Day: Saturday
Weather: Evening Chill
Time: 7:50pmHooray! My friends have stopped arguing and are friends again. It came at my own expense, however; Rainbow Dash pushed me into a wall, my head hitting it. Glad she apologized afterward. I finally explained what was really going on--something I wanted to do for a while now--and Princess Twilight created a counter-spell! She did use a song Fluttershy wrote, however, but that was fine. We also learned that one other student hadn't been affected by the Dazzlings. Vinyl Scratch apparently didn't hear any of their music. Weird. My friends were now ready to beat the Dazzlings at their own game, but it looked like they had more magical musical experience. And are those flying fish-like creatures what they really look like? What's this? My friends want me to sing? Will I prove to be enough to turn the tide? And where is this magical surge coming from? Is that... my magic?
The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
January 8, 2016
Chapter 39: Welcome to the Show.
Despite Twilight's protests, I stood firm in my resolve to take a break from reading the journal. It was kind of funny. Back when I first started sharing my troubled past with her, I was afraid she would run away in disgust upon learning the truth about me. That feeling was still in my heart. The Battle of the Bands and the Fall Formal weren't the only events that would test my resolve. Once we get into the holidays... No. I have to trust in Twilight's heart that she will stay by my side until this is over. With each passing page, I grew more and more confident about revealing my past, and how I truly felt about those around me.
Sometimes, I do wonder why I was compelled to write down everything that I experienced into a single book. I mean, I started writing in this journal just after the competition against the Sirens, and its contents comes from what I remember experiencing. Would Twilight ever suspect me of lying because the journal contained my recollection? I suppose she could always ask some of our fellow students about certain events and how they went down. Even Princess Twilight would be willing to tell her about it. That made me think about what was going to happen once I had finished reading the journal to her. There was an ending which I wrote down last night, so it would go right up to the present day. What would her true opinions of me be like? Would she view me as a monster, or as a tormented soul? Would she have me reveal what I wrote down to our friends? I need to start thinking about all this. I need to be prepared for that eventuality.
" How is your throat doing?" Twilight asked.
" It's been quenched, so we can continue on." I answered.
" You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear the conclusion to the Battle of the Bands." Twilight said.
" About ten minutes."
" Was that sarcasm?"
" Maybe."
" Anyway, you mentioned just before our break that the showdown between the Rainbooms and the Sirens involved magical attacks. I'm not doubting you Sunset, as I've seen magical attacks in person. Heck, I even used one against you while you used one to combat mine." Twilight said. Even though she had only had her corrupted magic for a short period of time before we would clash, she knew what she was doing, like she had been using magic for years. Had she defeated me instead of the other way around, Twilight would have destroyed this world in her pursuit of knowledge before moving on to Equestria. She wouldn't have lasted very long there. The alicorn princesses wield magic far greater than anything I could use. There were even some unicorns whose magic was on par with them.
" The Sirens wanted to make it a real battle." I said.
" And using magic was their method?"
" Our friends had to fight fire with fire. The only problem was that five of the six Rainbooms didn't have much experience with magic. All they used in the way of magic was ponying up, and the magical rainbow that defeated me." I answered. This was unlike Twilight herself, here, who, while she had even less experience, managed to absorb all of my friends' magic at once. That made her very powerful, which gave me plenty of problems. " It was a battle between those who used magic for years against those who used it infrequently for a month." I said.
" What about you and Princess Twilight? How did you two fare?" Twilight asked.
" Her Highness was able to go toe-to-toe against them, although they prevailed over her because it was three-on-one. Me? My magic was stronger than our friends', but not in the same league as the Sirens and Her Highness. That's what happens when you don't use magic for over three years." I answered.
" I can definitely vouch for you being magically powerful." Twilight said.
" There was one thing we didn't count on."
" What's that?"
" The Sirens using their own variation of ponying up and summoning spiritual versions of their true forms." I answered. I had seen a lot of mystical creatures in Equestria while I lived there, yet nothing prepared me for what I was about to experience. I had only studied up on hippocampi, the species of creature the Sirens were, but seeing them in person was something in and of itself.
" What are they really?" Twilight.
" Hippocampi."
" Seriously?"
" Yep."
For the first time in what felt like years, Princess Twilight, my friends and I were all on the same page. We managed to overcome everything the Dazzlings threw our way. In truth, though, we couldn't just blame the Dazzlings, even though it would have been easy to do. We were to blame for our own dysfunction. I should have been honest by telling my friends how I really felt about my status among the group dynamic. If I had, we could have avoided a lot of problems. Now they stand ready to take on the Dazzlings in a battle of music, the fate of the world hanging in the balance. I suppose the satisfaction of being the best band at CHS was also a worthwhile prize.
There was just one little problem with our plan. We finally had a counter-spell in the form of a song Fluttershy had written with Princess Twilight substituting in certain words to make it more potent. We also had a stereo sound system which could project our music so that the entire student body could hear it. Vinyl Scratch deserved a lot of credit for having a car that could transform. Rarity provided the costumes, but they weren't her best designs. They seemed very '80s, very unlike Rarity. Even then, it seemed like we had everything, and that was true, yet we didn't know how to use Vinyl's stereo system to project our music so that it could counter the Dazzlings'.
Why was I referring to it as "our" music? I wasn't a member of the Rainbooms. Even though Rarity had made a costume for me, I wasn't going to be doing anything. In truth, all I'd be doing is standing behind and providing support, as usual. This was their performance to win.
" Now this is what I call a sweet ride." Rainbow Dash said.
" I reckon I ain't seen anythin' like that before." Applejack said.
" Vinyl Scratch, darling! You simply must tell where you were able to get such a customizable vehicle." Rarity said. Hearing her say that sounded strange, as she was usually enamoured with fashion. Then again, vehicles can be seen as just another accessory. A part of me was curious about how she managed to afford something like that. Either her family was quite wealthy or working at the music store in the mall must have proven beneficial.
" We need to be serious." Princess Twilight said.
" Aren't we?" Rainbow Dash asked sarcastically.
" You know what I mean! Anyway, I'm not really sure how this... thing is supposed to work. Where Sunset Shimmer and I are from, most ponies prefer to use instruments. We have nothing like you all have in this world. Although, there was that one pony who had a setup very similar to yours, Vinyl Scratch." Princess Twilight answered. Everyone's jaws dropped--apart from mine--in response. It didn't surprise me, as Equestria wasn't known for having cutting-edge technology. Even though our friends, and myself to a degree, were familiar with stereo systems, what Vinyl had was different from normal conventions. There was also the problem with communication. Vinyl may use expressions and hand gestures, yet it was easy to confuse some of them.
" It's called a stereo system, and I reckon you're right! Vinyl, how do we use this thing?" Applejack asked. Vinyl began pointing at different things in an attempt to explain what they all did, but all she was doing was making us even more confused.
" Anybody have any guesses as to what she's saying?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" She's standing right next to you, you know." Rarity answered.
" I'm sure she knows that." Rainbow Dash said.
" We need to figure something out quickly! I don't think everyone watching the Dazzlings will be caring about anything for much longer." Princess Twilight said. We looked down at the stage when she said that, and something was going on that had us all worried. What appeared to be magical sound waves started shooting forth from the Dazzlings before aiming downward at the audience repeatedly. It reminded me of when I used Princess Twilight's crown to hypnotize the entire student body. They were essentially using the same tactic, but with magical music as opposed to pure magic.
" Feel the wave of sound,
As it crashes down!
You can't turn away,
We'll make you wanna sta-a-a-ay!" The Dazzlings sang.
" This is hopeless!" Rainbow Dash moaned.
" I agree completely. While Vinyl Scratch has certainly done us a favour by providing us with a custom stereo system, unless we can understand what she's pointing at, it won't really matter in the end." Rarity said.
" She's saying that her dashboard is loaded with all kinds of features that can adjust the volume output of the speakers, improve sound quality for our instruments, and provide exceptional lighting to make us stand out more. It even comes with a boom box on the front." Pinkie Pie said, grinning widely. We all stared, eyes widened and jaws dropped. We then turned towards Vinyl, who was clapping her hands with glee before giving a thumbs up. Pinkie... was the only one who understood what she had been trying to say! I didn't know whether or not to be surprised. Pinkie did beat to her own drum, so it made sense she would know.
" What!? You understand her?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Of course, silly." Pinkie Pie answered.
" Why didn't you mention this before?" Rarity asked.
" You never asked." Pinkie Pie answered. We all groaned. We should have known she would say that. Vinyl then began pointing at different things on her car, which made no sense to us, yet Pinkie rolled her eyes before explaining what each component did. I decided to pay attention to her explanation out of being curious, but my attention span quickly diverted when I saw what was happening on stage.
" Um, girls?"
" What is it?" Princess Twilight asked.
" You might want to take a look at the stage right now!" I answered.
" We will be adored,
Tell us that you want us!
We won't be ignored,
It's time for our reward!" The Dazzlings sang.
All three girls suddenly began glowing before rising into the air. That's when we learned a horrible truth. They were capable of ponying up just like my friends, yet their ears and tails didn't resemble any kind of pony from Equestria. Princess Twilight quickly revealed that they resembled a creature called the hippocampus through their transformation. The others had no idea what a Hippocampus was, although I did have a fairly good idea. I had studied up on them once during my early days as the prized student of Princess Celestia, yet I never really developed a strong fascination towards that particular subject.
As the Dazzlings' ears and tails appeared, their bodies shattered--most likely to add to the overall effect--and their glow faded away, although they would remain floating, perhaps to show off. So this is what they wanted, in the flesh. They wanted to regain their power so that they could transform and further expand their influence. While their transformed states didn't affect their sexiness, it did reiterate their desires. This was also true with their choice of lyrics. They wanted to be adored by a large audience who would serve as their source of negative energy. Then again, they were at full power now, so did they even need energy? I felt bad that the student body was once again being reduced to nothing more than mindless zombies. It was a painful reminder of what I did to them when I received my power. Would they forgive me for my actions should my friends prevail? I hadn't thought about that until just then. My future appeared bleak, far more than what was happening.
" Wait, what!?" Twilight exclaimed.
" Huh? What's wrong?" I asked.
" You never told me that the Sirens were capable of transforming!" Twilight said.
" I thought it would have been obvious, seeing as they possessed Equestrian magic. I'll admit that I wasn't expecting them to gain ears and tails, but that wasn't the worst thing to come from the eventual battle." I said. What would come shortly after our friends started singing still haunts me. I knew the Sirens' true forms were of hippocampi, yet I didn't expect them to call them forth as spirits. Their true forms acted like an extension of them, capable of using magic and moving about. Now that I think back on it, perhaps our friends should have focused on the Sirens themselves rather than their true forms. I wouldn't expect them to harm the three girls directly, but perhaps they could've distracted them until they lost their concentration. I suppose I should've told Twilight about their true forms. I mean, I did kind of hint at it, but not exactly talk about it. " Twilight? I... I didn't mention this, but the Sirens' most powerful magic during the finals involved them summoning spiritual versions of what they truly looked like." I said.
" Really? They produced phantasmal apparitions of their hippocampi selves? Oh, how I wish that I could have been there to witness it! It's not everyday that one gets to see a mythological creature in person, spirit or not. It would have been a fascinating experience." Twilight said.
" You took it a lot better than I thought." I said.
" What were you expecting?"
" Never mind." I said, sighing. Only Twilight would take something as dangerous as three magical girls calling forth their true forms and turn it into some kind of science project. No wonder she and I became such fast friends. I won't deny that I have a strong love of science as well, but I probably don't have the same kind of fascination that she does.
" On a serious note, I am surprised that they were capable of doing that." Twilight said.
" I attribute it to being a form of magic only they could use. I've never seen any pony, or other magical creature for that matter, create a spiritual version of themselves. What made their magic especially potent was their ability to control their spirit forms freely, seemingly an extension of themselves. The Sirens' eyes glowed red and whenever they sang, their spirit forms would mimic that, resulting in powerful magical blasts." I said.
" Has Princess Twilight ever considered trying to master magic like that?" Twilight asked.
" No. I don't think she will. Dark magic can be very taxing on a pony unless you happen to have complete control over it. Whenever dark magic is used, it drains our physical strength because of how much concentration is needed. Also, its power depends on one's current state of mind. If a pony were to be experiencing some kind of emotional stress, or holding back emotions, the dark magic becomes wild and free--too free, if you want my opinion. If they were calm and collected, the dark magic would barely be able to make any kind of dent." I answered. When I used Princess Twilight's crown to cast my own dark magic, I had been stressed over how our friends fawned over her back then. I snapped and tried to grab her crown. Combined with my other frustrations surrounding Her Highness, the magic I used grew stronger with every passing moment. Not once did I ever attempt to stop myself. Luckily, I wasn't the only one who had issues with dark magic.
Princess Twilight once dabbled in dark magic when she tried to save the Crystal Empire. She never did disclose much about what happened, like she didn't want me to know, but I respect her decision. All she told me was that being stressed makes you more vulnerable to being corrupted. I would curse that Princess Celestia should have mentioned such information during my time as her student, but I know now that I wasn't ready for such knowledge. My former mentor was protecting me, and I chose not to heed her warning. I learned the hard way what dark magic can do to a pony. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have both dabbled in dark magic, as well, yet the latter was banished for using it. Only evil-minded individuals would know the intricacies of dark magic enough to avoid becoming corrupted by it.
" Like what happened with me?" Twilight asked.
" More like both of us." I answered.
" No wonder the Sirens revelled in what they were doing. Their magic was dark in nature, and they weren't affected because they already had been corrupted. In a way, I feel kind of sorry for them. Unlike us, they never got a second chance." Twilight said.
" What they did was far worse than my own actions. The chances of them reforming were pretty slim, although not completely out of the question. Sonata would have been the most likely to reform, as she wasn't as evil as her two companions. I mean, she did some sinister things with no regrets, but her bubbly mannerism made her more tolerable. Aria had about a fifty-fifty chance of reforming, I guess, but you would have to take her attitude into consideration. Either she would care about it or not. Adagio... No... She could never be reformed. Much of the Sirens' actions were by her own hand." I said.
" Guess the Magic of Friendship didn't work on them, huh?" Twilight asked. Not every creature in Equestria was capable of being reformed. There were some who were just too purely evil to ever change to the side of good. I was one of the lucky ones who was given a second chance. Just thinking about what my life could be like had I not learned about friendship made me shiver. I never want to go back there again. " Sunset? Why are you shivering?" Twilight asked.
" A bad thought crossed my mind." I answered.
" Hopefully it doesn't get to you."
" One can only hope."
" So what happened next?"
" The Sirens had transformed, but there is one thing I didn't mention. While they had pony ears and tails, they also had bat-like wings, enabling them to fly. It was such a minor addition, which was also hidden behind their backs, that they were easy to miss. Anyway, they were feeling pretty confidant that nothing could stand in their way. They would come to discover that our friends weren't about to submit to them." I answered.
" Now you need us,
Come and heed us,
Nothing can stop us now!" The Dazzlings sang.
Things were looking grim. My friends looked nervous about what had just transpired on the stage. The Dazzlings had used their own version of ponying up and were declaring their overall victory. Their latest lyrics told me that they believed themselves to be invincible. They also assumed we were still trapped below the stage in the storage room. While I wasn't nervous in the same manner as my friends, I was pretty worried about what would happen to me. I brought magic into this world, where it didn't exist before, and those girls only emerged from the shadows after I became a monster. Whether my friends succeeded or failed, I'd end up with the same fate either way. I'd be condemned by my peers for bringing so much grief. Princess Twilight was likely to try and defend me, but I would refuse such kindness. Before, I'd try to either run away from my problems or pass them onto someone else. Not this time. I'd take full responsibility for my actions.
The Dazzlings started laughing, which made me cringe. All that time I complained about Rainbow Dash's ego, and those three were ten times worse. They were so full of themselves, they were oblivious to what was happening.
Princess Twilight and my friends then began singing, which definitely caught their attention. It appeared as though Sonata was the one who clued the others in to the sudden appearance of another song.
" Don't need to hear a crowd,
Cheering out my name.
I didn't come here seeking,
Infamy or fame!" Princess Twilight sang.
So this is what Fluttershy's song was with the alterations Her Highness made. Those first lyrics immediately hit home for me. When I first came here, I sought out fame in order to prove that I was ready to become a princess in Equestria. I felt so stupid because of my immaturity, and not a day goes by where I'm not reminded of my greatest mistake. Had I come here under different pretenses, I could have made a fresh start, but instead, I clung onto the past. Perhaps this song would not only free everyone but also free me from the guilt that was choking me, the guilt of my past.
From what I could see of the crowd, they were completely mesmerized by the Dazzlings, but when Her Highness started to sing, they all turned in her direction. They appeared to be breaking free from their hypnotic suggestion. The counter-spell was working! I did have to question why she sang pretty badly at Sweet Apple Acres when she clearly had such a fantastic singing voice. It made me wish that I could have contributed as well, but perhaps that would happen another day. The Dazzlings, in the meantime, appeared to be getting angry that their magic was being resisted. Each girl was stomping her feet in frustration, and I knew things were about to become pretty hectic. There was no of telling what they were going to do. We'd only seen a small portion of their magic, their true power always locked away until now.
" The one and only thing,
That I am here to bring,
Is music, is the music,
Is the music in my soul!" The Rainbooms sang.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared from behind my back. I turned around and smiled; Princess Twilight and my friends were ponying up. The last time I saw this, I was on the receiving end of a magical rainbow that contained the Magic of Friendship. While being blasted left me in a smoking crater afterward, it made me come to the realization that friendship was important. While it would be delicious to witness the Dazzlings falling to a magical rainbow, I did feel uneasy with the memories of it all. That's when I noticed something different about their ponying up. They were getting streaks in their hair. I don't recall seeing that last time. Could it be that their magic had grown stronger upon getting over their issues from earlier?
As the Rainbooms continued singing and the counter-spell did its thing, the Dazzlings began smiling evilly. What were they planning? I wasn't looking forward to seeing what they would do to turn the tide.
" I must admit that you girls have proven to be very persistent." Adagio said into a microphone, making sure we could hear her. " Had we learned that you possessed Equestrian magic the moment we first came here, we would have taken care of you then instead of doing so now. No matter, though; we also knew that just getting your magic would have been impossible because of how tight you all were."
" We know you manipulated us into fighting amongst ourselves." Princess Twilight said, speaking into her own microphone.
" It was simple; you provided all the ammunition."
" Well, your plan ends here and now!"
" That was your big comeback? Oh, we're so scared of you and your friends that I think we're quivering down here." Adagio said. There was one thing she was bad at doing, and it was pretending to be frightened. It just didn't suit her personality at all. I felt slightly annoyed that Her Highness didn't mention that I knew the truth about the Dazzlings. I suppose I couldn't blame her for wanting to leave me out. After all, I wasn't part of the band, so my contributions held no meaning.
" Sunset Shimmer was right about you three from the beginning, and we didn't listen to her. If we had, then we could have stopped you much sooner. I hold myself accountable for not believing in her." Princess Twilight said. Did I just get praised by Her Highness? Yes! I did! Hearing her words brought tears to my eyes. Once again, I had misjudged her. I should know better than to doubt a princess of Equestria.
" Why even bother defending someone who caused so much anguish?"
" Unlike you three, she is, at least, making amends."
" Oh, I see where you're going with this. You want the entire student body to treat her like she's one of the gang. How noble... and also very sappy. Sunset Shimmer should know that she can never be accepted by the likes of them. Why would anyone accept a monster? It's like I said to her before: Once a monster, always a monster." Adagio said.
" The only monsters I see are you three!" Princess Twilight shouted.
" You just can't accept the truth for what it is, can you?"
" No wonder the Rainbooms have been ridiculed for being friends with Sunset Shimmer." Sonata answered. Somehow, that response drew an eerie silence. It's like she zoned out earlier, her delivery a tad late. Aria, who had been silent the entire time, merely slapped her forehead. Adagio, on the other hand, turned to her companion and glared at her. " What? What did I say?" Sonata asked.
" You killed the mood and... never mind." Adagio answered.
" It's true, though."
" Why don't you let me do all of the talking, okay? We really need to take care of the Rainbooms before they become an actual threat."
" Sure! I was getting tired of this anyway."
" Sonata, remind me later to moan at you." Adagio said before turning back towards my friends. " Tell me something, Rainbooms. This final battle between our bands seems rather dull. It's missing something. Why don't we all kick it up a notch! Since we all have magic at our disposal, what say we turn this into a real Battle of the Bands? That would definitely make our victory all the sweeter. It would also allow us to cut loose and show you our true power."
" Brace yourselves, everyone." Princess Twilight shouted.
" Let's battle!" Adagio said. I didn't like the what she said about them cutting loose. Something told me that their magic was not to be underestimated. My friends were no slouches, though, and Princess Twilight's special talent was magic. I'd say the Dazzlings should be worried rather than cocky.
" What we have in store, (ah-ah)
All we want and more! (ah-ah)
We will break on through, (ah-ah)
Now it's time to finish you!" The Dazzlings sang.
Their eyes suddenly glowed red, before they raised their hands above their heads. At first I thought they were doing some kind of dance, but my heart quickly froze when their jewelled pendants began to glow, as well. I had completely forgotten they still had those. It then had me thinking. Whenever they absorbed negative energy, rather than absorb it into their bodies, they would do so through their pendants. Could it be that those pendants were the source of their power? I remembered when I tried to grab the one Adagio wore around her neck. She became very defensive after that. Now things started making sense. Remove their pendants and they have no power--problem solved.
After glowing for a few seconds, the Dazzlings' pendants released what looked like shadows, which quickly formed above them. Each shadow formed into what I assumed was their true forms, what they once were in Equestria before being banished. They truly looked like the mythical Sirens described in history books. Their pendants also appeared on these "spirits", but were embedded into their chests rather than hanging from their necks. Adagio then raised her hand, which prompted her Siren form to raise its hoof, and they began charging towards my friends with intense speed. It didn't take long for me to figure out that these spirits acted as an extension of each Dazzling, letting them fight without having to physically get involved. A part of me felt like this was all pretty farfetched, but that wasn't important. The Rainbooms were about to see if their magic could go up against more experienced users.
I made sure to stand back just in case the Dazzlings tried to go after me. I had no magic, so I couldn't defend myself. Pinkie Pie made the first move by beating her drums quickly which fired a series of magical balloons that flung themselves at the spirits like they were rocket-propelled. Fluttershy followed suit by unleashing a flurry of magical butterflies by tapping her tambourine to the music. It made sense she would be able to do this perfectly; it was her song, after all. The Dazzlings allowed their spirit forms to take both hits, apparently unfazed. This could prove problematic should the battle come down to one of endurance. Applejack then strummed her bass, which produced several apples that served as shields to give the Rainbooms some much-needed protection. It didn't last for very long, though, as the Dazzlings responded by having their spirit forms chew up each apple, although that did leave them vulnerable.
Rainbow Dash was next up to use her magic, creating a thundercloud above the spirits before slamming them with thunder. They appeared to take some damage but, again, shrugged it off like it were nothing. Rarity followed up by pressing the keys on her keytar producing a flurry of magical diamonds that hit the spirits squarely in their chests. They shrugged this attack off as well. Now I was beginning to worry that perhaps my friends' magic wasn't enough. No. I couldn't think such things. I needed to remain positive that they could prevail against them. If only I could have been given a chance to show off my singing ability. It wouldn't have mattered much, though, since I had no magic and couldn't do anything to stop the Dazzlings. The only one who hadn't used her magic was Princess Twilight. No offence to my friends, but the magic of Her Highness was far more potent than what they were capable of.
" Oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh!" Princess Twilight sung.
" Looks like you have quite the singing voice, after all." Adagio said.
" Once I regained my focus, it all fell into place." Princess Twilight said.
" Maybe so, but compared to us, you're not even a blip on the radar. Come, my sisters! Let's show the Rainbooms what we can really do." Adagio said. I had assumed that the Dazzlings were already doing something, as they had been either avoiding or absorbing my friends' magical attacks. It appeared they had merely been holding back. Their spirit forms ascended until they were almost right above the Rainbooms, and they began to sing. The power of their voices pushed my friends back before the spirits sang again with even more power than before. Princess Twilight struggled to maintain her balance, but the Dazzlings proved too much for her. She was knocked to the ground, her microphone rolling over until it stopped at my feet. I looked on in horror as Her Highness and the others struggled to get back into the battle, but they just didn't have any strength left to keep on going. Were the Dazzlings really that much stronger? Were they unstoppable after all?
I suddenly felt something push against my side which made me jump ever so slightly. I then looked to see that Twilight was holding onto my arm very tightly and showed no signs of letting go. Was she feeling sorry about what happened during the finals? I could understand why she felt that way. The Rainbooms did everything they could to defeat the Sirens, yet their efforts proved not to be enough. I tried using my injured hand to nudge her away, but I winced in pain, which made her react. Upon realizing what she was doing, Twilight let go of my arm before turning away in embarrassment.
" You don't need to be ashamed of feeling concerned about our friends." I said.
" They were beaten by the Sirens." Twilight said.
" Yes, but you know that things would turn out okay in the end. If they hadn't, then we'd all be slaves to the Sirens right now." I said.
" Still, I feel bad for them."
" Twilight..."
" How could there have been such a difference in magical prowess between them?" Twilight asked. The answer to that question was a simple one. While much of the Sirens' magic was taken from them when Star Swirl the Bearded banished them, they retained a small portion, allowing them to survive. Even the tiniest amount of magic can be very potent in the hands of someone who is an expert at using it. While Princess Twilight and our friends were restricted to playing, the Sirens could use magic whenever they wanted. Her Highness was a powerful alicorn who specialized in magic, but she was much younger than the Sirens. Her own advantages didn't mean a thing against the likes of them.
" The Sirens were more experienced." I answered.
" But our friends had Princess Twilight!"
" She was one powerful magic user up against three magic users who were her equals."
" Oh..."
" While our friends held their own, their magic wasn't as powerful as it could have been. Had they been from Equestria, their magic would have flowed through their bodies like it were a part of them. Instead, they had to quickly figure out what they were capable of and apply it to a difficult situation." I said. Twilight then looked glum, and I gave her a hug in an attempt to cheer her up. She knew I was telling her the truth, even though she wanted to believe otherwise. This world wasn't meant to have magic, but it does now, because of me. It's the prime reason why I've been trying to understand how it works. I'm responsible for the magic that flows around CHS, so I must do all I can to make sure no one decides to take advantage of it under any circumstances.
Twilight was an exception to the rule, though. When she became a demon, she absorbed the magic of five humans, a unicorn, and a portal. Because she absorbed so much magic all at once, she knew exactly what she was doing, like it were natural to her. Most unicorns spend years before they can cast spells with proficiency, yet Twilight got it down to a science in less than a minute. Corruption by the magic didn't make much of a difference in that perspective.
" You mentioned that the microphone ended up by your feet." Twilight said, changing the subject after my hug worked.
" I was actually going to kick it back to her." I said.
" Did you?"
" No, because Princess Twilight said she and our friends needed me."
" That must have been surprising."
" You have no idea. I mean, all I'd been doing since the finals began was watch from the sidelines and hoping that they would be successful. To actually come forward and start singing was the last thing on my mind during that moment. I also learned something else about me." I said.
" What's that?" Twilight asked.
" I had a tendency to sing while sleeping."
I stood there in complete shock over what I had just witnessed. The Rainbooms had been overpowered by the Dazzlings. Their best effort to use the counter-spell had been crushed to pieces. I felt like running away and never looking back! All of this was my own fault because I brought magic into a world that didn't understand it. Once the Dazzlings have finished with this world, they were sure to turn their sights to Equestria. I'm not sure if Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Princess Cadance will have enough power to fight back against Siren magic. I wanted to run, but I couldn't! I couldn't allow myself to give in to my own insecurities. That had been an issue for quite some time now, and I had to stop feeling sorry for myself. Things happened that were beyond my control, yet I could easily turn things around and make a worthwhile contribution instead of cowering in fear.
That's when I finally noticed the microphone that was now propped up against my foot. Princess Twilight would need it back if she planned on continuing the fight, so I picked it up and held it firmly in my hand. Something in my mind compelled me to keep the microphone for myself, but I quickly dismissed those thoughts. This was their battle to win, and my place was to continue providing support. Her Highness struggled to get back onto her feet, and when she had succeeded, she turned towards me, noticing the microphone was now in my possession. The Dazzlings, for their part, just stood there, while their spirit forms floated above, also waiting.
" Sunset Shimmer!" Princess Twilight announced.
" I've got the microphone right here! Hold out your hand and I'll throw it to you!" I said.
" No!"
" No? What do you mean 'no'?"
" We need you to perform with us! While you may not think of yourself as a member of the Rainbooms, we do! We should have realized from the very beginning that your feelings were being ignored. We should have been more supportive and not treated you like an outsider. When you helped us overcome our hatred, I knew right then that you had truly changed from who you used to be. The old you would have left us to tear each other apart and laughed about it. That's not you anymore. Please, come help us!" Princess Twilight answered.
Did she just ask me to walk out and perform with them!? I couldn't believe what I was hearing! This was my chance to show everyone that I had reformed, but could I muster up enough courage? And would our friends want me to perform? They didn't know about my ability to sing, as I kept that a secret from them. They might think I'll mess things up.
" Are you sure about that?" I asked.
" You've got a really beautiful singing voice that is begging you to use it."
" Wait a minute! How did you know about that?"
" During the night I spent with you in the school library, I struggled to fall back to sleep after our conversation. When I heard you singing in your sleep, it calmed my nerves and allowed me to drift off effortlessly." Princess Twilight answered.
Did she seriously say that!? I blushed, embarrassed. While it was comforting to know that my voice helped Her Highness that night, I wish she hadn't mentioned it in front of everyone. My friends then looked at me, surprised looks on their faces. My singing secret had become known to them. The only bright spot was that they didn't know that the Countess taught me, and I aimed to make sure that remained a secret.
" Yeah, I can sing pretty well." I said.
" Then please! We need you!"
" I'm not sure."
" Follow what your heart is telling you." Princess Twilight said. My heart? It had been saying that it wanted me to help my friends, who had helped me when they welcomed me into their lives. It also wanted me to get over my troubled past and do what I believed was right.
Gulping heavily, I walked forward with the microphone in hand before removing my leather jacket and letting it flow away in the wind. That jacket represented my old life. I was ready to move on. I felt nervous about doing this, and no doubt, the Dazzlings were eager to bring me down a few pegs like before. Vinyl Scratch then adjusted the speakers to accommodate for my singing style.
" You're never gonna bring me down,
You're never gonna break this part of me!
My friends are here to bring me 'round,
Not singing just for popularity!" I sang.
Those words came from my heart, neither written by Fluttershy nor modified by Princess Twilight. It was the lyrics that Her Highness sang that compelled me to sing for what I believed to be true. I felt like the Magic of Friendship was finally making sense to me. I mean, I had friends for about a month now, yet I had been questioning their ethics under an assumption of being deceived. Now, I truly had friends who, in turn, were blessed by having someone like me. The Dazzlings, who had been watching my efforts to contribute to the finals, began laughing at me, which shook my resolve. I took a few steps backwards out of fear, but the warm hand of Princess Twilight encouraged me to move forward. She then began singing with me, which felt absolutely wonderful.
" We're here to let you know,
That we won't let it go!"
" Our music is a bomb and it's about to blow!" The Rainbooms sang.
" And you can try to fight,
But we have got the light of..." Princess Twilight and I sang.
" Friendship on our side!" The Rainbooms sang.
When Her Highness and I raised our hands above our heads and swung them back down, we suddenly unleashed a powerful burst of magic. I had no idea how I was capable of doing that, but I chose not to complain. The magic struck the Dazzlings and appeared to have weakened them. They floated downward slightly, their eyes ceasing to glow red. Our magic had also freed everyone of their hypnotic suggestion, the counter-spell had proven successful. The students then looked around and wondered what was going on, and then they witnessed what the Dazzlings looked like. I couldn't tell from where I was standing, but it appeared everyone now realized what had been happening over the last couple of days.
My friends and I continued singing. The Dazzlings could easily turn things around were they given the chance, so we had to ensure they didn't get one. I then began feeling strange, like something deep inside of me was trying to escape. It was a feeling I remembered from somewhere, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I tried ignoring it in the hopes it would go away on its own, but it continued getting worse with every second. What was wrong with me? Why was no one else being affected by this? Was I going to die?
The pain quickly reached a boiling point. I could no longer resist it, so I gave in. My body started glowing, and I began to rise from the ground. I had no idea what was going on, and I was afraid of what would happen. The feeling inside me... It felt... It felt like... magic!? Equestrian magic!? But that's impossible! Princess Twilight told me I could never have any magic again, yet I was experiencing a magical surge from within. Could she have meant that in a different manner? Or, perhaps she didn't know?
" Here to sing our song out loud,
Get you dancing with the crowd!
As the music of our friendship,
Survives, survives!"
As my friends sang this, I opened my eyes, and I suddenly developed pony ears on top of my head. This was followed by my hair extending downward into a ponytail before my outfit changed slightly to match with their outfits. I couldn't believe it! I had ponied up! I had magic again! The feeling inside of me was my magic coming up to the surface so that I could use it again. My magic... My own pure magic and not the dark, corrupted kind I used during my darkest days. This was what I used a long time ago before everything went wrong. I understood what the meaning was behind all of this. I had been given a second chance... a proper one.
Before I had a chance to appreciate the resurgence of my magic, Princess Twilight and my friends began to float upwards until they were floating beside me.
It felt weird for all of us to be floating like this, despite knowing that this was the result of our magic. It seemed the student body had become so enamoured with our singing, they decided to join in.
" Got the music in our hearts,
We're here to blow this thing apart!
And together, we will never,
Be afraid of the dark!" We sang.
" I can't believe I have magic!" I said.
" I must admit, Sunset Shimmer, that I wasn't expecting you to ever get your magic back after what you did. My guess is that your magic had been dormant and was waiting for you to have become worthy enough to wield it again." Princess Twilight said. That sounded like a pretty good reason, but I thought there was a bit more to it than that. In any case, it felt great to have access to magic.
Turning my attention towards the Dazzlings, Sonata appeared to be pointing up at something above our heads. At first I thought she was trying to distract us, but when I looked upwards to see what she was looking at, my eyes opened wide with surprise. A swirling sphere of magic had been forming, yet it wasn't the rainbow like last time. It continued getting bigger until a large pair of wings formed from each side of the sphere. What in the world were we creating? Could this be pure Equestrian magic? The Magic of Friendship was more powerful than I could have ever conceived. The Dazzlings appeared to be arguing with one another over what was happening, but I couldn't hear a word of what they were saying; their voices were being drowned out by everyone else, who continued singing.
Suddenly, a loud noise like a horse's neigh sounded. I looked up at the sphere again, and now a large horse's head appeared from the centre. It even had a horn on its forehead. Was it supposed to represent an alicorn!? Had my magical contribution really caused that thing above to appear? It was so huge that I was sure people all across Canterlot could easily see it from wherever they were. The sphere soon subsided and was replaced with the alicorn's body, a truly majestic sight to behold. It looked right at the Dazzlings, who were cowering before it, aware that their plans had just come to a crashing halt.
With a mere flick of its horn, the alicorn fired a single beam, which shattered the Dazzlings' true forms to pieces before doing the same thing to their pendants. My theory proved to be correct! Those pendants had been the source of their magic, and without them, they were completely powerless. Then again, they could still have some natural magic we haven't seen yet. It was too soon to declare victory until they made the next move. The Dazzlings had been knocked to the ground when the magic from the alicorn's horn bombarded them, so when they got back up, they appeared to be normal. They each looked at one another wondering what just happened. They turned their attention to the audience who were just staring at them. This was it! The Dazzlings were about to show us their natural magic.
" We will be adored,
Tell us that you want us!
We won't be ignored,
It's time for our reward..." The Dazzlings sang, badly.
What the!? The Dazzlings... They were singing terribly, as though they no longer had any talent. I couldn't believe it! This was how they sang without their pendants? And here I thought my singing would be ridiculed. Those girls were going through the very experience that I was afraid of. The audience began to boo at them before throwing all kinds of objects at them. The Dazzlings, shocked at this sudden turn of events, ran off the stage and into the streets, where they soon disappeared into the night. My heart felt bad for them, but at the same time, it was what they deserved in the end.
After we changed back to normal, I walked onto the stage where I picked up one of the shattered pendants. The red glow that it once had was completely gone. There was no more magic contained within it, which made it, for most people, a useless piece of junk.
" Guess that explains why these were so special to them." I said.
" You knew?" Princess Twilight asked.
" When I tried to grab one of the pendants, Adagio lashed out at me. Ever since then, I began to think there was more to them than I originally thought. Why protect something like a piece of jewelry so vehemently unless it had some kind of deeper meaning. They used their pendants to absorb negative energy from their victims, and their singing ability stemmed from them." I answered.
" Star Swirl the Bearded must have known that as well when he banished them, but he didn't have the means to shatter their pendants. If he had, they wouldn't have been able to do anything other than slowly grow accustomed to their new surroundings." Princess Twilight said.
" What do you suppose will happen to them now?" I asked.
" Without those pendants and the magic you brought here from Equestria, they're just three harmless teenage girls. Still, it will take them some time to get over the fact that they are now powerless. We might see them again one day, or they may decide to leave and never come back again. Despite everything they had done during their time here at CHS, I believe that they are just as capable of reforming as you were. Whether or not they choose that path will be up to them to decide; we cannot make that decision for them. I know you feel bad for them, Sunset, because they ended up having lost everything, like you did." Princess Twilight answered.
" Maybe they will be better off now." I said. The Dazzlings had reminded me of what I went through after I had been defeated. I was despised by those I had hurt, and for a long time, they bullied me in revenge. Those girls may experience the same thing should they ever decide to come back here again. Perhaps it's for the best that they avoid Canterlot for now. Princess Twilight's belief was one that I happened to agree with. They could choose to reform but would need to make that choice for themselves. A part of me would like to see the Dazzlings again, but much better off.
" I'm... speechless." Twilight said.
" Figured you'd say that." I said.
" Despite all of the anguish, the manipulations, and the despair, you all managed to make it through in one piece. I especially have to applaud you, Sunset. You went through the worst of it, your very psyche pushed to the limit." Twilight said.
" The Battle of the Bands really opened my eyes about overcoming my troubled past." I said.
" Guess that means we're at the end of the journal." My eyes opened wide with surprise when she said that. Did she honestly believe that we had finally reached the end of what she doesn't know about me? Perhaps she was eager to finish the rest of our meeting in the library with happy thoughts. Or, perhaps she was ignorant and assumed that my life from that point on would be filled with candy and flowers.
" What makes you think that?" I asked.
" You finally overcame your past when the competition ended, and you regained your ability to use magic. I'd say things have gone pretty smoothly for you ever since. You should be proud of such an achievement." Twilight answered. She then looked at my face, a glum expression having appeared on it. She knew right there that there was still more left to read in my journal. While the Battle of the Bands had helped me to come to terms with my past, I wasn't out of the woods just yet. If anything, things would get even more difficult from that point onward. Twilight then turned the page upon my prompting her, and she was confused by what she saw. On the page was a sticker that showed an image of a jersey which featured the Wondercolt logo on it. Below that was a ticket which had been glued in place. " A sticker? A ticket? I don't understand what this means." Twilight said.
" Those are examples of what I would find myself struggling with next." I said.
The ticket was perhaps the more significant of the two items, as it had been the source of a problem which involved Trixie and my reliability, the latter while being swamped with so many different things at once. I did find it strange that Trixie decided to make my life difficult. She normally would be going toe-to-toe with Rainbow Dash. Perhaps she never did overcome the mental shock of me almost choking her. I never did ask her if she was okay after that incident.
As for the sticker... It served as a representation of what was at stake for me. I didn't know back then that the Friendship Games really meant a lot to the student body. I could have saved myself a lot of grief had I learned about it sooner rather than later. Twilight was going to have a field day with this one once I start talking about it with her.
" So we're not at the end?" Twilight asked.
" No. There's still a lot more to go through." I answered.
" Well, I might as well bring out some more cider. We're going to be here for a while." Twilight said.
" Before we delve into the significance behind the sticker and ticket, I should explain what happened right after the Sirens disappeared." I said.