Symphony

"Ugh, I'm so nervous," groaned Beauty Brass as they left the backstage area. "Do you think they liked it?"

"Nonsense, Beauty Brass," scolded Octavia. "Of course they loved it. They wouldn't have given a standing ovation if they hadn't."

"I think she means the judges," offered Harpo.

The quartet was trying to relax and calm their nerves in a studio backstage reserved for them. They sat in four rather comfortable chairs in the center, making small talk.

"Yes, well," said Frederic, "I'm sure we did fine. In fact, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as we approached the final chord." Octavia and Harpo nodded their agreement, but Beauty Brass didn't look convinced.

"I'm still not so sure," she said. "I missed a couple notes - "

"Oh, don't go selling yourself short," reassured Octavia. "Your cadenza was brilliant, and I looked at the crowd during the beginning and noticed several full-grown stallions gaping at you as if seeing snow for the first time. You were marvelous."

"We were marvelous, if I may," added Frederic. "That performance was as good as any other, if not better." He raised both forehooves to his temples as he continued, "It was exactly how I envisioned it."

"You really think so? Because I thought - " Beauty Brass was cut off by Harpo.

"Enough, Beauty Brass. It's over, we did it, and that's all there is to it. We're only high school seniors, you know. We'll get better as we keep going."

The four musicians sat in silence for what seemed like a full hour. Harpo glanced up at the clock and discovered that only five minutes had passed.

Frederic spoke up. "Er...what are we going to do after graduation, anyway?"

"I got accepted into the Manehattan School of Music," said Octavia. "I'm majoring in cello performance with a minor in composing." She giggled before adding, "I'm going to be as good as Frederic here." The quartet shared a laugh.

"I'm going into the musical therapy field at the Baltimare Medical Institute," Harpo announced. "At least, that's my minor. I'm concentrating on harp performance." He then, for some reason, raised an eyebrow at Beauty Brass.

She smiled. "I'm going to study musical therapy with him. After all, Harpo needs someone to help him make new friends. And I'm minoring in horn performance, of course."

Three pairs of eyes turned to Frederic. He fidgeted. "Is something wrong, Frederic?" Octavia asked, sounding concerned.

He sighed. "I've been found out, I guess." He laughed nervously. "Well, you see, I...I'm going to become a public speaker."

"What?!" Octavia cried. "But - "

"Just let me explain first!" Frederic exclaimed. "I'll be lecturing about classical music, and I might perform occasionally. But for now, I have to go to Canterlot University for a major in, well, public speaking. They're going to ask me to speak about anything and everything, but I've been prepared for years now."

"Will you still perform with us?" Beauty Brass asked hopefully.

"Of course! Over the summer months, we could still compete. We'd have adequate practice time, and I still have that rather large collection of staff paper that you gave me last year, Beauty Brass." Frederic shifted and hesitated before finishing, "It just might not be the same."

"I swear, Frederic," said Octavia, "you very nearly killed me right there and then!" The four musicians laughed again.

"Well, that's the other thing, Octavia," replied Frederic. "To make up for it," he began, and then stopped. "W-would you go out to dinner with me, after the results?"

Octavia looked shocked, but before she could answer, there was a knock on the door. "Excuse me? The results of the competition are ready!"

"Speak of the devil," muttered Frederic, blushing, and sixteen hooves cantered out the door and out into the auditorium.