“Cheerilee?” asked Bluenote tentatively as she tapped her hoof against the door to the teacher’s office.
“Come in,” came Cheerilee’s listless voice.
“So how’d it go?” mumbled Bluenote shuffling her hooves as she entered the tiny room.
“It could have been worse,” said the teacher with a sigh but she didn’t meet her companion's gaze. Instead she just stared down at the carpet and fiddled with one of the bandages covering her many cuts and bruises. It was only after the excitement was over that she and Bluenote had realised how bad an idea it was to try to ram a runaway cart. Even Big Mac had come out of the incident with some bumps. The last time Bluenote had seen of the giant stallion there had been a long line of mares looking to give him some tender loving care. She’d noticed Octavia within the group, under better circumstances she would have teased her friend about her obvious crush. “The school board decided,” continued Cheerilee, “that I was just incompetent rather than criminally negligent.” She sighed again. “Given who mom is they can’t really fire me. Just add a note or two to my file.” She shrugged. “It’s not like I really want to teach anywhere else in the short term.”
“I’m really sorry about what happened. If I could do anything to change it, I would. In an instant. Maybe if I talked to them? Told them it was all my fault?” Bluenote really hated to see her friend like this. She almost wished Cheerilee did blame her for it all, that she’d shout. Throw something even. Almost anything would be better than the depression gripping her normally chipper friend.
The purple mare slowly shook her head. “No, it was my responsibility, not yours. I was the one in charge of the money. I chose how to spend it.”
“How... how are the kids?”
“They’re taking it all well. A little disappointed. They were so looking forwards to all playing together.” Bluenote winced, in a way that hurt more than losing all that money. She wished Cheerilee hadn’t mentioned them now. “We still have enough instruments for a smaller band. There were a few half decent examples in the junk the brothers left us, plus the older ones as well. Thank Cadence I didn’t throw them out.”
Bluenote nodded. Most of the instruments the school used to have were well past their prime, passed through the hooves of generations of foals over the years. Still, they were just about servable. Medley had used her skill to keep them going. But there were only enough to outfit maybe a quarter of the class. The grant had been meant to allow the whole school to play at once, a mini orchestra for mini ponies.
“Oh, there’s still this for you,” said Cheerilee turning towards Bluenote and holding out a thick envelope.
The music teacher took the envelope and tore it open. She spread the papers within over a nearby table. Her eyes widened as she read it. “No! You can’t do this Cheerilee! Not after everything I did!”
“The school still needs a music teacher. Even if we don’t have enough instruments to go around. I’m sure the foals can share. Maybe we could have a choir? You don’t need instruments to sing,” an almost genuine smile started to shine from her face.
“Look... you...” Bluenote was struck dumb by her friend’s generosity.
“You deserve it after all the time you’ve put into helping the children. Plus, you also happened to save the world if I remember correctly.” Turning away Cheerilee shuffled through a few letters on her desk. “Oh, this came for you as well,” she said picking up an envelope.
Bluenote tore it open. “Huh? Oh, it’s the entry form for that contest in Canterlot. The one I told you I’d could get the kids to... win... a... prize... in,” her voice trailed away and her eyes widened as they flashed back and forth over the letter. “A prize! That’s it! We enter this contest and place, that should get us back the money we lost to the brothers. Maybe even more if we come first!”
Cheerilee looked less overjoyed. “Do you really think we can do that?” she said cautiously. “It’s open to schools from all over the area. We haven't even got our band organised yet.”
“No problem,” said Bluenote waving a hoof dismissively, “your kids are really talented. Tootsie’s got a bright future ahead of herself, Silver Spoon’s come on in leaps and bounds since I started to teach her, and Sweetie’s voice is beautiful! I’m sure we can do this! Anyway we’ve got the better part of a month to sort it all out.”
The music teacher’s enthusiasm was infectious and Cheerilee’s ears started to perk up. “Well I suppose so. I know how much the children like their music, and you really are a good teacher.”
“That’s the spirit! After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained!”
“Wait!” cried Cheerilee, her ears drooping again as she read through the application. “This says that the whole school has to take part, and play.”
“What!” exclaimed Bluenote almost tearing the form from Cheerilee’s hooves. “But that's... why?”
Cheerilee sighed. “It makes sense really, the grants went out to almost all the schools in the district. This competition is supposed to show off what they’ve done for the foals with it. We’re supposed to show what we bought with the money and how well the children are doing.”
Bluenote chewed at her lip as she ran through the numbers. She knew some of the children had their own instruments and she had a fair collection herself. A few generous souls around town would help as well, but it still didn’t add up. They were still dozens of extra instruments short, and there was only one pony in town who would have them. “We need Medley’s help,” she finally admitted, “We need to hire a bunch of instruments from her.”
“With what money?” asked Cheerilee.
“Maybe we could ask Octavia for money?” said Bluenote hopefully. “Surely her family could afford it, they own like a gazillion acres of Equestria or something.”
Cheerilee shook her head. “We can’t use funding from nobles in the contest, it’s supposed to show how well we used the government grants, extra funding isn’t allowed. Maybe I should talk to Medley,” she suggested. “Apologize for my decision, maybe we can come to some sort of agreement?”
“No,” said Bluenote looking down at the floor and shuffling her hooves. “It needs to be me, I’m the one that hurt her most, I need to apologize.” She looked up again with a fake looking smile. “I’m sure she won’t hold my own stupidity against the needs of the children.”
“Welcome to Medley Music,” mumbled Medley without much enthusiasm as the bell above the door emitted its familiar tinkle. “Oh, it’s you,” she grunted as she glanced towards the doorway to spy Bluenote standing awkwardly in the doorway. “Are you alright?” she said, her voice tinged with worry. “I heard you got hurt when your new friends hoofed it out of town.”
“Yeah, um.” Bluenote scratched at one of her bandages. “Just a few bumps, nothing serious.”
Medley nodded, her hunched form relaxing by a tiny amount. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“Right, yeah, well,” said Bluenote making her way slowly towards the counter. “How’s business?”
“Not too bad,” said Medley scowling, “I was going to make a big sale a bit back, but somepony decided to give the money to a bunch of con-stallions instead!”
“I think it was their boaters. What’s not to trust about ponies who wear hats like those?” said Bluenote with a nervous giggle. Maybe a little humour would lighten the mood?
“Is that all this was to you, a joke?” yelled Medley suddenly boiling over, “Can’t you be serious for one moment? What if one of the foals had gotten injured by their rubbish?”
Bluenote bristled. “I wouldn’t have... I... look I... They seemed reasonable!” she pleaded, trying to reign in her own temper. How dare Medley suggest she’d let her foals get hurt! “Their prices were lower than yours and I checked out their stuff as much as I could!”
“Of course their prices were lower, they were making tat! You have to pay for true craftsmareship!” insisted Medley shaking a hoof.
Bluenote scowled. “Sometimes it seems like bits are the only thing that matters to you.”
“Craftsmareship matters!” growled Medley, reaching out and gently running a hoof over a nearby fiddle. “Proper materials cost. You don’t get something for nothing. You should have realised that the brothers couldn’t provide a good product at their prices. But no! You were just blinded by the chance of a job where you didn’t have to get out of bed until noon.”
Bluenote clenched her teeth at the latest barb, trying to bite down on her response. She needed Medley’s help and they’d already gotten off to a bad start. “Look, Medley. Me and Cheerilee have come up with a way to make up for the money we lost to the brothers. But we need your help.”
Medley paused for a moment. “I’m listening,” she finally said, crossing her forelegs across her chest and rising into the air to glare down at her friend.
“There’s a competition coming up next month in Canterlot. It’s for school bands. If the kids try really hard, and I know they will, I’m sure they can place. There are cash prizes. We can use the bits to get more instruments, from you this time.”
There was another long moment’s silence. “Sounds reasonable, so what do you need from me?”
Sighing with relief, Bluenote’s face cracked into a wide smile. “We just need to borrow a few instruments for the contest, some trumpets, maybe a cello or two...”
“And by borrow, you mean pay to hire,” said Medley coldly.
“Yeah, well you see, about that,” mumbled Bluenote, “we don’t really have any money for this. Not until we win the contest, but we’ll be able to pay you back then. Think of it as a loan!” she said brightly.
“A loan!” spat Medley as if the word tasted bad. “And if you don’t win?”
“Hey! The kids are talented! They’ll win! We just need to borrow the instruments for rehearsals and the contest itself. Once we’re done you’ll get them back right as rain!”
“Foals are very hard on instruments; they don’t know how to look after them. I’m sure anything I gave you would end up scratched,” she winced clutching the violin closer to her, “or dented. It would reduce the possible selling price.”
“I can ask the kids to be extra careful. It can’t be all that bad. You hire out most of the instruments I use to teach.”
“And look at the state you bring them back in, sticky hoofprints all over them!”
Bluenote winced a little, many of those were hers rather than the foals’. She tended to find that inspiration often struck on the back of a few donuts. “So add another few percent on the fee, we’ll be able to cover it once we win.”
“If you win! What will you do if you don’t?”
“Come on! With these kids we’re going to win.”
“I wish I had your confidence. From what I’ve heard some of them don’t know one end of a trumpet from the other!”
There was an icy silence. “My kids are amazing!” snarled Bluenote, “You won’t find a more talented bunch anywhere in Equestria, or beyond!” She boasted.
Medley actually floated back a little from the venom in her fellow element bearer’s voice. “They might be good, but they’ll be going up against schools from all over.”
“Look, are you going to lend me the instruments or not!”
“No.”
“What!” exclaimed Bluenote blinking in confusion.
“I’m sorry Bluenote, but I can’t make a gamble like that. It might be a big loss for me and I don’t rate the chances of the foals winning.”
“Come on! You can trust me! You know things will work out alright, they always do!”
“I thought I could trust you, but then you betrayed me,” she said coldly. “I can’t take that chance again. This is my livelihood, not some game.”
“Look what if...”
“No!”
“You didn’t even...”
“No!”
“WELL FINE THEN!” cried Bluenote in frustration, “I’ll be off!” She stamped off towards the door. “Ex-friend!” she snarled.
For a moment Medley reached a hoof out towards Bluenote retreating form then she pulled it back in and stamped angrily on the floor. “Fine!” she yelled as the door slammed shut. “I don’t need you anyway!”
Medley glared at the door for a moment before sinking to the ground as she realised what she’d done. With a groan she slowly knocked her head against the counter in front of her. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought, once again she’d driven someone away from her, lost a friend. Why did she keep letting things like this happen?
Sighing, she got to her hooves and began to drift about the shop, mechanically moving to clean her stock. Her mind on something else as she began to sing to herself.
Nothing is so good it lasts eternally
Perfect situations must go wrong
Foolish pride once again prevented me
Keeping friends close for all that long
Looking back I could have played it differently
Listened to her words, who can tell?
I spent no time to understand the mare
And it’s left our friendship’s just a shell
She stopped for a moment at a small alcove near the counter. There lay a framed picture of the element bearers taken not long after they had driven away Nemesis. The figures it showed were battered, but joyful. Medley stood off to one side away from most of the crowd but Bluenote had a leg rested across her friend's neck. Her gurning at the camera drawing a smile from even the taciturn pegasus. Medley slowly wiped a hoof over the picture, moisture starting to gather in her eyes.
Wasn't it good?
Is this the end?
Isn't it madness
We can't be friends.
But in the end she needed
A little bit more from me --
Why couldn’t I agree?
Sang Medley looking around the music shop, its walls lined with instruments. Useless without somepony to play them.
***
Outside a fuming Bluenote stomped her way down the street. Why couldn’t Medley think of anything but her own profits for a change? The mare was absolutely insufferable! She was better off without her! There had to be some other way to get the instruments she needed. She had quite a few at home, mostly hired from Medley. Not enough, but still it was a place to start. She had a piano, a drum kit, two, no three trumpets, her tuba of course, a Flugelhorn, a prench horn... most of a brass section really... now that she thought about it, she really did have a lot of instruments on hire from Medley. It wasn’t even like she paid all that much for them. The pegasus even serviced them regularly. She didn’t even insist Bluenote pay on time if it hadn’t been a good month, although she did grumble a bit about that.
Bluenote came to a halt mid step in the middle of the street. The warmth of her anger starting to drain away leaving her chilled, what had she just done? What had she said? She’d ruined one of her best friendships! Of course her friend couldn’t just keep trusting to luck.
She needed security
To be paid, cried Bluenote
Did she really expect her friend to put everything on the line for her? After she’d shown she didn’t trust her by siding with the brothers?
***
I know her so well.
Mumbled Medley looking at the picture again, remembering how her friend had saved her from the Tagasoro in the Everfree, had saved them all.
***
It was like scales were falling from her eyes, or maybe those were tears. Bluenote could see how much she’d hurt her friend and then just expected that she would keep on giving. That Medley’s element could just be taken for granted. That she would support her regardless of the situation.
None of your friends should be taken for granted
No pony will always be on your side
Do I return and apologize to her?
Or is the gap between us grown too wide?
Looking back I could have played it differently sighed Bluenote, unknowingly echoing her friend’s words.
Thought about the mare before I yelled
Of course she shouldn’t have expected that Medley would just give her what she needed, she was a businessmare. If she just gave everything away she’d go broke.
But I was ever so much thoughtless then
Now at least I know her well
Wasn't it good? Cried the two ponies, thinking back to the good times together.
Is this the end?
Isn't it madness
We can't be friends.
Didn’t I know
How it would go?
Why couldn’t I be smart
Why did I take things to heart?
***
Bluenote’s thoughts took her back to her first few days in town. Back when she was just starting out, looking to make a name for herself as a music tutor. She’d needed a range of instruments to teach with and only Medley, her own business still in its infancy, had what she needed. Despite her shaky financial situation, the pegasus had provided all that she needed at bargain prices. Whenever she had a pupil interested in an exotic instrument Medley had come through regardless of the effort needed.
***
Medley remembered all the times that her more gregarious friend had helped her out. Raised her spirits when times had been tough, helped her put up with Dash when the weather manager was being obnoxious. She thought of the many foals who had had their birthday and Hearthwarming presents bought from her shop because their teacher had recommended it.
Wasn't it good?
Wasn't she kind?
Now I feel sadness
We can't be friends? Moaned both element bearers.
***
But in the end she needed
A little bit more from me --
Why can’t I agree?
***
She needed security
To be paid.
***
We can't be friends
***
I spent no time to understand her
We can't be friends
Separated by only a few dozen feet and a stone wall the two ponies both lowered their heads in sorrow at what their hasty words had done, words they now both bitterly regretted.
***
Bluenote sighed as she started to slope off towards her home. The situation seemed hopeless. She had, in her rash actions, estranged herself from Medley. There was no way she could make amends to her ex-friend now...
No!
She stomped a hoof on the ground.
No!
She and Medley were elements bearers, surely the elements wouldn’t have picked them if their friendship could be broken so easily? There had to be something she could do to fix things. Not just fix their relationship but help Cheerilee as well. If need be she would get down on her knees and beg her friend for forgiveness. She knew Medley was proud, and rightly so, she worked hard at her trade, but she still had a heart. She did all she could for her customers, and her friends. Bluenote just needed to think of some way to show that she really appreciated what Medley had done for her...
Once again there was a tinkle from the bell above the door. Medley turned, for a moment she wanted to ask whoever it was to go away, she really didn’t feel like dealing with any customers at the moment. She didn’t feel like doing anything really, but no, it was her duty to help anyone who came to her shop. “Welcome to Medley’s Music, how can I... Bluenote!” she cried springing to her hooves. She only just stopped herself galloping across the shop floor towards her friend. She wanted to hug her, to tell her how sorry she was, that this was all a mistake. But even after all the emotions that were running through her her pride still held her back. “How, how can I help you?” she asked, her voice almost cracking.
“Um, hi,” said Bluenote, a nervous smile spreading across her face. “I’m sorry for what I said, I’m sorry for not believing you... look can we start again please?”
“Of course, I’m... I’m sorry too, but, I can’t just give you the instruments. I wish I could but it could ruin me, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” said Bluenote closing the distance between them. “I can pay.”
Medley cocked her head. “You can?” she said hopefully. Then she frowned again. “I can give you a good deal, but not that good. Don’t ruin yourself for this!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t. I happen to have come into some money recently. It’s not all that much but I think it will be enough.” She pulled a stack of papers out of her saddlebags and dropped them onto the counter.
Medley trotted forwards and looked at them, flicking through the documents. “What is this? A contract? Your new job? You can’t give this up!”
“I can, I don’t really need it anyway. Maybe I’ll be a bit busier, but my normal students pay the bills and what’s a bit of extra time helping the local foals? They’re worth it! Erk!” She was suddenly engulfed in a huge hug by the legs and wings of Medley.
“Thank you! Thank you!” mumbled the pegasus.
“Can’t... breathe...” gasped Bluenote, shocked by her normally taciturn friend’s reaction.
“Sorry, sorry,” gasped Medley releasing her friend, a large smile plastered on her face. “You really... I’m sorry for what I said, you really do care for those kids.”
“Yeah, well, they’re special you know. I’m sure they’re going to go far. Anyway, I hope you’re ok getting the payment in instalments. I get paid weekly for the job.”
“I’m sure we can work something out. We can get things all squared away once the foals win this contest.” Medley turned towards the back of the shop, “Now, let’s see what you need for the band. You’ll need one of these, and one of these and one, no two of these!” she exclaimed pointing at the shelves. “Oooh! You have to have one of these!” she added as she began to prance down the aisles. With a smile Bluenote followed her friend.