The next day, at the smoothie shop, Jazz tinkered with his ukulele as he tried finishing his song for the concert. Hearing the right chord progression on his ukulele, he immediately began writing down the notes and lyrics on his notepad. Concentrated on his music, Jazz is interrupted by Twilight. “Sorry to bother you, Jazz. But if you’re not busy today afternoon, I was wondering if you’d like to come to my place and I can show you some more magic spells I’ve been working on.”
“Sorry Twilight. I have plans with Rarity this afternoon.”
“Rarity?!? Okay, how about after that?”
“Uhh..no. I have plans with App-“
“Me!” Applejack then showed up unexpectedly, startling both Twilight and Jazz.
“Yupp. I have plans with Applejack after that, Twi.”
“Ughhh.. Do you other plans with any other pony that I need to know about?” asked Twilight in a frustrated manner.
“Hmm.. lemme see. I have plans with Pinkie right after Applejack. Plans with Rainbow Dash right after Pinkie. And plans with Fluttershy right after Rainbow Dash. Yeah, that’s about it.”
All of a sudden, all the ponies show up at the table spontaneously.
“Yeah, Twilight. You gotta ask Jazz pretty early if you want to have plans with him.” Rainbow Dash blurted.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash started arguing and then soon after, all the ponies started to heat up as well. Despite the countless arguments throttled at each other, Jazz, seemingly to not be bothered at the ruckus, resumed back on writing his song.
Hours passed and the ponies were still arguing with one another. Jazz, now being annoyed by his friends' constant fighting, interrupted “At last. I am finally done with this song.” Putting his notepad in his backpack, Jazz left the smoothie shop, with Twilight and her friends following along. As Jazz rambled around, he started to feel some tension build upon his back. Fully stopping with Twilight bumping into him from behind, he requested “I am feeling a bit of pain on my back with all this stuff that I am carrying. Can one of you ponies carry my backpack for me?”
Every pony lifted their head up in excitement.
“Here, I’ll carry it. It’s the least I can do!” Twilight insisted, grabbing the backpack from Jazz with her magic. All at once, the ponies began fighting over the backpack, with Jazz worrying about his song in the bag.
“No! Stop! Be careful, my perfect song is in that bag!” Jazz desperately commanded.
Unaware to the ponies, a fountain is nearby and the ponies were hastily heading towards it.
“Please! Stop! I don’t want my song to be rui-“ SPLASH.
The ponies all looked at each other, wondering what had just happened. They gave a perplexed look and then they looked at the fountain. There, they saw Jazz, sitting on his haunches, looking at his backpack.
“It can’t be. Maybe it’s all fine-“ Jazz opened the bag and he found his notepad, drenched in water, pencil markings scattered, and pages dampened. At first, he looked depressed and distraught, but that sadness quickly ensued into anger. His eyes immediately ogled at the guilt-feeling ponies. Twilight looked scared, Applejack tilted her hat to hide her emotions, Rarity’s eyes watered, Pinkie sloped her head down in shame, and Fluttershy poked the ground with her hoof in silence.
“What have you done..? WHAT have you done?! My song.. It was going to be perfect. I don’t know what’s going on with you ponies, but this isn’t how friends should act! There are obviously things you ponies need to talk about. Maybe this audition was a bad idea… Now if you excuse, I’m gonna be on my own. I need time to think about how I am going to perform at the concert tomorrow with no song..” Just like that, Jazz left the scene, leaving six ponies thinking about what they had done wrong.
In the backstage at the auditorium, Jazz leaned against the wall, looking at his ukulele on the floor in front of him. He felt defeated, unmotivated, uninspired to play his ukulele. He crossed in front hooves and scratched his head. “What am I gonna do..?” he wondered. The sound of hooves thumping the stage floor was heard and Jazz looked aimlessly, wondering where the sound was coming from. Then, the stage curtain opened and he saw Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy walking towards him.
“We’re really sorry for what he did to you Jazz. We talked things over and we won’t have this soloist part get in over our heads ever again.” Twilight remarked.
“Yeah, we’re sorry! Really really really really sorry! I don’t want to think about losing a friend ever again! Please accept our apology,” Pinkie Pie prompted.
“This is why we decided to help you write a NEW, BETTER song for the concert tomorrow, Jazz!” Rarity added.
Jazz was at a loss of words. He never realized the true meanings of friendship, but also forgiveness. To have remarkable friends like these ponies who bestowed themselves to help him, the only thing Jazz could do was smile, laugh, and accept their apology. The friends rejoiced in a group hug, but Jazz was still unsure whether they could write a song all in one day.
“Are you ponies sure we can write a song in one day. I mean, it look me a week to write the other song.”
“Ya know it, sugarcube. We may not be talented musicians like yourself, but there’s music in all of us,” Applejack replied.
The ponies agreed and nodded their heads, giving Jazz more inspiration that they could make this happen and then… an idea struck him. “I got it! I think I have a plan that will not only please me, but to please you ponies as well!”
“Really? Let’s hear it!” Rainbow Dash pressed.
“I’ll tell you guys while we work on this song. Let’s get to work!” Jazz suggested.
The ponies all laid their hooves in a circle and on the count of three, they got to work.
The next day, the concert and party were all set and ready to go. Ponies in Ponyville quickly started to take their seats and grabbed their popcorn and Pony-cola. Backstage, Jazz blinked at Twilight and her friends, giving her the “go” to start the concert. The theater lights turned dim, and the audience remained silent. The curtain opened and Jazz and his band were ready to perform. The song started off with a harmonizing introduction from Fluttershy’s bird choir. Then, Jazz started playing fills on the piano in the background, and the drums began rocking the beat. After the small introduction, Jazz began singing the lyrics and the audience cheered and clapped their hooves.
Suddenly, the music hit a decrescendo and some pony from off stage took the mic and started singing the solo. The spotlight swooped in to see the mystery pony with the audience looking as well. Coming from off stage was Twilight Sparkle, singing the solo. The crowd roared enormously; Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, both watching from the top balcony also cheered for the purple pony. As soon as Twilight laid her eyes on the princess, she started singing with more emotion and passion, much to the pleasure of Jazz, who whistled and cheered along with the crowd. When Twilight’s solo ended, an exhilarating sound of instruments then took over. Coming from backstage was Pinkie Pie, with a neat 10 instrumented solo of her own! The auditorium erupted; Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Twilight all smiled from off stage.
When Pinkie finished, Jazz took over with his melodic singing and soothing piano playing. Jazz wore the outfit Rarity made for him and it caught to attention of many ponies. Ponies were in awe of the design of the clothing. And then, the song ended. Jazz, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and the other band members all lined up in front stage, awaiting the cheer of the crows. All of a sudden, the audience rounded up an applause. “Encore! Encore! Encore! “screamed some ponies.
After the concert, the after-party then started. Rainbow Dash started the party with a perfectly performed Sonic Rainbow to wow the crowd. Applejack then raced to her apple-pie stand where she immediately began selling them like hotcakes. Ponies who watched the concert then complimented Rarity for her handiwork on Jazz’s outfit; they then wished for Rarity to make them dresses of their own to which Rarity gladly agreed to. All in all, every pony were pleased for their role in the concert. From Twilight’s singing solo, Pinkie’s instrumental solo, Applejack’s apple pie sales at the party, Rainbow Dash’s booming performance of the Sonic Rainboom, Fluttershy’s bird choir, Rarity’s praise for her made outfits, to Jazz’s astounding performance, each pony couldn’t help, but smile at the end of the day.
When the party ended, the friends met at the smoothie shop to spent their last hours with Jazz before he leaves Ponyville to pursue his traveling music act around Equestria. As the ponies chatted, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna made a surprise appearance at the shop.
“Princess! What brings you here?” Twilight asked.
“Nothing. Just wanted congratulate you ponies on a job well done on the concert and the party. I really loved it,” Celestia responded with glee.
“Maybe you ponies should throw me a concert and party for the great things that I’ve done, too!” Luna remarked sarcastically.
Twilight and the others laughed and enjoyed the night together.
“It’s really been an awesome experience with you ponies in Ponyville!” Jazz added.
“Do you really have to leave? Maybe, the home you’re looking for is Ponyville after all,” Rarity begged.
“For now, I have to leave. I have the whole world to witness with my own eyes. I certainly don’t want to miss it for a lifetime,” Jazz replied.
“Well, then. Come visit us if ya’ll have the chance! Ah’m have all these sweet apple pies baked and ready for ya’ll return back to Ponyville!” Applejack insisted.
“I can’t promise you ponies anything, but hopefully, this won’t be the last time you’ll be seeing me,” Jazz noted.
As the evening gloomed on, Twilight and her friends spent their night, chatting, laughing, and hanging out with their new friend. A new friend who they hoped to see again in the later future.