//------------------------------// // Well This Is Awkward... // Story: Music Makes The Heart Grow Fonder // by Yzanburg //------------------------------// Chapter 25 "So... I hear that you're a musician. Is that right?" Celestia asked after taking her seat back on her throne. I gulped internally. I was now standing alone in the throne room with the princess of Equestria looming down on my. Celestia sent Twilight and Fluttershy with a pair of guards to a waiting room to have some tea while she asked me some questions in private. "Yes, Ma'am." I said, not taking my eyes off of her. I felt like I was getting interrogated by my old school principal all over again. It was terrifying. I have a feeling she knew how uncomfortable I felt though by the was she was looking at me, with those soft eyes and knowing smile. It just screamed tranquil, while still being mischievous at the same time. How that makes any sense, I'll never know. "Well that's just wonderful! I'd love it if you would play me a song, David." There's that smile again... Hmmm... She wants me to sing a song? But I don't have my guitar. This is troublesome. "Uh... Alright then. Hmmm, Do you have a balloon?" I asked with a shaky smile. "Oh! I do, I do!" Pinkie proclaimed with glee, her upper half poking out from underneath the red carpet while the rest of her seemed to just disappear. She held a hoof out to me and was waving a purple balloon around in my face as she wore a smile that stretched from ear to ear. I fell back down on my ass, my mouth slack and hanging open as I just gawked at the pink party pony offering me a deflated rubber balloon. "I-I uh... Thanks... Pinkie." I said, shakily reaching my hand out to grab the balloon. As soon as I had the balloon in my grasp, Pinkie giggled once more before zooming back under the carpet and seemingly evaporating into nothingness. I stared at the space Pinking once lay before I slowly crawled over and took a peak underneath the royal red carpet. All that greeted me was pristine marble flooring. I looked up at the Princess for any clue on what just happened, but she looked just as confused as I was and just offered me a shrug in return. Deciding not to press the issue any further I turned my attention to the balloon at hand. Inflating it to about the size of my head, I tied it off and stood back in front of the Princess once more.I was still a little shaken up over the recent Pinkie incident, but I did my best to push it aside as I came up with a song. Taking a few calming but shaky breaths, I let my mind wander and I sang the first thing that came to mind. All the while rubbing the balloon to make it squeak in rhythm. "Shake your extremities, Shake your extremities. All your arms and knees, I want 'em, shake 'em, baby, please. Baby shake your eyes for me. Shake your eyes for me, Shake your eyes for me, Shake your eyes for freeeeee. Now make some bills, Make a fills, Make a mills. Quack me up with some yokes. I like girls who know the ropes. I like girls who can cope with, The futuristic sound... Of balloon music." I let the last note of my song linger in the air. That felt good, I think she'll like that song. Opening my eyes and looking up at the throne, my smile immediately dropped. Celestia looked mortified. Quickly recalling the lyrics I spat out I instantly knew why. "Oh my god, I am so so-" "Let us never speak of this again." Celestia cut me off. There was an uncomfortably awkward silence that hung in the air for a while after that. I stood there, shuffling my feet awkwardly. All the while Celestia sat on her throne, rubbing her forehoof just as awkwardly. "Sooo... you're pretty laid back for a princess." I said as a means to break the dreadful silence that hung in the air. "Well after several thousand years of ruling, you realize something." Celestia said as she looked of into the distance with a whimsical smile on her face. "And what might that be?" I asked with genuine curiosity. "Sometimes... You just have to do what you want." When she finished that statement and looked towards me my mind went completely blank. The way she was looking at me with half lidded eyes and that sultry smile. I was at a loss for words. "Is- Is that so..." I stuttered as I shifted my eyes warily. I was about ready to turn and run out the door when the sound of raucous laughter drew my eyes back to Celestia. She lay on her back, hooves clutching her stomach, laughing maddly. "You should see the look on your face! Bahahaha!" Celestia continued to laugh for severl long minutes before finally composing herself once more and sitting back on her throne. I looked at her with an eyebrow raised as she cleared her throat and flattened out her coat. "Sorry, I guess my sense of humor has changed over the past few hundred years. A little more dry I guess. Anyways, on to other matters. I have some questions I'd like to ask you, if I may." "By all means, ask away." I said, still trying to recover from Celestia's so called 'joke' by doing anything to get my mind off of it. She asked me the typical questions anyone would ask when meeting a new species, such as; what are you? Where did you come from? How did you get here? etc. etc. But one question threw me for a loop, and was a question I definitely was not expecting to hear. "Do you plan on entering the music festival this year?" I stood there for a moment, my left eye twitching randomly as I stared off into space, mouth slightly open. "David? Are you o-" "I FORGOT ABOUT THE FESTIVAL!" I screamed as I snapped out of my stupor. Celestia physically flinched at the suddenness of my outburst. I began to pace back and forth in the throne room mumbling to myself. "How could I have forgotten? Does Fluttershy know? We don't even have any new songs?" "David?" "Maybe she forgot too? Oh this is bad. What if there isn't enough time?" "David." "Ooh we're doomed! This is all my fault! WHHYYYY!" I fell to my knees dramatically and held my fists in the air as I yelled to the heavens before everything went dark. A pegasus guard stood in the doorway of the throne room awkwardly staring at Princess Celestia as she stared back at him. David lay motionless at her hooves. The lone guard slowly began to back out of the throne room, not taking his eyes off of his ruler. "No, wait! it's not what it looks-" The door slammed shut as the sound of fleeing hoof falls could be heard in the distance. "Like. Oh well. I'll deal with that when it comes up. David?" I groaned as I slowly came to my senses. Sitting up, I stretched my body, giving off a series of satisfying pops and cracks. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was a white nose and very large pink eyes in my face. I'd like to say I handled this in a calm and mature manner, but I screamed like a little girl and scooted back as far as I could before I realized it was Celestia with a worried look on her face. "Are you okay David?" Celestia asks and takes a cautious step forward. "Uhh... Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." I said while rubbing the back of my head and chuckling awkwardly. "If you're sure. By the way, The festival is still two months away, I'm sure you have plenty of time to put something together. There's no need to worry. Celestia said. The smile she wore calmed me down quite a bit and I knew she was right. There really was no reason for me to freak out and over react. "You're right. That's plenty of time to write a few songs. Thank you." I said, bowing slightly. "You're very welcome David. It was a pleasure meeting you, but it is about time for my sister, Princess Luna to take over duties, and I'm sure your friends are eager to know how you are. I'll have one of my guards show you to where they are." "Thank you Princess. It was a pleasure meeting you." I said with another bow. She smiled at me once more before turning around and walking towards a door at the back of the throne room. A guard cleared his throat behind me before leading me to a waiting room down the hall and around the corner. Sitting on a bench, leaning on each other was Fluttershy and Twilight. Both of which were snoring softly. I smiled at the cute scene in front of me and opted to tell them about my little interview in the morning. I turned and looked at the guard to my left who was standing as still and stoic as ever and asked him a question. "Are there any rooms available for us?"