So Bendy and the Ink Machine's second birthday happened recently. I watched the new trailer and the cartoon from Joey Drew Studio's and may I just say that they are both phenomenal? Because they are. Also, Edgar the squishy squeaky spider child thing. Protect him. And the other beans, but also Edgar.

So, not a Gamer Henry AU or a song fic? What kind of maniac would do such a thing?! Me, that's who. I got the idea for this one night and I wrote it down before I forgot. I almost didn't go through with writing it, but I pushed through, and I'm pleased with the results! I hope you will be, too.

There is Toon Henry AU (Squiggly Digg) and song lyrics from that fan made Bendy Cartoon by the nifty table on YouTube in this fic, so be prepared. Lots of toonish hijinks will take place! Joy!

The song Henry plays is… up to your imagination! That is all. See you at the bottom of the page.

Piano Lessons

By: Yours The Author

"Oh, Henry, look!" Alice Angel took Henry's hand and led him to a small piano in an office, Boris the Wolf in tow.

"Huh," Henry said, examining the instrument. Like the rest of the toon world studio, it was black and white with imperfect angles and rickety looking supports. Was it even capable of playing a song?

As if reading his mind, Alice plopped herself on the seat and raised her hands above the keys. Henry leaned away, expecting a loud cacophony of poorly tuned notes, but was surprised when Alice began playing a jazzy song that was upbeat and happy. Boris tapped the wall he was leaning against and nodded his head to the beat.

Henry watched the angel play for a minute before he noticed something. "Hey, Alice," he said, causing Alice to stop playing for a moment. "How come the keys you hit don't match with what comes out?"

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"When you were playing, you hit one of the notes on the high end of the piano, but a low note played. Is this piano really that badly out of tune?"

"No, I'm pretty sure it's fine." Boris reached over and hit the keys lowest to highest. Each one was exactly as it should have been.

"Oh, I think I see why you're confused," Alice said. "It's a "toon logic" sort of thing. Toons can play songs that fit a theme without hitting all the keys. Watch." Hovering over the lowest two notes, she played the Shave and a Haircut song. "That was comedy."

"Maybe you should try, Henry," Boris said excitedly. "You got the hang of Hammer Space, so maybe you can do this, too!"

Henry eyed the piano warily. Alice got up and gestured to where she'd been sitting. Two against one, Henry sighed and eased himself onto the seat. He hovered over the keys. "I'm not sure where to start."

"Try something simple that you'd find in a cartoon," Alice encouraged. "The Bendy cartoon theme, for instance."

Henry thought for a second, then set his fingers on two keys. Pressing them in time, he played the song:

Listen up, folks, gather round, the little devil darlin's coming to town! All the goody-good folks start to frown, 'cause he's trouble bound!

Boris and Alice clapped as Henry leaned back. "Add that to the list of weird toon logic," Henry said. "That was fun, but it's nothing compared to real piano playing."

Alice and Boris looked up. "You can play the piano, Henry?" Boris asked with a hint of surprise. "I never took ya for a pianist."

"I had some lessons one year when I was younger. There was one song I was really proud of… let me see if I can remember it…" Henry scanned the keys before finding the ones he needed. Slowly, he began to play.

It was slow, and a wrong note could be heard here and there, but the wolf and angel stared at their creator, swaying with the song.

After two minutes, Henry leaned back again and cricked his neck. "That's all I can remember." It was silent for a second. Henry turned to face his friends. "Are you two okay—whoa! What's wrong?"

The toons had tears in their eyes and Boris began to clap wildly. "Gosh, that was good!" He cheered.

Alice wiped her eye and clapped along. "That was beautiful, Henry!"

Henry put a hand to his neck and looked at the piano. "It's not much…"

"It is to us!" Alice said confidently.

"And them!" Boris pointed to the doorway behind them. Henry and Alice turned to see the mutilated Butcher Gang, hanging by the door frame quietly except for the occasional haggard breath. "Gosh, Henry you're like the Pied Piper or something!"

Alice tugged on Henry's sleeve. He looked down at her (even sitting down, he was a bit taller than her) and she shyly tapped her fingers together. "Could you… teach me how to play that song? I've never heard it in any of our cartoons."

"You probably wouldn't have; cartoon songs are more upbeat and bouncier," Henry said. "I won't be a very good teacher—"

"Oh, yes you will!" Alice smacked his arm gently and playfully.

Henry brushed off her attack with exaggerated motions and breathed a laugh. "Alright, alright, I'll scoot over." He glanced up at the Butcher Gang still hanging by the doorway. "Come on over, you three. Might as well teach all of you."

The gang looked at each other for a moment before toddling into the office. Alice sat next to Henry and looked up at him eagerly. "Okay," Henry said, taking her hands and setting them over the right keys. "This note is a G, as I'm sure you know, and you'll want to try hitting two notes at once…"

Bendy peeked around the corner of the door frame and caught the eye of Edgar. They stared at each other, and Edgar winked. Or maybe he just blinked, since one of his eyes was stretched open.

Flushing, Bendy flattened himself against the wall outside the door. Aside from Edgar, he hadn't been seen. He closed his eyes and listened to the slow plinks of piano keys and the murmur of his friends. And Henry. Henry did not count as one of his friends.

After listening in for a few more moments, he peeled away from the wall and walked quietly down the hallway. He felt the sudden need to find a piano. Maybe he could study it and figure out a way to booby-trap it? Yes, that would be funny! Imagine: Henry comes across a piano, sits down, and BAM! a whoopie cushion on the seat! That'd get a laugh for sure. Also, maybe Bendy could use some time alone with an instrument. He was a bit rusty, and the idea of playing and making up a new song that didn't come with toon logic was fun… because his friends seemed to like it! Not because of Henry. Definitely not because of Henry.

The End

Bendy is such a tsundere in my writings. He just wants to hang with his friends again, that's all. Also, I know nothing of playing the piano, except Mary Had a Little Lamb. Piano playing goes to my little sister, The Deviant.

Sooo, what did you guys think? I figured that today would be a good day to post this with the anniversary and all, and I finished my homework early. So I wrote this! Leave a review, tell me if you liked it (or didn't and why), and I'll see you again… someday. I hope. Until then!