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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Stage Fright
Fluttershy paced nervously across the backstage of the Fillydelphia Theater.
Toe-Tapper and Torchsong stood to one side out of her way, chatting. Big Mac leaned against the far wall, watching her silently. None of them seemed nervous.
Maybe nopony had seen the advertisements that the Ponytones had come to town. Maybe there were only two or three ponies in the audience. Or better yet, maybe the theater was empty! Fluttershy anxiously tiptoed downstage, gently easing the curtain open to peer through the tiny sliver to the world outside. She immediately yanked it shut with a tiny “eep.” Her worst fears had been realized. The theater was completely full.
“Fluttershy?” She turned to find Rarity, the remaining member of their quintet, standing beside her, face full of concern. “You’re not having second thoughts about the performance, are you?”
“You want to come on tour with the rest of the Ponytones?” Rarity was either ecstatic or dismayed; Fluttershy wasn’t sure which.
“Um, yes,” she confirmed. “If that’s okay?”
“Okay?” Rarity clasped both of Fluttershy’s shoulders with her forehooves “Why, that’s simply wonderful, darling!” she exclaimed, pulling Fluttershy into a tight hug.
“Oh. Good.” Despite Fluttershy’s outward smile as she returned the hug, she was crestfallen. It would have been so much easier if Rarity had said no.
But Fluttershy knew her friend too well to think that there was any serious chance of that. Which, of course, was precisely why she’d forced herself to ask. There was no getting out of this now. She couldn’t disappoint her best friend.
“Though to be honest, Fluttershy...” Rarity drew away. “I must admit I’m surprised you’ve asked to come sing with us.”
“Oh?” Fluttershy asked timidly, uncertain how to react.
“Now don’t get me wrong, darling. It’s been simply wonderful having you as a member of the Ponytones. But ever since Big Macintosh got his voice back, you’ve only come to rehearsals and private performances.” Rarity paused, looking her friend over, as though expecting to find a physical difference that might explain Fluttershy’s change of heart. “Whatever made you decide to come on tour with us this time?”
“Oh, um…” Fluttershy wasn’t prepared for this question. All her doubts and anxieties came flooding back to her. What if she failed? What if everyone laughed at her? What if she was so bad the audience threw fruit at the stage?
What if she let Rarity down?
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts of the disastrous scenarios her imagination had forced upon her.
“Fluttershy?” Rarity’s voice carried a hint of concern.
Fluttershy gave her best smile. “I just think I’m ready to try again,” she lied.
Fluttershy shook her head, both in answer to Rarity’s question and to dash the memory from her mind. “No, I can do this,” she said more to herself than her friend. She was pretty sure there was only the slightest hint of doubt in her tone.
Rarity looked skeptical. She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the abrupt appearance of a stagehoof. “Ponytones, on set!” he barked; Fluttershy nearly leapt out of her skin. “You’re on in thirty seconds!”
Not wasting a second, Toe-Tapper, Torchsong and Bic Mac stopped what they were doing and filed past Fluttershy to take their positions. Rarity cast her one last worried glance before doing the same, leaving Fluttershy alone backstage. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, held her head up, and stepped through the curtains, prepared for anything the world could throw at her.
But her confidence was shattered the moment she walked on stage and became acutely aware that every single pony in the audience was staring directly at her. And if that wasn’t enough, she then found herself glued to the spot by the overwhelmingly intense glare of two enormous spotlights shining down on her. She gulped. Every instinct in her told her that she was wrong to think she could do this. That she wasn’t safe. That she needed to return to the shelter of the curtains while she still had the chance.
She had just lifted a hoof to start running when Big Mac began to sing. One by one, Torchsong, Rarity, and Toe-Tapper added their voices to his, filling the room with the perfect harmony that had made Fluttershy a Ponytones fan in the first place. Before she knew it, her cue had come.
And she sang.
Toe-Tapper and Torchsong stood to one side out of her way, chatting. Big Mac leaned against the far wall, watching her silently. None of them seemed nervous.
Maybe nopony had seen the advertisements that the Ponytones had come to town. Maybe there were only two or three ponies in the audience. Or better yet, maybe the theater was empty! Fluttershy anxiously tiptoed downstage, gently easing the curtain open to peer through the tiny sliver to the world outside. She immediately yanked it shut with a tiny “eep.” Her worst fears had been realized. The theater was completely full.
“Fluttershy?” She turned to find Rarity, the remaining member of their quintet, standing beside her, face full of concern. “You’re not having second thoughts about the performance, are you?”
“You want to come on tour with the rest of the Ponytones?” Rarity was either ecstatic or dismayed; Fluttershy wasn’t sure which.
“Um, yes,” she confirmed. “If that’s okay?”
“Okay?” Rarity clasped both of Fluttershy’s shoulders with her forehooves “Why, that’s simply wonderful, darling!” she exclaimed, pulling Fluttershy into a tight hug.
“Oh. Good.” Despite Fluttershy’s outward smile as she returned the hug, she was crestfallen. It would have been so much easier if Rarity had said no.
But Fluttershy knew her friend too well to think that there was any serious chance of that. Which, of course, was precisely why she’d forced herself to ask. There was no getting out of this now. She couldn’t disappoint her best friend.
“Though to be honest, Fluttershy...” Rarity drew away. “I must admit I’m surprised you’ve asked to come sing with us.”
“Oh?” Fluttershy asked timidly, uncertain how to react.
“Now don’t get me wrong, darling. It’s been simply wonderful having you as a member of the Ponytones. But ever since Big Macintosh got his voice back, you’ve only come to rehearsals and private performances.” Rarity paused, looking her friend over, as though expecting to find a physical difference that might explain Fluttershy’s change of heart. “Whatever made you decide to come on tour with us this time?”
“Oh, um…” Fluttershy wasn’t prepared for this question. All her doubts and anxieties came flooding back to her. What if she failed? What if everyone laughed at her? What if she was so bad the audience threw fruit at the stage?
What if she let Rarity down?
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts of the disastrous scenarios her imagination had forced upon her.
“Fluttershy?” Rarity’s voice carried a hint of concern.
Fluttershy gave her best smile. “I just think I’m ready to try again,” she lied.
Fluttershy shook her head, both in answer to Rarity’s question and to dash the memory from her mind. “No, I can do this,” she said more to herself than her friend. She was pretty sure there was only the slightest hint of doubt in her tone.
Rarity looked skeptical. She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the abrupt appearance of a stagehoof. “Ponytones, on set!” he barked; Fluttershy nearly leapt out of her skin. “You’re on in thirty seconds!”
Not wasting a second, Toe-Tapper, Torchsong and Bic Mac stopped what they were doing and filed past Fluttershy to take their positions. Rarity cast her one last worried glance before doing the same, leaving Fluttershy alone backstage. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, held her head up, and stepped through the curtains, prepared for anything the world could throw at her.
But her confidence was shattered the moment she walked on stage and became acutely aware that every single pony in the audience was staring directly at her. And if that wasn’t enough, she then found herself glued to the spot by the overwhelmingly intense glare of two enormous spotlights shining down on her. She gulped. Every instinct in her told her that she was wrong to think she could do this. That she wasn’t safe. That she needed to return to the shelter of the curtains while she still had the chance.
She had just lifted a hoof to start running when Big Mac began to sing. One by one, Torchsong, Rarity, and Toe-Tapper added their voices to his, filling the room with the perfect harmony that had made Fluttershy a Ponytones fan in the first place. Before she knew it, her cue had come.
And she sang.