That night, the first round of the contest kicked off. A makeshift stage had been constructed by the Abbey pond. Everybeast gathered outside.
"First up, we have MC Fo' Mo' vs. the Rainbooms," said Abbess Vale. She was the judge.
Foremole and two other moles got up on stage. He started rapping while the other two beatboxed.
"Oi loves a wuddland stew, Oi do, Oi do like apple tart.
An' gudd October ale that foams is dear unto moi 'eart.
Of raspb'rry cream Oi oft do sing, it makes moi poor eyes shine.
Tis ee fact that Oi loikes anything, when Oi sets daown to dine!"
Foremole dropped his microphone on the ground. It made an awful screeching sound.
"Please don't drop the mic," said Abbess Vale. "All right, Rainbooms, let's see what you've got."
"Wait! Oi'm not finished!" cried Foremole.
"Moi favorite color is orange.
Hurr, wot rhymes with orange?"
"Get off the stage!" Thrugg yelled at him.
He left in tears. Then Rainbow Dash, Mara, Joshy, Samkim, and Arula climbed onstage with their instruments. Everybeast started booing them.
"Why are they booing us?" Samkim whispered. "We haven't even started yet."
Arula hid her face behind her tambourine. "This is what Oi was afeared of!"
"I thought they were all our friends," Samkim said sadly.
"They are," said Rainbow Dash. "They're just under a spell. But by the end of the night, they'll be cheering for us! 1, 2, 3, 4!" She began to sing.
"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!"
Rainbow Dash shredded away on her guitar, while Mara played the Hellgates out of her keytar, Joshy pounded his drums, Samkim tooted on his flute, and Arula frampled her tambourine.
"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!"
Despite their nervousness, they were starting to enjoy themselves. Even the crowd stopped heckling and started clapping along. Joshy tapped one of his drums with his drumstick, which was actually his wand, and confetti burst out of it.
Arula sang, "So what if you'm didn't get it right ee first time?"
Mara sang, "Laugh it off, nobeast said it is a crime."
Joshy sang, "Do your thing, you know you're an original."
Samkim took the flute away from his lips just long enough to sing, "Your ideas are so funny that they're criminal."
They were all having a great time performing. But then the mean Sirens took control of the spotlight and shined it right on Arula! The shy mole attempted to step out of the path of the beam. She tried hiding behind her friends, but the spotlight kept following her. Arula bumped into Samkim and almost knocked him over, but the squirrel was able to regain his balance. Luckily, just then, the song came to an end.
"The Rainbooms win!" Vale declared. "The next challenge will be Dumble and the Dormice vs. the Dazzlings."
Baby Dumble took the stage, with his fellow band members, the otter Thrugg and his sister Thrugann. They called their band "Dumble and the Dormice" even though only Dumble was actually a dormouse. They had made the bold artistic choice to only use percussion instruments. Dumble played the musical saw, Thrugg had a gong, and Thruggan had a triangle. Dumble took the lead vocals.
"There's no roof mouse, nor chimbly mouse,
Nor winder mouse or floor mouse,
An' I ain't got a knocker on me nose,
But I'm a likkle dormouse.
There's a field mouse and a 'arvest mouse,
An 'edgemouse an' prob'ly a shoremouse,
But I'm the bestest of the lot,
Cause I'm a likkle dormouse.
Oh ha, ha, ha an' hee, hee, hee,
Yes, I'm a likkle dormouse.
So, I'll eat me dinner an' grow big,
An' then I'll be enor-mouse!"
After them the Dazzlings were up. "Follow my lead," Adagio said.
"Or my lead," Aria suggested.
"My lead!" Adagio growled.
They started to sing. Except for the Rainbooms, everybeast got all hypnotized again.
"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."
"The Dazzlings win!" the Abbess declared when they were finished. "Dumble and the dormice are eliminated."
"Dumble was robbed!" Dumble complained.
The mini-battles continued throughout the evening. Sixteen acts had entered the contest, but by the end of the night eight had been eliminated.
"Well, we're still in, but so are the Dazzlings," said Joshy as the friends walked back inside.
"Next time, could you not use so much confetti?" said Rainbow Dash. "It got stuck in the frets of my guitar."
"Oi have to admit, it was pretty distracting," said Arula.
"Oh, says the girl who spent the entire performance hidin' from a light," said Joshy.
"Hold it!" said Mara. "We've had a long day, and we're all very tired. Let's go get some sleep before somebeast says something they'll regret."
"Okay. Night, everybeast!" said Rainbow Dash. They all went to their rooms.