//------------------------------// // A Busking We Will Go // Story: As the Apple Blooms // by The FraudulentBrit //------------------------------// As the Apple Blooms Part 27; A Busking We Will Go The Tap Family’s Attic… “Uh, Tender?” Apple Bloom asked as she made her way through the attic storage space. “You sure it’s up here?” As she navigated her way through the stacked up boxes, she heard her boyfriend call back, “I know it’s up here somewhere.” All the former farm girl could do was say to herself, “Ah sure hope so. This place is stuffier than the barn in the summer.” The night before, Apple Bloom had suffered a terrible nightmare, though luckily her uncle Ironhide helped her find a little closure to it, as well as the circumstances that brought her to Allspark Wells in the first place. Now, having finished her weekly tap session with Tender Taps, the orange boy had promised to show her something special. The only problem was that it was buried deep in the family attic. As Tender Taps emerged from behind a stack of storage bins, he sheepishly remarked, “Maybe looking for it wasn’t the best idea.” Apple Bloom, rubbing her nose to avoid sneezing, replied, “Yeah. What exactly are we lookin’ for anyway?” Before either teen could continue, another voice, this one the youthful squeal of Double Shuffle, called out, “Hey, I found it!” As the two teenagers turned to the source of the voice, Tender Taps replied, “Double Shuffle! I thought I told you not to come up here!” As the blue girl emerged, carrying a large book in both hands, she replied, “I know. But I remembered where mom put it.” The younger girl then made her way up to Apple Bloom and enthusiastically said, “You’re gonna love this.” “Well….” Apple Bloom began. “What exactly is it?” As she struggled to contain another sneeze, Tender Taps answered, “How about we get out of this attic first?” Tap Family Living Room As the three kids made their way to the family’s couch, Apple Bloom asked, “So, what kinda book is that anyway?” Smiling, Tender Taps replied, “This, my dear lady, is our family album.” As Apple Bloom began to blush at being called “dear lady,” the teenaged tap dancer asked, “You wanna see?” Though Apple Bloom had some hesitation regarding the intimacy of a family’s photo album (what with the Anon-A-Miss incident), Seeing Tender Taps and Double Shuffle give massive smiles gave her the incentive to comply. “Ah suppose so.” She answered, her voice exposing some “hesitation” that was contradicted by her small smirk. Soon all three kids were seated on the couch with Tender Taps sandwiched in between Double Shuffle on his left and Apple Bloom on his right. Opening the book, they were greeted by a black and white picture of a man and woman in wedding attire. Curious, Apple Bloom asked, “Who are they?” “That’s grandpa Hornpipe and grandma Gumboots.” Tender Taps replied. “They’re dad’s parents.” He then turned the page, showing a picture of a girl resembling Soft Shoe and two adults, one an orange man with blue hair and the other a golden woman with magenta hair. The teenaged boy then pointed to the photo and added, “That’s mom with her parents, Pointe Shoe and Backhoe.” After a few minutes of old photos of their parents, Apple Bloom noticed a particularly adorable image; a photo of Soft Shoe holding a small orange baby with purple hair. “Awh, is that you Tendy?” As Tender Taps began to blush with embarrassment, Double Shuffle answered, “Yup. Dad says that even as a baby, he was always moving.” When Tender Taps turned the page, the three kids were greeted by a photo of a blue baby girl, snuggled up in a pink blanket with a pacifier in her mouth. Now smirking himself, the orange boy jokingly asked, “Then I wonder who this is?” Apple Bloom herself added, “Why don’t you just look like the cutest little thing Ah’ve ever seen.” All Double Shuffle could do was grumble in resignation. Soon the three kids were going through photo after photo. Some were embarrassing images of either Tender Taps or Double Shuffle in awkward costumes, others were of the whole family posing for a photo during vacations. However, one photo caught Apple Bloom’s attention; the image of a younger Tender Taps dancing on a piece of wood at a street corner. “What are you doin’ there?” The former farm girl asked. “Ah can see you’re dancin’, but that doesn’t look like a proper stage.” Shrugging, Tender Taps replied, “Well, I was busking.” Confused, Apple Bloom asked, “Buskin’? What’s buskin’?” As he set the large book onto the coffee table, Tender Taps answered, “Busking is a way of saying street performing. Before we moved here, Double Shuffle and I would take a large board to downtown Canterlot City and perform for people passing by.” Double Shuffle then added, “Yeah. It’s a lot of fun. We’ve even gone busking a few times around here.” Intrigued, Apple Bloom remarked, “Sounds fun. Maybe next time Ah could tag along.” Once she said this, Tender Taps’s eyes lit up as he replied, “Why not? Double Shuffle and I were planning on going Busking over the weekend, and I’d love for you to come along!” Double Shuffle herself simply shrugged as she replied, “Why not?” Glowing with joy, Apple Bloom wrapped Tender Taps in a massive hug as she began to ramble, “Thank you! Ah promise its gonna be the best buskin’ outing ever!” She then planted a kiss right on his cheek, much to Double Shuffle’s enjoyment and Tender Taps’s embarrassment. The Chop Shop, Later That Night… “So you want to go busking?” Ironhide asked. Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, “Yeah. Ah mean, if it’s not too much. If we’re busy then Ah understand and….” She was interrupted when Ironhide raised his hand and said, “Well, we don’t have anything planned.” He paused for a moment before giving a mischievous smile and adding, “Then again, maybe you haven’t been punished enough.” “Please?!” Apple Bloom begged. As she employed her puppy dog eyes, Ironhide “relented” as he replied, “Alright, you can go. Though I will consider it that day off I promised you.” Now overjoyed, Apple Bloom hugged her uncle as she let out, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” As he hugged his niece back, Ironhide replied, “You’re welcome kid. Now then, how about we start fixing up some dinner?” With that, Ironhide and Apple Bloom made their way to the kitchen, both wondering what they could cook up for dinner. The Tap Family’s Home, A Few Days Later… Peddling up to the Tap family’s residence, Apple Bloom was greeted by the pleasant sight of Tender Taps and Double Shuffle emerging from their home, each carrying spall stacks of plywood pads. Considering what they were planning for the day, she figured that they were what the trio would be dancing on. Both kids were dressed to perform; Tender Taps was dressed in a red button shirt and dark pants while double Shuffle was clad in a white sleeveless button shirt, black pants, and a red bow tie. As she pulled up to the house, Tender Taps noticed the girl arriving and called out, “Hey Apple Bloom! Ready to go make some noise?” The former farm girl rose up from her bike as she replied, “Ah was born ready.” She then pointed to the stack of wood and asked, “You two need a hand with those?” Double Shuffle made her way up to the older girl and replied, “Yes please. These things are heavy.” Apple Bloom took the girl’s wood and, giving a confident smile, remarked, “Let your big sis handle this.” The younger girl could only squeal with happiness as the older teens reviled in the adorableness. Tender Taps then said, “Ok, we’re gonna tie these down to our bikes.” Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, “Ah think Ah can handle that.” The orange boy then began to head to his bike and set the stack of wood in its basket. As he began to use some rope from the basket to secure the wood, he remarked, “We don’t want these flying all over the place, do we?” Giggling, Apple Bloom answered, “Ah wouldn’t.” She then asked, “So, where are we gonna be performin’?” As he began to fasten his helmet, Tender Taps replied, “It’s near the center of town. Just follow us.” As she began to secure her own stack of wood, Apple Bloom replied, “Ah think Ah can manage that.” Once she’d gotten everything secured, Apple Bloom mounted her bike and, with a chipper voice, said, “Lead the way.” Both Tender Taps and Double Shuffle mounted their bikes and began to peddle off, with the former farm girl following right behind. The Market Square, A Few Minutes Later… As the three kids approached the market square, Double Shuffle turned to Apple Bloom and said, “And here we are. This is where the magic happens.” Apple Bloom herself took in the quaint sight of so many shops. Turning to Tender Taps, Apple Bloom asked, “Tender? You sure we’re allowed to do this?” The orange boy, now removing the rope securing the plywood, answered, “Of course. Double Shuffle and I have done this a dozen times.” He then pointed to something in the distance as he continued, “See?” Apple Bloom followed his finger to see an older man off in the distance playing a saxophone. Shrugging to herself, Apple Bloom replied, “In that case, we settin’ up here?” Double Shuffle nodded as she removed the bag slung over her shoulder and pulled out her tap shoes. As she sat down, though, Tender Taps spoke up, “Hold on Double Shuffle. We gotta set everything up.” Soon the three kids had assembled a moderately sized pad out of the pieces of plywood, each one having been designed to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Now, slipping on her own tap shoes, Apple Bloom asked, “So, either of you wanna go first?” Double Shuffle turned to her brother and practically begged, “Can I go first? Please? Please?” “Alright, you can go first.” Tender Taps “relented.” With amazing speed, the younger girl laced her shoes up, straightened her tie, and placed one of the bike’s baskets in front of the pad. Then, with a deep breath and a small moment to move her arms, the young girl began to move her feet, producing a rhythmic melody of taps and clacks. Soon enough, a few passersby noticed the younger girl tap dancing and made their way up to her. As the crowd began to gather, some of them began to toss coins and even a few bills into the basket. Others complimented her, ranging from, “Isn’t that just adorable?” to, “Man, that’s impressive.” Once Double Shuffle began to perform a set of scissors, going up to her toes and alternating shuffles, the small crowd, including her brother and “sister,” began to cheer her on. Soon the young girl was moving her feet with speed no one expected such a young girl could. After a few minutes, Double Shuffle finished her jig with an extravagant “shave and a haircut.” As she spread her arms, the audience cheered for her, with some of them tossing a few coins or bills into the group’s basket. Now catching her breath, the young girl said, “Welcome to the show folks. If you were impressed by that, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” She then turned to Tender Taps and, with a confident smirk, asked, “Would you show everyone what you’ve got big brother?” As Tender Taps strutted up to his sister, the orange boy cracked his knuckles as he remarked, “Alright everyone, time to make some music.” He then began to perform several paradiddles with increasing speed. Apple Bloom recognized this as what he’d done on the day they first met. The speed of his feet increased as the audience took everything in, much to the former farm girl’s amusement. If anything, she couldn’t help but begin to blush as she took in just how handsome he was. Soon Tender Taps was dancing up and down the board, giving it his all. Apple Bloom knelt down to Double Shuffle and remarked, “Looks like he’s havin’ fun.” The blue girl nodded and replied, “Once he gets started, it’s almost impossible for him to stop.” Indeed, As Tender continued to tap his way, Apple Bloom noticed a few drips of sweat starting to drop from his forehead. Stepping forward, Apple Bloom began to speak up. “How about Ah take over for a moment?” Slowing his taps down, Tender Taps nodded as he answered, “Sure thing. Show these lovely people what you can do.” Taking a moment to prepare herself, Apple Bloom stepped forward and, with a deep breath, she began her turn with a few single essences. As Apple Bloom continued to tap for the group, she noticed something that pleasantly surprised her; the crowd was actually impressed by her skill. Sure, they weren’t as ecstatic for her dancing as they were for Tender Taps or Double Shuffle, but it was clear that they found her entertaining, and the sight of one person, a young boy, put a few coins in the basket, made it clear that she was doing something right. However, Apple Bloom began to lose her breath, and she didn’t want to over exert herself. Thus, with a maxi-ford, she finished up her tapping with a curtsy. As she bowed, the crowd began to applaud her, and the former farm girl couldn’t help but think to herself, ‘Guess Ah’m better at this than Ah thought.’ Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom happily responded to the crowd with, “Thank you everybody. Ah’m here all weekend.” As people in the audience began to chuckle at her humorous response, the former farm girl turned to her fellow performers and asked, “Either of you wanna go again?” Double Shuffle stepped forward, or rather leapt forward as she replied, “I’m up for round two.” As the crowd began to murmur with amusement at her infectious enthusiasm, Apple Bloom quipped, “Make some noise little sis.” Much to her delight, the younger blue girl giggled as she replied, “You got it big sis.” As Double Shuffle took the makeshift stage again, Tender Taps walked up to Apple Bloom and asked, “So, you having fun yet?” Giving her boyfriend a warm smile, the yellow girl answered, “Today’s been amazin’ so far. Just the three of us makin’ people happy.” She then began to blush as she added, “Of course, the best part is bein’ with you.” Tender Taps’s face grew red as he replied, “Thanks. I gotta say you did a good job.” As Apple Bloom began to turn almost as red as her hair, Double Shuffle spoke up, “You two gonna kiss or something?” This remark was immediately followed by the crowd going “Ooh?” Apple Bloom then had a brilliant, if possibly embarrassing idea. “Hey Tendy! You wanna do one of those mini duets we’ve been workin’ on?” Though he hesitated for a moment, the purple haired boy smiled as he answered, “My lady, it would be my honor.” He then extended his bent arm to Apple Bloom, who locked her own arm around it as she replied, “Why thank you good sir.” Double Shuffle could only giggle at the sight of her brother and Apple Bloom being so cute together. Once they were together in the center of the pad, Tender Taps began to count, “Alright. A 5! A 6! A 5 6 7 8!” The two teens then began to perform a brief duet. As their taps struck the wood in near-perfect unison, the crowd was entertained by the sight of two kids tap dancing. Indeed, several crowd members placed more money into their basket. After a few minutes, Tender Taps took Apple Bloom by the hand and raised his arm. Realizing what he was leading her into, the former farm girl twirled as she allowed herself to move closer to him. However, she lost her balance and began to fall to the ground. Luckily Tender Taps was able to catch her. As he helped her back to her feet, Tender Taps playfully quipped, “Guess we still have some stuff to work on.” Managing to regain her balance, Apple Bloom, now blushing again, replied, “At least Ah’m not too bad for a beginner.” Seeing her brother and “sister” stop dancing, Double Shuffle stepped onto the board and resumed her fancy footwork, much to the small crowd’s entertainment. Taking the opportunity, Apple Bloom sat down behind their makeshift stage, letting out a deep breath. “Whoa boy. Ah didn’t know buskin’ could be so much fun.” The former farm girl remarked as Tender Taps sat down next to her. She then continued, “Or this exhaustin’.” The orange boy then gave his girlfriend a friendly nudge as he remarked, “Wait till later tonight. Your feet will be sore until the morning.” Apple Bloom nudged her boyfriend back as she quipped, “If there’s one thing Ah got from livin’ on a farm, its endurance.” It was at this moment that a vaguely familiar voice caught the two teen’s attention. “Apple Bloom? Is that you?” Rising back to her feet, Apple Bloom began to eye the audience for whoever asked for her. It was in the front of the crowd where she found a golden yellow girl with dark red hair in a ponytail who could only be one person. “Dream Wave?” Apple Bloom asked with glee. Motioning for her to come over to her, Dream Wave managed to navigate her way around the board and up to her friend. As Apple Bloom wrapped her in a tight (and admittedly unexpected) hug, she asked, “What are you doin’ out here?” “I was enjoying the scenery, hoping I could find some inspiration for a new sketch.” Dream Wave replied as Apple Bloom released her. As she allowed her eyes to descend to the former farm girl’s feet, she asked, “I didn’t know you were a tap dancer.” Sheepishly scuffing her feet, Apple Bloom replied, “Ah started not long after Ah got here.” She then turned to face Tender Taps as she introduced him. “This is Tender Taps. He’s the best dancer and sweetest boy Ah’ve ever met.” Tender Taps performed an elaborate bow as he introduced himself. “Hello there. Tender Taps is the name and dancing is my game.” As Dream Wave giggled at his introduction, he continued, “I take it you know this lovely young lady?” Apple Bloom quickly found herself blushing redder than her hair at Tender’s remark. Dream Wave replied, “Yeah. I met her and this other girl named Marble while volunteering at the museum.” Tender Taps remarked, “Hey, you know Marble too?” “Yeah!” Dream Wave answered. “She was shy at first but once she opened up, it was like talking to a living dictionary.” Apple Bloom then added, “You bet. Ah’m just happy she’s able to talk to more people.” Taking a deep breath, Dream Wave said, “Hate to leave so soon, but I gotta get some more pencils. It was nice to meet you Tender Taps.” She then turned to Apple Bloom and continued, “Talk to you later Apple Bloom. Maybe we can hang out sometime.” With that the two girls shared a knowing nod as Dream Wave departed. Once she had left, Apple Bloom and Tender Taps were caught off guard when Double Shuffle spoke up, “Hey, which one of you is going next?” A Few Hours Later… With one final bow, All three kids finished their final mini routine, much to the audience’s (as well as their now aching feet) joy. As the crowd cheered, Tender Taps spoke up with a confident, “Thank you everyone! It’s our privilege to entertain you.” Once the crowd had dissipated, Tender Taps and Apple Bloom knelt down to the basket, which was now overflowing with money. Surprised, Apple Bloom remarked, “Wow! Ah think we made like… like over a hundred bucks!” Double Shuffle joined the two teens and added, “More like two hundred.” Before anyone else could remark any further on their haul, Double Shuffle’s stomach began to rumble. The young girl then asked, “So, who’s hungry?” Hot Rod’s Diner…. Sitting down at a booth, the three kids couldn’t help but realize one thing; their feet were starting to hurt like hell. Sighing, Double Shuffle remarked, “I don’t think we ever performed as long as we have today.” Apple Bloom added, “Ah haven’t ever done anythin’ like this before. At least not countin’ the battle of the bands.” Of course that brought about memories of performing with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, which of course was yet another reminder of why she was in Allspark Wells. However, before she could begin to feel sorry for herself again, Apple Bloom remembered the handsome boy and adorable ball of energy with her and thought to herself, ‘At least Ah found them.’ Tender Taps noticed she was lost in a train of thought and asked, “You ok there Apple Bloom?” Managing to return to the present, Apple Bloom answered, “Yeah, just rememberin’ mah friends. Ah mean, from before Ah came here.” Double Shuffle then asked, “Do you miss them?” Hearing this, the former farm girl sighed as she replied, “Yeah. Ah haven’t seen ‘em or even heard from ‘em since before Ah came here and….” She stopped herself before continuing, “Let’s just say we didn’t part on good terms.” Tender Taps then rested a hand on Apple Bloom’s as he said, “I’m sorry about that.” The red haired girl smiled as she replied, “Nothin’ you did, but thanks.” Soon a waiter walked up to the three kids and asked, “Hello there. What can I get for you kids to drink?” Without anyone realizing, all three of them answered, “Water.” As everyone realized what had happened, the waiter nodded and said, “Thank you. I’ll be right back.” Double Shuffle then said, “Sorry I asked about your friends.” Apple Bloom gave the young girl a comforting smile as she replied, “It’s alright. Maybe one day Ah can make it up to ‘em. Besides….” She paused as she scooted over to Double Shuffle. “…. How else would Ah have ever met you two?” Squealing with joy, the blue girl rested herself against her new big sister. Once the waiter returned with their drinks, Tender Taps asked, “So Apple Bloom, I was wondering…..” Noticing he was speaking in an oddly timid voice, the yellow girl asked, “Wonderin’ what?” Managing to regain his composure, Tender Taps asked, “I was wondering if, you want to come busking with us next time?” “Ah’d love to!” Apple Bloom exclaimed with joy. As she wrapped Tender Taps in a massive hug. Once she released him, she asked, “So, you plannin’ on havin’ us doin’ a fancy duet or something?” Now blushing himself, Tender Taps answered, “Only if you want to.” As both kids continued to blush, Double Shuffle rolled her eyes as she quipped, “Oh just kiss already.” The orange boy began to reply, “I mean, we’re out in public and…” He didn’t get to finish as Apple Bloom roped him into a passionate kiss, one which he eventually gave in to. “No fair. I wasn’t ready.” Tender Taps playfully complained. Apple Bloom shrugged as she replied, “All’s fair in love and war.” The purple haired boy could only add, “I don’t think that’s what the phrase means.” Their playful banter was interrupted when the waiter returned and asked, “So, what will everyone be having?” The Tap Family Home, Later That Evening… As the three kids peddled up to the tap family’s house, Double Shuffle spoke up. “Thanks for coming with us Apple Bloom. Today was amazing!” Apple Bloom dismounted from her bike and walked up to the younger girl, messing with her hair. “You’re welcome Double Shuffle.” Apple Bloom replied. Once she finished, the younger girl wrapped her in a massive embrace, one she returned just as tightly. Double Shuffle then said, “I better go check on Skimbles. See you later Apple Bloom!” “See ya Double Shuffle.” Apple Bloom warmly replied as the younger girl skipped into the house. As Tender Taps walked up to her, she said, “She’s just burstin’ with energy.” She then turned to her boyfriend as she continued, “Thanks for invintin’ me. Today was amazin’!” Tender Taps blushed as he replied, “You’re welcome. You know what my favorite part was?” Apple Bloom smiled as she asked, “Bein’ with me?” Nodding, he answered, “You know me too well.” He then pecked Apple Bloom on the cheek, much to her amusement. He then asked, “So, see you for your next tap lesson?” “Ah can’t wait.” Apple Bloom replied. She began to approach her bike, but stopped when Tender Taps called out, “Wait!” Turning around, she saw her boyfriend approach her with a handful of dollar bills. Handing it to her, he said, “This is your share of today’s haul.” Taking the money, Apple Bloom replied, “Thanks, but dancin’ with you is reward enough.” She would have continued, but she noticed the sun was starting to set. “Ah gotta get home. See you then Tendy. Ah love you.” “I love you too Apple Bloom.” Tender Taps replied as he and the red haired girl hugged each other and shared a passionate kiss, with Apple Bloom even lifting her leg. Apple Bloom then mounted her bike and made her way home. The Chop Shop… As Apple Bloom entered the shop, she found Ironhide talking with Ratchet about something. She called out, “Ah’m home Uncle Ironhide!” The family patriarch replied, “Welcome home kid. How’d your street performing go?” Before Apple Bloom could answer, Ratchet began to sniff the air and remarked, “All due respect Apple Bloom, but you smell like Wheeljack after a day in the smelting pools.” Taking a sniff himself, Ironhide said, “Yeah. Why don’t you go freshen up before we go over the details?” Apple Bloom sighed as she replied, “Alright.” She then began to make her way towards the stair well and up to the bathroom. Apple Bloom’s Room, That Night… Lying in her bed and tucked under the covers, Apple Bloom looked back fondly on the day’s events. Never in her life would she expect she’d be a street performing tap dancer, and yet now she was, and she loved every moment of it. But what she loved most was spending time with Tender Taps and Double Shuffle. Whether it was dancing or just going over family photos, she enjoyed being with her boyfriend and new little sister. “Guess they’re like mah third family.” Indeed, the tap family had become a third family to her, just as Ironhide and everyone at the Chop Shop had become her second family. As she turned to face her night stand, she wondered to herself, “Ah wonder if Ah can get a picture taken of us.”