Naught Note snapped his ruler against his desk. The gathered students in the room immediately stopped talking and turned their attentions toward him. It was late in class on Friday. Everypony was ready to leave, but seemed to know better than to push the issue with their eccentric teacher.

Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara followed suit. They gave each other a weary look, but said nothing. For three days, they had found themselves sitting together in every music class and lunch. Neither was willing to point it out, however, or stop doing so.

The two fidgeted in their seats as Naught Note turned to his blackboard and turned it over. On the other side was . . . nothing. The professor tilted his head, then smacked himself on the forehead and laughed.

“Oh, that’s right, I was supposed to write your weekend assignment on the blackboard, but spent my lunch getting blaz . . . -ing hot coffee from in the city,” he said.

He coughed. “Anyway, today I will be giving out your first major assignment in the field of Magical Rhythm and Harmony. You will have all weekend to complete it, and will present on Monday.”

A few groans rose through the classroom, but one raised hoof from the black-maned professor silenced them. “Now,” he said, “this assignment will focus on the primary tenet of the connection between magic and music. Can anypony tell me what that would be?”

Naught Note chuckled at the sudden flurry of eager hooves swinging in the air among the front row. “I should remind you all that we have not actually learned that tenet yet.”

Hooves lowered as the unicorn turned and began writing on the blackboard with a stray piece of chalk. He wrote one word in large, bold letters and underlined it. “Harmony,” he said, pointing to it. “Harmony is the primary connection between magic and music. In order to sync the rhythms of the two, you must create harmony between the music that flows outward and the magic that flows inward.”

Students began scribbling notes as their teacher began writing, in smaller letters, their assignment on the board. He made sure to keep himself in front of his writing until he was finished. When he was, he stepped out of the way to let them see.

“Your assignment over this weekend is simple,” he told them. “You will be split into pairs that I assign and given one objective: rehearse a song together and perform it on Monday. Your musical presentation should exemplify harmony between not only you and your partner, but between music and magic itself.” He looked at them and smirked a little. “If all of you have been paying attention this semester, this should come as an easy grade. For the rest of you . . . well, A Cup of Joe’s coffee house takes on part-time dropouts starting at sixteen.”

Excited chattering sprang up in the room as Professor Note began to call out pairs of names, starting on the bottom row. Far at the top of the classroom, Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle looked at each other in panic.

Both of them at nearly the same time realized that they were, in fact, the last pair of students in the classes. They briefly tried to scoot away from each other, but were quickly stopped by the rising voice of their teacher.

“Miss Diamond Tiara and Miss Sweetie Belle will be our final pair,” Naught Note called. He nodded to his students. “Now that you’re in your pairs, I can better introduce you to the assignment.”

He beckoned up toward the top row. “Sweetie Belle, Diamond Tiara, would you kindly fetch the student who should be standing in the hallway?”

With a wary look to each other, the two teenagers rose from their seats and walked outside, shutting the door behind them. The hall was mostly empty, save for a single pony leaning against the far wall.

He was bound in a dark jacket with bright green buttons and the collars flipped up. A small crest—the same green standard and white musical note—was all that decorated the coat. The pony himself wore a red bandana, tied tightly around his head.

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened. “Pipsqueak?” she cried.

“Sweetie Belle!” the brown and white colt cried as they ran over to each other.

They skidded to a stop just short of hugging each other, however, and instead settled for an awkward wave after a second of pause. Diamond Tiara shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“Hi, Pip,” she muttered.

“Diamond Tiara?” he asked. “You go here too?”

“Of course.”

“We both do,” Sweetie Belle said. “Though . . . I guess this is where you went after you left Ponyville?”

Pipsqueak shook his head. “I went back home to Trottingham first,” he said, “but I took their little test and ended up here. That was a year ago; I’m on my second now.”

“So what are you doing for Professor Note?”

“Well, right now I’m—”

A voice came from behind the doors, “Any day now would be lovely, Misses Tiara and Belle!”

Pipsqueak nodded. “Just wait, and you’ll see.”

The three of them walked back into the classroom. While the two fillies took their seats, Pipsqueak continued walking down the row and ended up next to Naught Note, who gleefully and quickly introduced him to the rest of the class.

He cleared his throat. “Mr. Pip here will help me perform a demonstration for the rest of you students. Make sure to pay close attention; we shall only be doing this once.”

Pipsqueak produced an electric-blue guitar and amplifier from behind Naught Note’s chalkboard and hooked them up. The professor himself moved his desk away with a flick of his horn and stood in the empty spot.

“Professor?” Pipsqueak asked, strumming one hoof lightly over the strings.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

The colt began to pluck at a few strings to warm up. Professor Note, meanwhile, caught the attention of his students. “Make sure you pay extra attention to the magic!” he called.

Suddenly, Pipsqueak rammed into the guitar and the song began. It wasn’t like any most of them had heard, and draws began to drop one by one.

The way the chords carried over into the next as Pipsqueak’s hooves slid across the neck of the guitar with practiced grace held the audience in raptured silence. All except one, however. Sweetie Belle, watching closely, grinned to herself.

Misirlou.*

Smooth Groove & His Del-Tunes’ principle hit came hard and fast through the amplifier. As Sweetie Belle watched, the magic that swirled to life around Pipsqueak wasn’t much different. It was brown, for one, sharp, and blocky. The magic sprang up in pillars around him that pulsed and spiked in time to the music. The pillars spun, and the music grew louder.

Naught Note, meanwhile, brought his spiked tendrils back to life, and rang out the sounds of trumpets and quick piano playing to join in chorus to the guitar.

As the class watched closely, there was a brief flash as the two pools of magic drew closer together. Near the center of the stage, the swirling pillars were tied together by tendrils. One bright flash of light, and the music was pouring out of the combination so hard it shoved the ponies in the front row into the back of their seats.

The song ended in a flourish of guitar and magic that flashed across the stage, then dissipated into thin air. Most of the students began to clap their hooves and the two musicians bowed.

As Pipsqueak began to put away the guitar and amp, Naught Note stepped forward. “There’s your example: I expect your best recreations on Monday.” The bell rang. “Class dismissed.”

Students filed out of the classroom, talking and laughing as they went. It was Friday after all, and they had until tomorrow to worry about the assignment. For now, their day was done save for relaxation and fun.

Two fillies, however, did not follow the rest out. As the classroom emptied, they remained in their seats. Once the final student had bounded out of the doors, Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara ascended the stairs to Naught Note’s desk. He sat there with his hooves crossed over his chest, watching them as Pipsqueak finished packing up the equipment.

“Something I can do for you girls?” Professor Note asked.

Sweetie Belle coughed and Diamond Tiara stepped forward. “How do you expect us to do this assignment?” she said. “We’ve only been in this class for a week, and just got our instruments a few days ago. We can’t do something like this!”

“Oh, you can’t, is that right?” Note picked up a pencil in his magic and twirled it around in the air. “It seems to me the two of you are, perhaps, mistaken.”

“It’s true, though,” Sweetie Belle protested. “How are we supposed to work together if we only just started to use our instruments at all?”

Note raised an eyebrow. “You would not have been selected for this school in the first place if you did not already possess the potential to complete this assignment.” He sighed. “I will relent for the two of you, however. You will still be required to complete the assignment, but you may have some . . . assistance.”

He cleared his throat. “Pipsqueak?” he said.

“Yes?” the colt asked with a hint of hesitation in his voice.

“Would you kindly assist these two students on this assignment? They are new to the class, and may require a little help. Don’t do the whole thing for them, of course.”

Pipsqueak nodded. “Uh, sure, I can do that.”

“Good.” Naught Note smiled. “The music room will be open this Saturday; I cannot tell the three of you what to do, but I would suggest you use that time to practice together in a beneficial environment. Catch my drift?”

The three ponies nodded.

“Then go ahead and get out of here!” Naught Note laughed. “It’s Friday and I need to smoke some more coffee.”

Out in the hall, Pipsqueak bid them farewell and insisted he would show up on Saturday. Diamond Tiara made him look her in the eye as he said it, then let him go once he was done. The colt skidded down the hall and out of sight.

“So what now?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Do we wait until we practice with him tomorrow?”

Diamond Tiara glared at her. “We need to at least get some practice in today, or we’re going to waste all day tomorrow just catching up, and I am not going to waste away my first grade in this school.” She shouldered her violin in its case and starting walking toward the school’s landing platform. “Now come on. If you’re quiet, you can ride with me today.”

Sweetie Belle did the same with her keytar and followed the filly. “You know, I have my own ride home,” she said.

“Yes, but I thought I might as well offer, since we’ll be going in the same direction once we get off.”

“Why offer, though?”

Diamond Tiara paused. “I’m just trying to be nice. You may be surprised by it, but I’m not going to keep being a bully. We’re teenagers now; practically adults! I’m not going to act like a little foal anymore.”

“So does that mean we’re friends?” Sweetie Belle said, jogging up beside her.

“I didn’t say that,” Diamond Tiara said.

“But if we’re not enemies and not friends . . . what are we?”

Diamond Tiara pointed to their instruments. “We’re partners on this assignment; let’s leave it to that. We’ll need to rely on each other for this assignment to work, so that’s it for the moment.”

Sweetie Belle sighed, but was content to follow behind her non-friend out of the school and out onto the landing platform. Her usual bus sat there, along with a smaller vehicle behind it. It was the same shape as the bus—blocky and sharp-edged—but colored bright yellow. The pegasi pulling it had civilian uniforms, too, instead of guard regalia.

She gave a look at Diamond Tiara, then jogged over to Octavia and told her about the assignment. The grey cellist agreed that they should ride home together, and soon the bus was departing without her.

Sweetie Belle watched it go. It looked so strange, leaving without her. Then, she didn’t have much time before Diamond Tiara called her to the cab.

The interior was cramped and Sweetie Belle could feel the metal vibrate under her as they took off. She had to tuck her hindlegs to her chin and let her keytar rest in its case on the floor of the cab.

Her stomach rose as the cab dived down toward Ponyville and away from Canterlot. She held onto her seat as hard as she could.

“You look sick,” Diamond Tiara said.

Sweetie Belle moaned. “The bus usually isn’t this fast.”

“Then you’ve been missing out.”

The cab eventually leveled off into a simple incline and Sweetie Belle was able to take a few breaths and calm down. She turned to Diamond Tiara. “So where are we going for this practice, anyway?”

“Could we go to your house? My father . . . he, uh, doesn’t like it when guests drop in.”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Sure. My parents shouldn’t be home for a while.” She sighed. “Though I don’t even know how we’re supposed to practice today.”

“Play our instruments and hope for the best?”

“That’s what I was planning on.”

Diamond Tiara allowed herself a smile. “Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

The cab flew in low over the sparkling blue pond just outside Sweetie Belle’s house and came to a rest by the front door. Diamond Tiara passed him a few bits and the two fillies piled out with their instruments in tow. Soon, the yellow taxi was back in the air and flying off to parts unknown.

“Is this it?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“No, I had him land in front of Scootaloo’s house,” Sweetie Belle said. She rolled her eyes. “Of course this is it.”

Diamond Tiara sniffed. “Well excuse me for asking.”

Sweetie Belle shook her head and let them into the house with the key she carried in her instrument case. The house was dark and quiet; her parents were, as they promised, still at work. Good.

The two fillies trotted up the stairs and soon found themselves in Sweetie Belle’s bedroom. She flipped on the lights to reveal the plain room. Gone were her childhood pictures and paintings on the wall, replaced with a tan coat of paint. The only thing that remained of the old look was the pink bed decorated with hearts that her mother refused to replace.

Sweetie Belle threw her instrument case on the bed. “Welcome to my room,” she said. “Probably not as fancy as what you’re used to, but I don’t stick around here more than I have to.”

“I didn’t come here to judge your decorating sense,” Diamond Tiara said.

“Yeah, yeah, I remember.”

The two girls stood in place and looked at each other. Sweetie Belle rubbed one hoof over the other. “So I guess we should start playing?” she asked.

Diamond Tiara nodded. “Sure. Do you want to start?”

Sweetie Belle slid the keytar out of its case. The pink instrument caught the light just right and looked like it was glowing in her hooves. The filly grinned and hooked the strap around herself. The thing was kind of awkward when it hung down her front, but a little practice had gotten her to ignore it.

“I haven’t practiced many songs,” Sweetie Belle warned, “but I can try a simpler one. Then you can show me yours.” She pressed down on a few keys to start the song, but Diamond Tiara stopped her.

“Shouldn’t we be practicing at the same time?” she said.

“Yeah, but that’s really hard,” Sweetie Belle said. “Couldn’t we just practice on our own at first?”

“No, we have to play together,” Diamond Tiara huffed. “Come on, are you even trying? I feel like I’m the only one here that wants to make a good grade on this thing. I’m the one who wanted to practice and took you home and everything!”

Sweetie Belle growled. “Well fine, have it your way, princess.” Her horn glowed and a few keys pressed themselves down on the keytar. “Try to keep up.”*

She began to play even as Diamond Tiara was still getting her violin out of its case. The pink filly held the tender wood of the instrument in her hooves, but did not place it on her shoulder. Instead, she held it in front of her and picked a few of the strings.

Sweetie Belle watched with interest. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“My granny showed me how to play like this,” Diamond Tiara explained. “She taught me a few songs, too.”

She started to pluck the strings with a greater vigor. Soon, the chords developed into an actual tune. It was a jaunty sort of beat, one best played in taverns after the first few rounds.

Diamond Tiara opened her mouth and began to sing, her voice so husky it could have been misinterpreted for a colt’s.*

In the merry month of May,

Left the girls of Tuam so sad and broken hearted,

Saluted father dear, kissed me darling mother,

Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smother,

Then off to reap the corn, leave where I was born,

Cut a stout blackthorn to banish ghosts and goblins;

Bought a pair of brogues rattling o’er the bogs,

And fright’ning all the dogs on the rocky road to Fetlin.

Sweetie Belle struggled to keep up with the beat with her own more modern tone. Diamond Tiara’s notes were rocky and her voice sounded warped, ringing hard in Sweetie’s ears.

Still, the magic flow began to start. Sweetie Belle’s pink pool around her feet flowed and beat with her heart and she could feel it start to flow through her. Diamond Tiara’s, however, refused to coagulate and gathered as a soft violet mist around her violin.

The keys flew as Sweetie Belle’s revved up the beat. To her, the song still felt unfamiliar but overall like it was an easy flow. She watched Diamond Tiara grit her teeth with her own song, however.

“You still think we should try this?” Sweetie Belle yelled over the music.

“Do it!” Diamond Tiara replied.

Sweetie Belle took a deep breath. She wasn’t exactly sure how to combine, so she focused her mind on the thought of the magic flowing together. Sure enough, the pink pool slank its way across the wooden floor of her bedroom over toward the other filly.

Diamond Tiara saw it, gulped, and started on her next verse.

In Mullingar that night I rested limbs so weary,

Started by daylight next morning blithe and early,

Took a drop of pure to keep me heart from sinking;

That’s a Paddy’s cure whenever he’s on drinking.

See the lassies smile, laughing all the while,

At me curious style, ‘twould set your heart a bubblin’

Asked me was I hired, wages I required,

I was almost tired of the rocky road to Fetlin.

Sweetie Belle’s shield roared to life between them, bouncing like a ball on the floor. Diamond Tiara’s mist flowed around it and began to swirl in a ring. Both girls grinned as they watched their efforts rewarded.

However, just as the ball began to expand, it collapsed in on itself with a great explosion of light. Each filly was thrown to opposite sides of the room, their manes and coat singed. The area on the floor where the ball had been was one massive dark spot.

The two picked themselves off the ground and looked at each other, wide eyed. There was a moment of silence before they both began to laugh.

“That was great!” Sweetie Belle said.

Diamond Tiara laughed. “I can’t believed that worked!”

“We have to do that again!”

“Oh, definitely!”

The two of them picked their instruments back up, a little more careful this time, and began to play again.

A couple hours passed without notice between the two of them. Burn marks began to cover the room. The humming and wailing of instruments pretty much covered the rest. No matter the failures, though, the girls continued to pick themselves off the floor and get at it again.

They would have kept on through the night had the door not opened and interrupted them sometime later.

Scootaloo and Applebloom walked in, curious looks on their faces. Their eyes grew wide as they saw the state of the room and the two fillies in it.

“Uh, what happened here?” Applebloom asked.

“Music!” Sweetie Belle said, picking herself back up. “And a little bit of magic, too.”

“So you blew off our plans today for music?” Scootaloo said.

Sweetie Belle gulped. Of course she’d forgotten that their plans! In the rush of Diamond Tiara and practicing for the assignment, it had slipped her mind. Oh no, Diamond Tiara . . .

Her classmate pulled herself from the other side of the bed and joined the trio by the door. She looked from Sweetie Belle to the others and back again.

“No, no, you blew us off today to spend time with her?” Scootaloo screeched.

“It’s not like that,” Sweetie Belle began.

“Then what is it like?”

“Um, uh . . .” Sweetie Belle tried to back away from the two groups. She could feel all of them staring down at her, forcing her to choose. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I got a big assignment at my new school and had to work on it with Diamond Tiara, guys. It’s just something I had to do. I wouldn’t forget my friends, guys.”

Scootaloo and Applebloom seemed to back down and Diamond Tiara shrank away. She gathered up her violin in its case and slung it over her back.

“Yes, that’s right,” she said. “We’re just partners, after all. In fact, I was just leaving.” Diamond Tiara headed out the door, but paused at the top of the stairs. She glared back at Sweetie Belle. “Don’t even think about keeping Pipsqueak and I waiting tomorrow, partner.”

With that, she was gone. Her footfalls eventually ceased and the front door slammed behind her. Scootaloo snorted.

“What’s her problem?”

“I, uh, don’t know,” Sweetie Belle said. “Must be the project or something.”

Applebloom stepped between them. “Well now that that’s done, we still have a few hours left today to do something. I heard Zecora’s got a bunch of new potions out in the Everfree Forest.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Scootaloo said. They all bumpbed hooves and ran off to have yet another adventure.

Sweetie Belle followed them, but not before one last look at her keytar, still lying on the bed. She shook her head and ran to catch up with her friends.