It has been a while since the first annual battle of the bands. Between then and summer vacation, the whole school was talking about it, even posting clips and videos about it on various social media. Their views staggered in the thousands, but the viewers do agree that it is just a show.
“Still better than Sharknado’s effects.” said one comment.
There is still one issue that has been stirring since the finale. Since their defeat, the Dazzlings have gone completely AWOL. No social media profiles, YouTube videos, or even their grades were posted in the school record. No one knows what happened to them. An extreme person would say they died, some say they were international students and business back home was to be attended to.
“Maybe they’re home schooled.” said Featherweight when Pipsqueak asked about their whereabouts.
It's now the middle of June, and everyone enjoyed the Summer in various ways. Many would go out of state to areas such as the Everglades and even Alaska. Some took seasonal jobs, many finding out a darker truth about their favorite hangouts as bad as their odor. The Maximals and Apples, being good neighborhood friends for a long while, worked on various chores throughout the farm. Cosgrove and Apple Bloom rounded up their flock of sheep. Applejack and Big Mac tending to the orchards. Chelsey and Zipper fed the pigs, Diver and Scootaloo helped Granny Smith with meals, and Dapplewood and Sweetie Belle feeding the chickens. Rarity tended to her work at their world’s Carousel Boutique, same with Pinkie filling a summer rush for everyone’s summer parties. Not much word from Twilight.
But there is something on everybody’s mind: Camp Friendship. Already, most have signed up to go. In light of last year’s disaster that resulted in Cogsworth’s paralysis, the campsite has undergone reconstruction to ensure no one would go off trail come float trip day. There are rumors that there would a new camp manager on duty who would ensure that safety.
Despite classes being close for the summer, the school does open up for summer club meetings. In this case, the Rainbooms going over to practice their skills. To a few wandering inhabitants of the neighborhood, the sound of their music could be heard from within the school walls.
Throughout their song, one by one, each of the Rainbooms sprouted features that their counterparts had. This, in turn, is also the Human Sunset’s second time to adopt features of her pony counterpart since her last minute save during the Battle of the Bands. Since then, she has gained much more respect and is a prominent member of the Rainbooms. She still hung out with the Maximals, but they don’t mind if she tries a few things here and there.
By the time their song was over, so too were their ears, horns, wings, and ponytails.
“Aw man!” Rainbow whined. “Why can’t we ever keep the wings? It would be awesome to fly around!”
“And scare everybody at the sight of a winged human?” Asked Applejack with her right brow raised.
“And alert the National Guard?” Rarity added.
“And eventually the Federal Government.” - Finished Sunset as she lifted the guitar strap over her head - “Which reminds me, we have to find the Dazzlings.”
“Why do we have to help them? They tried to gather up enough magic to conquer the world!” Rainbow Dash retorted, channeling her anger in her guitar strums.
“Not to mention turn some of our friends against us.” Added Rarity.
“I know...” Sunset crossed her arms. During the Battle of the Bands, most of the Maximals, even the silent Dapplewood, were under the Sirens spell. Why was she not afflicted wasn't understood until she performed her song during the finale.
“Though come to think of it,” - Pinkie Pie twirled a drumstick - “I thought the blue one looked quite friendly.”
“Yeah, when she wasn't some fish thing.” Said Rainbow Dash.
“We shouldn't judge people by their cover.” Said Fluttershy before taking out Angel from her backpack and petting him.
“Fluttershy’s right,” - Applejack slaps her first onto her hand - “we didn't get a chance to turn Roma, Lorraine, and Sierra, but we can make that up with the Dazzlings.”
A while after packing up the equipment in the storage closet, the Rainbooms go to the alumni office, Sunset being the one to knock on Principal Celestia’s door, turning her attention away from looking at a file.
“Come in.” On cue, the Rainbooms enter the office. “How may I help you?”
“Well, we were wondering about the Dazzlings…” Sunset stopped when she noticed the principal's eyebrow raise.
“Yes, ever since the Battle of the Bands they have dropped out of school.” She walked over to the file cabinet, taking out three files and placed them on her desk “Looking at them, now, I have noticed that there is a little falsification in their education history. I would assume that they were home schooled. But such records aren't available here.”
The group of girls looked at each other before Applejack asked, “Is there any address they live in?”
Celestia took out Aria’s information, scanning the address line before looking up.
“You may try…” - She shifts her index finger, revealing an article of mail - “At least that is true.”
Googling the address, and Rainbow Dash riding in Pinkie’s car to her disgrace, the trail led them southwest to one of the fanciest mansions in Colorado. Even stopped by the gate, they all couldn't help but stare in awe at the luxurious house.
“This is even fancier than Fancy Pants’!” Exclaimed Rarity, trying so hard to contain herself.
Sunset rolled down the window, looking to her left to a PA system.
“Hello, may I help you?” Buzzed a security guard from the other side.
Sunset cleared her throat, “Yes, we're here to visit the-”
“On what business?”
“Ugh…” the driver tried to find a reasonable answer when Pinkie’s hair blocked her view. The party planner was laying on the roof of her car holding a pastry box.
“We are delivering cupcakes!” She squeaked.
“... Sugarcube Corner?”
“Mhmmm!”
A short wait, the gate lock clicked before opening on its own, allowing them to enter the parking lot. As they exited their vehicles and entered the mansion, they looked around the interior. The lobby has notably Hellenistic architecture. Frescoes depicting the Dazzlings in their true form line up the hallways, a fountain stood in the center, and various Mediterranean plants hung on each top of the stair rails, monitored of course by the servants.
Applejack took off her stetson, “How in blazes could they afford all this?”
“They are,” Sunset stopped, recalling that their pendants have been obliterated “were immortal. They must have gathered a lot of currency throughout the ages.”
“While also destroying countless civilizations.” Fluttershy shrank back.
“So sad it's true.”
Fluttershy yelped, cowering behind Rainbow Dash as they looked up the stairs. Adagio Dazzle, leader of the Dazzlings, stood at the top of the stairs, wearing a much more formal attire than what she wore during their time. The headmistress narrowed her eyes at Pinkie Pie, still holding the box of cupcakes.
“Cupcakes, huh?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Pinkie looked down at the box before hiding it behind her back before whistling a tune.
Adagio walks down the stairs slowly, her red-violet eyes flicking left and right, taking notice of Rainbow Dash slowly closing a fist. Knowing of what happened last time, she would suspect this would happen should they find their living quarters. Reaching into her pockets, the Siren pulled out a clicker.
“If you have any more salt to rub into our wounds, I can just as well call security.” She warned, prompting Applejack to restrain Rainbow, pushing her blue fist down.
“That’s not why we’re here.” - Sunset answered - “We just wanted to-”
“Use your power of friendship to change us?” - The group looked to their left to find Aria Blaze, leaning on a Doric style pillar, glaring at the group - “Ever since last time you used your magic, we haven’t been able to sing! And don’t get us started with Sonata trying to-”
“We heard you want to get together…” - Now the eight people turned to find Sonata walking down to the lobby, singing… terribly - “We heard you want to rock the school. We got something that is better. Something that changes all the-”
Adagio pinched Sonata’s lips, getting her to stop.
“Sonata, we have company.” She said, not even turning her eyes away from the Rainbooms.
Sonata flicked her eyes to her left, spotting the bands, or in particular, Pinkie Pie still having her hands behind her back. A majority of the others stepped away as the blue Siren skipped over to the party planner.
“What’s that behind your back?” - Sonata took a few sniffles - “You have… cupcakes?”
“Yessiree!” Exclaimed Pinkie Pie, showing a whole rainbow icing assortment of cupcakes.
“YAAAAYYYY!!!!” - Sonata immediately took out a cupcake and gulped it down, purring in delight before grabbing another - “The cupcakes we eat are like water compared to this!”
“Wow, I knew people liked our sweets, but not this much.”- Pinkie drew a massive grin - “I like her already.”
As Sonata continued to devour the sweets, her eldest sister placed a hand on her face, rubbing her temples at the awkward visit so far.
“If we can continue, please.” Adagio addressed the group “Maybe we could take this in our office.”
With Pinkie and Sonata left trailing behind, Adagio lead the Rainbooms up the marble stairs. As they walked down the halls, they looked to their left and their right, taking a look at each portrait. One look left, and they pass by a Fifteenth Century painting. One look right, and they find a 1950’s portrait depicting them during the Colonization. Up ahead, and a personal favorite for Sonata, is a small drawing depicting Sonata and Aria arguing with Adagio drawn as if irritated, signed by artist Jim Borgman.
At last, they reached the office, and it was quite a sight to see despite its name. The room was basically an indoor swimming pool, with three islets for their desktop computers. Of course, they are surrounded by thick glass to keep the water out. Pressing a button, a walkway rose out of the water’s surface, allowing Adagio to walk across the pool to her office chair.
Fluttershy looked to notice a small dog laying on a pillow before stretching her hand out.
“Wait!” Rainbow held her hand before turning to Aria and Sonata “Does your dog bite?”
“No.” - Sonata answered, though that only made Applejack raise an eyebrow - “But that isn’t my dog.”
Adagio sat in her chair, clasping her hands together, “State your business, or leave.”
Sunset walked forward, taking a deep breath and said, “Now that we have, so to speak, unarmed you three, we would like to get to know you better.”
“That’s your proposal,” - Adagio raised an eyebrow - “you six spent thirty-three miles worth of gas to try to make friends with us?”
“Without your magic, you could be subject to the law. I mean, how would they-”
“We have already established enough money well before the Thirteenth Amendment was signed into law.” - the Siren leaned forward - “Why do you bother? You took away our voices and our fame.”
“Because, we don’t want to lose you like we have with Roma Candle.” Answered Applejack, placing her hands in her pockets.
Sonata easily saw the Rainboom’s guilt as they looked away, Fluttershy in particular, rubbing her arm. Aria was still indifferent.
“And how are you going to make up for lost time, hmm?” - Aria crossed her arms - “A movie, arcade, a camping-”
“Camping!” - Pinkie squeaked - “We’re going to Camp Friendship is just a few days, and we can bring you along as guests!”
While Pinkie was the most ecstatic of the company present, Adagio had the opposite idea. “You take away our voices, and now you want to rewild us?”
“You know Adagio deary.” - Rarity stepped forward to her desk - “There is nothing quite like an outdoor experience to build up trust with friends.”
Suddenly, Sonata zipped over to the desk, pushing Rarity and Sunset aside to the pool. already donning camping gear, “Oh please, please, please? We never went camping since WW One.”
Adagio flicked her half-closed eyes to the other Rainbooms, then to Aria, before rising up from her chair and walked around her desk, stopping to look at the soaked Sunset and Rarity.
“I was hoping for a more humiliating favor,” - Adagio lowered her head before chuckling - “but Sonata seemed to have it covered. Send us a scheduling time and I’ll consider your offer.”
The Rainbooms ran across the walkway, ignoring Sonata happily jumping up and down to lift Sunset and Rarity out of the pool.
“But,” - The group was halfway across the walkway again when they saw Aria at the room switches - “if this is just a wild goose chase…” - She presses a switch, immediately dropping the walkway and soaking up the entire Rainbooms - “and let’s just say a restraining order is the least of your worry.”
And with that, Aria walked away, leaving the Rainbooms floating in the water while Sonata, despite her equipment, effortlessly jumped from islet to islet, happily, but terribly, singing “Top of the World.”