The Rainbooms found that they had stayed up for quite some time now, and deserved a rest for their vailant battle against Blazing Score. They were half-yawning and half-talking for most of their walk to their allocated room, since the auditions and their battle had been on the same night.

"I think that a good night's work deserves just as good a night's sleep..." Twilight said, almost slipping into a state of slumber as she walked.

"Yeah, ah think we all deserve a rest after what he had ta do up on that stage..." Applejack said as she rubbed her eyes drowsily as they approached their room for Battletone. "Though they are our enemies, it was mighty fine of The Blasters ta give us a room fer this tournament..."

"Uh, shouldn't we be back up there, watching The Dazzlings perform against Quadruple Cyclone?" Rainbow Dash asked, wondering why they were going to bed instead of supporting The Dazzlings. "I mean, they're part of our team as well. It only makes sense that we should help them out..."

"The Dazzlings would win anyway, they're Lyrican Sirens, "Sunset reminded her. "You forgot that Lyrican Sirens are usually unbeatable in musical tournaments like this. The only real challenge they'll have is if they fight The Laments or The Blasters, especially The Blasters..."

"Yes, but Lyrican Sirens only win because they've got the power to manipulate a person's will whenever they mark them with their singing..." Twilight said, throwing on her own amount of reminiscence towards the rest of the group. "The Dazzlings, The Blasters and The Laments are all able to control a person's emotions and make them act according to said emotions. They don't just stroll in and straight up control you completely, as their singing is limited to certain psychological aspects of a human or pony's being."

"Say what?" Applejack said, as she was confused by how Twilight had worded her former statement.

"In easier terms, they're either the trigger for your unrelenting anger and hatred, or they're the key to eternal happiness," Twilight explained further, in ways that her friends would be able to understand. "By balancing these emotions, they safeguarded the Balance of Lyrica for many years, unti-"

"Until your miserable species decided to rebel against us..." Fortissimo said, appearing directly behind the entire group alongside Allegro and Orchestral. They advanced on The Rainbooms, making them take up defensive postures for the battle ahead of them.

"Fortissimo, what do you want now?" Twilight asked in a rather bemused tone of voice as she addressed the leader of The Blasters once more.

"I just came to tell you that being in a musical competition is quite stressful, especially if you keep on winning and winning..." Fortissimo said, stopping his advance. "The more popularity you amass, the more you'll desperately struggle to keep that popularity for yourselves. Your greed continues growing, multiplying like the flames in a forest fire, until your greed consumes you and you slip up in front of everyone, as our poor little sisters found out the hard way back at that pathetic school you once went to..."

"They're quickly starting to put their pasts behind them, Fortissimo!" Sunset said, standing up for the group. "They'll be able to overcome their doubts and put up a fight to the best of their abilities!"

"Yeah!" The Rainbooms all said together, backing Sunset up all the way.

"But what about Miss Dash here? Has she made her choice between her friends or her 'awesomeness' yet?" Fortissimo looked directly at Rainbow Dash, making her recoil in fear when she heard what he'd said. "Has SHE put the past behind her and made her decision?"

"What are you talking about, Fortissimo?" Twilight asked as she looked back at Rainbow Dash, who looked rather guilt-ridden once she'd gotten over her sudden shock.

"Back in Coltimore, we gave Rainbow Dash a Lyrican Choice Crystal right before Obedium attacked," Fortissimo levitated the gem out of Rainbow Dash's pocket, then held it up for all of the group to see. "You see, Rainbow Dash has two things that make up who she really is: Her friends and her attitude. So, we gave her this crystal as a way of saying 'you can only have one of these, so choose carefully!'."

"When Rainbow Dash finally makes up her decision, she will lose the choice she didn't make," Allegro smirked as the girls got a closer look at the images on the Lyrican Choice Crystal. "If she chose to keep her attitude, then she'd automatically lose you all forever. However, if she chose you over her attitude, then she'd immediately lose her personality and become emotionless."

"Why'd you have to bring that up, Fortissimo?" Rainbow Dash looked full of sorrow when the explanation had finished. Her face was in her hands and she could be seen letting out a few tears. "Now I'm stuck with this choice forever!"

"There is a way to escape from your sadness, Miss Dash. Simply make the choice, which do you value more?" Orchestral said, whispering into Rainbow Dash's ears, making her tears slightly less than they were before. "The Choice Crystals of Lyrica are quite good at toying with one's train of thought. They could reduce even the strongest of warriors into blubbering crybabies..."

"And that's just the crystals talking," Fortissimo said as the girls were all vexed by his words and were made frightened when he spoke in a rather menacing tone, "Believe me, we know very well how to injure and hurt someone's hopes and beliefs..."

"And there's more where our words come from, Rainbooms..." Allegro said as The Blasters began circling Twilight and her friends. "The seven of you all have doubts about your friendships deep down inside of you, just waiting for them to be called out by certain secrets and lies..."

"You all broke down and feuded against each other because the tiniest of details got to you, thus sacrificing your forfeit Magic of Friendship to a more worthy cause," Fortissimo said as The Rainbooms all started to show doubts of their own. "In truth, the Magic of Friendship can only be used by groups who are perfectly capable of utilizing it. And after you all denied each other at CHS, you no longer showed any signs of the Magic of Friendship. And now, you wield a fake power that is similar to the Magic of Friendship, but can only be used for death and destruction. Specifically, the murder of our species."

"Say what you will, Rainbooms, but after your insolent little outburst under that cellar, you've been classified as bloodthirsty murderers, who care about nothing more than saving their own hides..." Orchestral said.

"Mur-der-ers! Mur-der-ers! Mur-der-ers! Mur-der-ers!" The Blasters chanted as The Rainbooms all groaned and cried out in psychological agony. Fortissimo, Allegro and Orchestral got a great sense of enjoyment from watching Twilight and her friends suffer for what they had done in the past.

"No! STOP IT! WE'RE NOT EVIL!" Sunset said in a rather distressed tone as she got down on her knees, put her hands together and begged for The Blasters to stop.

Fortissimo then stopped getting The Blasters to chant so he could accept The Rainbooms' mercy. "Whatever you think is right, you're wrong. And that is a big mistake. But don't let me judge you, don't let Allegro or Orchestral judge you. In fact, you should judge yourselves, and ruminate on how your actions at CHS caused us to kickstart our grand plan!"

"What do you mean by that?" Fluttershy asked as she got up from her foetal position, mildly curious to know what The Blasters were talking about. "We merely saved the worlds from The Dazzlings. How does that count as us being evil?"

"Well, I'd best not keep you waiting any longer. You do want to know why we started this, and I suppose now's the time to tell you," Fortissimo said as he used his hands to create a lightning arch made out of Lyrican Dark Magic, with Allegro and Orchestral doing the same. "You see, WE were the ones who corrupted The Dazzlings in the first place..."

"Why would you go so far as to twist the mind of your own little sister? Do you not care about her anymore?!" Twilight stated, clearly seeing a contradiction in that statement.

"Again, you are wrong. We do care for Adagio, Aria and Sonata's well being, just like the rest of you," Allegro spoke. "However, we were unsure as to whether or not they would be able to avenge their kind when they were resurrected. So, we were resurrected first, and we tampered with The Dazzlings' resurrection by mixing in a potent Dark Magic that would hinder their swordplay, but maximise their voices to a phenomenal extent. And true to our work, they sounded like angels that had fallen out of heaven."

"And that's all we can tell you for now, Rainbooms..." Fortissimo said as he and The Blasters opened up a portal behind them. "If you want to hear the rest of the story, make it to the final round in Battletone. Then, right before you go toe-to-toe with our poor, sweet Dazzlings once more, then we'll tell you the rest..." and then, he disappeared with the other Blasters.

The Rainbooms all awoke in their beds after what they had thought to be a rather rough night's sleep. The bags in their eyes and their messy hair was a sign that The Blasters had left them with something to dwell on after that rather overwhelming encounter they had had last night.

However, it didn't take them long to freshen up and pick up their instruments so that they could practice for Round 2 of Battletone. Once they'd all brushed their teeth, showered and bathed and gotten dressed, they saw a note slip through from underneath the crack in the door.

Sunset and Twilight picked up the note first and read it in their heads. Then, they showed the message to the rest of The Rainbooms, so that they knew exactly what was on the message.

"Let's get something to eat, girls. We need all the strength we can get before we continue Battletone," Twilight said as she opened up the door to a curved corridor. "I hear they've got extra sugary pancakes today..."

"Pancakes?! OUT OF THE WAY!" Pinkie Pie shot out of the room within seconds, leaving behind a slight pink trail as she did so.

"Ya tell Pinkie Pie about pancakes and she's off in a flash..." Applejack smiled as she picked up her chrome bass and followed Pinkie Pie towards the elevator so she could get some breakfast as well. "Well, ah'll see ya'll down at the breakfast buffet."

"Yeah, let's get moving," Rainbow Dash said as she got up off of the bed and stretched her arms before she began walking. "Some breakfast sure would get my mind off of what happened last night..."

Everyone else walked out of the room before Sunset and Twilight.

Twilight was about to leave the room herself, but was stopped by Sunset grabbing onto her hand. "What is it, Sunset?"

"Twilight... Do you think that The Blasters were right?" Sunset asked as she showed some great concern for what she and the group was doing in Battleone. "Did our victory in the Battle of the Bands really start this horror?"

"I'm not sure. But either way, we'll learn the truth as long as we keep fighting..." Twilight thought about what The Blasters had told her as well, she needed to keep on playing in Battletone if she stood any chance of knowing the truth behind The Dazzlings' corruption. "The only way we'll know is if we win..."

"What about The Dazzlings? Do you think they'll cope well with the news?" Sunset asked, feeling concerned for Adagio, Aria and Sonata now. "When they find out that The Blasters were the ones that corrupted them, who knows what they'll do? They could straight up impale The Blasters in front of millions of viewers, then Lyricans would once again be seen as a danger to the other species. And while that does seem like the easiest way to finish this madness, it just wouldn't be an ethical way to end it..."

"They have to know the truth when The Blasters are defeated in Battletone," Twilight got her mental plan already thought out. "When The Blasters lose in the Title Match, they'll retreat to Lyrica to prepare for the resurrection. Then, The Dazzlings should know the truth about who corrupted them and made them commit their wrongdoings..."

"Either way, we can't let it take over our minds right now," Sunset said, getting up from the bed and walking down the corridor with Twilight next to her. "Battletone is the more immediate matter we have to deal with. Once it's finished, there's no holding back. We'll give The Blasters the ultimate run for their money, then end their madness once and for all!"

"You're right, Sunset. Just like old times. Wait until the final battle, then expose them for what they really are," Twilight smiled as she wrapped her arm around Sunset's shoulders. "You know, you'd make a rather great Alicorn Princess yourself someday..."

"You really mean it?" Sunset asked, seeing Twilight's shift in mood almost instantly.

"I know it, Sunset. You've shown great amounts of courage, heroism, acceptance, change, redemption and purity. All of those alone could earn you the title of an Alicorn Princess, provided you return to Equestria someday..."

"I appreciate the offer, Twilight. But I think I'd rather stay here," Sunset said, humbly declining Twilight's offer. "While being an Alicorn Princess does sound rather interesting, I think that I've earned my place more in this world than I have back in Equestria. Though that doesn't mean I wouldn't mind going back for a visit someday..."

"Yes, I'd like to see how much Equestria's changed myself," Adagio said as The Dazzlings all caught up with Sunset and Twilight. "The last time I was in Equestria, it was on matters of business. I for one would love to see how much you've all changed since the fateful day when Starswirl threw us into the Human World..."

"Oh, hi, Adagio," Twilight said as the group all got into an elevator together and pushed the button that would take them to the ground floor. "Sorry I couldn't have watched your battle last night, we'd all been rather exhausted after that battle with Blazing Score..."

"I know, it was fairly obvious when you and Combustive both collapsed on stage last night..." Aria said as the doors closed so that the lift could move. It was surprisingly fast for her tastes, since she and the other girls had been sleeping a hundred floors from the ground. "You all needed a rest, and that's totally fine by us."

"So, out of curiosity, how did that battle of yours go last night?" Sunset asked as the lift approached the bottom floor. "The one with Quadruple Cyclone, right?"

"I'll tell you one thing, girls. It's really hard to aim those bolts with just a mic," Sonata said as the door finally opened once more, so that The Dazzlings, Twilight and Sunset could all walk out of it. "Most of the time, we ended up almost shooting ourselves with them. Then it struck us mid-song, we had to point the bottom of the mic at our enemies, so that the bolts would actually hit their marks."

"It's hard to sing and aim at the same time, girls, let me tell you that now..." Adagio said as the group finally made their way towards the buffet, where all of the bands were grabbing some breakfast for the day ahead of them.

"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it, eventually..." Twilight said as the group all got some trays so they could carry their entire breakfasts with them.

"So, who are you facing today, Twilight?" Sonata asked once she'd picked up some cereal in a bowl and put it on the tray.

"We're facing Tiger's Tango tonight," Twilight said as she picked up some orange juice in a glass. "What about you, Dazzlings?"

"Well, we're going up against the Jade Blades tonight, a group heavily oriented on electric guitars and keytars. In fact, there's only one non-guitarist on their group, and that one plays the role of the drummer," Aria said, showing the note that had come through their door. "The drummer's responsible for all of the rhythm in that group, so that the Jade Blades can focus on shredding out some damn catchy tunes..."

"Have you got a song prepared for when you make it to The Blasters?" Sunset asked once she'd picked up some hash browns and bacon.

"Well, the only one that comes to our mind is a song that's called It's Been So Long, but it's still in the rehearsal phase," Adagio said as she and the rest of the girls regrouped with The Rainbooms on a rather large table. "We're still trying to figure out the best lyrics to use, but it should be ready for the Title Match..."

"Yeah... the Title Match..." some doubt wormed its' way into Sunset's heart once more. Even if The Dazzlings did in fact make it to the Title Match, then there would be the possibility that not even they would be able to out-sing The Blasters. Whilst she kept on dwelling on that scenario, she set her breakfast down and sat down so she could eat it...

Author's Notes:

Me: (Sighs) I tink dis deadwine's getting ta me...

Nighty: Wat do yoo mean by dat, bwodew?

Me: I set mysewf a deadwine fow my stowy. I'm gonna twy and finish it befowe Season 5 begins which isn't wong now...

Peanut: You'ww be abwe ta do it, Nighty.

Nighty: Yeah. You'we a bwiwwiant witew, Shad. Of couwse you'ww be abwe ta do it.

Me: Tanks, Nighty. (Pats his back)

Luna: Well, there they are, the little scamps... (Levitates me, Nighty and Peanut up in her aura) You know, we've got a new bouncy castle set up for you all and I'd hate it if you missed out...

Sonata: Yeah, I mean the other foals are over there right now, having the time of their lives, and you're just sitting here?

Peanut: I didn't even know we had a bouncy castwe.

Luna: Well, now you do, and you can play on it whenever you feel like it, provided you let us help you onto it... (Carries us off)