Fluttershy's Voice

by Stratocaster

Bass Cannon

Chapter 6: Bass Cannon

“…wh-…eh…uh…I…bu-…y-…what…”
Stratocaster stood in his doorway stammering moronically with his eyelid twitching. Fluttershy faced him with a humiliated expression. He was having trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that she had just spoken to him in a male bass tone.
“Oh, I'm really sorry about this, Strat.” She said in this new guttural bass.
“What the- What the hay happened to your voice?!” he exclaimed.
“Well, it's kind of a funny story. I mean, it's probably not that funny now.”
“Good Luna, you sound like Barry Flight!” he referred to the deep toned pegasus who sang passionate love songs.
“I know. It's really embarrassing. You see, this only happens to me whenever I touch poison joke.”
“Poison oak?”
“Joke. It's a magic flower that plays pranks on whoever steps in it. I was out strolling through the Manehattan countryside when I must have accidentally stepped in some while trying to help a squirrel find an acorn. I guess this is kind of a setback.”
“Setback? You have an aria to sing in ten days! Who knows what ponies will say when you start singing in bass?!”
“Yes, I kind of realized that.” She scuffed the floor.
“Well is this going to wear off? Is there some kind of cure for this?”
“No, I don't think...wait a minute, of course. Zecora! She's a zebra who makes herbal remedies. She's the one who cured me of the poison joke the first time.”
“Wait, this happened to you before?!”
“Oh yeah, I guess I should've mentioned that.”
“Well where is this Zecora?”
“She lives in the Everfree Forest outside Ponyville.”
“You mean now we have to go all the way to Ponyville with your voice all deep?”
“Uh, I suppose so.”
“I need to lie down.”
Stratocaster plopped onto his couch and rubbed his temples.
“Don't worry, Strat. Zecora is really wise, and she'll have just the cure for me.”
He sighed. “Whatever we do, we have to make sure nopony hears you this way. We can’t have all of Manehattan knowing that the biggest female singer in Equestria sounds like a crooner.”
“Hello? Stratocaster? Are you home?”
The pegasi snapped back to the open door to see a dusty gray mare wandering in.
“Ah there you are.” Octavia said seeing the two. “Oh Fluttershy, I was looking for you. You didn’t show up for our lesson and I figured you were here.”
“Hi, Octavia.”
“Don’t say anything!” pleaded Stratocaster already too late.
Octavia gasped. “Fluttershy, your voice! What in Equestria happened to it?”
“I stepped in some poison joke and now I can't help talking like this.”
“Oh good gracious!” whined Octavia. “There’s no way you can sing the aria now! What are we ever going to do?!”
“Look Octavia, don’t worry.” Stratocaster said. “Fluttershy said she has a friend in Ponyville who can help her. But please, for the love of Celestia, do not tell anypony about this.”
“My lips are sealed.” She replied. “Nopony will ever know…except for maybe”
“Hey what’s goin’ on in here?” asked Vinyl Scratch as she strode into the house.
“Hi, Vinyl Scratch.”
“Fluttershy!” blurted Stratocaster.
“Oopsie, my bad.”
A long silence fell before Vinyl fell to the floor rolling in laughter. “Pfffffff ha ha ha ha ha ha! Oh my gosh, Fluttershy, your voice is hilarious!”
Fluttershy blushed and hid her shame behind her mane as Vinyl continued guffawing.
“Ha ha ha ha ha, wait, wait, wait, say ‘Luna, I am your father’!”
“Luna, I am your-”
“Don’t say it.” Stratocaster said face hoofing.
“Oh that is just rich!” Vinyl gasped for breath.
“Vinyl, behave yourself!” scolded Octavia. “This is not a laughing matter.”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She calmed her breath holding her sides. “Woo! Alright, that’s all I need for now. I’m out.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” asked Octavia.
“Back to Canterlot. I have to set up the sound system for Shining Armor’s party. By the way, Fluttershy, I told Princess Cadence that you’re going to be singing there. She said she can’t wait to hear you. Peace!”
Fluttershy hung her head in pity as Vinyl walked off still snickering.
“Well she was…supportive.” Stratocaster rolled his eyes.
“Don’t worry, dear,” said Octavia. “We’ll get your voice back to normal. I’ll come with you to Ponyville.”
“Me too. I’m not going to let my favorite singing partner down.”
Fluttershy smiled gratefully and hugged the stallion.
“Oh thank you so much, Strat. You're such a sweet pony.”
Stratocaster winced and flipped his ears down at the sound of Fluttershy’s baritone breathing down his neck. He had never known what it was like to be flattered and creeped out simultaneously. He patted her back awkwardly with his best false smile.

The next morning, the three ponies set out for Fluttershy’s home town. They caught the next train out of Manehattan and settled in for a long ride. Aboard their cabin, Stratocaster sat on a bunk and kept his mind occupied by fiddling with his guitar in privacy. However, he found it difficult to practice with the sound of Fluttershy’s strange new voice across the cabin from him. Octavia stroked her cello as the distraught yellow pegasus sang with her in her booming bass.
“Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do, Do, Ti, La, So, Fa, Mi, Re, Do-”
“Ugh, please, enough!” interrupted Octavia. “Why do I even bother?”
“I'm sorry, Octavia. It's awfully strange singing this way, and kind of creepy.”
“Oh, don’t fret, Fluttershy. It’s not like you aren’t a good singer anymore. In fact, that’s surprisingly one of the best basses I’ve ever heard. I never thought I would have to say that about a mare though.”
Fluttershy uttered what could barely be described as a female giggle.
“You know, just for the hay of it,” continued Octavia taking a manuscript out of her cello case. “Why don’t you try this song? It’s more suited for deep toned stallions.”
“Um, okay.”
Octavia resumed with her bow as Fluttershy began singing a sullen classical piece. With an annoyed grunt, Stratocaster dove his head under a pillow to escape the droning bass.
At long last, the train reached the station at Ponyville in the afternoon. The three music sensations hid their faces away from any prying public eye as they strode through town. Fluttershy led her two friends past her cottage and into the entrance to the Everfree Forest. Thanks to her warning, they kept their eyes peeled for any poison joke.
“So Fluttershy,” said Stratocaster. “How exactly did you come across this zebra?”
“All of us in Ponyville used to think Zecora was a wicked sorceress. And when my friends and I were affected by the poison joke, we all thought she had placed a curse on us. But as it turned out, she was actually brewing a potion to cure us. Once we realized that, we felt awful for judging her and we've been friends ever since.”
“I can imagine why you thought she was an evil sorceress. Who in the right mind would live all the way out here? This forest gives me the creeps.”
“Oh come now, Stratocaster,” replied Octavia. “I think it’s rather beautiful.” She stopped and widened her eyes. “EEK! A snake!”
There blocking their path was a scaly green serpent coiling on the ground and hissing menacingly. Octavia hid behind Stratocaster, who only hid behind her in the same frightened fashion. Oddly enough, Fluttershy kept her ground without an ounce of fear.
“Fluttershy, what are you doing?!” blurted Stratocaster. “That thing has to poisonous!”
Ignoring him, Fluttershy stepped closer to the snake. It let out a terrifying hiss and reared back to pounce on its larger foe. She lowered her head and starred back at the reptile with chilling eyes. In an instant, the snake seemed to be overcome with panic and slithered away intimidated. Stratocaster and Octavia looked at each other shaking in astonishment as Fluttershy gloated in front of them.
“That's just a little trick I use on naughty animals. By the way, it was just a garden snake; completely harmless.”
The proud little pegasus continued on the trail as the other two followed her with their tails between their legs.
Soon, the threesome finally reached the makeshift hut that was the home of Zecora. Strange herbs, tribal masks and storytelling urns piled outside the front door; the flickering light of a small fire glowed from a single window. Fluttershy knocked on the door, and before long, a gray and black striped zebra darning exotic gold jewelry answered with a welcoming smile.
“Fluttershy, my pony friend,” she greeted. “What brings you to see me again?”
“Uh excuse me,” started Stratocaster. “Are you Zecora?”
“Why yes I am, my pegasus guest. Were you expecting only the best? Yes, Zecora is my name, and brewing potions is my game.”
He blinked in a confused look, trying to wrap his mind around this zebra’s odd couplets.
“Miss Zecora,” said Octavia. “We have a bit of a situation that apparently only you can help solve.”
“What ever do you mean, kindly stranger?” asked Zecora. “Is there some kind of impending danger?”
“Well not exactly,” answered Stratocaster. “It’s something relating to Fluttershy here.”
“I’m afraid my understanding is quite weak.” Zecora replied. “And why does Fluttershy not even speak?”
Fluttershy looked at her with shame. “…Because I don't want to.”
Zecora gasped and face hoofed. “Oh no, Fluttershy, say it is not so. Into the poison joke you did not go!”
She only gave her a deflated nod.
“She told us that you’re the only one with a cure for her so we came here all the way from Manehattan.” Stratocaster resumed. “And we could really use one. Fluttershy is expected to sing at royal party.”
“I'm really sorry, Zecora. I hope you're not mad at me.”
Zecora grinned forgivingly. “Oh of course not, my silly little mare; I’m sure your excuse is quite fair. Now that you all have come this way, come inside and sit down for a stay.”
“Oh thank you, Zecora.”
The three ponies entered the hut and gawked at the interior. More voodoo décor lined the walls along with stacks of dusty tomes and tables scattered with ingredients. In the center, a pit fire sat with a metal cauldron boiling over it. Stratocaster felt uneasy in this strange witch doctor’s home. Zecora led them to sit on her couch.
“I will just be a minute to finish some chores.” She said stepping toward a back door. “Then we will fix that voice of yours.”
She went outside to her garden leaving the ponies sitting in awkward silence for a couple minutes. Finally, Stratocaster broke the ice with a clap of his hooves.
“Alright, I’ll be the one to ask. Why does she only speak in rhymes?”
Before Fluttershy could answer him, Zecora reentered the hut with a basket full of toadstools and green leafy stalks. She dumped her contents into the bubbling cauldron and stirred the elixir with a wooden spoon.
“What do you think she’s making?” whispered Octavia.
“Maybe it’s some kind of weird enchantment that’ll make you grow a second head.” Stratocaster quivered; Fluttershy rolled her eyes at his outrageous accusation.
Then, Zecora slurped a sample of the mixture from her spoon and nodded with satisfaction. “Mm, this carrot stew will most certainly do.” She turned to the curious ponies. “Now Fluttershy, if you’ll allow me, I will help you out with a little alchemy.”
“I can't thank you enough, Zecora. I'll be so relieved to have my old voice back.”
“It is my pleasure to help a friendly face. Soon you’ll be rid of that stallion bass.”
Zecora gathered various herbs and grains and began to grind some of them in a stone bowl. She even chanted while mixing her ingredients. “Toe of frog, eye of newt, spiced tealeaf and bitterroot, skin of a lemon and seeds of a lime,”
“Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme?” perked up Stratocaster.
Zecora glared at him for finishing her couplet, incorrectly.
“Sorry.” He blushed.
“The final product is very near.” She announced. “Now all I need is some” she gasped. “It is not here!”
“What isn’t here?” asked Octavia.
“Claw of griffon is what I am looking for,” answered Zecora. “But for some reason it is not in my drawer.”
“Well, can’t Fluttershy just take the cure without it?” shrugged Stratocaster.
“It is the main part of the antidote, but the fact that that it is missing really gets my goat.”
“Do you have anymore claw of griffon anywhere?”
“I wish I did but unfortunately not. It is a rare flower and there is not a lot. I am afraid that without a complete mix, your poison joke ailment is impossible to fix.”
“You mean she’s going to be stuck with this voice?” gasped Octavia.
“I am sorry, Fluttershy, I am an honest zebra who cannot lie. But until I find more griffon’s claw, I am afraid your voice will continue its flaw.”
Fluttershy stared at the floor with tears welling up. Stratocaster touched her shoulder.
“Hey cheer up, Fluttershy, it’s not too late. Zecora, you can get more of that claw of griffon right?”
“It will not be easy with it being so rare,” she answered. “But I will do anything to aid this poor little mare.”
Fluttershy peered up at Zecora with an enlightened smile.
“I guess you're really not an evil enchantress..”
“You know that quite well, my young pony belle.” Zecora returned her smile but then turned to Stratocaster who was looking curiously at her décor. “You there,” she scolded. “Keep your hooves off that mask! And watch that table you nearly broke a flask!”
He stumbled skittishly tilting the mask on the wall and nearly knocking a few alchemic instruments off the table next to him. He caught a flask before it fell to the floor. “Uh, sorry!”
Fluttershy and Octavia giggled at the clumsy rockstar.

Comments

[Twilight--Paladin]

'Luna, I am your father'!

Love the Star Wars reference!