“....508, 509, 510, 511- Ow, Vinyl, watch it!” Octavia seethed at the unicorn standing on her shoulders. “I bruise easily, you know!”
The DJ, who was currently occupied with juggling six yellow rubber balls at once, didn’t seem to care. “Yea, yea, I know! Stop whinin’!” she growled downwards. She looked back up and concentrated on her juggling. "Yo, I TOLD all those suckas that goin' to clown college wasn't a waste a' time!"
Gold Bar, who was holding Octavia on her shoulders and Vinyl above her, wobbled a bit on her unicycle. “Would you two shut up?! I’m trying not to let you idiots fall here!”
‘Who’s stupid plan was this?’ all three mares thought in unison.
“ENOUGH!”
“Aiyaa!” Gold Bar shouted, her unicycle flipping out from under her. Octavia and Vinyl tumbled to the ground along with her, dazed and confused.
Everypony in the theater turned to look at Two Step, who was standing tall in the back row. “I have had enough!” he shouted. “Enough stalling! If Noteworthy does not get here in the next five seconds, I will-”
The doors to the auditorium burst open. “WE’RE HERE!” Noteworthy screamed.
The three mares on stage breathed a sigh of relief. Key Change and Two Step scowled. The pre-listeners chatted amongst themselves. Bon Bon and Blue Belle just looked apprehensive.
Noteworthy walked up to his boss. "Sir, I'm sorry we took so long."
Two Step grit his teeth. "Does it look like I care? We have been waiting over an hour! Go! Make her sing!"
"Right," Noteworthy said, gulping. He, Lyra and Backbeat trotted down the steps that led to the stage. They went through an entranceway that led backstage.
Key Change grimaced. He wasn't about to let Noteworthy win this. He got up.
"Hey," Bon Bon said, "where are you going?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he just stepped into the aisle, and began to walk backstage, where the other three were.
Bon Bon slumped in her seat. "I have a bad feeling about this..."
Backstage, the trio was chatting excitedly. "So, it all comes down to this," Noteworthy remarked. "It's now or never."
“But, wait,” Backbeat interrupted, looking worriedly at Lyra. “Lyra, are you sure you’re okay with lip syncing? I mean, if we’re going to make a career out of this...”
“Yeah, I thought about that, and I have a plan,” Lyra said nonchalantly. “We can just say that ‘Heartstrings’ got into some terrible accident and her face got disfigured, so she never has to do live performances again.”
The other two stared.
“Well, I never said it was a perfect plan,” Lyra muttered.
Noteworthy shook it off. “Anyway, are you two ready?”
Lyra grinned. “Hay yeah!"
Backbeat simpered. "Right."
The three put their forehooves into a pile. "Let's do this!" They all threw up their hooves, laughing.
"Thanks," Noteworthy said. "For all of this. Thank you both."
The two mares nodded before turning around to face the stage. However, before they could go, they were stopped by three new mares, walking off the stage.
Gold Bar walked right up to Noteworthy and glared at him. "I am never borrowing a bit from you again." She walked away.
Vinyl and Octavia stumbled after her. "That...was...sick!" Vinyl Scratch yelled, throwing her head back in a hearty laugh. “Yo, you shoulda' seen the look on their faces!”
Octavia giggled. “Yeah, I guess that was pretty exciting.”
Lyra and Backbeat glanced at Noteworthy. He sighed. “It’s a long story.”
The two unicorns decided to let it lie. Lyra took a right, walking out into the spotlight of the stage. Backbeat went right, and slipped through another curtain so that the ponies in the audience couldn’t see her. Her horn began to shine with a deep white light. Lyra stopped when she reached the middle of the stage and bowed.
In the crowd, Bon Bon stifled a groan. This was what Key Change brought them down to see? After everything she had said?
The music began to play. A few guitar chords repeated over and over again. Drums and piano keys could be heard faintly, punctuating the melody. A few seconds later, Lyra opened her mouth, and Backbeat’s voice came out.
“Do doo do...do doo doo...ahhhhh...
Do doo do...do doo doo...ahhhhh....
Who do you think you are
To do this to me?
So I see it go so far, so bold,
That how dare you take this from me...”
Noteworthy watched excitedly from backstage. It was working! They were going to win! Everything was going to be alright!
“Hey there, Blues.”
The blue stallion spun around, only to come face-to-face with Key Change, and his dark sunglasses. The ashen-furred pony grinned maliciously. “I bet you think you’re so smart. You know, with this whole setup you have?”
“W-What are you talking about?” Noteworthy asked, beginning to sweat. “What setup?”
Key Change’s smile disappeared. “Don’t play games with me. I know that Lyra isn’t the one singing. You’ve been lying through your teeth to everypony. But I found you out. And it all ends here.”
Noteworthy felt himself shaking, but he stood his ground. “Oh, yeah?” he offered. “So, you’ve figured it all out. What are you going to do about it?”
Silently, Key Change removed his sunglasses, revealing blood-red eyes. He folded them up, and put them on the ground next to him. He took in a deep breath. There was a tense silence. Suddenly, he pointed at a long rope hanging from the rafters, a few yards away from the both of them.
“Do you know what happens when you pull that rope, Noteworthy?”
“...No.”
“The back curtain opens. And do you know who is behind that curtain?”
Noteworthy’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
Key Change rocketed from his spot, sprinting toward the rope. Notworthy, once he got over his shock, followed close behind. Unfortunately, Key Change’s body was much more lithe than his rival’s, and he was much faster. He reached the rope first, grabbed it in his teeth and-
Before he could pull it, Noteworthy slammed into his side, sending him sprawling. Noteworthy assumed a battle stance and growled. “Nopony is getting to this rope!” he yelled.
“You come now, you lay beside me...
Oh, you love to rue me...
I’ll lay you down,
I’ll take you first,
Before to get to stick it to me...””
Key Change and Noteworthy collided, each one holding the other back by their shoulders.
“You can’t win this!” Key Change spat, eyes afire. “Just accept that you’re a failure!”
“BUCK YOU!” Noteworthy swore, pressing down as hard as he could. “I’ve put up with your crap ever since I started working here! And I’m not about to take another minute
of it!”
Both Lyra and Backbeat could hear the two stallions fighting. However, it didn’t appear that the audience could. As such, they just concentrated on their singing, and tried to drown out the yells. It was for the best; the chorus was about to come in, and it happened to be the most intense part of the song.
“Does it matter that I will not need you?
Does it matter that I will not see you?
Does it matter that I will not be you?
Would you blame me, for all I am?
“Does it matter that I still carry
All the pieces of this story?!
Come tomorrow morning,
Standing here with all I am!”
The music was becoming more intense as the song went on.
And, also as the song went on, Bon Bon just felt worse and worse. She knew something bad was happening, she just didn’t know what! Her stomach felt like it was trying to force its way out through her skull.
Blue Belle watched her worriedly. “Bon Bon, are you okay?”
“No,” Bon Bon said. “I’m not.” She stood up. “We have to do something!”
“About what? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know!” She pointed to the doorway that Key Change had passed through. “Something bad is happening down there, I can feel it! We need to go!” Bon Bon insisted. She grabbed her friend’s hoof and pulled her down the aisle.
“Whoa, Bon Bon, I’m coming! Stop pulling me!”
What they saw when they passed backstage both shocked and terrified them. Key Change and Noteworthy were tumbling head-over-hooves across the floor, taking swings at each other whenever possible. They both stopped to look at the mares.
Key Change smiled. “Great, you’re here!” He motioned to the rope with his chin. “Go pull that thing right there! And, while you’re at it, get this thing off of me!”
“No, don’t!” Noteworthy yelled. “Whatever you do, don’t do it!”
Bon Bon and Blue Belle looked at each other for a moment. They both shrugged. Blue Belle’s horn began to shine with a deep blue light. Within seconds, Noteworthy had been enveloped by the same magic. He was slowly lifted off his fellow stallion. No matter how hard he thrashed, he couldn’t seem to break free.
“LET ME GO!” he screamed, to no avail.
Bon Bon trotted up to, and stared warily at the rope. Key Change soon joined her. “Would you like to do the honors?” he asked.
“Of what? What’s this rope?”
Key Change smirked. “When you pull it, the curtain behind Lyra will open up, and reveal the pony singing for her. They’ll be ruined!”
Bon Bon blinked. She had figured somepony else was singing. Lyra had never been able to sing, even when they were foals. But what was Key Change trying to do here?
“Wait, let me get this straight. If I pull this, everypony will find out Lyra’s not really singing?”
“Yes.”
“Which will ultimately hurt Lyra, by letting everypony know that Lyra can’t sing and has been lying to us because all she wanted was to live her dreams?”
“That’s exactly it.” Key Change replied. “Brilliant, isn’t it?”
“Oooooh,” Bon Bon uttered. A few seconds passed.
Bon Bon punched Key Change in the gut, sending him flying a few feet backwards.
The mare stamped her hoof threateningly. “Nopony hurts my friends and gets away with it!” She turned to Blue Belle. “Quick, let him go!”
Blue Belle gaped. “A-Are you sure? What’s going on?!”
“JUST DO IT!”
The blue unicorn nodded, and Noteworthy fell to the ground, landing on all four hooves. The three ponies gathered, and formed a barrier between the rope and Key Change.
“I always knew you were no good!” Bon Bon scowled.
Key Change lifted himself up and glared at all three. He grinned. “Well, you know what they say. If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.”
“I can hardly argue;
You meant to cure me...
Born scared and frail and weak and kind,
You’re meant to harden and arm me...
“You come now, you sit beside me...
Oh, you love to rue me...
I want you if I do not stand,
With this, I’ll rest as the scar that I am...”
Key Change bared his teeth. The three ponies cowered for a moment, but Noteworthy said: “Oh, come on, Key Change. I know you’re a douche, but even you wouldn’t hit a mare.”
“Well,” Key Change said, scanning his opponents, “that’s true. I can’t hit mares. But, you, Blues...even if you don’t act like one, you’re still a stallion.”
Noteworthy took a step back. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I said I would crush you, Noteworthy. I’m just fulfilling a promise.”
Key Change lunged forward, faster than ever before.
“Does it matter that I will not need you?
Does it matter that I will not see you?
Does it matter that I will not be you?
Would you blame me, for all I am?
“Does it matter that I still carry
All the pieces of this story?!
Come tomorrow morning,
Standing here with all I am!”
The ashen-furred pony slipped through the gap between Bon Bon and Blue Belle, until he was just a few inches away from Noteworthy.
Noteworthy tried to rear up. "What are you-"
Before he could finish, Key Change whipped around and delivered a swift buck, right to Noteworthy's skull.
Noteworthy only let out a pained groan as he hit the ground. Blue Belle just stood there, shocked. Bon Bon let out a shrill scream before rushing to the stallion’s side. “Hey!” she yelled, panicking. “Come on, get up! Get up!”
Key Change stared down at him. A frown flickered across his face for a brief moment before being replaced by a manic grin. He grabbed the rope and glared at the three, his red eyes wild. “I warned you not to cross me! I TOLD YOU I WOULD WIN, AND I DID!” He tugged on the rope. “It ends here!”
Out on the stage, Lyra was just finishing the final portion of the song.
“Does it matter that I will not need you?
Does it matter that I will not see you?
Does it matter that I will not be you?
Would you blame me, for all I am?”
The curtain behind Lyra began to open. The turquoise unicorn didn't seem to notice, however, and kept on moving her mouth. Backbeat was totally engrossed in her singing, and kept on belting out tunes, like she didn't have a care in the world. Key Change kept pulling on the rope, until it was fully open. Everypony in the audience just stared, shocked.
“Does it matter that I still carry
All the pieces of this story?!
Come tomorrow morning,
Standing here with all I am!”
The music ended with a flourish. Lyra took a bow, grinning madly. Backbeat was smiling too—at least, until she opened her eyes. Her already snow-white fur paled even more. Lyra's smile began to fade as well, once she realized that everypony was just staring at her, not making a sound.
"Uh, thank you?" she asked more than stated.
Two Step recovered from the shock quicker than anypony else. He stood up and shouted: "What is going on here?!"
Lyra frowned. "Huh? What are you tal-"
She was interrupted by a high-pitched squeak. She turned around, only to find the curtain opened, and Backbeat frozen in her place, failing to speak.
The mare turned back to the crowd. "Oh, buck."
After a few tense seconds, the pre-listeners exploded into a cacophony of arguments. Everypony was in a panic. Some were yelling at Lyra, some were yelling at other pre-listeners, some were even yelling at Two Step! The only one in the crowd who wasn’t yelling was an older, faded blue stallion, who dozed peacefully in his chair.
“QUIET!” Two Step yelled, to no avail. “What is happening?! Where is that fool Noteworthy?!”
“Oh, would somepony please call an ambulance?!”
Lyra’s head spun toward the source of the request. That was Bon Bon’s voice!
The cream-colored earth mare rushed out onto the stage and looked into the audience. “Somepony please help! There’s a stallion back here who’s been knocked unconscious!”
This just fueled the flames, as the pre-listeners descended into an all-out shouting match, trying to decide just what had happened. Two Step was still trying to calm them down, not paying attention to Bon Bon. Lyra and Backbeat were the only ones who reacted.
Lyra ran up to her former friend. “What happened? Who’s hurt?”
“It’s that blue pony you were with! Key Change just attacked him!”
Backbeat snapped out of her stupor. “Noteworthy’s hurt?!” she shrieked, eyes widening. “Where?! Let me see him!” She rushed up to Bon Bon and Lyra.
The three trotted backstage, Backbeat barely containing the urge to sprint forward, ahead of them all. Noteworthy was lying on the floor. His tongue was lolling out of his mouth. Blue Belle was hunched over him, shaking him to try and wake him up. Key Change was a few yards away, sitting on his rear with a blank expression on his face.
"Oh my Celestia, Noteworthy!" Backbeat yelped. She galloped over to his limp body, leaned down, and began murmuring unintelligbly.
Lyra turned to Bon Bon. "Bon, what happened?"
"There was a fight," she answered, looking away. "Noteworthy was trying to stop Key Change from opening the curtain. Key Change just ran up to him and knocked him out."
"What?!" Lyra gaped. "How...why?! Why did he do that?!"
"It wasn't supposed to happen this way!"
Everypony looked at Key Change, who was literally shaking.
"All of you are so quick to blame me!" Key Change shouted. "He was the one who got in the way! I was provoked!" Lyra and Bon Bon took a quick glance at each other. "If he had just let me pull the damned rope, he wouldn't have gooten hurt! It just-"
The ground began to shake, silencing him. Strangely, the epicenter seemed to be focused on Backbeat. Her fur was standing on end, and her mane seemed to be shimmering with some unknown wind. There was a dead silence.
Then, Backbeat exploded.
The unicorn whipped around to face Key Change. Her entire body had become an inferno, as raging hot as Celestia’s sun. "YOU!” she screamed, causing everypony to wince in pain. “YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF DIRT!” She began to storm toward him, flames trailing her every step. “HOW DARE YOU HURT HIM!”
Key Change tried to back away, but Backbeat matched his every step. “W-What’s wrong with you?!” he stammered. “Get away from me!”
But Backbeat didn’t stop. “YOU’RE SCUM. NO, YOU’RE WORSE THAN SCUM! YOU’RE NOTHING!
“Holy...Backbeat, what are you doing?!” Lyra yelled.
“Oh, I don’t even know what’s going on anymore!” Bon Bon whined. “Can’t we all just calm down?!”
Backbeat shot the two mares a deadly gaze. “NO WE CAN’T.” she screamed. The two promptly jumped before grabbing and holding each other, shaking in fear. The flaming pony turned back to her enemy, only to see him trying to get away. “OH, DON’T YOU EVEN DARE.” Her horn shone with a light as bright as lightning. Key Change became enveloped in pure white, and was dragged back to his tormentor.
Backbeat looked him straight in the eye, brown to red. She grinned evilly. “NOW,” she boomed, “LET’S SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT!” Her face shifting back to a scowl, she proceeded to lift Key Change high up in the air.
“Backbeat, don’t!” Lyra pleaded, stepping forward.
“NO MERCY!”
“JUST WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?” Two Step yelled. He had just stepped backstage a few seconds earlier, only to see what was one of the strangest scenes he had ever encountered.
Blue Belle gained control of her body in time to yell: “You, gray pony! Duck!”
Two Step glared. “Duck?! Why should I- OH CELESTIA HAVE MERCY!”
He ducked just in time to avoid Key Change, whom Backbeat had just thrown across the room, and out into the auditorium. The ashen-furred stallion slid across the stage, stopping just a few inches away from the edge.
Backbeat began to gallop forward again, but was just barely stopped by the combined efforts of Lyra, Bon Bon, and Blue Belle, who were all pushing against her.
”LET ME GO,” she shrieked. “I’LL KILL HIM! I’LL KILL HIM!”
“Ah...what happened...?”
Everypony looked at Noteworthy. His head was raised, and he was gazing at everypony groggily. “...Did we win? Oh, my head...”
The flames that made up Backbeat’s fur immediately went out. “Oh, Noteworthy!” She ran to the pony's side. "Are you okay?!"
The stallion attempted to lift himself up off the floor. He stood on shaky legs, wincing in pain every few seconds. There was a growing red bump on his forehead. “Well, my head feels like it just exploded and put itself back together again, but, besides that, I think I’m fine. What’s going on?”
“That is what I would like to know,” Two Step snarlled, walking toward the duo. “I have waited. I gave you two weeks to find somepony who could sing. Then, you just lie to me?! Am I the only one here who sees something wrong with that?!” He gave each pony in the room an individual glare. Nopony answered. “I will not stand for such disrespect. Noteworthy, you were already hanging by a thread. This has gone too far.” He leaned in close to the shaking blue pony.
“You are fired.”
With a long sigh, Noteworthy promptly fainted.
Backbeat’s eyes went wide. “B-But...we...we...h-h-he...” she stammered, not knowing quite how to react. A few seconds passed before all the events of the day caught up with her, and she began to sob loudly.
Lyra took a threatening step forward. “That’s not fair! You can’t do that!”
Two Step scowled. “And why not? Am I not the executive director of this company? I have every right! But you...this is as much your fault as it is his!”
“Who cares?!” Lyra shouted. “You have a singer! Just take Backbeat! Who cares how you got her?! She’s here, and she’s great!”
“It is the principal of the matter!” Two Step shot back. “I will not take being lied to!”
Lyra rolled her eyes as hard as she could. “Oh, did little baby get his feelings hurt?” she mocked in a high-pitched voice. “Does he need his bottle?”
“D...don’t you dare m-make fun of Mr. Two Step...!”
Everypony stared as Key Change, his normally gel-loaded hair messed up, stumbled into the vicinity. His body was covered in bruises. He tripped a few times on his way over to his boss, who was looking at him strangely.
“H-He is the perfect pa...pony.” he blubbered.
Two Step frowned. “What in Celestia’s good name happened to you? Why did I have to duck to avoid you?”
The beat-up stallion smirked, before spinning around and pointing at Backbeat, who was still crying. “That demon attac, attacked me!”
“She didn’t!” Bon Bon yelled. “She was just defending her coltfriend there! Key Change attacked him first!”
“It’s true,” Blue Belle chimed in, hesitating a bit. "I saw the whole thing."
"FINE!" Two Step yelled. "You are all fired! Are you happy now?!"
Key Change's jaw dropped. "But, but-"
"Oh, do not even start!" Two Step groaned. "I am calling security! I want you all out of here, now!" He turned to walk away.
Lyra's head spun. Everything was happening so fast, she barely had time to think!
Backbeat, head hanging, nudged Noteworthy. "Not...Noteworthy, w-wake up...it's all over..."
Noteworthy’s eyes fluttered open. “I need to stop doing that,” he moaned.
Bon Bon looked at Lyra. “Hey...Lyra?”
Lyra lifted her head up weakly. “Yeah?”
“I’m sorry. About all of this.”
“Nah,” Lyra said, putting on a smile. “I should be the one apologizing. I acted really stupidly. I just wanted this so much, that I was willing to do anything, even hurt you. ...Sorry about that, by the way.”
“It’s fine,” Bon Bon said. She moved close to Lyra, and pressed her body against the unicorn’s. “You know I love you, right?”
Lyra laughed. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Thanks.”
Key Change glared at them. “How can you two be laughing at a time like this?!” he growled. “We are all screwed!”
Backbeat helped Noteworthy limp over to the group. “As much as I hate to agree with him,” Noteworthy said, “he’s right. Things can’t get much worse than they are right now.”
“Oh, please just shut up,” Key Change snarled. “You actually deserve to be fired. I DON’T! I’ve done more for this company than any of you can ever dream to!”
Bon Bon shot daggers. “Can’t you be nice, even once? I mean, really! I’m ashamed I ever worked with you! I’m glad you were fired!”
Key Change took a step forward. “Don’t you ever-”
“Would all of you just shut up?!”
Everypony looked at Blue Belle. Both her mane and eyes were wild. “Really! Everypony here is crazy! I thought I was going to be able to deal with a few loonies, but you’ve just dragged me into something...I don’t even know what to call it! This is like something out of a movie!”
She gestured to Lyra. “I used to think you were amazing! That I could never be as good as you! But now I realize: you’re just as messed up as all the rest of these ponies! Can’t you people just accept that we’re all losers and get on with your damned lives?!” She panted hard.
Everypony stared.
Noteworthy gave her a questioning look. “Who are you again?”
“UGH!” Blue Belle groaned, storming off. “FORGET IT! I QUIT!”
There was a silence. “Where were we?” Lyra asked.
Key Change sighed bitterly. “I hate you all. If you wake up one night to find me leaning over you with a knife, don’t be surprised.” He began to walk away.
The remaining four hung their heads. As the seconds passed, Lyra found herself muttering a quick prayer to Celestia.
"Dear Celestia...I know we don't talk much, and I don't even know if you're hearing this...but, please, we need help! Like, now!"
Out on the stage, Two Step was trying fruitlessly to calm the pre-listeners down. Each one was yelling to ask what had happened backstage. Two Step attempted to explain, but with each passing word, they (sans the sleeping stallion) just grew more excited
“So,” Two Step concluded, “I have made the decision to terminate everypony involved. I feel this will be beneficial to the productivity of this company.”
The crowd immediately fell silent. One gray unicorn with a dark blue mane stepped forward. His cutie mark was that of an F-clef. His shaggy hair fell over his face, obscuring one deep blue eye. “Wait a second,” he said. “You can’t fire them!”
Two Step sneered. “And why not?”
“The singer—the real singer, we mean—her voice was beautiful! It was the greatest thing I’ve ever heard! She would be perfect!”
“And you can’t fire her manager!” another added. She was a light yellow pegasus with a long green-and-yellow mane. Her cutie mark was a log on fire. “He found and trained her! That takes real talent! Besides...if he managed to fool you for two whole weeks, he must be good, no?”
“My decision is final,” Two Step huffed, stamping a hoof.
The stallion grinned. “Yes, sir, but you’re forgetting something: our decision as pre-listeners overrides yours. You said it yourself. And we say that those two are in. Am I right, everypony?”
The entire crowd cheered.
At this point, Blue Belle, Key Change, and the group of four had come out of the backstage. Blue Belle was heading toward the door, shouting profanities. Key Change was sitting quietly on the floor, pouting and wondering where his sunglasses were. The four were all walking very slowly and somberly.
“But,” Two Step started, “she attacked that stallion right there!” He pointed at Key Change. “I intend to have them both taken by security!”
The gray unicorn looked at them before smiling devilishly and adding: “Do you know how much money she could make?”
Two Step’s eyes widened. “...Money?”
“Hay yeah! She would sell way more albums than that Bustin’ pony! She would be a hit!”
Putting a hoof to his chin, Two Step began to think. “I see...well, I suppose that Key Change did make the first move...” He looked at Noteworthy and Backbeat. “You! Noteworthy, white unicorn! Come here!”
The two cantered over slowly, Backbeat helping Noteworthy keep stable. “Yes?” Noteworthy asked. He wasn’t sure if he should have said ‘sir’ or not, now that...you know.
Two Step nearly groaned when he looked at them. “Now, you are are sure these are the two you want?”
“YES!” the entire crowd boomed.
“Fine.” Two Step put out his hoof. “Congratulations. You two are no longer fired.”
“We’re not?!” they said together.
“And congratulations on your record deal. I expe-”
“WHAT?!” the two screamed, grinning wider than they ever had before. “A RECORD DEAL?!”
Over on the other side of the stage, Lyra and Bon Bon beamed. “Hay yeah!” Lyra cheered.
Key Change gaped. “But that’s not fair! Why should he get a job, when I-”
"SHUT UP!" everypony yelled back.
"Has somepony called security yet?" Two Step asked the room. He was answered with blank stares. "No? Well, I suppose I have to do everything."
"No!" Key Change yelped, jumping up. "You'll never take me alive!" He began to back up the aisle, giving everypony death glares. "This isn't over, Blues! I'll crush you one day! Like a bug!" He ran out the door.
Noteworthy gulped. "Shouldn't somepony-"
"Nah," the blue-maned unicorn said. "Security'll get him before he leaves." He looked at the rest of his group, then to Two Step. "So...are we done here?"
"Yes, you may leave."
"Cool," the yellow mare remarked. The group began to disperse.
Noteworthy and Lyra walked over to their friends, still grinning. "Lyra," Noteworthy began, "thank you so much. I owe you the world."
Lyra laughed. "Oh, calm yourself! You don't owe me anything. I think I owe you, actually. You gave me the confidence I needed to do this. Thanks." She held up her hoof. Noteworthy returned the gesture with a shaky brohoof. "Hey, Backbeat," Lyra continued, "I have a question."
Backbeat was still beaming. '"Yeah?"
"The whole reason we did this entire thing was because you were too scared to sing in front of other ponies. I don't want to discourage you or anything, but how are you going to be a big star now?"
"I was thinking the same thing," Backbeat admitted. "But...I don't know. It just doesn't worry me anymore. I feel a lot more confident in myself now." She looked back at the microphone that adorned her flank. "I always wondered what this truly meant. I guess I know now."
Lyra laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
Suddenly, Backbeat's eyes widened. "Wait, Lyra, what about you? What are you going to do now?"
The turquoise unicorn smiled. "You know, I was stressing for such a long time over being famous, that I forgot why I make music: to have fun. Sure, being rich and successful is great and all, but it's not everything. Besides," she murmured, moving closer to her cream-colored friend, "there's stuff in Ponyville that I want to get back to."
"So, is this the last time we're going to see each other?" Noteworthy asked.
"Oh, you can't get rid of me that easily," Lyra remarked. "I expect at least a ticket to your first concert. Alright?"
Backbeat nodded. "Deal."
Back in the audience, the yellow pegasus was attempting to wake up the sleeping stallion. "High Note...it's me, Wooden...it's time to wake up..."
High Note juddered violently before nearly falling out of his seat. “Ah!” he cried. “Don’t scare meh like that! I have eh mind ta give ya a whippin’, lil’ lass!”
“Oh, shut yer mouth! It ain’t meh fault that all this new-fangled pop music sounds the damned same! It’s borin’!”
“Yeah, yeah, you’ve said that before.” She helped him up. “It’s too bad you were sleeping. You missed a great debate.”
“Mm?”
“Yeah. It turns out that the mare we thought was singing actually wasn’t! It was another unicorn, standing behind the curtain. And she had the most beautiful voice! A whole fight broke out, apparently. But, anyway, we got Two Step to not fire the singer, and everything worked out pretty well,” Wooden explained. She pointed to the small group of four. They were talking and laughing.
High Note stared at them for a moment, bored. However, after a few seconds had passed, his eyes began to widen. Grabbing his cane he hobbled down the aisle, over to them. Wooden watched in confusion.
The group noticed him a few feet away. Backbeat brushed a lock of hair out of her face; the old pony’s cutie mark was a rest note, signaling that he had something to do with music. But, instead of stopping at her, High Note kept walking until he was standing directly in front of Lyra. The two stared at each other for a moment, Lyra not really knowing what to do.
“Uh...” she began.
High Note’s eyes lit up. “Aha!” he shrieked. “Eh knew it! You are Lyra!”
Lyra put on a friendly smile. “Yeah. You know me?”
“Know you? Did Ode in Rosa run on a 4/4 time signature?”
“Uh...yeah, it did,” Lyra answered, bewildered. “But...I wrote Ode in Rosa back in High School. How do you...?”
The stallion beamed. “Seven years ago, Princess Celestia’s School performed at Canterlot Concert Hall. Eh was there, and Eh remember yeh very, very clearly. Yeh were the only pony there with even a shred o’ talent!”
“I was?”
“Yes! Eh’ve been wantin’ to hear yeh again ever since, but I just couldn’t find yeh! Where ‘ave yeh been?”
“Oh, I’ve been down in Ponyville, just performing casually,” Lyra said with a smile. The stallion didn’t say anything, like he was waiting for Lyra to continue. “...That’s really it.”
High Note looked almost offended. “What?! Yeh mean, yeh’re only peformin’ in one small town?! That’ll never do! The music world is bein’ ruined by all those greased up ponies who can’t make music worth a damn! Please tell meh yeh still play a lyre.”
Lyra felt her heart begin to beat faster. “Yeah, I do. All the time.”
“Good! Yeh may be one o’ the only ponies left who can make real music! Yeh gotta do somethin’ with it! You gotta get yer music out there, all across Equestria! And Eh’ll help yeh!”
Lyra grinned hard. “You will?”
High Note smiled as well and tapped his cane against the floor. “Eh may be old, but even Eh got a few tricks up meh sleeve! Eh got connections! Lotsa connections! And, if yeh still play like yeh did back then, you can expect good things! Eh promise yeh that!”
Nodding wildly, Lyra said: “I do! And I will! Even better than before! Thank you so much!” She began to mentally recall the number for the instrument repair shop, back in Ponyville. Meanwhile, she started to laugh hysterically, as everything that had happened began to catch up with her.
High Note eyed her worriedly for a moment, before Bon Bon grabbed her friend and forced her to stop laughing. “Sorry,” she said. “She’s just a bit tired, is all. Big day.”
A few feet away, Backbeat watched with enthusiasm. Suddenly, she felt another pony, leaning close to her.
“Hey, Backbeat?” Noteworthy began.
“Yeah?”
“After this, can we go to a hospital? I’m pretty sure I have a concussion.”
“Of course.”
“Oh, and...and one more thing.”
“Yeah?”
Noteworthy leaned down and gave Backbeat a small kiss to the cheek. The mare’s legs promptly turned to jelly, and she fainted.
“...Backbeat? Backbeat, wake up. My head really hurts.”