Filli-Vanilli
Pony's Log Number 414: I've seen ponies do crazy things to overcome stage fright, but this was...unique way to do it...
One morning, Shenran was on his way to visit his marefriend, Fluttershy. Not too many ponies knew this, but since Fluttershy's first visit to th Crystal Empire, she would send him special books so he could learn to communicate with her animals. While one could say it wasn't technically possible to learn the language of every animal that Fluttershy cared for, Shenran loved Fluttershy so much that he had mastered most of the animal dialects. So Fluttershy was more than excited to see that Shenran was able to speak to all her animal friends fluently when he first came to her house. Shenran felt pleased with himself as well, feeling like he could be more helpful to his marefriend and her animal friends. The fact he could communicate with the animals made it even easier for Shenran to befriend them and they loved having him around, especially since he made Fluttershy so happy. Plus he was able develop a good friendship with Angel. Well...Angel did wrestle him to the ground the first time they met and was scolded severely by Fluttershy. After that, he and Shenran got along famously. Even Fluttershy noticed that Angel seem to be more behaved and respectful toward Shenran than any of her other friends, which pleased her since she hoped that one day Shenran would become Angel's new daddy. Thought she did find it a bit annoying that the two boys took pleasure in mocking Mario behind his back. Back to Shenran, he had just arrived at Fluttershy's front door when some birdies came to greet him.
"Why hello there," said Shenran, "Can you tell Fluttershy I've come to see her?" The birds nodded and chirped as they made their way toward a window on the second floor. The birds tweeted at the window as the yellow Pegasus opened it.
"Oh, good morning, little friends," said Fluttershy. The birds tweeted and gestured below with their wings so Fluttershy could see her coltfriend down below.
"Morning, my prince," said Fluttershy, giving him a giddy smile.
"Morning, my princess," Shenran replied, "You look beautiful." Fluttershy giggled when the bird started tweeting again.
"Your singing is oh-so pretty," Fluttershy told the birds as they tweeted to her once more.
"Yes, it is very beautiful day today," Fluttershy replied, "Certainly something to sing worth singing about."
[Fluttershy - She appeared next to Shenran as they hung up some feeding balls for some birds followed by some baskets of vegetables for some bunnies. They took turns feeding the chickens when Fluttershy waved a fore-leg in the air, tossing the chicken feed as she did so. They headed to the river and fed some ducks. The two Pegasi then watched as some birds brought over a sack filled with chestnuts to some hungry critters. Fluttershy then gracefully flew into the sky with the humming birds. Shenran followed close behind her.]
There's music in the treetops
And there's music in the vale
And all around the music fills the sky
There's music by the river
And there's music in the grass
And the music makes your heart soar in reply
Fluttershy then continued her song with pure vocals and no words as she set down a beehive loaded with honey for Harry the bear. Harry was a little cranky at being woken up, but then heard Fluttershy's sweet voice and smiled. She and Shenran then gave some mice living in the holes of the tree blocks of fresh cheese to eat. Then she and Shenran walked side by side as Fluttershy continued vocalizing with Angel riding her back and several bunnies, ducks, and birds followed them. Two birds then put a couple of flowers into Fluttershy's mane. Then Fluttershy ran forward with Shenran, the animals, and birds following her. Fluttershy then did a loop-de-loop in the air with Shenran and the critters below her. Fluttershy then finished her vocalizing by twirling and ascending into the sky. The animals and Shenran cheered for her, the latter even shedding happy tears as he clapped for her.
"Your voice is so beautiful," Shenran told her as the animals chattered in agreement.
"Oh, thank you so much," said Fluttershy, with a giggle, "You're too kind."
"Wow!" said a loud and familiar voice, startling her. Fluttershy and Shenran turned to see the rest of the Mane seven. All but Pinkie and Mario were staring at Fluttershy with their jaws hanging out. Fluttershy suddenly felt very insecure.
"Oh...You...um...you didn't hear me...um..." Fluttershy stuttered. Everypony else smiled.
"Singing in the most beautiful voice ever?!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Uh, yeah, we did!" said Rainbow as she hovered over the yellow Pegasus. Fluttershy just gasped and whimpered, making the flowers in her mane fall off as she sank down to the ground with her fore-hooves covering her face. Shenran looked worried, as well as Mario.
"Oh dear," said Mario and Shenran at the same time.
(Main Theme)
Fluttershy continued to look rather nervous and insecure as the Mane seven continued to stand before her. Shenran just sat behind her and wrapped his fore-legs around her stomach to hold her for comfort.
"Wow, I've never heard you sing a solo like that before!" said Twilight.
"Yeah," Mario added, "I've always known Fluttershy had a good singing voice, but I've never knew she had that big of a vocal range."
"It was like a slice of heaven," said Applejack.
"With ice cream on top!" Pinkie added, earning annoyed looks from Applejack and Mario.
"Fluttershy," Rarity said as she rushed into Fluttershy's face, "I cannot believe your spectacular voice isn't part of the Pony Tones quintet!" Rarity then showed Fluttershy a flyer of the event from her own saddle bag.
"Um, well, I-" said Fluttershy.
"Especially since you're having us perform for your Ponyville Pet Center fundraiser tomorrow night!" Rarity added, cutting Fluttershy off.
"Well, you see, I-" Fluttershy stuttered again before she blinked, "wait, you said quintet. I thought the Pony Tones were a quartet?" Fluttershy then noticed the others ponies all looked at Mario.
"Rarity...convinced me to join the group at a baritone," Mario remarked shyly as he rubbed a fore-hoof on the dirt. Fluttershy was surprised as Shenran snickered at him.
"At least I can carry a tune, Shenny boy!" Mario retorted as Shenran glared and gave him a raspberry.
"This simply must be rectified," said Rarity as she got the conversation back on track, "You must share that stunning voice at the event!"
"Yeah! It'll be so amazing!" said Pinkie, "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 then 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!" As Pinkie continued to speak, poor Fluttershy felt more and more frightened to the point that she was crying and bittng her upper lip. Pinkie had just reached her dramatic climax when Rarity, smacked Pinkie in the head with the now rolled up flyer.
"Pinkie Pie!" Rarity scolded, "Don't be ridiculous!" Pinkie made a dorky looking face before she shook her head and recovered.
"Aw, but I'm so good at it!" Pinkie protested.
"Don't we know it," Shenran remarked with an eye roll, feeling very irritated that the pink pony made his marefriend cry. He kissed Fluttershy's soft pink mane as she continued to tremble nervously in his fore-legs. Rarity just sighed to herself.
"Come, Fluttershy," said Rarity as she started walking away, "you will join the group, making the Pony Tones quintet into Pony Tones sextet." It was then Fluttershy lifted her head to look at the marshmallow pony.
"No," said Fluttershy firmly.
"Pardon me?" Rarity asked, shocked to hear Fluttershy's response.
"I love the Pony Tones," Fluttershy explained, "I'm one of their biggest fans, but I do not want to perform with them."
"Why not, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy glanced over to Mario, who nodded for Fluttershy to tell the others. Mario already knew the answer since they still confided in each other, even with Shenran around, but Fluttershy needed to speak up for herself.
"Well, you see...I...I have...um...I...I have..." Fluttershy stuttered.
"Spit it out!" Rainbow snapped as she hovered into Fluttershy's face.
"I have...stage fright," said Fluttershy. Pinkie gasped as she ducked into some bushes.
"Is it contagious?!" Pinkie asked.
"Stage fright isn't a disease, Pinkie," Twilight explained as she hovered closer to Fluttershy and landed, "It just means that Fluttershy is scared to perform in front of everypony. My husband has that problem too."
"I thought you said it wasn't contagious!" Pinkie retorted.
"It's not, Pinkie," said Mario as a matter of fact, "it's just that our self-confidence is more sensitive to criticism. And we don't want to put ourselves in a position that could leave us completely and utterly humiliated. As I told you all before, I might have gotten better at performing in public, but deep down...it's a fear that has never really gone away. In fact, thanks to Pinkie's little scenario, my stage fright just resurfaced big time!" Mario whimpered and began to tremble as he sat down and hugged his hind legs.
"Just shake it off, sweetie," said Twilight gently as she nuzzled his cheek, "You'll be okay. Besides, I love hearing you sing." Mario sighed and felt a little better.
"Getting back on topic here," said Fluttershy, "I'm very thankful the Pony Tones are singing at the Pet Center fundraiser, and I'm really looking forward to the performance, but I'll be watching safely from the audience."
"Are you sure I can't convince you to change your mind, Flutters?" said Mario, "I understand your fears better than anypony. We can be each other's strength and courage while we're on stage."
"That's very sweet, Big Brother," said Fluttershy firmly, "But I've made my decision." Shenran kissed her cheek supportively. He was proud that Fluttershy was being assertive and not letting anypony force her into singing. Rarity just sighed.
"Well...I think it's a terrible waste of an exquisite talent," said Rarity, but didn't hide the disappointment in her voice, "but I understand that you're not comfortable."
"Thank you," said Fluttershy as Angel hopped up and down, "Oh! Angel's right. We'd better get going."
"Ready when you are my love," said Shenran replied when Angel gave a squeak, "Sure, you can have a ride. Hop on!" Angel smiled and jumped into Shenran's back. Mario blinked.
"You can understand Angel?" said Mario surprised.
"Of course," said Shenran before adding in a sing-song tone, "Because I can talk to the animals!"
"So can I, Dr. Dolittle," Mario remarked smugly.
"BLEH!" Shenran and Angel gave him a raspberry before they whispered something to each other and snickered.
"I heard that!" Mario snapped as the two just stuck their tongue out at him before catching up with Fluttershy.
Later that day, the group was at the Ponyville Park to set up for the big event. Various tents and stands were set up by Shenran himself as several other ponies were busy setting up banners, balloons, and several flower decorations around the area. Applejack then pulled a wagon loaded with bouncy balls as Pinkie bounced along side of her. Twilight then walked past in the opposite direction to continue doing her part of the preparations. Elsewhere, a stage had been set up for the Pony Tones performance, which included Rarity (soprano), Big Mac (bass), Mario (baritone), a blue stallion with navy blue mane and tail named Toe-Tapper (tenor), and a cream colored mare with orange-red and purple mane and tail that were in buns and light blue beads named Torch Song (alto). Each of them was wearing a moderately cyan long sleeved shirt with a brilliantly gold collar and pale-grayish gold and moderately cyan striped bow tie. Spike sat behind the group excitedly to watch the performance.
"Alright, Pony Tones," said Rarity as she cleared her throat, "let's run through that again!" Rarity then used her magic to hold a pitch pipe and played the opening key.
[Big Mac - He began the tune, then the four other ponies joined in]
Bum, bum, bum-ba-da, ba-da
Bum, bum, bum-ba-da ah
[The Pony Tones - each pony sang in a different key.]
Bum, bum, bum-ba-da, ba-da (Oh, ah-ah-ah-ah)
Bum, bum, bum-ba-da ah (Oh, ah-ah-ah-ah)
[Big Mac - As he sang, Fluttershy started mouthing the words while setting up some birdhouses on a table. When she saw some ponies walking by, she stopped singing and went quietly back to her work.]
Everypony's sayin' you should learn to express your voice
But if talk doesn't seem like it's the answer
[The Pony Tones - The five ponies then continued to sing as Fluttershy finished enjoying their rehearsal from a bridge, her back end swaying to the beat.]
Luckily you have a choice
When you find you've got the music (Rarity: Fiiiiiiiiiiiind the music)
Got the music in you (Rarity: Oh, you)
Find you've got the music (Rarity: Fiiiiiiiiiiiind the music)
Got the music in you
As the song came to an end, Fluttershy just smiled as she rested her head against her fore-legs while sighing to herself.
"You really wanna sing, don't you?" said a voice, making Fluttershy gasp when she turned to see Shenran, just giving her a soft and caring smile. Fluttershy just whimpered.
"Yeah...I do..." said Fluttershy, "but...I...I..." Shenran wasted no time pulling his marefriend into a loving hug, using a fore-hoof to stroke her soft pink mane.
"It's okay to be scared," said Shenran, "but I believe you can sing on stage."
"Shenran, please!" Fluttershy pleaded sadly.
"I don't mean right now," said Shenran gently, "but I know that someday, you'll find your courage. And I'll be here to help get there. That's a promise."
"A pinkie promise?" Fluttershy asked hopefully as she gave him a teary smile.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," said Shenran as the two Pegasi shared a kiss and then headed over to the Pony Tones as they held each other's fore-hoof.
"Woo-hoo, yeah!" Spike cheered for the group of singers before sliding up to Rarity on his knees, "Rarity, you were awesome!"
"Uh, thank you, Spike," said Rarity, "but this is an ensemble." Spike looked at the other four ponies, who gave him a smile.
"Eh, the rest of you were pretty good too," said Spike dismissively, getting a glare from the four ponies.
"Thanks alot Spike," Mario muttered.
"Just shake it off, little bro," Big Mac replied.
"You did great," Torch Song added as Mario smiled.
"Oh, I thought you were amazing, Pony Tones!" said Fluttershy as she approached the stage.
"Thanks, Fluttershy!" Torch Song replied.
"Now, Pony Tones, I want you all to rest your voices for the remainder of the day," Rarity instructed, "We'll do a final run-through tomorrow before the big event, alright?"
"Eeyup," said Big Mac.
"Sounds great!" Torch Song replied.
"Okey-dokey," said Mario. Big Mac and Torch Song then headed backstage while Mario hopped off the stage next to Rarity. Fluttershy flew up to the marshmallow pony with Shenran right at her side.
"Oh, Rarity, the Pony Tones are really gonna make the Ponyville Pet Center fundraiser so special," Fluttershy told her happily, "Thank you so much for helping me help the animals."
"Oh yes," said Rarity, "It is wonderful when a plan comes together without any sort of drama, isn't it?"
"Mm-hmm," said Fluttershy as she giggled as the two ponies shared a friendly nuzzle with each other. Mario and Shenran just smiled at the two while sharing a hoof-bump of their own.
An owl hooted as the nighttime continued, but a few seconds later the sun shot right up into the sky as the rooster crowed to announce a brand new day. Shenran and Fluttershy, the latter carrying Angel on her back, walked through the newly finished grounds for her fund raiser as they approached the stage.
"Good morning, Pony Tones!" said Fluttershy and Shenran together as they saw Mario, Toe-Tapper and Torch Song.
"Morning, Fluttershy," said Torch Song, "same to you Shenran!"
"Actually, we're the Pony Tones minus one tone," said Rarity poked her head out of stage curtain, "Big Mac is inconveniently late. Mario, do you have any idea why your brother would be so late?"
"No clue, Rares," said Mario with a shake of his head. It was then Big Mac arrived, wheezing and snorting as he climbed into the stage.
"Well, there you are!" said Rarity irritably, "Haven't I told you about punctuality?" Big Mac sweated a bit as he opened his mouth to explain.
"Nah-ah!" Rarity cut him off as she used her magic to fix his bow tie, "I don't want to hear it." It was then Rarity blew on her pitch pipe and the five ponies began to sway, except for Big Mac who just looked nervous and stayed quiet. Fluttershy smile, but both Rarity and Shenran looked worried as Big Mac gulped and continued to sweat.
"Big Mac?" said Rarity as the others continued to sway from side to side, "Can you please start the song?"
"Nope," said Big Mac in a croaking tone.
"Big Mac!" Rarity exclaimed, "Did you lose your voice?" Big Mac gulped again.
"Eeyup," Big Mac replied nervously. The Pony Tones all gasped, including Fluttershy and Shenran.
"Whatever did you do to cause this?" Rarity asked.
"Well..." Big Mac croaked. It was then a flashback was seen. Several ponies were standing before a stage in the heart of Sweet Apple Acres. On the stage was Applejack as she stood beside a gold trophy with a turkey topper on it.
"Howdy, everypony," said Applejack, "and welcome to the twelfth annual Ponyville turkey call!" The ponies in the crowds cheered as a turkey appeared in the foreground and gobbled.
"Who will take the title this year?" Applejack continued, "Will it be somepony new? Or will the turkey call champion of six years defend his title to make it lucky number seven?" Big Mac stood proudly on the stage wearing six medals around his neck. As Applejack spoke, Pinkie came into view with a dastardly smile on her face, rubbing her fore-hooves together, before she sank back down and disappeared from view.
"We'll find out if you stop your gabbin' and get on with the gobblin'!" Granny Smith called out.
"Alright, everypony! Let's talk turkey!" said Applejack, "Big Mac, you're up!" Big Mac took a large inhale as the flashback ended. Back with the Pony Tones, it didn't take long to figure out how Big Mac lost his voice.
"A...a...a turkey call?" Rarity retorted angrily as she yanked his necktie with her magic, "You lost your voice doing a...a turkey call?!" Big Mac just lowered his head in shame.
"Lost his voice and the title," said Pinkie as she bounced in the foreground wearing a gold medal around her neck and doing her turkey call.
"Oh brother," Mario remarked with an eye roll.
"Oh brother indeed!" Rarity snapped as she got into Mario's face, "Care to explain why you didn't convince your brother to not participate in the competition?!"
"Don't blame me!" snorted Mario, "I'm still getting to know my family. I didn't even know Big Mac was the defending champ or that he was going to participate. I was with my wife yesterday. We had a double date with Fluttershy and Shenran!" Rarity groaned.
"Now we can't perform tonight!" said Rarity.
"Wait, what?" said Fluttershy, "No! You have to perform! Otherwise, the fundraiser will be a disaster!"
"Well, we cannot perform tonight with only four voices," said Rarity.
"Why not?" Shenran asked, "Why can't Mario just take Big Mac's place? He knows all the words to Big Mac's part!"
"That might be true," said Rarity, "But Mario's vocal range isn't as strong as Big Mac's when it comes to the lower notes. Besides, it would take rearranging all the music, and we just don't have time. I'm sorry, Fluttershy and Shenran, but I have no remedy for this situation." Fluttershy looked disappointed for a moment but then gasped when she realized something.
"Of course! A remedy!" said Fluttershy, "Follow me!" Fluttershy then took off as Shenran, Big Mac, Rarity, and Mario went after her. Toe-Tapper and Torch Song just shared puzzled looks with each other as they remained in the stage.
Soon, the group had arrived at Zecora's home. Since this was the first time Zecora was meeting Shenran, some introductions were done before the zebra began to examine Big Mac.
"Hmmm," Zecora pondered aloud as she looked inside of Big Mac's mouth.
"Ahhh," Big Mac croaked as the zebra continued her examination.
"Hmmm," Zecora pondered again.
"Ahhh-" Big Mac was then cut off as Zecora closed his mouth.
"I can cure this pony that is hoarse," said Zecora, "but it will take a longer course." Mario groaned while the rest of the group just gave the zebra puzzled looks.
"Uh, come again?" Rarity asked.
"Say what?" Shenran asked, not used to Zecora's rhyming dialect.
"Mm. I can mix a brew that can work just right," Zecora clarified, "but it cannot heal him by tonight."
"Oh no!" said Fluttershy, "Ah! Where are we ever going to find a deep voice to replace Big Mac's?"
"What about Shenran?" Mario asked.
"I'm not that good of a singer," Shenran replied, "I can't sing low notes either and I don't like performing on stage."
"It's true," said Fluttershy sadly, "He's just as shy as I am about it."
"Well, aren't you two the perfect couple," Rarity remarked with a sarcastic tone.
"Rares, be nice," Mario said sternly as Shenran glared, "Twilight and I have both have anxiety after all. All couples share their strengths as well as their weaknesses with each other." Rarity just sighed in annoyance. It was then she noticed Zecora was chuckling to herself.
"Pardon me, Zecora," said Rarity, "but this is no laughing matter! We need a bass voice for the harmonies to work! Without it, the performance will be ruined!"
"Please, forgive my strange elation," said Zecora as she looked at Big Mac, "but I was not laughing at your situation."
"Then what?" Rarity asked curiously.
"Remember when you pony folk stumbled into poison joke?" Zecora explained as a flashback was seen of the Mane seven, except for Mario's balloon body, suffering the side effects of the plant, "Miss Fluttershy had an unusual change, deepening her vocal range."
It was then past Fluttershy said in a deep, male voice: "I don't want to talk about it."
"AAH!" past Mario shrieked as he jumped into Spike's arms.
"Yes, yes!" said Rarity with a smile as she approached the yellow Pegasus, "Your voice became really low, making it sound like..." Fluttershy then gasped.
"Flutterguy!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
"I think I remember you telling me about that story," said Shenran before adding with a smirk, "I also hear Mario turned into the town's personal parade balloon." Shenran and Fluttershy snickered.
"Oh, let's see what happens when you're affected by poison joke!" Mario warned.
"Don't you dare put that stuff near my precious stallion or I'll give it to you!" Fluttershy warned sternly. Mario just rolled his eyes.
"With these leaves I can mix a brew," Zecora explained as she held a bowl filled with poison joke pedals, "creating the same effect on you."
"Zecora, that's fantastic!" said Rarity excitedly.
"Yes!" said Fluttershy, "I'd do anything for the animals!"
"Why, you'd even appear on stage!" Rarity added.
"Oh. Except that," said Fluttershy.
"Saw that coming," said Mario as Rarity glared at him and then everypony else.
"I just can't bring myself to sing on stage in front of everypony," said Fluttershy as she looked at Angel, who simply gave her a "talk to the paw" gesture.
"Stop it Angel!" Shenran scolded before holding his marefriend with a fore-leg, "It's okay, Flutters, nopony is forcing you to-"
"What if you sang not in front of everypony?" Rarity suggested.
"Huh?" Fluttershy and Shenran said in a puzzled tone.
"What do you mean, Rares?" Mario asked curiously.
"What if Big Mac was onstage," said Rarity, "moving his lips while you're behind the curtains singing his part? It would be just like singing in your house! Nopony would know it was you!"
"I see what you're saying," said Mario, understanding Rarity's idea, "and Shenran can stay with her backstage to help her relax. Sis always said she felt more confident when Shenran was at her side." Shenran gave Fluttershy a smile.
"Even still," said Fluttershy as she turned her head away, "I just don't think I could sing in front of..."
"You must!" Rarity demanded in dramatic fashion as used her magic to pick up Angel, "For the animals!" Angel made a pleading face, with tears and a squeak to boot. Fluttershy just hesitated.
"Flutters, listen to me," Shenran whispered in her ear, "We can still make the fund raiser a success, even without the Pony Tones. Don't let them force you into this. I'll support you whatever you decide." Shenran then kissed her cheek as Fluttershy pondered for a moment.
"Oh...Okay then..." said Fluttershy as she gulped before giving Zecora a determined look, "Mix it up!" Zecora then got to work, Rarity and Mario smiled. Shenran then hugged Fluttershy close.
"I'll be right at your side backstage cheering you on," said Shenran sweetly. Fluttershy gave him a timid smile before they shared a kiss on the lips.
Later that night, the fundraiser was well underway. Most of the town had come to enjoy the activities and possibly adopt an animal of their very own. Backstage, the Pony Tones were getting ready with Fluttershy backstage with her coltfriend at her side.
"Now, do it just like we practiced!" said Rarity in a hushed tone as Fluttershy and Big Mac nodded their heads. Fluttershy then inhaled nervously when Shenran grabbed her fore-hoof and kissed it, making her smile.
"I'm right here my love," said Shenran gently, "You can do it. It's just you and me backstage." He then went to kiss her when Fluttershy put a fore-hoof over his lips to stop him. She gave him a knowing look.
"Oh...right," said Shenran, "I...forgot I can't kiss you in case the potion you drank could affect my voice or...worse. Sorry." Fluttershy just smiled before nuzzling the side of his head, which he returned the gesture. At that moment, Rarity stood at the front of the stage where a crowd of ponies had come to see the performance were chattering excitedly.
"Good evening, citizens of Ponyville!" Rarity said aloud, "I wanted to thank you all for coming out tonight and generously supporting the Ponyville Pet Center! Thanks to your kindness, pets are finding loving homes, and we're sure to meet our fundraising goal!" As Rarity, spoke Dinky was seen with a tortoise, Lyra and her stallion friend had a red bird, Applejack and Apple Bloom gave cousin Goldie Delicious funny looks when she had her saddle bags filled with more cats. Twilight and Pinkie were beside Applejack.
"Where's Fluttershy?" Twilight asked aloud.
"Probably hidin'," said Applejack dismissively, "You know how much that pony hates the spotlight."
"But she'd have Shenran at her side," said Twilight, "Fluttershy usually has a bit more confidence in herself when he's with her."
"So, with no further ado, please welcome the Pony Tones!" said Rarity as the four other singers came into the stage as some fireflies that had been hanging around the background of the stage lit up. The ponies cheered excitedly as Rarity blew her pitch pipe. Fluttershy and Big Mac both inhaled at the same time.
[Fluttershy (male voice) - Big Mac nervously began to move his lips to match Fluttershy's singing]
Bum, bum, bum-ba-da, ba-da
Bum, bum, bum-ba-da ah
[The Pony Tones]
Bum, bum, bum-ba-da, ba-da (Oh, ah-ah-ah-ah)
Bum, bum, bum-ba-da ah (Oh, ah-ah-ah-ah)
Bum, bum, bum-ba-da, ba-da (Oh, ah-ah-ah-ah)
Bum, bum, bum-ba-da, ba-da (Oh, ah-ah-ah-ah)
[Fluttershy (male voice) - Rarity looked over to Big Mac, who still looked a tad nervous as he tried to get his lips to match Fluttershy's singing. Fluttershy then began to bop to the music with Shenran joining her. In the audience, Spike hopped up and down excitedly.]
Trot outside and you see the sunshine
Something's in the air today
Sky is clear and you're feelin' so fine
Everything's gonna be a-okay
[Toe-Tapper, Mario, and Torch Song - The three ponies stepped forward as they sang their part and then stepped back, swaying their heads from side to side. While singing, Mario gave Twilight a wink, making the purple alicorn do a happy squee before pretending to pass out.]
If you listen carefully
On every corner there's a rhythm playing
[Toe-Tapper, Mario, and Rarity]
Then it happens suddenly
The music take you and you'll
[The Pony Tones - Toe-Tapper and Big Mac swayed their heads from side to side before all five ponies swayed together. Backstage, Fluttershy and Shenran danced side by side together.]
Find you've got the music (Rarity: Fiiiiiiiiiiiind the music)
Got the music in you (Rarity: Oh, you)
Find you've got the music (Rarity: Fiiiiiiiiiiiind the music)
Got the music in you
[Fluttershy (male voice) - As Big Mac continued to lip sync, he looked in the direction of Cheerilee, who did a mock faint and smiled at him. Backstage, Fluttershy and Shenran were just enjoying themselves.]
Oh, o-o-oh
Everypony's sayin' you should learn to express your voice
But if talk doesn't seem like it's the answer
[The Pony Tones - Rarity and Tender just swayed in sync as Fluttershy and Shenran continue their dancing backstage. Then the five singers leaned back in the following order: Torch Song, Big Mac, Mario, Toe-Tapper, and finally Rarity. They then leaned into each other as the song reached its end and the fire flies flew away.]
Luckily you have a choice
When you find you've got the music (Rarity: Fiiiiiiiiiiiind the music)
Got the music in you (Rarity: Oh, you)
Find you've got the music (Rarity: Fiiiiiiiiiiiind the music)
Got the music in you
Got the music, got the music in you!
"Pony Tones! Pony Tones!" The ponies all cheered. Fluttershy just smiled excitedly from behind the curtain as she shared a hug with her coltfriend backstage. The five singers just smiled for the crowds as Fluttershy closed the curtain, still smiling contently with herself.
"I'm so proud of you," said Shenran.
"Thanks," said Fluttershy before putting a fore-hoof over her mouth and blushed since her voice was still low. Shenran chuckled.
"The voice change doesn't bother me," said Shenran, "I love you." Fluttershy smiled back. Outside, a stampede of ponies headed over to clear out the kennel with all the animals available for adoption. Then Spike, Pinkie, Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow approached the stage.
"Pony Tones!" said Twilight, "That was truly amazing!"
"And you sounded better than ever, big brother!" said Applejack. Big Mac just chuckled.
"You were pretty good yourself Mario," Rainbow add, "Never thought I'd see Twilight publicly squeal and pass out over you." Twilight blushed as all but Mario snickered at her. It was then Fluttershy and Shenran tried to quietly sneak away from the stage without being noticed. Of course, this was next to impossible when you know a pink pony named Pinkie, who decided to surprised them by getting in their faces at that very moment.
"Fluttershy, Shenran," said Pinkie, "you two were on the wrong side of the curtain! You totally missed the show!" The other girls looked at the couple curiously as Rarity and Mario exchanged nervous looks with each other.
"Uh, just like a true professional," Rarity explained, "Fluttershy and Shenran were backstage making sure everything ran smoothly!" Rarity then added in a hushed tone to the two Pegasi, "And it was perfect!" Fluttershy smiled timidly in agreement but then her smile widened when she heard Rarity complement her singing. The others smiled as well.
"She sure is," Shenran whispered, making Fluttershy blush. It was then a cream colored Pegasus stallion appeared with a jet back mane and tail. His face had a beard and mustache as well as a pair of glasses and was wearing a black shirt. Next to him was a cream colored Pegasus filly with light brown mane and tail. She was also wearing black glasses, a tiara on her head, and holding a puppy in her fore-legs and she zipped around.
"That was fantastic, Pony Tones!" said the stallion whose name was Nightjar and had a Latin accent.
"My new puppy and I thought it was super-duper crazy good!" said the filly Pegasus who spoke as quickly as she flew with a similar accent to her father. She then showed Fluttershy, Rarity, and Mario her new puppy, who was looking very dizzy.
"Why, thank you!" said Rarity as the filly flew over to her father and firmly nudged his cheek.
"And we were wondering if you would consider performing at my daughter Zipperwhill's cute-ceanera," Nightjar asked.
"Will you? Will you?" Zipperwhill asked excitedly.
"We'd love to!" said Rarity, "When it is? Next week? Next month?"
"Tomorrow!" Nightjar and Zipperwhill said together. Rarity and Mario cringed, along with Big Mac, Fluttershy, and Shenran.
"Oh, gracious, I'm terribly sorry," said Rarity apologetically, "but that's much too last minute."
"Oh no..." said Zipperwhill sadly as she landed next to her father.
"Well...I understand," said Nightjar, not hiding his disappointment as he walked away with Zipperwhill following him a short distance away. Fluttershy and Rarity watched the two Pegasi quietly for a moment.
"Oh Rarity," said Fluttershy in her deep male voice, "we can't disappoint that sweet little filly." Shenran blinked.
"Really?" said Shenran in surprise.
"Are you sure you're up for it?" said Rarity in a hushed tone. Fluttershy just smiled and give Rarity a nod.
The next day, a stage had been set inside the town hall building where Zipperwhill hosted her cute-ceanera. The Pony Tones were already on the stage singing their number.
[The Pony Tones - they sang before Zipperwhill and her party guests. Like before, Fluttershy sang and danced with Shenran backstage behind the curtain. Rarity then raised a fore-leg into the air as she sang a high note, making Zipperwhill and her friends smile excitedly. Then the five singers leaned forward as they finished the song.]
When you find you've got the music
Got the music in you
Find you've got the music
Got the music in you
Got the music, got the music in you!
The foals all cheered excitedly.
"Whoo, yeah, alright!" said Zipperwhill as she zoomed about the crowd and into the foreground, "We got the Pony Tones, we got the Pony Tones!" As Zipperwhill continued to zoom about, the rest of the Pony Tones made their way backstage. Rarity and Fluttershy shared smiles with each other but Fluttershy then flinched and flew quickly into the air when she saw Mayor Mare approach the music group.
"Amazing, Pony Tones!" said Mayor Mare, "And it would be even more amazing if you could perform at my ribbon-cutting ceremony tomorrow!" The five singers shared worried looks with each other.
"Oh, Mayor, we would love to, but..." Rarity said as she cleared her throat while the other singers gave Mayor Mare sheepish smiles. It was then Fluttershy appeared above her hanging upside down and gesturing to Rarity with her head.
"Would you excuse us for a second, Mayor?" Rarity asked.
"Certainly," Mayor Mare replied as she walked away. Rarity smiled nervously as Fluttershy landed beside her.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy, you don't have to perform again," said Rarity in a hushed tone.
"She's right," said Shenran in the same tone, "Nopony is forcing you to do this."
"But we wouldn't want to disappoint the Mayor," said Fluttershy. Rarity smirked. Shenran smirked as well as the he and Rarity exchanged looks with each other.
"Well, then..." said Rarity before turning to see Mayor chatting with assistants, "Mayor?" The said mare turned around to face the Pony Tones.
"The Pony Tones will be happy to perform at your ceremony," Rarity said with the rest of the music group smiling. Mayor Mare smiled excitedly in reply. Rarity then looked back at Fluttershy, who was smiling excitedly as Shenran chuckled to himself.
[The Pony Tones - As they harmonized, hey stood behind a brand new stand as Mayor Mare used some golden scissor to cut the ribbon, which marked the stand's grand opening. Beside the stand was a wooden barrel with a hole on the side of it. As Shenran sat next to the barrel, air came out of the hole. Inside the barrel, Fluttershy sang Big Mac part, her wings expanding and contracting to the beat.]
Trot outside and see the sunshine
Something's in the air today
Sky is clear and you're feelin' so fine
Everything's gonna be a-okay
As the Pony Tones continued to harmonize in the background, Fluttershy looked through the hole of her barrel and saw Aloe and Lotus Blossom smiling and bouncing on their hooves excitedly. The two spa patrons wasted no time rushing over to Rarity to ask for the group to perform at the spa. Rarity was about to say no when Fluttershy peeked out of her barrel and tapped the marshmallow pony's shoulder.
"We wouldn't want to disappoint the spa patrons," said Fluttershy. Rarity rolled her eyes and smiled. Shenran just smirked as he crossed his fore-legs while looking at his marefriend.
[The Pony Tones - as Aloe and Lotus Blossom tended to their customers, the Pony Tones stood around the edge of the jacuzzi pool as they sang. Under the water was Fluttershy, wearing a deep sea diver's helmet so she could breathe, her singing voice projecting from a tube sticking out from the water surface. Shenran was a short distance away to make sure the surfaced tube didn't go under the water.]
If you listen carefully
On every corner there's a rhythm playing
Then it happens suddenly
The music takes you over and you'll
Once their performance was finished, Cheerilee came to request the group to sing at the school. Fluttershy quickly surfaced behind Rarity, with Shenran standing beside the marshmallow pony.
"We wouldn't want to disappoint the schoolponies," said Fluttershy as Shenran and Rarity smiled.
[The Pony Tones - As the five ponies sang in front of Cheerilee's class, Fluttershy sat in a bush just outside as the rest of the students just swayed their heads to the music. Shenran then noticed Fluttershy was shaking her back end and raising her fore-legs into the air as she enjoyed herself outside. Shenran did his best to suppress a chuckle. He didn't notice that Big Mac was sweating because Fluttershy was getting a little too passionate with her singing. Fluttershy then let herself sink into her bush in a zig-zag like motion.]
Find you've got the music
Find it in your heart, you can
Find it, oh yeah
Got the music in you now
Got the music, got the music in you!
The young ponies all cheered excitedly. Fluttershy quickly peeked inside before quickly disappearing out of sight as the five singers smiled for the class. Rarity and Shenran both looked in Fluttershy's direction and smiled.
One night, there was a long line of ponies standing to get inside of Sugarcube Corner. The reason was because the Pony Tones were going to perform there. Spike, wearing extra large shades, held a clipboard at the entrance to see who was on the list and who wasn't. Spike had just allowed Golden Harvest to enter when Fluttershy looked out of the window and smiled excitedly. Shenran just stood a short distance away with a content smile on his face.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself," said Shenran cheerfully, "Is my girl ready for another behind the scenes performance?" Fluttershy just nodded as she walked up to him and nuzzling her head under his chin.
"I don't think it will be much longer before you are able to actually sing in front of everypony," Shenran added as he held Fluttershy close. Fluttershy pulled away abruptly, giving Shenran a fearful look.
"I'm sorry," said Shenran sadly, "I didn't mean to scare you. I just believe that you can. You look so happy when you sing and you have so much fun too. I think if you just enjoyed yourself, you wouldn't be worried about the audience." Fluttershy sighed.
"I. Am. Not. Ready," Fluttershy told him, her lower voice making her sound far more stern than she intended.
"Alright," said Shenran, "I know you'll get there someday." Fluttershy felt better as she nodded in agreement.
"That's what I love about you Shenran," said Fluttershy, "You're encouraging but you let me go at my own pace. You don't try to overwhelm me like everypony else does." Shenran hummed as he approached her.
"You do understand though," said Shenran in a serious tone, "if it was an emergency or dire circumstance, that I will have to push you to do something outside your comfort zone. Not because I want to upset or overwhelm you, but because I know you can do it. Right?" Fluttershy gave a slow nod.
"I understand," said Fluttershy. Shenran kissed her fore-head to make her smile again. It was then Big Mac, Mario, and Rarity approached the Pegasi couple.
"Fluttershy, we must talk to you," said Rarity, "Big Mac's voice is all better!"
"Eeyup," said Big Mac with a smile.
"Now you can bathe in the poison joke antidote and sound like your lovely self again," said Rarity, "I'm sure Shenran misses your cute voice." Shenran said nothing as he looked at his marefriend. She was looking very sad.
"It's just...I didn't know that last performance was my last performance," said Fluttershy sadly, "C'mon, Shenran." Shenran wrapped a fore-leg around her as they walked away. Rarity, Mario, and Big Mac shared looks with each other.
"Fluttershy, Shenran, stop!" said Rarity. Rarity waited for Fluttershy and Shenran to look back at her before facing Big Mac, "Would it be okay if Fluttershy sang for you one last time?"
"Hmm," Big Mac pondered. Fluttershy gave him a pouty face, pleading with him to say yes with her eyes.
"Can you really say no to that face?" Shenran asked.
"I can," Mario remarked, "Whoa!" Mario yelped he ducked to avoid a rolling pin that nearly clocked him in the head. Despite chucking the kitchen utensil herself, Fluttershy maintained her pouty face. Big Mac chuckled and smiled at Fluttershy.
"Eeyup," he answered, making Fluttershy smile excitedly before she hovered between Rarity and Big Mac to give them both a group hug. The two ponies smiled back as Mario approached.
"A little word of advice Sis," said Mario, then flinching when Fluttershy shot him a glare, "I'm serious! Big Mac was feeling a little flustered last performance since you got really enthusiastic when you were singing. Try to control your emotions a bit otherwise Big Mac won't be able to keep up with you and they'll figure out that Big Mac is lip-syncing. I think you can figure out what could happen after that." Fluttershy blinked and then nodded in agreement.
[Fluttershy (male voice) - Once the curtain closed backstage and the five singers began to song. Fluttershy literally poured her heart and soul into her singing as the crowds, which included the rest of the Mane seven, watched the performance. Big Mac looked very overwhelmed trying to keep up with the now overly-energetic Fluttershy. Shenran looked worried as Fluttershy was now grandstanding backstage. Back at the front of the stage, the other singers noticed how flustered Big Mac was getting. Just as Fluttershy hovered into the air, Shenran grabbed her fore-hooves to try and calm her down, but Fluttershy did a fast twirl, sending Shenran spinning and flying into the back wall, dazing him as he landed on the floor. She then shoved her fore-hooves into the curtain, knocking Big Mac forward. Mario made a discreet eye roll, knowing Fluttershy had lost control of her emotions again.]
Hey, find it, oh why, you can find it
In your heart, yeah, find the music, yeah
It's in you right now! Oh, yeah!
You can find the music!
Then it happened.
Fluttershy hovered higher into the air as she continued to sing and dance. Her back end then bumped into the metal bar that was holding the curtain up, knocking the curtain over the five singers. The spotlight then shifted over to Fluttershy, who hadn't noticed that everypony was now watching her. Shenran shook his head to recover and saw the mess in front of him as the music stopped.
"Uh-oh," Shenran groaned.
"Yeah, yeah, I love the music, ye-" Fluttershy sang as she did the moonwalk on all fours in the air. Then she opened her eyes and saw everypony starting at her. Fluttershy's jaw dropped. the crowds were just as shocked.
"Fluttershy?!" the rest of the Mane seven exclaimed. Fluttershy looked at the crowd fearfully as she tried to hide behind her tail and sank slowly to the floor. Rarity, Big Mac, and then Mario peeked out of the curtain to see that the yellow Pegasus was now in the spotlight. Mario could see just how terrified Fluttershy looked. The crowds just stared but then cheered for her. But poor Fluttershy didn't hear the praise. In her state of fear, she saw herself surrounded in darkness as eerie looking faces were now cheering for her, but laughing at her mockingly. Shenran held Fluttershy close when he saw his marefriend was literally having a panic attack.
"Sweetheart, sweetheart," Shenran pleaded as he held her, tears streaming down his face, "it's okay! You'll be okay!" Poor Fluttershy began to crying loudly, shoved Shenran off, and she ran through the side door and out of Sugarcube Corner.
"Fluttershy!" Shenran croaked as he flew after her. Mario watched them both disappear as Big Mac and Rarity stood behind him.
"Big Mac, you got some 'splainin' to do!" Applejack demanded as she got into the eldest bother's face. Rarity smiled nervously and backed away. Mario said nothing but just kept looking in the direction Fluttershy and Shenran had taken off. Applejack and Big Mac just shared blunt looks with each other as Applejack asked the questions and Big Mac replied in his usual manner.
"Turkey call?"
"Eeyup"
"Trash your voice?"
"Eeyup"
"Zecora remedy?"
"Eeyup"
"Not quick enough?"
"Nnope"
"Needed a deep voice?"
"Eeyup"
"Poison joke?"
"Eeyup"
"Flutterguy?"
"Eeyup"
"Better now?"
"Eeyup"
"And that shy filly was livin' her dream in the shadows because she couldn't bring herself to come into the spotlight?"
"Eeyup"
"Well for corn's sake!" said Applejack to everypony else, "Let's go!"
"Wait!" said Twilight as she walked up to her husband, who still had a sad look on his face. Twilight then took notice that his eyes seemed distant as well as watery.
"You understand what she's going through don't you," said Twilight, "You're stage fright when you were in theatre troupe was just as bad wasn't it?" Mario nodded as Applejack wrapped a fore-leg around his shoulders.
"Then let's go help Fluttershy," said Applejack gently. Mario nodded as the group jumped off the stage and headed out of Sugarcube Corner.
It wasn't long before they arrived at Fluttershy's cottage.
"Fluttershy? You in here?" Twilight asked.
"Nopony home but us critters," somepony shouted.
"Shenran, let us in," said Mario, "we've come to help." Shenran opened the door, his eyes red from crying. He then sniffled as he gestured for the group to come in.
"I don't think she'll come down right away," said Shenran sadly, "She's taking that antidote bath at the moment. I'm just down here making sure she isn't disturbed..." Shenran then grabbed Pinkie and held her close.
"Hey!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"I don't trust you to leave her alone!" Shenran said sternly. The others just gave him funny looks as Mario and Twilight approached the staircase to the second floor.
"Flutters, you up there?" Mario asked gently.
"Yes...I'm here," said Fluttershy quietly as she hovered out of her bathroom, which was filled with stream. Her voice was now back to normal and she had a towel wrapped around her mane.
"That was totally unbelievable!" said Pinkie as she somehow used her hooves to scale the wall leading the second floor where Fluttershy was.
"What the-" Shenran exclaimed when he saw Pinkie on the wall, "I was holding Pinkie this whole-" Shenran then looked under his fore-leg to see that he actually had a life-size balloon Pinkie under his fore-leg instead. Shenran just squeaked in shock and confusion when Rainbow hovered up to him.
"Shenran, it's Pinkie Pie, don't question it," the blue Pegasus told him. Shenran snorted as he tossed the Pinkie balloon away from himself in disgust.
"I mean, the curtains came up and there you were," Pinkie continued as she reached the top of the balcony railing and got into Fluttershy's face, "singing in front of everypony! And you know, I don't think anypony was jealous, 'cause there certainly wasn't an angry mob!" Pinkie waved her fore-legs in the air, making Fluttershy lean away and wince before Pinkie fell down below, but then reappeared on the balcony a second later before Shenran could grab her and tape up her mouth.
"But it must have been horrible standing there on stage, all eyes glued directly on you!" said Pinkie as Fluttershy just stared into space with her jaw open as the others just watched worriedly. Except for Mario, who face-hoofed himself, and Shenran, who was seething with rage.
"It was like you were living your own personal worst nightmare!" Pinkie finished as she pushed her nose into Fluttershy's and leaned forward to make Fluttershy tumble into her back. Fluttershy was now crying.
"It was," Fluttershy sobbed before running down the stairs and out of the house.
"Fluttershy, come back!" Shenran called before he and the others all gave Pinkie dirty looks.
"What? Too much?" Pinkie asked cluelessly as she hung over the second floor railing.
"No, I'd say too little," said Shenran sarcastically as he hovered up to her before snapping at her sternly, "Of course it was too much you dummy!" He then heard Fluttershy sobbing outside as she ran away from her house as fast as her hooves could take her.
"Fluttershy, wait!" Shenran called out and went after her, followed by Applejack and Rainbow.
"What Pinkie meant to say is that you were really great!" said Twilight before taking off after the yellow Pegasus.
"And that you are a wonderful singer!" Mario added as he followed pursuit.
"Wait!" said Pinkie as she walked out of the house, "Didn't I say that?"
"Hardly!" Rarity snapped as she ran after the others.
"Whoops," said Pinkie before shouting as she ran to catch up with the group, "You were great!" Fluttershy just continued running through the town, crying and panting out of breath as she did so.
"You totally blew my mind!" said Rainbow as she hovered beside Fluttershy, but the yellow Pegasus rushed ahead of her until Applejack got in front of her, making Fluttershy skid to a stop.
"Incredible!" said Applejack as Fluttershy jumped into the air. The yellow Pegasus then sat on the edge of a rooftop covering her face with her fore-hooves.
"Though, no offense..." said Pinkie as she appeared in front of the yellow Pegasus, "you kind of sounded like a dude." Fluttershy burst into tears once again before taking off. Twilight, Mario, Rainbow, and Shenran all gave Pinkie death glares.
"Uh, a great-sounding dude!" Pinkie called out, trying to do damage control, but Fluttershy kept running and crying into the foreground before she finally came to a stop. She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Well, thank you all," said Fluttershy, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Because I've never going to sing in front of anypony ever again." Everypony gasped in shock and exclamation.
"No!" Shenran said in devastation before they all ran after Fluttershy and Pinkie managed to jump from the two story rooftop to the ground below safely.
"Can we please stop running?" Rarity begged.
"Fluttershy, please stop!" Shenran called out in the same tone, "Let us help you! Let me help you! I love you!" Fluttershy then came to the front of an empty stage, panting as she tried to catch her breath. Once everypony else had caught up, Rarity walked up to her.
"I just don't understand why, Fluttershy," said Rarity as she walked up to the yellow Pegasus, "After all, you're the one that wanted the Pony Tones to sing for every silly thing that was requested of us."
"She's right, Sis," said Mario, "And as long as nopony saw you, you really were coming out of your shell. And you were having fun too."
"You mean, you knew I really wanted to perform?" Fluttershy asked surprised.
"Of course I knew!" said Rarity.
"It was pretty obvious, Fluttershy," said Shenran.
"Oh..." said Fluttershy quietly as she looked at the ground and Shenran hugged her. Fluttershy just leaned her head against his shoulder.
"And, for all her babbling, Pinkie Pie was right about one thing," said Rarity, making the pink pony blink.
"Only one?!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"You're lucky Rarity even found anything at all, big mouth!" Shenran retorted sternly.
"When that curtain fell, and everypony saw you singing, you lived your worst nightmare!" said Rarity in dramatic fashion as she stood on the stage before adding in a simple tone, "Was it really that bad?"
"Yes!" Fluttershy said before she buried her face into her fore-hooves and began to cry again.
"Oh, Flutters," said Shenran gently as he held her until she calmed down a bit.
"Well, what was so bad about it?" Twilight asked as she approached the yellow Pegasus.
"The thunderous applause?" Rainbow asked from the couple's left.
"The praise for your fantastic singin'?" Applejack asked from the couple's right.
"The screaming fans?!" Pinkie asked as she got into Fluttershy's face, making her jump into the air and land on the stage. Shenran growled angrily and was about to give Pinkie a piece of his mind when Mario held a fore-hoof to stop him.
"Cool it, Shenran," said Mario, "I'll deal with Pinkie later." Shenran just glared at Pinkie as Mario then hovered over to Fluttershy and stood next to her.
"And I supposed you know what I'm dealing with," said Fluttershy, "You don't know everything about my fears and anxiety, Mario Star!" Mario just hummed.
"I never said I did," said Mario, "but I know what it's like to be afraid of having such a large crowd watching you perform. The fear of messin' up so badly that everypony laughs at you and makes you feel completely useless. Even if they do think you did a great job, that fear is so strong that it's all you can think about. The fact of the matter is, you don't like being the center of attention. Because whenever you are, all ponies seem to do is tear you apart from the inside, making you wish you were never born." Fluttershy slowly began to break down as her tears were now pouring even faster than before as she bit her lip.
"Mario, what are you doing?!" Shenran said angrily from below.
"He's relating to her," said Twilight as she put a fore-hoof on his shoulder, "Just let Mario speak."
"Pony just don't understand us, Fluttershy," said Mario, "We have social anxiety. It's not just something that we can wish away and overcome at the tap of a hoof. It's our flaw. It's a part of who we are and certain situations are just going to terrify us more than others. For both of us, its performing in front of crowds. It doesn't help that we were bullied either. I mean...what pony wants to be put in a position where ponies can mock, tease, and put you down at will? It's hard enough to believe in yourself as it is."
"But you're still far stronger than me," Fluttershy sobbed, "You actually found the courage to perform on stage in front of everypony!"
"But it took me a long time to get where I am now," Mario replied, "even now, that fear is still there. I used to think that I had to keep pressuring myself it in order to get over my fears, but that is the wrong way of thinking. It's a losing battle because you're so focused and afraid of feeling that fear that you end up letting it get the better of you. Then you feel like you're stuck and never making any real progress. Even if your friends are seeing success, you still feel like you failed."
"Then what do I do?" Fluttershy asked in a broken tone, "I don't know what to do..." Fluttershy cried harder as Mario let Fluttershy shed her tears on his shoulder. Shenran just shed worried tears as Twilight gently rubbed his back. Shenran wanted to more than anything to be the one to comfort her, but stayed put since he could see Mario was helping her.
"You need to change your approach," said Mario, "Instead of thinking you have to not feel that fear. Think of ways on how you can deal with that fear. Focus on the positive rather than the negative. Don't think of all the ponies who could criticize or get jealous of you. Think of everypony who loves you and will support you no matter how you perform. Remember that you are doing something that you enjoy. Something you have talent in and just have fun. Don't put so much pressure on yourself to perform at your best, but just perform from your heart. Even if the worst happens to you and you do get laughed at, you can know in your heart that there are seven ponies who will be waiting for you when you get off stage..."
"...and they will help you get back on your hooves," Shenran continued, understand what Mario was saying, "To give you a hug, a shoulder to cry on, and to remind you of the most important thing of all."
"What might that be?" Fluttershy asked curiously as she dried her eyes with a fore-hoof.
"You faced your worst nightmare," said Mario, "and you came out of it in one peace."
"There's always next time," said Shenran, "because my Princess isn't a quitter. Even if she doesn't have the courage, she has the determination to try again." Fluttershy looked at Mario, then Rarity, and then at her friends, each of them giving her supportive smiles. Fluttershy smiled back as Shenran floated to the stage to give Fluttershy a hug, but to his surprise she held up a fore-hoof to stop him.
"What's wrong, Flutters?" Shenran asked curiously.
"I owe you an apology," said Fluttershy sadly, "For pushing you away and running away from you."
"It's okay Fluttershy," said Shenran, "I know when you scared and panicky. You just wanted your personal space. I can respect that." Fluttershy whimpered.
"Why do you even wanna love somepony like me?" Fluttershy asked sadly, "I'm not strong, I'm not brave, and I struggle so much with believing in myself! You deserve so much better than me!" Shenran looked at her sternly.
"So...you're breaking up with me?" Shenran asked.
"No!" Fluttershy yelped, "I'm just saying if you wanted to break up with me, I won't stop you." Fluttershy looked away before she heard sniffling. She turned to see Shenran in tears.
"I don't wanna break up with you," he croaked, "You're my special somepony! I love you so much!"
"But there are so many better and stronger and prettier..."
"I don't want better, I want you!" Shenran retorted as he cut Fluttershy off. Fluttershy just looked stunned as she felt her eyes water once again. It would seem unrealistic, but Fluttershy's eyes held more tears then the average pony. She did flood her own living room during the Gabby Gums incident by crying non-stop for over a day.
"You're everything I want in a mare," Shenran continued, "Your kind, sweet, loving, caring, and absolutely beautiful."
"But I have issues," Fluttershy protested.
"We all do, Flutters," said Shenran, "Remember that I'm a very shy pony too. I understand how scary it can be to come out of your shell. But I am willing to help you find your confidence and inner strength, even if it takes the rest of my life. I want to be with you forever." Fluttershy was deeply touched as a single tear streamed down her cheek. Shenran kissed it away, making her giggle. The others awed at the sight.
"You...you really want to be with me forever?" Fluttershy asked. Shenran smiled and then did something that made the five other girls squeal so loudly that Mario had to cover his ears.
Shenran got down on one fore-knee, making Fluttershy gasp and cover her mouth with both her fore-hooves.
"Does this answer your question, my princess?" said Shenran as he used his other fore-hoof to present Fluttershy with a hand crafted betrothal necklace, which had a soft pink ribbon with the pendant made out of a pure gold shield that had in the center a custom cut pink diamond in the shape of a butterfly, "Fluttershy, will you marry me?" Fluttershy then shocked everypony by running off a few steps before stopping herself. Everypony looked worried as Shenran looked heartbroken. After what felt like an eternity Fluttershy came back, sobbing heavily as a large smile was across her face.
"Yes! Yes! I will marry you!" Fluttershy sobbed and began to wail, but they all could tell they were tears of pure joy. Shenran smiled as he shed tears of his own and tied the betrothal necklace around his fiancé's neck and held her close as they cried together. The others smiled until they heard somepony sniffling. They all looked up to see that Rainbow was crying. Rainbow then noticed everypony looking at her.
"W-w-what?!" Rainbow asked defensively and sniffled again, "That was romantic, okay! D-d-don't judge me!" Rainbow sniffled again, feeling rather embarassed. The others just smiled as the engaged couple pulled away and Fluttershy admired her necklace.
"Did you make this for me?" Fluttershy asked.
"With help from Rarity," said Shenran, "The pink ribbon was my mother's."
"Really?" said Fluttershy surprised.
"Yes," said Shenran, "My mother got very sick when I was a foal and she always wore that ribbon in her mane. She was very beautiful." Shenran sniffled a bit before recomposing herself. Some of the others were shedding a few tears as well.
"When she passed, she gave me this ribbon," Shenran continued, "She told me that when I find my special somepony to give her this ribbon, because it would be her way of saying that she loves you too." Fluttershy smiled as she held a fore-hoof to the pendent, deeply touched that Shenran would give her something that contained his mother's love.
The next day, the stage was set up just outside Fluttershy's cottage. With lots of encouragement, Fluttershy found the courage to try singing on stage. She was now wearing her own Pony Tones outfit and had also been made the lead vocalist while the other five ponies were her background singers.
[Fluttershy - She sang solo as the others appeared around her and sang in the background. They then stick their heads forward to make a circle. Fluttershy then stood in the foreground as the other stood in the background. Fluttershy then rose into the air.]
There's music in the treetops
And there's music in the vale
And all around the music fills the sky
There's music by the river
And there's music in the grass
And the music makes your heart soar in reply
[The Pony Tones]
When you find you've got the music
[Fluttershy - She then landed on the front of the stage as Rarity, Toe-Tapper, Mario, Big Mac, and Torch Song appeared in sequence beside her.]
You've got to look inside and find
[The Pony Tones]
Find you've got the music
[Fluttershy]
The music deep inside yoooooooooooooooooooou
[The Pony Tones - The group then stood in a V formation with Fluttershy at the front tip.]
Find you got the music
[Fluttershy - Her eyes sparkled as she smiled to the crowd, making Shenran put a hoof over his heart while shedding happy tears.]
'Cause when you look inside, you'll see it
[The Pony Tones]
Find you've got the music
[Fluttershy - She then stood on her hind legs with her fore-hooves in the air while surrounded by the other five singers.]
You've gonna find it, gonna find
[The Pony Tones - As they finished the song, they posed with Fluttershy in the center as she fluttered her wings. They then pointed a fore-hoof at Fluttershy as she smiled.]
You've got the music
Got the music. got the music
Got the music in you!
The rest of the Mane Seven, actually they are now considered the Mane Eight, cheered for the Pony Tones as well as several of Fluttershy, and now Shenran's, animal friends. Fluttershy just smiled bashfully as Shenran hovered beside his fiancé.
"You sang to beautifully my love," Shenran said happily, "I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks," said Fluttershy as they shared a quick kiss.
"You did it, Fluttershy!" said Rainbow excitedly as she hovered at the left of the couple.
"See? That wasn't so bad," said Applejack as she stood at the couple's right.
"And you didn't look completely petrified by the fact that we we're all staring at you at all!" Pinkie interjected as she jumped into the air, but was then grabbed by Twilight's magic and set back down on the ground, as Twilight, Mario, and Shenran gave her both death glares.
"How do you feel?" Twilight asked Fluttershy.
"Surprisingly...okay!" said Fluttershy.
"See my love?" said Shenran, "You're already getting better at handling your stage fright."
"Thanks to my lovable fiancé and all my friends," Fluttershy replied as she nuzzled Shenran's cheek.
"Fantastic," said Rarity as she stood before the yellow Pegasus with the rest of the singers behind her, "because the Pony Tones have been booked for the Apple Family Zap Apple Jam Extraordinaire!"
"Oh, no..." said Fluttershy, "I couldn't do that!" She then ducked behind the curtain, leaving everypony except Shenran agape.
"How come?" asked Applejack.
"Seriously?" said Rainbow.
"For real?" Pinkie added.
"Come on, Fluttershy..." said Twilight.
"Everypony stop!" said Mario, "Fluttershy isn't saying she can't sing in front of a crowd."
"She still needs time to build her confidence up for something like that," said Shenran.
"They're right," said Fluttershy as she peeked out of the curtain, "I'll get there someday. But for now...baby steps, everypony. Baby steps." The rest of the Mane eight gathered around her and smiled supportively.
Later on, Fluttershy and Shenran sat on the stage as Fluttershy wrote her journal entry and had her betrothal necklace on.
"Sometimes," Fluttershy wrote, "being afraid can stop you from doing something that you love, but hiding behind those fears means you're only hiding from your true self. It's much better to face those fears so you can shine and be the best pony you can possibly be."
"Well said, my love," said Shenran as he kissed his fiancé's ear, making her giggle.
"Why don't you add a little something you learned into the journal?" Fluttershy asked, "I can ask Mario to add his input later."
"Well...if you think my words would help," said Shenran, feeling a little hesitant.
"Of course," said Fluttershy, "you're part of the group now. I think you deserve to be in the friendship journal and Twilight and Mario would agree." Shenran chuckled as he took the pencil.
"It is important to remember that when you do face your fears," Shenran wrote, "that you don't always have to face them alone. Your friends will always be there encourage you and give you strength and confidence to face your fears. True friends will always support you no matter what your fears are and they will always be there to help you conquer them." Fluttershy clapped happily, pleased with Shenran's addition when a little birdie appeared and started singing. Fluttershy then vocalized with the bird as Shenran watched with a smile on his face. It was then he noticed a certain pink pony standing nearby. Her mane had lost a good amount of poofiness and she looked very sad and nervous.
"What do you want?" Shenran demanded sternly since he was still angry with her for upsetting his fiancé. Pinkie's eyes watered as she fought the urge to run away.
"Shenran!" Fluttershy scolded, "I would like to have a moment alone with Pinkie please. Plus it's time for the animals to have their afternoon snacks. Can you please take care of that for me, sweetheart?" Shenran didn't want to leave but Fluttershy's firm look showed that she was asking him to trust her. Shenran didn't resist giving Pinkie the stink eye before flying back to Fluttershy's cottage. Pinkie just stayed quiet for a moment before she decided to speak.
"Fluttershy," she said sadly, "I owe you a really big apology."
"For what?" Fluttershy asked.
"For the awful things I said to you," said Pinkie, "I really wasn't trying to sound cruel. I thought that by listing all the things you we're afraid of that you had found a way to not let them bother you anymore. I didn't realize that I was only making you feel more terrified by doing that. Twilight and Mario had to give me a long talk to help me understand that I was hurting you more than being helpful. Now I'm feeling really awful about it, especially since I kept doing that over and over again. I still can't believe I openly said you sounded like a dude, even I knew that wasn't very nice! Ugh, and to think I had to be pulled aside to even realize I was being mean? I must look so stupid to everypony!" Pinkie groaned as she looked at the ground. Fluttershy then hovered next to the pink pony.
"It's okay, Pinkie," said Fluttershy, "I know you didn't mean to hurt me and you're not stupid."
"Yes I am!" said Pinkie sadly, "I hate the fact that I can be so clueless sometimes! It really hurts me that sometimes ponies think that I'm just mean and annoying. All I wanna do is make others happy and when I mess up like this it really makes me feel like...I...I..." Pinkie began cry.
"Pinkie..."
"I've been trying so hard!" Pinkie sobbed, "I've been trying to tone my energy down and be more considerate of others and understanding what makes them happy, but I feel like I just took a huge step backwards." Fluttershy smiled as she gave Pinkie a gentle hug.
"Please don't cry Pinkie" said Fluttershy in a soft and comforting tone, "I forgive you."
"How can you?" Pinkie hiccupped, "I made you cry. Several times!"
"Because I know you didn't say those mean things on purpose," said Fluttershy before taking a deep breath since she found saying this next part difficult, "Your problem is that sometimes you speak without thinking about how your words might affect others. I know you like to get excited and all, but you need to try harder not to let that excitement get the best of you."
"I know, I know!" Pinkie said in frustration, "but when I get that excited, it's really hard for me to contain my energy. It's so frustrating that I just can't seem to keep my energy under control and I end doing stuff like this and making a mess of things!"
"I know Pinkie," said Fluttershy, "it's like my own fear. It can feel like no matter how hard we try, we don't seem to be making such progress, but it doesn't mean we're not learning from our mistakes. So you had to take one step forward, two steps back. It happens to all of us. Just remember that even when you stumble, you have friends who will help you recover because they love and support you." Pinkie sniffled as she wipe her eyes.
"Thanks Fluttershy," said Pinkie, "I really hope you do manage to find a way to face your stage fright. I wanna see you sing in front of crowd and they can..." Pinkie then covered her mouth before she could say anything hurtful, "...umm...that's it! Nothing else!" Pinkie smiled nervously as Fluttershy giggled.
"See? You are strong enough to stop yourself," Fluttershy replied. Pinkie smiled back as the two shared a hug. Shenran saw the two embrace from a nearby window and smiled. He was glad things were okay when Angel hopped up next to him and gave some squeaks.
"You're right Angel," said Shenran, "I was angry with Pinkie, but even I know she isn't perfect and that she didn't mean to be so hurtful." Angel squeaked again, making Shenran chuckle.
"Hey, I wanna marry your mom," said Shenran to the white bunny, "putting up with Pinkie's randomness is a small price to pay. Besides, I really like being here in Ponyville. Everypony is so friendly and it's nice to have so many good friends living close by. I can understand why Mario loves living here. This place certainly feels like home..." Shenran then sighed as he saw the heart of the town in the horizon.
"...and soon..." he said softly, "I'll be able to call it home too."
Okay, I have wonder how many readers got their minds blown in this chapter. I originally was going to wait til season 5 for Shenran to propose, but alot of fans seem to like having him in the story and as part of the Mane seven.
Plus Shenran did a betrothal necklace since Fluttershy doesn't have a horn for a engagement ring and I still don't get how a non-unicorn would wear a wedding ring unless the band was on their fore-hoof. Either way, the betrothal necklace sounded much more genuine and heartfelt.
As for when the wedding will be, it won't be for awhile. Shenran has some loose ends to take care of in the Crystal Empire first and he's still on duty under Princess Cadance. If it will help, the wedding will NOT be until after the Tirek Arc.
One of the biggest issues that I felt this episode had was not having Pinkie apologize for her unintentional bad behavior. I feel that if they had just given Pinkie a moment to realize her mistakes and apologize, maybe she wouldn't have been viewed so negatively by the fans. Every pony has had at least one episode where they've shown themselves at their worst. (Twilight included if you've seen that one episode in Season 8).
Next time Mario and Twilight will have to deal with fan ponies!
Peace Pony Fans!