The Canterlot Movie Club walked down the streets, dressed in their regular clothes now that the contest was over. Hand in hand, they were accompanied by the Rainbooms, who walked close behind them. The group of ten approached the Dazzlings' house and walked up to the small gate leading into the garden.

"You really think this is a good idea, you three?" Sunset Shimmer lightly squeezed through the CMCs and put her hands on their shoulders. "I mean, the Dazzlings are masters of persuasion; even without their gems, they've still got a silver tongue that'll wrap you around their fingers."

"Still, we couldn't really say no to them." Scootaloo rubbed the back of her head. "They're... kinda in a bad state right now."

"Yeah. Last I remember, Adagio said she didn't feel so good. Said somethin' about how that gem was kinda like her heart or something. And now that its' gone, she ain't got long to live..." Applebloom twisted her wrist.

"You're sure about this?" Applejack crossed her arms as the group walked into the garden and up to the door. "Them there Dazzlings are slipperier than a bunch of eels coated in baby oil. Ah'm sure that they just said that in an attempt to get something out of ya'll."

"Even if it's true, Applejack, what were we supposed to do about it?" Applebloom's eyes widened. "We couldn't just say no to 'em like that."

"Girls, I know that you wanted to win this contest, and it's good that you did. But now, I think that it's time to put all this behind you and go back to your normal lives." Sunset tousled the CMC's hairs. "I mean, the Dazzlings might be powerless, but they're definitely not good people. You remember how they turned the whole school against each other with their own contest, right?"

"The contest, I remember. Everything else is just a blur..." Sweetie Belle rubbed the back of her head. "Like, I don't remember anything outside of it."

"So you don't remember the time you tried to fight me because we made it into the finals and you didn't?" Rarity lifted a brow to her little sister. "Because you were really steamed back then. You said, and I quote: How could you do this to me, Rarity?! I'm your little sister! Sisters aren't meanie-pants like that, y'know!"

"I never said that!" Sweetie stumbled backwards, nearly tripping off the landing and into a bunch of roses. "Or, at least, I think I didn't say it..."

"Applebloom was pretty mad too. Like a bull seeing red. The red being me, of course." Applejack sighed and walked up to Applebloom. "She threw pretty much everything in the kitchen at me before Big Mac had to strongarm her back to her room."

"Plus, there was squirt here." Rainbow Dash patted Scootaloo's head. "She's lucky I took up a karate club at Canterlot High, or we could've been fighting forever!"

"Wait..." Applebloom looked up at Applejack, and then out to the rest of the Rainbooms as she let the story sink in. "Did we... really try hurtin' ya'll during the Battle of the Bands?"

"Eeyup." Applejack crossed her arms. "The Dazzlings REALLY drilled the idea of winning into your tiny little heads. Forget about push coming to shove. It was more like shove coming to steamroll with how hot-headed you were."

The Canterlot Movie Club began to feel their hearts crumple and twist once the story of their violence settled in. Now, as they looked at the Dazzlings' front door, they were beginning to have doubts about meeting them again; especially after they had acted like them and won the Fall Formal with their guises.

"Have we really been playing as people like that?" Applebloom asked, breaking the silence at last. "The kinda people that make you wanna fight your big sister because they're doing better than you at a contest?"

"Yeah. But I don't really blame you for it." Sunset held Applebloom's hand and looked her in the eyes. "You didn't remember a thing about it. No-one else but us did after the magic wore off. All they did remember was that the Dazzlings were mischievous and slippery."

"But you totally painted another side of them with that routine of yours." Rainbow Dash smiled. "Not to mention, you won over all of our hearts without having to resort to some cheap magic tactics."

"Yes. I must admit. Although it was just a silly little contest, you really managed to pull it out of the bag, so to speak." Rarity nodded. "You got so many genuine votes that night. Not many other people who dressed up like those three could ever have that kind of acclaim."

"Yeah, but now I'm starting to think twice." Sweetie Belle twiddled her fingers and rubbed the tips of her shoes on the ground as she looked down. "They really were that bad?"

Before anyone could say anything else, the door opened up behind the Canterlot Movie Club. Standing by it were Adagio, Aria, and Sonata. All three of them were dressed in their formal attire and their hair was still just as styled as the day they came to Canterlot High.

"Are we interrupting anything?" Adagio asked, looking to the group with a raised brow.

The Canterlot Movie Club, Dazzlings, and Rainbooms all sat together in a wide living room with teal wallpaper and fluffy carpet. Pictures hung from the wall depicting all sorts of things, like puppies and landscapes, and even the odd taco restaurant here and there. A coffee table sat in the middle of the room with a glass surface. Small coasters daintily lay on top of it, with some small coffee stains visible on them. There was a large plant in the corner of the room, with a long and slender trunk with flowers only starting to bloom on each of the leaves. Finally, there was a TV welded into the wall, with a sleek black frame and stretched towards both of the windows.

"Well. Either this is a weird analogy for a thank you party, or you want something else entirely, girls." Adagio cocked a brow at the group of girls.

"Just don't waste your time, girls." Aria folded her arms. "You just wanna rub it in our faces, say we're the scum of the earth, then walk away and never have to see us again."

"Actually, that's not why we're here," said Sunset Shimmer, stepping forward. "We saw these girls at the competition last night, dressed up as the three of you."

"So it's a lecture then?" Adagio lowered her brows. "Sunset, do you think we've changed since that nonsense at your school? For all we know, we could still be heartless monsters waiting for our next big break; and the scheme that could ultimately cause you and your friends' downfall."

"Or we actually have changed, don't want to say it, and just want a quiet life so that we don't have to be hated by you and all your friends again." Sonata interjected, immediately grabbing Adagio's attention.

"No. It's neither of those things, girls." Sunset pushed her hands out. "If anything, we wanted to personally come along with the Canterlot Movie Club, just so they could thank you for it all."

"So you won? Heh." Aria just cracked a small grin. "How many people wanted your heads? A few? Dozen? More? Because I'm pretty sure that after the stunt we pulled, anyone even thinking we were different people would've been tormented, like, to death."

"You... really have issues, girl." Rainbow Dash tilted her head at Aria Blaze.

"Don't we all?" Aria retorted. "I'm pretty sure you girls don't stay together because of sunshine and rainbows all the time."

"Anyway..." Sweetie Belle put hands on both Aria and Rainbow's mouths. "First, thanks for giving us that little extra boost we needed, girls," she said to the Dazzlings. "But, if it's alright, can we just ask a teensy-weensy question?"

"Sure. Ask away." Adagio nodded. "We've got nothing to lose, so we might as well answer." She tapped her neck where her pendant once hung.

"Are you really... that nasty?" Sweetie Belle asked, everything she had been told hanging in her mind as she continued. "During the Battle of the Bands, people were really riled up. Did we... really try to take out our own sisters because they were winning and we lost?"

"Look, girls. Siren magic is not like regular pony magic." Adagio shook her head and kicked up her feet. "Sure, the Rainbooms have their magic act with the light show, but our magic stems purely from emotion and feel. We have—or rather, we had the power to make people really, REALLY want something."

"And if the side effects include domestic violence, long-distance relationship break-ups, and other generalized anger and frustration, that's just a bonus." Aria lifted a finger. "Plus, people are way too lovey-dovey and happy these days. If they don't vent their problems one way or another, they're just gonna really freak out later on and do something totally reckless. Guess that's what happened with your little girls, girls."

"But why?" Scootaloo asked, clasping her hands together. "Why did you make it so hard for all of us? To make all those rifts that might never have been mended if not for the Rainbooms?"

"Our magic was beginning to fade after Starswirl the Bearded and his cronies left us here in this realm." Adagio rubbed the back of her neck. "If we didn't eat up, we were gonna starve and run out. Do you know what a siren is without magical power?"

"Plus, every hero needs a villain, after all." Sonata shrugged. "I mean, if there's no bad guys to fight, the world gets dull and boring. Who'd wanna live a boring life anyway?"

"Tell me about it, sister." Pinkie Pie patted Sonata's shoulders.

"But that doesn't justify turning the whole school into a battleground, does it?" Sunset tilted her head. "Why take your hate out on all those innocent people when you could've just gone back to Equestria and found this Starswirl guy yourself?"

"As far as we're aware, there's no way to even get back to Equestria." Aria scoffed and blew her hair up. "This is like one giant prison for us; just with food, drink, and a bunch of other prisoners."

"Still, why us?" Rarity tipped her hand. "There are so many others you could've fed from, but you chose to go for Canterlot High of all places. Why would sapping the hate of a bunch of teenagers benefit you in any way, shape, or form?"

"Three words, girls." Adagio stood up and booped the noses of the Rainbooms as she said, "Magic. Of. Friendship."

"Oh." Sunset began to feel so many holes begin to fill in her mind. "The Fall Formal. The night I went crazy."

"Yep. And now we've come full circle, haven't we?" Adagio stood before the Rainbooms and Canterlot Movie Club. "Sunset Shimmer went evil, and her magic pretty much led the three of us to Canterlot High, therefore sparking the Battle of the Bands and all the nonsense involving us." She sat back down, putting her hands on Sonata and Aria's shoulders.

"And that in turn, I came to Canterlot High during the Friendship Games to investigate the magical goings on and..." She gasped, remembering as her old demon self flashed in her mind. "Midnight Sparkle."

"Funny how your school attracts bad guys these days." Sonata Dusk kicked up her legs. "What, do you girls have some kind of bad guy magnet or is it just you?"

"We never wanted any of those battles, alright?" Rainbow groaned and slapped her face. "So what if we just keep on getting villains and monsters in our lives? We just keep carrying on, whooping their butts with our superpowers. You don't ever see us complaining about it."

"Face it, girls. You're gonna be working full time now." Adagio slid her arms down the backs of her sisters. "With how much magic you've got in your bodies, it's only a matter of time before the next disaster happens and you girls have to take action."

"Can we just get back on track here?!" Applebloom shouted, stomping the ground violently. The force caused the cups on the coffee table to vibrate and bounce gently. "Thanks, Dazzlings. Darn you for being such horrible bad people who made us fight our sisters. And now we know that the Magic of Friendship attracted one bad guy after another. Gah!" She facepalmed. "You try to say one simple thing to a bunch of girls you draw inspiration from and you end up getting so much more..."

"Sorry, Applebloom." Applejack patted Applebloom's back and tousled her hair. "We didn't want to drag it out like this."

"Well, you kinda did." Sweetie Belle came over to Applejack and the girls. "It's great that you got to find out more, but this really over-complicated things a little for us. We're still grateful to the Dazzlings either way; even if they are a bunch of sociopaths."

"At least we're on a path." Sonata scoffed and put her hands to her hips.

"But still, we're not gonna forgive you for what happened to our school, Dazzlings. But we will still say thanks for the boost at the contest last night." Scootaloo turned to the Dazzlings. "Also, didn't you say that you were dying?"

"Oh, that? Well, it's just the last little bits of magic leaving our bodies. Without a pendant to hold it in, it's just gonna go all over the place and fizzle out. Kind of like when a firework blows up and all those ashes flutter down to the ground," said Adagio.

"So you were never really dying?" Applebloom felt her hands tighten up as she lowered her head. "It was all just a ploy to make us feel sorry for you?"

"Can you blame us, girls? Old habits die hard." Aria twisted her hand. "We're still a bunch of hateful, deceitful, liars who want to say anything to get our ways. Even if we don't have any magic, we can't just stop being who we are."

"You could at least try, y'know." Applebloom's voice turned bitter. She was seconds away from pouncing on the girls if not for Applejack squeezing her arms across her sister's belly.

"Look, girls. Can we just bury the hatchet and say goodbye already?" Sweetie Belle, again, pushed past the Rainbooms to get to the sirens. "Even if they tricked us, if we fight them, then we're no better. Never try to solve problems with violence and threats." She held a hand to Applebloom, which made her head rise again. "No matter how awful the person, the least you can do is put it out of your mind. And besides, have they actually tried to get revenge on us after the Battle of the Bands?"

"No." The Rainbooms all shook their heads in unison.

"Exactly! The Dazzlings are just chilling out here, living their lives the way that they want to. If they're not trying to get revenge, that must mean that they've accepted defeat and are taking it like real girls." Sweetie nodded and reached out to the sirens.

"As much as I don't want to admit it, you're right there, kid." Aria stood up and laid a hand on Sweetie Belle's shoulder. "We can't even get revenge on the Rainbooms even if we tried. This world is still pretty new, and there's a heck of a lot of things that we've gotta adjust to. Seeing as how we're never gonna get back home, we might as well get used to this one."

"Plus, why would I wanna destroy a world that's got some super-duper yummy stuff?" Sonata stood up now. "I mean, those tacos at the restaurant on 9th Street are to DIE FOR!" She squealed.

"You all... really believe this?" Sunset asked, looking at the three standing sisters. "After all this time's passed, you accept that you lost and are taking it like this?"

"There's no use fighting over nothing." Adagio shrugged. "No pendant, no chance. That, and I really don't want to stoop to the level of some of the creeps here who keep on holding a grudge."

Weirdly enough, a smile began to form on Sunset Shimmer's face. After all of this time worrying about the Dazzlings, now that she had heard that they weren't trying to fight back or use underhanded tactics on her and her friends had lifted a heavy weight from her conscience. She slowly found herself reaching out for Adagio's hand.

"Girls..." she said, her smile still standing firm. "Don't ever change, alright?"

"Hmm..." Adagio was hesitant for a moment, but she ended up smiling as well and took Sunset's hand, shaking it. "You too, Rainbooms."

"Ooh! So does that mean we're friends now?" Pinkie Pie perked up her voice and slung her arm around Sonata's neck. "Because I think you could all use something to eat by now, and that taco place on 9th Street sounds pretty appetizing right about now..." she sing-songed the last part.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Sonata beamed from ear to ear and barreled out the door with Pinkie. "Let's go! It's all on me!"

"Might as well follow her before she ends up breaking something." Aria walked past the others. "See ya there, girls."

Before Aria could leave, Sunset held her shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "Hold on. We're coming with you."

"Why would you wanna do that?"

"Isn't that what acquaintances are for?" Twilight felt a small smile appear on her face as well.

Aria Blaze couldn't help herself, and ended up catching the contagious disease of smiles as well. "Alright, girls. Looks like there's no getting out of this, is there? Last one to the restaurant's a loser!" And she ran off out of the house.

The other Rainbooms and Adagio looked at each other and nodded, running after Aria with the Canterlot Movie Club close behind. Together, the group of thirteen made their way on the long trek towards the restaurant, where a veritable feast of tacos and other such food awaited them...

Author's Notes:

The End.

Wow. I bet you haven't seen those words come out of my mouth for a long time, huh? But yes, this story is now finished. And, dayum, it's been a ride since day one. I'm sorry that I kinda left it to fester for the longest of times, but when you live a life like mine and see new inspiration, you just can't help yourself, can you?

But still, I'm happy to have finished this story and that you were all able to enjoy it to the fullest. And if you did, then be sure to check out my other works and share those around with all your friends. I wouldn't have been here today without all of your support and I'm grateful to each and every one of you for helping me out.

Until the next time, I'll be seeing you all soon!