At the gym... "Welcome to the first ever Canterlot High School Battle of the Bands. I believe I speak for everyone when I say it is by far the greatest thing we have ever done here at this school! We are so glad our three newest students encouraged us to turn this event into something exciting!" Principal Celestia announced. "But, as this is now a competition, we can only choose one winner. Who is it going to be?" Now, the lights in the gym are down except for two spotlights that pick out Snips and Snails, both dressed as 1980s-era rappers: sunglasses, baseball cap turned backward for Snips, do-rag tied over Snails' hair, baggy sweatshirts and pants. Celestia and Luna are seated at the table in front of the stage, and all of the Rainbooms except Rarity are gathered off to one side with Spike and Sunset.
"Aw, yeah! Snips and Snails indahouse, yo!" "They call me MC Snips and that ain't no lieMy favorite food is like pumpkin pie!" "I'm DJ Snazzy Snails, I like whales! When I go to the beach, I always bring my pails!" "Everybody knows my favorite color is orange, my rhymes are so fly, they're better than... um..." "Than an orange, yo!" "Yeah!" "Bam! That just happened!" "Aw, yeah! We out!" "Snips and Snails outta here!" They finish by standing back to back, holding their microphones out at arm's length with heads down, and dropping them onto the stage. The impact sends a shrill whine of feedback that sets the crew in the wings to wincing and covering their ears. "Please do not drop the microphones," Principal Celestia said, unamused.
The two hopelessly inept rappers pick up the dropped items with a laugh and clear off the stage, passing the Rainbooms and company. "In your face, Rainbooms!" "Least we know one group who won't stand in the way of us gettin' to the finals," Applejack remarked. "Let's get ready to rock!" Rainbow Dash told. "Wait! Where's Rarity?" "Oh! Here! I'm here!" Rarity walks over, some metal fringes jangling from her outfit. "We will be performing in front of an audience. I'm not going to wear something fabulous? Hmph." "Remember, we have to be good enough to make it through but not so good we let the sirens see the magic within us. They could realize we plan to use it against them," Twilight explained.
"Got it! Be cool enough to win, but not so cool that we end up showing off the whole ears and tails and rainbows thing. Sooo... about twenty percent less cool." The Rainbooms begin their song. "One! Two!" "We've just got the day to get ready, and there's only so much time to lose! Because tonight, yeah, we're here to party! So let's think of something fun to do! We don't know (we don't know) what's gonna happen! We just know (we just know) it's gonna feel right! All our friends are here and it's time to ignite the lights!" As The Rainbooms sing, they start to get sabotaged by the other contestants. "Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight! Shake your tail, shake your tail... Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight! Shake your tail, shake your tail..."
"So what, you didn't get it right the first time." "Laugh it off, no one said it is a crime!" "Do your thing, you know you're an original..." "Your ideas are so funny that they're criminal." "Ohhh-ahh!" Twilight inhales a piece of confetti from Pinkie Pie's drums, causing her to cough. Fluttershy whacks Twilight with her tambourine. "We've just got the day to get ready, and there's only so much time to lose! Because tonight, yeah, we're here to party! So let's think of something fun to do! We don't know (we don't know) what's gonna happen! We just know (we just know) it's gonna feel right! All our friends are here and it's time to ignite the lights!"
"Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight! Shake your tail, shake your tail... Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight! Shake your tail, shake your tail..." Rarity tries to pull free of the magnets, and Pinkie's bass drum vibrates the scattered confetti. Applejack grimaces at the chaos as Rarity finally rips herself loose. Falling on her face, losing her coat sleeves, she bursts into a flood of tears that sets her mascara running. "Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight! Shake your tail, shake your tail... Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight!" Rarity's crying comes through too clearly in the silence following the song's end, broken only by vigorous applause from a beaming Celestia and Luna. Their faces are the only ones in the place not showing some disapproval. Once they stop clapping, they jot notes on the sheets before them—the Rainbooms exit.
"Ruined! Absolutely ruined!" Rarity cried. "Rarity, were you tryin' to make us lose out there?!" Applejack yelled. "Wh- Oh! This was not my fault! This was an act of sabotage!" "Yeah, well, whoever did this couldn't have done this if you didn't insist on dressin' like... like... this! We need to sound good! Is there some reason that concept seems to escape you?" "And what was with the confetti, Pinkie Pie? How am I supposed to shred if there's paper stuck in my frets?!" "It was pretty distracting..." "Ugh! Says the girl who was running from a light the whole time! A light!" "You still sounded much better than most of the other bands. I'm sure you'll make it to the next round. But it won't matter if you don't have that counter-spell ready. You all find a place to practice where the sirens can't hear you. I'll keep an eye on things around here," Sunset explained. The group leaves, leaving Sunset to watch from the wings.
"Remember, girls. We want to save the good stuff for when our full power has been restored." The curtains open for The Dazzlings. "Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! You didn't know that you fell! Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh..." "Now that you're under our spell..." Adagio steps up to the end of the stage. "Blindsided by the beat, clapping your hands, stomping your feet... You didn't know that you fell!" "Oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh..." "Now you've fallen under our spell..." "Oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh..." "We've got the music, makes you move it, got the song that makes you lose it! We say jump, you say how high? Put your hands up to the sky! We've got the music, makes you move it, got the song that makes you lose it! We say jump, you say how high? Put your hands up to the sky!" "Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh, you didn't know that you fell! Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh, now that you're under our spell..." "Listen to the sound of my voice..." "Oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh..." "Soon you'll find you don't have a choice..." "Oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh..." "Captured in the web of my song, soon you'll all be singing along..."
"We've got the music, makes you move it, got the song that makes you lose it! We say jump, you say how high? Put your hands up to the sky! We've got the music, makes you move it, got the song that makes you lose it! We say jump, you say how high? Put your hands up to the sky!" "Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh, you didn't know that you fell! Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh, now that you're under our spell..." "Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh, you didn't know that you fell! Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! Now that you're under our spell..." The Dazzlings bow. Later, the Rainbooms are waiting in the wings for their next performance.
"This is it! Last round and you're in the finals! Unless you think the counter-spell is ready to be played now," Sunset told. "Don't worry, Twilight. Finals aren't until tonight. We'll get in a little more practice before we're supposed to hit the stage. We won't let you down!" "You won't let me down..." "Um, I was just wondering. We haven't played any of my songs yet, and..." "It's the semifinals. We gotta do Awesome As I Wanna Be." "Don't know why I even asked..." Fluttershy pouts. "...I got tricks up my sleeve... See me dominate, 'cause I'm powerful and grea-ea-eat!" Trixie sang. The spotlights bathe the girls in a blinding glare to the sound of cheers; They strike a final pose, and Trixie throws her guitar pick toward the crowd. It lands on the table in front of Celestia and Luna, who smile and applaud. "Fantastic!"
The spots are switched off, restoring normal illumination, and the Illusions straighten up. Trixie faces down a decidedly unimpressed Rainbow with a contemptuous little laugh. She has shed her guitar. "Hmph. You're never gonna top that performance, Rain-goons. You shouldn't be allowed to when you have such a big advantage over the rest of us," Trixie teased. "My superior guitar playing and off-the-charts awesome singing voice?" Rainbow Dash replied. "Oh, don't be ridiculous. I mean her! If you were really all that, Rainbow Dash, you wouldn't have needed to bring in some magical ringer to have half a chance. Everyone's talking about it." "Ha! Puh-leeze! I could win this thing as a solo act and everybody knows it!" Trixie scoffs. "Sure you could." She leaves. "Next up, Big Time Rush." The Rainbooms stop in their tracks.
"BTR is playing now?" Applejack asked, confused. "I guess so," Twilight spoke. Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell walk past the girls onto the stage. "Ready?" Kendall asked. James fiddles with the mic stand. "I wish Gustavo and Kelly were here," Logan remarked, covering his mic with his hand. "I know, but we're so close to the finals. Think how proud our fans will be when we win!" Logan remarked. "You're right, Logan," James said. And so, Big Time Rush starts to sing. "Do you want to ride in a big limousine? Tell me, do you want to take a little bite of the fame machine? If you want to be discovered, end up on the cover of every star-studded supermarket magazine... You can do it, stick right to it! It could happen tonight!" Kendall sang. "You want to be famous! You want to be the one who's living the life! You want to be famous! You want to be the one who's taking the free ride!" "Do you want to cut to the front of the line? Baby, do you need to see your name in lights just like the Hollywood sign? Come on, we gotta work harder, fight the fight together, take you to the top, we've got the winning team.."
"It's your moment, you can own it! It's the American dream!" "You want to be famous! You want to be the one who's living the life! You want to be famous! You want to be the one who's taking the free ride!" As BTR was singing, Sunset started to notice how the guys were about to be engulfed by the power and magic of their voices. Carlos takes the mic off its stand and steps forward. "All day, all night, the camera's on, and it never lies! You're under the spotlight
24-7 till the end of time!" BTR vocalizes together. "Whoa, oh-oh... You want to be famous... Whoa, oh-oh... You want to be famous..." Just as BTR is about to float into the air, Sunset closes the curtain, and the song abruptly stops. The crowd claps. The guys exit into the wings. "What was that?" James inquired.
"You were showing them your magic! I-I didn't know what else to do!" Sunset said, flustered. "We were just about to end our song, y'know," Kendall remarked. "Look, I'm sorry! But there are some magical creatures-" Trixie interrupts Sunset. "Ooh! Looks like they've already decided who'll be moving on to the finals! I'm guessing it wasn't too difficult a decision." Suddenly, the double doors swing open. The Dazzlings sidle in and around Celestia and Luna, singing the five-note phrases from the prologue and cafeteria. Both adults' eyes briefly flash green. The group looks at the principal and the vice principal. "What can we do? There isn't gonna be another opportunity for us to play. And I had the most gorgeous outfit for the finals!" Rarity cried.
"Yup, 'cause that's the real tragedy here, Rarity – that you won't get to play dress-up!" Applejack yelled. "You know perfectly well that is not what I meant!" "You guys wanna keep it down? They're about to announce who's moving on." "Who are you kidding? You know it isn't gonna be us." Celestia and Luna step to center stage and are greeted by near-total silence from the crowd; Celestia, no longer carrying the clipboard, brings up a microphone. "The band that will be joining the Dazzlings in tonight's finals... Big Time Rush!" Celestia announced. Trixie is furious. "What?!" "Us?!" Big Time Rush said, astonished. "This isn't over!" The disbelieving band advances slowly onto the stage. "Congratulations, boys. You deserve it." "Seriously?! We didn't even finish our—!" Carlos is interrupted by Adagio. "See you at tonight's big show, BTR. We are really looking forward to it," Adagio stated.
The crowd jeers. "Zis never should haf been you, Big Time Rush!" "This is a travesty! A travesty!" Trixie cried. "It really is! Big Time Rush don't deserve to be in the finals. Not when your band was so much better in the semis.." Adagio told. "And wanted it so much more," Aria added. "Alas, this is the way it's going to be. Dazzlings vs. BTR... Unless, of course, they don't manage to make it to their set or held up for some reason." Trixie evilly grins. The Rainbooms leave the stage. There was no way they could win against the Dazzlings now...