9:00 on a Saturday. Pearly Keys sat down at her normal seat for playing the piano. She wanted to get out of the sad bar she played in, but she couldn’t. Pearly Keys straightened her dress she always played in, and looked in the mirror she carried to check herself. She was a white unicorn with a touch of silver, her hair was curly, black, but fairly short. She had bangs hanging over her face. She brushed the bangs out of the way and gazed with her bright blue eyes. She didn’t want to play again but she had to.
The bar was called ‘Piano and Cider’, the time was 9:00. Pearly Keys got ready to play when the usuals trotted into the bar. They all took their seats around the tables. A pony whom Pearly only knew from him coming here sat down next to her, Ripe Fruit. He was color of a ripened banana, a dazzling yellow, and was quite old. His cutie mark was an assortment of fruits, as for his hair, it was short and grey. He placed his order, some hard pear cider with a twist of apple. Piano and Cider hadn’t served pear cider until Ripe Fruit started coming there, he turned to Pearly Keys.”Ma’am, I want to hear a melody, I forget the name... I think it’s something like ‘A Midnight Runaway’ or ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’, however, I pretty much forgotten. I may have forgotten the name, but I still do remember the melody.”
Ripe Fruit continued,”The melody, the melody, it’s sad, like a rainy day. However, there’s a touch of happiness to it as well, parts are missing from this feeble mind, but mark my words, I knew it completely when I was a colt of a younger age.”
Pearly by now knew that he was referring to ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ but the song left her down, sad, just like my life. She thought. She played ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ for Ripe Fruit, who enjoyed it much as ever.
Pearly finished and started sulking, when Rainbow Dash busted in, she flew to the bar like usual and sat a few seats away from Pearly. “I’ll take a cider or two,” she said.
Pearly smiled, appearances from Rainbow Dash were the only thing that made this job bearable. “What do you want?” Dash asked,”Because, the managers here can’t take the presence of a Wonderbolt, especially one as awesome as me.”
“Thanks for the offer,” Pearly said,”I’m not in the mood though.”
“Horsefeathers, I’ll just get you a cider than,” and made do on her order. The bartender gave the cider to her.
“Also, could I hear some music,” Dash added,”I’ve been dying to come here all week!”
Pearly smiled, like she said, the only thing that made this job bearable. She played a fast melody for Rainbow Dash, who loved it.
“Did you come up with that yourself?” Dash said. Pearly nodded. Dash said,”That was an awesome one.”
“I swear though, and I want you to listen Pearly, being a Wonderbolt is cool and all, but sometimes it gets a bit strict, not that being a Wonderbolt isn’t something I want to do, but sometimes I just want a change in pace, you know, something a bit faster?
I know this all too well, I want a whole different life, Pearly thought. However, she just couldn’t give up this job, and like Ripe Fruit, she forgets why every Saturday. Pearly quickly surveys Piano and Cider for other usuals, a few spot her eye. She sees Home Page, a grey and white unicorn, who writes books that made you want to buy the house they were about. Pearly had pegged her as a ‘Real-estate Novelist’ by now. Every Saturday, Home Page was talking to a different pony, tonight is was Shining Armor, I wonder if he’ll ever leave the Royal Guard, Pearly thought. She knew Shining liked his job, but he seemed like he’d be in Celestia’s military for life. Shining enjoys his job, unlike me, Pearly thought. Pearly took a couple more requests, one for Winter Wrap Up, which evidentially somepony knew the piano part to, and another for At The Gala, which again somepony knew the piano part to.
Pearly played silently on the piano and surveyed for any other normal sights, seeing the waitress reciting what seemed like a speech to two buinessponies. Bon Bon and Filthy Rich, Bon Bon owned a candy store near Sugarcube Corner, while Filthy Rich owned several businesses in Ponyville, such as Sweet Apple Acres, where Piano and Cider got all their cider from. They were sharing a drink because they had struck up a conversation about buisness.
Seeing that no more requests were coming in, Pearly took a seat next to Home Page and Shining Armor. They welcomed her warmly to their table, Pearly took a seat. Home Page was talking to Shining about a new book she was writing. Pearly Keys joined in, her spirits rising a bit as they shared a laugh over her new novel. Shining told a story about how the Royal Guard had screwed up royally again, Pearly always liked listening to Shining’s stories, the Royal Guard screwed up more than anypony could imagine. Everytime you seemed to hit the end of their seemingly endless screw-ups, there’d always be one more story.
Feeling much happier, Pearly Keys returned to her piano, she played a few more songs of her own creation on the piano. This time happier than the gloom she was playing earlier. Rainbow Dash had scooted closer to Pearly, she said,”Man, these songs sound awesome! Something a bit faster please?”
Pearly obliged, soon she got requests from more ponies. She was feeling much happier, seeing as she was making others happy and getting several tips. Her bit count had totaled 250 already! Several ponies engaged in friendly competition and conversation with her. Soon, her shift ended, 10:00, and she ended with the song she always played, a massively popular song with the ponies at Piano and Cider. Finally, her shift ended, Pearly Keys took the 1000 bits she’d made that night and thanked everypony for coming. As she left, everypony stopped her and told her,”Pearly, I have one question, why are you still here? You’re amazing!”
She stepped out into Luna’s wonderful night and finally remembered why she kept the job.
Pearly Keys kept the job at Piano and Cider because she liked making others happy, she enjoyed the conversations she had with other ponies. She realized that while a good-paying job may make you happier, friends are what really make you happy. She trotted home and sang the song she always played at the end of her shifts.
“Sing us a song, Miss Piano Mare, sing us a song tonight, Everypony’s in the mood for a melody, and you’ve got us feeling alright.”