//------------------------------// // Muscles - Karrakaz // Story: Appleshy Prompt Tag Collab // by Twinkletail //------------------------------// Written by Karrakaz “There are three types of muscle, skeletal, cardiac, and smooth,” Twilight said, setting off into her third hour of explanations about muscles and movement of ponies thereby. “Muscle action can be classified as being either voluntary or involuntary. Cardiac and smooth muscles contract without conscious thought and are termed involuntary, while the skeletal muscles contract upon command.” “Uhm...” Twilight liked nothing better than having an audience as attentive as Fluttershy had been and turned around with a smile when she caught the pegasus’ soft query. “Yes?” “How do I make the involuntary ones go away?” The question stopped Twilight dead in her tracks while she mentally skimmed through her biology book. “You can’t. Involuntary muscle movement makes sure that you continue breathing while you sleep, and without it your heart would stop pumping.” It seemed as though Fluttershy’s last hope died with her words, and the pegasus slumped on the pillow she sat on. “Oh...” The alicorn scratched her head before walking over and sitting down next to her distraught friend. “Okay, Fluttershy, I know you didn’t come here to listen to me lecture you about muscles,” She began, following it up with a pre-emptive, “Which I don’t mind.” When Fluttershy raised her head to apologise. “But something is bothering you, and if you want me to help you, you need to tell me what’s going on.” Fluttershy fidgeted, her lips trembled and her eyes became foggy until Twilight wrapped a wing around her in a show of support. Then the silent tears started. “I... I...” She sniffed, burying her muzzle in Twilight’s side. “I keep feeling butterflies in my stomach when...when I...” The entire thing felt very awkward for Twilight. If she had known from the start it would be about romance, she would probably have told her friend that Rarity was a better choice for this sort of thing. A much better choice. She groused internally. All she could do for Fluttershy however, was give her friend a pat on the back, a compassionate smile, and all the patience she could. “When you what?” “When I look at Applejack.” Twilight didn’t know how to respond to something so soft she couldn’t even understand what was being said in the first place. With Fluttershy that usually meant another hour or two of being used as a comforting tool by her distraught friend. After only a minute, however, Fluttershy sat up and dried her tears. Her eyes were still a little puffy and her mane was still a mess of knots and tangles, but she smiled a wavery smile. “I think I’m in love with Applejack,” she said, making no effort to keep the quaver out of her voice. “But I can’t find the right way to tell her." “So you mean it’s impossible?” Twilight asked her, one eyebrow arched in disbelief. A silent nod. “Just as impossible as six young mares defeating an evil goddess? Or would you rather we use the example where you stand up to a dragon?” Fluttershy was about to nod again when she realised what Twilight had said. “Uhm... nnn— yes?” Twilight, despite her harsh tone, was smiling again. “Come on. All you need is somepony to help you out.” Going to Twilight had been the right choice. Rarity would have nagged her incessantly, Rainbow would have marched her right up to the farm, and Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy didn’t even dare contemplate what Pinkie Pie would have done. True to her bookish nature however, Twilight pulled out several rolls of parchment and a quill or two; immediately starting the planning phase of operation ‘Appleshy’ while she promised she’d be there at the confession, but only if Fluttershy wanted her to.