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// 2. Anxiety, feat. Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle 
// Story: Short Stories 
// by Catalysts Cradle 
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Prompt: Your mind makes it real.



It all started with a few butterflies in her stomach.

Sure, she was in an unfamiliar situation so nerves should be expected, but Fluttershy had never really been good at dealing with her nerves.  In fact, she was pretty much horrible at it.

Fluttershy squirmed in her seat, drawing the attention of her companion.  She quickly ducked her face behind her long pink mane, hiding it from Twilight’s view.  Oh Celestia, of all the times for this to happen, why did it have to happen now?  The roiling mass of butterflies in her stomach continued churning.

“Fluttershy?”

At this point, Fluttershy knew what was going to happen next.  She could already feel her heartbeat quickening, and pretty soon her hooves would start shaking.  She glanced back up at Twilight, who had already picked up on the fact that something was wrong.  Oh, no, no, no, no, I can’t let her see me like this!

Fluttershy began taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself.  She tried thinking happy thoughts, like how happy she had been after Twilight had asked her out on a date.  Except that maybe this wasn’t a date after all.  Maybe she had misread her because why would Twilight – the beautiful alicorn princess – ask her out on a date in the first place?  Or worse, what if it was actually a date!  Because then, Fluttershy was completely ruining it by being a crazy spaz at the moment!

Fluttershy let out a squeak and ducked under the table.

By then the handful of tiny butterflies had become a swirling torrent of doubt and worry, all surrounding her and buffeting her with their gigantic wings.  Fluttershy hid her face under her forelegs, just wishing for it to all be over.

A hoof on her shoulder brought her out of it.

“Fluttershy...” Twilight’s voice filtered through the pounding of butterfly wings against her ears.  Or maybe that was just the thumping of her heart?  “Is everything okay?”   

Fluttershy looked up into a concerned set of violet eyes.  She could only squeak in response.

Unphased by Fluttershy’s lack of response, Twilight scooted over and laid next to her friend.

Finally, Fluttershy spoke.  “Twilight, do you think I’m crazy?”

Twilight gave Fluttershy a funny look.  Oh Goddess, it’s true.  “Now why would I think that?”

Fluttershy could see through Twilight’s attempts at being nice.  “Because we’re here on a date and all I can do is worry, or worry while trying not to worry, or worry about not being able to stop worrying, or worry that my worrying over worrying will make me freak out and—”

“Breath,” said Twilight.  Fluttershy paused and took a couple of deep breaths.  “Maybe you have a tendency to be a little anxious,” Twilight continued, “but that doesn’t make you crazy.  You just get worked up because you don’t want to let anypony down.”

“Everypony says that it’s just in my head.” Fluttershy stared down at the ground.

“Just because it’s all in your head, doesn’t mean that it isn’t real.”

Fluttershy looked back at Twilight.

Twilight stretched out and laid a wing gently over Fluttershy's back.  “Look, sometimes ponies get sick, like the time a bunch of our pegasus friends came down with the feather flu.  Sometimes we get sick in other ways too, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Twilight said.  ”Should Rainbow Dash act ashamed whenever she crashes and sprains a wing?”

“Well, maybe a little since she was probably doing something dangerous.”

Twilight laughed.  “Okay, maybe that was a bad example.  But you get my point right?”

Fluttershy nodded in response.  

“Do you feel like continuing our date?” Twilight asked.

“Um, actually can we stay down here for a bit longer,"  Fluttershy replied scooting closer to Twilight.  She looked up at her date and blushed, "I mean, if that’s okay with you,”

"Anything for you, Fluttershy."