We Are Forever

by PapierSam

Rating: everyone
Tags: Main 7 (EqG), Slice of Life, Comedy, Equestria Girls
Length: 10212

In the pilot episode of the Rainboom's reality TV show, the band breaks up -- and it's a plane-wreck before it even hits the air.

The pilot episode of the Rainbooms' reality television show, in which the band breaks up.

As expected, mild drama, washout humour, awkward pop culture references, and character bending to breaking point ensues.

A bad form of self-aware satire.

Published 2018-10-05 16:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2018-10-05 16:10:01 UTC

Episode One: Pilot

“Window shopping!”

We hear a short guitar riff – the sort that starts and ends a song – as the screen fades from black to reveal the outside of a generic shopping mall.

After lingering on the scene for a moment, we cut to what we can assume to be the inside of the mall we just saw, and are greeted with the image of seven laughing teenagers, enjoying a variety of frozen desserts out of unbranded paper cups.

Their laughter bounces off the mall walls to give an echoing effect, and though they’re speaking, their words seem muted.

“Being in a band, it's all about working as a team, getting along, knowing each other – y’know?”

The voice is clear over the setting before us, and we then cut to the speaker – Rainbow Dash – talking to us interview style. The room behind her is blurred, but whatever can be made out – guitars against the grand piano that seconds as a coffee table, sheet music stands – seems to denote a band practice room.

Sitting on a wooden stool, as we’re told by the post-edit label that appears before us, is Rainbow Dash, Leader/Guitarist/Vocalist/Awesome-ist of the Rainbooms. It barely fits on screen.

“And, like, epic battles to save the world is really bonding, but so is just hanging out at the mall.” Rainbow Dash pauses, smiles to herself while looking away from us, and nods her head assuredly before looking back. “It's all about enjoying the time you spend together.”

“You guys are the most boring people in the world,” Rainbow Dash says, searching her obviously empty cup for any hidden frozen yogurt.

Arching her perfect eyebrow – though it’s hard to see under the massive Aviator sunglasses and floppy sunhat she’s decided to wear indoors – Rarity noncommittally replies, “Spreading the love, there, darling?”

“I just thought I'd remind you guys,” Rainbow Dash says with a shrug. She seems a bit upset that her cup really is empty, and crumples it.

“Aww~” Pinkie sings, in the same way she would if she saw a puppy doing anything.

“Rainbow Dash always knows the right words,” Pinkie says, sitting in what we’ll now call the Interview Area. She’s barely contained to the wooden stool, bouncing on it like the springs in her hair.

Her character card says The Ponksinator. We are never told what this is supposed to mean.

“That’s why she’s such a great song writer, too. Everything she says has some deep, profound meaning – that’s why Twilight records all of it. Y’know, for future generations.”

Rainbow Dash shoots her crumpled cup basketball-style at the nearest trash can, and misses.

“Brick,” she snaps, as one would a curse word.

“Censor forty-five point twelve,” Twilight mutters as she jots down on a notepad.

“Maybe that’s what you get for not recycling,” Sunset says nonchalantly, walking at the very end of their seven-girl-wide line.

“Maybe that’s what you get for not shutting the brick up,” Rainbow Dash retorts in a mocking tone.

Sunset scrunches her face so as to show she’s both annoyed and very much sure that Rainbow Dash has the lamest comebacks in the world, just as her Narrating Voice cuts over.

“Dash needs to take a chill pill, and then get addicted to them until she overdoses and dies.”

We cut to the Interview Room, with Sunset sitting, cross-armed. She pauses, then shrugs.

“I mean, she’ll go out like a rock star that way, so it’s not a mean thing to say, right?”

Back at the mall, Sunset still glaring at Rainbow Dash like she’s the dirt under her shoes, we hear Rarity say, “Dearie, you’ll get wrinkles that way. We can't afford for you to become unsightly.”

“We really can't,” Rarity says, sitting on the stool with a leg over the other. She’s drinking something viscous and red out of a wine glass. “We need to be appealingly pretty, because heaven knows our music doesn't sell enough. That's why we're doing this – whatever this may be.”

Rarity looks around, face scrunching in thought so that her wrinkles show. “What even is this?”

As soon as she says this, a riff – distorted with radio fuzz – cuts in, as does the title card, bearing the Rainbooms' very Rainbow Dash-esque logo.

“This is the life, this is the dream,” sings out the Rainbooms' collective harmony, over a catchy pop track with minimal electric piano and a tambourine backing so useless it wasn't worth the one take they probably recorded it in – assuming it wasn’t just sampled.

“And if I've got one chance, I'll take it with my friends by me.”

We're greeted with mostly random moments of the group of girls doing things that narrow their personalities to a snapshot: Rainbow Dash viciously kicking a soccer ball and speeding off screen; Sunset stepping off her motorcycle and flipping her un-helmeted hair; Applejack throwing an apple in the air and catching it in her Stetson; Rarity dancing like no one's watching while clothes fall around her.

"So it goes, life goes on, let it be."

The next scene is shared by Pinkie and Fluttershy – except that 'shared' means divided unevenly in Pinkie's favour – where Pinkie screams something, pulls out a party cannon, and kicks it so confetti flies out of her own ears, all while Fluttershy inches in on herself, looking out-of-place.

"Because this is the life, oh, this is the dream."

We get a collection of ensemble shots, with even Twilight – sometimes without glasses – doing group-girl things, like sleepovers, shopping, cat-fighting over who's summoning the Cursed Soul of Chaos next, and chilling.

"So let the curtain fall, because we'll live after the scene-na na na."

We fade out on a scene of the girls all hugging, Fluttershy seemingly absent, but you wouldn't really notice.

All in all, catchy beat.

"It's that time of week again," Sunset says sardonically, as we fade into the Interview Area.

Her label fades in as well, bearing the words Sunset Shimmer, Ex-Raging She-Demon.

"When we waste like two hours trying to – "

"Write. Music!" Rarity calls emphatically, standing in the middle of what looks like the Interview Area when it's not being used as a static backdrop. Around her is the rest of the group, bar Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, looking bored.

"Oh, is that what we've been trying to do?" Sunset asks mockingly.

Rarity turns a 180 on her with a pointed finger. "Don't shoot the messenger, darling."

"Sorry."

"Ye can't really blame 'er," Applejack says. She's leaning against the kick drum, opening a jar of peanut butter. "We never get any music writ in these sessions."

Rarity raises an eyebrow. "Writ?"

Applejack nods. "Writ."

"Written?"

"Writ."

Rarity and Sunset share a look. The latter purses her lips and shrugs. "Writ."

Rarity nods as well. "Witty."

"Writty," Applejack corrects, holding a knife.

"That's the most we've ever come up with, and we've been at this for a month."

Sunset raises her eyebrows, crosses her arms, and waits as if on an answer before shaking her head in disappointment.

Twilight, who's sitting beside Sunset on the step to the higher platform, adjusts her glasses in the dorkiest way possible. It's very cute.

"Maybe it's better if we start with a – " she looks down at the book open in her hands, then back up " – riff, and build from there."

Applejack shrugs. "Don' look at me. Ye can't start a pop song with a bass line. Barely one at all."

"And Rainbow likes to prioritise the guitar," Rarity adds, half-frowning.

"But usually only hers," Sunset finishes.

They all turn to look at Fluttershy, who's sitting on the piano bench.

She looks back.

There's a pause.

They all look away.

"So it goes," Rarity says, waving her hand dismissively, "that all we can do is come up with an idea and some words."

They all fall silent, fidgeting in thought, until Sunset speaks up.

"I got it! We can write about my struggles in jail!"

Popping an apple slice dressed in peanut butter in her mouth, Applejack almost coherently says, "You ain't never been to jail, sugarcube."

"But don’t you see? This, now, here, is jail!" Sunset stands up with so much motivation, Rarity bows and sits, handing her the proverbially literal stage. "My efforts to mend the damage, to earn the trust I destroyed before I had it. And it's not an easy path, it's me locked behind bars while everyone fears my release. But, no matter how long or hard, I will find friendship."

Sunset's eyes glisten, looking far-off but determined. "I will find forgivingness."

Fluttershy claps, but her beat is about as noticeable as her tambourine’s. Rarity, now sitting on the piano with a leg crossed over the other, sweetly says, "Darling, everyone is over it. We literally threw you a ‘you're completely forgiven and we love you’ party, compliments to Pinkie."

Sunset turns to her, looking imploringly. "You being good enough people to forgive me doesn’t make me a good enough person to deserve it! Where's the redemption there?"

We’re in the Interview Area with Rarity, and this time we see her label, which reads Rarity, The Player.

"Sunset switches between being contrite, and just being a cun- " Rarity purses her lips and holds a finger over them, but you can still see her mischievous smile. "In any case, you have to love her for it."

Suddenly, the door swings wide open, revealing Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, that passionate and heartfelt speaching doesn’t sound like writing artificially relatable pop music to me!"

Wordlessly, we take a few seconds to cut to Interview Area with Sunset, who looks at us, and then shakes her head in disappointment again.

While Sunset wears the expression of someone who's bitten something bitter, Applejack mutters, "She's late again."

"On the contrary, she's right on time," Twilight says. "Rainbow Dash is always 12 minutes and 21 seconds late. I think it's called – " she steals a look at her book " – 'fashionably late'."

Rarity kicks her legs up, nose lifted. "Excusez-moi, only I can be the judge on anything fashion. You'll notice that I respect your territory of science and information."

"Oh! Sorry. I will watch my proclamatory step."

Rarity smiles. "Thank you."

Rainbow Dash stands, arms crossed, foot tapping. "That still doesn’t sound like borderline sellout radio material."

A generic chime rings out, and everyone except Applejack pulls out their phone.

“It's mine,” Rainbow Dash specifies, and everyone puts their phones away in varying degrees of disappointment as she reads aloud. “And it's from Pinks: sorry I couldn't make it today.”

As she dips an apple core into the peanut butter jar, Applejack shakes her head. “Golly. Who knew you could get cupcake hangover?”

Looking slightly disgusted, Rarity waves her hand. “Oh, Pinkie’s had it before. She's just having troubles controlling her addiction.”

“It wouldn't be so bad if she weren't in denial about her obsession,” Applejack says, sitting in the Interview Room.

Unironically, she's eating an apple. She shrugs. “Hey, I'm just spittin’ the truth.”

“Ahem!” Dash coughs. Her voice is still raspier than a raspberry when she speaks. “La, la, la. Just living the ice cream life. La, la, la and you're my sugar frosting, my cherry spice?”

“Ma cherie spice?” Rarity perks.

“My cherry spice.”

“Match Aeries Pice?” Twilight perks.

Rainbow nods. “My cherry's price.”

As the three exchange nods, Sunset groans. “Those are stupid lyrics.”

As she's finishing, Rainbow says, “Those are genius lyrics.”

Sunset scowls.

Rainbow continues happily. “It’s so sugary sweet and could be sung by a second grader, but I don't even know what half the words are supposed to mean!”

“There's no substance!” Sunset argues.

“Substance is too complicated,” Rainbow Dash says, lazily shrugging. “Besides, our substance would never compete with the real, better substance out there. We're better off being the best out of a bunch of losers than the worst out of a bunch of winners.”

“Preach,” Twilight says proudly, then withers under Applejack’s glare as she slices another apple with her butter knife.

With a grimace, Sunset says “That's...surprisingly reasonable but still immoral!”

Rainbow makes a face. “What part of sellout and success did you not understand?”

“The part where we all agreed to be sellouts.”

“We never had that part.”

Sunset takes a step toward Rainbow. “Well, as a band, I believe that's an important part to have!”

Rainbow takes a step towards Sunset. “As band leader, I believe that I can make those decisions!”

“I call a group vote!” Sunset demands, throwing her hands up democratically.

“Vetoed.”

“I think we should group vote,” Applejack says nonchalantly, reaching behind the kick drum and pulling out a candy apple, then looking disgusted with herself as she throws it, muttering, “Dang sugary substitute.”

“I as well,” says Rarity, without looking up from her phone.

Sunset looks at them triumphantly. “Group vote to group vote, majority rules.”

“Motion passed,” says Twilight, pushing up her glasses that slipped in all the political excitement.

“Hey!” Rainbow snaps. “This isn’t a democracy, this is business!”

Sunset steps out on the floor like a motivational speaker. “See, everyone? Our leader only sees this as a job. She’s not thinking about the things that brought us together to even start the band.”

We zoom in on Rainbow's suddenly pained expression. “No, you’ve never – ”

“Group vote to change our music to meaningful and cooperative, all in favour?”

Sunset’s hand is already in the air as she says this, and Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy – who's braided her mass of hair at some point without anyone noticing – raise theirs.

Rainbow glares at Fluttershy. “Don’t you dare put up your hand, you’re supposed to be on my side.”

Sheepishly, Fluttershy drops her hand.

Sunset turns to Twilight. “Twilight?”

In the spotlight, Twilight fidgets with her glasses. With the number of times she’s needed to move them, we should conclude they are too large for her.

“It’s just that, The Official Book of Band Lifetimes & Trends states that a band break up and branch out to solo careers isn’t supposed to occur until we reach a peak.”

“It’s not a break up, it’s a movement.”

Twilight makes a face that says otherwise. “One member falling to addiction, tensions and arguments rising, creative differences clashing...the book says these are all the signs of a break up. As does the Pocket Manual of Adolescent Relationships.”

In the Interview Area, we see Twilight sitting upright on the stool, hands in her lap. A label on screen dubs her as Twilight Sparkle, No The Other One.

“And a properly cited book is never wrong, especially about things like relationships. They've never let me down yet!”

Staring down Twilight, Sunset reasons, “We're just compromising.”

Rainbow shouts from behind her. “You’re pitting half the band against me!”

Sunset turns on her. “Me? You’re pressuring Fluttershy to your whim!”

“The pocket manual says that’s the sign of an unhealthy relationship,” Twilight adds helpfully.

“That's enough!” Rainbow shouts, throwing her hands out. She knocks Fluttershy off the bench, but we switch perspectives to Rainbow's face so we don’t see her hit the ground when we hear it.

“You wanna make meaningful music that will never sell, you can do that yourself. Fluttershy, Twilight, let's get outta here.”

Twilight stands, looks at Fluttershy and goes to help her, but Rainbow shakes her head. When Twilight looks apologetically at Fluttershy, she's already picking herself up and nodding.

In the foreground, we see Sunset stand tall by the door. “Fine, go! We'll be happy instead of rich.”

As Twilight and Fluttershy walk out, Rainbow shouts over her shoulder – “We'll be happy and rich!” – and slams the door as Fluttershy turns back, about to speak.

Rarity slips off the piano and walks, picking something off the bench. “Ooh, she got you there, darling.”

Sunset scoffs. “Yeah, well, we got Applejack, and she knows how to make the best of a bad situation.”

Applejack, who's now cleaning her knife with a checkered handkerchief, perks up. “Hey, I never knew that about me. I'm glad you recognise my talents. You know what we gotta do?”

Before Applejack speaks, we cut to the Interview Area, where Sunset is seated on the stool like it's a throne. She wears the smirk of a winner.

“I should've done this sooner – about time someone stood up against Rainbow's awful and unfair treatment.”

She breathes in, and releases it as a content sigh. “It's good to be queen again.”

But as she says that, her expression falls as fast and far as an apple from a tree.

“Wait,” she starts, looking away. “That sounds like old me..."

She says nothing for a moment.

Then, "...guess some things really don’t change.” She stares down at her hands, looking troubled, and softly adds, “Even when you really try.”

She stays like that for a moment, then smiles in a sad way.

“Y’know, I know Rarity doesn’t mean it, but she's right: I really can be such a cun– ”

“ –try music!” Applejack exclaims, strumming a G Major chord on an acoustic guitar.

Rarity and Sunset share a look, then stare back at Applejack as she picks up a capo.

“Seriously, you save the world a bunch of times together but suddenly saving each other is a problem.”

We see Rainbow Dash rant on to Twilight and Fluttershy, who are following her as she's making her way downtown, walking fast, faces pass, and she's home-bound.

Twilight notices Fluttershy staring blankly ahead, making her way through the crowd. “Is everything okay?”

Fluttershy looks like she was broken out of a day dream. “Oh! Is it my turn?”

It's the first time we see Fluttershy in the Interview Area – not that we'd notice, really, but her label is there, saying, Fluttershy, Castle of Glass.

Whatever it means, it probably doesn’t matter anyway.

“I'm glad Twilight is part of the band,” Fluttershy says, smiling. “I know it’s just technically, but it's nice to have her around.”

She's about to say more, but it's cut off as we switch back to the live action.

“You're kind of spacing out,” Twilight says. “And you're quieter than usual.”

Fluttershy's eyes open wide. She then smiles wryly. “Oh, don't worry about it. I just left my – “

“We're here!” Rainbow Dash announces as they walk through the doors of Sugarcube Corner, a bell chiming as their shoes hit linoleum floors.

Without breaking step, Rainbow struts past the counter, goes behind it, and through the door at the end of the wall. Everyone watches her go, and then go back to the things background people do in cafés: exist independently.

Twilight looks at Fluttershy. "Are we allowed to just walk in like that?"

"No," Fluttershy sighs as she walks behind the counter. Twilight follows in suit.

They make their way up the stairs, where a woman who still lives in the 1960s but hasn’t realised that the beehive style isn’t in anymore stops by them.

"Oh, Fluttershy. And you must be Twilight."

"No, the other one," Twilight corrects casually.

"Oh, sorry!" she says pleasantly. "Well I'm Mrs. Cake. Are you two here to see Pinkie Pie?"

"Oh yes," Twilight says. "I didn't know she lives here – how convenient and, if I may say, retro-chic!"

Rarity, seemingly minding her own business in the Interview Area, suddenly looks disturbed.

"Twilight."

Mrs. Cake laughs heartily, and her hair seems about ready to fall off or release a storm of wasps.

"Why thank you, dearie, but Pinkie doesn't live here. She just likes – how do you young ones say it? – 'kickin'' it in the guest bedroom."

“Oh.” Twilight pauses. “So can we go see her?”

“Of course! Just down the hallway to your left.” She goes to leave, but stops a moment to say, “Oh, but keep a low voice, please. The twins are sleeping, and it’s difficult to take care of them during rush hour.”

“Thank you,” Twilight says as Mrs. Cake leaves. She turns to Fluttershy. “Should I get used to this?”

“Used to what?”

“The - ah, never mind.”

“I never do.”

“I know.”

As we see them smile at each other and start down the hall, we hear Twilight's voice cut in.

“You know, I used to think I led a normal life.”

We see Twilight in the Interview Area.

“But now I wonder if, in contrast, I lead the weirdest life of all.”

She seems to zone out for a moment, contemplating.

Then, “But Fluttershy's nice. I like her.”

When the two reach the end of the hallway, they see Rainbow Dash waiting, impatiently tapping her foot.

“Oh, you'll wake the twins up,” Fluttershy cautions.

“'Bout time you got here!” Dash says louder than necessary, making Twilight and Fluttershy wince. “C’mon, can't spell a team effort with the team!”

As Twilight opens her mouth, Rainbow turns around and mutters, “Learned that the hard way.”

Fluttershy lays a hand on Twilight's shoulder, and they both follow in behind Rainbow Dash.

“Up and at 'em, cupcake,” Rainbow shouts, ripping open the curtains. They fall off their hinges and clatter to the floor loudly.

In the now sun-stained room, we see Pinkie curled in a tangle of blankets on the bed, her hair a wasp-storm of a mess.

She groans while shifting. “Ow – who's Adam and why does he have cupcakes?”

“Not Adam Cupcakes,” Rainbow says, noticeably lighter as she approaches Pinkie and stands over her. “Ah-Damn-Ma-Cup-Aches.”

“It sure does,” Pinkie murmurs.

Rainbow playfully punches the blanket cocoon. “A’right, we got a lot to do.”

Pinkie rolls over and manages to untangle a hand. She runs it through her hair, and it gets stuck again. “What did I miss?”

“We broke up.”

“We – ” Pinkie squints. “We broke up?”

“Man, what happened last night?” Pinkie nearly shouts, sitting in the Interview Area and looking, for the most part, normal and awake. “I really gotta lay off the sugar.”

“Actually, recent tests show that Sugar Rushes aren’t an actual, factual occurrence,” Twilight says, in the Interview Area. “I suppose there could now be a Placebo of sorts, but as far as science says, it’s a misunderstanding. And science is the truth.”

Applejack, in the Interview Area about to leave, squints.

“Why that peach-glorifying jerk.”

“I can change, I promise!”

Now on the floor, still a bit tangled, Pinkie holds her clasped hands out.

“I'll quit, I'll go sober. Just don't leave me!” Pinkie pleads.

Rainbow shrugs. “What's done is done.”

“But – “ Pinkie sputters. “But I still need you, and I still miss you.”

“And now I wonder how you even managed to text me this morning," Rainbow Dash says, dropping to a crouch beside Pinkie. "Where even is your phone?"

Pinkie looks around, then shrugs. "I just texted you the first thing that came to my head when I woke up."

"Well, it was genius," Rainbow says, slinging one of Pinkie's arms over her shoulder. "I should know, I've met Sun – Twi."

"Suntwi?" Fluttershy asks, looking at Twilight. Twilight shrugs back.

"I mean I've met Twi, and she's a nerd-ologist," Dash grumbles as she hoists Pinkie up, the blankets anchoring her.

"That implies I study or specialise in – "

"Some help here?" Rainbow tips her head at the blankets.

Twilight and Fluttershy simultaneously make small "Oh!"s before they get to work untangling Pinkie.

"I'm the luckiest person in the world," Pinkie says, swaying around in the Interview Area. "I've got the best friends alive to help me out when I'm stuck!"

She pauses, looking up thoughtfully. "Well, second. ‘Cause whoever's best friends with Santa Claus gets to see the real magic."

We cut back to see the four sitting at a table in the cafe, each drinking something very telling to who they are.

"I thought you were cutting back on the sugar," Rainbow observes as she flicks her soda can lazily.

Pinkie, after taking a draught longer than she should have been able to out of the medium-sized cup, slams her Chocolate Frap Whipcream Cherry Spice Sugar on the table and smacks her lips. "Diets are better begun tomorrow!"

Rainbow motions her hand at Pinkie excitedly. "Spittin' more genius, right here! Man, I need a shirt that says that."

Twilight holds her medium coffee in her hands. "Merchandise?"

"Merch and dies!" Rainbow corrects, grinning. She turns to Pinkie. "So now that you're up to speed, what do you think?"

"I think I need another shot," Pinkie says, but the whole table shakes their heads as the mood drops.

"Pinks, if you need to talk, we're here," Rainbow says.

Twilight nods. "And there's also help out there, if you're comfortable with it. Just know there's a better way."

Fluttershy reaches out to touch Pinkie's hand.

Pinkie wells up with tears. "Gee, guys. Thank you – not that I have any issues, but you guys care so much and I love you all more than bureaucracy loves money!"

"I don't think anyone could," Rainbow says solemnly, looking hollow.

There's a heavy silence, where everyone looks down at their drinks – except Fluttershy, who has nothing in front of her.

"So!" Pinkie perks up, and the colours seem to return to the entire scene. "Break ups are bad, but they make great music!"

"YES!" Rainbow shouts, launching to her feet. "YES! We'll write a break up song. Pinks, you Nobel-Prize Award!" Rainbow turns to a random passerby. "You see this girl? Genius. Einstien is shaking in his grave. You see this girl?!"

"You gotta appreciate Pinkie," Rainbow says, leaning back on the stool in the Interview Area. "I mean, she’s a good sport, and a hard worker. What would we do without her?"

"So what did you guys get done without me?" Pinkie asks.

Rainbow looks at Twilight, who shrugs. “A bit. We got a bunch of the backing track done – drums too – with this killer riff."

“We also reassigned the band's live structure to make the most three less members.”

“And snacks,” Fluttershy meekly adds.

"Great!" Pinkie says.

"Yeah. So I say we head on uptown to our new practice area, and by the time we get there we can think of some over saturated heartbreaking lyrics," Rainbow suggests, already heading out.

The rest follow in suite, with Twilight saying, "Oh, but we still haven't paid."

Rainbow waves her hand dismissively. "Don't worry, Fluttershy's got that. And don't forget to tip the good man, 'Shy!"

Fluttershy, being the last in the group to get up, stares right at the server – a decently old fellow trying to quiet down a crying toddler. She smiles at him sympathetically, while also looking like a rabbit in the headlights of a speeding car.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy," Twilight says as she pulls out a coin pouch with cartoon atoms dancing on it. "I got it covered." She smiles, then asks, "That's how they say it, right? ‘I got you covered?’"

Fluttershy nods slowly. "Yeah."

We're back with Fluttershy in the Interview Area, and she's smiling wistfully, staring off and nodding.

“Really glad Twilight's here.”

“Rares, you can play the fiddle, right?”

“I'm classically trained on the violin.”

“So just bend the neck and you got yerself a fiddle!”

"Oh, there will be necks bending," Rarity mutters darkly. She's standing inside a stuffy barn, and you can practically smell the humidity.

She’s also fitted with a dark Stetson that’s mismatched to her two-sizes-too-large overalls and an orange-checkered button-down. She looks ridiculous, as well as ready to burn things and laugh maniacally.

Sunset seems to have had better luck, wearing a red collared shirt tucked underneath an ambitiously large leather belt, and dark, worn blue jeans. She’s holding a straw of hay in her mouth.

“C’mon, AJ, let’s get the song done already,” she says, tapping on the acoustic she’s strapped on.

“It’s incomplete,” Applejack mutters. For the most part, she’s dressed in her usual getup.

“Nothing post-production can’t fix,” Rarity scoffs. She receives a glare from Applejack.

“All I’m tryin’ t’do is save the band,” Applejack says, in the Interview Area. “And – of course – Rarity’s bein’ troublesome.”

“You might complain all the time ’bout country music, but you ain’t never heard me complain about any other kind’a music!”

“Rap,” Rarity says simply.

“Rap don’t count.”

“Seriously, girls, stop!” Sunset says, stepping between them. She’s pinching the bridge of her nose. “Just – let’s play whatever we have, Applejack. We’ll work from there.”

Applejack picks up a harmonica. “Sure. A-one, a-two – “

She leads the tempo on with a steady, sturdy beat of her foot. Sunset follows up, and Rarity makes about half an effort before she decides it’s not worth getting her shoes dirtier.

Then, Applejack starts the song off with some tasty blues-style licks. Rarity, who’s equip with a mini acoustic that’s capo’d on the fourth fret, starts strumming at the pace of their footbeats.

“I can play some guitar,” we hear her voice narrate over her live deadpan expression.

“Rainbow Dash taught me, actually,” Rarity explains, sitting in the Interview Area dressed as her usual, fashionable self. “She said I just might need it, in case she – “ she makes air quotes “ – ‘is too busy leadin’ the team like Mike Love’.”

Rarity shakes her head and titters like it’s the most ridiculous thing, but it slowly becomes a thinking expression. The country jam fades out into silence.

“It’s odd – what happened with the Beach Boys. The break up, what they say about Love…”

Rarity looks on ahead as the guitar starts fading back in.

“It’s a long, long road, but home is where I wanna go,” Applejack sings. Sunset’s leading a two-step climbing beat as rhythm, and both she and Rarity are adding falsetto runs behind Applejack’s singing.

“And if that ain’t enough to get you goin’, I hope this song undoes yer heart.”

“Undoes-oh-aah~” Sunset and Rarity follow up, the latter starting to get into it just a bit.

“And takes you back, oh, takes you back…” As Rarity and Sunset carry the note, Applejack returns to her harmonica, reprising the intro and closing it off with a steady vibrato.

When the end settles in, the three share a look of happy surprise.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Applejack says. “Saw you enjoyin’ yerself, Rares.”

Rarity rolls her eyes, but hardly meant it. “I am a wonderful actress.”

Sunset pats them both on the back. “Y’know what? This might work.”

In the Interview Area, Sunset is smiling until she starts speaking.

“At least, that’s what we thought.”

“Turns out,” Applejack says, from the Interview Area. “Dash’s and Twi's been doin’ all the legal work with the studio. Set up this whole shebang, too.”

She frowns. “And the problem there is that now no one else's 'part of the big picture. We don’t get no say when they're doin’ all the talkin’.”

We're still in the Interview Area, with Rarity this time.

“Could we not ask you?”

She's looking past us, and nodding as if in conversation.

“Well, no. No, we should avoid that,” she says, but she's talking to someone off-screen. She half-laughs, “There's enough tension and drama between the girls as it is, we don't need you to bring in a boy.”

She stops laughing and looks past us again, but her face becomes puzzled.

“Wait. Why are you looking at each other like that? What are you pla – ”

We're back to the live scenes, where we see Applejack staring intently. We then see a shot of Rarity staring intently.

Then, we cut to the wide shot that shows Sunset walking into the barn. In the background, Rarity and Applejack are at opposite sides of the room, staring at a phone and jar of jam respectively.

“I got off the phone with the manager, but she says we have to get these things through either Dash or Twilight, ‘cause they apparently know what the company wants.”

Sunset sighs out, holding her forehead in her hand. We see Rarity walk up to her, and the shot closes in as she places a hand gently on Sunsets’ shoulder.

“Darling, your stress lines are showing, and we can't afford for you to become unsightly.”

Sunset looks at Rarity, a little lighter. “Yeah, well, the inside is out, right?”

“Don't say that.”

“But this is my fault,” she continues. “I don't know what happened. One moment I was trying to bring the band together, and the next I’ve split us up and taken authority over half the band.”

“Less than half,” Applejack corrects helpfully.

“...I don’t know if that makes this better or worse.”

Rarity sighs, but not impatiently. “Yes, but none of that is a cause of you stepping out of line. Things just happened: ideas clash, people clash, and we sought space. It happens all the time. What matters is how you deal with it in the aftermath.”

Sunset smiles at Rarity, and a melancholic piano tune plays.

“Thanks, Rarity.”

“Every time, dear.”

There's a loud rustle of boots stomping on hay and mud that drowns the tune, and we see Applejack break into the scene and sling an arm over each of them.

“Great! So what's the plan, y'all?”

Sunset looks at Rarity, then gives a flat-line frown. “We find Rainbow Dash, fix things, and then hope everything gets fixed along with it.”

“Ain't you and Twi close? You could jus’ call her and get her to bring the rest over.”

“I don't think Twilight could convince Dash to come.”

“Listen,” Rarity says. “Fluttershy left her wallet in the practice room. They’ll have to back for it soon. We can meet them.”

There’s a pause.

“At least I hope they go back for it. I feel sorry for dear Fluttershy.”

“Well, I'll call Twilight, and we'll see what happens.” Sunset pulls away from the two and draws out her phone. “In the meantime, you guys can try and figure out what's missing in the song.”

“Aside from half the band,” Rarity adds.

“Less than half,” Applejack corrects helpfully.

“Sounds good,” Sunset says as she brings the phone to her ear and steps out.

There's a pause, where Applejack and Rarity stay silent.

Finally, Rarity says, “Listen, Apple– ”

“A mandolin,” Applejack says, snapping.

Rarity pauses, then nods slowly. “Actually, I agree; a mandolin would really help– “

“And a washboard.”

“Okay, even I think that's pushing the stereotype.”

Applejack chuckles to herself, then pats Rarity firmly on the shoulder. “Hey, I'm messin’ with ya, darlin’.”

Rarity rolls her eyes. “Oh, look who's become a comedian, sugarcube.”

“Well, I figure, jus’ in case this band thing don't work out…”

The two of them laugh as the end of the piano melody from before fades in.

In the Interview Area, we return to a slightly miffed Rarity.

“Please don’t make this weird.”

“Man, I can't believe the only place we can practice is Applejack's barn.”

The four of them – Rainbow Dash in lead with Pinkie bouncing alongside adorned in a Stetson, and Shy and Twi keeping the rear – are trekking the length of a beaten path.

“We could go back to the practice room,” Fluttershy suggests.

“No, that's enemy territory now.”

“Oh.”

“But isn't Applejack's barn also effectively enemy territory?” Twilight asks, breathlessly. She's rolled up her sleeves, but left her glasses hanging low on her nose.

“Well, they can't have both,” Rainbow concludes. “And the barn’s got better acoustics.”

“But we mostly play amplified instruments.”

Rainbow stops dead, and Pinkie bounces on carefree.

“So!” Rainbow shouts excitedly in the Interview Area. She's standing, as if selling a pitch. “We've collectively decided to go old-school acoustic for the next EP. Like the Beach Boys, or something.”

“I haven't even told the manager about the split,” Rainbow mutters.

Twilight stands beside her. “If she asks, I'll tell her it’s unofficial, and that I was waiting on confirmation from the members.”

Rainbow nods. “Thanks, Twi. I hate talking to the heads.”

“Talking Heads?” Fluttershy says from off screen.

Rainbow ignores her. “But I mean it: you're awesome at all this business and compromise stuff. Thanks.”

Twilight, though sweating profusely, shines with gratitude. “You're welcome. I'm glad I could contribute efficiently.”

A generic ringtone sounds out, and Twilight, Dash, and Shy all pull out their phones.

“It's mine,” Twilight says, and the others put their phones away. “I should take this.”

She walks off, leaving Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to wait. Rainbow Dash yawns loudly.

“Man, Pinkie's prob’ly at Mars by now.”

“Thirty seconds to,” Fluttershy adds quietly.

Rainbow stares her down, then starts walking onto the field beside the road. “Man, this is why no one listens to you. You say the weirdest things.”

Fluttershy follows her. When Dash drops on the grass and lies down, Fluttershy sits beside her.

There's a quiet that follows, with chirping birds and wind through grass interrupting.

“Y’know,” Dash starts, “I thought you'd like the barn, ‘cause it's out here with all the nature and stuff.”

“I know. But I know the practice room is a more productive place.” Fluttershy leans back on her hands. “Also, I left my wallet in there.”

Rainbow looks at her. “Then why don't you say anything, dummy?”

“Because I'll probably say something dumb,” Fluttershy confesses with a bit of humour.

“Yeah you will! But everyone says dumb things all the time. Might as well join the conversation.”

Fluttershy looks over at Rainbow Dash, smiling meekly. “I'd rather not.”

“I know.”

Rainbow Dash groans then, and Fluttershy lies down.

“Remember those songs your mom used to play when she picked us up from school?” Rainbow rolls onto her side to face Shy. “The glam rock ones? We should do that.”

“Play CDs?”

“No, do some glam rock. Y’know, 80s dance music, with all the electric piano.”

Fluttershy nods. “We could do that.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow says. “'Cause, if we're gonna break up as a band, we gotta change up the sound.”

“Changing things is the first sign of moving on from a break up,” Fluttershy says. When Rainbow raises an eyebrow, she adds, “That's what Twilight's handbook said.”

Rainbow shrugs. “Then we'll do that. A whole glammy-poppy-rockish song that's all 80s. You got any lyrics in mind?”

Fluttershy frowns in thought. “Well, it has to be about dancing. And each line has to be longer than the ones we write now, right?”

“Pinkie's great when we're doing all the radio pop stuff the label likes,” Rainbow says, in the Interview Area. “But Shy's good at writing the deeper stuff – I just tweak things so they're not super boring or anything.”

She shrugs, but smiles. “I think she's written most of the Rainbooms' best songs.”

When we return to the live action, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are laughing, as Rainbow scrolls on her phone through a library of the most random stock images.

“Like this one,” Dash laughs, stopping at a photo. “We typed in 80s swing. Why is he throwing a pumpkin?”

Between giggles, Fluttershy manages a, “Smashing Pumpkins?”

Rainbow swats Fluttershy with her free arm. “Geez, 'Shy. I know I said join the convo, but at least say something relevant.”

They both continue laughing, Rainbow Dash using her arm as a pillow and Fluttershy leaning on her shoulder.

“I know Rainbow Dash is hard to get along with,” says Fluttershy's narrating voice. “But honestly? Until we formed the band, she really didn't have anyone besides me to be friends with. And vice versa.”

Fluttershy’s sitting in the Interview Area, smiling softly.

“And I'm not the best example when it comes to – knowing how to be around others. I hide in a shell, and Rainbow bursts out of one, and neither way works.”

She shrugs. “But you know? I don’t think there's anyone else I'd rather be around. Because everyone either doesn't notice me, or when they do, they’re too mean or too nice.”

She pauses. “And as someone who's been treated like she's made of glass her whole life, it's a great feeling to know that Dashie's not afraid to throw a brick at me.”

Back on the field, live-Fluttershy is giggling while Rainbow Dash elbows her playfully.

“And she's even prouder than me knowing it doesn’t even leave a scratch.”

“So apparently, if you go north enough, you don’t find Santa at the North Pole.”

Pinkie’s sitting cross-legged on the stool in the Interview Area, propping her chin in her hands.

“You find Jakie’s barn and the rest of your band.”

“I heard about the Rainbooms. Break ups never get easier.”

“Pinkie, yer a part of this too.”

“I know!” Pinkie wails, before collapsing on Applejack’s shoulder. “And I’ve been listening to so much Taylor Swift, I could write an entire country album!”

Applejack smiles wryly. “Well, I’ve got good news and bad news.”

“Twilight says they’re almost here,” Sunset tells them as she pats Pinkie on the back, then mouths, What happened?

As Applejack mouths, The break up, Rarity walks back into the barn, dressed in slim-fit blue jeans and a white blouse tied at the bottom. “Oh, lovely. Applejack, I hope you don’t mind I borrowed some of your nicer clothes, seeing as you never wear them anyway.”

“Be my guest,” Applejack says. “That colour brings out your eyes.”

Rarity holds a hand to her chest. “Why thank you.” She then points it to Pinkie and mouths, what happened?

Applejack mouths back break up, and Rarity smiles sympathetically. “Pinkie, dear, have you been listening to Taylor Swift?”

“Mm-hmm,” Pinkie sniffs.

“Well then, I have good news and bad news.”

“That artificially relatable pop music doesn’t sound like passionate and heartfelt speeching to me.”

We see Rainbow Dash enter the barn, hay straw in mouth. Fluttershy and Twilight enter behind her, Twilight lifting her hand timidly and chirping a, “Hi.”

“Listen,” Sunset starts, stepping toward Rainbow Dash. She hesitates, and frowns. “I’m sorry.”

“You should be,” Rainbow says. “Country music? Way to let yourself go without me.”

“Hey!” Applejack snaps. She marches up to Rainbow Dash, leaving Pinkie to slip and fall onto the floor. “You take that back.”

“Why should I? You went and did something so predictable. Are you even trying?”

“Tryin’? There ain’t no spelling ‘country’ without ‘try’.”

“Well,” Rarity comes in, folding her arms, “Rainbow Dash has a way of spelling country without the o-r.”

Rainbow squints. “You know what? Brick you.”

“Oh, I’d love to see you try, Love.”

“Yeah?”

Rarity makes a pulling motion. “Oh, yes. Bring. It. On.”

“Y-yeah? Well.” Rainbow sputters a bit, looking around warily and stares at the ground. “Well, I hope you Love the vintage as much as you say, because you’re getting a pioneer-style mud brick!”

All at once, we see Rainbow Dash crouch and grab a handful of dirt underfoot as Rarity backpedals, misses her footing, and falls on Pinkie, with Applejack stepping forward to grab Rainbow Dash, Twilight doing the same from behind.

“Lemme go!” Rainbow barks, but the mud is already slipping out of her hands.

“Whoa Nelly!”

“Don’t do it, that colour really brings out her eyes,” Twilight says in desperation. Applejack and Rainbow look back at her, and she scrunches her face. “What can I say? It’s true.”

Applejack then looks behind her and down at Rarity, who’s starting to push herself off Pinkie.

Rarity looks back at Applejack, then Twilight. “You’re stepping on our territory again, Twilight, dear.”

“Double whammy,” Applejack adds darkly.

Twilight wilts. “Sorry!”

“Okay, everyone, break it up,” Sunset says, coming between Applejack and Rainbow.

Pinkie whimpers. “Another break up?”

“No, Pinkie. This is the make-up.” Sunset turns to Rainbow Dash, and holds out a hand. “Listen: I should have just talked things out when there was a problem. I’m really, really sorry.”

Rainbow looks at Sunset’s hand, and her eyes drift over everyone in the room – they hang, as do we, for just a moment on Fluttershy – before she breaks into a grin, grabs Sunset’s hand, and pulls her into a bro-hug.

“I’m sorry, too,” she says over Sunset’s shoulder. “I was a jerk, as usual. Can’t say it’s something that’ll change soon, but – “ she pulls away and shrugs “ – I’ll try.”

“Coun-try?” Sunset offers.

Rainbow grimaces. “No.”

“I know.”

Hopping beside Sunset, Pinkie squeals. “So no break up?”

Rainbow shakes her head.

Pinkie makes an otter-like noise. “You know that means group HUG!”

On cue, everyone gathers in for a tangle of arms and "aww"s. Fluttershy seems to have disappeared, but it’s a complete picture anyway.

“I’m glad everything works out, in the end.”

Sunset sits in the Interview Area, looking content.

“I mean, I guess it doesn’t count as the end until it’s all said and done. And we’ve still got to take care of some business.”

“We can’t just change our music like that,” Rainbow explains.

They’re now standing in a circle in what seems to be a busy subway station. People pass them by, like snapshot moments.

Sunset is leaning against the wall, arms crossed. “Well, what if we don’t care what the label thinks?”

“Then I’ve got good news and bad news.”

“So do I.” Sunset pushes off the wall and walks to the middle of the circle. “Good news is that we’re marching over there and giving them the ‘what-for’!”

“What for?” Applejack asks.

“Watt four?” Twilight suggests.

“What-for!” Sunset affirms, holding up an arm and clasping her bicep.

“It’s a lovely, barbaric plan,” Rarity says. She’s mostly blended into the white walls, but the colour brings out her eyes. “But what’s the bad news?”

Sunset’s smile becomes a forced one. “I promised the manager that we’d demo a new song tonight at the school stadium.”

“So we’ll do both,” Rainbow says, pumped up.

“We won’t be able to make both; the office’s on the other side of town.”

Sitting on a railing and kicking her feet, Pinkie clicks her tongue. “Phooey! If there’s a will, there’s a sub-way, don’ch’ya know?”

Rainbow shakes her head. “Not when we’re, like, five hundred miles – ”

“A thousand,” Applejack corrects helpfully.

“ – a thousand miles away.”

“Well,” Twilight says, pushing up her glasses out of wont. “I guess we go to the office and perform it for them there, rebel-style.” She pauses, and looks cautiously at Rarity, who nods with her eyes closed. “Okay, good – rebel-style, so we really make a statement.”

“I like the sound of that,” Rainbow says, grinning. “Ready to rock, Rainbooms?”

Sunset holds her fist out. “On three, team.”

The rest meet her fist with theirs, and collectively count to two – then Pinkie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash throw their hands up and shout, “Team!” while the others say three, and everyone falls into a happy quarrel over the mix-up.

“Leave it to us,” Rainbow Dash says in the Interview Area, grinning like an Olympian victor.

Sunset presses her card against the reader. A green light signals her, and the stopping bar lifts up to allow her entry. “C’mon, girls!”

The others follow suit, until Rarity halts, Fluttershy and Twilight behind her.

“You know, it would be a shame to miss out on performing for the studio,” she says, slowly flipping through a bundle of colourful cards in her wallet. “I’m sure they’ve even invited a crowd. For gauging response, and all.”

“Probably,” Twilight agrees from the rear.

“Yes, quite. Ah, there it is.” She pulls out her card, taps it, and walks past the entry. Rarity then looks back. “Oh, I’m every so sorry, Fluttershy – it completely slipped my mind – but I saw your wallet in the practice room, I believe. Did you leave it there?”

Fluttershy nods.

“Oh dear,” Rarity mutters. She looks at Twilight. “Et toi?”

“I gave my bus card as a tip to the guy at the café,” Twilight admits meekly. “I thought it was a good investment for his child. And I don’t think we’re supposed to tip cafés anyway.”

“How lucky – I mean unfortunate,” Rarity says, looking over her shoulder. She takes a few steps backwards before smiling at the two behind the bar. “Well, I have every faith you two will make the most of taking the spotlight tonight.” She winks. “Everyone loves an underdog.”

Fluttershy and Twilight share a shaky, unsure look, then turn back to Rarity as she waves, blows a kiss, and calls out, “Ta-ta, ma cherie spice!”

We see Rarity sitting in the Interview Area, leg over the other, and she’s drinking something red and viscous out of a wine glass.

She’s smiling, and it’s somewhere between mischievous and humoured.

“I always say, if you are to play, you need to have a game plan.” She takes a delicate sip. “And baby, I’m in it to win it.”

When we return, we see Fluttershy and Twilight, dressed to the nines, standing at what looks like back stage – behind curtains that seem to muffle a crowd’s murmur.

In the low light, we see Fluttershy’s face, twisted in fear. “I can’t do this.”

“The pocket manual says that, in the event that we get a ‘Here I Am’ moment, things will work out magically.” Twilight, who’s playing with the ends of her hair, half-smiles. “And we’ve got some better experience with magic, right?”

Fluttershy seems too captivated by terror to speak. She’s visibly trembling, and unconsciously grabs Twilight’s arm.

Twilight winces, then looks at Fluttershy with sympathy. “Look at me.”

Fluttershy does.

“Now, breathe in – “ they both do, long and steady “ – then out, slowly.”

They do together, Fluttershy shakily. They practice this twice more, after which Fluttershy manages a wobbly smile. “That helped.”

“My old babysitter taught me that,” Twilight explains. “You wouldn’t believe it, but I can be a nervous wreck sometimes.”

Fluttershy’s smile falls at the corners. “I’m still scared.”

“I know,” Twilight says. “We haven’t practiced, and we’re just running those MIDIs through a DAW and some of the backing we recorded this morning, and I don’t even know if all the amps and mics and speakers are even working, and what about – “

When Fluttershy takes Twilight’s hand, she looks up at her and stops speaking in opt to hyperventilate instead. Fluttershy leads them into another deep-breathing exercise.

“Thanks for that,” Twilight says breathlessly. She pauses. “I know you can do this. It’s just like all the other shows.”

“I’ll be alone.”

“I’ll be right behind you,” Twilight affirms, squeezing Fluttershy’s hand. “And the others, too. In heart.”

Nodding, Fluttershy slowly pulls her hand away from Twilight’s, and starts walking to the curtains. She stops short of them.

“I never wanted to be in the spotlight.”

Fluttershy sits in the Interview Area.

“But, I guess when push comes to shove, you stand up.” She rubs her hands together. “To the raging she-demon or raging crowd.”

We see Twilight seated at an electric piano at the back of the stage, and Fluttershy standing in the spotlight at the front and centre. The lights shimmer off her dress like a trembling disco ball.

A one-two drum beat starts, followed quickly by a catchy, simple bass line.

Fluttershy stares at the audience, who look like the people at the café and subway station. They stare back.

And while we’d normally not even notice either parties, given both of them at once, the focus is on Fluttershy.

A synth piano rolls in, a major progression with layers of delay. It plays a dance-y 80s groove, and something in it slips into Fluttershy like a good mood.

She starts with a few unsteady runs, but as soon as she gets to the words – “In a room that’s on fire, you’re dancing slowly, oh!” – she walks along the length of the stage and seems to forget her fears.

The crowd dances, brought to life by something that sounds like their parents’ prom song. Even Twilight sways with the groove, but she’s watching Fluttershy with a proud smile the whole time.

They reach the chorus, which is a building mix of synth piano and overlay guitars playing triads.

“And you’re dancing with someone else, when I’m here dancing by myself.”

Fluttershy points to the crowd. “Haven’t you heard, that life’s a dancefloor? So won’t you share it and leave it, leave it, with me?”

There’s a short musical reprise, where Fluttershy does a cheeky tap dance, before the key changes, and Fluttershy sings on without missing a beat.

“And you’re dancing with someone else, when I’m here dancing by myself...”

“…it makes me think of the band,” Fluttershy, in the Interview Area, explains over the music. “And having a moment in the limelight is nice, but I’d be even happier to share it.”

She plays with her hair, braiding it. “Because dancing alone is for when you’re in your room, but the stage is a dancefloor…”

“…So won’t you share it and leave it, leave it, with – oh! – leave it…” Fluttershy trails off as the instruments fade out. She then softly sings, “with me-e?”

Twilight is the first to clap, and even the thunderous applause of the crowd is nothing compared to the watery-pride look in her eyes.

Fluttershy looks back at her, breathless and teary, then turns and bows to the crowd.

“Mathematically, we should have – “ Twilight looks down at her book “ – ‘tanked’ out there, but we really did it.”

She’s in the Interview Area, and there’s a smile on her face that looks like it will never fade.

“And I’m so proud of Fluttershy, for facing the things she fears most. At first I wished I was debating business with CEOs, but now I’m glad fortune is unpredictable.”

Twilight laughs to herself, then looks ahead. “I know it’s arbitrary to say now, but I think more people should be like Fluttershy.”

"What's on your mind?"

Fluttershy makes a tiny squeak as Twilight walks up behind her. They’re standing on a balcony that overlooks the brilliant midnight sky. "O-oh. I didn't see you there."

"Naturally. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Are you sure?" Twilight asks as she puts her hands on the railing.

Fluttershy hesitates. "Well, it's nothing important. Just...weird."

"Weirder than being a pony princess doppelgänger?"

Fluttershy smiles a small smile, opens her mouth, closes it, then seems to throw caution to the wind with a devil-may-care smile. "No, the other one."

"Oh, sorry."

They share a laugh, but even combined it's such a small, quiet one, you'd think they were normal people.

When they recover, Twilight stares out at the sky. "I've always loved astronomy. The stars, the constellations. How it puts things in perspective, making your world seem so small in the vast, growing expanse of it all."

"Yeah," Fluttershy agrees. "I-I sometimes feel like nature is like that, too. That there are so many species and families – I wonder sometimes why it's humans that rule when all we have – well..."

"A complex neural structure capable of apparent free-will?" Twilight suggests.

"Maybe just you."

Twilight giggles a bit. "Well, if it's any consolation, apparently there's a parallel universe where magical equines rule under a monarchy comprised of semi-similar social structures to ours." She smiles wryly at Fluttershy. "And I'm supposed to be a princess of it all."

Fluttershy smiles, looks like she wants to say something, and Twilight rolls her eyes and speaks instead: "No, the other one."

"You said it, not me."

"Well, you don't say as much as you should."

A silence follows, where we switch between Twilight's awkward smile as she pushes her glasses up, and Fluttershy's look of awe.

Fluttershy finds a loose thread on her shirt to play with. "You ask me before..."

"Sorry," Twilight mutters, leaning closer. "Didn't catch you."

"When I was thinking before," Fluttershy says. "I was – it's just – I wonder: if I could fall into the sky –" she's looking out at the sky now "do you think –"

" – time would pass us by?" Twilight finishes in a whisper.

Fluttershy looks at her, puzzled. "How did you – ?"

"I don't know," Twilight says, puzzled herself. "I just – thought you might say that. It sounded right. It’s weird, but then I guess the band is really rubbing off on me, huh?"

Fluttershy only nods.

As she does, Twilight continues. "And hey – Fluttershy? I just think you should know: I would walk a thousand miles if I could just see you. Tonight." She looks around. "Like this. I wouldn't want to miss – this conversation? This bonding. Because – " In a moment unlike herself, Twilight struggles with her words. "I think you should know, even if no one else – because no one else tells you. You're special, too. Special enough to be neurologically complex enough to make self-aware choices."

Fluttershy smiles, and Twilight – feeling confidence return as she falls back on familiarly scholarly words – smiles back.

"A thousand miles is pretty far," Fluttershy says.

"In approximation," Twilight agrees. "Longer than five-hundred."

"Yeah."

They share one more small, seemingly smaller laugh in comparison to the sky that engulfs it, before watching the stars in content silence.

"Fluttershy's nice."

We see Twilight swaying in her seat, in the Interview Area. She looks ahead thoughtfully. "I like her."

“We got cancelled!”

In the Interview Area, Rainbow Dash has her arms thrown up in celebration. She’s grinning widely.

Sunset, just slightly less cheery, sits in the Interview Area. “Apparently demanding independence results in totally being kicked off.”

We see the Rainbooms sitting in a circle, and they’re in the middle of an acoustic performance of something that sounds original: spunky, poppy, and harmony-driven.

“Ain’t nothing that won’t make us stronger,” we hear Applejack’s voice narrate over.

She’s holding a knife in one hand, and a peach in the other. “So long as it don’t kill us.”

“Oh, haven’t you heard?” Rarity asks, leaning back on the stool in the Interview Area.

The scene sweeps past the group: Rainbow and Sunset strumming away on acoustic six-stings, Applejack jamming on her acoustic bass, and Rarity playing a xylophone.

“You only start wishing on stars when they fall from the sky.”

Pinkie is drumming on a wooden box she’s perched on, while Fluttershy is keeping rhythm with her tambourine that rings clear and bright.

Twilight sits beside Sunset, singing along with the others.

We can’t hear the lyrics – they sound far away, long ago – but we hear Twilight’s overdub.

“The handbook makes mention of labels dropping bands that still succeed massively.”

Twilight flips through her book and pushes up her glasses. “But, all things considered: I think we’ll be writing our own histories and trends pretty soon.”

“The future is full of hope and cherries!”

Pinkie bounces on the stool in the Interview Area, and pulls a cupcake from somewhere. She looks at it, at us, beams, and chucks it back to wherever she got it. She’s waggling her eyebrows with her own brand of sugar-spice-sass.

“My friends are a super-duper overdose of sweetness, anyways.”

When we cut back to the live feed, the Rainbooms all stop playing except Applejack and Rarity as the song dips into its bridge.

We see them sing in sets – Sunset and Twilight, Applejack with Pinkie and Rarity, and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash – as each slowly brings their instruments back into the fray.

“I wouldn’t give this up for the world,” Fluttershy says, looking around the Interview Area. “This – it feels like a fairytale happy ending.”

Sunset’s in the Interview Area, but pulling at her leather jacket and about to leave. “It gets harder before it gets easier, but it never gets boring.”

Panning over them, we see Rainbow Dash really get into her playing, in what seems to be improvising, and the others laugh, slightly messing up the words but keeping up instrumentally.

“The band might break up, make up, and break up again someday.”

We’re with Rainbow Dash in the Interview Area, and though she’s grinning, she has a daydream look in her eyes.

“But friendship, and us – “

Finally cutting back into a wide shot of fluid slow zooming out from the Rainbooms, we see them end the song, share a look, and strike their instruments in finality, cheering, smiling, hugging and high-fiving.

It’s a picture-perfect ending of wistful happiness.

“We are forever.”

Author's Note

There are no lessons here, just bad reality TV written in with awkwardness.

By the by, I wanna see how many people can get all the references. They were very intentional.