Apple Bloom took a walk around Ponyville. It was now a year later. A lot had changed in that year. She discovered she no longer enjoyed anything about her birthday. It didn't feel right to her anymore. In fact, this year she had insisted on not having cake. Surprisingly, Applejack and Big Mac didn't argue. She opened a few gifts. They made her smile a bit, but they were nothing that she got excited for anymore.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had birthdays, but didn't throw a party. Pinkie Pie offered parties to them, but they rejected them as nicely as possible. Rumble gave Scootaloo a gift. Scootaloo had smiled and accepted the gift. It felt good to have a friendly gift from someone. Sweetie Belle had received a gift from Spike. It was a topaz he found out in the mines. Sweetie Belle cherished the topaz. It was beautiful and Spike felt like her only true friend nowadays.
The Cake Twins celebrated their fifth birthday. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were invited as well as Pinkie Pie's friends. Rainbow Dash was too busy and missed it. Applejack, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity gladly came. However, Apple Bloom was distant the entire time at the party. She didn't seem to be enjoying herself. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle skipped the party completely. Spike came to get his claws on the cake, though.
As Apple Bloom walked, she smiled. Talking walks was one of the things she enjoyed. She liked seeing familiar faces around Ponyville and giving them a wave.
One day as Apple Bloom was out on one of her daily walks, she had stumbled upon somepony. Literally stumbled upon. Apple Bloom and the pony accidentally bumped into each other and Apple Bloom fell forwards onto him.
"I'm so sorry!" the stallion cried.
"No, I should've watched where I was going," Apple Bloom replied with a laugh.
The stallion jumped up. His coat was orange and his mane was purple. His eyes were a light purple and his cutie mark was a top hat with a spotlight shining on it.
"There's something familiar about you," Apple Bloom surmised.
"Really?" the stallion asked. "I could say the same thing about you."
They took a closer look at each other and gasped in realization.
"Tender Taps?"
"Apple Bloom?" Tender Taps asked in shock. "Is that really you?"
Tender Taps was somepony Apple Bloom helped get his cutie mark as a colt. She had tried to enter a ballroom class, but turned out to be terrible. Tender Taps wasn't the best at partner dancing either, but he had gotten his cutie mark in tap dancing after some encouragement from Apple Bloom and her friends.
"Yes!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "It is me!"
"Wow, it's nice to see you again," Tender Taps told her. "How many years has it been?"
"At least 8 or 9," Apple Bloom guessed. "How has the tap dancing been going?"
"Great!" Tender Taps exclaimed. "I love tap dancing! I've done many performances! It feels nice to be cheered for by so many ponies."
"It does," Apple Bloom agreed. "I've been practicing partner dancing over the years. I've gotten much better."
"Wow!" Tender Taps said in awe. "Can you teach me some time?"
Apple Bloom smiled. "Yeah! I'd love to! When do you want to meet?"
"Let's meet Saturday," Tender Taps said.
"Okay," Apple Bloom agreed.
They waited for a moment. It was an awkward silence. Apple Bloom didn't like it, so she broke it.
"Can we be friends?" Apple Bloom asked. "I currently don't have mine anymore."
"What happened?" Tender Taps asked concerned.
"We just drifted apart," Apple Bloom said. She didn't go into detail. "So, will you?"
"Of course," Tender Taps agreed.
Apple Bloom and Tender Taps waved goodbye.
Apple Bloom smiled. Somepony she had helped in her youth would now be her best friend.
Scootaloo and Rumble continued to hang out. They got along very well. Rumble seemed to be an expert flyer and even helped Scootaloo.
"That's great," Rumble said. "You're doing awesome! Now, to do the loop, you have to fly backwards, do a backflip, come back forwards afterwards."
Scootaloo kept Rumble's advice in mind. After a few months, she had succeeded in learning to do a loop. Rumble encouraged her to keep learning new tricks. She still made very little progress every month, but she still continued to get better. She also learned to fly with confidence.
One day, Rainbow Dash and Soarin interrupted their practice.
"He's a brand new Wonderbolt!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, frustrated. "He has to be here!"
"Rainbow Dash---" Soarin tried.
Rainbow Dash spotted Rumble. "Rumble, where's your lazy brother?!?!"
"At home," Rumble replied. "Doing lazy things."
Scootaloo and Rumble looked at each other and snickered. Rainbow Dash nodded in thanks and knocked on the door to Rumble's house.
Rumble's older brother answered. "May I help you?"
"You're late, Thunderlane," Rainbow Dash told him.
"That's right!" Thunderlane remembered, slapping his forehead. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash! My memory---"
"It happens," Rainbow Dash assured him. But Scootaloo could hear her trying to hide her stress. "Let's go."
Thunderlane followed Rainbow Dash and Soarin.
Scootaloo looked at Rumble. "What was all that about?"
"Thunderlane was just asked to be a real Wonderbolt," Rumble replied with a smile. "It's already going downhill."
Spike continued to talk with Sweetie Belle. Rarity continued to feel a bit hurt by this. Rarity knew Spike for loving to talk with her and tell her everything that he had to say. It was different now that Sweetie Belle was the one he did that to.
"Spikey?" Rarity asked.
Spike turned to her. "What do you need?"
Rarity wanted to address her concerns, but she didn't want to be blown off again. So, she sighed and instead asked, "Can you find me some emeralds in the mines?"
Spike nodded. "Of course."
As he left, Rarity watched him sadly. "What might have been if I just paid attention?" she wondered.