Stay with Me, Inspiration!

by FerociousCreation

Inscribed

My hoof held the door open for Four Eyes and Feather Wand to the poetry club. “The club awaits,” I said with a nod of my head. Four Eyes walked inside while Feather didn’t follow behind the light-brown pegasus.

“I can get the door for you,” Feather said as he leaned his hoof on the door.

My lips twisted into a grin, “Why couldn’t you get the door for Four Eyes?”

“I-I… well… I was going to… but you...”

Four Eyes stepped into the picture and surrendered herself to the act of teasing. “Yeah, Mr. Gentlestallion? Why only her?” My marefriend and I giggled a bit at Feather before quickly stopping ourselves from embarrassing him to no end.

Feather got a grip on himself and the door, gesturing Four Eyes and me to enter. “After you, ladies.” For some reason, I couldn’t help but flush when Feather spoke. His voice was so… musical. Even Four Eyes fell prey to the stallion’s tone. He was embarrassing us by accident.

I followed Four Eyes once she decided to break free from Feather’s unintentional grip. She hopped into the seat that was right at the front of the class. My legs stopped right before the seat beside my new friend. Insecurity kept me from putting myself beside Four Eyes.

“Is something wrong?” Four Eyes asked while the old desk in the back of the room called for its seat warmer.

“I’m… a little…” I put my hoof to my head to try and force through the mental block. “...It's coming back.”

I didn’t need to explain what I had meant and my sweet friend extended her hoof to save me. “Then let me help.” Like a… magnet! Yes, magnet. Like a magnet, my forearm flung itself toward Four Eyes and grabbed hold of the lifeline.

“Thanks,” I said with a smile, though my head dipped. The seat felt like any other, only much closer to the front.

Through the jungle of my mane, I saw Feather approach Four Eyes and I. He sat behind me and I had to turn around awkwardly to see him. “Glad to see you took a seat up here with all the other poets,” Feather said while he took out his song.

I did the same thing as Feather and took out my original work. But unlike him, I shivered the entire time I went to retrieve it. The thing that took me all week to perfect was right in front of me, sprawled out for anypony who walked by.

“Songbird!” Four Eyes exclaimed. “You’re shaking so violently!” Before I had time to respond, my friend gave me a hug. Too bad for her, she was not expecting a wild ride and was rattled by my unstable feelings.

A hoof touched my shoulder, distracting the invisible force that tried to shake my nerves. “It’s okay, Songbird,” Feather said. He walked beside my desk and did his best to get his arms around me and Four Eyes. “We both know you can do this.”

My cheeks lifted so high up, I almost couldn’t see. “Thanks, you two,” I squeaked. My shivering simmered down to a low rumble, enough to not be so obvious at how nervous I was.

“Aww, how sweet!” I had to lower my smile to see High Dive looking at me and my two friends. The second best poet came up to me while Feather and Four Eyes removed their hold. Feather turned back at me and nodded before walking over to the other stallions who entered the classroom. High Dive looked me up and down, her critique mind was at work no doubt. “You look great today.”

“Thanks,” I nod. I rested my arms on my song, worried High Dive might get a sneak peek.

With great fortune, High Dive looked to Four Eyes. “And who might you be?”

Four Eyes did not have the nervous complexion I was expecting when she was mentioned. “My name is Four Eyes. I am here to watch Songbird sing on stage.” I nervously hunched over, my secret pronounced to the entire classroom. Several others looked to me once their heard Four Eyes.

“You wrote a song?” High Dive repeated. I nod again at the poet.

Four Eyes saw that her words affected me. “I-I’m sorry! I didn't mean to-”

“It’s okay,” I said. I looked to Four Eyes, even though she most likely couldn't tell that I was looking at her. “Besides, everypony is going to know eventually.” My nose then pointed to High Dive and I whisper to her, “But please, I want to keep it a secret until then.”

High Dive giggled and winked at me. “Don't worry, I won't tell. And I can't wait to hear you sing.” The poet turned around but gave me a second glance. “Sit up front more often. I'm sure the club would like to see what you have written.”

I didn't want to disagree with High Dive because of her sweet character. But she was not going to be graced by my old poetry. I felt a tap on the shoulder and I turned toward Four Eyes. “Again, I am sorry for telling her.”

“You don't have to be sorry, Four Eyes. You didn't know.” I removed my hooves from the desk and push the song over to her. Easing Four Eyes didn't seem to be too challenging and I didn't want her to worry. “Speaking of 'know', would you like to know what my song looks like?”

“Really!?” Four Eyes gasped. Her outburst brought other ponies to gander at us. “Sorry...” she squeaked.

However, Aileron stepped in front of the class and spoke, interrupting Four Eye’s chance to look over my poem. “Good afternoon, everypony.” The announcement brought everypony to their seats. Feather Wand was with his normals group, though I wanted him nearby. My inspiration was far from me but I remained strong.

“I see some of you have prepared for this Friday with your own props and outfit,” Aileron said to nopony in particular and I was glad he wasn't addressing me. “I do hope everypony is ready because we are heading to the theatre.”

***

Feather and Four Eyes sat at my sides as we looked forward at the stage. High Dive was performing her intense poem about the four seasons. It was difficult to watch her speak and hear the words she proclaimed. There was nothing wrong with her act or poem. The problem was my mind. I watched High Dive flail about the stage with sudden swings of the head, but I could not listen to her words because I was too focused on my performance.

“Feather…” I whisper to my right.

“Yes?” he responded and twisted one ear at me.

“Are you sure you got everything down for my song?” I ask. Before Feather could answer, my mouth asks another question, “Do you need to warm up before you play?” I ask yet another, “Should I go last or right after High Dive?”

My inspiration looks at me while still trying to focus on the stage performer. “Go when you want to.” Feather quickly returned his full attention to High Dive. I looked to see her on her back, pawing at the air with a weak hoof. I heard Four Eyes sigh beside me, fully immersed with the poet. Deciding to not focus on my song, I too watched High Dive. Too bad I didn’t know what was happening because I wasn’t paying any attention to High Dive, which brought me back to my dilemma.

I didn’t want to bother either of my friends but something itched me to want to talk with them. So I just sat still and waited for the performance to end. The floor below my hooves were so dark, I worried that if I tried to stand, I would fall into an unknown void.

A round of applause yanked me back to reality and the tile floor regained its solid surface. High Dive curtsied a few times before flying off. “A wonderful performance,” Mr. Aileron said and the clapping slowly died out. “Very unique way of using a tortoise to explain the seasons.” Too bad I wasn’t listening to know what the tortoise was enduring. Four Eyes and Feather talked across from me, sharing their thoughts about the poem. I didn’t bother to pay attention to a discussion I was not a part of.

“What was your favorite part, Songbird?” High Dive asked me.

“I… wasn’t paying attention…” I painfully admit. High Dive was definitely a poet to be respected and I wanted to give her my undivided attention, especially after how she spoke to me before we came to the theatre. But I could not remove my thoughts from my eventual performance. “You can assume what I have been thinking about.”

“I can,” Feather answered. I looked at him as the stallion leaned on his armrest. “And I think you should perform now.”

Corruption sank its poison into my heart once more. “B-but we haven’t gotten through half of the club’s poems! Maybe I should wait until-”

“Songbird, we are already two poems in and... well… I hate to say it… but…” Feather looked at Four Eyes and asked her, “Can you help me out?” But Four Eyes only shrugged, not sure what Feather was getting at. “Ugh…”

“Just say it,” I said, knowing very well my inspiration had nothing positive to address.

“You’re distracting me.” Feather sighed as he removed the heavy weight from his shoulders but quickly placed it on my heart. “I want you to have a good time and enjoy everypony’s poems. But if you only focus on yourself, then what is the point to being inspired?” Oh Feather, always at the ready with advice.

“I’m sorry…” was all I could muster up.

“Don’t be sorry,” Four Eyes said. “Feather and I both understand how you feel. But I would suggest the same thing: go perform now. Show everypony what you can do.” She lifted her armrest and scooted to my side. Feather did the same and I suddenly felt a small flame of encouragement.

“You can do this,” Feather said. “Go inspire everypony with your voice.”

“Yeah!” Four Eyes shouted, her encouraging spirit screaming in my ear. I clearly got the message my friends were expressing but would have liked to not have my light-brown friend scream in my ear.

“Sounds to me like somepony is excited about the next performance,” Mr. Aileron laughed, along with the entire club.

While Four Eyes’ ears flopped backward, I leaned into my friend. “Thanks,” I said. I then leaned onto Feather. “Both of you.”

“Alright, who is next?” Mr. Aileron announced. Four Eyes and Feather looked at me with eager anticipation, wanting me to take the initiation. It was hard but I rose my hoof to answer the call.

“I’ll be next!” That was not my voice.

“Very well! Well everypony, let’s give it up for Skipper and his poem.” While everypony clapped for the stallion, my friends smiled at me.

“That was a good,” Feather said. “You tried to be brave.”

“But I failed…” My hoof slowly fell to my side.

“...and it also looks like Songbird Serenade wants to perform as well!” Mr. Aileron spoke. I was not paying attention to the world around me and I looked to see the instructor facing me. “You will be right after Skipper, okay?”

“Okay,” my voice cracked. Fate finally inscribed my destiny in its book.