Edwin waited until night, when the cacophony of the rest of the animals had settled into gentle snoring.

When his window of opportunity finally opened, it did so literally: a few dark, rodential figures slid open one of the cottage windows to creep inside. It wasn't as if they had to sneak in—Yellowpony happily welcomed anycritter who needed a place to stay. But that normally meant a certain amount of embarrassing fawning, and some didn't appreciate being called cutesy or wootsey.

He waited a few moments before flaring his wings, carefully gliding past the cormorant cubbyholes and the wren roost without disturbing anybirdie. He came to a landing on the floor warily—even if Yellowpony trucerules meant nocritter would dare hurt him, certain felines enjoyed giving birds a good scare.

The coast was clear though, and besides, the crowd that hung out in this cottage corner didn’t take kindly to cats. Edwin fluffed his wings and made sure his plumage shined before he pecked at the mousehole’s little door.

The faint swing music that had been leaking out abruptly cut off. The door creaked open and a dapper-looking rat wearing a fedora sauntered out, only to lean against the wall and shoot Edwin a long, calculating look.

“Hey,” Edwin warbled, trying to come off as nonchalant. “I’m Edwin. Talked to your manager. Cool for tomorrow?”

The rat shook his head, squeaking derisively.

“What do you mean? We had a deal!”

The rat grinned. He squeaked more, pausing to raise a pair of pair of claws behind his hat.

“Of course Whiterabbit doesn’t know. That’s the point. You can’t back out now!”

The rat gave a single shrug that neatly expressed the depth of his concern with Edwin’s problems. With one final tip of his hat, he vanished back inside and the music started up again, even louder. Edwin’s further pecks on the door were in vain.

“Hoo hoo hoo,” somebirdie behind him laughed. Edwin leapt into the air, fluttering in brief panic as he saw the glowing yellow eyes.

“Fegrundius!”

The owl tilted his head. “You are playing with fire, friend. You? As favored pet?”

“Shh! Shh!” Edwin tweeted. “It would work. But… I need help. I need—”

A squeak in the key of psssst caught his attention, coming from a pudgy mouse in a trenchcoat. The rodent glanced both ways and opened its coat, revealing half of a dented harmonica.

“You! You have a band? You can play?”

The mouse nodded.

“As good as the Rat Pack?”

A mousy eyebrow floated up.

“Okay, okay. Too greedy. You’re better than nothing though.”

Fegrundius rolled his huge golden eyes. “Oh boy,” he hooted.

---

The circumstances were particularly lucky the next morning—Loudcolorpony had shown up earlier, talking about a lost kitten. That meant Yellowpony out of the house, and Whiterabbit too.

Edwin hastily arranged everything in the meantime. The bouquet of posies had been simple, just a few words with a pair of whippoorwills. The cake was another story, involving brokering deals with several excitable chickens, a spectacularly demanding cow, and even shaking down Harry the bear for part of his honey supply. The rest was easy: he left the ingredients out near where Pinkbouncypony lived, and she had done the baking all on her own.

Really, it was good that ponies were such simple creatures.

When Yellowpony returned, neighing comforting sounds to the scraggly cat curled up on her back, she had halted midstride at seeing Edwin’s display of devotion. Whiterabbit glared, but it was too late.

Edwin raised one wing high, getting Yellowpony’s attention and another whinny of appreciation. He signaled to where the rodent band had gathered on the table below, that all-important final touch.

It almost worked.

They got several bars into their song before the rodent playing a plastic straw as a flute had missed a cue and come in early, throwing off the mouse with the matchbox guitar. The music stumbled a beat.

And the cat on Yellowpony’s back let out a yowl, leaping forward to attack. In the ensuing chaos, birds and rats and critters panicked, stampeding all over the posies and sending the cake flying. Yellowpony fluttered around, trying to calm the critters down, but it was clear that Edwin's moment was gone. And Whiterabbit’s vengeance would be swift.

Edwin hid his beak under a wing, as Fegrundius watched the chaos from on top of a nearby armoire.

“Didn’t you know?” Feg hooted. “The less-played bands of mice, Edwin, often goad a stray.”