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Opportunities4,349 words
Preparations4,472 words
Discoveries6,457 words
Questions4,500 words
Talents5,837 words
Performances6,146 words
"Friends"4,629 words
Talks2,226 words
Tests (Part I)6,349 words
Tests (Part II)5,962 words
Epilogues1,059 words
Author's Note465 words

Tests (Part I)

Knock knock knock

“Hello, Mr. Noteworthy?”

Noteworthy stopped pacing and looked to the door. “Come in!” he called.

The door opened slowly, and a cyan unicorn, barely old enough to be called a stallion, poked his head in. He was levitating a small piece of paper behind him. “Sorry to intrude, Mr. Noteworthy, but I have a message for you!” He floated the card over to Noteworthy.

With a gulp, Noteworthy read the memo. It said:

Basement auditorium, 10:00. I expect the best.

~Two Step

The stallion released the breath he had been holding. “Oh Celestia,” Noteworthy said to himself. It was finally here.

“Sir?”

Noteworthy looked up. “Huh?”

“With all due respect, you don’t look very good. Is something wrong?”

“Uh...no,” Noteworthy replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “Everything’s fine. Thanks for the message.”

The young intern eyed his superior, but eventually nodded, said his farewells and left. Noteworthy sighed and put the card on his desk. It was just after 9:00, so he had time. There was just one small problem.

He was the only one there.

Noteworthy hadn’t heard from either Lyra or Backbeat since Saturday, when the former had hung up on him. Neither were answering their phones. At least, Backbeat wasn’t. Lyra’s phone would ring once, then mysteriously cut out. He decided to try once more.

He picked up the receiver of the phone on his desk and tapped out Backbeat’s number with his hooftip. He knew it by heart.

It rang six times.

‘Hi, you’ve reached Backbeat’s house. Please leave a message, and I’ll try to get back as soon as I can. Thank you. BEEEEEEP’

“Hey, Backbeat?” Noteworthy said. “I don’t know how many voicemails I’ve left. But now, more than ever, I’m telling you: you need to get here or call me back, because I’m starting to get nervous. Thanks. Bye.” He hung up.

Truth be told, he had surpassed nervousness a while ago. Now, it was more like abject fear. Backbeat...was this about what had happened on Friday? Nah, it couldn’t be! Backbeat was much too professional to let something like that get her down. And, besides, it was just some random thing she did because she was feeling weird.

...Right?

Noteworthy shook the thoughts away. “Focus,” he said. “You don’t have time to be thinking about things like that.” He picked up the phone and pulled his roll-a-dex closer. He tapped the number for Lyra’s hotel room.

It rang six times.

“Hello! You’ve reached the Windwoods hotel! The guest you are trying to reach is not available right now. At the tone, please record your message. Have a Windwoods day! BEEEEEEEEP’

Noteworthy blinked. That was the first time he had actually gotten to her voicemail. In fact, he wasn’t even aware that hotels had voicemail systems!

“Oh, uh, hey, Lyra. It’s Noteworthy. I’m sorry about what happened on Saturday, but I really need you. Either get to Galaxy or call me soon. Thanks. Bye.”

He sighed loudly as he hung up. “Well,” he said, “if the call actually went through, that probably means Lyra isn’t there. Which is good, I suppose. Maybe she’s coming here?” He looked at the clock. 9:17. They had time, all he had to do was stay calm and not panic.

Time passed quickly, with no sign of either of the two mares. Soon, it was 9:45, just fifteen minutes before the event that would decide the course of Noteworthy’s life.

He began to panic.

Where were they?! What was going on?! Noteworthy’s mind screamed at him to do something, but what was he supposed to do?! He had no idea where they even were!

It occurred to him: maybe he didn’t know where they were, but that didn’t mean somepony else didn’t!

----------

“What do you mean you haven’t seen them?!”

Starshine didn’t look up from her magazine. “Sorry, just haven’t,” she drawled.

“I, but-” Noteworthy stammered. He had figured that, if the two mares really had come to Galaxy, they would have passed through the front door. Which would mean that Starshine, the receptionist, would have seen them. But either the mare wasn’t doing her job, or they really weren’t there. Noteworthy began to hyperventilate.

Starshine, for the first time, looked up from her copy of Equestria Daily. “Hey, you okay?” she asked flatly. “You’re creeping me out.”

Noteworthy glared. “No, I’m not okay! The future of my career is being decided in ten minutes, and the two mares I need to make it happen are missing! I AM FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW!!!”

“Oh. Huh. Where is this thing happening?”

“Basement auditorium.”

The unicorn blinked. “Have you tried checking there?”

“Huh?”

“Have you tried checking there?” she repeated. “Maybe your two fillies are down there, doing...whatever it is you ponies do.”

Noteworthy broke out into a wide smirk. “That’s it!” he cried, grabbing Starshine and bringing her into a hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Starshine gagged. “Oh Celestia, let go of me before I call security!”

“Oh. Sorry,” Noteworthy said, pulling away. “...Bye!” He galloped off.

The yellow mare nickered and pulled her magazine back up. “And I’m the receptionist.”

----------

Noteworthy busted open the double doors that led to the auditorium. “BACKBEAT! LYRA! I’M HERE!” he yelled.

But instead of being greeted by two(hopefully) smiling mares, he was greeted by thirteen blank stares, the majority of which were from stallions. He felt a blush begin to take form on his face.

All the ponies were sitting in various different seats. Specifically, the group was composed of nine stallions, and four mares. A few of them looked remotely familiar, but there was only one pony Noteworthy truly recognized. Sitting in the very top row, a strange mix of relief and anger on his face, was Two Step.

The graying stallion trotted up to Noteworthy, looked him dead in the eye, and said: "You are a minute late."

"I know, sir, but I-"

"Now, is this Heartstrings mare of yours ready to perform? Or are you backing out?"

Noteworthy looked away. "Um. Well...before I answer that, if you don't mind me asking of, of course, who are all these ponies?"

Two Step looked back toward the seats, where everypony was sitting. Some were still looking at them, but quickly turned away when Two Step did. "These," he began, "are my pre-listeners. They get the final say on who makes it and who does not. Even I cannot override their decision."

The blue pony gulped. "Oh."

"They have been waiting here for quite a while. I hope that you are ready?" Two Step said. He looked around. "Where is she?"

"About that...I don't know."

Noteworthy braced himself for whatever it was Two Step was going to do to him. When a moment passed and nothing came, he opened his eyes. All he saw was Two Step's glare. “What do you mean, you ‘don’t know?’” he asked. “Do you think this is a joke?”

“No, sir, I don’t-”

“Then stop fooling around a do your job.” Two Step seethed. “These ponies have been waiting for hours, just to hear you and your miracle mare. And I do not think they would like to be kept waiting much longer.”

‘But I was only a minute late!’ Noteworthy thought. “Listen, sir, I just need a little time. Ly...I mean, Heartstrings and Backbeat will be here soon, I know it.”

Two Step nickered. “I suppose it does not matter much to me. But I do not know about the rest of these ponies. You get as long as you can keep them occupied.” He walked back to his seat.

Noteworthy began to think. He was supposed to distract all these ponies, the majority of which were probably cranky from having to sit here for hours(at least, if he was to believe Two Step). At the same time, he had a sneaking suspicion that the two mares weren’t going to show up on their own. He would have to go find them. So...how was he supposed to do this?

“If only we weren’t the only three...” Noteworthy whispered to himself. That was when he realized something. Sure, he wasn’t the most popular guy in the office...but he could think of a few ponies that could still help him out.

----------

Gold Bar sighed bitterly as she added another apology letter to the already sizable pile. This one was directed to ‘DJ C0LT’s Music Emporium.’ Apparently, the manager refused to give Vinyl Scratch a discount on a new set of turntables, and she had threatened to “pop a cap in his”...well, you get the idea.

It wasn’t easy being the manager of a crazy pony from Manehattan who had no sense of morals.

Next...another letter of apology. This time, to the PAE, or Parent’s Association of Equestria. Without Gold Bar’s consent, Vinyl had allegedly distributed copies of a track entitled “For The Kids,” that included some...creative language.

“*huff* Would Gold Bar and Vinyl Scratch *huff* please report to outside the basement auditorium? Thank-”

“What are you d-”

The red unicorn looked up. “The hay?” she asked out loud. “That sounded like Noteworthy. What does he want with me and Vinyl? Speaking of which, where is she?”

----------

“Vinyl...”

Vinyl Scratch began to sweat. “Oh, yeah, yeah, that’s the ticket...”

Octavia bit her lip. “Please, Vinyl, go easy on me; it’s my first time...”

”Hay no,” Vinyl said. “I’m going all the way!” The unicorn pushed forward.

”AH, VINYL!”

Octavia barely ducked in time to avoid the flying piece of red plastic that had been flung from the game board. Vinyl threw her hooves into the air. “WOOOOOO!” she cried. “Five games in a row! Suck it!”

“Really, Vinyl, calm yourself. It’s just a game,” Octavia said as she went to retrieve the peg, which had flown all the way to the other side of Vinyl’s private dressing room. “And, besides, this is my first time playing. You can’t really expect me to pick it up so quickly, can you?”

Vinyl giggled devilishly. “Yo, you just mad ‘cause I gots dat 'Apology’ swag.”

“You keep referring to this ‘swag’ thing. Do you even know what it means?”

Vinyl didn’t answer.

“I swear, if you weren’t my cousin,” Octavia said, punching the unicorn in the shoulder playfully. “Now, are we done here? Because I-”

“*huff* Would Gold Bar and Vinyl Scratch *huff* please report to outside the basement auditorium? Thank-”

“What are you d-”

Both mares looked up at the loudspeaker. “The hay?” Vinyl remarked. “What do they want from me now? I didn’t do nuthin’!”

The grey mare rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Yo, you wanna come with?”

“Are you sure I’m allowed?”

Vinyl lowered her sunglasses, giving her cousin a mischievous glance. “Who gives a buck?”

Octavia tried not to grin, but Vinyl’s smile was infectious. “Fine, fine...”

----------

Gold Bar frowned. "I don't think so."

Noteworthy grinned sheepishly. "It won't be that hard! All you need to do is distract all those ponies out there long enough for me to find Lyra and Backbeat. Please?" The stallion put on his best puppy-dog face.

While Gold Bar was grimacing, Vinyl was smiling wide. "Yo, Goldy, don't be a wimp! This sounds buckin' awesome! Get to mess with a few rich brats."

"And, besides," Noteworthy interjected, "you owe me, Gold Bar."

The red mare looked incredulous. "For what?"

"Remember when you borrowed that bit from me so you could buy a cup of coffee?"

"One bit does not equal risking your reputation in front of the most important ponies in the music industry!"

Vinyl snorted. "Whatever. I'm in. Howabout you, Octy?"

Octavia, who had up to this point just been listening, began to think. "Where have I heard the name Lyra before?"

"Weren't you the celebrity judge at the Music Festival?" Noteworthy asked. "She won."

"Oh, right!" Octavia exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "That's it! ...I was supposed to spend a day with her, wasn't I?" Everypony nodded. "Oh. Well, maybe this will make up for being so late. I'm in."

Everypony now began to stare at Gold Bar. The red mare attempted to stare back for a few seconds before breaking her gaze and growling.

"I swear, if I get fired for this..."

Noteworthy resisted the urge to giggle like a schoolfilly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He pointed at a door, located a few feet away from the double doors that led into the auditorium. "That should lead you straight to the backstage area. I just need you to distract them while I go find Lyra and Backbeat." He pushed them all forward.

"Wait!" Octavia protested. "What are we supposed to do?"

"It doesn't matter, just do something! I have to go!"

Once they were through the doorway, the door shut behind them. They were in a dimly lit hallway, leading to another door, marked 'Backstage.'

"A-yo, what we waitin' fo’?" Vinyl asked, charging ahead.

"WAIT FOR US!" the two other mares yelled.

----------

Key Change closed a drawer in his desk. "Bon Bon, where are my sunglasses?"

Bon Bon stared at a crack in the floor. Blue Belle gave her an anxious look.

"Bon Bon? Bon Bon!" Key Change yelled, stamping a hoof.

The cream colored mare jumped. “Ah, who, wha? Oh, I’m sorry, what happened?”

“I asked you, where are my sunglasses?! Celestia, can’t anyone get anything done around here?!”

Both mares winced. “Oh, I think you put them...right here!” She reached for the coffee table in the middle of the room, but the stallion reached it before her.

He grabbed the shades, flipped them open, put them on, and took a deep breath. “Sorry for snapping,” he said with a grin. “I get angry when I don’t have my sunglasses.” ‘Not to mention what’s going on today...’ he thought to himself.

Bon Bon sighed. “It’s fine. I should be the one apologizing. It’s just...oh, never mind.”

Blue Belle gave her a reassuring smile. “Oh, come on, you can tell us! I’m sure we can help.”

“No, it’s stupid.”

Key Change bit back a growl. ‘Might as well get this over with now.’ He turned around and put on his ‘caring’ face. “Oh, Bon Bon, Blue Belle is right! We can help you. I guarantee it.”

“It’s...I just can’t stop thinking about Lyra.”

Blue Belle patted her on the shoulder. “It’s okay, Bon Bon. I’m still shocked too! I mean, who would have thought that Lyra would outright attack you?”

“No, it’s not that!” Bon Bon insisted, pushing Blue Belle’s hoof away. She sighed. “Was...was I too mean to her?”

Key Change rolled his eyes behind his shades. “What do you mean? She attacked you, didn’t she?”

“Yeah, but it’s not like it was just some random act of violence! I provoked her! I was just insulting her, and putting her down...I called her a failure...” Bon Bon clenched her eyes shut. “I’ve known Lyra ever since we were foals, and I know that there’s not much you can do to get her really angry. But I did it...oh, and she must hate me now!”

Blue Belle raised one eyebrow. “How can you even think about feeling sorry for her? Don’t you remember what she did to you?”

“Of course I remember!” Bon Bon snapped, motioning to her side. “I certainly felt it!”

At the end of their fight, Lyra had given Bon Bon a strong punch to the side. In the two days since, the swelling had gone down, but one could still see the remnants of a bruise.

Bon Bon took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for yelling. I just feel really guilty! I didn’t want to be mean to Lyra! I was just so angry!”

Key Change smiled and headed for the door. “Well, it’s all in the past now. Let’s go.”

Bon Bon looked ready to protest, but she kept silent. Blue Belle, on the other hand, was beaming. “Are we going to the studio?” she asked excitedly. “Are we going to finally record a song?”

“What? No.”

Blue Belle’s smile fell. “Well, then where are we going?”

The ashen-furred stallion smirked. “We’re going to see a show.”

----------

“Thank you! Have a Windwoods day!”

Sweet Suite kept smiling as another happy guest walked away. She adjusted the small plaque in front of her desk that read ‘Manager.’ Just another day at her favorite place in the world: the Windwoods! It was perfect! Just her, the hotel, and hundreds of happy, smiling guests. Nothing could go wrong.

At that moment, a blue stallion crashed through the front doors, tripped on the carpet, and went tumbling head-over-hooves, right into her desk.

Looking over the threshold, down at the dazed stallion, Sweet Suite kept smiling. "Hello!" she chirped. "Welcome to the Windwoods! How may I help you?"

Noteworthy pulled himself up off the floor and basically slammed his hooves on the desk. "Can you tell me what room a mare named ‘Lyra’ is staying in?”

The pink unicorn turned away and tapped a few keys into the computer next to her. For the first time, her smile faded a bit. “I’m sorry, but it doesn’t look like we’ve ever had a guest going by that name.”

Noteworthy’s ears drooped, but just as quickly sprang back up. “Can you try the name ‘Heartstrings?’”

“Sure!” She tapped in a few more letters. “And...here we are! She was staying in room 406!”

“Yes, thank you so much!” Noteworthy cheered. He raced away. Sweet Suite smiled, turned, and began appreciating the day again. After a few seconds, the earth pony came back. “Wait,” he said, “you said ‘was.’ You said she ‘was staying.’”

“Yep! She checked out just a little while ago.”

If it was anatomically possible, Noteworthy’s jaw would have hit the floor. “WHAT?!” he shrieked, making a few other ponies nearby jump. “But, but...when?!”

“About an hour ago! You juuuuuust missed her.”

“I, but, she, we...OH, CELESTIA!” Noteworthy yelped, throwing his hooves in the air. He fell backward and landed on his rump. With a deep, labored breath, he asked: “I don’t suppose she told you where she was going, did she?”

“Oh no, she did!”

“WHAT?!” Noteworthy shrieked again, rushing back up to the table. “She did?!”

“Just in passing, but she told me. If I remember correctly, she said she was catching a train back home, down at the Friendship Express Train Terminal. She seemed pretty sad about it, though.”

Noteworthy smiled. “Thank you so much! Have a great day!” He raced off.

“No problem!” Sweet Suite called after him. She kept looking forward and smiling. ‘He was weird,’ she thought.

----------

“I mean, what’s the deal with airline food?! Am I right? Am I right?”

Nopony laughed, save for one bright yellow pegasus near the front row. Two Step did not look amused. Gold Bar, sweating bullets, pulled at an invisible collar. She herself laughed, albeit nervously.

"A-And, uh, what's the deal with, uh...m-music?” Gold Bar tried, hoping it would get at least a reaction from somepony else besides that gold pony. Once again, nopony laughed.

From backstage, Octavia was watching the producer sadly. “She’s dying out there,” the gray pony called back to her cousin. “We need to do something!” There was no answer. “Vinyl, are you even li-”

She stopped. For it was at that moment, she realized: Vinyl Scratch had been quiet for more than five minutes. The last time that had happened, the two of them were just teens. To make a long story short, it had ended up with both of them having their respective parents bail them out of jail.

Octavia ran back to the room where she had left Vinyl. Much to her relief, the DJ wasn’t setting things on fire, or having “fun” with two stallions and a mare. Rather, she was fiddling with...thirteen glasses of water? What?

“Vinyl, what in Celestia’s name are you doing?” Octavia asked, cantering up to the mare. “We need to help Gold Bar!”

Vinyl Scratch wasn’t listening. Rather, she was pouring a rather finely crushed white powder off a sheet of paper and into the drinks, giggling all the while. “Yea, yea, just gimme a sec...”

“Is that...water?”

“Yea. Just figured I’d give those music ponies a little treat fo’ bein’ such great listeners.”

“What is that powder?”

“Rohypnol.”

“Oh,” Octavia said. After a moment, her eyes widened, and she hit the powder out of Vinyl’s magical grasp. “NO!”

“A-yo, what chu’ doin’? I was gonna save some o’ that fo’ later!”

----------

“ATTENTION EVERYPONY! THE NEXT TRAIN FROM CANTERLOT TO PONYVILLE WILL ARRIVE IN FIVE MINUTES! PLEASE HAVE YOUR TICKETS AND LUGGAGE READY WHEN YOU BOARD!”

Lyra sighed and slumped farther into the bench she was sitting on. Quite a few ponies were staring, but she didn’t really care. All she wanted was to be out of Canterlot as soon as possible.

This wasn’t what she wanted to be doing. Hay, who would want to be a poor, failure of a unicorn, with no chance at a future? She wanted to be playing her lyre in front of thousands of adoring, cheering fans. Most of them would be swooning, buff stallion heart throbs. Like Prince Blueblood! Yeah...he would do. And they would all love her, and she wouldn’t have to worry about anything ever again.

And what about Bon Bon? She could stay in Canterlot all her life, for all Lyra cared. Wouldn’t make any difference to her. She didn’t need anypony.

The station began to vibrate as the roar of a train whistle came into earshot. It would only be a minute before it got there. Then this entire nightmare would be over.

lyra

The unicorn’s ears pricked up. Had somepony just called her name...? Nah, it cou-

Lyra

Okay, now she was sure she had heard something. She turned toward the entrance way that led back into the main terminal. There was a blue speck in the distance, slowly growing larger.

“LYRA!” Noteworthy screamed. “WAIT!”

It was as if every butterfly already flying around in Lyra’s stomach exploded. What was he doing here?! How did he find her? He was getting closer. What was he going to do? What was she going to do? She needed a plan!

Too late; he had already reached her.

The stallion stopped a few hooves away and caught his breath. “Lyra...*huff*...we, we need to talk.”

Lyra’s eyes narrowed. “About what?”

“About...this!” Noteworthy said. “Lyra, you can’t just give up like this! You’re great, and you know that! You’ve just got to let everypony else know too!”

With a wistful chuckle, Lyra shot back: “Yeah, right. It’s like you said: I’m useless. Nopony wants me around anymore. Nopony will care when I leave.” She turned away from the stallion. “You don’t even need me. You’ve got Backbeat. You were just using me.”

Noteworthy sighed. “Yes, I was.”

Lyra was surprised. She wasn’t expecting Noteworthy to actually admit it.

“I was, and I’m sorry. I treated you like you were nothing. I made you stay back, and let Backbeat take what I promised would go to you. It’s what you wanted more than anything, and I just gave it away. I understand why you’re so angry.”

“Y-Yeah,” Lyra stammered, trying to get rid of the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

“And, as much as I want to tell you that everything’s going to be perfect, I can’t.”

“Huh?”

“Lyra, I’m not taking back what I told you before. As amazing as you are, you’re probably not going to get the record deal you always wanted.”

The turquoise unicorn spun around. “What?!” she shrieked, angry tears forming in her golden eyes. “You, you...UGH! I HATE YOU! If you’re just gonna tell me I’m terrible, THEN LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Noteworthy gulped and looked away for a moment. There was silence between them as the train rolled into the station.

“ALLLLLLLLL ABOARD!” the conductor called. Everypony, Lyra included, stood up and began to walk toward him.

The blue pony’s head shot up. “Lyra, wait!”

Lyra stopped, but didn’t turn. “What?”

“Lyra, what’s...what’s your special talent?”

“...What?”

“What’s your special talent? Go on, I’m curious.”

The mare laughed mockingly. “It’s playing the lyre, obviously. Now, if you’ll excuse me-”

“Why?”

Now, Lyra was annoyed. “What do you mean, ‘why?!’”

Noteworthy grinned. “Why is it your special talent? Out of all the things in the world that could have been your special talent, why was it that?”

“Well, because...because I’m great at playing the lyre, I suppose.”

“And why are you great at playing the lyre?”

Lyra blinked. “It’s my special talent,” she said. “I have to be good at it. That’s just the way it is.”

The stallion gained a coy look. “Just what I thought.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean? What did you think?”

“The only reason you play the lyre is because you have to.”

Lyra frowned. “I...no, that’s not it. I love my lyre.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I DO!” Lyra insisted, stamping a hoof. “I love my lyre more than anything else I own!”

“Then why don’t you do anything with it?” Noteworthy asked, still smiling.

Lyra stared. “What did you just ask me?”

“According to you, it’s useless. I guess that means you don’t do anything with it. So, how can you love it if you ne-”

Before Noteworthy could finish, he felt himself being thrown to the ground by a large, turquoise blur. He looked up, only to see Lyra, staring down at him, her eyes afire.

“Shut up!” she shrieked. “I have done more with this lyre than most ponies will ever even dream to. I have been in magazines. I have been recognized by artisans of the music world. I have, quite literally, played poetry. I have made grown stallions cry.

“Ever since I was I filly, I’ve been playing. Year after year, performance after performance, chord after chord...do you know how much I’ve sacrificed? How much I’ve lost, just for my music? I’ve given up homes, schools, friends...hay, I’m not even on speaking terms with my own parents anymore! And, guess what? I’m fine. I’m happy. I chose to live like this, and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.

“So, don’t you ever, ever tell me that I’ve never loved this lyre. This lyre is who I am.”

The two ponies stared intently at each other for a few moments, silent. Tears of anger, sadness, and confusion were running down Lyra’s cheeks.

That was when Noteworthy started to laugh.

Lyra stared in disbelief. “You, you...s-stop laughing! Shut up, shut up!”

Noteworthy managed to stifle his outburst to a chuckle. “I’m sorry, Lyra, but don’t you see? What you just told me...that’s the reason you should be out there, making music! Not moping around because some stupid record company isn’t letting you make an album!”

“I, but, you-”

“Lyra. You don’t do things because they’ll make you famous. You do them because they make you happy.”

The unicorn opened her mouth, but no sounds came out. After a moment, her frown shifted into a wide smile. Her lower lip trembled. “Noteworthy, I-”

“Ey, you, with the eh...horn, there.”

Both ponies looked back at the train, where the conductor, a brown earth pony, was eying them warily. “Are you two, eh...just gonna sit there and chat?” he asked. “‘Cause we got a schedule, and eh...we need ta keep it, ya know?” He took one hoofstep into the train. “So, say goodbye ta ya coltfriend there, and eh...get on.”

Lyra looked between the two stallions. Noteworthy gave her a pleading look. She wiped her eyes. “Alright,” she said after a moment. A beat of silence passed. She turned to the blue stallion on the ground, and handed him her hoof. “Let’s go pass that test.”

Noteworthy beamed. “Hay yes! Let’s go!” He grabbed her hoof, and pulled her into a gallop, out of the station.

The conductor adjusted his hat and stepped on the train. “Ey...crazy kids.”

As they ran through the terminal, Lyra asked Noteworthy: “What are we doing now? Where are we going?”

Noteworthy kept looking straight ahead. “We’re going to find Backbeat!”

----------

Back at the auditorium, Octavia had come up with another plan to distract the pre-listeners. At that moment, Gold Bar was tapping furiously at the keys of a piano, playing her "rendition" of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." A few feet away, Octavia and Vinyl were twisting and turning, doing their best impression of a salsa dance.

Needless to say, neither the pre-listeners nor Two Step were amused.

Vinyl and Octavia spun across the stage. The unicorn had her leg around her cousin's waist, and let her drop so her head was being held just a few inches from the floor. Upside down, Octavia stared daggers at the red unicorn playing the piano.

"Really? 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?'" she whispered angrily.

"Hey, don't blame me!" Gold Bar shot back. "It's the only thing my piano teacher taught me before she was arrested for treason!"

While they were performing, three new ponies had slipped into the theater unnoticed. Key Change, Bon Bon and Blue Belle were now watching the three ponies perform, laughing all the while. However, each one was laughing differently.

Key Change, of course, was laughing the hardest. One of the benefits of being successful was having connections, and having connections meant that you knew what was happening at anytime, anywhere. As such, he knew exactly what was going on here. Once again, Noteworthy had failed.

And, finally, Key Change would be rid of him. No more would he have to breathe the same air as the pathetic blue excuse for a stallion that was Noteworthy. And, after it was all over, Key Change would swoop in and force that sniveling unicorn, Beatback or whatever, to sign a contract with him. It was perfect.

On the other hoof, neither Bon Bon nor Blue Belle knew exactly what was going on. They were in an auditorium, Key Change was happy, there were a bunch of important ponies in the room...and that was as far as either of them got. Still, they laughed along too, not wanting to seem out-of-place.

----------

DING

Noteworthy and Lyra stepped out of the elevator on the nineteenth floor of the high rise where Backbeat lived. The stallion led his companion down a small hallway, coming to a beige door marked 19G. “Well,” he said, “here we are.”

Lyra gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s going to be fine, Noteworthy. I’m sure once she finds out you don’t hate her, she’ll be fine.”

Noteworthy put on a weak smile of his own. “I sure hope so.” He knocked twice.

There was complete silence. The silence lasted for almost a full minute before Lyra turned to her friend and said, “Maybe she’s out...?”

But at that moment, both of them began to hear shuffling sounds from behind the door. Both held their breath.

“...H-Hello?”

“Backbeat? It’s me, Noteworthy.”

A few seconds passed quietly.

“...WWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”

Both Noteworthy and Lyra’s ears flattened in response to the loud wailing that was now erupting from the apartment. The two glanced at each other worriedly, as the intense crying didn’t seem like it was going to stop anytime soon.

“B-Backbeat!” Noteworthy stammered. “It’s okay, calm down! I, uh...oh, Lyra is here too! Isn’t that great?!”

“WWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Backbeat sobbed harder, making her visitors wince.

“Oh, come on!” Noteworthy growled. “I thought she loved you, Lyra! What happened?”

Lyra whistled innocently.

Noteworthy sighed. “Please, Backbeat!” he yelled over the mare. “Please, let me in! I just want to talk to you! I’m not going to hurt you!”

The crying slowly descended, until it was only a short gasp every few seconds. After a few moments, a sharp clack was heard, signaling that the door had been unlocked. It creaked as it opened.

Both Noteworthy and Lyra stepped forward, but, suddenly, the former put a hoof on the latter’s chest. “Let me handle this,” he said. “I’ve known Backbeat for years. I think it’ll be better if I talk to her alone.”

Lyra looked ready to protest, but didn’t. She nodded and let Noteworthy go off.

As soon as Noteworthy closed the door behind him, he became blind. There was almost no light in Backbeat’s apartment. The shades were drawn and every single light fixture was off. By instinct, he reached for the switch he knew was by the door and flicked it on. Immediately, the entire entrance way was bathed in light. And, so was Backbeat.

Noteworthy nearly jumped when he saw his friend. Backbeat looked terrible...for lack of a better term. Her mane was ragged, it’s normally fine, brushed locks thrown about and matted. She had deep bags hanging from her bloodshot eyes. Her face was shiny with liquid. Even her glasses were crooked. Silently and solemnly, Backbeat led the stallion into the still darkened living room. There too he flipped the light switch.

Backbeat sat in a worn black leather chair. Noteworthy lay down on a blue loveseat opposite her. The two stared at each other for a moment. Backbeat began to cry again, albeit silently.

“Backbeat, please, don’t cry.”

“I-I’m, s...sorry,” she choked out. “I, I, I just...ooh...”

“I’m sorry for snapping at you on Friday,” Noteworthy said. “I was rude, and I didn’t mean to get so angry with you.”

Backbeat stared, flabbergasted. “Y-You? You’re sorry? But I...I should be the one who’s apologizing! I just came in and acted like a jerk all day. I figured, I’d finally found something I was good at, but nopony knew about it. I was just...so jealous of Lyra! I tried to hurt her, do whatever I could to make her know that I was the singer!

“And then...oh, and then up on the roof. I was just...terrible! I was making fun of everypony! Those ponies were my friends, and I was just railing on them like they were the worst ponies ever to live! I...I don’t even know what I was thinking, trying to kiss you!”

She hung her head. “I should have known that a stallion like you would never go for a mare like me. Especially not when I was acting like that.”

“That’s true,” Noteworthy said with a sheepish smile. “You did do a lot of stuff.”

Backbeat shuddered. “I...I like you, Noteworthy. A lot. I don’t want you to hate me. B-But, I...get it if you do...”

Noteworthy smiled. “You know, I’m pretty lucky.”

“Huh?”

”The most awesome mare in all of Equestria has a crush on me. I’d say I’m pretty lucky,” Noteworthy remarked, grinning widely. Backbeat’s jaw dropped. Before the unicorn could respond, he quickly added: “Backbeat, are you really sorry about all the things you said and did?”

Backbeat’s eyes lit up. “Yes, yes, yes!”

“Backbeat, I’m willing to give you a second chance. There’s only two things you gotta do first. One: come with us, and promise you’ll sing harder than you’ve ever sung before.”

“Done!” Backbeat yelped.

“And two: promise me you’ll cheer up, and go back to being the sweet little filly I knew.”

Backbeat wiped her eyes and smiled. “I promise.”

Noteworthy jumped off the couch and grabbed his friend’s hoof. “Let’s go, then! Time’s a’ wastin’!”

They galloped out of the apartment. Lyra nearly jumped when the door burst open, letting the two ponies out into the hall. Lyra and Backbeat glanced at each other for a moment. “Backbeat,” Lyra began, “I’m sorry for everything I said the other day. Can you forgive me?”

The white mare giggled. “Of course I can, Lyra! I know you didn’t mean it. Now...are you ready to make some music?!”

“Yeah!” Lyra cheered, laughing along with her.

Backbeat raced down the hall and slammed her hoof into the elevator button.

Noteworthy and Lyra began to canter to meet her. “So,” Lyra began in a low voice, “you’re feeling lucky?”

The stallion blushed. “You heard that?”

“I was listening in at the door, and you said it pretty loudly.” She elbowed him in the ribs. “You’re just full of inspirational speeches today, aren’t you?”

He grinned. “Eeyup.”

With a ding, the elevator came, and they all stepped in. As soon as the door closed, however, Backbeat gasped and said, “Ooh, I look like a mess! I can’t go over there like this!”

“We’ll fix you on the way over!” Noteworthy insisted. “We’re late!”

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The Mare Formerly Known as Lyra - Dubs Rewatcher

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