Edited by: Jamza and BrackMadar
“Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song."
― Plato
Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight sat together at one of the Clover Café's outdoor tables, drinking tea and enjoying honeyed baked slices of bread for their little get together. They were quietly talking amongst themselves and trading gossip, when Twilight mentioned a new bar that had just opened up in Ponyville last month.
"Um, so what's the karaoke bar like?" Fluttershy asked in a quiet, but curious voice before she sipped daintily from her tea cup.
"It's kinda like the Mayberry Lounge, but instead of having singers and performers, they let their customers sing to various songs," Twilight explained while she added two sugar cubes to her tea. "Rarity and I thought we should invite you to come along with us tonight. It's really a lot of fun."
"Oh it's simply a marvelous experience," Rarity chimed in, then sighed with a dreamy expression, "Being on stage and singing one's favorite romance songs."
"On a sta..stage?" Fluttershy stuttered out with nervous eyes.
"Oh don't fret, darling. It's not as intimidating as one would think," Rarity said trying to soothe her nervous friend. "Why, even Twilight sang the last time we went."
"Well, it was just one song," Twilight added a bit bashfully.
"Um, couldn't Rainbow Dash go with you again, like um last time?" Fluttershy asked quietly as she refilled her tea cup.
"Unfortunately, she's in Cloudsdale for a Weather Pony convention," Twilight explained while spreading some butter on her slice of honey bread. "Although, Rainbow was pretty enthusiastic when she went with us."
"Rainbow Dash did sound pretty, um excited when she told me about when she sang her song," Fluttershy said with a small smile, fiddling with the tea cup between her hooves.
Rarity groaned ever so slightly before answering while Twilight hid a smirk behind her tea cup. "Yes, yes she was energetic, however might I add that it was completely unnecessary for her to fly onto the stage before I had even left it."
"Well I found her rendition of Danger Zone very entertaining," Twilight replied with a giggle, which Rarity answered with a dramatic eye roll.
"But, um why do you want me to go with you? If you don't mind me asking that is," Fluttershy asked in a hushed tone.
"Well darling, Twilight and I talked it over and thought you would enjoy the opportunity to sing for a few ponies," Rarity explained with a smile.
"Oh I don't know...I'm not that good..." Fluttershy mumbled bashfully, letting her pink mane hide half of her face.
"Fluttershy, you have a beautiful voice," Twilight said with an encouraging smile.
"I completely agree with Twilight," Rarity said, patting Fluttershy's hoof soothingly.
"Well...I don't know..." Fluttershy answered quietly as she glanced between her two friends.
"We're not going until later tonight, but promise you'll at least think about it, darling?" Rarity asked pleadingly.
Fluttershy looked over at Twilight, who smiled encouragingly, and back to Rarity, then gave a smile and short nod, "Ok, I'll think it over for a bit."
Fluttershy hummed a cheerful nameless tune to herself as she filled the chicken's feed tray. The chickens all clucked very happily as they ate, giving Fluttershy further reason to smile. She really did love tending to all her little animal friends, it brightened her day and brought joy to her heart every day. Fluttershy continued humming to herself as she put the feed bag away, mentally checking off the last chore on her list.
"It's soooo booooring," a certain sunglasses wearing draconequus droned out from his deck chair that was precariously perched on top of a small oak tree.
Fluttershy just giggled quietly and flew up to her chaotic friend. "It's a beautiful afternoon, in my opinion."
"Yes, yes the sun is shining, the weather is pristine, the birds chirping, so forth and so forth," Discord said with a roll of his eyes before he noisily sipped his chocolate milk from a very twirly, two foot crazy straw.
"It's not that bad, Discord, besides didn't you get to go pranking with Pinkie Pie earlier?" Fluttershy asked as she slowly flapped her wings, hovering beside the mostly reformed Spirit of Disharmony.
"Yes, it was a lot of fun actually," Discord said with a deep chuckle, then snapped the fingers of his clawed hand, causing a small purple cushion to appear next to him.
"Um, you didn't do any really mean pranks though, did you?" Fluttershy asked quietly as she sat down on the rather comfortable cushion.
"No, not really," Discord answered, looking anywhere, but at Fluttershy.
"Discord," Fluttershy said a bit sternly with a flat look. Though she knew Discord's trickster nature was just how he was, Fluttershy also knew he wasn't necessarily a bad pony; Discord just forgot to take the feelings of others into account when he played his games and tricks.
Discord sighed dramatically and slumped his shoulders, before answering Fluttershy. "Well, maybe the whoopee cushions hidden in the chairs of the Town Hall might have been a bit much."
Fluttershy paused to think over Discord's little prank, honestly she was expecting something, well a bit worse. Fluttershy had, of course, been to some of the Town Hall meetings and to be honest, they were very serious and tended to have a lot of shouting at times, so maybe a few laughs would help ease tensions in the next meeting.
"That doesn't sound too bad," Fluttershy admitted with a small smile.
Discord merely arched a questioning eyebrow.
"Well, um a few whoopee cushions doesn't sound too mean," Fluttershy said as she twiddled her hooves.
"Heh, I'll make a merry prankster out of you yet, my dear," Discord chuckled before sipping on his chocolate milk.
Fluttershy smiled shaking her head softly, before the odd friends fell into amicable silence enjoying the warm spring afternoon.
After a while, Discord yawned noisily and stretched before turning to face Fluttershy. "Care to join me for roasted chocolate milk and a cup of marshmallows this evening?"
"Oh um, actually my friends asked me to go with them to karaoke tonight." Fluttershy explained as she got up on her hooves.
"Karaoke? You?" Discord asked with a mixture of surprise and curiosity evident in his voice.
"Um, well I might just go with them and not, um sing," Fluttershy explained before she glided to the ground. "I mean I'm not that a good of a singer really..."
"Oh that's nonsense," Discord said before he snapped his clawed fingers and appeared beside Fluttershy, "You are quite the little song bird."
"If you say so," Fluttershy mumbled scuffing the ground with her hoof.
"Well I do. After all, I am an expert on nonsense," Discord said with a waggle of his bushy eyebrows, earning a small laugh from Fluttershy.
"Okay, I'll go and try my best to sing at least one song," Fluttershy said rather assertively with a confident smile.
"Best of luck, my dear," Discord encouraged with a smile, before he snapped his fingers once more and teleported off to switch Celestia's regular lilac scented soap with pink dyeing soap.
The oddly named AVS Karaoke Club was a simple affair. A few tables in the center of the lounge, a row of booth seats along the two side walls, while the lounge itself was painted with various tranquil shades of blue, while the lighting was tastefully dim enough to highlight small stage's simple microphone and lyric screen that was built to look like a speaker box.
Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight sat in a rounded booth, politely clapping their hooves, with the rest of the karaoke patrons, as a lilac unicorn mare with a sea green mane and tail trotted off the stage after singing her song. The three mares began talking amongst themselves over their drinks after the clapping died down.
"I'm really glad you decided to join us, Fluttershy," Twilight said with a smile.
"Oh, it's um, no problem," Fluttershy mumbled quietly as she nervously glanced around the lounge and did her best to hide behind her glass of regular cider. "Um, I didn't think there'd be a crowd tonight."
Twilight gave Rarity a confused look, which Rarity silently answered with a shrug. Apparently and unsurprisingly, Fluttershy's definition of "crowded" went as low as fifteen ponies in an enclosed space made to seat up to seventy ponies.
"It's a small crowd, at least," Twilight said before sipping on her red wine.
"Though I'm surprised only two ponies have ventured onto the stage so far," Rarity commented while swirling her cosmopolitan and nodding to the now empty stage.
"Well, it is still early," Twilight said as she floated over a binder that held several pages of songs available on the karaoke machine.
Rarity and Twilight looked through the song lists rather enthusiastically, while Fluttershy looked with apprehension barely held in check.
"Anything catch your eye?" Rarity inquired sounding a bit bored.
"No, I don't see many new songs," Twilight answered with a bit of disappointment.
"Pity," Rarity said with a slight pout before sipping on her drink.
"Fluttershy, do you recognize any of these songs?" Twilight asked as she slowly turned the pages of the binder.
"I, um I know that song..." Fluttershy ventured quietly.
"Oh, which song, darling?" Rarity asked as she put her drink down and leaned in to look at the binder.
"...that one..." Fluttershy answered, nervously pointing a hoof at a song with the simple title: Quiet.
"Looks like it's a fairly new song," Twilight mused as she looked over the song's information.
"I like it. It's...nice," Fluttershy said with a small smile before sipping on her cider.
"I don't suppose you'd want to sing it on stage?" Rarity asked with a hopeful smile.
"I...well, I don't know..." Fluttershy mumbled trying her best to hide behind her mane.
"You don't have to darling, it's just a thought," Rarity said with a shrug before sipping on her cosmopolitan. "Though I do think you can sing quite well, the choice is yours, darling."
"Rarity's right, Fluttershy. It's your decision, but I do think you'd do a good job singing this one," Twilight said with a reassuring smile.
Fluttershy just sat in her chair, biting her lip as she twiddled her hooves and glanced between Rarity, Twilight, the small stage, the small crowd of ponies, and back to her friends.
I do like singing this song...but do I want to sing on sta...stage?, Fluttershy thought to herself. But...but I do really, really like singing this song...plus it's mine and Trixie's song...
Fluttershy was pulled out of her thoughts by a gentle tap on the shoulder from Rarity. "If you would like, we could all sing together."
"I wouldn't mind singing together," Twilight offered with a smile.
Flutteshy bit her lip as she thought over the suggestion, her nervousness fueled further as she remembered the near disaster of a Tornado Day last year. But then she remembered what her friends, both her little animal friends and her pony friends, did to help her on Tornado Day. The encouragement, the help, and the support of her small circle of friends. All those memories were combined and reinforced with Discord's encouraging words from the afternoon. As the memories washed across her mind, Fluttershy felt a small ember of courage begin to warmly glow in her chest.
"No, I...I can do this on my own," Fluttershy said with a small, confident smile as she looked at the stage.
"Are you sure? I don't mind..." Twilight started, but was silenced by Rarity's hoof on her shoulder.
"I think we should let Fluttershy have this one to herself," Rarity said with a knowing smile.
Twilight looked between Rarity and Fluttershy for a moment, then after her moment of thought spoke. "Okay, Rarity. Fluttershy, how about you let me show you how to set up the karaoke machine, at least?"
"Sure thing, Twilight," Fluttershy answered wearing a small smile.
Fluttershy nervously took the stage after Twilight had explained how to set up the karaoke machine, then left back to her seat with Rarity. As the lights on the stage brightened a bit and the rest of the karaoke bar's patrons quieted down Fluttershy felt their eyes on her. She felt her nervousness trying to overtake her and make her run back to the table with the girls, but that ember of courage burned with a soft persistent, reassuring glow.
I can do this, Fluttershy thought to herself closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to steady herself before the music started.
The song began with a happy, airy melody that ascended into a beautifully simple rhythm. Fluttershy smiled to herself as the familiar melody and rhythm merged into an opening as warm and welcoming as a cloudless spring morning.
And she sang.
I'm not yours, and you're not mine
But we can sit and pass the time
No fighting wars, no ringing chimes
We're just feeling fine
Fluttershy sang with her eyes closed as she thought of the hill behind her cottage and the times she'd lay in the warm grass with her little animal friends and tended to any of them that were hurt.
This is where we're supposed to be
Sitting by a broken tree
No tragedy, no poetry
Just staring at the sky
She swayed gently with the melody as the song poured from her heart and a small, tranquil smile found its way onto her face.
I could wait a thousand hours
Stay the same in sun and showers
Pick apart a hundred flowers
Just to be quiet
Tell me when you feel ready
I'm the one, there's not too many
Hold my hoof to keep me steady
Just to be quiet
With you-hoo-ooo
As Fluttershy sang she opened her eyes and looked over the crowd, but she didn't see the crowd of ponies in the karaoke bar. Instead, she saw the times she spent with her friends. The times when Rainbow Dash would ask for Fluttershy to watch her perform aerial tricks, the weekly trips to the spa with Rarity, the afternoon visits from Twilight and Spike for tea. The time when Applejack, with tear stained cheeks, brought a sick Winona to her cottage desperate for help. Fluttershy thought of the rare, but ever so fun cupcake delivery runs she and Discord would help Pinkie Pie with.
I like it here beside you dear
you're even more than you appear
And in the clouds my head is clear
Every time you say hello
Flutteshy thought of a certain traveling magician as she sang that verse. Memories of quiet afternoons spent laying beside each other when Trixie came back from her shows.
So here's my heart, and here's my mouth
And I can't help if things come out
'Cause there are words I want to shout
But maybe I'll stay low
Flutteshy thought of the first time they openly talked about how they felt for each other. Specifically, of the proud magician's stammers and deep blush.
I could wait a thousand hours
Stay the same in sun and showers
Pick apart a hundred flowers
Just to be quiet
Tell me when you feel ready
I'm the one, there's not too many
Hold my hoof to keep me steady
Just to be quiet
Fluttershy felt tears starting to form in her eyes as she sang. The lyrics, melody, and rhythm of the song took on a deeper meaning that made her heart twinge with an ache that only lovers separated over distances can know.
I could wait a thousand hours
Stay the same in sun and showers
Pick apart a hundred flowers
Just to be quiet
Tell me when you feel ready
I'm the one, there's not too many
Hold my hoof to keep me steady
Just to be quiet
With you...
A pair of tears rolled down Fluttershy's cheeks as the last verses left her lips, but the song echoed on in her heart.
I'm not yours, and you're not mine
but we can sit and pass the time.
With you...
The song ended, but Fluttershy stayed on the stage with her eyes closed, wearing a small content smile with her mind lost in memories of time spent with her beloved. Until the sound of clapping hooves shook Fluttershy out of her memories. Fluttershy glanced about the karaoke bar and to her surprise everypony was clapping, a few even had tears of their own on their faces.
"And, um then they all clapped after I was done singing," Fluttershy explained as she laid side by side with Trixie on one of the small grassy hills behind their cottage in the warm, afternoon sun.
"Sounds like you had quite the night out," Trixie said with a smile before giving Fluttershy an affectionate nuzzle.
"It was...nice," Fluttershy answered with a smile and a faint blush.
Trixie smiled wrapping a forehoof around Fluttetshy as the pegasus snuggled into her and lazily draped a wing over Trixie's back.
"Will you go back and sing again?" Trixie asked, gently resting her chin on Fluttershy's head.
"Maybe, it was fun to sing like that," Fluttershy answered with her eyes closed wearing a small, content smile.
"I'll go with you and the girls this time," Trixie replied before she kissed Fluttershy's forehead softly.
"Mmm, that sounds nice," Fluttershy answered with a smile.
Author's Note
Yeah, I know I was supposed to be writing the ninth chapter for Apples and Wheat, BUT this story idea has been in my head since July 2011 and I FINALLY found my story notes/outline thingy written in an old journal of mine. So having found that, there was no way I was going to put off writing this out. Sadly it took me all month to write this one out due to my job taking up 80 freaking hours a week again. C'est la vie, as you are reading this work on Apples and Wheat will have already resumed.
This piece was inspired by this EQD post (back when all we had was EQD for the most part) and this story by the incredible AVeryStrange both are from July of 2011.
