Fluttershy stood backstage with her bandmates as they prepared for the semi-finals of the Battle of the Bands. Rainbow Dash had, again, refused to let the band perform the song that she had written. She had given up on asking because she already knew the response she was going to get.
"We'll get to it..."
Enough was enough. Fluttershy was going to get her chance in the spotlight no matter what it took. From the corner of her eye, she saw Rarity arguing with Applejack about the outfits she was planning to wear to the finals. AJ didn't seem to show any interest and shot back that it didn't matter what the girls wore as long as they won.
"This is perfect!" Fluttershy thought to herself. "If my plan works, then Rarity will get to wear her costumes, and I'll get to sing! I just have to be assertive!"
Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy approached Rarity and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Um...Rarity...?" she whispered.
Rarity let out an exasperated sigh, before turning to face her shy friend.
"Yes, Fluttershy?"
"I've...um...I-I've.." Fluttershy stammered. "I've got an idea on how you can wear your outfits when you perform..."
Rarity's ears perked up at this.
"Oh, do tell darling.~" Rarity said with a cunning grin on her face.
"Thank you ever so much for getting here so quickly Big Macintosh," Fluttershy said, smiling brightly at the farmer.
"Eeyup." Big Mac tersely replied; straightening the striped tie on his uniform.
"Are Torch Song and Toe Tapper with you?" Rarity asked.
"Eeyup." said Mac, and pointed behind him to the two aforementioned people.
"Right here, Rarity," Torch Song said. "Ready to go!"
"Excellent," Rarity said. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice."
"Hey, as long as we get to sing, we'll be anywhere; anytime you need us." Toe Tapper said with pride.
"Are ya sure Principal Celestia's okay with it?" Big Mac asked.
"We've already settled everything out and we're on in three minutes," Rarity replied. "Now if you will excuse Fluttershy and I, we are going to get changed."
With a smile, Rarity and Fluttershy left for the bathroom.
"We're on next, where the heck are Fluttershy and Rarity?!" Rainbow asked, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Maybe they had to tinkle," Pinkie chimed in. "Everybody has to tinkle every now and then!"
"Well, they'd better hurry!" Twilight said; worriedly fidgeting about. "If they don't hurry, we're going to lose our chance to make it to the finals and defeat the sirens!"
"Hold up y'all," Applejack cut in. "Ah think Principal Celestia's gettin' ready to make some sort of announcement."
Principal Celestia walked up onto the stage with the microphone in her hand as the crowd of students murmured in confusion.
"Students, it appears that we have some new competition into the Battle of the Bands," Celestia stated. "I know this is short notice, but we have decided to at least give them a fighting chance."
After the mutters of disapproval died down, Celestia spoke again.
"Without further ado, please welcome the Ponytones."
Sitting up in the farthest row of bleachers were Canterlot High's newest students, the Dazzlings. Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk were not just three ordinary girls, but were, in fact, mystical beings from the land of Equestria known as sirens. They were the reason the Battle of the Bands was happening in the first place.
Aria looked down at the darkened stage and her lips curled into a small smirk.
"What do these "Ponytones," think they've got against us?" she sneered, making air quotes with her fingers.
"I guess they think they can sing better than us," Sonata replied, kicking her legs absentmindedly.
"I was being rhetorical birdbrain!" Aria snapped.
"What's rect-or-ical mean?" Sonata asked. "Does it have something to do with your butt?"
Aria only responded with a hand smacking her forehead. Adagio, however, ignored her bickering companions and kept her eyes glued to the stage, almost as if she were looking for something. The stage lights slowly came up and dimly revealed five people standing under them, almost completely emotionless. None of them spoke or smiled. They just stood there in silence.
Backstage, all twelve eyes of the Rainbooms and Spike went wide and all their jaws dropped; not just from seeing Rarity in another band, but seeing the ever timid Fluttershy front and center and not moving an inch.
"Is that...F-Fluttershy?!" Rainbow gasped, completely awestruck.
"Why isn't she running from the lights?!" Pinkie squawked. "That's what she did before!"
"I can't believe Rarity and Fluttershy would just betray us like this," Sunset added sadly. "Why?
"Shh, I think they're about to start," Twilight shushed her friends.
Fluttershy gave a small nod to Rarity who raised her hand into the air for a brief moment, then quickly brought it back down. Just as soon as Rarity's hand came down, the group began to harmonize. It was an almost haunting melody, and the Ponytones still showed no emotion whatsoever. They just sang without stopping, and the crowd of students were becoming more and more captivated in the song.
The Dazzlings looked down on the Ponytones, almost in shock. They were good. Really good, but Adagio refused to be fazed by some wannabe acapella group.
"Adagio, should we intervene?" Aria asked, and there was a little bit of worry in her voice.
"No, they won't get far," Adagio said. "We were born with that talent, and those Ponytones aren't any better than us."
"They're amazing...~" Sonata said.
Aria and Adagio both looked over in disbelief and saw Sonata slowly swaying in rhythm with the beat. She had a distant look in her eyes and a goofy smile on her face, almost like she were in a trance.
"Sonata, what's the matter with you?!" Adagio barked. "Snap out of it! We're sirens; we were born to do the exact same thing, but we're better!"
"Dagi, shush...~" Sonata droned, continuing to sway. "I'm trying to listen to the pretty music...~"
Adagio was about to reprimand the simpleminded siren when the song hit its apex. Fluttershy opened her mouth and released a beautiful and operatic soprano note. Adagio and Aria could only look on in utter shock. Neither of the two had known anyone who could hit a soprano note that high, or that beautifully, and with such ease.
The song continued and Aria was feeling herself being taken over by the music. Her feet began to tap in rhythm, and she could feel her head lolling from side to side.
Adagio looked through the crowd of students and could see that they were all swaying rhythmically just as Sonata was. Even the Rainbooms were entranced by the beautiful song.
"This is not happening," Adagio said to herself. "Aria, we have to--oh, no..."
Aria, too, was in a trance like state and swaying in time with the song, just as it was nearing its end. Adagio listened as Big Macintosh took the lead for a bit. His deep, bass voice slightly overshadowing the others as they harmonized alongside him. When Big Mac hit an especially low note, Adagio felt her legs turn into jelly. She had never heard a group harmonize so beautifully in all her life; neither siren nor human. A soft smile crossed her lips, as she closed her eyes and let herself be taken by the music.
Opening her eyes, Adagio saw that Fluttershy was looking straight at her, and the look in her eyes made it look like she was beckoning the Dazzlings over as she sang. The entranced sirens stood and almost literally floated to the front of the stage. The song ended, the stage went dark, and the entire auditorium erupted in cheers.
Celestia walked up onto the stage with the microphone.
"Well, that was quite a stunning performance by the Ponytones," she said, prompting more cheers. "Up next, will be the Rainbooms."
"Uh, actually Principal Celestia," Rainbow started. "We've been talking and....we decided to forfeit!"
Principal Celestia had a look of confusion on her face.
"Are you sure?" Celestia asked.
"Positive!" Rainbow replied. "I mean, who could top that?! That was amazing, Shy! You too Rares!"
"Thank you, darling," Rarity said with a small chuckle. "But all the credit doesn't belong to me. It was Fluttershy who came up with the idea after all!"
"Well, then," Celestia said. "Vice Principal Luna and I will tally the results of who will be moving on to the finals to take on the Dazzlings."
"Wait!" a voice came up through the audience.
It had been Trixie who had made the outburst.
"Trixie hates to say this Principal Celestia, but she forfeits as well!"
Celestia looked at Luna, who only shrugged in response to her sister's quizzical gaze. Celestia then turned to the Dazzlings.
"Well, girls, what is your choice?" she asked them.
"We forfeit too!" Adagio said. "We've never heard anything so beautiful! We're not worthy to try and upstage you!"
All three girls got on their knees and looked up at the Ponytones with pleading eyes.
"Please, if you would do us the honor of taking us under you wings, we would be forever grateful!" Aria said.
"Pretty, pretty please," Sonata pleaded with big, puppy dog eyes. "With sugar sprinkles, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, strawberries, honey swirled over--- "
"Okay, Sonata," Adagio interrupted. "I think they get the point."
"Yeah, and you're making me hungry," Aria said.
"Sorry," Sonata apologized with a sheepish grin. "Oh, and with a cherry on top, too!"
"Why, we'd be honored to give you lessons," Fluttershy said. "If, and only if you can be sure we can trust you."
"You must also be sure that, you will not use your voices to enslave and brainwash others." Rarity added.
"Do we have an agreement?" Fluttershy asked.
"Of course," Adagio replied. "We swear on the deep, blue sea that we will no longer use our voices for evil. Right, girls?"
"On the deep blue." Aria and Sonata said in unison.
"Alright, I accept," Fluttershy said. "You three are now officially Ponytones in training."
"Well, it is my great honor to announce the winners of the Battle of the Bands: The Ponytones!" Celestia said with pride.
The auditorium, again, erupted in cheers, while the Ponytones were awarded a large trophy.
"Now," Adagio added. "Would it be possible to perform an encore for us?"
"What do you say, Ponytones," Fluttershy said, turning to her bandmates. "Should we?"
The Ponytones only smiled at each other and exited offstage. When they returned, they were all dressed in white and glowsticks embellished their hair and were worn as necklaces. The spotlight shone brightly on Fluttershy as she took a deep breath and opened her icy blue contact eyes to the audience.
And that's how Fluttershy saved the world from the sirens in the Battle of the Bands. If only Rainbow had let her sing in the first place.
THE END
Author's Note
These are the songs they're singing:
This was just a random idea I came up with while listening to Pentatonix on repeat. Thank you guys and see you next time! 