Friendship is Failure #21: Is it Love?

by DakariKingMykan

Act 1: Slip of the drink

ACT ONE

Strings played a rather beautiful song, and even though he was only playing the piano, the restaurant sound system provided him with all the rest of the music in his song.

(4:55)

Well it feels so nice to have you,
Our love burns forth so bright
I need your light and warmth because
It’s spooky out at night.
And I know the feeling’s mutual,
I can feel the love so true
And I won’t shake what I enunciate
My heart I give to you.

His voice sounded soothing, but slightly down toned as well, like he was depressed. Nevertheless, the crowd applauded for him, and Spike was starting to see why he was so celebrated.

“Wow! He is good. Almost like I could feel the words hit me in the chest.”

Twilight and Cadance sighed, feeling lost in the music, and especially Sun from the kitchen as the orders were being ready to take with her to serve.

She saw Strings take a bow, and then stepped off the stage to retreat to a reserved table for himself, far in the back away from the crowds.

Sun smiled in a loving daze, and then quickly got back to her work. She was preparing a special milkshake for Strings. She had served him many times when he came to the joint, and she knew how hungry and thirsty he would get after performance.

So she prepared his favorite chocolate milkshake for him…

…But while no one was watching, and she looked around to make sure. She levitated, out from her apron pocket, a small vial of pink liquid-- a potion. When she added to the milkshake, a few heart-shaped bubbles came out of it, and then nothing.

Sun looked up through the kitchen window, way over at Strings sitting alone at his table. “I’m doing this for you, Strings.” she thought “This love potion-- I spent months looking for its recipe in the magical library, and then it took me a whole year to find the ingredients and mix it just right.

One sip of this potion will make Strings fall in love with the first mare he sees, and that’s going to be me.

I’m doing it for the both of us.”

She was so lost in her daydreams, that she was snapped out of her trance when the chef slammed a tray of food down in front of her.

“Come on, Sun. Shake a leg. These customers aren’t going to feed themselves.”

Sun felt embarrassed but pulled herself together, and placed Strings tainted milkshake onto the tray next to an identical milkshake, which was going to Cadance’s royal table.

When she arrived at the table to serve the food, she heard Cadance giving the news to Twilight and Spike.

“I asked if Strings would perform at the Hearts and Hooves gala, and he said he’d be delighted too.”

“Oh, his music will be so romantic and delightful.” said Twilight.

“Maybe I’ll ask Rarity for a dance.” Spike murmured, and he examined his gift for her again.

As Sun served the food to her customers, she looked over far off at Strings again, becoming lost in her daydreams, and by mistake she had spilled some soup on the table, which splashed a little bit on Cadance as well.

“Whoa!” cried Cadance.

The crowds turned and gasped at the obvious accident, and Sun felt most embarrassed. She got down on her knees, bowing and begging, “Oh, Princess, please forgive me! I didn’t mean to do it! I’m ever so sorry.”

“It’s okay… really…” said Cadance “We all make mistakes.”

Sun offered to clean up the table, but Twilight offered to do it herself while Cadance went off to clean up in the washroom.

The mess wasn’t that hard to clean out; just a little wipe down.

“At least you didn’t spill my milkshake.” said Spike, and that put Sun in mind of her duties again, and she reached for the tray only to realize Spike had ordered the same milkshake as Strings did, and in all the chaos and bumbling about, Sun had forgotten which one was tainted with the potion intended for Strings.

“Um… can I have my milkshake?” Spike asked, sounded a little impatient.

Not wanting to get into any more trouble with the delay, Sun just handed him a milkshake anyway.

“Thank you.” Spike said politely with a smile, but Sun quickly ran off with the lone milkshake she had left.

“Gee, what’s with her?” wondered Spike.

Twilight watched as Sun made her way slowly over to Strings at his table.

Strings looked pretty glum the way he just sat in the corner and in dimmed lights as if he was hiding in the shadows.

He sighed miserably, but softly sang under his breath a verse from a song most ponies knew, “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

Sun finally approached him and slowly placed the milkshake in front of him. He was surprised at first but looked up at her, “Oh, hi Sun.”

Trying to hide her nerves, Sun answered softly and gently, “Hello Strings. It was a good performance you gave and I prepared your favorite milkshake.”

Strings gave her a weak smile, “Thank you, but I’m starting to feel at a loss of appetite. My heart just doesn’t feel at it.”

Sun looked sad for him, and she knew why, but seeing as he didn’t want to waste her hard work, Strings took a little sip of his milkshake, and at the same time Spike was sipping his own.

Sun felt and thought, “This is it. All he has to do is look at me.”

She leaned in forward a little, batting her eyelids softly.

Strings drowsed as the soft coolness of the shake slowly went down his throat, and he looked up at Sun.

“Thank you,” he said deeply but kindly “…I feel really glad to have a friend like you, Sun.”

Sun was confused. “Oh, um… sure, it’s my pleasure.” while her thoughts were going crazy, “Friend?!” I don’t understand! He should be head-over-heels for me.”

Suddenly, the chef called her back to the kitchen. “Come on, Sun, quit holding up the joint.”

Not wanting to get into any more trouble, Sun was forced to leave Strings and get back to work.

“She didn’t even take my order.” Strings said to himself. “Ah, well… she’s known me a long time. She knows I’ll just take my usual.”

Now he felt worse, “How can I possibly break it to her?”

Spike made funny faces and licked his lips softly. “This milkshake tastes a little strange.”

“Spike!” snapped Twilight “You should wait for Cadance to come back before you start eating or drinking.”

Spike would have protested, but he suddenly began to feel very stranger; sort of warm and soft inside as he gazed at Twilight, and he even chuckled while gawking at her with a goofy expression. “Anything you say… Twilight.” he said in a soft and almost cooing voice.

Twilight was most confused, “Um… ooooookay...”

Cadance was coming back after cleaning up, but she stopped on route back to the table to see Strings.

“Hello, Strings…” she said kindly.

Strings looked up and saw Cadance, and he swallowed hard. “Y… Your Highness.” he said in a shaky voice.

“I really wanted to thank you for agreeing to help out at the gala. I just love your music, and I’m very proud that you’ve come so far in your life.”

Strings couldn’t help but blush. “Thank you… um… It’s a pleasure… for you… Princess...”

Cadance excused herself to go back to her friends, and Strings bit his hoof hard, and cringed deeply, trying supress the burning feelings inside of him.

“She can’t know…” he said in thought “She must never find out how I feel. I just wish it didn’t hurt so much. Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to work for her.”

As Cadance and Twilight at their lunch, Spike never stopped gazing at Twilight with that same dopey expression.

“Aren’t you going to eat, Spike?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, don’t mind me.” he cooed “I’m not hungry for food, I’m hungry for love.”

Cadance blinked her eyes in confusion, but Twilight chuckled and took it as a joke. “I get it. You’re getting into the spirit for Hearts and Hooves.”

“Oh, more than that...” Spike said with hearts in his eyes.

Soon they finished their lunch, and paid for it, but Spike insisted on paying for Twilight’s share, as well as his own.

“That’s very thoughtful, Spike, but really I can pay for my own meal, and besides, you hardly have any money after buying your gift.”

“No amount of money is worth how I feel for you.” replied Spike.

Both Cadance and Twilight gawked at him in confusion. “Are you feeling alright, Spike?” asked Cadance.

“I feel fine.” he answered in a slow and deep voice while gazing into Twilight’s confused eyes.

“Right…” said Twilight. “Well, come on, Spike. We’ve got work to do in the village.”

Cadance and Twilight hugged as they promised to meet up later at the Crystal Palace, and Spike followed Twilight… literally floating on air. “Wherever she goes… I go.”

Cadance was starting to feel concerned about Spike, but she also noticed a little of his milkshake left. She hated to see waste like that, especially on the restaurants best milkshake too. So she levitated the glass to her lips, rather than drinking from the straw and gulped the last of it down.

“Ugh…!!” she groaned, as she tasted something odd yet familiar. “That taste…! Oh, no, it’s--”

Just like Spike, the potion began to make her feel warm and soft inside, especially when she looked to where Strings was sitting in the corner.

Their eyes met, and Cadance felt like birds were flying around her head, and she smiled and giggled softly.

Strings blushed hard at her gazing at him, and he decided to just leave money for his food and leave through a back exit before he felt anymore sad or crushing feelings.

“Okay, why was she looking at me like that?” he wondered.

As for Sun, she had seen everyone from Spike to Cadance’s reactions and realized her mistake. “What have I done?!”