//------------------------------// // 4. The Tournament Begins // Story: Guitar Hero: Equestria Girls // by ThePegaKris //------------------------------// Another week has passed as it was finally time for Rara's Guitar Hero tournament. As the girls got on the train to Manehattan, all engines were set. Sunset took care of Princess Twilight's worries about Equestria by writing messages, hoping that her pony friends will understand everything, Sci-Twi felt both nervous and excited, Fluttershy actually managed to eat breakfast this Saturday, Rainbow Dash imagined herself and her friends winning, Rarity put on some makeup, Applejack ate an apple casually, and Pinkie Pie was banging her head as she was extremely pumped. "The express train is now leaving for Manehattan!" The train conductor shouted. "Please step in immediately!" As a few more passengers got on, he closed all the doors. "All aboard and now leaving Canterlot Station!" Now, the train finally left. "I'm honestly excited, myself," as Applejack finished her apple, "How about y'all?" "Yeah!" They all fist pumped each other. "I can't wait to see who else we're competing against, other than Starlight!" Sunset wondered. "Which reminds me..." Fluttershy looked up into space. "Why didn't we watch Rara announce the other bands that you four are competing against?" "We wanted it to be a surprise, Fluttershy." said Rainbow Dash. "If we found out the other band lineups, it would make it easier for us to figure out their playing strategies. I actually wanted this to be a fair time for us..." "Makes sense." Princess Twilight got to thinking. "It's possible that either the other bands have all heard each other's announcements or they're probably trying to be smart like you and not hear the announcements." "If I had to pick which one could be true, it would be the latter, Twilight!" Rarity pointed at her for fun. "By the way, I think Sunset, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie should wear something fabulous on stage!" "Sorry Rare, but maybe we'll wear something awesome when we get to the finals!" Rainbow Dash awkwardly smiled. "Plus, you deserve to chillax after all that you've done for us at Camp Everfree. Thanks for the suggestion, though!" "Oh, okay!" as Rarity looked a bit disappointed. "Fair enough, I guess! What is definite to happen is you four winning the tournament!" "Agreed!" Both Twilights put a hand on each other's shoulders. "We really are the same, huh?" "I'll say," as Spike was sitting on Fluttershy's lap, "This will be the most epic thing that I'll be seeing!" "Yeah, up here!" Pinkie Pie high fived his paw in excitement. "How do you feel, Sunset?" Her friend hilariously rolled her eyes. "You're kidding, right? YOU KNOW HOW PUMPED I AM!!! WOO!!!" Sunset stuck her head out the window and her hair blew as the train was speeding up. "YEAH!!!" "Hehe, should I pull her back in?" Sci-Twi asked. "Shh, let her have this, darling!" Rarity wanted her friends to just sit back and watch their trusted leader let out her hype. The train then finally reached Manehattan and it came to a stop at the station. The girls and Spike got off as the door behind them closed. The conductor called out, "Next stop: Trottingham! All aboard!" As more passengers boarded the train, it left. It was currently noon, and Rara was expecting the Rainbooms in two hours. Rarity, taking a fresh breath, looked at the beautiful city of Manehattan and said, "What have you done to me?" "You always ask yourself that whenever we come here, do you Rarity?" Applejack raised an eyebrow in remembrance. "Next thing you'll know, she'll break out in song again!" Rainbow Dash slapped herself on the knee after bursting out laughing. Everyone else except Rarity laughed very hard too. "How unprofessional of all of you to do this!" "Hehe, we're...so sorry...,Rarity!!" Sunset tried to hold it together. "But, you gotta admit that you do love to sing in Manehattan!" Rarity's faced turn red. "Grr... Maybe, a little bit..." She was denying how true this is. "Maybe I should take back what I said earlier?" "Okay, okay, we're totally sorry, Rarity!" Princess Twilight stopped laughing. "No one should have to get this mad over something this small." "Phew... You're right, Twilight! I'm sorry, too." Rarity finally calmed down. This made the others stop laughing and agree to stop. "Glad that's over!" Spike wiped off his sweat. "So what are we supposed to do before the tournament starts?" Fluttershy pointed to the Bridleway Theater, which was located a few blocks right from the train station. "Do you four want to check in now? It looks like the theater's getting crowded!" "Those people are probably just buying tickets to actually watch the tournament." said Sci-Twi. "Who knows how Sunset, Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie could get in?" Suddenly, Applejack got a text message. "Shh, it's Rara, gals!" They all gathered together. Her exact words were, "What's up A.J.? Have you made it to Manehattan yet? If so, I would love for you and your band to meet me at my apartment! I've got some things that I want to talk about with you all. I'll be waiting, bestie! XOXO, Rara. P.S. I've already signed the Rainbooms up, so you're good to go!" "Well, looks like everything's taken care of!" Applejack got relieved. "C'mon, let's go to Rara's place! I remember where it is." "WAIT!!!" Fluttershy halted the group and even attracted the attention of pedestrians and a crossing guard. "...Sorry, I'm hungry again..." "You just ate, remember?" Rainbow Dash asked wildly. "You actually remembered to eat breakfast! How could you be hungry now?" "That was three hours ago, Dashie!" Fluttershy acted up. "My stomach hurts now!" "Alright, sugarcube, don't worry," as Applejack attempted to quickly make her relax, "Look, I see a McDonalds right across the street! You can catch up after you get something to eat over there. I'll explain everything to Rara once we find her apartment. Got it?" "...Got it..." Fluttershy tried to bear the pain of her stomach. "You should probably get moving, darling!" Rarity replied. "Like I said two weeks ago, it always hurts me to see you like this!" "I'll meet you girls later!" The shy girl waved as she went to look for the nearest crosswalk. "Come on, there's no waste!" as Sci-Twi confidently clinched a fist. "Right!!!" Everyone else then followed A.J. to Rara's apartment. The clock was ticking, signifying that the Rainbooms must make it on time to both her place and her tournament. While running, the girls and Spike are still admiring the beautiful architecture of the city. "Huff," as Princess Twilight tried to catch her breath while running, "You know... There are...places that I've never been to in this city, not even in Equestria's Manehattan!" "Maybe, when we win this thing, I might come back with you to Equestria and we could hang out in the Manehattan there for a while!" Sunset suggested. "Don't worry girls, I'll come back to this world!" "Where do you live in this world, by the way, Sunset?" asked Sci-Twi. The group came to a stop as they stood in front of Rara's place. "When I used to be...obsessed with magic like you, no offense Twilight, I lived with a bunch of bad girls who were just like me in some low-rent neighborhood. After I was free from my desire for power and changed my ways, Pinkie Pie offered me a place to stay and even a job at Sugarcube Corner! Thanks for being so nice to me, by the way, Pinkie!" "You're always welcome, bud!" She played around with Sunset's hair, making her laugh. "That's still touching to my heart, y'all!" said Applejack. "Well, this is the place! It looks mighty taller than from what I remember, but let's take the elevator to the... Uhh, you okay, Rainbow Dash?" She notices her jaw dropping hardly. "You may have brought us here before, A.J., but...THIS IS STILL THE MOST AWESOME APARTMENT ANYONE COULD HAVE!!!" "Absolutely divine, indeed!" Rarity tapped Rainbow's nose. "Just look at all the chandeliers, tiles, doors, and ceiling!" "Wow..." as both Twilights and Spike were amazed. "C'mon, let's go gals!" Applejack held the front door for her friends and approached one of the elevators. "Hey there, sir!" "Good afternoon, you girls!" said the receptionist. "Hmm, there it is: Floor 15," as A.J. went inside the elevator and pushed a button, "Going up!" As everyone waited patiently while ascending the building, they all looked up. "Nice elevator music!" Pinkie pointed out. "Ehh, not the kind I really like, sorry!" Rainbow Dash shrugged. "It is MY kind!" Rarity began to hum along. "It sure is nice," as both Twilights looked at each other, "Hehe..." "Don't forget about the great view behind us!" Spike noted that the elevator had glass in the back so that anyone can see the entire city from inside. To the girls' surprise, they enjoyed the view. "I think I can see Canterlot High all the way from here!" Sunset said happily. "How do you see our school?" asked Rarity. "When we traveled, the city before Manehattan was Las Pegasus." "Not only do I have visions of what other people can see, but I also can see a thousand miles away!" as Sunset brought up her new powers she had obtained back at Camp Everfree. "That makes two of us hawk buddies!" Rainbow fist bumped her friend. The elevator came to a stop. "Ooh, we're here!" "Let's see, left, left...and...right!" as Applejack directed the group to Rara's apartment. "This is it!" She knocked on the door and waited for an answer. "Hey girls, I see Fluttershy down there!" Pinkie Pie looked out another window and saw their friend all the way at street level. "She must have went through her food already!" "Duh!" as Sunset giggled. "Whenever we bring her to McDonalds, she always orders like two or three Happy Meals! It's practically her most favorite thing on the menu, next to a McFlurry! I even know how fast Fluttershy eats!" "All this talk is now making ME hungry!" Rarity felt her stomach. "I would sure love a Big Mac..." Suddenly, she was slapped across the face by Applejack. "Oww, what was that, dear?" "I hope you were talking about the burger and not my brother..." She was getting ready for another slap. "Sorry, I really meant the burger, Applejack!" Rarity struggled to look forward. "Good..." The door finally opened and not surprisingly, Rara answered. "Applejack, hey! It's always great to see you! I also see your friends are here too! Come in!" Both childhood friends hugged each other and the pop star let the Rainbooms in. "It's good to be back in a perfect place like this!" Rarity soaked in all the best features of Rara's apartment which even made her roll her eyes hilariously. "I admire your outfit by the way, too darling!" Rara happened to be wearing a short sleeve black shirt with blue jeans and black long boots. She then blushed at Rarity's complement. "Hehe, thank you, Rarity! Anyways, I assume you got my text, A.J.?" She showed Rara her phone and said, "I sure did! So, you have some important things that you want to elaborate on with us?" "Yes, I do! Let me first say that I'm excited for you and your band to be entering my tournament! Even though, technically, I signed you up myself, I'm still stoked about the Rainbooms playing!" "Hey, what's under this sheet?" Pinkie wandered off into a corner. "Hehe, uhh, try not to break that, Pinkie Pie!" nervously replied Rara. "Under that sheet is the actual trophy for whoever wins the Guitar Hero tournament." The engraving read, 'To The Best Guitar Hero Band Ever.' "That's cool, but where's the grand money prize?" asked Rainbow Dash. Rara immediately turned to her. "It's at the theater, being safely kept in storage by my team of security! Wait, I just noticed something! Where's Fluttershy?" "She ate at McDonalds and even I'm surprised to find someone who's more into it than I am!" as Princess Twilight looked back the old days. "Oh okay, but anyways, which four of you will be playing?" Rara brought up. "I will be singing, Rainbow Dash will be on the guitar, Applejack will be playing the bass, and Pinkie Pie's going to sit for the drums." said Sunset. "Excellent," as the pop star was filled with glee, "I'm sure you four will do great! So, are you ready to meet the other bands later?" This made the group worry. "Actually, Rara..." Applejack took off her hat to scratch her head. "We haven't paid attention to the rest of your band announcements. We're giving ourselves a little challenge, if you know what I mean!" "Oooh, even better! I'm not going to ruin any more surprises for you girls, so if you're comfortable going in blind, be my guest!" Suddenly, the door bell rang. "You may come in!" At the door stood Fluttershy, who was carrying some French fries and a McFlurry. With her mouth full, she mumbled, "Mmm, hey girls! Look who I found at McDonalds!" Standing next to her was another shy girl. "Coco Pommel?" as everyone else stacked their heads against the door. "Hi!" She stepped into the apartment to greet the Rainbooms. "I didn't know you girls were friends with my boss!" "Boss?" Rarity got curious. "Hehe, what do you mean, Miss Pommel?" "Miss Coloratura needed someone new to take care of her stage attire, so she offered me the job based on my experience! Don't worry, I'll still work for you, Miss Rarity!" "Rarity you have, indeed, also hired a brilliant designer!" Rara joined back in. "Thank you both very much!" the fashionista replied. "Oh dear, what time are we supposed to be at the tournament?" "We still have one hour left." said Rara. "Which reminds me..." as Sci-Twi thought deeply. "Shouldn't you be preparing some things too at the theater?" "Oh, Twilight, heh!" The pop star giggled. "I already prepared what I had to over there: the rules, the different Guitar Hero games, the instruments, the console, and pretty much the roster." "So, I'm guessing the set list will be widely different, right?" asked Rainbow Dash. "If so, that would be awesome!" "Looks like your band is going to have to find out!" Rara daringly smirked. Fluttershy, still eating, mumbled, "Where do the rest of us get to sit? I really don't want to get in the way of the audience's view." "Front row seats sound great?" asked the pop star. "Uh-huh!!!" Everyone screeched joyfully. "Thank you so much, Rara!" "No problem! I'm always glad to help out friends! Is there anything else I should go over, A.J.?" She winked at her friend. "Nope, I think ya got this covered, Rara!" Applejack proudly responded. "So what are we going to do before we get to the theater?" "Well, based on how much more it's getting filled up, I think we should already get going," as Princess Twilight looked out the window, "Anyone else think it's good to go now?" "I'm...I mean...you're right!" nervously replied Sci-Twi. "Let's get to it, shall we?" Rarity added. "Umm, Fluttershy, sweetie? Do you mind eating a bit more...quietly?" She continued to munch and said, "Sorry... I can't help it! I think I have a problem..." Fluttershy got low to the ground like an elevator. "I can get like her, sometimes..." Coco randomly pointed out. "If the rest of you are ready, then so am I!" confidently said Sunset. "Ready!!!" All the Rainbooms huddled up and put out a hand. "1, 2, 3, Rainbooms Forever!!!" "That's the spirit!" said Rara. "Come on, I'll get you girls to the theater in no time!" She pulled out a pair of shades and her hoodie. "Be ready to run, or else one of you can get caught by the fans!" "Tasty..." Fluttershy finally finished eating. "I mean, I hope that doesn't happen!" "Where are we supposed to enter, the back door?" asked both Twilights. "I'll never get tired of myself... I mean, you, err, ME!!!" "I've known Rara almost my entire darn life and based on what she does as a celebrity, the back door of the theater is our best way in!" Applejack elaborated. "Race you there!" Rainbow Dash literally races out the door and the others try to catch up. Thankfully, the speed girl knows how to really control her new powers. With time to spare, Countess Coloratura, Coco Pommel, and the Rainbooms have made it to the Manehattan Theater in one piece. While the pop star was still disguised, one of her security guards at the back door was able to recognize her figure and decided to safely let her and her friends in. They all proceeded backstage, where all the other bands were meeting. "I think I see Starlight." as Sunset kept a sharp eye. "How do you know?" Rainbow got a bit annoyed. "I could barely see in here and we're not even inside completely!" "First off, Rainbow Dash, the carpet on the floor has lights illuminating on each side." Rarity lectured. "Secondly, she has her powers, remember darling?" "Oh right..." Rainbow looked down at the floor. "Should we talk to her?" Sci-Twi asked. "If you know that she'll be competing as well, then you might as well meet her fellow band members." Princess Twilight replied. "A.J., Pinkie?" "Ehh, why not?" They both simultaneously agreed and nodded. "Let's go see her, girls!" Rainbow started to rush towards Starlight. With backstage being barely lit up, she tripped on a cord and landed face first. "Rainbow Dash?" Starlight tried to get her back up. "Hey, uhh, it's good...to see you!" "Yeah... Same here!" as Rainbow attempted to recollect herself. "Thanks for making me not eat dirt!" "Hehe, you're welcome! Girls, you're...all here too? Also, Miss Coloratura?" "Hi Starlight!" They all look so happy to finally meet their friend at the tournament. "What's up?" "Just warming up a bit," as Starlight stretched out her arms, "I know, it may seem silly to exercise every part of my body, but practice makes perfect, you know?" "You're quite right, Starlight!" Rara joyfully said. "I'm so glad I got to select your amazing band to represent our hometown!" Speaking of her band, her other members were approaching from the bathrooms. "Look who it is!" The four Rainbooms were shocked but thrilled to see who was coming. "Babs Seed, Suri Polomare, and Cheese Sandwich???" "Hey there y'all!" as Babs Seed flipped her hair. "Hehe, it's so good to see you..." Suri chuckled. "Yahoo, it's nice to see my friends wanting to party rock!" Cheese Sandwich jumped high up. The Rainbooms and the Enforcers now meet face to face and greet each other friendly as this competition seems to also be. Rarity, on the other hand, was mad. "Starlight, darling, what's SHE doing here?" She pointed to Suri while her left eye was twitching and tried not to loudly get insane. "Suri? What seems to be wrong between you and her, Rarity?" "Oh nothing really...except that SHE TRIED TO MAKE ME TURN ON MY BEST FRIENDS BECAUSE OF MY GENEROSITY!!!!!!" "Woah, calm down!" Suri actually got afraid of her yelling. "First off, that was two years ago, and second, you've actually made me realize how good it is to be caring and generous myself! I no longer trick others into doing what I want!" "WHY YOU..." Rarity then snapped out of it. "Wait, you've changed entirely...because of me?" "Seriously." as Suri raised a hand. "I even promised myself that I would no longer take advantage of someone like that again!" As Rarity's friends were still holding each other due to her rage, she finally managed to calm down and accept Suri's understanding. They both then patted each other's shoulders. Rara now realized that it was finally time for the tournament to start. "Ooh, we're almost on! A.J., if you don't mind, I can quickly show the rest of your friends where they will be sitting. In the meantime, the rest of you must stay up on stage until I come back. Got it?" "Knock yourself out, Rara!" A.J. replied. "We got it, ma'am!" The rest joined in. "Thank you all so much for coming and good luck to you all!" Rara quickly put back on her disguise and lead the rest of the Rainbooms and Coco to their front row seats. Surprisingly, their other friend, Sugar Belle was sitting in the same row. Then, Rara went backstage again. "Girls? Hello, hello!" Sugar Belle waved. "Hey Sugar Belle!" The girls responded as they sat down. "I'm glad I made it all the way here! If you're wondering why I'm not working, it's because I told Party Favor everything about this tournament and he thankfully said that he would cover for me while I'm here. My boss thought it was a good idea too!" "We're all glad you made it, Sugar!" Fluttershy reinstated happily. "Now, I no longer feel hungry, so you don't have to worry about me! But..., I'm still eager for dinner!" "Hehe, my sweet Fluttershy, looks like you'll have to wait again!" as Rarity brought her head to lay on her lap. "I'll never get tired of this..." Both Twilights hilariously sighed. "Shhh, girls, the lights are out!" Spike whispered loudly. "It's starting!!!" The main lights turned off and Rara's visual crew on the catwalk, opposite of the stage, directed only two spotlights to the actual stage. The crowd was in complete silence at this time. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" Rara spoke into the microphone behind the curtains. "Without further ado, I welcome you all to the very first Guitar Hero tournament, right here in Manehattan, live!" The crowd applauded and the curtains opened up, with Rara being the only one on stage so far. Some guys even in the audience fell head over heels due to the pop star's gorgeousness. Sunset, Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie were applauding backstage as well as Starlight's band. "Okay, settle down, all you wonderful people!" Rara pointed out to the crowd. "Now let me explain the rules very clearly. In front of me is one full band kit that each band will be taking turns using." "Turns?" Sunset shrugged off. "Screens please!" After Rara called out, her technical crew turned on three big screens. "The biggest screen in the middle is where all of you will be seeing the gameplay, this screen to the far left is the band roster, and the right screen shows what band members will be going up & what songs will each band play." The right screen's band member settings said, 'Guitar Only,' 'Bass Only,' 'Drums Only,' 'No Vocals,' 'Guitar Battle,' and 'Full Band.' "Oh no, this is crazy!" Pinkie whispered backstage. "Each band must get a higher score than the other in order to advance to the next round and if one band doesn't do so, they're out of the tournament!" Rara said straightforwardly. "Even if I solo this, I'd never win!" Rainbow also whispered. "The last two bands in the finals will also have to best each other's scores if whoever wants to win!" The pop star wrapped up. "There will be two rounds and if there is a tie, both bands will go into sudden death! Is everyone ready?" "YEAH!!!" Everyone in the audience, including the other Rainbooms, shouted cheerfully. "Alright, here we go!" The pop star turned to the far left screen. "I shall activate the panel selector and it will randomly land on our first matchup!" The selector toggled through all of the bands and shockingly, the four Rainbooms were up first. All of them panicked and even confused Rara and the crowd. "Over to my right, let's see what band members and song will play!" Rara activated another panel selector and it landed on 'Full Band.' "Ohh, thank you!" The four Rainbooms got relieved and sighed. "The Rainbooms will be first up against the Trottingham Blazers!" Rara noted. "Girls, come on up and here's your song!" Without further delay, Sunset, Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie walked to the top of the stage to take their instruments. Before that, they shook Rara's hand and smiled at her. The crowd continued to applaud as well their friends. The pop star loaded up the song and it was time for the Rainbooms to shred.