//------------------------------// // Track 5: A Perfect Day // Story: The Ponyville Rag // by Fernie Canto //------------------------------// On Tuesday evening, the band gathered again to play, and Dainty already looked and sounded like that pony from a couple of weeks ago, who enjoyed every second of the music and sang with his heart, not with his ears picking on every minute defect, whether real or imagined. As they made passes through the songs, the other band members themselves started to notice details and rooms for improvement, and they talked about how the songs should sound like. Dainty realised he didn’t have to be in control of everything, as the band also had an intuition of how things should work. After making a second pass on When the Sun Shines Through, Dainty leaned on the mic stand and observed the band wrapping up the song. “Guys, is it just me, or are we just sounding really great?” he said. “Well, I don’t know about my drumming, but I like what I hear,” Honey Drop said. “I think we’re doing really great,” Steel Strings said. “I’m enjoying this.” “You know, I’ve actually talked to a drumming teacher,” Honey said. “She said she can give me a few pointers and hints to improve my playing, and we’re gonna start tomorrow.” “That’s cool, Honey!” Dainty replied. “I think that’s really gonna help you.” He made a pause. “So, let’s try It’s Too Early?” River Mouth felt a bit of a shiver. “Sure.” They got prepared and launched into the song. Dainty sang the whole thing with his eyes on the band, gesturing and moving around. Hard Fiber had never heard him sing that song so intensely, and the whole song just seemed to pulsate. He finally understood what the deal with that song was, and he had the impression that his bandmates felt the same. “Woo, this was great!” Honey Drop said once the song was over. “Yeah, I liked it,” Steel Strings replied. “You’ve improvised a lot less now, River Mouth,” Dainty said. “Was it because of all my criticism?” “Well, in part,” she replied. “I just, I dunno, this time, I was actually listening to everypony play, and the song just made sense to me. So, I was just playing the song, you know? I still did some flourishes when I thought the song needed it, but it came naturally.” “Your playing was really cool, River,” Hard Fiber said. “Yeah, you know, I thought about this the past few days,” she went on. “In one of the bands I played in, I played these really interesting bass lines, and it was a lot of fun. I love playing that stuff. But, at the same time, when I play with you, it’s more like… I’m sort of carrying the whole harmony. It’s like I feel the chords on my shoulders, and I’m supporting the whole thing. It’s like having a lot of power, you know?” She smiled. “It’s almost like driving a tractor. And I think that’s what most of the songs need.” “So there, River Mouth is our tractor driver!” Honey Drop replied. “You’re more like a steamroller, River,” Hard Fiber said. “You have a really cool sound.” “Thanks, guys,” she said. A while later, Dainty suggested they start studying a new song, The World’s Been Acting So Complicated, and they took the rest of the rehearsal to start figuring it out. They couldn’t finish it, but they’d just pick up from where they left on the next rehearsal. Hard Fiber, River Mouth and Honey Drop looked legitimately happy when they left. Steel Strings sat on the bed, contemplating. “Wow,” Dainty said, turning to him. “It’s amazing what happens when you act like a nice pony, isn’t it?” Steel smiled. “Yeah, imagine that. So, how do you feel?” “I feel good,” Dainty replied. “Great, actually. I think the guys actually feel the music a lot more now, and things are just flowing really well.” “I enjoy hearing and watching you sing, Dainty,” Steel said. “You… look so lively again.” “I’m glad to hear that. I… feel that, you know, but I never know if it’s just an impression.” “Well, I can see it,” Steel said. ”You’re… you… you’re back in the business.” Dainty looked at him with a smile. “The Ponyville Rag is back in business, buddy.” They did a hoof bump. They joined again on Friday, and the flow of the rehearsal remained smooth. They were still learning new songs, and they seemed to get in shape faster than ever. “Dude, we should play these songs in public,” Honey Drop said. “We already have a bunch of songs we can play. We should go out there and do our thing.” “But we don’t really have a concert yet,” Dainty said. “I don’t think we’ve got enough for a half an hour show. I don’t know where we could play.” “Maybe in the town square?” Hard Fiber said. “You think so? I’m afraid we’re too noisy for that place.” “Well, we could tone it down a little bit, if that’s the case,” Steel Strings said. “We could focus on the more upbeat songs, and maybe it could be fine.” “But where are we gonna plug the amps and stuff?” Honey said. “I don’t think they have energy available.” “We could rent a generator,” River Mouth said. Dainty pondered. “It seems feasible… and honestly, I’d love to play in public. Still… it’s a bit of a risk.” “But aren’t we doing this to go out there and play eventually?” Honey Drop said. “Let’s just do it!” “I love your enthusiasm, Honey,” Dainty said with a smile. “I just… well, what do you guys think? Should we try?” “I think we should,” River Mouth said. “We’re well rehearsed, and the experience will be good for us.” “I’m up for it,” Steel Strings said. “I think I can look for a generator, and one of you could go to the town hall and put our name in there.” “I suppose I could do that,” River replied. “I’ll go check it out, and I’ll tell you about it. What do you think?” “That would be brilliant,” Dainty said. “Thank you, guys.” “Oh, by the way, Dainty,” Honey said. “My drum teacher said she’d like to visit the rehearsal one day, to see how I sound when I play with you. Would that be a problem?” “None at all, Honey,” he replied. “In fact, it’s great that she’s willing to do that. It will help you a lot.” “Alright, Dainty, thanks.” Dainty was a little bit frustrated, as they only managed to rehearse again next Tuesday. The schedules of the band members prevented them from playing more often, but Dainty tried not to get too worried. After all, it wasn’t for the fear of lagging behind, but because playing with the band was so enjoyable to him. So, Tuesday came, and Dainty eagerly awaited his band members. Honey Drop was the first to show up. “So, my drum teacher will show up sometime soon,” he said, as Dainty and he started bringing the instruments inside. “I really hope it doesn’t get in the way of rehearsal.” “I don’t see any problem,” Dainty replied. “If we focus a little more on your drumming this time around, it might be a good thing for everypony, so don’t worry about it.” Steel Strings and River Mouth arrived soon after, and they had good news. “They had an open slot for this Saturday,” she said, “so I put my name in there.” Dainty felt a shock. “This Saturday?” “Yeah,” River replied. “It’s no big deal, is it?” He scratched his mane, his eyes a little wide. “I thought we’d have a little more time… but, well, I guess we can do it.” “I think we’re fine, Dainty,” Steel said. “I can secure the generator. I guess we could split the costs evenly among us, what do you think?” Honey Drop looked a little concerned. “Yeah, sure.” “You can count on me, Steel,” Dainty said. “I admit this makes me a little nervous, but, well, what we can do now is rehearse like crazy.” “Yeah, let’s do this,” River Mouth said, plugging her bass guitar into the amp. “I was thinking that we could start studying a new song today,” Dainty went on, “but let’s focus on the ones we know, to prepare for the show.” “Yeah, I agree,” Steel said. “Helloooo, Ponyville Rag!!” Dainty Tunes’s eyes popped wide. “Oh, look, my drum teacher has arrived!” Honey Drop said, as he finished fastening a cymbal to its stand. Dainty turned to the door, his brow furrowed, and looked back at Honey. “Pinkie Pie is your drum teacher?” “Yeah, what about it?” he said. “May I come in?” she said, with only her head poking through the door. “Even though my head is already in, which means I’m partway in, but can I come totally in? I like being partially in, but I also like being totally in. So, may I come totally in?” “Um, of course, Pinkie,” Dainty said, awkwardly. “Well, Honey, that was just… unexpected, that’s all.” He gave a clumsy smile. “But I guess the classes are fun!” “Mmm-hmm!” she said, dropping a little basket on the kitchen table. “I’ve also brought cookies!” “Ooo, I like that,” River Mouth said. “But, Pinkie, I didn’t know you were a drum teacher,” Dainty said. “Since when have you been giving classes?” “Ooooh, for a long time!” she said, looking up, as if mentally counting. “One week, to be exact!” Dainty hesitated. “So Honey is your first student?” “Yup! And a super duper fine student he is!” she said, patting him on the head. “He’s diligent and dedicated, and pays attention to everything, and he does all the exercises. He’s my best student ever!” “Well, that’s, like, great,” Dainty said, stifling an urge to laugh. “Oh, how silly of me, I haven’t even introduced the other band members to you. This is—” “Introduce?” she interrupted, a puzzled look on her face. “Why would I need to be introduced to River Mouth and Steel Strings? I’ve known them for a long time! She’s a super awesome scientist and knows about everything that goes underwater, and he’s only the best luthier in town, who has worked on a bunch of instruments for me.” “You always flatter me, Pinkie,” Steel Strings said. “Mmm-hmm!” River said, just swallowing a bite of a cookie. “She’s too kind.” “And we have another band member, Hard Fiber, our lead guitarist,” Dainty said. “I… suppose you know him too, right?” “Of course!” Pinkie replied with a smile. “I’m a fan of his work! You’d be surprised to know how important the usage of quality ropes and fabrics is in the execution of excellent parties!” “Yes, I’m sure I would be,” Dainty replied with a smile. “Anyway, Fiber should arrive any time, so you’re free to get occupied with Honey Drop in the meantime.” “Sure thing!” she replied, turning her attention to Honey. “So, have you been practicing your paradiddle?” “Yeah, I have,” he said. “So, let me hear it, then. Whenever you’re ready.” “Okay.” He readied his drumsticks and started playing the rhythm on his snare drum, but, after just a few repetitions, it started to fall apart. “Woah, woah! You’re playing too fast!” she said, interrupting him. “Don’t play fast if you can’t keep it up. Play it slooow. It’s more important to keep it up for as long as you want than to play fast. That is, it’s important to play fast, but you start slow, then you get faster and faster and faster and faster and then a little faster, and that’s how you get good at it!” “Yeah,” he said, scratching his chin, “but, Pinkie, why do I have to keep doing this? I don’t even play like that in real songs.” “It’s an exercise to improve your coordination and your rhythm,” she promptly replied. “It will make your playing better, even if you never have to play a paradiddle in any song… but I don’t know why anypony would not want to play a paradiddle in a song! We need more songs with paradiddles.” “I dunno… I know it’s an exercise, but it’s really boring to keep doing the same thing over and over,” he replied. “I know, I know,” she said, with a dramatic tone, holding up a hoof against him and facing the other way, like in a theatrical pose. “Exercises can be boring, but you can make them become not boring, or unboring. You can unborify these exercises! And how, you may ask? Well, when I do those exercises, I always make up silly songs as I go along, and it becomes unboring! Wanna see?” she said, grabbing another pair of drumsticks from the bag next to the snare drum. “Here, let me show you!” He reeled back a little to open up space for her, and she started playing a brisk, but not overly fast paradiddle, and started to sing: “Hey, Honey Drop! / You’re such a honey bop! / We’re working on your chop / So don’t let the beat drop!” She repeated the rhyme once more, and then stopped. “See? It’s so much more fun!” Dainty forgot to plug his microphone into the amp, as he just couldn’t stop watching the two. “So, should I just try that? Well…” He pulled his stool close to the snare, and started to play a very slow version of the same rhythm, and thought for a moment. “Hey, Pinkie Pie… / You bake a good pie… / I wear a suit and tie / And you… uh…” He stopped playing and shrugged. “I can’t do this, Pinkie! I can’t make silly songs on the spot like you can. I mean, even Dainty can, but I can’t.” “Oh, it doesn’t have to be perfect, you know?” she said. “It doesn’t even have to rhyme! It just has to be fun.” “Well… I’ll try to think of something, I guess…” “Yes, just try!” she replied. “But for now, just let me see you play that paradiddle, and then we’ll move to something else.” He shrugged, and started to play again, at a slower tempo. In the meantime, Hard Fiber arrived, and was surprised to see Pinkie Pie there—but, sure enough, he and Pinkie Pie knew each other, so no introductions were necessary. After a while, they had their instruments put together, and Dainty Tunes suggested they just played all the songs they knew, pretending it was a real show. “So, what song do we start with?” Hard Fiber said. “That’s a good question, isn’t it?” Honey replied. “Like, we would need a setlist, or something.” “Why don’t we just start with Lost Time?” River Mouth said. “It’s the first one we learnt.” “I don’t think that’s a good song to start a show,” Steel Strings said. “Why not? It’s a great song!” Honey shot back. “Yes, of course it’s great, but it doesn’t scream ‘show opener’ to me. We should have something more upbeat, like Theorem.” “Theorem? Nah, dude,” Hard Fiber said. “That’s more to rouse up the energy at the end of the show. Why not When the Sun Shines Through?” “That’s too slow, Fiber!” River Mouth said. “We need something more upbeat.” “Guys? Guys?” Dainty said, trying to interrupt, but the discussion raged on. Pinkie Pie’s eyes darted from pony to pony, and she seemed to be already a bit dizzy. Dainty tried to interrupt a few times, and then brought his mouth right up to the mic. “Guys? Listen up!” The rest of the band stopped suddenly and looked at him, a little startled. “Um, sorry,” he said, stepping away from the mic. “I just meant to say, shouldn’t we discuss this later? We should take our time here to actually rehearse the songs. Pinkie Pie is here to help Honey with his drumming, so let’s not waste our time with unrelated things… uh, I don’t mean to be rude. That’s just what I feel.” “You have a point, Dainty,” River Mouth said. “Let’s just play the songs in the order we remember them, and discuss the setlist later.” “Yeah, we can do that on Saturday, even,” Hard Fiber said. “That’s a bit too late, isn’t it?” Honey Drop said. “We should do that earlier.” “But how long would it take to do that?” Fiber replied. “It should be quick!” “Yeah, but—” “Guys, come on!” Dainty interrupted, stretching out a forehoof. Honey looked at him and reeled back. “Sorry.” Dainty gave him a clumsy smile. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Let’s just play. Lost Time, alright?” “Right, let’s go,” Steel Strings said. They launched into the song, and Pinkie closely watched Honey Drop play, tapping a hoof to keep the rhythm. They reached the end of the song, and Pinkie started to give some tips to Honey Drop, like that he was moving his hooves too much, thus wasting energy, or showing him how to hit the cymbals better. She also taught him to tune his drumheads, to get a better sound. The band decided to try Is It next, and launched into the song. Pinkie kept intently listening to Honey, following all the changes in the song until the final chord. “So? What do you think?” Honey said. “You’re playing some pretty tricky rhythms, Honey,” she said. “That’s impressive! You just need to work on keeping the tempo. You go a wee bit off from time to time, so I shall give you more exercises to work on that. You should practice with a metronome. Do you have one?” “Uhh, no, I don’t,” he said. “I can lend you mine, Honey,” Dainty said. “Just take it when you go home tonight.” “Gee, thanks, Dainty!” “So, what do you think of our sound, Pinkie?” Hard Fiber said. “Well, I’d say you have a crunchy crust of cool with a creamy middle of awesome, sprinkled with coloured bits of nice, and with a cherry of ooh, that’s pretty on top! In other words, you sound delicious. Are those your songs? Did you write them?” “No, no, they’re songs by a band called The Town Troop,” Dainty Tunes said. “I could only wish I wrote as well as they did.” “The Town Troop? That name’s vaguely familiar,” Pinkie said. “Well… whoever wrote those songs… wasn’t a very happy pony, were they? I feel like giving them a hug.” “Well, yes, I suppose Deep Voice wasn’t a particularly happy pony,” Dainty said, timidly, “but does that bother you? You don’t like the songs being… er, not happy?” “Bother? Of course not!” she said, with dignity. “Any emotion is worthy of being expressed in musical form, even the negative ones! Emotions are a part of life, and art is a direct reflection of life as we know it; and even though songs can be used to cheer up other ponies, a sad song can bring comfort to ponies who need to feel they’re not alone in being sad.” Steel Strings nodded with admiration. “That makes a lot of sense.” “Well, I’m glad, Pinkie, but we really need to rehearse these songs,” Dainty said, glancing at the other members. “We really have to get this done.” “Oh! I didn’t know you were in a hurry,” she replied, a little embarrassed. “Yeah, we’re going to play on the town square this Saturday, so we’re—” “Wait… You’re doing a gig this Saturday?” she said, her eyes wide with looming excitement, and jumped into the middle of the room. “That’s great! This is your big opportunity to put out a great show—wait, no, a big spectacle! Yes, because even though music is the most important part,” she said, with a didactic tone, “it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t worry about the visual elements! We need fireworks! Light shows! Dance numbers! Yes, we should choreograph some dance steps, Dainty Tunes! It’s gonna be great!” He gave an uneasy chuckle. “But, Pinkie—” “And you, Honey Drop,” she said, darting in front of the drum kit, “remember when I taught you to play with smaller, more economical movements? Well, use that extra room for movement to put on a big showcase! You have to look huge behind those drums!” “Pinkie, look,” Dainty insisted, to no avail. “And the guitarists?” she said, her face revealing an explosion of ideas. “Guitars are such visually powerful instruments! You have to occupy the whole stage and make everypony notice you!” She made her speech while flashing some air guitar skills and kneeling on the floor. Dainty wiped his face. “Pinkie—” “You, Steel Strings, cannot, by any means, play sitting down! You should totally get a strap for your guitar and get up on your hooves!” “Pinkie!!” The loud voice coming from the amp rattled across the house, and she immediately froze in her pose, and then politely turned to Dainty. “Yes?” “Pinkie, we’re just doing a half hour gig in the town square,“ Dainty said with a frustrated frown, “there’s no need for spectacle! We’re a rock band, not a stupid circus act! And we don’t have time to do any of that nonsense. We need to rehearse the songs, you know? There’s no time to rehearse dance steps. Besides, you’re here as Honey Drop’s drum teacher, and that’s the only reason why you’re here, so stop being inconvenient and wasting our time, go back to your place and let us continue rehearsing the songs now.” Her ears flopped a little and her shoulders fell. “Okay, I’ll stop. You can go ahead.” She dragged herself next to the drum kit. “I’m ready when you are, Honey Drop.” The way she looked felt like a stab in Dainty’s heart, and his bandmates looked at him with shock and embarrassment—except for Honey Drop, who seemed just angry at him. Dainty’s mind went in a rush, as he realised he was being a jerk again. He thought about that specific evening, he thought of his conversation with Meteorite, and a mantra started to sound in his head: don’t be an asshole, don’t be an asshole. “Hey, listen, Pinkie, I’m… I’m sorry, that was uncalled for,” he said. “I was way out of line. I mean, I really appreciate that you’re trying to help us and make us look great… but unfortunately we don’t have the time for that, and we have to prioritise the music. And I love your enthusiasm, so I shouldn’t have lashed out at you. Your ideas aren’t stupid and they aren’t nonsense, and you’re not inconvenient. I was… way out of line. Please accept my apology.” Her face turned into a soft grin. “Apology accepted!” The other band members took a relieved breath, but Honey Drop kept frowning, and avoided looking directly at Dainty. “Now, please, go on with the rehearsal,” she said. “I’ll no longer interrupt. Like, at all. You have my word. Totally.” “Thank you, Pinkie,” Dainty replied, with an involuntary smile. “So, Almost by Mistake, everypony?” “Yeah, let’s do it,” Fiber said. Dainty was impressed by the amount of tips and pointers she kept giving to Honey Drop in between songs. He had no idea playing the drums was so complex and technical, but there was always a clear justification for everything. He felt like, after that, he wouldn’t ever be able to grab a pair of drumsticks and play any decent sound at all, which renewed his respect for the drums. “So, are you free for another rehearsal this week?” Dainty said. “I think that’s important.” “I’ve got all evenings free,” River Mouth said. “I’ll only be able to be here on Friday,” Hard Fiber said. “Like, I know we should rehearse more, but I’m… really busy with family stuff. Sorry.” “You guys fine with Friday?” Dainty said at the other two. They both nodded. “I think it’s fine, then. We did the songs just fine. We just need to be warmed up and ready.” “I think you were all great,” Pinkie said, with genuine brightness. “You’ll put on an awesome show, and I’ll be there to see it! Especially you, Honey Drop!” “Gee, thanks a lot, Pinkie,” he replied. “I’m glad you came to see me play. You’re so helpful.” “It was nice having you, Pinkie Pie,” Dainty said, “and, any time you want to do this again, just let us know and you’ll be welcome.” She talked to Honey Drop to arrange their next lesson and helped him disassemble his drum kit. The others started to pack their instruments as well. Dainty offered them some tea, but the others couldn’t stay much longer. “Now, if you excuse me,” Pinkie said, “I have some tasks to do at Sugarcube Corner, so I’ll see you this Saturday, okay?” They gave their farewell to Pinkie Pie and she went her merry way. Honey Drop came back inside to get the few other pieces of drum equipment, while River Mouth and Hard Fiber were already outside. Suddenly, Honey Drop stood before Dainty, almost pinning him against a wall. “If you’re ever mean to Pinkie again, you’re screwed, buddy,” he said between gritted teeth. “Screwed.” Dainty’s eyes were wide and frozen, and his heart almost stopped. He couldn’t even be angry that he was being threatened inside his own home, because the threat was justified. If anything, he knew he would be screwed anyway. He looked outside, and noticed Fiber and River hadn’t noticed it. Steel Strings looked at him with a furrowed brow. “Um, see you soon, Honey,” he said. “I’m excited for Saturday.” Honey just left carrying the last remaining drum stands, and the trio departed. Dainty sighed and looked at the floor. “Fucking stupid!” he hissed at himself, forgetting Steel Strings was there. “Are you okay, Dainty?” he said. He looked up at Steel, a little startled. “Of course not! Why do I keep acting like that?” “Maybe you’re just stressed out,” Steel replied, while Dainty closed the front door, “what with the gig and all.” “But that’s no excuse for me to be mean with other ponies,” Dainty replied, dispirited. “I’m starting to feel a little scared of myself, you know? What if I just start randomly lashing out at anypony just because I’m ‘stressed out’? That’s nopony’s fault, and I’ll be hurting them and myself. This is horrible, Steel.” “Dainty, if you ask me, I believe you’re a good pony at heart,” Steel said, making a gesture for him to sit by his side. “You just have to think twice before you act, and have more control over your emotions.” “As if that was easy,” Dainty said, sitting on the bed, his head hanging low. “I’m not saying it’s easy,” Steel replied, shrugging. “But I think you can do it. If you were a truly nasty pony, you wouldn’t even worry about that. Just be careful not to fall into self-pity: own up your mistakes and try to improve a little every day.” “Self-pity… yeah, that sucks, doesn’t it?” Dainty said. “Yeah, don’t wanna do that. It’s amazing, it sounds like you always have the right thing to say, Steel. I’m so lucky to have you.” “I say the same to you, Dainty.” He looked at Steel with a wry smile. “Even when I act like a jerk?” Steel shrugged. “I have to take what I’ve got, right?” They laughed. Dainty Tunes arrived early at the square, the stage was just finished being assembled, and the shopping stands were being loaded and prepared. His heart raced. The rehearsal last night had been smooth, the songs sounded fine, and the band was prepared and eager to do that show. Still, it was an entirely new experience to him. So many ears and eyes would be paying attention to the band, scrutinising their hard work, that it was inevitably frightening. But this was the whole reason why he had started the band to begin with, so this was a fear he had to face. There was no way out. Honey Drop arrived soon after, bringing his equipment in his cart. He greeted Dainty and they started to work. The remaining band members also didn’t take long, and soon after Hard Fiber arrived, the generator was brought in. While the band prepared the stage, the town square was getting filled with ponies. Some curious eyes already watched them work, and Dainty noticed some foals were fascinated with the guitars and the drum kit. Dainty tried to ignore the crowd, as he felt that, the more he noticed them, the more nervous he’d become. As the amps were turned on and the drum kit was assembled, the band started to test their sound and adjust their levels. “Don’t forget, guys, we’re not gonna play that loud,” River Mouth said. “We’re not meant to disturb the other ponies.” “Yeah, keep the loudness moderate,” Dainty said, “and Honey Drop, take it easy on the drums.” “Sure thing, Dainty,” he replied. A few more heads turned towards them as they checked their instruments. Dainty noticed that Steel Strings was wearing a guitar strap, so maybe Pinkie Pie’s suggestion wasn’t in vain. Just as he thought of her, Dainty turned his head and spotted her, a little far away. She grinned and nodded. “Good luck to you,” she yelled. “You’re gonna be awesome, Honey Drop!” “Thank you, Pinkie Pie!” he shouted back. “What an amazing mare.” “She’s formidable,” Steel Strings said. “I think I’m ready. You guys wanna start right away?” “We still have a few minutes before our allotted time,” River Mouth said, checking the clock tower. “Let’s just wait.” “Argh, I’m so nervous,” Dainty said, stretching his limbs. “I wanna start this thing right away.” “You sure? Maybe we can just start now,” Hard Fiber said. “Why don’t we do a quick sound check?” Steel Strings said. “Let’s just play something and see how it turns out.” “Okay, what about Theorem?” Dainty said. “Yeah, sure,” River Mouth said. “Hey, Pinkie Pie,” Steel Strings called out, waving a hoof. “Can you help us check the sound?” “Sure!” she replied, rushing closer to the stage. The band started to play, and Pinkie started to assist the process: “More vocals! Cut the bass on the guitars! Honey Drop, play a little softer! More guitar, I think… I think that’s fine!” A few heads were turning among the crowd to look at the band, and they cut the song halfway when they thought they were done. “Thanks for the assistance, Pinkie,” Dainty said. “Hope you enjoy the show.” “I sure will! Good luck!” she replied, and immediately darted off. “Well, then, let’s get started?” Steel said. Dainty felt his heart pump harder and nodded. “Let’s do this.” He cleared his throat and stepped towards the mic, finally facing the crowd directly for the first time. “Hello, everypony,” he said. “We’re The Ponyville Rag, and we’re gonna play some songs for you.” He gestured to Steel Strings, who started playing the first chords of Almost by Mistake, and the band soon joined. He couldn’t hear the band as well as he wished he could, but he could follow the beat and knew exactly where he was. He trembled as he approached the mic to start singing, but he went along fine. Hard Fiber focused mostly on his own playing, watching his hooves, and occasionally looking at the other musicians. Steel Strings watched Dainty, but also glanced at the crowd, and noticed how ponies would often look at them. Two or three ponies gathered near the stage and bobbed their heads gently. River Mouth grooved along to the song, keeping her bass line steady, but still throwing a few flourishes here and there. Meanwhile, Honey Drop was having the time of his life, and would often glance at Pinkie, who always gave him an encouraging smile. After the first chorus, Dainty grabbed the mic from the stand and started to move around the stage, improvising poses and gestures to go with the lyrics, making eye contact with the ponies who hung near the stage, as well as those who glanced while they walked near. He noticed foals would be transfixed by the music, and one almost got lost from their parents and had to rush after them. Still, something bothered him sometimes. In the distance, he kept hearing some shouts, but he couldn’t distinguish what they were saying. He just tried to focus on the music, and, once the lyrics were over, he wandered around the stage, joining his bandmates and grooving along with them. Once the song was over, they heard a few hoof claps. Pinkie whistled and cheered from afar, and Dainty noticed Fluttershy was there with her, watching and clapping too. Honey Drop held his drumsticks in the air. Dainty rushed to the mic. “Thank you, thank you, everypony!” he said. “Get out of there!” he heard somepony scream. Dainty located two ponies standing near a stand, who were clearly laughing at them. Steel Strings also noticed the hecklers, but just shook his head. In another stand, another pony also noticed the pair. Meteorite Shower couldn’t help but scoff. “Fucking losers,” she grumbled to herself. “Ya said somethin’, Meteorite?” Applejack said, glancing at her. The pegasus gulped, hoping she hadn’t caught what she had said. “Oh, it’s… it’s just those hecklers. They’re annoying me.” “Heh, there’s always somepony tryin’ ta spoil the party,” AJ replied. “Are ya enjoyin’ the music?” “Yeah,” Meteorite replied, trying to be discreet. “The singer, he’s… he’s a friend of mine.” “Oh, Ah see! Yeah, must be a real bummer seein’ some mean ponies makin’ fun of yer friend.” “It is.” Dainty tried to ignore the pair’s shouts, and just kept talking. “This song we’ve played is called Almost by Mistake, and it was written by a band called The Town Troop. We made this band just to play their songs, and we hope you’ll enjoy them.” “Not even my grandma likes that band!” “This next one is called Is It,” he said, and stepped away from the mic. “Let’s do it.” Honey Drop did the count in, and they launched into the song. Dainty tried to enjoy himself and listen to the sound of the band, regardless of any heckles. After all, most ponies seemed to be fine with the music. He didn’t expect them to be loved by everypony, and he imagined most of the crowd would be indifferent. Still, he kept seeing heads bobbing. At one point, in shock, he noticed there were some bits at the edge of the stage. He wasn’t expecting that, and he always said to the band that they weren’t doing this for money. Still, he just went on singing. The song ended, and he heard slightly stronger clapping this time. Steel Strings dragged the case of his guitar to the edge of the stage, and put the bits inside it. Dainty felt like telling ponies not to give any money, but he also thought that could sound really rude. “Thank you!” he said on the mic. “These songs all talk about feelings we get sometimes, and this next song is about how some ponies sometimes get together, and how tricky that can be. It’s about something we all look for, and sometimes fail to get. It’s called It’s Too Early.” “Stop making that noise!” Dainty sighed, and the song started. He tried to focus on his tiny audience, and, when he started to sing, he noticed a light pink pegasus with a golden mane was singing along to the song, clearly knowing the lyrics. Dainty was surprised to find another fan of the band, and was invigorated by that. River Mouth grooved with the bass line, and noticed how Hard Fiber was focused on his playing, but he looked joyful and relaxed. Steel Strings was playing the guitar, as there had been no way to bring a piano to the stage, and he moved around, with a hint of a smile. The musicians kept exchanging glances and smiles, encouraging each other. At one point, Steel saw one of the hecklers throwing something at the stage. It was a crumpled piece of paper, which bounced off of Dainty’s mane and fell on the floor. He made an effort not to frown in disgust, but what Dainty did next left him dazzled: he grabbed the ball of paper and started to play with it, throwing it in the air and bouncing it off his hoof while he sang. In the instrumental break, Dainty kept playing with the ball, and didn’t even bother looking at the hecklers, figuring it was better not to acknowledge them. The band was legitimately firing on all cylinders, and, towards the end, the song gained all the intensity that Dainty kept asking in rehearsals. When it ended, he heard some effusive applause from some ponies near the stage, while some others in the crowd clapped too. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie clapped and cheered from their spot. Meteorite was getting frustrated by the heckling, as the two ponies kept shouting jokes. “Woohoo! You’re awesome, Dainty Tunes!” she shouted. “You all rock!” Applejack watched her with the corner of her eyes, slightly amused, but hoping she wouldn’t get too distracted from her work. “Hey! Keep your mouth shut, will you?” one of the hecklers said to Meteorite. “Go back to work,” the other one said, with a smirk. Meteorite gazed at them with shocked eyes. “Hey!” Applejack retorted. “Leave mah employee alone, ya two! She’ll cheer if she wants to, so deal with it!” “And what are you gonna do about it, huh?” the first heckler said. Applejack puffed up her chest and scowled at them. “Ya sure ya wanna see?” The second heckler nudged the first one, as he spotted Big Mac appearing from behind some crates, to check what was going on. As embarrassed as she was, Meteorite tried to keep her brave face on. “Come on, let’s get the hay outta here,” the first heckler said, and the two went off their way. “Ya okay, Meteorite?” AJ said as the two left their line of sight. “Yeah, I am,” she said, as she kept hearing Dainty saying something. “I’m sorry I put you through this.” “It ain’t yer fault, sugarcube. Just don’t get too distracted from yer work, alright?” “Yes, sure, sure!” Meteorite replied, startled. Dainty would make those small speeches in between songs, which ended up giving some time for his bandmates to prepare, tune their instruments, and so on. The rest of the show went on without incidents, and they played song after song, until they reached the last one. “This was the song that introduced me to this band, and made me fall in love with them,” Dainty said. “And for that, I want to thank my rhythm guitarist, Steel Strings, who introduced the song to me, and got this whole thing started. This is called Lost Time, and it’s our last song for today. I hope you have enjoyed the show, you’ve been a marvellous audience, and we thank you deeply. Hit it, Fiber!” Hard Fiber played the opening arpeggio, and they launched into the song. All the band members were fully into it, and Dainty sang with heightened emotion by performing a song that meant so much to him. It was a powerful moment for him, and, when they were done, the applause surprised him. The pink pony cheered enthusiastically, just as Pinkie and Fluttershy did on the other side. “Steel Strings on rhythm guitar! Hard Fiber on lead guitar! River Mouth on bass guitar! Honey Drop on the drums! And I’m Dainty Tunes on lead vocals. We’re The Ponyville Rag, and this has been an honour to us! Thank you all! Take care! Enjoy the day.” There was some more clapping, and the ponies in the crowd quickly went back to their regular activities. The ponies near the stage dispersed, except for the pink one. “You guys were great!” she yelled. “The Town Troop rocks! Thank you!” “Thank you, my dear!” Dainty replied with a smile. “Yeah!” Honey Drop said from the back. “You were awesome!” She stepped away with a grin and turned away, at last. The band was already disassembling their equipment when Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy approached the stage. “Guys,” Pinkie said, her eyes intensely wide. “That was amazing! You were, like, so full of energy, and the music sounded great, and your stage presence? Wow! I said you should make this a spectacle, and guess what? You were spectacular!” Dainty gave a timid smile. “Aw, shucks, Pinkie! If you liked it, I’m happy already.” “Oh, it was a nice show,” Fluttershy said. “You sounded lovely... maybe a bit too loud, but lovely.” “You girls are very kind,” River Mouth said. “Thanks!” Pinkie approached Honey Drop to talk to him, presumably about his drumming, and Fluttershy approached River Mouth. Dainty looked at the guitar case at the end of the stage. It wasn’t that full of bits, but they weren’t supposed to be there. “We can’t take that money,” he said, approaching Steel Strings. ”We’re not doing this for profit, you know.” “You’re really concerned about this, aren’t you?” Steel replied. “I promised Shimmering Chord that I wouldn’t make money from their songs, and I’m not breaking that promise.” “Yeah, fair enough,” Steel said. “But what do we do with the money?” “We could donate it, maybe,” Hard Fiber said. “There’s a donation box near the start of the market. I think it’s for the orphanage.” “That’s a great idea, Fiber,” Dainty said. “Great idea. I’ll go deposit the money, then.” Dainty put on his saddlebag and stored the bits in a separate slot, and went off to find the donation box. After he put away the money, he heard a familiar voice on his way to the stage. “Hey, Danty Tunes! Great show! Congrats, buddy!” He turned to Meteorite and gave her a shy wave. “Aw, thanks, Meteorite!” Applejack and Big Mac both looked at him and gave him an approving nod. Dainty was elated, but also a little embarrassed by the attention, so he just thanked again and rushed to the stage. “It ain’t quite mah style of music,” Applejack said, “but it wasn’t too bad, ah say.” “Eeeyup!” Big Mac replied, turning back to his work. The band finished putting their equipment on the carts. The plan was to take them to Dainty’s house, and then go back to town to eat something and celebrate. They started to chat about assorted things about the show on their way back, while Dainty seemed to be absorbed by thoughts. “So? What did you think, Dainty?” Steel said. “We have to improve,” he replied. River Mouth felt a bit of a shudder at his tone. Honey Drop frowned. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I loved the experience,” Dainty went on, “but we still have a lot of things to work on. We made some mistakes we never made in rehearsals, and I think the tempo was a bit sloppy. But we can work on it.” “I’m willing to cut ourselves some slack,” River Mouth said. “It was our first gig, we were all pretty nervous. Most of us never played live.” “Yeah,” Hard Fiber said. “Considering this was our first time, we were pretty awesome.” “Yes, I agree with you, guys,” Dainty said. “I loved doing this with you. But, if we’re going to take this forward and keep playing, there’s still room for improvement, so let’s not get too confident. That’s all I’m saying.” He suddenly stopped walking, and the others turned to him. “I mean, honestly, this was one of the best days of my life,” Dainty said, daring to give an honest smile. “Remember when I asked you to put all your feelings and your emotions into the music and be amazing? You did exactly that. And I was amazing because you were. I honestly couldn’t ask for a better band…” Before Dainty started to sob, Steel Strings opened a smile and went to hug him. “Don’t get corny now, buddy! Come on now!” “We were all amazing, Dainty,” Honey Drop said. “And we did all this because of you.” “This is only the beginning, folks, trust me,” Dainty said. “Trust me.” “Of course, dude,” Steel Strings said. “Come on, let’s put our stuff away and eat something!” The band headed for a restaurant to have lunch and chat, and everypony was beaming with joy and excitement. Sometimes they joked about the hecklers, even though Dainty tried not to think much about them. “It’s kinda sad, because we’ll probably come across some ponies that hate the band, and they just don’t want us to do our thing,” Steel Strings said. “I couldn’t believe they had the nerve to do that in public.” “Yeah, what were they even thinking?” River Mouth said. “At least they left in the middle of the show.” “I saw them arguing with somepony in one of the stands,” Hard Fiber said. “I guess we weren’t the only ones who felt aggravated.” “I don’t even care about those guys,” Honey Drop said. “All I know is this day was amazing, and I wish I could live this all over again tomorrow.” “Hey, don’t get nostalgic yet!” Dainty said. “We still have to learn more songs and put on, like, our real first concert. That was just an appetizer.” “Yeah, but it was just so good,” he replied. “Did you see those ponies watching us near the stage? We, like, have actual fans!” “I suppose they’re more fans of The Town Troop, though,” Dainty mused. “I don’t care! They’re our fans now!” Honey shot back, laughing. They carried on chatting through lunch, and, since they had some free time during that afternoon, they hung out together for a while, and headed back to Dainty’s house. Honey Drop was the first one to depart, since he had things to do at the bee farm, and shortly after that, River Mouth left, as she had some studying to do. They scheduled their next rehearsal before the two left, and the remaining three remained chatting there. The sun was nearly setting when Hard Fiber said he had to leave, and went off with his guitar and amplifier. Steel Strings stood behind, and Dainty looked at him and smiled. “It’s a nice day outside,” Steel said. “What do you say we enjoy the rest of the afternoon?” Dainty looked outside. It was a little late. “I guess we can do that.” “Come on, let’s go to the lake,” Steel said. They strolled all the way to Saddle Lake, idly chatting about small things; nothing about that day’s gig, as it felt like they had exhausted the things to talk about. As they sat by the margin of the lake, the sun was nearly setting, and they found themselves just observing the scenery, and hearing the peaceful sounds of their empty surroundings. “How do you feel, Dainty Tunes?” Steel said. Dainty took a deep breath and pondered about that question. For some reason, he felt it deserved something more than just a simple, generic answer. “I feel…” He frowned, thinking deeply. “This is hard to answer, you know. I feel… something funny, because I feel sort of at peace, but I also… I also wanna do this again. Like, right now.” “By ‘this’, you mean the gig?” “Yeah,” Dainty said. “You know, I was worried that something could go terribly wrong… I dunno, maybe I’d get up there and try to sing and the words wouldn’t come out, or I’d lose my voice due to nerves… or somepony would forget the songs or lose the beat and we would fall apart and embarrass ourselves… I mean, it’s not like I was expecting you guys to screw up, I was… I was just scared. I tried not to think about everything, but the fear was real. And then… then everything went nearly perfect. It was thrilling to be up there, singing, making music for other ponies… It was magical. I don’t think there’s anything else that could feel that good.” Steel smiled and nodded. “Well, that is,” Dainty said with a chuckle, “I can think of something else that could feel as good as that, but… heh heh, let’s leave it at that.” Dainty looked at Steel’s face and saw a smile that was, at the same time, innocent and cheeky. “But anyway… I’m so, so very glad for having done this together with you, guys. You made this so much better…” Steel took a deep breath and looked at the lake. “I enjoyed this too. I enjoyed… I loved watching you on stage, Dainty. You were… so radiant, so lively, so…” He stamped a hoof on the grass and puffed gently. “Oh, who am I kidding. You were the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Dainty.” Steel didn’t dare turn to look at him. Dainty just couldn’t help but wonder how deep that compliment was supposed to be: “beautiful” in what sense? Artistic or…? “I don’t want to hold this back any longer,” Steel went on. “Your face is hypnotic. I want to… I need to be with you. I need… I need you.” Dainty finally looked at Steel, and, even though he could only see the side of his face, he could see the tension in his expression. Hesitating for a moment, he moved his hoof and gently put it on top of Steel’s hoof. Dainty saw him give a trembling sigh and close his eyes. Then, Dainty brought his other hoof to Steel’s face, and softly turned it so they could look straight into each other’s eyes. Not a word was said. They only approached and let the inevitable happen. The sun set, and crickets started to chirp. Steel Strings rested his head on Dainty’s shoulder, feeling his scent. “Maybe we could… go back to your house?” Steel murmured. “There’s… something I want you to do with me.” Dainty trembled with expectation. “And what would that be? Steel reeled back a little so he could see Dainty’s face, looked at the grass, and back at him. “Can you teach me what that D Dorian thing is after all?” They both laughed. Dainty wanted to swear at him, but just laughed. “Is that all you want from me?” he said. Steel shook his head. “No, sweetheart. Maybe… you could show me what’s that thing that feels as good as playing music.” “Oh, that I can do,” Dainty replied, his eyelids slightly closed. They got up and slowly made their way back to Dainty’s house. “You know, Steel Strings,” Dainty said as the stars twinkled outside. “I correct myself: this has been the best day of my life.” “I think I can say the same, sweetheart.”