Another week had gone by, and PonyVille’s condition had gone from bad- to worse -to outright terrible. The lack of music was taking a toll on the town. Weary figures cantered with their heads down, ears flat against their heads… even the birds wouldn’t sing! Depression was rampant, a rather contradictory theme to how nice the conditions outside were.

And amidst the dreary crowds, a single yellow filly took it all in. Cantering silently among the townsponies, Fluttershy, for what must have been the thousandth time, counted her blessings for being on the outskirts of town; she only really had to mingle with the dreary ponyfolk once a week to buy groceries.

Shops had been re-opened twenty-four-seven to allow the ebbing customers to buy merchandise. This was a good thing for Fluttershy, because it meant that the market place was open all week; instead of just the weekends.

When the yellow pegasi arrived at the marketplace- a large area in the center of town –she couldn’t shake the feeling of unnerve. It was practically a ghost town… and she was terrified of ghosts.

Shuffling up to the fresh vegetable stand, she dropped ten bits onto the stalls countertop and bought a few heads of lettuce and some cherry tomatoes for Angle. Making haste, she moved efficiently from stand to stand, checking off the groceries from her list in a very twilight-esc fashion as she went.

Finally coming to the end, she took note that her final stop would be the apple stand. If things were as they normally were, Applejack would be running it today. Smiling to herself, she made her way through the sparse crowd to the far back of the market, where the familiar sight of glistening red and green apples greeted her.

Behind the counter, Applejack was snoring softly, using a sack of apples as her pillow. She looked peaceful lying there, and Fluttershy decided to turn tail and leave her friend undisturbed. As she turned to leave however, a southern accented voice made her snap back around.

“Fluttershy?” The yellow filly blushed. If only she had been quieter!

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to wake you and…”

“Aw shucks, it aint’ a problem Sugar. I was just closin’ ma’ eyes… this lack o’ customers is leavin’ me with too much time on ma’ hooves.” Fluttershy nodded understandingly.

“I know. Without music, everypony is just so… dreary. I’m glad that I’m living on the outskirts of town. Have you sold anything today? I mean if that’s my business…”

“You stop yer frettin’ Fluttershy. Yer’ ma’ friend… ya’ deserve ta’ know!” Applejack righted herself so that her neck and head rested above the wooden countertop. “Besides, any company is good company with how things have been.” After yawning once and blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she began.

“Cherilee came by in the mornin’ and bought a bushel. A few others were in the mornin’ as well… what’s most interestin’ though, is that fella Mozart made an appearance.”

“Mozart. Oh my. Was it scary? What did he do?” Fluttershy was shocked.

“Nothin’ really, he just bought some apples if you believe that. I’d be darned if he was feelin’ bad for what he did; but that’s what he seemed to be actin’ like. Hay, I saw that bugger goin’ around to all the stalls and buyin’ their merchandise. Now aint’ that somethin’ special?”

“It really is Applejack. I’m surprised, in all truth.” Fluttershy rummaged in her Saddlepack and pulled out three bits – Applejack gave her a glistening bushel of apples.

“Yer’ tellin’ me! But I aint’ done yet.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Please continue.” The yellow pegasi pony shifted into a more alert position.

“You’d only imagine that Mozart’s presence drew some attention, and he announced to the crowd then and there that he was puttin’ on some sort a concert tomorrow night at the auditorium. He had that darned keydrum with him, and he played a little tune of sorts. A teaser, he said.”

“Oh, that must have been… terrible.” Fluttershy cringed visibly, shrinking to the ground.
“Did he get booed at again?”

“The thing is he didn’t. I mean, no one cheered or nothin’, but they weren’t exactly hostile. The thing is, is that he can play better than us now, and everypony’s getting’ real desperate. Shoot, I’d bet ya a shiny bit that he’s goin’ ta’ get an audience at his performance. We need music, plain and simple, and if he’s gonna’ be the only source of it from now on, we gonna’ have ta’ get used to it!”

“You’re right Applejack… but are you going?”

“You bet! I got nothin’ better to do.” Applejack shrugged nonchalantly before continuing, “And I’m craving music as much as the next pony.”

Fluttershy could see the reasoning behind it all. Mozart had been smart. By taking away everypony else’s musical talent he put himself up on top by default. Sure, he didn’t make the best music, but it was above average now, and that’s all it needed to be.

“I guess I’ll come as well.” Fluttershy said conclusively.

***

“Fillies and Gentlecolts please put your hooves together for tonight’s solo performer… Mozart.” a round of less than satisfactory clippity clopping echoed around the circular auditorium, ending abruptly as the Mayor continued.

Twilight sat amongst her friends expecting only the worse. Although, being the morally righteous filly that she was, she knew that it would be plain disrespectful to not turn up tonight. It was her way of saying sorry for the conflict that had occurred when they confronted Mozart and tried to bully him out of PonyVille last week. Her attention returned to the stage.

The Mayor had walked off, and everypony’s attention had been drawn towards the gradually growing stream of light emanating from the separating curtains. A fog had been pumped across the stage, and Mozart stood dead center, wielding his key drum. A set of twenty violins hovering in a glowing aura backed the maroon unicorn.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Mozart nodded his head to the left, using his magical prowess to stroke a dozen of the horsehair violins at once. The first note that was created was surprisingly satisfactory. It was a haunting noise, slow, but melodious non-the-less. Either that or the musical deprivation that Twilight had been suffering from was taking its toll. This alternative quickly became perverted however, as Mozart began to move into the rising crescendo of his song.

The tune that came forth pierced into Twilight’s memory bank, ripping her from the present to back when the unicorn had descended from the heavens a few weeks ago and played his first ‘work of art’. The conclusiveness that came along with the realization that Mozart had not improved was wrenching. She truthfully felt sorry for the struggling musician, but really, what could she do?

With a sorry sigh she turned her gaze from the stage to the assembled audience. From the looks cast upon their conflicted faces, she realized that it was just a matter of time before they’d break under the pressure.

Her eyes then fell to rest on her friends. Gratification filled her as she observed their determination to not plug their ears or leave the auditorium… even Rainbow Dash was resisting temptation. She had suddenly become very interested with one of her shed feathers, and was twirling it reflectively.

***

“I can’t take it! I just can’t. I’ll go the rest of my life without music, I can make it! I CAN MAKE IT!” the maniacal shout arose from a very distraught looking colt two rows down. Twilight Sparkle was not surprised by the comment, but instead of how long it had taken to arrive.

Somehow, the audience had made it through the first and second songs; even conjuring enough strength at the end of each to give a few clippity clops of applause. When the third song had come about however, one where Mozart began to sing, it had been the straw that broke the camel’s… er, colt’s back.

Now, the whole audience had been set off and began to join in to the infectious panic. In response to the dissatisfaction, Mozart had stopped playing, using the microphone so that his voice could be heard over top of the banter.

“Where are you all going!?”

“Anywhere but here!” a fleeing pony with bloodshot eyes hollered over her shoulder, “I agree with Dawnfire, I can go the rest of my life without music.”

“But, but” Mozart sniveled, “It was just getting good! You were all being so cooperative… why leave now…?” The audience was no longer paying attention to the scrambling composer.
Up above Twilight had turned to her friends; they were getting up to leave as well.

“Listen up everypony, we should stay behind, even if we’re the only ones left… it’s the least we can do for the poor colt.”

“But his music…” Rainbow Dash began, cringing involuntarily.

“I know! I know. He really can’t compose… I just feel so bad with what we did last week, and I think it would be best if out of respect we stick around. We don’t want to look like jerks again, right?” Rainbow Dash nodded reluctantly and sat back down. Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie followed suit.

***

As the audience finally dissipated, Mozart stopped shouting and collapsed on the stage.

“I’ll never be great.” he said to himself, and his voice echoed hollowly up the bleachers of the now empty auditorium. “I was only kidding myself.” Standing up, the distraught musician began to collect the scattered violins. Lost so deeply in his own bitter despair, he hadn’t taken note of the six remaining ponies that had begun to descend from the bleachers. As they approached, he looked over his shoulder at the group.

“Oh, it’s you guys.” He murmured, returning his attention back to his keydrum and folding it up. “I’ve got good news, I’m leaving. You were right; I shouldn’t have even come here in the first place. It’s just that… oh, never mind.” Closing his eyes tightly shut he pushed down on his sleek keydrum, clicking the latches in place. He was ready to go, but then he remembered the single thing he still had to address. Turning to the small group that had collected in front of him, he spoke;

“The curse will fade off by the evening, so you needn’t worry.”

“Wait, it was all only temporary?” the purple filly seemed miffed and slightly embarrassed. Mozart shook his head.

“Not exactly… I could have held it up as long as my instrument was in the area. When casting such a powerful spell, one of the complexities that arise is the need to refresh it every now and then. Each day, my device would send out a wave of invisible ultraviolet… and that would do the trick.” Ok, so maybe he needed to address two more things.

“By the way, I’m sorry for attacking you last week. I just get so caught up in it all that I lose myself. I’m not asking you to understand or…”

“I do.” The purple filly’s sincerity had interrupted him politely. “I think we all got a little caught up as well, right girls?” nods of wholehearted agreement from each of them.

“If we never decided ta’ force ya’ out in the first place, this woulda’ never happened. Shucks, I’m guilty…I was in favor of bullyin’ ya out, an’… an’ now I’m regrettin’ it.” The southern accented earth pony had picked up the flow.

“I was the one who started this all.” The cyan colored pegasi spoke next. “I suggested that we should use the Elements of Harmony to kick you out… we’ve all seen the power that those things can release, and I think it got to my head. So I’m sorry as well.”

“We’re all sorry, Mozart.” The lavender unicorn had collected the floating apologies and sent them straight at the maroon colt. “But words are always lesser than actions. Pinkie?”

“We want to teach you how to play!” the pink unicorn began bouncing up and down in
excitement. “Will you give it a try if you’re taught by Pinkie Pie!? I’m a really good teacher!”

“I… I couldn’t, I…” the sudden turn of events had left Mozart reeling. Were his ears betraying him?

“But I insist! Let’s knock on it.” The pink pony offered her hoof for him to bump. He raised his hoof in return, but then hesitated.

“Are you sure…? I can’t believe I’m admitting this to you, but I’m not the greatest musician, definitely not as great as I see myself to be. I’m a poor learner and…”

“Oh you!” Pinkie Pie brought her hoof and zipped Mozarts mouth shut with a stroke. “Shhh! We wouldn’t have offered to help silly if we weren’t ready to give it!” she unzipped him.
“So…?” An unsteady chuckle came from the unicorn, and he took a good long look at his soon to be teachers.

“You’ve got a deal.” He brought his hoof up and pounded. “When do we begin?”

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