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// Prompt #213: Instruction 
// Story: Ponywatching 
// by ThunderTempest 
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It was a Saturday night at the Friendship Castle, and that meant one thing, and one thing alone; Twilight Sparkle had dancing lessons with Rarity. It was an ongoing project for the fashionista, to somehow get some degree of grace and elegance into the newest Princess of Equestria. Twilight’s usual dancing could make even Applejack, who thought that square dancing was the height of dancing, look graceful and elegant.

“Step, step and turn,” said Rarity, walking Twilight through a two-pony waltz. Twilight completed the turn, and promptly fell backwards onto her rump. Rarity sighed.

“Twilight, you must use your partner to steady yourself, as I have explained.” Twilight blushed, and climbed back up onto her hooves.

“Back to the beginning, Twilight,” sighed Rarity, as the two reset to their positions. Beside them, Spike lifted the needle off the record, and placed it back on the outermost groove. The two friends began to step in unison, with Rarity leading Twilight around one of the larger rooms in the Friendship Castle. And as both ponies were up on their hind legs, they were relying on the other for balance and stability. The tricky thing about dances such as these was that they often incorportated many twists and turns. In turn, that mean the each pony had to know exactly what they were doing, and when to brace their hooves against the floor to counteract the other pony’s motion.

Rarity was an expert, her sense of balance forged through many, many dance lessons with professional instructors. Twilight Sparkle, on the other hoof, was not used to dance, and was still coming to grips with her balance, and the fact that she had started growing again. The wings didn’t help either, as Twilight still had trouble controlling them, too. They liked to flare out on occasion, out of Twilight’s control, and throwing off her balance. It was difficult enough when she was on four hooves. On two, and with only Rarity to counterbalance her, Twilight had no hope of staying upright.

“Whoa!” cried Twilight, as her wings sprung out, and threw her off her timing and balance as she went for one of the more complex turns in the dance. Rarity attempted to brace herself, and correct for Twilight’s movement, momentarily forgot that the new alicorn was rather heavier than herself, and instead of letting go and allowing Twilight to fall down, as she had in the past, held on tighter, and went head over hooves with Twilight.

“Sorry, Rarity,” said Twilight, getting back up onto four hooves.

Rarity sighed, and climbed back onto her hooves. 

“A lady never admits defeat,” she said, “but I fear you are beyond my ability to help. Just promise me that you will not dance in public ever again, Twilight.”

Twilight nodded, and Rarity headed out of the castle, shaking her head the entire way about Twilight’s terrible sense of rhythm.

Twilight herself, however, was barely holding herself back at celebrating the fact that she didn’t have to take anymore of Rarity’s dance lessons.