=Am I Evil 5=

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckrNVJHcxII

>The Canterlot Royal Music Hall pulses to the beat of the drums and strum of Eris’ base.
>It was of course not –planned- that you’d be opening your set just you Eris and Sombra, but then again that’s how playing in a band worked.
>The theatre was more packed than last time due to the finalist nature of the contest as well as who your competition was. Even Princess Celestia was watching from her private box.
>That’d been where Arty had to be right now, making appearances before slipping away to get changed. Celestia always supported her little brother's passions.  She even, you suspected, slipped you guys’ money when it was running low.
>You’d never really been able to figure out why though…
>Chrysalis meanwhile was off who-the-fuck-knew where. She got one look at the competition and went off to go make some “special preparations”. You didn’t see her trying to seduce the judges so what they were was beyond you.
>But whatever, a band technically only needed rhythm and lead to play and you guys had that covered, Eris had also pulled something together to sing for you.
>You bob and jump around the stage while you play your solo, showing off to the crowd and getting some claps.
>Eris slows you both down and sings into the mic, strumming her bass with the gain as high as it’d go and shaking the earth beneath your feet.
>The last verse goes the same as the others, getting cut off suddenly at the end once Eris raises her single gloved hand.
>Bam, song done. Crowd cheers. Thanks are given.
>”Mwah. Mwah. You all like me! You really like me!” Eris says, waving.
>Sombra jerks his head back and gets up from his drums, signaling you. You walk over and put your hand on Eris’ shoulder, signaling the same to her.
>Then you leave the crowd to find the rest of your bandmates.

>You barely get your mask half off before it starts.
>”CHRYSALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!” Sombra roars.
>Eris’s hands go up to her ears. “Damn Sombra! I know you got a good lung capacity but sheesh!”
>”Chrysalis get your shapely behind out here! We gotta go!”
“Eris, have you seen where Huey put my extra masks?”
>”Uhh…this way I think Anny.”
>You and Eris head off to where the guitars were kept.
>Meanwhile Night Terror pokes his un-helmeted head in. “Sombra? Why are you yelling so much?”
>”Because Chrysalis has been gone for too damn long doing who-knows-what.”
>”Sweet Jumping Jezebels, I was gone ten minutes!”
>Chrysalis throws open the yellow drapes blocking the door and stomps through. “Why are you yelling so damn loud?! I could hear you downstairs!”
>”You vanished for our entire first set! Artemi-
>”Hey!”
>Sombra rolls his eyes. “NIGHT TERROR has an excuse but we needed you! You’re our frontman!”
“Does this mask make my nose look big?”
>”Nah, I think it’s cute.” Eris says.	
“Yeah but you’re supposed to be the cute one in the band, I’m the enigma.”
>”Where was I during that band meeting?”
“Asleep on the table.”
>”Oh.” She giggles.
>Behind you Sombra and Chrysalis were staring daggers at each other.
>”Oh my, is –this- the band we’re up against?”
>”Oh hell…” Eris says.

>Six girls stood at the other side of the backstage room, all in various costume.
>You recognized them from the news, the Element Bearers.
>They had a band?
>Chrysalis’s face falls. “Here come the fun police.”
>”Fashion police darling, and I’d like a word with you.” Rarity says.
>”Here, tell it to my lawyer.” Chrysalis says while unbuckling her belt.
>Terror put his hand on her shoulder. “Hold on now. Someone here has to be on her best behavior in this city since they almost invaded.”
>Chrysalis grinds her teeth and buckles her belt. 
>”Rainbooms? You’re on in three.” An aid says quickly.
>Pffft. 
“…Rainbooms? Seriously?”
>”Better than “Mystik Spyral”.” Rainbow Dash says.
>You’re about to go off on her but the bass player steps forward. “Night Terror, Queen Chrysalis, Sombra, even Eris…who let y’all out? Let alone into a band.”
>”I’m reformed now!” Eris says.
>”I don’t have to answer to you six.”
>Sombra just flips them off.
	
>”Tch. Don’t worry.” Rarity says. “With their music they’ll be locked up again post haste.”
>”Pffft!” Eris walks over and pokes Rarity’s keytar. “1984 called, they want their lame-ass instrument back. You can take your tacky clothes with you too.”
>A fire lights up in the keyboardists eyes but the Great Mediator, Princess Twilight steps forward.
>Too bad she seemed intent on being a bitch today.
>”Rarity isn’t wrong. You all –know- that music is forbidden. Why, the magical implications of the words alone could-“
>Chrysalis stifles a loud yawn and turns around. “Princess, unless it’s to tell me that your brother has stopped by, don’t speak to me.” She says before walking into the green room.
>”We have better uses for our time then being around you dolts.” Sombra says following her.
>Terror, probably in concern for his alternate identity if it wasn’t already known, wordlessly follows.
>Eris backs into the room sticking her tongue out and flipping up both middle fingers.
>You awkwardly stand there for a bit before grabbing the complimentary box of doughnuts and following your bandmates.
“Break a leg, girls.”

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGYS1o-pnVU

>Fuck your life.
>You and the rest of the band were watching the “Rainbooms” play just offstage.
>Opinions varied.
>”This song is literally giving me cancer.”
>”I wish I were back in the moon.”
>”If we lose to this, I’m killing myself. Others may die too.”
>And Eris was vomiting rainbows into a garbage pail.
“That’s the problem, it sounds –just- like the poppy sensations on the radio.”
>”You cannot. At all. Tell me that this is the music half my kingdom chose to listen to while I was away. I refuse to believe that.” Terror says.
>Using Princess Twilight’s magic, a rainbow blast shoots from the drum kit and hits the chandelier hanging over the crowd, shining the room with a disco-ball of all colors.
“Damn. They have magic too.”
>”How’s the crowd taking it?” Sombra asks.
>Chrysalis puts two fingers on her temple and extends her hand out towards the crowd and closes her eyes.
“…You know we know you don’t have to do that.”
>”You also know it won’t stop me from doing it…They’re enjoying it.”
>”FUCK!” Eris says from inside the bin.
>”But it’s strange…they’re enjoying it because it’s…familiar? Like the tacky sweater grandma makes for your birthday.”
>The five of you look out to them as they finish.
>”So…these girls are the musical equivalent of old ladies knitting a sweater.”
“We can beat that.”
>”If we don’t I promise I’ll give you guys a ten second head start before I kill everyone here.”
>”Go be edgy somewhere else, Sombra.”

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E0e_Q4i7Gs

>Sound check good, you give Chrys a thumbs up.
>She says “This is a song I wrote about an ex.” Before giving a window cracking scream.
>You start the band off with an upward slide. Sombra bringing up right behind you with a thunderous drumbeat of charging horses.
>Lights wink above the audience, coalescing into a vivid image of a barren desert with two armored figures, one male and one female leading an army of knights towards a swarm of flying black figures.
>You give a small riff as Chrysalis pinwheels her hair around in front of the audience. The audience who jumps to their feet, rushing the barricades.
>Paydirt.
>Chrysalis begins her first verse. A taller figure walks out of the black swarm and holds up a green glowing hand, while the smaller male armored figure trots forward and reaches out to her, pleading some unheard argument.
>Meanwhile, Terror and you weren’t just pretty faces and rippling muscles on stage, it was also your job to sing chorus. The both or you crowd around one mic near the side of the stage.
>”SHE IS THE RULER OF THIS WORLD, YOU KNOW…YOU’RE SO PREDICTABLE NOW GIVE HER YOUR SOUL…”
>Sombra pounds on the drums and does a four-count on the symbols before exploding out again.
>Chrysalis sings the bridge and makes the image of the swarm rush the proud knights, the taller figure immediately grabbing the smaller male off his horse and flying into the air on buzzing wings.
>You continue to pound to the simple but heave rhythm.
>Chrysalis takes the mic off the stand and saunters across the stage, cooing her dirge to the audience.
>The illusions hover over the audience telling their story, the translucent swarm leader and her captive having some conversation before she suddenly drops him to the ground below.
>”COME JOIN THE ARMY OF UNDEAD AND OBSCENE…SHE’LL GIVE YOU NOTHING BECAUSE THAT’S ALL YOU’LL NEED…”

>Chrysalis continues to wail about a lover’s treachery and you break from the mic, leaving Terror there.
>Sombra continues to make the entire building shake at his feet while Eris accents Terror’s throaty “HEY”’s with her own.
>You prop your leg on an amp and begin your solo, a whining flanging tune while the illusionary swarm breaks from the imaginary boundaries of the vision and flutters around the ballroom.
>Chrysalis pumps up the crowd more, spotting a guy holding a camera recording the show. Normally some bouncer would have taken it, but Chrysalis…
>With a wave of her hand the camera floats up into her grasp where she aims it out towards the screaming fans.
>She laughs as she focuses the camera on each member of the band, getting poses and reactions from them.
>That guy was gonna be REALLY happy with this home movie.
>She comes over during the second half of your solo and aims the camera straight up your guitar’s neck. You make sure to give her some good footage.
>As your solo comes to an end, you let your guitar feedback through the amp and make a quick motion to Chrysalis.
“Trade?” you ask.
>chrysalis nods and holds the camera out to you, you slide your guitar off your shoulders and exchange them.
>Chrysalis slides the axe on and ambles around the stage, playing an improved tune.
>You follow her with the camera and try to get it all.
>As she plays the illusions all burn away in the light of a sun that’s descended from the chandelier.
>Chrysalis drops to her knees and makes use of your noise gate to break up the sound and send the song home.
>”Well…It think we’ve seen enough.” A judge front and center says.

>The five of you get back stage off from the roaring crowd.
>”Arty I could KISS you right now you were so good out there!”
>”Night Terror!”
>”Shut up!”
>You flick the last of your spare picks to some girl in the front and head back.
“We were –all- fucking amazing! We killed it out there!”
>”Up top!”
>You and Artemis, then, Sombra, all high five.
>”Where’s Two-plot and her Fantastic Five?” Eris asks.
>Chrysalis shrugs. “Where the losers hang out, fuck them, they were cunts.”
>The cheering outside changes enough that all of you pick up.
>You lift the curtain a bit.
>”ONE MORE! ONE MORE! ONE MORE!” they chant.
“Hahahaha…sweet, dude.”
>Sombra runs his hand through his hair. “Uhh..shit! Okay! What have we got for an encore?”
>Chrysalis adopts the most sly fucking cat grin you’ve ever seen.
>”I have JUST the thing.”
>She waves her green glowing hands and recedes a portion of the front stage…revealing a full orchestra.
>”Where did you dolts –think- I was?” she answered as you all looked at her in shock.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfjQ-b0BgDM

>Chrysalis gives the conductor the thumbs up.
>The orchestra plays their notes, notes you and the others instantly recognize as you gather your gear backstage for the encore.
>The crowd falls to a hush, wondering what you have planned as the stage goes dark.
>The five of you walk out onto the stage amidst the darkness, taking in the cheers as the actual, factual, 100% certified best band in Canterlot.
>They can ban it all they want but this passion was realer than anything they could say.
>You looked out over the concert hall and saw hundreds of screaming fans, all here for the music you played.
>It brought a tear to your masked eye.
>The music swells as you all take position and the crowd catches onto what’s going on.
>As the horns and strings reach their crescendo, you turn your tuning way down and fire off the lightning fast and heavy notes of your anthem.