The Mare Formerly Known as Lyra

by Dubs Rewatcher

Discoveries

(HOLY CHEESE, sorry this chapter took so long! I've been slowly whittling away at it for the past couple of weeks, writing it pretty much line by line. So much so, that the Google Docs version of this chapter is in my "Most Visited" toolbar!

A lot happens in this chapter, so maybe it's worth it? YOU DECIDE!)

Lyra marveled at the intricate architecture that inhabited the main branch of Galaxy Music Group. Countless arches, paintings, and fountains dotted the lobby, along with dozens of ponies, each one dressed in the latest Canterlot fashions. Compared to them, Lyra felt remarkably naked; perhaps she should have booked a hotel and changed before coming? Even the mare she was approaching, the receptionist, looked as if she was ready for a full-on photo shoot at any time.

The receptionist’s fur looked as if it had been dipped in butter. It seemed to reflect light, tinting it in the same faded yellow that coated her. This contrasted heavily against her “with-it” mane: a neon blue so bright, it hurt Lyra’s eyes just to see it. While most ponies wore, if anything, just a top, she had brought the whole package: her legs and cutie mark were completely covered by tight-looking blue jeans. Lyra couldn’t get a look at her eyes, as they were hidden behind the latest issue of Equestria Daily magazine, the front of which was adorned by the charismatic face of pop superstar Bruno Saturn.

Lyra trotted with her bags to the semi-circular desk. A few feet in front of it was a small metal sign that read ‘VISITORS MUST BE ANNOUNCED.’ Lyra figured that she counted as a visitor; after all, she hadn’t actually signed anything yet. Setting down her bag on the hard marble flooring, she waited for the mare, who a small nameplate designated as “Starshine,” to acknowledge her.

Starshine turned a page nonchalantly.

Lyra cleared her throat.

Starshine let out a long, deep noise that Lyra could only guess was a yawn.

“Uh, excuse me?” Lyra asked, one eyebrow raised.

The receptionist let the magazine drop messily to her desk. She gave one look at Lyra, and simply let any trace of fake enthusiasm she had slip away. “Welcome. Is there something you need? Directions or something?”

“Actually,” Lyra began, somewhat offended by Starshine’s assumptions, “I was wondering if you could call up to Noteworthy and tell him I’m here. He’s on the 28th floor, if I recall correctly.

Starshine’s expression didn’t change. “I’m sorry ma’am, but Noteworthy no longer works here.”

Lyra was taken aback. “What? But, but, I just met him last week!”

The yellow mare raised the magazine back over her face. “I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is. Have a nice day.”

Lyra’s mind began to race. How was this possible? Had...had she been tricked?! No, Noteworthy seemed so nice. maybe that was just the way they pulled you in. Got your money, and ran. But wait...Lyra hadn’t given Noteworthy any money. Maybe she had gotten the building wrong...? No, she still had the paper with his address on it. Had she just wasted her money, time and hopes for nothing?! And Bon Bon. Oh Celestia, Bon Bon. Hopefully she hadn’t read the note yet...

“Hey, Lyra!”

She turned her head to the source of the noise. At the end of the lobby, cantering steadily out of an elevator, was Noteworthy! He was followed closely by a white-furred, red-maned unicorn mare carrying a clipboard.

"Oh, Noteworthy, you're here!" Lyra exclaimed exuberantly.

Noteworthy looked confused. "Uh...yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, the receptionist said that you didn't work here anymore."

"The hay?" He turned to Starshine. "Yo, Starshine, what's going on here?"

For the first time since the conversation had started, Starshine's expression changed, albeit slightly. "Oh, Noteworthy, you're still here. Word around the office is that Two Step gave you the boot."

Noteworthy looked ready to pop a blood vessel. "Where do these rumors keep coming from?! No, I was not fired!"

“Well, it’s not like it would have been unusual or anything. I mean, I’m just a receptionist, and even I’ve heard about your re-”

“STOP IT, STARSHINE!”

Everypony stared at the white mare that had spoken up. Almost immediately, her face flushed with color. “I mean, uh, stop being so rude. Can’t we all just, you know, let it die?”

Starshine rolled her eyes, smiled, and went back to Equestria Daily. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Have a nice day.”

There was a tense silence. It was slowly broken as Noteworthy released a long sigh. “Okay. Come on, Lyra. Let’s get upstairs.”

At this point, Lyra’s confusion had morphed into something akin to worry. Just what was she getting herself into with this?

----------

The elevator ride up seemed to drag on forever, Lyra noted. After the scene in the lobby, the air had become awkward. The conversation, already non-existent, was so dead that Lyra nearly jumped when Noteworthy spoke. “Oh, I just realized.” He turned to the two mares. “You two haven’t been properly introduced. Lyra, I would like you to meet Backbeat, my personal assistant. Backbeat, Lyra.”

The two shook. “Nice to meet you.” Lyra offered.

“And the same to you.” Backbeat responded, her bespectacled eyes lighting up.

With a ding and a short lurch, the silver, double doors that marked the elevator entrance slid open. However, none of them stepped forward; it was only the fourteenth floor. On the contrary, Noteworthy stepped back, scowling at the new arrival.

He was an earth pony stallion, just like Noteworthy. However, compared to him, Noteworthy was a tank; he was slim and smooth, as if he was a pegasus without wings. His cutie mark, a keyboard, adorned an ashen-furred flank. His mane bore a striking resemblance to that of the first taxi driver Lyra had encountered at the airport; jet-black, with an excessive use of grease. Sunglasses tinted just as dark as his hair covered his eyes.

“Hey-o, Blues! You still here?” the stallion said, flashing a pair of pearly whites.

Noteworthy wasn’t amused by the nickname. “Hello, Key Change. Yes, I’m still here. Thanks for asking.”

“No problem.” Key Change stepped into place between Noteworthy and Lyra, carelessly pushing Backbeat into the back of the elevator. He turned to the turquoise unicorn on his left. “And a hello to you, Miss...?”

“Uh, it’s Miss Lyra. Oh, um, I-I mean, it’s just Lyra.”

Key Change grinned. “Lyra, huh?” Suddenly, he grabbed her hoof, and before she could react, leaned down and gave it a light kiss. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Lyra.” He only kept grinning as Lyra blushed in response. “So, Blues, this the new client everypony’s saying you got?”

Noteworthy took in a calming breath. “Yeah. But I thought the rumors were saying I was fired.”

“There are a lot of rumors.” Key Change responded before turning back to Lyra. “So, Lyra, what made you go for somepony like Noteworthy?”

“Uh, I guess I just kind of met him after the Music Festival?”

“‘Music Festival?’ Oh, you must mean the Canterlot Amateur Music Festival! Yes, now I know where I remember you from. Well, Lyra, my name is Key Change. You may know one of my clients, Bustin’ Jieber?”

“You represent Bustin’ Jieber?” Lyra asked.

Key Change chuckled. “Yes. Yes I do.” From behind him, Backbeat let out a groan so quiet only she could have possibly heard it. “And I have a question for you: how would you like to work with me?”

Noteworthy snapped his head to Key Change. “What?!”

Lyra gasped. “Wait, what?”

“Oh, come on. What do you have to lose? Nothing. But to gain...”

“I swear to Celestia, Key Change.” Noteworthy huffed. “Lyra is my client and I will not-”

“Really?” Key Change interrupted, pulling down his sunglasses to reveal a set of piercing gold irises. “She’s already signed a contract, and everything?”

“Well, no, but-”

“Then she’s free game. So, what do you say, Lyra? Music is a tough world; don’t you want the best chance of survival?”

Lyra frowned. Despite the smile and sleek appearance, she did not feel comfortable with the direction in which the conversation was headed. She felt like a piece of meat. Noteworthy seemed nice. Key Change seemed(to use a term she heard from her parents often, when describing Canterlot types) like a complete douche. “Thank you for the offer, Key Change. But I think I’ll stick with Noteworthy.”

Now it was Key Change’s turn to frown. “Fine. Your loss.” The elevator gave a short ding as the black screen near the ceiling turned to a definite ‘28.’ “She’s all yours, Blues.”

Noteworthy snorted in frustration as the doors opened. “Let’s go, Lyra, Backbeat.”

The gray walls that led from the elevator were lined with pictures, paintings, and doors. The pictures depicted various ponies paired with the hottest musicians, no doubt manager and client. Lyra made a small mental note: Noteworthy was nowhere to be seen. Each door was marked with a small golden sign, engraved with dark black lettering. Once they had reached the one marked ‘NOTEWORTHY,’ the stallion in question pushed the door open easily, standing aside to let his two companions through.

The room was pretty big, surprisingly. However, despite the size, it was remarkably empty. The back walls was a dull white, only marked by two large windows. In front of it was a metal desk, filled with pictures, random knick-knacks and a lone Marecrosoft computer. In front of that were two red chairs, each one looking comfortable. A couch rested against the left wall.

Lyra put her bags down and settled herself on the gray couch, slumping over in a style most comfortable for her. Her parents had always lectured her “not to sit like that.” Supposedly it could hurt your back. But who were they to tell her how to sit? She was a grown mare, and she would do whatever she felt comfortable doing. However, she did not feel comfortable with the confused stares Noteworthy and Backbeat were giving her, so she settled into a laying position. “So, if I could ask a question...”

“Shoot.” Noteworthy replied, rummaging through a file cabinet as Backbeat swiftly caught the items he threw out.

“What’s going on around here?”

Backbeat placed a pile of papers on Noteworthy’s desk. “What do you mean?”

“Well...with everything! I mean, first the receptionist said you got fired.”

Noteworthy looked up from a manila folder. “Hey, that was a vicious rumor.”

“Yeah, but why was there a rumor in the first place? And what was that on the elevator? Who was that guy?”

“That’s Key Change.” Backbeat began. “He has the highest success rate in the entire Canterlot branch. Maybe even, uh, the entire company...”

“Not that he deserves it.” Noteworthy interrupted. “All he does is use underhanded tricks and sleazy tactics. And, somehow, he always gets the best clients. It gets pretty frustrating sometimes.” He pulled a long sheet of paper filled with writing out of the folder.. “Ah, here we are!” He handed it to Lyra. “Your contract.”

Lyra looked it over warily. She still wasn’t completely content with how things were being done here. She was surprised by the brevity of the document; it was able to fit onto a single page, albeit leaving no room to spare. It outlined the basic details one would expect from a music contract. The company held all performance rights, could terminate contract at any time, etc.. After checking twice for any hidden fine print, Lyra bit down on the pen Backbeat offered her and signed, giving a small flourish on the end of the straight line that marked her signature.

She handed it off to Backbeat, who levitated it in the air to read it. It had just occurred to Backbeat that she didn’t actually know herself what was on one of these things. However, after reading it over, what concerned her about the contract was not what was on it; rather, what wasn’t on it. “Uh, Noteworthy, could I please talk to you for a moment?” Backbeat asked. “Outside, I mean.”

“Of course.” Noteworthy replied. He turned to Lyra. “If you would just give us a minute.” The two stepped out of the office, Backbeat slowly shutting the door behind them. “So, what was it you needed?”

“Uh, I was wondering...you do realize that this contract doesn’t mention the, um, deal anywhere on it?” Backbeat asked honestly.

“Oh. Right. About that.” He swallowed. “Actually, I wasn’t actually planning on telling her until it was over.” he said with a nervous chuckle. “I mean, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right?”

Backbeat gasped. “Noteworthy! Do you know how mean that is? What if she gets rejected? Can you even imagine how she would feel?”

Noteworthy sighed. “Well, considering I would be out of a job too, I’d say I have a pretty good idea.” He grabbed her hooves. “Please, Backbeat. If Lyra- or Heartstrings, I guess, finds out about this she’ll probably flip. She’s already pissed.”

Backbeat adjusted her brown glasses. “I, um, wouldn’t say she’s ‘pissed.’ She seems more confused, than anything. And I don’t think we’ve known her for long enough to say whether she would, you know, quit or not.”

“Look. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. But we’ve got less than a week left, and we need to get Lyra ready for whatever Two Step’s got planned for her.” Noteworthy said, staring imploringly, straight into Backbeat’s brown eyes. “Can you please just go along with it for one week? For me?”

“I-I-I...ah...” She sighed. “I guess so.”

“Best assistant, I’m telling you!” Noteworthy cheered. He slowly opened the door and stepped into the office once again. Backbeat followed behind him, trace amounts of guilt lingering in her mind.

Lyra clumsily shifted from a sitting position back to a laying one. “Oh, hey.”

Noteworthy didn’t seem to notice. “Okay, Lyra. Do you mind if we head straight down to the studio, or do you have something else planned?”

“I’m completely fine with that. Let’s go!” Lyra said, jumping from the couch. “But wait...I still have my bags. Should I leave them here, or...?”

Backbeat nodded. “Don’t worry, your things will be safe here. Actually, I could probably book your hotel room, if you want me to. Unless you already have one.”

Lyra smiled. “I actually didn’t, so thanks.” Backbeat nodded again, and left the room. Lyra went to grab the black bag that held her lyre.

“Wait, Lyra.” Noteworthy called.

“Hm?”

“You can leave that here. We won’t actually be needing it.”

The aquamarine mare raised an eyebrow. “But I thought we were going to the studio? Aren’t we recording?”

Noteworthy nodded. “Yeah, we are. Just trust me on this.”

She fell silent for a moment, but eventually relented. “Okay. You’re the expert.”

----------

Predictably, the elevator ride was just as slow. However, now that they knew each other a little more, the silences weren’t so awkward. “So,” Noteworthy began. “How do you like Canterlot so far? It must be pretty different from Ponyville.”

“Actually, I used to live here. I was a student at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”

“O-ho! Really? That completely trumps my Hoofington High School diploma. Must be pretty easy to get a job with a degree like that.”

“Yeah, it probably would be. But I, uh...dropped out. Heh, heh.”

“Oh.”

The God of Awkward Silences jumped for joy.

“But, yeah, it is pretty different than I remember it.” Lyra continued, attempting to salvage the conversation. “The cab over here from the airport cost me eighteen bits! Eighteen! When I was living here, that would have been next to nothing!”

“Well, they do have a lot of high-class ponies here. They need to make money somehow!”

“Tell me about it. Have you ever been to Grand Galloping Gala?” Lyra asked. Noteworthy shook his head. “It’s a nightmare. Nothing but snooty mares and stuck-up stallions everywhere.”

“You’ve been to the Grand Galloping Gala?” Noteworthy asked, incredulous.

“Yeah. My fillyfriend, Bon Bon, has a cousin who won our town’s Running of the Leaves race, and she won two tickets. She didn’t want them, so she gave them to Bon Bon and me.”

“Fillyfriend?” Noteworthy questioned. He was surprised; Lyra didn’t seem like the type.

“Oh!” Lyra blushed. “Not like that! I mean, she’s just a friend who’s also a filly. You know what I mean.”

Noteworthy chuckled. “Of course.” The elevator beeped, and within seconds, the door opened. However, the studio they were headed for was the 65th floor(the building was 101 floors in all, one of the biggest in Canterlot). They were only on the 40th. Unlike the previous elevator ride, no one currently in the car hated the pony stepping on. In fact, Lyra loved her.

The mare’s head was completely covered by a shock of electric blue hair, a few strands falling in front of the purple sunglasses that graced her face. Her fur was a white matching that of Celestia’s, contrasted by the pure black of the backwards double quaver on her flank. She was known throughout Equestria as the Queen of Rave, Rap, and Pop.

She was Vinyl Scratch. Or more commonly known as DJ Pon-3.

Lyra tried to contain her hyperventilation as Vinyl stepped on and hit the button for the roof. “Y-you’re...”

Vinyl turned to her admirer and smiled. “Yo, filly, you okay?”

“YES! I OKAY!” Lyra yelped, nodding wildly. “But, but, you’re...DJ Pon-3! One of the greatest musicians in Equestria!”

“Aw, dude, you’re makin’ me blush!” Vinyl replied, her smile unfading. “Always cool to meet a fan.” At that moment, she noticed the large, blue stallion sitting next to Lyra. “Yo, Blues! Wass shakin’, my brotha’?” She held up a hoof.

Not even Noteworthy could get mad at the charismatic Vinyl Scratch for using the name he so despised. “Nothing much, Vinyl. How’s life?” he said, returning her brohoof.

“It’s all good! Just headin’ up to the roof for some air. Gold Bar can be a pretty intense manager, I can tell you that.” She looked back at Lyra. “Do you want an autograph, or something?”

Lyra nodded her head just as furiously as before, but slowed just as quickly as she had started. “I don’t think I have a pen or paper, though.”

Vinyl laughed. “Filly, you stay famous for long enough, and you learn to be prepared.” Her horn shone blue for a moment. Suddenly, a picture of her playing and a marker emerged from her hair. “So, who should I make this baby out to?”

“Lyra?”

“Cute name.” Vinyl said, quickly sliding the marker over the paper in a messy signature. At that moment, the elevator pinged, signaling Lyra and Noteworthy’s stop. “See you around sometime, Ly. See ya, Blues.”

As soon as the elevator doors shut, leaving the two alone, Lyra gave a fangirlish squeal. “EEEEEE! DJ Pon-3 knows my name! And she has a nickname for me!”

"I didn't think you would be such a big fan of Vinyl Scratch. With an instrument like the lyre, I figured you'd be all classical." Noteworthy said, beginning to walk down the wide hallway. Every few yards, a door would interrupt the vast stretch of wall. Each one led into a recording studio.

“Oh, no! I love modern music! I'm always open to new things."

Noteworthy swallowed. "That's good to hear."

----------

"Okay, so how are we going to do this?" Lyra asked.

Noteworthy sat at a large machine that sat against an even larger window. It was lined with lights and buttons of all shapes and sizes, so much so it gave Lyra a headache just to attempt to comprehend it all. The window looked into a small, metal chamber. A bright lighf illuminated the only occupant: a lone microphone that hung stiffly from the ceiling.

"Before we get into the business of composing and all that, I just, uh, want to have another taste of what you sound like." He grabbed a few papers from a drawer below the machine. "Here, I had this prepared for you." Noteworthy handed her the papers, and motioned to a door that led into the chamber. "Head on in."

"…Okay? I don't really see how this going to work without my lyre, but whatever." Lyra said, pushing the gray door open. A pitch black pair of headphones were hung on the microphone. Lyra shakily levitated them onto her head, and adjusted ths microphone to match her height(whoever had been there before her was either very short, or had been sitting). For the first time, she looked at the papers that she had been given. Lyra smiled.

In the paper, emblazoned in clear cut black text were the lyrics to the song "Need You Now" by Filly Postbellum. Lyra loved this song! They played it all the time on her favorite radio station, "K-COLT." She had even composed a cover of it on lyre, just for whenever she wanted to hear it. But wait...these were just the lyrics. What was she...?

"Okay, Heartstrings, do you know this song?" Noteworthy said through a microphone of his own. He was fiddling with the different controls that the machine was mottled with. His voive seemed to come at her from all sides.

"Uh, yeah, I do. But what are you expecting me to do with this? I have no instrument." She thought for a moment. "And what did you call me?"

If Noteworthy had heard her last comment, he didn't show it. He flicked a switch, and a few melancholy piano notes floated out of the speaker. "Yes, you do. You have your voice!" Noteworthy remarked. "Sing!"

Whatever trace of a smile Lyra had disappeared immediately. "Wait, wait, what?! I-I-I can't sing!"

"Psh!" Noteworthy replied. "I bet you're great! Now, get ready, your cue is coming!"

Lyra swallowed, but found some difficulty attempting to pass the lump that had formed in her throat. "Here...here I go?"

“PIIcture PEEEErfEct memoRIIIEs, scAAtTtered all around the flOOra...”

Noteworthy grabbed his headphones and moved them as far away as possible, to no avail. The screeching sound of Lyra attempting to sing still bored into his eardrums as if it were an angry wasp.

“REEeaching for the pHone, cause I can’t fIight it anyYymore...”

In the next recording room, through the sound-proof walls that separated them, Sapphire Shores snorted in frustration. “I simply CANNOT work with that horrible screeching!” she yelled, stamping a hoof. “What is that?!”

“And I woOnder if II ever crOss your MiNd...”

----------

Back in Lyra’s hometown of Ponyville, Pinkie Pie had just dropped a perfectly good cake on the floor, after she had begun to shake uncontrollably. Mr. Cake dropped the spoon he had been carrying, stared at his employee for a moment, and sighed. “Okay, I’ll bite. What does this one mean, Pinkie?”

“Hu-bu-bu-bu-bu! Something big is happening! Something big and bad!”

“Where? Can you feel it?”

“All the way in Canterlot! Boy, I sure do hope the Princesses are okay!”

----------

“HOLY ME, WHAT IS THAT?!” Celestia screeched, holding her hooves over ears. “NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRY, I CAN’T STOP THE NOISE!”

Luna crouched in the corner, her left eyelid twitching every few seconds. Suddenly, she began to sob uncontrollably, and started banging her head into the stone wall. “Make it stop, Celestia! MAAAKE IT STOOOOP!”

Two royal guards looked on in a mix of confusion and panic. “Uh...should we do something?”

His partner shrugged. “I can’t hear anything. Must be their, you know...time of the month?”

Luna stopped banging her head, and glared at the guard. “THOU SHOULD COUNT THYSELF FORTUNATE THAT WE ARE IN A FRENZY, WHELP.”

----------

“For mEE It happEns all the tIIIIIIIIIII-”

“FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD, STOP SINGING!” Noteworthy screamed through his mic, the volume of his voice sending Lyra sprawling. He looked up through the 8-inch thick window, only to be greeted by a giant crack.

Lyra lifted herself up and shuffled her hooves. “So...how did I do?”

Noteworthy held back tears. “I...I don’t even know. I think my ears are bleeding. No offense.”

She sighed. “None taken. I tried to warn you! I’ve never been very good at singing-”

“‘Never been very good?’ That’s an understatement! That was a trainwreck! I’m amazed I haven’t already been smacked with fifteen lawsuits for medical expenses!” Noteworthy rebutted, beginning to hyperventilate. “I mean, uh, no offense, again.”

Lyra glared at him. “None taken. Why did you want me to sing, anyway? I thought I was just going to be playing lyre, and that’s it.” She pushed open the door, and entered the room Noteworthy was sitting in.

Noteworthy gave a nervous chuckle. “Oh yeah, I mean- I just wanted to see if you could sing, as well as play, you know...”

“Is that really it?” Lyra asked, looking Noteworthy straight in the eye. “Because I think you’re lying to me. What’s really going on here?”

"Oh, no, nothing. We're...we're all good."

"Look." Lyra said, advancing toward the blue stallion. "I might be a chump, but I'm not naïve. I can tell that there's more to this than you're letting on. Tell me."

There was an uncomfortable silence. It had just become very clear to Noteworthy that this wasn't going to work if he kept keeping secrets. "Fine. I guess you have a right to know the truth."

----------

Backbeat felt like laughing, she was just so happy. She usually didn't believe Noteworthy when he said she was the "best assistant ever." He was just being nice; and she knew better than anyone how nice Noteworthy was. He was just always there, giving you a hoof. And a pretty sturdy hoof, at that. A sturdy hoof, connected to a burly leg, connected to a muscular torso...

Backbeat noticed the rims of her glasses were beginning to fog.

What had she been thinking about again? Oh right, being happy. This time, she really was the best assistant ever. She gotten Lyra- or Heartstrings, rather, a suite at one of the best hotels in town, the Windwoods. But that wasn’t all. According to the Windwoods website, they were in need of a headliner for their weekly dinner theater. This week it was some magician, the name of whom Backbeat couldn’t recall. And they had specifically requested a singer!

This was the perfect place for Heartstrings to make her start. Surprisingly, signing up for the gig hadn’t been hard at all; she had been able to conduct the entire thing in one phone call. They had said something about nopony wanting to be caught dead headlining for...whatever her name was. She had shrugged it off at the time. They were just being harsh, is all. Noteworthy and Heartstrings would be so happy.

She opened the door to the studio Noteworthy had let her known they were going to be using. “I have big-”

Lyra pointed an accusing hoof at Backbeat. “DID YOU KNOW?”

Backbeat recoiled. “I, uh, wait, huh?”

Lyra walked to her fellow unicorn with imploring eyes. “Did you know about this ‘deal’ that Noteworthy had going on?”

The white unicorn searched for Noteworthy, hoping for some advice as to what to do. However, the only thing she found was a blue lump curled up under the recording machine, letting out a whimper every few seconds. “I-I-I don’t know?” Backbeat stammered.

“You don’t know what?!”

“I...I don’t know if I knew?”

Lyra stamped her hooves in frustration. “I swear to Celestia! Can nopony give me a straight answer?!”

“I...Heartstrings, I think-”

“AND WHY DOES EVERYPONY KEEP CALLING ME THAT?!?!” Lyra screamed, tugging at her mane. “My name is Lyra! Not this ‘Heartstrings’ bullcrap! Seriously, who would come up with the name Heartstrings? It’s the worst name I’ve ever heard!”

Backbeat sunk low to the floor. “I, uh, I’m sorry...”

“Yeah, I bet you are!” Lyra huffed, pacing around the room. Noteworthy shuddered whenever she got too close. “My parents were right, Canterlot types are all the same! They lie and cheat just to get what they want! You were probably just going to throw me away once Noteworthy’s job was safe!”

Backbeat picked herself up. “That is not true!” She rushed to Lyra, and gave her a quick jab in the side. “I’m not going to hide it; yes, we did lie to you. But that doesn’t mean we don’t care! We wanted you to succeed just as much as you did.”

Lyra could only stare in shocked silence as the formerly timid mare lectured her. This wasn’t the pony she had met before.

“We’re not evil, Lyra. You’re a good musician. You know that, and we know that. Now, you can stay and we can work together. Or you can leave, never see any of us again, and forget this whole thing ever happened. And let me tell you, I don’t look very kindly upon those who quit.” Backbeat huffed, punctuating her sentence with a piercing stare.

“I...I don’t...”

“Well?”

Lyra stared down at her hooves. What was she doing? They had lied to her! She was being played! If she was sane, she would leave right there. Let them deal with their own problems!

But yet...she wasn’t sane. She was a chump. Lyra sighed. “I...I get it. And...I’ll stay.”

Backbeat nodded. “That’s good.” At that moment, her posture softened a bit. “I’m sorry I had to get so, uh, intense there.”

“It’s okay. I was a bit out-of-line too.” Lyra said. There was a moment of silence, ended only by a shaky whimper. “Speaking of which...you might want to check on Noteworthy. I kinda...”

Backbeat stared at him. “Let me guess. You flamed?”

Lyra rubbed the back of her head. “Yeah.”

Hesitantly, Backbeat touched the shuddering mass of blue fur. “Uh, Noteworthy? Are... are you okay?”

“So...so much fire...”

“Noteworthy?” Backbeat shook him a little bit. “Noteworthy, wake up.” she said tersely.

“Fire...and the yelling...”

Her horn became coated in a transparent white light. “NOTEWORTHY!” Backbeat yelled, a tinge of magic surrounding her voice. With a surprising amount of strength, Backbeat lifted him up, and gave him a firm slap across the face. “Wake up!”

“Ai-yaa! Backbeat, what was that for?” Noteworthy asked, rubbing his cheek, the skin of which was beginning to turn red.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! You just weren’t answering, and I, uh...” Backbeat whispered. Now she was the one who was turning red.

Noteworthy shook his head. “Whatever. Anyway, what’s going on? Did Heartstrings leave?”

Lyra stepped into place beside Backbeat. “Nah, I decided to stick around. I’m a sucker for a good sob story.” They all laughed. Suddenly, Lyra’s face turned grave. “But if you keep calling me that, I swear to Celestia-”

“Okay, okay, I get it.” Noteworthy said, holding up his hooves defensively. “Anyway, I’d...I’d say we’re done for today.”

Lyra nodded sheepishly.

“Oh, really?” asked Backbeat. “I didn’t realize how long I was gone!” She turned to Lyra. “I bet you were great.”

Noteworthy and Lyra exchanged glances. Lyra motioned for him to say something. “Oh, uh...Backbeat, about that...”

“Oh, that reminds me.” Backbeat began. “I have a big surprise. I figured, since we only have a week and all, it would be best to give Lyra as much experience as possible. So, I signed her up for a gig!”

Noteworthy gaped. “You did what now?”

“In two days, Lyra will be headlining for the Windwoods Presents Performance Series!”

Lyra stared at her in wide-eyed fear. “D-doing what?” she asked shakily. She couldn’t have. There was just no way.

“Why, singing of course!”

Noteworthy let out a high-pitched moan, and fell to the floor.

“D-di-did I do something wrong?”

----------

“Ah!” Noteworthy yelped, shooting up from the couch where he lay. A small, blue icepack tumbled from his head to the red velvet carpet below. He was...back in his office? But he was just at the studio, recording with Heartstrings. And she had been terrible. Like...he couldn’t even think of something that had been as bad as that. Well, he had just woken up which meant that it had all been a dream. Heartstrings probably wasn’t even here yet. And Backbeat definitely hadn’t booked them a gig without telling him. It was all a dream...

“Oh, you’re awake! Backbeat, he’s awake!”

Noteworthy turned his head to the left. Standing over him, smile planted on her face was Heartstrings- no, wait, Lyra. He couldn’t place his hoof on it, but something told him Lyra was better at the moment. Lyra placed a bowl of water on the table that sat before Noteworthy. “Drink up. You took a pretty nasty fall.”

“I-Wait, I...what happened?” Noteworthy asked, leaning down to lap at the icy liquid.

Before Lyra could answer, Backbeat walked in. She carried a ruby red thermos around her neck. “Oh, good. I was so worried.” She trotted to the table and sat on the floor. “...Sorry about that.”

Noteworthy stopped abruptly. “And what are you sorry about, exactly?”

Lyra suppressed a gasp. He didn’t remember! That meant they could probably just get around this without him fai-

“About signing Lyra up for the performance at the Windwoods.” Backbeat explained, adjusting her glasses. “Don’t you remember?”

The only thing that could be heard once she stopped talking was the sharp sound of a turquoise unicorn slapping her hoof against her own face.

Noteworthy’s pupils shrank to pin-points. His breathing became shallow. Lyra, who had since prepared herself for such an event, whipped out a brown paper bag and held it to Noteworthy’s blue muzzle. “OH *huff* CELESTIA *huff* I’M GOING TO *huff huff* GET FIRED.” Noteworthy gasped.

Lyra sighed. “Noteworthy, calm down. Nopony’s getting fired. All we have to do is think of a way to get around this.”

Noteworthy threw the bag to the floor. “Get around this? They’re expecting a five star singer, Lyra! You are not a five star singer!”

Once again, Backbeat had shrunk to the floor. “Uh, sorry, again. And I’ve been, uh, thinking.”

Lyra and Noteworthy turned to the white mare. “Yeah?” the stallion asked.

“I mean, we could always, you know...cancel, couldn’t we?”

“NO!” Lyra shrieked, stamping a hoof so hard it got even Noteworthy to jump. “THE SHOW MUST GO ON!” Her chest was puffed out in something that resembled pride.

The other two stared at the unicorn with questioning looks. “What?” they said in unison.

Lyra kept her pose for a moment before deflating. “Look, it’s just kinda a thing I have.” Lyra explained. “I may not be the best musician ever, but I do have my standards. And my one greatest philosophy is ‘the show must go on.’” She smiled. “I’ve never cancelled a show in my life, and I’m not about to.”

Noteworthy dunked his head into the water. The freezing pain did nothing to calm his mind. “Well, what are we supposed to do, then? If we let you sing, we’ll probably end up getting run out of town.” There was a pregnant silence. “No offense.” Lyra frowned at him. “Okay, sorry.”

Lyra and Noteworthy looked to Backbeat expectantly. She was sipping a dark brown liquid, which he could only assume was coffee, out of the thermos she hung around her neck. “Hm?” she asked, looking at them innocently.

“What should we do?” the aquamarine mare asked.

“I...don’t know.”

“But you always know!” Noteworthy cried, holding his hooves to his head. “You’re the best assistant ever! You always have an idea!”

“What am I, a one-trick pony?” Backbeat rebutted, her face stern. “Uh, sorry. But, I don’t really have an idea...”

The three sat staring off into space. For once, it seemed as if everything wasn’t going to work out in the end. What were they supposed to do now? Was Lyra just supposed to stand by and watch Noteworthy get fired? Lyra rubbed her temples, trying to think of something, anything, that could get them out of the mess they were in. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she silently regretted ever winning that stupid festival. Blue Belle looked smart. She would probably know how to get out of this.

That was when it hit her. An idea. In all honesty, it probably wouldn’t work, but, hey, what did they have to lose? Lyra stood up. “I...I think I might have a plan.”

Noteworthy nearly jumped out of his seat. “You do?! What is it, what is it?”

“Look, before I tell you, you have to know: I can’t guarantee anything. Like, at all. I’m pretty much going out on a limb here.”

Backbeat gave a docile smile. “Something is better than nothing, I always say.” Noteworthy nodded in agreement.

“I have a feeling I might just know somepony who can help us out.”

(I'm not going to lie, I don't think this chapter was of the highest quality. But since I finished this, I've finally made an outline of how the entire story is going to go. Expect things to improve! Stay tuned!

Also, if you couldn't guess, Lyra was butchering the song "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum)

Comments

[Mystic]

Haha, you had some good humour in this chapter. I look forward to seeing where this is going!

[Meta Knight]

trust me you don't want to know what I would do to them

[Dubs Rewatcher]

47517

...what