Applebloom was sore. She lay in her bed, too tired to even be sassy. Her hooves hurt. And she didn’t have a cutie mark in dancing. Sweetie Belle didn’t have a cutie mark in dancing either, but she was a much better dancer. Scootaloo had four left hooves, but refused to give up.
Flickershine was a patient teacher. She had several other students, but kept her classes small so she could manage her students better. Applebloom took a deep breath and wondered if Flickershine really saw any potential. Applebloom wanted to believe there was potential. Even if she didn’t have a cutie mark. Dancing was a lot of fun, and Sweetie Belle seemed to be having the time of her life.
Sweetie Belle was good at entertaining, Applebloom realised. Singing, dancing, theatre, Sweetie Belle had a knack for putting on a show. Scootaloo was athletic. Applebloom didn’t know what she was. Her brow furrowed.
Applejack was downstairs talking to Flickershine, working out some kind of trade for lessons. Applebloom heard the occasional bit of laughter floating up the stairs.
Sandow had been walking her to her lessons, and then sat and waited for her, watching, sometimes nodding with approval. Three lessons so far, as much as she could pay for with her savings, and Applebloom really wanted to keep going. Which was odd for her, she realised. She usually gave up and lost interest when she didn’t get what she wanted.
Which was a cutie mark.
Howling laughter came from downstairs and Applebloom wondered what was up. Applebloom continued to stare upward at the ceiling. She was so tired that she didn’t even notice when she nodded off to sleep…
The day was sunny, bright, and pegasi were overhead busting clouds. Applebloom walked down the road, Sandow at her side, her friends walking with her. More lessons had been secured.
Flickershine had secured the use of the town’s stage, which now loomed before them. The large wooden structure wasn’t decorated and a bit of a crowd had gathered to sit in the grass and watch.
Flickershine was sitting in the grass herself, resting, having taught several lessons today already. She was wearing a pair of shocking yellow sunglasses and holding a drink in her magic, sipping through a straw. She nodded when she saw the fillies.
Sweetie was the first on the stage, smiling out at the audience and Scootaloo followed. Applebloom paused, remembering their disastrous school play performance. She cringed in embarrassment. She mounted the stage and took her place by Sweetie Belle.
Flickershine warmed them up, making them repeat simple moves, hooves tapping on the wood, beating out a staccato rhythm, front hooves and hind hooves working at different paces to produce a harmonious sound. Or the attempt at harmonious sound. Scootaloo sounded like an armored pegasus falling down a flight of stairs. Sweetie Belle was concentrating, her tongue dangling out, her lips pursed together. Applebloom just tried to keep pace.
Flickershine was matching their moves effortlessly, driving them on, encouraging them with kind words. She hadn’t even set her drink down and her glasses stayed upon her face.
“Applebloom tells me that you can dance Sandow.” Flickershine said, calling out.
Sandow nodded, but said nothing, watching the fillies.
“Care to come up here and try it?” Flickershine asked.
Sandow shook his head no, going for the silent approach, which seemed strangely familiar to onlookers.
“Free lesson for the three fillies if you do.” Flickershine said.
Sandow froze as three fillies looked at him with pleading wide eyes. “Oh that’s dirty…” he muttered, more than a little drawl in his voice.
After a few moments, he mounted the stage and approached the group. He stood there, looking out at the crowd, feeling more than a little concerned about the eyes staring at him.
Flickershine set down her drink and took off her glasses, revealing her blue eyes. She looked up and down at Sandow. “How is your wing? Think you could dance a little without bouncing it too much?”
Sandow shrugged.
Flickershine took a stuttering step and clacked her hooves in a simple prance, ending with a little flourish, tossing back her head, whipping her mane.
Sandow copied the move, mostly, ending with no flourish, just standing there.
Flickershine pranced again, kicking her hind hooves out a bit in different directions, and clicked her front hooves together in between clattering them on the stage.
Sandow copied her moves, mostly, missing only a few steps, his mistakes coming from a lack of practice rather than a lack of skill.
Flickershine nodded, impressed. “You are a wonderful dancer.” She said.
Sandow noticed the three fillies were staring at him. He grinned sheepishly and began to back away. “I don’t want to take their time away from them. I hope I earned them a lesson.” He said, retreating.
Flickershine nodded. “I hope you and I will dance again stranger.” She asked.
Sandow tapped his hooves a few times in a shuffle step as a final gesture, ending with a powerful stomp as a flourish. He also noticed that the crowd was staring at him. He felt an odd sensation. Fear. He quickly pranced off the stage, down the stairs, and resumed his spot in the crowd as an observer, not the main attraction.
“Dance is all about beauty.” Flickershine explained to the fillies. “Observe.”
She began to dance, her hooves moving blindingly fast, motes of light exploding from her hooves, and she began to flicker, rapid fire winking, blinking around the stage, dancing in one spot for a moment, and then vanishing, appearing to dance in another place, only to disappear again. The sound and the lights were dazzling. She made music as she danced. Beautiful music.
The crowd cheered.
Flickershine stopped suddenly. “Now keep practicing. All of you have talent. Even you Scootaloo.”
Sweetie Belle picked up her hooves and went to work. “I’m going to learn how to do that even if it kills me.” She said with a huff, kicking her hooves out, thumping out a rhythm on the boards. “I bet I could sing while I’m doing it too. And I bet my sister could make me pretty dresses to dance in. I’ll be famous.” She puffed.
“Scootaloo, be a pegasus. Stop trying to think about it, and let your body move. Pegasi have their own rhythm. How do you think they fly through stormclouds so gracefully? Commit themselves to battle? Stop thinking so much.” Flickershine smiled a dazzling smile.
Scootaloo closed her eyes and went to work, her timing improving slightly.
Applebloom plodded on, always the draft pony. This was just more hard work in a life of hard work. And it wasn’t so bad. She found herself almost in time with Sweetie Belle while Scootaloo continued to tap to the sound of her own drummer. Applebloom groaned inwardly, thinking about how sore she was going to be tonight.
As she danced, she couldn’t help but notice that Flickershine kept stealing glances at Sandow, now that her sunglasses weren’t there to hide her efforts. Applebloom smiled. She hoped she could get more free lessons out of this somehow.