The next morning, they had a plan.
The beginnings of one, at least.
“I can't believe we're cutting class for this.” Twilight said, wringing her fingers.
“Something tells me Vice-Principal Luna will cover for us.” Sunset Said.
“I hate these fellas.” Applejack grumbled.
“Yeah, me too!” Rainbow Dash said. “They totally ripped me off when I needed new strings for my guitar.”
“I hope they didn't rip off your G stri--”
“Not now, Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash grumbled.
“Aw.”
“Look,” Sunset said, “we need to be there when Sombra manifests, and this is the easiest way to do it. Unless any of you want to muscle your way through an audience of metalheads to get to the stage from the audience?”
Even Rainbow Dash took pause at that.
“Thought so.” Sunset said, and shook her head. “I don't like these guys either, but they're the only show in town. Now c'mon.”
The seven girls grumbled their agreement, and then entered the door beneath the FLIM AND FLAM TALENT AGENCY AND CONCERT BOOKING sign.
“So let me get this straight,” the mustached, boater-hat wearing man behind the desk said. “You little girls want to open up for SOMBRA (he's very specific about the all capitals, you know).”
“Yep.” Sunset Shimmer said.
“With your little girl band.”
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash said, “the Rainbooms are totally not a little girl band.”
“No?” Flim (or it might have been Flam, Rainbow forgot which one was which) tilted his hat up. “Then answer me a question. Are you, or are you not, a bunch of girls below the age of majority?”
“Okay, but--”
“And do you, or do you not sing songs about how good friends you are?”
“They're really rocking songs about friendship!”
“And do you, or do you not have a member of your band who does nothing but play tambourine?”
“He kind of has a point there.” Fluttershy murmured from the back of the group.
“I rest my case. Besides, it doesn't matter what I think.” Flam (or was it Flim?) leaned back in his chair and stroked the end of his mustache. “It's what the audience thinks. Personally, I can't stand any of the music you kids like today. Too much electricity. Not enough banjo. But I know my customers, and I know the last thing a SOMBRA crowd is gonna want to see is a sparkly little girl band. They'll tear you to pieces. Best case scenario, you get booed off the stage before you finish your first song, and only one of you needs to go to therapy.” The promoter peered at the group for a moment, and pointed at Fluttershy. “Probably Miss Tambourine over there.”
“That sounds about right.” Fluttershy said, and then cringed to hide behind Rarity.
“Sorry, kiddo. The Rainbooms just aren't the right band to open for SOMBRA. You need a metal act to open for a metal act, that's just the way things go.”
“Oh yeah?” Rainbow Dash said, by reflex. And then, it hit her. “Oh. Yeah!” she snapped her fingers, and pointed at Flim (or was it Flam?) “Then it's just your lucky day!”
“Is it, now?”
“Yep!” Rainbow Dash said, “because if you need a metal act, why not get the best metal band in the history of ever!”
“I've already got SOMBRA booked, kid.”
“Yeah, but what if you could get Nightmare Moon and the Children of Darkness?”
“Nightmare Moon? I thought she died or moved to Canada or something.”
Sunset Shimmer and the rest of the band tensed, but Rainbow Dash waved them off with a 'trust me' kind of smile. “Nope! She's still alive. And I happen to know her personally. And I know once she finds out Sombra--”
“SOMBRA.” The agent corrected.
“--once she finds out that he's making a comeback, she's gonna want to get on stage too!”
“You expect me to believe that you know Nightmare Moon personally?”
“I got connections.” Rainbow Dash bragged.
“I don't believe you.”
“Oh yeah? Check this out.” Rainbow Dash reached into her backpack and pulled out a black T-shirt, which she tossed at the man behind the desk. He fumbled with it a few moments, only for his eyes to go wide as he took a look at the logo. “Nightmare Moon gave that to me personally. Collector's item. Never been worn. Smell it.”
“Mighty big shirt for a skinny girl like you.”
“I'm gonna wear it like a dress. It's the new thing.”
“So, just based on a T-shirt which you may or may not have personally gotten from a possibly dead, possibly Canadian rock star, you expect me to let you perform tonight?”
“You got any other metal bands lined up for an opener?”
“Well, no … “
“Besides!” Rainbow Dash grinned. “Think of all the money you could make, booking not one, but two legendary bands in one night!”
“Money, you say?” One could practically hear the 'ka-ching!' in Flim's eyes.
“Oh yeah.” Rainbow Dash said. “Best part is? Nightmare Moon doesn't want to let this guy one-up her, so I bet she'll even play for free.”
“Free, you say?” He rubbed his hands together. “I suppose there's something to be said for that. Load-in starts at six. Be there. Don't expect anything fancy in the green room, either. You'll be lucky to get bottled water and half a bag of cheetos.”
“A twelve pack of soda and a full bag of cheetos. One of the big ones.”
“Deal!”
Rainbow Dash shook hands with the booking agent, and smiled victoriously. She led her shocked friends out of the office, and to the sunny street outside.
“Rainbow.” Sunset Shimmer said. “You talked to Luna, just like I did. There's no way she'll be Nightmare Moon again.”
“I know! Which is why I'm gonna be Nightmare Moon!”
“That's the craziest idea you've ever come up with.” Applejack said. “N' it's a doozy.”
“It's the crazy awesomest plan I've ever come up with!” Rainbow Dash said. “I've got it all planned out!”
“Vice-Principal Luna's taller than you.” Fluttershy said.
“Platform boots.” Rainbow Dash smiled smugly.
“And she's got blue hair.” Rarity said.
“Cool wig.”
“She's also like, waaaaaay older,” said Pinkie Pie.
“That's what the facepaint's for!” Rainbow Dash turned to her friends and walked backwards down the street, smiling. “It's perfect! I already know Nightmare Moon's songs. And I know Rarity can make up a cool costume. We go in, rock hard, and beat this Sombra guy. Easy!”
“That easy. Huh.” Applejack crossed her arms.
“Okay, maybe not that easy. Tricky part is gonna be making you guys into a metal band.”
“What.”
“Instead of the Rainbooms, how about, like … The Rainbloods? Nightmare Moon and the Raining-Bloods?”
“We ain't calling it that.”
“So it's a working title.”
“Rainbow,” Sunset Shimmer picked at her guitar. “You can't think this is a good idea.”
They'd relocated to the band practice room at school to regroup.
“Look, we don't have to be the greatest heavy metal band, we just have to be a heavy metal band, long enough for this Sombra dude to show up, and then bam! We punch him in the face with music and friendship and rainbow lasers! Unless you've got any better ideas?”
Sunset Shimmer rubbed her temples. “I'm just saying, we need to be careful. Remember what Vice-Principal Luna said.”
“I remember, all-right, but I'm not gonna let that kinda gross stuff stop me! Just to be safe, Fluttershy can hang out backstage with a fire extinguisher. I've got it all planned out.”
“I guess your plan is better than no plan at all.” Sunset Shimmer was forced to admit. “Barely.”
“Barely's right.” Applejack grumbled. “To be honest with y'all, turnin' the lot of us into a heavy metal band is 'bout as likely as a one legged man winnin' an ass-kickin' contest.”
“Hold up.” Rainbow Dash said. “Is that a thing? Ass kicking contests? Because I could seriously kick a lot of asses.”
“Focus, Rainbow.” Sunset Shimmer said.
“Oh! Right! Being metal!” Rainbow Dash grinned. “Honestly, it's not that hard! I mean, all we gotta do is build on what we already know! Like, Pinkie Pie's easy. All I had to do is feed her a couple espressos and tell her to play drums as fast as she can.”
“DOUBLE BASS! DOUBLE BASS! WOOOOOOOOOO!” Pinkie Pie pounded her feet, thrumming out a drumline almost as fast as her heartbeat.
“Y'all ain't getting' me jacked up on fancy coffee.”
“We don't have to!” Rainbow Dash said. “'cause metal and country are a lot alike!”
“Do what now.”
“No, I'm serious! Aren't you always talking about how all country songs are about heartbreak and murder?”
“All the good ones.” Applejack had to admit.
“That's totally the same mentality of heavy metal! Just, y'know, with vikings instead of rednecks. And they ride dragons instead of pickup trucks.”
“Well, dang.” Applejack rubbed her chin. “That kinda sorta makes sense. Maybe.”
“Cool! Just channel that country feel, and practice those bass licks, alright Applejack?” Rainbow Dash moved on before the cowpony could respond. “Rarity!” She said, and leaned over her friend's shoulder, peering at her sketchbook. “How are we doing on costumes?”
“Ah. Yes.” Rarity said, “it's short notice, but I think I've got a promising concept here, if I base the designs off of some late-medevial patterns I already have handy. If I use a darker color palate, it should be thematically appropriate, yes?”
“Sounds good. But--” Rainbow Dash plucked Rarity's pen out of her fingers. Rarity choked back a sound of horror as Rainbow Dash grabbed the sketchbook next, and made a few additions. “But remember, this is metal. So maybe you could add some spikes? Or skulls? Or spikes with skulls on them?” Rainbow scribbled a few crude additions to Rarity's design, and thrust it back into her hands.
“I'll … keep that in mind.” Rarity said, suppressing a shudder.
“Spikes?” Fluttershy murmured from where she'd curled up in a corner. “And skulls? That's pretty scary, Rainbow. You're not, um … turning evil or anything, are you?”
“What? Evil? No way! Evil is lame!”
“But … if we dress up in black and play really loud songs, doesn't that make us … uh, like Sombra? Just a little bit?”
“Kinda?” Rainbow Dash considered for a moment. “But only in a general sense. Nightmare Moon-- which is to say, us, is totally power metal. Sombra isn't.”
“He plays acoustic?” Pinkie Pie said. “I guess that makes sense, since he's a million years old or whatever.”
“No no, Sombra's like, really, really black metal.”
“But Nightmare Moon wears black.” Rarity noted.
“It's not about the color of your shirt,” Rainbow Dash said, “it's about the color of your soul.”
“Um. Kay?” Fluttershy said.
“I'm serious! Let me prove it to you.” Rainbow Dash pulled her phone out of her pocket and fiddled around with it. “If you search for Nightmare Moon songs, here's what you get. Songs like Valhalla, or Immortal Defiance, or By The Light of the Hunter's Moon. That one's my favorite.”
“So?” Applejack said.
“Well, lemme just search for Sombra, and we'll see what comes up.” Rainbow Dash's thumbs flicked over her phone's touchscreen, and soon the new results popped up. “See? The top Sombra tracks have names like Inevitable Entropy, or Life is a Plague, or Abandon all Hope.”
“Actually … I think I kind of get it.” Sunset Shimmer said. “Nightmare Moon's music is loud and violent … but at the same time, it's kind of inspiring? Where Sombra's titles are just dark and nihilistic.”
“Exactly! Sombra just wants you to roll over and die, where Nightmare Moon yells at you so you can get up and punch a dragon in the face.”
“Will, um, will we actually have to punch dragons?” Fluttershy murmured. Given her recent history with her friends, this was an entirely valid question.
“If we're lucky!”
A few too-short hours later …
“How do I look?” Rainbow Dash said, tucking a strand of red hair beneath the blue wig.
“Like there was an oil spill at a renaissance festival.” Rarity grumbled.
“Perfect!” Rainbow Dash fiddled with her guitar strap. “How's the crowd look?”
Applejack pushed the brim of her hat back and peered around the curtains blocking the sight lines from backstage to the audience of the amphitheater.
“Angry,” she said, “maybe a li'l drunk.”
“Standard metal crowd, got it.” Rainbow Dash grinned. “How're we doing on the tech stuff, Twilight?”
The purple-haired girl looked up from her clipboard, and tapped the radio headset she'd found somewhere or another. “The sound board's set up, but I wasn't able to get any of the pyrotechnics you wanted … “
“Don't worry about it.” Rainbow Dash smiled through her fearsome facepaint. “'Something tells me we'll be making our own fireworks.”
“That's what I'm afraid of.” Fluttershy murmured, and clutched a fire extinguisher like a lifeguard's buoy.
“C'mon guys!” Rainbow Dash said, “we can do this! We've got to do this! The whole world's depending on us.” She thrust her hand out. “C'mon, who's with me!”
Sunset Shimmer put her hand atop Rainbow's. “Someone's got to stop Sombra before he hurts anyone.”
Applejack was next. “Ain't anybody else that can do it, I reckon.”
“This'll be fun!” Pinkie Pie said.
“I'm really, really scared, but I'll help.” Fluttershy murmured.
“At least it's you out there in all that leather, and not me.” Rarity smiled when she said it.
“All for one, and one for all?” Twilight Sparkle said.
“Right!” Rainbow Dash said, “Let's hear it for Nightmare Moon and the Raining-Bloods!”
Applejack glared. “I told you we ain't callin' it that!”
“Uh, guys?” Twilight pressed a hand against her headset, “that's your cue. You're on.”
“Awesome. Go time!”
Though the sun had just set, the lights hanging above the stage easily heated it up to summer-afternoon levels. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Sunset Shimmer went on stage as a group. Their entrances were met with a few scattered shouts, though it was hard to tell if they were out of genuine enthusiasm, or just rude catcalling. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight stayed in the wings. Nightmare Moon's music was devoid of both tambourine and keytar, and Twilight was kept busy playing stage manager.
That left Rainbow Dash.
She strutted on stage and threw her arms out, allowing her cape and blue wig to billow dramatically. Several spotlights flicked on and centered on her. The audience shouted and applauded in appreciation, and Rainbow Dash basked in it all.
“Are you ready to rock?” Rainbow Dash yelled into her microphone.
Her voice cracked.
Muttering began to ripple through the audience, as those in the front row leaned in, trying to get a better look at 'Nightmare Moon.'
Realizing her error, Rainbow Dash took a step back from the microphone, and strummed a chord on her guitar. The clear sound echoed through the stacks of speakers, and the crowd relaxed, if slightly.
“Okay.” Rainbow Dash took another step back and leaned in to murmur to Sunset Shimmer. “.. maybe we should stick to instrumentals.”
“Just play, Rainbow.”
And they did.
To their credit, Rainbow and her friends were talented musicians. With just a few hours of preparation, they'd managed to get down the basics of several Nightmare Moon songs, and managed to improvise their way through the rest.
It was almost enough.
Almost.
A few dropped notes here and there could be ignored; Rainbow Dash simply used every little mistake as an excuse to play guitar faster and faster. Reveling in the speed and volume, Rainbow Dash whipped her head in a circle, windmilling that proud mass of blue hair she had pinned to her head. But, where Rarity's talents as a designer and makeup artist were certainly unparalleled, she hadn't taken into consideration the stresses Rainbow Dash would place on her Nightmare Moon wig.
Valiant bobby pins gave way, and that mass of blue hair sailed across the stage and into the audience.
Sunset, Applejack, and Pinkie pie could only watch in horror, hands falling away from their instruments. Rainbow Dash continued to shred, blissfully unaware of her own multi-hued tresses whipping about in the spotlight.
Eventually, even Rainbow Dash's quick fingers tired. She finished her solo, and threw her head back, smiling victoriously. A silence fell over the audience, just long enough for the reality to sink in.
“She's a fake!”
“Boo!”
“Get off the stage!”
Beer bottles and other bits of garbage sailed out of the crowd, shattering and skittering across the boards of the stage.
“We want SOMBRA!” someone howled.
“SOM-BRA!” Defiant fists were thrust into the air, and the chant arose.
“SOM-BRA!”
“SOM-BRA!”
The stage shook and rumbled hard enough to send the girls stumbling. Terrifyingly familiar black smoke billowed from somewhere and blanketed the whole stage in a knee-deep cloud. The tremors beneath the floor got louder and louder. Tower-sized spikes of black quartz erupted out of the smoke, smashing sound equipment to pieces. Rainbow Dash spun out of the way of a jagged spike of crystal and tightened her fingers around her guitar.
“Get ready!” she shouted at her friends. “This is--”
“I. SOMBRA.”
Sombra wasn't a man, so much as a presence. The omnipresent black smoke congealed into a pillar, and more details began to take shape. Rusted, ancient armor. A helmet with a single glowing spike at the forehead. And a pair of slitted, hateful green eyes.
Rainbow Dash took a step back, and gritted her teeth. “We're not scared of you!”
“THEN YOU ARE FOOLS.”
“I can be both!” Rainbow Dash braced her feet. “Now c'mon guys! Let's … “ Rainbow Dash trailed off, and looked over her shoulder. “Guys? Where'd you--”
“LOOKING FOR THEM?” Sombra waved a clawed hand, and six pillars of crystal rose out of the smoke. Each one held one of Rainbow Dash's friends, frozen solid in cringing poses of terror. “FRIENDSHIP. HOPE. LOVE. SUCH NAIVE CONCEPTS.”
Another wave of Sombra's hand, and black stone crystallized around Rainbow's platform-booted feet, locking her in place.
“YOUR CHILDREN'S TRICKS MIGHT HAVE WORKED ON A LESSER CREATURE, BUT NOT I. SOMBRA. AGES AGO, MY HEART WAS TRANSFORMED TO A GLORIOUS MACHINE OF HATE. IT IS BEYOND RECONCILIATION. BEYOND REDEMPTION. THERE IS NO FOOTHOLD FOR YOUR FEEBLE MAGICS IN MY SOUL, SO I AM IMMUNE.”
“Wanna bet?” Rainbow Dash said, and strummed another chord on her guitar. Without an amp, the sound was tinny and hollow. More crystal spread upwards, encasing Rainbow's legs to the knee.
“YOUR FUTILE STRUGGLE AMUSES ME.” Somba laughed like a saw drawn over gravel. “IT HAS EARNED YOU A FINAL BOON. CHOOSE WHICH OF YOUR FRIENDS SHALL DIE FIRST.”
“But--” Rainbow Dash paled, and began to tremble as the hopelessness of her situation dawned upon her. She looked to her trapped friends, “I-- I can't.”
“THEN I, SOMBRA, SHALL CHOOSE FOR YOU.”
“Hold!”