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MiaMaha — MLP - Better When I'm Dancing
#mlp #scootaloo #lightningdust #mylittleponyfriendshipismagic #mlpnextgeneration
Published: 2018-05-03 05:15:13 +0000 UTC; Views: 10405; Favourites: 186; Downloads: 12
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Description
((Trying out an anthro style for fun, but the story segment is still canonical to the pony forms))
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Skychaser: And shimmy, shimmy, shimmy, shimmy…!
-Skychaser energetically shakes his shoulders as the pop song in the background reaches the instrumental chorus. Giggles meet his ears and he grins as he sees the class of kids around him eagerly follow his movements. Technically they’re supposed to be on break until the lead teacher comes back, but once Sky himself decided to have some fun of his own, the other children ended up following suit. And if they were going to copy, they hey, he might as well instruct them like any other class he’s assisted in-
Skychaser: Come on, guys, move those shoulders!
-Sky nearly snickers as he sees tiny Caramello right next to him practically stare up at him with excited stars in his eyes. His enthusiastic shaking is almost too cute for Sky to handle. Merry Daze right beside the boy is just as lively with her dancing, practically doing her own jig in place-
Skychaser: Awesome!
Older Colt: *also trying to follow along, but shoots Sky a half-amused, half incredulous look* Sky, this isn’t part of the dance routine...
Skychaser: PSH, I know! Nothing wrong with changing it up from time to time! *regardless, decides to keep them on their feet and returns to the usual moves* Jump ,jump jump, aaaand airplane! *he angles his arms and spins while moving his back hoof to the beat, the other children managing to follow in sync with the familiar move*
-For now he continues to follow the normal routine for this song that’s become near and dear to his heart, watching the kids from the corner of his eye and observing their progress. While the slightly younger children are a bit clumsy with their movements, Sky can still feel immense warmth and pride in seeing them do their best. Naturally his little buddy Merry Daze, who’s effortlessly moving to the beat, has the dance down by heart. He and the filly had not only come to the Cutie Mark Sanctuary around the same time three years ago, but also had this very song for their first memorized dance routine. With a smile, Sky glances down at the brown and pink colt next to him. However...he notices that Caramello isn’t smiling as much as he was a moment ago. The colt almost seems distracted, mindlessly dancing to the song he too knows by heart-
Skychaser: ‘Maybe they’re a little TOO familiar...’ (!) *a grin splits his face* ‘Oh I know…’
You kids ready for this?!
-Once he’s sure he’s gained every child’s attention in the dance studio, Sky prepares himself as the instrumental chorus approaches again. He positions his arms, one holding the back of his head, the other one sticking straight out. Immediately the older colt from before recognizes this and jumps-
Older Colt: WAIT, NO-
Skychaser: And...sprinkler!
-The moment the chorus hits, Skychaser wears the straightest, most serious face he can as he jerks his arm like a sprinkler to the beat of the song. He can hear the kids around him gasp and squeal loudly in mock horror-
Caramello: *covers his eyes* NOOO! THE EMBARRASSMENT! SKY, WHY?!
Merry Daze: *giggles madly and dramatically points at the stallion* QUICK! NEUTRALIZE THE THREAT!
Skychaser: Wait what-
Merry: *shares a grin with Caramello. The two grab hands before running at Skychaser* CHAAARGE!
-Sky yelps as the two kids practically tackle him. Losing his balance, he collapses backwards onto the ground-
Skychaser: ...pft...HAHAHAHA! *slides his hand back into his hair, laughing uncontrollably along with the two kids on top of him. Laughter can be heard around the room as the other kids gather close*
Filly 1: HA, that’s what you get Sky! You know old-pony moves are forbidden here!
Older Colt: At least it’s not the weirdest thing he’s done…
Filly 1: It isn’t??
Older Colt: *deadpans, as if flashbacking to a horrible memory* April Fool’s Day. ‘What Does the Eel Say’. Repeating the sound effects...
Skychaser: *as Mello and Merry get off of him he smirks, turning to lay on his stomach and prop his head on his knuckles* Did you want an encore-?
-A resounding “NO” is shouted by almost every child in the room, causing Sky to laugh-
Skychaser: Aw, and I thought my bird impression was pretty spot on…
???: Ahem…
-Sky and the children look up towards the dance studio’s double doors to find a large brown mare standing there with her hands on her hips, amusement dancing in her soft visible blue eye at her class. But what really catches Skychaser’s attention is the all-too-familiar smirking orange pegasus standing next to her-
Skychaser: (!!) *feels a rush of embarrassment as he scrambles to his hooves and stands alert* Ms. Rhea! Miss Scootaloo! Hiiii! *lets out an awkward laugh, his voice a pitch higher than usual* Hoooow long have you been watching?
Scootaloo: Oooh you know…*shrugs and grins* Three years ago, if somepony had told me ‘Skychaser will one day do the sprinkler and then face the dogpiling wrath of children”, I would’ve died laughing from disbelief. Yet here we are.
Skychaser: *flushes and sheepishly scratches his head, looking down with a soft laugh* Yeah, I wouldn’t have believed it either…
Scootaloo: PFT, but it’s a good thing! *walks over and squeezes his shoulder, gazing at him meaningfully* A really good thing.
Skychaser: *gives a lopsided, self-conscious smile* Thanks…
-Sky feels something warm slip into his hand and glances down. Merry is now holding his hand, quietly frowning and staring down at the ground. He smiles a bit and simply squeezes her hand back, welcoming her attempt at comforting him-
Rhea: *as Scootaloo walks back to her, the tall mare claps her hands together and smiles warmly at the children* Well it looks like all of you had a good dance without me! I think it’s about time that you all take your ACTUAL break and eat your snacks. I’ll be with you all in a moment!
-Around him the kids begin bubbling with conversation as they all run over to their backpacks on the sidelines, pulling out various food products and sitting with their respective friend groups. To his surprise, Merry tugs at his hand instead of running off, causing him to kneel down to her level-
Skychaser: *smiles kindly, easily spotting the filly’s personality change* Lemme guess. Did you switch back, Rainy?
Rainy Daze: (!) *briskly nods*
Skychaser: Well don’t worry, you didn’t miss much. Just some shenanigans. *laughs* All Merry did was dance, that’s all.
Rainy: *shakes head, speaking softly* N-no, um...I wanted to talk to you. Um…*motions for him to lean forward*
Skychaser: (?) *leans in to listen*
Rainy: *whispers* I think somethin’s wrong with Mello...he gets all s-sad when I’m not lookin’...
Skychaser: *frowns, recalling the colt’s mood change mid-dance* I see… *pats the fluffy-haired filly on the head* I’ll check up on him for you. It’ll be okay. Go enjoy your snack break for now, okay?
Rainy: *gives a relieved ghost of a smile back* Okay…t-t-thank you. *walks off towards her own bag*
Skychaser: *searches the room and finds Caramello sitting on his own against one wall, once again appearing distracted. Sky casually strides over* Mello, hey!
Caramello: (!) *face immediately lights up* Sky! Hi! *quickly reaches into the plastic bag of brownies in his lap* Here! Me and my dad made them! They have caramel and marshmallow in the middle~
Skychaser: Whoa, thanks! *slides down beside the colt, taking the brownie from his hand. He takes a bite and his eyes fly wide open* Holy... *chews and gulps down his bite* These are amazing!
Caramello: Hehehe~ *rubs the back of his head* Thanks...they were really fun to make!
Skychaser: *smiles* I hope you also had some fun dancing today?
Caramello: Oh...y-yeah, of course…! *stares down at his hooves* I always have fun…
Skychaser: ...you don’t sound so sure.
Caramello: (!) No, I am! I just…
Skychaser: *seeing the hesitation he scoots a bit closer, his wing sliding behind the colt’s back as a warm gesture* If something’s bothering you, you don’t have to keep it inside. We’re friends. And I’m here to listen.
Caramello: …*sighs sadly* ...dancing is really fun. I love dancing with everyone, and with you, a-and I think I’m kind of good at it? But...I don’t have my cutie mark yet. *nervously looks up at Sky* Why…?
Skychaser: Oooh...well. *thinks for a moment* I think it could mean different things...like maybe you haven’t found what you actually love about dancing.
Caramello: (?) What do you mean?
Skychaser: I mean, I didn’t get MY cutie mark just from dancing, you know! I practiced and learned from Ms. Rhea for months without it appearing, even though I loved dance and was pretty good at it. It wasn’t until I helped with teaching dance that it dawned on me that that’s what felt right.
Caramello: *nods a little absentmindedly, as if thinking to himself* And...w-what if dancing isn’t actually my talent? *appears embarrassed, pulling his knees close to his chest* I-I want to be a cool dancer like you, but what if my talent is something else? Then I can’t dance with you and everyone anymore...
Skychaser: Aw Mello…just because your talent might be something else doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy dance! I mean, what is our motto?
Caramello: "Anyone can dance"…?
Skychaser: Yep. And I mean, Miss Sweetie Belle is an amazing singer, but that’s not her special talent! Yet she still sings and teaches singing whenever she has the time. So if you do decide to try out the other activities in the Sanctuary, you’ll always be welcomed back to the studio whenever you want to dance it out!
Caramello: *bites his lip, his voice then lowering into a murmur* ...w-what if I made everypony think I'm gonna be a dancer? What if I disappoint them? *his distress begins to seep out as his small hands grip at the fabric of his pants* I don’t want to disappoint Rainy or Merry or Stormy, o-or Ms. Rhea...
Skychaser: …*shifts so he can face Mello fully, who looks up at him attentively. He speaks gently, but firmly* Listen, Mel. I know for a fact that you could never disappoint your friends or Ms. Rhea. But I want you to remember this; absolutely nopony has the right to pressure you or tell you who you need to be. Only you can decide that for yourself. Because when the time comes, only you will know.
Caramello: ...but how will I know…?
Skychaser: *smiles lightly* One day you’ll do something, and it’ll just...click with you. In here. *points at the colt’s chest* And then everything will fall into place. I mean...
-Sky pulls down the collar of his hoodie to slide one of his arms out. He shows the colt his bicep, where his cutie mark is displayed; a beautiful heart-shaped orange cloud complete with music notes and small hoof prints. After gazing at his own cutie mark warmly, Sky looks back at Caramello with a smile and a raised eyebrow*
Skychaser: If a doofus like me can get his cutie mark, I’m sure you'll get yours just fine~
Caramello: *pouts* Hey! You’re not a doofus! You’re cool, Sky!
Skychaser: I just did the sprinkler with absolutely no shame. I’m pretty sure I’m a doofus.
Caramello: You’re a cool doofus then…!
Skychaser: *chuckles and slides his arm back into his Sanctuary hoodie* So what I’m saying is; if you love dancing, never stop! But you should also explore your other interests! Find out what you love, and why you love them, and one day you’ll figure out who you’re meant to be. So! Are there any other activities you think you’d be interested in?
Caramello: ...I do kinda want to try the baking class…
Skychaser: (!) Hey, after eating one of those brownies, I think you’d do great there! And I’d be happy to introduce you to the instructor. Or heck, if it’d help, I could take the first class with you? I’ve never tried baking before...
Caramello: (?!) *gasps loudly, his bright-eyed excitement returning to him* YES, please! I would love that!!
Skychaser: *grins and holds out a fist* We have a plan then~
Caramello: *enthusiastically fistbumps and returns his grin* Thank you, Sky! *notices Rainy anxiously walking over, and jumps to his hooves* Oh, Rainy! *hops over to her and grabs her hands, jumping up and down* GUESS. WHAT. I’M. GONNA. DO~?
Rainy: *appears surprised. Despite her eyes being covered by her curly bangs, she manages to give Sky a gentle, appreciative smile before returning her focus onto her friend* Y-yeah…?
-As Caramello speaks with Rainy, Sky sits back and happily watches the kids. Rainy’s response to Mello’s news is an enthusiastic nod, something quite noticeable from a usually shy, reserved filly like herself. Sky chuckles to himself, thinking about how Mello just has two more of her personalities to share his plan with.-
Skychaser: ‘You tiny, lovable dorks…’ *He exhales deeply. Peacefully* ‘I’ll help you get your marks if its the last thing I do…’
------
-Meanwhile, Scootaloo takes in the classroom of talkative children, not missing for a second the little heart-to-heart Skychaser and Caramello were having in their corner-
Scootaloo: *turns to beam at the older, towering mare beside her* You definitely have your hands full here, Ms. Rhea!
Rhea: *chuckles softly* I do. But Skychaser is a big help. Heaven-sent, even. *her gaze softens as she looks at her dance assistant, and then at the two children near him* ...I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s his air, or his young age. But he really gets these kids to open up...so many of them start out so nervous and unconfident, but he really makes the effort to know them and work with them. And it pays off. *sheepishly rubs her neck* Before he came, I had such a hard time getting kids to not be scared of me and cooperate...
Scootaloo: Well the two of you sure make one heck of an awesome dance class, that’s for sure~
Rhea: *smiles warmly* When he’s in charge, it’s almost more like...dance therapy. Getting these kids to express and accept themselves. *focuses her gaze on Rainy* It’s...a wonderful thing to watch.
Scootaloo: *laughs* Who would’ve thought Mr. Gloomy Loner would turn out to be such a goober...but I think he’s, hands down, a great addition to our team.
Rhea: (!) Wait, so...he…?
Scootaloo: *grins* A volunteer with a heart of gold, just like you were? Sure he's old enough to stop living here, but after everything you’ve told us and everything I’ve seen? The girls and I think it’s only fair that we return the favor and offer him a permanent room here, too. *winks* And I hope your studio doesn’t mind having a second dance instructor~
Rhea: Oh Miss Scootaloo…*laughs softly, wiping a tear from her eye* The kindness of you Crusaders never fails to amaze me, I swear…
Scootaloo: *pats the older woman on the shoulder* Oh boy, if you’re tearing up, I can’t imagine how he’s going to react…
-Scootaloo crosses her arms, smirking as she watches kids begin to sit by Sky, happily chattering about while Sky struggles to keep up with all of them-
Scootaloo: This’ll be fun~
Prove to them you got the moves
Hey! I don’t know about you
But I feel better when I’m dancing.
-”Better When I’m Dancing” by Meghan Trainor
Meanwhile, here’s the dance routine these kids would totally use.
We have a lot of new characters here, and they’ll all get character refs/bios! I’ll also have a piece explaining the Sanctuary in more detail!
As you may know, Skychaser eventually came to the Cutie Mark Sanctuary after his disownment (most likely after being found on the streets by Scootaloo). It truly proved to be a haven, offering food and shelter for homeless kids and activities for kids of any age. In the beginning, Sky had his walls up and stubbornly kept to himself. However, Scootaloo was rather persistent and had Sky at least observe classes if he wasn’t going to participate.
For some reason the Sanctuary’s dance class...kept resonating with Sky. Just listening to the beat, and watching Ms. Rhea’s flawless moves, peaked his curiosity. Not that he willingly showed his interest; he simply stood off to the side and quietly watched the classes from a comfortable distance. That is...until he noticed a small blue and gray filly, Rainy Daze, struggling to get the dance right to the point of tears. Something within Sky felt for the poor kid, and before he knew it, he just...couldn’t leave her alone. Using what he knew from observing, he helped the filly get a better grasp on the moves. And then...found himself helping the filly’s second, chipper personality memorize the moves (while her grumpier third personality refused to dance altogether).
Rainy helped crack away Sky’s walls. So did Caramello, once he joined the class and admired Skychaser like no one else. Eventually, although it was nerve-wracking and embarrassing at first, Sky was willing to practice the routine with the rest of the class. Seeing them shocked and impressed struck him. And from that day on, Sky’s walls continued to fall until his old self began to resurface. Having an easy time memorizing dance routines, Sky continued to release his energy through dance and help the younger children learn the moves until he gladly volunteered to assist Ms. Rhea with teaching.
And after some discussing with the other two Crusaders and Ms. Rhea, Scootaloo felt Skychaser had a special place in their Sanctuary. They decided to not only officially hire him as a dance instructor, but allow him permanent residence.
Indeed, Skychaser was a joyfully crying mess after receiving the news and received many warm, excited hugs from the class that day.
PS: I truly did try to draw Sky dancing as a pony, but it was jUST NOT WORKING OUT
But here, have some of my sketch attempts, as well as an unpolished version of his cutie mark!
Destinyverse Archives
Feat.
Skychaser
Rainy Daze and Caramello
Please consider supporting me on Patreon , where you can view WIPs, exclusive sketches, and early images! Your support really helps me do what I do~! <3
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Comments: 25
👍: 1 ⏩: 1
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Baww, thank you~~
I could just hug Skychaser! He's SO SWEET!
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HEHE thanks~~ He sure is <3 He would love hugs uwu
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I just wish he would walk up to Lightning Dust and say "It's Sprinkler Time" and start doing the Sprinkler which Summer is trying to not to laugh at.
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SNRKS
That is one mental image I had never thought to think of... xDD
A happy family AU occurrence, oh yes
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
This would be a while after he got kicked out and when he randomly sees them while they are walking down a street.
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"You know old-pony moves are forbidden here!"
Oh my gosh
Ok but Mello is absolutely precious, fretting about his cutie mark and how he doesn't want to let anyone down by not being a dancer
that's so precious oh my goodness
"I just did the sprinkler with absolutely no shame"
#same
Gosh I love Sky so much what a big nice boi
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Mello is a precious smol bean >:'0 I'm glad you like him ;w;
HAHAHA #relatable , amirite?
HEE gotta be proud of the son ah yes \;w;\
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Oh god, you can just tell Caramello sees Sky as this cool older brother figure
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Heck yes. I'm glad I got that across. xD
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Ahhh I love this so much, Sky is just the BBBFF to all these lil' munchkins!
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