An Equestrian Girls Comedy of Errors

by Godzilla313

Chapter Twelve

Chapter 12

Both bands began to work hard as the few weeks between their tryout, and the festival came about. Each groupwas to do two sets: the Rainbooms were to perform two sets that would lead up to the lunch break, Trixie's magic show was to be done after that, and Midsummer's Dream was to perform two sets that led into the evening. Then, on the first night, a special guest would perform a show. They were also to get paid for doing this, so they were happy that they were going to get an actual paying gig. However, they were not the only ones rehearsing.

The Dazzlings were still doing their thing, and they worked feverishly to become even as half efficient with the instruments. Because of the magic they now wielded, they had the whole world that encountered them eating out of their hands and had all their needs met. They had not any want for anything at all, and they were being made quite rich. They labored, working on the genre that Midsummer’s Dream focused on despite how repulsive they thought some of it was. They even took the time to study styles of the seventies and eighties, figuring that the group would focus on that as a part of their stage act. Sonata, however, was growing bored of the whole thing as she finally groaned one day, “This is getting to be like work. Is all this really necessary?”

“Look, you twit!” snapped Adagio, “Get your focus straight. This is a means to an end. The goal is two worlds to conquer and have them absolutely adore us!”

“That’s what you said the last time, and look what happened,” snarled Aria.

“That was because we didn’t know just how strong Equestrian magic was in this word,” reasoned Adagio, “We really didn’t have a worked out plan. All we did was what we had done before. There was no way we could have known we’d run into something like a Starswirl the Bearded. This time, we have to go into this cleverer.”

“And learning all these leads to…?” asked Sonata, letting the sentence dangle, wanting to know more about what Adagio was pondering.

“We have this dimensions doubles, right?” answered Adagio, quiet, but slightly through her teeth in her explanation, and also with a softer touch, knowing the brain power, (or lack thereof,) with which she dealt, “So, we can take advantage of this…by…”

She now let her sentence dangle, hoping Sonata would catch on, but Aria jumped in and said, “…by getting rid of our doubles and taking over?”

“That’s part of it,” said Adagio, to which Sonata blinked and said, “And we use the band to take over everything!”

“Well, she can learn!” said Adagio with some relief, “But that will be just the start. There is much more than that, but one step at a time.”

“So, how do we get rid of them?” asked Aria.

“Let them do their first night of the festival,” answered Adagio, “And then we move. I think I have a way to get rid of them permanently and not have it be a mess.”

With that, she began to lay things out, and the plot started to take shape.

During the time, Midsummer's Dream was not only able to get sets together, but they also had some comedy skits assembled between the numbers. They also added some dance moves and choreography for some of the numbers. Other numbers were prerecorded music with a thoroughly worked out dance routine. Starlight and Jack were really not sure about most of the ballet moves they were taught at first, but they began to enjoy it when the sense of friendship and fun was added to it. This, however, was not the only thing that was developing.

As the weeks passed, Starlight and Jack spent a lot of time together as Jack seemed to have a good handle on the time periods that the band emulated in the sense that he had the knack of translating the genres for her in a way she could quickly pick it up. Yet, as they went, there were moments where they were warming to one another and had moments where things almost got as romantic as they did on that night of the sleepover. The situation either ended abruptly when both suddenly realized where things were going and distracted themselves with some other stuff to do together that was more businesslike or in laughter on how silly the whole thing looked. Two nights before the festival, they had had another sleepover at Jack’s house to work on the show, and the other three girls were upstairs asleep while the other two were working things out in the studio. Jack was looking over some sheet music while Starlight had some earbuds in with the twelve-string, trying to work out a song. Jack heard her fumbling with it and then took notice when she began to get the song. He finally recognized it as, “I have a dream,” and then heard her start to play, “Give a Little Bit,” very well. He got her attention and said, “Do you plan on doing those?”

She nodded, and he said, “I never thought this was your style.”

“Well, I dig more of that punk stuff,” answered Starlight, “It was my period of time as a younger filly that was kind of dark. I’ve mellowed since then, and I do like these songs.”

“Could you sing them?” he asked, “Or at least sing the first one.”

She nodded and started to sing, and that feeling started again, and then Jack said, “Look, we have to deal with this.”

She started to say something, but then thought, and then she said, “Why are we fighting this? Let’s face it; you and I like each other.”

“We like each other,” he said frankly, “Is it, love?”

“Slow down,” she said, “I wasn’t…” but then she stopped, and then she had to ask, “Is this love or just infatuation?”

“I can’t say,” he said scratching his head, “But, something hits me that makes me think this has to stop.”

“And that was?”

“When you said, ‘When I was a filly.’”

“Oh, I did say that. I’m so used to saying that.”

She paused for a moment, and then she said, “But, does that matter? I mean, are you sure that matters?”

That made things very awkward. The look on the face of Starlight was both confused and with a bit of offense. Jack caught this and suddenly looked ashamed, though he did not know why. He just said, “I’m sorry,” but she remembered where she was and said, “It’s okay. In my world, there are more than one sentient species. Even though we tend to build relationships with our mother species, but that doesn’t prevent anypony…ugh…anybody from hooking up.”

She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers, still fascinated by the concept of them, “But, I’m human here. What would stop us? What I look like here or there doesn’t change who I am on the inside.”

He sighed and took her in his arms, and he said, “I so want to. I’d love to have you with me.”

She hugged him back, but when she released a bit, he let go and turned abruptly and said, “There are other matters.”

He started to walk around some and said, “We’re from two different worlds. You have to go back home at the end of summer, you go back to what you are, and even if you stayed, think about if this thing went to a possible conclusion. Sorry to bring it up, but, let’s face it: you look human here, but you really are not. If we wed and had offspring, what would happen? How would the magic respond?”

She looked sad as he suddenly became so blunt about the matter, and it did have the effect of pouring cold water on them. She then sighed and had to admit, “Yeah, I guess we have to face it; there are too many question marks here.”

He cocked his head and then said, “Is there, to use your words, somepony else on the other side?”

“The other side?” she said, with a giggle, “You make it sound like it’s the only other universe in the multiverse like it’s stacked right on the other side of a door.”

He laughed a bit and knew a musical cue when he heard one. He went to his keyboards and set up the electric organ patch. He then started to play and sing, “Break On Through the Other Side.” That got Starlight laughing and more relaxed. It started to bring things into some kind of balance, and she sighed as she said, “Well, now that you bring it up, I do have a friend…on the other side…that I’ve known for a while.”

“I thought that might be the case,” he reasoned.

“Well, he’s still just a friend.”

“All that time and you’re still friends?”

“We were estranged for a time, and we went different directions in our interests. We don’t have as much in common as we used to, but ironically, it is those differences that do endear Sunburst to me as a friend. We do still have magic as a common interest, but he knows more about the book and knowledge side of it whereas I have the—how shall I say—practical application side. Together, we’ve explored some pretty neat things.”

“Sounds to me how some relationships start. It starts as good friends and develops when they least expect it.”

“Sounds like what’s happening to us.”

“Not this quickly.”

“Well, I guess so.”

Jack pondered that for a few moments, and he said, “Look, even if there would be no issues with us going steady, you still have to leave. Long distance relationships rarely work, and that would be as long distance as you can get. Plus, who is to say you would ever come back? You might get involved with other things or ponies and never think to return. This just won’t work.”

She smiled and said, “I guess you’re right. But, you know, that doesn’t mean we can’t be real close friends. My stay here can be special just as it is. We can try to keep it that way.”

She then gave him a tight hug and put the side of her head on her chest. He stood there with his arms wide, not sure how to respond and then tentatively hugged back. “Oh, don’t act like I’m radioactive waste,” she said with a grin, “You can hug me. Friends hug, you know. Well, I know you stallions…sorry…boys, don’t do a lot of hugging, but fill…females hug a lot, so get used to it.”

She gave him a peck on the cheek and let him go. She let out a yawn and said, “Let’s get some sleep. We have dress rehearsals to do, and we need all the rest we can get.”

She tousled his hair and said, “See you in the morning,” and went her way. However, Jack remained behind for a few minutes and sighed, scratching his head, and thought, “Why do things like this have to get so complicated?”

The day finally came, and there was going to be a parade, having the acts at the festival on some of the floats. They decided to put the two bands on a flatbed 18-wheeler to have them play through the parade. The two groups were caught off guard and were not sure what to do. Sunset and Andante talked for a few minutes, and they decided to alternate whatever songs that came to mind. “We’ll be moving,” mentioned Sunset, “And they’ll only get samples of things, so we can just fake it and have some fun. We can have a jam session.”

All the players all mumbled to their approval to this, and they all set up and prepared for the trip. With that, the truck got underway, and they started, having the Rainbooms kick things off. About two-thirds of the way, it became Midsummer’s Dream turn, and after some discussion, they decided on, “It’s A Long Way to the Top, (If You Wanna Rock and Roll,)” with Cabaletta taking the lead vocals. Ahead of them was a bagpipe and drum corps blaring away and were between tunes when they heard this off in the distance. The drum major then brought them to a stop and split as the truck approached, flanking it, and then beginning to roll with it. As they played, the Rainbooms caught onto the tune and started to layer over. Jack indicated to Rarity to bring up a bagpipe patch on her keytar, but when it came to that spot in the song, and before they could play, the pipe and drum corps jumped in and started to play at that point. That caught the two keyboard players off guard, and they just shrugged and enjoyed what was going on. Indeed, if this was magic, an excellent spell was going over those that they passed, and it was now having the effect that the festival planners were hoping to have; it was making things attractive for people to want to come to the festivities, but far more than before. When they all finished, they all laughed and then ripped into their numbers with relish. Pinkie shouted, “This is going to be the best festival ever! How could this go wrong?”

Across town, the Dazzlings were just finishing another song, They felt a sudden chill and looked around a bit, but then they shrugged and went back to practicing. Their progress was going well, and Adagio knew that they would not see that they were doppelgangers, ready to end the world as these people knew it. “Get ready, silly humans. A new paradigm is coming, and we’re going to rock your world.”