Truth In Song

by bigbear

Rating: everyone
Tags: Comedy, Equestria Girls, Sunset Shimmer, Random, Slice of Life, DJ P0N-3, Human, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6
Length: 7301

Twilight’s friends on both sides of the portal mirror like to sing. So Twilight and Sunset Shimmer set up the first interdimensional concert and sing-a-long. What hidden truths will be revealed when everyone starts to sing?

Twilight’s friends on both sides of the portal mirror like to sing. So Twilight and Sunset Shimmer set up the first interdimensional concert and sing-a-long so everyone can get to know each other better.

What hidden truths will be revealed when everyone starts to sing? How will it affect their friendships and their futures? Do Twilight and Sunset have a hidden agenda?

This takes place sometime between Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games. The girls at CHS have not yet met their world’s Twilight.

Based on songs from MLP:FIM seasons 1-4, Equestria Girls, and Rainbow Rocks. Includes links to all songs.

All songs and characters copyright Hasbro.

Published 2015-11-04 22:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-11-05 17:33:40 UTC

Everypony Likes To Sing

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, cantered down the wide staircase in Princess Twilight Sparkle’s crystal tree castle. Their hoofbeats clattered on crystal floors and echoed through the halls. Without conscious thought, the girls adjusted strides until their hooves struck the floor in rhythm. The sound of their hoofbeats reinforced each other, louder, but in harmony.

“Anypony know what this is about?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Twilight’s note said she wanted to see all of us in the basement of her castle just after sunset. It also said we might be here a for a while, but there’s no danger.” replied Rarity.

“I like the part about no danger,” whispered Fluttershy.

The girls reached the bottom of the staircase and entered a great underground hall, longer than the width of the trunk of the tree castle. Like the rest of the castle, the floors, walls, and ceiling were shades of translucent and opaque crystal. Magic lights in glowing crystal chandeliers illuminated the hall. Banners hung at intervals from the ceiling, tapestries covered the walls, and rugs stretched across the floor.

A raised stage dominated the far end of the hall. In the center of the stage, a full length mirror with a baroque frame stood tall, surrounded by equally baroque scientific and mystical devices. Arcs of lightning connected the mirror to the devices. The girls recognized this magical mirror: a portal to a strange world of two legged doppelgangers and a former foe.

On a stand near the mirror, a great book lay open and glowing. Arcs of lightning occasionally jumped between the glowing book and the mirror. The colors in the face of the portal mirror glowed and swirled.

Giant speakers flanked the stage on left, right, and downstage center. Stage left, Vinyl Scratch held court, surrounded by her mixing board and throne of DJ gear. Thick cables ran like an army of snakes across the stage, connecting everything. Vinyl had her head down, muzzle and forehooves obscured by racks of equipment.

Stage right, Twilight fiddled with a forest of microphones on stands. She spotted the newcomers. Her face lit in a great grin. “Hi girls, come on up! I hope you are in good voice tonight.”

The girls walked across the hall and up onto the stage. The sounds of their hoofbeats disappeared as they walked onto the carpets.

They were wary; all previous interactions with the portal mirror had lead Twilight into danger. But she seemed happy, almost chipper, so they didn’t voice their concerns.

“Spread out, there’s a microphone for everypony.” Twilight waved a hoof at the mics.

“What the hay is this about, sugarcube,” Applejack asked. “Are we making a recording?”

“Not just us…” Twilight smiled. Tap, tap, tap. “Is this thing on?” Vinyl Scratch pumped a hoof in the air indicating everything was working on her end. The image in the swirling mirror shifted with every sound.

“Our Vinyl has given us the go signal. You sound like you’re in the room with us,” came a reply through the speakers. Perfect sound quality made them sound like they were standing on the stage.

The speaker did sound a bit nervous. The girls looked at each other. The voice was familiar. Then their eyes went wide together as they recognized the speaker: Sunset Shimmer!

Sarcasm and menace dripped from Sunset’s voice the last time the girls heard her speak. She’d absconded through the portal mirror with Twilight’s Element of Magic, one of Equestria’s most powerful magical treasures. Twilight had followed Sunset through the mirror, retrieved the Element, and returned with a story of Sunset being reformed after a magical battle. But the only positive words the girls knew about Sunset were Twilight's stories. The last they had ever seen or heard from her was the night she stole the Element.

“Let’s get this show on the road.” Twilight stepped up to her mic and looked at her friends. “Sunset and I were corresponding through Princess Celestia’s magic books when we realized that all my friends on both sides of the mirror liked to sing. We sing in Equestria all the time. And I’ve sung with Sunset and the girls on the other side of the mirror. They even have a band!”

“The Rainbooms!” called out Rainbow Dash’s voice through the speaker.

“Creepy… but cool!” replied Rainbow Dash from on stage.

Twilight put a hoof over her microphone and nodded to Vinyl Scratch. She nodded back and pulled down a row of sliders on her board.

“I know I kind of dumped this on you girls, but… surprise!” Twilight shifted her weight on her hooves, nervously. “You don’t have to sing if you don’t want to. Sunset and I just thought this might be a fun way for everybody to… get to know each other.”

“Everybody, not just everypony, eh Twilight.” Applejack smiled. “I’m always up for singing with friends.”

The other girls nodded and murmured assent. Fluttershy whispered, “So long as everypony else is singing…”

Twilight’s smile got even broader. “Thank you girls. Thank you all.” She pulled her hoof away from the microphone and nodded to Vinyl. Vinyl pushed all the sliders back up then waved her hoof in a circle. They were recording.

“Welcome, everyone to this interdimensional concert and sing-a-long. I suppose introductions are in order. I’m Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. We’re recording with Vinyl Scratch from the basement hall of my castle in Ponyville, Equestria.”

“I’m Sunset Shimmer. I’m on guitar and playing with our versions of Twilight’s friends: Applejack on bass guitar, Rainbow Dash on lead guitar, Rarity on keytar, Pinkie Pie on drums, and Fluttershy on tamborine. We’re recording this with our Vinyl Scratch in the auditorium at Canterlot High School on the other side of the portal mirror.”

“We are the Rainbooms!” called out Rainbow Dash’s voice through the speaker again.

“Still cool!” replied Rainbow Dash from on stage.

“You won the coin toss, Sunset.” Twilight glanced at the portal mirror to confirm it was still working. “Rainbooms go first.”

“This is how we like to open Rainboom sets,” said Sunset’s voice. “Feel free to stomp along with the beat. Pinkie?”

They heard drumsticks tap together four times, then the boom of a pounding Bass Drum. Pinkie quickly matched the beat with her hooves: Stomp, Stomp, Clop. Stomp Stomp, Clop. The mirror pulsed with every beat. The Rainboom’s instruments, and then their voices, quickly joined in over the speaker.

Rainbow Rocks

We used to fight with each other

That was before we discovered

That when your friendship is real

Yeah, you just say what ya feel

“It’s very… loud,” Fluttershy whispered through her pink mane.

Twilight swayed back and forth and bobbed her muzzle to the beat. “Just let yourself feel the music.” In the second verse she started singing “Oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh” in counterpoint. Rarity picked up the second counterpoint, and by the third, all the girls on stage had their muzzles in the air and were singing along into the microphones.

Sunset sang Twilight’s part, “Or you can sing like a star”, then all the Rainbooms brought the song home, and ended with,

As we learn how the rainbow…

Rainbow Rocks!

“Woo Hoo!” Everypony on the stage cheered and stomped their hooves in appreciation. The ice had been broken.

“Since we’re doing rainbow songs,” said Twilight, “here’s one we sang after a particularly tough adventure.”

“You mean after a terrifying battle with the fate of all of Equestria on the line?” Applejack smiled.

“She means it was Tuesday.” Rainbow Dash grinned from ear to ear.

Twilight smiled, raised a hoof, and pointed at Vinyl Scratch. She spun a disk and the sounds of jazzy strings rose from the speakers. Twilight opened solo.

Let The Rainbow Remind You

Each one of us has something special

That makes us different, that makes us rare

Fluttershy did her solo, then all the girls on stage joined in. By the final reprise of the chorus, the Rainbooms had joined as well. Their combined voices thundered. The music died down to a lone mandolin, and Twilight finished the song solo.

Let the rainbow remind you

That together we will always shine

When the song ended, the hall rang with clapping and hoof stomping.

“More rainbows!’ cried Pinkie Pie’s voice from the other side of the mirror. “Guess who inspired this song. One, two three, four…”

A bass guitar strummed to open the song, then Applejack’s voice came through the speaker.

Shine Like Rainbows

Once upon a time

You came into my world and made the stars align

A solo followed in Rarity’s voice, then all the Rainbooms joined in. Twilight blushed initially, but by the second chorus, all the girls in the hall were signing too, and everyone finished up the song with,

We shine like rainbows

We shine like rainbows

“That’s a very good song!” Rarity shook her head so the curls in her mane lay just so. “You girls have put together a fine band. What’s the first song you ever sang together?”

There was a moment of embarrassed silence.

“Oh, yeah,” said Sunset’s voice, “The Rainbooms and Twilight have got to sing ‘Help Her Win The Crown’. Even Snips and Snails were dancing in the hall to that one.”

Rarity whispered to Sunset audibly through the speakers. “We don’t have to sing that song if it’s too painful, dear.”

“It’s a good pain, Rarity,” Sunset’s voice whispered back.

Twilight stepped up to the mic. “Sunset, I’ll sing it on one condition. You have to join me. The solo needs to be a duet.”

Sunset paused for a long moment, then spoke up, “Deal. Then you have to let let me set the stage.

“Friends, I was not always a good person. I arrived at Canterlot High School all alone, and decided I didn’t want anyone to have the power to hurt me ever again. So I spent three years using lies and gossip to break up any groups that might threaten my position as Queen Bee of CHS. Unfortunately, that included present company.

“Then Twilight followed me back to CHS, and in three days, got the girls here back together and they all took the school away from me. This song, sung to everyone in the cafeteria at school, was where they started to turn it all around. Stomp along, to ‘Help Her Win The Crown.’”

Help Her Win The Crown (The Cafeteria Song)

Hey, hey, everybody

We've got something to say

We may seem as different

As the night is from day

The Rainbooms, minus Sunset Shimmer, sounded a little tentative as the song started. But, drawn in by the infectious beat, they all sang,

Helping Twilight Sparkle

Win the crown!

Twilight and Sunset raised their voices together for their duet, and everyone else went quite.

I'm gonna be myself

No matter what I do

And if we're different yeah

I want you to be true to you

If you follow me

We'll put our differences aside

We'll stick together and

Start working on that school pride!

Now everyone had the beat, and all the Rainbooms and all the girls in the hall sang the chorus together six times, and ended with,

Jump up make a sound

Stomp your hooves turn around

Canterlot Wondercolts

Help her win the crown!

Both groups finished the song, then broke into happy laughter. Pinkie pulled everypony on stage into a group hug.

“Whew.” Twilight wiped a hoof across her brow “Let’s take a break. Vinyls, do you want to take the next set?”

Both Vinyls picked the same back beat, then both played the same opening riff. By unspoken agreement, they alternated musical phrases, and both halls filled with the sounds of electronica.

Personal Songs

“I love stomping my hooves to their music,” Pinkie had a mile wide grin.

“They know colts are male ponies, right? And that all of us are mares?” Rainbow Dash looked like she’d bit a lemon.

“Wondercolts is the name of the sports teams at CHS.” Twilight shook her head.

“Oh, their hoofball team. I get it.” Rainbow Dash looked relieved.

“Something like that.” Twilight grinned.

The ponies on stage were silent for a moment. No one seemed to want to speak first. Fluttershy bobbed her muzzle slightly to the beat that both Vinyls laid down.

“The Rainbooms are good.” Applejack nodded. “But it is a might disquieting to hear my own voice singing songs I've never heard before.”

Everyone but Twilight nodded their heads and murmured acknowledgement.

“I am sure they’re fine girls.” Rarity turned to Twilight. “But I think they may have… issues.”

Twilight looked startled at Rarity.

“First, Sunset Shimmer obviously hurt them very badly,” Rarity said, “She sabotaged their friendships at a time when they were very vulnerable. The girls seem to have forgiven her, but the pain has had an impact.”

“They opened both their songs with lyrics about fighting and feeling different from each other,” Fluttershy whispered.

Rarity nodded. “And second, they positively idolize Twilight.”

“Now, that’s just crazy.” Twilight took a step back. “We’re good friends, but...”

“Once upon a time, you came into my world and made the stars align?” Applejack shook her head. "That’s the opening to a love ballad if I ever heard one.”

“You turned their world around, Twilight.” Rarity looked directly at her friend. “It's what leaders do. From what you told us, before you came they were friendless during an important part of their adolescence. We all remember how vulnerable we were at that time of our lives.

“Then, you swept in from nowhere, restored their friendships, led them to a stunning victory, then challenged them to uphold their highest ideals by reforming their former tormentor.

“I am sure you inspired them in other ways as well. And I am not saying their feelings are anything but platonic. But you should understand how they feel so you can deal with them responsibly.”

Twilight was as stunned as if she’d been hit by a board. Rarity’s words put her conversations with the Rainbooms into a totally new context. What else had she missed? What had she said that might have been misinterpreted?

“Equestria to Twilight.” Rainbow Dash bopped her on the nose. “You zoned out on us again.”

Twilight shook her head. “Sorry girls. Dealing with the Rainbooms feels like a big responsibility all of the sudden.”

“It’s not like it’s the first time you brought friends together.” Applejack looked knowingly at the other girls. They all nodded.

Twilight stepped back. “But all of you…”

“We knew of each other,” Rarity replied. “Ponyville is a small town after all. But we were mostly just acquaintances before we gathered with you in the library after the appearance of Nightmare Moon.”

“I was friends with everypony in Ponyville!” Pinkie smiled. “But after all we’ve been through together, I am super-duper friends with you girls!” She pulled everypony into a large group hug. Everyone held the hug, and laughed.

A clatter of hoofsteps came down the stairs. Everypony turned to look.

“We heard you needed some musical reinforcements,” came a call from the stairs. Octavia Melody entered, carrying her cello. Big McIntosh, Toe-Tapper, and Torch Song followed, all dressed in their Pony Tones stage outfits.

“How did you know?” Twilight asked.

“Vinyl left me a message that we were missing out on a chance to be in a ‘magical musical event’.” Octavia waved a hoof at the others. “I gathered up the Pony Tones and we came right over. I hope it’s okay?”

Twilight was speechless.

“Come on in. We’re using Twilight’s magic to sing with some friends from... very far away, who may sound a bit like us... sometimes.” Applejack waved a hoof at the pulsing portal mirror. “Just treat it like a jam session and roll with it. You OK with that Big Mac?”

“Eeyup”

“You girls ready to pick it up?” asked Sunset through the speakers. “I thought we could do a few personal songs this time.”

Twilight still acted stunned, so Applejack stepped up. “That sounds like a good idea. Why don’t you girls play the first song.”

The Rainbooms started with a haunting melody, surprisingly soft after the hall-filling rock and electronica. Then Rarity’s voice flowed like honey from the speakers as she sang,

Life Is A Runway

Life is a runway (runway)

Listen, here's what it's all about

The beat picked up, but never overpowered Rarity's voice. The rest of the Rainbooms quietly echoed the song’s tag line to back her up. Everypony else was hushed. Rarity concluded her song with,

I tell you, life is a runway (runway)

Time to bring what's on the inside out

Into the light

Into the light

Into the light

Into the light

Into the light

They all exploded into cheers, applause, and stomping. Rarity made a ball of magic light with her horn in appreciation and called out, “Brava darling! Brava!”

The other Rarity’s voice replied through the speakers, “Thank you. You are all too kind. Thank you very much.”

“My turn! My turn!” Pinkie bounced up and down. “I sang this to everypony on our first adventure together.”

Vinyl reached out a hoof, spun a disk, and pointed at Pinkie. Carnival music filled the hall. Simultaneously, both Pinkies started to sing in harmony:

Face Your Fears

When I was a little filly and the sun was going down...

The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown...

One Pinkie bounced around the basement. The other could be heard bouncing on her drum throne. They giggled, guffawed, cracked up, whooped it up, chortled, snortled and finally:

And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh...

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuugh!

One Pinkie flopped upside down and waved her hooves in the air. The other could be heard hitting the floor in sync. On stage, Pinkie took in a huge breath, and blew pink curls out of her face. The girls could imagine the other Pinkie doing the same. Everyone laughed, applauded, and stomped.

“Time to take it to the awesome!” Rainbow Dash’s voice called out and all of the Rainboom’s instruments came alive together. The band chanted in the background as Rainbow sang solo,

Awesome As I Want To Be

[The Rainbooms]

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

[Rainbow Dash]

Awesome as I wanna be

Rainbow Dash zoomed around Twilight’s hall, then joined in at the microphone and made the solo a duet. Both Rainbow Dashes boasted in sync about their awesomeness, and ended with:.

I'm awesome, take caution

Watch out for me, I'm awesome as I wanna be!

The song ended with a guitar flourish. Together both Dashes called out, “Let’s do it again!”

“I think it’s their turn,” came Applejack’s voice through the speaker.

“Shoot,” both Dashes replied. Everyone smiled and laughed.

Twilight huddled with Applejack, Vinyl, and Octavia. They couldn’t agree on the next song.

Rarity whispered to Fluttershy, “The Pony Tones are here, would you join us in presenting, ‘Find the Music In You’?”

“Oh, I could never do that,” Fluttershy whispered back.

“Baby steps you told me darling. You've already performed the song in front of your friends. The other girls are as close to your friends as you will ever find.”

“I don't want to embarrass myself in front of… her.” Fluttershy sighed and pointed a hoof at the magic portal mirror.

“Sunset Shimmer?” Rarity asked, “While she may have done questionable things in the past, I strongly doubt she would receive your performance poorly.”

“No… her.” Fluttershy ducked her head and her long pink mane covered one eye.

Rarity looked flummoxed, then brightened up. “Your counterpart? If she is at all like you, I am sure she will be most kind and appreciative. I suspect she would enjoy learning to sing your parts of the song as much as you do.”

“It would be like a gift to her,” Fluttershy whispered. Her voice strengthened, “I’ll do it. But I would rather do it right now, before I lose my nerve. If that's not too much of an inconvenience to anyone.”

Rarity raised her voice. “We have the next song.” Everypony looked over. “The full roster of the Pony Tones, myself, Big McIntosh, Toe-Tapper, Torch Song, and Fluttershy will do an a capella rendition of our signature song. Places everyone.”

The Pony Tones gathered in a semi-circle around the microphones. Rarity blew her pitch pipe to get them all in tune. Big Mac started off bass a cappella with,

Find The Music In You

Bum, bum, bum-ba-da, ba-da

Bum, bum, bum-ba-da ah

All the Pony Tones joined in, and wove the music from their voices alone. After a harmonious, “Got the music, got the music in you!” Fluttershy rose up on her wings for her solo:

There's music in the treetops

And there's music in the vale

And all around the music fills the sky

There's music by the river

And there's music in the grass

And the music makes your heart soar in reply

Fluttershy landed. She and the Pony Tones sang the rest of the song as call and response, and ended with a triumphant,

Got the music, got the music in you!

Both halls were silent. Fluttershy ducked her head in shame.

Then both exploded in clapping, stomping, and cheering. It was the longest ovation yet. Rarity leaned over to Fluttershy and whispered, “Your friends all love you, darling.”

Fluttershy looked up. She winced from the noise, but smiled through it from appreciation. “Baby steps,” she said. Rarity nodded.

“Good job, Big Mac!” came Applejack’s voice through the speakers.

“How is anypony gonna follow that,” Applejack shook her muzzle.

“Um, hello,” Fluttershy’s voice said through the speaker, “I have a song that is kind of personal. Not to me, but to someone else. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is Fluttershy.” Twilight looked over to the mirror. “Who is it personal too?”

“Um, you…” whispered Fluttershy.

Applejack whispered to Rarity, “Here it comes.” She put her hoof to Applejack’s mouth. “Sush.”

“Sunset Shimmer told me you sent her the words to a song you sang when you first came to our world,” said Fluttershy’s voice, “I asked to see them, I hope it was OK…”

“It’s fine, Fluttershy, but I don’t have any music for that song.”

“I know,” said Fluttershy’s voice, “that’s why I wrote some.”

Twilight stepped back. “That is incredibly kind of you, Fluttershy. I would love to sing along to your music. Sunset, you know the words too. You and I’ve both had to come to grips with entering a strange new world. Would you like sing another duet with me?”

“Of course,” said Sunset.

Twilight stepped up to the microphone. “To set the scene, the singer suddenly finds herself in a place she has never been before, physically altered, all alone, and overwhelmed by what she sees…”

The Rainbooms started a quick jazzy beat, with plenty of strings. Octavia picked up the rhythms quickly, and added her cello into the mix. Twilight and Sunset sang,

This Strange World

I've never seen a place

That's quite like this

Everything is turned around

This crazy world is upside-down

The fear, confusion, and amazement was evident in the performance of both singers. They detailed the most important things they had seen and felt…

They don't use any magic or fly with any wings

I don't get these funny clothes, skinny legs or tiny nose

Everything's confusing when it seems so new

But I look a little closer and it starts to feel familiar too

And they ended the song with,

What a strange new world

Both halls filled with clapping and stomping. Twilight sported a very large grin.

Through the speaker, Pinkie’s voice called out, “Who’s next? Who’s next?”

“This one might take some explanation, so bear with me,” Twilight said, “Rarity, when I was at CHS and we went to the Fall Formal, you shared your jewelry with us. What did you wear?”

“Diamonds darling, Three diamonds are my signature.”

“Pinkie?”

“My favorite, three balloons!”

“Fluttershy, your hairpiece?”

“A butterfly, I love butterflys.”

“Applejack, on your dress?”

“I’m an Apple, so apples of course.”

“Rainbow Dash, the clip on your belt?”

“My awesome rainbow lightning bolt!”

“You might be surprised to learn that those same symbols are also very special to the girls here in Equestria. But here they’re more mystical. They’re called a cutie mark and represent a pony’s special talent, and impact what they are destined to do. We don’t get to choose them. They appear by magic on our flanks sometime before we become adults, and we display them for the rest of our lives.”

“Like magical tats?” asked Rainbow Dash’s voice.

“Something like that,” said Sunset.

“What’s yours?” asked Applejack’s voice.

“The stylized sunset on my magic book.”

“I’m sure that looks very pretty on your… flank.” said Rarity’s voice.

“I’ll bet Twilight’s is a big purple star, like on her crown!” said Pinkie’s voice.

“Got it on the first guess, Pinkie.” Twilight smiled. “Plus five smaller white stars.”

The girls on both sides of the portal whispered quietly among themselves. Suddenly choice and destiny had been intermixed, and their connections across dimensions seemed closer than ever.

“I bring this up because I once cast a spell that went horribly wrong.” Twilight shifted uncomfortably. “I switched all my friend’s cutie marks, their jobs, and their destinies. I made them live the wrong lives. This being Equestria, their problems got expressed in song. See if you can figure out who got which cutie mark...”

Vinyl adjusted sliders on the mixing board with her hoof and spun a disk. Anxious music filled both halls. Rainbow Dash started solo with,

What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me

These animals don't listen, no, not one little bit

They run around out of control and throw their hissy fits

It's up to me to stop them, 'cause plainly you can see

It's got to be my destiny, and it's what my cutie mark is telling me

One by one, the rest of the girls expressed their tales of woe. Fluttershy failing to entertain people. Pinkie failing at growing apples. Applejack’s distressing attempts at dressmaking. Rarity’s weather disasters. They ended with all declaring,

It's got to be

My destiny

And it's what my cutie mark

It's what my cutie mark

Yes, it's what my cutie mark is telling me!

Before the crowd could react, Twilight spoke. “I tried every kind of magic I knew, but I couldn’t repair their shattered destinies. I’d made my friend’s lives miserable, made all of Ponyville miserable, and there’s nothing I could do to fix it.

“But maybe I wasn’t the one meant to fix it.

“All the girls were true friends. Maybe they could succeed where I failed. Maybe they could help each other!

“So I found Fluttershy, and asked her to help Rainbow Dash with the animals. And it worked! Helping her true friend led Fluttershy to re-discover her real destiny, and she regained her cutie mark.” Twilight took a deep breath. “The song tells it better than I can.”

True True Friend

[Twilight Sparkle]

A true, true friend helps a friend in need

A friend will be there to help them see

[Twilight and Fluttershy]

A true, true friend helps a friend in need

To see the light that shines from a true, true friend

The song continued. Rainbow Dash helped Rarity with the weather. Rarity helped Applejack at the boutique. Applejack helped Pinkie at the farm. And Pinkie helped the townspeople smile! Finally everyone in both halls sang the finale together.

A true, true friend helps a friend in need

A friend will be there to help them see

A true, true friend helps a friend in need

To see the light! (To see the light!)

That shines! (That shines!)

From a true, true friend!

Twilight picked up Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy in her magic and they all joined in a great group hug. Her eyes glistened. Her friends were the most important things in her life.

The Song You Brought Everypony Here To Listen Too

It took a few minutes for everyone to settle down. Twilight got everyone’s attention by asking, “Sunset, don’t you have something personal you could sing?”

“We are singing personal songs aren’t we,” Sunset said. “Is it okay girls?” she asked the Rainbooms.

“Of course it is, silly. Singing this song is the whole reason you and Twilight set this concert up,” said Pinkie Pie’s voice.

“Not the only reason...” winced Sunset.

“Everypony here likes to sing…” whispered Twilight.

“You got caught girls,” snickered Applejack, “Now let’s hear the song you done brought everypony here to listen too.”

“Okay,” Sunset took a deep breath. “This is the first song I ever wrote to sing with the Rainbooms. Fluttershy helped with the chord progressions, but you can blame me for the words.”

The instrumental music started with a slow plaintive beat. Twilight shivered. To her the music was pleading, for someone, anyone, to listen and understand who Sunset used to be.

Sunset Shimmer began her song:

My Past Is Not Today

Power

Was all I desired

But all that grew inside me

Was the darkness I acquired

The next part always made Twilight blush...

When I began to fall

And I lost the path ahead

That's when your friendship found me

And it lifted me instead

Twilight could feel the beat through her body as it slowly changed. She thought Sunset used her music to carve out a piece of ground and state, “this is who I am today.”

Like a phoenix burning bright

In the sky

I'll show there's another side to me

You can't deny

Twilight held her eyes closed. She had a big grin on her face. She felt the song ended in exaltation, as Sunset demanded to be heard, demanded to be believed. Twilight knew she was saying, “this is who I will become.”

I may not know what the future holds

But hear me when I say

That my past does not define me

'Cause my past is not today

Sunset held the final high note, long after it its time had come and gone. “Challenge me on this,” Twilight felt the final note said, “I dare you.”

The song ended.

And everything fell apart.

The high note finally died, then silence fell. There were appreciative noises from Octavia and the Pony Tones, but only a polite shuffling of hooves from Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie. Fluttershy started to speak, but saw the other girls were silent, so she stayed quiet. Octavia and the Pony Tones looked shocked. Silence returned.

“Oh no,” said Sunset Shimmer in a throaty whisper. The Rainbooms whispered back praise and encouragement, to make sure Sunset knew they were there for her.

Twilight looked away from her friends. She felt a lump in her throat, and her eyes were wet. It must be all the lights Vinyl had brought in. “I’ve got to check the mirror.” She walked away from the microphones. Nopony spoke on stage.

“We need to take a break over here,” came Rarity’s voice through the speakers. There were the sounds of instruments being put down, shuffling feet, and indistinct whispers.

Rainbow Dash angled in from circling the hall, and landed by the other girls. “That could have gone better.”

“I thought the chord progressions were super nice,” Pinkie offered. Fluttershy blushed, but wasn’t sure why.

Applejack shuffled her hooves nervously. “It’s real hard to hear Sunset Shimmer talk about how she hurt all those people.”

“Since they sound just like us and it kinda feels like Sunset Shimmer did those things to us,” said Rainbow Dash.

The other girls nodded in agreement.

The awkward silence returned. Vinyl and the rest of the Pony Tones were carefully looking away from the girls at the microphones.

Finally Rarity spoke. “No matter what else happened over there, that girl certainly is smitten.”

“That's when your friendship found me, and it lifted me instead?” Applejack nodded. “Sunset Shimmer has got it bad.”

“Sunset Shimmer?” Rarity looked over at Twilight. “Yes darling, her too.”

“Twilight?’ asked Rainbow Dash.

“They’re connected.” Applejack shook her head. “From what Twi told us, Sunset Shimmer was supposed to have Twilight’s life. The Princess trained Sunset before she trained Twilight. Sunset was supposed to take up the Element of Magic, defeat Nightmare Moon, and be the hero of Equestria.”

“But Sunset Shimmer fell so far that she became a demon,” Rarity looked at her hooves. “In Twilight’s eyes, Sunset’s fall proves that Twilight herself is just one mistake away from darkness.”

“But Twilight’s not dark,” said Pinkie. “I mean, her mane and tail are kinda dark, but she has those pink stripes…”

“Remember Twilight casting ‘Want It, Need It’ and making all of Ponyville go nuts? Or casting dark magic in the Crystal Empire? Or heck, even her semi-regular freak outs?” Applejack sighed. “I love her like a sister, but Twi dabbles in dangerous magic and plays the game a little close to the line sometimes.”

Rarity looked up at her friends. “If Twilight can turn Sunset Shimmer back to the light, I think Twilight believes she herself can be redeemed if she ever falls.”

Fluttershy looked over and saw Twilight with her head hung low, looking away from her friends. “I think that Twilight is very disappointed in us for not supporting somepony she really likes.”

“But, the only time we’ve ever seen Sunset Shimmer, she stole Twilight’s Element!” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Sunset told us who she was: ambitious, power hungry, a gossip, a liar, a thief, even a demon.”

The girls kept talking among themselves. Twilight stood alone and played with the devices connected to the portal mirror.

Fluttershy slipped away and walked over to Vinyl Scratch. From behind her racks of equipment, Vinyl turned and looked at Fluttershy.

“Pardon me,” whispered Fluttershy. “If it’s not too big a bother, could I ask you a question?” Vinyl nodded. “Is it possible to talk to… the other me... without anypony hearing?” Vinyl cocked her head for a moment, then nodded again. She put a headphone/microphone combination on Fluttershy’s head and flipped a switch on her mixing board.

“Hello…” Fluttershy whispered.

“Epp!” Fluttershy’s voice whispered in return.

There was a long silence. Fluttershy whispered again, “I like the music you wrote.”

“I like your singing.”

“Do you really play in a band,” Fluttershy asked, “in front of... everyone?”

“Only because I’m with my friends…” came the reply.

“You are very brave.”

“Not like you, I hear you have to deal with monsters.”

“Mostly I just deal with my animals,” Fluttershy whispered. She blushed.

“I love animals!” came the reply.

“Me too!” Fluttershy smiled.

Another pause.

“Can I ask you about… Sunset Shimmer?”

“Okay…”

“Was she mean to you?”

“Yes…”

“Did she do all the things she said?”

“And more...”

“Doesn’t that make things… hard?”

“Sometimes. But did you ever know someone who had done bad things, and hurt a lot of people, but who really wanted to be good now?”

“Discord,” Fluttershy mouthed. “I know someone like that.”

“The girls and I try to be the friends that Sunset needs. And she tries to be good. But some people at school make it hard for her. They only remember the old mean Sunset. They don’t see that she can be a good friend.”

“And Sunset Shimmer is your friend?” asked Fluttershy.

“We’re all friends,” came the strong reply. “All of us.”

Vinyl tapped Fluttershy and pointed a hoof. Twilight was walking back over toward the girls on stage.

“Thank you for everything. Good luck with your music and your animals.” Fluttershy hoofed the headset to Vinyl, and hurried back to the others.

“Uh, girls,” Twilight said quietly, “I need to go through the portal to sing the next songs with the Rainbooms. I hope you stick around for them, but I understand if you don’t want to stay.”

“Twilight…” whispered Fluttershy.

“I’ve... got to go.” Twilight looked like she wanted to say something else, then shook her head. She turned and walked through the portal mirror. Octavia and the Pony Tones were amazed to see Twilight disappear into the mirror’s swirling depths.

There was a loud “thump” like a sack of potatoes hitting the floor. “Oww, who moved the pillow?” Twilight’s voice complained.

“Sorry,” apologized Rainbow Dash’s voice.

A guitar strummed once to get everyone’s attention. Rainbow Dash’s voice spoke. “We’ve got another song to play over here. Background is, three sirens from Equestria called the Dazzlings got banished to our world. They were attracted to CHS because we Rainbooms had absorbed some Equestrian magic the first time Twilight came here.”

“We-all girls ended up fighting, and those sirens lapped up the negative energy and got right powerful,” came Applejack’s voice. “They were gonna suck the emotions out of the entire school, then go on to bigger and badder things.”

“Sunset was the voice of reason who helped us stop fighting,” Rarity’s voice said. “Then, Twilight figured out the Rainbooms needed to play music together to release our Equestrian magic so we could battle the sirens.”

“Vinyl set up a bunch of big speakers, and Applejack, Fluttershy, Dash, Pinkie, Rarity and I set out to sing and play,” said Twilight. “We started with this song that Fluttershy had written.” The band started up the music,

Welcome To the Show

Oh-oh, oh-whoa-oh

I've got the music in me

Oh-oh, oh-whoa-oh

Twilight sang a short solo, then the Rainbooms sang together, ending with

Find the music in your heart

Let the music make you start

To set yourself apart

The singing stopped. The only music was the sounds of discordant guitars.

“Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy did their part,” continued Twilight, “they used their music to drive back two of the sirens. But my solo wasn’t strong enough. The lead siren drove me back, and then all the sirens recovered and blew the Rainbooms down.”

The remaining music changed to a lone drum loop from Vinyl’s mixing board.

“Then I realized we’d been defeated because we hadn’t fully embraced the magic of friendship. Friendship means no one gets left out, and no one gets left behind. To my shame, we had left out Sunset Shimmer. But she picked up a mic and brought us all back.”

[Sunset Shimmer]

You're never gonna bring me down

You're never gonna break this part of me

My friends are here to bring me 'round

Not singing just for popularity

[Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle]

We're here to let you know

That we won't let it go

[The Rainbooms]

Our music is a bomb and it's about to blow

[Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle]

And you can try to fight

But we have got the light of

[The Rainbooms]

Friendship on our side!

All seven Rainbooms sang the chorus together the first time. In the reprise, Octavia deepened the music with her cello and everypony on stage joined in. The final reprise thundered in both halls, the singing ending with,

Here to sing our song out loud

Get you dancing with the crowd

As the music of our friendship

Survives, survives, survives!

The singing ended, but an extended guitar riff continued the music.

“Playing together filled all seven of us with Equestrian magic,” said Applejack’s voice.

“Even Sunset 'ponied up' for the first time,” said Pinkie’s voice.

“A great rainbow shot up from us into the clouds,“ said Fluttershy’s voice.

“It turned into a breathtaking white alicorn,” said Rarity’s voice.

“Which shot a rainbow beam that totally kicked the Dazzlings sorry butts!” said Rainbow Dash’s voice.

The guitar finished its final riff and the song was over.

“And that’s how all the Rainbooms together defeated the sirens,” said Sunset’s voice.

Everyone in Twilight’s hall stomped in appreciation. Octavia and the Pony Tones looked at the girls expectantly.

Rarity huddled the girls on stage away from the microphones. “I fear we have made a dreadful mistake.”

All the girls nodded.

“When Twilight came back the last time, she told us Sunset Shimmer had reformed, but because I never saw her myself, it didn’t feel like she had.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Now it does.”

“And when you make a mistake and hurt somepony, the honest thing to do is to fess up.” Applejack straightened her hat and led the girls back to the microphones. She spoke up so everyone in both halls could hear. “Rainbooms, that was a right good song and story.”

“Sunset Shimmer, we want to apologize. We were rude and insensitive in our response to your song,” Rarity continued. “We’ve only met once, and not under the best of circumstances, but that is no excuse for poor behaviour. I mean if the Tree of Harmony choose you...”

“Horse-apples! No magic tree chooses my friends.” Rainbow Dash stepped up to the mic. “Sunset Shimmer, I wasn’t listening before, but I am now. Twilight says you’re okay. Our namesakes say you’re okay. And you say you’re okay. That’s good enough for me.”

“You need to come to our Ponyville so we can throw you a great big ‘Sunset Shimmer is visiting Equestria’ party.” Pinkie bounced forward. “I’ll use three party cannons to be sure there’s enough balloons and streamers.”

“I knew she had a party cannon,” said the voice of the other Pinkie Pie.

“That invitation goes for all the Rainbooms too.” Applejack smiled. “While it might be a tad confusing to have two ponies here with the same look and voice, we deal with confusing stuff here every week. So come on over any time. You-all are family.”

The Rainbooms all talked excitedly at once. Sunset sighed then spoke up, “Thank you girls. Your invitation means a lot to me. To all of us.”

“We’re all gonna have to think about this,” said Applejack’s voice. “But it’s good to know we have friends who would make us welcome.”

The tension had drained out of the hall.

“I have to go back through the portal,” Twilight said. “But once I’m back, I think we have time for one more song.”

Twilight emerged through the portal on stage. All the girls were waiting for her. No one spoke for a moment until Fluttershy broke the awkward silence. “We’re all really sorry, Twilight,” she whispered.

Twilight smiled, small but genuine. “Thank you for everything you said, it meant a lot to... everyone.” They all stepped up and hugged lightly. It wasn’t joyous, but it was healing.

“I feel like we should write a friendship letter.” Rarity tapped her muzzle in thought. “But I’m not sure who we would send it to.”

“You could write it in the magic book so Sunset could see it,” Twilight suggested quietly.

The girls looked back and forth at each other, then all nodded.

A guitar chord sounded through the speakers. Everypony looked up.

“Let’s end how we started,” said both Pinkies.

“How can we argue with that,” said Sunset. “Take it away girls.”

Drumsticks taped together four times, then all the music started at once. Bass Drum and hoof stomps; guitars, a keytar, and a tambourine; a cello, two sampling boards, and two halls worth of voices in perfect harmony.

Rainbow Rocks

We used to fight with each other

That was before we discovered

That when your friendship is real

Yeah, you just say what ya feel

And the music, yeah, the music

Gets us to the top

As we learn how the rainbow...

Rainbow Rocks!