As the Apple Blooms

by The FraudulentBrit


the Boy with the Metal Shoes

As the Apple Blooms

Part 4; the Boy with the Metal Shoes

Life seemed to have entered a new normal for Apple Bloom. It had been a week since her day out with Chromia, and since then things were generally simple and not too demanding. For the most part Ironhide simply had Apple Bloom relegated to simple tasks like dusting, sweeping, and in general keeping the shop looking professional.

After finishing sweeping up the floor, Apple Bloom took a moment to reflect on her progress. The hardwood floor may not have shined, but it was now free of dust and other particles. Apple Bloom realized that the floor was dull and had dried stains and scratches all over it.

“See anything kid?” Ironhide said as he walked up to his “niece,” who was startled by the sudden appearance of her “uncle.”

Apple Bloom managed to regain her composure as she replied, “Oh, Uncle Ironhide. Yeah Ah was just makin’ sure there wasn’t anythin’ left of the floor.” She then eyed the floor again as she continued, “Good thing we aren’t too busy, cause Ah might need to give it a good cleanin’.”

Ironhide gave Apple Bloom a gentle pat on the back as he said, “Don’t push yourself too hard kid. I don’t think Granny Smith would be too happy if you worked yourself to death.” Apple Bloom gulped at the thought of Granny Smith unhappy. Unfortunately, this brought back more than a few memories of her grandmother scolding her, some far more recent than others.

Ironhide realized he struck a nerve and quickly apologized. “Hey, sorry for bringing up…. Ya know.”

“Ah know.” Apple Bloom dejectedly answered. As she began to turn away, she continued, “Guess Ah’ll just have to accept it.” She was duly surprised when Ironhide placed his hand on her shoulder again and replied, “Don’t worry kid, they can’t stay mad forever.”

It was at this moment that the ringing of a bell signaled someone entering the front of the shop. Both Apple Bloom and Ironhide turned to see who it was. Apple Bloom figured it would be the normal kind of person who regularly visited, from the loud and boisterous Warpath, the large but dull Lug Nut, or even the terrifying Grindor (Who Apple Bloom noticed bore an uncanny resemblance to Blackout).

She did not expect a boy roughly her age. He was somewhat thin, had orange skin with purple hair and eyes, and wore a pair of dark pants with a white button shirt. He slowly made his way to the counter, his eyes darting all over the place as if he were worried someone was watching him. Apple Bloom couldn’t help but feel somewhat empathetic to this boy, knowing what it was like to enter the chop shop and not know her way around. It also didn’t hurt that he was kinda cute.

Ironhide made his way up to the boy and asked, “Welcome to Ironhide’s chop shop and junkyard. What brings you here?” The boy momentarily panicked, but managed to regain his composure as he replied, “I’m here to pick up something.”

“Hmmm.” Ironhide began, trying to remember what he was referring to. After a few moments, the older man replied, “Oh yeah. Wheeljack finished ‘em earlier this morning. I’ll go get ‘em.” He then began to make his way to the back, pausing to tell Apple Bloom, “I gotta get somethin’ from Wheeljack. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Now Apple Bloom found herself alone with the boy. She initially tried to just ignore him, feeling too embarrassed to address him, but she stopped when she heard him call out, “Hey there.” Apple Bloom knew it would be rude to ignore him and simply turned to nervously wave hello.

“I didn’t see you here last time. You knew here?” The boy asked. Apple Bloom replied, “Yeah. Ah arrived just over a week ago.” She couldn’t help but find his voice somewhat adorable. His somewhat squeaky and moderately high pitched voice made it clear he was probably around her age.

After a few more awkward moments, the boy held out his hands towards Apple Bloom as he introduced himself. “I’m Tender Taps.”

Apple Bloom hesitated for a moment, wondering if he knew anything about her past. After all, her little encounter with Officer Barricade made it clear that nearly everyone in town knew about her. And yet, here he was, trying to be friendly with her. Feeling comfortable, Apple Bloom reciprocated the gesture as she replied, “Ah’m Apple Bloom.”

Tender Taps then began to eye the rest of the shop as he asked, “So, if you don’t mind me asking, if you’re new, what brings you to Allspark Wells?” Apple Bloom once again hesitated, wondering how much information she should reveal. After a few moments, she decided to “omit certain truths” and simply answered, “Ah got into a little trouble, so mah family thought I needed a change of scenery.”

Tender Taps then let out a small and, if Apple Bloom’s eyes were correct, shameful laugh as he replied, “I know the feeling.”

Before she could inquire any further, Wheeljack emerged from the back of the shop carrying a small box. “Here ya go kid.” The older mechanic spoke up. “I managed to melt down some of the old titanium for your taps. I even took the liberty of….” His rambling was interrupted as he clumsily tripped, face planting on the floor as he spilled the box’s contents; two black lace up shoes with two metal plates, one on the heel and one on toe. Apple Bloom and Tender Taps scrambled to catch the shoes, each managing to get one each. As Apple Bloom inspected the shoe she picked up, she noticed that it was clearly tailor made, having been made specifically for the purpose.

As she handed the shoe to Tender Taps, Apple Bloom asked, “Here ya go. You a dancer?” To her surprise, Tender Taps began to back away, his face turning red in embarrassment. He meekly answered, “Yeah. It’s kind of a…” he paused for a moment, almost as if he were trying to think of an excuse. “…. A hobby.” He finished, almost as if he was ashamed.

After inspecting the shoe she held, Apple Bloom noticed the shoe, though hardly falling apart, was still somewhat worn out with scuff marks around the toes. As she handed the shoe to Tender Taps, Apple Bloom asked, “So, if ya don’t mind me askin’, what were these here for?”

Tender Taps hesitated for a moment before he replied, “My last set of taps weren’t producing the best sounds, so Wheeljack offered to forge some new ones.”

Wheeljack then added, “Yeah, we had a few spare pieces of titanium in the back, so I offered to forge him a few taps.” He then grew a cheeky grin as he asked, “Say kid, why don’t you show her what you got?”

Tender Taps hesitated for a moment before he nervously asked, “Really? Like you won’t laugh or anything?” Apple Bloom knew that he was clearly unsure, and decided to reassure him. “Hey, it’s ok if you don’t wanna.” The young girl replied.

However, something changed with Tender Taps. After looking around nervously, he took a deep breath before untying his shoes. As he took them on and slipped on his tap shoes, he asked, “So, you want to see something cool?” Apple Bloom nodded enthusiastically.

Tender Taps then began to perform some slow perididdles. For a moment, Apple Bloom felt somewhat underwhelmed. However, he began to increase in speed. Soon he was moving with speed Apple Bloom had never seen anyone, let alone someone Tender Taps’s age, perform. The taps, clicks, and clacks, began to blend together as he began to move on to other steps.

Soon Tender Taps was tapping all over the store front. Apple Bloom was stunned speechless, especially as his originally meek and nervous persona gave way to confidence as he continued dancing, clearly loving what he was doing. As she began to blush harder, she couldn’t help but mentally re-categorize him from “cute” to “very handsome.”

It was then that Ironhide entered the shop, startling Tender Taps as he instantaneously stopped. As he began to nervously speak, Ironhide raised his hand and said, “From what I heard kid, you got some skill.”

Tender Taps began to scuff the floor as he nervously answered, “Thanks.” He noticed Apple Bloom had been blushing and, to her surprise, began to blush back. She realized this wasn’t the kind of blush one did simply because one was embarrassed, but from being around someone you liked but didn’t quite know why. However, Tender Taps’s eyes drifted over to the clock on the wall, and he began to slip his tap shoes off as he said, “Whoa. I better be going.”

As he left, Apple Bloom called out, “Hey wait a minute!” Tender Taps stopped himself as he was halfway out the door and turned around to see Apple Bloom approach him. “That was some fine dancin’.” The young girl said to him, making him blush a little bit more.

“Thanks Apple Bloom.” Tender Taps replied as he nervously scratched his head. He then asked, “So, guess I’ll see you later?” Apple Bloom hesitated for a moment. As much as part of her still had her doubts, she couldn’t deny that it felt nice to talk with someone her age again. After a few more moments, she answered, “Ah guess so.”

Tender Taps then gave a confirming nod as he departed. As he disappeared down the road on his bike, Apple Bloom could only whistfully sigh. She couldn’t help but feel somewhat dejected as she realized that the chop shop wasn’t exactly the kind of place kids would hang out.

It was then that Apple Bloom heard the sound of Ironhide and especially Wheeljack giggling from behind her. When she turned around, sure enough, Ironhide was struggling to keep a straight face as Wheeljack clearly found something hilarious.

“What’s so funny?” Apple Bloom asked. Wheeljack, a guilty smile present on his face, cheekily answered, “I see somebody has a crush.”

“WHAT?” Apple Bloom asked, her embarrassment melting into mild annoyance.

Wheeljack, now belting out laughter, replied, “Oh come on. I saw the way you were staring at him. I think you like him.” Apple Bloom began to blush as she stammered, “Ah…. Ah just think his dancin’ was pretty cool.” As she continued to blush, Wheeljack replied, “If you say so. Imagining yourself as his partner?”

“Kinda. It might be kinda fun to…” Apple Bloom began as she realized Wheeljack tricked her into confessing. “Oh ha ha. Very funny Wheeljack.” She replied, though she did think to herself, ‘still, seemed like he was havin’ a lot of fun.’

It was then that Ironhide spoke up. “Alright you two, let’s get back to work.” Both Wheeljack and Apple Bloom nodded and returned to their duties. As both Wheeljack and Ironhide left the storefront, Apple Bloom thought to herself, ‘Ah do hope Ah run into Tender Taps again.’

Two Days Later

“Hey Apple Bloom!” Ironhide called out to Apple Bloom as she was scrubbing the shop floor. As Apple Bloom rose back to her feet, Ironhide continued, “We had someone come in a few days ago, but she forgot something.” He then presented his young ward what looked like a piece of pink silk. “Must have fallen off her. Mind returning it?”

Apple Bloom hesitated for a moment. While she did want something else to do (especially something that didn’t involve a brush), this meant going back into town. Still, though that meant the risk of being harassed by the townsfolk, part of her hoped she’d run into Tender Taps somewhere along the way.

“Alright Uncle Ironhide.” Apple Bloom replied. “Where do ya need me to take it?” As Ironhide gave her the ribbon, he replied, “If my memory is correct, this belongs to a dance teacher by the name of Hoofer Steps, and she runs a small dance school in the same shopping center as Soundwave’s.”

When Apple Bloom heard the words “dance school” leave Ironhide’s mouth, she quickly darted over to the counter to grab her helmet. As she began to leave though, Ironhide stopped her. Apple Bloom gulped nervously, worried he would stop her.

“You do remember where Soundwave’s is, right?” Ironhide asked. Apple Bloom simply nodded yes. He then stepped out of Apple Bloom’s way and, with a knowing smile on his face, replied, “Go on kid. Since it’s getting late and since you’ve been doing a decent job lately, you can have the rest of the day off when you return this.”

Apple Bloom then wrapped her “uncle” in a hug as she replied, “Thanks Uncle Ironhide.” She then darted straight out of the shop and towards her bike. Ironhide felt a smile on his face grow as he saw Apple Bloom mount her bike and pedal into town.

Hoofer Steps Dance Studio

Ironhide wasn’t lying when he said the studio was near Soundwave’s. The dance studio was indeed only a few spaces away from the electronics store. The exterior didn’t stand out too much, simply sporting a large sign that displayed the studio’s emblem.

Apple Bloom felt her stomach tighten. While she did have to return the ribbon, part of her was nervous as to whether Tender Taps was there, and if he was, had he learned more about her. And if he did know about what she’d done, would he still want to be friends?

Apple Bloom knew what she had to do. Taking a deep breath, she undid her helmet and began to walk towards and eventually into the dance studio.

It was then that the door opened and she accidentally walked right into, of all people, Tender Taps.

“Apple Bloom?” Tender Taps asked, both surprised and incredibly happy. “What are you doing here?” He continued.

As Apple Bloom managed to return to her senses, she replied, “Apparently Ms. Hoofer Steps forgot this at the chop shop for some reason.” She then presented the pink ribbon.

Tender Taps took the ribbon as he replied, “So that’s where it went.” He then turned around and began to re-enter the studio, but stopped himself and asked Apple Bloom, “Wanna come in? It’s certainly cooler in here than outside.” Apple Bloom couldn’t help but giggle as she replied, “Can’t argue with that logic.”

The inside of the studio was a simple yet homely waiting area. Several chairs were lined up in a few rows as a few older women were waiting for their children to finish their classes. As Apple Bloom was looking around in amazement, Tender Taps began to speak. “You were lucky to stop by when you did. I just finished up helping assist a preschooler’s tap class.”

Apple Bloom was impressed by this remark. “You teach kids?” she asked. Tender Taps began to nervously blush and he replied, “Well, I help with younger kids.”

Before either could say something else, an older woman’s voice asked, “Tender Taps, shouldn’t you have gone home by now?” Both Apple Bloom and Tender Taps turned to see an older woman with gray skin, blonde hair in a ballerina’s bun, and black leotard with a ballet tutu. Tender Taps walked up to her and said, “Apple Bloom here brought this for you. I think you left it with Ironhide.”

Tender Taps then presented the ribbon to Hoofer Steps, who enthusiastically accepted it as she replied, “Oh thank you! I vas vondering vhere zis vent.” Apple Bloom then stepped forward and asked, “Uh, if Ah may ask, what were you doin’ with Uncle Ironhide?” Hoofer Steps noticed her and replied, “Vell, I’ve been planning to redo the floors of vone of the studios, and your uncle vas offering some vood to help.”

Apple Bloom simply nodded “ok”, finding it a little difficult to understand her thick accent. Hoofer Steps then stepped forward and said, “Thank you Apple Bloom.” Apple Bloom was shocked to be thanked, but managed to regain her composure and replied, “You’re welcome ma’am.”

As Hoofer Steps walked away, Tender Taps asked, “So, do you have to go back to Ironhide now?” Apple Bloom hesitated and, starting to blush, replied, “Well, Ironhide said that Ah have the rest of the day off.”

It was then that both she and Tender Taps began to just standard there, blushing and not exactly looking each other in the eyes. After a few awkward moments, Tender Taps spoke up. “Hey, since we have a little time, you just want to hang out?”

Apple Bloom replied, “Ah’d like that very much.”

Two Hours Later

The next few hours consisted of the two just walking around Allspark Wells and talking with each other. Apple Bloom learned that Tender Taps was indeed her age, though he was a few months younger than her. She also learned he lived with his parents and little sister named Double Shuffle, the latter apparently having the same hairstyle that Apple Bloom currently sported, a fact that she found rather hilarious.

But as they continued, something continued to eat away at Apple Bloom. She needed to know if he knew or not. Taking a deep breath, she resigned to herself to what she had to do.

“Hey Tender Taps?” Apple Bloom asked dejectedly. Tender Taps stopped as he asked, “Yeah?” Apple Bloom sighed and said, “There’s somethin’ Ah gotta say. You see, Ah….”

“You were Anon-A-Miss?” Tender Taps asked rather bluntly. Apple Bloom was stunned speechless. So he did know? Apple Bloom could only ask, “Wuh, how’d you know?”

Tender Taps let out a nervous laugh as he replied, “About a week ago my dad overheard a guy with a moustache and beard go on a drunken ramble about you at the bar.” Apple could only angrily mumble to herself, “Wheeljack.” She then asked, “Well, if you knew what Ah’d done, why’ve you been so friendly to me?”

Now it was Tender Taps’s turn to feel awkward. “To be honest, when he told me, I hesitated a bit at first, but my dad told me that everybody deserves a second chance.” Then, he turned away as he continued, “And, honestly, who would I be to talk?”

Tender Taps then turned back and continued, “Yeah, you see my family used to live in Canterlot city. Unfortunately, I always had a way of attracting bullies.” This certainly shocked Apple Bloom. “Why would anyone bully someone like you? I mean you’re friendly, you’re sweet, you’re kinda cute, you’re….”

“A tap dancer?” Tender Taps added somewhat dejectedly. He then continued, “I mean, yeah I love dancing, but the problem was other guys always seem to pick on me. For a while I could take it, but then this gang led by a guy named Garble started doubling down on me.”

Tender Taps then sat down against a store front as he continued, “Well, they did just about everything you’d expect from headlocks to, well I’d be lying if I said if I didn’t get into a few fights. Then my dad got a job here at Allspark Wells and he said I could do whatever I needed to do to get them to stop.”

As Apple Bloom joined him, she asked, “Ah take it you did somethin’ worse than postin’ Garble’s secrets online?” As both kids began to let out guilty laughs, Tender Taps replied, “Try bashing his face in with a metal pipe.”

“WHAT?” Apple Bloom nearly shouted as Tender Taps admitted what happened. The young boy replied, “Yeah, I told him and his friends to stop bullying me immediately. They didn’t, with Garble spitting in my face, so I grabbed a nearby pipe and then….” He took a deep breath as he admitted, “I kinda zoned out after the first blow.”

Tender Taps then grew a guilty smile as he continued, “Needless to say I was expelled, and I was grounded, but my dad told me that he didn’t hold it against me.”

Apple Bloom took everything in. Tender Taps, the boy who she barely knew but seemed like the nicest person in the world, was expelled for beating someone up. She then asked, “Ah’m sorry about that.” She then wrapped an arm around Tender Taps as she continued. “Ah guess screw ups like us gotta stick together.” Tender Taps then, to Apple Bloom’s surprise, returned the gesture as he replied, “I guess we do.”

Ironhide’s, That Night…

As Apple Bloom sat down at the dinner table, Chromia asked, “So Apple Bloom, how was your day?”

“It was pretty good Aunt Chromia.” Apple Bloom answered. “Ah ran an errand for Uncle Ironhide and got to hang out with Tender Taps.” At the mere mention of his name, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but blush.

Ratchet noticed her blush and asked, “Is he the boy Wheeljack said you have a crush on?”

“Ah do not.” Apple Bloom replied guiltily before she changed her mind. “Maybe a little bit.”

As Wheeljack began to cut at his dinner, he added, “Well, you’ve only known him for a few days.” Chromia turned to Apple Bloom and added, “I have to admit I felt the same the first time I met Ironhide.” Ironhide then added, “Maybe it was because we were both kind of loners.”

Apple Bloom then replied, “Well Ah do know that he offered to teach me to dance like him once summer comes.” Ironhide asked, “Really?” Apple Bloom nodded as she continued, “Yup. Or at least on my days off.” Ironhide replied, “Well it’s good to see you both making friends as well as finding a hobby.”

Apple Bloom’s Room

As Apple Bloom prepared to get ready for bed, she couldn’t help but feel great. Even though today provided yet another reminder that people knew what she’d done, she couldn’t help but decide that it wasn’t important anymore.

Tender Taps had admitted he knew she had been Anon-A-Miss, and yet he didn’t seem to care. If anything, he was much like her; someone who was, for the most part a good kid who, after finding themselves in nasty situations, made some big mistakes, and yet seemed to be doing alright. If anything, Tender Taps showed Apple Bloom that your past doesn’t define you, and that you can grow from your mistakes.

Besides, he didn’t seem to notice that she’d accidentally admitted he was kind of cute.