under her breath.
Pinkie Pie tapped on her drum sticks, "One! Two!" The music played and the girls began singing in union.

We've just got the day to get ready
And there's only so much time to lose
Because tonight, yeah, we're here to party
So let's think of something fun to do

Korra bobbed her head to the beat as she and the girls sang. Her nervousness melted away and she enjoyed the song with her friends. Little did she know, her parade was about to get rained on.

We don't know
(we don't know)
What's gonna happen
We just know
(we just know)
It's gonna feel right
All our friends are here
And it's time to ignite the lights!

As they sang, up above them on the catwalk, Photo Finish and her two bandmates lowered down two magnets on strings towards Rarity. The metal fringes on her jacket were immediately pulled up and Photo Finish began playing with the magnets, causing Rarity to look like a puppet on strings.

Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight
Shake your tail, shake your tail

While Photo Finish fooled around with poor Rarity, Applejack arced her eyebrows at the scene. Just what was she doing?
Rarity struggled to break free from the magnets hold but it was futile. Korra witnessed this and discreetly looked up, seeing what the three girls were doing to her friend. She used her finger to airbend a blast at Spike, who was bobbing his head to the music. Once she got his attention she nodded her head upwards, to where Spike saw what was happening. The dog winked at Korra and ran up to fix the problem.

Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight
Shake your tail, shake your tail

Twilight Sparkle;
So what you didn't get it right the first time

From the audience, Apple Bloom called out, "Boring!" In an effort to make it fun, Pinkie shoot confetti from her drums.

Pinkie Pie;
Laugh it off, no one said it is a crime

Rarity struggled to get near the mic as she sang. While Applejack shook away the confetti on her shirt.

Rarity;
Do your thing, you know you're an original

Applejack;
Your ideas are so funny that they're criminal

The Rainbooms;
Ohhh-ahh!

One of the confetti pieces flew into Twilight's mouth, causing her to cough. Korra slapped her back and the paper immediately came out. Among the audience, Twilight saw Flash glaring at her. Even though this wasn't her Flash Sentry, it was still hurtful to see someone who looked just like the pony she loved stare at her in such a cruel way.

The Rainbooms;
We've just got the day to get ready
And there's only so much time to lose
Because tonight, yeah, we're here to party
So let's think of something fun to do

Spike reached the catwalk, only to see Snips and Snails attempting to sabotage the act as well. The two laughed mischievously as they moved the spotlight….
Onto Fluttershy!
The shy girl stopped singing and playing her tambourine as she tried to escape the light.

We don't know
(we don't know)
What's gonna happen
We just know
(we just know)
It's gonna feel right
All our friends are here
And it's time to ignite the lights!

Spike growled and ran up to bite Snips right on his leg, causing him to trip over, only to grab onto Snip's shirt, which caused them both to fall onto the stage. The audience noticed them and the two chuckled nervously before zipping away. The whole time, despite the awkward moment, the girls never stopped singing. Fluttershy hid behind Pinkie Pie's drums, avoiding the light.

Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight
Shake your tail, shake your tail

Spike next ran to Photo Finish and her band and barked at them. The three girls screamed in fear and ran away from the dog, leaving behind the strings which connected the magnets.

Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight
Shake your tail, shake your tail
Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight
Shake your tail, shake your tail

Rarity finally managed to pull away from the magnets hold, only to have her fringes and sleeves completely ripped off. Seeing this, she began to cry, her mascara running down her cheeks.

Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight
Shake your tail, shake your tail
Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight!

Korra face palmed herself. That performance was terrible. But, she knew the Rainbooms were not to blame. The only two people who applauded for them were Celestia and Luna, who genuinely enjoyed the performance. Backstage, Rarity was still crying while Sunset Shimmer held Spike in her arms. Korra approached the two and Spike whimpered sadly. "Sorry guys. I tried to stop them."
Korra simply smiled and scratched his ears, "I know Spike."
"Ruined! Absolutely ruined!" Rarity weeped while wiping away her mascara from her eyes.
Applejack put her base down, "Rarity, were you tryin' to make us lose out there?!"
"Wh- Oh! This was not my fault! This was an act of sabotage!"
"She's right." Korra stepped in, "Some of the other contestants were the ones who did all this. It wasn't her fault."
But as always, even in the pony world, Applejack was being stubborn, "Yeah, well, either way, this couldn't have happen if Rarity didn't insist on dressin' like... like…this!" she gestured to Rarity's clothing, "We need to sound good! Is there some reason that concept seems to escape you?"
As the two argued, Korra, Sunset and Twilight all shared worried looks.
"And what was with the confetti, Pinkie Pie?" said Rainbow Dash while waving a piece of orange confetti in her hand, "How am I supposed to shred if there's paper stuck in my frets?!"
"It was pretty distracting…" said Fluttershy.
Pinkie scoffed, "Ugh! Says the girl who was running from a light the whole time! A light!"
The girls immediately stopped their bickering when Korra whistled loudly. "Enough! I get that we're all pretty stressed out right now, but arguing about little things isn't going to help us. This school already has enough animosity going on, don't make it worse!"
The five girls lowered their heads in shame. Korra was right, why were they arguing? They needed to focus on the real task if they were going to stop the sirens.
"Not like it'll matter." said Rainbow, "Because of those jerks, we stunk!"
"You still sounded much better than most of the other bands." said Sunset, "I'm sure you'll make it to the next round. But it won't matter if you don't have that counter-spell ready."
At the mention of this, Twilight winced in worry. Even Korra was looking a bit concerned.
"You all find a place to practice where the sirens can't hear you. I'll keep an eye on things around here."
Another band came out on stage. Derpy and her band. However, their instruments consisted of a cowbell, a triangle and…a saw. Korra looked at them in confusion as she placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder, "Good luck with that."

(~)

The seven girls walked down the halls looking for a good place to practice. As they walked Twilight, once again, bumped into the human Flash Sentry. He was leaning on the hallway lockers along with his two bandmates. Twilight smiled nervously as she dusted her skirt.
"Ha, ha, we really need to stop bumping into each other like this." she said, only to have Korra roll her eyes. Boy, she was really bad at letting a guy down easy. She was barely trying, or at very least failing to. However, Flash Sentry acted indifferent towards the human princess alicorn. He turned to his bandmates, ignoring her.
"Uh, you guys hear something?"
The bandmates shook their heads and said no. Twilight looked at him in confusion. "I said, we have to stop—"
"There it is again. So annoying."
This was indeed strange for both Korra and Twilight to see Flash behaving so…so cruelly.
"Why are you acting like this?" Twilight asked, "I thought we were friends."
Flash Sentry turned to look at her, his eyes burning with anger, "Yeah, and then you decide to come back here just so you can beat me in the Battle of the Bands. I want this, Twilight, and you're trying to take it from me! Some friend."
She knew this wasn't her true Flash, but it was still his voice. Hearing it from this guy didn't appear all that different than hearing it from her boyfriend. "That's not why—" but before Twilight could say another word, Korra stepped forward and grabbed Flash by the collar of his shirt.
"Hey! What are you--" the boy felt his feet leave the ground. The new girl was rising him up with apparently no effort at all. She was so strong his bandmates quivered in fear.
"Listen here you guitar playing pretty boy, you have no right, I repeat, no right to talk to my friend that way! If you know what's good for you, you will apologize to her right now!"
"She's the one who's taking what's mine!" he protested, despite behind lifted up by Korra.
"You really believe a stupid trophy is more important than a friend?"
Flash was terrified of this girl. But, there was something about her eyes. She didn't seem willing to really hurt him. In fact, she was reluctant to. She gently lowered him down, adjusting his jacket as she did. "Look, if you do win this contest, good for you. But just so you know, no matter how big your trophy is, to the friends you pushed away, you will always be the biggest loser ever."
Flash's eyes widened. Her words left an impact on him. Not as big as some would have hoped, but it was something.
"Come on, girls. We've got things to do."
Twilight looked at Flash one last time, but he refused to be called the loser. "You really think you're gonna help them?! Ha! I bet you have no idea what you're even doing!"
As they walked away from him, Korra placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "You know it's not really him, right?"
"I know but…It's still his voice." it wasn't that he yelled at her that hurt, it was what he said. He was right, she really didn't know what she was doing. As they walked, tears fell from her eyes. Away from their view, the Dazzlings smiled wickedly at the scene.
Adagio chuckled, "Tears already? This is only the first round."
Aria and Sonata laughed at Twilight's expense when Celestia's voice was heard through the intercom. "The next band to take the stage will be Trixie and the Illusions."
Adagio took the lead, "Better head back. We're supposed to go on after Trixie." The Dazzlings made their way backstage, only to confront a certain former unicorn leaning against the wall, her arms crossed and her face partly covered by a shadow. She stood before them, her cyan eyes glaring.
"You're never gonna get away with this."
"Why? Because you didn't?"
Sunset remained silent. Just what was this siren trying to say? Adagio walked around her slowly, like a shark circling it's pray, waiting for the right moment to attack. "Oh, we know all about you, Sunset Shimmer. You've got quite the reputation at Canterlot High."
"I've changed! I'm in a much better place now!" Sunset exclaimed in defense. Aria followed her leader's example and also walked around Sunset like a shark.
"Waiting in the wings while your friends have all the fun?"
Adagio smirked, "Oh, yes, you girls are so tight. And yet... they didn't ask you to be in the band."
"Probably afraid no one will want to see them play if she was in the group."
Sunset didn't want to believe what they were saying, she refused. But were they right? She could slowly feel her fists growing warm as she tried to suppress her powers.
Sonata was the last one to mock her, "Too bad! So sad!"
"If it's any consolation, no one is going to remember you at all by the time we're done." Adagio said as she and her sirens walked pass Sunset, but not before bobbing her with their hips in a taunting manner, leaving a downhearted Sunset Shimmer behind.
"They're wrong, you know." Spike said. He remained with Sunset to keep her company. "They're just trying to get under your skin."
Sunset signed as he sat on the ground. "Yeah well…it's working. Maybe they're right. Maybe I've just made too many mistakes to change my ways now. I can't even control these powers. Every time I try I can still see that…that monster I used to be. Laughing and taunting me."
"You know, Korra and Twilight are going though the exact same thing."
Sunset looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Ever since they encountered the Red Lotus, they were never the same. Korra was poisoned and Twilight was beaten pretty bad. For six months, they kept away from everyone. I've never seen them so broken before. It wasn't easy for any of us either."
"They never told me that last part."
"Well, it's not an easy thing to talk about, especially for Korra, who usually hates not being able to protect her friends. They've been having nightmares, flashbacks, heck Korra's been having trouble getting back into her fitting shape. Don't get me wrong, she's as physically strong as ever, but her moves are still pretty rusty. But she is trying her best to make the most of it. She wants to stay strong for Twilight. After everything she taught her in the past, it's the least Korra can do."
"Korra sounds like a pretty strong girl." Sunset said with a smile. "Able to get up after a fight like that, even though it's hard."
"She is. So is Twilight. Korra eventually found a reason to keep going ahead. Maybe you can find your reason too."
"Thanks, Spike."

(~)

The Dazzlings prepared for their performance as they stood behind the curtain. "Remember, girls. We want to save the good stuff for when our full power has been restored." Adagio instructed as their red pendents glowed brighter.
The curtain opened up and the Dazzlings stepped forward. Their hypnotic singing capturing the attention of everyone around the,

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh
You didn't know that you fell
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

Adagio;
Now that you're under our spell
Blindsided by the beat
Clapping your hands, stomping your feet
You didn't know that you fell

Sonata and Aria;
Oh-whoa-oh-oh

Adagio;
Now you've fallen under our spell

Sonata and Aria;
Oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh

As they sang, the rest of the bands competed against one another. Not holding anything back. They were determined to best the other by any means necessary.
As Korra watched the events unfold, she felt even more anger towards the sirens. If she could she would fireblast them into next weak. But she needed to keep her head in the game. Being reckless and brash had gotten her in so much trouble in the past, she was not about to make the same mistake again.

The Dazzlings;
We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say "jump", you say "how high?"
Put your hands up to the sky

Bulk Biceps played his violin and bested Snips and Snails. The two were eliminated

We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say "jump", you say "how high?"
Put your hands up to the sky

Flash Sentry and his band competed against the eco teens, and managed to best them. Twilight shook her head. Counterpart or no, this was not the Flash Sentry she met when she first came here. But she needed to focus more on the counter-spell. The poor pony was pulling her hair out at the seems trying to figure it out.

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh
You didn't know that you fell
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh
Now that you're under our spell

Adagio Dazzle;
Listen to the sound of my voice

Sonata and Aria;
Oh-whoa, oh-oh-oh

Adagio;
Soon you'll find you don't have a choice

Sonata and Aria;
Oh-whoa, oh-oh-oh

Adagio;
Captured in the web of my song

Sonata and Aria;
Oh-whoa, oh-oh-oh

Adagio;
Soon you'll all be singing along

Sonata and Aria;
Oh, whoa, oh

The Rainbooms then competed against Octavia and her cello, but the Rainbooms managed to best her. Once Octavia was eliminated, Korra tried to console her and even say she played beautifully. But the grey skinned girl scoffed and walked away, completely ungrateful to Korra's sincere kindness. The sirens' spell was getting worse.

We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say "jump", you say "how high?"
Put your hands up to the sky

Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Drops performed a piano duet but were bested by Trixie and her bandmates. Trixie was on her way to the semi-finals along with the Rainbooms and the Dazzlings.

We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say "jump", you say "how high?"
Put your hands up to the sky

However, Twilight still couldn't figure out the counter spell, and the other bandmates were arguing with one another while Sunset stood ideally by with worry and despair. Even Korra was getting tired of all of this. If she didn't know any better, she would say all of the bickering and whining was making her literally ill. Like all of these negative emotions was some kind of poison for her sole.
And she was right. More and more students began to hate each other. Bickering over who should have been the winner and heading to the finals. All of this hate. All of this anger and resentment.
It was like a buffet for the sirens.

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh
You didn't know that you fell
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh
Now that you're under our spell
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh
You didn't know that you fell
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh
Now that you're under our

Adagio;
Spell
Muah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!….

(~)

Vice-Principal Luna crossed the very last band to be eliminated on the white board as she arranged the two final bands. Trixie's and the Rainbooms. Flash Sentry wanted to pull his hair out. He and his band lost. Sunset gathered the others together. "This is it! Last round and you're in the finals! Unless you think the counter-spell is ready to be played now."
Sadly, Twilight held the book tightly as she looked downcast sadly. Korra hesitantly shook her head. "Sorry, still no."
"Don't worry, Twilight." said Applejack, "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!"
"Yeah!" the others all simultaneously nodded and smiled in reassurance. But Twilight sadly turned away and muttered under her breath, "You won't let me down…"
Korra and Sunset looked at Twilight sadly and Fluttershy spoke up to Rainbow Dash, "Um, I was just wondering. We haven't played any of my songs yet, and…"
"It's the semifinals." Rainbow interrupted, "We gotta do "Awesome As I Wanna Be"."
Fluttershy narrowed her eyes in disappointment, "Don't know why I even asked…"
Korra overheard them and attempted to speak with Rainbow Dash, "Uh, Rainbow. You know, I actually read some of her songs and they're really great. Maybe you should consider…"
"We'll play her songs latter. Right now, we need a killer song that is sure to get us into the finals."
Now it was Korra's turn to look disappointed and annoyed. Even her pony Rainbow Dash wasn't this much of a glory hog. At least, not as much as she used to be.
Trixie and her band were nearly done with their song.

...I got tricks up my sleeve
See me dominate
'Cause I'm powerful and grea-ea-eat!

Trixie and her bandmates bowed as the crowed cheered and Celestia and Luna applauded.
"Fantastic!"
Trixie left the stage and met up with the Rainbooms. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at the blue skinned girl in a magician's hat and cape, smiling smugly. Much like her pony counterpart, she had pearl white hair and light blue skin with a boastful personality. "Hmph. 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."
Rainbow Dash smirked as she adjusted her blue and red guitar, "My superior guitar playing and off-the-charts awesome singing voice?"
"Oh, don't be ridiculous. I mean her!" Trixie pointed towards Twilight, who surprisingly, actually glared and even growled at her. Korra too. There was no way she was going to allow some magic-wannabe insult her friends like that.
"If you were really all that, Rainbow Dash, you wouldn't have needed to bring in some magical ringer to have half a chance." Trixie mocked as she inspected her nails, "Everyone's talking about it."
Rainbow Dash laughed, "Ha! Puh-leeze! I could win this thing as a solo act and everybody knows it!"
That really struck a nerve on everyone, even the always happy Pinkie Pie and timid Fluttershy. Korra was probably the most fuming. How could Rainbow say something so…so arrogant! Okay sure, even her pony self tends to be a bit of a glory hog, but this was just way too much. She was letting all of this band stuff to go her head. And Trixie, wasn't really doing any of them any favors.
"Sure you could." Trixie said with a scoff, but was then shocked to see Korra now standing before her with angry eyes.
"Trixie, I think it's best if you leave." the Avatar said in a demanding tone.
But Trixie wasn't that intimidated, "Oh, please. You honestly thin--"
"I said leave!"
Trixie's taunting stopped and she shrieked in fear. This girl really was scary. She rose her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. But just remember, you will never have the show-toping abilities of the Great. And Powerful…"
"Nobody cares!!"
In reaction to Korra's aggressive demand, Trixie threw a powder bomb and disappeared in a puff of blue smoke. The Rainbooms all coughed as the smoke diminished.
Pinkie Pie gasped. "She's gone!….Oh, wait. There she is."
Trixie was hiding behind a drum set before zipping away like a Looney Toon, leaving behind a puff of clouds and hairpins. Celestia's voice was heard on the intercom. "Next up, the Rainbooms."
However, the girls did not seem all that excited to go on. Not counting Rainbow Dash who was so thrilled to be singing her favorite. That she wrote herself.
Spike wagged his tail, "Knock 'em dead, Rainbooms!" he said encouragingly.
Sunset waved, "I'll be here... just... watching." the poor girl looked downcast as her friends got up on stage. She looked at her hands, noticing thee burning sensation and took in deep breaths to calm herself down.
Pinkie Pie played on her drums as the spotlight appeared on each of the girls.

The Rainbooms;
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Rainbow Dash;
Awesome as I wanna be

While the girls sang backup, Fluttershy gave Rainbow the stink eye, while the rainbow haired teen shredded her guitar with passion.

The Rainbooms;
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Rainbow Dash;
Awesome as I wanna be

Rainbow began playing beside her friends, showing off as usual. Korra couldn't help but narrow her eyes in disapproval.

First you see me riding on a sonic boom
Got my guitar shreddin' up the latest tune
There is nothin' you can do to beat me
I'm so good that you can't defeat me

As the Rainbooms sang along with her, they all did so without much passion. Sure they sounded great but, their hearts weren't entirely set on it. In her eyes, this was Rainbow's time to shine, not theirs. And that would soon prove to be a problem.

Rainbow and the Rainbooms;
Yeah, I'm awesome, take caution
Watch out for me, I'm awesome as I wanna be
(Yeah!)
I'm awesome, take caution
Watch out for me, I'm awesome as I wanna be

Sunset shook her head with worry. Rainbow was going all out, and if she kept this up her magic would surely show.
Soon, the spotlight was aimed only at Rainbow Dash during her guitar solo. Much to the annoyance of her other bandmates, going so far as to express their disapproval in their singing.

The Rainbooms;
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Rainbow shredded her guitar like there was no tomorrow and, just as Sunset feared, Rainbow's ears were starting to magically manifest.
This was bad. She had to do something. She didn't think, she just forced herself onto the stage and tackled Rainbow Dash during her solo and the two girls landed on the ground, accidentally knocking Twilight, who bumped into Rarity, who tripped and kicked Applejack's base right off of her hand which fell right into one of Pinkie's drums.
The music stopped.
Once the lights got back on, Fluttershy squealed and ran away in fear, dropping her tambourine. Rainbow's ears disappeared and she glared angrily at Sunset. She stood up, looking at all of the people glaring at her, even the Principals.
"Now that's the bad girl we love to hate!" Flash Sentry said amongst the crowed. Everyone in the room began shouting and booing at her.
"I knew she was still trouble!"
"The real Sunset Shimmer is back!"
Sunset felt her heart race and her blood boiling due to her anxiety. This was exactly what she didn't want. She clenched her head, trying to drown out their angry cries, but it was futile.
"No. It isn't like that."
But she couldn't ignore their sounds. Pretty soon, they started throwing empty soda cans and pencils at her as they continued to shout, and even cursed. All of their yelling and anger, It was all too much. Too much hatred. Too much pain. Korra realized what was happening as she witnessed Sunset's hands glowing orange. She had to do something, anything to stop her. But it was too late. Sunset had hit her boiling point.
"ENOUGH!!!"
With one swoop of her hand, the angry cries disappeared, only to be replayed by gasps of horror as burning amber flames came shooting out of Sunset's hands! It was a flame that rose up, missing all of the students, not burning any of them. The flames quickly disappeared in mid air, leaving behind various small ambers floating around. No one was hurt, thankfully, but that didn't reassure Sunset.
The Dazzlings could't believe what they had just seen. Those flames, that power. They knew they had seen it somewhere before in the distant past. The memories flashed in Adagio's mind.
The image of a handsome human man with raven hair and amber eyes that sparkled with such courage and compassion, but mostly courage in her case. She could still feel his powerful flames encircling her entire body as she tried to fight him off. His will was strong, even though she could clearly see the visible yet subtle hints of fear and uncertainty in his eyes. But none the less, he kept on fighting. He was not alone however.
Beside him were two large majestic creatures with wings and horns right in the center of their foreheads. They were so powerful and strong as he was. That was the first and final time she saw them. The ones who defeated her and her comrades. And now, here she was witnessing someone possessing a similar power to that of him.
"Did…she just?" Aria was breathless, her eyes wide and her heart was racing. If she had that power, then apparently Korra was not the only obstacle in their way.
Sunset lowered her hands and clenched her fists, taking in deep breaths. Everyone gasped and began asking questions.
"What was that?!"
"What did she do?!"
Poor Sunset Shimmer was terrified. Her powers went out of control. She turned to look at the frightened faces of her friends, eyes wide with confusion and shock. This was exactly what she feared.
Korra couldn't allow Sunset to suffer like this, she had to do something. But what? She looked over at the students, who slowly went from frightened to angry. Korra realized she had another weapon besides bending. Without a second thought, or explanation, she took Applejack's base and ran up to the mic. She extended her hand to Sunset Shimmer and helped her up. Korra gently strummed the guitar and opened her mouth to sing a soft song at first. The guitar lessons from Mako were about to pay off.

(Superhero by Ross lynch)

Sometimes love's a scary place
It's like standing in the dark
Flying through the universe
Trying to fix your broken heart

Fluttershy knew these words, "That's my song. She's singing my song!"
Soon, all the students calmed down as Korra continued to sing. They were curious as to what exactly she was doing. The Dazzlings kept a careful eye on her as she sang.

It's okay to let it go
You don't have to be so brave
Take a chance to someone else
Is gonna swoop in and save the day

As Korra played, the others began to slowly play their instruments. Pinkie played her drums while Rarity played her keytar and Fluttershy her tambourine. Rainbow Dash crossed her arms and huffed. Leave it to Korra to steal her spotlight.

You don't have to face your fears alone
Cause whenever you're in trouble
I'll know

The music became stronger as Korra voice grew louder and more beautiful, filling the entire room with her harmonic voice.

Let me be your Supper hero
There isn't a place I won't go
Whenever you need me by your side
I'll be there!
Be there

Never be afraid if you fall
I'll carry you away from it all
Let me be your Super hero
Let me be your Super
Hero!

Korra extended her hand to Twilight and both she and Sunset stood by her while she sang.

Take off your mask
Put down your guard
Don't need a symbol on your chest
It's alright for once to play
The Damsel in Distress

You're gonna use up all your strength
Trying to be so strong
Don't have to shoulder all the weigh
Together we can take it all

The Dazzlings didn't like this. Korra's singing was doing something to the students. It was making them…happier. Less angry. This was bad. Very bad. How were they going to accomplish their goal if the Rainbooms still had her on their side?
After listening to the words of the song, Rainbow eventually realized she was being unfair, and so she joined in as she and the others began to sing the chorus.

You don't have to face your fears alone
Because whenever you're in trouble
I'll know!

Korra and the Rainbooms;
Let me be your Supper hero
There isn't a place I won't go
Whenever you need me by your side
I'll be there!

Never be afraid if you fall
I'll carry you away from it all
Let me be your Super hero
Let me be your Super
Hero!

As the final performance, Korra and Twilight both unleashed a harmless combined fireblast upwards which exploded into small magenta and amber sparkles. The purple flames must have been an indication that the flames were artificial and it was a special effects move.
The crowd cheered and applauded for the stunning display. Korra held both Twilight and Sunset's hands as she rose them up in victory. Sunset smiled graciously as she whispered, "Thank you."
However, three girls were not happy about this. For Adagio….this just got personal.
Backstage, the girls sighed in relief. Thanks to Korra's quick thinking, not only were they sure to get into the finals, but they managed to convince everyone the fire display was all part of the act. Korra was taking in slow deep breaths. The excitement was not doing her anxiety any favors. Luckily, she managed to calm herself.
"What was that?!"
Or not….
"How did Sunset Shimmer know how to firebend like you guys?!" Rainbow Dash was still shocked by what she and the others had just witnessed.
Sunset knew she had to come clean. "Well…since a couple of weeks ago. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to scare you."
Korra stepped froward before the others, "It's not Sunset's fault. She's still trying to control her powers. They're triggered by strong emotions."
"Well, it wouldn't have happened if she didn't shove me off the stage like that!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"You were showing them your magic! What else was she suppose to do?!"
Rarity spoke next, "Ugh. Close the curtains? Unplug her amp? Give us a chance to deal with the situation?"
"She did the best she could. It's not her fault!"
Sunset couldn't take it anymore, "No. It is."
"Sunset?"
"She's right, this is all my fault. I just wanted to help."
"Yeah, well, you didn't." Rainbow said while crossing her arms.
Applejack decided to defend Sunset Shimmer, and Korra, "None of this would've happened if you weren't trying to show off – as usual."
The two girls glared at one another when Trixie showed up again, "Good show, "Rain-brooms". I especially liked the part where Sunset Shimmer, in a fit of jealous rage, knocked out Rainbow Dash mid-guitar solo!"
Sunset's cheeks flustered and she yelled at the blue skinned-girl, "It wasn't a fit of jealous rage!" realizing her explosion, she backed away, while the others looked on in uncertainty. She really wasn't helping herself here.
Trixie smirked, "If you say so."
Korra scoffed, "Trixie, you can taunt all you want, it's not going to change the fact that we gave a good performance out there."
"Sure, your act was good, but you're forgetting one thing."
"And what is that?"
"That you used fire in your performance."
"It was just as a special effect!" Korra said in defense, "You do them all the time."
"But I never use anything flammable. I highly doubt the Principals would allow your band to be in the finals after nearly endangering the whole school."
Korra slightly backed away. How could she have been so stupid? Like the Principals would allow fire in a school performance. Then again, she never went to a regular school before and schools were she's from don't often blink twice if they see fire coming from a kid's finger tips.
"I..I didn't think about that." she said with regret.
"Maybe next time you should before going overboard." Trixie spotted the two principals looking over their papers. "Ooh! Looks like they've already decided who'll be moving on to the finals!" she pulled out her compact mirror and fixed her hair, "I'm guessing it wasn't too difficult a decision."
The doors opened and Sunset heard vocalizing. It was the Dazzlings. They were singing in harmony to the principals. Their red pendents glowed as they sang, and the two sisters' eyes became blank as if they were in a trance. This concerned Sunset.
"What can we do?" Rarity asked, "There isn't gonna be another opportunity for us to play. And I had the most gorgeous outfit for the finals!"
Applejack rolled her eyes, "Yup, 'cause that's the real tragedy, Rarity – that you won't get to play dress-up!"
"You know perfectly well that is not what I meant!"
Rainbow Dash separated the two bickering girls, "You guys wanna keep it down? They're about to announce who's moving on."
"Who are you kidding?" Flutershy said hopelessly, "You know it isn't gonna be us."
They were right, after the display Korra, Sunset and Twilight did, they were most likely disqualified. The Avatar rubbed her arm in guilt. "I'm sorry you guys. I was suppose to help but instead I just made things worse."
Sunset shook her head, "No, it was mine. If I hadn't been so impulsive you wouldn't have needed to save me in the first place."
Applejack placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder, "It's not your fault or Korra's…it's Rainbows!"
"Me?!" Rainbow said in disbelief.
"If you hadn't been such a glory hog Sunset wouldn't have needed to stop you and Korra wouldn't have had to step in either!"
The girls ceased their bickering when they heard the screech of the mic on stage. Principal Celestia announced the winners. "The band that will be joining the Dazzlings in tonight's finals…"
Trixie readied herself for the adoring applauds.
"The Rainbooms!"
"What?!"
"Huh?"
"Did they just say, "the Rainbooms"?!" Pinkie Pie asked in disbelief.
This was a real surprise, but none the less Korra took in a deep breath of relief. At least something didn't entirely blow up in her face. Trixie snarled, baring her white teeth as she stomped away, "This isn't over!"
The eight girls all walked onto the stage and stood before the principals who smiled at them. "Congratulations, girls. You deserve it."
Korra thanked them. "Thank you. So, you're not upset about the whole fire hazard thing?"
"We thought it was a stunning and creative performance." Celestia said with a smile. However, there was something off about her. Her eyes, they seemed so hazy, like she was half-sleepy. And, if she didn't know any better, she could have sworn she saw them briefly glow green. Something wasn't right here.
The Dazzlings approached their competition. "See you at tonight's big show, Rainbooms." Adagio said, "We are really looking forward to it." she looked over at Korra with a smirk, "That was quite a performance. Tell me, how did you manage to pull off such a fiery display?"
Korra remained stoic and firm, "It's a secret." she responded blankly.
"Well, we've got our luck cut out for us, don't we?" The smirk on Adagio's face was a sure sign that they knew what was going on. Of course, it was kind of hinted that they did, after all Sunset confronted them about it previously. Korra could keep swimming around what went wrong or what could have been done, but this was not the time for it. If one way didn't work out, find another.
The Dazzling's smirks were erased when the students suddenly began applauding the Rainbooms for their performance. Korra's melody did leave a positive impact on them.
This obviously angered the sirens, but brought a confident smile onto Korra's face as she answered Adagio's previous question. "Yes. You most certainly do."
Adagio and her sirens sneered and growled before stomping off. The Rainbooms all embraced the Avatar in a group hug. Not all was lost after all. Once the sirens were off stage, they could feel their energies draining. Aria grunted in frustration, "What now? If she sings tonight we don't stand a chance!"
"She's got a point." said Sonata, "Why would we be sure they got into the finals if we knew they could beat us?"
Suddenly, to their shock, Adagio…started to laughed. Their blond leader was laughing her guts out while leaning onto the side of the bleachers.
Sonata looked at her with worry, "Oh, boy. She's cracked. She's gone nuts." she approached Adagio, tugging on her shirt to get her to her senses, "Adagio. Adagio! Get a grip--Ah!" Sonata shrieked when Adagio took her by the collar of her shirt. "Good grip."
"Did you see that fire? There is only one person who has powers like that!"
Sonata rose up her finger to answer, "Uh…"
"Wan! I don't know how or why, but that girl is linked to him somehow."
"So?"
"So?…SO?!?!" Adagio shook Sonata and tossed her aside like a rag doll. "So, her power is greater than anything we can imagine! You remember that fight!"
"Uh, don't remind me." said Aria as she rubbed her neck, "I can still feel that rock he hurled at me."
"Well, even though she has the power, we have our own secret weapon." Adagio smirked.
"What's that?" Sonata asked.
Aria face palmed herself. "Uh…why do I put up with you?"
Adagio noticed Trixie, who was still fuming about her loss. "Follow my lead girls."
No words could describe Trixie's rage. "This is a travesty! A travesty!
"It really is!" Adagio said in the most fake sincere voice she could, "The Rainbooms don't deserve to be in the finals. Not when your band was so much better in the semis."
"And wanted it so much more." Aria said.
"Alas, this is the way it's going to be. Dazzlings vs. Rainbooms."
Sonata stepped in and said, "Unless, of course, the Rainbooms don't manage to make it to their set or held up for some reason."
And that, my friends, was when the gears in Trixie's head started to turn.
She chuckled sinisterly.

(~)