As the two made their way through the door of the Assembly, Cotton was overwhelmed with sound. Briefly covering her eyes with a hoof, she looked around the sun-flooded room. Above her, the ceiling was almost entirely stained-glass windows depicting The Princess and other ponies accomplishing scholastic feats Cotton didn't recognize. The colours filtering through the windows painted the room in an almost ethereal multi-hue light that the pegasus found beautiful.
A light touch on the back of her neck and a voice just behind her, "You good Cotton?"
Cotton shook her head as she was broken out of her reverie. "Yeah, sorry, I was just... distracted."
"Ah I got you. There is a lot going on from what I can hear... This is the Assembly room or whatever right?"
The pegasus nodded. "Yeah." Looked around for a place to sit, she saw a large collection of cushy seats slightly curved around a podium on a small stage. Wow. Everything is amazing. Polished woods, shining marble... it's beautiful. There were a few open seats across the room. Sadly all the seats in the back are taken.
"You sure you're okay?"
"Sorry. I was looking for a seat."
Aqua hummed aloud. "Which ones are taken?"
"Most of the seats are taken, and only a few in the front or middle are empty"
"Oh, okay. Yeah, just go for the front seats then... Wait, describe the room. Like the general layout."
"Um. The room has a podium on the far side, where I imagine the principal will talk to everypony. On the close side are rows of seats, slightly curving around the podium."
"Okay, yeah. Just pick one of the front seats. slightly to the left or the right, if those are open." Cotton began to trot towards the left front side of the seats. "So, uh... You good? You were frozen a bit there."
Cotton nearly tripped as she descended the stairs between rows of seats. "Oh..." She doesn't need to hear it. "It's nothing. Just something that I remembered."
"Oh? Like? You crushing on someone?"
Cotton giggled, loud enough for Aqua to hear it, but didn't respond otherwise. What would I even tell her? That she can't see how nice the room is? That would just be mean. The pegasus shook her head, focusing back on finding a seat. Nearing the front row, Cotton decided on a section near the aisle on the second-to-front row. Shuffling into the row, Cotton opened her wings to help Aqua get down into a seat. "Aqua, we're at the seat. Follow my wings."
Aqua let out a little gasp as Cotton's left wing lightly supported the filly's left side. Cotton right wing opened flat, letting Aqua slide down it directly onto a cushion.
Turning to the filly on her back, "Sorry. Aqua. Down my right wing is a cushion you can sit on. Do you think you can do that?"
Aqua grinned. "Heh. I should be. As long as nothin' comes out of nowhere." The filly began to climb down the provided wing.
Cotton furrows her brow and leans her head back, taking care not to move her barrel or withers. "What?"
Aqua briefly stopped and waived a hoof downwards. "Ah don't worry 'bout it. Unfunny joke, is all."
"Alright," Cotton slowly responded.
Aqua was almost onto the cushion, so Cotton began to help lead the filly now that she was no longer directly on her back. Aqua made another tiny noise, but didn't otherwise protest. A second of help later, and the filly was sat on one of the red cushions. "Oh wow, these are nice cushions."
Now joining her in sitting down, Cotton agreed, "You're right, they are."
The filly had a smile on her face as she looked downwards, "I know I said that this place was well-funded, but I can really feel it now."
The pegasus giggled. Looking up, she noticed a clock off to the side of the room, on both sides now that she looked at the other side. Five or so more minutes... Cotton looked down at Aqua. The filly's smile was smaller now, and her ears twisted this way and that. She's probably having a hard time being able to hear so much better than others in the room... Glancing at the rest of the room, those with parents or the occasional pony sitting next to another near the same age, were talking openly. The parents with their children were a little more quiet than the pairs, though. Probably nervous?
Aqua broke the silence between the two, "How long do we gotta wait, ya think?"
"The clock says a little under four minutes till eight, so that long, is my guess."
"Ah. Well, I got a great way to spend the time." Turning to Aqua, she found a grin on the filly's face. "Small talk!"
Cotton nearly snorted.