"Ms. Shimmer, you've been awfully quiet today. I trust that you're paying attention to the lesson?"

Questions of concern bombarded Sunset all throughout the morning. Ever since the incident with her locker, she tried her best to proceed through her day like normal. However, she found this to be increasingly difficult with Discord breathing down her neck at all times. Sure, he didn't cause any disruptions during her classes, but that only made her more uneasy. Despite her attempts to maintain a stiff upper lip and pretend that nothing was wrong, everyone could tell that she was on pins and needles.

She breathed a muted sigh as she walked over to the Music Room with her guitar slung over one shoulder and her backpack slung over the other. When she entered, she found that her other friends had already begun setting up. A series of low twangs resonated around the room as Applejack tuned her bass while Fluttershy was going over some music with Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Oddly enough, though, Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be seen. Sunset walked in and cleared her throat.

"Huh? Oh, howdy Sunset," said Applejack with a tip of her hat. "How's it going?"

"Hard to say," said Sunset, looking around the room. "Um, where's Rainbow Dash? She's usually not late for practice like this."

"Mmm, it is quite strange, isn't it?" Rarity mused, knitting her brow. "Well, I'm sure she just got held up somewhere. She should be along any minute now."

Fluttershy fiddled with her tambourine and looked down at Sunset's pocket. "Uh, Sunset? I-is he still here?"

"As far as I know," said Sunset with a sigh. "He's been pretty quiet since classes started, but every time I check the book, it still gives me that chaos interference notification."

Pinkie shrugged. "Well, at least he hasn't been doing anything evil, right? That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"I guess," said Sunset, setting her bag off to the side. "Still, I can't help but worry that he's up to something."

"Maybe he is," said Pinkie. "But that doesn't mean that it's a bad something."

"It doesn't mean it's a good something, either," said Fluttershy tersely. She then cast her eyes downward and started fiddling with her tambourine again. "Oh, I hope he doesn't ruin our rehearsal. This is our only chance to practice before the concert tonight, and we have to make it count."

Sunset forced a smile and placed a hand on Fluttershy's shoulder. "Don't worry, Fluttershy. We all know how much this concert means to you, and none of us plan on letting you down."

Applejack looked up at the clock and scowled. "Okay, this is startin' to get ridiculous. What's takin' her so long?"

As if on cue, Rainbow Dash burst in through the door with her blue guitar on her back. She took a moment to wipe some sweat from her brow and catch her breath.

"Oh my stars, darling! You look absolutely ragged!" Rarity exclaimed. "What happened?"

Rainbow Dash took one final deep breath before answering. "I got held up in the locker room at Swim Class. Had to jog all the way up here as soon as I got changed."

"Oh my," gasped Fluttershy. "Did you get in trouble with Ms. Firefly? I heard she can be very, scary."

"Kinda," said Rainbow Dash, brushing the back of her head sheepishly. "I didn't mean to, though. It was Sonata that got me in trouble."

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "She was going on and on about the world being in danger and that we had to stop it, but that's really all I could understand. She first tried to get my attention while Ms. Firefly was giving instructions, and we both had to do double laps because of it. Then when I tried to ask her about it in the locker room, she said she couldn't tell me for some weird reason. I dunno, she was just acting so strange the whole time."

Pinkie's eyes widened. "You mean you actually got one of those girls to talk to you?! I've been trying to befriend them all week! But every time I try, they just want nothing to do with me."

"Well, we did kind of humiliate them at the Battle of the Bands, darling," said Rarity. "It wouldn't be out of the ordinary for them to hold a grudge against us for that."

"What I want to know is what she meant by the world being in danger," said Sunset, furrowing her brow and tapping her chin. "That never seemed to be a concern of the Sirens before, especially since they were trying to take over."

Sunset nodded. "There's only one explanation I can think of. I think someone has some explaining to do."

She then took out her cellphone and turned it on. Sure enough, Discord was still there. He was wearing some blue coveralls and had a paint roller in his paw. The phone's background had completely changed from Sunset's symbol to a stained glass picture of Discord having a therapy session with Twilight Sparkle. Using his snake tail, Discord rolled up a bit of wallpaper that covered the last of Sunset's old background, humming a little tune to himself as he worked. Sunset suppressed a groan and cleared her throat noisily.

"Let the rainbow remind y— Oh, Sunny! Hey!" said Discord cheerfully. "How's everything?"

Sunset glowered. "First of all, if you're going to live on my phone, I'd appreciate it if you stopped messing with my settings."

Discord looked over at his handiwork. "You don't like the color?" he asked. "I could go with something else, if you'd like."

Discord sighed. "Well, excuse me for getting bored in here," he grumbled. With a snap of his fingers, the background reverted to normal. "So, that's probably not the reason you called. What can I do you for, Sunny?"

"Just answer me this," said Sunset. "Did you talk to anyone else in this world before you came to me?"

Discord's brow crinkled as he twirled his goatee around his finger. "Hmm. Now that you mention it, I did get a bit lost when I first got here. I ended up in this run-down apartment where these three girls were staying. I remember them being very unhelpful, actually."

"They were just gawking at me in stunned silence, refusing to give me direction," said Discord, folding his arms. "Quite rude of them, I must say. You'd think they never saw a draconequus before."

"Actually, that might not be it," said Sunset. "Discord, do you remember what these girls looked like?"

She then reached into her backpack and pulled out a piece of paper and some crayons. After a few minutes of scribbling, she held up a crude stick figure drawing of the Sirens.

Discord poked his head out of the phone to get a better look at the drawing. He narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin for a few seconds before a lightbulb appeared over his head.

"I thought as much," Sunset sighed. "Discord, why didn't you tell me that you bumped into the Sirens last night?"

Discord gave Sunset a bemused look. "What do you think I'm going to say, Sunny?"

"So sorry, but that's incorrect," said Discord, holding up a card. "The correct answer is: 'I didn't know they were the Sirens.' Thanks for playing, though."

"I don't know them personally, but I've heard of them," said Discord absently. "Though I've always wondered where they ended up after Starswirl the Bearded put an end to their shenanigans."

"Hold on. Weren't you in stone when the Sirens tried to rise to power?" asked Sunset, raising an eyebrow.

"Being turned to stone does not render me unaware of everything that goes on around me, Sunny," Discord responded. "So, they were banished to this world, eh?"

"Pretty much," said Sunset. "Starswirl thought this was a safe place to send them, seeing as this world doesn't have magic for them to steal." She then sighed and cast her eyes downward. "Or at least, it didn't."

A sly smirk crossed Discord's face. "A statement that cryptic usually has a story behind it. Care to share, Sunny? There's no point in hiding this stuff from me, anyway."

Sunset sighed. "Just over a week ago, they found out that I had brought Equestrian magic into this world. They wanted to steal that magic and regain their power."

"Yeah, but we totally whooped their butts thanks to you!" said Rainbow Dash, putting an arm around Sunset. Sunset blushed and cast her eyes downward.

"Huh. So they also tried to take over, only to be stopped by friendship," Discord mused. His expression then brightened. "Wait! That means they can be my friends, too! Oh, this keeps getting better and better! Now instead of one friend who understands me, I have four!"

"Actually, the Sirens haven't been very interested in making friends lately," said Sunset. "In fact, they still hold a grudge against us for defeating them."

Discord slumped over and gave Sunset a deadpan look. "Why do you feel the need to ruin my fun like that, Sunny?"

"Because when you have fun, the rest of the world usually suffers for it," said Sunset bluntly. "Besides, from what Rainbow Dash tells me, they're afraid of you."

"Well, all the more reason for us to extend the olive branch then," said Discord, his eagle arm turning into said olive branch. "I've found that it's amazing what you can do with a little bit of kindness."

Fluttershy shuffled her feet sheepishly. "Um, I guess. But I don't know. We did kinda destroy their magic."

"Actually, we didn't," said Sunset in a matter-of-fact tone. "Raw magical energy works like any other form of energy. It can't be destroyed; you can only decrease its quality. The Sirens still have magic in them, just like every other pony in Equestria. They just can't use it without their pendants."

"Um, hate to break in on this little spiel, but didn't we come here to practice?" inquired Applejack, arching an eyebrow.

"AJ's right, guys," said Rainbow Dash, testing her guitar. "We can worry about this later."

"Right, sorry," Sunset apologized. "I guess we got a bit carried away." She then set the phone down on the piano and gave Discord an "I"m watching you" gesture. "You'd better not mess this up."

"I wouldn't dream of it," said Discord. In a flash, he appeared on the piano and sprawled himself out. "I'd hate to ruin what's sure to be a magnificent performance."

Sunset gave Discord one final glare before joining her friends. "Alright, what should we play first?"

The others concurred as well. Discord flipped over onto his stomach, head in his hands as he watched the Rainbooms about to perform. Pinkie raised her sticks into the air.

The Rainbooms launched right into their song. Discord's tail swished side to side, keeping time with the rhythm as warmth filled his chest. He could almost feel the friendship radiating off the six girls as they played. Everything about the song moved him in some way, from the baseline established by Applejack to the alluring sound of Fluttershy's voice. He was just about to get entirely lost in the music when something peculiar caught his attention.

Right at the bridge of the song, the girls changed. Small glowing nubs sprouted out of their heads. As their hair grew longer, the nubs were revealed to be tiny pony ears. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy barely even flinched as a set of wings grew out of each of their backs. In fact, none of the girls seemed to pay this transformation any mind at all. They just continued to play, their long ponytails flowing behind them. Discord rubbed his eyes in disbelief and blinked a few times. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was rendered entirely speechless by the spectacle. Finally, the song came to an end.

"That was awesome, guys!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "We're gonna rock this concert tonight!"

"We sure are," said Sunset with a smile. "Actually, I really feel a lot better now." She then looked over at Discord and tilted her head. "Um, Discord? Are you okay?"

Discord gulped. "Um, I know you're probably going to blame me for this, but I assure you, I did not do anything."

Discord snapped his fingers, and a wall of mirrors appeared in front of the Rainbooms. Pinkie Pie giggled.

"Oh, you don't have anything to worry about there, Mr. Discord," she said. "That's supposed to happen."

Discord slithered around the entire group, observing them from every angle. "My my. This human world has a few surprises that I'm not privy to."

"It's not a human thing, I assure you," said Sunset. "But apparently, music can be used in this world in order to channel Equestrian magic."

"That would explain the vibe I got from you as you played," said Discord with a warm smile. "You six really are close friends, aren't you?"

"That's what makes our magic so strong," said Sunset, smiling back. "And it's something that you can't defeat."

"Nor do I wish do," said Discord. "Of course, you just think I'm lying about it."

"And I shall provide that evidence in due time," said Discord solemnly. "So, how exactly does this work?"

Discord sighed. "Come on, Sunny. Throw me a bone here, will you? Just on the off-chance that I'm actually telling the truth?"

His eyes then turned into those of a puppy dog as he stared right at Sunset and clasped his mismatched hands together. After a pause, Sunset heaved a sigh of her own.

"If it does, you can do with me what you wish," said Discord with a bow. Sunset rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Anyway, as I said, our magic is channeled through the music we play," she explained. "There are three factors that go into how powerful that magic is: Quality, passion, and of course, friendship. The closer our bonds are, the better we sound, and the more effort we put in, the more magic we show. Of course, friendship is the most powerful factor of all."

"Ugh, yawn~!" Rainbow Dash hollered, casting her gaze upward. "Seriously, I forget how much of an egghead you are sometimes."

Sunset shot Rainbow Dash a glare. "Hey, I am not an egghead. I'm well-educated."

"Translation: Egghead," Rainbow Dash retorted. When she noticed the other member of the band giving her cold glares, she hastily cleared her throat. "Uh, not that being an egghead is bad or anything..."

Just then, a buzzing sound came from Sunset's backpack. Curious, Sunset walked over and opened it up. Much to her surprise, the magic book was glowing and vibrating.

"I thought it was," said Sunset, scooping it up. She set the book down on the piano and opened it up. Everyone gathered around her as she read the message aloud.

Dear Sunset Shimmer:

I'm sorry this massage has taken so lang to reach u, but it appars that Discord's magic is creating some sort of potato. Luckily, I managed to cost a signal-boasting spell that will hopfully get threw.

As you're probably aware, Discord has been freed. Queen Horsey Time felt that his power could benefit Kuala Lumpur, so she decreed that he was to be refoamed. Believe me, I was waffle of this myself, but through Fluttershy the Beast Master's help and a valuable bread from me, he has fully embraced the magic of friendship. Even so, he still has a lot to onion, just like you daring.

He felt that the best coarse of achtung was to find somepony who could relay to him on a personal stage. I told him about you, and he right left before I could tell him that you didn't no aboot his reformation. I'm showing you this now to say that you can muster him. You just need to have a bit of pancake with him. Again, he's still learning the chipmunk.

Hope to listen from you soon,

Princess Dwigh Light Sprinkle

A heavy silence fell over the room as they all stared at the book. Rarity was the first to speak up.

"Sorry, I don't speak chaos," said Sunset, knitting her brow. "However, from what I can make out, Twilight does seem to be vouching for you."

"Hang on, buddy," said Rainbow Dash, raising her hand. "Didn't we already establish that we can't trust the book because you can manipulate it?"

Discord snickered. "You give me too much credit, Rainbow Dash. Trust me, if I was messing with you, I would not be this subtle."

"And I suppose we just have to take your word on that," said Sunset, placing her hands on her hips.

"It would help, yes," Discord said, crossing his mismatched arms. "You really are a tough nut to crack, Sunny."

"Well, that's because I don't want to end up losing what I have," Sunset retorted.

"Right, yes. You've made that abundantly clear," said Discord with a sigh. "Listen, I'm going to just pop off for a bit. I need some time to think."

"And you may never know with that attitude," Discord shot back. "If I'm going to earn your friendship, I need to break this rigid mindset of yours. Besides, friends should give each other their space when need be."

Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. "Please stop making me look like the bad guy here. You're the legendary tyrant, not me."

"And you tried to become a legendary tyrant in your own right. What's your point?" Discord countered.

Sunset's eye twitched. "That comparison is really starting to get on my nerves, Discord. Knock it off."

"Alright, alright. Sheesh," said Discord, shaking his head. "I really thought you'd be happy to find a friend who understands what you've been through, Sunny. I know I am."

"There there, darling," said Rarity, patting Sunset on the back. "I'm sure it'll be alright. We have Twilight's seal of approval, after all. I, think."

"Even if we don't, we can still keep that guy in line just like before," said Rainbow Dash proudly. "We're here for you, Sunset, no matter what Discord does."

"And we appreciate you, Sunny," said Pinkie with a goofy grin. "Okay, so what're we playing next?"

The girls resumed their practicing, and Sunset did her best to keep up. All the while, however, the her worries about Discord remained in the back of her mind.

Reformation Buddies

by Metool Bard

Magical Music Theory