//------------------------------//
// Meddling With Metal 
// Story: Fluttershy's Voice 
// by Stratocaster 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 9: Meddling With Metal

The next day, Stratocaster entered the castle humming a catchy tune in his head. In his mouth he gripped a bundle of colorful balloons by the strings. Twilight was sitting in a chair in the front lounge, burying her face in an ancient magical tome borrowed from Princess Celestia. Next to her, Fluttershy sat on the couch skimming through a biography of Star Swirl the Bearded with only half interest. Both mares peered up to see Stratocaster waltzing in with his floating collection.
“Um, do I even have to ask?” said Twilight eyelids lowered.
“Twilight, I think I- Whoops!” Stratocaster opened his mouth to speak only to realize that he let the balloons float free. He quickly flew upward and reclaimed most of them leaving a few to float out of an open window to their doom. He landed back down and tied the survivors to his wing. “Twilight, I think I finally found a way to get Fluttershy’s voice back.”
“You have?”
“But Stratocaster, I told you,” replied Twilight. “We still have to wait for Zecora to get here with the cure.”
“I know, I know, but if we can cure Fluttershy ourselves, then we won’t have to bother Zecora and we’ll be set for the performance. Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today right?”
“Uh, I guess so.” Twilight rolled her eyes.
“Um Strat, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are the balloons for?”
“It’s simple, Fluttershy,” he explained. “These balloons are filled with helium. One quick inhale from these babies and your voice will be higher than ever. You ever breathe in helium before?”
“Well no, but I have seen Pinkie Pie do it quite a few times with party balloons. She even passed out one time after doing it at my birthday party...and her birthday party...and Nightmare Night...and the Summer Sun Celebration...I guess she really likes balloons.”
“Well if this works,” continued Stratocaster. “We should be able to get that baritone of yours back to your normal tone.”
“That seems a bit crude,” said Twilight. “But it just might be crazy enough to work.”
“Great, let’s do it.” Stratocaster pulled a balloon from the bunch and gave it to Fluttershy.
“Do I just...breathe it in?” she looked at the balloon with curiosity.
“Yup, give it a shot.” He answered.
Without further question, Fluttershy untied the knot at the base of the balloon but held it as not to let it deflate. She held it to her mouth and slowly let the helium be sucked down her windpipe. When the balloon finally emptied, Stratocaster and Twilight looked at her with anticipation. Fluttershy dropped the balloon and paused.
“Well? How do you feel?” asked Twilight.
After staring blankly, she smiled. “I feel better already!”
Twilight face hoofed. “Ah, I should have known it wouldn’t work. Her voice hasn’t changed one bit.”
“Now hang on,” said Stratocaster. “Maybe we just didn’t use enough. Try another one.”
Fluttershy took a second balloon from him breathed in its helium. Once finished, she took a deep breath and sang a line from her debut song. “I'm gonna try, just a little bit harder!”
Twilight cringed.
“Wow, that poison joke is strong stuff.” Stratocaster added. “Let’s just keep trying the balloons; it’s got to work at some point.”
“I really don’t like where this is going.” Twilight moaned.
Throughout the course of the next ten minutes, Fluttershy continued sucking the helium from the balloons. But after each intake, her voice still showed no change in pitch. After a long ordeal balloons, she sat on her haunches and rubbed her temples.
“Darn it, twenty four balloons and it’s still not working.” Stratocaster stomped his hoof.
“I'm starting to get a headache.” Fluttershy graoned and tried to hold her lightened head steady.
“Strat, this is obviously pointless.” Twilight told him. “Poison joke is a magic plant, and that means it can only be solved with magic.”
“Well in that case, do you have any bright ideas, Miss Librarian?” he replied mockingly.
“I told you, only Zecora knows how to cure Fluttershy. Why are you so quick to solve this yourself?”
“Strat, I'm starting to think you don't have much faith in Zecora.”
“Well maybe I don’t. I know she’s your friend and all, but I’m just saying there’s a chance that she won’t b able to finish that cure in time. I’m just taking matters into my own hooves. Now listen, new plan, maybe if we could somehow get you infected with laryngitis-”
“No Strat, just stop trying to help.” She looked at him sternly. “Zecora will be here so there's no reason to intervene. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going on a walk through town.” She held her head high preparing to leave in a huff, but she collapsed to the floor, passed out before taking a step.
“Too much helium?” shrugged Stratocaster.
“I would think so.” Twilight replied flatly.

After finally regaining consciousness, Fluttershy left the castle to tour the streets of Canterlot. She avoided conversation with passersby in order to hide her voice as she window shopped through the many boutiques and jewelry stores. She realized that her walk through the ritzy town would have been much livelier if Rarity was next to her. As she strolled along, her attention became distracted by a display dress similar to the one she wore to the Grand Galloping Gala, when she collided with an unsuspecting stranger. Fluttershy stumbled back and saw that she had walked straight into a metallic gray stallion earth pony causing him to drop his saddlebag.
“Oh, pardon me, miss.” The stallion spoke; his heavy accent indicated that he was a Deutschpony.
“No, I'm sorry I-” she paused realizing her blunder. “Oh no, I did it again!”
“Ach du libre!” the Deutschpony gasped. “Your voice is not like a mare’s.”
“Oh please don't tell anypony. I'm in enough trouble as it is. I'm supposed to sing at the knighting of Shining Armor and I'm still waiting on a cure for my voice”
“Vait, vait, you are singing at the knighting? So, you must be Fluttershy?”
“Uh, yes.”
“Ah yes, you are the new rock sensation from Ponyville. It is a shame that your voice has changed so drastically.”
“Tell me about it.”
“But I must say, it is also quite fortunate.”
“What do you mean?”
“Allow me to explain. My name is Herzeleid, and I am a guitarist for a band. Perhaps you’re familiar with Rammsteed.”
“Um, not really.”
“Vas? You never heard of only the biggest Deutschpony metal band? No matter. Anyvay, ve are here in Canterlot to record a new album. Unfortunately, our singer has become incapacitated due to a run-in vith something, vat vas it called, ‘poison joke’. Now his voice is higher than the littlest filly, and our album is only half finished. But you, Fluttershy, your voice is low enough to sound just like his. How vould you like to be our replacement singer for the rest of our recording?”
“Oh, uh, I don't know about that. I'm already pretty busy with the knighting and all. But I appreciate the offer. maybe I'll see you later. Have a nice day!” She turned to walk away.
“That is a shame; because it vould be most unfortunate if anypony found out about your little predicament.”
She stopped and turned back. “What are you saying?”
“It is quite simple, fraulein. Either you help out my band, or I let my tongue slip about your voice to the public.”
“You wouldn't!” she looked around nervously to see if anypony had heard her outburst. “Um, would you?”
“That depends if you are villing to help or not. If you are, your name will not be featured on our album and nopony vill be the viser. Plus, I vill gladly throw in a little something your vay. How does ten thousand bits sound?”
“Ten thousand? Gosh, I can sure buy a lot of birdseed with that.”
“So, vat vill it be, fraulein?”
Fluttershy paused to consider her situation as Herzeleid stared at her with a tempting grin. She didn’t want to complicate the performance at the castle, but she also didn’t want word to get out about her voice. She breathed deeply and spoke.
“Okay, I'll do it.”
“Vunderbahr! Okay, meet me at this address tonight and ve’ll get right to vork. I really appreciate this, Fluttershy. It vill be a pleasure vorking together.”
“Yeah...I'm sure it will.” She replied reluctantly and departed.

The next day, a knock came on the door to Fluttershy’s guest room in the castle.
“Fluttershy, are you in there?” called Stratocaster. “I think I really figured it out this time. Hear me out. You know how when foals get their tonsils removed, they get to eat all the ice cream they want to ease the swelling on their throats? Well I got about sixteen cartons of chocolate, mint chip, rocky road, pistachio, moose tracks, butter rum, Fluttershy are you listening?” he opened the door and stepped in to an empty room. Curious, he knocked on the door of the next room.
“Come in!” called Twilight.
Stratocaster entered to see the unicorn sitting on her bed with another open book. “Hey Twilight, have you seen Fluttershy?” he asked.
Twilight peered up from her pages. “She said she would be back an hour ago. She’s not in the castle?”
“No, I can’t find her anywhere. I mean where could she go?”
“I’ll ask Princess Celestia.” Twilight stood up from her bed. “Let’s just hope that Fluttershy hasn’t spoken to anypony.”
“Oh I hope she’s okay. You think she’s still mad at me?”
“Fluttershy’s not one to hold a grudge.” She told him with a smile. “And I’m sure wherever she is, she’s doing just fine.”

Fluttershy found herself sitting in a recording booth at the Canterlot music studio staring at a manuscript of lyrics in confusion. The only other pony in the studio was Herzeleid who stood next to her smiling.
“Um, Herzeleid, I'm not exactly sure what these lyrics mean. I don't speak Deutschpony.”
“But you are able to pronounce the vords, right?”
“I guess. Come to think of it, I remember reading a Deutschpony storybook that my friend Twilight loaned me. She helped me out with the pronunciation.”
“Gut! I’ll just leave the music for you to play back and sing over. Don’t vorry if you finish before I get back.”
“Wait, where are you going?”
“I’m going to run some…errands vit mein band. Ve already got the music recorded, so ve just need your vocals. Ven you’ve finished a song, just hit the red record button here and press it again to start a new one. Gut luck!”
With that, Herzeleid left Fluttershy alone in the studio. The utter solitude made her uncomfortable as she stared at the lyrics, record button and microphone in hesitation. She sighed and pressed play on the track for the prerecorded music. The icy silence that filled the room was immediately blasted away as she was hit with the pounding rhythm of the industrial Deutschpony metal. She jumped slightly at the menacing volume; she had recorded a few metal songs with Stratocaster before, but they were more melodic and elaborate. Fluttershy buckled down and began to sing her cue. At first, the vocal melody was quite simple as she practically had to keep a single steady guttural note in the verse. She was surprised by how well she was reciting the robust Deutschpony language. Then, she raised her tone slightly as the chorus came.
“Willst do bis der Tod euch Scheidet treu ihr sein fur alle Tage?! NEIN! NEIN!”
Before long, the song was finished without a hitch. She pressed the button stopping the recording and then proceeded to play the new track back. Fluttershy frowned at the sound of her bellowing tone growling the strange foreign words in such a sinister manner; she would later feel the same reaction from the rest of the set list which she looked at with another sigh.
“Well, one down, ten to go.” She said to herself. “At least nopony will ever know it's me.”