The Siren Song: A Siren's Fight

Chapters

Formulating a Plan
Hierarxe's Puppet
Hierarchy: The Unquestioned Order of Power
The Broken Rainbooms
Friends on the Other Side
Explanations and Experiences
Ambushed
Dystopia: A World Full of Rage and Scorn
The Ascent
Dazzlings VS Rainbooms 2: Freed From Darkness
Dystopia's Three Queens
Memories of Home
Adagio's Trial (Part 1)
Adagio's Trial (Part 2)
Aria's Trial (Part 1)
Aria's Trial (Part 2)
Sonata's Trial (Part 1)
Sonata's Trial (Part 2)
Sonata's Trial (Part 3)
The Blasters' Battle of the Bands
The Tournament (Part 1)
The Tournament (Part 2)
The Show Begins
The Conspiracy
A Familiar Face, Warped By Greed
The Ultimate Amplifier
Freeing The Laments
The Fail-Safe Song
Brother and Sister, Duelling with Music
The Return Of King Allure
(Epilogue) A New Era, Lead By A New Queen
(Prologue) History of the Fabled Lyricans
Honour and Chivalry: The Two Principalities of Heroism
A Different Kind of Battle

Formulating a Plan

Present Day...

The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms were all gathered inside what looked like a dimly lit space with stairs leading up to cellar doors. All ten of them were using Sunset Shimmer's cellar as a safehouse where they could relax, have time to themselves, and even think of a strategy on finishing The Blasters' evil ways once and for all.

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were over by the TV, trying to relax and calm themselves with a few friendly games. Granted, all the games they played were interactive DVD games or board games that involved the TV in a slight manner. But despite all this, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were having a lot of fun playing against each other.

Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack were over by one corner of the room, using all kinds of special utensils to pass the time. Whereas Applejack was more focused on cooking food for the girls so they didn't have to go out, Rarity and Fluttershy were either drawing pictures of writing pages for possible novels.

Twilight, Sunset and The Dazzlings were primarily at the table at the front of the room. They had been using special newspapers and pictures from the book of Blissen to formulate a plan. They found the relevant plots and created a flow chart on the nearby whiteboard for them to reference for their upcoming plans. They carefully put as many pieces together as possible, then used their flowchart to keep even closer track on all the relevant plans of action.

"So... what exactly are we supposed to be doing?" Rainbow Dash asked when she got up to her feet to quickly grab something from the nearby cupboard. As she walked over to the cupboard, she turned her head towards The Dazzlings, Twilight, and Sunset, who all watched as she almost banged her head into the cupboard door.

"Don't you remember, Rainbow Dash?" Aria shot Rainbow Dash a rather bemused look as she watched the rainbow-haired girl turn towards the cupboard for a brief instance. "We're trying to defeat The Blasters. But this is a rather complex plan we've got running through our heads, so there has to be no margin for error..."

"So, what do we know so far then?" Rainbow Dash asked once she'd grabbed an energy bar and turned towards the girls with the flowchart once more.

"Well, from what the book of Blissen has taught us, Blissen Sirens are usually pacifists, capable of instantly ending someone's rage with a large amount of Blissen Magic..." Twilight showed Rainbow Dash the rather complex flowchart with many pages of the book of Blissen stuck to it. "They feast off of happiness and joy when their singing marks humans and ponies. By harvesting happiness, they're capable of increasing their powers of neutralization to a rather phenomenal level."

"A Blissen Siren only needs time and positive energy to convince any gullible sap that they're on the side of good and heroism," Adagio pointed out as she pointed out more pieces of the flowchart to Rainbow Dash. "Eventually, the Blissen merely needs to look at unmarked humans and ponies to convince them that they're not evil..."

"The Blasters were Blissen Sirens before any of this madness happened. Even before we were reincarnated with Dark Magic, they were still heavily armed with Blissen Magic," she continued, seeing Rainbow Dash nod her head with every point of the story she already knew about. "Due to their high concentration of Blissen Magic, they're capable of uttering the foulest lyrics possible, and they'll still be seen as complete heroes instead of total assholes..."

"There's not a possible way for Lyrican Sirens to overtake other Lyricans, unless their pendants are either misplaced or destroyed..." Sonata said, feeling her neck as she did so. "After a while, Lyrican Sirens need to make their way to the great halls of Composia, where the Demigod of the Lyrican Crystals, Lord Symphonia, will be ready to test them, to see if they're worthy of having a pendant even stronger then they could ever hope to be..."

"You see, the pendants that Symphonia gives to the victors of the trials are linked to their spirits. Each of the new pendants we receive will be shaped exactly in the shape of our insignias," Sonata and The Dazzlings all pointed to the little emblems that were emblazoned on their new clothes. "Our new pendants will be red crystals shaped exactly like these logos right here, as proof that we've completed his trials, and are now worthy of becoming gods among felled Lyricans..."

"However, Symphonia has very high standards to prove a Lyrican's might, and only one out of ten Lyricans have ever completed his trials..." Adagio explained, a rather worried look starting to creep onto her face as she continued speaking. "He'll push us to the limits with his trials, and he'll make it so it'll seem like there's no hope in completing the task and that we'll just give up after a few runs..."

"Not to mention that there are certain requirements we need to undergo in an attempt to earn our new pendants, as we've said before," Adagio mentioned once again, getting the attention of all the girls this time. "In order for the Right Souls of Fury to undergo a trial for new pendants, they need to slay all six of the Euphorian Deities that were resurrected by The Blasters..."

"The six Euphorian Deities are, as you all know, Courageour, Silenzel, Obedium, Judgialze, Hierarxe, and Honous with his trusty steed, Chival..." Sunset spoke, showing all six of the pictures of the Euphorian Deities on the flowchart. "They represent everything to do with Courage, Silence, Obedience, Judgements, Hierarchies, and Heroism..."

"And we witnessed The Dazzlings slaying four of them there deities," Applejack pointed out this time, seeing Sunset and Twilight drawing giant X's on the pictures of Courageour, Silenzel, Obedium and Judgialze. "With that in mind, ah'd say The Dazzlings are almost ready fer their trial..."

"Yes, but things are only going to get tougher and tougher from here on out, girls..." Aria spoke, pointing to the next Euphorian Deity on the flowchart. It was a wizard with an almighty staff with a special star crosshair where the tip of the staff would be. Its' chest seemed rather small, but that was because it was seen absorbing energy from a lifeless human. "The next Euphorian Deity is known as Hierarxe, the Euphorian Deity of the Hierarchy..."

"Hierarxe is unlike other Euphorian Deities. Instead of feasting off of large concentrations of his principles, like the other Euphorian Deities, Hierarxe instead seeds himself inside a boastful person and feeds off of their boastful nature," Adagio said, getting all of the girls to watch closely. "Even worse so, is that Hierarxe is known to possess the boast buster he feeds on, using their bodies as puppets to channel his destructive energy..."

"So far, the only boast buster that we have leads on is Trixie Lulamoon, or as she calls herself, 'the Great and Powerful Trixie'," Sonata pointed out, showing a picture of Trixie right next to Hierarxe. "If what Fuchsia and Lavender suspect is true, then Hierarxe has seeded himself inside Trixie's body and will be using her to wreak havoc and destruction on every city he travels to. People will see Trixie as a monstrosity from another world, and Hierarxe will be completely free of blame.

"The only way we can draw Hierarxe out, is if we can find Trixie and duel her," Adagio went even further with the explanation. "If we can push Trixie to the breaking point, Hierarxe will come out of hiding and finish the job himself. And when he does..."

"You'll be adding one more Euphorian Deity to your body count!" Rainbow Dash perked up, showing a high amount of enthusiasm as she stared at the pictures of Hierarxe and Trixie.

"So, where should we start?" Fluttershy asked, curious to know where to find Trixie at a time like this.

"We've got Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace added to our contacts. We'll call them and see if Trixie's state got any worse," Twilight said as she and Sunset pulled out smartphones, opened up the contacts page, and found Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace relatively quickly. "They're the closest things to Trixie ever since the Battle of the Bands, so they're keeping a very, VERY close eye on her."

"In fact, they're Trixie's managers in a way. Ever since she graduated from CHS, Trixie's been known for some of the most advanced magical tricks in the world. She had tutoring from every magical master around the world, from Chinass, Native Amareica, Transylvaniass, Guanponamo, you name it, she's done it!" Sunset pointed out, hearing the girls let out little giggles shortly afterwards. "But anyways, if Fuchsia and Lavender know about Trixie's current state, then they'll let us know whether or not she's been getting better or worse. Either way, we'll let them know that were coming to have a little 'talk' with their client..."

Twilight and Sunset pushed a special screen icon on their phones, changing the options into what looked like a screen with a smaller screen on their end. The phones still made ringing noises as they waited to establish a secure connection with that of the two girls that Trixie associated herself with the most.

"Hi, Sunset." Fuchsia's face appeared on Sunset's phone, instantly filling up the rest of the screen with her face.

"Hey, Fuchsia. Just checking in on you," Sunset said back to Fuchsia, happy that she'd managed to establish a secure connection with her.. "Just wanted to know, how's Trixie doing?"

"Things aren't looking good for Trixie at the moment..." said Lavender from Twilight's phone, who was quickly seeing that the whole group was listening to this large conversation. "We're watching her performing here in Maneorca, and she's pulling off tricks we haven't even taught her yet..."

"Not to mention that she's doing this by uttering some random Lyrican garbage, saying that they're her new 'magic words'," Fuchsia spoke to the girls, turning her camera towards the girls, who could see Trixie uttering some otherworldly Lyrican words and glowing bright blue as she used her hands to levitate some volunteers with little effort. "Do you think you could help us out here?"

"Let me handle this," Adagio said, getting the girls to turn their phones so that Fuchsia and Lavender were looking primarily at her. "Trixie's been seeded by Hierarxe, the Euphorian Deity of the Hierarchy. The only way she'll be saved from this evil, is if we come over to Maneorca and duel her head on. With Hierarxe deep in her body, Trixie will have no choice to accept our challenge."

"When we duel her and beat her, Hierarxe will come out of her body and challenge the three of us directly," Aria continued with the explanation. "When Hierarxe comes out, we'll defeat him and sever Trixie from his body. It's a rather confusing process, and probably one that could leave Trixie spending a few weeks in hospital afterwards, but its' the only cure we can administer to her at this moment in time..."

"If you're planning on making it to Maneorca, you'd better do it fast. Trixie's last performance in Maneorca is three days from now. And she'll be leaving immediately after that..." Lavender explained as they saw Trixie finishing up her performance and returning to the confines of the stage. "I gotta get going now, Trixie's very sensitive with people snooping on her whilst she's backstage."

"Alright then, see you later, girls." Twilight said as Fuchsia and Lavender's faces vanished from the screen, making the screens return to their normal state shortly after that.

"Well, we've got our next target, girls. We're heading to Maneorca ASAP," Twilight said, addressing all of the girls as seriously as possible. "We need to save Trixie from Hierarxe!"

"But why? She's been nothing but trouble ever since the Battle of the Bands! I see no hope for Trixie at this point, especially since that time she ambushed the seven of us when we were rehearsing..." Rainbow Dash said, rather bemused at the fact that Trixie had to have been saved by them all.

"Fuchsia and Lavender confirmed that Hierarxe has seeded Trixie, forcing her to boast more and more so that she'll spill more energy for him to consume," Adagio said, getting Rainbow Dash to listen very closely. "Trixie can't help it, Rainbow Dash, she's being manipulated by a giant wizard with a Blissen pendant around his neck. I'm completely certain that she'd apologize when she wakes up in hospital afterwards..."

"No matter what Trixie might say to all of you, whether it be compliment, taunt, or insult, remember that she's being possessed by one of the six Euphorian Deities," Adagio spoke to all of the girls, seeing that they were all hanging on every word she spoke to them. "She might be a stuck up brat at the moment, but that's only because her boastful nature is being tempered by one of our six primary targets."

Adagio continued explaining, knowing that she was coming to the end of her sentence. "We kill Hierarxe, and Trixie becomes completely docile and harmless. Sure, she'll have a lot of questions to ask, and dozens of apologies to make, but she'll still be freed from the darkness with the death of Hierarxe."

"So, should we get going?" Rarity asked before getting confused looks from all of the other girls. "Oh, sorry. I guess there was no need to ask, was there?"

"But Trixie's in Maneorca! There's no way we can afford plane tickets in time!" Fluttershy said, showing concern for the plan that the girls had carefully crafted.

"There's a way we can get to Maneorca without having to afford plane travel, but you'll have to hold onto us rather tightly..." Adagio explained, using her hands to gesture the other girls into hugging The Dazzlings as tightly as possible.

"Why exactly do we need to hold onto you to get to Maneorca?" Rainbow Dash asked, still blind to what The Dazzlings had planned in terms of travel.

"Oh no... You don't mean the warp function of our singing?" Sonata pointed out as Adagio and Aria linked hands with all the other girls. "The UNTESTED warp function of our singing?" she saw that Adagio and Aria were paying absolutely no attention to her at this moment in time. "The one that only we've been able to use without disorientation?"

"Coming, Sonny?" Aria asked, stretching her arm in an attempt to grab onto Sonata's.

"May the taco prince forgive me..." Sonata said as she reluctantly grabbed onto Aria's hand with one of her hands, and then finished the circuit by holding onto Sunset's other hand.

"WOOHOO!" Rainbow Dash and many of the other girls cried out in delight as they flew through a red vortex towards their destination.

"You were saying, Sonata?" Adagio made banter as she looked at Sonata, who looked rather flabbergasted at the fact that The Rainbooms were enjoying their trip through the vortex.

"I stand corrected..." she said, watching most of The Rainbooms cheer and holler out with glee as the group all headed towards Maneorca to stop Trixie from doing anything rash.

"I just hope we're not too late..." Aria looked rather serious as The Dazzlings all saw a huge light at the end of the vortex. To her, it was a sign that they were about to arrive in Maneorca, but she was worrying whether or not Trixie had snapped and was already going on a rampage...

Hierarxe's Puppet

A red ball of energy appeared in the middle of a Maneorcan plaza shortly after The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms had departed for it. Just like the orbs The Blasters created when they travelled, this one was letting off energy. Only this time, it was entirely red, since there were only Furens using this power.

It wasn't long before the energy quickly evaporated, launching The Rainbooms out of the orb with quite a fast velocity. The ten girls appeared almost instantly and saw that they could finally see Maneorca after that trip through the vortex.

The only ones who landed on their feet were The Dazzlings, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. They watched as Twilight, Fluttershy, Sunset, Rarity and Applejack landed either on their faces, or rolled into nearby structures whilst letting out groans of pain.

"Velocity always gets the better of you when you ride that vortex," said Adagio as she, Aria, Sonata, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash walked over to the other girls and pulled them to their feet. "You'll get used to it, after a while."

The other girls all got to their feet and quickly shook off the dizziness of their impact before rejoining with the girls who had landed on their feet. They were all quickly taken in with the wonderful sighs of Maneorca, with such pristine alleys and walkways that it would have made anyone give impressed looks. The buildings all had regal golden pillars at each corner, a clear sight that this was a very favourable tourist attraction.

While The Rainbooms were quite taken with the wonderful sights of Maneorca, The Dazzlings were still focusing on Trixie and Hierarxe. They knew that if Hierarxe wasn't released from Trixie's body within the time they were here, then things would only get worse for all of them.

"So, does anyone here know where Trixie, Fuchsia and Lavender are?" Adagio asked the group once they'd finished seeing all the sights in the current vicinity.

"They'll probably be at a rather large venue, since the audience we saw did look rather big..." Twilight said, giving The Dazzlings their answer. "We should probably use the GPS functions on our phones to find them easier, right, Sunset?"

"Oh yeah... I'd forgotten about that," Sunset quickly pulled out her phone, opened up the contacts page once again, and tapped what looked like the word "Triangulate" underneath the picture. Within seconds, the location of Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace appeared on what looked like a sudden map. "All this new technology's really starting to make all the old stuff obsolete, huh?"

"At least I can rest easy with the fact that we still have books..." Twilight looked at the library in the plaza for a brief instance before using the triangulate feature on her phone as well. Within seconds, Twilight had the exact same map and directions on her phone as Sunset Shimmer's phone. "Hey, Sunset? Once this is over, do you think we could get some books from the library?"

"Probably, Twilight. Given the chance, I wouldn't mind coming back here to read with you someday..." said Sunset, showing sisterly feelings for Twilight. Since all the madness with The Dazzlings twelve years ago, Sunset could have easily mistaken Twilight for a sister that she'd loved so long ago, but had to leave for unknown reasons.

"First things first, Sunset, we have to save Trixie from Hierarxe." Twilight's serious expression returned as she gazed down on the map on her phone.

It wasn't long before all of the girls were following her and Sunset on their venture to find Trixie, Fuchsia and Lavender. The ten of them passed by rather marvellous sights on their way, including a variety of rather lovely sculptures and fountains here and there. However, they didn't stay at a sight for too long, since they knew about Trixie's current state and wanted to make sure she was saved at all costs.

The phones eventually led Twilight, Sunset, The Dazzlings and the Humane Five over to a nearby theatre with all kinds of advertisements for Trixie's show. The adverts all showered Trixie with praise, and even showed five-star reviews from some very important people who'd already seen the show, along with some quotes that the reviewers said about Trixie's show.

"So this is where Trixie performs?" Adagio asked, looking at the rather large theatre with looks of interest. "She's really made a living for herself since that Battle of the Bands twelve years ago..."

"Fuchsia and Lavender said that her show's moving out to another city in three days, so we need to do this fast..." Aria reminded Adagio of that one important fact as they approached a secret entrance behind the theatre which had a rather tough guy guarding it. "Although security shouldn't be a problem..."

Adagio, Aria and Sonata walked over to the tough guy and stood some distance from him. It seemed like he was keeping a vigilant watch on the girls, trying to stop them from getting in to see Trixie, Fuchsia and Lavender.

"May I help you?" he said, speaking in a rather cocky tone of voice as he addressed the girls.

Within seconds, The Dazzlings began singing their chorus, quickly marking the security guard as he succumbed to their beguiling symphony of voices. They seemed to be breaking through to the guard, since they could already see his eyes turning red and his jaw begin to droop open with how awestruck he was.

Once the chorus was over, Adagio walked over to the guard and said, "Ten backstage passes, please." before immediately seeing the guard reach for a nearby box with dozens of backstage passes in it. She watched as the guard uttered no words whilst handing each of the girls a backstage pass and allowing them entry.

"Thank you, sir," Aria said as the ten girls walked right past him and went through the door to the backstage confines of the theatre. "Have a nice day..."

The girls quickly found themselves walking down what looked like rather fluffy carpets as they passed by other backstage pass holders and members of staff. The whole sight was enough to make anyone feel jealous if there was footage of it, but the girls could plainly see that there were pictures that denied them from using their cameras backstage.

"So... where's Trixie?" Pinkie asked as the group eventually made it to the near-end of a hallway and stopped.

"She'll probably be somewhere in her dressing room, relaxing after such a show she pulled off..." Sonata said, quickly looking at each of the doors for Trixie's dressing room. "Look for a door with a star, that should narrow the choices down a little..."

"Hey, now that I think about it, we should all try getting a dressing room someday when we return to music!" Pinkie said, seeing the girls look at her with confused looks on their faces. "Twilight's would be covered with scripts, since she seems like a thespian. Rarity's dressing room would be overflowing with dresses, since she does have a secret dream to break the world record for 'Most Dresses in a Dressing Room' someday. Then, Applejack's would be full of-"

"We get the picture, Pinkie." Sunset said, covering Pinkie's mouth with her hand.

"Well, there's the star..." Rarity said as she looked at a rather shiny gold star on the front of a door, and used sign language to get the other girls to walk towards it. What they then saw was rather interesting indeed...

The door itself was rather structurally intact, but the writing on the star seemed rather different altogether. The regular golden plating still had Trixie's name cared into it, but there was writing that looked like it had been carved by some blue kind of energy that read "The Great and Powerful" next to Trixie's name.

"Well, here goes nothing... or everything..." Twilight said as she knocked on the door, hoping that it would open up relatively quickly. Once she'd finished rapping her knuckles against the door, she took a few steps back and waited with the girls for Trixie to answer it.

"Unless Trixie sees backstage passes or staff cards, she's not letting you in to her private dressing room!" Trixie's voice came from the other side of the door, albeit a bit muffled.

"Uh, hi, O Great and Powerful one!" Twilight said, trying to fake a smile as she still cringed at Trixie's pessimistic behaviour. "We're just ten backstage pass holders, hoping to get access to your almighty confines of amazement and wonder!"

"Oh, well then why didn't you just say so?" the door flew open slowly, so that the girls could see Trixie once more. "Step through the door and witness the backstage beauty only known as the Great and Powerfu-" she immediately looked rather surprised to see who it was, but then kept her composure as she remembered her fellow high-school classmates. "Oh, it's you. Come to grovel at my feet have we?"

"Not exactly, Trixie," said Adagio as the whole group walked into the rather expansive dressing room to see Trixie sitting on a prop throne with jewels and gold lacing the sides of it. "We're here because of rather confidential matters. Something that only you and your managers need to hear."

"Well then, simply ask away," Trixie said, drumming her fingers against the armrests of the throne as she leisurely put her feet up, showing rather expensive and flashy looking golden boots. "What is so important that makes it something that only the three of us need to hear?"

"It's about your magic, Trixie..." Twilight said, getting Trixie to immediately shoot up and look rather apprehensive once more.

"Come to barter with the Great and Powerful Trixie so she'll give away her spells and tricks? Fat chance of that happening," Trixie said, shooting rather unamused looks at her ten guests. "Her spells and tricks are rather confidential, and Trixie's opposition would pay anything to get their hands on the techniques in pulling them off. Well let me make this as clear as day for the ten of you; Trixie's spells are NOT for sale, and they never will be for sale."

"We're not here to buy any of your spells, Trixie." Sunset said, getting Trixie to immediately change her tune into a rather smug one.

"Oh! So you're here for Trixie to tutor the ten of you into being her apprentices?" Trixie still seemed rather arrogant and cocky as usual. "I'll just warn you right now that it might get a little unbearable, and that most of Trixie's other apprentices usually quit after the first week with how much work she gave them."

"Trixie, if you'd just let us explain—"

"Trixie's next show's tomorrow, but I guess she can teach you the most basic trick in the book; the Linking Rings!" Trixie magically conjured up what looked like one metal ring, but quickly made a link of five of the metal rings with the simple flick of her wrist. "Learn this by tomorrow, and Trixie will see what she can do for-"

"YOU'VE BEEN CURSED!" The Dazzlings all yelled so loud that Trixie's hat flew right off of her hair, making it smash against the wall.

"W-What?" Trixie looked rather taken aback by that statement.

"If you don't believe us, then just look at the blue energy radiating from your hand!" Adagio showed Trixie's hand to her, seeing as it was glowing a rather bright shade of blue.

"Oh, that? That's just Trixie's Blue Brilliance skin lights, she got those installed recently after she rose to magical supremacy—"

"Alright, that's it!" Adagio grabbed Trixie by the neck, put her mouth right next to Trixie's right ear and yelled, "HIERARXE, WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! COME ON OUT AND FIGHT THE THREE OF US LIKE A TRUE LYRICAN WOULD!" making Trixie's head vibrate with how loud it was.

"Very well, Dazzlings. It seems you finally found me after all these years..." said a voice when Trixie opened her mouth to speak. It was as if Hierarxe was actually manipulating Trixie's mouth to make it sound like she was speaking to the group.

The next thing that happened involved Trixie's eyes glowing a rather blinding shade of radiant blue as she was completely covered in a bright blue glow, enabling her to levitate off of the floor with little effort. Within seconds, little blue strings strung down from the ceiling and attached to Trixie's limbs and head.

"How do you like my little puppet, Dazzlings?" Hierarxe gloated as the whole group stood back against the wall and looked rather horrified at the sight they were seeing. "Out of all the boast busting show-offs in all of existence, Miss Lulamoon here has been the most efficient in enhancing my power..."

"What are you doing with Trixie?!" Fuchsia Blush addressed Hierarxe as furiously as she could.

"Relax yourself, Miss Blush, your human performer is safe for now..." Hierarxe spoke to the whole group, making sure that they were all listening well with what he had to say. "However, as long as I continue to absorb her boastful nature as the Great and Powerful Trixie, she will eventually wither out and die when she outlives her usefulness..."

"Such a powerful young vessel Miss Lulamoon is..." he continued, making Trixie dance in the air with his many puppet strings as he spoke. "To think that all of this started when the three corrupted Lyricans filled her head with dreams of victory and dominance..." his puppet stroked the chins of The Dazzlings, getting them to wipe them with their hands and throw their fists behind them in anger. "They'd spoken of the great rewards Miss Lulamoon would receive if she were better than all other opposition, and it had made her into the perfect candidate for my absorption process. With every time she boasts or speaks in the first person, she was oblivious to the fact that I was feasting off of it, getting stronger and stronger with each passing day that went by. Pretty nifty, huh?"

"You're sick!" Twilight shouted to the Trixie puppet.

"No, I am a highly powerful Euphorian Deity," the puppet continued to speak, but this time, its' hands were glowing rather brightly. It was making the whole room shake and rattle with how violent the magical build-up was. "You may have bested the other four, but they were merely infants compared to me. I ensure you, that as long as I continue to feed off of Trixie Lulamoon here, I am nothing like what you fools have fought in the past..."

"W-What's happening?" Fluttershy said as she watched the entire room warp and change its' molecular structure completely as the Trixie puppet continued to wave its' arms and cast magic.

"I am merely scrapping what's left of this miserable stadium of boast busting," Hierarxe spoke as the whole room started to show massive blue cracks of light as the puppet raised its' arms and prepared to throw them out in a manner of directions. "But do not worry yourselves with the destruction of this stadium, for I shall create a more appropriate battleground for The Dazzlings to duel me..."

"And you, my dear, sweet Fuchsia and Lavender..." the puppet spoke, now in Trixie's voice instead of Hierarxe's voice. "You two shall serve the newly resurrected Lyrican Sirens among the ranks of Euphoria for all of eternity!"

"Trixie...?" Lavender watched as the dressing room continued to spawn more and more bright blue cracks of Lyrican energy with each of the swings of the puppets' arms.

"Under the guidance of my almighty and all-powerful Hierarxe, I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, shall eradicate all other opposition from this weak and puny world!" Trixie spoke in her normal voice, yet still under Hierarxe's control. "By doing so, Trixie shall utter in a new era of prosperity and peace, where all of the humans of this world will cower before her might!"

"Could someone please tell me what's happenin' here?!" Applejack asked as The Dazzlings ran in front of the whole group and raised their swords for battle.

"Hierarxe's starting a battle with us, and is going to be using Trixie's body to buy himself some time whilst he destroys this theatre and takes all the pieces to Euphoria!" Adagio explained as their swords glowed bright red in resonance with their now glowing bodies. "Get ready to fly, girls!"

The Trixie puppet curled its' arms up and hugged itself, whilst still channelling Blissen energy. The build-up of energy only got bigger and bigger the more that Trixie hugged herself, and within seconds, her hands flew out of her hugging stance, enveloping everyone in the room with a bright flash of light.

The only noises that could be heard over the loud and bright flash of light were the screams of The Rainbooms, Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace...

Author's Note

Sorry if this took a while, I was busy playing Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix. And let me tell you, it's MILES BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL! Not only is the music all orchestrated (Which I adore with all of my heart), but the new features such as Puzzles, EX Gummi Routes, Absent Silhouettes, they're all just so entertaining and exciting.

Luna: I expected as much, Shadowmane, seeing as the Cutie Mark in your emblem depicts the main weapon of the Kingdom Hearts franchise and all...

Me: Weww, it's a gweat fwanchise, and I tink evewyone shouwd pway it...

Celestia: It all depends on what they think of it, little one... (Levitates me up) Now off to bed with you.

Me: Otay, Ma- Zzzzzzz...

Luna: Oh, and before you leave this chapter and wait for the next one, I advise you to leave some more comments on these stories of Shadowmane's. He pours his heart out in making these and deserves some feedback for all the work he's done.

Discord: Patience, patience, Luna. These readers will comment all in good time... And if they don't,(Glares at reader) I know where they live...

Lauren: What was that about?

Luna: Do not question him, mother. He's just Discord being Discord in the end...

Hierarchy: The Unquestioned Order of Power

The whole theater was completely destroyed with an almighty column of bright blue light. However, all the pieces didn't completely fall to the ground and end up causing damage to the town itself. Instead, all of the pieces were suddenly pulled into the midst of a magical tornado with Trixie's Cutie Mark emanating from the almighty flow of blue winds.

The Dazzlings were already winged, with their extended hair and swords ready for combat. They nimbly brushed along the side of the tornado, nimbly spiralling around it until Trixie emerged from the tornado and became enveloped in a powerful blue orb of tesla.

"Dazzlings, why must the three of you chase after Miss Lulamoon here?" Hierarxe spoke as Trixie suddenly gained an almighty golden sceptre with blue Blissen crystals laced all over it.

"Despite Trixie being a boast-buster, you still don't have a right to slaughter the human species with her body!" Adagio charged after Trixie, who was nimbly riding against the tornado's surface at this moment in time. "We're gonna save Trixie Lulamoon from your treachery and return her to the light of friendship!"

"Then follow the two of us, Lyricans..." Hierarxe made Trixie wave the sceptre, firing giant orbs of energy with each swing of her sceptre. "Follow Trixie Lulamoon and I, as we travel to her new home; Lyrica!"

"Not a chance, Hierarxe! She's staying with us; you're gonna be the one who's leaving!" Aria charged for Trixie, using her sword to deflect all of the orbs and slam them into the tornado, intensifying it with each successful hit.

"After all, we never got to finish our match with Trixie and The Illusions," Sonata said, as the three Lyricans inched closer and closer to Trixie as they took in Furen energy. "Let's just see how it would have ended..."

With no more words uttered, Trixie brought her sceptre to her chest and banged the end against the tornado. She quickly watched as the bang she made had enveloped her in a barrier of blue thorns, making her impervious to all Lyrican attacks. With her forcefield up, Trixie made a rather insidious laugh as The Dazzlings hacked and slashed away at the impenetrable shield.

The Dazzlings saw that their attacks wouldn't be breaking through to Trixie any time soon, so they waited patiently for an opening whilst dodging the most advanced spells known to mankind. They avoided waves of energy spawned from a sceptre bang, flew around fireballs and snowballs when Trixie spun her staff in a spiral-like fashion.

Eventually, Trixie's thorns opened up, revealing her for a brief moment before glowing as bright as a celestial star. She cast a rather sinister smirk as the open part of the thorn shield continued charging up magic for a rather devastating spell.

With the one opening revealed to them, The Dazzlings covered themselves in red energy and shot forward towards the exposed weakness in Trixie's defences. They held their swords out as they charged and quickly pierced through the thorn shield with little effort whatsoever. Then, with Trixie stunned by that little impact, The Dazzlings began hacking and slashing away at her body.

Now, for a normal human, sword slashes would have killed Trixie, but she was not a human anymore, as long as she had Hierarxe by her side, and her damage seemed to be wittled down to mere little scratches on her skin. When The Dazzlings finally finished their combo on her, she knocked them into the tornado of magic with a mere swing of her sceptre. When she saw the ripples where The Dazzlings had entered the ferocious vortex, Trixie made a leaping gesture and hastily flew into the tornado after her targets, to ensure that they were no more trouble for her.

In the midst of the tornado, destroyed pieces of the stadium were caught all over the place, being hurled around like clothes in a washing machine. In addition to all of this, The Rainbooms, Fuchsia, and Lavender were desperately holding on to a destroyed piece of the theatre, so that they didn't end up getting smashed against any other pieces.

Once The Dazzlings had appeared in the vortex of blue energy and destroyed theatre pieces, they could also see Trixie making a grand entrance as a different part of the vortex rippled for a brief instance. They saw the silver haired demigod girl appear and use her staff to add continuous lightning to the background of the tornado, making the battleground seem even more threatening that ever before.

"Now you fools will know why we're called Trixie and The Illusions!" Trixie called out as she magically created a perfect copy of her sceptre for her other hand. Satisfied with her second sceptre, Trixie flew towards the bottom of the vortex, getting The Dazzlings to give chase as all the destroyed pieces of the theatre followed the four of them.

Trixie then banged her two sceptres together, making a chain of blue energy appear and link the tips of both of the sceptres together. She made a halo of energy with this new link, and immediately leapt through it, making hundreds of Trixie copies fly out of the top of the halo.

The Dazzlings, The Rainbooms, Fuchsia and Lavender all looked rather terrified as hundreds of perfect copies of Trixie flew out, surrounding The Dazzlings with their rather menacing visages and smug grins. With this many Trixies confusing Adagio, Aria and Sonata, the real Trixie would escape to Lyrica with Hierarxe close behind her.

"Try to find me if you can, Spazzlings!" all the Trixies gloated as the battle continued once more.

Adagio, Aria and Sonata merely shrugged that insult off and began attacking all of the clones they could find. It seemed that with every slash they made, Trixie just up and vanished, like she never even existed to begin with. It was as if the real Trixie had already left, as they continued dodging the combined attacks of all the surviving clones and immediately counterattacking them once they were out of the line of fire.

Eventually, all the remaining Trixies raised their sceptres, firing colossal lasers of energy at The Dazzlings, knocking them against all of the pieces of the destroyed theatre with such velocity that the whole thing seemed completely beyond repair now.

"Emzel Kringera!" The Dazzlings uttered, spawning their Hippocampi once more. This time, they got onto the backs of their almighty beasts and tenderly stroked their chins before grabbing onto some ethereal reins that had appeared out of nowhere. Using the reins as whips to motivate horses, The Dazzlings got control of their almighty Hippocampi and began charging them into all of the Trixie clones they could find.

When all of the Trixie clones were vanquished, the real Trixie looked rather horrified as she was knocked around the vortex by the rather mad Hippocampi. She got battered, bruised, tackled, and was generally roughed up long enough for The Dazzlings to deal the final blow that would expose Hierarxe.

The Dazzlings all made their Hippocampi roar at the one remaining Trixie, making her clutch onto her ears in pain as the powerful sound waves slammed down on her with such ferocity that she fell towards the bottom of the vortex. However, when they saw Trixie fall into a massive glow of light, they all gave chase after her, to ensure that she didn't escape their sight...

When The Dazzlings readjusted their eyes to the light, they could see that The Rainbooms, Fuchsia and Lavender had safely and gently landed on a nearby platform. However, they were no longer in the Human World, and were once more in the heavenly confines of Euphoria.

The other thing that could be seen was a giant wizard-like being with an almighty sceptre with a star-shaped crosshair at the centre of the peak. He was wearing a manner of wizard-like outfits and wore a Blissen pendant, just like the rest of the Euphorian Deities. However, he was looking rather cross with The Dazzlings for invoking his arrival.

Euphorian Deity

HIERARXE

Hierarchy

"Must I do everything myself, Dazzlings?!" he roared, revealing the fact that Trixie was tightly welded into his chest plate. He charged up a spell by consuming a torrent of blue energy from Trixie's agape mouth and fired a massive torrent of Blissen energy at the winged Furens. "You have pushed me long enough, Furens! I should have stayed with Courageour and killed you instead of tending to that other assault force!"

The beam of energy was so powerful, that The Dazzlings couldn't avoid it in time, and quickly felt sensations of agony as the laser did its' dirty work on the three of them. However, it only lasted for three seconds before The Dazzlings were finally given the chance to get back into the air.

With the battle resuming, Adagio, Aria and Sonata charged towards Hierarxe, narrowly dodging more slender and smaller lasers as they made their way for Hierarxe. They could see that he was warping the lasers so that they made web-like designs to prevent them from getting close to him, but they saw through this and slid through one of the cracks in the web of lasers.

They made it past at least five webs of lasers before Hierarxe swirled his sceptre around his head, turning him completely invisible. Shocked to see that Hierarxe had such capabilities such as invisibility, The Dazzlings put their swords by their hips and prepared a circle slice, to try and prevent him from getting close.

Hierarxe then appeared with a ripple in the battlefield. Seeing that he was getting closer, The Dazzlings swung their swords as wide as they could, creating a rather deadly pulse of red energy that swept everywhere around their hip height. It worked on Hierarxe, since he was now reeling from that strike that The Dazzlings had laid on him.

However, he used his star-shaped crosshair to create a corridor of magic. Using this, Hierarxe would have ensured The Dazzlings wouldn't be able to touch him since he began spinning it around slowly.

The Dazzlings flew straight threw the star-shaped corridor, narrowly evading the edges of magic by retracting their Hippocampi wings a little. They were almost at Hierarxe when the corridor began moving around them, trying to confuse and disorient them. They were unfazed and merely followed the corridor's path towards the sceptre that Hierarxe was wielding.

It wasn't long before Adagio, Aria and Sonata flew out of Hierarxe's corridor of magic and began using a combination of magical and physical attacks to completely brutalize his face. With each powerful swing of The Dazzlings' swords, Hierarxe received more and more painful cuts and gashes on his facial area.

Hierarxe put his sceptre straight to his face and used a powerful surge of magic to knock The Dazzlings into a nearby Euphorian temple, completely demolishing it with their impact alone. He then let out a hearty laugh as The Dazzlings narrowly avoided the falling rubble of the temple they'd been knocked into.

Adagio, Aria and Sonata thought that that was it, but just when they fought that that was all that Hierarxe had to show them, they watched as he created an electrical link with the help of a second sceptre which had Trixie's Cutie Mark as the crosshairs this time.

Hierarxe used the link to create a halo, just like Trixie had done earlier, but this time, the halo charged up a massive surge of Blissen energy. He held his ground as the halo gained more and more decisive energy with each passing second. Then, when he was satisfied with the energy he'd amassed, Hierarxe pushed his hand forward, turning the halo into a colossal beam of energy that would have completely annihilated anything foolish enough to have been caught in its' wake.

The Dazzlings could see that it was a massive beam of energy and quickly used their wings to fly out of the way just in time. However, they were shocked to know that the laser was actually following them this time, desperate to consume them once more and deal a fatal blow. Adagio, Aria and Sonata didn't even look back as the laser they ran from completely destroyed dozens of Euphorian structures, sending the remnants into a pool that showed a bird's eye view of Maneorca.

The Dazzlings were eventually caught by the laser, and let out screams of agony as the bright blue concentration of energy consumed them and dealt them massive damage. They looked limp and lifeless after that attack, and were ready to be devoured by Hierarxe.

However, when Hierarxe reached for the three lifeless Dazzlings, they vanished, and he received a powerful strike to his back. This surprise attack was powerful enough to smash him into another Euphorian structure, with the remnants falling on him this time. He quickly emerged from the landslide of rubble with a roar of fury and looked at The Dazzlings, who looked like they'd never even been hit to begin with.

"So close, Hierarxe. But you'll have to do better than that!" Adagio gloated before The Dazzlings all charged towards him and began another round of brutal attacks.

This time, they focused more on his chest area, hitting and cutting the flesh around Trixie and Hierarxe's armour. They actually made Hierarxe bleed this time, with all the painful-looking cuts and gashes that The Dazzlings were dealing to him. However, even that was not enough when they saw him teleport right behind them.

"ENOUGH OF THIS! IT IS TIME TO FINISH THE FUREN SIRENS ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Hierarxe screamed with anger as he banged the two ends of the sceptres together, linking them into one giant double-edged sceptre. Seeing a final attack oppurtunity, Hierarxe began spinning the double-edged sceptre around like a cheerleader's baton, watching with satisfaction as it took in an unearthly amount of Blissen energy within the short span of five seconds. With enough energy ready to annihilate anything caught in the path of this final spell, Hierarxe screamed, "DEATH TO HATRED!" before firing a laser that was five times his size.

The Dazzlings quickly enveloped themselves with the power of the Right Souls of Fury and turned themselves into red meteors once more. Happy with their new forms, The Dazzlings charged straight for the heart of the giant laser and smashed head on into it.

The three red meteors and the giant laser of energy were now desperately pushing against each other, determined to break through to the other side and defeat the opponent they were facing. It seemed like this battle would be enough to destroy all of Euphoria as traces of the combined energy flew out of the power struggle and destroyed hundreds of thousands of Euphorian structures with little effort. Not only that, but the power this struggle was creating eventually made another blue and red laser erupt directly underneath it and collide with Manorca, completely wiping it from existence, along with all of the townspeople.

Eventually, The Dazzlings let out screams of determination, which gradually grew in pitch as the meteors inched closer and closer to Hierarxe. Their pitches turned into full grown roars of rage when the meteors finally destroyed the laser and began impaling Hierarxe multiple times over, whilst leaving Trixie completely unharmed.

"Tampurek Dalein!" The Dazzlings all called out, spawning red streams once more as they summoned another being from Dystopia to finish the job off.

This new being, like all the others, turned the peaceful landscape of light, into a rather hellish landscape with red skies. This time, a massive creature with snakes for hair descended from the skies and now locked gazes with that of Hierarxe.

Letting out a scream as it stared directly into Hierarxe's eyes, the beast watched as Hierarxe turned into cinderblock. Then, using its' mighty fists, the beast began pounding and bashing away at Hierarxe's body, seeing it crack rather quickly. Finally, the beast put its' hands together into an H-Bomb and slammed Hierarxe's head so hard that it disappeared into his body.

Finally, the beast disappeared, turning Hierarxe's cinderblock remnants into bloody pieces of flesh once again. Hierarxe finally let out a scream of pain as he knew that all of his limbs detached from his body could have only meant that he was now dead and buried at last.

"Dazzlings... You... protecting this arrogant boast-buster..." Hierarxe began speaking once he knew he'd been beaten for good. "You will not stand against your own destiny! You WILL submit and join your brothers in singing the Song of Resurrection! You will never be allowed to stand against your own kind!"

"I don't recall the three of us asking for your permission, Hierarxe," Adagio said with her grin returning once again. "And by the way, it turns out that you are leaving after all..."

"Going down!" Aria and Sonata said as The Dazzlings all gave Hierarxe their thumbs down. A sign that they'd truly won against him, was the fact that a Dystopian seal had appeared behind Hierarxe, and was now dragging him and his destroyed parts towards Dystopia.

The Dazzlings all watched as Hierarxe tried fighting against the hands, but to no avail. They watched him wriggling frantically to escape, but he was being held quite tightly.

"Fuck... Trixie! Almost forgot about that..." Adagio said, throwing her sword so that it cut Trixie free from Hierarxe's chest plate, getting him to scream out even more.

With Trixie then falling unconscious, The Dazzlings all flew after her and quickly grabbed onto her. The three of them then lifted the unconscious Trixie onto the platform where The Rainbooms, Fuchsia Blush, and Lavender Lace were standing. When they finally dropped the body onto the platform, they watched as Hierarxe was finally pulled into the void to spend eternity in Dystopia, rotting for his crimes.

"May Allure, the Siren King, make you the most powerful beings in the unversal hierarchy!" Hierarxe said as his body vanished into the void, never to surface again.

When The Dazzlings sheathed their swords, the girls were all consumed by another bright light. However, this time they were quite happy to be bathed in this celestial light, since they knew that Hierarxe had been beaten...

Within seconds, The Dazzlings, The Rainbooms, Trixie, Fuchsia and Lavender arrived back in Sunset's safehouse. It seemed like the light was generous enough to get them to somewhere safe since Maneorca had been completely destroyed in the midst of that battle.

All of the girls picked Trixie up and laid her down on a number of beanbags over by the TV, since she had fallen unconscious from that battle with The Dazzlings.

"Oh god... don't tell me that Trixie's dead..." Fuchsia showed a great deal of sorrow for Trixie as she and Lavender looked closely at their unconscious client with tears forming in their eyes. They'd stuck by Trixie for the past twelve years, and the mere thought of their client suddenly dying on them was a rather sad thing for them to feel.

"She's not dead, girls. She's just sleeping like a baby," Sonata pointed out, feeling that Trixie was still breathing in her sleep, albeit very lightly. "She just needs to sleep for a few days, to shake off of the hectic battle she just went through. If she wakes up, make sure she only wakes up for food, drinks, and to use the toilet. Other than that, ensure that she gets at least a few days in bed, to make sure she's fully recovered..."

"Alright, girls. We'll get her to the mansion so she can rest up." Lavender said as she and Fuchsia picked the slumbering Trixie up and began climbing out of the cellar.

"We really owe you one for this, everyone..." Fuchsia said, shooting a rather pleased smile at The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings. "If there's anything you need, anything at all, we'll be glad to help you out..."

"We'll keep that in mind, Illusions." Sunset shot her own happy smile right back at Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace as they climbed out of the cellar and opened the doors up, letting the light pour back into the dark room.

The Next Day...

Trixie slowly woke up in bed whilst wearing some snug blue pajamas with special starry patterns all over them. She made little groans and coos as she tugged on the edge of the covers and awoke in her rather expensive bedroom. She could easily feel how comfortable she was in this position, and didn't want to leave anytime soon.

The next thing she saw when she woke up, was Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace, her two most trusted managers and her favourite best friends. She let out a smile when she saw their faces, and was happy and relieved to know that they were all fine and dandy.

"Welcome back from Dreamland, Trixie," Fuchsia said, smiling down on her client as she snuggled deep into her bed. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Oh yes I did, Fuchsia. I dreamt that I was a mighty wizard who ensured that no evil befell the world..." Trixie said, feeling rather happy to share her dreams with her two friends. "Just the thought of keeping the worlds happy made it seem like a rather wonderful dream... After I get some food and drink in, I think I'd love to return to that dream..."

"You do that, Trixie," Lavender said, putting down Trixie's breakfast on a bedside table, complete with a glass of OJ and a plate of hot buttered toast. "You have been working yourself an awful lot recently. Even the Great and Powerful need to rest themselves sometimes..."

"Thanks, Lavender. You too, Fuchsia..." Trixie said, looking at the both of them with a rather content smile on her face. She let out a rather relaxed sigh as she sat up and watched as her breakfast was put out on a small breakfast-in-bed table. "Knowing that I have you two covering everything makes it all worthwhile..." she then took a bite out of the food and was immediately swept away with how wonderful it tasted.

"So, what did happen to me when I passed out in Maneorca?" Trixie asked between bites of her food and gulps of her drink.

"Well, it's hard to explain really," Fuchsia dreaded how Trixie would react for a moment, but then immediately brushed it off when she realized the positives of it "but The Rainbooms AND The Dazzlings saved you..."

"They saved you from a life-threatening disease that would have killed you if you kept on boasting..." Lavender continued, ensuring Trixie that the words that were uttered were of goodwill instead of suspicion. "Without their remedy, you would have fallen into an eternal sleep... We all owe the ten of them big time, with the first step being that we can now consider them our friends forever, until the end of time..."

"Well then, I'll be sure to thank them... the next time I see them..." Trixie yawned in the middle of that sentence. She'd just finished up her food and was now ready to return to a rather pleasant dream.

"You seem tired, Trixie. Just sleep for now..." Fuchsia's words seemed so soothing to Trixie that they were almost hypnotic. "Just sleep and let all of your worries melt away like butter... Just close your eyes, and return to your wonderful dream of wizardry and wonder... And always remember, that we'll always be right here for you," she poked Trixie's chest lightly. "in your heart..."

The Broken Rainbooms

Two Years Later...

The Rainbooms watched as Adagio, Aria and Sonata had finished up another batch of Euphorians and Dystopians. However, they could clearly see that things weren't over yet, as another being erupted from a horde of red lights.

The new being that descended onto the field was made entirely of water, meaning that it could shapeshift itself into multiple different forms. However, it merely did a pacing stride as its' legs became slender, enabling it to stretch quite far. Once it was done taunting, it took the shape of all three of The Dazzlings and raised its' water swords.

Stockpiler of Sorrow

SELF-PITY

"Well now..." Adagio admired the new Dystopian's ability to shapeshift. "This one might actually be a challenge..."

Within seconds, The Dazzlings were fighting against the Self-Pity, trying to hit three little orbs in the center of the ever-transforming water. However, since the water was all one sentient being, it was near impossible for The Dazzlings to hit the orbs as the water kept on swirling all around them.

It was actually proving quite difficult for The Dazzlings at first, since the creature could avoid every single sword swing that had been hurled its' way. However, The Dazzlings saw through the creature's beguiling attack and evasion patterns, and took advantage of where it would land instead of where it already was.

Planning their attacks in advance, The Dazzlings pushed their swords straight through the veil of water, impaling the orb in the centre of all three of their watery doppelgangers. They destroyed the orbs they had impaled, causing the watery beings to dissipate at a rather fast pace.

"You know, sometimes, I wonder why these things even exist with us hanging around..." Adagio said, relishing in her victory as the fighting had finally stopped, revealing a rather tranquil world around them.

"WELL, THEY ARE THE EMBODIMENTS OF OUR WORLD, AFTER ALL..." Allure's voice suddenly pierced the sound barrier, getting all ten of the girls to frantically look around for the source of the voice. "THE CREATURES THAT YOU ALL FIGHT ARE THE EMBODIMENTS OF ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF HAPPINESS AND HATRED. BEINGS THAT CAN ULTIMATELY BE USED AS A WAY OF DRAWING THE PRINCIPAL EMOTIONS OUT FOR MY LOYAL SUBJECTS TO HARVEST..."

"Girls! Look in the sky!" Sunset pointed towards the sky, seeing something otherworldly take place shortly after that...

Within seconds, two giant translucent eyes were seen watching over the ten girls with a rather serious demeanour. The two eyes glowed bright as additional suns as their light quickly spotlighted The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings.

"Who are you?! Explain yourself!" Twilight said, angrily addressing the two skyward eyes with a rather furious demeanour on her face. "Under the laws of Equestria, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, demand to know what you are, and what you are planning!"

"SO... YOU ARE THE FABLED PRINCESS TWILIGHT AND THE RAINBOOMS..." Allure's eyes spoke to the seven girls with a rather spiteful tone in his voice. "YOU SEVEN HAVE MANY CRIMES TO ATONE FOR, MUCH LIKE THE DAZZLINGS HERE..."

"Crimes?" Fluttershy asked, nervously peeking out of Sunset's back at the two giant eyes. "W-What have we done that you thought wrong?"

"YOU SEVEN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISHOUNOURING OF THE RIGHT SOULS OF FURY, THE DAZZLINGS," Allure's eyes continued to speak. "DESPITE THEM BEING CORRUPTED WITH DARK MAGIC, YOU JUST LEFT THEM TO DIE, WEAK AND HELPLESS..."

"Your Right Souls of Fury nearly caused another war! Is this what the almighty King Allure himself would have wanted?!" Rainbow Dash shouted at the eyes, getting them to vanish rather slowly. "Yeah, that's right! Run! Run away and never show your stupid face in this miserable world again!"

"Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire, huh?" Orchestral appeared as the eyes suddenly vanished. "You girls have got a lot of nerve, rising up against the almighty King Allure himself."

"King Allure?" Rarity parroted.

"The two eyes that you just shouted at, that's our KING. Be sure to remember that," Orchestral said, then waved his finger rhythmically so that he could get the point across. "King A-L-L, U-R-E."

"Gee, thanks for the spellcheck, jerk." Rainbow Dash deadpanned as she showed a rather disdainful look towards Orchestral Chill.

"Listen, ladies. You don't know how much trouble you've gotten yourself into, huh?" Orchestral said, teleporting behind the girls and resting his hands on their shoulders, getting them to jump in surprise. "Anyone who insults the almighty King Allure will become assaulted endlessly, until their frail and lifeless bodies end up falling into Dystopia, or rising into Euphoria."

"What do you mean by that?" Adagio asked as Orchestral returned to his initial position with the blink of an eye.

"It means that your human girls will see no end to the endless assault. King Allure will send every force from Euphoria and Dystopia straight at The Rainbooms," Orchestral said, making gloating gestures as he circled The Rainbooms. "Then, when they finally fall to their knees, they will either be served to the almighty Jehovah up in Euphoria, or the Three Queens of Dystopia; Greed, Persuasion and Malice..."

"Eventually, you seven girls will be at your limit, and the Magic of Friendship's power will expire. And when it does..." Orchestral merely sniggered as he once more returned to his initial position. "Well, we'll just let your whole entire lives decide that..."

"Our whole... entire... lives?" Twilight looked rather lost for words at that moment in time. She was completely unaware that there would be a certain judgement that measured the entire lives of her and all of the other girls.

"Orchestral!" Allegro suddenly appeared in front of The Rainbooms, and looked at Orchestral with a rather unamused look on his face.

"Uh-oh!" Orchestral suddenly noticed what was going on, and disappeared for Lyrica by opening up a portal behind him and throwing himself through it.

The Rainbooms were about to follow Orchestral to Lyrica, but were stopped by Allegro's sword.

"We'll ensure that he falls back into line with the other Blasters..." he said, calming the other girls down as the portal to Lyrica suddenly vanished.

"Allegro Maelstrom, my brother..." Aria said, locking gazes with that of her Lyrican brother. "Why do you three still haunt The Rainbooms? Haven't they already suffered enough?"

"The Rainbooms are a danger not only to us, but to the very resurrection that ensures our species' survival. Or did you forget that, little sister?" Allegro responded to Aria's statement, immediately getting her to hold her tongue in surprise. Seeing his sisters' silence, Allegro merely huffed and paced around the entire group slowly. "Your defeat showed us that these meddlesome Rainbooms should not even be allowed the rights to live and breathe. If these fools stand in the way of our resurrection, Fortissimo and I will gladly postpone it so that we may spill their blood, the one task you three infidels failed to do..."

"However, that is beyond my control," Allegro continued pacing around the girls. "Instead, I have come to offer Princess Twilight the opportunity of a lifetime..." he finished his pace and leaned in close to Twilight's face. "The chance to be reunited with some very close friends of hers..."

"My... friends?" Twilight was immediately beginning to shape the puzzle together in her mind.

"That's right, Princess. I am here to offer you the chance to return to your true friends. But first, I must see how much you truly want them over these impudent children you call 'Human World Friends...'

"What do you mean by that, Allegro?" Twilight looked rather worried by that statement as she slowly watched Allegro give her some breathing room.

"Your true friends are the ones who lived with you in Equestria, the very ones we swindled from you when you arrived in Lyrica..." Allegro said, making Twilight remember her pony friends. "Here is the one and ONLY opportunity that you'll get in reuniting yourself with the friends you hold dearer and closer to your heart than any others..." he said, watching Twilight immediately listen in on all of his words. "Now then... how much do you TRULY value your friends from Equestria, over your Human World friends?"

There was a long silence before Twilight slowly stepped forward, away from the whole group.

"Twilight?" Sunset asked, not seeing her friend even react to that statement.

Twilight Sparkle got down onto her knees, put her hands in a begging pose and looked up at Allegro with rather wide, pleading eyes. "Please... Give me my friends back..." she said, shedding a tear.

"My, my... You really ARE that desperate to see your friends," Allegro said, a smile growing on his face at long last. "Very well then, I shall give you your friends back, but at one rather large cost..."

"I'll do anything you ask of me, Allegro. ANYTHING to get my pony friends back..." Twilight said, not even moving from her begging stance as she looked at the smiling Lyrican.

"In order to return to your friends, you simply need to shed your past, and step forward into a brighter future. We'll give you a completely new body, and give your friends all the memories of you right back," Allegro said, showing spectral images of Twilight being reunited with the Siren 5, with all of them bearing rather pleased smiles. "By giving up this human body, you shall return to your friends, and it shall be as if you never experienced any heartbreak in the first place..."

"Twilight, no! You can't go through with this!" Sunset said, trying to snap Twilight out of the whole thing as she rushed over to her and put her hands on her shoulders.

"Which brings me to the next question I have to pose for you..." Allegro said, using his hand to push Sunset back with a harmless wave of energy. "Are these girls really your friends?"

"W-What do you even mean by that, Allegro?" Twilight asked as she looked at all of the other Rainbooms with a rather unbeknownst look on her face.

"Had it ever crossed your mind that these six girls are not really your true friends?" he said, putting a hand on Twilight's forehead to make her see the truth of what her friends were. She saw the Humane 5 turn into evil demons, and then watched as Sunset's whole demeanour changed into a rather insidious one. "After all, these five girls you ally yourselves with are nothing more than fakes. Imperfect replicas of the true Spirits of Harmony..." he then turned her gaze towards Sunset Shimmer. "And let's not forget the crimes that Miss Shimmer herself has posed. After all, she nearly sent your world cascading into turmoil with your own crown. In truth, she's still a she-demon deep down inside... Just like the rest of your fake friends..."

"You rotten son of a-" Rainbow Dash was cut off with a wave of Allegro's hand.

"Are you angry? Do you girls all hate me?" Allegro's Furen pendant glowed brighter than anything else in the current vicinity. "Then take that rage, and use it to feed the fires of your anger. Use it... to expose the Magic of Friendship once again!" Allegro then clicked his fingers, summoning even more Dystopian grunts, as well as a rather large commander with a humanoid-squid build.

"Cthulhu!?" Adagio looked at the giant squid monster with a look of fear as it turned the sky red as blood.

"Pitiful non-Lyricans, mindlessly letting their emotions dance freely... And yet... they know not the higher purpose their emotions are serving..." he started uttering a motivational speech, getting all of the girls to recoil in shock. "A human or pony's anger and happiness is released, when marked by Lyrican Sirens like us. Then, it is only a matter of time before they are relieved of the emotions that cloud their pure selves..."

"Peace and Anger gather together, bodiless and free, until they finally weave together to construct the Balance of Lyrica," Allegro looked up towards the red sky, seeing a rather distant planet suddenly appear in orbit. "And when the resurrection comes, we can truly, finally use this balance to conquer all the other species..."

"Sunset Shimmer... Rainbooms... Dazzlings..." Allegro's speech was coming to a close. "Everything that's happened to you, everything that's about to happen in this pathetic little world... it's all part of the plan," his look turned rather evil. "OUR PLAN, ladies. Not yours..."

The girls could only grit their teeth and make rather unamused huffs and snarls as they looked at the evil Lyrican.

"Now then, Twilight. Do you want your REAL friends back?" Allegro returned his attention to Twilight, who was still staring off into space with nothing other to think about.

"Rainbooms, Dazzlings... Please forgive me..." she responded to her friends, shedding a tear before returning her gaze to Allegro's. "I accept the deal, Allegro."

"NO!" the other girls all cried out and ran for her, but were intercepted and knocked back by the Dystopian reinforcements.

"Very well then, Twilight Sparkle. You shall have your friends back..." Allegro broke Twilight from her trance and swirled his hands all around in archaic patterns, summoning a large quantity of Lyrican energy as he did so. "Shed away your past life, and move forward into a brighter future..." he made claws out of his hands and pointed all the tips towards Twilight, levitating her in the air as blue and red lightning poured out from each finger. "Twilight Sparkle, I give you new life! AS A LYRICAN SIREN!"

"Twilight! No!" Sunset tried reaching out for Twilight, but the Dystopian reinforcements were pinning her down rather tightly.

Within seconds, all of Twilight's old memories were pulled from her body, and replaced with that of memories of a fake life of her being a Lyrican Siren. As the fake memories vanished and the new ones entered, Twilight sighed in content and let out a rather bittersweet smile as she did so. "At long last... I'll finally have my TRUE friends back..."

With a final explosion of red light, the transformation was complete, and all of the rest of The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings saw a rather horrific sight.

Twilight Sparkle was no longer in her regular get-up for the Human World. Instead, she was garbed in regal purple armour with her Cutie Mark emblazoned on the back of the steel armour. She was also carrying a rather regal sword with Furen crystals for the hilt, and with her Cutie Mark emblazoned in the centre of that crystalline hilt. Her hair and face still remained the same, but now, a red Furen pendant was draped around her neck.

"No..." Sunset looked at the Siren that was once the Twilight Sparkle of Equestria.

"Go, Twilight Sparkle..." Allegro opened up a Lyrican portal and motioned Twilight to walk through it with a swish of his arm. "Your friends are waiting..."

"Thank you, Allegro. Thank you for everything..." Twilight smiled as she walked through the portal and vanished completely.

"Rainbooms, Dazzlings. You just keep on fighting the forces of Lyrica and letting your emotions of peace and hate dance..." Allegro opened up another portal once the first one had vanished. "As long as you continue fighting, you shall continue to save us Lyrican Sirens..."

"YOU MEANIE!" Pinkie Pie broke free from her restrictions and ran after Allegro, only to barely miss him and the portal as they faded away into nothingness with no trace of them even being there at all.

Pinkie herself was then knocked back into the group by another Dystopian, and the whole group of nine girls found themselves surrounded. They'd lost Twilight to the Lyricans, seemed hopelessly outmatched with the number of Dystopians staring them in the faces, and now knew that everything they did would only strengthen The Blasters, and further their plans in reviving the Lyricans.

Maybe everything we fought for... Maybe we just ended up dooming the world by doing so...

What are we supposed to do if everything we do aids The Blasters?!

Oh, lighten up, will you? There's always something you ladies can do. Even if it makes no sense whatsoever.

Huh?

A bright flash of light engulfed The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings, taking them to a whole new world, far away from all the forces of Dystopia that were assaulting them...

Author's Note

Night--Mist: Dat was a scawy chaptew...

PeanutButterBrony: Yeah! Fowget da equaw sign ponies fow Season 5, dis chaptew scawed me ta death...

Autumn Breeze: Poow Twiwight... I hope she gets saved in de end...

Luna: Yes. We all hope that Twilight gets saved in the end, (Levitates me up to her neck) don't we, Shadowmane?

Me: Y-Yes, Mama. I'ww make tings wight, I pwomise. But you'ww just hafta wait fow da moment. It's cawwed tension.

Celestia: Yes, Luna. Most great stories need to have some sense of tension. It gives you the thrill of wondering what'll happen next.

Luna: Y-Yes, sister. Forgive me for putting you at knife's edge, little one.

Me: No wowwies, Mama.

Lauren: Now then, I believe that you foals all need a bath...

All the foals: AAH! BATHTIME! (Start running)

Luna: *sigh* Here we go again...

Adagio: We'll get them back for you.

Luna: How?

Adagio: They just love our singing...

Friends on the Other Side

When the girls all readjusted to the light, they found themselves in the rather regal Canterlot Castle throne room. They could immediately see all the regal designs on the walls and columns, in addition to all the very well-crafted stained glass windows. The other things that could be seen in this room were a very bizarre portal-like device with archaic runes powering it up, some almighty thrones, and four ponies with rather concerned looks on their faces.

"W-Where are we?" Adagio said, being the first of the group to speak once the four ponies had walked closer to meet them. She could clearly see that there were three Alicorns presiding over them, as well as the very pony that both killed and banished her and the other Dazzlings.

"You're in Equestria, Dazzlings. It's been a really long time since you three have set foot in this world," said the white pony with rather colourful flowing hair. "I trust that you're rather welcome to be back?"

"Kind of..." Aria surveyed the room, remembering all the Equestrian knowledge that she'd remembered. "If I recall correctly, you're Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza..." she then stalled when she remembered the face of the pony that defeated, murdered, and banished her and the other Dazzlings. "...and the infamous Starswirl the Bearded..."

"I'm rather flattered that you all know who we are, Dazzlings. But that does raise a lot of questions..." Cadence said as she idly tilted her head towards the ceiling. "For example, how do you know about us?"

"During our time travelling Equestria, before and during our corruption, we learned a hefty amount of Equestrian lore in our travels..." Adagio started to explain herself and the rest of The Dazzlings. "To think, that lore would have been completely irrelevant if not for this situation..."

"It was written in the earliest period of Equestria's history, that four almighty chosen ones would go on life-changing journeys, overcoming many trials and tribulations with the reward of Alicorn royalty at the end of it all," Aria continued on with Adagio's explanation. "Among those chosen ones, there would be two sisters, one strong-willed filly, and one who would delve into the Magic of Friendship..."

"The actual names and truths on the four chosen ones would remain a mystery until decided, but they would all bear the mark of an Alicorn Princess when they had been proven worthy," Sonata continued with The Dazzlings' explanation. "It was said that they would be the four overseers that would ensure the safety of Equestria, with a combined magical strength that would be able to shape Equestria into a utopia of a world..."

"However, twas said that the four alicorns would see even more strife and hardships in the future..." Starswirl had been listening to the lore himself, and decided to finish it all up for them. "Their combined power might have been able to create a perfect world, but there would be many forces that have yet to be slain that will do everything in their power to disrupt the perfection process..." he looked at all of the girls, then back at Celestia, Luna, and Cadence. "Equestria has seen many a powerful foe, and will continue to see even more powerful foes in the future. But at this moment in time, there is a foe far stronger than anything that had already been defeated, or has yet to be defeated..."

"Hey, listen. I hate to cut your story telling short, old man, but are we gonna get to the part that we're all freaking horses?!" Rainbow Dash said, finally speaking up for the group.

"Equestria's laws are far different than the laws of the Human World. Since humans in this world are alien to us, this world is able to identify your DNA and reshape it into that of the pony counterpart of you." Celestia decided to explain.

"I'm confused..." Fluttershy said, nervously peaking out from the group.

"Let me explain it, Sister," Luna walked down from her throne and arrived at the group rather quickly. "Equestria and the Human World seem parallel to each of us, as if the two worlds are a mirror's image with altered perspectives. If there is a human in the Human World that resembles a character that is known in Equestria, it's because the two are completely perfect counterparts of one another," Luna's explanation was rather lengthy. "Should a pony from Equestria, such as Twilight Sparkle of Sunset Shimmer attempt to wander into the other world, their biological make-up is completely redone in order to match the laws of the other world. It is a rather otherworldly process, but it's the only one that keeps our worlds linked together."

"Since The Dazzlings are still humans, we have to assume that they don't have pony or human counterparts at all, and are free to retain their forms in this world..." Starswirl said, lifting The Dazzlings' arms and studying their legs. "Very peculiar, I shall have to write this down in my studies on Lyricans..."

Aria spoke up. "I hate to interrupt and deny Starswirl's rather smart studies, but I have a confession to make..." she and the other Dazzlings were quickly enveloped in a quick glow of red light before appearing as their three Hippocampi. "You see, we Lyricans have far more talents than humanity and equinity has ever witnessed..."

The three of them transformed into ponies when the glow bathed them once more. When their transformation was complete, they could hear gasps coming from everyone else in the room as they became equines. When the surprise had died down a little, Adagio spoke up. "Lyrican Sirens can merely identify a species or life form that is alien to them, and then harmlessly acquire their DNA. Since we've been hanging around humans and ponies an awful lot, we've come to acquire their DNA as well, enabling us to take their forms and blend in with the crowd..."

"Impressive, so you three are even more than meets the eye..." Cadence said as The Dazzlings quickly reverted to their regular states once more.

"All that and more. You see, Lyrican Sirens don't even need their pendants to fight," Sonata decided to continue, feeling rather logical as she educated the group further. "All we need is our strong spirits, some swords, and a very good reason to fight. Well that and the fact that we'll only get even greater pendants when we talk to Lord Symphonia later..."

"Even more intriguing..." Starswirl stroked his beard as he continued to examine the three Lyricans that graced his presence. "If only I'd seen the complexity of your species before the Great War... I would have turned down the deal from those six spirits..."

"So, what are we doing here in your world, Your Highness?" Rarity asked, remembering to bow as she spoke to Celestia.

"We saw everything through the archaic corridor that Discord and Starswirl had been working on..." Celestia pointed towards the portal-like construct that looked like it was purely made out of bricks and runes. There were rather complex foundations that kept the rather large doorway open. There were even some runes that levitated freely with all the magic they were radiating. The design of the runes was rather striking as well, as they looked like accurate representations of Human World objects, as well as Equestrian items and artefacts. "It was hard work, but the combination of Starswirl and Discord's magic was enough to open up another portal to the Human World, one that we could fully access and use to our advantages..."

"Discord?" Applejack asked, unsure as to who he was.

"I heard somepony saying my name down there!" he said in a sing-song tone as he appeared in a burst of white light.

"MONSTER!" Pinkie Pie shrieked up from the group and used her hooves to speed towards the door when she got a good look at Discord. Her efforts were in vain as the door was closed and replaced with a rather odd trampoline. Since she was already moving, it was impossible for Pinkie to stop, and she ran straight into the trampoline, bouncing her back into the group.

"Yeah, I get that a lot around new people. It's actually quite grown on me in a way..." he said, with vines that read "Monster" growing all over him. "But I'm just messing around. And I can see from the severity of the situation that there's no time for me to act like I usually act. After all, we're running out of time..." he quickly turned into an hourglass with the sands falling at a rather fast pace.

"Soon our brothers will just take the Right Souls of Fury from us, enabling the three of them to call out the entire Siren Species from the afterlife..." Adagio said, explaining her brother's plan to the entire party of equines. "Now this wouldn't be so bad for us, but it's far more worse than we could have ever imagined..." she then looked rather displeased as she curled her head and looked downwards in fear. "When The Blasters resurrect the Lyrican Sirens, they'll use them to purge Equestria and the Human World of all humans and ponies, saying that they're cleansing the worlds of their filth..."

"Hmm... It sounds like these Blasters mean business..." Celestia said, getting up from her throne so that she too could address the group clearer. "I've seen all the events that have happened thus far. And I know the poor fate that has befallen one of the four chosen ones that you three mentioned..."

"There's still a chance that we can break through to The Rainbooms of this world and free them from Forty's vile curse..." Adagio continued. "It might be a long shot, but we just have to find The Rainbooms that our brothers possessed and transformed. Then, we just have to fight them until they get exhausted and weak."

"And your point is?" Rainbow Dash was unaware as to where Adagio was going with her explanation.

"When The Rainbooms fall to their knees in exhaustion, they'll be susceptible to any other counter-spells that can free them from the curse that The Blasters planted on them..." Aria decided to answer as Adagio took in a breath of air. "Lyrican Sirens do have a rather high pain threshold, though, so it might be a while before then fall down in defeat. But when they do, we'll be able to administer the cure and free The Rainbooms of Equestria from this insidious evil."

"So, how are we supposed to find these Rainbooms of our world?" Cadence decided to ask once The Dazzlings had finished their little explanation.

"Well, Allegro said that Twilight's 'friends' were waiting when she turned into a Lyrican Siren, which must mean that the six of them can be found on Lyrica..." Adagio pinpointed the location of the six girls relatively quickly with her logic. "We just need to find someway on getting to Lyrica and defeating The Rainbooms that belong to The Blasters..."

"From my time back on Equestria, I see the only point of access we have in reaching Lyrica is via the portal found in the Pit of Lyrics..." Starswirl pointed out, slowly pulling out a book before flipping rapidly through the pages until he found the picture that he was seeking "If we can open up the portal to Lyrica, like Twilight did, we might be able to traverse the spectral corridor of worlds once more... It's a rather arduous trial we're undergoing with this route, but it's the only one we have at this moment in time..."

"Hold on a second... We're just going to barge into Lyrica, try and find Twilight and the other Sirens that The Blasters command, and fight them?" Rainbow Dash said, tilting her head in confusion. "I know that that sounds like an awesome plan, but against perfect copies of us, who just now have Twilight on their side? I might be a reckless daredevil in my world, but even I know that a plan like that is suicidal, even with The Dazzlings on our side..."

"Even so, we can't abandon hope now, girls. This could be the one and only chance we get at saving the worlds..." Sonata motivated the group, encouraging them listen to her uplifting words. "Orchy and his friends and gonna be bringing an army with them if their plan succeeds and ours fails. We need to do everything we can to stop them, even if there is a risk of us dying in the process..."

"Suicidal or not, it's the same deal for our brothers. Which is why we should get moving as soon as possible..." Aria said, looking at the sun's position in the sky. "This is the one chance they'll get at restoring the Siren species, and if their attempt goes pear-shaped, then they'll end up suffering in the process..."

"What do you mean by this, Adagio?" Sunset asked, her curiosity piqued at this moment in time.

"If our brothers fall in battle, all the energy they've amassed will discharge when their pendants shatter..." Adagio reminded the group on the properties of a Siren's pendant. "You all witnessed what happened to us when our pendants shattered..."

"Don't remind us..." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, cringing at the thought of that memory.

"With all the energy that our brothers have acquired, including the Magic of Friendship, the discharge would become fatal..." Adagio pointed out. "Even though the Left Souls of Bliss give our brothers immortality, it'll still take them tens of thousands of years to return if the discharge does in fact kill them. .."

"But if they die, not only will we not have brothers, but the Right Souls of Fury will vanish as well. Without the Souls of Song, the Balance of Lyrica will spiral out of our hands, and will fall into the hands of the ponies of this world, and the humans of the Human World..." Aria continued. "They'll be able to control their own destinies when the Souls of Song fade away..."

"While we still get revived since we're the soul inheritors of the Souls of Song, it might take tens of thousands of years for us when we die as well..." Sonata added on to her Furen Sisters' explanation. "I know it's gonna be a rather unbearable wait, one that will ensure you never see us again, but we'll still be right here with you during the rest of your lives, and even when you slip into a rather pleasant afterlife..."

"So, if The Blasters fail to accomplish their evil plan, then they'll only be reborn in a distant period of time?" Starswirl wanted confirmation on that one fact.

"Correct, the Souls of Song are immortal, like light and darkness. They'll only be resurrected when the timing is truly right..." Adagio finished.

"Well... that's rather sad, actually..." Sunset said, showing a great deal of sorrow upon Adagio's finishing words. "I may never see the three of you again if we win this..."

"Don't be sad, Mum. You need to keep up your own fight and keep your kind safe. It's what your ancestors would have wanted, after all..." Adagio put a hand on Sunset's shoulder and gently stroked her mane. "Everything has its' time, and everything ends..."

"Everything ends... That's why we can't allow The Blasters to revive the Siren species..." Aria said as she turned to face the door. "Maybe, the species is better off teetering on the edge of near-extinction. We can handle the Balance ourselves just fine. It's what our brothers are doing that will upset the Balance once more, causing another eternity of pain and conflict..."

"We must head off, posthaste!" Starswirl said, cutting the emotions short. "Your emotional hardships must wait for now, ladies. We must all be off to the Pit of Lyrics, so that we can access the portal to Lyrica and end The Blasters' villainy..."

"You're right..." Sunset said, fighting back further tears as she too showed a rather large burst of confidence. "We can't let emotions cloud our minds. We need to push forward and end this, once and for all!"

"I'm in!" Rainbow Dash put her hoof out.

"Me too!" Applejack said, feeling quite confident as her hoof met Rainbow Dash's

"We're coming to save you, Twilight!" Pinkie said, putting her hoof on top of the pile of other hooves.

"It won't be long, darling..." Rarity added her own hoof to the stack.

"For hope and friendship..." Fluttershy's own hoof was added.

"My friend... I'll be there soon..." Sunset added her own hoof to the stack, quickly making it seem like it was all over, when four more hooves were added shortly after that.

"We can't allow The Blasters to further threaten Equestria, girls," Celestia said, addressing the whole group once everyone's hooves were returned to their own bodies, "That's why we're coming with you to Lyrica..."

"We might not be able to overcome The Blasters, but we might be able to give you a helping hand in restoring the Spirits of Harmony to their true selves..." Luna added on, making sure that all of the girls were listening.

"This adventure could very well be our last, but it's gonna be one of the most exciting adventures we've had yet..." Cadence said, feeling rather optimistic at this point in time. "I look forward to seeing what wonders we see along the way to finishing The Blasters..."

"Girls, this journey's gonna be TWICE as hard as anything you've ever defeated in the past..." Adagio reminded them as the ponies all turned their attention to The Dazzlings. "Anything that you might have beaten in the past, including us, consider that the opening act..."

"We'll be ready to face any hardships on our path, Lyricans. Mark my words, these monsters will suffer for their crimes against the other worlds, and their crimes on me..." Starswirl said, boosting the confidence of everyone around him as he felt his torture scars.

"Let's get moving. Who knows how long we have before The Blasters execute the next phase of their plan..." Celestia said as the whole group departed from the throne room, making their way towards the entrance to the castle.

As they proceeded down the hallways of Canterlot Castle, the whole group looked at each other, examining what they had going up against The Blasters and the Siren 6. Each one of them showed looks of interest, but only some showed looks of concern when they eyed up certain characters in the group. Despite all the flaws that everyone could find with the group, they still decided to press on with their journey...

Author's Note

This might be the last thing I push out for a while, since I've gotta get up to my Grandma and Grandad's for his Birthday/Valentine's Day. I might end up watching Hearts and Hooves Day and coming up with an interesting theory tomorrow, it all depends on what time I have on my hands...

Luna: I'm sure you have plenty of time on your hooves, Shadowmane...

Celestia: After all, you also need a special somepony for Hearts and Hooves Day as well. Do you have someone?

Me: Uhh... (Eyes the room, trying to find someone to be my valentine) Sonny!

Sonata: Me? *Blushes*

Me: Yes, Sonata. Why not?

Sonata: Because Peanut here already chose me as his very special someone...

PeanutButterBrony: Yoo snooze, yoo wose, bwodew...

Me: No faiw, Peanut! She's mine!

PeanutButterBrony: No, she's mine!

Me: Yoo wanna do dis?

PeanutButterBrony: I dun wanna, but you'we making me do it!

Me: FOW TACO TUESDAY!

PeanutButterBrony: FOW SONATABETES!

Me and Peanut: *fighting noises*

Celestia and Luna: Oh my...

Adagio: This might take a while... (Lifts Night--Mist up) Come on, Nighty. We'll check back on them when they're done fighting over Sonata.

NIght--Mist: Otay, Dagi... (Snuggles into her hair)

Explanations and Experiences

As the group made their way across the many mountains and landscapes of Equestria, they couldn't help but take in all the breath-taking sights and wonders. Even Celestia, Luna and Cadence were quite awestruck with all the new regions they were uncovering with their journey to the Pit of Lyrics.

Leading the group was Starswirl, since he had been able to use his magic to trace the trail that Twilight took to take her group to the Pit of Lyrics. He was quite quiet, deep in his thoughts as he kept his horn lit so that everyone could see the trail that Twilight and her friends took.

"So, out of morbid curiosity..." Rainbow Dash tried talking to Starswirl, yielding almost no response other than that of a rather disgruntled grunt from the focused wizard. "What's with the wizard costume?"

"These are the clothes I was garbed in since as long as I could remember..." Starswirl began explaining, whilst also being able to control his magical stream. "They represent a wizard's honour for pulling off some of the most extraordinary feats in Equestria... and for slaying some of its' greatest dangers..."

"He received such a heroic honour for safeguarding Equestria from a meteor shower, by forming the ancient Utopia Regime..." Celestia went on, explaining for the ponified Rainbow Dash so that Starswirl didn't lose his concentration. "It was one of the earliest organizations that was established in Equestria, even when the four chosen ones weren't even chronicled..."

"At the age of 19, Starswirl's Utopia Regime stretched across the entire world, reaching out to every other civilization that existed long before Equestria's founding..." Luna continued on with the explanation as they continued to follow the trail. "His words reached out to all of the most powerful Unicorns, Shamans, and Necromancers across the land, so that they could combine their powers and create a powerful barrier that would safeguard the world from all other cosmic threats to our world..."

"However, the barrier began to whittle down and die over the years, since no more cosmic and otherworldly threats arose within the Utopia Regime's time of prominence..." Starswirl said calmly, still managing to control his stream of magic even through his speech. "If only we'd been alerted of Lyricans living among us, I would have tasked the other controllers of the barrier to find suitable heirs to sustain it." he then hung his head in shame. "If we hadn't learned of the Balance of Lyrica and put up the shield, we would have doomed ourselves either way, since it was an otherworldly force that no-one but the Lyricans could control..."

"So, either way, this was all supposed to happen?" Rainbow Dash asked, unaware that all of these events had been scripted without her even knowing it.

"That is correct," Starswirl continued as the group followed the trail even further. "What happens isn't because of coincidence, nor is it a chain of events set in motion by some individual's meddling. No, everything that happens was decided by destiny..."

"Destiny?" Applejack parroted in a rather deadpanned tone.

"Yes, Applejack of the Human World. It was destiny that tempted Sunset to attempt to rob the crown of Magic, which provoked Twilight to come into your world and spread the Magic of Friendship..." Starswirl furthered his explanation once more, ensuring that the humans-turned-ponies would understand. "Destiny cannot be altered, nor can it be changed. However, it can work in your favour at the best of times..."

"We should be coming up to the Pit of Lyrics in a couple of minutes, everyone. Be prepared." he motioned the group towards where the magical trail was about to end, seeing as there was a massive crater in the distance...

True to Starswirl's words, the Pit of Lyrics was still there, and looking in even worse shape than before. The place looked all but decimated completely. The only things that could be seen were piles and piles of pure rubble and destroyed structures. Not even the tower that the Twilight and Rarity of the past had fixed was still there. Instead, it had been replaced with even more destroyed pieces of the once great civilization.

"Hmm... It seems like the passage of time has not been too kind on this once-marvellous city, hasn't it?" Starswirl was examining the damage done by The Dazzlings over tens of thousands of years ago. "The portal to Lyrica still remains, though. We just need to find it, and be gone from this wreckage..."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Rainbow Dash asked, her voice sounding as arrogant as always.

"Celestia, Luna, Cadence! The time to restore this once-great civilization is here!" Starswirl said, using his magic to leap over to the other side of the massive crater with little effort. After a graceful landing, he watched as Cadence stood her ground whilst Celestia and Luna flew over to the other ends of the crater, making it so they were stationed at all four corners.

The four of them then shut their eyes and lit up their horns together, charging up a rather powerful spell. The energy that they took in was a rather hefty amount, and it made all four of them levitate off of the ground with the vast quantity of energy they were taking in.

Then, all their eyes shone like majestic stars as they fired the beams directly at the center of the crater, so that the four of them collided into one colossal orb of pure energy. The orb flew upwards as the four ponies cast their power into its' otherworldly mass, making it grow larger and larger. Then, the four ponies directed the orb into the bottom of the Pit of Lyrics, where it collided with the wreckage and engulfed the entire area around the crater to become consumed in a gargantuan explosion of rainbow-coloured light.

"Fortissimo! Look at that..." Siren Twilight said as she pointed a finger towards a celestial map which was now radiating with rainbow-coloured energy. She used her fingers to zoom the map in, revealing ten ponies becoming consumed by a massive surge of magic.

"Hmm..." he examined the burst of energy with a cool and collected visage on his face. "It seems that that podgy old fool Starswirl the Bearded has finally resorted to desperate measures..."

"What's the plan, Master Fortissimo?" Siren Pinkie asked as she too was staring at the ten ponies and the rapidly-restoring Pit of Lyrics.

"Should we destroy them before they even set foot in Lyrica?" Siren Rainbow Dash looked eager as she drew her sword, ready for a fight with the ponies at the Pit of Lyrics.

"Not this time, Rainbow Dash. I'm not a fan of repetition..." Fortissimo merely chuckled as he watched the rest of the events unfold on the celestial map. "Instead, we shall simply wait for the ten of them to come to us..." he then turned away from the girls and grew his rather evil smile once more as he said to himself, "Provided that Honous and Chival don't completely carve them into pieces..."

When the powerful explosion of light had died down, the girls all saw a rather regal sight as their jaws dropped in astonishment.

The Pit of Lyrics had been restored to its' natural state, with beautiful pristine buildings with golden markings all over them. The bridges that led into the city had now been fixed, and were now made of a rather crystalline material. As for the streets, they were even cleaner than the cleanest streets in history, which were so clean that they reflected the light from the sun above.

It wasn't long before Starswirl, Celestia and Luna returned to the group of ponies, proud of their accomplishment.

"Well then, shall we?" Celestia asked the six girls as she reached a hoof out for the six of them, who graciously smiled back at her generous offer.

The ten ponies and three Lyricans crossed the crystal bridge into the City of Lyrics, peering over the edge to see the clear, dark depths below them. They let out rather awestruck noises as they peered down into the darkness before regaining their courage upon seeing the majestic city once again.

"Come along, girls. Don't dawdle. Saving the world doesn't mean you can just look at things like goofy-eyed children all day." Starswirl said, getting the other girls to hurry up and return to him.

"So, Starswirl... What happened when you disappeared?" Cadenced decided to ask once all ten of the ponies had reunited with each other.

That sentence alone got Starswirl to stop in his tracks. He hung his head, kneeled down, and heard dozens of voices in his head. He could hear the events of the great war, the events of The Dazzlings' banishment, and even the words The Blasters spoke to him as they captured him. He merely gasped for breath as the memories roared in his mind like a charging crowd of fans, getting closer and closer to him as the memories returned to him. Eventually, he craned his head upwards and screamed, getting all of the voices in his head to stop instantly.

It didn't take long for him to notice that he'd scared all the other ponies with his sudden outburst. He looked over to them and said, "Sorry about that, girls. I've had a rather... unpleasant chain of events since my return..."

"Just tell us everything you can, Starswirl. As long as it isn't too traumatizing for you..." Celestia said, massaging his shoulders with her hooves in an attempt to calm him down.

"No, no. You deserve to hear the truth. Even if it will scar me once more..." he said, graciously accepting Celestia's massages as he sighed to recap his tale. "You already know of the events that happened before, during, and after the war, Celestia and Luna. But it's the proper time that I tell you of what happened involving my disappearance..."

"It started shortly after I'd banished The Dazzlings here to the Human World..." he said, looking at Adagio, Aria and Sonata whilst remaining where he was. "When you hear my tale, you'll know why it was my most foolish mistake to date..."

"Mistake?" Adagio was rather interested upon that word that had fallen from Starswirl's lips and teeth. "Why was it a mistake to banish us?"

"Because a few days after I'd banished you, I was assaulted by three figures who went by the names of Fortissimo Blast, Allegro Maelstrom, and Orchestral Chill..." he said, ensuring that the girls were listening. "The three claimed that they were the brothers of The Dazzlings, then used some kind of archaic power to send me to another world. As I was cast in my chains, they told me that even when corrupted, The Dazzlings were saving the worlds, despite them being corrupted with Dark Magic. You see, even when they wielded the darkness, they were still safeguarding the worlds with their singing, by keeping the Balance of Lyrica even..."

"You mean..." Rainbow Dash said to herself as all of the girls were deep in thought.

There was a long silence between the six girls, which they used to process the story in their heads. Eventually, when the ending finally came to them, their emotions suddenly shifted dramatically with their response.

"WHAT?!"

"We went through all of that trouble just to defeat three good guys?!" Rainbow Dash looked horrified as the facts were glaring her in the face.

"Correct, they were good. However, they still needed to be freed from their Dark Magic." Starswirl followed up, reminding Rainbow Dash of the positive side of the story.

"Then the story returned to me, with The Blasters locking me up in tight chains in a blood-red landscape with tartaric-looking spikes all over the walls and ceiling..." Starswirl said, his repressed memories returning as he shuddered in fear. "They had torture methods beyond anything I've ever seen before, with chains that pull you so hard that they actually dislocate a pony's hooves if they fail to cough up what their captors want..." his memories only made him even more tense as he continued to recap his side of the story. "They left me in there to die, feeding me nothing but dead horses and decaying Lyrican corpses. Luckily for me, they were free of disease, because they wanted to see me suffer in fear, instead of being given easy access to death's cold embrace..."

"Hmm... Sounds like one of Dystopia's torture chambers..."" Aria Blaze said, using her own hands to rub Starswirl's tense shoulders in an attempt to soothe him even further. "The Furen Sirens had very... convincing methods on getting information from people who refused to co-operate with them..."

"There was one torture device where one body was strung up by the legs, with a number of body look-alikes in the same position, all of them hanging above a pool of corrosive acid," Adagio continued with the many different torture devices that Furens utilized to their advantage. "The tormentors would pose the question, then cut one of the strings with their crystal-coated axe, sending one of the unfortunates diving into the acid. They'd keep doing that, warning the victim that the next string to go could very well have been the one that held them up. This method made the captives cry in fear. Literally, they cried with their sheer terror, and ended up crying out the information their captors needed. You're rather lucky they just chained you up to the De-Limber..."

"Well, I guess when you put it that way, I AM quite lucky to have just been chained up..." he said, smiling as he looked at Adagio's face. "However, they did make me reveal something quite unsettling..."

"What did they force out of you, Starswirl?" Fluttershy asked, seeing the sheer terror on his face.

Eventually, he sighed and said, "The amount of decibels that'll be able to rip through the fabric of reality, and hit all three of the worlds in the trinity..."

"WHAT?!" the girls all said again, looking at his rather sorrow-ridden visage with their own looks of terror.

"The Blasters said that they were doing their own musical tournament, and said that, unlike their little sisters, they prefer to go big or go home," he recapped all that Fortissimo had done to him. "I tried my best to resist and keep my lips sealed, but he combined De-Limbing me with a powerful spell that simulated my brain being impaled by his sword. I screamed and hollered out in pain as he just continued torturing my like some real-life voodoo doll, my pain seeing absolutely no end..." his voice quickly turned into a winging voice as he recapped all the pain he'd suffered in that torture chamber. "And then... I cracked..."

"Guess that's another thing to add to the list of 'Why our brothers need to be stopped'..." Sonata said as she pulled out a makeshift list from her pocket and wrote by pulling out a pen from the same pocket. Once it was all done, Sonata put the list and pen back in her pocket, returned to Starswirl and said, "Go on..."

"I told them how loud their song needed to be so that they could hit all the corners of the three worlds, so that they could set their heinous plans in motion..." he said, envisioning The Blasters' evil laughter as their song hit the ears of everyone in the Human World and Equestria. "And after I did, they just released me back into this world, crippled and lifeless... I wound up near some kind of archaic town with an otherworldly curse on it, but I paid no mind to it and tried to survive without the aid of those undesirable, brain dead equal-sign ponies...

"That I believe that Twilight can deal with another day, but right now, The Blasters are the main threat to Equestria..." Celestia said as Starswirl's tale ended. "We need to find that portal to Lyrica immediately, so that we can save the worlds from The Blasters' insidious plans..."

"Good idea, let's keep moving..." Starswirl said as they made their way towards the almighty castle which housed the portal to Lyrica; the one passageway that would determine the fate of all three worlds...

The wind howled across the dead landscape of Lyrica, its' noise seeming to fall completely on deaf ears with absolutely nothing there to hear it.

However, the silence was eventually broken when a blue portal opened up, and a horse's clopping hooves and whinny could be heard from the other side. There was also the sound of armour, shuffling around as the noise got closer and closer to Lyrica. Eventually, a massive figure on horseback emerged from the portal, leaping out of it like a majestic hero of the past.

The figure itself was garbed in some of the most majestic armour imaginable, with blue crystals draping the white and golden armour. The helmet it wore nearly covered its' entire face, with only the shining blue eyes visible. It was carrying a sword in one hand, and a regal shield in the other. It was seated quite comfortably on a majestic saddle, which had been put on the back of an armoured horse with flowing white hair, and crystal blue hooves.

The horse whinnied once more as it could feel a battle drawing nearer, but was then soothed when the giant knight gently stroked its' face with its' shield hand.

"Patience, Chival... Those cretins will be upon us soon..." the knight spoke to his horse, ensuring that it fully understood what it was saying. "Come their final hour, they shall be slain by the most heroic of the Euphorian Deities; Honous, and his trusty steed, Chival!"

Author's Note

Now then, the equal sign thing is NOT canon to this story, and will likely be the ONLY time it's even mentioned in this story. I'm just so ecstatic for Season 5's release, that I can barely contain myself with how hyped I am.

In fact, I'm so hyped that I even did a Blog Post on the new villain, which all of the bronies I know have dubbed "Mayor Marx" And before you start; NOT the Marx from Kirby, I mean the Mayor Marx from the Season 5 clips we've seen. But anyways, if you want to check that Blog Post out, the link's right here for your pleasure.

Luna: Stop trying to self-promote your Blog Posts, little one. It's not like anyone who hasn't followed you will be desperately trying to read them so they can voice their opinions.

Me: Weww, yoo nevew know untiw yoo twy, wight?

Sonata: He does have a point there...

Adagio: Anyways, I think you deserve something to eat, little one... (Picks me up and rubs my belly) You must be famished after typing out all those words...

Me: (Stomach rumbles) How did yoo know, Dagi?

Discord: Your belly isn't exactly quiet now, is it, Shadowmane?

Me: Hey...

Celestia: Just ignore him, he's only trying to get a rise out of you...

Lauren: Anyways, it's lunch time for my little Shadowmane here. Be sure to leave some comments behind on this chapter, as well as his new Blog Post. You know he deserves it after all the blood, sweat, and tears he put into this chapter for your pleasure...

Discord: And while you're at it, be sure to check out the rest of Shadowmane's adventures by reading Night--Mist's story: My Little Foals: Friendship is Padded. After all, that's the only reason these scenes in the Author's Notes even exist! I swear, Nighty needs to update that story again...

Ambushed

The entire group were suddenly swallowed up by water when their trip through the black hole reached its' end. Not given much time to react, most of the group held their breath as they collided with the aquatic substance.

Adagio, Aria, Sonata and Starswirl were the only ones capable of breathing underwater, due to the large quantity of magic they possessed. However, they saw that the ponies they had been travelling with were holding their breaths tightly, about to drown unless they did something fast.

When the black hole vanished, Adagio, Aria, Sonata and Starswirl cast a powerful spell that ringed around each of the ponies and cast a sort of slender membrane that perfectly shrouded them. When the membrane vanished, each of the ponies was able to breathe water, and took a gasp as they did so.

"Alright, everyone. I've got good news and bad news..." Adagio said as she finally saw the ponies getting back their initial air with the help of that magical membrane. "The good news is, we're finally able to take our tests. The bad news is, we've wound up in The Divide..."

"The Divide?" Fluttershy looked around the empty world of water that surrounded them all. She could see no sign of underwater landmass, nor could she see any aquatic animals nearby. It was just an empty region of lifeless water.

"The Divide is the joint between Euphoria and Dystopia. You just need to look up and down to see why..." Adagio pointed above and below her position. "Above us, is the heavenly landscape of Euphoria," she pointed towards what looked like light pouring into the higher region of the sea. "and below us, the depths of Dystopia..." she then pointed downwards to where the water became blood-red.

"It's also one of the most suppressive enviroments in history. We won't be able to use our singing to get you all out of here..." Aria said, using her hand to manipulate the water around her, leaving a trail of bubbles in her wake. "The only way we're getting out of here is if we end up in Euphoria, since that place has tons of portals to the three worlds..."

Suddenly, a distant roar could be heard in the distance, echoing on the water so that it sounded more menacing. It seemed to be the sound of a kraken's roar, which got all of The Rainbooms to huddle up in fear.

"We're not alone, are we?" Adagio's fears were confirmed when the roar finally stopped. She then raised her sword, ready for a fight with whatever made that roar. "Something doesn't feel right. Stay on your guard, everypony..."

The group were suddenly assaulted by an enormous tentacle with black suction cups and blood-red skin. When they all jumped in surprise, they saw the source of the tentacle...

A massive humanoid squid was glaring at them, with tentacles similar to the first one erupting from his body at will. He was carrying a rather bizarre staff made out of the giant, slimy tentacles, which also had red Furen crystals poking out of certain areas. The monster himself was a monster of a monster in size, with seething red eyes peering down on the group of thirteen. The last detail that was visible was a massive red Furen crystal draped around its' neck.

Devourer of Hatred

CTHULHU

The beast roared once more, its' tentacles violently stretching out and casting an array of Furen-based spells on the ocean around it, turning it red as blood. With the new change in the environment, the beast's ferocious glare intensified, so that its' rage was visible for all to see.

"Hello, Cthulhu..." Adagio grew a rather unearthly smirk as she brought her blade up to her chest, ready for conflict...

The battle began with The Dazzlings swimming at a rather rapid pace towards the giant beast, completely unfazed by its' colossal structure and menacing body. It didn't take long for them to notice that he was attacking them with its' massive tentacles, each one firing out sharp tendrils as they were swung at The Dazzlings. The added tendrils then began attacking in very violent attack patterns, with some acting as minefields and the others acting as homing torpedoes.

All the chaos made it hard for The Dazzlings to evade all those tendrils, and they eventually found themselves feeling the full brunt of the beast's assault, with at least half of all the tendrils hitting their mark after a while. When they recovered from the chain of impacts, they saw the beast's mouth open wide, revealing rings of teeth in the midst of another forest of tentacles.

The Rainbooms suddenly got a crazy idea, and swam towards Cthulhu whilst it attacked with its' ferocious chain of attacks. As the beast was about to consume Adagio, Aria and Sonata, Sunset Shimmer fired a concussive blast at the beast, hitting it square on the cheek and making it flinch in pain, getting it to stop trying to eat The Dazzlings.

"Hope you want octopus for dinner, girls!" Sunset said, ready to aid The Dazzlings in their fight with the colossal beast.

"Rainbooms?! What are you doing?! This thing's much more violent then what we've fought!" Adagio tried warning them without even realizing that Cthulhu had already turned its' rage on The Rainbooms, and was now deluging them with tentacle tendrils. "If you end up fighting it, you'll be taken down in an instant!"

"Then that's just a risk we'll have to take!" Rainbow Dash said, using her wings to propel herself through the water fast enough to avoid the storm of tendrils.

Rarity, on the other hand, was using her newfound horn to fire small waves of energy at each of the tendrils, making them explode seconds before they hit their mark. "Well, I guess that's one advantage to being a Unicorn..." she said after she finished up a wave of the tendril attacks.

Cthulhu was now seething with anger, desperately trying to annihilate The Rainbooms by molding its' staff into a rather devastating trident. The prongs of its' new tentacle trident fired lightning-shaped waves of red energy, ready to turn the ponies into well-done horse meat.

Not even sparing any moments for thought, Starswirl fired a wave of energy at Cthulhu's wrist, making it clutch it in pain and make it miss its' mark completely. He then lit up his horn and teleported behind the beast, where he opened fire on its' exposed back with a number of advanced spells.

With the beast unable to fend off that many attackers at once, Rainbow Dash swam towards the beast and used her hooves to kick Cthulhu's face as she bolted past it. She did this multiple times in an attempt to stun the beast, but was then knocked back by its' colossal trident, and blasted by a wave of red energy. However, focused so hard on Rainbow Dash, Cthulhu failed to notice that The Dazzlings had closed the gap on it, and were now frantically wailing away at its' face.

When faced with that many attackers at once, Cthulhu roared once more, and used the tentacles that erupted from its' body to quickly constrict and smash the attackers' heads together violently, in an attempt to break their skulls clean open. However, this bore no fruit as its' face was assaulted by a deluge of combined Alicorn Magic from Celestia, Luna and Cadence.

With everyone attacking him at once, Cthulhu's roar intensified, and all of its' tentacles opened up tears in the fabric of reality. Within seconds, those tentacles used those tears to get right into the faces of their targets, and slam them with loads and loads of power.

The Dazzlings merely swam at light speed to avoid being hit by the tentacles and their tendrils. Then, with such speed and force, The Dazzlings sliced Cthulhu's tentacles clean off, making him holler out in pain once more. With the tentacles reeling, Adagio, Aria and Sonata pulled off strings of sword combos that ultimately ended with them driving the tips of their swords straight into Cthulhu's eyes, making it bleed as it screamed once again.

With the opposition getting the upper hand once again, Cthulhu's Furen crystal shone with such ferocity as it roared and threw its' limbs behind its' back. Then, the entire area was caught in a violent vortex of water, catching all of the attackers and throwing them around violently.

All of the attackers tried to fight back against the water, but were ultimately swept away by the violent torrent. Not even Rainbow Dash was fast enough to fight back against the water, and her wings eventually tired out eventually.

With all of the team swirling around the vortex, Adagio, Aria and Sonata no longer fought the violent stream, and instead rode it. For some reason, they got a sense of euphoria from riding the deadly vortex, a sense of happiness that usually never surfaced within combat. Smiles grew on their faces as they swam forward, speeding themselves up so that they remained out of Cthulhu's line of fire.

Eventually, The Dazzlings saw that Cthulhu destroyed the trident, using the different tentacles that flew off to replace the ones that had been severed. They swam under and over the tentacles, the tendrils no longer becoming a problem with their intense speeds. When they'd played with him long enough, they began inching closer and closer to the beast by shifting their bodies towards the center of the violent vortex.

Starswirl and the other ponies were now feeling a great sense of fun, letting out cheers as they rode the powerful maelstrom and avoided Cthulhu's tentacles. However, they were still fighting, so whilst they were cheering in fun, they began firing spells at Cthulhu, making it shudder even further as each of the blasts struck it head on.

Finally, The Dazzlings and Starswirl had closed in on the giant beast, and were now using its' own vortex to its' advantage. The Dazzlings drove their swords right into Cthulhu's neck, then used the speeds of the vortex to slit its' throat clean open. When they came up to its' arms after that, they somersaulted repeatedly with the sword held high above their heads so that they acted as three giant circular saws as they cut deep into Cthulhu's shoulders.

With the vortex starting to die down the more damage that Cthulhu took, The Dazzlings swam upwards and did a spiral dive straight through Cthulhu's skull, slicing up all of his internal organs and finally emerging from his butthole. Seeing the beast look dead already, The Dazzlings merely flew out of the vortex and called up their next beasts.

"Kumpra!" was the word that enabled The Dazzlings to combine their magical streams together to create a massive torrent of summoning magic.

Within the short span of two seconds, a massive cobra was now towering over the remains of Cthulhu. It hissed, revealing its' fork-like tongue as it did so. Then, seeing its' pray still stationary, the giant cobra lunged towards Cthulhu and devoured it in one bite. The remains travelled down its' neck until they got smaller and smaller, and eventually vanished completely.

However, when the snake vanished, the water beneath the group disappeared, meaning that gravity caught up to them and sent them into a free-fall. Whilst the ones with wings were capable of remaining airborne, the ones without wings merely plummeted into the now visible abyss beneath them.

"Oh great..." Adagio groaned as she watched the wingless ponies fall down into the red depths of Dystopia. "That's just fan-tucking-fastic..."

The winged ponies and Lyricans gave chase to the falling girls, using their wings to desperately try to keep up with them. However, they saw the group fall into the portal to Dystopia, and The Dazzlings cringed at that. However, showing no sign of fear, the group still charged through the portal after the falling ponies.

Once they'd breached the portal to Dystopia, many different hellish corridors of Furen Magic flashed by their eyes. There were also some platforms in between the corridor, which revealed humans and ponies brutally fighting and shooting at each other, all of them shouting obscenities with each hit and shot.

The group's fall continued, with the fighting groups being replaced with war machines from both Equestria and the Human World firing on each other, the explosions barely missing the falling characters as the detonations rung in their ears. Then, the war machines suddenly changed into pictures of different Equestrian and Human World civilizations, ablaze with flames as rioters assaulted innocent bystanders with no remorse.

The group fell through an illusionary flame which looked like actual fires, before seeing the landscape change completely. It was no longer a corridor for them to fall down, but it looked like they were about to crash on the earth of a completely new world, one where the geological landmass was painted blood red, with many different monsters soaring through the sky, and ripping up the ground.

The Dazzlings were about to reach the falling ponies, when they were suddenly ambushed by a series of Hippocampi, each one with black skin and seething red eyes. They repositioned their falling axis and drove their swords straight through the necks of the berserk seahorses, so violently that it beheaded each and every one of them, allowing their bodies to disintegrate at a rapid pace.

Then, they noticed that the ground was beginning to get closer and closer to the wingless ponies at a rather rapid pace, so the team who could fly immediately picked up their speed and caught the falling ponies seconds before they crashed into the ground.

When everyone was safe from falling to their deaths, The Dazzlings, Starswirl, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy safely landed themselves, with some of the wingless ponies in their arms. They let all the wingless ponies down so that they could examine their surroundings.

Dystopia was a hellish landscape, filled with horrific monsters with red pendants draped around their necks. The landmass was entirely blood-red, a colour which matched the skies above them, burning red with essences of furious screams of anger wafting on the winds. There were many different cliffs and mountains that could be seen in this hellish landscape, each one with a jagged peak with red Furen crystals poking out of the tops of each. There was almost no trace of civilization in Dystopia, with a number of nearby cities and towns completely ravaged by war, with beasts that had broken shackles patrolling the place for any outsiders.

The Dazzlings looked at the hellish landscape themselves, and got a rather odd sense of nostalgia from seeing all the war-torn chaos around them. They'd even noticed nearby rivers that ran through the towns, but were lit completely on fire, making it impossible for beasts above to see the bizarre aquatic life that lived underneath the burning seas.

"W-Where are we?" Cadence looked horrified as she witnessed all the carnage happening around them. She'd never in her life seen such a nightmarish depiction of a post-apocalyptic world such as this before.

Adagio was about to explain, when a certain voice spoke for her.

"Welcome to hell, everyone. Too late to repent..." the voice said, getting the entire group to turn around and look at three familiar faces staring at them. Looking at each of the girls were scarred and bruised versions of Photo Finish, Pixel Pizzaz and Violet Blurr. "Nice to see you again, Dazzlings..."

Author's Note

Let me tell you a rather interesting story. Today I was supposed to see Big Hero 6 in the cinemas, but Sabrina had forgotten to book the tickets in advance, so we found that it had been completely sold out by the time we'd made it. Much to my disappointment.

However, things took a turn for the better as I instead got to witness the brilliance of Kingsmen: The Secret Service. Now then, I'm not sure whether or not you guys can see that film for yourselves, since it does heavily take place in England, but if you can, then you should know that Samuel. L Jackson plays a very large role in the story.

Night Mist: Wat does he do?

Me: Weww, I won't say much, but I'ww twy and give yoo something ta tink about. Envision all de angew at da Battwe of da Bands, but ampwified so much dat de students actuawwy go so far as to attack and attempt ta muwdew evewyone ewse...

Peanut Butter: Sounds howwibwe...

Me: I know, which is why I dun tink Amewica wiww get it any time soon. But it's basicawwy a James Bond knockoff with Cowin Fiwth and Samuew. L Jackson as the big names in de advewts.

Luna: Alright then, that's enough talk of the Human World for now. (Blows stardust in my face) Time for bed, little one.

Me: No, Mama. I dun wanna eat beets anymowe...

Night Mist: Be suwe ta weave some comments behind befowe yoo go, evewyone. It'ww hewp him wite fastew...

Dystopia: A World Full of Rage and Scorn

"Snapshots? You're alive?" Adagio was the first to examine Photo Finish, Pixel Pizazz and Violet Blur. Her eyes weren't deceiving her, these were the three Snapshots that The Blasters had supposedly killed two years ago.

"Yes, Adagio. We've been through quite a journey since The Blasters banished us to this plane of existence..." Violet Blur took out her hairband, letting her violet hair flow freely. "For over two years, we've wandered this hellish landscape, surviving solely by unleashing our anger, and using it to overcome these horrific monsters..."

"For some reason, getting angry increases our physical strength, and allows us to tap into otherworldly magic," Pixel Pizazz said as she felt the blood-red ground, feeling something resonate inside of her as a red light appeared where her hand had touched the earth. "While we no longer have control over ourselves when we get angry in this world, it enabled us to stand our grounds against many horrific monsters..."

"Ve survived by cooking each of zose demons up aftervards. It does get rather repetitive knowing zat zey come back ze next day, though..." Photo Finish looked at each of the monsters in the ravaged towns and cities, all of them breathing fire and launching streams of Furen Magic at different pieces of rubble. "But hey, at least ve're still alive to tell ze tale..."

"Quite," Adagio commended The Snapshots on their abilities to survive in Dystopia. "However, you shouldn't stoop yourself in anger too long, Snapshots. The souls of Dystopia consume the careless. Even humans that have been marked by Lyricans need to show some restraint, or they too would have fallen prey to the beasts from Dystopia," she thought of the past for a short while, then immediately remembered something else. "That's why many of the bands showed some form of restraint back then... They were angry, yes, but they weren't careless, like many other groups we marked over the years..."

"So, if this is a Siren's version of Hell, then shouldn't we all be getting angry over the smallest detail?" Rainbow Dash pointed out, reminding Adagio of where they were after that battle.

"Your undying unity casts a powerful spell on you that shields you from Dystopia's atmosphere of negativity, but that spell only lasts for so long..." Aria took over for Adagio, explaining the laws of Dystopia to Rainbow Dash as clearly as she could. "Your anger can only truly be tempered when beasts from Dystopia decide to find and attack us. If a Dystopian even touches you, then you'll instantly snap, just like that." she clicked her fingers for good measure.

"The laws don't technically apply to the three of us, since we're Furen Sirens. But Dystopian attacks deal us greater harm since we're on their playing field..." Sonata took over the explaining now. "But even so, home or away, The Dazzlings play to win!"

"Might I ask how we are supposed to leave this dimension?" Luna decided to get in on the conversation with a very important question.

"That's easy. Greed, Persuasion and Malice have portals that'll get us back to any of the three worlds in the trinity," Adagio said, pointing towards a castle that was at the top of the furthest mountain away. It had red spikes all over it, and had a waterfall of even more blazing water. "However, they might decide to devour you all and spare the three of us, since we're Furens and you're humans and ponies. The Three Queens of Dystopia only let fellow Furens off the hook, and devour any other life-forms that wander up to them."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Rainbow Dash pointed towards the castle in the distance with vigour and gusto, knowing that another great quest was about to be had by her and her friends. "Let's get to the castle and get outta this place!"

"Good idea, I'd rather not stay here and be an easy meal for the monsters that reside in Dystopia..." Adagio and the group got moving at last, hastily moving away from their initial landing site so that they could press on towards the castle...

"So, Adagio. Do you think you could tell us a little more about Lyrican Sirens?" Pixel asked as they walked through a field of flickering flames and concealed red eyes. She took out a book that had been made out of leather and said, "We'd be glad to know more about the species..." before seeing Adagio stop in place and turn around to face her.

"Well, there's a lot to learn about Lyrican Sirens, but I suppose I could spare a few hundred words in telling you..." She said, looking into Pixel's curious eyes with rather pleasured eyes of her own. "Lyrican Sirens have existed throughout many different eons of history, maintaining the Balance of Lyrica for many years after King Allure rose to power..." Adagio's words seemed to be recorded on Pixel's book as she explained every detail. "Also, everything you ever knew about famous and heartbreaking conflicts in your world... that was our doing..."

"Everything you thought you knew about your famous wars, the beginnings were all lies..." Aria looked at The Snapshots, feeling a great sense of remorse for what had happened to them and their world. "The warlords that tore through your worlds, they weren't acting on their own terms... We stoked the fires ourselves, made them believe in such gruesome wars being the right thing..."

"And thanks to the extra data we've gathered over the years, we know that it was truly the right thing to do..." Violet Blur said, looking at the book as Pixel continued scribbling down the information. "We now know that those wars were needed, in order to maintain the Balance of Lyrica and ensure the safety of the three worlds..."

"But there was a cost behind the spreading of warfare..." Adagio decided to add on, making sure that everyone was listening clearly at that moment. "Every time we Furens spread our songs, humans and ponies would sometimes become so enveloped in their own hatred, that they would be seen as a danger to the worlds' safeties. For you see, when someone gets far too angry, they're instantly pulled from their world, separated from their skins, and left in the darkest corners of Dystopia as a soul, haunting the anger-fuelled plains for all of eternity with no retribution or resurrection..."

"But there's even more to Lyricans than just the properties of Furens and Blissens..." Aria decided to add on. "Whenever someone is marked by a Siren's song, they seem like they're being mind-controlled, when in reality, we're only controlling the victim's emotions..."

"What?!" the entire group spoke up upon hearing that last piece of information.

"That's right..." Sonata decided to speak at last. "Whenever a Lyrican marks somebody, they don't have access to the things they do. Instead, they have access to that person or pony's emotions..."

"In the long run, Lyrican Sirens can control how someone feels about something, and make them act according to their emotions, not out of pure impulse," Adagio went on and on with the explanations. "Every song we sang throughout history, even the ones we uttered at CHS, they weren't meant to control minds, and they never were. We merely took control of everyone's emotions, and stoked the flames of conflict against each other, making them all change their tunes and convert a showcase into all-out musical warfare..."

"Sometimes to do some good, we have to be the bad guys..." Sonata's words wafted on the ears of everyone, making them think long and hard about Lyricans after that long explanation.

Suddenly, the road ahead of everyone was sealed off by a demonic seal, which had all kinds of horrific hands grabbing on to each other to stop any and all progression. In the cornerstone of this demonic seal, was a hideous red eye with a Furen's crystal right in the pupil.

"A Dystopian Seal!" Adagio cried out when she saw that familiar mark gazing right at her. "They've found us, and are going to be using these seals to stop us from progressing!"

"Whenever these seals show up, we'll be forced to fight a Dystopian creature!" Aria explained quickly before the upcoming fight had even begun. "I hope you all know how to fight, because the only way we're going to get out of this mess is if we fight against these monsters and win!"

Suddenly, the sky turned an even darker shade of red, as the new beast descended from the sky, ready for conflict.

This new beast was heavily garbed in blood-red armour, with Furen crystals lining each different piece. However, the arms of the beast had massive claws that were where the fingers would normally be, and each claw was shaped like that of a Furen's sword. The beast snarled at the group, and craned its' neck skyward only so it could unleash a deafening roar.

Bringer of Suffering

BLOODLUST

"Snapshots, I trust that I don't need to remind you on what will happen if that thing even touches you, right?" Adagio asked The Snapshots as they locked gazes with that of the giant Bloodlust.

"We'll be fine, Dazzlings. We've been fine for over two years now," Pixel said as she balled her hands into fists and took up a combat stance. Even though she and the other Snapshots were humans that had been banished to the depths of Dystopia, they were still capable of fighting odds greater than themselves. "Let's kick this thing's ass and get back home!"

The group all jumped from their initial positions and began flanking the giant Bloodlust. Each one of their attacks doing almost nothing to it as it merely shrugged each and every blow off. The only hits that damaged the beast were the ones from The Dazzlings, as they were more accustomed to fighting these monsters.

Eventually, the Bloodlust knocked all of the non-Lyricans away, knocking them against invisible walls. It then turned its' attention to The Dazzlings, letting its' teeth become clear as it lunged forward in an attempt to devour the Furen Sirens. Its' efforts were all in vain when The Dazzlings merely kicked it into the air and slammed their heels directly into its' chest as it flew upwards.

"I believe this is the part where you-" Adagio stopped her taunt when she heard heavy gasping, as if the rest of the group had finally had something snap inside of them. "-Oh no..."

Adagio's fears were confirmed when angry screams of war erupted from the ten ponies and three humans. She could clearly see that their eyes had been replaced with a radiant red glow, and their teeth had been gnashed together into rather angry looking sets of jaws. Her friends had succumbed to the effects of Dystopia, and were now being controlled by its' powers.

"I'm gonna rip your swords right out of your flesh, you overgrown rat!" Rainbow Dash angrily charged for the still crippled Bloodlust and began mercilessly pounding away at its' body. She was now consumed by rage, so her power had drastically increased. However, she was blindsighted by her anger to even notice.

"Everyone, stop! You've already beaten it!" Adagio tried to get everyone to stop their combined assault on the Bloodlust, but her efforts were futile when she just watched her group continuously pound the beast into near-death. Eventually, Adagio bore her own furious expression, cast a gaze on the girls and screamed, "I SAID ENOUGH!" so loud that red shockwaves of energy knocked all of the angered ponies and humans into the air.

"Come on, girls. Let's do this before they get back into the fight!" Adagio joined hands with Aria and Sonata and prepared another summon that would finish the beast off.

"Emzel Kringera!" they uttered, invoking their three Hippocampi to come in and finish off the Bloodlust.

The three seahorses made short work of the beast, mercilessly pounding it into the dirt before picking out of the ground, throwing it up into the air, quickly flying above their lifeless prey and uttering a powerful sonic screech that blasted the Bloodlust straight back into the ground, with a red pillar of fire erupting from the impact.

The three Hippocampi roared in triumph and quickly vanished, but only for a brief second as they suddenly re-emerged from a massive red rip in the fabric of reality.

The beasts struggled to break free from the chains that bound them, and within mere seconds they underwent a shocking transformation. Their bodies were no longer spectral, but were now made of flesh and bone. They were no longer coloured, since they'd been freed from The Dazzlings' control. Their skins turned jet-black with blood-red war paint patterns and their eyes reverted to a feral red radiant glow. As they admired their freedom, they let out their own screams of war, ready to fight against the Lyricans that had controlled them.

Destroyers of Freedom

HIPPOCAMPI

The Dazzlings were frozen with fear upon seeing the sight. Their own Hippocampi had turned on them, after all these years of loyalty. They didn't even move an inch as the beasts closed in on them, ready to deal a fatal attack.

"DAZZLINGS!" everyone leaped into the air, knocking Adagio, Aria and Sonata out of the way so that they could take the full brunt of the assault. Their actions were met with the beasts smashing directly into them, knocking their souls straight out of their bodies. The bodies collapsed lifeless, but the souls were still there momentarily.

"Dazzlings..." Sunset's soul said, failing to notice that she and all the other souls had been grabbed by the other souls of Dystopia, ready to take them all to Greed, Persuasion and Malice.

"Mum..." Adagio's attention was quickly turned to Sunset's soul. She could see that Sunset and her friends were sacrificing themselves in order to ensure that The Dazzlins lived to fight another day. She watched as Sunset's soul radiated with each hand that latched onto it, until the light started to die out with enough souls tightly clutching it.

"Just leave us! Save the Rainbooms of Equestria, and stop The Blasters!" Sunset screamed out, as even more hands appeared and restricted the souls even further, ensuring that there was zero chance for them to escape.

The Dazzlings all watched as all of the souls screamed in terror as the hands completely consumed them, and teleported their souls to the castle in the distance. Within seconds, all of The Dazzlings' friends and family had been taken away from them.

"NO!" they all screamed, reaching out for the souls of their friends as they vanished towards the castle.

The Hippocampi were now locking gazes with each of their former slave drivers, looking quite feral and ready to deal the killing blow to each of them. Each one of them roared angrily, firing a massive stream of red flames which obliterated anything that was caught in the crossfire.

"I'm not one for pets who don't listen to their masters!" Adagio grew her wings in sync with her other Dazzlings, raised her sword for combat, and had her hair extended by her undying power. She looked at her former pet with such fury as she readied herself for a titanic struggle.

Each one of the Hippocampi roared once again, ready to pummel The Dazzlings into a pulp. Then, they each fired deadly streams of red energy, ready to annihilate The Dazzlings for the crimes they used them for.

Adagio, Aria and Sonata nimbly dodged the streams of fire, dashed towards their former pets and began repeatedly giving them left and right hooks. Every one of the attacks did something to the Hippocampi, as it knocked their heads around briefly. However, their beasts quickly regained control and viciously lunged towards each of them, ready to try and eat their heads completely. Adagio, Aria and Sonata pushed as hard as they could, desperately trying to prevent each of their Hippocampi from devouring their faces. Then, seeing an opening, The Dazzlings kicked their Hippocampi in the stomach, making them cough up bits of blood.

The beasts then took this battle to the sky, speeding towards the stormy red clouds with rather violent looks of vigour and gusto. They quickly saw that The Dazzlings were close by them, and flew straight into the cover of clouds. Seeing their prey had followed them, the Hippocampi prepared to continue their fight in the middle of a Dystopian thunderstorm.

The Hippocampi all roared once more, but this time, their roars created orbs of red energy that were hurled by their sonic shrieks. They watched as The Dazzlings desperately tried dodging the deluge of Dystopian Energy whilst also fighting the forces of the sonic scream.

Adagio, Aria and Sonata eventually disappeared from the monsters' sight, reappeared behind them and kicked them into a red lightning bolt, making them all howl in pain as the lightning coursed through their true bodies. When they saw their pets falling towards the ground, they flew after them, their anger never leaving their faces as the Dystopian winds roared through their ears.

The Hippocampi still put up a rather good fight, spawning more and more orbs of red energy every time they gnashed their teeth together. Eventually, they were putting out fifteen orbs with every gnash. Even with all this added firepower, they were still unprepared for what happened next.

Even with the beating they took, they still screamed once more, knocking The Dazzlings away with their fury. Then, seeing their targets were still alive, they began to charge at the three of them, their teeth open wide and ready to deal the killing blow.

"That's right... Come to mama..." Adagio grinned as she and the other Dazzlings flew backwards, to put some distance between them and the charging Hippocampi. Eventually, they saw their mark and flew right underneath their Hippocampi, driving their swords through their chests as their former pets rapidly flew straight over them.

"Cerezelgra Firenzre Mardrenel!" The Dazzlings spoke, summoning a Cerberus with their combined red streams.

The three-headed dog looked at the three wounded Hippocampi, then each of the heads drove their enormous teeth directly into the bodies of the lifeless Hippocampi. The teeth continued to gnash at the seahorses until there was absolutely nothing left of them. Then, raising their heads high, one final gnash completely decimated whatever remained of the Hippocampi's bodies. The Cerberus then let out a roar as it vanished, not returning like the Hippocampi had done.

"Guess it's true what they say after all..." Adagio spoke after the battle had finished. "It's not as fun when we're on the receiving end of it..."

Then, after Adagio had finished, The Dazzlings returned to the ground where the seal was positioned. They angrily threw their swords directly at the eye of the seal, tip first. The swords collided with the eye, causing it to crack and explode in a great burst of light, along with the rest of the seal. But that wasn't what bothered The Dazzlings now...

They then flew over to The Rainbooms, The Snapshots, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Starswirl, who were all lifeless after that massive attack.

"Girls? Girls?! Wake up! You have to wake up!" Sonata began violently shaking each one of The Rainbooms, desperately trying to wake each of them up, but to no avail. "Pinkie! I'm sorry about the ice cream thing last year!"

Eventually, The Dazzlings looked at all the lifeless bodies and immediately felt sorry for what had happened. Even Aria looked mortified and terrified with the sight that she was looking at.

"Oh... Rainbooms..." Sonata hung her head at last and began to shed tears. Her friends were dead, and were now at the hands of Greed, Persuasion and Malice.

"This is not happening..." Aria looked absolutely terrified as she gazed upon the cold, frightening image of death. She'd seen many things in her life, but seeing her only friends die was the scariest thing she'd ever seen in her life. "What have we done?!"

Adagio remained silent and looked up to the castle, thinking of everything that had happened up to this moment in time. The Blasters had carefully planned everything that had happened to her. She even believed that the death of The Rainbooms was part of their insidious plan for complete domination of the three worlds. Eventually, she thought of what now needed to be done, balled her hands into fists again, grew a serious expression and said, "They'll pay for this..." getting Aria and Sonata to look up at her...

Author's Note

Night Mist: Oh no... Now De Dazzwings awe aww awone...

Sky Hooves: Wat's gonna happen now, bwodew?

Me: I'm stiww wowking on da west of da stowy, so dun get youw manes in knots...

Luna: Well, I hope you have a way to bring the girls back to life so that they can save Twilight...

Adagio: Luna, he's Shadowmane. He know's what he's doing...

Sonata: But right now, He needs a bath. (Picks me up) No resistance? No running?

Me: Nah. I'm otay wid bathtimes as wong as you'we dewe wid me...

Sonata: (Blushes) O...kay then. Let's get you in that tub, little one...

The Ascent

A knocking could be heard on the other side of the door to Celestia's office. "Come in." she said, allowing three figures to step inside.

"Hello, Celestia. I'm honoured to meet the double of this world face to face..." Fortissimo walked in front of his fellow Blasters and did a Lyrican salute as he honoured the Celestia of the Human World.

"Well... thank you, but I'm just a humble principal. No need to feel honoured to meet me." Celestia replied to Fortissimo as he got up from his salute.

"Oh, I think you're mistaken, darling. You're so much more than what you make yourself out to be..." Fortissimo said, pulling up a nearby chair so that he could discuss matters with Principal Celestia. "But compliments aside, let's get down to business..."

"Ah yes, the forms to merge our music lessons with that of your new regime. It truly is quite a wonder that you three will be taking the time out of your lives to teach our young minds, especially with all the pandemonium that befell our world..." Luna walked up to The Blasters and handed each one of them a form.

"Tell me, Celestia. Have you ever daydreamt on being a pony? To be the leader of a civilization of equines?" Fortissimo spoke as he began writing down some details and approving some important details on the form's paper.

"Well... not exactly. But I'm fully aware that Equestria exists if that's what you're talking about," Celestia began explaining to The Blasters everything she knew about the events at CHS. "It started with the appearance of one Twilight Sparkle, a girl from ano-"

"Yes. We know all about Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the crimes she's committed..." Allegro spoke as he too wrote down some vital facts and figures on his form. "But luckily for us, she's decided that she's sorry for her actions, so we've personally given her a second chance..."

"Crimes? I'm afraid I don't follow what you're talking about..." Luna spoke to The Blasters, who were still deep in writing their personal details on the forms they'd been given. Their expressions never changed as the pens continued writing. "Princess Twilight seemed like a perfect student to us."

"Yes, but were you ever informed of The Dazzlngs?" Fortissimo finally spoke again, whilst still buried deep in his papers. "The poor dears were our little sisters, and Twilight performed assault on the three of them. And all they wanted was to rule the three worlds sing and play like regular children...

"Oh my..." Luna thought to herself when she'd heard The Blasters' views on what had happened back then. "If we'd only known, then we would have kicked Twilight out of the school when we had the chance..."

"That would not have been the wisest thing to do, Celestia and Luna of this world..." Fortissimo recounted all of the events that had happened. "Forgive me for revealing the truth, but allowing our sisters to continue their plans for mongering warfare would have been a great mistake, one that would have caused another war between the three worlds..."

"I'm confused..." Celestia watched as The Blasters finished with the forms and handed them back to Luna. However, what Fortissimo had said was now swirling around in her mind like a swarm of hornets.

"Thank you for agreeing to our terms, humans, but I believe your time in this world is over..." Fortissimo smirked as he and the other Blasters grew their dragon wings and extended hairs before tacking the two humans and pinning them against the walls. "Do not lie to me, ladies. Tell me who you really are and I'll consider letting you live..."

"Get... your... hands off of me!" Luna said, desperately trying to fight back as she struggled in The Blasters' chokehold.

"You are not high-school staff, ladies. You are PrinCESS Celestia and PrinCESS Luna. Do not deny yourselves your true birthright!" Fortissimo looked rather violent as he continued to mess with Celestia and Luna's minds with his combination of interrogation and Lyrican Magic.

"You are a fool, Fortissimo Blast..." Celestia finally spoke, seeing what was truly going on here. "Killing us will not aid your plans by one bit..."

"Correct..." Fortissimo released the two principals from the clutching hands of Allegro and Orchestral. "Instead, I shall have your flesh touch with that of the TRUE Celestia and Luna. You know what temporal displacement is, right?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Luna showed some more resistance as she leaned towards The Blasters with her fists out by her sides.

"Ladies. We are finishing what The Dazzlings could not. All this time, you passed them off as another group of girls, when in reality, we are the long-lost Lyrican Sirens who your pathetic kind fought against in the war before time!" Fortissimo's smirk grew even larger as Celestia and Luna recoiled in horror with all that information. "Our little sisters failed at purging your miserable Human World of the scum monkeys that continue to dance on it. However, unlike our little sisters, we play to WIN..."

"Celestia and Luna of the Human World. When you cross paths with the TRUE Princesses of Equestria, the temporal abnormalities will instantly consume you and erase you and any traces of your existence from this miserable universe. The chaos that will erupt from your deaths will cause mass hysteria and kill millions. And if The Dazzlings can somehow stop this carnage, they still have to defeat us at an even bigger and deadlier version of their musical warfare. And even if that fails to stop them, we'll still be able to consume their Right Souls when they get angry at us," Fortissimo laughed as he looked at the now cowering principals. "A win-win scenario for every outcome. Now then..." he grabbed both of them by their necks and watched as Allegro and Orchestral opened up a portal. "You're coming with us, whether you like it or not..."

Meanwhile, back in Dystopia, The Dazzlings were all fighting off even more monsters from Dystopia, carefully throwing the lifeless bodies of The Rainbooms, The Snapshots, and the ponies from Equestria around so that they were out of the line of fire. Even though they were still capable of fighting against their own forces, Adagio, Aria and Sonata were still grieving and becoming more and more distracted with the thoughts of losing their friends forever.

"Dagi... I can't..." Sonata seemed to struggle for breath after that last battle. She had every right to breathe heavily, since they had extra weight dragging them down. "I can't do this anymore..."

"Don't say that, Sonny! That's what they want you to think. They're just trying to break your mind with as many battles as possible," Adagio looked towards the castle after they destroyed another Dystopian Seal. "Well, bring it on. Bring it on, goddammit! I'll keep fighting until I either reunite with my friends and family, or until the last of my blood has been spilled!"

"The airspace in Dystopia is full of monsters now..." Aria looked up at the sky, seeing many winged monstrosities swarm the blood-red skies after what had happened. "Our battle with our former pets must have attracted them to the air..."

"So, flying's not an option? No problem. We'll just take the long way to the throne room..." Adagio surveyed the path ahead of her, looking for the best way to scale the mountain and make it towards the throne room of Greed, Persuasion and Malice. "Thank Allure for all those endurance hikes we went through in our first lives..."

"So, I say that if we ascend the mountain from the south side, we should be able to make it into the courtyard of the castle before nightfall," Aria turned her gaze towards the castle of the Three Queens of Dystopia, and where it lied on the mountain. "Provided more of those Dystopian demons don't slow us down..."

"We've got quite a long climb ahead of us, sisters. Especially with our friends and families' lives on the line..." Adagio turned towards the still lifeless bodies of her friends and family. "Hang in there, everyone. We'll right this wrong that our brothers have done onto you..."

Without a word, The Dazzlings struggled on, desperate to make it towards the throne room of the Three Queens of Dystopia and free their friends' souls so that they could live another day...

The Dazzlings finally made it to the foot of the mountain and grabbed onto of the elongated crystals that poked out of the foot. They then used a number of other crystals to hoist themselves up so that they could put their feet on the platforms. It was a hard task to do without flying, but The Dazzlings continued to climb the crystals, desperate to make it to the castle before the day's end.

Every crystal was hard to grab onto, due to the rather archaic way they were shaped. However, Adagio, Aria and Sonata found some smooth and equal parts of the crystal spikes, and clutched them tightly to further their ascent up the mountain. There would even be the odd time where some of the crystals either broke when they touched them, or instantly vanished on contact with a certain body part. This made the climb even more arduous, and it invoked more and more exasperated huffs from each of The Dazzlings as their progress was halted some way or another.

"Wish we could have just flown up this damn thing..." Aria grumbled to herself as she lifted herself up onto another crystal platform. "Then again, if we did fly, we'd probably be having to fight off hundreds of winged monstrosities at once, which would ensure that our friends and family never survive to see another day ever again..."

"Adagio! How much longer is the climb gonna be?" Sonata asked after about half an hour of climbing and hoisting the dead bodies up the mountain. "I feel like my taco-handling arms are killing me!"

"Just a few inches more! I can see a landing where we can regain our energy!" Adagio pointed towards a part of the platform which looked like it sank into the mountain itself, which would serve as a great place to rest and recover.

The Dazzlings eventually made it to the landing which Adagio had pointed out earlier, and let out sighs of relief when they saw how much space could be seen from their point of view. There was more than enough space to hold a party of a hundred people, and it would be a great place for Adagio, Aria and Sonata to regain their stamina for the next phase of the ascent.

"Come on, girls. Help them up..." Adagio said as she hoisted the bodies of Sunset, Celestia, Luna and Starswirl up, whilst Aria tended to The Snapshots and Cadence, leaving Sonata with The Rainbooms. Eventually, all of the bodies were let down, and The Dazzlings took in heavy breaths of air as they then dragged them over to the mountain's walls.

"We should be fine here..." Adagio said as she finally sat down to recharge her stamina for a while. "Nothing's gonna attack us from this position..."

Suddenly, a rather loud, spider-like screech could be heard, getting The Dazzlings to huddle up together.

"Oh... Me and my big mouth..." Adagio groaned as another Dystopian Seal appeared, blocking their climb upwards, whilst also putting walls around the cliffs so that they couldn't fall.

Another beast appeared in a burst of red light. This time, it seemed to have a humanoid chest and arms, but had a massive spider's body with archaic blood patterns all over the legs, cephalothorax and abdomen. The spinneret looked like it had a sharp spear-like weapon poking out of it, and it was shaking, ready for combat. The human part looked rather normal, but with more blood-red patterns running down the neck and chest, spreading out to the arms quite flexibly. The face of the beast was also rather savage, like a human's jaw had been dislocated, and its' eyes were nothing more than amber orbs. The human part of the spider beast wore a Furen pendant, and had two tomahawks in its' hands, ready to be thrown at will.

Hunter of Unacceptable Pleasures

PERVERSION

The Perversion looked at The Dazzlings and uttered another spider-like screech before immediately charging on them. It leaned forward once it was close enough and tried to swing the spiky tomahawks at Adagio, Aria and Sonata. However, they watched as they merely leapt straight over its' head and smashed onto its' abdomen, making him screech once more. However, once it got back up, it used the long spear-like spinneret to try and strike The Dazzlings from behind.

Adagio failed to notice that the spinneret of the Perversion was still a weapon as well, and immediately fell prey to the smashing attacks of the giant spear manipulated by a spider's silk. She was eventually knocked onto her stomach with one final attack, and was now recoiling in pain as she rolled onto her back, looking up in horror as the spinneret was about to come smashing down straight into her face.

Aria and Sonata quickly intercepted the spinneret and smashed it against the wall, holding it down and making the Perversion shake and struggle to move again. They let the spinneret go and charged in for the beast's head and chest. They braced for the spinneret to counter their attacks, but the counter never came, enabling them to cross blades with the Perversion's tomahawks.

Adagio tangoed with the spinneret, leaping over it and sidestepping out of the way whenever the spiked spear tried impaling her. This went on for quite some time until she found the silk that was controlling the spear. She leapt over the spear once more and brought her sword straight down through the silk, separating the spear from the rest of the Perversion's body and causing the spinneret to expel thick blood.

When the Perversion was only down to fighting with its' tomahawks, it frantically swung at Aria and Sonata, knocking them straight into Adagio, sending the three Furens crashing against the walls of the Dystopian Seal. Roaring in anger, the Perversion threw both tomahawks at the seal, hoping that one of them would pierce The Dazzlings with how precise they were.

Adagio merely kicked one of the tomahawks away and grabbed onto the other one. She got a boost from Aria and Sonata, and leapt towards the human part of the Perversion. She used her sword in one hand and the borrowed tomahawk in the other, madly hacking and slashing away at the Perversion's human half. She could hear anguished cries of pain with every slash, but she was unfazed by that and continued her assault.

With one final strike, she threw the tomahawk straight through the cephalothorax and abdomen, whilst splitting the human half of the beast in half. In the end, the entire Perversion had been split in two, and both halves collapsed rather rapidly before fading away as quickly as it had entered.

When the fight was over, The Dazzlings destroyed the Dystopian Seal and tended to the lifeless bodies once more.

"So... now what, Adagio?" Aria looked at the rather steep mountain and saw no possible method of moving upward from their current position.

"If my hunch is still correct, then the secret passage to the front doors of the castle should be right around here somewhere..." She felt for a certain part of the mountain, then fist pumped when a part of the mountain sunk into it. "We're in!"

"Dekima engra vric." a Dystopian voice spoke to all of The Dazzlings as a red forcefield appeared in front of the mountain's structure.

The Dazzlings merely sung their chorus to the voice, who immediately lowered the forcefield for them. "Engra vric obligra, jurac figre, Dazzlings..."

"Good to know the voice databanks hasn't forgotten ours..." Adagio smiled with satisfaction as The Dazzlings took up the dead bodies once more. Then, she watched as the part of the mountain that had been shielded suddenly vanished in a radiant burst of light, revealing a secret passageway with red crystal stairs leading upwards.

The Dazzlings all carried the bodies inside the mountain and laid them down, seeing that the cave wall behind them had sealed up once more, blocking off any uninvited guests.

"We should be safe in here. Dystopian beasts can't find us if we just fly up from here..." Adagio said as her wings re-appeared. "Gather the bodies. We're having an audience with Greed, Persuasion and Malice..."

The other Dazzlings complied and carried the lifeless bodies in their arms and over their shoulders. Then, spreading their wings, they flew up the caverns, passing many flights of crystalline stairs as they did so. To their relief, nothing had attacked them as their ascent neared its' end.

When they made it to the top of the caverns, Adagio, Aria and Sonata laid the lifeless bodies against another wall whilst examining the massive gates that now stood before them. The gates were at least twenty times taller than The Dazzlings, making their mouths drop with its' phenomenal size. It was also a rather wide gate, capable of getting colossal chariots in and out with little trouble whatsoever. The gates' patterns themselves were very demonic and were covered in blood. There also seemed to be a massive Furen crystal in the center of the gate, a symbol that this was a Furen fortress of rest and relaxation. Adagio, Aria and Sonata put their hands on the gate and felt like they were at home...

"Alright, girls. On the count of three, we breach the gate and fight our way to the throne room..." Adagio put her shoulder against the gate, seeing that Aria and Sonata followed her lead in the matter. "Remember, this place is full of Furen monsters, so don't be surprised if things get too tough for you..." she then looked at the dead bodies once more and got a massive surge of confidence. "Alright. One... two... THREE!"

Author's Note

Night Mist: Wait! Wat happens next?! I wanna wead mowe!

Me: Not tonight, Nighty. I need ta wecovew my enewgy aftew dat chaptew...

Luna: Exactly, little one. (Levitates all of the foals up) I think it's time you all got a nice night's sleep...

All the foals: But we'we not- (Stardust to the faces) Sweepy... ZZZZZzzzzz...

Luna: Yes, you are... (Carries us all off to the nursery) See you all soon, little ones...

Dazzlings VS Rainbooms 2: Freed From Darkness

The Dazzlings charged through the gate, expecting to see a group of Dystopians ready for combat. Yet, to their surprise, nothing could be seen except a clear courtyard and a number of destroyed corpses.

"Something doesn't feel right..." Adagio raised her sword for conflict, expecting the unexpected as she scanned the area for any remaining hostilities.

"I know what you mean, Dagi. Someone, or something must have got here before us..." Sonata looked rather nervous as she looked at each and every corpse, the same grotesque image of death burned into her mind with every corpse that her eyes rested on.

"Something could be waiting to come out of nowhere to ambush us..." Adagio looked back at Aria and Sonata and said, "Stay on your guard, girls..." before returning her gaze to the center of the courtyard.

Thirty seconds passed, and yet nothing arose from the shadows. No growls of anger, no screams of anguish, nothing. Things were relatively peaceful for the time being. This was unusual to The Dazzlings, since Dystopia always had something going on in the places they'd seen.

"Cosy isn't it?" Rainbow Dash's voice could be heard from high above, but it sounded a little more serious than cocky.

"Show yourself!" Adagio shouted in the direction of the voice, desperate to try and get its' attention.

Within seconds, six armoured Lyricans that bore a striking resemblance to the Mane 6 descended from the skies. Their wings were spread widely, their swords ready for combat, and they had rather bemused faces when they all landed.

"Rainbooms...?" Adagio examined the six Lyricans that now stood before her and the rest of The Dazzlings. She was shocked that they were still alive, yet they were only dead a few minutes ago.

"No. We're not like those heathens. We fight to save the worlds, not doom them..." Lyrican Rarity said to The Dazzlings, ensuring that her words were tightly wrapped in their minds. "Unlike those ruffians, we six are Lyrican warriors of peace. They are merely charlatans, frauds of who are the TRUE Rainbooms..."

"Those girls you carry around with you are nothing more than stupid voodoo dolls, only serving as a way to harm us if anything was to happen to them," Lyrican Pinkie said, her mood never shifting from a mixture of serious and furious. "Forget about them, and let the Three Queens of this castle devour their souls..."

"Now I've got it..." Adagio stepped forward, getting a closer look on the six girls that stood before her, Aria and Sonata. "You're The Blasters' Rainbooms... The ones they made by baiting you to Lyrica and instantly overpowering you..."

"Baitin'? Ah think you've got it all wrong, darlin'." Lyrican Applejack spoke to the group this time.

"Yeah. We were born Lyricans, raised as Lyricans, and saved during the great war as Lyricans..." Lyrican Fluttershy explained, showing proof that there were absolutely no memories of her past life as a pony. "The Blasters warned us that the humans of the Human World would fill our heads with lies, you three are the prime example of just that..."

"Why are we the prime example of fibbers?!" Adagio asked with some rage boiling up inside of her. "If anything, I'd say that you six are lying, and you've only been lying to save the hides of your pathetic masters!"

"So, you want to do this the hard way? Fine by us..." Lyrican Rainbow Dash stood aside, allowing a Lyrican copy of Twilight Sparkle to step forward and address all of The Dazzlings.

"Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk, you three are charged with attempting to disrupt the Balance of Lyrica for war. This crime is seen as completely unacceptable, and the penalty for it is death," Twilight spoke to The Dazzlings as sternly as possible. "However, that is not why we're here..."

"We're here to buy The Blasters some time so that they can organize THEIR Battle of the Bands, which they say were inspired by your actions against the other species..." Lyrican Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Lyrican 6 fired bolts of red lightning into the sky, transforming the rippling airspace into a deadly vortex of Furen energy. The portal itself shot out more bolts of red lightning, all of which made the distinguishable noise of thunder as they left the void where they came from. "The spell we've cast on the sky is a Furenado. In approximately thirty minutes, this entire castle will become consumed by its' almighty power, destroying all life that continue to breathe on it, including you, your miserable napping infants, and the Three Queens of Dystopia themselves..."

"I see now..." Adagio's sword was drawn, along with her hair being extended once again. "It's pretty suicidal what plan you've got going down, ladies..."

"Excuse me?" Lyrican Twilight asked, putting a hand to her ear. "I couldn't hear you before..."

"So this is what The Blasters filled your little heads with..." Aria looked on towards the six Lyricans with a rather unimpressed look on her face. "Punishing us for breaking the rules, by threatening us with breaking the rules?!"

"Only Blissens can murder the Three Queens of Dystopia. You six are Furens, so killing them counts as a criminal offence as well!" Adagio spoke loud enough so that her words wafted on the ears of the six Lyricans. "The tables have turned, haven't they? Now we ALL have a reason to fight each other..."

"You have been wandering these worlds for far too long, Dazzlings. And even so, it only truly counts IF we kill the Three Queens of Dystopia, so we haven't broken the rules yet!" Lyrican Rainbow Dash retorted, looking even more peeved than usual. "And I'm sure we can spill some blood before the Furenado reaches destructive power..."

"So it IS a fight, isn't it?" Sonata said, looking rather disappointed in the six Lyricans. "It's a shame really, we'd have been good friends if you hadn't invoked our anger..."

"Prepare yourselves, fakes. Because after all these years, The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms are having a rematch!" Adagio put herself in a battle-ready position, ready to fight against the Lyrican 6. "I swear on my mother's dying breaths, and the dying breaths of all the friends we've made, YOU SIX WILL NOT TASTE VICTORY!"

"A foolish decision made by foolish infidels..." Lyrican Twilight said as the Lyrican 6's pendants all glowed furiously for the conflict ahead of them. She then took up her own battle-ready position and watched as the other Lyrican 6 did the same. "At long last, the Right Souls of Fury will be returned to PROPER Lyrican hands..."

LYRICAN RAINBOOMS

The fight quickly begun with both The Dazzlings and the Lyrican Rainbooms charging towards each other, letting out battle cries as they moved in for the attack. Nine swords crashed against each other when they'd closed in at last, and the loud noise of swords crossing paths could be heard by all fighters.

The two groups were hastily divided up so that there was an equal fight. The match-ups seemed to be one-on-two, though, since the Lyrican Rainbooms knew that The Dazzlings were the fabled Right Souls of Fury that would complete the resurrection of the Lyrican Sirens. In the end, Twilight and Rainbow Dash tangoed with Adagio, whilst Pinkie and Fluttershy duelled Sonata, leaving Applejack and Rarity with Aria.

Every attack was quick, and left the opponents almost no time to counter or evade. Eventually, both sides found a clear shot at their targets and struck, dealing massive damage to their opposition. Both the Lyrican Rainbooms and The Dazzlings had taken advantage of the opening, and they both felt pain whenever the opponents' swords found their mark.

"It seems your little leave of absence after your crushing defeat left you a bit rusty, Adagio..." Lyrican Twilight taunted as she continued to cross blades and volley Lyrican Magic at Adagio.

Adagio merely knocked the attacks away and said, "I've been fine-tuning my skills for fourteen years now. It seems like you're just starting to get a handle on our training..." before stringing her own chain of attacks right back at Lyrican Twilight and Rainbow Dash, who looked rather unamused at her efforts to fight back.

"Why do you resist us?" Lyrican Rarity furiously pushed against Aria's sword in a power struggle. "You realize that you cannot run from fate forever, so what's the point in fighting back?!"

"The hand that destiny dealt us will only lead to the complete destruction of all other life, even when it wasn't their fault to begin with!" Aria's words pounded Rarity's ears to make her flinch to the point where her sword was knocked back for a devastating combo. "This. Was. The. Doing. Of. The. Six. Euphorian. Deities!" she said in time with every sword slash that was dealt to Lyrican Rarity.

Lyrican Applejack caught Rarity as she fell, then put her down on the ground before blocking one of Aria's diving slashes with her sword. She then nimbly leapt out of the way of a flurry of slashes from the rather steamed Dazzling before leaping right over her and kicking her face in with her nimble leap.

"Still got a few more tricks to learn, Aria Blaze..." Lyrican Applejack taunted once Aria got up from her pained position on the ground. Once her target was back on her feet, Lyrican Applejack raised her sword once more and prepared for another string of attacks on Aria.

Meanwhile, Lyrican Pinkie and Lyrican Fluttershy were busy leaping all over Sonata in an attempt confuse her. This effort proved fruitless when Sonata figured their jump patterns out and struck where they were going to land. She then looked at her sword and polished it whilst her two opponents got up from their positions.

"Impressive..." Lyrican Pinkie said as she leapt back onto her feet and charged at Sonata, knocking her to the floor. With her target grounded, Lyrican Pinkie pointed the tip of the sword directly at Sonata's throat. "But not good enough, I'm afraid..."

Sonata didn't respond and instead kicked Lyrican Pinkie in the stomach, knocking her straight back into Lyrican Fluttershy. She then leapt back onto her feet quite rapidly to see her two opponents struggling to get back up.

"If I were in this position, I'd stay down and eat whatever landmass my face is planted against," Sonata taunted as she put her feet on the backs of each of the felled Lyricans. "But since I'm not in this position, I'd say that this is the part where you do what I said earlier."

"Try to mess around with us all you want, Sonata Dusk. Mind games have no effect on Lyricans in the slightest!" Lyrican Fluttershy rolled out from underneath Sonata's leg and grabbed onto it, pulling her down as she continued her escape roll. "Now, Pinkie!"

Within seconds, Sonata was hurled into the air by Lyrican Fluttershy, where Lyrican Pinkie began unleashing a barrage of sword swings and magical attacks. With one final attack, Lyrican Pinkie's sword slash was accompanied by a projection of a pink Hippocampi, knocking Sonata into the castle's walls with how violent the attack had become.

Adagio and Aria were also overwhelmed by the amazing co-ordination of the Lyrican Rainbooms. They too were knocked airborne and given no chance to counterattack as the Lyrican Rainbooms swung a great series of sword swings, finished up with projections of more Hippocampi. The overwhelming brutality knocked The Dazzlings into each other, and it actually left them with bruises and cuts.

"Looks like we win, infidels..." Lyrican Twilight boasted as she looked at the crippled Dazzlings slowly getting up to their feet. "Your time is over..."

"Not... until... The Blasters fall..." Adagio spoke through gasps for breath as she got to her feet, though her legs were shaking in pain as she struggled to get back into the fight. "Not until this torment ends..."

"Stay down, Adagio. You're obviously on your last legs..." Lyrican Fluttershy pointed out as she looked at Adagio's rather unbalanced posture in the heat of the battle.

"You obviously forget..." Aria got up to her feet as well and showed an undying resolve as the sweat trickled down her face. "It takes a lot more than a few cuts and bruises to kill us..."

"Yet it takes a deluge of Equestrian Magic to strip you of assured victory..." Lyrican Rarity taunted as she looked at Sonata getting up on her feet to join Adagio and Aria. "Now you all have to work for your victories, and not all of them can be assured..."

The Dazzlings didn't speak, and quickly glowed as red as the crimson skies above. Their energy was being magnified by the Right Souls of Fury suddenly responding to their agony in battle. Within seconds, The Dazzlings disappeared in a flash of red light and reappeared behind the Lyrican Rainbooms kneeling down with their swords looking like they'd been swung rather wide. They could only hear swords dropping and disappearing whilst they kept in their poses.

"True, not all of them can be assured, unless you're the Right Souls of Fury..." Adagio said as she looked back at all six of the Lyrican Rainbooms who'd fallen to their knees after that powerful finishing blow. "Now then, stop lying. It's time for the truth, ladies..."

The Dazzlings looked as the Lyrican Rainbooms were now on their stomachs with their arms stretched out wide. They were in a good position to finish them off right here, but they had something else in mind...

"When the truth is blinded, shrouded by rage, the victorious Lyricans will return the page," The Dazzlings all spoke in unison, uttering a seal of magic around the felled Lyrican Rainbooms. "The darkness dies, the light returns, with truths revealed, the fire burns..." the seal intensified with each different section of The Dazzlings' magic. "Shrouded in darkness, turned on the truth, with this new spell, we have our proof. The Blasters lied, gave you a plight, but with our truth, return to light!"

The Lyrican Rainbooms were then consumed by a powerful pillar of white light. The light levitated them off of the ground and begin making each one of the Lyricans glow brighter the longer they were exposed to it. Eventually, they glowed so brightly that they consumed the entire castle in their radiant glow.

When the light had vanished, the Lyrican Rainbooms were looking quite confused as they were now sat down on their butts. Their pendants still remained, but it seemed like a distant part of their past had returned to them at long last.

"Welcome back to reality, everyone..." Adagio held a hand out for Lyrican Twilight and helped her up to her feet. She could see now that that spell had revealed everything, and that their allegiance to The Blasters was now non-existent.

"W-What happened to us?" Twilight asked as she looked at her hands. "Why are we wearing Furen Pendants? The last thing I remember was talking to Allegro about restoring our friendships, but then everything went black..."

"Allegro lied to you. He broke down your mind and made you believe that the only way to restore your friendships was to shed your past and become a Lyrican Siren," Adagio began explaining, her words reaching out to Twilight and the rest of the Spirits of Harmony. "Upon accepting his deal, he annihilated all of your memories of being an Alicorn princess, and re-wrote you so that you and your friends would be obedient to his and the other Blasters' every command..."

"Ever since the six of you came to Lyrica, your Magic of Friendship was no longer able to defend you from The Blasters' powers..." Aria continued with the explanations. "When they conjured up a Chimera, its' presence alone was able to make you three fuming with rage over the smallest little detail. You six became a tinderbox, with the Chimera being the match that stoked the fires of anger..."

"Those rotten..." Rainbow Dash scorned The Blasters as she swung her fists close to her chest in a small burst of controlled anger.

"Oh my Celestia... SUNSET!" Twilight ran over to the lifeless corpses of her friends from the Human World. She then looked at the corpses of four ponies that she knew all too well. "Celestia? Luna? Cadence? Starswirl? What's going on here?!"

"We don't have much time before the Furenado consumes this place. We need to speak with Greed, Persuasion and Malice before they devour the souls of our friends and family..." Adagio put a hand on Twilight's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. "If we can save their souls, they'll instantly come back to life. Trust me, I've seen this many times before..."

"So, where are Greed, Persuasion and Malice?" Applejack asked as she and the other Spirits of Harmony stood up and walked over to Twilight and Adagio.

"There... in the throne room of this place..." Aria pointed towards a rather large piece of the castle that stood atop a spiked tower. "We need to get in there and strike them down, and quickly! The Furenado's going to hit critical mass in fifteen minutes!"

"Let's get moving then, we'd not want you girls to be late to your audience with the Three Queens of Dystopia," Rarity said as the Spirits of Harmony transformed themselves into Rainbow Power versions of themselves so that they could ascend the castle by flying. "We'll follow close behind and keep an eye on things..."

"Thanks, girls..." Sonata and The Dazzlings flew up into the air themselves and positioned themselves on the roof of the throne room with little effort. "Once this is all over, I wouldn't mind coming around to see you back in Equestria..."

When everything was said and done, The Dazzlings spread their wings once more and leapt off of the throne room roof only to use their wings to fly upwards and dive bomb directly through the middle of the roof of the throne room. Before they impacted with the roof, they let out confident cries that grew louder in pitch as they smashed right through the roof like paper...

Author's Note

Night Mist: Dawn it, anodew cwiffhangew...

Me: Sowwy about dat, it's de onwy way I can buiwd tension fow da next chaptew...

Adagio: Well, I still think it's a rather fantastic story, Shadowmane. You've really gone above and beyond to make it seem like there's more to us than meets the eye...

Sonata: If Hasbro ever need help in making an epic villain for Equestria, they should probably get him to write that episode. I bet it'd be awesome...

Aria: True, he's known for making epic fight scenes like this one. Makes the final battle from our debut seem like the opening act for an even bigger threat...

Adagio: I'd love to read more of your story, Shadowmane... (Picks both me and Night Mist up in her arms) But right now, you two need your check-ups...

Me: No! Not da sywinges! Dey sting!

Sonata: Aww... he's so cute when he's worked up... (Holds my hoof) I'll be doing this until it's over, Shadowmane. You've nothing to worry about...

Dystopia's Three Queens

As The Dazzlings smashed through the roof, they landed on a rather unusual rug with demonic patterns all over it. But that wasn't what interested them at that point. The thing that truly interested them was the design of the room when the roof suddenly healed together as if it were flesh.

The walls of the throne room were all spiky and had dark purple paint with dark red bloodstains all over it. There were some Furen sigils that also accompanied the paint choice, as well as Furen crystals lining certain areas of the throne room, as if to mark certain boundaries of sorts. As for the thrones themselves, they were colossal, with three shadowy figures sitting down on them. However, the most distinguishable feature of the three silhouettes were the choices of weapons they were wielding. One of the figures had really long claws, another wielded a spiky whip, and the third and final figure had massive pendulum slicers on its' arms.

"Sumdrik? Aldrein... Sigreneil dreleak sigmereal fingren, till encre dala grick..." the figure with the long claws stated as it looked at each of The Dazzlings with a rather malicious grin. "Salak degrindre emprus firez dazlaz burra skri dril?"

"We're here to pick up our friends and family," Adagio looked towards the three thrones and addressed the figures sitting down on them. "I believe we've all overstayed our welcome here in Dystopia..."

"Skilk fidre? Ahh... Zegre Equestrians..." the second figure, the one with the spiked whip spoke. "Alain, diz crenga oblare okfri..."

"Suuk salam drifke jires flora dialbork, suuk mingres pileam hugrin lac..." the third and final figure spoke, ensuring that The Dazzlings were all still paying attention to the Lyrican language they spoke.

"Hid rez, miotrezz. Yoi fop cripsel midrik jinkleis minkdela umparra deleium jarrid enpra orza mel nigro fresan kopre dalakhan immefriwes," the first figure spoke once more. "Daldren... nidreil sokra hingres plorid jumnk Dystopia..."

The Dazzlings merely swung their swords around, firing spectral red slices that destroyed certain parts of the walls and decorations, leaving nothing but empty spaces that led out towards Dystopia. They then turned back to face the three queens of Dystopia once they saw that the damage they'd done had quickly fixed itself.

"Are you still going to forgive us for barging in now?!" Adagio's cold stare pierced the resolves of the three figures, as she saw them suddenly flinch and recoil at her actions. "What are you going to do without your precious castle? Bark random orders like some weak underling?"

"Miradreil higrez Furens?" the first figure looked shocked at what had just happened to the castle's throne room.

"Anakel sidrek emzra pellafor Rigren Selas inz Figran?!" the second figure spoke up as they saw The Dazzlings radiate the Right Souls of Fury for all to see.

"Aftre kigrend deim, wei skipren grack, Rigren Selas inz Figran..." the first figure showed a massive outburst of hatred for The Dazzlings upon putting the pieces together at last. "Nack grindreil sampragren stickrendre ous pilen as sen fing heil dimgreil sacra dren!"

The castle began to shake violently with the three figures' hatred growing by the second. However, The Dazzlings weren't shaken by this and watched as the three figures stood up from their thrones to deal with them.

"Then I guess it's time for what humans call a 'catfight'!" Adagio showed some confidence as she, Aria and Sonata put their swords in battle-ready positions for the conflict ahead of them.

The three figures leapt off of the staircase and landed a few feet in front of The Dazzlings. Now that they were in the light, they could be seen much more clearer. They seemed to roughly assume the physical forms of Adagio, Aria and Sonata, but they looked much more like demons and nothing like humans or ponies. Their weapons seemed to be fused into the flesh, and their armour was draped with red crystals. Three Furen pendants hung from their necks as they looked up to face their targets once more. Their weapons made distinguishable noises of them being drawn for combat when they brought them up to combat height.

Embodiments of Violent Competition

GREED, PERSUASION AND MALICE

"Rigren Selas inz Figran, oh hasdre ilze cumpra arzeledrack!" Greed spoke to The Dazzlings as she and the Three Queens of Dystopia made alluring poses as they flexed their bodies for combat. "Umzrenedren inzra delcron drack crongradra!" they all got together and did a final pose which showered them in an otherworldly light with sparkles bursting up from their hips.

"I don't know why you want the Right Souls of Fury from us, but I've said it to The Blasters and I'll say it again," Adagio and The Dazzlings all grew their hairs and wings for conflict once again. "over our dead bodies!"

The Dazzlings charged towards Greed, Persuasion and Malice quite hastily, but the Three Queens merely jumped into the air and smashed their fists onto the ground, spawning a wall of rose thorns that instantly stopped Adagio, Aria and Sonata in their tracks.

With their wall up, Greed and Persuasion pushed their attacks through the wall, so that their weapons could attack The Dazzlings, but they couldn't counter them. Greed's claws suddenly became massive and blindly smashed into the arena, desperately trying to lay an attack on the three Furens that had stormed into the throne room of their castle. Persuasion then took over when Greed had had her fun with the wall of spikes, her whip smashed into different parts of the wall, firing homing thorns at The Dazzlings on the other side.

Adagio, Aria and Sonata desperately struggled to fend off the giant claw and homing thorns, but they were eventually starting to struggle with the wounds that the Lyrican Rainbooms had dealt them earlier, and that had left them vulnerable to the homing thorns. The thorns were rather fast to launch once they were volleyed into the air by Persuasion's spike whip, and The Dazzlings could only fend off half of the flying shrapnels.

When the wall finally broke down, The Dazzlings all charged and slashed at the Three Queens of Dystopia, but their sword attacks didn't make their targets flinch. Sure, they were feeling pain, but they weren't moving an inch from their positions on the ground. After a combo, each of The Dazzlings was attacked by the weapons of the Three Queens after their combos had ended. Seeing no time to dodge or reflect, The Dazzlings could only take the hits and wait for the next opening.

Greed and Malice then began cartwheeling and performing a series of acrobatic maneuvers around the arena to try and get around The Dazzlings quicker, however, they didn't attack until they leapt high into the air. Greed fired her own claws as mini spears whilst Malice slashed open a rip in reality whilst another rip opened up behind Sonata's back. Greed watched as Adagio slashed the claws away whilst Malice pulled Sonata through the rip and threw her into the hard ground rather violently.

Meanwhile, Aria was tangoing with Persuasion, nimbly leaping over swings of the whip with her advanced acrobatic skills. Eventually, she leaped behind Persuasion and kicked her away before charging at her with her sword ready to strike. The sword quickly found its' mark and pierced Persuasion in the chest area. Taking this moment, Aria stole the spike whip and started slapping her target across the face with it. When she got bored of this, she finally stuck the whip down Persuasion's throat and knocked her down with a simple punch to the face, causing the spikes to impale Persuasion in multiple areas of her body.

Adagio and Sonata were busy duelling with Greed and Malice, quickly raising their swords to reflect the claw swipes and pendulum slicers. They eventually leaped over a sweeping attack and kicked the two queens in their faces before pushing them into each other. Seeing their targets in a daze, Adagio and Sonata began leaping all over the two queens and dealt a rather erratic chain of combo attacks, dealing massive damage to the remaining queens. Finally, they slit the two queens' throats and threw them over to Persuasion.

Finally, with one final attack, The Dazzlings leapt into the air and allowed their swords to glow for a brief instance. They performed seven somersaults mid-flight and finally drove their swords straight through the hearts of the Three Queens of Dystopia violently. Seeing that their targets were finished off, they swiftly removed the swords from the queens' chests and watched as they struggled to get back on their feet.

"DRIK DALGRA SIRE BIKREN SHILCK!" Greed shouted in fury as the Three Queens' pendants glowed violently and their eyes turned into a radiant red glow.

"Oh you've gotta be kidding me..." Adagio watched as Greed, Persuasion and Malice screeched out in anger and underwent a monstrous transformation.

The Three Queens' transformation was so sudden and so fast that it destroyed the roof and walls of the throne room and instantly made the Furenado reach critical mass. Horrific tendrils of demonic flesh regurgitated out of their mouths and backs, combining together to create a colossal being made of flesh and bone. The Queens were turned inside out with the transformation and disappeared inside the glowing mess of flesh and blood. The biomass then transformed into a giant quadrupedal monster with six ferocious arms poking out of what looked like a giant chest. Every one of the arms had blood-stained claws on it, all of them sharper than anything else in Dystopia. The final touches were three horrific Hippocampi poking out of the flesh and taking a physical form behind the giant body, which looked like a naked demon with the combined hairstyles of Adagio, Aria and Sonata.

Empress of Dystopia and All Rage

ANGER

"SELDRE UMPREN! STRICK FREIL KRAN DONGRA STRIPOA, JUIES CRISAFIN CRANGRELA OMBRA UNCRIK ILSKA ARRONDRA EXILFRACK ONBRACKELE!" Anger shouted in complete fury as it pointed at The Dazzlings in a fit of rage.

Adagio gasped when she looked at Anger's scaly transparent underbelly. "MUM! GIRLS!" True to Adagio's fears, Sunset, The Rainbooms, The Snapshots, Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Starswirl's unconscious souls were all sleeping in the belly of the beast. She then looked as rainbow-coloured energy left their slumbering souls and flew right into Anger's pendant, making the oversized beast radiate even brighter with all the power it was acquiring.

"AKRAIL SECRAK FIRKARDE UMGRELEINGRELA POWNRAIL FORGRAINT SILEAK! DEL EQUESTRIAN MIKOP CINDREIL UNFRI POFRID CERELIER CRAINDEL SKAIT!" Anger laughed manically as she used her new power to fires small beams of red lightning which completely destroyed six distant mountains with no effort at all. "SIK PRU! ULA ARSELRACK DEIM PLURA ELBREDA!"

The Dazzlings all swirled around, transforming themselves into their regal robes as red magic showered down on them. When their new robes were draped around their bodies, their hair suddenly had radiant red streaks in it, as a sign that they'd tapped into the deeper power of the Right Souls of Fury.

"Then let's put the new 'Queen of All Worlds' out of her misery," Adagio taunted as she raised her sword for another round of combat. "Now, release our friends and family!"

The first attack was launched by Anger. She slammed into the ground violently with all six of her feet and claws, causing a massive shockwave of red energy to erupt from all around her. This knocked The Dazzlings into the air and suspended them in orbs of red energy. Seeing that their targets were trapped in mid-air, Anger grabbed onto Adagio, Aria and Sonata, threw them onto the ground and stomped on them with her four feet. She continuously drove her feet into the ground in an attempt to end The Dazzlings' lives there and then, but she was suddenly impacted by a ball of rainbow-coloured energy, knocking her off of The Dazzlings and throwing her onto her back.

"Dazzlings! Get up!" Twilight said as she got onto the platform and helped The Dazzlings back onto their feet before Anger threw herself back on her feet again.

"We can take her on our own, Twilight..." Adagio said through winces of pain as she felt her body only acquired more and more bruises and cuts.

"No, you can't..." Twilight looked at the ferocious Anger with a rather serious look on her face. "You've saved us, so it's time we save you from this thing..."

"What?" Adagio looked at Twilight, who nodded her head to subliminally tell her that their added numbers would be enough to bring Anger to her knees. Adagio then nodded and said, "Good to have you back, Auntie Twilight," before raising her sword with Aria and Sonata once more. "Now let's take this thing down!"

The Dazzlings and the Spirits of Harmony used their Hippocampi wings to circle around the colossal beast, in an attempt to try and examine its' body to find a weakness. However, their actions were noted when Anger breathed a huge laser of red energy at the flying girls in an attempt to swat them down like flies.

Seeing an opening here, The Dazzlings spiralled around the beam of energy and kicked Anger directly in the face, knocking her back and disrupting the laser.

With the opening revealed to them, the Spirits of Harmony flew in and dealt powerful sword slashes on Anger's scaly underbelly, damaging it by leaving wide cracks in its' see-through hide. Once the cracks were visible, the six Spirits of Harmony flew upwards and heel kicked Anger's back when they careened back down towards her.

Anger merely roared in anger and got back up from that combined assault. Then, using a combination of claw swings and flesh Hippocampi attacks, she had the entire arena covered with a storm of ferocious attacks so that ground combat was a no-go. Seeing that her targets were flying, however, she had her Hippcampi act as an anti-air defence by having them fire streams of red energy that slashed through the sky like radiant red swords.

Seeing that the beast was fuming, Adagio, Aria and Sonata got down onto the ground and began dodging Anger's claws and Hippocampi smash attacks. The endless string of attacks was rather fast, and it made almost no chance for dodging. All that they could do was reflect and push Anger's attacks back at her in an attempt to finally finish the brute off once and for all.

Anger roared once more, firing another stream of powerful red energy. However, The Dazlings failed to dodge it in time, and were blasted into the distance, crashing into another mountain, destroying it completely. She watched as the entire mountain came crashing down on Adagio, Aria and Sonata, then turned her attention to the Spirits of Harmony, who were now firing orbs of Rainbow Power magic down on her.

Adagio, Aria and Sonata just barely cut all of the falling debris in half so that it didn't fall on top of them. Then they looked back at the top of the castle, where Anger was having a ferocious duel with the Spirits of Harmony. They spread their wings and rapidly returned to the arena, with their feet lunging out to kick Anger in some part of her body.

The Spirits of Harmony were about to be taken out by Anger, when she was suddenly and violently kicked in the face, knocked away from her targets once more. Turning her attention to The Dazzlings, she lunged forward at them and tried to maul them, but she was suddenly tackled by the Spirits of Harmony, who drove their swords directly into her arms and cut them all off.

As the blood fell, the scaly underbelly was revealed once again. This time, The Dazzlings began violently hacking and slashing away at the scaly underbelly, making even more cracks to the cracks that had already been left there. When they saw that the underbelly was damaged enough, they pierced the underbelly completely and pulled the souls of their friends and family right out of Anger, making her scream in pain. When The Dazzlings had recovered the slumbering souls of their friends and family, they watched as Anger screamed and writhed in pain before exploding in a violent burst of red light, revealing the dazed and confused Greed, Persuasion and Malice once again.

Adagio, Aria and Sonata flew down to the courtyard and put the souls back into the respective bodies of their friends and family, watching them shine brightly as they returned to their rightful owners.

"Mum? Wake up, the Queens are finished..." Adagio looked at Sunset's still sleeping body, then grew worried as she began to shake it rather worriedly. "Mum?! Wake up! The Blasters are still out there! The torment's over! Get up!" she then started to feel tears drop from her face as she continued to look at Sunset's still sleeping body. "PLEASE, MUM! DON'T DO THIS TO US!"

Sunset then began to stir from her sleep, as did the rest of the slumbering humans and equines. They made waking noises as they suddenly pulled themselves up and looked at The Dazzlings with slightly drowsy eyes.

"Dazzlings..." Sunset said as she finally got up to her feet. "Where are we?"

"You were trapped in a nightmare, and now we're here to wake you up and free you from it," Adagio smiled as she looked at all the others wake from their sleep. "You never were much of a night person, were you?"

"How do ve get out of zis place, might I ask?" Photo Finish asked looking as Dystopia began to collapse all around them with the destructive Furenado continuing to consume the different areas of landmass.

"We'll open up a portal with the Queens' sampled power, then you can get out of here and arrive back in Lyrica, where The Dazzlings can undergo their tests..." Twilight flew down to see everyone had finally awoken. She still fangirled over Starswirl the Bearded being alive, but managed to keep her cool so that everyone would follow her commands.

"Come on, ladies, I'll get us up there..." Starswirl conjured up a staircase to the destroyed throne room using his magic. Then, he began walking up the stairs with many of the girls following behind. "We don't want to be here whilst this place falls apart on us..."

"So, what about you six?" Pixel Pizazz asked the Spirits of Harmony that had been garbed in Lyrican armour. "What are you going to do now that you're freed from The Blasters' control?"

"We'll make them still believe that we're obedient to their command, so that we can relay their important information on to you so that it can aid you in battle," Pinkie Pie said. "Talk about taking them down from the inside, huh? I would personally go inside their bodies and take them down from the inside that way, but I think this way's much more fun!"

"And cleaner." both Rarities added on before looking at each other in surprise.

"Be careful, everyone..." Starswirl said as they neared the top of the spectral staircase. "I can see it in my magic... Something colossal is going to happen when The Blasters get their hands on the Right Souls of Fury..."

"I know, which is why we'll never let them touch them," Adagio said as they got onto the final step on the staircase. "We'll undergo our tests, get our new pendants, win our brothers' Battle of the Bands, then take them out when they're exposed and mortified. Only then can we be sure that they'll never again threaten our worlds..."

"Now then..." Twilight and her pony-turned-Lyrican friends grabbed onto the dazed Queens of Dystopia and smashed their heads against the ground. "It's time to open up a portal back home..."

The six armoured friends put the palms of their hands on to the pendants of Greed, Persuasion and Malice. When they did, red streams of energy shot from their pendants and connected with that of the Three Queens of Dystopia's pendants. The streams then fired another stream behind the interrogated Dystopians, opening up a red portal with a clear view of a Lyrican castle on the other side.

"Jirak eldrac inzorak milepraid?!" Greed asked as she could no longer get up from the ground. It seemed like the portal was welding the Three Queens into the ground until everyone had leapt through it. "Pridra! NULAAAAAAAA!"

"GO! WHILE IT'S STILL OPEN!" Twilight screamed as she watched everyone else run through the portal rather hastily. Then, when everyone had ran through the portal, Twilight and her friends ran through it, making it slowly shrink and disappear as Greed, Persuasion and Malice slowly got back up onto their feet with the portal's closure.

"KIRAD FIRLO NOGRI, DAZZLINGS!" Greed shouted through the portal as it was about to close. "SKIRA UMPLARE DELETIRA RIGRAN SELAS INZ FIGREN, DIREK TRINITRAKEL CEXALRAI JUKRA IMLORAI!" then the portal finally closed up, leaving no traces of it ever existing in the first place.

However, what the Three Queens of Dystopia failed to notice was the Furenado's existence was still there, and it was now affecting them too. Within seconds, their bodies were pulled from the ground and swept up in the devastating vortex. They let out screams of anger as they were impacted with a deluge of Furen Magic. Then, they exploded under the sheer amount of pressure they felt. The Three Queens of Dystopia were dead, and would never again harm the other worlds...

Author's Note

Night Mist: Wow... Dat was epic...

Me: Tanks, Nighty. I do my best fow yoo and De Dazzwings...

Adagio: And your best was absolutely incredible.

Aria: I could actually envision the story like I was actually there, nice work again, kid... (Tussles my mane)

Me: Tanks... (Blushes)

Celestia: There you are, Shadowmane. I've been looking all over for you...

Me: Wat's dis about, Auntie Tia?

Celestia: Well, I was hoping if you and the others could help me look for Sunset and Twilight. We were playing hide-and-seek together, but they must've chosen a really clever hiding spot...

Me: I'm suwe we couwd wend a hewping hoof... Wat about da west of yoo?

Sky Hooves: Suwe, I'm in.

Autumn Breeze: Me too!

Super Stallion: Me thwee!

Peanut Butter: Me fouw!

Night Mist: Me five!

Fire Star: Me six!

Me: Wooks wike we'we aww in... Wet's go...

Memories of Home

Everyone arrived back on Lyrican soil once they'd finished their trip through the portal. They looked around and saw that nothing had changed since they'd been forced into The Divide. The castle still remained, and the clouds and sky looked relatively the same as when they did before.

The first one to get a good look at the scene was Adagio. She gazed at how similar everything looked before the encounter with Honous and Chival. She let out a rather sad sigh when she remembered the castle in the distance.

"What's wrong, Adagio?" Twilight asked her as she picked up on her distress.

"It's just... looking at these ruins brings back memories..." Adagio examined all of the destroyed pieces of the castle, and the town that was hidden underneath it. "I remember the times when me and my brother were only little, and were starting out as Lyrican Sirens... We'd play in the town together all the time, finding new discoveries every day..."

"Never thought we'd ever see this place again..." Aria spoke to the group as she too examined the once-great Lyrican kingdom, seeing that it all lied in ruins. "After Allure created us, we spent the next few years living with a designated families. Since our minds were still those of newborns, they automatically made us believe that those families were our true families..."

"We grew up together, with our brothers being older because they were created before us..." Sonata decided to go on as the group decided to walk towards the ruined kingdom. "Technically, we were all the same age, but they were around ten minutes older than us before the great Lyrican war occurred..."

"You must have had such pleasant memories here..." Starswirl said, envisioning The Dazzlings' first lives as he put the information together in his head. "If only we'd been able to understand how wonderful your culture was..."

"I even remember promising my brother something when we were kids..." Adagio said, seeing the kingdom move closer and closer to them. "It all started one day, when we were playing Chase in the streets of the kingdom..."

10,005 years ago...

The sun shone down on the streets of the kingdom, bathing the Lyrican citizens in its' majestic light. The light glistened off of many rooftops and windows, ensuring that everyone was able to bask in its' radiant glow. Among the sunlit streets, Lyrican Sirens garbed in cloth clothing were seen doing many peaceful things, such as laundry or gardening.

Each one of the Lyricans bore rather pleasant smiles as they did their duties, some of them humming Lyrican tunes as they did so. There were families living in this rather peaceful kingdom, with such docile infants being cradled in their arms. Every one of those Lyricans seemed completely peaceful.

In another part of the kingdom, two Lyrican children were running through the streets, giggling all the while as they passed by many different structures and passersbys. One of them had rather radiant golden locks with yellow streaks, whilst the other had mildly spiky black hair. Unlike many of the grown-up Lyricans, these two children wore no pendants at all.

"Catch me if you can, brother!" said the girl with the golden hair, saying back to her pursuer with a large, goofy smile on her face.

"OK, Dagi! Try not to make it too easy this time!" he called back to the golden-haired child, picking up the pace as he swiftly dashed around many other Lyricans.

The two children frolicked and played as they ran through the streets of the almighty kingdom, laughter pouring out of them as they enjoyed their games. The happiness they felt was that special kind of happiness; childish innocence. They were completely harmless to the world, and they enjoyed every second of their innocent nature.

Eventually, the two of them began climbing a ladder towards the exit of the kingdom, so that they could bask in the light of the sun even more. The laughter didn't stop, even as they climbed up the ladder with sweat beginning to drip from their faces. Eventually, they found their way to the top of the ladder, pulled themselves onto a field of majestic green grass, rolled onto their backs and calmed down as they finally stopped chasing each other.

"You're getting better at this, Dagi." the boy said to the girl as his laughter reverted down to mere chuckles.

"Thanks, Forty." Dagi said to him, seeing that he was rather happy with how she was turning out.

"So, Dagi," Forty sat up and looked up at the rather radiant sun with Dagi sitting up shortly after him. "where does the sun come from?"

"I dunno, brother," Dagi said, looking at the sun and the clouds that began to move around it. "As a little girl, I always thought that the sun came from the happiness we all felt for each other..."

"I always thought that the sun was part of Lyrica's magic, and stabilized the growth of plantlife..." Forty said, feeling the rather soft grass rustle as he slid his fingers through it. "Guess some things are mysteries that'll never be solved, huh?"

"Yeah..." Dagi sighed as she looked back at the town, and more specifically, the castle.

"What's on your mind now, Dagi?" Forty asked her, eager to know what was running through her mind.

"I'm just... thinking about what happens to all the Lyricans that go in there..." Dagi pointed towards the almighty castle that loomed over the kingdom. "Whenever I see someone going in, they don't wear those pretty jewels. But when they come out, they do wear the jewels, and it seems like they've completely changed..."

"Didn't Daddy tell you that story?" Forty asked Dagi, seeing that she seemed to be missing something. "Whenever he tucked me in at night, he always told me of how Lyrican children like you and me would enter that castle when they're old enough..." he then looked closely at Lyricans wearing pendants. "Daddy told me that those pretty jewels aren't just for show. They're actually part of the king's Balance of Lyrica, which is what keeps this world happy and safe from danger."

"Really?" Dagi asked, a smile slowly creeping onto her face.

"Well, yeah. Lyrican children go into that castle, have some serious lessons with the king and his mentors, then they come out wearing those pretty jewels when they've been deemed worthy of bearing such a responsibility..." Forty said.

"Wow... Now I actually WANT to grow up..." Dagi could already see her future self, a noble defender of Lyrica, who fought against all evils and brought happiness and joy to her friends and family.

"You know, I also want you to promise me something when you do go in for your lessons..." Forty said, his eyes now meeting with that of Dagi's. "Can you keep your promise, little sister?"

"Sure, big brother. Anything for you..." Dagi smiled as she held onto his hands, the feeling of togetherness never fading from her eyes. "Just name it..."

"I want you to promise me, that you'll always find it in your heart to forgive me if I do something wrong," Forty said to Dagi, getting her smile to remain. "Even if Mummy and Daddy say we've done something bad, I'd love it if you stood by me and defended me. And if I've done something wrong, I want you to promise me that you'll accept my apologies and make my mistakes water under the bridge, ok?"

"Sure, Forty. I'll always defend you. your my big brother, after all..." Dagi then pulled Forty into a rather peaceful hug. "You're my wonderful, happy, caring brother..."

"And you're my sweet, innocent, childish little sister, Dagi..." Forty returned the hug, patting Dagi on the back as they felt each others' warm embrace wrap them up in peace. "And I promise that I'll never let anything happen to you. I'll always be there for you, even when things seem sad and miserable..."

"I love you, Forty..." Dagi's voice felt rather peaceful and mellow as she closed her eyes in happiness.

"I love you too, Dagi..." Forty himself closed his eyes, thinking of the wonderful future that he and Dagi would be spending together...

Present Day...

"I'll always be there for you, even when things seen sad and miserable..." Adagio felt the dead grass where her brother and her once sat and talked together. "But he wasn't there at the Battle of the Bands. He just sat on the sidelines, like everyone else who'd been defeated in the tournament... Some brother of mine..."

Everyone then walked into the castle when Adagio was done ruminating on her brother abandoning her at her most desperate of times. The whole construct was aged and ravaged by war, but it was still standing after all these years. There were torn banners that still fluttered from balconies, cracks in the rather regal walls, and even the doors that led into the castle were damaged beyond repair.

"He promised he'd be there, I promised I'd forgive him. I think it's fair to say that he failed to keep his side of the offer..." Adagio said as she watched everyone else walking into the regal foyer of the castle.

The castle's foyer was rather colossal, with the first set of stairs going up one hundred steps towards one of the upper levels of the castle. There were also crystalline frames on most of the castle furnishings, including some on the door frames that still stood tall and proud. There were also some great Lyrican banners that depicted various different sigils and insignias that only Sirens would understand. Finally, there was a rather tattered and torn carpet underneath the feet of everyone going up the stairs.

The group then found themselves walking down a corridor, which had also been destroyed and ravaged by the great war. Any light that this castle once had was now gone, leaving behind a rather damp and gloomy ruins of a once-great civilization. They then looked into a room that had had its' door removed, revealing what looked like an arena of sorts.

The arena was still standing, but the war had blown off a piece of the walls, letting some light into this once alit coliseum of Lyrican combat. The audience bleachers were quite ravaged as well, but there were some benches that still stood for patrons to sit down and watch Lyricans going against each other.

"This place is quite special to me..." Aria walked into the middle of the arena and put her hand on a rusty piece of what looked like a cage. She could instantly feel that the piece of iron was quite worn down and fragile, almost to the point where simply holding it tightly enough would cause it to become wrecked. "Out of the three members of The Dazzlings, I was the one who spent the most time in this arena... It was a special battleground, designed to test a Lyrican's efficiency with a sword, and other various weapons of choice..."

"It wasn't just for weapon efficiency, Aria. Don't you remember?" Adagio reminded her of another piece of long-lost Lyrican history that The Dazzlings shared. "This place was also designed to test a Lyrican's endurance, magical prowess, physical strength, speed, and a variety of other elements..."

"Wow... Such history..." Sunset admired the coliseum after hearing the lore behind it. She'd seen many things in her life in both Equestria and the Human World, but she'd never seen such a place like this.

"One of the most memorable moments for me in this arena, was when I duelled my brother in the final round of a tournament," Aria said, as she walked over to a nearby throne and sat down on it, feeling a cold sensation as the throne's temperature collided with her own body. "That was a fight I'd never forget..."

10,002 years ago...

"You put up a good fight, Alto. Maybe next year you'll get to the finals." Aria pulled another Siren up off of the ground and shook their hand as a sign of good sportsmanship.

When Alto left the arena, the crowd began cheering and chanting for Aria. It seemed like most of her wanted to win the final round of the tournament. They were stomping their feet and clapping their hands in rhythmic beats, whilst praising Aria for her victory.

"Congratulations, Aria Blaze. You have proven yourself worthy of access to the final round of our annual Rite of Power tournament," King Allure said as he got off of his throne and waved his hands, bringing up a spectral projection of a tournament tree. He waved his hands and put the two finalists in the final bracket. "Our final match for this year's tournament will be Aria Blaze versus Allegro Maelstrom!" he heard the crowd cheer, then continued. "The winner of this tournament will instantly be bestowed the power of a Blissen or Furen pendant, and will move on to safeguard the Balance of Lyrica!"

The crowd cheered once more as Allegro leapt back into one of the massive openings of the cage and landed in front of Aria.

"Well, here we are, little sister. The final round of the Rite of Power tournament..." Allegro said as he and Aria took a few steps back to get into their respected starting points in the arena, which were marked by their Lyrican emblems. "I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to fight my own little sister in this thing..."

"Well, I'm quite surprised myself, brother..." Aria raised her sword once more and stared down her brother, the two of them never losing contact with one another.

"Just remember, Aria, win or lose, you're still my sister..." Allegro smiled as he summoned his sword and swung it around his body before putting it with the handle by his neck with the blade pointing towards Aria.

King Allure watched as the two Sirens got ready for their final fight in the tournament. He could see the two fighters looked at each other with looks of good sportsmanship. Seeing much potential in the two fighters, he raised his hand and said, "BEGIN!" when he swung his hand downwards in a chopping motion.

Upon hearing Allure's command, Aria and Allegro charged towards each other, letting out battle cries as they prepared to cross blades with each other. Their blades made a distinctive clashing noise when they slammed against each other.

The two Lyricans began swinging their swords erratically in an attempt to catch the other off guard. This was done to no avail as the two Lyricans were also dodging or guarding the attacks launched by their foes. Aria and Allegro eventually found themselves using a combination of sword swings, magical volleys and Lyrican martial arts.

This proved to be quite efficient as both Aria and Allegro found themselves cutting through their opponents' defences at a rather rapid pace. They showed rather pleased looks of satisfaction for a brief instance when they struck their marks. However, they quickly returned to the fight when their opposition came back from those attacks and prepared for a strong counterattack.

Finally, the two Lyricans leaped past each other and ben their legs for another round of combat. Finally, both Aria and Allegro's swords glowed brightly before the two charged towards each other for a powerful attack. The two swords met with each other and a loud clanging noise resonated throughout the entire arena...

Present Day...

"So, how DID that match end?" Starswirl asked, out of morbid curiosity. "I don't usually dabble in the affairs of others, but I am quite interested to know whether or not you triumphed over your brother..."

"Well, it was a very close and very intense battle..." Aria said, as she got up from the throne and jumped down into the arena the same way her brother had done all those years ago. "In the end, it could have gone down either way, but Allegro triumphed in the end..."

"I remember being in the audience for that battle," Sonata said, looking at where she sat in the audience bleachers, envisioning the memory as if it were her own. "Aria did put a very good fight, and almost duelled Allegro to a standstill, but he vaulted over her and kicked her in the back before he landed..."

"Although, truth be told, we were both breathing heavily with sweat running down our faces..." Aria said, reminding the girls of how she and her brother had felt within the climax of that epic duel. "You might not have seen it, but we felt it. We were exhausted, and I could have easily finished him by doing exactly the same, I just didn't have any energy left to do it..."

"If I could just break you out of your ruminations, girls, I would like to see the halls of Composia where you'll be undergoing your tests..." Pony Rarity said, getting the attention of all three of The Dazzlings.

"Oh yes, sorry about that, everyone. My memories just caught up with me..." Adagio said as she began walking over to the exit of the arena, so she could get the group back on track to their journey towards Composia and Lord Symphonia. "The halls of Composia are just down this hallway..."

"So, Twilight, how did it feel, being a Lyrican Siren under The Blasters' control?" Sunset decided to ask as the girls walked out of the arena with Starswirl at the back of the party. She might have thought that to be a rather bizarre question, but she just wanted clarification.

"Well, it felt like I too was consumed by darkness, but I was able to control myself without going mentally insane and wanting complete domination..." Twilight explained her time as a servant of Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral. "At first, we were all re-united when I stepped through that portal. We all hugged each other and said how it'd been so long since we'd last seen each other..."

"However, as for our roles when enveloped by darkness, they played a somewhat terrifying role..." Lyrican Rarity added in when she picked up on the conversation.

"I know how you feel, Rarity..." Sunset said, letting out some of her experiences with darkness. "The darkness can be completely unpredictable... You can either control it, or it controls you," she then let out a sigh when those memories came flooding back to her. "The shocking part though, is that you don't know whether or not you control it, or whether or not it controls you..."

"Before it's too late..." Twilight, Sunset and The Dazzlings all spoke together, before looking at each other in surprise.

"Darkness can be controlled, ladies," Starswirl said, catching up to all five of the ruminating girls when he'd heard what they'd said to each other. "But it is very hard to do so... In fact, there have only been half a dozen ponies that I knew that were able to control darkness. Everypony else who wielded darkness, had been consumed by its' insatiable hunger for chaos and destruction..."

"Sometimes, you have to fight against the darkness if you believe it's going to jeopardize your way of life..." he spoke as the girls all climbed a spiral staircase which was half blue and half red. "Push it down, give it zero space in your soul, and attempt to flatten it until it exists no more. I spent many years fighting against the darkness, battling such horrific monsters of the past. However, I recently succumbed to darkness on two occasions..." he sighed regretfully. "The first occasion was when I accepted the offer of the six Euphorian Deities. The second, when I banished The Dazzlings to Earth, bringing chaos to more worlds than one with my actions..."

"But there's something that everyone needs to know, sooner or later..." Adagio said as they finished climbing the spiral staircase, ending with a giant white door with golden markings all over it and two giant crystals that bore the colours of the gems worn by The Blasters. "Darkness exists within everyone. You cannot have one without the other. The Blasters allowed themselves to stoke the fires of darkness, enabling them to have the malice to go forward with their insidious plan for the extinction of the other species. But I know, that somewhere deep down inside of them, small specks of light remains. Those lights are our TRUE brothers, sealed away by the tyranny of their present beings..."

Suddenly, the door creaked open, allowing a colossal flash of light to pour out of the crack. The light was so massive, everyone needed to use their arms to shield their eyes to avoid being blinded by the light's intensity.

When their arms lowered, they saw a rather majestic sight inside...

Author's Note

Night Mist: Dat was a sweet chaptew... Good ta know dat Dagi and Fowty had histowy...

Autumn Breeze: As did Awi and Allegy...

Me: Just wait, evewyone. Dewe's mowe ta come...

Luna: I can expect there will be...

Twilight and Sunset: (Giggle as we get closer)

Fire Star: Did yoo heaw dat?

Onyx: Sounds wike Twiwight and Sunset awe cwose by... By supew-heawing's picking dem up undewneath Cady's wing...

Cadence: We've been rumbled! Run, girls! (Gallops off playfully with Twilight and Sunset holding onto her neck for support.

Peanut Butter: After dem!

Me: Da chase is on...

Adagio's Trial (Part 1)

When the light finally died down, Adagio could instantly feel that things had changed. For one thing, the place looked a lot more spectral, and her friends were see-through. She eventually looked around and saw that Aria and Sonata were still with her in their normal states, but now something else had caught their attention.

"That's new..." Adagio felt her neck, feeling something that had long since been taken from her. She remembered that distinct black leather collar with a golden cornerstone anywhere. She was wearing a Lyrican pendant. She looked and saw that Aria and Sonata also wore pendants such as that, but the jewel parts had been replaced by what looked like a series of holes in rather complex leather case which was shaped like each of The Dazzlings' emblems.

The Dazzlings all took steps forward into the new room, which was quite bizarre. It seemed to be half of a room and half of outer space. Each one of their footsteps resonated across the entire hall, with a different musical note accompanying their every move. The whole room seemed to rather furnished as well, seeing as there were chairs and tables where others could wait for their trials, or to just watch other Lyricans training for their new pendants. At the end of it all, there was a massive dais with majestic patterns all over the walls and stairs. Atop this dais, a massive orb of light took a humanoid form before shining bright as the sun, causing The Dazzlings to shield their eyes once more.

When they finally readjusted themselves to the light once again, everyone else in the group was completely visible in this new room. The Rainbooms of both Equestria and the Human World were accompanied by the three princesses and Starswirl once again. They all looked towards the top of the dais where there was someone looking down upon them all.

"Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk," the new figure spoke to all of The Dazzlings, seing each one of them perform a Lyrican salute as he called out their names. He was garbed in regal golden armour with many stripes on each different part. He was also dressed in a Lyrican skirt made of gold and cloth, and wore a golden helmet with three prongs sticking out of the top of it. "Welcome to the Halls of Composia."

"Lord Symphonia, it's an honour to meet you." Adagio said, never leaving her salute posture as she addressed the Lord of the Lyrican Crystals in such a chivalrous way.

"Hi!" both Pinkie Pies waved before looking at each other in surprise. "Jinx! Double Jinx! Tripe Jinx! Cherry-flavoured ice cream Jinx!"

"Pinkie Pie, show some respect!" Aria said back to the two Pinkies, immediately stopping them and making them put their hands and hooves in front of their mouths. "Lord Symphonia is the second highest power in Lyrica, right behind His Majesty King Allure himself!"

"It is quite alright, Aria. They were unaware of my position in the Lyrican hierarchy," Symphonia said, his voice rather deep and mellow as he addressed the group. "I have foreseen your arrival, Dazzlings. I have watched you fight, and I know everything that happened..." he said, showing a series of projected clips showing events with The Dazzlings involved in them. "Even though you three were accused of tilting the Balance of Lyrica towards war, I see that it wasn't entirely your fault. Someone infused you with Dark Magic upon your resurrection, yet the true culprits remain beyond my sight..."

"Even so, that does not change the fact why you are here," Symphonia changed the projections to show silhouettes of The Blasters with red and blue eyes, and another proection showing Furen crystals in the shapes of Adagio, Aria and Sonata's Cutie Marks. "You three are here to undergo spiritual training in the Rhythm Realm to acquire new Furen crystals, which are a thousand times more durable and can accumulate ten times as much negative energy as your previous ones could..."

"Be warned, the Rhythm Realm is not for the faint-hearted, and many Lyrican warriors that went into that realm came out empty-handed, and accepted their fates to be without limitless power..." Symphonia warned The Dazzlings, his expression never shifting as he did so. "However, you three are destined Right Souls of Fury, so you will receive power beyond power, almost to the point where you shall be able to create your own worlds, and the inhabitants for all the worlds you touch..."

"I shall be assessing each of you, one at a time to see whether or not you are worthy of acquiring this new, unstoppable source of victory..." he put his hand out towards a large circular part of the room directly in front of everyone else, making the circle vanish and reveal a bottomless drop through a pillar of spectral energy. "Adagio Dazzle, as leader of The Dazzlings, you shall be the first to take on the Rhythm Realm's trial. Step up to the top of this dais and stand at the edge of the platform..." his dais suddenly opened up a hatch in front of him, extending a golden plank-like platform for Adagio to walk onto and stand above the drop.

Adagio complied with Symphonia's words, stood up from her salute and walked around the pit into the Rhythm Realm. She looked into the drop for a brief instance, then continued to walk around the pit to make it up to the stairs of the dais. Eventually, she climbed up the dais and watched as Symphonia moved aside to allow Adagio to stand on the platform's edge.

"Now then, before you take the leap into the Rhythm Realm, I must advise you to exercise caution. The enemies you shall confront in this world are not Euphorian or Dystopian. Instead, they shall all be illusions meant to damage your mind and attempt to sway you off of your goal. Do not be deceived!" Symphonia said as he watched Adagio focus her balance whilst standing on the edge of the platform. He then waved his hand once more, showing a projection of a human and a pony with spectral designs. "Most, if not all of the enemies you shall be battling in this realm are fake projections of humankind and ponykind. They might look and feel real to you, but the Rhythm Realm is proof positive that they are spectral disguises for the beings that inhabit this world."

He then waved his hand once again, showing another projected image for everyone to witness. This time, it depicted Adagio's new Furen pendant draped around her neck, but all of the pieces suddenly broke off and were suspended in mid-air. Waving his hands once more, Symphonia changed the background of the projection to show an otherworldy plane of existence where the pieces of the pendant were floating.

"The pieces of your new Furen pendant are scattered across the Rhythm Realm. It is up to you to find them all before the Song Seekers find you..." Symphonia showed a separate projection which showed an alien creature with keytars for legs and electric guitars for arms. "On your journey, you will meet an alarming number of Song Seekers, all of them disguised as humans and ponies, attempting to deceive you and make you stumble off of the path for your new power..."

"When you find each individual piece of your new pendant, it will insert into the correct hole every time. Upon this event, the piece will weld the into the frame. Then, when every piece is found, the frame will disappear, and all the pieces will link together and transform into your new pendant." with some final waves of his hands, Symphonia showed a picture of the Furen pieces linking together into the shape of a treble clef overlapping a gem-like shape.

"Now then, Adagio Dazzle, jump into the Rhythm Realm," he saw Adagio take a deep breath, put her hands together and crouched her legs for a rather large leap. As she finally took the jump, he said, "And earn your new Furen Pendant!" before he and everyone else watched Adagio fall into the pillar of spectral light and vanish in a bright flash shortly after that.

Adagio found herself falling through one of the most spectral light shows she'd ever seen in her life after she'd taken the leap. She could see nothing but bright, disorienting lights as she descended into the Rhythm Realm where she'd undergo her trial. Eventually, all the lights had made it into her head, and she found herself closing her eyes to avoid any further injury to them.

Eventually, Adagio landed on a floating platform in a completely different plane of existence altogether. She was atop a platform in the middle of a spacial plane of existence with no landmass beneath her, nor sky hanging above her head. She was just standing atop a platform in the middle of nothingness with a variety of other platforms in the distance, floating around with no regard for the laws of physics.

Adagio could then see twenty red lights from where she was standing. They shone so bright that they were the easiest things to find in this world beyond the other platforms that surrounded her. Such a sight bewildered and confused her upon first glance, then she shrugged it off when she was reminded that the Rhythm Realm was only for Lyricans who'd lost or had their pendants destroyed.

"Adagio Dazzle, welcome to your Rhythm Realm," Symphonia suddenly appeared when a number of spectral Rhythm Realm lights merged together. He was only a holographic projection made out of many different spacial colours, though, since Adagio was in a completely different existence from him. "This world is made entirely out of your experiences on the three worlds, and the relationships you made with all of your new friends..."

"This particular realm is called Adagio's Acapella, since you shall be running this world alone, without anything to guide you along your path," he said as Adagio continued to gaze out blindly into the star-filled world around her. "Here, you will find twenty Furen Fragments scattered across the different areas. Collect them all, and your new Furen pendant will be bestowed to you and linked to your voice alone."

"How do I do that?" Adagio asked as she saw no other way to reach the other platforms without flying. And even then, not all of them were perfectly balanced. Some of the platforms were even revolving, making it impossible for Adagio to land on them and keep her balance whilst they spun.

"This world has absolutely none of the laws of physics from the other three worlds, which is the key explanation for why you are even breathing at all. There are many other consistencies that this world ignores, but you will discover them in due time..." Symphonia said as Adagio returned her gaze to him.

"Just float through this weightless world of music, and let the lights guide you to your new power," Symphonia then vanished into her body, making her glow rather radiantly. "I shall be with you in case you are curious to know more on this world. But, that is all I can do at this moment. I am in no way able to help you overcome the Song Seekers that plague this world, and I am surely in no way able to help you recover the pieces of your new Furen pendant," he seemed to make Adagio glow and stop glowing in sync with his voice patterns. "This is a trial meant to test both your body and mind. It is a trial that will strengthen you, and grant you the power to stand up to even stronger adversaries such as your brother..."

Without any further prompting, Adagio merely nodded her head, ran towards the edge of her platform and leapt right off of it. She was no longer expecting herself to fall, as she was now floating across the Rhythm Realm with no sense of gravity whatsoever. She then tried using some graceful swimming maneuvers to traverse the spacial plane and draw herself closer and closer to each of the Furen Fragments.

She then found herself noticing that her body suddenly shifted without warning when she arrived at another of the nearby platforms. It seemed like this one was tilted slightly, however, Adagio was able to stand on the thing with perfect balance. It no longer seemed like she was about to climb up or down the platform either, since gravity was making it so she was on the same balance at the platform itself.

She then found herself a few leaps away from the first Furen Fragment, and leaped into space once more. Floating around for a brief instance of time, Adagio landed on the next platform and bent down to collect the first Furen Fragment.

The Furen Fragment glowed brighter and brighter the more Adagio reached towards it, and when she finally touched it, it instantly flew into one of the empty slots on her pendant at a rather rapid pace. When it glistened in the spectral light, Adagio smiled as she felt how secure the new piece of her pendant was.

"I don't know why everyone else decided to give up, this is easy!" Adagio said to herself as she looked around for the next Furen Fragment. She was about to leap, when she heard a sudden noise resonate across the entire Rhythm Realm. It sounded like lightning ripping through the world, deafening everything in its' wake. "I probably shouldn't have said that..."

"The Song Seekers have been alerted to your position, Adagio Dazzle," Symphonia said, getting Adagio to stress even more. "Should they touch you, you will fail the trial, and shall have to start all over again, should you wish..."

"Well, what do I do, Symphonia?!" Adagio began panicking as she heard a rumbling noise echoing on her ears as a number of lights appeared in the distance and began getting larger and larger. "I can't just stay here forever!"

"A wise choice, Miss Dazzle. The Song Seekers will not be able to track you as long as you keep on moving, but they can pick up on the noises you make when you land on a platform," Symphonia spoke as Adagio quickly leapt off into the space once again to try and evade the Song Seekers that were slowly closing in on her. "Make haste, quickly! And do not let them lay a single finger on you!"

Adagio's fears eventually died down when she leapt over onto a nearby platform and saw even more platforms appear in flashes of bright light in the distance. Each one of the new platforms had a house of some description, and were the residencies used for all three species. There were houses from the Human World, Equestria and Lyrica on platforms in the distance, so Adagio took one more leap into this town, as that was where more Furen Fragments would be.

She began hopping from platform to platform in an attempt to confuse the Song Seekers that were closing in on her. By doing this, the Song Seekers found it harder and harder to keep track of her as she neared another Furen Fragment. Adagio's footsteps resonated on each different platform that she landed on, so that gave the Song Seekers a slight hint as to where she was, but not a big enough hint to expose her location to them.

Adagio then found a Furen Fragment on one of the platforms she was about to leap to, and directed her jump to there. She found it to be more effective to simply float over the platform and grab the pendant whilst she flew over it. She remembered what Symphonia had said, and saw a red shockwave fly out of her pendant when the next piece inserted itself into it. This informed the Song Seekers more accurately, and they were beginning to slowly pick up the pace to keep up with Adagio.

It then occurred to her that Song Seekers could only follow her if she touched a platform. With this in her mind, she began resorting to her swimming techniques once more to give her pursuers the slip. It turned out to be rather effective as she saw the Song Seekers stop at the platform where the previous piece was, and scour it for her, whilst being blissfully unaware to the fact that she was already long gone.

With her pursuers long gone, Adagio found herself leisurely drifting throughout the cosmos once more, a smile appearing on her face as she took this moment to accept the beauty of the Rhythm Realm for what it was. She eventually found another three Furen Fragments in the distance and casually flew over to them, not a care in the world as she did so.

This time, though, when Adagio picked up the three Furen Fragments, she was engulfed in a bright light. She tried not to fight against the brightness, but eventually found herself shielding her eyes to prevent herself from being blinded. When the light died down, she found herself in a rather nostalgic place...

Author's Note

Autumn Breeze: Whewe's Adagio?

Fire Star: Siwwy fiwwy, she's ovew dewe. (Points towards Adagio, caressing Night Mist and Me in her hands.)

Autumn Breeze: Not dat Dagi, the Dagi in Shadowmane's Stowy.

Me: You'ww have ta wait untiw da next chaptew, sistew... (Adagio strokes my fur, getting me to relax) Oh yeah... Dat's da spot...

Night Mist: Dis feews quite wovewy, Dagi...

Adagio: Well, I'm glad to know you and your brother like it, Nighty.

Sonata: Yeah, she never got this much adoration from stroking and petting people bef-

Aria: You've been eating one too many tacos, Sonata. It's making you say things that'll get these foals believing anything...

Sonata: (Scoffs) You can never have enough tacos! And I'm perfectly capable of controlling what I can say.

Aria: Are not.

Sonata: Are too.

Aria: Are not!

Sonata: Are too!

Adagio: Both of you, shut it! (Covers both of their mouths with her two hands, then returns to me and Night Mist when she sees them calm down) Sorry about that, little ones. They just drive me up the wall sometimes...

Me and Night Mist: Dat's otay...

Adagio's Trial (Part 2)

Adagio found herself back in the Cubs classroom where she, Aria and Sonata had made their first actual friends. Everything looked exactly the same as she remembered it. Everything that they'd played with and drawn over the time they'd spent in that classroom was still there, looking like it was only yesterday that they'd been accepted into this class.

"I remember this place..." Adagio said as she examined every little detail, right down to the scribbles on the table and the little drawings that littered the walls. She could feel a great sense of nostalgia from this place alone, as she felt each and every chair, every coat hook, and every toy that could be seen. "It seems like yesterday when we had our first classes together..."

"Adagio. Do not dwell on your nostalgia for too long," Symphonia said once he'd reappeared in front of her. "The Song Seekers now know that you're in a Memory; a certain spacial room in the Rhythm Realm with multiple Furen Fragment pieces, but is also a beacon that shall attract them. Gather the Furen Fragments and escape to another section of Rhythm Realm before they catch you!"

Sparing no time at all, Adagio quickly found faint red glows from cracks in cupboards and from toy chests. Adagio quickly scrambled over to those areas and began shuffling through things as rapidly as possible. She'd never been so eager to stick her hand into toy chests before, but this test was an exception for her.

Not long after Adagio grabbed the final Furen Fragment in this Memory, the door that she'd entered through was now shaking wildly, and things on the other side were violently banging against it. She began to panic when the beasts began to assault the locked door, and the sweat began to fall from her brow in fear.

Eventually, she remembered that there was another door that led outside to the little playground that she and The Dazzlings used to play in. She ran over to the door just as the Song Seekers punched giant holes in the wall and door, revealing their menacing visages to Adagio before she opened the second door.

When she opened the door, Adagio was consumed by another burst of white light. Only this time, she was now floating in the depths of the Rhythm Realm once again, and could see even more red lights and platforms in the distance. Looking back, she saw the door close behind her rather hastily. But she knew that that door would only be opened in a few seconds, so she decided to get moving once more.

"Alright, let's just do a quick check on how many pieces I've got so far..." Adagio picked her pendant up and looked down at the red shards she'd collected in the Rhythm Realm. She actually began to count each piece that was inserted into the case already before looking out into the Rhythm Realm once more. "Five down, fifteen to go..."

"Do not get cocky, Miss Dazzle. The Song Seekers might be blind, but they are wise beyond their years..." Symphonia reminded her as she closed in on another Furen Fragment. "They will eventually adapt and will be able to identify you through such traits as your smell alone..."

"So basically, just keep running and grabbing Furen Fragments?" Adagio asked when that information had been delivered to her.

"That is the logical answer, Adagio Dazzle. As long as you keep moving and grabbing Furen Fragments, the Song Seekers will not be able to find you in this place..." he then vanished so that Adagio could return to her task.

Within seconds, Adagio grew her Hippocampi wings so that she could traverse the Rhythm Realm much quicker. She smiled with how quickly she was maneuvering across the Rhythm Realm, and she smiled with how quickly she was closing in on the next group of Furen Fragments.

Swooping through a number of Equestrian houses, Adagio bagged two more Furen Fragments, taking her total up to seven. Looking back for a brief instance, she noticed that the Song Seekers were still far behind her, but were gradually gaining speed. With their sudden increase in velocity, Adagio picked up her own pace and grabbed the eight Furen Fragment.

The next thing she knew, she fell into another Memory. This time, it was of the Christmas that she and the rest of the family had spent when they were only six years old. It was a special place, still rather majestic with all the snow that had fallen in those days. She smiled when she felt the white wonderland, and then saw some red lights buried underneath the snow.

Digging her hand into the snow, Adagio suddenly felt a rather frigid sensation run up her arms. Despite it all being a part of her test, the snow was still rather cold. She shook her hand in an attempt to warm it up, and dug down to find the red Furen Fragments. With every piece that was found, Adagio could see the red shockwave leave the snow and alert the Song Seekers. Panicking that the beast were catching up once again, Adagio just winged it and grabbed all the red snow she could find.

As soon as the Song Seekers descended from the white skies above, the four Furen Fragments flew into Adagio's case and welded themselves into it. They were about to capture Adagio and make her fail the trial, but she was long gone the second they'd even landed. One of the Song Seekers let out an alien screech as it cursed in its' native tongue, furious that it let Adagio out of its' senses.

Meanwhile, Adagio was back in the Rhythm Realm once more, graciously swimming across the sea of stars without a care in the world. She hummed a rather relaxing tune as she swam through the cosmos whilst being sure to find the next pieces of her new pendant. With the low threat the Song Seekers posed to her at this moment, she was quite complacent with the situation at hand.

"Well, let's get back to running..." She picked up a thirteenth Furen Fragment and unfurled her Hippocampi wings once again. Seeing the Song Seekers dash out of the Memory at rapid speeds, Adagio picked up her own pace and hurried along the cosmic plane once more in the attempt to collect the final seven pieces of her new pendant.

This time, the Song Seekers were much faster, and they were beginning to close the gap on Adagio. Despite all this, they were still blind as bats, and had to rely on Adagio picking up Furen Fragments in the attempt that she'd stall to leave the platforms where the fragments were located.

Adagio was bolting along the spacial world once more, seeing the Song Seekers actually destroy the platform that held the most recent Furen Fragment she'd picked up. She could see how riled up and desperate they were to capture her and make her fail the trial. Adagio could see the final seven pieces of her new pendant in the distance, and began moving towards them with vigour and gusto.

"Well, they certainly are getting faster, that's for sure..." Adagio nimbly weaved through a Lyrican village that drifted through the cosmic world around her. She watched as many different doors and windows opened up as she flew graciously through one of the villages that she'd once grown up in. "And this is getting harder and harder..." she said whilst avoiding contact with all of the houses, doors and windows.

Finally, Adagio's stealth was broken as the whole village suddenly changed its' layout with a massive burst of spacial colours. The sudden flash of light made her suddenly crash into a fruit cart, causing all of the spilled fruits to make resonations that would alert the Song Seekers to her position in the Rhythm Realm.

"Dammit! Why does there always have to be a fruit stand?!" Adagio cursed as she quickly rose to her feet and saw the Song Seekers closing in on her. She yelped in fear as she leaped out of the way of the charging Song Seekers, then immediately took to the air to avoid being caught by them.

The Song Seekers all screeched in fury once more, their instruments stretching as they made a rather anguished pose as they'd once more missed out of catching Adagio Dazzle. Eventually, they caught a whiff of Adagio's scent, and consumed the smell with their nostrils. Then, from their point of view, they could see a golden blur materialize and take on a humanoid form. They watched as the blur then flew towards another section of the town. Skittering quite maliciously, the Song Seekers took off and began pursuing Adagio once again.

"Miss Dazzle, I'm afraid that I have dire news for you..." Symphonia said as Adagio dashed through a revolving house and leapt off of walls to give herself boosts in her speed. His appearance almost made Adagio stop in surprise, but she still pressed on and swindled another Furen Fragment, bringing her total up to fourteen.

"Let me guess, that fruit stand alerted them that I'm right in front of them?" Adagio took a wild guess as she flew back out of the house and saw the Song Seekers flying right behind her, and flanking her like a battalion of fighter jets.

"Not precisely, but the Song Seekers have picked up on your scent. They now know where you are at ALL times," Symphonia vanished, letting Adagio see the Song Seekers following her perfectly now. "Now it shall be impossible for them to lose you, since they've assimilated your undying presence. If you do not keep moving, you shall fail the trial, and shall have to lose all of the fragments you already collected..."

"No way! I didn't come this far for nothing!" Adagio said, showing a sudden burst of confidence. Charging forward, she flew straight through another house and grabbed the next Furen Fragment, making it fifteen in her collection. As she escaped from the house, she watched the Song Seekers smash through the walls so that their heads were visible. Paying no mind to the Song Seekers, Adagio charged out of the house and flew underneath the spacial town, as she couldn't see any more Furen Fragments around her level.

Adagio might have been fast, but the Song Seekers now knew where she would be at all times, so they began pursuing her once more, determined not to let her out of their sights. Each one of the Song Seekers screeched victoriously as they relentlessly hounded Adagio, swerving as hard as she could with each sharp turn.

Adagio now began to panic as she found that she couldn't shake the Song Seekers off of her tail. They constantly pursued and screeched at her, an omen that she couldn't keep running from fate forever. When such noises bored deep into her mind, she suddenly shook off all of her worries and flew out and underneath the Lyrican village. She swooped through a series of stalactites that hung from the underbelly of the village, hoping that not even the Song Seekers would be able to follow her through there. Finally, she grabbed the sixteenth piece of her new pendant and watched as the village suddenly vanished in a massive burst of light.

Seeing the final four Furen Fragments appear far away in the distance, Adagio charged towards the pieces, with the Song Seekers directly above, around, behind and below her. With the speed that she and the Song Seekers were travelling, she knew that this would be a very close confrontation.

Adagio watched as the Song Seekers slowly closed the gap between themselves and her, inching towards her whilst also flying close towards her. They were trying to sandwich her into them, making them collide and crush her completely. If she didn't act now and grab these final four Furen Fragments, it would be curtains for her.

Adagio let out a small scream that only grew in pitch as she and the Song Seekers all dashed towards the final four Furen Fragments. Closing her eyes and reaching her hand out to grab them, Adagio's voice got louder and higher-toned the closer and closer she got to the last pieces. However, her space was also getting smaller and smaller, since the Song Seekers were within touching distance now. As Adagio finally touched the pieces, she was consumed by a bright light for the third time...

When Adagio opened up her eyes, she found herself flying back up the pillar of light she'd originally entered the Rhythm Realm in. Suddenly, something bizarre happened in front of her eyes...

The leather case that hung from the golden cornerstone suddenly vanished, and all twenty Furen Fragments bonded together on their own, making red flashes when all of the different fragments magically welded themselves together. At the end of it all, the twenty pieces were now shaped into one giant jewel, that depicted a treble clef combined with a gem-shaped portion of the new Furen crystal. As the new gem clipped onto Adagio's golden cornerstone around her neck, she was enveloped in a red light and was launched out of the pillar of light...

All of the other patrons in the Halls of Composia were seen talking amongst each other. Each one of them had many things to tell each other, and everyone was rather eager to hear what they all had to say to each other.

Whilst everyone talked to each other, Symphonia watched from atop his dais, seeing a great balance of harmony within the group. He stroked his beard and looked at each of the ponies, humans and Dazzlings with intrigue and wonder. He truly wanted to discover what friendship could be all about.

Suddenly, he watched as the circular cover that had opened up for Adagio to jump down opened up once again. He rushed over to the edge of his dais and watched as a red light left the pit, making the circular cover return once more. He showed a smile as the red light slammed down on top of the cover, revealing to everyone a rather magnificent sight.

Adagio appeared in the red light once it had died down for them to see her. Her hair was extended, and her Hippocampi wings were visible for all to see. The only major difference was that she was now wearing her new Furen pendant. It looked exactly like her old one did, but the gem was now shaped like her Cutie Mark, which was a treble clef and gem combined into one sigil. She looked over to Symphonia, who walked down the dais to congratulate her.

"Congratulations, Adagio Dazzle. You have successfully completed your trial, and have earned your new Furen pendant..." Symphonia said as a speck of light made Adagio's gem shimmer. "You showed a great deal of courage, confidence, and wisdom amongst the Rhythm Realm, three things a leader must have to make them the leader they truly are."

"By overcoming adversaries such as the Song Seekers, who are masters of striking fear into a leader, toying with them, and making them lose all confidence, you truly have proved your worth to your fellow Dazzlings..." he said, pointing Adagio towards Aria and Sonata, who looked quite proud of her accomplishment.

"Thank you, Lord Symphonia." Adagio walked off of the cover and sat down with the rest of the group once more, showing some inner euphoria when she caressed her new Furen pendant.

"Now then, the next one to take their trial in the Rhythm Realm shall be..." Symphonia climbed up the dais, stood at the edge and pointed towards the next of The Dazzlings to undergo their trial in the Rhythm Realm. "Aria Blaze..."

Author's Note

Me: Finawwy, got anodew chaptew out fow yoo aww...

Night Mist/Peanut Butter: Yay! (Begin reading it)

Lauren: Well, you have been working hard at this, haven't you, Shadowmane?

Me: Oh, yes, Gwandma. I just finished giving Dagi hew new pendant...

Lauren: Well, I'm glad that my little ones are learning to write at this age... (Tussles my mane with her hoof.)

Adagio: I agree with you, Queen Lauren. He truly is coming along wonderfully in the writing department...

Sunset: Yeah, Shad! You'we quite smawt at witing!

Twilight: And cwevew at it, too...

Me: Tanks, giwws...

Lauren: Now how's about we give our three little playmates a nice, clean bath?

Me, Twilight and Sunset: Yay! (we giggle)

QUESTION: What is the Rhythm Realm trial referencing? Leave a comment if you know...

Aria's Trial (Part 1)

Aria complied with Symphonia's decision, and rose to her feet to take her trial. Similar to what Adagio had done, she walked around the circular cover and climbed the stairs to scale the dais. Within seconds, she was in the exact same position that Adagio had been earlier, atop the dais with Symphonia explaining to her what she'd have to do.

"Now then, I've been evaluating your psychological status as well, Aria. And it has come to my attention that during combat, you charge directly into the heat of battle, with your rage giving you undying power..." Symphonia said, putting one of his hands on Aria's shoulder. "Furen Sirens heavily rely on hatred, yes. However, if that rage is not controlled correctly, then you shall be blindly striking a brick wall, instead of eliminating enemies with extreme prejudice."

He waved his hand, revealing to Aria what looked like a crystal formation in the midst of a fiery inferno. "The true power of a Furen Siren is only unleashed when they know how to pinpoint, take advantage of, and annihilate a weak point on an enemy or tough object." waving his hand once more, he said, "That is why, in your Rhythm Realm, your twenty Furen Fragments are hidden deep within crystalline formations. Aria Blaze, I advise you to focus your power on the PRECISE location where your Furen Fragments are located. Failure to do so will invalidate the Furen Fragment, and make you instantly fail the trial." whilst showing Aria a projection of a Furen crystal formation, with the Furen Fragment outlined in the direct epicentre of the giant crystal formation.

"That seems a little unfair, though..." Aria said when she looked carefully at the astral projection that Symphonia was showing her. It remained the same, no matter how many times she tried blinking or rubbing her eyes. The image still stayed the same, and she was quite worried about facing the trial now. "How am I supposed to know where the pieces are, exactly?"

"Simple. Your Right Soul of Fury shall outline the Furen Fragments for you, and pinpoint the exact way you shall need to strike the formations to claim them," Symphonia said, his words making Aria glow a rather radiant shade of red once again. "You and The Dazzlings are three of the six keepers of destiny. The three Furens that will play a major part in the fate of Equestria, Earth AND Lyrica..."

"However, similar to what Adagio faced in her Rhythm Realm, the Song Seekers will pursue you relentlessly..." Symphonia once more showed the projection of the spectral monsters with keytars for legs ad electric guitars for arms. "They are especially attracted to the resonating echoes of noise that come from footsteps alone, yet it is made even more accurate when you collect Furen Fragments, and when you shatter the crystal formations..."

"I learned that the hard way..." Adagio said from the group, looking at the menacing creatures that had almost won against her when she did her trial in the Rhythm Realm.

"Aria Blaze. This trial will no doubt be one of the hardest tribulations that you shall ever face. Everything that transpired before this, even your dark ages as I prefer to call them, they will pale in comparison as to how difficult this task is," Symphonia opened the circle cover once more and brought the platform back so that Aria could stand on the edge of it. "However, this event shall be the most rewarding one if you are able to acquire all twenty Furen Fragments, as you shall be rewarded with a new, more powerful Furen pendant. I trust that you are ready for such an arduous labour?"

"Y-Yes..." Aria looked a little nervous as she looked down into the void of light that she had positioned herself above. She knew that there could be absolutely no margin for error in this trial, and was beginning to doubt whether or not she would be able to complete it.

"I sense a little bit of discord in your voice, Miss Blaze. You are nervous, yes?" Symphonia said as he watched Aria take in a deep breath, sensing her worries with the last word she had spouted."

Aria had picked up on Symphonia's words and said, "No. I'm not nervous. I'm just overwhelmed with all the information that had been passed on to me, that's all." before looking down into the void of light once more. "I'm ready for this... I just know I am..."

"Very well then, Miss Blaze. Go forth, and earn your new Furen Fragment!" Symphonia said, watching Aria prep herself for a rather long dive into the seemingly endless stream of light.

Aria looked back at Symphonia and nodded at him, whilst also shooting a rather small grin at him. Then, taking in a deep breath, she leapt off of the platform and fell down into the pillar of light, vanishing in a rather sudden burst of white light that blinded everyone else in the room.

Aria could feel nothing but disorientation as her eyes were assaulted by the most majestic light show ever witnessed by Furen eyes. Every colour in the spectrum could be see, including some colours that had never been seen before. Whilst all of the lights were barraging her eyes, Aria could still clearly see that she was falling, falling through an endless void of lights with no end in sight.

Eventually, the assault of lights stopped, and Aria found herself in a spacial dimension with nothing but volcanic landscapes as far as her eyes could see. Most of the landscape was heavily comprised of active volcanoes, crystalline rock formations and rocky roads that led towards different areas of the Rhythm Realm. The skies were a mixture of all the shades of red, combined with some spectral light formations, all of them made to look like the Rhythm Realm truly was another plane of existence to Aria.

"Aria Blaze, welcome to Aria's Andante; your Rhythm Realm." Symphonia appeared in front of Aria as a spectral projection, just like he had done with Adagio before. He was translucent, meaning that Aria could also look at the world around her by looking straight through him.

"Here, twenty Furen Fragments are located within crystalline formations scattered across this fiery landscape. It is your job to find these Furen Fragments and free them from the crystalline formations that they have rooted themselves in. Only when they have been removed in the correct shape, they shall be welded into the pendant around your neck." Symphonia explained to her, whilst waving his hand to bring twenty columns of red light to Aria's view.

"I have placed markers around this world for you to follow. They will lead you towards the Furen Fragments that are needed for your Furen pendant," Symphonia said, vanishing into Aria's body just like he'd vanished into Adagio's body. "I shall be here in spirit, yet I shall not be able to help you. It is up to you and you alone to acquire the Furen Fragments and earn your new Furen Fragment."

Aria, not even sparing a few words began moving once Symphonia had finished speaking to her. She first thought of using her wings to get to different sections of the Rhythm Realm faster, but then thought against it seeing as she needed to conserve energy for when she would truly need it. So, she decided to hike to the first Furen Fragment, as that would save her some breath for if she needed to fly out of a Song Seeker ambush.

It took Aria at least ten minutes to make it to the closest marker on foot, and she had been sweating the entire journey. Whilst the flames and intense heat were only illusionary, she was still rather hot and sweaty from her long and excruciating journey towards the crystalline formation. However, she wiped the sweat from her brow when she saw the first Furen Fragment in the middle of the crystals.

She leapt off of the ledge and slid down the cliff with graceful speed and perfect control. She swerved and weaved away from obstacles whenever she was about to crash into them, and jumped and ducked when necessary. Leaping over one last crack, she landed right by the column of crystals where her first Furen Fragment was located.

She carefully examined the crystals and drew her sword in preparation. Aria's sword resonated with the nearby Furen Fragment, glowing briefly with each second. She watched as the outline for the Furen Fragment appeared and closed her eyes to concentrate.

With her eyes sealed closed, Aria focused on the ways she would strike and carve the crystal formation. The many attacks she could make appeared in her mind for brief instances before they showed her failing the trial every time. Intensifying her concentration, Aria saw a new attack where she traced the outline with her sword. Then, when the outline was the same shape as the Furen Fragment, her mental image showed her thrusting the sword straight through the center, so that the outline fired a wave of energy that would perfectly destroy the crystals and get Aria the first Furen Fragment.

With her mental attack pattern complete, Aria Blaze illuminated her sword's tip red and used it to paint the outline of the Furen Fragment she needed. She moved her sword slowly and carefully, so that her aim wasn't off. Finally, when her spectral painting was completed, Aria raised her sword and thrust it directly through the outline.

Upon her sword being thrust through the outline, a red stream of energy shaped like the outline collided with the crystal formation and aligned itself with the glowing Furen Fragment. The formation glowed radiantly before exploding with pieces of shards flying all over the place. However, the one she needed was still there when the dust settled.

Aria walked over to the Furen Fragment and merely touched it, before it flew out of the wreckage of that crystal formation and welded itself into her pendant. She rubbed the secured Furen Fragment, feeling like her power had increased by a short amount. However, no sooner had she rubbed her Furen Fragment, when she'd heard a rather loud rumbling noise echoing throughout the Rhythm Realm.

"Miss Blaze. You have acquired your first Furen Fragment, however, it has also awakened the Song Seekers from their slumber," Symphonia said, not showing up like he'd done before with Adagio. "You now have nineteen pieces to find, but you also have a new obstacle to avoid. I'm sure that I don't need to remind you that-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. If those things touch me, I'm fucked..." Aria said as she could suddenly feel the ground shaking underneath her feet, to add to the illusion that made this Rhythm Realm seem like an actual volcanic landscape.

"Precisely. Move onto the next Furen Fragment with haste, Miss Blaze. Time is not on your side when the Song Seekers chase after you..." Symphonia said as Aria grew her wings and took off from her location.

It had only been a few dozen seconds after Aria had been airborne, when all of a sudden, volcanoes all around her erupted, with pillars of illusionary magma blasting out of each and every one of them. Every volcano that erupted had lava pouring out of it, spilling down the mountains and consuming the landscape whole. However, that was not what had made Aria worried.

What had made her worried was the creatures that had all arisen from the flaming pillars of Rhythm Realm magma. The Song Seekers were exactly as Symphonia had described to her, only they were more the colour of fires and lava, rather than different spectral colours. Each one of them had keytars for legs and electric guitars for arms. They all made alien screeches as they'd arisen from their tombs of flame and ash, and flew towards the place where Aria had acquired her Furen Fragment.

"Idiots..." Aria scoffed as she flew further and further away from the Song Seekers as she closed in on the second crystal formation. She was rather unimpressed that she'd been given such crippled beings, and now saw the task as tedious instead of worrying.

She soon found the second crystal formation in the distance, and swooped down towards it. She was about to land, when she'd noticed the lava creeping in from the sidelines. With the distance it was from her, there would be no time for her to create the outline she needed to safely acquire her second Furen Fragment.

"Oh great..." Aria facepalmed when she saw the situation at hand. She needed that Furen Fragment, but the only place to land had been enveloped in blazing lave.

"Miss Blaze, I can sense you are struggling..." Symphonia appeared in front of Aria once more, almost getting her to yelp in surprise with how suddenly he had appeared.

"Well, how else am I supposed to get this damn Furen Fragment?!" Aria pointed Symphonia towards the crystal formation, which had been almost entirely consumed by flames and lava.

"One does not need land to acquire a Furen Fragment. Miss Dazzle has already proved that with her Rhythm Realm trial. So, I trust you will do the same, Aria Blaze..." Symphonia vanished back into Aria's body, but continued speaking to her, making her glow his colours with each word. "Trust your instincts, then trust yourself. Doubt will lead to failure, and in turn, endless misery..."

Thinking about what Symphonia had said, an idea popped into Aria's mind. She raised the sword once again and traced the outline with the tip of it, whilst also keeping herself airborne with her jade wings. Satisfied with how accurate her outline was, she aligned it above the Furen Fragment she needed and drove her sword down through the outline, firing the stream directly at the crystal formation.

When the formation shattered, Aria swooped down and snatched the second Furen Fragment, alerting the Song Seekers to her position once again. She flew away from the scene and went towards the third Furen Fragment, when something had caught her eye. She looked back at the Song Seekers and watched as they blindly leapt into the lava, screeching cries of pain as they were hastily consumed by the flames.

"Now that's what I call hot sauce..." Aria let out a little chuckle upon hearing the clever pun she'd made for what had just happened to the Song Seekers. "If only Sonata were here, she'd have cracked up at that one... Meh, I'll tell her all about it once she's done with her trial..."

Meanwhile, back in Lyrica, The Blasters were seen sitting around on their thrones, with nothing much on their minds. Whilst Fortissimo was seen flexing his fingers, Orchestral was reclining on his throne, not a care in the world on his face as he sighed in content.

However, Allegro, the brother of Aria, was starting to stress and worry. He paced the room back and forth, sweat falling from his face with every pace. Something was gripping his mind, plaguing him and making him feel concern for his sister.

"What's on your mind, Allegro?" Fortissimo asked as he got up from his throne and went to accompany his fellow Blaster, as he could see how distressed Allegro was.

"It's just that, I had contact with Aria a few seconds ago..." Allegro began explaining, lighting up his eyes as he did so. It showed the point of view from Aria's eyes, right up to the point where she leaped into the Rhythm Realm. "But the second I saw her falling through this void, the connection was severed again..."

"Something's wrong..." Fortissimo raised his swords and lit up his own eyes. Within seconds, he was viewing Adagio sitting down with The Rainbooms, The Snapshots, and the ponies from Equestria. "What?! What are our Rainbooms doing with those infidels we once called sisters?!"

"Odd, you have a direct link to Adagio, yet I cannot establish connection with Aria..." Allegro said in his rather logical tone once more. "They must be in the Halls of Composia, taking on trials to earn new Furen pendants..."

"So what? Let them have their fun, Allegro. We've already got more than enough power to destroy one of these worlds with lengthy concentration. Fat chance they're gonna get enough negative energy in time to overpower us..." Orchestral said, leaping up from his throne and walking over towards the rest of The Blasters with a rather cocky grin on his face. We've been harvesting energy for over fourteen years now, and they're only just about to get their new pendants. Not to mention that we've already stolen the Magic of Friendship multiple times over. It'd take them at least a decade before they could possibly defeat us outright."

"Even so, you must not forget, Orchestral. They were shackled by Dark Magic when The Rainbooms defeated them, meaning that they were only capable of calling out a small fraction of their power," Fortissimo reminded Orchestral, seeing as he seemed rather over-confident. "Since they sang the Second Life Song, The Dazzlings became pure and stronger than ever. They will be able to unleash the TRUE extent of their power when they finally duel us for the fate of the three worlds..."

"Then it's time. We need to begin setting up our Battle of the Bands so that we can stay ahead of the game..." Fortissimo gathered Allegro and Orchestral once more and brought them into a huddle so that they could discuss their next moves. "Think about it, The Dazzlings will HAVE to take The Rainbooms with them. Then, The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms will decide to split up, that way, no matter which of them make it to the finals, they have the chance to duel us and put an end to our plans..."

"And if they both get to the finals?" Allegro asked, curious to know where Fortissimo was going with this.

"When they both make it to the finals, it'll be similar to what happened back at that pathetic high school fourteen years ago. However, the ten of them will be playing with OUR instruments, instead of those namby-pamby ones they carry around with them..." Fortissimo smiled nefariously. "Should The Dazzlings defeat The Rainbooms, then we actually have a fight on our hands. But if The Rainbooms defeat The Dazzlings again, then they'll have just DOOMED their worlds, as our energy-based poison will make them fall unconscious when we sing our song for the finals. Win-win!" he let out an insidious laugh.

"What of those traitors we once controlled?" Allegro asked Fortissimo once he'd finished laughing like a maniac.

"Oh, the Equestria Rainbooms?" Fortissimo put his fingers together once again and narrowed his eyes. "Well, we've used Dark Magic to make Lyricans do our bidding once, and we can do it again..." he then removed his fingers from each other, with streaks of black lightning with red and blue outlines linking the hands together...

Author's Note

Peanut Butter: Ooh... Dat don't sound good...

Autumn Breeze: Wait, wat did he mean when he said he'd done it once befowe?

Me: No spoiwews, wittwe sistew. You'ww hafta wait tiw da next chaptew...

Adagio: Yes, but until then, I think a bath should tide you three over.

Autumn Breeze: But I'm stiww scawed of da monstew dat eats da watew when we'we cwean...

Peanut Butter: Dat's a dwain, wittwe sistew... (Picked up by Sonata)

Pinkie Pie: No it's not! It makes a howwifying gawgwing noise when it eats de icky soap watew...

Sonata: I'm sure you'll be fine, kids. (Picks me up in her second arm) Now come on, we can get Celestia and Luna to get you bath toys as well...

Me and Night Mist: Yay!

The answer to the question from the last chapter, was that the Rhythm Realms are a reference to the Silent Realms from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on Wii. You had to collect fifteen tears and return to the start without letting the Guardians attack Link even once.

NEW QUESTION TIME: What would be the first thing you do as a Lyrican Siren? (Whether you're Furen or Blissen)

Leave a comment below if you wish to answer this question...

Aria's Trial (Part 2)

Ever since Aria had seen the Song Seekers perish in that pool of lava, she was feeling more and more confident in her trial. Now that one of her burdens had been lifted, she could easily carve out the Furen Fragments she needed for her new Furen pendant. She looked down at her pendant and counted at least six of the twenty pieces already.

"Hmm..." Aria looked around to see whether or not there was a slight chance that the Song Seekers could have survived dipping into the lava. She showed a rather pleasant smile when she came to the conclusion that the Song Seekers had in fact perished back at the place where she'd earned her second Furen Fragment. "Still dead, good. Now I can take this at a leisurely pace..."

Aria made it over a river of lava, leisurely flying through arches of flame and narrowly evading rather majestic meteors. The whole place had volcanoes erupting left, right and center, but Aria felt the flow of the erupting volcanoes and swiftly flew through the carnage completely unharmed.

Satisfied with her flight pattern, Aria swiftly flew underneath one last arch of flame and made it out of the lava fields at last. She landed next to another one of the crystal formations. Once again, she traced the outline with her sword and fired stream of energy which was exactly the right shape. After brushing away another cluster of crystal flak, Aria reached in and collected the seventh Furen Fragment in her pendant.

"And that makes seven..." Aria said as she felt the secured Furen Fragment once it had been inserted into the leather case. "And they're still dead. I don't know why he said this would be hard, this is far too easy..."

However, as Aria flew away from the destroyed crystalline formation to make it to the next one, a pool of lava consumed the wreckage of the decimated crystals. Then, a number of Song Seekers leapt from the lava ocean before landing in the newly created pool of lava. They struggled to make it to land with their instrument limbs, but they finally made it onto land and craned their necks skyward, releasing alien screeches that echoed throughout the entire Rhythm Realm once again.

"That didn't sound good..." Aria could hear the echoed screech as she neared the eighth formation of crystals that housed her next Furen Fragment. That screech was a dead giveaway to her that the Song Seekers were still alive and thriving. "So, apparently, they can now swim in lava and survive?"

"Song Seekers are quite adaptive species, Miss Blaze. They can take in a number of things that hurt them, and make themselves immune to those things after lengthy processing," Symphonia appeared and spoke to her as she flew towards the next Furen Fragment trapped inside of crystal. "They can also pick up traces of your presence once they catch your scent, as Miss Dazzle's trial has proved."

"There are no other words I can impart onto you except, keep moving and grabbing your Furen Fragments." Symphonia finally vanished, allowing Aria to return to her trial of collecting the Furen Fragments.

Aria's worries returned as she floated a few feet off of the ground. She knew better than to call the Song Seekers to her position, and knew that flying would help mask her position for a while. Whilst she had that one trick up her sleeve, she also remembered that Song Seekers would appear whenever Aria picked up a Furen Fragment. She began sweating as she carved the next outline, and almost made her shape uneven. However, she kept her composure and kept the outline even, so that she could collect her Furen Fragment for real.

"Eight. Better get going whilst the going's good..." Aria looked back and saw the Song Seekers fly out of the lava and fly relentlessly towards her position. She could see their seething rage and heard their ferocious cries. Yelping in surprise, Aria used her wings to put some distance between her and the Song Seekers. She was fast, but noticed that the Song Seekers almost touched her with how fast they had arrived at the scene of the destroyed crystal formation.

"Geez, that was close!" Aria said as she caressed her legs for a brief instance before returning to her flight. Noticing the relentless Song Seekers become more serious this time, Aria decided to pick up the pace and flew at a much faster pace towards her next Furen Fragment. It seemed that each of her Furen Fragments increased her flight speed, as she was rapidly passing by mountains at a much more rapid pace than before.

"Hmm..." Aria could see multiple Furen Fragments in this next gathering of crystals. She flew over towards them and thought on how she would be able to get both of them at once without damaging one of them. Putting her mind into thought once more, Aria saw multiple different outcomes for acquiring the two Furen Fragments, but all of them ended with the fragments breaking up in some way, shape, or form.

Finally, a clever idea hit Aria's mind, and she put her second hand on her sword. With her hands shining bright as red stars, Aria pulled tightly on the sword's handle and pulled out what looked like an exact copy of her original sword. With another flash of red light, Aria was now dual-wielding swords. Both swords looked the same, and were glowing quite radiantly at the tip. Aria used the right and left swords to create two separate outlines that matched that of the two Furen Fragments. Smiling with her work she said, "Hmm... Efficient." before driving both tips through the outlines so that they both fired crimson streams as the crystal formation.

With another explosion of crystal, Aria could clearly pick up both of the Furen Fragments. She sheathed both of her swords and picked up the two fragments. Now that she'd acquired both of those Furen Fragments, Aria looked rather pleased with the collection she was amassing.

"Halfway there, halfway out of this torture..." Aria said as she looked at the empty pieces of the case for Furen Fragments. "Soon, girls... Soon I'll be back with you both, so that we may be able to acquire negative energy once again..." she said as she tightly clutched the case and thought of Adagio and Sonata as she flew off.

It didn't take long for Aria to land at the next gathering of Furen Fragments. However, this time, it seemed a little different.

There were a number of different crystal formations in front of Aria, but they seemed to only exist for ten seconds at a time before they vanished, revealing another crystal formation in a different position. Each time a crystal formation appeared in front of Aria, it had a different Furen Fragment inside.

Eventually, she came to the conclusion that there were five different crystalline formations, all of them taking turns to exist, then not to exist in ten second intervals. She watched as the crystal formations kept on changing with each ten seconds, so she watched the fragments' shapes as each one of them changed for that of a new one. She eventually began tracing each of the shapes without the sword as quickly as she could, whilst also making sure that she was accurate.

Eventually, she traced one of the outlines and thrust her sword through the center of it, firing another stream of energy at the crystal formation. She destroyed one, then saw that it still remained, even when the second one appeared towards her left. Aria now knew that she just needed to destroy the crystal formations, instead of letting the Song Seekers get onto her back and make things atrociously difficult for her.

She traced the other outlines with her sword and destroyed each one of the crystal formations when they popped up. Once they were all destroyed, Aria flew over the destroyed crystal formations and hastily scooped up each one of the Furen Fragments as she flew over it. When she heard the Song Seekers approaching, Aria flew off as quickly as she could, giving them no chance to catch up to her.

"Honestly, whoever these Song Seekers truly are, they suck at doing their job..." Aria said in a deadpanned tone as she approached the sixteenth crystal formation whilst she slingshot herself off of a mountain to pick up momentum as she soared across the spectral volcano world. "I only need five more Furen Fragments, and they're miles behind me... I think it must have been some ten millennia since Symphonia gave a Lyrican Siren a trial for a new pendant, so I guess I can forgive him for sticking to old habits. Even so, this is proving too easy for me..."

Within seconds, Aria was over towards the next crystalline formation, but this time, she was deep in a volcanic cavern. She finally took the time to rest herself by landing on the ground. Some vibrations went out to alarm the Song Seekers, but she knew that if they tried getting close to her, she could always fly and mask herself from their view once again. She could see that this time, the crystal formation was hanging above a pool of lava, with the Furen Fragment at an area near the jagged point.

After thirty seconds on the land, Aria flew up and traced the outline of the Furen Fragment with her sword once again. However, she then hesitated to thrust the sword through the outline, worrying about what would happen if the Furen Fragment fell into the lava lake below her, or worse, if the whole volcano erupted right underneath her as soon as she picked the fragment up.

"I'm gonna have to time this just right..." Aria said as she finally took the sword back and readied to thrust it. Just as she thrust it, the Song Seekers' screech echoed throughout the cavern she'd entered. She nearly jumped in surprise, but then noticed the Furen Fragment fall towards the lake of lava beneath it.

Eager to complete her trial, Aria charged towards the falling pendant and caught it right before it landed in the volcanic pool of lava. She quickly flew out of the volcano as the flames caught up with her. They would have completely singed her wings off, had she not escaped in time, though her ears were greeted with a deafening volcanic eruption.

The Song Seekers were once more swallowed up by lava, but they managed to stay alive this time, due to their adaptable metabolisms. They swam against the torrent of lava in an attempt to remain in their position, and were almost flushed out of the volcano completely with how violent the stream was. However, they kept their ground and surveyed the area. They flew over to the pool of lava and smelt the area.

Eventually, one of them got a whiff of Aria Blaze's scent, and the point of view they saw the world from showed an purple humanoid blur in the far distance, destroying another crystal formation to acquire the next Furen Fragment. The creature craned its' neck skyward once again and let out another alien screech, an omen that the Song Seekers had assimilated Aria's essence, and now knew where she would be at all times.

No sooner had Aria taken off for her eighteenth Furen Fragment, when Symphonia began speaking to her once more.

"Miss Blaze, the Song Seekers have assimilated your scent. They now know where you are, and where you will be running to..." he said, making Aria glow once more with each word that fell from his mouth. "If you do not collect the Furen Fragments before they capture you, then you shall have to start the whole trial anew..."

Not even responding to that comment, Aria charged off towards another section of the Rhythm Realm, words no longer bothering to leave her mouth as she arrived at the formation, hastily traced the outline, destroyed the formation and grabbed the Furen Fragment. Aria was doing her task much quicker now that she had been warned of the Song Seekers' approach. Sweat dripped from her face with how quickly she was traversing the plane of existence, and her attitude had been replaced with that of heavy gasps for breath.

She was about to trace the outline for the nineteenth Furen Fragment, when the Song Seekers appeared only a few feet behind her. They let out their screeches once again as they closed in for the kill, making Aria scream with how relentlessly they were pursuing her. "Okay! They're much faster now!" she panicked as the thrust the sword through the outline and charged with the beam so that she grabbed the Furen Fragment just as it was released from the crystal formation.

She'd almost given the Song Seekers the slip, but they were right on her tail for the time being. They tried swinging their limbs at her in the attempt that one of them would connect with her and make her fail the trial, but Aria was well aware of this, and nimbly dodged the attacks by the skin of her teeth.

"There! The last Furen Fragment!" Aria traced the final outline as she flew towards the last Furen Fragment. With her outline completed and the Song Seekers about to catch her, she put her sword directly in front of her and performed a thrusting dive as she charged for the final Furen Fragment. "For the honour of The Dazzlings, the Lyrican Sirens, and our friends and family, I STAB AT THEE!"

Aria charged straight through the crystal formation, destroying it completely in a cataclysmic explosion. However, at the same time, she'd just touched the Furen Fragment as well. Her trial had been completed, and she left the Rhythm Realm in a massive burst of light that blinded the Song Seekers and made them recoil in both pain and surprise.

When Aria could finally see again, she was flying back up the void of lights and with all twenty Furen Fragments in her case. They perfectly made the shape of a star overlapping an inverted 'S'. When Aria looked at her finished Furen pendant, she fist pumped in satisfaction with all the possibilities she now had once more.

The case then vanished, making all of the pieces connect with each other, with red lights welding each individual piece together into one. Finally, when the Furen pendant was completed, Aria was enveloped in a burst of red light, one which took her out of the void of light, and back to the Halls of Composia, where her friends and family would be waiting for her...

The circular cover opened up once more, grabbing the attention of everyone once more. Lord Symphonia, The Rainbooms, The Dazzlings, The Snapshots, and the ponies from Equestria watched as Aria Blaze flew out of the circular cover, and landed on the ground with a burst of light.

When the light finally died down, everyone could clearly see that Aria was back, with her new pendant to boot. Her new pendant was shaped like a star overlapping an inverted 'S', and was leisurely dangling from a golden cornerstone. As she felt her new pendant she smiled in satisfaction and said, "Makes the old pendants look like crap, wouldn't you agree?"

"Indeed..." Symphonia walked down his dais once more to congratulate Aria for completing her trial in the Rhythm Realm. "Your efforts truly are commendable indeed, Aria Blaze. You stared adversary directly in the eyes, and were able to overcome and control your fury. Such noble feats like these make you a true Lyrican, a valuable member of The Dazzlings, and worthy of your new Furen pendant..."

"Thank you, Lord Symphonia. But I have to ask you something before I sit down again..." Aria said, stopping him in his tracks before he even touched one of the steps on his dais. "Why exactly was my Rhythm Realm different to that of Adagio's?"

"The Rhythm Realm is a mysterious world of mystery and intrigue. No Lyrican has ever truly created any geographical maps of such a plane of existence, due to the fact that they were either lost forever, or gave up the trials for their new Lyrican pendants..." he explained. "In truth, it changes so much, because it wants no species to ever think that it stays the same each time. Not even I am able to know exactly how the Rhythm Realm is geographically arranged, however, I am able to give each individual Lyrican the details of such burdens they bear, simply due to the fact that I have had eons of meditation and energy consumption. The only other Lyrican capable of gazing into such a world like this and explaining the trial for a Lyrican is none other than His Majesty, King Allure himself..."

"I trust that was the answer you sought, Miss Blaze?" Symphonia asked once he'd climbed back up to the top of his dais once again.

"Yes, it was," Aria performed a Lyrican salute once more and said, "Thank you once more, Lord Symphonia..." before she sat down next to Adagio and high-fived her before looking at Symphonia once again.

"There is only one more member of The Dazzlings that is missing a Furen pendant..." Symphonia said, his gaze primarily focused on Sonata, and more so, her neck. "Sonata Dusk. You are the third and final Lyrican that I test today. Step up to the dais, so that we may begin discussing your Rhythm Realm..."

Author's Note

Me: Finawwy. I was wowwied whedew ow not I'd get ta finish dis chaptew taday...

Sonata: Well, looks like I'm next in line...

Adagio: You'll do great. Won't she, little one?

Me: Of couwse she wiww, she's my waifu aftew aww...

Peanut Butter: And mine!

Fire Star: And mine!

Autumn Breeze: And mine too!

Night Mist: Good wuck, Sonata...

Adagio: Alright then, now whilst she goes off and gets herself ready, let's get you little ones off to lunch. Your stomachs must be rioting...

All the foals: (Stomachs rumble)

Me: How did yoo know, Dagi?

Adagio: Queen Lauren's parenting lectures...

Luna: Now come on, little ones. Let's get you to the dining room. (Levitates me and Night Mist)

Celestia: We've even prepared all of your favourite foal foods for you... (Levitates Fire Star and Autumn Breeze)

Peanut Butter: Mmm... Peanut buttew... (picked up by Aria)

Lauren: (Levitates Onyx and Tornado Blitz) And off we go...

Sonata's Trial (Part 1)

Sonata rose to her feet and climbed up the dais where Symphonia was waiting for her. She was rather nervous as she climbed the stairs, with her legs mildly shaking with each and every step. However, she was still taking steps up towards the top of the dais, since Aria and Adagio had done the same with their trials. At the end of it all, she stopped shaking and regained her composure as Symphonia began explaining what Sonata's trial would be like.

"Miss Dusk. I have been doing some careful evaluation, and I have been noticing that while you are quite capable on the fields of both combat and singing, you are rather childish and taken quite quickly by distractions," Symphonia said, waving his hands to show Sonata a bunch of clips from both of her past lives. Mainly the parts where she was acting quite cocky and childish. "The most common form of distraction being what humans call a 'Taco'..."

"It's Taco Tuesday!" one of the images actually spoke, showing Sonata being rather distracted by the poster for Taco Tuesday at CHS.

"However, when not distracted, you are quite a capable Dazzling when it comes to both swordplay and music..." Symphonia then showed a bunch of projections showing just how good Sonata was in her life on Lyrica, and even when she'd been corrupted by Dark Magic fourteen years ago. Then, he waved his hand once more, removing the other projections and replacing them with one large one that showed a fork in a spacial world with mesmerizing lights and a bunch of Sonata's distractions. "This Rhythm Realm that you shall wander, will help you to alleviate you of distractions, allowing you to focus more on the task at hand. For if distractions take control of you, then you might as well give up before a fight even starts..."

"This Rhythm Realm is unlike that of the ones that Adagio Dazzle and Aria Blaze contended with. This time, there will be twenty riddles for you to overcome, Miss Dusk," he said, showing twenty different forks in a rather long and twisting road with nothing to hold onto and a bunch of incorrect roads which quickly showed fake roads leading to Song Seekers. "For each riddle you answer correctly, you shall be rewarded a Furen Fragment. However, get one question wrong, or get distracted by anything for long enough, and you will be completely surrounded by Song Seekers, which I do not need to remind you will make you fail the trial and have to start it all over again..."

"So, it's basically a quiz show?" Sonata asked, seeing the different forks in the road, each with correct paths and Song Seekers waiting for them.

"In a way, yes. But there shall be questions that no other life form on Equestria or Earth will have ever heard of before. They are riddles from Lyrica's deepest past, and ones that can only be answered by Lyrican Sirens with ease," Symphonia said, reminding Sonata of the difficulty of her trial. "If you do not remember what we taught you in your evaluation tests, then you might never be able to finish this Rhythm Realm, since you will have entirely different questions every time you choose to restart it..."

"Sonata Dusk. This Rhythm Realm is meant to test your processing power, as well as the ability to avoid distractions and temptations," Symphonia opened up the circular cover and brought the platform out of his dais one more time. "Everything you see might look, feel and smell real, but the Rhythm Realm shall serve as a constant reminder that you are undergoing a trial for a new Furen pendant."

"So basically, no tacos, no cute dogs, no nothing, Sonata! The Song Seekers are gonna be using your distractions to trick you and make you feel sad and powerless!" Adagio spoke to Sonata, since she worried whether or not she'd be able to understand what Symphonia was saying to her.

"Miss Dazzle speaks the truth, Sonata Dusk. To complete your trial, you must not let your childish distractions and favourite foods distract you. Hesitation and childishness will end a battle in the enemy's favour at a rather rapid pace," Symphonia allowed Sonata to walk onto the platform where she would jump off and enter the Rhythm Realm. "Now, Sonata Dusk, enter the Rhythm Realm and earn your new Furen pendant!"

Sonata complied with Symphonia's words and walked out to the platform. She took in a deep breath when she saw how high the jump was from her position, but then she saw the smiles of Adagio and Aria, and got a sense of confidence. She took in a deep breath and leapt into the Rhythm Realm, falling through the void of lights just like Adagio and Aria had done before.

When Sonata was subjected to the lights, she constantly had to use her hands as shades to avoid any optical concussions. The lights were pretty, but they came endlessly and were quite bright. Despite all of the blinding colours and flashing lights, Sonata could still plainly see that she was falling down the void towards her Rhythm Realm. Yet she didn't even scream during her fall, in fact, her screams were those of joy and merriment.

Finally, Sonata landed in the Rhythm Realm, where the first thing she took in were her surroundings. She was standing on top of what looked like a circular cobblestone platform with two roads ahead of her. Both roads had no discernible end, but both had an answer to a riddle projected over the beginning. The world around her was a spacial plane of existence with a number of constellations and beautiful colours adorning it.

"Welcome, Sonata Dusk, to Sonata's Sonnet. This is the Rhythm Realm that shall truly test your skills in concentration and logic," Symphonia appeared in front of Sonata as a spectral hologram, just like he'd done with the former Dazzlings. "A riddle will be posed at each fork in the road, it is up to you to answer these riddles correctly without distraction or hesitation."

"A correct answer will reward you with one of twenty Furen Fragments. An incorrect answer, or hesitating to answer with distractions luring you in every so often, will lead to you being surrounded by Song Seekers," he then vanished inside of Sonata's body, so that she could undergo her trial. "Your first riddle will appear momentarily..."

True to Symphonia's words, Sonata could see a rather unusual occurrence in the world around her. Stars shone light majestic lights, and only intensified in brightness to the point where Sonata had to shield her eyes from any optical pain.

However, when she lowered her hand to see the world once more, there was a spectral riddle projected in front of her with an answer above each of the paths.

The skies are coloured by day, but lose radiance at night. This thing is no Euphorian, but it will still give you delight...

Sonata looked at the riddle before taking a good look at the answers. She saw that "Greed" was above one of the paths, whereas "Lust" hung above the other.

"Well, the last time I found greed, it was either when we were corrupted with Dark Magic, or looking for a way out of Dystopia..." Sonata seemed rather serious as she took both answers into account. "And both times, I found greed to be good in the long run, but it had a bitter aftertaste afterwards..."

"So, with the process of Sonatelligence, I believe that Lust is the right answer, as Greed showed me no delights at all!" Sonata rushed across the path that read Lust.

She continued to walk down the path before she stopped at a spectral rip in the fabric of reality. It was wide enough for her to walk through, and was the only thing that could be found at the end of the road. She looked over into the distance and saw another spectral rip at the end of the "Greed" path. However, she then saw the rip vanish, revealing a Song Seeker who'd just vanished out of existence.

"Phew. Glad I didn't pick that one..." Sonata said as she stepped through the spectral rip and was once more consumed by light...

Sonata found herself in exactly the same place she'd found herself before, but the Rhythm Realm was more dark-green in colour, rather than the previous colours she'd seen before. However, both the platform and the two roads had cobblestone lining them, and it was still the same colour as before.

She then felt her pendant, and could clearly identify the feel of one of the twenty Furen Fragments secured in one of the holes. As soon as her finger touched the ruby fragment, she felt a certain warmth creep into her heart as she watched the next riddle materialize in front of her.

Hatred and Bliss, two sides of a mirror. But to the red-crystal Sirens, which energy is inferior?

Sonata then looked at the two paths and saw that one of them read "Deception" whilst the other read "Delight".

"Oh, that's easy..." Sonata said, instantly walking down the path that read Delight. She hummed a leisurely tune as she nonchalantly walked down the path before arriving at another spectral rip in the fabric of reality. Just for clarification, she looked over at the second rip over by the path that read Deception, seeing another Song Seeker fade away within seconds. "Knew it!"

Sonata was soon back where she was once again, but this time, the Rhythm Realm seemed more golden than before. The background was a radiant shade of gold, the cobblestone was gold, and even the riddle and answers now had golden arches instead of just being projections.

The Hurricane of Soundlessness, which Euphorian Deity is this?

Sonata's two options at this moment were either Silenzel or Hierarxe. She was about to take a step forward when the arches and the riddle were suddenly destroyed by a miniature meteor shower, leaving nothing more than a fork in the road.

The sudden change in the environment now had Sonata worried. If she couldn't remember the road that held the right answer, then she'd be walking directly into a Song Seeker ambush without even knowing it. She started panicking, her legs constantly running on the spot as she began to stress over which path was the right path.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no! Which one was it?!" her anxiety was now starting to reveal Song Seekers in the distance. Their screeches made Sonata stress even further to the point where she let out a panicked scream.

"Alright then. Uhh..." Sonata looked at the two different paths, one of them leading her towards the next Furen Fragment, with the other leading her to instant failure and misery. "Eenie, meenie, miney, mo. I pick you, now let's go!" she ran down the path that once had Silenzel's name on the former arch.

She was hastily chased down that singular road by three Song Seekers, all of them screeching angrily and swinging their limbs at Sonata the closer they got to her. Sonata was about to scream as they lunged towards her, but she'd just ran through the rift once more, and found herself swallowed up by light once more.

"Damn. I should invest in getting some sunglasses in future..." Sonata said as her eyes readjusted to the light once more as she arrived in the next cross in the road. Now she was looking at a riddle and more answers that seemed to be made out of tacos.

"No! Not tacos! They're my favourites!" Sonata said in anguish, seeing that the tacos were just taunting her at this moment in time. The thought of stuffing the answers and question down her throat and letting the flavours envelop her feelings made her just remember what Symphonia had said before. "How did they know?!"

"No. No, I've gotta stay calm and collected..." she said, taking in some deep breaths as she did so to calm her nerves. "Dagi and Ari are counting on me to complete this trial, and I want to make sure that they're happy as well..."

She then focused her attention as to what the tacos were telling her. They seemed to spell out the next riddle in her list.

These foods are delicious, but you must not delay. The Song Seekers will soon be on their way. This riddle will have you foaming at the mouth, but what negativity shows that a trust has gone south?

Sonata then looked at the two answers. One was called "Betrayal" and the other one was "Bewilderment".

"Let's see here..." Sonata looked at each of the answers, her taco obsession making her drool in hunger the more she looked at each answer. "They both look right to me, and I bet they even taste right as well..."

"Miss Dusk. Remind yourself on what this Rhythm Realm is meant to test, then choose the one answer out of the two that you believe to be correct," Symphonia appeared, making Sonata stumble backwards and fall onto her butt in surprise. "And do it with haste, as the Song Seekers await your childish behaviour, since it makes a rather easy meal for them..."

"Oh! The Song Seekers!" Sonata remembered, then looked at each of the answers closer, with more determination starting to show as she resisted her temptations of eating the answers at all costs. "What negativity shows that a trust has gone south? That is..." she looked at each of the two answers and said, "Betrayal!" before she launched herself down it with the sudden appearance of her translucent wings.

She saw the Song Seekers arrive just as she vanished from the area once more. She would have taunted, but she remembered that that would have been one of her temptations, and would only lead the Song Seekers directly towards her.

The fifth Rhythm Realm area looked quite different from the last. It looked exactly like the corridors of the elementary school that Sonata went to alongside Aria and Adagio. The lockers were nostalgic, the lights were nostalgic, even the very floor that Sonata walked on seemed to bring back some memories.

However, she eventually found a junction with three different answers for the next riddle, which had all been written on what looked like school banners of some description.

Education is welcome sight, but these ponies caused quite a plight...

The three answers that Sonata saw were "Keepers of Friendship", "Spirits of Harmony" and "The Chosen Six". Sonata had never heard of those names before, and even if she did, she had completely forgotten about them completely.

"Let's see here... What did Forty and Orchy keep calling them..." Sonata put her hand to her mouth and drummed her fingers against her chin and cheek, as a sign that she was truly in deep thought.

However, before she could even think further, a school bell went off, and the whole area was flooded with elementary school boys and girls, all of them Sonata remembered quite well. She even saw Topaz and some of the Kids of Shadows walk right past and even through her, as if she didn't even exist.

Sonata eventually flew over all the children in the school just so she could get a good look at the riddle and answers once again. She could see that the banners were actually starting to fall off at that moment so she had to think fast.

"Well, I know that the Chosen Six is out of the question, since they don't even call themselves that. Well, that and Mum now makes them seven in a way..." Sonata ruled out the Chosen Six answer as it fell from its' position. "Keepers of Friendship? That kind of sounds right, but that might be what the Song Seekers WANT me to think..."

"Ah, screw it! Spirits of Harmony, you're my winning ace in the hole!" Sonata flew down the hallway that read Spirits of Harmony on the banner, with no other thoughts in her mind as she passed by so many familiar faces and their school lockers.

Eventually, Sonata found a door at the end of the hallway and opened it up with difficulty. She strained mightily as she forced the door open, and was greeted with a burst of light as it was opening up wider and wider. She wasn't even given the chance to fly through it as the light had taken her before she'd even stepped forward...

Author's Note

Sonata: Well, that was rather interesting...

Night Mist: I honestwy tought dat you'd eat de taco question and answews...

Autumn Breeze: Me too...

Discord: Well I'm sorry that you missed out on such nice tacos, Sonata. (Eats the question and answers from the story) Oh my, Shadowmane, you've outdone yourself with this taco flavoured riddle!

Me: You'we wewcome, Dissy...

Discord: Oh, where are my manners? Here you go, Sonata. (Gives her a duplicate of the taco riddle and answers)

Sonata: Thanks, Discord! (Begins eating the taco riddle)

Lauren: Speaking of eating, I think you need something to eat, Shadowmane.

Me: (Stomach rumbles) Otay, Gwandma...

Sonata's Trial (Part 2)

The next thing that Sonata knew, she was underneath the ocean, as proved by the swimming schools of fish and the shimmering light pouring in from the top of the water. She could see two coral caves in front of her, both of which had different undersea plantlife acting as the answers.

Before she knew it, a school of fish came swimming all around her from all angles. They made Sonata a little dizzy with their swim patterns before they finally converged together and made the next riddle for Sonata to ponder upon.

The ocean's floor is quite serene, but this next riddle is quite obscene. Under the waves, I cannot sing, yet when I fly, my voice can ring. What am I?

When Sonata had read the riddle aloud, she saw the aquatic plants release aquatic fumes into the water, spelling out "Dolphin" and "Seahorse"

"Wait a second, seahorses can't sing!" Sonata looked long and hard at the two answers, seeing a contradiction in both of them. She'd learned full well that Dolphins had a way of communicating under the waves, but now that she had processed the riddle for long enough, she saw that there was no correct answer in front of her. "This is a trick question!"

"Miss Dusk. Sometimes, the answer is not as clear as one might believe it to be..." Symphonia appeared once more, projecting his spirit in front of Sonata so that she and he were talking to each other. "Take what you believe into account, and you might find the right answer had eluded you to begin with..."

"Well what am I supposed to pick?! Seahorses can't fly, nor can they even sing! And although dolphins can jump out of the water and make me giggle, they only sing under the water so that the rest of their pack can communicate with each other!" Sonata's frustrations only attracted Song Seekers, who hid behind some undersea rock formations.

"But... what if a seahorse is not what you anticipate it to be?" Symphonia vanished back into Sonata's body, making her ruminate on the riddle that had been posed for her. "Think long and hard, Sonata Dusk. Childishness and distractions will only call the Song Seekers towards you..."

"Hmm... If a seahorse isn't what I think it is, then what could it be..." Sonata had some time to process what Symphonia had just left her with. However, when she heard a crashing coming from nearby, she was broken out of her train of thought and turned to where the noise had come from.

To Sonata's shock, she saw that multiple Song Seekers were approaching her position, all of them swimming through the water like vicious sharks, eager to strike Sonata and make her fail her trial. Beginning to panic, she looked at the two answers that had been handed to her.

"Oh, I get it now! Hippocampi are seahorses! How could I have forgotten that?" Sonata then ran into the cave with "Seahorse" as the answer. She ran deeper and deeper into the cave until she saw another rip in the fabric of reality. Sparing no time, she leapt through this crack and was swallowed up by light once more...

In the next part of her Rhythm Realm trial, Sonata found herself back in Musician's Delight, the room that she, Aria and Adagio had spent years growing up in after they'd sang the Second Life Song together. She could see that this was the Musician's Delight from when she, Aria and Adagio were only infants, due to all of the toys and furniture that could be seen around the room.

Sonata tried to get to her feet, but found that her balance had been severed by quite a large amount. She eventually fell onto her butt, hearing a nostalgic crinkling noise as she did so. When she looked down, she saw that her legs and arms had become surprisingly short, and she was wearing what looked like a diaper. However, she still had control over her bodily actions and mind, and eventually came to the conclusion that the Rhythm Realm had placed her mind into an infantile version of her body, to add to the fact that she had to overcome distractions and childishness to acquire her new Furen pendant.

Sonata felt her pendant and crawled over to the middle of the room, where she could see that the riddle was made entirely out of building blocks, and that she now needed to put it in the right order to truly earn her question. She could see that each different word in the riddle had been jumbled up, but at the very least, all the letters for each word were close together.

Sonata wanted to speak about this part of the trial, but all that tumbled out of her lips was baby talk. The Rhythm Realm had truly made her believe that she was a Siren, but had been trapped within the body of a child. Surprised with her sudden collapse in vocabulary, Sonata decided to continue this part of the Rhythm Realm in silence.

After two minutes using childish distractions to her advantage, Sonata had spelt out the next riddle for her to answer. Once she had, two giant stuffed animals with dimensional rips appeared at each side of the riddle. As she put her thumb in her mouth, reliving some of her most nostalgic years as an infant, she read out the next riddle in her mind.

Youth, whilst fleeting, is still fun. Which of these can be worn by everyone?

She then looked and saw even more blocks in front of the stuffed animals, which also spelt out answers, but had been jumbled up to make her stall. Sonata stopped sucking for a brief instant, then began to spell out the two answers that had been placed in front of her. Once she was finished, she saw that one of the answers was "Diaper" whilst the other one was "Onesie"

Sonata babbled incoherently, trying to say some words, but failed once more.

However before she could even think of what everyone would wear, she found herself playing with the blocks that had spelt out the question. To her subconscious shock, she was acting like an infant in a Rhythm Realm where the Song Seekers could take full advantage of her.

She tried desperately to break herself out of her childish delusions, but something in her mind was telling her that this was a rather pleasant and calming feeling. She eventually found herself knocking the blocks over, letting out a giggle as they all tumbled down around her.

She then heard a door opening up slowly, and knew that the Song Seekers were closing in for the kill. Finally taking control of her infantile body once more, Sonata crawled as fast as she could for the plushie that had "Onesie" next to it. She squeezed it tightly, cooing in bliss as she put her hand in her mouth as the light consumed her again.

Sonata was still sucking on her thumb when she arrived in the next part of the Rhythm Realm. She was back in her regular body once more, and thought that it was rather embarrassing that she was still sitting down and sucking on her thumb. Rising to her feet and pulling her thumb out of her mouth, Sonata could see that she now had seven of the twenty Furen Fragments that she needed for her new Furen pendant.

The next riddle that was in front of her was all covered in dust and impossible to read. She pondered what was wrong with the riddle before she could actually see the dust that was obscuring the question for her.

She grew her wings and flew towards the riddle before taking in a deep breath of air. Almost immediately after her breath, she blew all of the dust away from the riddle with one huge blow. Some of the dust flew right back into her face and made her cough for a short period of time.

When the dust finally settled, Sonata could see the next riddle that had been posed for her, as well as the two answers that had been made out of the dust she'd just blown away from the riddle itself.

A hazy mind leads to defeat, but which Dystopian can turn up the heat?

She looked at the two dust clouds and saw that one of the read "Insult" whereas the other read "Assault"

"That's Insult, definitely. I've been reading up on the books that Mum and Auntie Twilight told me about, and it's Insult, mainly because insults are a way of baking someone into an argument and spilling negative energy from them." Sonata said as she walked through the archway that had Insult hovering above it. "Sonatelligence wins again!"

Once more, she was consumed by a bright light as she walked through the crack that had persisted throughout the entire Rhythm Realm.

Next, Sonata found herself sliding down what looked like a rather large and rather complex slide. Whilst it was a bit of a surprise for her to be doing so, she still let out a cheer of merriment as she took a sharp turn and continued plummeting down the slippery slide.

"Whee!" Sonata's joy at that moment was undeniable. She'd had many ups and downs in her life, but this was the one thing that had her happiness for now. Her velocity made the slide all the more exciting as she gradually got faster and faster the more she slid down.

Eventually, she saw the riddle in front of her, as well as two answers next to it. However, she was still sliding, and could see two different slides at the bottom of the hill.

Think fast, Sonata, your time is flying. What do Blissens enjoy riding?

She could see from a distance that one of the slides read "Dragon" whilst the other one read "Transcendence"

Seeing no time to react, Sonata shifted her weight towards Transcendence, since Dragons were always what she considered to be a Blissen's primary Siren Summon. Nothing else fell out of her mouth other than a cheer of joy as she shot down the slide that said Transcendence, throwing her hands up as a flash of light hit her before she fell through another dimensional rip.

When Sonata's eyes readjusted to the light once again, she found herself inside what looked like a maze made entirely out of mirrors. This made it increasingly hard for Sonata to read the riddle and the answers properly. It was so hard for Sonata to find where she needed to go, that she almost took the wrong route before even reading the question and answers properly.

Eventually, Sonata kicked each and every one of the mirrors quite violently. Every time her feet smashed the mirrors, she was welcomed by the majority of glass that flew off of it with how fast she'd been with her kicks. The shards flew into her body and simulated pain, but only for a brief instance whenever they did so.

Finally, when all of the glass mirrors had been shattered, Sonata was now stuck in a black plane of existence. Whilst she could see no more colours other than black and white, Sonata could still see the riddle and answers now that everything else had been cleared from the area.

Lyricans act in secrecy, but are exposable, nonetheless. Which of these Siren warriors was known to be the best?

Sonata could see clearly that there were two more rips in the fabric of reality once more. Only this time, the answers that appeared above them were "Andante Hurricane" and "Baritone Gaia"

"A question on two friends I used to know?" Sonata said as she looked long and hard at the question and the two answers that accompanied it. "One of them used what he called 'The Winds of Destiny' to bring others together, whereas one of them was known for his 'Earthen Extremism' in combat. But who was more powerful?"

"Hmm... Now that I think about it, rocks are more durable than winds, yet winds can't be stopped no matter what..." so many different thoughts ran through Sonata's mind as she continued thinking of Andante and Baritone's feats. "Which one of them was more powerful? I swear, this quiz show is gonna be the end of me!"

Hearing a low screech erupt from the darkness, Sonata knew that the Song Seekers were arriving, and were going to strike her if she didn't pick an answer.

"Alright. The Winds of Destiny, or the Earthen Extremist. While winds are powerful when controlled correctly, I still think that, in the long run, earth is much more durable than wind itself," Sonata walked towards Baritone Gaia just as the Song Seekers erupted from the darkness. "It's a 50/50 chance, but it's once I'm gonna have to take!"

Sonata threw herself through Baritone Gaia's dimensional rip, becoming enveloped by light once more as she narrowly evaded the Song Seekers once again.

Sonata then found herself in what looked like the middle of a warzone with dozens of mortar shells and missiles raining down on the area around her. She was, without a doubt, back in the great war that destroyed the lifestyles of human, pony and Siren alike.

As a wave of panic washed over her as she looked at the war-torn world that was once her home, Sonata narrowly evaded another mortar strike and saw that the question had arisen from the ashes of a crashed missile.

Battle is eternal, that much is true. But this is an important riddle for you. When the time is right and the souls realign, when the Sirens return, what is the first sign?

Sonata saw that two more mortar shells created two more holes next to the riddle itself. From the explosion, Sonata could see that one of the answers was "Humans and ponies will have red and blue eyes" whilst the other one had said "Humans and ponies will begin singing an otherworldly tune that they've never heard before"

Seeing all of the carnage going on around her, Sonata just randomly jumped into the crater that said "Humans and ponies will have red and blue eyes" without any hesitation or remorse. She was once more consumed by a bright light as she fell through another dimensional rip in the fabric of reality.

"How am I still in this?" Sonata asked herself when she found herself with eleven out of twenty Furen Fragments welded into her pendant case. She was still in the Rhythm Realm, even after making a decision without even thinking about it. At first, she cursed herself for not reading the question and answers properly, but she was also proud of herself for getting the right answer in such a quick time.

When she surveyed her surroundings once more, she found that the ground around her reacted to how close her feet were to it. It looked like she was standing on a tiny platform, but when she walked forward, she saw that that platform moved with her, and eventually revealed two arches, as well as the riddle that she was supposed to answer.

Not seen by the naked eye, what can be made by you and I?

When Sonata looked at each of the different arches that she'd made with her mere presence alone, she saw that one of them read "Magic" whilst the other archway read "Music"

"Well, from what I know, magic is kind of hard to pull off, even for novice Lyricans that are only just starting out. Heck, some humans aren't even capable of utilizing magic properly..." Sonata used some clever logic to deduce what she thought would be the correct answer. "Meanwhile, music can be made by everyone, with some glaring evidence being the Battle of the Bands that we created, and our brothers are trying to top with their own..."

Suddenly, a realization hit Sonata. She couldn't find the correct answer anymore as she frantically ran around the area looking for the arch. However, every time she thought she'd gotten close to it, she ended up wobbling to regain her balance as she teetered on the edge of the platform.

"Where was it?!" Sonata drove her heel into the platform, suddenly revealing it all for a brief instance. Surprised by what she'd done, she stomped once more, revealing the position of the correct answer once more. Stomping to ensure she was going the right way, Sonata eventually walked through the archway and was on her way again.

Following the trail for another time, Sonata eventually found herself at another dimensional rip in the fabric of reality. She stepped through it and didn't even bother to cover her eyes as she was once more enveloped by the light that she'd expected to see...

Author's Note

Night Mist: You'we putting dis inta thwee pawts?

Me: Yeah. I can't just keep wandomwy thwowing wowds onta papew. I gotta pace mysewf.

Sonata: Well, I think you're doing a fine job, Shadowmane. I especially loved the part where I was stuck in the body of a baby for that one question...

Me: Weww, I tought it wouwd be nice ta wefewence da fiwst stowy again.

Luna: Do you know what day it is, Shadowmane?

Me: Mama's Day?

Luna: Not yet, little one. Three more days, then you'll be right.

Celestia: No, today's Dress-Up Day! A day where everyone has to dress up and play pretend, even you!

Me: Weww, at weast dat makes it sound bettew den da wast dwess-up day...

Celestia: Guards, be sure to let all the other regions of Equestria know that Dress-Up Day is now a real holiday. I don't want Shadowmane and the foals to be hogging all of the fun...

Guard: Yes, Your Highness.

Night Mist: (Levitated by Luna) So, wat cwothes do yoo have, Mama?

Luna: (Levitates me up as well) Just wait and see, little ones...

Sonata's Trial (Part 3)

When Sonata could see the area around her, the first thing that caught her attention was how the riddle was spelt this time. Despite how large the letters were for her convenience, the entire riddle, as well as the answers, were spelt backwards.

?kcatta ot nwonk si naipotsyD hcihW .kcab pets a ekat ot deen ew ,semitemoS

The two answers that Sonata could see this time were "eeleM" and "tluassA"

"Hold on a second..." Sonata carefully glanced at the question, not being able to make a single word out from what she could see. Not only that, she had problems processing the answers for this riddle as well. "This question makes no sense at all! Why would this be part of my test?! I might be childish and easily taken by distractions, but even I know that this question and its' answers make no sense!"

"Miss Dusk! Remind yourself that the Rhythm Realm you wander is meant to test your concentration!" Symphonia appeared in front of Sonata once more, getting Sonata to stumble backwards and land on her butt once again. "This world will confuse and mess with you. You must NOT succumb to its' trickery if you wish to succeed!"

"I KNOW, Symphonia. But this entire question looks like it was written by a three-year old!" Sonata said, acting in a very frustrated manner as she addressed the Lyrican as loudly as possible.

"The question is backwards, Sonata Dusk. Everything you see has been written backwards, so you must be capable of reading the question backwards if you are to progress onwards with your perilous journey across the Rhythm Realm..." he vanished after reading the question and the answers that were in place for Sonata.

"Backwards?" Sonata looked at the question and answer again, slowly reading each different word backwards. "Sometimes, we need to take a step back. Which Dystopian is known to attack? Is it Melee or Assault?"

It was upon discovering the question and answers for real that Sonata returned to her dumbfounded state. Both Melee and Assault were equally valid answers, since they both revolved around words that were similar to attacking.

"Alright then. Guess it's all down to chance..." Sonata said as she walked down the path with the Melee arch. Once more, she proceeded until she arrived at yet another dimensional rip. As she stared into the tear once again, she took in a deep breath and threw herself into the light once again.

The next thing that Sonata knew, she was in the body of an actual horse, and she was galloping in what looked like a horse race. She tried to control herself, but it seemed like her equine body was in complete control in this certain scenario.

Suddenly, a jump appeared in the distance, made entirely out of hay that was held together by a number of metal rods and bars. As it appeared, time completely stopped and Sonata found herself sitting down on the horse's back. A horse whip appeared in her hands all of a sudden, and the question appeared in front of her.

Quick reactions and a steady hand, who among The Dazzlings has these planned?

Sonata saw that the answers were not on the jump itself, but rather on the horse's flank. On the left flank, it read "Adagio Dazzle" whereas on the right flank it visibly read "Aria Blaze"

"Hey! What about me? I've got both of those qualities as well!" Sonata said, looking a little peeved to know her name wasn't on the horse's flank. She then sighed and said, "Well, if I'm not the one with those features, it has to be Dagi, since Ari does tend to stutter a little when faced with impossible odds..."

When time started again, Sonata used the whip and lashed it against the horse's left flank, the speed of the equine drastically increasing as Sonata held on tight. She watched as the horse made it closer and closer to the jump, where a dimensional rip was just opening up for her.

Both Sonata and the horse leapt into the rip and were taken by the light once again.

Sonata rode the horse until she arrived at the fork in the road, then she stopped the horse and quickly leapt down from its' back.

"Thanks for the ride, Silver. I'll see you next time." Sonata petted her horse before it whinnied and vanished in a column of light. When her horse had vanished, Sonata looked at the next riddle, as well as the two answers that had appeared next to it.

The year of the war eludes us all, but when did everyone heed the war call?

The answers were both specific dates. One of them was "5th Verse, 24th of Murikralek" where as the other answer that was before her was "8th Verse, 1st of Luricreil"

"That's an easy one. It was sometime in Luricreil, since that was the day we earned the Souls of Song alongside The Blasters." Sonata said, sparing no time as she dashed down the path that read "8th Verse, 1st of Luricreil"

"And that makes fifteen pieces..." Sonata felt her pendant once she'd arrived at the next fork in the road. Smiling in satisfaction, she looked at the next riddle and answers that were placed in front of her.

There are many frivolous things in this world, but which malefic creature has its' talons curled?

When Sonata had finished reading the question aloud, she could see that two more arches appeared for her. One of them read "Roc" whist the other one was "Phoenix"

This time, Sonata had trouble trying to place the two creatures apart from each other. "That's odd... Both Rocs and Phoenixes are malefic, at least according to Furen Sirens..."

"But..." Sonata slowly found herself walking towards the Roc arch, a sudden smile slowly creeping its' way onto her face as she processed both a Roc and a Phoenix's anatomy. "Phoenixes don't have feet!"

"Boom! Sonatelligence scores me yet another Furen Fragment!" Sonata said as she found another dimensional rip in the fabric of reality at the end of her path. Once more, she threw herself in and was once again consumed by the light.

The next part of the Rhythm Realm was entirely different altogether. Sonata was walking on what looked like a small planetoid with a sun about to go supernova in the distance. She eventually found the whole planetoid quite disorienting as she walked off what looked like an edge and walked to the bottom of the planet.

When Sonata finally concentrated once more, she saw that the sun was giving her the riddle, as multiple fiery snakes left the sun and latched onto each other and spelt out a rather bright riddle for her. In fact, it was so bright, that Sonata couldn't see it without having her eyes barraged by a large amount of light.

"I can't see a thing!" Sonata said as she shielded her eyes from the intense light that the sun snakes were radiating. It was almost enough to consume her once more.

Eventually, Sonata struggled and thrashed about as the light continued to shine even brighter than that of the sun itself. So much optical pain was happening at once that she needed to stop it for good. She curled her arms and legs to make herself ball-like, then let out a scream, unfurled her arms and legs and shone a rather bright shade of crimson as she screamed at the snakes to reduce the light they were emitting.

When Sonata could finally see again, she looked at the riddle for real this time. The snakes were much less radiant, and were now displaying a riddle that she could see without pain to her eyes.

Though the Moon is the Sun of the Night, which emits a more beautiful light?

Sonata saw that the answers were projected arrows that pointed to different parts of the planet. One arrow pointed her towards "Sunset" whilst the other one was directing her towards "Aurora Borealis" Before she could even react, though, Sonata could clearly see a golden line appear on the planet's surface between her legs. She knew that she had to stand on one side of the planet or the other to answer.

"Ooh... That IS a tough one..." Sonata said as she looked at each of the two answers as hard as possible. "A sunset is a thing of beauty, what with all the pretty shades of red, orange and yellow. But an Aurora Borealis has all the different colours of the rainbow in it, and is made even more pretty at night..."

Before Sonata could process her thought further, the sun exploded with a colossal burst of light, sending out an amber shockwave that would split Sonata's planetoid in two, and secure her answer for the question that she'd been posed.

Sonata yelped in surprise and leapt towards the Aurora Borealis side of the planet, just narrowly evading the amber slice that cut the planetoid in half. After she'd landed on Aurora Borealis, Sonata fell through a bright hole that appeared beneath her feet.

"Three more questions... I can do this!" Sonata told herself as she felt her pendant case, feeling seventeen out of twenty Furen Fragments tightly secured in it. Letting her case droop once more, she looked at the next question, and the answers that accompanied it.

The master of The Blasters, the Siren to heed, but now he is consumed by greed. Who is he?

"Easy!" Sonata didn't even read the other two answers when she saw Fortissimo Blast as once of the arches. Zipping down it with her wings unfurled, Sonata flew through yet another rip in the fabric of reality and was consumed by the light for the eighteenth time during her stay in the Rhythm Realm.

"Just two more to go, then I'll be able to sing for more power..." Sonata dreamt of her finished pendant as she landed in the next area of the Rhythm Realm. This time, she was taken aback by all of the wonderful sights that lay ahead of her.

Sonata was in a world that was entirely made out of her favourite foods. There were mountains of tacos, rivers of fruit punch, trees of ice cream, and many different foodstuffs that shaped a makeshift landscape. Her mouth dropped when she'd finally understood where she was.

Eventually, two small fortune cookies appeared in her hands, with a giant fortune cookie appearing in front of her. The giant biscuit cracked in half, revealing a strip of paper with her next question inside.

Many things are delicious, but are more than meets the eye. Which Dystopian can make others eat so much, that they die?

Sonata cracked open the two small fortune cookies in her hands one at a time. In her left hand, the fortune cookie read "Starvation" whereas the fortune cookie in her right hand read "Gluttony"

"Wait... Am I supposed to eat the right answer?" Sonata pondered as she looked at each of the two fortune cookies, alternating her gaze from each of them every two seconds. She wasn't even allowed to ponder that further as she heard an alien screech from the bottom of the hill she was standing on.

Tearing her gaze away from the two foodstuffs, Sonata could see a number of Song Seekers climbing the hill, clinging on to all of the different foods as they continued in their ascent.

"Oh, to heck with it!" Sonata ate the Gluttony fortune cookie, and then saw a massive cake appear before her eyes. She threw the other fortune cookie off of the hill and then dove her face directly into the massive cake.

Sonata finished up the cake, licking the last little morsels off of her face as she finally saw where she was. She was standing on what looked like a stained glass floor in the middle of a pitch black realm of nothingness. When she looked at the floor, she saw a rather interesting picture.

It showed all of The Rainbooms, The Dazzlings, The Snapshots and The Illusions staring at The Blasters, who all threw their hands into the air to welcome the descent of a being with red and blue crystal wings. To her eyes, it looked like a vision of the final battle involving The Blasters, who were about to summon King Allure with the Souls of Song.

Suddenly, in a flash of light, Lord Symphonia appeared before Sonata, no longer as a projection, but more so a physical manifestation of himself.

"You have fought very valiantly, Miss Dusk, and have come to the end of your trial..." he began speaking to Sonata, his words reaching her effortlessly. "However, one more obstacle lies between you and your new Furen pendant..."

"And what would that be?" Sonata asked as she looked at Symphonia with a curious look in her eyes, not sure as to where we was going with his words.

However, Symphonia took up a battle posture and held his hands out to his sides. With two more flashes, one red and one blue, Symphonia was wielding two large Lyrican tomahawks, one of them laced with Furen crystals and the other one laced with Blissen crystals. "Me..." he then charged towards Sonata, making her leap backwards in surprise and draw her own weapon.

"Why would I want to fight you, Symphonia?" Sonata asked as she narrowly dodged another one of his attacks and kicked him in the back when she vaulted herself over him.

"To prove that you are truly worthy of your new pendant, you must show me your worth to The Dazzlings... You are quite a smart one, Miss Dusk, but Lyricans are truly Lyricans when they apply logical, magical and physical prowess in combat..." Symphonia swirled his tomahawks around in his hands, creating tornadoes that were slowly dragging Sonata into them.

Sonata eventually saw through Symphonia's little plan and thrust her sword straight into his armour, making him recoil in surprise as he was pushed towards the edge of the stained glass platform. She saw that Symphonia was teetering on the edge, so she pushed forward with her swords pointing towards him.

Symphonia recovered from the edge of the platform and his tomahawks met Sonata's blades. The two of them were locked in a tight power struggle for ten seconds before Symphonia kicked Sonata in the stomach and smashed her into the ground with both of his tomahawks.

"You are lucky that I am holding back, Miss Dusk. Had this been the great war that destroyed our kind, I would have called upon some of the most cataclysmic magic I can muster..." Symphonia said as he watched Sonata get up onto her feet once more.

"I didn't come this far just to leave with nothing, Symphonia..." Sonata said as she glowed a radiant shade of red and charged towards Symphonia. She swung her sword around, but every attack was accompanied by Sonata's Hippocampi, knocking Symphonia back, into the air, and all over the place to break his guard. Sonata then swung her sword around rather rapidly, with at least twenty different projections of her Hippocampi barraging Symphonia violently. Then, with one final vertical slash, Sonata's blade called forth a rather large hand directly above Symphonia. The hand that Sonata called forth knocked Symphonia into the stained glass floor, then repeatedly smashed him back into it when he bounced in pain. With her opponent taken aback by her power, Sonata drove her heel directly into Symphonia's back, making him cough up some blood as Sonata was enveloped by light once more.

Sonata was once more in the column of light which she'd used to enter the Rhythm Realm. Only this time, she was flying up it instead of falling down it. She saw her pendant case disappear, with all twenty of her hard-earned Furen Fragments coming together in a rather majestic fashion.

The pieces that Sonata collected all merged together into one, with red lights merging each piece together. When all of the pieces had combined, Sonata's new Furen pendant, which showed a musical note overlapping a heart, attached itself to the golden cornerstone and shone radiantly once it did. The new light enveloped Sonata and carried her out of the Rhythm Realm, returning her to the Halls of Composia where all of her friends and family were waiting for her...

The circular cover opened up once more, getting all of the chatting friends to stop what they were doing and witness Sonata's return from the Rhythm Realm. They saw a red light leave the Rhythm Realm, which suddenly showed Sonata's body for a brief second before the red light consumed the room once more.

When the light had died down, Sonata could be seen by everyone now. The only noticeable difference was that she now had her new Furen pendant, which showed a musical note overlapping a heart of sorts. After Sonata opened up her eyes, the first thing she said was, "I'm back!" in a sing-song voice.

"Indeed you are, Sonata Dusk." Symphonia was soon next to Sonata, commending her for her valiant actions in the Rhythm Realm. "You managed to not only think of your strategies and push forward, but you also utilized your upbeat attitude as a motivational booster to overcome doubt..."

"Thanks, Symphonia." Sonata said as she reunited with the rest of The Dazzlings, smiles spread across their faces as they pulled each other into a rather large hug.

"Now then, before you leave, I imagine that you wish to know the reason as to why The Blasters are acting so uncouth?" Symphonia asked the question once The Dazzlings had finished their hug. His serious eyes were a dead giveaway that he had something very important to tell everyone.

"Yes, please. Know your enemy, after all..." Adagio said.

"The Blasters were once some of the most purest of Lyrican Sirens to ever wander the worlds, their hearts devoid of all darkness, and their souls cleansed and uncorrupted," Symphonia began an explanation that detailed The Blasters' madness. "However, years and years of wandering the worlds after the war, have left them in a state of denial and in desperate need of their fellow kind..."

"Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral have been consumed by emotions of denial, perseverance, loneliness, regret and rage. Because their emotions control them, they will no longer listen to reason, and will do ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING to resurrect the Siren species, even if it means stealing the Right Souls of Fury and killing The Dazzlings in cold blood."

"The Blasters also see the humans of Earth and the ponies of Equestria as the most horrific scourge to wander the worlds. They classify anypony and anybody as Lyrican terrorists, who know nothing but murder and destruction," Symphonia continued. "However, they are still unaware that it was the Six Euphorian Deities that made Starswirl murder their kind, and as such, they pinned the blame on all of humankind and ponykind..."

"Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. Fortissimo Blast, Allegro Maelstrom and Orchestral Chill will no longer show mercy for anyone except for their own. If The Rainbooms or the princesses of Equestria try to fight back against them, they will simply be signing their own death warrant..." Symphonia spoke to the whole group. "While your friends will still be able to aid you in these war-torn times, everyone must remember that it must be you three that duel your brothers..."

"And to aid you three on your quest, I shall provide you with a hefty amount of negative energy to awaken your Furen pendant's powers..." Symphonia waved his hands around, spawning red Furen energy as it did so until his hands became red orbs of negative energy.

The Dazzlings merely stood there and puffed out their chests as Symphonia pushed both of his hands forward, firing three powerful streams of red energy that collided with the Furen pendants, making them glow rather radiantly as all of the red energy was consumed by The Dazzlings, making them shine rather radiantly once more. Once it had stopped, they felt their new pendants, feeling that they were rather warm after that massive feast of power.

"That is all the negative energy I can offer you now. To gather more energy like this, you must travel to places that are filled with too much harmony, and sow the seeds of discord with your voices," Symphonia reminded The Dazzlings as he waved his hands once more, creating a portal to the Human World behind the group. "But before you go, you must remember the Balance of Lyrica's rules. There cannot be too much harmony, and there cannot be too much hatred. Now, go! Go and uphold your duties as Furen Sirens once again!"

Everyone shot a smile at Lord Symphonia, then waved him goodbye as they all dashed through the portal. They all vanished from the Halls of Composia within seconds, with the ponies being morphed into humans as per the rules of interdimensional travel between the three worlds. The Rainbooms of Earth once more took their human forms, with Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Starswirl adopting guises of their human counterparts as well.

Author's Note

Night Mist: Weww, dats da wast of dem...

Sonata: I know, it's weird...

Me: Weww, watevew yoo tink, da Whythm Weawm saga is finished, so De Dazzwgins can finawwy finish deiw tawe...

Aria: I'm looking forward to seeing where you go next, Shadowmane...

Adagio: Me too. You've truly outdone yourself with the lore on our kind. Most other bronies and pegasisters think that we have no lore, or that it's rather predictable lore, but this lore on Lyrican Sirens and their customs that you've come up with, it's a breath of fresh air for stories that try to give us lore...

Celestia: It truly is, isn't it?

Luna: Now then, (Levitates me) I believe that somepony deserves a little snack for all his hard work...

Me: Tanks, Mama...

Celestia: Be sure to leave some comments for my grandson now, won't you?

The Blasters' Battle of the Bands

Author's Note

I just want to say this before I continue. Last night, I was at the TV for 2 hours straight, watching two Saturday shows that I really, REALLY like.

The first one was Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, which is basically a bunch of random events that Ant and Dec pulled over the week, ending with someone in the audience playing a quiz called "Win the Ads" which was then followed by the End of the Show Show.

The other one was the first episode of a new gameshow called You're Back in the Room, in which contestants play together to win up to £25,000. BUT, each and every round, they're hypnotized by an expert hypnotist, and will believe whatever he says about what they'll do whilst they sleep, so that it makes the game that much harder for them.

Be sure to check them both out if you get ITV Player all the way out there, and I hope you all enjoy the new chapter...

The Blasters' Battle of the Bands

Three Years Later...

Ten hooded figures walked away from an uproar of conflict and anger, with red mist following them all the way. As the mist followed them, it travelled upwards into three of the hooded figures' hoods and vanished into red Furen pendants.

The ten figures were seen as The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings, who had to act undercover to avoid suspicions from other people who passed by. Their faces were barely visible, and when they were, only their mouths could be seen.

Eventually, The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms ended up sitting down on a nearby bench. Once they'd done so, they took down their hoods so that their faces were visible once more.

"You know, I still don't get why we have to wear these spooky hoodies, girls..." Pinkie Pie said as she reclined on the bench, feeling her lowered hood pressing against the back of her neck once she was comfortable with her position. "People are gonna mistake us for the Grim Reaper soon enough..."

"Lyrican Sirens operate in secrecy, Pinkie Pie. The only reason you saw us as Sirens back in CHS, was because that Dark Magic we were infused with made us careless, and hungry for more power than ever before," Adagio explained to Pinkie, who was merely rocking back and forth on the bench as she stretched her legs out. "You may have watched The Blasters performing on stage before, Rainbow Dash. The reason why no-one saw them as Lyrican Sirens was because their pendants were concealed behind their flashy clothing."

"If our pendants are exposed to the people around us, then some random fool who's immune to our singing could easily report us to the authorities. And when the law catches up with us..." Aria slid her finger across her neck and made a rather unpleasant noise to further emphasize what she meant.

"This rule has been going on for years and years, ever since the first mission our kind had in Equestria..." Adagio continued once she'd risen to her feet once more. "The ponies there were heavily equipped with magic that could almost rival our own, so we needed to take precautionary measures."

"But you all need to remember that Lyricans aren't evil, they're just doing their job to save the worlds as well. We don't allow others to utilize their emotions as weapons, we are only the ones who can temper someone's emotions, be they good or bad..." Aria finished as she got up to her feet as well.

"But The Blasters are using their emotions to lay waste to entire worlds, destroying all the things they can lay their grubby little hands on..." Sonata said, showing some great remorse for Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral. "If only Orchy and his friends would come to their senses and remember the true murderers of their kind, then we'd all be happy and friendly together..."

"But even so, how does it feel to be in my shoes, Dazzlings?" Sunset said as she rose to her feet as well. "Don't let it all go to your he-" her phone then started ringing. "Oh, hold on, girls. I gotta take this," she hit the green button and put the phone to her cheek, so that she could hear the caller. "Hello?"

"Sunset? It's Fuchsia and Lavender," Fuchsia's voice came through the phone, making Sunset's expression change for a brief instance. "Anyways, we're here with The Snapshots in the local Coffee Shop downtown. We've just got a very important news report on The Blasters that I think you and the girls need to hear."

"Alright. We're on our way now," Sunset hung up the phone and put it in her pocket once again. "We've got to get to the Coffee Shop. The Illusions and The Snapshots have just seen a news report on The Blasters."

"We can get to the Coffee Shop downtown this way. I've memorized the entire town from top to bottom, so I know where each and every shortcut is." Adagio said as everyone put their hoods back on and got up from the bench.

Within moments, the whole group was on their way to the Coffee Shop, with only one or two girls starting up a conversation as they travelled. They were relatively silent due to the fact that they needed to focus on The Blasters and what that news report said on them.

Eventually, everyone got into the Coffee Shop, with the bell ringing above their heads as they stepped inside. They looked at each and every one of the tables until they found The Illusions and The Snapshots sitting down at the furthest table from the door. Seeing their friends, The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings proceeded towards them in a rather quiet fashion, so as not to disturb anyone else in the establishment.

"So, what have you found on The Blasters?" Adagio asked as everyone either sat on the benches, or pulled up some stools so that they could sit on.

"Here," Pixel Pizazz handed her Journalizer to the group, showing a news report that showed The Blasters attending a massive press conference with tons of their adoring fans gazing upon them and were accompanied by a group of paparazzi who were getting pictures for their own news reports. "The Blasters just let this story get out today, so I figured you might as well hear it to plan ahead of them."

Sunset tapped the picture, turning that simple clear shot into what looked like a recorded news broadcast.

"And in other news, the worldwide musical group known as 'The Blasters' have just broken the all-time record for the most amount of money earned by a chart-topping music group," the reporter said as the report began. "With their overall earnings reaching a colossal 75 trillion dollars, The Blasters have been dubbed the richest band on the planet."

"When they were told of their success, The Blasters were instantly flown all the way out to Califawnia to attend a colossal press conference, with over 21,000 people attending, loving fans and paparazzi," the reporter was then replaced with a screen which showed different images of The Blasters, which then transitioned to a moment from their press conference. "Whilst we were unable to get all of the questions from their conference, we were able to get this important announcement from them..."

"So, Blasters. You've been one of the most successful bands this world has ever seen, with over seventeen years of success carrying you forward," one of the journalists spoke to Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral whilst they all paid attention to each and every word that fell from her mouth. "You've racked up 25 trillion dollars each, confirmed bilions and billions of merchandising, released one hundred and fifty albums altogether and have even written autobiographies on yourselves."

"Thank you, Linda, but I can honestly say that we weren't alone throughout this endeavour. Allegro and Orchestral here backed me up, and I backed them up and helped them every step of the way," Fortissimo said, putting his arms around Allegro and Orhcestral's shoulders. "I couldn't be more prouder to have them on the band."

"So, with all of your success carrying you through all those years after the second crisis at CHS, your band has become rather popular as of late. You've stayed fresh and entertaining for far longer than any other band that became popular," Linda asked them another question, her words automatically being written down on the special Journalizer she was carrying. "So tell us, what's next for you and The Blasters?"

"Well..." Fortissimo put his fingers to his chin and stroked it tenderly, before he and The Blasters got up to their feet and began vocalizing.

They began with harmonic hums, getting all of the audience to drop what they were doing and heed what they were doing. Each one of The Blasters stepped forward with each hum, before all of them were standing before their crowd of paparazzi and adoring fans.

I know that past Battles of the Bands
Have been under appreciated

Fortissimo began singing, his voice powerful enough to pierce everyone and make them powerless to his singing. He leisurely swung his hips as he approached his audience.

And though you have short attention spans
My tournament is now in your head

He got so close to the audience that they could practically touch him.

It's clear from your dumbfounded glances
You can't comprehend what I say

Fortissimo sung as he could see everyone was staring at him with rather beguiled looks on their faces.

But the prizes will leave you in trances
Even YOU could be whom we shall pay...

Fortissimo whispered into the ears of many different audience members before finally pointing towards a random group of fangirls, making them swoon and faint in euphoria.

So prepare for the greatest of all games
Prep you clothes for the music ahead
All of this world's best bands
From their native homelands

Fortissimo brought up multiple different groups of both fans and paparazzi so they could dance with him.

And where do we feature?

Linda asked him before he began pinching her cheek

Just listen to teacher

I know it seems crazy
But soon you'll all thank me
When we lay this big debate to bed

Fortissimo was accompanied by Allegro and Orchestral, who were providing backing vocals and harmonic hums to enhance their powers of singing.

Take my word and you won't be alone
Battletone

Fortissimo's lyrics were quite loud and made all of the groups that had been brought up sing along with him in the end.

"Battletone? Despite that being a pun of baritone, what is it?" one of the members of the audience asked when Fortissimo was given some time to catch his breath and listen to his crowd.

"A name for OUR Battle of the Bands, that's what it is." Fortissimo answered that member of the crowd simply by pointing his finger at them and shooting a smile for the camera.

"So, we get to play music in it?" another one of the members of the crowd asked Fortissimo, eager to get an answer from him.

"Well, duh! It is a Battle of the BANDS, after all..." Orchestral answered in Fortissimo's place, making the member of the audience smile with glee. "And you could all enter it..."

"Awesome! Come on, everyone! Ba-ttle-tone! Ba-ttle-tone!" one member of the crowd got all of the other members of the audience to chant along with him, all of them driven by what The Blasters had talked about earlier.

"Now, now. Settle down, everyone. You need to hear the prizes before you get hyped..." Allegro said, calming everyone down so they could listen to what exactly they would be battling for.

"So what is it, guys?" a fangirl on the stage asked, getting to an almost touching position in front of The Blasters.

"The winners of Battletone win a fifty trillion dollar recording contract and the chance to duel us, for the title of WORLD'S MOST SUPREME BAND!"

That statement alone got the audience to release a thunderous roar of applause, cheering and whistles. They were now completely swept away by The Blasters' statements and were fully willing to take part in their tournament to win all of those prizes they'd mentioned. They also ended up chanting Battletone once they'd had that name bored into their minds.

By entering The Blasters' tourney
When we sing, we'll be all-time adored

The crowd sang, their voices in a harmony that was completely perfect and had absolutely no errors in it at all.

Of course, when you in, you're expected
To follow the rules we've implored

Fortissimo once more had all of the audience's attention as he returned to lyrics again.

You are all potential queen and kings
And though that case might not be

Should one group be known as The Dazzlings...
YOUR TRICKS HAVE NO EFFECT ON ME!

Fortissimo could hear the audience all vocalizing and humming in harmony as he sang rather gracefully. However, he then grabbed the majority of the cameras and put his face as close to them as possible. His sudden anger made Adagio, Aria and Sonata recoil in shock as they reacted to his actions.

Now's the time to perfect your music skills
Practice hard, for the tournament beyond

With all of this planning, your dreams will be spanning
Decades of new glory, for your fans to see

Your music respected, adored and affected
By fans that find your songs quite fond!

And remember the words wrote in stone

As Fortissimo sang, he and The Blasters were suddenly atop a rising platform, with their backup singers rising on different steps along with them as he continued to wow the crowd with his vocals.

Battletone!

Everyone sang together, all of them pleased and excited by the tournament that The Blasters had created for them.

We'll remember the words wrote in stone

The crowd all sang and danced, expelling blue mist that climbed the platform and vanished into The Blasters' clothing, which only made their costumes shine even brighter than before as they came to the end of their song.

BATTLETONE!

Everyone in the place sang the final note, and the audience then cheered for The Blasters as their show came to an end. The euphoria in that place was undeniable, everyone would be participating for Battletone now.

"The Blasters are trying what we tried, but are doing it on a much more colossal scale this time..." Adagio said once the video had come to an end and The Blasters' song had finished. "And unlike when we made our Battle of the Bands at CHS, they'll be able to consume both harmony AND hatred, so they'll be that much harder to beat..."

"Are you girls going to be participating in it?" Twilight asked The Illusions and The Snapshots once they'd handed Pixel's Journalizer back to her.

"No. I've no desire for such treacherous spoils anymore, especially not after what you ten pulled during the final battle of the last music tournament you were in..." Trixie said, no longer acting in first person as she conversed with the group. "And besides, I've only got one song, and that'd probably wear itself down after the second round or so. So me, Fuchsia and Lavender are going to be sitting this one out..."

"We probably won't be a part of Lyrican affairs anymore too. We've zeen your hell, and all ze things you can make others do with your singing, so it'd be like signing our own death warrants to duel against Sirens zat almost drove our world into another war," Photo Finish said. "No offense, right?"

"None taken, girls. Lyrican Sirens ARE usually guaranteed to win in musical tournaments..." Sonata said, then looked at The Rainbooms briefly. "Except for that one time when we were corrupted by Dark Magic and allowed ourselves to be stupid and arrogant..."

"So, what are we going to do, girls?" Fluttershy asked once Sonata had finished. "I don't know if we can stand against The Blasters in their Battle of the Bands, especially since they've got those pendants around their necks. Sure, we can hold our all against other HUMAN bands, but against The Blasters, we might as well have already lost..."

"You don't have to be the ones that carry the burden, Rainbooms. But I do have a plan to make sure we get to fight The Blasters," Adagio said, bringing all of The Rainbooms in together so that they could listen to what she had to say. "We sign up for Battletone as separate bands, then we split up and face off against the other bands. That way, if we both make it to the finals, no matter who wins, we get to battle The Blasters and save the spellbound contestants."

"Okay, you're on." Rainbow Dash smiled, completely following on with what Adagio had said to her.

"Divide and conquer, just like in the book. I like your style, Dazzlings..." Twilight smiled as she too knew where exactly Adagio had been going with her planning. Twilight believed that Adagio was an amazing strategist, and would very easily be able to use their plan to take out the other bands in Battletone. "The ten of us are gonna clean up!"

"It's a promise!" Sonata said, shaking hands with all seven of The Rainbooms.

"A Pinkie Promise?" Pinkie Pie asked The Dazzlings as she sprang up from the stool she'd been perched on.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." The Dazzlings all recited Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Promise, performing the finger actions as well as the words, so that everyone knew that it was a certified Pinkie Promise.

"Alright then, it's settled. Girls, get your instruments and get practising," Sunset said as everyone was in agreement on the plan that they'd all formulated. "We've got ourselves a Battle of the Bands on our hands..."

"Hey, you did a rhyme!" Pinkie said as she suddenly appeared behind Sunset, then moved away to give her some breathing room.

The Tournament (Part 1)

The Next Day...

"Are you sure they'll make in time?" Sonata asked as she looked around the airport entrance for the rest of The Rainbooms. She was stressing over the time that her plane would leave, and that Twilight's friends wouldn't arrive on time "The plane leaves for Battletone soon..."

"I'm sure they'll be here in time, Sonata. This is a Battle of the Bands that could very well determine the fate of all three worlds..." Twilight said, putting a hand on Sonata's shoulder to calm her down. "Just like with Canterlot High School, they won't want to miss out on fighting the bad guys and saving Equestria and Earth..."

"Hmm... I can't help but get the feeling that The Blasters were pretty much inspired by us at this moment," Adagio said, sighing as she looked up at the sky above her. "I mean, seeding multiple innocents with music, making you girls all fight and feud with a little push, and starting their own Battle of the Bands? They're basically just male versions of us now. I wouldn't be surprised if they sing the Second Life Song themselves if they survive this..."

"There they are!" Sunset said, pointing towards The Rainbooms in the distance, who were sprinting down to meet them at the entrance of the airport. Sunset ended up waving to her friends to attract them all to her and The Dazzlings.

"Sorry we're late, Sunset. Rarity just wouldn't stop going on and on about bein' formal..." Aplpejack rolled her eyes as she looked at Rarity, who seemed to be pulling four suitcases at once.

"It IS one of the biggest events this world has ever authorized, we will be performing in front of billions and billions of Blasters fans and they might have a formal dress code for all of the participating bands," Rarity said as she used her fingers to emphasize her point to the country girl. "We might end up rejected for not wearing appropriate clothing."

"Applejack, before you start, you need to remember that complaining about small details will only make The Blasters stronger and stronger with every passing second..." Twilight said, getting Applejack to turn to her and look her in the eyes. "And that goes for the rest of you," she got the rest of The Rainbooms to look at her with her commanding words. "Rainbow Dash should be loyal to all of us, Pinkie should know that this is for the fate of the worlds, Fluttershy, you'll get some of your songs in this battle. Oh, and Sunset, be sure to let us know if we're veering towards too much harmony or too much hatred, alright?"

"Sure thing, Twilight." Sunset said, sharing a little bit of a smile with Twilight as the entire group walked inside the airport to get themselves checked in for their flight.

Later...

"So, we need a plan in terms of the songs we sing. Anyone got any good ideas?" Rainbow Dash asked as they were gathered around a restaurant, munching on different meals whilst they waited for their flight. "We can't just keep on using the same songs we practised at CHS, otherwise The Blasters will be able to find some way to sabotage them to take us down before the tournament even begins..."

"Listen, Rainbow Dash. Songs don't necessarily matter just as long as you can execute them well enough," Adagio said, slurping on a milkshake shortly afterwards. "Truth be told, when Lyrican Sirens are corrupted with Dark Magic, they tend to just make songs up as they go along, but still retain the main chorus that they were handed down by Euphoria or Dystopia to seed the humans of Earth and the ponies of Equestria."

"Even so, that doesn't mean we won't be seen as lazy if we just keep repeatin' the songs we sang back then..." Applejack said, putting a piece of the apple pie she'd been eating in her mouth.

"What about you, Dazzlings? What are you going to be singing when you take to the stage at Battletone?" Twilight asked, seeing as how Adagio had posed the question, but hadn't answered it herself.

"Actually... I haven't thought of that..." Adagio put her fingers to her chin, then ruminated on the songs that had been uttered when they were corrupted. "Pretty much the only song that we can repeat is Under Our Spell, since The Blasters have already flared up the battle, and that they'll probably want the winning band to play a completely separate song to theirs..."

Trio, Quartet, Quintuple
Exterminated by a fool

The Emeralds fought as well
But ended up in Siren Hell

Three bold figures killed Hades
But they also fell to their knees

And the six Sirens of our fate
They know nothing but peace through hate

Three mysterious figures were singing at the back of the restaurant, perking up the ears of The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings. Their faces were completely obscured, and their voices seemed like they were in perfect harmony.

You want to live? Don't hold your breath
This isn't life, it's living death

But never fear, we've got our songs
We'll personally right these wrongs...

The figures' voices seemed to be so mysterious, that they made everyone around them seem rather guilt-ridden and angry at one another. Small insults and whispers started to break out in the restaurant that gradually got louder and louder.

Lost in granite, The Angels
Died to death's own toxic smell

Percussion, Wind and Drumroll
Got shot down a fiery hole

Femme Fatales from Lyrica
They died by Celestia's Star

And those known as The Dazzlings
Failed to know what grief greed brings...

Their voices seemed to be amplifying with each verse, striking the minds of some of the people outside of the restaurant as well. However, The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings were quite surprised that they were still singing, especially since Adagio, Aria and Sonata were part of their song.

You want to live? Don't hold your breath
This isn't life, it's living death

But never fear, we have our songs
We'll personally right these wrongs...

The figures were more visible when everyone had started sparking up arguments all over the argument. Beyond their hoods, the figures all had locks of black and blue, white and grey, and emerald hair.

Though The Blasters didn't freeze
They couldn't kill the Deities

January, June and May
They died a very different way

Symphonia, big and tall
He was baited by bloodshed's call

And our almighty King Allure
Was killed by species made impure...

The figures then uncloaked themselves, revealing the black and blue haired Lyrican to be a male with a mullet. The other figures were also male, but one of them had emerald cornrows for hair whilst the other one had spiked grey hair. The other shocking feature was that they were all wearing functional Furen pendants, which were already assimilating the anger of the other restaurant patrons there.

You want to live? Don't hold your breath
This isn't life, it's living death

But never fear, we have our songs
We'll personally right these wrongs...

They then reached into their pockets to collect something for them to look at whilst they sang.

These felled fighters, all they had
Was a power that seemed quite bad

KIA, they lie in death
Not one uttering one small breath

They never had the chance to prove
What it was they came here to do

Doomed to die, a helpless cry
Emanating as they touched the sky...

With each different verse of the song, the mysterious Lyricans pulled out groups of Furen and Blissen pendants, all of which had been destroyed either slightly or completely beyond repair. The other things they pulled out besides the pendants, were small pictures of each of the Lyrican Sirens whom those pendants used to belong to, and put them underneath the destroyed crystals that were once used by those same Sirens.

You want to live? don't hold your breath
This isn't life, it's living death

But never fear, we have our songs
We'll personally right these wrongs
We'll personally right these wrongs
We'll personally right these wrooooooooooonngggsss...

As the song ended, all of the negativity that everyone felt for everyone flew up into their Furen pendants, making them glow red before they finished consuming it all...

"Lyricans?" Twilight asked as she watched the three Furens finish up their song and put all of the destroyed pendants and pictures back in their pockets.

"Yes. And judging by the red gems around their necks, they must be Furens who survived the war..." Adagio said, eyeing up the three figures that were once part of her kind.

"Anyways, we should probably go over to meet them..." Sunset said as she got up from her seat and began walking over to the mysterious Furens, who just put their heads back into their hoods, concealing their faces once more.

"Are you sure about that, Sunset?" Aria grabbed onto Sunset's arm, stopping her halfway. "These are Furen Sirens you're dealing with. You've heard their song, they've marked you and they can now absorb the Magic of Friendship just like The Blasters can..."

"Even so, we need to know whether or not they're allied with The Blasters, or are free-roaming Sirens..." Sunset, turning back to Aria to speak to her. She showed a great deal of sympathy for the three Furens as she looked at the three of them leaving checks before rising to their feet. "If they're sided with The Blasters, then we've got even more problems on our hands. But if they're free-willed, then we've got a chance to befriend them and add their efforts to ours, so that we have more of a chance to defeat The Blasters..."

"I agree with Sunset, Dazzlings. We need to know if they're allied with The Blasters or not..." Twilight said as she got to her feet as well and walked over to the hooded Furens. She eventually got in front of the departing Furens and said, "Hi. My name's Twilight Sparkle. We're hoping that you could answer a fe—"

"You're heading to Battletone, right?" the first hooded figure spoke to her, cutting her off mid-sentence with a wave of his hand. "Pretty risky decision, pitting yourself up against two different Lyrican bands..."

"Three, to be precise," Adagio got up and stood next to Twilight, with Sonata and Aria close behind her. "Remember us? I know that the great war has been a rather horrifying experience, but I can personally assure you that there's nothing t—"

"Adagio?" the first figure spoke, suddenly changing his tone as he remembered who she was.

"Requiem?" Adagio herself was quite surprised that the hooded Furen had remembered her.

As the hooded figure with the black and blue mullet removed his hood, both he and Adagio said, "It really IS you!" before they pulled themselves into a rather tight hug.

"You know them?" Rainbow Dash looked quite bewildered as she watched the Furens all reunite after what seemed like forever to them.

"Yeah. Orchy and his friends might be our brothers, but these Furens were our boyfriends back on Lyrica!" Sonata said as she uncloaked the Furen with the emerald cornrows for hair. "Andante! How've you been, my snuggly little love muffin?"

"Just fine, Sonata. The war may have messed my back a little, but it's just a scar now. Nothing too bad or anything..." Andante said as he too pulled Sonata into a rather tight hug. He seemed so happy to have seen Sonata once again, and his hug was proof positive that he would never have to be sombre ever again. "Not that a simple scar would ever stop me from meeting you again, my sweet little Furey cake!"

"So, if that's Andante and Requiem, then I can only imagine that the last one is-"

"Bellicoso. Bellicoso Inferno, at your service, ladies..." the final hooded figure, the one with spiked grey hair said as he revealed his face as well, cutting off Sonata's sentence.

"Bellicoso? My one, true love?" Aria herself looked rather surprised that her boyfriend had also survived the chaos of the Lyrican war. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, Aria. We've made it. We're back together again, just like I promised you..." he said, blowing her a kiss that made her blush in front of the rest of the girls.

Not able to contain her blushing anymore, Aria said, "Oh to hell with it! Honey Buns!" and threw herself right into Bellicoso's arms in a rather gleeful fashion. It had been ages since Aria had felt happy around other people, especially with The Rainbooms travelling alongside her, so seeing her one and only boyfriend again was all the proof she needed to have a sense of euphoria.

"How long has it been, sweetums?" Bellicoso asked as he and Aria pulled into their own little hug as well.

"Far too long, handsome..." Aria giggled as she put her fingers through Bellicoso's hair and began playing with it.

"So, what are you three doing here, Laments?" Adagio asked the group once she was out of the hug.

"We've heard that The Blasters are still alive, and were starting this tournament called Battletone..." Requiem said as everyone walked out of the restaurant to speak with each other out in the open. "Not only that, but since we last saw them, they're wearing both Blissen and Furen pendants..."

"Something's clearly wrong with them..." Andante said as he looked out of a giant glass wall at all of the planes flying by or just landing on the runways. "Blissen Sirens can't learn Furen Arts. It's a direct violation of the tenets of being a Blissen Siren..."

"But ever since Allure perished in the great war, there's been no-one to enforce these tenets, which meant to The Blasters that they could do whatever they want and not care about the negative consequences..." Adagio said as she watched the Laments sitting down on special chairs in a waiting area.

"Exactly. The same thing happened when you three were corrupted with Dark Magic. We didn't engage The three of you when we watched you walking into the Halls of Composia, but we did hear about the fact that you'd been corrupted with Dark Magic..." Bellicoso said, furrowing his spiky hair as he was buried in thought. "When you were roaming Canterlot High School with skins of darkness, you could do all kinds of violable things to the Furen tenets and still get escape punishment. Even when your old pendants were destroyed, you were still unaccountable for your crimes, due to the fact that souls of Dystopia attack infidels through Furen pendants. Since yours were destroyed at the hands of The Rainbooms here, you were saved from rather gruesome executions..."

"However, that still leaves the problem of The Blasters..." Requiem said as he reclined on his chair. "I presume that you three are entering Battletone to fight them as well?"

"Yes, we are..." Adagio said as she remembered all of the sinful things that The Blasters had done to them and The Rainbooms. "Our brothers have turned innocent ponies from Equestria into Furen Sirens, left us to die in a prison, had Hierarxe completely erase Maneorca from this world, the list just goes on and on..."

"They've committed enough sins to be rewarded with death. And they haven't even gotten to the critical aspect of their plan yet..." Twilight said, turning the Laments' attention to her. "They plan on resurrecting the Lyrican Sirens, just to use them to murder billions of humans and ponies, saying that we are unable to follow the Balance of Lyrica and are threats to their way of life..."

"Well, that IS a crime punishable by death. Lyricans have had their time, we see that now..." Bellicoso said as he returned his gaze to the cloudy skies outside, with planes flying through some of them. "That is why we're gathering negative energy ourselves. Not only are we staying true to the Balance of Lyrica, but we're also going to personally end The Blasters' insanities..."

"Provided you can even make it to them..." Adagio said as she put a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder and patted it tenderly.

"Attention, passengers. The Skyburst flight 2J0PL4 to Dubairaffe, the venue for The Blasters' Battletone tournament is now boarding. If you have your tickets for flight 2J0PL4, be sure to show them to a member of staff operating at boarding gate 18 now." a woman's voice said on the airport intercom, getting The Rainbooms, The Dazzlings and The Laments to get up from where they were sitting so that they could board their flight to Dubairaffe.

"Well, that's our flight. Come on, girls. We're moving out." Adagio said once everyone started making their way towards the boarding gate so they could get on their plane.

"We're coming with you, Dazzlings. It has been a while since we've been involved in a musical competition..." Bellicoso said as he and the rest of The Laments followed The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings. "We too have a score to settle with The Blasters after what you've told us..."

"Very well then..." Twilight said as everyone started to form a line behind the staff running the boarding desk. "Oh, and my full title is Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship."

"An honour to meet you, Your Highness..." Requiem said as he, Andante and Bellicoso performed a Lyrican salute for Twilight, making her blush in surprise.

"Still not used to that..." Twilight said through weak chuckles as her blushing began to cease.

Author's Note

Me: Have yoo evew had one of dose days when yoo just can't get da computew ta wowk?

Sonata: Well, there was that one time where Aria mashed all of the buttons on the keyboard when she got a virus on her laptop...

Me: I can bet it wasn't fun in da swightest...

Night Mist: Why'd yoo bwing dat up, bwodew?

Me: Oh, weww, my computews kept tuwning off when I twied witing dis chaptew today...

Autumn Breeze: Why's dat, bwodew?

Me: Weww, due ta someting cawwed Dwivew Powew State Faiwuwe, my Windows 8 keeps tuwning off aftew ten minutes of me tuwning it back on.

Aria: I think it needs to either go back for more fixing, or it should be scrapped altogether...

Me: Yeah, I tink you'we wight on dat note...

The Tournament (Part 2)

Meanwhile, in Dubairaffe...

Allegro and Orchestral stood atop their stage in Dubairaffe, looking down on the majestic city once again. This entire rooftop stage looked like it had been perfectly copied in the exact shape of the one used at CHS, right down to the lighting and the backstage areas. The only difference was that it had barriers around the edges to prevent people from falling off and dying.

"This view is the one thing I hope we can preserve..." Orchestral sighed as he watched all of the people doing their business in the streets below. While it was one of the highest buildings in the city, Orchestral and Allegro could still make out precisely what everyone was doing just from their positions alone.

"While I am in agreement with you on that, we still have our duties, Orchestral. Fortissimo wants to ensure that Battletone goes down flawlessly, so that we can harvest the last scraps of energy before we resurrect the Lyricans..." Allegro said, turning Orchestral towards him.

"Is it really that time already?" Orchestral looked up at the skies above, seeing the most majestic constellations imaginable as he let out another sigh. "And just when we were starting to have fun with these monsters..."

Suddenly, Fortissimo cleared his throat behind the two of them, turning their attention to him almost instantly. "Gentlemen, do you realize what day it is?" he said before taking a sip of the champagne that he was carrying.

"The last day we have to practice before Battletone?" Orchestral asked.

"Well, yes. But I'm mainly referring to this day seventeen years ago..." Fortissimo said as he ruminated on the memories he had. "Ah yes... Seventeen years ago today, our little sisters sang to the student body of a school filled with vermin, kickstarting their tournament and beginning our grand plan..."

"To think that they're still unaware that they were our puppets..." Orchestral let out a rather evil smirk as he too remembered that day. "Do you think we should tell them, just in case they're serious in stopping the resurrection?"

"Preferably not, Orchestral. I want to watch the faith leave their eyes when they realize that they cannot win against us..." Fortissimo said as he envisioned the fight that he would have with The Dazzlings. "Such a fickle thing life is... You attach some strings to someone else's, though, and life becomes much more interesting both for you and them..."

"Not just their lives, Fortissimo. The Rainbooms were also our blissfully unaware slaves back then..." Allegro reminded him. "We had actually hoped that they would have stood up to our little sisters. Now that we know and have their power, it makes it all the easier for them to be erased from the competition, and their pitiful existence..."

"To think that they were once a threat to us. Now they are nothing more than free-thinking infants, just waiting to be put to bed once and for all..." Orchestral said, predicting how little a threat The Rainbooms were to him at that moment.

"Once we're done with them, we shall resurrect the Lyrican Siren species, then save these worlds from themselves. And the only way to save these worlds is to kill everyone who is not Lyrican, then take these lifeless dirtballs for ourselves. Sorry, little sister. You and your friends had your chance, but you blew it..." Fortissimo monologued. "Now then..." he drew his sword, in sync with the other Blasters. "The whole world is going to be watching Battletone. Let's not keep them waiting. It'll be a show that no-one will ever forget!"

As soon as The Blasters pointed the tips of their swords skyward, large streams of Furen and Blissen energy poured out of them and impacted the moon above, turning it sea-blue and blood red. It shone brightly for a brief instance, then unleashed a magnified column of energy down onto the center of the town.

The energy impacted, consuming everything in the town in a red and blue explosion that did no damage to anyone, nor anything that had been caught in the blast radius. However, everyone caught in the blue side of the blast seemed much more peaceful and friendly, whereas those in the red side of the blast were rioting and performing acts of assault on one another.

Shortly after everyone had been affected by the explosion, the rioting and peaceful humans of Dubairaffe expelled blue and red lightning bolts that travelled skyward. The bolts all smashed into each other, opening a colossal rift in the fabric of reality. However, it didn't stop there.

All of the peaceful humans all released a number of Euphoria soldiers, whereas the angry humans expelled Dystopia demons and monsters. Within seconds, the skies were overrun with both Hippocampi and Dragons, while the streets were completely covered with Euphoria and Dystopia ground forces.

Finally, when The Blasters saw the world change around them, they grew their Dragon wings and flew up into the air, consuming massive amounts of red and blue mist that sprung up from the city below. They were harvesting both positive and negative energy, enhancing their powers once more.

"And this time... NOTHING will stand in our way..." Fortissimo looked back for a brief instance, mainly shifting his gaze towards the cellar of the stage. He could hear loud bangs and girlish screams that, while muted, sounded perfectly like that of a tortured Celestia and Luna...

Adagio suddenly felt a sense of dread as she snapped out of the in-flight film she was watching. While she was unsure as to what exactly it was, she knew that Battletone was now an even greater risk to her and The Rainbooms than before.

"Are you alright, Adagio?" Sunset asked, seeing the Lyrican shudder in fear.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, Mum. I'm fine," Adagio said, trying to show some sense of calmness as she looked at Sunset for a brief instance before turning her attention back to what she was doing. "I just got a chill, that's all..." But before she could return to her movie, she could feel Sunset putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I know that feeling, Adagio. You're worried that this could end sourly for all of us..." Sunset said as she once more grabbed the attention of the Lyrican leader of The Dazzlings.

"You must not let stress get the better of you, Adagio. Remember Hades' teachings," Requiem said, also lending his hand and putting it on Adagio's shoulders. "In combat, both musical and physical, Furens become warmongers. They show no mercy for their opposition, even when they promised some restraint."

"However, Lyricans, whether Blissen or Furen, can have their powers dampened and weakened by their own emotions of doubt and fear..." Bellicoso joined in once he'd picked up on the conversation between Adagio, Sunset and Requiem. "You must push your own negative energy down, give it no quarter in your heart, lest you fail as you did when darkness took hold of you..."

"Yeah. Come on, Adagio, ya gotta relax and save your worries for when we actually get to Battletone..." Rainbow Dash said as she leisurely reclined on her chair. "If you start panicking straight away, The Blasters could take full advantage of it and use it against you. So you gotta keep calm, no matter what."

"Everyone has doubts sometimes, Adagio. But as we've all experienced before, doubts can change who we are deep down inside..." Twilight said, getting the entire group's attention. "Sometimes, it can turn a seemingly helpful person, into someone twisted and corrupted by their own uncertainty..."

"By allowing each of us to let small and meaningless details strike us like elongated swords, we eventually broke down and wanted each others' heads on silver platters, coughing up the negative energy that allowed your corrupted selves to acquire power beyond compare. We can't make such a fatal error like that again. We need to show complete confidence and completely trust each other if we're ever going to defeat The Blasters in Battletone!" Rarity said.

"I admire your bravery, Rainbooms, but now you're dealing with two Lyrican bands in this tournament. Three if you make it all the way to The Blasters..." Adagio said as she got to Twilight, Sunset and the rest of the Humane 5 with some words of wisdom. "Lyricans are known for being the ones to beat in musical tournaments like this. Even when corrupted or crippled, Lyrican Sirens still have the power to overpower the opposition, regardless of whether or not they can resist being marked by them. If we don't hypnotise you, then it'll either be The Laments or The Blasters who do it instead. Either way, your free wills could easily be considered forfeit when the Lyrican bands perform..."

"Anyways, we'll be able to do it. We've got the Magic of Friendship protecting us. It helped us avoid falling under The Dazzlings' spell back then, and it'll certainly help us overcome The Blasters now," Sunset said, remembering that they were immune to Lyrican singing thanks to their friendships. "Anyways, we land in Dubairaffe in two hours. From there, we'll get settled into our accomodation, read the rules of Battletone, then battle against everyone else in the tournament. Just as long as the thirteen of us get close to the finals, we'll have the chance of dueling The Blasters and ending this madness of theirs..."

Meanwhile...

"Wakey-wakey, girls!" Fortissimo said as he looked at the Celestia and Luna of Earth. Their hairs were in a right state, and they were covered in bruises and cuts. They looked up at Fortissimo with rather furious glares when he mentioned their lives. "Oh, come, come now. You can't judge the competition looking like that..."

"You can release us now, Fortissimo. You have your Battletone and The Dazzlings. We're of no further value to you!" Luna said as she pulled against the steel shackles that kept her binded to her position.

"Do not talk to me like that, Your Highness. You two are fraudulent beings that hold no place in this world," Fortissimo opened up a dimensional rift with his pendants, throwing a lifeless Princess Celestia and Princess Luna into the cellar to accompany the two shackled humans. "THESE two are the real deal. You two are imitators of PrinCESS Celestia and PrinCESS Luna."

"So why keep us locked up in here if you already have our doppelgangers?! Surely, they're the more valuable prize here!" Celestia argued with Fortissimo, unknowingly spilling negative energy that Fortissimo was consuming.

"Oh, I beg to differ, darling..." Fortissimo grabbed Celestia's chin and cheeks with one hand, whilst also bringing the pony version of her closer and closer to her. "Tell me, have you ever heard of dimensional paradoxes? And how Twilight Sparkle always has to come to this world alone?"

"What are you rambling on about this time, monster?" Luna said through sweat and blood as she watched Fortissimo bring Princess and Principal together.

"I'll show you. Then you'll understand precisely why we need you for Battletone..."

Fortissimo then had both the human and the pony Celestia touch together. The exact second they touched each other, dimensional paradoxes in the shape of lightning leaked out of both bodies. The lightning travelled through the floor below the two imprisoned humans and revealed a rather horrifying sight.

The floor beneath Fortissimo, Celestia and Luna transformed from steel, to glass. Underneath the glass was a massive factory of sorts where Allegro and Orchestral were using both the paradox energy as well as their own to charge up chunks of steel, which then took the form of chrome musical instruments with different settings.

While the instruments looked normal, Allegro and Orchestral fired white bolts of energy with every key they pressed and each string they strummed. Every one of the bolts hit a projected target, shattering it with one shot.

Then, they tested it out on someone else who had been captured. Whilst the human only recoiled in pain from that impact, it was then subjected to Allegro and Orchestral's singing. When the captive heard the song, it grabbed both of its' temples in pain, fell to its' knees and screamed before being enveloped in a pillar of blue and red flames.

Celestia and Luna were completely mortified with what they were seeing. They could only watch in terror as the burning human completely melted away, leaving nothing behind but a skin-coloured puddle of death. There was no trace of bones or flesh remaining as Allegro and Orchestral called in five more humans to clean it up and erase it from existence.

"You see, Principals, we're all mortals. Born to die at some point in our lives. Some of them seem innocent and childish, whilst the others have a sin list as long as their arms and legs combined," Fortissimo said as he threw the bodies of Celestia and Luna over the Principal and Vice-Principal, seeing them scream in agony as the paradox energy expelled turned them into massive balls of tesla that generated endless amounts of paradox energy. "The only question is: When and how will they die?"

"You sick fuck! You'll never get away with this!" Luna said throughout screams of both torture and agonising pain as she expressed her rage for Fortissimo, letting out more and more negative energy as she did so.

"On the contrary, terrorists..." Fortissimo watched as the lightning made from the two Celestias and two Lunas hit all of the other slabs of metal, turning them into weaponized versions of every instrument ever made, so that he'd accounted for every band that was entering Battletone. "WE already have..."

10:36 PM...

"Thank you, Lightning..." Sunset said as she got out of the taxi and walked down the red carpet with hundreds and hundreds of fans cheering her and The Rainbooms on as they strolled towards the tower where Battletone was going to be held.

"So this is what it feels like to be a celebrity in the big city..." Applejack said as she took in all of the praise and posed for the camera on multiple occasions. She waved for all of the patrons that had been cordoned off by a red rope, smiling all the way as she followed the rest of The Rainbooms inside.

Once everyone was inside, they were in one of the grandest foyers ever imagined. There were fountains in the walls, regal banners with Battletone being advertised on them and even a special booth for people to book the VIP treatment for additional money. The walls all seemed to be made of crystal, and the floor was made of a rather elegant black marble.

"My, oh my... This place is truly divine..." Rarity said as she took in the majestic foyer that she'd been introduced to alongside the other Rainbooms, Dazzlings and Laments. "Such exquisite taste, such miraculous architectural culture! The Blasters should make it a crime to be here without wearing formal attire..."

"When in fact, it actually is..." Requiem said as he picked up a copy of the rules handed by someone in a tuxedo and showed it to the rest of The Rainbooms. "It states that rule number 23 of Battletone is that ALL band members MUST wear formal clothing during performances, so that they truly stand out from a regular person who is watching the show. I just pray to Allure that you girls all packed some very formal attire for this tournament..."

"You girls are in luck that I managed to sneak in some of the most elegant clothes imaginable for just such an occasion!" Rarity opened up one of the suitcases, revealing some bright clothes that none of The Rainbooms had even worn before. "I know, they're truly regal aren't they?"

Twilight said, "Well, they do look nice, Rarity, but I'm more focused on getting accomoda-"

"Ladies and gentlemen of the world!" Fortissimo's voice rang out through the entire foyer, grabbing the attention of everyone instantly. "Welcome to Dubairaffe's very own Kurik Stigrela, the home of Battletone!"

The entire crowd unleashed a flurry of cheers and applause as they cheered for The Blasters, who were positioned on a crystalline balcony on the foyer's mezzanine.

"Yes, yes. This is one of the world's most spectacular landmarks, isn't it? With approximately two-hundred and fifty floors, this building is at least a vertical mile in height, and is truly one of the greatest locations to host the greatest band contest in the history of the world!" Fortissimo announced, hearing the crowd cheer once more afterwards.

"But let's not get details mixed up, let's get into the good parts of why you're here," Orchestral said, taking over for Fortissimo. "You've all chosen, out of your free will alone to come down to Dubairaffe and partake in a Battle of the Bands like no other. With the chance to become the most adored people on the planet at stake, and the fifty trillion dollar recording contract up for grabs, what's not to like?"

"Now then, since this tournament is one of the biggest things we've ever done for the people of Earth, I think it's only fair that everyone follows the rules and reads them thoroughly," Allegro said as everyone looked down at the rules that had been given to them. "These rules will be HEAVILY enforced, I remind you, and breaking one of these rules will count in immediate disqualification."

"But, since you all DESPERATELY want this fifty trillion dollar recording contract and a duel with us, I imagine that none of these rules will go broken, correct?" Fortissimo asked as all of the members of the crowd looked up at him again.

The crowd all said "Yes!" in complete unison as they addressed The Blasters without qualm or hesitation.

"Good. In that case, I suppose I should start by telling you that we've all made special rooms for you and your bands in the rooms above, so you can rest your heads and prepare for the next days," Fortissimo said as the elevator doors underneath the balcony all opened up, so that everyone could enter them and travel up to their rooms. "Your room listings will be given out to you, depending on the forms you filed at the beginning. The auditions are tomorrow night at 7:00 PM sharp. Have a good night's sleep, and we'll see you tomorrow!"

The crowd cheered for one last time as The Blasters left the balcony and returned to their business. Once they'd done so, everyone made it towards the elevators so that they could get accommodated in their rooms for the night.

As The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings approached the elevators, they couldn't help but feel somewhat worried about what The Blasters had planned for them. They shared worried glances every now and then, all of them conveying their concerns for whatever heinous plan that Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral had in store for them...

Author's Note

Me: Finawwy... (Rubs sweat off of my forehead)

Celestia: Another chapter done?

Me: Yep! Now my viewews can see mowe of da stowy!

Luna: Sounds truly wonderful, little one. Let me see...

Nighty: Me two!

Autumn Breeze: Me thwee!

Super Stallion: Me fouw!

Mane 6: Us ten! (Giggle)

Adagio: Would you like it if we read it to you all?

All the foals: Yes pwease, Dagi...

Adagio: (Begins reading the chapter out loud)

Me: Hey, Nighty?

Night Mist: Yes, bwodew?

Me: Be suwe not ta fowget Cute Cutie Mawe Cwusadews as weww. I wike dat stowy...

Night Mist: I'ww get ta wowk on it once I finish wid anodew chaptew of MLF:FIP...

Me: (Whispers, so as not to disturb Adagio) yay!

The Show Begins

"Alright, the positions have been set! Let's kickstart Battletone with the first match of the tournament! And it is..." Orchestral pointed at the TV once more when all of the band names had been positioned on the tree. He pointed towards the farthest position on the bottom section of the tree where half of the names were, as opposed to the other half of the names, who were on the top section of the tree. Once Orchestral got the first match up, the screen zoomed in on the two band names. "The Rainbooms VS Blazing Score!"

The crowd roared in euphoria as The Rainbooms and their opponents all climbed up onto the stage to perform.

Once they were up there, The Rainbooms had only had a short time to get used to the feel of their new instruments, especially since they'd be firing bolts of energy when they played them. The hardest one to get a good grip on her instrument was Pinkie Pie, as she was using a specially designed drum kit that was attached to her shoulders, enabling her to move and play.

"Oh... I hope we can still do this..." Fluttershy said nervously as she eyed up the band members from Blazing Score. She could see that their opponents were quite youthful, despite being in a mature state. "This band looks like they mean business..."

"We'll be alright, Fluttershy. Ya gotta remember that we've got friendship on our side. These other bands might look impressive, but we've got an ace up our sleeves." Rainbow Dash said as she looked up the different members of Blazing Score herself.

"Hey, Rainbooms," the lead of Blazing Score walked over to the group, looking quite satisfied with his opponents. "The name's Combustive Temper. It's truly a pleasure to finally duel you." he then shook hands with each of his opponents.

"You mean, you're not going to insult us, or claim that you're the better band?" Rarity asked, unaware as to what pitch Combustive was going for.

"Now why on earth would I do that?" he asked, raising his brows as he caught onto The Rainbooms' memories.

"Well, let's just say that in the last music tournament we were in, all of our opponents wanted our heads on a platter, especially mine..." Rainbow Dash ruminated on that nightmare when The Dazzlings were corrupted. "Everyone hated us so much that even the bands who weren't fighting us wanted to get a good shot at us..."

"My, oh my... That must have been a very rough experience for you all..." Combustive showed all of The Rainbooms some sympathy as he helped them set themselves up. "Rest assured, though, The Blasters have told all of the contestants of Battletone that brutish behaviour and being rude and unfriendly to other bands is strictly against the rules. So now you can play how you want to play, no-one's fighting against that..."

"I just hope so..." Sunset said as she looked at the other bands in Battletone. "The last few times we were on stage, things really didn't start off well for us, especially during the finals of last tournament we were in..."

"Anyways, you can forget about all of that. Now that you're in the safe haven of Battletone, you don't have to worry about any bands behaving badly..." he said, then looked back once he saw his band give him thumbs up. "As I've said before, it's such an honour to battle foes like you. I hope that both you and I have a earth-shaking battle that will kick this off with a bang..." he then walked off to regroup with his band.

"Alright, folks, the bands are in place, but before we see how they battle, we need to know a few things about our competing bands first," Fortissimo said as he stood in the middle of the two bands. "First of all, let's look at The Rainbooms!"

The screen suddenly changed drastically, to show pictures of each member of The Rainbooms. Next to each picture was a special list of important features that people could read if they wanted to know more about them.

Band Name: The Rainbooms
Members: 7 (All Female)
Style of Music: Various

The screen then zoomed in on Rainbow Dash, listing out many of her different traits, strengths and weaknesses.

Name: Rainbom Dash
Position: Lead Singer
Instrument of Choice: Electric Guitar
Age: 34
Likes: Winning, Friendship, Loyalty, Playing rock music
Dislikes: Losing, Villains, Darkness

"Well, at least they stay true to details..." Rainbow Dash said as she looked closely at the screen, showing off all of her traits and features.

Then, the screen changed, showing Rarity's portrait, along with her different facts and figures.

Name: Rarity
Position: Backup Singer
Instrument of Choice: Keytar
Age: 34
Likes: Fashion, VIP Treatments, Costumes, Generosity
Dislikes: Mess, Rain, Unacceptable Behaviour

The screen then changed after everyone had read it, showing the next member of The Rainbooms, along with their unique list of strengths and weaknesses.

Name: Fluttershy
Position: Percussionist
Instrument of Choice: Tambourine
Age: 33
Likes: Animals, Friends, Cute Things, Kindness
Dislikes: Darkness, Scary Things, Bullies

As everyone read up on Fluttershy's fact and figures, the butter yellow girl ended up blushing as she looked at all the information that had appeared on screen.

Name: Applejack
Position: Backup Singer
Instruemtn of Choice: Bass
Age: 35
Likes: Farming, Apples, Honesty, Heroes and Heroines
Dislikes: Thieves, Scammers, Liars

Once more, the screen changed, showing the next Rainboom and their unique features.

Name: Pinkamena Diane "Pinkie" Pie
Position: Drummer
Instrument of Choice: Drums
Age: 34
Likes: Parties, Cake, Laughing, Friends
Dislikes: Waiting, Exclusions, Boredom

"Who do you think's going to be shown next, Twilight?" Sunset asked Twilight as they both looked at each other. "You, or me?"

"It'll probably be you, since you have been more involved in the band after my departure..." Twilight said as the image once more transformed.

Name: Sunset Shimmer
Position: Guitarist
Instrument of Choice: Electric Guitar
Age: 35
Likes: Friends, The Rainbooms, Honest People, Being Accepted
Dislikes: Her Past, Darkness, Evil

"Well, that answers that." Twilight said as the image changed once more, showing her off, as well as her unique features.

Name: Twilight Sparkle
Position: Backup Singer
Instrument of Choice: None
Age: 35
Likes: Magic, Friendship, Science, Discovery
Dislikes: Tardiness, Hopelessness, Evil

"Looks like we have our Rainbooms, Ladies and Gentlemen," Allegro said as the screen then showed a split screen with The Rainbooms on one side, and Blazing Score on the other side. "Now before we get ready for the first battle in Battletone, let's get some facts and figures on the fighters from Blazing Score!"

"Well then, we've got a group who are going to start this show off with a rainBOOM! And a group that are meant to BLAZE the competition!" Orchestral joked, getting the crowd to let out little chuckles of their own.

"Now then, the music for Battletone is all composed by our lovely music team," Fortissimo pointed at the TV, which changed to show the pictures of a band with every instrument in the Human World, but their faces were pixellated for reasons to cover up their real identities. "There they are. Wave hello, musical team!" the group all waved to the rest of the crowd, getting them to cheer once again. "They'll be providing music to the groups in Battletone that are only restricted to using microphones only."

"Alright, with everything out of the way, let's get started with the first fight of Battletone: The Rainbooms VS Blazing Score!" Allegro said with enthusiasm as the lights around the audience dimmed so that the competing bands could get ready.

"Rainbooms, Blazing Score, you have until this instrumental piece of music ends to defeat your opponents," Fortissimo said to both of the bands when they were illuminated by bright spotlights. "If both bands are still standing by the end of the musical score, then it'll go down to our anonymous judges, who will judge their musical skills, lyrics, originality, fashion, and general rhythm."

"Alright then, the bands are set. It's time to end the debate on which of these bands is better," he said as the screen then changed to an empty bar with a time limit underneath said bar. "In Three... Two... One... GO!"

Both The Rainbooms and Blazing Score began playing their instruments in clever and unique ways, all of which fired different bolts of energy at their targets, most of them missing their targets. The determination in their eyes was a sign that they weren't about to be knocked out in the first round.

The bolts were deadly accurate from both groups, and almost made The Rainbooms break a sweat with how many of them that Blazing Score were firing at them, but they still kept their composure and met their fire with fire of their own, striking some of their marks and making them stumble.

Eternity is calling
The humble champions

A new era's rising
Made of the world's songs

Blazing Score sang whilst they fired bolt after bolt of energy at The Rainbooms, making them have to dance rather quickly to avoid being blasted by their fire.

Harmony and the many worlds
Can come together in unity
And when we win Battletone
Then you'll see, just what we mean

The Rainbooms sang back, shooting their own heavy volley of energy fire at Blazing Score. Each one of their shots only got more and more accurate, since they were starting to get a good feel on their weaponized instruments.

Eventually, Blazing Score began to falter and show signs of near-defeat. Seizing this opportunity, Rainbow Dash leapt up and strummed a powerful chord, firing a massive stream of energy at Blazing Score, knocking them to their backs, all except for Combustive.

I must admit, you are quite strong
But it's not over till the last song
Is sung for the crowd of this show
So I think it's time to let you all know

Combustive sang as his band rose to their feet in rapid succession, utilizing their instruments to blast Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy onto their butts

Friendship is the light that takes us through

The Rainbooms and Blazing Score were now locked in a power struggle with their beams of light.

The time's come for us to turn up the heat

Blazing Score sang back to The Rainbooms as they tried pushing the conjoined streams of energy back at their opposition.

So we can see who shall win
In the opening of this act, that we all sing

They both sang together, each one of them trying their hardest to battle against their opponents and come out the victor.

You are quite worthy opponents
But there can only be one winner each time

It's time for the final stand
With this blast we determine the better band!

The blast was so bright that all of the other bands had to cover up their eyes. However, they eagerly awaited for the light to die down so they could see the victors of the first round of Battletone.

When the light had returned to normal, both The Rainbooms and Blazing Score had many of their members down. It was only Twilight and Combustive still standing after all of that. The two of them panted heavily as they dropped their microphones, causing some feedback to occur, but not enough.

"Ooh... It looks like this is going to be a photo finish!" Orchestral said as both Twilight and Combustive lost consciousness and were about to hit the floor together. However, the screen showed Twilight and Combustive's axis, and followed them as they fell forward and backwards.

Eventually, Combustive hit the floor first, with Twilight being a few milliseconds behind him. However, the screen showed that Blazing Score had been knocked out, since Combustive was the first to hit the floor. The both of them then woke up when they heard the crowd cheering in glory.

"And the winners are: The Rainbooms!" Fortissimo announced as he and The Blasters threw their arms in the direction of The Rainbooms, lighting them up and showering them in confetti. "These brave fighters will be moving on to the next round of Battletone and Blazing Score will be getting a consolation prize for putting up a good fight as well."

Twilight got up from her position and walked over to Blazing Score, who were all looking rather worn out after that battle.

"I lost! Aww man! And I was so close to moving on as well..." Combustive said as he banged his fist against the stage in frustration as he ruminated on the fact that he'd been eliminated in the first round of Battletone.

"Hey, don't worry about that," Twilight said as she reached out to help him up from his position. "You put up a great fight out there, Combustive. You and your band should be proud of yourselves."

"Yeah, come on, Combustive. We're still the best band in Boarida, so there's that accomplishment." one of Blazing Score's band members said to Combustive as they helped him wipe the sweat off of his forehead.

"And we've still won something just for participating..." another member of Blazing Score said as well as he patted Combustive on the back.

"Yeah, I mean, we were going up against some of the best of the best from around the world. It was fairly obvious that it wasn't in our favour," Combustive said to his band, then looked at The Rainbooms, "But to get the chance to battle against such worthy opponents, that's what truly makes it all worthwhile for me..."

"Friends?" Sunset asked as she reached out for Combustive as a sign of both good sportsmanship and friendship.

"Yeah, friends," Combustive smiled and returned the favour by shaking hands with Sunset Shimmer and the rest of The Rainbooms. "Good luck in the next round tomorrow, Rainbooms."

"Well, what a start that was!" Orchestral announced as the screen returned to the tournament tree, which then animated itself to show The Rainbooms climbing up said tree into the next bracket. "The Rainbooms really blew the competition away with that performance. But let's not forget that Blazing Score did well as well, so we think it's only fair that they get just as good a reward as The Rainbooms, wouldn't you agree?"

"Blazing Score, for being a part of Battletone, we want to reward you with this luxury island five-star villa!" Fortissimo changed the screen, showing a rather impressive villa on a large island. He waited for the crowd to finish their noises of awe, then he described what was to be found in the villa. "This exclusive home away from home is yours to keep and it comes with a wide variety of features that will excite you, and get you ready to look forward to a brighter future."

"Such an amazing home like this comes with a luxury pool with multiple hot tubs. But that's not all," Allegro said as the screen showed a montage of all of the amazing things that now belonged to Blazing Score, "There's also tennis, badminton and basketball courts, a luxury spa, multiple sports vehicles with a road to drive them on, luxury kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and many, many more! And all of it is yours, courtesy of being a participant of Battletone!"

The crowd cheered when Blazing Score stepped off of the stage with The Rainbooms so that The Blasters could announce the next bands to take to the stage.

"That was incredible, Rainbooms!" Sonata said as she came over to Twilight and the girls. "You really blew their socks off!"

"Thanks, Sonata. I guess even as we age, we've still got the music inside of us..." Sunset smiled as she ruminated on that last battle that she'd had. She felt a great sense of accomplishment from defeating Blazing Score, but that wasn't all that she could feel. She also felt some slight hints of worry, worry what the next band would be capable of.

"Don't get too caught up in glory for too long, Rainbooms," Bellicoso said, reminding them that they were still part of the tournament. "The next round is tomorrow, and either one of these next two bands could easily overpower and defeat you, given the chance..."

"Not to mention that there's the possibility that you'll have to duel us eventually," Adagio reminder them as she got them to turn their attention back to the tree. "We might be on the top half of the tourney tree, but we could still go all the way and meet you in the finals once again."

"And this time, we're pure as gold and can tap into the deepest reaches of our power now," Aria added on, telling The Rainbooms that they were no longer bound by a curse, like they were before. "So, if you and us make it to the final battle, then there's a chance that we might actually beat you this time..."

"Either way, at least it'll be a fun, clean Battle of the Bands this time. No going berserk due to Dark Magic like last time, alright?" Rainbow Dash asked once she reached out to shake Adagio's hand.

"Yeah," Adagio shook hands with Rainbow Dash. "Either way, don't expect me to show any mercy just because we're Sunset's children, okay?"

"We know, we won't be holding back either, Dazzlings. It'll be one heck of a show..." Rainbow Dash smiled in agreement as she set that decision in stone. The next time that The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings duelled, it would be a battle that would shape the history of the worlds forever...

Author's Note

Me: Finawwy. It's done...

Applebloom: Ooh! Is dat a new chaptew fow youw stowy, Shad?

Me: Yeah. Wead away, giwws...

Nighty: So, wat do yoo tink on MLF:FIP?

Me: Weww, yoo stiww nead an editow fow some pawts of youw stowy, but I tink it's genewawwy a good stowy ovewaww. Especiawwy since yoo naiwed me and some odew authouws as weww...

Nighty: Tanks, Shad.

Celestia: Ah, there you are, Shad and Nighty... (Levitates us up)

Lauren: We found the most adorable little outfits that would look great on you...

Luna: We made them ourselves out of cloud fabric, a fabric so soft that it could easily be mistaken for clouds themselves...

Me and Nighty: Weww... Hewe we go again...

The Conspiracy

The Rainbooms found that they had stayed up for quite some time now, and deserved a rest for their vailant battle against Blazing Score. They were half-yawning and half-talking for most of their walk to their allocated room, since the auditions and their battle had been on the same night.

"I think that a good night's work deserves just as good a night's sleep..." Twilight said, almost slipping into a state of slumber as she walked.

"Yeah, ah think we all deserve a rest after what he had ta do up on that stage..." Applejack said as she rubbed her eyes drowsily as they approached their room for Battletone. "Though they are our enemies, it was mighty fine of The Blasters ta give us a room fer this tournament..."

"Uh, shouldn't we be back up there, watching The Dazzlings perform against Quadruple Cyclone?" Rainbow Dash asked, wondering why they were going to bed instead of supporting The Dazzlings. "I mean, they're part of our team as well. It only makes sense that we should help them out..."

"The Dazzlings would win anyway, they're Lyrican Sirens, "Sunset reminded her. "You forgot that Lyrican Sirens are usually unbeatable in musical tournaments like this. The only real challenge they'll have is if they fight The Laments or The Blasters, especially The Blasters..."

"Yes, but Lyrican Sirens only win because they've got the power to manipulate a person's will whenever they mark them with their singing..." Twilight said, throwing on her own amount of reminiscence towards the rest of the group. "The Dazzlings, The Blasters and The Laments are all able to control a person's emotions and make them act according to said emotions. They don't just stroll in and straight up control you completely, as their singing is limited to certain psychological aspects of a human or pony's being."

"Say what?" Applejack said, as she was confused by how Twilight had worded her former statement.

"In easier terms, they're either the trigger for your unrelenting anger and hatred, or they're the key to eternal happiness," Twilight explained further, in ways that her friends would be able to understand. "By balancing these emotions, they safeguarded the Balance of Lyrica for many years, unti-"

"Until your miserable species decided to rebel against us..." Fortissimo said, appearing directly behind the entire group alongside Allegro and Orchestral. They advanced on The Rainbooms, making them take up defensive postures for the battle ahead of them.

"Fortissimo, what do you want now?" Twilight asked in a rather bemused tone of voice as she addressed the leader of The Blasters once more.

"I just came to tell you that being in a musical competition is quite stressful, especially if you keep on winning and winning..." Fortissimo said, stopping his advance. "The more popularity you amass, the more you'll desperately struggle to keep that popularity for yourselves. Your greed continues growing, multiplying like the flames in a forest fire, until your greed consumes you and you slip up in front of everyone, as our poor little sisters found out the hard way back at that pathetic school you once went to..."

"They're quickly starting to put their pasts behind them, Fortissimo!" Sunset said, standing up for the group. "They'll be able to overcome their doubts and put up a fight to the best of their abilities!"

"Yeah!" The Rainbooms all said together, backing Sunset up all the way.

"But what about Miss Dash here? Has she made her choice between her friends or her 'awesomeness' yet?" Fortissimo looked directly at Rainbow Dash, making her recoil in fear when she heard what he'd said. "Has SHE put the past behind her and made her decision?"

"What are you talking about, Fortissimo?" Twilight asked as she looked back at Rainbow Dash, who looked rather guilt-ridden once she'd gotten over her sudden shock.

"Back in Coltimore, we gave Rainbow Dash a Lyrican Choice Crystal right before Obedium attacked," Fortissimo levitated the gem out of Rainbow Dash's pocket, then held it up for all of the group to see. "You see, Rainbow Dash has two things that make up who she really is: Her friends and her attitude. So, we gave her this crystal as a way of saying 'you can only have one of these, so choose carefully!'."

"When Rainbow Dash finally makes up her decision, she will lose the choice she didn't make," Allegro smirked as the girls got a closer look at the images on the Lyrican Choice Crystal. "If she chose to keep her attitude, then she'd automatically lose you all forever. However, if she chose you over her attitude, then she'd immediately lose her personality and become emotionless."

"Why'd you have to bring that up, Fortissimo?" Rainbow Dash looked full of sorrow when the explanation had finished. Her face was in her hands and she could be seen letting out a few tears. "Now I'm stuck with this choice forever!"

"There is a way to escape from your sadness, Miss Dash. Simply make the choice, which do you value more?" Orchestral said, whispering into Rainbow Dash's ears, making her tears slightly less than they were before. "The Choice Crystals of Lyrica are quite good at toying with one's train of thought. They could reduce even the strongest of warriors into blubbering crybabies..."

"And that's just the crystals talking," Fortissimo said as the girls were all vexed by his words and were made frightened when he spoke in a rather menacing tone, "Believe me, we know very well how to injure and hurt someone's hopes and beliefs..."

"And there's more where our words come from, Rainbooms..." Allegro said as The Blasters began circling Twilight and her friends. "The seven of you all have doubts about your friendships deep down inside of you, just waiting for them to be called out by certain secrets and lies..."

"You all broke down and feuded against each other because the tiniest of details got to you, thus sacrificing your forfeit Magic of Friendship to a more worthy cause," Fortissimo said as The Rainbooms all started to show doubts of their own. "In truth, the Magic of Friendship can only be used by groups who are perfectly capable of utilizing it. And after you all denied each other at CHS, you no longer showed any signs of the Magic of Friendship. And now, you wield a fake power that is similar to the Magic of Friendship, but can only be used for death and destruction. Specifically, the murder of our species."

"Say what you will, Rainbooms, but after your insolent little outburst under that cellar, you've been classified as bloodthirsty murderers, who care about nothing more than saving their own hides..." Orchestral said.

"Mur-der-ers! Mur-der-ers! Mur-der-ers! Mur-der-ers!" The Blasters chanted as The Rainbooms all groaned and cried out in psychological agony. Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral got a great sense of enjoyment from watching Twilight and her friends suffer for what they had done in the past.

"No! STOP IT! WE'RE NOT EVIL!" Sunset said in a rather distressed tone as she got down on her knees, put her hands together and begged for The Blasters to stop.

Fortissimo then stopped getting The Blasters to chant so he could accept The Rainbooms' mercy. "Whatever you think is right, you're wrong. And that is a big mistake. But don't let me judge you, don't let Allegro or Orchestral judge you. In fact, you should judge yourselves, and ruminate on how your actions at CHS caused us to kickstart our grand plan!"

"What do you mean by that?" Fluttershy asked as she got up from her foetal position, mildly curious to know what The Blasters were talking about. "We merely saved the worlds from The Dazzlings. How does that count as us being evil?"

"Well, I'd best not keep you waiting any longer. You do want to know why we started this, and I suppose now's the time to tell you," Fortissimo said as he used his hands to create a lightning arch made out of Lyrican Dark Magic, with Allegro and Orchestral doing the same. "You see, WE were the ones who corrupted The Dazzlings in the first place..."

"Why would you go so far as to twist the mind of your own little sister? Do you not care about her anymore?!" Twilight stated, clearly seeing a contradiction in that statement.

"Again, you are wrong. We do care for Adagio, Aria and Sonata's well being, just like the rest of you," Allegro spoke. "However, we were unsure as to whether or not they would be able to avenge their kind when they were resurrected. So, we were resurrected first, and we tampered with The Dazzlings' resurrection by mixing in a potent Dark Magic that would hinder their swordplay, but maximise their voices to a phenomenal extent. And true to our work, they sounded like angels that had fallen out of heaven."

"And that's all we can tell you for now, Rainbooms..." Fortissimo said as he and The Blasters opened up a portal behind them. "If you want to hear the rest of the story, make it to the final round in Battletone. Then, right before you go toe-to-toe with our poor, sweet Dazzlings once more, then we'll tell you the rest..." and then, he disappeared with the other Blasters.

The next morning...

The Rainbooms all awoke in their beds after what they had thought to be a rather rough night's sleep. The bags in their eyes and their messy hair was a sign that The Blasters had left them with something to dwell on after that rather overwhelming encounter they had had last night.

However, it didn't take them long to freshen up and pick up their instruments so that they could practice for Round 2 of Battletone. Once they'd all brushed their teeth, showered and bathed and gotten dressed, they saw a note slip through from underneath the crack in the door.

Sunset and Twilight picked up the note first and read it in their heads. Then, they showed the message to the rest of The Rainbooms, so that they knew exactly what was on the message.

Congratulations, Rainbooms! You've made it through Round 1 of Battletone!

But don't dwell on victory for too long, you still have a long way to go before you make it to the finals. This note is just to tell you which band you'll be facing, in case you went to sleep before they won their match.

Tonight, at 7:00 PM, your band shall square off against Tiger's Tango when Battletone resumes.

Take the time you have between then to get something to eat, take in the sights of Dubairaffe, practice with your instruments, or do a number of various other things. You need all of the R&R after what you all went through last night.

Enjoy your day!

"Let's get something to eat, girls. We need all the strength we can get before we continue Battletone," Twilight said as she opened up the door to a curved corridor. "I hear they've got extra sugary pancakes today..."

"Pancakes?! OUT OF THE WAY!" Pinkie Pie shot out of the room within seconds, leaving behind a slight pink trail as she did so.

"Ya tell Pinkie Pie about pancakes and she's off in a flash..." Applejack smiled as she picked up her chrome bass and followed Pinkie Pie towards the elevator so she could get some breakfast as well. "Well, ah'll see ya'll down at the breakfast buffet."

"Yeah, let's get moving," Rainbow Dash said as she got up off of the bed and stretched her arms before she began walking. "Some breakfast sure would get my mind off of what happened last night..."

Everyone else walked out of the room before Sunset and Twilight.

Twilight was about to leave the room herself, but was stopped by Sunset grabbing onto her hand. "What is it, Sunset?"

"Twilight... Do you think that The Blasters were right?" Sunset asked as she showed some great concern for what she and the group was doing in Battleone. "Did our victory in the Battle of the Bands really start this horror?"

"I'm not sure. But either way, we'll learn the truth as long as we keep fighting..." Twilight thought about what The Blasters had told her as well, she needed to keep on playing in Battletone if she stood any chance of knowing the truth behind The Dazzlings' corruption. "The only way we'll know is if we win..."

"What about The Dazzlings? Do you think they'll cope well with the news?" Sunset asked, feeling concerned for Adagio, Aria and Sonata now. "When they find out that The Blasters were the ones that corrupted them, who knows what they'll do? They could straight up impale The Blasters in front of millions of viewers, then Lyricans would once again be seen as a danger to the other species. And while that does seem like the easiest way to finish this madness, it just wouldn't be an ethical way to end it..."

"They have to know the truth when The Blasters are defeated in Battletone," Twilight got her mental plan already thought out. "When The Blasters lose in the Title Match, they'll retreat to Lyrica to prepare for the resurrection. Then, The Dazzlings should know the truth about who corrupted them and made them commit their wrongdoings..."

"Either way, we can't let it take over our minds right now," Sunset said, getting up from the bed and walking down the corridor with Twilight next to her. "Battletone is the more immediate matter we have to deal with. Once it's finished, there's no holding back. We'll give The Blasters the ultimate run for their money, then end their madness once and for all!"

"You're right, Sunset. Just like old times. Wait until the final battle, then expose them for what they really are," Twilight smiled as she wrapped her arm around Sunset's shoulders. "You know, you'd make a rather great Alicorn Princess yourself someday..."

"You really mean it?" Sunset asked, seeing Twilight's shift in mood almost instantly.

"I know it, Sunset. You've shown great amounts of courage, heroism, acceptance, change, redemption and purity. All of those alone could earn you the title of an Alicorn Princess, provided you return to Equestria someday..."

"I appreciate the offer, Twilight. But I think I'd rather stay here," Sunset said, humbly declining Twilight's offer. "While being an Alicorn Princess does sound rather interesting, I think that I've earned my place more in this world than I have back in Equestria. Though that doesn't mean I wouldn't mind going back for a visit someday..."

"Yes, I'd like to see how much Equestria's changed myself," Adagio said as The Dazzlings all caught up with Sunset and Twilight. "The last time I was in Equestria, it was on matters of business. I for one would love to see how much you've all changed since the fateful day when Starswirl threw us into the Human World..."

"Oh, hi, Adagio," Twilight said as the group all got into an elevator together and pushed the button that would take them to the ground floor. "Sorry I couldn't have watched your battle last night, we'd all been rather exhausted after that battle with Blazing Score..."

"I know, it was fairly obvious when you and Combustive both collapsed on stage last night..." Aria said as the doors closed so that the lift could move. It was surprisingly fast for her tastes, since she and the other girls had been sleeping a hundred floors from the ground. "You all needed a rest, and that's totally fine by us."

"So, out of curiosity, how did that battle of yours go last night?" Sunset asked as the lift approached the bottom floor. "The one with Quadruple Cyclone, right?"

"I'll tell you one thing, girls. It's really hard to aim those bolts with just a mic," Sonata said as the door finally opened once more, so that The Dazzlings, Twilight and Sunset could all walk out of it. "Most of the time, we ended up almost shooting ourselves with them. Then it struck us mid-song, we had to point the bottom of the mic at our enemies, so that the bolts would actually hit their marks."

"It's hard to sing and aim at the same time, girls, let me tell you that now..." Adagio said as the group finally made their way towards the buffet, where all of the bands were grabbing some breakfast for the day ahead of them.

"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it, eventually..." Twilight said as the group all got some trays so they could carry their entire breakfasts with them.

"So, who are you facing today, Twilight?" Sonata asked once she'd picked up some cereal in a bowl and put it on the tray.

"We're facing Tiger's Tango tonight," Twilight said as she picked up some orange juice in a glass. "What about you, Dazzlings?"

"Well, we're going up against the Jade Blades tonight, a group heavily oriented on electric guitars and keytars. In fact, there's only one non-guitarist on their group, and that one plays the role of the drummer," Aria said, showing the note that had come through their door. "The drummer's responsible for all of the rhythm in that group, so that the Jade Blades can focus on shredding out some damn catchy tunes..."

"Have you got a song prepared for when you make it to The Blasters?" Sunset asked once she'd picked up some hash browns and bacon.

"Well, the only one that comes to our mind is a song that's called It's Been So Long, but it's still in the rehearsal phase," Adagio said as she and the rest of the girls regrouped with The Rainbooms on a rather large table. "We're still trying to figure out the best lyrics to use, but it should be ready for the Title Match..."

"Yeah... the Title Match..." some doubt wormed its' way into Sunset's heart once more. Even if The Dazzlings did in fact make it to the Title Match, then there would be the possibility that not even they would be able to out-sing The Blasters. Whilst she kept on dwelling on that scenario, she set her breakfast down and sat down so she could eat it...

Author's Note

Me: (Sighs) I tink dis deadwine's getting ta me...

Nighty: Wat do yoo mean by dat, bwodew?

Me: I set mysewf a deadwine fow my stowy. I'm gonna twy and finish it befowe Season 5 begins which isn't wong now...

Peanut: You'ww be abwe ta do it, Nighty.

Nighty: Yeah. You'we a bwiwwiant witew, Shad. Of couwse you'ww be abwe ta do it.

Me: Tanks, Nighty. (Pats his back)

Luna: Well, there they are, the little scamps... (Levitates me, Nighty and Peanut up in her aura) You know, we've got a new bouncy castle set up for you all and I'd hate it if you missed out...

Sonata: Yeah, I mean the other foals are over there right now, having the time of their lives, and you're just sitting here?

Peanut: I didn't even know we had a bouncy castwe.

Luna: Well, now you do, and you can play on it whenever you feel like it, provided you let us help you onto it... (Carries us off)

A Familiar Face, Warped By Greed

Author's Note

I did mean to get this latest chapter out sooner, but I was admitted into hospital three days ago, and didn't really have time to do a whole lot of writing. Let me tell you, it was quite an experience.

I rode in an ambulance, switched between three different medical wards, had a cannula in my hand for god knows how long, had a number of blood samples taken to ensure my well-being, you know.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, it turns out that I had an Acutely Inflamed Appendix when I came out of it all. Believe me, it was nightmarish for me to cope with. But now, I'm finally home after spending three nights in MK Hospital, so I can finally get back to fanfic writing. I hope you all enjoy this chapter of A Siren's Fight, and I once more apologize for all of the delays.

A Familiar Face, Warped By Greed

Two Days Later...

"The winners of this round, are Topaz's Thrashers!" Fortissimo said as he and The Blasters threw their arms out in the direction of Topaz and his band. "Though Flash Drive was a rather feisty band, that still didn't stop Topaz and his team from seizing victory."

Topaz smiled as he relished in the satisfying noise of thunderous cheers from the crowd. He waved to his audience for some brief periods of them, then watched as the leader of Flash Drive smashed his fist against the stage as he lied on his back in defeat.

"Dammit!" Flash said as he banged his fist into the stadium once more. "I lost again!"

"Ah, cheer up, Flash. You put up a very good fight up here," Topaz said as he kneeled down and shook Flash's hand as a sign of good sportsmanship. "Maybe with some practice, you could one day be even better than us..."

"I mean, come on, Flash. You were pretty much up against the entire world for the past few days," one of Flash's bandmates cave over and supported him. "It was pretty obvious that we'd eventually have to take the fall..."

"And let's not forget that no band leaves Battletone empty handed, Flash Sentry," Fortissimo said as he helped Flash get up onto his feet. "Not only have you won a villa like everyone else who lost, but you've got you and your band a private jet for making it this far!"

"I think the two of them fought quite well," Adagio said to Requiem as the crowd cheered once more. "Especially Flash. He's quite the little musical scrapper in stuff like this. Maybe that's because some of our darker sides rubbed off on him, I can't be sure..."

"While he did fight very valiantly, I'm more impressed by this Topaz fellow over there," Andante said as he watched Topaz and his band relish in their victory over Flash Drive. "He's quite good at chaining lyrics and power chords together. Maybe someday, we can give him a taste of being a Lyrican Siren..."

"I wish that were the case, but it'd be going against the tenets of both Furen and Blissen Sirens," Adagio reminded him. "We don't have the power to change another being into something other than what they truly are. And even if we did, then we wouldn't be authorized to use it unless we get permission from King Allure himself..."

"That reminds me of what The Blasters did a few years ago..." Sonata ruminated on when Twilight's Equestria friends were made into insidious Lyrican Sirens themselves. "Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral ambushed Twilight and her pony friends when they discovered Lyrica..."

"Oh my..." Bellicoso looked rather shocked upon hearing that news. The more he and The Laments learned of The Blasters' wrongdoings, the more they wanted to get a shot at taking him out for good. "What exactly did The Blasters do to them?"

"Well, Twilight said that she and her friends went into a titanic struggle against The Blasters whilst we were still children. The fight went well for them, until The Blasters summoned a Chimera by combining their powers..." Sonata hung her head, remembering what Twilight had been telling her. "When that Chimera broke out, Twilight's pony friends all went berserk and started feuding against each other without any remorse or fear. The Blasters absorbed the negative energy, then spared Twilight from a rather gruesome fate..."

"They must have sang a really powerful song to meddle with The Rainbooms' DNA..." Aria thought as she could envision the fight between the Mane 6 and The Blasters on Lyrica. She thought of every complex sword swing, finishing the mental battle with The Blasters singing a rather complex and powerful song to turn them into Lyrican Sirens.

"Either way, Topaz is our next opponent..." Adagio said as she watched Topaz walking down to meet The Dazzlings. "Oh, look. Here he comes now..."

"Tell me you saw that battle, girls..." Topaz said, feeling rather self-absorbed in his victory as he greeted The Dazzlings after all those years they'd spent apart.

"How could I not, Topaz? You and your band were very impressive up there," Adagio said as she patted Topaz on the back to congratulate him. "Though I have to give credit to Flash and his band as well. It could have gone right down to the judges with how long you were all up there for..."

"Yeah, it could have been like that, if it hadn't had been for Skyla's wonderful Ecstasy Blast solo," Topaz shook the hand of one of his bandmates. "I tell ya what, this girl is an absolute pleasure to have with me in Battletone. Isn't that right, Skyla?"

Skyla giggled. "Yeah. It's truly been wonderful playing with you up there, Chancellor Topaz..."

"Chancellor?" Requiem asked as he looked at Adagio.

"When we were growing up again, he inducted us into a children's group known as the 'Kids of Shadows'," Adagio explained as she reminisced on her childhood under Sunset's care. "We mainly did spy games and made little pranks on a rival group called the Stardust Smilers. It was all good fun for us, and it made us laugh lots of times."

"I guess Skyla's still a Kid of Shadows at heart..." Sonata sighed in bliss as she looked at how happy Skyla and the rest of Topaz's band were. Most of them were giggling like children as Topaz led them back to a good position in the audience, ready for them to bear witness to the next battle in Battletone.

"Our next match-up is The Dazzlings VS Leo's Angels From Hell!" Fortissimo announced as a picture of The Dazzlings could be seen on one side of the stage's TV, with an image of Leo's Angels From Hell on the other side of it.

Sparing no time, both The Dazzlings and Leo's Angels From Hell got up onto the stage so that they could have their battle. They relished in hearing the crowd cheer them on as they arose to the stage, then prepared their instruments and microphones for the next round.

When all of the preparations were set, the stage dimmed and illuminated both The Dazzlings and Leo's Angels From Hell in spotlights.

"You know how this works, so let's get you all started," Fortissimo said as the bar and time re-appeared. "In three... Two... One... GO!"

Leo's Angels From Hell was first on the ball, stringing wave after wave of shots at The Dazzlings, making them immediately get athletic and leap over the shots with such precision and grace that the crowd had their mouths left agape with how well they were moving.

Adagio, Aria and Sonata quickly saw that their opponents would not let up in the musical department, so they prepared their mics and got ready to counterattack with their powerful voices.

I've come here from nowhere
Across the unforgiving sea
Drifting further and further
It's all becoming clear to me

But violent winds are upon us
And I can't sleep
Internal temperature's rising
And all the voices won't recede

The Dazzlings' singing was quite powerful, and they already had the crowd on their side. However, it wasn't just their singing that had turned the tables, it was also a mixture of their well-timed rhythm and beguiling dance moves that had the audience's attention.

As they continued singing, they instantly gained extended hair and their trademark wings, a sign that their power was increasing. However, that didn't stop them from evading Leo's Angels From Hell's musical skills.

I finally found what I was looking for
A place where I can be without remorse

Because I am a stranger who has found an even stranger war
I finally found what I was looking for

Within seconds, both The Dazzlings and Leo's Angels From Hell had projected powerful projections to strike down their opposition. Whilst The Dazzlings had their Hippocampi with them, Leo's Angels From Hell had conjured up a wide variety of demons and hellspawn that were now locking horns with that of The Dazzlings' beasts.

Here I come! (Come!) (Come!) (Come!) (Come!)

The beasts constantly smashed against each other, both sides determined to end the other side and proceed in Battletone. Both the hellish creations and the Hippocampi showed much fury as they collided with each other. Each one of the projections let out howls of pain with each strike they received, but they still kept on sruggling to fight, determined to move on to the next round of The Blasters' tournament.

Co-co-come Here I come!

The Dazzlings were starting to get the upper hand, making Leo's Angels From Hell kneel down in pain as they began to submit to The Dazzlings' beguiling songs. They were still playing, but it seemed like they'd been brainwashed into aiding The Dazzlings in completing their song and wowing the crowd with their perfect lyrics.

Eventually, the hellish creatures vanished, leaving nothing but the Hippocampi remaining to sing for the crowd and make them support The Dazzlings in every way possible.

I-I-I-I-I, I sharpen the knife
And look down upon the bay

For all of my life
A Stranger I Remain

A Stranger I Remain

A Stranger I Remain!

The Dazzlings had complete control of their opposition and the crowd, it was as if they were in complete control of the entire show. With everyone awestruck with their performance, gales of red mist rose up from the bodies of their audience before it flew into their red pendants at otherworldly speeds.

Whilst the pendants shone brightly, the Hippocampi finished their job by flying skyward, then spiraling down straight on top of Leo's Angels From Hell, knocking them all onto their backs and leaving their instruments in shambles. The song died down shortly after that, and the Hippocampi had vanished from sight.

The dust had cleared, revealing the fact that The Dazzlings were still standing. However, their hair had returned to normal, and their wings had vanished from sight. They lowered their microphones and bowed, getting the audience to snap out of their trance and cheer for their victory.

"Well, that was a truly... exhilarating battle right there..." Fortissimo said as he and The Blasters returned to the stage and noticed that The Dazzlings were still standing. He then regained his composure and said, "But the winners are The Dazzlings!"

The crowd roared with thunderous applause and cheers, all of them directed towards Adagio, Aria and Sonata. Their euphoria made them so glad that The Dazzlings had won over Leo's Angels From Hell.

"And let's not forget the brave runners-up in this match; Leo's Angels From Hell!" Orchestral waved his hand towards the collapsed band that looked like they'd undergone a psychedelic trip. "They'll be taking their own luxury villas as well, including a group of butlers and masseuses to help relieve them of any and all stresses that Battletone will have caused them!"

Whilst the two bands were helped off of the stage by the friendly audience, The Laments all began to sneak backstage to interrogate The Blasters. Their serious looks were a sign that they had a lot of stern words to deliver to Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral.

Eventually, after minutes of waiting, they watched as Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral came backstage so that they could rest themselves and recuperate for the next round of Battletone. Once they watched The Blasters sit down on their special chairs, Requiem, Andante and Bellicoso confronted them.

"Fortissimo Blast..." Requiem said, showing his face to Fortissimo after years of hiding. "How long has it been since you watched your sisters die?"

"Who the hell are you?" Fortissimo demanded when he looked at Requiem's face. "I demand you tell me your full name, Requiem!"

"My name is Requiem Necro, Furen Major, Leader of The Laments of Lyrica. We survived the war that destroyed our world, but we went into hiding so that we could observe the surviving groups," Requiem said as the rest of The Laments revealed their true faces. "But so far, we could only watch as the remaining Lyricans were snuffed out, leaving you and The Dazzlings left."

"Well, I'm glad that you all managed to survive the wars, but I have a quick question to pose to you all..." Fortissimo said as his expressions of calmness returned once he rose to his feet once again. "Which side are you three on? Do you side with the true Lyricans? Or do you ally yourselves with infidels that believe that the species should remain dead?"

"The true Lyricans? Or the infidels? That is what you three must discover for yourselves, Blasters..." Andante said as The Laments all closed in on Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral. "Adagio, Aria and Sonata have already told us of all of your crimes. If Allure was still alive today, he would have authorized a Lyrican Manhunt, and would instantly classify the three of you as high value targets to be terminated on sight..."

"The Dazzlings speak nothing but lies, Laments! They want to ensure that our lives remain a misery!" Allegro's tone of voice grew rather angry. "They believe that these pathetic mortals are innocent, when in truth, they are responsible for Lyrican genocide! If The Dazzlings have already gotten to you, then you are siding with the species that wants your heads on platters when they discover the truth..."

"We will restore peace, Laments. We will have the Lyrican species revived," Fortissimo's expression became rather evil as Allegro and Orchestral flanked him. "And anything that stands in the way of peace, be it human, pony, or Lyrican, must be eliminated..."

"I had prayed it not true, Blasters, but you have gone completely insane," Bellicoso said, looking rather disappointed with The Blasters and their vision of peace and prosperity. "Your visions of peace, they are nothing more than the twisted illusions of joyless warmongers, who care about nothing but their own kin, not the kins that help them in times of need..."

"We made these species safe. We protected them with our Lyrican powers. But did they value our protection?" Fortissimo asked as he strafed around The Laments and got up in Requiem's face. "No. They whined and cried like infants, saying that we were the monsters that threatened their peace. And in doing so, they rebelled against us, and showed us that they can monger nothing but warfare and calamity."

"And if these monsters prefer warfare and calamity, then we'll give it to them," Fortissimo backed away and conjured up Lyrican Magic in the palms of his hands. "Equestria and Earth, we'll raze their miserable species right out of existence, set an example. And then, we'll bring the Lyrican species back, and ensure an eternal reign of happiness and prosperity."

"You are insane, Blasters. And what you just said has just sealed your fate," Requiem said as he turned away from The Blasters and began walking away with Andante and Bellicoso in tow, "When we inform The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms about your vile plans, they'll blow the three of you into next millenium!" However, just as he was about to escape, he was cornered by five girls who looked like The Rainbooms, but were garbed in armour.

"Under Master Fortissimo's word, you won't be telling anyone anything..." the five girls drones in unison as their eyes flashed a sinister shade of green. They held their arms out and began closing in on The Laments, making them back up in fear.

"You see, Laments? I told you, we WILL save our kind," Fortissimo clicked his fingers, revealing tesla wires poke out of the backs of the five mind-controlled girls and lead straight into The Blasters' hands. "Even if we have to resort to Lyrican Dark Magic to do so..."

"Blasters! This is unacceptable!" Bellicoso raised his voice as he looked back at Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral with a rather furious look on his face. "Just like Cataclysm, The Exiled One, you three have turned pure evil!"

"Evil? I don't know what you're talking about, Laments..." Orchestral said as the mind-controlled girls grabbed onto The Laments and held them down against their wills. "We simply used this Dark Magic to bring The Dazzlings back, but in our own image..."

"What are you talki-"

"Add a sprinkle of Voice-Amping Dark Magic to three returning Lyrican warriors, nullify their swordsmanship to improve the potency of the Dark Magic, put it all in a blender, hit frappe, and you have The Dazzlings that kickstarted CHS's Battle of the Bands seventeen years ago!" Orchestral explained, chuckling in a very malicious tone as The Laments looked up at him and The Blasters with looks of disdain.

"I know that this is evil, Laments, but you have to understand..." Fortissimo spoke as he, Allegro and Orchestral fired massive streams of Dark Magic at The Laments, striking their eyes and turning them a shade of green when they screamed out in agony. "We're doing this to save you from yourselves..."

When the spreading of Dark Magic stopped, Fortissimo clicked his fingers once more, making the mind-controlled girls release The Laments and make them stand back up slowly. He watched as The Laments uttered no words and merely stared at him and The Blasters obediently, ready to follow on his every word.

"Now then, you will return to Battletone with no memory that you are corrupted by Dark Magic. But you will do everything you can to stop The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings from interfering with our grand plan when we instruct you to," Fortissimo said to The Laments. "Are we clear on this?"

"We are, Master Fortissimo..." The Laments all droned themselves as their eyes glowed green whilst they performed the Lyrican salute. The other thing was that they too had tesla wires poking out of their backs and disappearing into The Blasters' hands. These wires quickly disappeared when The Laments were removed from backstage so they could return to the crowd.

"You may go now, girls." Allegro said, instructing the mind-controlled girls to leave The Blasters as well.

"Now then, Dazzlings..." Fortissimo put his hands together and smiled deviously once the pieces of his plan were all falling into place. "You talk about people falling under your spell. But the truth is, you didn't know that you fell..."

The Ultimate Amplifier

The Next Night...

"Wow, let me tell you something, everyone. These Rainbooms really are determined to make it to the Title Match!" Fortissimo said as he announced The Rainbooms being the winners of their latest round. "They've fought off against five other bands and won every single match!"

"But let's not forget that they've still got two more battles ahead of them," Allegro said once the crowd's cheers had once more subsided. "The last match-up in their section of the tournament tree against the Cubic Zirconquerors, and then the final duel between either The Dazzlings or The Laments the day after that!"

"And though Battletone might be wearing down to a close, don't forget that we've got a consolation party for all of the bands that were eliminated throughout the ordeal," Orchestral said, putting smiles on the faces of all of the bands that had already lost, including the one that had just lost to The Rainbooms.

"So for now, we advise all of the defeated bands to just eat, drink, and be merry so that they're not too disappointed so they can't enjoy the intense final battles that are about to take place," Fortissimo said, helping the defeated band off of the stage. "So, before we allow you all to sleep for the night, let's see the final four bands who made it this far!"

The Rainbooms, Cubic Zirconquerors, The Dazzlings and The Laments all took to the stage and waved for the crowds of people watching them. They all relished in the glory of their victories and progression in Battletone, then all looked at each of the remaining groups they would be battling the next day.

"Join us tomorrow, when Battletone enters the semi-finals, and we whittle these four valiant bands down into only two," Fortissimo spoke to the cameras that were pointed towards him. "Starting with The Rainbooms VS Cubic Zirconquerors, then The Dazzlings duking it out against The Laments. Don't miss it!"

"And we're clear!" one of the camera staff said, waving a sign of approval to The Blasters, getting them to break from their broadcasting fantasy and return to reality. "Good show tonight, Blasters. The views are gonna be through the roof."

"What can I say? We aim to please, after all..." Fortissimo smirked as he and the rest of The Blasters departed from the stage so that they could rest up for the upcoming battles.

When all of the bands had returned to their quarters for the night, the last ones to leave the area were The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms. They just made it inside and were now walking towards the elevator to make it to their own respective rooms. However, what they noticed before they arrived at the elevator was that three figures were hacking an electrical lock on a door that was previously invisible.

"Hey, that wasn't there before!" Rainbow Dash said, looking at the door with the electrical lock. Then she turned back to the girls and whispered, "And it looks like The Snapshots are trying to hack into it..."

"I thought they wouldn't be involved in our business anymore..." Adagio pondered as she correctly identified Photo Finish, Pixel Pizazz and Violet Blur, who were all about to break the final encryption on the door's lock and gain entry.

"Maybe something came up at the last minute..." Twilight said, looking at how determined The Snapshots were in trying to hack the door's lock and gain entry to the new and undiscovered area.

"What should we do, girls?" Rarity asked as they watched the door's lock deactivate and grant The Snapshots an entrance to the room that awaited beyond the door and its' lock.

"Though I think it'd be nice to get to bed and just forget this matter, I have a feeling that any of The Blasters' secrets could be crucial in their downfall..." Sunset said, watching The Snapshots hastily dash into the now opened door. "Let's follow them, but not directly interact with them. We don't want to startle them and mess up their business..."

"Are you sure about that, Sunset?" Fluttershy asked as the door was about to close. "We don't want anymore surprises before the final battle with Diamond, Silver and the rest of the Cubic Zirconquerors..."

"Even so, we can't pass up this chance! This could give us some insight on The Blasters' true motives..." Sunset said, dashing towards the door to hold it open for the rest of the girls. She was about to use her free hand to draw the rest of the girls towards her, before something shone in the corner of her eye, getting her to turn her attention to the room inside. "Uhh... Girls? You might want to take a good look at this..."

"What is it, Sunset?" Twilight asked, moving closer and closer to the now opened door. She was unaware on what had Sunset completely surprised, but she was now interested in seeing just what it was.

All of the girls got a good look at the room ahead of them, and almost instantly, all of their jaws dropped in both awe and horror.

"Sweet mother of..." Adagio said as she finally got a good view of the room that The Snapshots had infiltrated.

The room itself was made entirely out of chrome, just like the instruments and microphones that the bands used in Battletone. However, there were dozens and dozens of machines, all of them attached to one massive antenna-like device with what looked like a massive pillar finishing with a large crosshair. The other features of the large machine were a number of speakers and volume devices that had all been turned up to the loudest volumes applicable and that they all seemed to be controlled by another set of machines that were pumping out red and blue streams through fat tubes.

"Not since Cataclysm, The Exiled One have I seen such a monstrous weapon for the subjugation of an entire species..." Adagio said, lost for words as she gazed at the frightening machine that The Blasters had been working on in secrecy.

"What is this thing?" Twilight asked as her gaze never averted from the giant machine being powered by additional machines. "And why exactly is it underneath the roof of this building?"

"The Blasters must be saving this device for when they play in the Title Match," Aria said, examining the colossal piece of machinery in front of her. "It seems like some oversized musical amplifier, but it's being charged by Furen and Blissen energy..."

"What do ya think it is, Adagio?" Applejack asked as she turned towards Adagio in need of answers

"I think it's some kind of weapon of sorts, one with enough Furen and Blissen energy to rip open the fabric of reality and strike all the worlds in the trinity with one deafening burst of volume..." Adagio envisioned, already seeing how The Blasters would intend to use it to their advantages. "When they play in the Title Match, The Blasters will immediately activate this device before they sing, amplifying their voices to the loudest volumes imaginable, so that they can reach the ears of every human and pony across the entirety of the three worlds..."

"The Blasters intend on deafening the worlds with their song, putting everyone under their spell and making them their banquet of raw power..." Sonata said, finally grasping onto the train of thought that The Rainbooms, Aria and Adagio had. "But if they strike all of the worlds then... Sweet Allure..."

"What? What is it, Sonata?" Adagio asked, already seeing Sonata's expression shift from intrigue to fear.

"If The Blasters succeed with pulling this off, then all of the energy they amass will make them strong enough to re-shape all of existence to their desires. And that's already adding on to the godlike power they already harvested..." Sonata explained. "They'll become stronger than gods themselves, and will just be able to look at something to take its' power..."

"Then we should destroy this thing?" Rainbow Dash asked, smashing her hands together for emphasis as she glared at the giant amplifier with a burning passion to destroy it. "We don't want another Lyrican incident to get out of hand now, do we?"

"Try to destroy it all you want, Rainbooms, but this thing's made out of the hardest of all materials," Pixel said, immediately landing in front of the entire group to address them with a massive amount of severity in her words. "Not even with the most volatile of C4 explosives will you be able to light this thing sky high..."

"Whilst we're no longer involved with Lyrican affairs, this is one story that we just could not pass up: The Battletone Blatancy! In which The Blasters are exposed for the frauds that they truly are!" Violet said, taking a quick picture of the machine with her Journalizer and beginning a news article with it. "Just consider it a little gift from us to you, Rainbooms."

"So, what exactly is zis zing, Dazzlings?" Photo Finish asked as she looked at the complexity of the massive machine that took up most of the room.

"It's some kind of amplifier of sorts, one that The Blasters are gonna use during the Title Match..." Adagio began explaining to the group. "When The Blasters perform, their voices are going to be amplified to a deafening measure, striking the ears of every human and pony across all of Earth and Equestria. Then, they'll harvest power beyond compare, enabling them to reach unstoppable levels of power. And considering that they're already tough to begin with, they'll be using this to amplify their powers to a level where not even we will be able to reach them..."

"It's basically a little insurance for them if their voices aren't powerful enough to overcome ours, even if we only acquired our new pendants three years ago..." Aria said, feeling the cold steel vibrate as it charged up with Furen and Blissen energy. "The Blasters did keep saying that they go big or go home back when we were carefree Lyricans..."

"Either way, this thing can't be destroyed by any normal means, and only The Blasters can deactivate it," Pixel said as she examined the additional machines that accompanied the massive amplifier.

"And why's that?" Twilight asked as she came close to The Snapshots.

"Because The Blasters coded this device with a deadlock seal that only they can control. No other machine on the planet is able to hack this thing..." Violet said, showing the screen of her Journalizer. It was flashing red with a chained skull, and bold text that read "Access Denied" was found underneath it.

"Well, let's at least find out some more details on this thing whilst we're here..." Pixel said, flicking away the chained skull image on her Journalizer, taking her back to a menu where she could look at all of the rest of the details on the giant machine. "We'll let you know if anything else comes up, girls..."

"Hmm..." Adagio and the rest of the group turned towards each other and got back their own privacy once more. "If The Blasters are gathering all of this energy, it might be enough to not only awaken the Lyrican Sirens, but also free Cataclysm from his confinement at the same time..."

"But why would they want to release Cataclysm as well? They hated his guts when he tried stamping out the Lyrican species..." Sonata said, making Adagio and Aria nod, but leave The Rainbooms left in surprise. "Even if they did somehow free Cataclysm, not even they would be able to control his destructive and genocidal tendencies. Believe me, we've tried..."

"Pardon me fer being rude, Dazzlings. But what the hay's Cataclysm anyways?" Applejack asked, wanting an answer to the question that only The Dazzlings would be able to answer.

"Cataclysm's one of the most destructive life forms in existence, but he's also too dangerous to live..." Adagio quickly explained, brushing Applejack's mind off of the subject. "And besides, even if he is powerful enough to cause a second Big Bang, he's sealed away for good. King Allure, Lord Symphonia and literally all of the Lyrican Sirens made sure that he'd never again threaten the safety of the worlds..."

"He was once a Blissen Siren who was quite pleased with the decision that he'd earned, and followed the tenets perfectly. In fact, if it wasn't for what happened next, he could have become King Allure's successor..." Aria began explaining the story of Cataclysm. "You see, Cataclysm wanted to become both Blissen and Furen at the same time. But Allure forebode him from learning Furen Arts once he'd earned his Blissen pendant."

"In a fit of rage, Cataclysm lashed out at King Allure and battled him straight up on the spot," Adagio explained, remembering that day as if it had happened yesterday. "Cataclysm and Allure were powerful beings on their own, but Allure eventually won and forced Cataclysm to a life of exile. He wandered the Lyrican badlands for years until he found something. Something that should have remained buried under layers of earth and dirt..."

"Cataclysm found Lyrica's first Dark Magic, and harvested all of it right on the spot," Aria continued. "It made him powerful beyond anything that you could think of, but it also warped him into a colossal monstrosity with demonic spikes poking out of all of his limbs and both wings. In short, the Dark Magic made Cataclysm into the ultimate bringer of death and destruction, but it also took away his true form forever..."

"Cataclysm's power was so powerful that him merely walking could throw a planet off of its' axis. His wings were powerful enough to create G100 hurricanes powerful enough to tear entire continents out of where they were rooted. But worst of all was his voice, which was so loud that it could destroy constellations with enough destructive force to the point where once great pictures became symbols of an incoming apocalypse..."

"In the end, King Allure, Lord Symphonia and every Lyrican Siren on Lyrica banded together to face Cataclysm in a titanic struggle..." Adagio was about to finish the story. "By combining their powers, the Lyricans sealed Cataclysm away in a demonic urn, which was then cast into Lyrica's deepest and darkest abyss, never again to surface..."

"If The Blasters are going for that much power, then we could be looking at one of the worst catastrophes the trinity has ever known..." Adagio's words already had The Rainbooms on edge, her words were merely the final nail in the coffin. "Especially since Equestrian Magic is enough to rival that of Lyrican Magic. Who knows? They could end up becoming worse than Cataclysm could have ever been..."

"But why would they be going after all of that power if it'd be enough to destroy the very species they're trying to save?" Sunset asked, already seeing a flaw in The Blasters' master plan. "Doesn't that make them seem like corrupted bringers of death and destruction themselves?"

"Yes. But The Blasters don't have Dark Magic welded into their initial power. They'll be able to maximise their power with purely Furen and Blissen energy alone..." Adagio said, giving a clear answer to Sunset as The Snapshots turned around and began walking back to them.

"In short, they're like Cataclysm, but instead of destroying all life, they'll only be destroying the life of all non-Lyricans. And I always thought that Orchy and his friends could get along with everyone..." Sonata said.

"Girls! Get this..." Pixel said, opening up a special file on the Journalizer that she was carrying. "According to our diggings, this machine is called the Ultimate Amplifier, and it's been built and had maintenance work done on it for seventeen years after CHS's Battle of the Bands..."

"This thing is powered purely by the emotions of all the people who listen to the music that pours out of it. It doesn't need a power socket or batteries to function, as it's made of an otherworldly power source that shouldn't even exist in this world yet..." Violet added on, showing some important pieces of information to The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings. "The Blasters have every instance planned, in case you were planning on shutting down the power or tampering with it whilst they perform..."

"Clever bastards, aren't they?" Aria said as she saw the details on the Ultimate Amplifier. "They knew that we would eventually discover it, and made sure that it wouldn't be tampered with, no matter what we'd be able to do..."

"So what are we going to do now, Dazzlings?" Pinkie Pie asked, her once joyous attitude now replaced with one of fear. She knew that not even with their musical powers would they be able to dismantle the Ultimate Amplifier. "Our music might be rocking and fun, but I'm not even sure that that'll be enough to take this evil woofer apart!"

"What if we don't even need to mess with this thing at all?" Adagio said, getting The Rainbooms to listen closely to what she had to say. "What if this thing will only work if The Blasters' audience is marked?"

"What are you-" Twilight was stopped mid sentence when Adagio and The Dazzlings pulled the group into a massive huddle.

"It might sound crazy, but I've got a great song for all of us to sing in the final round," Adagio began explaining. "With our Lyrican powers, the powers of humans from Earth, and ponies of Equestria singing the song in perfect harmony, it just might make a fail-safe burst that should free everyone from The Blasters' insidious marks..."

"Oh! Just like that one song when we saved CHS from you. It broke the marks that you'd planted and made everyone's emotions remain untouchable again!" Twilight immediately got where Adagio was going with her plan. "I see now. By combining the voices of Lyricans, Equestrians and humans, we might be able to make a fail-safe that should free everyone from The Blasters' marks and make the Ultimate Amplifier useless to them!"

"But zat just raises one more question, girls..." Photo Finish said once they'd finished compiling some important data for their story. "What song are you ten going to sing?"

"There's only one song that could possibly fit the bill of what we've got to pull if we're going to free the bands from The Blasters' control..." Adagio said, turning her attention to Photo Finish and The Snapshots. "And that song, is The Show Must Go On..."

Author's Note

Nighty: Good ta see dat good owd Shadowmane's back at wowk...

Autumn: Yeah. I missed having him awound ta pway wid us...

Peanut: He's got good wogic...

Onyx: Amazing stowies...

Fire Star: Intewesting chawactew devewopment...

Luna: Yes. He's the whole package when it comes to fanfiction writing.

Hades: I'm surprised he doesn't have any stories on Equestria Daily yet...

Celestia: Who goes there?!

Me: Dun wowwy evewyone. He's wid me.

Hades: The name's Hades. Lord of the Underworld, main antagonist of Kid Icarus Uprising. Nice to see you all.

Twilight: Oh, gweat. Anodew Discowd...

Me: Yep. Pwetty much.

Freeing The Laments

The Semi-Finals...

"Now that was intense!" Orchestral said as he and The Blasters once more returned to the stage to declare the winners of the latest battle. "Both Cubic Zirconquerors and The Rainbooms are still standing!"

"In the rare occurrence that this should happen, then it'll go down to our anonymous judges, who will rate you all on originality, lyrics, general rhythm, musical skills and fashion," Allegro said, grabbing the attention of both leaders of both bands. "The judges are just coming to a final decision now, then once they're done, they'll tell us who's moving on to Battletone's Grand Final Match."

"Just stay where you are for the time being, ladies. We'll return momentarily with the results of this match..." Fortissimo and The Blasters then went backstage to get the results, leaving Twilight, Sunset and the rest of The Rainbooms to catch their breaths and sit themselves down.

When The Blasters returned to the back of the stage, they all got together and sighed in relief that they were done masquerading for the humans of Earth.

"So, who do you think should move on to the finals, Fortissimo?" Orchestral asked as two shaded figures approached The Blasters. "Both bands did put up an extraordinary fight out there..."

"Even so, the Cubic Zirconquerors should not be the ones that destiny chose. Especially not with that pompous brat carrying the team herself..." Fortissimo scoffed as he looked back at Diamond Tiara. "And besides, I'd rather enjoy seeing The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms having a rematch... We'd get to see just how much those childish murderers have evolved over the years, as well as seeing just how much our little sisters have grown from their first defeat..."

"Do not forget that The Dazzlings also have to make it past The Laments as well," Allegro reminded him as he looked back at The Laments, who briefly had green eyes. "Though there's a high chance that Adagio, Aria and Sonata will be able to overcome The Laments, there's still the question of whether or not their own emotions will consume and make them lose against them. In which case, there'll be no-one to stop us from using the Ultimae Amplifier from not only feasting off of these wretched life-forms, but also erasing them from the fabric of existence as their own euphoria consumes them..."

"So, have we come to a final decision, ladies?" Fortissimo asked the two shaded figures, who stepped forward to acknowledge him. They were in fact Celestia and Luna, who looked like they'd been bruised and scarred by being tortured by The Blasters.

"We have, Master Fortissimo..." Celestia droned on as her eyes flickered green, just like The Laments' eyes had done. "The Rainbooms shall proceed to finals to have a rematch with your little sisters..."

"Excellent, ladies..." Fortissimo said, patting them on their backs in satisfaction, seeing their smiles surface after that. "I can see that making you believe that obeying me to make you happy is truly a much more deserving role that tutoring under-age warriors..."

"Thank you, Fortissimo Blast, for giving us this eternal happiness..." Luna said, showing some sense of emotion with her smile.

"My pleasure, darlings. Now run along," Fortissimo waved his hand, making the two of them dart off back to their private quarters like giddy schoolgirls. "You've got some last little details to sort out for the final battle..."

Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral then walked back to the stage, getting the crowd to cheer for yet another instance when they once again returned to announce the winnners.

"Rainbooms, Cubic Zirconquerors, they've decided..." Orchestral said, pulling both Twilight and Diamond Tiara close with his two free hands. "We finally know the first band who's moving on to the final round of Battletone..."

"And the winners are..." Fortissimo made a dramatic pause for effect, signalling a drumroll to appear out of nowhere to emphasize the tension that both bands were facing. Finally, the drumroll seemed to build up until Fortissimo threw up his right hand and announced, "The Rainbooms!"

As the crowd roared happily, The Rainbooms all got together and basked in their victory. They spent their moment in the limelight throwing their fists up into the air and cheering for themselves. The joy on their face was undeniable, yet it seemed far too undeniable...

"Yes, Rainbooms... Enjoy your moments in the sunshine..." Fortissimo whispered to himself as The Blasters extracted Blissen energy from everyone's happiness. "Your pleasures are our pleasures as well, as well as them being the key to us conquering these miserable worlds..."

"Anyways, let's not get too wrapped up in victory for too long, everyone," Orchestral said, grabbing everyone's attention once more as they returned their minds to the next battle in Battletone. "We've still got one more match to decide who The Rainbooms are gonna be fighting in the final match."

"So whilst we get The Rainbooms and Cubic Zirconquerors back into the audience, let's welcome up the final two teams: The Dazzlings and The Laments!" Allegro said as the groups both got themselves off of the stage, with Diamond Tiara cursing under her breath as she did so.

When both The Rainbooms and Cubic Zirconquerors were off of the stage, The Dazzlings and The Laments climbed onto it themselves, both groups locking gazes as they did so. The determination in their eyes was undeniable; they both wanted a clear shot at defeating The Blasters in the Title Match.

"Congratulations on making it this far, Dazzlings," Requiem said as he brandished his Battletone microphone in preparation for the next battle. "But I'm afraid that this is where your road to victory ends..."

"I'm glad that you actually see us as a challenge, Laments," Adagio said as she too twirled her mic for the upcoming duel ahead of her. "But we've got business with The Blasters that just shouldn't go to waste now, should it?"

"Oh, I beg to differ, girls..." Andante's eyes flickered green, as did the eyes of Requiem and Bellicoso. "This is one battle that you cannot win..."

The sudden change in eye colour had made Adagio flinch in horror. The sight she was seeing never changed, no matter how many times she rubbed her eyes and blinked frequently, the image still remained the same. The Laments had been corrupted with Dark Magic and were now determined to defeat The Dazzlings then go for The Rainbooms.

"You... you've been corrupted by Lyrican Dark Magic?!" Adagio was at a complete loss for words at that moment in time.

"Fortissimo wants to ensure that the species returns to prosperity, even if he has to get his hands dirty and mess with the minds of his kind..." Bellicoso said, smirking as he pointed the firing end of his microphone at Aria. "Just like he did so when he made you invade Earth and Equestria all those years ago!"

"W-what?!" Aria looked shocked, hearing those words coming out of the only Lyrican Siren who she'd shown love for over all of the time she'd spent existing.

"The two bands are vocal groups, so let's bring in some backing music to help them out with their final battle...." Orchestral said, revealing the five mind-controlled copies of most of The Rainbooms. "Now, I know what you're thinking. Why the heck are these girls are backing musicians?"

"Well, it's obvious. These five are identical twins to most of the members of the earlier winners; The Rainbooms," Orchestral said, putting the minds of everyone at ease. "We just found them, wandering around some of the most tranquil plains imaginable..." he lied.

"But enough on that, let's get to the main act. Ladies, if you please..." Fortissimo motioned for the mind-controlled copies to begin playing music.

"This isn't how I wanted our fight to end, Requiem. But if you've been taken like we were, then it's all the same that I stop what I couldn't have controlled myself..." Adagio said as she reunited with Aria and Sonata in preparation for the duel with The Laments.

"How noble of you, Adagio," Requiem said as he, Andante and Bellicoso reunited themselves, brandishing their mics to begin their final battle. "And how utterly pointless..."

The messenger is standing at the gate
Ready to let go, ready for the crush...

Andante kickstarted the song off, starting at a rather soothing and gentle rhythm that had everyone already swaying.

Too late for whispers, too late for the blush
The past is mercy, when the future's glow...

Bellicoso added on his voice, reaching out to many of the audience members as his eyes once more flashed a sinister shade of green.

Kneeling journey, dressed in a cloak of shadows
The hunting's grim for the innocent eyes...

Communion's prey is a cup of sorrows
But faith is colours, for the humbling cries...

Adagio and Requiem's voices were quite strong as they were, and both of the Lyricans were quite capable of swaying the battle in their favour. The song they sang was both parts heart-wrenching and filled with emotions that no-one could fathom.

"As I said, I didn't want to fight someone corrupted by Lyrican Dark Magic, but if that's the way that it has to be, Requiem, then I won't hold back..." Adagio said during the instrumental part of the song, showing some solidarity after only one verse.

"Neither will we, Dazzlings. This truly seems like fate doesn't it?" Andante said as he flexed his fingers and exercised them in the middle of the instrumental portion. "Just like before, only the tables have turned, haven't they?"

"What I still don't get is how Lyrican Dark Magic still exists to this day..." Aria said, already growing her extensions and wings by wrapping her body in the rhythm of the song. "The Rainbooms already cleansed us, yet The Blasters still wield it... How the heck do they pull it all off?"

"Those questions shall never be answered, sweetums. But the one thing that you shall receive is a worthy battle in musical arts," Bellicoso said as he and the rest of The Laments grew their extended hair and Hippocampi wings. "Now, let's begin!"

As the song intensified, The Laments let themselves become enveloped in an otherworldly burst of dark green magic, cloaking everything that saw it in darkness for a brief period of time.

When the darkness dissipated, The Laments were no longer in control of their physical bodies and had instead taken the form of three spectral Leviathans, majestically spiralling above the stage and howling out in anger, turning the sky blood-red with their mere presence.

"Well, if that's the way you want to battle, Laments, then so be it!" Adagio said, taking a battle-posture and leaving her own body behind as well. Within the short span of a couple of seconds, The Dazzlings and The Laments were controlling their spectral beings, ready to let them do the fighting whilst the song played out.

The fight was ferocious, with the Leviathans and the Hippocampi violently smashing into each other and making their opponents howl out in pain. However, the fury in their eyes was proof positive that they both wanted to progress with the tournament and end The Rainbooms' climb to defeating The Blasters. And whilst The Dazzlings wanted to merely relieve Twilight and her friends of such an arduous burden, The Laments had looks as if they wanted to be done with The Rainbooms altogether.

The pilgrims are gathering
And the marching band, the marching band's howling
Compassion is the flag a righteous man, a righteous man will hold

The pilgrims are gathering
And the marching band, the marching band's howling
Compassion is the flag a righteous man, a righteous man will hold...

Both The Dazzlings and The Laments sang whilst their beasts continued their skirmish above Dubairaffe. Whilst the physical beings merely remained on the stage, the spectral beings had already taken their fights to the streets, where they were already causing quite a lot of trouble with their mere presence.

As the Hippocampi and the Leviathans descended onto the town, they witnessed many different Euphorian and Dystopian warriors messing up a lot of humans and causing general chaos and destruction. Their fight was intensified as The Dazzlings and The Laments made their beasts knock the others into the feuding Lyrican monsters, making them lash out and strike them away from the street they were battling.

"You are quite capable fighters, Dazzlings. But that still doesn't mean that we're just going to give up and concede our position in Battletone for you..." Requiem said as his Leviathan got up from the latest impact that it had received. "The Blasters ordered that we stop you by any means necessary, and if it means defeating you with the full extent of our power, then so be it..."

"But that's the thing, Requiem! You're not using the full extent of your power!" Adagio's beast said as it locked horns with Requiem's Leviathan once more. "Lyrican Dark Magic shackles some of the most powerful aspects of your power and makes you evil beyond compare!"

"Yeah! We learned that the hard way..." Sonata said as her beast threw Andante's Leviathan into another skyscraper, making it howl and screech as it smashed right through a series of floors in agony.

"Enough talk, let's get back to the battle at hand!" Bellicoso said as his beast charged into Aria's neck and bit it ferociously, making the purple Hippocampi screech with how sudden and vicious the attack was. "You haven't done this for a while, have you?"

"There's been no need for us to do it. Until now, that is!" Aria said as she, Adagio and Sonata got together and knocked The Laments' Leviathans out of the streets and back towards the Battletone stage, where they'd see the perfect opportunity to finish it. "In the name of Equestria, Earth, Lyrica and their three noble species, we will end The Blasters' tyranny!"

When The Dazzlings and The Laments' beasts returned to the stage, they were still scrapping it out. But it wasn't long before they all gather together and prepared to unleash a devastating burst of sound on their opponents. As they in took Lyrican energy, their physical bodies braced themselves for a rather violent outcome.

The spirit is over town
Waiting for me to hit the floor
Blooming white sky for the voice of one calling tonight

The Dazzlings and The Laments' voices were so loud that their beasts all shot out ultrasonic waves of sound that amplified the volume of their lyrics to a phenomenal degree. It was so loud that everyone who was watching the battle, even The Blasters, cover their ears to try and make it seem like it didn't hurt them.

Tonight fate is the red crown
The red crown around your door
Time's scattering the seeds of the morning daylight...

Each and every wave impacted with one another, creating a massive sphere of energy that only grew in power as the beasts clashed with each other. As the last few waves collided with the sphere and made it explode, the entire skyscraper was consumed in a fiery pillar of Furen energy, concealing every living thing who was there to witness it.

When the flames died down, the band that was left standing was The Dazzlings. They took gasps for breath when they'd watched everything settle down for the end of it all. They watched and saw that the sky returned to a rather soothing shade of indigo and reclaimed the stars that had been taken by their latest battle.

Despite The Dazzlings being the winners of that battle, they were not fully unharmed. Their clothes had received quite a lot of tears, and bruises and marks could be seen across their bodies. Their hairs also stood on end with how intense the battle had become.

However, things weren't looking up for The Laments. The Dark Magic had faded away from their systems, but the Furen pendants around their necks had become completely destroyed. Their breathing became very shallow and weak, and their bodies were even more cut and harmed than The Dazzlings.

Adagio walked over to Requiem, feeling his neck as she helped him sit up. She could feel his sorrow. He had lost everything that he spent his life trying to acquire. His Furen energy had dissipated and his body was quite damaged and injured.

"They'll be fine, everyone. They've all just had a rough battle..." Adagio said, seeing that a medical team had already arrived on the scene to help them out. "They just need a couple of days in bed and they should be perfectly fine..."

"As I said, Requiem. I didn't want it to come to this, but The Blasters forced my hand..." Adagio said as Requiem, Andante and Bellicoso were taken off of the stage by the medical team so they could rest themselves. "I just hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me once we win Battletone for you..."

As soon as Requiem, Andante and Bellicoso vanished from sight, The Dazzlings all leapt off of the stage and reunited with The Rainbooms.

"We'd better get some rest. Tomorrow's the finals of Battletone," Adagio said as the girls all decided to make their ways to their respective rooms. "You might want to start rehearsing The Show Must Go On for our performance tomorrow..."

"Indeed, girls..." Fortissimo said once The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms arrived at the elevator. "You're gonna have to perform quite a show if either of you are gonna make it towards us..."

"Blasters! We made it to the finals of Battletone, now tell us why you corrupted The Dazzlings!" Twilight demanded, pointing a finger at him.

"Patience, patience, Rainbooms. All in good time..." Fortissimo said as he and the rest of The Blasters returned to the stage to finish up the show that was still broadcasting. "For now, you need to get some sleep. You've been through a lot, and you probably want to update your internet statuses..."

"I'd smash his pretty face straight in if he wasn't telling the truth..." Rainbow Dash yawned for emphasis on that fact. "Well, I'll see ya on stage tomorrow, Dazzlings. Just let us know when The Show Must Go On's finished, then we'll be ready to see who moves onto the Title Match..." she said before taking The Rainbooms into one elevator so that they could get to their room for the night.

"What did The Rainbooms mean when they said that The Blasters corrupted us?" Sonata asked the group once they got into the second elevator that was adjacent to the one that The Rainbooms had taken.

"I'm not entirely sure, Sonata. But one thing's sure..." Adagio said as the door closed so that they could make it to their room and ruminate on what The Blasters had been saying. "The entire truth will be revealed in the Finals tomorrow evening..."

Author's Note

You know, Chaos's Last Battle is a somewhat more simplistic version of Welcome to the Show. Anyone who has a PSP and has played Dissidia Duodecim will completely agree with me on that.

KI Hades: So tell me, Disney me, how exactly do you manage the Underworld?

Disney Hades: Well, what can I say? Business has been a little slow with all the new medical gear they're bringing in up there. I mean, hospitals? It's like they don't even want to die anymore...

KI Hades: That's odd, because business is just booming in MY Underworld. Just send a horde of Underworld Army soldiers up there, kick your heels up and watch the carnage. That is until Pitty Pat zooms in and saves the day, as usual...

Disney Hades: You must be a real crowd pleaser then, huh?

KI Hades: Well, I have been working out, after all...

Disney Hades: So, what kind of friends do ya got down there in your Underworld?

Ki Hades: Well, the last time I checked, all I have down there are brainless flying targets just waiting to be shot down by a flightless angel being controlled by some childish goddess of light... The closest thing I had to a friend down there was Medusa, but Pitty finished her off lickety split. Then, sixteen more chapters later, I found Medusa to be boring, so I turned into you and uppercut her out of existence...

Disney Hades: I don't get you sometimes, Hades. One minute, you're controlling legions of the undead and the next, you're killing your own second in command.

KI Hades: I'm a complicated god.

Celestia: Hmm... That's odd...

Luna: What is it, sister?

Celestia: Usually, at least one of the foals rebels during these parts. But this time, they're all acting perfectly...

Luna: Well, all things tend to tire themselves out and bore themselves with being different all the time, sister. Even foals with non-existant attention spans know that they can't break rules forever...

Lauren: I guess all those treats we gave them really helped out, huh...

Luna: (watches all of the foals playing together as The Dazzlings and the royal guards supervise them) Yeah. I guess you could say that...

The Fail-Safe Song

It was a plan that only Twilight and I could have come up with; we'd sing in the final match together as a unified force, despite the fact that we'd still be battling against each other. With the conjoined voices of Lyricans, Equestrians and humans, we'd be able to break The Blasters' marks and render the Ultimate Amplifier useless to them.

However, right before we walked onto the stage, The Blasters revealed to us one of the darkest secrets we'd ever be told...

The Finals...

"I just hope we can pull this off..." Rainbow Dash said, adjusting the frets on her Battletone guitar. "The last time was pretty easy, but that was because the last time, the Lyricans we fought were only harvesting energy, not going all out..."

"Yes, but surely, The Blasters have even darker motives than just hitting everyone's ears with the Ultimate Amplifier..." Adagio pondered that theory as the groups arrived at the back of the stage where they could spend their last few moments prepping for combat. "Whenever Lyricans enter a musical contest, they usually have a secret motive behind it all. Our dark pasts were the prime example of that."

"But still, you've grown up and put your pasts behind you, Dazzlings," Rarity cheered Adagio up as she patted her back gently. "And besides, you won't be in this alone. You have our talents as well, which should be the final nail in the coffin of our victory over The Blasters..."

"Don't forget that The Blasters will retreat to Lyrica and perform the Song of Resurrection nonetheless. Their Title Match is just the last supper they'll have before they revive King Allure and the species..." Adagio reminded the girls as they continued to prep themselves for the final match of Battletone.

"Precisely, little sister. Just like you harvesting The Rainbooms' energy was your last supper before you put the final piece of one of our puzzles together..." Fortissimo said as he and the rest of The Blasters appeared in front of the girls, getting them to immediately get to their feet in disdain.

"But you should know that there's much, much more to your stories than you realize, Dazzlings..." Allegro said, getting Adagio, Aria and Sonata to recoil a little as those words bore into their psychological minds. "You've all made it to the finals of Battletone, so I suppose there's really no harm in telling you the truth about your stories before you perish..."

"It all began ten years after the great war, when the remaining Lyricans either went into hiding or killed themselves..." Fortissimo began telling the story of how the Lyrican species vanished, leaving only them and The Dazzlings. "After a rather titanic struggle against the Six Euphorian Deities that harmed us and our friends in combat, we were all extinguished ourselves..."

"However, unlike most of our former brethren, we were resurrected and sent to live a life wandering the barren wasteland that was once our home..." Allegro carried on the story when Fortissimo caught his breath. "We'd spent years ruminating on the tragedies of that great war, the dying screams of our comrades ringing in our ears as we trudged on across the landscape. Our final and most traumatic memory of death was the three of you, giving your lives to keep us safe from Starswirl the Bearded..." he thought back to that fateful moment in time when Adagio, Aria and Sonata pushed The Blasters out of the way so they could receive the fatal blow instead. "And at the end of it all, we found the root cause of the great war..."

"We immediately classified all the remaining humans and ponies that wandered Equestria and Earth to be terrorists to Lyricans. So we decided to change our priorities from protecting them to destroying them..." Orchestral added his words of the tale as well. "However, whilst we were determined to end the lives of many, we knew that you three showed remorse for the species and actually loved how intricate and unique they were..." he pointed towards The Dazzlings. "So, we decided to find you and remind you of who the true enemies were..."

"It took us quite a long time for us to find your remains, but when we did, we were so satisfied with the results..." Fortissimo took over once more. "We merely sprinkled in some Dark Magic into your regenerating bodies, which ultimately altered your psychological aspects altogether. You no longer cared for the well-being of Equestria or Earth, and would now utilize your singing to spread the seeds of discord as best as you could, in the hopes that you would create a second war..."

"However, as these terrorists you now ally with have proved time and time again, they are simply far too powerful to merely exist at all..." Allegro pointed towards The Rainbooms, making them back up and stutter in surprise. "Twice now, your species has managed to repel Lyrican strategems, and you all muster up a powerful magic strong enough to defend your worlds. It's plain to see that you seven must be killed, before you get out of hand..."

"Starswirl the Bearded was proof that Equestria is evil, you Rainbooms are living proof that Earth is evil. With those two key facts set in stone, we have a cause to eliminate your feeble kind..." Fortissimo said as he got The Rainbooms to begin doubting their own actions. "If the truth still eludes you, Rainbooms, then allow me to exemplify the severity of your situation: You seven are the cause of our rise to power, and the cause of all of this death and destruction! The blood of all of the people of Maneorca, as well as those marked by us is all on your hands..."

"Oh, and before you ask why we wish to give you all such heartbreak, let's just say that Lyrican Sirens love to play with their food..." Orchestral said as he and The Blasters walked onto the stage. But not before Orchestral turned back around and said, "Oh, and by the way, you're all on in three minutes. Hope you're ready to shape the future, ladies..."

Though The Blasters were quickly gone from The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings' line of sight, the ten of them had been completely demoralized. They now believed that there was absolutely nothing they could do to avenge the lives of all of the people that they had doomed.

Eventually, Adagio sighed and said, "I know it's hard for you to swallow, girls. But we need to forget about the pain of that story and focus on the important parts. The Blasters are the cause of all of this chaos, and they're only this way because the Six Euphorian Deities were the true cause of the great war, not them..."

"Even so, how are we going to be sure that the fail-safe song you have planned is going to work?" Twilight said, now beginning to doubt herself even further. "If The Blasters truly have a way of striking the weak points of someone's psyche, then they might just come back and keep striking at it until we willingly surrender to them..."

"We have a way of striking The Blasters in their soft spot as well, Rainbooms. Remember that..." Sonata reminded them. "If we make it to the Title Match, we'll sing It's Been So Long, a song that expresses our sorrows, as well as all of the abuse and chaos The Blasters sowed over the years..."

"When we sing the song, everyone who once loved The Blasters will immediately hate their guts and want to get them out of the musical business altogether. Then, they'll have no choice but to relinquish their musical dominance to us, so that we can safely look after human and pony kind..." Adagio said as she picked up her Battletone mic and turned it on for what seemed like the last time.

"Anyways, we're on now. Let's sing this song and save everyone..." Twilight said as she and the rest of the group walked towards the stage for their final match in Battletone. "Just like seventeen years ago, it's now or never..."

"So please, for the final time in Battletone, let's welcome the two finalists who made their way through countless matches to make it this far!" Fortissimo announced to the crowd, hearing their voices of euphoria already as he was about to begin the final match of the tournament. "Please welcome back to the stage, The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms!"

The crowd cheered once more as Adagio, Aria, Sonata, Twilight, Sunset and their friends all walked out onto the stage for the final time in the tournament. Whilst the cheers they could hear were quite relaxing, there was something unsettling about them as well. However, that didn't bother them as they prepared their instruments for the final battle.

"Since this is the finals, let's spice things up a little..." Fortissimo said as he welcomed on his mind-controlled copies of The Rainbooms as well as the brainwashed Celestia and Luna. "Since you two are quite capable of making music, we've decided to let you choose the musical score that you play for the crowd."

"Now then. Without further adieu, let's begin the finals of Battletone..." Fortissimo said, leaving the stage along with Allegro and Orchestral, so as not to disturb the competing bands.

Once The Blasters were off, The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings both nodded at each other and began the song that would save everyone. A combination of light bass and harmonized voices kicked the song off, getting the crowd euphoric in seconds.

"One! Two! Three! Four!" Pinkie Pie counted in, getting the song to begin for real. From there, The Rainbooms were already playing quite impressively, spouting their hair, ears and tails almost instantly, before the lyrics had even begun. And though they were quite good at playing, they did save some room for The Dazzlings, so they could be heard as well.

Long back, when we were all quite young
We tried to make our world seem fun
And though our friends all jumped the gun
Our journeys had begun

Adagio started off, her words already hitting some good notes in the minds of the audience that was watching them.

We got along with a big song
But we were cast out fast
And though we had a fresh new start
The memories still last...

Aria sang quite angelicly, spawning the wings and hair that she and The Dazzlings usually utilized whenever they would sing or battle.

No matter what we say or do
It all comes down to me and you
Though one must lose, it's not so bad

The Show Must Go On
The Show Must Go On

Even now, the show
Will
Go
On!

Both The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings sang together, their words already creating a multicoloured burst of energy that harmlessly travelled through the minds of everyone who was listening. As it did so, blue and red mist flew off of their bodies, but it quickly faded away into nothingness.

"It's working! The song's breaking The Blasters' marks!" Twilight said, already seeing how their song was fixing up the bands that had been affected by The Blasters' singing.

"Then let's keep it going, Twilight! Let's give them a show that no-one will ever forget!" Adagio said, encouraging The Rainbooms to move on with the next segment of the song.

Seventeen years after that day
We came to Battletone to play
And ended up battling friends
Who sing at ends of a day

Sunset sang now, her voice rather sweet as she made the crowd begin to dance along with the melody of the song. It seemed that their efforts were working to a phenomenal degree, as all of the bands were no longer controlled by their own emotions.

But there's a catch, a bizarre catch
Someone's evil plan's been hatched
Oh, we're trying to stop it
And it used to be in vain...

Twilight sang quite well, wrapping her free hand around Sunset's shoulder as she did so, to prove a sign of solidarity as she stood beside her fellow Rainbooms.

No matter what we say or do
It all boils down to me and you
Though one must lose, it's not so bad

The Show Must Go On
The Show Must Go On

Even now, the show
Will
Go
On!

As both groups sang together, they all glowed rather brightly, their skin colours illuminating them so that they truly stood out from the rest of the people there. However, that wasn't the only thing that was interesting about them. Whilst they sang, columns of light erupted around them, eventually forming their Cutie Marks in mystical spheres, all of which flew around together and conjoined to make a celestial ball of rainbow energy. When the ball was complete, it burst, letting out a colossal rainbow blast across all of Earth, spreading their song to the ears of everyone who was watching the finals.

Though we were shunned by all
We're now adored by all
Now they now that we're sa-ving their world

Sang The Dazzlings as the song managed to break all of the marks around the world, systematically freeing everyone from The Blasters' spell.

When darkness dies to reveal light
It's power will pierce through evil's might
So we'll win and see the plan un-ra-vel

The Rainbooms sang as well, their voices being the key part in aiding The Dazzlings free everyone.

Eventually, the instrumental part of the song kicked in, with Rainbow Dash performing a rather tricky guitar solo. With every chord that was strummed out, a powerful burst of light emanated from Dash's clothes, making her look like a walking light show. Eventually, she stepped back and let Sunset take over for her separate guitar solo. Just like Rainbow's solo, it was tricky to pull off, but very rewarding, as it made Sunset shine bright as well with each chord.

Every king eventually falls
Every band loses their fame
Even the best who past the test
Can all go up in a sudden flame

We know that we're not perfect
But that's alright when we're all just specks
Through the heartbreak and the tears
The show goes on for years and years...

The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings sang at a rather rapid pace, trying to keep up with the beat of the music for what seemed like the last time before the end of the song.

No matter what we say or do
It all boils down to me and you
Though one must lose, it's not so bad

The Show Must Go On
The Show Must Go On

Even now, the show
Will
Go
On!

When the song ended, the entire stage was consumed in a bright burst of white light, consuming everyone who was watching from the back of it, as well The Blasters, the mind-controlled Rainboom clones, Celestia and Luna.

Once the light had died down, both Twilight and Adagio were still standing, but they were both breathing rather heavily. It seemed that the fail-safe song had taken a rather heavy toll on them as well. Whilst it was rather strong, their breathlessness was a sign that one band had to stand whilst the other fell.

"You're... quite good at... singing, Twilight." said Adagio as she kneelt down in exhaustion, but still stood so she and Twilight could decide amongst themselves who'd face The Blasters in the Title Match.

"You... too, Adagio..." Twilight sighed as she took in some gasps for air. "And... it's because of this... that you should be the ones... to face The Blasters!" she then fell onto her back in exhaustion, dropping the mic when her back impacted with the floor.

"And that settles that, ladies and gentlemen! The winners of Battletone, and the band who shall duel us in the Title Match is: The Dazzlings!" Fortissimo announced as he came back onto the stage to acknowledge Twilight's defeat and announce his little sister as the winner.

Though The Dazzlings got up and celebrated their victory with a rain of confetti and the launching of multiple different fireworks, they didn't forget The Rainbooms, who'd put up a very valiant fight to play along with The Blasters' insidious visions. The three of them walked over to The Rainbooms and helped them sit up and regather their breath.

"You did the right thing, girls..." Adagio said as she helped Twilight get back on her feet. "Not only have we saved everyone from The Blasters' marks, but by granting us access to the Title Match, we're going to have the chance to show The Blasters for the monsters they truly are..."

"Yeah..." Rainbow Dash said, getting up by herself once Sonata had helped her wipe most of the sweat off of her brow. "We'll leave this one up to you, Dazzlings. You've had more experience with The Blasters than we have..."

"Go for it, girls!" Pinkie put her thumb up, giving The Dazzlings the go-ahead to proceed with the Title Match. "Take those meanies out and save our worlds!"

The Dazzlings merely nodded in approval and got the rest of The Rainbooms back onto their feet. Then, they returned to where they'd been standing before so that The Blasters could dole out their prize.

"Dazzlings, as the leader of The Blasters, it's my honour to bestow upon you the spoils of victory. And here it is..." Fortissimo pulled out a contract with The Dazzlings' signatures already written on it. "A fifty-trillion, lifetime recording contract, guaranteed to make your songs known throughout all of history and make your fame skyrocket!"

"But that's not the only thing..." Allegro said as he, Fortissimo and Orchestral picked up their instruments and brandished them in preparation for the upcoming Title Match. "Because you've won Battletone, you've also been granted access to the Title Match, where you'll have the chance to battle us for the title of World's Must Supreme Band!"

"The Title Match is gonna begin in an hour, girls. And this time, you won't have to battle us at the same time..." Orchestral showed the TV once more, showing two different gauges. One for The Blasters, and the other one for The Dazzlings." In the Title Match, the winner is the group who has more crowd appeal with their one song. Both you and we will perform separately, then at the end of it all, we'll see who's the ultimate musical group..."

"But for now, let's hear it one more time for the ultimate winners of Battletone: The Dazzlings!" Fortissimo said, getting the crowd to climb on up to the stage and raise The Dazzlings above their heads in victory.

Whilst Adagio, Aria and Sonata basked in the glory of winning Battletone completely, something in their minds told them that it wasn't over yet. To the three of them, the Finals was merely the tip of the iceberg...

Author's Note

Nighty: So, how much diffewent is youw Hades ta mine?

Me: Weww, dewe awen't much diffewences. In fact, I'd say de onwy diffewences awe deiw designs, deiw voices and deiw pwans fow conquest...

Onyx: Dat dun sound good...

Me: Bewieve me, Disney Hades is a pushovew. Anyone who has a 3DS and has seen Hades knows wat I'm tawking about...

Disney Hades: A pushover? Really? You're just going to go right there?

KI Hades: Well, he IS speaking the truth, after all. All you have down there are two bumbling ninnies, three blind hags fighting over a single eye, and a massive Cerberus. Get with the times, Disney me.

Disney Hades: Alright then, big guy. What about you? I don't suppose you're any different...

KI Hades: I command an endless army of Underworld monsters, kill millions in the blink of an eye, and have destroyed the Three Sacred Treasures on a 3DS game simply by breathing on them. Though, in all honesty, pixellated weapons of Underworld genocide eventually do get brittle and old after 25 years...

Peanut: Wat awe dey tawking about?

Me: Yoo weawwy hafta pway Kid Icawus Upwising ta find out...

Peanut: Weww, in da mean time, how about a game of Supew Smash Bwodews wid me and da Mane 6?

Me: Yeah. Dat'd be fun. But I'm wawning yoo, Wucawio (Lucario) is suwpwisingwy ovewpowewed...

Peanut: Dat dun scawe me. Bwing it on...

Brother and Sister, Duelling with Music

Title Match...

"Welcome, one and all, to the match-up of the millennia!" Orchestral said as The Blasters took to the stage for their performance in the Title Match. They were garbed in some of the flashiest attire ever, since they were finally in the spotlight after all the days they'd spent organizing Battletone.

Fortissimo was garbed in a black outfit that bore a striking resemblance to a wizard's cloak, despite the neon trails that ran down the sides of it, and the celestial star patterns that made people believe it was a gateway to space.

Allegro was dressed in what could only be described as a cleanliness fanatic's best dreams. His clothes were all white and was very neatly draped around his shoulders. Not to mention the special shoulder plates that looked like they were concealing speakers to channel his voice better.

Finally, Orchestral was wearing a magenta and topaz tanktop with chains on the hip area, and a rather impressive belt was draped around his waist. His hair had been specially combed and had been given highlights for his upcoming performance.

"The show that you've all been waiting so desperately for: The Title Match of Battletone!" Fortissimo took over. "We've seen one-hundred-and-twenty-eight bands enter Battletone, but only one remains to face us: The Dazzlings!"

"However, just because they claimed their recording contract earlier, that doesn't entirely mean that they're done with the proceedings. Now they've been given the chance to duel us for the title of World's Most Supreme Band!" Fortissimo said, twirling his guitar to pose for the camera, hearing cheers once he'd done so.

"Now then, this battle will work a little different from what we've seen before..." Allegro said as many different columns of speakers appeared around the stage, with a pylon erupting from the roof of it, ending with a reticle that pointed into space. "Both us and The Dazzlings will sing separately, however, it all depends on your appeal alone to determine who wins the match. The most popular band wins everything!"

As they once more basked in their applause, The Blasters did some last-minute adjustments to their instruments, to prepare themselves for the song that they would broadcast to the world.

"Now then, let's get this party started!" Orchestral said as the Ultimate Amplifier's speakers began to power up, making lines of energy that connected to the pylon with the crosshair. "Also, prepare yourselves, because this is going to be the loudest song we've ever sung!"

"We do hope you enjoy the show, everyone..." Fortissimo smirked as soon as he could hear Orchestral and Allegro playing their instruments. However, Fortissimo then revealed his Lyrican pendants, as did Allegro and Orchestral. All three of them were glowing rather brightly, ready for The Blasters to harvest a bountiful amount of energy. "Because it's going to be the last show you'll ever see!"

As soon as Fortissimo added his guitar to the music, the Ultimate Amplifier shone radiantly as The Blasters' song reached deafening levels of volume. The noise was so loud that the sky rippled, and all the buildings and vehicles in the city had all of their glass windows completely destroyed beyond repair.

But that was only the beginning of the show, considering the lyrics that The Blasters were about to push out...

The unenlightened masses
They cannot make the judgement call
Give up free will forever
Their voices won't be heard at all!

Display obedience
While never stepping out of line
And blindly swear allegiance
Let your country control your mind!
(Let your country control your soul)

As The Blasters sang, they instantly enveloped themselves in the radiant light of their pendants, unleashing their true power. Before the first verse had finished, Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral were already with pony ears, extended hair, dragon wings, pegasus wings and unicorn horns. Their instruments had become much sharper around the edges, and their hairs were now lined with red and blue streaks.

Live in ignorance
And purchase your happiness

At that moment, the Ultimate Amplifier's crosshairs were loaded with energy. It was charging up to open a rip in the fabric of reality, one that lead straight to Equestria. The speakers were consumed in bright lights, and with one loud burst of sound, the entire city was blasted with a deluge of red and blue energy. At the same time, the crosshair fired a large column of energy through the rip, striking Equestria with a volatile amount of energy.

When blood and sweat is the real cost
Thinking ceases, the truth is lost

When things could be visible once more, the sky had turned blood red and sky blue, and the people who were watching were merely motionless, trapped in The Blasters' lyrics. The entire world had turned half-red and half-blue. The side that was red had people feeling emotions of hate, whereas the side that was blue showed everyone feeling rather peaceful. The same could be said for Equestria, but all that could be seen was a planet turned completely blue and red.

Don't you worry
You'll be told exactly what to do
I give my people the lives they need
The righteous will succeed!

Even The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings were trapped in The Blasters' music. Despite them being Lyricans and having the Magic of Friendship, The Blasters were simply too powerful for them to resist anymore. They could only just stand there as red and rainbow energy leaked out of their bodies, drifting into The Blasters' pendants whilst they sang their song.

Then, things could only get worse for The Rainbooms as they watched The Blasters begin to harvest their energy. Within seconds, millions of thick wires of spectral energy shot up from all of Earth, travelling across oceans and through skies to reach The Blasters' pendants, making them become sharper, longer, and much more impressive.

But that wasn't all, within seconds, The Blasters were showered with Equestrian Magic from Equestria, enhancing their powers ten thousandfold, making them smile deviously as they embraced their banquet of raw power.

The fires of greed will burn the weak
So we'll make freedom obsolete!
Making whole, the fabric of society
Collective Consciousness controlled as you'll see!

As The Blasters continued to gather energy, they flew upwards, taking their song skyward. Within seconds, blue and red lightning streaked across the skies, spawning millions of Furen and Blissen Summons whilst they sang. And though The Blasters' eyes turned red for their right eyes and blue for their left eyes, they were still in control of everything that was going on around them.

As the beasts came down from the skies, they spread across the world in an instant, flying swiftly through the bodies of everyone who was listening to The Blasters' hypnotic rock tune. Within moments, everyone had blue and red eyes, but everyone else became mindless beings with emotions that could be controlled instantly.

Let your country control your soul
Let your country control your soul
Let your country control your soul
Let your country control YOUR SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUL!

As The Blasters' singing ended, they flew up higher into the stratosphere before diving down together. They smashed into the stage with the final keytar note from Allegro, coupled with the final drumbeat from Orchestral. When they landed, the entire world was consumed in a growing explosion of energy.

When the craziness had died down, Fortissimo was shown two spectral pictures, projected by his pendants. One of them showed that he could make them angry, whereas the other one showed that he could make them cheer with glee. Sparing no time, he smirked and pushed the happy picture like a button, immediately making the entire world around him cheer with applause.

"Thank you, thank you. But please, hold your applause until the end, ladies and gentlemen," Fortissimo said as he announced that his band was done. "We've still yet to see the song that The Dazzlings bring to the table. So, while we head on backstage to let them take their turn, be sure you've got your choice for your favourite band all locked up!"

Then, The Blasters walked backstage, where The Dazzlings were already being prepared for their song. They too were garbed in unique clothes, but there were more controlled than what The Blasters had used for their performance.

"You're already at quite a disadvantage, little sister..." Fortissimo said as he leaned against the wall and checked his nails smugly. "We've now reached a level of god-like power where we can just take the Souls of Song from right under your noses..." he was about to raise his free hand out towards Adagio, but then lowered it. "But we won't. Not yet. You've still got a show to perform, little sister..."

"You do realize that Lyrican fail-safe songs have no effect on the Lyrican band and their opponents, right?" Sonata said, pointing out a critical weakness in The Blasters' plan.

"Fail-safe song?" Allegro asked, cocking an eye brow as he moved closer to The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings. "Whatever are you prattling on about now, Sonata?"

"The ten of us sang a fail-safe song in the Finals of Battletone, freeing everyone from your evil marks. And while we did save everyone else, we were still capable of feasting off of The Rainbooms' power when you sang," Adagio pointed out, acting rather smug. "You may be our older brothers, Blasters, but you still forgot how Lyrican fail-safe songs work. And now, it's that mistake that just granted us the power to match you in terms of power!"

"Yeah! In your-" Rainbow Dash was about to gloat, but merely heard Fortissimo chuckling. "Huh?"

"It matters not how much energy you take, little sisters. As I said before, we're already god-like," Fortissimo said humorously. "Though you may have saved these fools from the killing effect of Battletone's instruments by breaking the marks we planted, we've still harvested all of Equestria and the Magic of Friendship. I'd highly consider surrendering, but knowing you, that won't be your option..."

Then, Fortissimo sighed. "Such pliable things these humans and ponies are... With one song, their entire perspective can be altered, to benefit or hinder the friends around them," he said in his philosophical tone. "Our music is the prime example of that, Dazzlings. Do you hear their euphoria?" Fortissimo pointed towards the crowd, who were cheering quite thunderously after the three of them had returned to their post on the stage. "Top THAT, little sisters..."

"What are you gonna sing, Dazzlings?" Sunset asked the three of them as she finished applying spray tan to Adagio's flesh.

"The only song that'll express how we really feel about our brothers, and enable us to expose them to the world..." Adagio and The Dazzlings walked towards the stage as it darkened and fogged up for their performance.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the stage, the winners of Battletone: The Dazzlings!" Fortissim announced as he walked back onto the stage for a brief instance before leaving once again.

"Are you sure they'll be able to do it?" Applejack asked Sunset, seeing Adagio, Aria and Sonata take their places on the darkened stage. "Their brothers have been doing this sorta thing for over seventeen years now..."

"Don't worry, Applejack. Now that The Dazzlings can draw energy in and consume it once more, they'll either make the match a tie, or a very close victory..." Sunset said as the crowd hushed up for the final song of the tournament, the one that would determine the fate of all one hundred and twenty-seven other bands that had tried and failed to reach this point. "And I know this because the song they're singing is a rather emotional one: It's Been So Long..."

As if the world around her had her Sunset say the song's name, music began to wash over the stage, making everyone hush up as the rhythm began playing. It seemed rather sad, and immediately made the crowd feel some sense of pity for The Dazzlings.

I don't know what I was thinking
Taking the shot for him
It only made all of our lives wear too thin

With all the bloodshed, lies and nightmares
Coming to haunt me forever
I can't wait for the end of my shrinking tether...

Adagio appeared on the stage, yet only her face could be visible in the darkness. She was accompanied by some light hums from Aria and Sonata, but they'd been obscured by darkness for the most of it.

Is this the truth that we're seeking?
Or seeking something to forsake us?
It seems that there's no escape from the past that constricts us

And even though we acted like
Nothing at all was amiss
It wasn't long before we fell through their abyss...

Aria and Sonata were finally illuminated, adding their voices to Adagio's. Which in turn, boosted the strength of their song so that they'd get everyone to shed some small tears for them.

It's Been So Long
Since last we sang a song about The Blasters
The villains behind this horror

Since we've moved on
I've been singing this stupid song so I could ponder
The sanity of my brother...

When The Dazzlings moved into the instrumental part of the song, they too spawned their wings, ears and extended hair. But there was something else about them. Their clothes also shone in a rainbow-like fashion as they poured their own tears into the song for added dramatic effect. With a bright transformation, The Dazzlings' clothes became rainbow-coloured as the musical rhythm washed over everyone.

As they thought of all of the horrific things The Blasters had done to them, and the species that governed Earth and Equestria, they looked rather sombre, turning their clothes as sad as they were, so that their mood was truly captured.

The crowd did cheer for them, but they seemed both happy and sad for the three of them. Happy, because they were singing like angels, but sad, because they were hearing the truth about what The Blasters had done to them.

I wish I'd just never looked up
And saw his staff pointed at him
But I still loved Fortissimo, so I saved his skin

Your brotherly eyes, your little smile is all I remember
Before your Dark Magic messed with my temper...

Once more, it returned to just Adagio singing, pushing out all of her emotions of regret, sadness, guilt, horror and worry. She was once more backed up with rather light humming from Aria and Sonata, making her song seem all the more believable.

Justification had finished us
But murder isn't justified
What happened to us then, we're terrified

It lingers like a cold and it retains its' sense of horror
If only we had known, we'd have stopped the slaughter...

The Dazzlings sang together once more, immediately swaying the crowd away from The Blasters and turning their attention to them.

It's Been So Long
Since last we sang a song about The Blasters
The villains behind this horror

Since we've moved on
I've been singing this stupid song so I could ponder
The sanity of my brother...

As the song came to an end, Adagio, Aria and Sonata lowered their heads and vanished into a growing cloud of fog. Their own sadness was undeniable, and it already had the entire crowd weeping for them, making them whispers some very heartfelt words of pity for all of them.

"Oh... those poor, sweet angels..." Rarity said, shedding her own tears as The Dazzlings vanished from the stage and returned backstage. "I know it's just a song, but not even I can contain myself..." she then burst into tears and threw herself into Sunset, who gave her a rather sympathetic hug.

"Do you think that'll be enough to best The Blasters?" Twilight asked through tears of her own, once the song had ended and the crowd went up in cheers of sadness and joy.

"It's more than enough, Twilight," Adagio patted her shoulders, making her feel a little better. "The Blasters may have the advantage in all aspects of music, but nothing can beat a good-old sad song to make the crowd feel for you and push you forward to victory..."

"Well then, let's see who's won..." everyone walked back onto the stage where the gauges were already visible.

As soon as a drumroll could be heard, the gauges were already filling up together. Both of them were travelling at the exact same speeds, so there wouldn't be too little tension.

"Wait a minute, there's a chance we could lose?" Fortissimo whispered to Allegro and Orchestral as he looked at the two gauges near the peak. "Orchestral, you might want to prepare the fall-back plan now..."

The gauges all got to the top, but they both stopped when they reached the top. At first, it seemed like a perfect tie. However, numbers appeared below the gauge just to show how many different people wanted the groups to win. For The Blasters, the gauge read 2,999,999 people, but for The Dazzlings, it read 3,000,000 people for them to win. The numbers were set in stone; The Dazzlings had won against The Blasters.

The crowd went up in cheers and all rushed onto the stage to congratulate The Dazzlings. As they did so, many of them pushed The Blasters aside, making them stumble backwards and grit their teeth in denial.

"We did it! We really did it!" Sonata said as The Dazzlings were celebrated with another shower of confetti, followed by the launching of millions and millions of different fireworks, spelling out their band name and showing pictures of their Cutie Marks. "We've beaten The Blasters and claimed the title of World's Most Supreme Band!"

When The Dazzlings were let back down, The Blasters slowly approached them, equal parts envious, jealous, furious, accepting and secretive.

"Well... I... don't really know what to say, Dazzlings. You've truly put us in our place and earned that title..." Fortissimo said, remaining quite calm as he addressed the winners of not only Battletone, but of the Title Match as well."

"You don't seem too upset that you've lost your title, Blasters..." Twilight said, cocking a brow as she folded her arms.

"Oh, no, Twilight. I'm actually quite noble and accepting in defeat," he lied. "And so, it's my great honour to bestow upon you the title of World's Most Supreme Band," then, he turned towards the cameras. "Unfortunately, since the past few days, some rumours have come to our attention that we're actually Lyrican Sirens who have the capability to meld a person's emotions and make them act according to our wills. And let me just say that we're going to face these allegations head-on."

"Are we, The Blasters, really murderous Lyrican Sirens hell-bent on destruction and death? No we are not," he paused, letting the crowd let out a few pity cheers before he revealed his true self. "Because we're actually genocidal Lyrican Sirens," he said, making everyone gasp in surprise with his sudden change in demeanour.

"But with all due respect, everyone, humanity and equinity are relics from a time where people and ponies could appreciate our existence and live in harmony," Allegro said, making the crowd hang on each word with disgust and terror.

"We have sent Lyricans to die, keeping your species in check by manipulating your pathetic emotions," Fortissimo said, projecting visuals of Equestria, where large groups of ponies were watching as well. "And after the great war that you weak, infantile, miserable and thoughtless species have created, we've come to a conclusion, that your species don't work!"

"Which is why our priorities have changed, from entertaining you, to destroying you," Fortissimo drew his swords along with Allegro and Orchestral. "Make no mistake, we are here to solve the problems of both Earth and Equestria. We have always been saving the problems of Earth and Equestria. But now we believe that the problems of your planets..." Fortissimo clicked his fingers, summoning a large gathering of aerial and land Euphorian and Dystopian monsters, instantly making the people cry out in terror as they looked at each horrifying monster that flew before them. Finally, he saw that a section of the stage opened up, revealing a red button rise up from the floor and reach his chest. He simply hit it and scowled at the crowd. "...Begin with you!"

Within moments, a beat began playing throughout the roof of the stage, and the beasts began to attack. Swooping down on their prey, they tackled and assaulted everyone that they could, hearing screams of both pain and terror as they did so. There was also a rumbling that could be felt, shaking everyone up but The Blasters.

"What's going on, Adagio?" Twilight asked, seeing all of the chaos happen right in front of their eyes as The Blasters had announced their evil ways.

"I'm not sure, Twilight. But I think The Blasters just declared war on both Earth and Equestria..." Adagio said as she and the rest of the group braced themselves for the battle ahead of them...

Author's Note

Nighty: Wait! Wat happens next?!

Adagio: You're just trying to spam suspense now, aren't you, Shadowmane?

Me: Wat can I say? I'm a guy who woves tension in stowies...

Luna: Well, you've certainly given me some tension, little one...

Celestia: Yes. You may have just created a force that nothing else can control...

Me: But it's not ovew yet. Dewe's stiww da finaw finaw confwontation ta go...

Peanut: Wooking fowawd to it...

Onyx: Me too...

Both Hades: The feeling's mutual, little ones. Jinx! You owe me a drink now, Other Me!

The Return Of King Allure

Suddenly, Adagio could hear rather loud jets from the lower levels of the building. She fought off a couple of heavy Dystopian creatures in a couple of seconds just to see what was going on. Leaning over the edge, whilst also fending off aerial warriors from Euphoria and Dystopia, she saw a rather menacing sight.

Within seconds, many different chrome androids flew out of the lower levels of the skyscraper, many of them armed with physical weapons, whilst the others were bearing weapons made out of neon energy, or bore guns that were mounted onto their hand parts. The other distinguishable feature was that they looked like metal copies of The Rainbooms, right down to the metallic accessories that was meant to represent their hairstyles. Yet, despite the similarities to the human versions, these ones all had red bars for their eyes.

A Euphorian creature was about to take down another one of the bands, but it was quickly shot out of existence due to a number of laser shots from one of the flying androids.

"Seriously?! Now what?!" Rainbow Dash asked in a displeased tone as she struggled to fend off another Dystopian monster with her jagged guitar's edges.

"They seem to be robot copies of you, Rainbooms..." Aria said, examining one of the robots who bore a striking resemblance to Fluttershy. "Though, the colouring is a little off, and red bars for eyes is so retro these days..."

"Yeah! They look nothing like us!" Rainbow Dash said as she impaled another Dystopian beast with her guitar, before using it to deflect a volley of energy shots from one of her metallic look-alikes. "First of all, I'm much more attractive!"

"Second of all, what on earth are they singing?" Pinkie Pie asked as she vaulted over one of the androids, hearing their auto-tuned singing. "It sounds like someone's mashed together one of our potential songs with some shoddy Blasters song..."

"Wait a minute, Pinkie... you're right!" Twilight said once she'd had a chance to identify the song that the robots were singing whilst they performed their synchronized assault on both the humans and the Lyrican factions. "That's one of my songs, Blasters! You have no right!"

"Hold on a sec, Twilight. Where are The Blasters?" Sunset asked as she had been given the time to survey the area. The other bands were still fighting the monsters and androids, but The Blasters had vanished from the fray entirely.

"They must have already beat it to Lyrica," Adagio looked at the sky once she skewered a number of Euphorian and Dystopian creatures with her high-speed assault. "This whole outburst must be some kind of fall-back plan, in case our brothers were ever knocked into a corner..."

"Well, if they're falling back, then so should we! Come on, Adagio! Let's get The Rainbooms out of here and give The Blasters the beat-down they deserve!" Aria said, already forming a plan of her own.

"But... But what about the other bands?" Adagio reminded Aria that every other band was duelling against the monsters, and that their numbers were quickly starting to whittle down. "They're being slaughtered out there! We can't just leave them!"

"Adagio's right! There's been far too many deaths as it is. We need to stand our ground and fight back, otherwise The Blasters'll spread their assault to the other areas of the world, decimating everything else that they can lay their eyes on!" Twilight warned them. "Knowing that this was all televised, means that the other countries of the world will be sending in military forces to help the bands out. We should stay back and push The Blasters' forces out of our world!"

"Hold on a sec, Twilight, we could just get everyone to safety, without having to worry about fighting back!" Fluttershy said, a plan already coming to fruition. "From the looks of things, these robots and these monsters are fighting against each other! We should just get the humans out of this mess, then we can go to Lyrica..."

"You know what? That might actually work, Fluttershy..." Adagio said, seeing that the Euphorians and Dystopians continue their assault against the robots. "The Blasters didn't really plan this attack out well, did they? I guess their supposed egos believed that their Lyrican forces could co-exist with artificial intelligence, but they were wrong..."

"But anyways, you're right, Fluttershy. We need to evacuate all of the humans from this cluster-fuck, then we can move on to Lyrica and face The Blasters for real," Adagio said, moving over to a band and knocking away some more forces. Kneeling down the band she'd saved, Adagio said, "Come on, Fire Frets. We're getting out of here," before turning to the rest of the Rainbooms and saying, "Well, come on, girls! They won't last long with these forces pinning them down! Get to a struggling band and help them out!"

Within seconds, The Rainbooms fought back against The Blasters' mechanised and Lyrican forces. Though most of them were unsure how to use their instruments for physical combat, they soon assumed that it was just like wielding a big club as they began mashing and bashing away at the mechs, Euphorians and Dystopians.

Through all of the chaos, they'd managed to save most of the bands from the chaos, with there being only a small amount of casualties from all of it. As all of the chaos went on, Adagio, Aria and Sonata oversaw everyone getting into certain elevators so that they could flee with their lives intact.

Eventually, everyone else had been evacuated, leaving only The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms remaining to witness the chaos happening on and around the stage. Most of the place was on fire, and the building shook violently with each massive attack. The chaos was a dead giveaway, the two-hundred and fifty storey skyscraper was going to fall, and The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings were right on top of it.

"That's the last of them! Come on, girls! Let's ge-" before Rainbow Dash could finish, she could see Euphorian and Dystopians smash the androids into the lift complex, with all of the smashed robots firing missiles that destroyed all of the lift doors and snapped the cables that were maneuvering the lifts. "-NO!"

"We're stuck up here!" Applejack said as she looked at all of their possible exits go up in pure flame.

"No we're not, girls. We just need a little back door ourselves..." Adagio said, opening up a portal to Lyrica using her pendant. "Please fasten your seatbelts and brace yourselves, this is a non-stop flight to Lyrica. There's to be no eating, drinking or smoking during our flight, as it will seriously mess you up..."

"Aww... I was gonna say that..." Sonata said as the girls all made their way through the sudden portal, disappearing right before they were about to be hit by another android's lasers.

The portal just vanished, meaning that the shot hit the wall instead. The bot that had fired it was then destroyed by another Dystopian monster, having its' servos and circuits ripped out of it with little to no effort.

There's a simplicity to war, attacking is the only secret. Just one mass orchestrated attack, and the world goes spiralling into chaos...

When the tides of war wash over us all, it's easy to feel a number of things you'd never expect. For us, this entire war had taught us that life is brief, and that it can instantly be taken away from you.

We're all in this road together:

The brave humans, blindsighted by something far greater than themselves...

The powerful Equestrians, who serve as a limitless power source for the wrong hands...

The good Lyricans, who'd been torn away from us due to the tides of war...

The Blasters, who are the epicentre of all of this death and destruction...

And us, The Dazzlings. Three misguided souls locked in a never-ending cycle of peace, hatred, and chaos...

All five sides convinced that they are on the side of the angels...

Eventually, every candle flickers out, and destiny can only be avoided for so long...

We'd tried everything in our attempts to end The Blasters' madness, but we were still too late...

Now, they've got enough power to take the Right Souls of Fury, meaning that it's time for the three of us to face our TRUE destinies...

Adagio framed her pendant with her fingers as she, Aria, Sonata and The Rainbooms soared through a mystical vortex towards Lyrica. Within seconds, Adagio had her brother's face, as well as his position projected in front of her face.

"Who is this?" Fortissimo said, looking at the caller on his end of the line.

"Your friends from the other side. It's time for you to die, Fortissimo..." Adagio said, her voice pitched in a rather serious tone as she looked at Fortissimo with a disdainful glare. "We're coming to claim your dues."

"Haven't you heard, Adagio? They say the war is over. We've won at last," Fortissimo said, speaking in a venomous tone as he addressed his little sister.

"Our war ends with you, Blasters..." said Adagio, still retaining her stern attitude.

"Like it ended with these pathetic Rainbooms?" Fortissimo pointed towards Twilight, Sunset and their human world friends. "Tell me, sister; how long did these Rainbooms make you, Aria and Sonata suffer? With them and us, we've destroyed the worlds, piece by piece. It's only a matter of time before you too take a sword to the heart, little sister..."

"Hmm... You won't have to wait long, then..." Adagio said as she cut off the transmission and saw a bright burst of light. Returning her attention to the actual world, she said to The Rainbooms, "This is it, girls! Brace for landing!"

The girls all did as they were told and got together before being consumed in a massive burst of bright light. They expected this sort of thing now, since it was common for travelling between worlds via vortex.

Eventually, The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms arrived at a massive golden door on the peak of a large snow-capped mountain. It seemed like they'd been taken to this door so that they wouldn't have had to make a massive climb instead. The door itself was a regal shade of gold, which also had a number of Furen and Blissen crystals on it. There were also some giant knockers on the door, but they seemed to be too high up to reach for any human or pony.

"Here we are, Rainbooms. The Spire of Eternity..." Adagio said as she felt the golden door with the palm of her hand. "This sacred ground was used for when Lyricans needed to make an offering to Hades, the God of Dystopia, or Jehovah, the God of Euphoria. It was also used to provide Lyricans with some safe haven during the war, but the forcefield cast by both Allure and the gods of Lyrica simply wasn't enough to repel the mass assault all those years ago..."

"The Blasters are going to use this spire to reawaken the Lyrican species, so that they can use them to end the lives of everything around them. In short, this is the mountain peak where Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral are going to kickstart a mass extinction..." she then flew up to one of the knockers and saw Aria get the other one. "I do have to warn you all that once we go through this door, there's no turning back. It's complete victory, or total annihilation..."

Adagio, Aria and Sonata opened the door wide, hearing a rather loud creak as they put every ounce of their strength into opening up so they could progress forward. A massive light poured out of the crack, which eventually died down to reveal a massive staircase in the middle of a cosmic place of existence.

"Let's go. It's time for our encore..." Adagio said, getting the entire group to walk through. Once they'd done so, the door closed behind them all, making a rather loud noise once it did so.

The stairs that everyone climbed up were quite tall and winding, with there being a bottomless plain of space to fall down if they were to fall from the wide steps. Despite the surroundings, the stairs that they climbed up were mainly a bunch of golden platforms of light, made physical due to some otherworldly force.

Rainbow Dash whistled as she looked down into the abyss. "It's a long way down..."

"Yes. we're actually climbing up the mountain's insides. Lyricans are granted this special entrance so that no outside forces can follow them without permission," Adagio said, taking in the surroundings as she watched a blue shooting star streak past her. "If you were a pony or a human, then that door would be the end of your journey, as the rest of the mountain can't be climbed from the outside..."

It didn't take long for The Dazzlings and The Rainbooms to see the top of the stairs, which they all began running up to. Not only did they want to face destiny as soon as possible, but they were running so that they wouldn't waste precious time which would give The Blasters a chance to co-ordinate another strike on the worlds.

"Well... here we are, girls..." Adagio said once they'd reached the end of the stairs, encountering a massive door that bore a striking resemblance to the one from earlier, despite it being smaller than the one before. Adagio put her hands on the knockers and pulled the door open wide, revealing the sight on the other side... "I just hope you're ready...

When the door was opened, there was a massive spire surrounded by different other peaks of the mountain, all of them made to seem more dynamic. There were Lyrican markings all over the regal floor ahead of them, with a massive spire at the end of it all. The sky was now night, with Aurora Borealis patterns streaking across it. If it wasn't for The Blasters standing there waiting for them, it would have been a rather divine tourist attraction.

"So you finally made it, girls..." Fortissimo said as he and the rest of The Blasters watched as Adagio, Aria, Sonata and The Rainbooms approach them. "You're just in time too. We were about to make an offering to the gods..."

"An offering? Why would you do that now?" Twilight asked, seeing The Blasters' smiles grow. "You already have what you want, what more could you ask for?"

"Simple..." Allegro clicked his fingers, and suddenly, all seven of The Rainbooms were in front of him and The Blasters, all of them bound by chains and gagged with Lyrican strips of energy. "Revenge."

"Now then, Dazzlings. At last, this is what we offer you," Fortissimo said, stepping back so that he was out of harm's way. "Your chance to take revenge on The Rainbooms for defeating you. Accept it, freely..."

Adagio, Aria and Sonata seemed to play along with their brothers' words, drawing their swords and taking step by step towards The Rainbooms. They raised their swords when they were close enough, but they quickly winked at the girls before throwing their swords straight into The Blasters' eyes, making them stumble back in surprise.

"That is your revenge?" Fortissimo asked, still rather calm as he watched Adagio's sword magically return to her hands, along with Aria and Sonata reclaiming their swords as well. "Are these not the infidels who destroyed your pendants? Who destroyed your way of life?" he questioned, trying to remind them of what Twilight and her friends had done to them. "Surely, this can't be the true ideal you all seek..."

The Dazzlings merely charged forward and freed The Rainbooms from their shackles and gags. Then, they threw their hands around The Rainbooms to shield them whilst they ran towards an edge of the spire.

"Fine then. We'll take your revenge for you!" Fortissimo shouted as he, Allegro and Orchestral drew their swords and charged towards The Rainbooms with fury in their eyes. They were about to behead all seven of them, but Adagio, Aria and Sonata crossed swords with them, making their assault rather short. "I'm sick and tired of watching those infants roam free! They must be murdered now!"

The fight eventually put each of The Dazzlings and each of The Blasters into a power struggle, with both sides frantically pushing back against the others' swords. Eventually, they both broke out of their struggle and gained equal amounts of ground. Both sides scoffing as they looked at their opposition.

"Long ago, during the great war, both the Right and Left Souls of Song were taken down in the bloodshed. Death is not something that can be avoided. But resurrection was a blessing for the six of us," Fortissimo began talking to The Rainbooms and The Dazzlings. "Whilst our peers were slaughtered, we were granted a chance at redemption."

"We should have faded away into nothingness. But these Souls of Song, they gave us power far beyond anything comprehensible..." he said, talking on and on about his perspective in the great war. "Both the three of us, as well as The Dazzlings here, we were gifted with all of Hades and Jehovah's power, enabling us to do extraordinary things that regular Lyricans could not..."

"A power of emotional dominance, to freely control the emotions of every living thing in existance, so that we wouldn't have to waste our breaths with singing or fighting," he said. "But, there was some complications..."

"You see, to truly tap into this power, we needed to acquire a titanic amount of both Furen and Blissen energy, meaning that we had to take up Furen Arts when we gained our Left Souls of Bliss," Allegro carried on. "At first, it made us seem like overpowered outcasts, but we eventually adapted to this nature and continued our duties without qualm or hesitation."

"You three are also capable of controlling the emotions of everyone, but you would have to take up Blissen Arts in order to do so, Dazzlings. And judging from the amount of time you all have left, I'd say you're up a creek without a paddle, or any arms for that matter," Orchestral said, sniggering as he did so.

"And during the Battle of the Bands, while it is true that Equestrian Magic is extraordinary in terms of power, our little sisters made quite the miscalculation back then..." Fortissimo said. "If it weren't for their Dark Magic holding them back, they would have been put in the position we are now. But that is not what's relevant now," Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral grew their dragon wings and extended hair for the next part. "Now the time has come, for our Lyricans to be restored, for the Magic of Friendship to die, and for the three of us to fuse together and ascend to the throne as Allure, the Siren King!"

"You're insane, Blasters! Any species you restore will only result in death and destruction on a colossal magnitude!" Adagio warned them. "You may find peace, but the other Lyricans will be afraid and disgusted with all of the crap you three have pulled over the years!"

"It matters not what they think, little sisters..." Fortissimo smirked once again as he, Allegro and Orchestral glowed bright blue on the left sides of their bodies. Not only that, but their armour became much more angelic as they did so, to compliment their new left sides. The final touch, was that their left eyes were now shining blue. "They will appreciate their return, and now that we shall safeguard them, now that we have the power to take any magic and make ourselves stronger than ever before..."

"Shall we start with the Magic of Friendship?" Allegro asked evilly as The Blasters all held their palms out toward The Rainbooms, instantly making them writhe and scream in pain as massive amount of the Magic of Friendship leaked out of their bodies.

The Dazzlings watched The Rainbooms suffer, then leaped in to help them get back on their feet. They were both mortified and furious with The Blasters for making their friends and mother cry out in pain like this.

"Take them if it pleases you, Dazzlings. They are nothing more than free-willed foetuses to us now..." Fortissimo smiled as the last drops of the Magic of Friendship flew into their bodies, making them shine with a rainbow outline. Their hairs also grew rainbow streaks when they had taken it all.

"Come. It is time for us to take back the Right Souls of Fury, Dazzlings..." Fortissimo said as he drew his swords, ready for a fight with Adagio, Aria and Sonata. "You've been joyriding with them for long enough, and now it's time for us to relieve you of your burdens..."

Suddenly, The Blasters were barraged with smoke bombs and camera flashes from a nearby source. When the smoke had cleared, they could see The Snapshot and The Illusions, who had travelled with them along with three familiar figures.

"Laments?" Sonata said, looking at the Lyricans that were helping the six humans escort The Rainbooms to safety.

"Don't worry, The Rainbooms are secure," Requiem said with a smile.

"You've got our permission to show them what you got, Dazzlings!" Trixie said, giving them the go ahead.

"What on Lyrica was that?" Fortissimo said, confused and bewildered by what he'd just witnessed.

"Just some of our friends coming to help us out. Despite the fact that they'll just be cheering us on," Adagio said, seeming rather confident once again. "But even so, their friendship is gonna help us defeat you and save the worlds!"

Allegro merely scoffed once more. "We no longer concern ourselves for what these maggots do to help you, Dazzlings..."

"But anyways, little sisters, the Right Souls of Fury must now return to rightful owners..." Fortissimo's swords were once more drawn along with the swords of Allegro and Orchestral.

"Then just try and take them from us, brother!" Adagio taunted, setting a battle in stone for her and The Dazzlings.

"Very well then..." Orchestral smiled. "It is your deathwish, after all..."

Within seconds, The Dazzlings and The Blasters charged towards each other, their swords clashing violently and quickly. However, this time, things were different. When they were not in range of their opponents, both The Dazzlings and The Blasters' slashes summoned Lyrican monsters that would usually be summoned at the end of a battle to deal the finishing blow. It was with this intensity that both sides knew that they were not holding back this time.

"Sumbrek Kale!" Fortissimo said, calling out a flying serpent to aid him in battle. It lunged towards The Dazzlings with every sword slash, to compliment Fortissimo's already deadly series of sword strikes and slashes.

Though The Dazzlings did manage to land some strikes on The Blasters, they felt no pain at all, or were merely pushed back due to the armour that they were wearing. Still, Adagio, Aria and Sonata continued to press their assault, ready to end the nightmare once and for all.

"Kilshek!" Adagio uttered, firing a massive laser of energy that pushed Fortissimo and Allegro into a mountain and lightly clipped one of Orchestral's wings. "Damn! Thought I could hit all of them..."

"Don't worry, Dagi. I got Orchy," Sonata said, tackling Orchestral. "You and Ari just deal with Forty and Allegro!"

"Your insolence ends HERE!" Fortissimo said, throwing his hands above his head to conjure up another spell. "Staragon Metoreza!"

Within seconds, massive meteors were raining onto the Spire of Eternity, dealing considerable collateral damage and nearly flattening The Dazzlings completely. And, if that wasn't enough for them, they were also locking swords with each of The Blasters again and again, desperately trying to prevent their victory.

Eventually, each of The Dazzlings and each of The Blasters were rapidly slashing at each other, trying to break through the other's assault and deal a flurry of fatal blows to them. Finally, The Dazzlings broke through The Blasters' attacks and left them reeling.

Seeing that their opponents had let their guard down, Adagio, Aria and Sonata followed their assault up by knocking The Blasters into the air and driving their heels directly into their backs, causing them to fall towards the Spire of Eternity at a fast pace. Once their opponents had crashed, The Dazzlings began brutally jabbing The Blasters' armour, piercing through the gilded angelic and black plating to eventually strike flesh.

When The Dazzlings thought they'd won, they were suddenly assaulted by blue and red orbs fired from the impaled bodies of The Blasters.

"Emzel Kringera!" The Dazzlings said, summoning their Hippocampi to finish the job. However, they were instantly removed from existence when The Blasters jumped out and sliced their heads clean off. "Hurgrinla!" they then said, bringing up Cthulhu to strike their opponents down.

The Blasters merely impaled Cthulhu's eyes and then grabbed The Dazzlings by their necks, making them immediately drop their swords as they struggled to breathe.

"In the end, you are still our little sisters..." Fortissimo said, watching The Dazzlings squirm in The Blasters' grasp. "The Right Souls might be powerful. But that power is nothing without someone to control it..."

"These Lyricans will take them, and show you how they were truly meant to be used..." he said as The Blasters sheathed their swords and raised their free hands.

Adagio, Aria and Sonata could only speak choking noises as they watched The Blasters steal a massive concentration of red energy from their bodies. They felt lifeless as it left their bodies and entered The Blasters' bodies. A sign of defeat washed over them. The Blasters now had both of the Souls of Song, and were now capable of reviving the Lyrican species.

Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral sighed in content as the energy entered their bodies. It made their right sides look much more demonic than usual, with spiky red armour, laced with Furen crystals. Finally, their right eyes turned a malicious shade of red, a similar shade to the ones that The Dazzlings usually used when summoning beasts. Finally, they threw The Dazzlings to The Rainbooms, The Laments, The Snapshots and The Illusions as they basked in their victory.

"And so, it shall be..." Fortissimo started as The Blasters now drew demonic right swords and angelic left swords. "The power of the gods courses through me. And I shall rule over all of life as time demands it!"

The Blasters all put the tips of their six swords together before a burst of blue and red light consumed the Spire of Eternity completely.

When the light died down, the platform they were on was still there, but instead of the being on the mountain, they were now in a spectral plain of existence with Furen and Blissen energy visible as far as the eye could see.

The Dazzlings got to their feet as an almighty figure with blue and red skin descended on the platform. He was carrying two rather large swords in his hands. One of which looked like the embodiment of all evil, whilst the other looked like a sword representation of the power of hope and light. He was wearing a sharp crown atop his head, and had wings made entirely out of Furen and Blissen crystals.

KING ALLURE

"To be the god who controls the psychology of all life, to conquer everyone through emotions... a power meant only for King Allure," he said, his voice sounding like space was warping around him whilst he spoke. "Earth and Equestria's species are jokes, they are nothing more than worthless idiots. They need only bow before Lyrican Sirens!"

As everyone watched what was happening around them, they were shown screens with horrifying visages. All of the humans of Earth and all of the ponies of Equestria now had blue left eyes and red right eyes. They were all under Allure's spell, ready for them to have their lives taken by his soon-to-be restored Lyricans.

"Humans and ponies shouldn't be told what to do, just because their emotions shackle them!" Twilight said, bravely making a stand with Sunset and her friends by her side.

"A flawed vision of freedom from a confused Alicorn," Allure said, looking at Twilight and The Rainbooms' bold stand. "Do you fools have any idea what your dreams will lead to?"

"We may let emotions cloud our true selves..." Sunset said, taking step by step forward as The Laments drew their swords for a final showdown to determine the fate of all worlds. "We may be driven by greed, rage, lust, or sorrow, but we always have control of ourselves, Allure! No matter what you may think, what you may say, or what you believe, we are fully in control of ourselves! That is the nature of life itself!"

"Dazzlings? Laments? Girls? Should we show them?" Sunset said, boosting confidence as all of The Rainbooms grew their hair, wings and pony ears for a final showdown.

"Let's rock!" everyone else said together, raising their weapons for the fight ahead of them.

Within seconds, King Allure was the first one to attack. His sword swings created shockwaves that seemed like half of the size of the platform itself. He quickly followed this up by moving at fast speeds and punching the ground, creating a massive pillar of energy all around him. He almost struck all of his opponents, but he just missed them by a few inches.

Following his attack, Adagio, Aria, Sonata, Requiem, Andante and Bellicoso all began striking Allure in various different places, but it seemed like he wasn't flinching at all. Instead, he merely continued his attacks like he wasn't even being hit at all.

"Why aren't our attacks doing any damage?!" Aria asked as she watched Allure create a black hole in his hands and throw it into the center of the platform, making everyone frantically try and run away from it. It was all in vain, however, as the black hole pulled everyone into it.

Within the short span of two seconds, they were barraged with what looked like stars and all kinds of cosmic things before they were spat back out of the black hole and smashed into the ground by one of Allure's powerful kicks.

Everyone got back up onto their feet and began their attacks on Allure. The Dazzlings and The Laments tried to go in for sword slashes and Lyrican Magic, whilst The Rainbooms had rainbow-energy wrapping itself around their fists and boots, enhancing their physical capabilities. As for The Snapshots and The Illusions, they'd been granted enhanced versions of their everyday items, which could now be used to defeat evil. Trixie, Fuchsia and Lavender were now using wands to fire all kinds of spectral energy at Allure, whilst Photo Finish, Pixel and Violet were using their Journalizers to do all kinds of unique things, such as calling in laser barrages from above Allure's head and firing powerful flashes that would stun him for a brief period of time.

"You insects!" Allure said, putting his swords together and swirling the double-edged weapon around like a baton. Whilst he did this, powerful hurricanes assaulted the groups, making all of them fight against the wind in an attempt to stay on the platform. "You will not live to see another day with your fiendish actions!"

Seeing that Allure was starting to get worked up, The Dazzlings noticed his attacks were continuously coming with absolutely no end in sight. He was constantly slashing, calling in Lyrican spells, and doing all kinds of otherworldly things that not even The Blasters could have done before.

However, his attack pattern became predictable when Adagio watched for five seconds more, so she went with the flow of the battle and slashed Allure straight across his chest, making him flinch for once.

"His guard's down!" Adagio said, already seeing that The Rainbooms were moving in for punch and kick combos. And though Fluttershy didn't really put much effort into her blows, they were still powerful enough to at least hit Allure. "Attack!"

Soon, everyone was barraging King Allure with their unique weapons and powers. It wasn't long before he was about to meet his end as he began to receive cut marks and bruises.

With one final group punch, The Rainbooms knocked Allure out of the plain of existence and into actual space. He was still alive, and rather furious by the looks of things.

"So, it has come to this, you infantile specks of dust!" Allure banged his swords together and took in a massive amount of Furen and Blissen energy. "You force my hand! I had hoped that this could have ended with your quick and painless death!"

Allure raised his hands, creating six galaxy-sized manifestations of The Dazzlings and The Blasters in the background of space. As soon as they were all together at the same time, they began to sing at a deafening volume. Their song let out soundwaves of light which rained down upon The Dazzlings and their friends before travelling to the three worlds in the trinity.

"Oh no... We're too late!" Adagio said, remembering that song all too well. "The Song of Resurrection!"

"You are correct, Adagio Dazzle," Allure said, grinning deviously as he destroyed the platform entirely with a simple wave of his hand, causing everyone to float in the depths of space. "And now, the Lyrican species shall return from the grave!"

As if existence reacted to his words, Allure saw many different blue and red lights rise up from all three worlds, each one marking a Lyrican Siren's return from the grip of death. His plan was complete, and now the Lyricans could take revenge on Earth and Equestria for the tragedy they'd been through.

"Lyricans! The war still rages on!" Allure said, reaching the ears of all of the Lyricans around the three worlds. "Defeat every human and pony that stands in your way, and we will finally know peace and prosperity once more!"

"You see, Rainbooms? This is the power that has been granted to me! The power to destroy and conquer all who fail to live by the Balance of Lyrica!" he said, relishing in his victory as The Rainbooms looked rather furious with him. "And now, I'm going to do what The Dazzlings should have done, seventeen years ago!" he then took in another large quantity of Furen and Blissen energy before saying, "Lyrica Allure Supremacy Projection, Initiate!"

Within seconds, Allure was surrounded in a tidal wave of blue and red energy. It completely swirled around him, bending to his desires alone. He used all of this energy to become the beating heart of the giant projection that would spell defeat for his opponents.

Allure vanished into a giant red and blue projection, which became larger and larger until it took on a menacing form. The giant beast that was now gazing upon the heroes had a completely demonic right side, and a completely angelic left side. Both sides wielded massive swords and were now using their power to open up dimensional fissures in the fabric of reality. Allure's true power was revealed, and it was ready to lead him to victory.

"We're not afraid anymore, Allure! We've been through many ups and downs together, but we had control of ourselves the whole time!" Twilight said, holding hands with all of her friends. "Your power is almighty, but as long as we control our friendships, we can control our emotions as well!"

"There's no power that is able to stand up to the power of Lyricans, humans and ponies working together in perfect harmony!" Adagio said as she and The Dazzlings held hands with The Rainbooms, prompting The Laments, The Snapshots and The Illusions to do the same. They eventually made a giant heart out of the nineteen of them holding hands together. "When all three species combine in friendship and harmony, their combined strength is enough to pierce any evil's might and create a new era of happiness and peace for all! You failed to notice this, Blasters, and this is what shall be your end!"

A massive rainbow light consumed all of Allure's opponents, empowering them to levels beyond comprehension. Whilst they were in the light, all of the girls were given regal robes with their Cutie Marks woven onto them. This was topped off with all of the girls being given tiaras to wear as well, as well as their hair becoming pure rainbow and their eyes glowing all the shades of the aforementioned rainbow. As for The Laments, they also had a rainbow transformation, but they were now garbed in rather princely clothing, topped with a prince crowns for each of them.

They were still holding hands, but they were now in the body of their own projection. Theirs was a massive centaur queen who shone majestically. She was also gifted with Lyrican wings, as a sign that all three different species were controlling her. The last important detail was that each of her hands was now wielding a massive royalty sceptre with a colossal rainbow orb at the tip of each.

"Now, with the humans of Earth, the ponies of Equestria, and the Sirens of Lyrica together in perfect harmony, we too have become god-like, meaning we can defeat you, stop the bloodshed, and win the day for all!" Everyone said together, as if holding their hands had made them one unified life-form. "Together, with one principle for us to follow, we shall always prevail over darkness: Friendship is Magic!"

With that last quote, the battle began with both Allure and the heroes all charging towards each other, their projections doing all of the fighting for them. To the naked eye, it seemed like two giant titans duking it out in the cosmos, but it truth, it was nineteen heroes fighting against one corrupt king of the Sirens.

With each powerful strike from both the heroes' projection and Allure's projection, space rippled and warped around them. This would ultimately be the true fight that shaped the future for everyone.

Both Allure and the heroes all had a wide variety of attacks, such as dimensional swings, throwing galaxies, firing universal-sized orbs of rainbow energy. They would even try turning back time to heal themselves, but the only ones who found success with this was the heroes. Allure tried it himself, but always had his concentration broken when he was about to heal.

Allure and the heroes all charged into each other once again, butting heads as they did so. Then, they took in massive amounts of energy to prepare a laser struggle. The lasers were enormous, and could have just as easily ended all life as everyone knew it, but things were still living and breathing as the lasers pushed against each other violently.

Eventually, the heroes broke through Allure's many attacks and defences, leaving him vulnerable to a series of magical deluges. However, Allure was quickly able to kick and slash away each and every single deluge that was fired, before kicking the heroes' projection towards the trinity.

Then, Allure lunged at the heroes, making them gasp as he planned on ramming them straight into all three worlds, effectively and quickly ending all life if this attack was a success. However, he quickly saw his targets teleport away, then reappear behind him as they H-bombed his head.

The heroes then stood in front of all three worlds in the trinity, before they watched Allure get ready for a powerful finishing move.

"YOU HAVE STOOD IN MY WAY FOR LONG ENOUGH, FOOLS!" Allure screamed as he held out his hands like claws, spawning two massive sphere that he'd used for a devastating attack. "YOU WILL ALL DIE SCREAMING, KNOWING THAT YOU FAILED TO SAVE YOUR INSOLENT SPECIES!"

As the heroes braced themselves for the upcoming attack, The Dazzlings were suddenly found in a black plain of existence, with nothing of life to be seen.

"Hello? Anyone?" Adagio asked, trying to find some life that wasn't Aria or Sonata. "Oh, god. Don't tell me we lost..."

"You haven't lost, Dazzlings," The Laments appeared before them. "And you never will again..." Within seconds, The Laments were accompanied by every other Lyrican Siren in existence, except for The Blasters.

"You are right, Dazzlings. The Blasters have gone off the deep end and are merely using us to benefit themselves," a female Lyrican said. "Though our bodies won't be able to help you fight back against him, our spirits will give you strength."

"We came to a decision, and our combined spirits will instantly make you become our new ruler. You will be able to cast out King Allure and rise to the throne yourselves, so you can save us all," a male Lyrican said now. "Do you think you can do it?"

"Yes," Adagio said to her kind. "I don't think I can do it, though. I know that we can do it!"

"Then let us empower you..." Requiem said as all of the Lyricans who were surrounding them turned into balls of blue and red energy. All of which smashed against The Dazzlings' bodies and turned their Hippocampi wings into wings made out of pure Furen and Blissen crystal. When their transformation was complete, and their bodies glowed brightly, they were taken out of the plain of darkness, back to the fight at hand.

Adagio, Aria and Sonata leapt out of the giant projection and threw themselves straight at Allure's attack, which he smashed the orbs together to create a colossal laser of universal proportions that was sure to end the lives of all who were caught in the blast.

"Dazzlings!" everyone cried out as Adagio, Aria and Sonata took the full brunt of Allure's attack, whilst they remained shielded behind them.

However, what happened next, no-one could have guessed...

The Dazzlings shone radiantly, and had massive rainbow wings that were just visible out of the sides of the massive laser of destruction. The laser was eventually broken altogether, revealing three Lyricans fusing together into one being.

Another burst of light took the eyes of everyone, and within seconds, The Dazzlings had become similar to that of King Allure, but they seemed much more queen-like. They were now garbed in queen-like armour, carrying exact copies of the swords that Allure was using, and they too had wings made purely out of Lyrican crystal. And the new being's hair was a complete combination of the hairstyles of Adagio, Aria and Sonata.

They shone brightly when they raised their swords, ready for the final phase of the battle.

"W-WHAT ARE YOU?!" Allure asked through a scowl as he looked at what The Dazzlings had become.

"My name is Queen Unity, the true heir to Lyrica's throne," Unity said, her voice sounding like space was warping as well. "And your time on the throne is over, Allure! Now's the time for your abdication!"

Queen Unity flew towards Allure to face him, whilst the rest of the group still controlled the projection. Together, they were a tag-team of gods, going up against the false Lyrican King. The team quickly watched as the manifestations that were singing the Song of Resurrection vanished, as a new song swept across the worlds.

"Do you hear that, Allure? Do you hear the chorus of Lyricans?" Queen Unity asked as she got up close to King Allure's projection and slashed at the Lyrican controlling it. "They're celebrating our march to victory, and your road to defeat!"

"THEIR SONG MEANS NOTHING TO ME! YOU WILL ALL DIE IN UNTHINKABLE AGONY, YOU... YOU MINDLESS APES!" Allure still put up a fight, blasting both the heroes and Queen Unity with all kinds of Lyrican spells, most of them involving the very galaxies around them fighting against them and trying to deal them harm and suffering.

However, Allure was starting to get worn down, and his attacks all seemed the same. It didn't take long for Queen Unity and the heroes from the three worlds to charge in and prepare fatal blows. Dodging all of Allure's attacks, Unity and the heroes co-ordinated their attacks flawlessly, knocking him across the cosmos and having various different meteors strike his back.

Their attacks were starting to make the projection fade, a sign that they were close to triumphing over King Allure and saving everything, everywhere. However, it still wasn't over as Allure took in all of the energy he could, ready for his true final attack. Seeing that Allure was charging up such a powerful attack, the heroes all did the same by taking in massive concentrations of energy themselves.

The two lasers that were fired then were so large that even the projections seemed like dwarves. However, in the midst of all of this carnage, Unity was nowhere to be found.

In fact, Unity was spiralling around the lasers, flying closer and closer to Allure's body, ready to strip him of his projection and leave him vulnerable. It took her a while to reach Allure, and she could see that the heroes were already starting to struggle with putting up a fight. But eventually, she made it to the Siren King and tackled him out of his projection, letting him become consumed by the colossal burst of light as she then teleported away from the laser.

Allure's screams could be heard, but he was still alive. The laser had only harmed him, not finished him off completely. He seemed to have calmed down as well, but he was ready to go for another round nonetheless.

"You cannot win, heroes from the worlds," he said, calming down as he clutched his wounds. "Don't you realize that my powers rival that of your own?"

"True, but you've got one fatal flaw about you, Allure," Unity said with a smirk. "And that's just going to come out when you unleash your true power..."

"So, it's my true power you wish to see?" Allure said in an egotistical tone of voice as he prepared to unleash an even more devastating attack than before. "Then you shall have your wish..."

Whilst Allure charged up power, the heroes and Unity just stood by and watched him. They waited in anticipation to hear just what Allure's true power was, and the mistake that it carried.

Allure's power went off of the charts as his strength spiked massively with all of the energy he was consuming.

But suddenly, Allure's wings lost their colours, his eyes turned normal, and his skin became regular skin. He gasped as he felt a sudden pain build up inside of him. It was this pain that had also stopped him from charging up a fatal attack. Looking around in panic, he then heard Unity state the fatal flaw about him.

"The true power of King Allure, is thoughtlessness: The power to erase all thinking from all life that isn't himself," Unity said, her smile growing wider and wider as she watched Allure begin to struggle. "Including, the very emotions that allow him to use his power..."

"NO!" Allure screamed in denial as his plan quickly began to unravel.

"Wait a second, Dazzlings. What'll happen if no-one's able to think anymore?" Twilight asked, a projection of herself being transmitted out of the projection to address Queen Unity.

"Then the worlds will either self-destruct, or they'll create their own destinies," Unity said with a serious look once more. "It all depends on who should truly win the day..."

"You... Worthless..." Allure scowled at everyone before he was suddenly enveloped in a massive burst of light.

Within seconds, The Blasters appeared in Allure's place, but their power all flew out of their pendants, making them weaker and weaker by the second. They frantically tried to grasp onto their energy, but it was like trying to grab thin air. Eventually, their pendants lost all of their colour, and all of the energy flew into Queen Unity.

With another powerful burst of light, Unity turned back into The Dazzlings, who all had wings made out of Lyrican crystal instead of their usual Hippocampi wings. They also had pony ears, extended hair, and the swords that Unity was wielding before. Their eyes opened up and they were enveloped in an endless field of red and blue energy.

"W-Wait, Adagio! L-L-Let's talk about this for a sec..." Fortissimo got extraordinarily nervous as he saw the scenario in front of him. He had failed, and his plans were now unravelling.

"The time for talking is OVER, brother! Now is the time for your punishment!" Adagio said, impaling Fortissimo straight through his heart with no hesitations or qualms whatsoever.

Aria and Sonata did the same with their evil brothers, hearing the three Lyricans howl out in pain. But even then, The Dazzlings weren't finished with The Blasters.

Adagio, Aria and Sonata then began to pound The Blasters all across the plains of existence, beating them senseless as they unleashed the most powerful magical and physical attacks they could ever muster up. Eventually, they left The Blasters covered in cut marks and bruises. And now it was time for the finishing blow.

"Sarek Jungrin, Plirak Ningrelex, Taraclon Zera, Emzel Kringera!" The Dazzlings said, channelling the most powerful energies they'd ever used before.

"Humanity, Equnity, Sirenity, Friendship. These powers must now combine!" The heroes in the projection said as they too conjured up powerful magic themselves.

"BRING FORTH THE LIGHT THAT EXTINGUISHES DARKNESS, AND USHERS IN A NEW MILLENNIUM!" everyone said together as they all put all of their hands above them. Once they did, colossal streams of energy flew out of all of their bodies and began spiralling together into one massive torrent of energy.

The energy then hit a massive seal which depicted all three different species in the trinity. Once it did, a massive arm with five fingers descended from the seal, which was now cloaked in clouds and sunlight. The hand held itself out before it took in a massive amount of energy, ready to decimate The Blasters completely and end their lives in seconds.

"Limit Exceeded! Big Bang Bonus!" Pinkie Pie said out of nowhere, just as the hand was about to fire a spell that would finish The Blasters off for good.

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked, turning to Pinkie Pie for a brief instance.

"Heard that in a game as well..." Pinkie smiled as everyone returned their attention to the hand which was just about to win for them.

The hand fired a colossal wave of energy that instantly consumed The Blasters and shot them across the cosmos. All the while, their bodies began to peel away as if they were fading out of existence.

Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral cried out in pain before they looked down at their pendants. The new attack was so powerful that their Furen and Blissen pendants received multiple cracks before they exploded with terratons of force, consuming The Blasters in massive explosions of red and blue energy. All that could be heard was The Blasters' dying screams as the blast was barely visible from the hand's stream of power.

However, it wasn't over yet, as Adagio, Aria and Sonata began to channel more energy as they took in all of the magic that The Blasters' explosion was now revealing. Their wings glowed constantly as they began to sing the final song that would fix the damage that Fortissimo and his Blasters had done over the years.

The song itself was a pleasure to listen to, and it was already making the hand perform a powerful series of magical tricks. By building up energy once again, the hand then launched rainbow-coloured pulses down on Earth, Equestria and Lyrica, freeing everyone from Allure's power and getting the Lyricans to stop their assault.

Whilst all of the humans of Earth and the ponies of Equestria watched in awe, the Lyrican Sirens that once tried to kill them then teleported back home, where the song was calling them. Once they'd vanished, all of the chaos that The Blasters had done reversed itself. Maneorca was restored, as was Dubairaffe. Every Euphoria and Dystopia troop that was still attacking had also vanished in the light, never again to cause trouble.

Finally, Adagio, Aria and Sonata channelled their singing to do something that no other Lyrican could do before. With perfect rhythm and exceptional musical work, The Dazzlings used the massive hand to restore all of Lyrica to its' former glory. Castles and civilizations were instantly fixed, the skies turned clear and sunny for the days ahead, and flowers and grass began to grow on the once war-torn world.

When they'd stopped, the hand disappeared and everyone was consumed in another flash of light. They'd won against all odds, and now they were going back to the Spire of Eternity. Everyone smiled when the light enveloped them once again. They felt like this time, they'd truly won over evil...

Author's Note

Hello, everyone. I just wanted to let you know that this isn't the end of the Siren Song. Well, technically it is, but I've still got to do the Epilogue, so I can truly close this series up. But even so, I did it! I finished my trilogy before Season 5 begun!

Luna: Well, good for you, little one...

Celestia: Yes, not even I have words for the amazing battle you wrote...

KI Hades: Yes, I mean there's over NINE-THOUSAND words in this chapter. And yes, I did just make that reference, for all you bronies out there.

Nighty: Yoo must be tiwed, bwodew...

Me: (Yawns) How did yoo know, bwodew?

Nighty: Yoo've been wowking on dis twiwogy since Wainbow Wocks went into cinemas...

Peanut Butter: Yeah. Yoo've gotta take a bweak fwom witing sometimes, Shad...

Me: Weww, Season 5's gonna be on my mind now, so I tink I can get back ta my odew stowies. And hey, I might just have some new Season 5 stowies coming soon...

Adagio: Well, until then, (Picks me up) I think you need some rest, little one...

Me: Otay, Dagi... (I snuggle into her arms)

(Epilogue) A New Era, Lead By A New Queen

When the light died down, everyone found themselves back on the Spire of Eternity. Only, there were some differences. For one thing, the sky was now coming to a rather beautiful sunrise. As the sun shone onto the very spire that was once the final arena, everyone basked in the warmth of its' radiance.

"Is it... really over?" Sunset asked, seeing everything become rather tranquil.

"Yes, Sunset. It is over..." Adagio said, sighing as she looked out into the distance, seeing the world return to a much more vibrant state. "The Blasters have been erased from existence, King Allure has fallen, and we've saved everyone, everywhere from our kind..."

"What about my friends?" Twilight asked. "My Equestria friends. Where are they?"

"Oh yes, about that..." Adagio's wings shone brightly as she projected a picture of Twilight's friends from Equestria. It showed them being transformed from Lyricans back into ponies. "When The Blasters died, their spell died along with them. Your friends are now ponies again, Twilight. And they're fast asleep in your castle, waiting for you to return home..."

"All the chaos that The Blasters sowed, all the lies they told everyone, all the reputation they built up in the three worlds..." Aria watched as the projection showed everything related to The Blasters vanish with a simple wave of her hand. "...Is now nothing more than a fairytale..."

"Even their marks are gone, so people and ponies are now in control of their own emotions again. They can now freely choose what they think about things again, instead of having to be swayed by the songs of three lunatics..." Adagio smiled as she watched everything return to normal. "Oh, and before I shoot myself in the foot for saying that, I suppose I should mention that The Blasters controlled us with Dark Magic back then. Now that they're gone, the past is all behind us, and we can move forward into a new millennium..."

"Uhh... Just before we go, do you think I could ask, what's with those crystal wings you've got, Dazzlings?" Rainbow Dash asked, examining the fact that The Dazzlings did indeed have wings made entirely out of crystal now.

"Rainbow Dash is right. Those wings are simply magnificent!" Rarity swooned over how majestic the blue and red crystals were placed. "Although, I would like to know how Lyricans acquire such wings, of course..."

"That's because Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk are now Lyrican Royalty," a Lyrican Siren said, appearing with every other Lyrican group that had been wiped out by the war. "For showing pure hearts, undying courage, true devotion, valiance, and trust, The Dazzlings have become the new heirs to the Lyrican throne..."

"Adagio Dazzle, you have done today one of the most valiant feats of all of Lyricankind," another Lyrican said, making The Dazzlings salute as they knew what was coming next. "And even though your past records state that you were quite barbaric, tried forcing another war down everyone's throats, constantly overate during those times..."

"We get the picture, Intimo," Aria said, sighing as every memory of their darkness was brought up again.

"And yet, despite all those sins..." Intimo put his hand on each of The Dazzlings' shoulders. "You three have saved us all..."

"Furens, Blissens, Distinguished guests from Earth and Equestria," Symphonia appeared and began announcing, getting everyone else to become a makeshift Lyrican audience. "Today is a day for celebration."

"After many years of lying in the cold embrace of death, we are finally back to our former glory. Though, we have had to say goodbye to one of our former elite teams; The Blasters, I am sure that our new Lyrican Queen and her three vessels will find suitable and manageable replacements for them all," Symphonia continued with his speech. "Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk, arise from your salute, and awaken the new queen of Lyrica..."

The Dazzlings complied with Symphonia's words, and lit up their wings majestically. Once they had done so, a white magical chain linked between the wings before it made The Dazzlings glow bright and fuse together once more. When the light died down, Queen Unity stood in their place.

"And now, Unity, it is time to mark the arrival of a whole new time for not only our people, but for the people of Equestria and of Earth," Symphonia said, conjuring up a Lyrican sovereign orb and sceptre for Unity to hold. both pieces were entirely made out of crystal, with the right sides being made out of Furen crystal, and the left sides made out of Blissen crystal. "By taking this sovereign orb and sceptre, you embody the highest principles of the Lyrican Sirens: Peace, Stability, and Control. And so, it is my duties to announce that in the presence of Hades, the god of Dystopia, and Jehovah, the god of Euphoria, I crown you, Unity, made of The Dazzlings, Queen of the Lyrican Sirens."

Cheers and applause rose up once Unity handed back the orb and sceptre before being transformed back into Adagio, Aria and Sonata. Everyone in the audience was so pleased with The Dazzlings for saving them and the worlds.

"And now, to honour the traditions of a Lyrican Coronation, you three have the choice of singing any song you wish, regardless of what you choose..." Symphonia said, allowing them to choose.

"Actually... I have one song that I've been meaning to sing for a while..." Adagio said, her wings magically projecting the musical score that made the music for her and The Dazzlings. "One that truly helps us finally feel at ease..."

Everyone got to their feet and began swaying with how bittersweet The Dazzlings' choice of music was. Just from the pace of it alone, they knew it was going to be a rather emotional song that they were about to sing. Even Symphonia braced himself for a mellow melody from Adagio, Aria and Sonata.

So many pains
All of those years wandering
All we could do
Was travel and sing

Death makes you do
Things you'd usually detest
Now that it's done
Things are the best...

But now the show is over
The nightmare's all gone
We're already moving again
Underneath the break of dawn...

Adagio, Aria and Sonata's singing was so sweet and heartwarming that almost instantly, they'd captured the hearts of everyone watching. Not only that, but they'd opened up communications with Equestria and Earth, so that their song could be heard by everyone.

After the storm
A rainbow alights
Freeing us all
From the pain of those plights
And under the lights
We now know true bliss
Now that we know
That nothing's amiss...

The song continued, but for this chorus, The Dazzlings sang together softly. They'd been through quite a lot throughout this whole ordeal, and just wanted to sing a song of closure, so they could finally forget the past.

We were once children
Best in our range
Until the war went out
And everything changed

Scarred by that conflict
For oh so long
Then we all knew what we'd done wrong

And now the battle's over
The gunfire has died down
Now that the bloodshed is over
We'll keep harmony around...

Once more, Adagio, Aria and Sonata took turns in singing, their wings glowing beautifully as they did so. Now, they were coming together to help The Dazzlings ring in a new age of peace and prosperity.

After the storm
A rainbow alights
Freeing us all
From the pain of those plights
And under the lights
We now know true bliss
Now that we know
That nothing's amiss...

This time, everyone was singing along with The Dazzlings, all of them channelling their voices to help them feel better. Together, they all began flying upwards, channelling rainbow energy as they did so. Even The Snapshots and The Illusions were getting in on it, travelling skyward with everyone as they soared into the skies.

From there, a wonderful series of rainbows could be seen. All of them arching across Lyrica, as a sign that things would only get better and better from there on out.

All of those tears
Were finally shed
Yet echoes of screams
Still ring in my head...

Adagio, Aria and Sonata sang together, then took the song into the final chorus.

After the storm
A rainbow alights
Freeing us all
From the pain of those plights
And under the lights
We'll sing one last song
Now that we know
That nothing's wrong...

From there, everyone on all of the worlds sang together, so that they too could bring the peace to every living thing, everywhere. Together, the three species were finally in perfect harmony with one another, and nothing would change that...

"Aww... Do we really have to say goodbye, Dazzlings?" Pinkie Pie asked as she and everyone else looked at the two separate portals, one leading to Earth and the other leading to Equestria.

"Sorry, Pinkie Pie, but we've got business to attend to as the new Queen of Lyrica," Adagio told her, tussling her hair as she did so. "We need to make sure that the species maintains the Balance of Lyrica, as well as keep the rest of our kind in line..."

"But hey, that doesn't mean we won't drop by for visits every now and then," Sonata said, making Pinkie feel somewhat better.

"Now run along, everyone. Your worlds need you..." Adagio said as she watched The Snapshots and The Illusions step back through the portal, waving their goodbyes as they did so.

"Now, Sunset. You've got a choice to make this time..." Twilight said, showing Sunset the two portals. "Where do you want to live? Equestria, where you can have a brand new start? Or Earth, the birthplace of your new you?"

"It's alright in whatever choice ya make, sugar. We'll be waitin' fer ya ta drop by if'n ya choose ta go with Twilight..." Applejack said, putting a hand on Sunset's shoulder as the choice loomed over her.

"Well, now that all of this is over, and The Blasters are gone for good, I don't really think that there's any other reason to stay on Earth anymore," Sunset said, showing some logic in her analysis. "And if any threat does arise there, Adagio and the Lyricans will mop it up in record time, right?"

"You have our word, Sunset Shimmer..." Adagio saluted, making Sunset blush.

"And I think that there's a little piece of you back in Equestria as well, Sunset..." a voice said, emanating from the other side of the portal to Equestria. "Do you remember me?"

"Princess Celestia..." Sunset acknowledged the voice in the other side of the portal, before Celestia actually showed her face appear in front of the portal.

"Twilight's been telling me that you've done some incredible things during your time on the other worlds. Freeing The Dazzlings from Dark Magic, standing up to a king, and making all kinds of wonderful new friends..." Celestia acknowledged all of Sunset's accomplishments. "Because of this, I've wiped your record clean, so that you can return home without any complications..."

"I'm sure that my friends would love to meet the new you, Sunset..." Twilight put her hand on Sunset's shoulder, making her think that this option was the right decision. "They're all for reforming enemies, just look at Luna and Discord..."

"She's right you know," Discord suddenly appeared next to Celestia, with Luna right next to him. "Before Twilight and her friends worked their magic on us, we used to be rather evil. But now, one magical blast, or a good stern talking-to later, and you have two reformed villains," he said, using a projector that demonstrated his point.

"I think my mind's made up, Twilight," Sunset took in a deep breath, looked Twilight in the eyes and said, "I'm coming home... to Equestria."

Everyone cheered for Sunset as she immediately threw herself into Twilight, hugging her tightly with all the compassion she could feel. Then, she ended the hug and turned to her human friends.

"I know it's gonna get a little lonely without me, girls, but I think that it's for the best," Sunset said, saying what seemed like her last goodbyes. "You've all helped me truly understand the Magic of Friendship, even when I was such a hot-headed jerk in the past. Now that I've been through all this, made so many friends, done some incredible things with you, I finally understand what friendship truly means..."

"Glad we could be of help, Sunset!" Rainbow Dash held out her fingers in a "V" shape, smiling all the while. "Have a nice time with Twilight, K?"

"I'll be sure to send you a really, really big slice of the Woo-Hoo-We-Saved-The-Worlds cake for you!" Pinkie Pie smiled as she was about to wave Sunset off.

"Let us know if you're ever feeling lonely, we'd love to see what you write about..." Fluttershy said, waving her goodbyes.

"Oh, Sunset, this is truly a scene from a dramatic play, is it not?" Rarity began acting. "After all of our feats, you are saying your goodbyes, such a divine moment like this can't go without a goodbye picture!"

And with that, Rarity pulled out a phone and tossed it to Sonata, who caught it and began to open up the camera setting.

"Say Friendship!" Sonata said, looking into the phone's screen for a good shot.

"Friendship!" everyone said before the camera took its' shot, revealing a wonderful group shot of all of The Rainbooms. They were all looking towards the camera with utmost glee, smiles beaming across their faces as they finally knew that their adventure with The Dazzlings had come to an end...

And so, this is the end of our tale. We'd banded together, defeated The Blasters, and saved everyone, everywhere.

From there, things only looked up for all of the species, as well as the key people who played a crucial part in the story.

Twilight and Sunset returned home to Equestria, eager to see where their friendships would take them, and what wonderful adventures they'd have together...

The Rainbooms of Equestria follow along on Twilight and Sunset's adventures, making every one of their travels seem worthwhile... for most of the time...

The Rainbooms of Earth were praised for their tremendous bravery as well. But unlike the three of us, they were granted the title of World's Most Supreme Band in our honour. They've managed to reach The Blasters' level of fame and success, but they're steering Earth towards a brighter future instead...

The Snapshots' stories were regarded as some of the most amazing and riveting stories of all time. And because of it, Earth now considers Lyrica and its' species to actually exist.

The Illusions, led by Trixie, actually learned some advanced magical tricks for their travels. And though Trixie still keeps her stage name, "The Great and Powerful Trixie," she knows now that egos only lead to suffering...

The Laments became Lyrica's new trainers, who would command all of the new Sirens that we would create. Yes, we're taking over King Allure's duties of giving life now. Get used to it.

Lord Symphonia still resides in the Halls of Composia, allowing Lyricans who lose their pendants to enter their own unique Rhythm Realms to earn new ones. Though he's got a lot of work to do, since there were so many Lyrican pendants that were fractured back then...

The Blasters are dead, and they'll remain dead. Oh, and that explosion from earlier? Those were the Souls of Song leaving The Blasters and entering our bodies. Fat chance we'll be bringing them back any time soon...

And as for us; The Dazzlings, we're the new Queen of Lyrica. The three different pieces that shape together the almighty Queen Unity. However, we've made sure that there are some changes that make everyone happy...

Yeah, for example, we've installed taco machines so that everyone knows about them!

Sonata! I'm busy ending the story, you'll get your say in a minute.

Ahem, sorry about that, but anyways, as I was saying. We've personally dealt with the Six Euphorian Deities, so that they can no longer try and murder, lest they die themselves. Let's just say, they kill anything else, their internal organs liquefy and explode, making they die in a brutal fashion. What? I can't take any chances after the war now, can I?

Dystopia's Queens; Greed, Persuasion and Malice, let's just say that that Furenado they were pulled into... it messed them up quite a bit... But now, if anyone wants to become a Furen Siren, Hades himself will personally hand them their pendants.

And, that's pretty much all I have to say on that matter. This is the end of our tale. My name is Adagio Dazzle...

I'm Aria Blaze...

And I'm Sonata Dusk...

And all we have to say is...
And all we have to say is...
And all we have to say is...

LET'S DANCE!
LET'S DANCE!
LET'S DANCE!

The End...

(Prologue) History of the Fabled Lyricans

If there's one thing that's true in these worlds, it's that friendship never dies. It constantly sticks by you and is always willing to surface whenever a new threat arises...

We're the last of our kind; Furen Sirens. Our kind was wiped out during the great war of Lyrica, and now we are the only survivors of the catastrophe...

Our brothers were also spared a gruesome afterlife, but since their resurrection, they care nothing for the humans of this world and the ponies of Equestria.

My name is Adagio Dazzle. And me and my two Furen sisters, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk, are gonna tell you a story, on how our brothers turned to darkness and were eventually slain by five humans, two ponies, and the final three Furens...

In a universe with three dominant species, where friendship is magic...

Six armoured Lyrican Sirens watched in the distance as colossal beasts began assaulting the invaders from Equestria and Earth. With each clash that happened, there were explosions, followed by a mild scarlet drizzle of blood. They then saw some nearby Euphorians and Dystopians closing in on them, so they raised their swords for battle.

The six of them were all duelling on what looked like the back of a dragon, which was soaring through the sky, hunting for targets to kill. They noticed that the dragon had noticed them, so their feet glowed for a brief instance, allowing them to run underneath the dragon and completely change their gravity to continue the fight.

The beasts all landed on the body of the dragon and raised their weapons for conflict. The beasts from Dystopia all had red pendants, whilst the beings from Euphoria wore blue pendants. Both species looked at the six Lyricans and raised their weapons for a conflict of their own.

Long since erased from the history of the three worlds, there once existed a species of Sirens, cordoned off into two different clans, to maintain the Balance of Lyrica...

The six sirens began charging at the beasts, hastily wiping them out with some well-aimed sword swings and magical orbs. However, with each beast that fell, at least two more joined the fight, in an attempt to subdue the six Lyricans.

The Blissen Sirens; manipulators of happiness, and the Furen Sirens, controllers of hatred.

The six Lyricans' pendants all swung out of their armour, visible for all to see. The pendants glowed for a brief instance before the six Lyricans continued their assault, their swords glowing radiant shades of blue and red as each swing generated a devastatingly sharp wave of energy.

The Sirens worked hard to bring both peace and anger to the other species, and their efforts to maintain the Balance of Lyrica defended and safeguarded the worlds for eternities on end...

Yet one day, that balance fell into turmoil...

The beasts quickly fell before the dragon was hit and fell out of the sky rather suddenly, causing the six Lyricans to immediately jump off.

Whilst falling, the six Lyricans all grew wings. The ones with blue pendants grew dragon wings, whilst the ones with red pendants grew translucent Hippocampi wings. Their wings then enabled them to turn their fall into a rapid descent before pulling up for a rapid burst of speed.

Whilst they flew threw the skies to quell another assault, they were quickly ambushed by another squad of monsters, causing them to quickly lower their altitudes in an attempt to escape their pursuers. When that proved to be futile, they fought the beasts whilst falling from this height.

A pony named Starswirl the Bearded was hired by the six Euphorian Deities to hunt down and assassinate Lyricans, spiling the Balance of Lyrica into the side of hatred and resulting in an epoch of strife and conflict.

The beasts all crossed swords with the descending Lyricans, making clanging noises and releasing sparks with each swing that connected with the steel of their opponents' swords. However, they had failed to notice that Lyricans were capable of teleporting, and were quickly knocked away when the six Lyricans teleported behind them and dealt them a deadly string of sword swings and magical volleys.

The Balance's unbalance had opened up dimensional fissures, enabling the feuding species to take their wars to Lyrica, resulting in a horrific loop of battle, ambush, assassination, bloodlust, murder, destruction, and heartbreak.

It was indeed a gruesome war...

The Lyricans then flew up in another attempt to evade the winged beasts, but to no avail once again. Seeing no other alternative, they sheathed their swords and held their palms up to the flying beasts, which enabled them to fire large red and blue orbs down on their targets.

Despite King Allure's guidance, and his almighty power, the Lyrican Sirens were quickly quelled by the attacking forces from the other two worlds.

Years after the Balance had fallen into eternal hatred, the war had ended with the suicide or isolation of the surviving Lyricans...

One of the Lyricans saw another Lyrican, fighting against hordes of the winged beasts. However, the life of that Lyrican was swiftly ended when a giant Hydra devoured the fighter with one fell swoop.

"ALTO!" one of the Lyricans reached out for their dead companion before being tackled by another beast from Dystopia. The Lyrican who was tackled ended up kicking the beast so far that it fell onto a falling platform that looked like a part of the castle had been blown to smithereens.

The six Lyricans regrouped at the falling platform, vaulting off the bodies of many other flying beasts to pick up speed as they flew. Eventually, they all landed on the falling platform, where they were greeted by a giant knight with two dead Hippocampi draped around his neck, and a giant wizard with someone letting out their dying breaths as the giant monster drew blue energy from their lifeless body. They swung their swords in anger, then saw another squad of Euphorians and Dystopians arrive on the scene, ready to deal the six Lyricans the final word.

The Sirens eventually resurfaced...

The six Lyricans all began swinging their swords at the beasts, slicing and dicing them up whilst dodging huge blasts of magic from the wizard, and the giant sword of the knight.

After many years of suffering, the Right Souls of Fury awoke from their slumber. Their vessels; The Dazzlings, set out to further deal misery and suffering to the other species for their heinous crimes against Lyricans...

Three of the Lyricans broke off to deal with the giant wizard, nimbly teleporting all around him before kicking him straight in the face and slicing him with a sword swing directly after that. Satisfied with their hit, they moved onto the knight, where they leapt onto his sword and ran up the blade to kick his face in.

Their two attempts to overthrow the other worlds resulted in them consuming more negative energy, and creating another war by unbalancing the Balance of Lyrica once again. But both attempts ended in failure...

The knight used one of his open hands to grab the three Lyricans and throw them against the cliff walls, seeing them slam against the many types of stone with such violent force that they were falling along with the platform.

Both Equestrian Magic, and the Magic of Friendship were the keys to slaying these three infidels. And ever since The Dazzlings' two defeats, Lyrican Sirens never again plagued the three worlds.

Or so we thought...

The platform was then hit with a massive column of magic summoned by the wizard, completely ending the battle and leaving the six Lyricans swiftly separated as they fell.

"FORTISSIMO!" one of the Lyricans called out as they reached for Fortissimo.

"ADAGIO!" he called back, reaching out for his companion as the group was violently separated from each other.

The six Lyricans regrouped and removed their facial armour, revealing the faces of Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, Fortissimo Blast, Allegro Maelstrom, and Orchestral Chill, who all looked blood-stained and bruised after that violent assault.

"Brother, is this the end of us?" Aria looked rather worried as the six of them continued their free-fall.

"Never, Aria. We're never going to die, EVER! It's these other heathens that dared to strike us that shall feel our wrath!" Allegro responded to his sister whilst swinging another spectral slice of energy, cutting a Dystopian clean in half with such ferocity that the blood refused to surpass the falling Lyricans.

Suddenly, the giant knight and the wizard appeared, using their pendants to charge up a massive ball of blue energy with lightning streaking from the core. They held it up and roared, "DELEIAK, FURENS!" before turning the orb into a colossal laser that engulfed the six Lyricans

All six of the Lyricans were subjected to the full force of the laser, launching them towards a destroyed spire with only trace amounts of structural integrity remaining. Whilst The Dazzlings screamed in pain, The Blasters were using their swords to withstand the tremendous beam of light, only letting out grunts of resistance as they tried holding their ground.

"Sisters! Stay close to us! It's the only way we'll survive this war!" Fortissimo yelled at The Dazzlings as the six of them were shot towards the ruined spire, with a number of beasts following after them.

"Hierarxe, deleim pergre zaredel. Ni cora dain nifimirek Lyricans..." the knight spoke to the wizard, getting him to fly off and quell another assaulting squad of humans and ponies. Once the wizard was out of the knight's sight, he charged towards the ruined spire to intercept the six Lyricans.

Meanwhile, a unicorn in a wizard's outfit with bells stood on a piece of the cliff that was still structurally intact, watching the whole series of events happening straight in front of him. Using his magic, he conjured an oaken staff with an emerald orb at the peak, and gazed on the spire as the Lyricans crashed into it, with the knight hastily pursuing them.

"The Souls of Song are still a danger to Equestria..." he said, stroking his beard with his chin before adjusting his belled hat a little. "Trifling monstrosities, all of them. They must be completely wiped from existence to ensure the safety of ponykind..."

He then leaped off of his perch, lighting up his horn to envelop himself in a bright aura. Using this, he was capable of flying. He then noticed more beasts flying his way, so he flew right underneath them and used the tip of his horn to fire a stream of energy at the attackers.

With the beasts quelled, he was suddenly ambushed by a giant monster with tentacles, but he merely smirked when he relinquished his aura and charged up another spell. Concentrating hard, he saw the monster raise his fist to attack him, but he merely teleported away from the calamity in a burst of bright light.

The next thing he knew, he stood on top of the destroyed spire, looking down on the six injured Lyricans. Raising his staff and charging his horn, the pony aimed an orb of energy at the three Lyricans who were caring for Adagio, Aria and Sonata.

No sooner had he fired, that he'd noticed that The Dazzlings pushed their brothers out of the way to receive the full force of his attack. But whilst he had hit the wrong target, the pony still cracked a rather sinister smile as his eyes glowed bright blue for a brief instance...

The Battle of the Bands, after the final assault...

No sooner had The Dazzings rose to their feet once more, that they tried to sing once again. To their shock and dismay, their voices had turned from beautiful to completely horrible. Their once captive audience also seemed rather surprised that their vocal prowess had completely abandoned them at the worst of times.

To no surprise, they were assaulted by a rather angry crowd, who had finally seen the three of them for what they truly were. It wasn't long before the three of them fled from the scene, hoping that no-one would be following them.

"How is this possible?!" Adagio looked completely panicked as she looked down at herself. She had it all, and it had all been taken away from her in a brief instant. "We were just about to win as well!"

"Those stupid Rainbooms... They'll pay for this someday!" Aria screamed out in rage as the three of them then immediately saw themselves for what they truly were. They looked at their reflections in a puddle of water and immediately shed a tear.

"Forget it, girls. We're finished! Washed up! This is the end of us!" Adagio began crying as she got down to her knees and started letting out more and more tears of regret. "We're nothing more than heartless monsters who only make people angry!"

"Let's just get home before anything else happens..." Aria looked rather sorrow-ridden as the three of them eventually started walking home, with Adagio getting to her feet last "I just hope it'll all work out someday..."

As The Dazzlings walked home, they were unaware that green flames had evaporated from their skin, disappearing behind them rapidly like paper burning in a fireplace. They did feel a little bit better, but they were still mourning their losses at CHS. This was truly the end of them, and nothing would be able to change that...

But upon The Dazzlings' second defeat, they had lost the one thing that held back their true power: The darkness that had contaminated the Right Souls of Fury...

Honour and Chivalry: The Two Principalities of Heroism

As Starswirl and the girls ascended the tower that the Mane 6 of the past had ventured through, they were all taken in surprise by all the majestic features inside. It seemed like it was the pure essence of solidified music that kept this place afloat. It was evident with all the lit up segments of the floor, walls and ceiling as well. And the thirteen of them could have sworn that there was some kind of musical track that was wafting on their ears as they travelled through the confines of the tower.

"My, oh my... I've never seen such an exquisite taste in beauty..." Rarity said as she examined the different sections of the structure, feeling the music resonate every time she touched the illuminated sections with her hooves. "And this is made completely out of pure, solidified music?"

"Precisely, Rarity of the Human World. The Pit of Lyrics was primarily controlled with ponies singing powerful songs that maintained the welfare of this city's eco-system..." Starswirl explained as they continued to ascend the majestic structure. "The magical music was quite hard to call forth, however, so they needed to ensure that their pitches, tempos, and even their lyrics had to be completely flawless in order to call forth the magic within such music..."

"So, I'm guessing that not even our awesome skills as 'The Rainbooms' would be enough to call that magic out?" Rainbow Dash asked, beginning to doubt herself.

"If that is what you believe in, then it might just be so. However, there are times when the beliefs of ponies, or in your case, 'humans' were wrong..." Starswirl said, seeing the other girls suddenly perk up a tad. "Sometimes, beliefs can lead you astray, and cloud your minds from the truth that is meant to be sought for... Should you continue to believe false beliefs, it could ultimately lead to your demise..." he turned to face the girls by stopping in the middle of the staircase. "Just let your minds run freely, believe nothing of falsehood, and only believe in the truth..."

"Hmm..." Adagio said as she slumped herself in thought once more as the group continued their ascent. "All our lives, we've been believing the same things over and over again... What if, some of the things we believed in were false?"

"Huh? What do you mean, Dagi?" Aria asked, seeing her Furen sister stooped in thought once more.

"What if Lyrican Sirens don't actually die, but are merely moved to another realm of existence?" Adagio explained to Aria, seeing as she had been compelled by Starswirl's words. "Think about it... Whenever beings involved with Lyrican affairs die, they either end up in Dystopia or Euphoria. But what of Lyrican Sirens themselves? Where do they wind up after dying?"

"Have you finally taken a blow to the head, Adagio? If there was proof of us still alive in another existence, then we would have still been alive to witness it, right?" Aria continued, seeing a flaw in Adagio's words.

"Even so, what if you don't have to be alive yourself, but merely slumbering?" those words that tumbled out of Adagio's teeth and lips caused Aria and Sonata to look rather shocked. "When life-forms usually die, their bodies become motionless, but their consciences end up drifting away from a physical plane of existence, only to wind up in a imaginative plane of existence. A sort of afterlife that simulates immortality after you perish..."

"However, when pulled back into reality when the time's up, your imagination of a perfect life fades away as your conscience returns to a physical vessel. while it does make a regular life seem worthless when you return, your consciences have absolutely no memory of dying when you're resurrected..." Sonata said, completing what Adagio was going to say.

"In a way, yes. So maybe, there's a chance we might be able to pull our brothers out of their slumber, so that we can reform them when this all blows over," Adagio then thought of all the atrocities that The Blasters had pulled over the years, with each memory making her cringe. "though it might take some time, that's for sure..."

Eventually, the group found their way to the top of the tower, where they saw that there was a massive portal being powered by a white beam of light from the sky. It seemed like some otherworldly construct was manipulating the light from the stars, to maintain a portal to anywhere across the star map, so long as the portal stayed open.

Starswirl lit up his horn, making it match the frequency of the white beam of light so that he could manipulate where the portal would take the group. Eventually, he found the positioning for Lyrica, where The Blasters and the Siren 6 awaited. Focusing once more, he manipulated the portal's light, revealing a clear vortex to Lyrica.

"This is it, everyone! The portal to Lyrica!" Adagio said as she clearly saw the war-torn landscapes of Lyrica on the other side of the portal that Starswirl had tinkered with. "Now then, does anyone need the bathroom? I don't want to just arrive on Lyrica, then hear that one of you has to go do a number one."

"Why do you stress over such a trivial detail? I'm certain that Lyrica has restrooms for us to use, even if it is completely ravaged by war..." Starswirl said as he walked through the vortex and vanished.

"Well, we'd better not keep them waiting..." Celestia said as she, Luna and Cadence vanished into the vortex themselves, hurrying towards Lyrica.

"Go on, Mum. You and your friends better go on ahead..." Adagio said as she stretched her hand towards the portal, motioning Sunset and The Rainbooms to walk through it. She watched as her mother and aunties vanished into the vortex in a flash of light, a sign that they'd arrived on Lyrica with Starswirl, Celestia, Luna and Cadence.

"Well then, this is it..." Adagio said as she held hands with Aria and Sonata as they walked through the vortex themselves, with rather focused looks on their faces. "Here we go... For the fate of all three of our worlds, here goes nothing... or everything..." and with that, they just walked through the vortex, letting the light consume them before they vanished from the portal room completely.

When The Dazzlings arrived, the entire group was assaulted by a giant knight on horseback, wearing regal armour and wearing a blue pendant. The Dazzlings all gasped and pushed the ponies out of the way as the knight on horseback charged at them, and destroyed the vortex with one of the horse's massive hooves.

"EQUESTRIANS! YOU SHALL NOT INTERVENE WITH DESTINY!" the knight said as it quickly turned its' stampeding horse around, getting all of the ponies and The Dazzlings to look at it.

Euphorian Deity

HONOUS AND CHIVAL

Honour and Chivalry

"Ponies! Get to cover! We'll deal with this thing!" Adagio said, motioning almost all of the ponies to run towards the ruined castle in the distance whilst she and The Dazzlings drew their swords. "It's time to add the final piece to our puzzle..."

"I presume you ladies require a helping hand in slaying such a gargantuan foe, correct?" Starswirl said, summoning an oaken staff with his magic alone. Brandishing the staff, he utilized the full force of his magic to levitate himself off of the ground. "Consider this a momentary alliance, at least until this behemoth is defeated."

"Well, that's one way of putting it. Here's ours:" Adagio said as she and the rest of The Dazzlings extended their hairs and grew their wings as their swords appeared in their hands. "Let's dance, Honous!"

"Time to tango!" The Dazzlings uttered a battle cry as the three of them, aided by Starswirl the Bearded, charged at the knight on horseback, who was already running to initiate a battle.

The Dazzlings and Starswirl were chasing after the knight on horseback, seeing it raise its' sword to cast otherworldly magic from the tip. They watched as blue lightning impacted the ground, making sudden columns of crystal spikes that drew closer and closer to the pursuing fighters. They nimbly dodged a series of crystalline pillars until they finally caught up with Honous and Chival, with each of the pillars approaching them at a more rapid pace than the last.

"You four all run from fate, but fate can only be avoided for so long..." Honous spoke as he brought up his shield, generating a forcefield around him and his trusty steed, repelling both The Dazzlings swords, and Starswirl's magic. "Eventually, you shall all submit and bow down to your new ruler: King Allure!"

"Saying that's just going to make us fight even harder and faster," Adagio taunted as she watched Honous raise his sword, temporarily lowering the forcefield so that he could strike. "You should really learn to keep your mouth shut when battling, it saves you the trouble of taunting, and even gives you more time to focus."

The Dazzlings all saw him wildly swinging his massive sword, trying to make some form of contact with his targets, but to absolutely no avail as they merely flew over and under the blade and slashed one of his wrists, making him drop the shield in surprise. When his shield was gone, he had nothing to defend himself, so they all moved onto his sword-carrying wrist.

Honous once more cried out in pain as he lost his sword. However, Chival had picked up on his master's anguish, and lit up his hooves, speeding him up so suddenly, that Honous knocked The Dazzlings and Starswirl away with his sudden boost of speed and strength.

"He's heading for the castle!" Adagio said as she once more chased after Honous and Chival, seeing that he was about to intercept The Rainbooms and the three remaining Alicorn princesses. "Aria! Sonata! You're with me! Starswirl, see what you can do to distract him!"

The others merely nodded and followed on with their orders.

The Dazzlings flew over to The Rainbooms and the three Alicorns, and hurriedly escorted them to the castle, where they'd be able to seek shelter. They used their wings and their Lyrican Magic to speed up the process, enabling them to reach the castle in record time. They then flew over to Honous and Chival, where it looked like he was having a hard time with Starswirl.

Starswirl, on the other hand was duelling with Honous's magic, using his own clever magic to reflect all of the bolts that Honous had fired from the tip of his sword, yet dealing no damage to the actual being itself. Then, seeing a gap in his defense, Starswirl used his magic to soar over to Honous and Chival, and jump on the head of Chival. He used this so that he could regain his strength, and keep up with his target. However, he then saw that Honous was using his bare hands to try and flatten him into a pancake, with every one of his hand swipes and stamps missing his mark as Starswirl's agility kicked in, nimbly leaping over each one of the attacks.

The Dazzlings all put their feet up and dove their heels directly into Honous's face, knocking him off of Chival as he'd brought both of his hands over his head in an H-Bomb. They watched as the knight impacted with the ground, his armour crashing against the hardened earth with a rather loud THUD!

However, Honous quickly got up and saw Chival, who was still moving, suddenly grow a pair of majestic white wings. Chival had become a Pegasus, and was now using its' newfound wings to hastily return the sword and shield to his master's hands, before circling around for him to jump onto his back. Honous complied with his horse's request, and leaped into the air with such timing that his butt returned to the rather pleasant saddle of Chival, who was now soaring through the sky majestically.

"It's not over yet, Starswirl. Stay after him!" Adagio flew after the flying horse with Aria and Sonata quickly following behind her. "If Honous and Chival get too far away this time, they'll simply charge on us with a speed so fast, we won't be able to dodge OR block!"

The four fighters once more gave chase to the almighty winged horse and his master, chasing after them as the G-forces began to play havoc with their faces. They tried their best to keep up to him, but The Dazzlings suddenly found that the sky was full of a rather large gathering of clouds, which Honous and Chival could use to hide and prepare an ambush. They watched as the knight and horse vanished through one set of clouds, making it near impossible to track them.

The four fighters frantically searched the airspace, blasting clouds into non-existence with their magic, desperately trying to find Honous and Chival before they attacked. However, when they blasted off one final clouds, they saw Honous and Chival were cloaked in a meteor trail of white light, with the sword pointed directly towards The Dazzlings and Starswirl as the knight on horseback charged towards them at the speed of light.

"Mother-" was all that Adagio could get out before the four of them were hit by a charge so powerful, that they were knocked out of the sky and sent smashing straight through one of the towers of the castle, completely separating it from the rest of the structure.

Honous and Chival circled the top of that castle, like a pair of vultures, surveying the damage in an attempt to find their targets once more. They quickly saw The Dazzlings and Starswirl returning to them, so they brought up the shield and prepared a magical barrage.

Within seconds The Dazzlings and Starswirl found themselves playing tennis with a number of magical orbs and volleys launched by Honous and Chival. They did their best to knock the orbs back into the Euphorian Deity, but he merely knocked them right back at them. Eventually, the volleys of orbs got faster and faster that all of the fighters were starting to react slower.

However, Honous and Chival reacted slower first, and a deluge of their own orbs came crashing down on their forcefield, shattering it as the shield chipped a bit. With their impenetrable defence penetrated, Honous and Chival had to resort to using their shield as an actual shield, with little success as The Dazzlings knocked the shield out of Honous's hand.

Seeing a massive gap in the beast's defences now, Adagio, Aria, Sonata and Starswirl opened up a massive surge of sword swings and magical blasts of energy. It would have been enough to completely decimate a structure, but leave some parts still remaining. In this case, it damaged Honous and Chival so badly that they started to bleed.

Chival's wings had been clipped in that onslaught, and the two giants fell from the sky, with The Dazzlings falling after them, trying to deal them the final word.

However, Honous and Chival merely used the remnants of their magic to allow The Dazzlings and Starswirl to overtake them, so that they could deal their final attack. The two of them put their magic together and combined it into a massive orb of power, larger than the two of themselves. If that orb collided with the castle, it could very well have killed The Rainbooms and the three remaining Alicorns.

"Mikra Ombelegran!" The Dazzlings said as they let out another being from Dystopia with their red streams.

The new beasts that reddened the skies were three giants with one eye each. However, despite their lack of depth perception, they were still carrying clubs large enough to swat the orb right back at Honous and Chival. Two of them swatted Honous and Chival towards the orb, whilst the other one knocked the orb straight into them as they were launched into it. The massive explosion that followed made the three giants instantly disappear.

"Now then, I don't suppose you could tell me where The Blasters' apprentices are? We're simply killing to meet them..." Adagio said as she looked at the giant bloody horse, and half skinless knight.

"My demise will not alter fate..." Honous raised his sword for the last time, turning the tip red as he threw it with the last of his strength. "Dystopia awaits you, heathens!"

The sword vanished in the middle of its' flight, and in its' place, a powerful black hole appeared, pulling The Dazzlings, Starswirl, The Rainbooms and the three princesses into its' wake. They all let out screams as the force pulled them in with little effort, only to vanish when everyone had been pulled in.

Honous merely laughed triumphantly as the seal of Dystopia appeared behind him, with many spirits coming to take his soul down and consume it once and for all. "May Allure, the Siren King, see all of your actions as heroic and chivalrous!" He didn't even fight against the spirits as they dragged him down, making the seal vanish from existence when he vanished through it.

Author's Note

Peanut Butter: Whoa...

Night Mist: Oh deaw...

Me: Dun wowwy, dey'ww suwvive dis. Dey awways do...

Adagio: For once, I'm actually scared to read on, little one...

Aria: I don't know how you do this, Shadowmane... (Smiles at me) But I have to give you credit for it...

Me: Weawwy, Awi?

Aria: Yeah. I've seen many fanfics on this site revolving around us, but none were more exciting and intriguing than your trilogy. Well, this and a fic called Tell Us That You Want Us which I found really awesome.

Me: Yeah, I wiked dat stowy too... Just goes ta show yoo dat dewe's so many chances fow anyone ta have deiw faiw shawe of wowe (lore) even if Hasbwo faiws to dewivew...

Aria: True that... (Picks me up and tussles my mane) I think that you deserve a break from all that writing, little one. You've still got a little time to play with Sunny here before your nap.

Me: Wat do yoo say, Nighty? Yoo wanna pway wid me and Sunset?

Night Mist: Suwe! (Runs over to Adagio, enabling her to pick him up)

Adagio: Let's go off to see her, then...

A Different Kind of Battle

The next night...

Everyone stood at the top of the building, half of them taken aback with the majestic heights from which they were standing on, whilst the other half were either practising or looking at the rules of Battletone so they could revise their tactics for how to win.

"Man, The Blasters really aren't pulling any punches with this tournament..." Rainbow Dash said as The Rainbooms overlooked their rule sheets for Battletone. "Rule number 15: Sabotage is a clear violation of fair play, and any band responsible will be immediately disqualified," she then looked at all of the cameras that dotted around the stage and in the areas that seemed out of reach. "And with all this high security, there's gonna be absolutely nothing that slips their eyes..."

"That's not all, Rainbow. It says here, in Rule number 13, that each band needs to sing a completely different song for each round, should they survive their last battles..." Applejack stated, reading the rule that caught her eyes. "We're gonna have ta work real hard ta stay original in this here tournament."

"Listen, girls. I know that this might seem easy, but you have to remember that we're not dealing with high-school students anymore," Sunset stated, looking at all of the other bands that had enlisted themselves for Battletone. "We're dealing with some of the best of the best bands from across the planet, all of who have spent years doing this sort of thing..."

"It's not just the other bands from the Human World, Sunset. Remember that The Dazzlings and The Laments are also in this tournament," Twilight reminded her as she pointed over to where Adagio and Requiem were sharing some of their life stories with each other. "The Dazzlings and The Laments are Lyrican Sirens, who excel in this sort of thing. Not to mention that we'd have to fight The Blasters in the Title Match..." she sighed. "This time, we might not be able to win."

"Hey, it's alright, Twilight. You don't have to win EVERY fight placed in front of you," Sunset said, putting a hand on Twilight's shoulder to help cheer her up slightly. "Sometimes, winning is only made possible by losing. If people keep on winning, then they're bound to end up falling from their increasingly high pedestal sooner or later. And let's not forget, the bigger they are, the harder they fall..."

"Are you sure about that, Sunset?" Twilight asked, wondering whether or not her words would sink in this time.

"Trust me, Twilight. I've seen this scenario plenty of times before," Sunset began speaking once more. "Some ponies I used to know back in Equestria got really riled up because they couldn't complete a simple essay. They dropped out of Celestia's studies and ended up becoming doctors, royal guards, mayors, you name it."

"Even Sunset got something out of leaving Equestria behind. She got us and the Magic of Friendship to boot," Rainbow Dash said as she draped her arm over Sunset's shoulders. "She's come a really long way since she first came here, and it's as if she's a totally different person now."

"Even I have to admit, you have changed quite a lot, Sunset." Twilight smiled as she looked Sunset in the eyes, seeing how much she'd changed over the years, and what a fine heroine she'd become.

"Thanks, Twilight. It really means a lot that I'm able to have such good friends like you by my side.,," Sunset smiled as she looked up into the skies above. "To think, the old me was incompatible with such a magnificent concept, but now, I've made so many friends that I've lost count of them all..."

Meanwhile, Adagio, Aria, Sonata, Requiem, Andante and Bellicoso were all talking to one another, sharing some of their great tales since the Lyrican war that destroyed their kind all those years ago...

"What precisely happened upon your resurrection, Dazzlings?" Requiem asked as he leaned against one of the barriers of the building, eager to know what happened to Adagio, Aria and Sonata ever since the war.

"Well, let's just say that it was quite a rough time for us..." Adagio said as she ruminated on her memories of being corrupted with Dark Magic. "We no longer cared for the well-being of the other species, thanks to the Dark Magic that had been infused into us when we were resurrected. Because of it, we continuously used our powers to push the Balance of Lyrica further and further into hatred and anger, trying to spark up another war that would have caused even more bloodshed and destruction..."

"Our first target was Equestria. We disguised ourselves as our Hippocampi and caused riots and feuds to break out among even the deepest of kindred spirits," Aria explained, also remembering her dark past. "The carnage that we spread was intolerable, and that caught the attention of Starswirl the Bearded. He banished us to this world, where he hoped that we would rot and perish."

"But Orchy and The Blasters came running towards Starswirl after we were banished, completely furious with what he'd done to us, "Sonata said, taking over for Aria. "The Blasters overpowered the poor old pony and threw him into one of Dystopia's torture chambers, where they brutalized and abused him until he coughed up what they wanted."

"What precisely did Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral want with him?" Bellicoso asked, picking up on some vital pieces of information in what Sonata had just said.

"They told us that they'd extracted a deafening volume for their songs, so that they'd be powerful enough to rip open the fabric of reality and strike all three worlds at once, marking everyone around the worlds so they could harvest dozens and dozens of energy for their causes..." Adagio said, reminding herself of what The Blasters had planned for the worlds in the trinity. "I'm certain that they're tying up loose ends in the hope that they'll harvest enough power to reach a level where they'll become completely unstoppable..."

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Battletone!" Fortissimo announced as soon as the sun vanished into the horizon and a thick mist enveloped the stage. His voice was accompanied by what seemed like some slight hints of music. While his voice could be heard, he was nowhere to be seen.

As the crowd looked at the stage, three different spotlights turned on in time with the music, revealing Orchestral, then Allegro and finally, Fortissimo. The crowd let out some cheers once each of The Blasters was spotlit, but they then died down to let The Blasters sing their next song.

The tourney had begun
With the vanishing sun
And we're so sorry if the losers think it isn't fun.

It's not so bad when you realize it's all in good fun
You'll be so happy when you defeat your opposition

The Blasters were off to a good start, putting their voices in complete harmony with one another, so that they were flawlessly channelling their song without error or hesitation.

The tourney has begun
With the vanishing sun
And we're so sorry if the losers think it isn't fun

It's not so bad when you realize it's all in good fun
You'll be so happy when you defeat your opposition

Fortissimo then jumped off of the stage whilst Allegro and Orchestral backed him up with their instruments. Fortissimo had come off of the stage so that he could interact with many of the other bands.

Hi there! How ya doing?
Nice to see you, are you a new band?

Don't think I've seen you before
It's great to see new groups on this stand

And if you'd like it, I can show you round
This enchanting Dubairaffe, new and improved from a small town

Fortissimo's lyrics were already reaching to the other bands that were participating in Battletone. They were already swaying to his words and bearing smiles when he came over to them.

There's no defeat but then, who would want to lose?
It's the golden chance of a lifetime, and failure bears no bruise

I'm so glad to have another bunch of faces in the crowd
You're all in the game, so let's all stand up tall and proud

Fortissimo then leapt back on stage with the rest of The Blasters, ready to sing together once more

But what is that I spy
With my Lyrican eyes?
I think I see some shreds of doubt inside the new guys

Maybe they aren't ready to take this chance
Let's show them that they're worth more than just single glance...

The Blasters' vocal harmony was very swaying and efficient that not even The Rainbooms could stop dancing to it. They were only getting stronger and stronger the more they sang and harvested power.

The tourney has begun
With the vanishing sun
And we're so sorry if the losers think it isn't fun

It's not so bad when you realize it's all in good fun
You'll be so happy whe you defeat your opposition

The tourney has begun
With the Vanishing sun
And we're so sorry if the losers think it isn't fun

It's not so bad when you realize it's all in good fun
You'll be so happy when you defeat your opposition

Fortissimo was then the main focus of the three converging spotlights.

Beat the oppositiooooooooooonn

Oh, we'll have a fun game
Where no singers or bands are tame

The lights all returned to normal, showing all of The Blasters, but still primarily focusing on Fortissimo.

Forgive me for being mysterious
Secrecy's not my deal

I'm actually quite sympathetic
When there's something that I reveal

"It's not that we don't trust you, we do! We love you too," he spoke to each of the different bands and their leads as he strolled around the audience once more. But then he came to Adagio and stopped, "But in OUR Battle of the Bands. Well... We have a few rules."

AND IF YOU BREAK WE WILL HAVE TO
BREAK YOU LIKE YOU BROKE OUR HEARTS

WE'LL BE FORCED TO MODIFY YOU
AND REMOVE YOUR SINFUL PARTS

The Blasters suddenly made the audience show tons of fear with their sudden change in mood, they watched their crowd quiver in fear when they mentioned their penalty for rule-breaking. Then, when they'd had their fun, they all calmed down.

"Now, you wouldn't want that. And frankly, neither would I." Fortissimo got back up on stage.

But sometimes to do some good you've gotta
Be the bad guy!

The Blasters were once more accompanied by lights, but now they were much different than before. They seemed to go off in certain patterns and all had different colours with every sequence.

Though the winners play
We hope the losers stay
So they can partake in our consolation soiree

Formal attire is required for you to take part
You've got to trade-off your instruments before we start...

A hatch opened up by the stage, which had different signs that pointed towards the group getting rid of their instruments. However, there was a second hatch that made chrome copies of the instruments they played.

"Now then, you might be wondering why we're asking you to trade-off your instruments? Well, I'll tell you," Fortissimo said as he watched the crowd make a single-file line to gather their instruments for Battletone. "You see, these new instruments are made to bedazzle and wow the crowd when they're played. They're also the key difference between winning and losing, but we'll get to that later."

"Oh, and don't worry if you're restricted to microphones only. We have copies of those as well," Fortissimo spoke to The Dazzlings whilst Allegro and Orchestral continued singing to back him up. "If you are a vocal group only, our special musical team will provide you with some backing for the song you sing at your audition. Then, they'll perform the instrumental themes that both participating bands will weaponize in order to defeat their opponents," his words made Adagio raise a brow in suspicion. "But as I've said, we'll get to that later. But for now, enjoy the rest of the show whilst you pick up your instruments for Battletone..."

The tourney has begun
With the vanishing sun
And we're so sorry if the losers think it isn't fun

It's not so bad when you realize it's all in good fun
You'll be so happy when you defeat your opposition

The tourney has begun
With the vanishing sun
And we're so sorry if the losers think it isn't fun

It's not so bad when you realize it's all in good fun
You'll be so happy when you defeat your opposition

The tourney has begun
With the vanishing sun
And we're so sorry if the losers think it isn't fun

It's not so bad when you realize it's all in good fun
You'll be so happy when you defeat your opposition...

The Blasters once more unleashed their perfect vocal harmony on the crowd, as one by one they traded off their instruments for The Blasters' chrome copies. They watched as they saw The Rainbooms hesitate to leave their instruments behind, but when they saw their new chrome copies, they were rather pleased with how they handled them.

Eventually, when the entire crowd had their chrome copies, Fortissimo watched as The Dazzlings and The Laments were handed six chrome microphones for their participation in Battletone. With his song coming to an end, Fortissimo kneeled down to the group of six and said, "I'm sure you'll have fun. Just don't break the rules... and don't run. And I'm sure that this'll be a fair game," he let out a light chuckle. "Anyone could face us..." returning to his crowd he once more whispered, "Anyone..." before he and The Blasters vanished as the lights finished.

Later...

"And that wraps up the auditions for Battletone," Fortissimo said as The Laments walked off of the stage, being applauded for doing so. "You've all played extremely well, and you've all deserved your positions in the tournament..."

"However, as this is now a tournament, this is the point where we have to split the competing bands up," Orchestral said as a TV screen appeared from the roof of the stage, showing one-hundred-and-twenty-eight tournament tree listings. "Over the next seven days, we shall be pitting band against band. One-hundred-and-twenty-eight must become sixty-four, sixty-four must become thirty-two, thirty-two must become sixteen, and so on and so forth until we finally get our winner of the tournament."

"Now then, before we continue with the tournament listings, let us demonstrate what these instruments you carry can do," Allegro said as he picked up a chrome keytar and began playing it. Whilst he did so, various different white beams fired out of it and struck the night sky, making firework patterns that caught the attention of the crowd in seconds. "As you can see, these instruments are very special. They're made to fire illuminating energy when played..."

"I hate this part..." Orchestral muttered under his breath as he walked into Allegro's line of fire.

"But when they come into contact with another band member..." Allegro fired on Orchestral, knocking onto his back. He heard the crowd looking quite surprised when they saw what had happened to Orchestral, but then he used his hands to calm them down. "Don't worry about that. These energy blasts have been scientifically proven to be non-fatal. they're just to be used to knock people onto their knees and make them stumble."

"Using these instruments, it's last band standing that moves onto the next round," Fortissimo explained. "But when you duel us in the Title Match, we'll permit you to use your old instruments, as we'll be doing the same."

"Now that introductions and explanations are out of the way, let's see who'll be facing who in the first round..." Orchestral pointed towards the TV, which animated the names of all of the bands and made them shuffle around the tournament tree erratically. They went so fast that it was hard to track.

"Everybody! Count down with us so that we can place the bands on the tree!" Fortissimo said, showing large amounts of enthusiasm as he urged the crowd to count downwards with him.

"Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" everyone counted down as the tournament tree started to glow brighter and brighter. When they all made it to one, a large flash could be seen on the TV screen, positioning the bands that would be battling in the first round of Battletone.

Author's Note

Me: Tank god I got dat out...

Autumn Breeze: Yoo did weww, bwodew. Now wet's go and pway wid Nighty and Fire before bath time.

Me: Otay, sistew... (Goes off with Autumn Breeze)

Luna: Hmm... What's this?

Celestia: You tell me, sister.

Luna: It seems as if Shadowmane's a valiant little one, isn't he? (Looks at the playing foals)

Celestia: You could say that in a way...

Luna: To think, he spends all of this time writing, and yet not many ponies know of his brilliance...

Celestia: This story needs to reach out to an extended audience somehow...

Luna: Well, while you formulate a plan to increase the popularity of The Siren Song, I'd best be getting the bathtub ready...