Vignette #17 – Filli Vanilli
Fluttershy suddenly felt like a mouse caught in one of those horrible traps. One moment, she had been singing to her little animal friends in the apparent comfort and security of her yard, only to discover in the next that she’d had a larger audience than she had at first believed. “Oh… you… um… you didn’t hear me… um…”
“Singing in the most beautiful voice ever?!” Pinkie Pie squealed.
Rainbow Dash rushed forward to confirm, “Uh, yeah we did!”
Fluttershy promptly whimpered and tried desperately to make herself as small as possible, and the newest one among her friends approached. “Fluttershy, easy! There’s nothing to be ashamed of!”
“Quiver’s right!” Applejack’s tone was both soothing and awestruck. “That was like a little slice a’ heaven.”
“With ice cream on top!” Pinkie reiterated.
“And I for one cannot believe that your spectacular voice isn’t part of the Pony Tones quartet!” Even as her friend attempted to protest, Rarity produced a flier and continued, “Especially since you’re having us perform for your Ponyville Pet Center fundraiser tomorrow night! This simply must be rectified! You must share that stunning voice at the event!”
“Yeah! It’ll be so amazing!” Seemingly unaware or uncaring as her friend’s face became a portrait of anxiety and terror, Pinkie continued, “You’ll be there on stage, basking in the hooflights! The center of attention! A shining star! Everypony staring at you, judging you, jealously noting how they could be way better than you! Why wasn’t it them? Why wasn’t it them? And then, when you choke, they’ll turn on you, becoming a seething, angry mob, and you’ll be horribly humiliated, never able to show your face in Ponyville again!”
“Pinkie Pie!” Even as Rarity had rolled up the flier in frustration of her own, Quiver had snatched it out of the air and soundly thwacked the party pony on the nose for her outburst. “What in the Maker’s name are you doing?!”
Pinkie Pie rubbed her nose and retorted, “I’m just encouraging her to have some fun!”
Quiver tossed aside the flier, took hold of the mare’s head, and forced her attention on the quivering, weeping pegasus before her. “Does that look like she’s having fun to you?”
“Well no, silly, it looks like she’s terrified!” As she processed her own words, all sense of mirth vanished from her face, and Pinkie’s mane drooped. “Oh.” Quiver released her from his grip, and she bowed her head. “I’m sorry Fluttershy. Your singing is really good, though.”
“Thank you, Pinkie, and… I do appreciate everypony’s praise.” Fluttershy then turned to Rarity and continued, “And I do love the Pony Tones. You, Big Mac, Toe-Tapper and Torch Song are absolutely wonderful, and I’m thankful that you agreed to help with the fundraiser, but I… I can’t perform with you.”
“Why not?” Twilight stepped up. “If it’s something administrative, I can help with that.”
Fluttershy shook her head no.
“It’s stage fright, isn’t it?” At Fluttershy’s nod, Quiver offered, “Fluttershy, that’s perfectly normal. And understandable.”
Rarity sighed. “Indeed it is. As much as I think you not performing alongside us is a terrible waste, I understand your reasons for not taking part.”
“Thank you. And thank you all for coming and helping out with all the work that still needs to be done.” She felt a nudge at her side as a familiar bunny urged her forward. “I know, Angel. We’re getting to work.”
Quiver sighed as he joined his friends in getting to work. “Sorry about that, Pinkie. I don’t like getting quite that aggressive.”
The party mare waved a hoof. “It’s okay. Sometimes I need somepony to rein me in.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Careful who you say that around, Pinkie, or someone’ll think you and Quiver are getting up to something.”
The stallion gave an unimpressed snort. “Har har.”
-
Preparations for the fundraiser went off with little difficulty, but come the next day and final preparations for the Pony Tones’ performance, a problem presented itself.
“A…a turkey call?” Rarity stood aghast at Big McIntosh, her magical grip on his necktie tightening in frustration. “You lost your voice doing a… a turkey call?!”
“Lost his voice and the title!” Pinkie Pie soon found the fashionista glaring daggers at her, and took on a nervous grin. “Ooops.”
Rarity settled for thwacking Pinkie on the nose with a newspaper before she turned her attention back to the problem at hoof. “Now we can’t perform tonight! The Pony Tones are a quartet, and we can’t rearrange the music for a trio in so short a time, or find somepony else who can perform in Big Mac’s place!” She sighed and turned to her friend. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but I fear there’s no remedy for this.”
Fluttershy, however, appeared more optimistic. “Actually, I think I might know a remedy!”
-
Fluttershy had hoped that Zecora would know a way to accelerate Big Mac’s healing process, but visiting the zebra’s hut had led to a different solution. Fluttershy would purposefully infect herself with poison joke, deepening her voice once more, and Big Mac would lip synch while she sung. The good news was that the scheme worked.
The bad news is, it went horribly right. The Pony Tones soon found themselves booked for event after event, with Fluttershy increasingly enjoying every performance. So enthusiastic was she that the mare was hesitant to stop once Big Mac’s voice had healed, and there had been a mutual agreement between the two of them and Rarity that their performance at Sugar Cube Corner would be their last. Unfortunately, Fluttershy’s enthusiasm had gotten the better of her, and their ploy had been exposed. The crowds might’ve been forgiving, but Fluttershy had retreated in terror to her home.
The cottage door opened, and Twilight led the group inside. “Fluttershy? Are you in here?”
“Yes.” Her voice restored to normal, Fluttershy emerged from her bathroom with a towel wrapped around her mane. “I’m here.”
“Fluttershy, you were amazing!” Even with her enthusiastic tone of voice, Pinkie Pie was clearly restraining herself as she cheered, “They loved you! We loved you!”
“Maybe so, and I’m glad you all enjoyed it, but…” The shy mare whimpered. “But… I’m never doing it again. I can’t.”
“Whyever not?” Rarity quietly ascended the staircase with a soothing tone to her voice. “You were living your dream, darling!”
“And when that curtain came down, it was my worst nightmare.” Fluttershy bowed her head in fear. “All those eyes on me, all that attention…”
“And how bad was it?” Quiver gave her an encouraging smile. “Really? How bad? Pinkie’s right, Fluttershy. They loved you. How could they not?”
Fluttershy considered that. The reaction had been enthusiastic, and ponies had indeed loved her. She raised her head and smiled. “Well, it was fun.” She turned to Rarity. “I don’t know if I can do it all the time, but maybe, every once in a while, the Pony Tones can be a quintet?”
The fashionista cooed. “I think that can be arranged, darling!”