Just a Bit Musical

"A tie!?"

Sky didn't know how to feel. He was happy that he and Midnight had technically placed first in the competition on one hoof. On the other, he was pissed beyond all belief. How in the world could they have tied? They didn't play the same piece, nor did they sound the same in any way, so how did they tie?

Midnight stomped the ground angrily. Sky looked over and could see the tears welling up in her eyes again, but this time it wasn't out of nervousness but frustration.

"I can't believe it!" she fumed. "The one chance we get to beat her and Sol, we get the same score? That's... that's..."

"That's what?" asked a familiar sultry voice from someone in the crowd. Midnight and Sky turned around to find Octavia and Sol standing behind them. Sol flashed them a smug grin. Sky hated the way the guy looked at them, almost as if his green eyes held some sort of superiority over him. Just seeing his pastel red face made Sky's blood boil.

Midnight obviously wasn't happy to see them either, as she stood firm in front of the results. "We still technically broke your streak, Octavia. You're not top dog around here anymore."

Octavia's ears flicked in irritation. For a brief moment, Sky saw something in her face that he hadn't seen before: disappointment. She had always looked so confident, never really showing any sign of negativity toward her playing or performance. "We'll have to see about that," she said dryly. "The judges have decided to hold a tiebreak round for us."

"What?" exclaimed Sky.

Sol rolled his eyes. "Tomorrow afternoon, we're to bring a second piece prepared for adjudication. After the second round, the duo with the higher score will be the first prize winners." His Prench accent made everything he said sound insulting.

Midnight's nostrils flared. "They told you that?" She turned to Sky and gestured toward the door. "I guess we have some serious work to do then." She stormed off. Sky stood for a moment and watched her stomp toward the door. The crowd parted for her as she left and then began to disperse.

As soon as she left Octavia's sight, her expression softened. She looked back at Sky and gave a small smile. "Good job, Sky. I'm excited to see what you bring to the stage tomorrow evening." She flipped her mane out of her eyes and walked forward to shake his hoof, but before she could, Midnight called out.

"You coming, or what?"

Sky looked back at the door, seeing Midnight standing right outside, and decided that he probably shouldn't keep her waiting for too long. "Thanks, Octavia, you too," he said and trotted toward the outside. He caught up with Midnight, and they headed to Midnight's apartment.

"What are we gonna do?" Midnight sighed. "I didn't think we'd have to prepare another duet for another day or so."

"Yeah, I could use a break, " Sky said, "but I guess the best never rest."

Midnight scoffed. "I'd bet you any money that Octavia rests way more than we see. How else would she look like that constantly?"

For some reason, Midnight saying this gave Sky an idea. His eyes lit up, and he stopped walking for a moment as he pondered the feasibility of his plan.

"What?" Midnight stopped a few feet in front of him, looking at him quizzically.

"What if," Sky mused, tapping his hoof on his chin. "What if we played Blue Bells of Trotland?"

Midnight's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? That's way too hard to prepare in a night! There's no way we could―"

"I've already been working on it at home."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, I'm actually just about done. It just needs a bit of polishing in the last variation."

"Oh." Midnight looked down and kicked a rock. "I dunno if I'll be able to learn the accompaniment in one night."

"If anybody can," Sky said, beginning to walk again, "it's you."

Midnight gave a hefty sigh and followed. She didn't say anything, but Sky's confidence made her think that it was possible.

They walked the rest of the way to Midnight's apartment in silence. Midnight buzzed in her apartment code when they got to the complex, and the door opened. They walked to the elevator and headed up to the fourth floor. Sky tensed as soon as the elevator started moving.

"You okay?" Midnight asked, watching him try to steel his nerves.

"Yeah, you know me and elevators."

He had always been a bit afraid of elevators. Something about the fact that he was in a metal box being pulled upward by a metal cable just didn't sit right with him. Midnight leaned against him, and he relaxed a bit.

The elevator dinged, and they walked out onto the fourth floor toward her apartment. They got to a door labeled "418" and walked in.

Midnight's apartment was relatively small, with a living room with a connected kitchen and a single bedroom. Her decorations, though, made the place look amazing. She had three keyboards: an upright piano and an electric keyboard in the living room and a synthesizer in her bedroom. There was sheet music everywhere in the apartment, pinned up on walls, in books, and lying on tables. Her record player was sitting on the coffee table, with classical and jazz records sitting around it in boxes. She headed straight for the record player and rifled through the vinyls to find one to play. Sky took off his bass and set it in the corner of the living room.

"Colt-rain or Charlie Horser?" asked Midnight.

"Colt-rain."

Sky went to sit down on the couch, and after a few seconds, soft bebop saxophone started coming from the record player speakers.

"What do you want to do, then?" Midnight asked, and walked over to the couch. She sat with Sky and leaned her head on his shoulder. He leaned into her and sighed.

"I think we can do Blue Bells of Trotland," he said. "I can help you with the accompaniment, I'm sure it'll be easier to learn with the melody."

"I don't know, Sky. I feel like I'm not good enough for that."

"Come on, Midnight. I know you can do it." He sat up and turned to look at her. Her grey eyes were stormy and turning red as she began to cry.

"I'm scared, Sky." Her voice broke. "I feel like we're going to lose, and I can't lose to Sol anymore."

Sky put his forelegs around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. She began to sob quietly into his chest. "You can do this," he said, "I know you can. We're gonna win. I won't let Octavia and Sol beat us again."

After a few more minutes of Midnight's quiet tears, she calmed down and stood up from the couch. Walking around the living room, she searched for the accompaniment sheet music. Sky also stood and headed over to his bass to grab his copy of the bass part. After they both had the music, Midnight sat at the upright piano and sighed.

"We're gonna do this?" she said, looking at the keys with a mix of hesitance and determination.

Sky pulled out his bow and bass, put his hoof to the fingerboard, and nodded to Midnight. "Let's do it."

Sky played the opening cadenza, and Midnight began to sight-read.