[...]

“Alex?! Where are you?”

I was trotting through the castle courtyard, searching for the human I was tasked with guarding. For some reason, he hadn’t gone to work, and a message of concern was delivered to the princesses. After hearing the news, Princess Celestia tasked me with finding Alex quickly.

I know he wouldn’t just run off without an excuse, I thought as I checked every nook and cranny of the castle. There’s gotta be some clue around here. From what I had initially gathered, Alex had been last seen in his tower room and was preparing for work but, instead, disappeared.

“I knew I shouldn’t have listened to him,” I thought aloud. “Alex said he would be alright on his own and that nothing bad could happen. How foolish of me….” I shook my head as I exited the courtyard and returned to the main corridor of the castle. I galloped as fast as I could, searching room after room.

Eventually, my mind remembered that whenever Alex needed time to mentally unwind, he would ask me if we could go to one of the gardens in the castle. If there was one place he could be, perhaps the castle gardens would help me find him.

Unfortunately, there were a total of four gardens scattered within the castle walls. The heavy glass doors slid to the side as I stepped onto the grass of the first garden. My mind started to get tired as I searched the entire garden, even submerging my head into the pond.

Not in here, my mind whined. There’s gotta be a faster and more efficient way to do this. I slid the door close and shook my frame. Advancing toward the second garden door, I came up with a foolproof tell that would determine if Alex had visited the garden.

As I slid the door open, I checked the grass and saw it was undisturbed. If Alex had been in here, my mind determined, his shoes would have definitely left an imprint. So…he wasn’t in here.

sigh “Please, be three,” I groaned. Thankfully, the third garden provided a big clue.

Rather, a ‘large’ clue.

A footprint was pressed into the grass, solidifying the fact that Alex was here. I entered the private garden and closed the door softly. The peaceful atmosphere was contrasted by the towering walls that contained the garden, with the cold air breezing through. As I trotted down the right path, it led me to the backside of the garden, where the tree and pond sat solemnly.

There, nestled underneath the tree…

sniffle!

“...Alex?”

My mouth reacted before my brain, which startled the human. Alex noticed me approach him, his shoulders tensing as my brows furrowed. I saw the human’s appearance as he backed away from the tree.

Alex’s hair was disheveled, appearing frayed at the ends, while his clothes were roughed up. But as I looked up at his face, my mind slowly began to feel bad for the human.

The human looked at me, his once colorful, teal eyes bloodshot and soaked with tears. Alex’s face was a bright red and stained with two tear tracks extending past his cheekbones and down his neck. My hair stood up as I reached my hoof out to try and comfort Alex.

The human retracted, apparently afraid to be comforted. I remained undeterred, extending my hoof to pat his leg softly.

“Alex-oof!”

sob! “I am so sorry, Swift….” Alex quickly crumpled, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me in for a tight hug. My body was squeezed against his, my arms cramping from being unable to reciprocate the action. I tried to get Alex to ease himself, which he figured out. “S-Sorry….”

wheeze! “N-No…m-my bad,” I exasperated. I tried to crack a smile as his eyebrows creased upward, expressing concern. I didn’t say anything as his body visibly trembled. “H-Hey, Alex?”

“...” Again, Alex remained silent. This was becoming tedious for me, trying to get to the root of the problem…whatever it was. So I decided to sit and relax, taking a spot underneath the tree’s brush and awaiting his response.

It didn’t take long as the human fell to his butt, bringing his knees in toward his stomach and burying his head within them. He began to softly cry, his muffled anguish pouring onto his clothes. I scooted closer to his side and patted his back, ultimately giving Alex time before he would have to tell me what happened and why he didn’t go to work today.

Little did I know, this was much more than just deciding not to go to work for one day.

It was much…much worse.

========================================<>=========================================

“S-So…you actually ‘confessed’ your feelings to Princess Luna?”

sniffle “Mhmm….”

“Aaand…what did she say?”

shiver “She appreciated it,” Alex sighed, his head drooping. “B-But…Shifting already asked her first, and she had said ‘yes’ to him….”

“Hmm...I see now,” I pondered. Alex was curled up into a ball and was trying to keep himself composed. Meanwhile, I tried my best to avoid using their names, but I had very little room to work with. “Wait…but that doesn’t make sense. Princess Luna barely knows Shifting…right?”

scoff! “Not from what I’ve heard,” Alex mumbled. “Apparently, they’ve known each other since they were foals.”

“Oooooh,” I said in surprise, even though I knew the ageless stallion was technically immortal. “But that raises even more questions. Wasn’t Princess Luna banished to the moon after the whole ‘Nightmare Moon’ fiasco? How did Private Shifting Sands survive for a thousand years when he is clearly an earth pony…like me? Evidently speaking, it’s only been a mon-”

“A month,” Alex agreed, adjusting himself on the grass. “Yeah, this whole thing is weird to me, and I have reasonable suspicion about him. Apparently, Shifting was Luna’s ‘Captain of the Night Guard,’ so no shit there’s history there. But…why now? Of all the times to come back, why did he choose to return now?”

“...I have no idea,” I pondered. “Shifting did say he came back to warn Princess Luna that her life was in danger by her own guard, but…yeah. Why did he show up the ‘exact night’ it was all about to go down? Couldn’t he have sent a note or something in advance?”

“That could’ve raised even more suspicion,” Alex grumbled, looking away. “And the guard might have acted immediately upon hearing that somecreature knew of their plan….”

“Mmhm,” I groaned. I rubbed my temples, a minor headache forming while Alex sighed heavily. The human appeared visibly shaken, beads of sweat flowing down the sides of his face. I patted him on the back, which he hesitantly allowed. “It’s gonna be okay, Alex….”

sigh “No, it’s not…d-don’t lie.” Alex’s tone shifted, getting serious and agitated as his hands gripped the garden grass. The human uprooted several blades of grass, my mind gauging where the conversation could head if I continued to try and argue my point.

I decided to lighten the mood. “Well, if you don’t believe me,” I began with, “why don’t we take the night off and go enjoy ourselves? I’ve had this one place in mind for a while, and I believe you’d totally dig it.”

grumble! “...I don’t want to go anywhere,” Alex muttered. He crossed his arms and pouted, a chuckle nearly forcing itself from my mouth. I took a deep breath and decided to try again.

“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun!” I reassured. “Away from the castle with nopony to bother us and some music to enjoy.” That statement did the trick as Alex’s eyes darted toward me in surprise.

“Fir-First off, that just sounds creepy,” Alex stammered, putting his hand up. “God, Swift…you need to learn proper ‘phrasing.’”

chuckle “I apologize. I now see why that can be so wrong without context,” I teased.

“Yeah. But, more importantly…‘music?’” Alex stopped as his head tilted, his eyebrows coked upward. “Wha-What do you mean by ‘music to enjoy?’ You can’t just leave me hanging there.” I stopped and closed my eyes, exhaling silently.

“Well, it sounds just like it does, Alex. A performance is happening tonight, and I’ve wanted to see this group for some time,” I explained, rubbing my hoof. “It’s…actually embarrassing since I like that kind of music, but just…never got the chance to go.”

“Why?”

Alex’s one-word response stunned me. I looked at him and shook my head. “I’ve…b-been busy,” I hesitated. Alex looked at me, skepticism probably running through his mind. “A-And I can’t afford it….”

“...”

We sat there in silence, only the wind accompanying the dead atmosphere. The wind howled as the rustling of the tree’s branches filled my ears. For sure, that should’ve worked, I thought. Alex likes music…a lot! Who would turn down this kind of opportunity to see-

“I can cover it.” My head shot up while my eyes widened. Alex’s response had taken me by complete surprise.

“...Y-You can?” I whispered.

Alex nodded his head, shrugging to himself. “I’ve saved up enough anyway. Unless it’s really, REALLY expensive, I think I’ll be covered nonetheless.” Alex paused before exhaling deeply. “Besides…they owe me now.”

“...Ummm…Alex?”

growl “Oh yeah, they fucking owe me, all right.” Alex’s fist tightened, uprooting another portion of grass. I couldn’t think of anything and knew something drastic would happen if it persisted, so I threw my hooves toward him to stop it.

grip! “Thank you so much, Alex!”

“W-Woah! Easy there, Swift!” Alex awkwardly exclaimed. I wrapped my hooves around his waist, nearly causing him to topple over. “...I-I’ve yet to decide even IF I wanna go.”

My ears perked as I separated myself from the human, clearing my throat. “R-Right. S-Sorry about that,” I whimpered. My head fell, eyes glued to the ground. All I was trying to do was to get Alex to forget what brought him to the garden in the first place, and it only seemed lik-

sigh “Alright, let’s go.” Alex answered unexpectedly. I looked up at him and stood up so fast.

“Really?!” I asked excitedly. My hooves started shaking in excitement as a broad smile carved itself upon my face.

“Jeez, dude,” Alex noticeably said. “You’re wagging your tail like a dog, man. Chill.” I looked back and realized he was right, a small blush forming on my cheeks. “Pfft, haha! Come on, bud, there’s no time to waste.” The human had made it to the door and slid it back open, ushering for me to join him.

“Yes!” I pumped my hoof in celebration and trotted through the door, turning around to wait for Alex. He walked through the doorway, shut it behind him, and smiled toward me. As he smiled at me, I remembered that everypony in the castle was looking for him. If he was spotted, he’d have to talk with the alicorns first before leaving, which would likely end catastrophically.

“Wa-Wait!” I stammered, motioning toward the human. “I know a shortcut. This way!”

========================================<>=========================================

“Hey, uh…Swift? Where exactly are we going?”

“Don’t worry! We’re almost there, Alex.”

groan! “I don’t even know ‘where’ this is,” the human muttered. “The only thing I am aware of is that music is involved somehow.”

chuckle “Well, I do hope you like it!” I chirped. “It’s a great place from what I’ve heard, and it beats sulking around in the castle garden all night.”

“Hey! I wasn’t sulking,” Alex protested. “Just…coping.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m serious!” Alex yelled. “And why do I have a sneaky feeling I know where we’re going?” We continued down the main street and passed the intersection that led to Alex’s workplace. I noticed him look over his right shoulder, so I drew his attention by steering him to the left.

“This way, bud!” I called out.

“Woah, Swift! Chill out, my guy….” Alex’s words stopped, as did his body. I trotted next to him and looked up at the establishment’s sign, the illuminated words beaming back down at us.

“Swift?”

“Yes, Alex?”

sigh “...Why’d you bring me here?” Alex shakily asked. I grinned as I trotted for the entrance.

“You’ll see,” I cheekily answered.

I held the door for the human as he followed my lead, ducking down slightly. The top part of the doorway grazed his hair on the way through as we entered ‘The X-Perience’ Music Bar. Alex observed his surroundings, as did I, taking in the atmosphere.

The bar almost resembled a nightclub but doubled as a leisurely restaurant for everycreature to pass the time in. Music memorabilia lined the walls, photos of bands and performers playing, and even a small aquarium toward the back right. I didn’t understand why they had one since the music bar was only for creatures 18 years or older.

The reason why was spelled out on the left side. A long countertop bar with dozens of stools lining it and a few bartenders catering to the ponies who could hold their drinks well. I had only been here a few times as a way to unwind but never engaged in casual drinking. That was also something I needed to keep secret from Alex.

Speaking of which, the human may have drawn some attention as some guests who were leaving nearly fell over at the sight of him. He gave them a friendly wave, and the ponies only ran off in fright. Alex shrugged his shoulders as his eyes continued wandering around the establishment.

I trotted toward the waitress standing at the entrance podium. It seemed like she recognized me, her eyebrows raising in surprise.

“Well, what can I do for you, Mr. Swift?” she asked nicely.

chuckle “Nice to see you again,” I replied. “Two seats at the bar, please.” The mare nodded as she moved for the bar on the opposite side of the place. I called out to Alex and motioned for him to follow, the human’s mouth agape as his eyes darted everywhere.

“God…dayum,” Alex whispered. “This place is lit up like the Fourth of July.”

“You know I have no idea what that means, but I’ll take your word for it,” I responded. Alex and I made it to the barstools, the mare showing her hoof before noticing Alex behind me. She froze in place, probably scared by the towering creature.

“Thank you,” I politely commented. The mare said nothing as Alex sat beside me, flicking his hand and waving toward her. The waitress acknowledged him awkwardly before quickly heading back to the front.

“Weird,” Alex muttered. “You’d think anypony would have gotten used to seeing me by now.”

“Was that sarcasm?” I asked with a nervous laugh. Alex’s mouth turned into a silly grin as he shook his head, resting his elbows on the bar’s countertop.

“Yeah, that was,” Alex laughed off. “How long do you think it’ll take before we get our drinks?”

“Don’t know. They’re usually fast abou-”

“What can I get you two?” the bartender interrupted. We were caught off-guard, Alex silently laughing as I waved my hoof at him in disbelief. The human shook his head and watched as I spoke up.

“I’ll do the usual, Barry,” I said. Alex cleared his throat, causing me to look at him. His face expressed confusion, his eyes squinting at me. “...What?”

“Wait a second. You drink?” the human asked, making me nearly fall out of my seat.

“No!” I answered. “What I’m getting is NOT a drink! It’s more of a refresher…a ‘non-alcoholic’ refresher.”

“Pfft! God…remind me to find one night a week to go to a bar or something with you, just so I can relive this moment, haha,” Alex chuckled. I laughed as well as Barry looked back at me in skeptical annoyance.

“He with you?” the bartender inquired. I nodded and motioned toward the human.

“What do you want to get, Alex?” I asked. The human slowly prodded his chin, mulling over his decision as he looked at the bar’s fancy wall menu. There were a lot of choices across the board, and I couldn’t blame him for taking his time. There were many different selections of root beers, ciders, and martinis. The list went on and on and on.

Ultimately, Alex shook his head. “Water with ice,” he cooly replied. I was dumbfounded by his choice, as was Barry, who slowly nodded and walked toward the opposite end of the counter. I rolled my eyes and let my chin hit the bartop.

“Great choice,” I lazily grumbled. Alex looked at me with an annoyed look.

“I always get water…with ice,” Alex added. I was just about to comment before we heard a bass guitar strumming some notes. Alex’s eyes darted past my head, forcing me to smile and look toward the stage as a curtain parted. Then…

“1, 2, 3!”

clack!

========================================<>=========================================

Without warning, the entertainment for the night started to play one of their regular openers, enticing the ponies within the restaurant to swivel in their seats. Everypony turned to listen and watch them keenly, commanding their attention with their beautiful sound. I bopped my head with the song’s tempo, the bassist beginning to sin-

tap-tap-tap! “Swift!” I shook myself out of my stupor and turned toward Alex. He was nearly jumping up and down, a wide grin running across his face. “I-I know that song, dude!”

My eyes widened at that admission. “Wait a minute. You know this one?” I asked. He nodded happily and started snapping his fingers.

snap! “It’s a classic where I’m from,” Alex acknowledged. snap!

“How do you know this…w-wait.” I did a double-take. “A classic? Where YOU’RE from?!”

chuckle “Hell yeah!” Alex looked up toward the stage and bopped his head in rhythm. “Check it. This is how the chorus goes.”

As the guitarist and synth began to lead into the chorus, Alex looked at me an-

“Everybody’s working for the weekend!” Alex sang. I nearly choked on my spit as he recited the entire chorus word for word before the bassist even sang it. My brain almost exploded as they went to the solo section following it, Alex mimicking the guitar and air playing.

“Goddamn, I know this one all too well, Swift!” Alex cheered. His eyes were glued toward the stage as the band reached the second chorus and jammed through it. The crowd suddenly got into a loud chant as the guitar played the following solo part, and we took part in it, too, from our spots. Alex was digging it, especially since the drummer had switched his pattern up and got the crowd going. Some were even dancing, mostly the older pony couples.

Wow, my mind thought in amazement. How in the land of Equestria…what the…wait a second. I turned toward Alex as the band neared the end of the song. “You’ve played ‘Working For The Weekend’ before?” Alex nodded as he motioned for me to lean in.

“It’s a classic rock and roll song of the 80’s where I’m from,” Alex mentioned. “Back in college, this was a fan favorite for the band I was in. Especially, heh, on Fridays.” I moved back and looked him dead in the eyes.

“...You’re joking, right?” I asked skeptically. Alex shook his head as the song ended, and the crowd began to cheer. Alex did as well, clapping his hands and smiling ear-to-ear. I stared at him as the band started the next song, with the guitarist bending three notes and then the melody t-

“‘Kickstart My Heart?!’” Alex exclaimed. My eyebrows raised as the band played the intro, the song being upbeat in tempo and very loud. Alex was trying to contain his laughter as the band’s sound flooded the bar’s atmosphere, encouraging everypony to chant the words for the chorus.

“Woah! Yeah!” the crowd chanted along with the musicians, the spectacle taking over my mind. I didn’t even notice that Barry had brought our drinks for us. Alex began to tap my shoulder again, my head turning to the right to look at him.

“Drinks!” he yelled.

“What?” I asked in confusion. Alex pointed, and that’s when I saw the drinks. “Oh. My bad!”

“No worries!” Alex shouted. He grabbed his cup of water with ice and took a long sip. His mouth tasted it for a bit before he shrugged.

“Is it good?” I asked.

“What?!” Alex replied loudly. I shook my head and waved my hoof, telling him to forget it.

As the band played the final part to the tune, Alex’s head swiveled quickly toward the stage, his eyebrows creasing. I didn’t know what had happened, so I did the same. As it turns out…nothing was wrong. The band finished the song, and the crowd went into a raucous applause.

I turned around to look at the human, who grimaced. “Everything okay, Alex?”

“Oof, the guitarist,” Alex cringed, shaking his head in disgust. “He didn’t hit some of the correct fingerings, in my opinion. I can tell.”

“How…what?”

“He missed some notes and was late on the last run before the final solo part,” Alex explained, wiggling his fingers. “Seems like he needs to practice more on this one. If you couldn’t already tell, I’ve played this song too.”

“I am so confused-”

pfft! Alex had taken a full sip of the water and immediately spit it out as another song began. His eyes widened as his mouth opened, an expression of giddy shock across his face. I looked over as Barry trotted toward us, his head shaking in frustration.

“Sorry, Barry,” I replied sheepishly before glaring at Alex. “Bro!”

“Dude, they keep playing banger after banger! I am so sorry,” Alex whispered non-discreetly, pointing toward the stage.

“Wha-”

“That’s ‘Thunderstruck!’”

========================================<>=========================================

As the night played on, Alex and I sat at the bar and listened to the band. The rock and roll songs kept the crowd alive, but Mr. Alex’s knowledge of those songs had my attention.

“Oh, God! Now THAT was a good song,” he remarked.

“They’ve never done that song before in public, yet you knew the song?” I retorted. Alex was surprised before scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

“I mean…‘Everybody Talks’ was a great rocker for the newer generation when I performed,” Alex explained. “The band I was in played mostly classic rock songs, and other songs were suggested by the younger band members, like myself.” I nodded in disbelief as he downed another cup of water, watching him set it back on the counter and calling over Barry. “Can I get another refill, brother Barry? Appreciate you, sir.”

Barry shook his head and just smiled. As the band took a minute to recuperate, the bartender asked me about who Alex was…in front of him. It seemed as though the human was unbothered by this, but as a friend, me explaining who the human creature was wouldn’t do him justice. So I just motioned toward the human.

“Ask him yourself. I swear he doesn’t bite,” I sarcastically teased. Barry took a shaky breath before taking me up on that, and I think it couldn’t have gone better. The three of us had a fun talk, and I think Alex had made quite an impression on the bartender. Alex was probably on his tenth cup of water but couldn’t care less.

“Thanks, bud,” Alex said. Barry nodded and asked if I needed a refill, but I took a hard pass. It had been a few hours, and I was reaching the limit. It was to the point where my head hurt, but I tried my hardest to quash it and enjoy the time I had with Alex.

sigh “Dang….”

“Swift? You okay?” Alex asked. I lazily looked at the human, his face showing concern. I shook my head and clutched it, resting my elbow on the counter.

“Headache,” I grumbled. “It’s beating me up right now….”

“Well, we can always go-”

“No!” I exclaimed while grimacing. Alex looked stunned as I stretched my neck, taking a deep breath. “I…I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

“...” Alex said nothing. However, once more, the crowd cheered loudly as the band finished their final song. The microphone then gave some rough feedback before the bassist began to talk.

“Alright, how was ‘that experience?’” the stallion asked the crowd. The ponies on the dance floor cheered and jumped in place while others sitting nearby nodded in approval. “We want to thank you all for coming out tonight. That will be it from us, and we wish you a good night! Get home safely, and remember to tip the waitresses on your way out!” The bass player saluted as the band took a formal bow, my eyes seeing most ponies beginning to vacate the premises.

Meanwhile, the band had left the stage and disappeared toward the back, the curtain closing simultaneously. Alex turned toward the counter and set down his cup, stretching his arms above his head. “Well, I’d say that was an ‘awesome experience,’ Swift!” Alex emphasized with a hardy laugh.

chuckle “Yeah….” I laughed off. Alex sighed heavily as his shoulders slumped.

sigh “Too bad it’s over for tonight,” the human acknowledged. “That music was so frickin’ good!” Alex turned toward me and raised his voice a bit. “I don’t know about you, but that band reminds me of some cover bands we had back where I’m from. Hell, I’d say that they sounded better than the band I was in.”

“A ‘cover band?’” I asked, my head tilting to the side. “What are those?”

“Cover bands are groups that play their own versions of songs already made,” Alex explained. “Music isn’t limited to one style or genre. Multiple artists could produce their own versions, rewording some lyrics or changing the style to suit their musical abilities. They can also add solos and make stuff up on the fly.”

“Oh! That’s interesting,” I said in amazement.

“Yeah, that’s what they remind me of,” Alex reiterated. “Don’t get me wrong, the music they play isn’t half-bad. The selections are interesting, to say the least, but I would tweak some of them…in my opinion.”

huff! “Like what?”

========================================<>=========================================

My eyes widened as a gruff voice came from behind us. I turned my head and noticed it was the band manager I had met before. The pony’s eyebrows raised, and a smile went across his face.

“Mr. Swift! What a surprise to see you here!” the stallion exclaimed, extending his hoof. “How are you doing, son?”

I shook his hoof and laughed it off. “Oh, you know,” I relayed. “Doing my job as a guardpony and standing around got boring, so I decided to come here. It beats sitting around and sulking in the dark, haha.” I turned toward Alex and stuck my tongue out, the human pouting in return.

“I’m not going to live this down,” Alex muttered.

“And…‘who’ is this creature right here?” the band manager asked, approaching the human with a curious stare. I cleared my throat and addressed the matter.

“This is Mr. Alex,” I presented. “He’s a human…from Earth. Or…however you call it.” The band manager squinted before looking at me again.

“‘Hyu-man?’...Oh! Was this the one you told me about?” the stallion asked out loud. Alex’s eyebrows raised as he looked at me in shock, to which I sheepishly shrugged and nodded.

“Th-This is the one, yep,” I stammered.

“Oh!” the pony remarked. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Alex! My name is Gerry Maneigh. I am the band manager for ‘The X-Perience.’” Alex awkwardly shook the pony’s hoof and smiled.

“Uh, thanks?” Alex said in return before harshly glaring at me. “What do you mean by ‘you’ve been here before,’ Swift?”

“...”

“Well, Mr. Alex,” Gerry interrupted. “I do reckon I would like to return to that conversation you were having a moment ago. So what about the music needs to be tweaked in a way that will make it better for you?” Alex looked at the band manager and didn’t say anything. It seemed as though he was caught between a rock and a hard place. “Well, don’t be shy now, son. I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter.”

“...U-Uhhm,” Alex stuttered before resting his hand on his lap. “I-I would say…the biggest thing is the guitar part needs some work.”

“...” Gerry said nothing. I looked at Alex as he returned the stare, his fingers tapping his leg nervously.

“Uhm…wh-what I mean by that is the s-sound,” Alex tried to clarify. This seemed to work as Gerry cocked an eyebrow up.

“The sound?” Gerry repeated softly.

“Y-Yeah. It seems like some of the notes aren’t being hit…b-but other times, he is playing them, albeit a bit behind tempo,” Alex reiterated. “I-I don’t know what species the guitarist is or what kind of guitar he plays on-”

“The guitarist is a dragon, Mr. Alex,” Gerry replied coldly. I was thinking of a way to get the human out of this situation, but we were both stuck as two waitresses appeared to overhear the conversation. Alex saw all this unfold and gulped before pressing his luck, much to my dismay.

“...Th-Then?” Alex thought aloud before wiggling his fingers. “Perhaps his digits are too weak?” Gerry tilted his head to the side as Alex shakily sighed. groan “I-I mean, that would explain the missed fingerings and wrong notes. Puh-Perhaps thinner strings could help the guitarist out?”

“Thinner…strings?” Gerry repeated. Alex slowly nodded before looking at me in desperation. The human clearly relayed that he needed help, but I shook my head and pointed toward him.

“You started it,” I muttered. “This is on you, Mr. Alex.”

“W-Well, I didn’t know their band manager would overhear ‘our’ conver-”

“‘Thinner…strings.’” We both looked at the stallion as he prodded his chin with his hoof, repeating the phrase over and over to himself. After a few tense seconds, the pony’s eyes widened and he suddenly began to laugh, catching us off guard.

“Hahahaaa!” Gerry loudly chuckled. The servers nearby didn’t fully understand the situation, but their amused looks didn’t ease the feeling Alex and I were having as the band manager chortled on. After the servers left, he wiped his eyes, trying to compose himself as much as possible.

“I-I’m sorry there, Mr. Alex. Haha! I-I dooo sincerely apologize,” the band manager wheezed. Alex looked visibly uncomfortable but tried his best to save face.

“Uuhm…ye-yeaaah,” Alex stammered. The human tried to remove himself from the barstool, but it seemed the band manager had other plans as he cleared his throat.

ahem! “Well, thanks to you, that dragon owes me 20 bits now.”

“...Come again?”

Author's Note

You heard him.

As always, feedback is appreciated in the comments below. See you in the next one!

-Harpy