After the Rainboom's performance and their opposing band did theirs, Celestia and Luna declares that the Rainbooms had won and moved onto the next round. However, the band that they went against wasn't all that mad and actually wished them luck. This cheery and friendly mood carried on through out the battle of the bands... until it was The Dazzling's turn to sing.
When they sang, everyone went back under the siren's spell. They became distrustful and their drive to win was once again intensified. However, this wasn't unexpected as they knew it won't be an easy win. Predictably, they moved onto the next round.
And this is how the event went on. When either the Rainbooms or the Dazzlings perform, they'd use their magic to influence the students to make them friendly or unfriendly. This was confusing and tiring for everyone: tiring for the Rainbooms and Dazzlings since they have to use their magic and confusing for the students since they don't know why they're flip-flopping all the time. The Rainbooms didn't know how to permanently beat the sirens , but if they can make it through the battle of the bands, they at least thwart their evil plans for now.
After a few hours of battling, both groups were getting closer to the finals. The Rainbooms made it to the semi-finals, but their next opponents is Flash Drive (Flash Sentry's band). No one was happy when they discover that. When Twilight and Flash saw their positions on the leader board, they share a look of awkwardness and uncertainty. However, they still perform with their bands regardless.
As Flash Drive were performing their song ("Let Me Be You Knight"), the Dazzlings sat on in the bleachers and were stressed about the situation. Aria and Sonata could see things that their plans are in danger, but they are more worried about Adagio who looked like she is about to explode in anger. Sunset in the meanwhile try to keep good proximity around them as she petting Spike.
Aria sarcastically asks: "So what is our plan now Adagio? They figured out a way to counter our magic and they turning everything around for them."
Sonata then adds: "Yeah. And if we don't something, we won't have any negativity to feed on."
Adagio, stressed out to the breaking point, yells to the two of them: "Will You Two Be Quite! I Need To Think About This!" She then get off of bleachers and began pacing back and forth down below them.
As Adagio was deep in thought, Sunset thinks this is her opportunity to learn more stuff about the group. Seeing the closes siren near them, her and Spike moved closer towards Aria and try to spark a conversation with her. "So... I'm guessing Adagio is the leader in your little group?"
"Yeah" Aria sighed
"Has she always been your leader, or did somebody else filled that role for a time?"
"No, she has always filled those bossy leader shoes. Would it pain her to give us a break once in awhile?"
"Do you know what I think?... I think you should be the boss for once!"
Aria then suddenly became more alert as she began looking at Sunset in suspicious way. "Are you... trying to get us to fight?"
Sunset froze. She wanted to do something daring and try to trick them a little bit, but it blew up in her face... again. Her only chance now is try to save herself. "No... I just... putting it out there." As Aria was looking at with even more suspicion, Sunset was worried that the jig is up.
But as she was expecting the worst to happen, Sonata suddenly interrupt them to ask: "Hey! Where that dog come from?" Both Aria and Sonata looked at Spike with surprised expression. Nervous by the sudden staring, Spike charmingly barked and try to get onto their good sides. Fortunately for Sunset, Aria was distracted enough to lost her original thought.
Meanwhile, Adagio was looking around the hall to try to brainstorm some ideas. She spotted the Rainbooms at the far end of the hall by the door and her anger brew slight harder. She need to figure a way to stop them from stopping their efforts but knows a direct assault won't work for them. However, she notice the Twilight character looking very happily at the lead guitarist for Flash Drive. Adagio concocted a few evil ideas from there but believe that they weren't enough.
She then notice Trixie sitting amongst the crowd and remember meeting her on her first day of school. She then look back at Sunset and also realizes that she hadn't done much for them yet. A few thoughts later and Adagio has a menacing grin on her face.
As the band was on the last part of it's song, Adagio rushes back to her group. Still under the cloud of loud music, she began discussing her plans to her surprised friends. "Ok, listen up everyone. I got a few ideas that might work."
"Oh boy!" says an excited Sonata was the only one. Aria and Sunset on the other hand was worried that Adagio would give them a lot of work. Unfortunately for Sunset, Adagio looked at first.
"Ok Sunset, can you see that... Trixie girl over there?"
After spotting her, she hesitantly replies: "Yes?"
"When her group goes on stage, I want you to sabotage their performance!"
"WHAT!"
As Sunset was left speechless, Adagio explains: "Why not!? Think of it as payback to what happened a few day ago." Sunset stammered, didn't know who to respond or what to do. She was already regretting selling out her friends and can't feel like doing another bad thing. When Adagio saw her being indecisive and hesitant, she began squinting her eyes and becoming suspicious of Sunset. She says: "Unless you don't want revenge and have been using us the entire time?"
The other two sirens was now looking at her with suspicion too. Sunset was once again put back into a rock and a hard place as she is fears that her cover is being blowed. As their staring intensify, she quickly said something. "No, Of Course Not! I-I just... need to think what I'm going to do?"
"Yeah. You go do that" Adagio responded.
As the sirens continue to look at her intensely, Sunset nervously walks off and asking herself what she is going to do. Spike, knowing that she needs help, decides to follow her. After Sunset went away, Adagio then began disclosing the rest of her plans to Aria and Sonata... right went Flash Drive had finished playing.
_ _ _ _ _
After the song finished, Celestia and Luna took a minute to decide the winner. Everyone were in suspense, some more so then others. None were in more suspense however was Flash Sentry who was crossing his fingers and hoping he would win. But at the same time, a part of him also doesn't want Twilight to be too upset and that make things more conflicting for him.
Once they done thinking, Celestia got up from her judge chair, mic to her mouth and was about to declare the winner (of the round). "And the winners are..." After a moment of suspense, Celestia declares: "... The Rainbooms!"
A round of applause was then give to the Rainbooms who were just as ecstatic. They had made it to the finals and Flash had mix feelings over this. While he was very disappointed that he didn't win, he is also trying his best to be happy for Twilight.
But then, unaware of the people behind him, the sirens appeared and silently their hypnotizing song to him. Flash didn't notice it, but he soon was feeling differently from before. His nice inner voice was being suppressed and anger began to overgrow his mind. Not only was he feeling jealousy for the Rainbooms, but also a strong frustration towards Twilight. It got to the point that he storm off towards them, leaving the sirens with smiles on their faces.
Once both groups were in backstage, Flash snuck up to Twilight and grab her attention. Without anybody noticing, he told her: "We need to talk". Surprised and confused, Twilight reluctantly decide to follow him.
Meanwhile, Celestia announces the next round. "And in the next semi-final round: It's "Trixie and the Illusions" vs "The Dazzlings!""
_ _ _ _ _
A few moments later, Twilight and Flash were alone in the hallway having their private conversation. Annoyed from being dragged away all of a sudden, Twilight says to him: "Ok Flash, what is the deal that got you to drag me all the way out here?"
"THE DEAL, Twilight, Is That You Don't Respect Me!" Flash angrily explains.
"What do you mean!?"
"I Mean That I'm Doing Something To Impress You, But You Are Out There Showing Me Up!"
Even more annoyed and crossed, Twilight angrily explains to him: "Flash, I'm not doing this to show you up! I'm not even doing this to win! I'm doing this because somebody is manipulating the school to be angry and I'm the only one who can stop them!"
"THAT'S THE THING!" Flash yelled. "I'm always trying to help! Always trying to be useful to you! But every time that I do, you have already sorted everything and made everything I do completely pointless!"
When she heard that, Twilight soon realize how she made him feel. In a moment of genuine surprised, she mumbled: "Flash, I didn't..."
However, Flash interrupts her to angrily exclaims: "It's just so Frustrating, It... It... It Makes Me Wonder Why I Even Like You!"
Twilight froze, her emotions were genuinely hurt. She couldn't believe what he said. Even though he was just riled up, even though he is under the influence of the siren's spell, even when Flash realized what he said, it... was still very painful for her to hear. She may not have the same emotions towards Flash, but Twilight still remember his reason for liking her and she strongly heartfelt towards them. And him saying that he doesn't remember them... It just something that she doesn't want to handle right now.
Trying her best to hold back her emotions, an upset Twilight says to him: "Well if that's you feel..." She then got something from her pocket and shove it onto Flash, leaving him surprised. "Here! Take It! I Found Your Stupid Pick For You!"
When Flash saw what she gave him, he was utterly surprised to see that it was his pick. Several months ago, he lost his guitar pick that he used to play his guitar. He never found it, but instead he found Twilight as that was when he first met her. He couldn't believe that Twilight found it and kept it all this time.
And as he about to mumbled something, Twilight then ran off, hiding her tears while she run. Soon, almost as if the spell over him had ware off, Flash quickly realized what he had just done. Overcome with extreme regret, Flash ask himself: "What have I just done?"
_ _ _ _ _
Meanwhile, back in the gym, Trixie and her band was already performing their song; "Tricks Up My Sleave." Despite throwing a bunch of different stage effects, the audience was being wowed by Trixie's performance. However they do like her song and they are finding it entertaining to listen to.
But as the performance was happening, Sunset up in the scaffolding. As Sunset look down at Trixie and her band below, she was arguing with herself what is she to do. Is she going to sabotage the performance? And even if she is, how she is going to do it? There are just so many possibilities that it felt daunting on Sunset. But when she look at Spike beside her, he had a face that screams: "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Leaning over the railing, Sunset moans to Spike: "I don't know!" She then says to him: "I want to find a way to be useful to Twilight and the others, but I accidently became a minion to those sirens. And know, if I don't do what they want, I'm afraid what they are going to do to me."
As she hangs her head in shame, Spike managed to got up to her and pat her on the back.
But then, as Sunset felt a little bit better from Spike's comfort, they suddenly sounds coming from the other end of the scaffolds. When they look up, they were surprised to Snip & Snails who were messing around with the lights. As they were chuckling and giggling to what they were doing, Sunset got up behind them and asks: "What are you two doing?"
Surprised, both of them screamed. "AH!" However, none of them were heard and no one realized they were up there yet. After taking a moment to recognize Sunset, Snips casually reply to her: "Oh Sunset, fancy meeting you here!?"
"The same. But back to my question: what you two nimrods doing here?"
Unaware or didn't care they were insulted, Snips explains: "Well, you see... We know that were not good singers when we performed..."
"You can say that again" Sunset commented. "You both dropped out in the first round."
After chuckling awkwardly, Snips continues. "-But we figured if we mess around with Trixie's performance, then people might think we weren't the worst performers of the day!"
Snails then add: "Yep and there's no way this could back fire."
Both Snips & Snails then went back to messing with the lights. When Sunset and Spike look down, they saw the main spotlight being dragged away from Trixie. When Trixie realized this, under the eagre to remain the centre of attention, she moved herself back under the spot light despite it still moving. As Sunset was watching this, a thought suddenly sparked in her head. Turning towards Spike. she says to him: "You know, this might work out for me." She explains: "The sirens down will think that I'm sabotaging the performance, while in fact it's these two who are doing it and I won't have to do a bad thing!"
Spike gave her a perplexed look. He was basically saying to her: "But if you're let this happen, won't it be just as bad as you doing it?"
As Sunset stare at the confused and disapproving dog, her conscious eventually got the better of her. "Augh! You're right." As Spike looked happy towards Sunset, she comments: "No wonder Twilight can't win a staring contest with you."
But then they suddenly heard something. They heard some sort of rattling sound and coming from the light that Snip and Snails was fiddling. When they saw what was happening, they notice the light's bolt had came loose and it was looking like it might fall. Shocked, she yell to them: "Stop What You Are Doing!"
Snips, unaware what they were doing, respond to Sunset: "Stop yelling! We know what we're do- WOW!" But then, as soon as he said that, his grip on the light suddenly slipped. The light was about to fall, but Snail just barely catch it. However, he didn't got a firm enough grip on it and it was slipping through his hands.
With the imminent fall of the light, Sunset was panicking that it might hit Trixie down below. With thinking, she instinctively shout down to the people below: "LOOK OUT!"
With that sudden and loud shout, Trixie was finally distracted enough to pull out of her performance and look up. "Ok, just what the heck is going on?" But when she did, she suddenly saw what was happening and was shocked. Snips and Snails holding onto the light with said light looking ready to fall and right next to them was Sunset who Trixie could see the panic in her eyes. Trixie was so confused that she froze in place.
"MOVE!" yelled Sunset again.
And with that, Trixie suddenly became awake enough to moved out of the way... right in the nick of time as Snails finally lost his grip. The light fell and came crashing down on stage. The music then abruptly stops and everyone else were in shocked to what happened.
I couldn't believe what they saw. To them, it looked like the light was meant to hit Trixie. Principal Celestia angrily grab her mic and says: "Who's Up There!" Snips, Snails and Sunset was left in fear, scared to what will happen to them.
And right at that moment, Twilight had finally came back into the gym. As she rip away the tears in her eyes, she suddenly saw what has happened. All the while, Adagio smiling by the bleachers, amazed that her plan gone more perfectly then she expected.