Apple bloom bit her lip as she set a basket down under one of the many apple trees. She started to look around, hoping for any reason to possibly escape the conversation. A sinking feeling knotted in her gut. “Ah dunno Scootaloo… ah just don't think that's a very good idea…”

“Aww, c’mon AB!” The orange pegasus trotted over to face her. “What's the worst that could happen?”

Sweetie Belle frowned as she watched the exchange. “Uh…” She tried to answer, only to have an orange hoof promptly stuffed into her mouth.

Apple Bloom however, only gave the little pegasus a flat look. “Do ah really need tah answer that?”

Scootaloo looked away sheepishly and released a nervous chuckle. After a few moments, she sighed and looked back up to the little earth filly. “Hey, I know we've had a few-”

“A few?” she cut in with a raised eyebrow.

“... ok, a LOT of bangs and bruises trying to do things we aren't good at, but that's how you get better at it! I know you can be a good dancer, you just need a little more help. So whaddaya say, AB? It'll be just like old times!” Scootaloo flashed her an excited grin, buzzing her wings eagerly.

Apple Bloom sighed. “That's what ah’m afraid of,” she shook her head. “Last time y'all tried teachin’ me tah dance, it ended in a black eye.” She pointed at Scootaloo. “A bruised shoulder.” She pointed over to Sweetie Belle, whose eyes widened slightly as she rubbed her shoulder and chuckled nervously. “And me sprainin’ a hoof.”

Scootaloo pouted. “That’s in the past. You’ve been practicing, right? So it shouldn’t be near as bad as it was last time.”

She bit her lip and looked away. “Ah just… ah dunno, after the talent show-”

“Ok ok ok!” Scoots cut her off, waving her hooves in the air. “The talent show was a hot mess, we get it. That was a long time ago, way back when we first met!” She sighed and put a hoof on the filly’s shoulder. “Look… you’ve gotten a lot better since then, you just need some extra practice. If you don’t think what we’re doing is a good idea, you can just stop.”

Apple Bloom fell silent and thought about it, her hoof tracing circles in the dirt. She bit her lip and sighed after a long moment of silence. “Ya promise? Ah can stop if ah don’t like it?...”

“Of course.” Scootaloo insisted, giving her reluctant friend an encouraging smile. “Come on, I know just the thing to help you out!” She said as she took Apple Bloom’s hoof and led her away.

Apple bloom frowned as she looked between Scootaloo and the fence in front of her. “... Are ya sure this is a good idea?...”

The orange pegasus grinned. “Sure I’m sure! Look, dancing is about balance. So… what better way to train your balance than by just doing it? Here, watch me.” Scootaloo insisted and hoisted herself up onto the fence.

The yellow filly stepped back as she watched her friend climb up onto the fence, taking a moment to find her hoofing before she finally rose up onto her hind legs. She held her head high and took a confident step forward on the wood beam, her steps graceful as she walked along the fence to the next post before dropping down on all fours and hopping off the fence. “Now you try it, AB!”

Apple Bloom sucked in a breath as she put her hooves up on the fence. “Well… Ok…” She sighed and hauled herself up, her legs wobbling under her as she crouched on the fence, struggling just to not fall. Her chest felt tight as she glued her gaze to her hooves and stepped forward.

She felt her hoof begin to slip and paused, hoping to regain her balance only to feel her legs tremble more with the effort of staying up. Another step forward, slowly, and Apple Bloom felt the sensation she’d been dreading. She slipped off the fence post and landed in the grass with a thump.

Scootaloo winced as her friend took the tumble and held out a hoof. “Well, you did get one step.” She helped Apple Bloom back to her hooves.

She huffed as she got up and shook her head. “This is hopeless, Scoots. Ah’m lousy.”

“You’re not lousy, AB.” Scootaloo insisted, nudging her friend back toward the fence. “Try it again, come on.”

“But why? How is THIS gunna help me any? In fact, all this ‘balancing exercise’ is doin’ is showin’ me how much ah can’t do this.”

Scootaloo frowned. “Come on AB, it was only one try. I know you can do this.” She hopped up onto the fence and held a hoof out for the little filly. “I’ll do it with you this time.”

Apple Bloom eyed her friend and hesitantly accepted the offered hoof, hoisting herself again onto the fence. “... And ya won’t let me fall?”

“Not unless I’m falling with you.” She reassured the filly as she guided
Her a few steps across the fence.

Apple Bloom felt her hooves slip out from under her, only for her friend to catch her. “Whoa-! Thanks Scoots…” She sighed as she regained her hoofing. “Ya make it look so easy…” She whined.

“Practice.” Scootaloo smiled and helped Apple Bloom balance again, this time holding on to her. “Just follow my lead, and don’t worry about rushing it.”

“O-ok…” Apple Bloom took a deep breath before stepping forward slowly. Her hooves shook and slipped with the effort, but Scootaloo kept her up. She looked down at her hooves, focusing on placing them right so she wouldn’t fall.

Scootaloo frowned and tilted her chin up so she was looking at her. “Relax, AB. Just focus on what’s in front of you, you’re trying too hard.” She said as she continued walking with Apple Bloom on the post.

“How can ah try ‘too hard’? I just don’t wanna fall off…”

“Have a little faith in yourself, Apple Bloom. You have no problem doing karate moves.”

“That’s because ah already know how to do karate!”

“Well, you’d be a lot further along on your dancing if you had any confidence in yourself. Come on, where’s that confidence you had when you got up on stage and made a fool of yourself in front of everypony just so Taps would go on stage!”

“That was different!” Apple Bloom insisted, sighing. “Then, ah was helpin’ him do somethin’ he loved, so it didn’t matter if ah made a fool of mahself! This time, ah might actually hold him back, this competition is a big deal for him! If he wins this, then he could go on, this competition is just the beginning!”

Scootaloo smirked and stopped. “That’s what you’re so worried about? Apple Bloom, I really don’t think you have anything to worry about…” She chuckled and motioned behind her. “Look, you made it to the next fence post.”

“Ah did?” the filly looked down, and sure enough she’d made it across the fence without slipping. “Ah did it! Ah really did it! Whoohoo!” She jumped up in excitement, only to go crashing to the ground again. “Oof!”

Scootaloo winced and hopped back down to help her up. “Well, you still did it.”

“Yeah!” Apple Bloom frowned. “But… how? I was doin’ so bad before…”

The little pegasus grinned. “Because when you stopped worrying about messing up and just did it, you were able to! You’re not a bad dancer, you’re just nervous. Don’t let it get to you.” She smiled and nudged Apple Bloom back up to her hooves.

“Oh…” Apple Bloom smiled then. “Yer right! When ah quit worrying about falling off the fence… Ah didn’t even shake that much!”

Scootaloo smiled. “Yeah, you didn’t. Apple Bloom, I really think you just need to relax a little more. Tender Taps really likes dancing with you, and you really like dancing with him. So who cares if you don’t do so well in the competition? How big of an impact can this one competition have, anyway? It happens every year.”

The little filly brightened some. “Yer right… we will have next year if we don’t do so great this year… ah just don’t wanna be the reason he loses, y’know?”

Scootaloo grinned. “Aww, how cute… you don’t wanna hold your boyfriend back…” She cooed playfully.

Apple Bloom’s cheeks lit up. “It’s not like that Scootaloo! It’s just that he’s such an amazing dancer, and this is a big opportunity if he wins!”

The little pegasus laughed and shook her head. “Listen AB, winning isn’t everything.”

“... Who are you, and where is Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes and stepped away from the other filly, eyeing her intensely.

Scootaloo snickered and rolled her eyes. “I know what it’s like to struggle with something, AB.” She said, unfolding her small wings. “But just because you aren’t doing so great now, doesn’t mean you won’t ever do good.” She turned back and smiled brightly at her friend. “So it doesn’t matter if you lose this time.”

Apple Bloom looked down. “Yeah… ah guess yer right… and besides… ah have a lot of fun dancing with Taps. Ah guess ah just… got so nervous and… forgot…” Her cheeks flushed in her embarrassment and she released a small sigh. “Ah really have been awful silly ah guess…”

“It’s alright Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo assured her friend, holding out a hoof for her. “Come on, let’s go practice your routine. By the time we’re done, you’ll be dancing circles around him.”

The filly smiled and took the extended hoof, letting her friend lead her out into the clearing a bit. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

Author's Note

Well, looks like Apple Bloom's insecurities have been settled. It's all smooth sailing from here!

... Or is it?

Either way, there was a distinct lack of TenderBloom in this chapter...

Rest assured, it will be the focus of chapter six. As long as I stick to my goals, you'll have chapter six in a week, two tops. As it stand's I've already begun to make some headway in the chapter.

Special thanks to Sylvian and Koga13 for editing and proof reading this chapter! You guys are great!