//------------------------------// // 5. The Rainbooms vs. The Shadowbolts // Story: Guitar Hero: Equestria Girls // by ThePegaKris //------------------------------// In the Manehattan Theater, the tournament was still going on and the audience was still thrilled to see the Rainbooms' performance on their first Guitar Hero song. Interestingly enough, they weren't missing a single note. They had their eyes focused on the big screen and only turned once to smile to their friends in the front row. "Look at them go!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "Nice..." Both Twilights charmingly sighed. "Absolutely amazing!" Rarity flipped her hair smoothly. "Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" as Spike got pumped up. Backstage, Starlight's band, the Enforcers, had their own screen to watch the Rainbooms. As they wanted this to be a fair and friendly competition, they were also impressed by their performance. "Aww, they're so darn good!" Babs Seed said with a little bit of jealousy. "Way to go, girls!" Starlight whispered to herself. "Hehe, not bad!" Suri giggled. "Woooo, now that's what I call a show!" as Cheese hyped up. "I'm glad you girls showed up..." as Rara stood near the band happily. Meanwhile, in another backstage waiting room, the Trottingham Blazers were readying themselves to take their turn with the same song the Rainbooms just did. The four members were nervous to see if they can top their score. It was finally time for the Blazers to hit the stage. "What a great run for the Rainbooms!" Rara said while leading them backstage. "Everyone give them a big round of applause!!!" The audience did so. "With a score of two and a half million points and a full combo, that's going to be hard to beat! Anyways, let's welcome the next band to take the stage. The Trottingham Blazers!!!" The Blazers walked out to the top of the stage to receive many cheers from the crowd, including Rara herself. The lead vocalist was Pipsqueak, the guitarist was Sassy Saddles, the bassist was Moon Dancer, and the drummer was Trenderhoof. "Oh no, not him again..." Applejack groaned as she watched a screen revealing the other band. "It's funny how you STILL can't get over Trenderhoof falling for you!" Pinkie Pie laughed uncontrollably, only to be headbutted by Sunset. "Owwie!" "Leave her alone." "We were awesome out there, weren't we?" Rainbow Dash asked excitingly. "Actually, I shouldn't say that because we KNOW that already!!! Wait, I forgot something!" "What is it?" as Sunset, A.J., and Pinkie all stacked their heads on one another. "Why did we freak out earlier?" Rainbow scratched her head with her eyes zoomed out all the way. "I don't know, sugarcube." A.J. replied. "But I can tell you that I wasn't expecting us to go first already!" "Either that, or it must be the rules that Rara established." Sunset added. "Whenever four of the entire Rainbooms play together on Guitar Hero, they seem to perfect it. However, some of us have the chance to screw up even just ONE note. But, I think that only happens whenever an instrument's missing." "You mean if a band has a guitar, bass, and drums, but no microphone?" Pinkie wondered. Sunset then put a hand on her shoulder. "Exactly. So that means we play the best whenever we're all together. If one of us was to drop out during one of the rounds, it could be bad!" "You're right, Sunset!" Rainbow joined in. "But can you think of a time when one of us messed up? I don't remember any!" This made Sunset facepalm. "Hold on, let me think. Remember the week right after the battle of the bands?" Rainbow's face turned red. "What? Shut up!" She made a pouty face. "Oh come on, Rainbow!" as Sunset, A.J., and Pinkie smirked at their guitarist. "How could you forget that time?" One week after the Rainbooms' victory in C.H.S's musical competition, Sunset Shimmer, the new leader of Princess Twilight's human friends, continued to get even more and more respect from students after seeing how much she has changed since then. Even her ex-boyfriend, Flash Sentry, slowly started to become attracted to her again. It was 7th period lunch and Sunset was sitting with the rest of the Main Six. "So, the day's almost over!" Fluttershy said as she was getting ready to go to the city zoo later. "I never thought I'd say this, but today was so BORING!!!" Pinkie groaned. "Ehh, I'm always going to feel better with you, girls!" "Thanks Pinkie, but the reason today was so boring for you is because you forgot to liven up the mood!" Rarity noted. "You know me! I love to liven up the mood ALL the time, but that doesn't mean I can do it wherever I want!" "Makes sense." as Applejack finished an apple. "So what do y'all want to do after school? I'm off from work, which means that my family will take care of business at Sweet Apple Acres." "Does Guitar Hero sound awesome, anyone?" Rainbow asked as she pulled out a guitar controller out of her backpack. "Great idea, Dashie!" The rest responded. A.J., although excited to play, got suspicious of her best friend. "Wait a darn minute... Where were you two periods ago?" Rainbow laughed then answered back. "Duh, I was in the game club owning other students on Guitar Hero!" "Hehe, so that's why you weren't able to join us during that free period!" Sunset chuckled. "You're TOO awesome!" "Thanks Sunset!" as Rainbow Dash blushed. "So are we going to my house right after school?" "Sadly, I have to work today, but I'll see if I could come later!" as Fluttershy frowned. "Sorry Rainbow Dash!" She then patted her shoulder to comfort her. "That's okay, Fluttershy! Do what you got to do, we always understand!" "Yeah!" The rest all joined in. The shy girl finally felt better now. "Thank you girls..." "Sunset, dear, have you ever played Guitar Hero before?" Rarity questioned. "I used to, but after...everything I did, I kind of stopped playing." "Aww, we don't want you to get emotionally sad again, Sunset!" Applejack assured. "We'll always be there for you, no matter what. You and Twilight have helped us defeat the Dazzlings last week and we honestly couldn't be more proud of you than we are now! Hopefully, getting back into the game will also cheer you up! Right Pinkie?" "Right!" She then finished her juice box. "I guess you're right, A.J.!" Sunset calmingly breathed. "I don't know how to thank you all after getting me through the past." "I'm just telling the truth!" Applejack winked back at her. "This is going to be so AWESOME!!!" Rainbow both accidentally banged the table and screamed. "Hehe, sorry!" After lunch has finished as well as the Main Six's last period, it was time to go home for the day. Usually on a Friday like this, the girls would go outside and hang out. But, Rainbow Dash's idea made them feel excited to play one of their favorite video games of all time. Fluttershy, on the other hand, couldn't make it. As they were walking, they approached Rainbow's house. "Here we are!" Rainbow got her house keys out of her pocket and opened the front door. "Wow, this is a nice place you got here, Dash!" Sunset said. "I take it that this is your first time here, I assume? Either way, thank you!" The athletic girl went to quickly get all the Guitar Hero games that she could find, along with the band kit. She plugged them in and layed the games on her couch. Meanwhile, her friends hilariously stood quietly because of how fast Rainbow Dash went back and forth. "So what song should we play?" Pinkie wondered. "Actually...I was wondering if Rainbow could show me how good she is at the game!" Sunset suggested. "Since she's already awesome on a real guitar, then she should be the same at a game like this!" "Really?" Rainbow scratched her head awkwardly. "I mean, I'm already fine with you girls doing any song, but you actually want me to go first, Sunset? By the way, thanks again for the compliment!" "Is that okay with you girls? You're welcome, too!" "Whatever makes our new best friend happy is absolutely fine with me!" Rarity then tapped Sunset's nose. "Knock yourself out, Rainbow Dash!" Applejack said as she layed back in a chair. "Go ahead, Dashie!" Pinkie joyfully cheered. "Alright, here goes nothing!" Rainbow then finally grabbed her guitar controller. Rainbow Dash then inserted Guitar Hero: Metallica into her console. Most of the songs were hard for the others, except for her. So, she went even further by selecting possibly the hardest song in the entire game, according to her friends. The song that she chose has loaded up. "She has lost her mind, hasn't she?" Rarity whispered to A.J., Pinkie, and Sunset. "No kidding..." They all winked at each other. As Rainbow's selected song went on, she was doing very well. Sadly for her, she missed a note and this was the first time that Rainbow slipped up on the song. The other girls really tried their best not to burst out laughing. "NOOOOOOoooooooo!!!!!!" Rainbow cried. She was getting ready to give up, but still continued to play. "I was right!" as Rarity let out a tiny bit of laughter. "I'm so sorry, Rainbow!" "IT'S NOT FUNNY!!!" She managed to focus still on the game, all while turning around and getting angry. "Oh man, that sucks..." Sunset disappointingly added in a low voice. A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash completed her selected song, in which she thought to perfect it once again. This time, she was so close to doing so by only achieving a 99% note streak. She also did her best not to start rage quitting like a sore loser. In present time, Rainbow now finally remembered what happened to her months ago. She was still in denial, but just forgot all about it completely. Her fellow band members were still smirking at her. "Okay, you had me, girls! But, you know I don't like to make silly mistakes!" "Yeah sure, we'll keep that in mind!" The other three sarcastically joked around. Meanwhile, on stage, Countess Coloratura was observing how well the Blazers were doing with their performance. They had the same song as the Rainbooms, but still, they couldn't top them. "It's over..." Rara sadly stated in the microphone. "Sorry guys, but you...are...ELIMINATED!!! You managed to get a full combo, but you've only secured 1.9 million points." "Aww..." The audience all had depressing reactions. "I've failed you all, mate!" as Pipsqueak layed the game microphone down. "It's not your fault, we all tried our best..." Moon Dancer then put the bass guitar. "Forgive me, Twilight..." "We were amazing, but sadly, we didn't win in style!" Sassy Saddles put down the other guitar. "I'm going to have to write about this one day, I'll never forget it, you three!" Trenderhoof bursted out and put down the drumsticks. "You four are truly one of the best bands, but you are not able to make it to the second round..." Rara said. "I'm glad, however, that I chose a great band to represent a great city like Trottingham! Thank you all for coming and I wish you all the best of luck! Everyone give one last round of applause to the Trottingham Blazers!" She shook all of their hands. The audience finally got their spirits lifted and cheered like they never did before. All of the Rainbooms, too, applauded them and they saw the Blazers take a bow before leaving the stage. Afterward, Sunset, Rainbow, A.J., and Pinkie went to go shake their hands as well. "Hey, ya did very well, little one!" as A.J. patted Pipsqueak's head. "The rest of you were awesome too, I'll admit that!" Rainbow agreed. "Yeah, it was nice competing with you four!" Sunset reinstated. "I had a lot of fun getting to see your great playing!" Pinkie hopped all around backstage. "Why thank you so much, ladies!" Pipsqueak tipped off his head. "We loved your stuff, too!" Sassy Saddles then pointed at them. "Ditto when I say you four rocked!" Moon Dancer smiled. "We may have lost, but it was a fair and excellent way to show off all your remarkable skills!" Trenderhoof finished. In the front row seats, Rarity and Sci-Twi were wanting to meet Sassy and Moon Dancer backstage. So, Fluttershy, Princess Twilight, Spike, and Coco insisted on saving their seats. With just a quick nod, Rara let the two go backstage. "Moon Dancer!" Sci-Twi asked eagerly. "Sassy!" Rarity also talked enthusiastically. "Hi!!!" The two Blazers spoke as they went to hug their friends. "With the first matchup complete, let's move on to the next one!" Rara, in the Rainbooms' spare time, decided to go on with the tournament until the second round can be announced. "I didn't know you moved to Trottingham, Moon!" Sci-Twi said. "You never told me that!" "Oh, you don't remember, Twi? I got accepted into the city's number one university, so I moved there and thought, you know, maybe to be a part of a band there!" "That's where I come in, folks!" Pipsqueak randomly called out. "Thanks for that, Pip!" Moon Dancer replied. "You're very talented, Moon Dancer..." Sci-Twi established. "If you wondering about me, Rarity, I'll be delighted to fill you in!" as Sassy stepped in. "Go ahead, dear!" Rarity was now ready to listen to her manager's story. "You already know that I'm from Trottingham and I still have connections with associates of mine over there. Trenderhoof, our drummer, found and offered me a spot. I really hoped to make you proud, Rarity, and to represent my hometown as well!" "That's lovely, darling, and of course, I'll always look up to my manager!" Rarity charmingly stated. "I'm always proud of you!" Sci-Twi, Sunset, Rainbow, Rarity, A.J., and Pinkie all gave a big group hug to the Blazers. They all went into one room to watch the rest of the bands, while Sci-Twi and Rarity went back to their seats. Not a surprise to the Rainbooms, they even watched their friend, Starlight Glimmer, advance as well, along with her fellow band members. To them, she's probably the one that they're really looking forward to facing. The evening was approaching fast as the first round has already concluded. It is now officially the second round of the Guitar Hero tournament and Rara fully prepared herself again. She, however, finds it funny and tiring to be going back and forth on stage each time a band's done playing. "Whew! Welcome back, folks, to the second round of this annual tournament of mine! Remember, all your donations will greatly benefit this city's charities all around! Enjoying yourselves so far?" "YEAH!!!" The audience cheered. "Great!" as the pop star wiped off her sweat. "So anyways, let's begin our first matchup of this round!" Rara then activated the roster selector to see who would be up first in the second round. As it came to a stop, it landed on the Rainbooms' matchup, with 'Full Band' active. "Woah, again?" Sunset got lost in her mind. "Ahh, who cares?" as Rainbow got confident. "We got this for sure!" "All the way from Crystal Empire City, they will be facing the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts!" Rara announced. "The Shadowbolts?" Both Twilights alarmingly asked. "I'm still not really into them." Spike said boringly. "Since the Rainbooms went first last round, the Shadowbolts will go first this time!" Rara declared. "Come on out, you four!" Walking out on stage were Sunny Flare, Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, and Lemon Zest. Sunny is the lead singer, Zap's the guitarist, Sugarcoat's the bassist, and Lemon Zest's the drummer. The audience cheered just as much they did for the Rainbooms. "Wow, it seriously got more lively, hasn't it, ladies?" Rarity happily assumed. "I'll say!" Fluttershy replied. "It's as if they're cheering for our band and the Shadowbolts the most!" "Yeah..." Both Twilights agreed. "Watch and learn, Rainbow Dash..." Indigo whispered to herself. They both may have made up after the Friendship Games, but they are still friendly rivals when it comes to any game. "Alright, let's roll this baby once again..." Rara then began to activate the song selector. "Okay girls, you got yourselves another epic song! Get to your places!" Sunny Flare, Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, and Lemon Zest took their instruments and were ready to play. Immediately, they were in full concentration. The audience were literally at the edge of their seats, headbanging and acting hilariously insane. Fluttershy & Spike got squished between two people, Rarity held on tight to both of her armrests, Coco kept her head down, and both Sci-Twi and Princess Twilight attempted to switch seats, but they fell down and landed on top of each other awkwardly. "Ooooh, look what's happening out there!" as Pinkie opened up a small part of the curtains. "What a bunch of animals our pals have to deal with now..." Applejack sighed. Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash are the only two focused on watching their rival school's band play. "I didn't expect them to be that good, but they really are!" Sunset claimed. "Yeah, even I admit that they're having an awesome run!" Rainbow gave in. "Hmm, I think I've seen them done a full combo at a party once..." as Pinkie started to remember things. "If they do it again this time, beating their overall score's what matters most to us! I forgot who it was, but that person made them a bit cranky when he or she did that!" "Then we must win this match if we want to move to Round Three!" Applejack stated. "We played together well last round and honestly, I think we could do it again!" "Yeah, A.J.!" The rest huddled up and put out all their hands together to do their usual chant again from earlier. The Shadowbolts, on the other hand, are making their song a breeze.