Happy New Year, everybody! And I hope you all had a great winter holiday!

Apologies for the long wait, it's been a really busy couple of weeks between Christmas, work, family visiting, performing in my theatre's pantomime for a full week and helping my big bro move house while also moving into a new place myself. And I can't believe we're finally on the last chapter!

I want to give a massive thanks, once again, to the wonderfully creative trashyourash for the brilliant cover art, I hope you manage to feel better again in time. And I especially want to thank all those who stuck with this story until the end! I've had so much fun writing it and bringing Steff to life! And don't fret, there's plenty more Ash x Steff (or Stash as I've named them) content to come in future, as well as fics for other shows/movies I love!

Now on with the show!


It was a drab Sunday morning at Brewtiful.

Whilst her moms prepared behind the counter, Steff stood by the door slowly tying her work apron around herself. She breathed a heavy sigh through her nose; confessing her love to Ash had brought her a great deal of joy yesterday, as well as Cassie and Andrea bombarding her with praise when she'd told them after returning home. But now, settling back into her usual role as the café's waitress felt almost alien to her.

Even with Ash's offer to perform with her at any possible future gigs, the skunk still felt disappointed that the show itself was now cancelled, especially after she'd had fun getting to know most of the contestants during each rehearsal. Now not only had her prepared song gone to waste, she wouldn't get a chance to see the others show off their stuff.

Steff's lamenting was interrupted by her phone going off in her dress pocket. Fishing it out, her eyes widened at the caller ID before she answered.

"Mr. Moon?"

"Steff! Good morning!" The skunk blinked in surprise at the excited voice on the other end. This definitely didn't sound like the dreary koala they'd all seen yesterday.

"Um, hi, you're… sounding a lot happier."

"And for good reason because I have some fantastic news for you!" Buster said eagerly. "The show is back on!"

Steff did a double take at those words, nearly dropping her phone. A smile quickly spread across her lips. "Wait, what? Are you serious?!"

"Absolutely!" The koala replied with a laugh. "I'm calling the others right now, we're all gonna meet and fix up the Moon Theatre as best as we can! Build a new stage for us to perform on! If we're lucky, we can get it all done for tomorrow evening! There's no prize money to be won but…"

Steff interrupted with a joyous laugh of her own. "Forget the money, I wanna sing! Be the best me I can be! I'll be there ASAP, Mr. Moon!" With that, she hung up and stuffed the phone back in her pocket. She let out an excited squeal as she dashed into the café, yanking off her apron in the blink of an eye. Cassie and Andrea's heads quickly turned in her direction.

"Is everything okay, sweetheart?" Andrea asked.

"Better than okay, moms!" She cried, "The show's back on tomorrow night! I gotta go help my friends prepare for it right now!"

Before either of her parents could respond, Steff was out the door and waving her arm wildly to flag down the nearest taxi. As they watched her dive into the yellow vehicle which then sped away, the two of them could only smile.

Bouncing in her seat, Steff wasted no time calling Ash who immediately picked up.

"Steff, have you heard?" The porcupine's elated voice filled her ear. "The show…"

"Yeah, I know! I just got the call from Mr. Moon!"

"I'm on my way to the train station now! I'll see you at the theatre!"

"See you there!" The two of them promptly hung up, equally excited now that their chances had been reawakened.

Before long, Steff, Ash and the others all arrived at the ruined lot to find Meena and Buster waiting for them. A roll of blueprints clenched in the koala's fist, the team discussed the construction plans, grabbed a different tool and quickly set to work. The entire day, everybody played their part in handling different duties, whether it was fixing up the rigging, organising the seats or handling lighting equipment. Johnny even brought his truck to raise the arch above the new stage. It was a lot to get done but Steff knew the end result would be worth it.

In between periods of building, the contestants all made sure to practice their respective acts. While Meena and Steff both opted to save their voices, they took the time to observe everyone else. Rosita had certainly gained a new air of confidence when it came to dancing with Gunter. Johnny didn't stumble once on the piano, now playing each key perfectly in tune. And of course, Steff smiled as Ash went over her song on her guitar. This show was really shaping into something great.

When Steff arrived home in the evening, she realised that word had spread fast around the city. She and her parents rolled their eyes at the news denouncing them as a bunch of 'bumbling amateurs'. So long as she and her friends got to do the thing they loved, no amount of dismissive comments could bring them down.

Before the young skunk drifted off to sleep that night, she remembered that tomorrow was the tenth anniversary of Grandma Julie's passing. Sombre as it was, she couldn't think of a better way to honour her memory than performing tomorrow evening. But she also contemplated how she could present her song in a way that would light up the stage yet would still feel true to herself. Then, glancing over at the chair where her blue lily-patterned dress sat neatly folded, an idea struck her.

The next morning, Steff leapt out of bed and rummaged deep in her closet until finally, near the very back, she pulled out a purple three-quarter sleeved dress with glistening satin stars woven into the fabric.

Now this colour is definitely me. She thought with a grin.

After her shower, she dashed downstairs with it tucked under her arm. Standing up on a chair, she fished around in the kitchen cupboards, eventually finding her mom's sewing kit and a box of Velcro strips. Steff then stuffed all the items into a plastic bag and left for the theatre once more.

After helping the troupe at the final touches to their makeshift theatre, Steff quickly made a beeline for the changing rooms, a line of wooden cubicles with red curtains in front of each. Ducking into hers, she pulled the curtain across and, wielding a pair of scissors, began to make an adjustment to her standard blue dress.


By the time the sun started to set, they were finally ready. The ruins had been cleared away and transformed into a ramshackle but charming outdoor theatre, the walls and pillars adorned with fairy lights. A long red carpet ran down the middle of the improvised auditorium, chairs and benches neatly lined up before the new stage. Mike had briefly shown up again only to promptly leave when he learned there wasn't any prize money. Steff honestly didn't see his absence as too big of a loss.

Adjusting her sleeves, Steff took a peek through the curtains. Their audience had turned out to be very small, despite Miss Crawly's insistent advertising. There were only a few people, including Rosita's rather large family and her moms, the pair of them seated in front of Meena's family. That slight twinge of disappointment vanished when she took notice of how excited they both looked.

"Don't worry, mate, the night's still young." Johnny said as they both made their way to the wings where the others were chatting. "For all we know, a bigger audience might turn up."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Steff nodded with a small smile. "Is your family coming tonight?" The way the young gorilla's smile faltered told Steff that she'd plucked a nerve.

"Umm... n-no. I... I don't think they're gonna be able to make it."

"Oh. I'm really sorry about that, Johnny." The skunk replied with sympathy.

"Nah, it-it's fine. I'll get through it tonight." Johnny said hastily, trying to play it cool. Before Steff could respond, Buster spoke above them all.

"Okay, guys, listen up." The koala said, standing atop a sandbag with a microphone in his hand. The troupe all turned to face him.

"Look, I gotta tell ya, um... there's not much of an audience out there tonight. But you know what? It doesn't matter. It really doesn't. 'Cause tonight is our night." Everyone's face lit up at those words. "And whatever happens… I just want you all to know how proud I am to be a part of this with you."

"Good luck, Mr. Moon." said Rosita cheerfully, giving him a double thumbs up.

"Good luck, every-WHOOOA!" Buster's speech was cut short by the sandbag suddenly shooting him up into the air, above the theatre and onto the top beam. Everyone looked at Eddie who had just pulled the lever behind him.

"Oops, uh... Sorry, just dropped the cue there. Don't worry, I-I'm gonna get the hang of this." Giving the sheep an amused thumbs up, Steff and the others turned their attention to Gunter and Rosita.

"Well best of luck out there, you two." Johnny said, smiling in full support. The rest of the troupe followed suite with their own wishes of good luck.

"Thanks, everyone." Rosita replied, bouncing on her toes eagerly.

"Ja, let's get zis party started on a Monday night!" Gunter began making his way to the stage entrance with his partner, a little shimmy in every step of his. Everyone else made themselves scarce as Eddie started to dim the lights.

"So… you nervous?" Ash asked, walking alongside Steff.

"With your support? Not in the slightest." The skunk replied. "You?"

Ash smiled back at her tenderly. "Definitely not, now that I know I'm good enough."

At that moment, both their ears pricked up at the sound of Buster's amplified voice welcoming the audience. The show had officially begun.

"Well I'd better go get changed." Ash said, patting Steff on the back encouragingly. "Good luck out there, Steff."

Steff bounced on the spot in excitement. "You too, Ash."

Before she could stop herself, the skunk leaned in and planted a light kiss on Ash's cheek. Giggling at the porcupine's stunned silence, Steff turned and dashed off toward her changing room. She'd been waiting to do that for so long. Her fingers grazing the spot on her cheek, Ash's surprise quickly melted into a warm smile.

As Steff stared at herself in her mirror, checking the Velcro holding the back of her blue dress and the sleeves together, the backing track of Shake It Off began blaring from the speakers followed quickly by Rosita's vocals:

I stay out too late
Got nothing in my brain
That's what people say, mm-mm
That's what people say, mm-mm

I go on to many dates
But I can't make them stay
At least that's what people say, mm-mm
That's what people say, mm-mm

Judging from the audience's laughter, Steff had no doubt they found the cardboard kitchen set utterly ridiculous. She didn't feel an ounce of worry however; she only smirked at the treat they were in for.

But I keep cruising
Can't stop, won't stop moving
It's like I got this music
In my mind
Saying "It's gonna be alright"

Flipping her ponytail, she took notice of the strobe lights flashing over her curtain. A chuckle escaped her throat as he imagined the dumbfounded looks of the audience, the dubstep-infused section of the song kicking in:

I never miss a beat
I'm lightning on my feet
And that's what they don't see, mm-mm
That's what they don't see, mm-mm

Hoooooh! Ja, ja, ja!

Steff smiled to herself as both Gunter and Rosita sang the chorus together, no doubt incorporating their flashy dance moves:

Players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

Giving her reflection a satisfied nod, the skunk hurried out of her changing room to the wings, just in time to see the rest of the act alongside Buster and Miss Crawly, both pigs proudly donning their sparkling black leotards:

Heartbreakers gonna break
Fakers gonna fake
I'm just gonna shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

Running at each other, Gunter raised and spun Rosita around on the spot, even tossing her into the air while they sang. Steff could only stare in amazement; the amount of stage flair they had was awesome. It was safe to say Rosita definitely had the fire and desire now.

I shake it off, I shake it off, ah-ah
I shake it off, I shake it off, ah-ah
I shake it off, I shake it off, ah-ah
I shake it off, I shake it off

Spinning her around again, Gunter slid his partner across the stage on her knees, the two of them striking a final confident pose as the song finished. The audience cheered loudly, Rosita's children especially whilst her husband's face remained frozen in shock. Buster came onstage with his mic as Steff applauded too.

"Gunter and Rosita!" He announced proudly. As the two pigs finished their bows, Rosita's cheering kids rushed the stage to bury her in a hug, ignoring the koala's protests.

"Okay, okay!" Rosita laughed, falling on her back. "Normaaan!" As Steff couldn't help laughing at the piglets' antics, Norman snapped out of his trance and ran onstage, pulling his wife into a deep and passionate kiss.

"Alright! Piggy power!" Gunter cheered on as Eddie closed the curtains in front of them all, the crowd's applause gradually dying down.

"Help!" Buster cried as a handful of piglets tugged at his limbs and ears.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Moon." Rosita apologised in between laughs.

"Johnny, you're on next." The koala called to the gorilla preparing himself in the wings. With a little help from Eddie and Steff, Rosita's family was quickly ushered back to their seats, but not before Norman gave her one last kiss. The skunk's smile grew as she noticed more people arriving in the audience.

Johnny and Eddie pushed the piano, now held together with a few bungee cords, to the centre of the stage. The young gorilla sat on the stool and glanced at Miss Crawly in the wings, who gave him a thumbs up. Taking a deep breath, Johnny played a single low note which instantly got the audience's attention.

Then sliding his fingers along all the keys, the spotlights burst into life as Johnny began performing a rocking tune that Steff instantly recognised:

You could never know what it's like
Your blood like winter freezes just like ice
And there's a cold lonely light that shines from you
You'll wind up like the wreck you hide behind that mask you use

And did you think this fool could never win?
Well look at me, I'm coming back again
I got a taste of love in a simple way
And if you need to know while I'm still standing you just fade away

Steff, Rosita, Gunter, Miss Crawly and Buster all watched from the wings, tapping their feet and moving their shoulders to the classic song's rhythm. Johnny's vocals carried it beautifully.

And don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did?
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid
And I'm still standing after all this time
Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind

I'm still standing
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm still standing
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Once I never could hope to win
You starting down the road leaving me again
The threats you made were meant to cut me down
And if our love was just a circus you'd be a clown by now

Steff was amazed with how much soul the gorilla poured into every word, all while jamming on the piano keys masterfully. She could see the Rocket Man himself being just as impressed. And judging from the way they could see the audience moving in their seats and singing along to the chorus, they were just as blown away.

And don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did?
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid
And I'm still standing after all this time
Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind

I'm still standing
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm still standing
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm still standing
Yeah, yeah, yeah

With one last piano solo, Johnny stepped back from the piano as both the audience and the troupe burst into applause.

"What about that, huh?" Buster ran out onstage, gesturing to the panting gorilla. "Give it up for Johnny, folks!" Looking across as Miss Crawly who notioned him to take a bow, he did so to another round of applause. But as he made his way offstage, everyone noticed that he didn't look all that cheerful.

"What's with the face? You were great!" Rosita said as he took a towel from Miss Crawly. "They loved you." Taking a seat on a nearby crate, Johnny mopped his forehead with a half-hearted smile.

"Yeah. Thanks, Rosita."

"Did..." Steff hesitated for a moment. "Did your family not arrive?" Looking down with a sigh, the gorilla shook his head quietly.

"Vell, hey, for all you know, zey could be vatching ze show on ze television right now!" Gunter said with a supportive smile, patting his shoulder for emphasis. The corner of Johnny's mouth curled up a fraction before falling again. The troupe decided not to pry anymore and turned back toward the stage, Eddie hastily clearing away Johnny's piano and stool.

"All right, welcome to all you newcomers." Buster announced into his mic. "You are just in time to meet a teenager who was recently dumped by her boyfriend." The audience instantly let out awws of sympathy.

"I know, right? But she's gonna chase those blues away with a song of her very own." He continued proudly. "Allow me to introduce the singing sensation: Ash!" As the curtains behind him parted to reveal a red backdrop, Ash strode onto the stage in all her glory, a black guitar clutched tight in her hands. Steff's jaw dropped at the sight.

The porcupine's glam rock outfit was positively radiant. Her blue eye shadow glistened beneath the heart-shaped sunglasses perched on her head, which Steff recognised as originally belonging to that Becky girl. She shone from quill to toe in the princess dress, the bottom of which she had cut off to knee height, giving the skunk a clear look at her red striped leggings and laced-up boots. And the cherry on top was Ash's red leather jacket from their high school days which she proudly wore over the dress.

"Whoa." Steff whispered, an awestruck smile stretching across her mouth. Just when she thought Ash couldn't look any more glorious.

The koala looked just as enraptured at her appearance as he stepped out of her way. Flipping the sunglasses down over her eyes, Ash gave her guitar a thunderous strum. The whole audience reeled back from the force of the chord which even shook some dust down from the arch over the stage. An excited chill raced up Steff's spine.

But it quickly disappeared at the sound of Ash's note being cut off by a squeal of feedback. Everyone's attention turned to a llama in red glasses and a sharp business dress stepping onto the stage, Ash's guitar lead in her hand. And she didn't look happy in the slightest.

"Judith?" Buster exclaimed.

"You are all trespassing on private property and you will leave right now." She stated, scowling down at the koala.

"What? No, no, no, no, Judith…" He tried to protest but Judith was having none of it.

"All of you."

The troupe all cast worried glances at one another as the audience murmured and groaned in disappointment. Ash, however, gave the llama a sideways glare. Even if what this Judith said was true, she had worked too hard and come too far to be stopped right before her moment.

Stopping her boot rhythmically, the calm defiance in Ash's eyes made it clear: this was her song and she was going to perform it right now, with or without her guitar. Bit by bit, everybody began clapping to the improvised beat. Her heart fluttered as she noticed that Steff was the first to join in. The porcupine then started to sing, totally ignoring the gawping Judith:

I followed my heart into the fire
Got burned, got broken down by desire
I tried, I tried but the smoke in my eyes
Left me blurry, blurry and blind

The drums on the backing track kicking in, Ash grabbed the sunglasses off her head and tossed them into the audience with a grin. They started to cheer for her whilst Judith dropped the lead and stormed off into the wings.

I picked all the pieces up off the ground
Got dirt on my fingers, but that's gone now
Got the glue in my hands and stickin' to the plan
Stickin' to the plan that says "I can"

Feeling a tug on her guitar lead, Ash looked across at Buster who now held it in his hand. With a smile, he gave a little bow before plugging the lead back into Eddie's sound equipment.

Do anything at all
I can do anything at all

Ash turned the dial on her guitar and from that point on, her performance roared into life.

This is my kiss goodbye
You can stand alone and watch me fly
'Cause nothing's keeping me down
Gonna let it all out
Come on and say right now, right now, right now

Everyone in the audience cheered and jumped in unison to the music, loving every second of the porcupine's performance. Her voice rang out clear as crystal as stage lights flashed all her.

Rosita, Gunter, Meena and Miss Crawly watched from the wings in amazement, with Gunter of course moving his body to the song. But none were more entranced by her brilliant performance than Steff. Every lyric Ash belted out, every chord she played, carried just as much passion as when Steff had first seen her rock skills, if not even more so.

This is my big hello
'Cause I'm here and never letting go
I can finally see, it's not just a dream
When you set it all free, all free, all free
You set it all free

The skunk was so awestruck, it almost didn't register with her to duck down with everyone else as Ash's furious headbanging during the guitar solo sent a rain of quills flying in all directions. But even then, peeking from behind her curtain shield, Steff was still enraptured with the fearless way the porcupine's hands flew over the strings, playing every chord perfectly.

I love her so much. She thought as Ash rushed back to the mic for the final chorus:

This is my big hello
'Cause I'm here and never letting go
I can finally see, it's not just a dream
When you set it all free, all free, all free

You set it all free

Finishing with one final knee-sliding riff on her guitar, Ash slowly opened her eyes as the music gave way to silence. She finally saw that every audience member was ducked behind or under their quill-covered seats. She stood and awkwardly walked up to the mic.

"Uhh... you guys okay?"

The silence was immediately shattered by the crowd leaping up into thunderous applause. Steff and the others all joined in the cheering without hesitation, the skunk cupping her hands to her mouth and whooping. Taken aback at first, Ash slowly smiled at the overwhelming acclaim. Even the red panda group from the auditions rushed to the very front to chant her name.

"What about that?" Buster ran onstage with an excited laugh, three quills stuck in his face. "We just witnessed the birth of a genuine rock star!"

"Moon, you've got some stuck here." Ash murmured sheepishly, plucking one out of his cheek.

"Ow!" The koala quickly removed the rest as the cheering continued.

"Whoo!" Cassie yelled enthusiastically, her and her wife standing on their front row seats and throwing up the horns. "Rock on, Ash!" Ash gave a modest bow to the audience before making her way offstage, instantly finding herself showered with compliments from the troupe. Unable to contain her delight any longer, Steff lunged and enveloped her in a hug, spinning her around. Laughing, Ash gladly returned the hug.

"Ash, you were incredible out there! You totally blew that crowd away!" The skunk cried in pure elation. Finally setting her down, she gestured toward her shining red jacket. "And I can't believe you kept the jacket after all these years!"

"Still looks good on me?" Ash asked, straightening the lapels with a playful smirk.

"Absolutely!" Steff gazed into the porcupine's eyes lovingly. "You really are a rock star."

Ash gave a coy smile at her words, drumming her fingers on the guitar neck. "Well… I owe a lot of that to you." She replied softly. Taking notice of Rosita and Gunter smiling at them knowingly, the blushing teens took a step back.

At that moment, Buster's amplified voice rang out once again as the wild cheering finally died down. "Rest assured, folks, there'll be no flying quills from our next gifted singer of the evening. Will you please put your hands together for... Steff!"

The moment the koala spoke her name, while the others all gave the skunk pats on the back and wishes of good luck, Ash chose to lean in and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"You got this!" She whispered in her ear. Jolting out of her brief trance, Steff smiled back at the porcupine before stepping out onto the stage, a royal blue backdrop behind her. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the lights as the crowd applauded, the sound of her parents standing out over the others.

"Go for it, Steff!" Andrea cheered, standing up on her seat again. Steff gave a small smile toward them as the cheering died down. She made sure the microphone was still adjusted to her height before breathing a slow exhale.

This was her moment.

Breathing deep, she nodded at Eddie who hit a button on the soundboard, starting the backing track. As the violins opened the song, Steff began singing into a soft tone.

Whether I'm right or whether I'm wrong
Whether I find a place in this world or never belong

Smiling confidently, Steff tugged the front of her blue dress hard. In one swift motion, she tore it off, the Velcro holding the back and arms together ripping to reveal the dazzling purple dress underneath.

I gotta be me, I've gotta be me
What else can I be but what I am

The audience, especially her moms, gaped at the silver stars that glistened in the spotlights before breaking into cheers while Steff tossed her old blue dress aside.

I want to live, not merely survive
And I won't give up this dream of life that keeps me alive

The young skunk pulled the mic of its stand, euphoria surging through her body as she sang. All the while, everyone in the audience and the wings cheered her on.

I gotta be me, I gotta be me
The dream that I see makes me what I am

The lights reflecting off her dress danced across the backdrop with even the smallest motion she made. Her movements as she sung were much more authentic this time. Not sultry and awkward, but sharper and bolder. Ash couldn't take her eyes off her.

That far away prize, a world of success
Is waiting for me if I heed the call
I won't settle down, I won't settle for less
As long as there's a chance that I can have it all

I'll go it alone, that's how it must be
And I can't be right for somebody else if I'm not right for me

Glancing at Ash as she sang that particular lyric, the two of them flashed a smile at one another.

I gotta be free, I've gotta be free
Daring to try, to do it or die
I've gotta be me

Tears shining in her eyes, Steff swore she could feel Grandma Julie standing right beside her, providing the background vocals.

I'll go it alone, that's how it must be
I can't be right for somebody else if I'm not right for me
I gotta be free, I just gotta be free
Daring to try, to do it or diiie

Quickly glancing at her parents, then Ash, then the spectre of her grandma, a beaming Steff clenched her eyes shut and belted out the final lyric:

I've gotta be meeeee

Striking a pose, Steff's chest rose and fell as the final note of the song faded out to an eruption of applause. She looked across at her discarded blue dress lying near the curtain; as fond of it as she was, no more would she force herself to be a copy of her grandma. This was the beginning of a new and authentic her.

The true Steff Pearce.

"Now how about that?" Buster asked the standing crowd, running onstage with a huge smile. "Give it up for Steff, everybody!" Wiping at her eyes, Steff placed the mic back before giving a humble bow as the ovation continued. The smile never left her face as she glanced at her unbelievably proud moms, their delighted cheers filling the front row.

"Whoooo! That's our daughter!"

"We love you, Steff!"

Smiling coyly, the skunk gave her parents a little wave as she made her way offstage. She quickly found herself subjected to a wave of even more praise from the troupe.

"Well done, Steff!"

"You did really great!"

"Mate, that was brilliant!"

"Ja, ja, you totally nailed it!"

This time, it was Steff's turn to get wrapped in a tight hug by her crush. "Steff, you were astounding! And your dress looks great too!"

"Thanks, Ash." She replied, giving the skirt a little twirl. "I thought this colour felt more like... me." Placing her hands on her shoulders, Ash locked eyes with her and smiled.

"And if you ask me, you really did your parents and your grandma proud."

Steff practically melted on the spot at those words. "Well I… I couldn't have made it this far without you." She said softly. They stared at one another for the longest time. The porcupine really did look pretty in this lighting. The urge to kiss her was even more tempting than before.

"Eh, the original was better but your version wasn't terrible."

Their gaze was quickly shattered by a familiar cocky voice, followed by Buster's announcement.

"He may be tiny, but there's no denying his enormous talent. Would you please welcome to the stage: Mike!"

Everyone scowled down at the mouse swaggering through the wings; whether it was him not bothering to help with the stage's construction or his history of being a jerk, no one was particularly happy to see him again.

"What are you doing back here?" Rosita asked, hands on her hips.

"Relax, sweetheart." Mike replied, smugly brushing off his purple suit. "Just came back to show you bozos how it's really done. Now watch this." Steff rolled her eyes as he made his way onstage confidently.

"Moment killer." She muttered to herself while Eddie adjusted the microphone stand to the mouse's height. The applause from the crowd quietened down as soon as the curtains parted. Turning to the audience dramatically as Frank Siratna's signature song began to play over the speakers, Mike began his act:

And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
And state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I have travelled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way

Only now did Steff pay full attention to the mouse's singing. And as much as she hated to admit it, Mike's voice was amazing. For all his unpleasantness, there was no denying he had talent.

Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption

Armed with only a blue backdrop, a single spotlight and a mic, Mike had both the troupe and the audience hooked. Steff couldn't help wondering if Ol' Blue Eyes himself would have been impressed with this cover. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw even Ash smiling in awe at his crooning performance.

I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the by way
And more, much more than this
I did it my way

Everyone in the wings shielded their eyes as Mike's song was suddenly disrupted by a pair of helicopters hovering over the area, waving searchlights into the crowd. The wind from the blades forced Steff to hold onto her glasses; if they were news helicopters, they were way too close for comfort.

For what is a mouse?
What has he got?
If not himself
Then he has naught

But even with the sounds threatening to drown him out, Mike powered on through his act. His vocals strained slightly as he occasionally got blown back from the microphone, quickly catching his hat, but he still sounded amazing.

To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels

The mouse clung onto the mic for dear life as it came loose from its stand, both of them nearly getting sucked up into the helicopter blades. Even then, Mike carried on singing over the din. Steff honestly admired his determination.

The record shows
I took the blows

When the helicopters finally flew away from the area, the song managed to finish on quite an impressive note.

And did it

Myyyy wayyyy

Mike swung down over the crowd as he held those final two words, proudly standing atop the microphone. The audience were on their feet clapping and cheering by the time he slowed to a stop. Hopping back onto the stage, Mike basked in the applause, his ego no doubt even bigger.

"Thank you, thank you so much." He responded smarmily. "Oh, please, you're too kind, really. Look at me, I'm turning red. Stop, I can't take it... k-keep it coming." Still somewhat miffed by the mouse's ego, Steff nonetheless politely joined in with the others as they applauded him as well. Feeling a light nudge in her side, she turned to look at Ash.

"For the record, you look way better in purple than he does." The porcupine grinned as her words succeeded in making Steff's cheeks heat up.

"Now we have one final act for you tonight!" Buster announced to the audience, now much bigger than the start of the evening. Eddie ran on to reset the mic stand to a higher height. "Would you please welcome to the stage for her first ever live appearance... Meena!" While the crowd clapped, the koala looked toward the wings expectantly.

"Meena?" He called again. Steff, Ash and the others looked around but the elephant was nowhere to be seen. Giving a nervous nod to the audience, Buster dashed offstage toward the changing area and pulled back Meena's curtain. "Meena? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I... I can't move!" Steff heard the teen stutter. "I'm... I'm terrified." At that moment, they all heard the audience begin clapping in a slow and encouraging manner.

"Gimme your hand, kid." Buster said gently. Placing her giant hand atop his tiny one, Meena slowly stepped out in a soft purple short-sleeved dress with white shoes. As he led her toward the stage, Ash and Steff signalled slow breathing motions at her. Having never heard her sing, the skunk was very intrigued to see how Meena would handle herself in the spotlight.

"Okay, deep breaths. Deep breaths." The koala advised, slowly letting go of her hand. "And remember what I told you: you will not feel afraid anymore if you just start singing."

The second the elephant stepped onstage, her family along with the audience burst into applause, her grandfather even holding up a 'MEENA RULES' banner. Unfortunately the cheering devolved into laughter among some of the crowd as Meena accidentally walked into the microphone stand, knocking it onto an unfortunate antelope's head in the front row.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Steff and Ash winced in unison whilst Mike cackled before taking his leave. Eddie swiftly ran on to reset the mic and headed back to his soundboard. "Uhh, okay. Uh..."

Looking at Buster, still quite scared, the koala whispered one word:

"Sing."

After a moment, the elephant calmed herself with one deep breath, let go of the mic and opened her mouth. A timid voice came out:

Everybody's got a thing
But some don't know how to handle it

Still hiding behind her ears, she glanced across at Eddie who turned on the opening piano notes of the backing music.

Always reachin' out in vain
Acceptin' the things not worth having

Steff was rooted to the spot, her mouth agape; Meena's voice was positively beautiful. Golden. Out of the corner of her eye, the skunk noticed Mike actually rejoin everyone in the wings, staring in genuine amazement at the elephant teen and even respectfully removing his hat.

But don't you worry 'bout a thing
Don't you worry 'bout a thing, mama
'Cause I'll be standin' on the side
When you check it out

Her voice gradually growing more confident, Meena looked across at the troupe all giving her reassuring smiles. A brief moment of quiet later, the backing music stepped up in tempo. The elephant began bobbing her shoulders to the beat as the backdrop switched to a pulsating yellow.

They say your style of life's a drag
And that you must go other places

The audience erupted in cheers and started clapping along, as did everyone in the wings.

Just don't you feel too bad
When you get fooled by smiling faces

Her stage fright completely evaporated, Meena pulled the mic off its stand, now proudly belting out the words. The cheers from the crowd only got louder, now all standing up for her performance.

Don't you worry 'bout a thing
Don't you worry 'bout a thing, baby
'Cause I'll be standing on the side
When you check it out
When you get off your trip

Meena was phenomenal, her voice moving smoothly from one note to the next. The control she had over it was truly astonishing. Steff even heard Mike let out a whoop as she and everyone in the wings bobbed their bodies to the rhythm.

Come on!

Everybody needs a change
A chance to check out the new, yeah

Buster and the others felt the whole stage starting to shake from Meena jumping up and down, still singing with unrelenting passion.

You're the only one to sees
The changes you take yourself through

Oh-oh-oh-ooh-oh-oh-ohhhh

That high note caused to the entire back wall to suddenly collapse, making her and the cast flinch. Fortunately the gleaming city under the full moon in the starlit sky proved to be an even better backdrop as the audience only cheered harder. With a shrug, Meena smiled and rolled with the moment, the crowd grooving and singing along.

Don't you worry 'bout a thing
Don't you worry 'bout a thing
Don't you worry 'bout a thing
Don't you worry 'bout a thing

Oh, ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
Ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba

Everybody in the wings was danced to the song with pure elation, Meena's voice never faltering. Steff held onto her glasses as she and Ash jumped to the rhythm with huge smiles on their faces.

Don't you worry
Don't you worry 'bout a thing, mama
'Cause I'll be standin', I'll be standin'
For you

Oh-oh-ooh-oh-ooh
Oh-oh-oh

Don't you worry 'bout a thiiiiing

Striking a final pose, Meena smile at the entire audience leaping to their feet in a cacophony of thunderous applause, her family screaming in joy. Steff cupped her hands to her mouth and whooped while Ash, Buster and the cast all cheered and whistled for the elephant.

"Go, go!" The koala urged them. The troupe gladly rushed out to join Meena onstage. Taking Ash's hand with a smile, Steff along with everybody involved with this spectacular show bowed to the still-cheering crowd. Gazing at her moms whooping in the front row, along with Ash's warm smile out of the corner of her eye, the skunk had never felt happier.

As the cheering finally started dying down, the cast all took one last bow and left the stage, waving to the audience as they did so. Once out of view behind the curtains, everyone didn't hesitate to shower each other with compliments, particularly Meena. Even Johnny seemed to be in a happier mood. Mike was strangely nowhere to be seen, but Steff was at least satisfied that the mouse had shown Meena the respect her act deserved before leaving. She and Ash both gazed at one another, still panting from the energy of the elephant teen's performance.

"This has been the greatest night of my life."

"Mine too." Steff replied, smiling in turn. "How do you feel?"

"Alive." The porcupine let out a sigh of bliss. She then paused, looking into Steff's eyes.

"And… ready."

Steff's body went rigid at those words, looking at her in surprise. "R-Really?"

"If you are."

"Oh. Wow, okay." The skunk giggled excitedly to herself, smoothing out the ruffles in her dress. Ash regarded her with an amused smile. "I've been wanting to say this since high school." Quickly composing herself, Steff turned to face Ash. Inhaling deeply, a warm sensation spread through her chest as she finally spoke the words she had kept caged for what seemed like an eternity.

"Ash Johansson, do you wanna go on a date with me?"

Running her fingers through her quills coyly, the corners of Ash's mouth slowly curled up into the biggest grin she could muster. Then, taking Steff's hands in her own, she uttered the single word that would kick off the rest of their happy life together.

"Yes!"


Fun fact: in the very, very early stages of drafting Steff when she was originally a porcupine, I wanted her final song to be She by Jen Foster as a way of confessing her feelings to Ash. I thought using an explicitly LGBT song by a woman about another woman would be more meaningful than just having her cover a hetero love song and switching the pronouns around. But once I figured out her arc of pressuring herself to be exactly like her late grandma onstage before playing to her own strengths as a singer, as well as chose to have the confession come before the very end, I reworked it and decided that Paloma Faith's cover of I've Gotta Be Me suited her perfectly.

And as I've seen MysteryWriter2187 and UNCLE SAM THE MAN do this with their Sing fics, I may as well throw my hat into the ring with my OC fancast:

Steff Pearce – Amanda Seyfried
Cassie – Jennifer Hale
Andrea – Grey DeLisle
Grandma Julie – Christine Baranski

Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys later!

The movie Sing belongs to Illumination Entertainment. I only own my OC, Steff Pearce.