All Together Now
As the Apple Blooms
Part 63; All Together Now
“Come on boys! We’re burning daylight!” An overly excited Ironhide called out as he carried a large box out the front door and up to his van. All throughout the Chop Shop, everyone was busy running to and fro, making sure everything was just right. Amidst all this chaos, Apple Bloom was busy just making sure no one stepped on Sparkplug or got themselves hurt. As she picked up the small black terrier, she looked out the window to the practically black sky as she remarked, “Burnin’ daylight? Sun’s not even out yet.”
It had been four days since Apple Bloom’s fever broke, and though she had to contend with a small cough, for the most part, the former farm girl was back on her feet and ready to help her uncle and new family. And now she found herself helping everyone get ready for something she never heard of, historical reenactment.
As she held Sparkplug in her arms, Apple Bloom found Wheeljack walking past her, carrying a vintage backpack and dressed in a dark blue coat, light blue pants, black shoes, and a blue cap. Stopping to face the younger girl, the maverick mechanic asked, “What are you doing kid?” The former farm girl replied, “Ah’m makin’ sure none of you guys trip over Sparkplug.” Shrugging, Wheeljack admitted, “On second thought, that’s actually pretty important.”
Before Apple Bloom could say anything else, Ratchet (who was dressed in the same outfit as Wheeljack) passed the two as he said, “Come on Wheeljack. Get the backpack loaded up.” Nodding, the maverick mechanic replied, “Alright. Don’t get your transistors in a knot.” He then turned back to Apple Bloom and quipped, “Sorry young lady, duty calls.”
As Wheeljack left, Sideswipe and Marble entered the shop front, the latter asking, “Anything you need us to do?” Shaking her head, Apple Bloom answered, “Ah dunno. Ah think they’re almost done loadin’ everythin’ up.” Indeed, just as she finished speaking, Ironhide and Chromia entered the shop front, the former wearing a dark blue double-breasted coat and fancy hat with a horn pin while the latter wore a light blue dress with a white apron with a red plus sign on it. All in all, their elaborate costumes made Apple Bloom feel a little humbled by her chosen attire of black boots, blue overalls, and a red and white stripped sleeveless shirt.
Approaching her uncle, Apple Bloom asked, “You need us to help with anythin’ else?” Shaking his head, Ironhide replied, “We’ve got everything packed up. Of course, we may need some help getting it all set up once we get there.” Marble then stepped forward as she said, “Thank you for letting me help Mr. Ironhide.” The older man turned to the gray geologist as he reassured her, “No problem young lady. We’re just glad you wanted to tag along.” As Marble blushed at this praise, Sideswipe leant against her girlfriend as she added, “Besides, the more the merrier, right?”
As the two lovebirds awkwardly blushed, Wheeljack and Wreck-Gar made their way up to Ironhide as the latter reported, “Sir, the sun is starting to rise, and I don’t want you all to be late.” The family patriarch nodded as he replied, “Of course. Now, you know what to do while we’re gone?” The cycloptic robot began counting his fingers as he listed out, “Dust and clean the garage, organize the supplies, feed and walk Sparkplug, and stay hidden from anyone who might be passing by.” Satisfied, Ironhide let out a sigh of relief as he finished, “Very good.”
Setting Sparkplug down, Apple Bloom informed the little terrier, “We’ll be back later tonight. You gonna behave for Wreck-Gar?” Sparkplug let out a confirming bark as he leapt up to the former farm girl’s face and began to bombard her with affectionate licks. “Gah!” Apple Bloom said as she tried to gently push the highland terrier away. “Ah love you too. Now come on, we gotta get goin’.”
Sparkplug dejectedly whimpered as he made his way up to Wreck-Gar and sat down next to the robot, leading him to remark, “I hope he doesn’t mistake me for some sort of fire hydrant.” As everyone laughed, Ironhide said, “Alright everyone, we better get going.”
And so, Apple Bloom, Ironhide and the others made their way to the van, leaving Wreck-Gar to look down upon Sparkplug and ask, “So, can you talk?”
The History Fair, Forty Minutes Later…
As Ironhide parked the van, Apple Bloom found herself distracted by thoughts of what today had in store. It would have been one thing if it were just helping the adults with their military reenactment, but the former farm girl had heard from a “reliable source” that Tender Taps, Double Shuffle, and other dancers would be performing later in the day. ‘Heh, Ah’m surprised Uncle Ironhide allowed me to watch ‘em perform.’ She thought to herself as the van finally stopped moving.
Stepping out of the van, Apple Bloom, Sideswipe, and Marble found Ironhide and Wheeljack had already opened the trunk and were pulling out the backpacks and a large crate. Curious, Sideswipe asked, “What’s in that box?” The maverick mechanic allowed a mischievous smirk to form on his mouth as he answered, “Our muskets.” As the trio of girls processed this, Ironhide quickly informed them, “Which you girls are not to touch.”
As Chromia and Ratchet joined the group, Apple Bloom asked, “Ah’m still surprised you’re comfortable around these things.” Ironhide shrugs as he replied, “Given that these things can fire only three times a minute at the fastest, and how different they are from what we used way back when, I’d say I’m comfortable with these.” Wheeljack then added, “That and the fact we don’t have any live rounds probably helps.”
From behind them, the group heard the sound of someone’s voice call out, “Hey guys!” Apple Bloom turned around to see two men approaching them, one was a bright yellow man with blue eyes and the other was a familiar dark red man. Both men were wearing the same blue outfits as Ratchet and Wheeljack. As they closed the distance, the red man said, “Good to KABLAM see you Ironhide! You’re a bit KAPOW late this year.”
Confused, Apple Bloom asked, “Uncle Ironhide? Who are these guys?” Turning to his niece, Ironhide pointed to the red man and said, “That’s Warpath.” The crimson man nodded as he interrupted, “Don’t you remember me from Hotrod’s KERSPLAT diner?” As Apple Bloom realized he was the same man from the diner all those months earlier, her uncle pointed to the other man and introduced him, “And that’s Cosmos.”
Walking up to the young girl, Cosmos knelt down and said, “So you’re the girl from Canterlot City. I’ve heard you’re not as nasty as some people say.” Taken aback by his kindness, Apple Bloom smiled as she replied, “Thank you sir. Anythin’ to help mah Uncle.” She then turned to her uncle and asked, “Speakin’ of helpin’, what do you need us to do?”
A Few Minutes Later…
To say that Apple Bloom, Sideswipe, and Marble were impressed by the sight before them would be an understatement. Standing and seated in the field and in tents in front of them were dozens of men of all ages dressed either in the same blue outfit as Ironhide and his team or dressed in a nearly identical uniform, only colored gray or butternut. Placed around everyone were collections of long weapons that resembled old rifles arranged like the structural supports of a teepee. All in all, it reminded Apple Bloom of pictures from history textbooks.
As the trio of girls took everything in, one of the men in a blue uniform stood up and called out, “Hey guys, Ironhide’s here!” Soon several of the costumed men stood up and began to greet Ironhide and the others. After a few minutes, the former sergeant called out, “Alright, settle down everyone.”
At that moment, five men in gray uniforms approached Ironhide. One of them, a dark blue man with yellow eyes extended his hand as he said, “Good to see you Ironhide. Ready to get your rear end handed to you?” Shaking his hand, the former soldier playfully replied, “I could say the same to you Onslaught.”
While Ironhide and Onslaught finished their handshake, one of the latter’s friends, a dark green man with yellow eyes and dark gray hair, noticed the three teens and asked, “So, who are these runts?” Another man, one with dark mustard skin and piercing purple eyes, stepped forward and replied, “Hey Sideswipe! Haven’t seen in a while. How’s your hog doing?”
Stepping towards the purple eyed man, Sideswipe let out a sigh of relief as she replied, “She’s doing great Swindle. I actually just added a side car to her.” As Apple Bloom and Marble gave each other confused looks, the pale biker turned to her sister and girlfriend and explained, “Swindle here was the guy I bought my motorcycle from.”
Another man, this one with dark green skin with black hair and yellow eyes joined the group and asked, “So, you’re the kid from Canterlot City, aren’t you?” Nervously gulping, Apple Bloom nodded as she stuttered, “Y-y-y-yeah?” Thankfully, the new man let out a hearty laugh as he replied, “Relax, you’re not the only one who’s ever screwed up.” He then extended his hand and introduced himself, “The name’s Brawl.” Now relaxing herself, the former farm girl shook his hand as she replied, “Ah’m Apple Bloom.”
At that moment, Ironhide called out, “Alright everyone. Form up!” Sure enough, everyone began to form up into organized units, either in all blue or all gray. Ironhide then began to speak, “Now then, Let’s start getting ready. We’ll be getting visitors in a bit, so let’s give ‘em a show they’ll not forget anytime soon.” Everyone let out an enthusiastic cheer, forcing Marble to cover her ears. As Sideswipe led her girlfriend away, both sides began to slink away, leaving Apple Bloom to think to herself, ‘Ah wonder what their all gonna do now.’
A Short While Later….
Sitting on a foldable chair under a great white tarp, a thoroughly bored Apple Bloom watched as Ironhide led Ratchet, Wheeljack, and a group of about thirty other men in blue costumes as they performed a series of drills with their weapons. While it had been intriguing for the first ten minutes, the sight of everyone doing it over and over and over again had quickly lost its charm and was now about as exciting to the former farm girl as was cleaning rusty pieces of scrap iron (which itself was not very exciting).
From behind her, Apple Bloom heard Chromia call out to her, “I know this probably isn’t how you’d like to spend the day.” As the older woman approached her niece, the former farm girl apologized, “Sorry if it seems Ah’m not interested Aunt Chromia.” Resting her hand on her niece’s shoulder, Chromia reassured her, “Trust me, this is probably the most boring part.” She then pointed to the group as she said, “And I think it’s just about to end.”
Following her aunt’s hand, Apple Bloom found that some of the men were now kneeling as Ironhide shouted, “Make ready!” Once everyone had stopped moving, the former sergeant continued, “Present!” Now the men aimed their weapons at the bundles of hay in front of them as Ironhide concluded, “Fire!” With that, the collection of weapons fired smoke out of their barrels as the sound of thunder rang out. Apple Bloom crossed her arms as she remarked, “Good thing we’re all the way over here, otherwise Ah’d worry about losin’ mah hearin’ from ‘em.”
As the men reloaded their weapons, Apple Bloom asked, “Aunt Chromia? What do you do here?” The older woman smiled as she answered, “Well while they act as soldiers, I represent the nurses and people who helped tend to the wounded.” The former farm girl let out an amazed “ooh” as Chromia continued, “Besides, it’s certainly a nice way to get out of the house.”
From the other side of the tarp, Apple Bloom heard Sideswipe call out, “Hey Chromia?” Turning around, both aunt and niece found the pale biker and Marble approaching as the former explained, “Marble was wondering if we can take a look around.” The gray girl then added, “And those stupid guns are really loud.”
Nodding, Chromia bade them permission as she replied, “Alright, you two can look around.” Sideswipe took Marble by the hand as she said, “Come on!” As the two lovebirds left, Chromia turned to Apple Bloom and said, “I think they’ve got everything handled here, so you can go on too.”
Lighting up, Apple Bloom hugged her aunt as she squealed, “Thank you Aunt Chromia!” The older woman hugged her niece back as she replied, “Just be sure to be back by noon for the big battle.” The former farm girl nodded as she replied, “Ah’ll be back.” With that, Apple Bloom darted away, curious as to what else this history fair had in store.
The History Fair….
Walking past the many stalls and vendors, Apple Bloom was amazed by everything around her. All around her were stalls selling anything from fancy clothes to books and pamphlets and even themed snacks. All in all, it reminded the former farm girl of being in a carnival, albeit dedicated to celebrating the past.
Making her way past one of the many vendors, Apple Bloom found herself in a clearing filled with dozens of picnic tables, at one of which Marble and Sideswipe were seated next to each other, munching away at some cheese popcorn. The gray geologist noticed her friend watching them and waved at Apple Bloom, inviting her to join them. Smiling at the sight of her sister and her girlfriend seated together, the red-haired girl called back, “Ah’ll be right over!”
Once she’d made it over to the two lovebirds, Apple Bloom sat down and asked, “So, how’s your day goin’ so far?” Marble immediately replied, “It’s pretty cool, save for the loud noises those guns make.” Sideswipe rested her arm around her girlfriend’s shoulder as she reassured her, “Don’t worry. We can watch their show from a safe distance.”
Giving into the adorableness of Marble and Sideswipe comforting each other, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but remark, “Why aren’t you two just the cutest things Ah’ve ever seen?” As Marble blushed with embarrassment, Sideswipe quipped, “Really? Well, what about your boyfriend?” The moment Tender Taps was mentioned, the former farm girl began to turn as red as her hair as she blabbered, “Yeah well…. He’s different.” She then snatched a piece of cheese popcorn and popped it into her mouth, leading the gray geologist to complain, “Hey, that’s ours!”
Shrugging, Apple Bloom finished the piece of popcorn in her mouth as she replied, “Didn’t you know sharin’ is carin’?” This led Marble to retort, “Yeah, but it’s good manners to ask first.” Accepting defeat, the former farm girl asked, “Alright. May Ah have another piece of popcorn?” Marble turned to her girlfriend and asked, “Should we?” Playfully contemplating it, Sideswipe straightened her vest as she answered, “I suppose we should. Besides, she looks kind of hungry.”
Before Apple Bloom could take another piece of popcorn however, she was startled when a somewhat familiar voice whispered in her ear, “Hey how’s it hanging?” Jumping up in fear, the red-haired girl screamed, “Gah!” As she turned around, however, she was surprised to find a familiar caramel brown boy with silver hair, red eyes behind a pair of circular glasses, and buck teeth dressed in a gray tee shirt, khaki shorts, and black and white sneakers.
Calming herself down, the former farm girl frowned as she dejectedly said, “That wasn’t funny Rattrap.” Shrugging to himself, Rattrap replied, “Oh come on. It was at least a little funny.” He then began to scuff his feet as he continued, “Still, it’s great to see you guys again.” Unable to hold on to her anger anymore, Apple Bloom wrapped her friend in a bone crushing hug as she replied, “Good to see you too Rattrap.”
Once she’d released him, Rattrap walked up to the others as he began, “Hey Sideswipe. Hey Marble. How are you guys doin’?” The pale biker answered, “Oh you know, getting by, finding someone cute, nothing special.” When the scrawny boy gave a confused look, Marble bluntly added, “Sideswipe and I are dating.” Intrigued, Rattrap complimented, “Whoa! Well good for you guys.”
At that moment, the three girls noticed something moving in Rattrap’s shirt. Realizing he was being watched, the scrawny boy pulled his shirt collar away and looked down as he gently whispered, “It’s alright. You can come out now.” Sure enough, a large gray rat crawled up from Rattrap’s shirt and perched itself on his left shoulder. As Marble and Sideswipe backed away, the scrawny boy tried to reassure them, “Don’t be scared of him! He’s harmless.”
Apple Bloom tiptoed up to the rat and asked, “Isn’t that the little fella who was messin’ up your garden?” Nodding, Rattrap answered, “Yeah, but since then Munchy has been behavin’ himself.” He then allowed the rat to scurry down to his hands as he introduced him, “Sideswipe? Marble? This is Munchausen, but I call him Munchy for short.”
Intrigued, Marble walked up to Rattrap and began to pet Munchy, leading the gray rat to let out an affectionate squeak. Though the gray geologist was momentarily put off by this, the scrawny teen reassured her, “Don’t worry. That just means he likes you.” Marble let out a gentle “Ooh” before continuing to pet the small rodent, leading to her remarking, “Well, for a rat, he is kind of cute.”
As Apple Bloom took in the sight of Marble playing with Rattrap’s pet rat, Sideswipe warned her, “Hey Apple Bloom? Blue blur at six o’ clock.” Before she could fully process what she’d just heard, the former farm girl was constricted in a bone crushing hug as the sound of Double Shuffle’s voice squealed, “Apple Bloom! You’re here!”
Managing to rotate herself around, Apple Bloom found she was indeed in the grasp of her honorary little sister. Hugging her back, the former farm girl replied, “Good to see you too Double Shuffle.” Once they’d released each other from their embrace, she asked, “So, where’s Tender?” The blue dancer replied, “He’s getting into costume for his first routine with the advanced tappers.” She then said, “He wants to see you.”
Taking this in, Apple Bloom turned around to face the others, only to be greeted by Sideswipe telling her, “Go on. We’ll be fine.” Giving her sister a nod, Apple Bloom departed with Double Shuffle while Rattrap introduced Sideswipe to Munchy, much to Marble’s amusement.
The Main Stage…
Making their way to the back of the makeshift stage, Apple Bloom found Tender Taps seated on a barrel as he laced up his tap shoes. The orange boy was dressed in dark blue pants, a black undershirt, and a red and blue button shirt that was unbuttoned. However, Apple Bloom noticed the worried look on his face, something that she’d never seen before. ‘Ah’ve got a feelin’ somethin’s not quite right.’ She thought to herself.
Walking up to her boyfriend, Apple Bloom called out, “Hey Tendy!” The moment he heard this, Tender Taps leapt up and dashed towards his girlfriend before wrapping her in a tight hug. After releasing her, the orange teen awkwardly greeted, “Hey Apple Bloom. Good to see you again.” Though he was smiling, the former farm girl knew something was bugging him.
Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom asked, “Tender? What’s wrong?” As he sighed, Tender Taps let out an embarrassed chuckle as he admitted, “I guess the best way to put it is…. I’ve got stage fright.” The former farm girl hesitated for a moment before replying, “What? You? Stage fright?”
Tender Taps sighed in embarrassment as he explained, “I know it seems kind of weird, but I haven’t been on stage since before I got in that fight with Garble.” HE then pointed to the stage as he continued, “And now there’s gonna be like what, a hundred? Two hundred People?” As the color began to leave his face, Tender Taps practically screamed, “And what if I screw up or someone throws a tomato at me or….”
“Tendy!” Apple Bloom blurted out as she rested her hands on his shoulders. Pausing for a moment, she tried to reassure him, “You’re the best dancer Ah know, and you’re gonna do fine.” Double Shuffle then added, “Yeah! You make the others look like they’re beginners.”
Before anyone could say anything else, the group was approached by Pizzelle, who had her hair in a bun and was dressed in the same outfit as Tender Taps, as she said, “Hey Tender? We need to get ready.” She then turned to Double Shuffle and added, “And you need to start getting into your costume.” As Tender Taps nodded, Apple Bloom asked, “Guess Ah better be goin’?” Double Shuffle sighed as she replied, “Yeah. Wish us luck.”
Giving her sister and boyfriend one more hug, Apple Bloom said, “Good luck guys.” With that, she departed, hoping Tender Taps could conquer his stage fright.
Thirty Minutes Later…
Seated in one of the rows of chairs in between Sideswipe and Rattrap, Apple Bloom found herself biting her nails as she worried about her boyfriend. “Ah hope he’s alright.” She said to herself. After all, she’d never seen him so seemingly nervous, and this was the first time he came out and revealed what was bothering him right after she asked. ‘Then again, we did promise to be more open with each other.’ She internally told herself as she continued fretting.
Seeing her sister nearly burst at the seams, Sideswipe remarked, “Hey, calm down. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” From the pale biker’s other side, Marble added, “She’s right. Besides, you said you’ve gone busking with Tender and his sister, right?” Nodding, Apple Bloom quickly retorted, “Yeah, but we never had more than like fifteen people at a time. But now….”
Extending her arm to the rows and rows of seats around them, Apple Bloom finished, “Now we’re dealin’ with like what, a hundred people?” Sighing as she slumped back into her seat, the former farm girl apologized, “Sorry, it’s just Ah’ve never seen him this worried over somethin’ before.” As Marble and Sideswipe gave each other confused looks, Rattrap reassured her, “If what he showed me was true, he’ll be fine.”
At that moment, a voice rang out from the sound system, “Ladies and gentlemen! For your viewing entertainment, we give you the students of Hoofer Step’s School of Dance!” As everyone in the audience applauded (including a very enthusiastic Apple Bloom), several girls of varying ages emerged onto the stage, all dressed exactly the same. Apple Bloom could easily notice Double Shuffle among them as the latter seemed to bounce up and down with uncontrollable energy, as if she couldn’t wait to start dancing.
Eventually, Tender Taps emerged on stage, wearing a smile that most people would think was honest, but Apple Bloom could tell was hiding his clear stage fright. Once everyone was on stage, one of the other dancers leapt forward and began to move her feet, producing an intoxicating flurry of clicks and clacks. Once she finished, Pizzelle stepped forward and proceeded to perform several scissors. “Heh. Not as good as Tender does ‘em, but still pretty impressive.” Apple Bloom whispered to herself in amazement.
The next girl to perform was Double Shuffle, who proceeded to blow everyone’s minds by her impossibly fast and fancy footwork. While most people let out amazed and excited “Whoa”s, Rattrap leant into Apple Bloom’s ear as he whispered, “Tender was right. She’s like a prodigy!” Indeed, Double Shuffle’s taps were so fast that they were blending together, something that even the former farm girl never thought was humanly possible.
Once Double Shuffle had finished, the rest of the girl dancers took their turn, tapping across the stage. Some were clearly in need of more practice while others were clearly very skilled dancers. Eventually, the only person left to take their turn was Tender Taps. Gulping with anticipation, Apple Bloom thought to herself, ‘Come on Tendy. You can do it.’
Taking a nervous and deep breath, Tender Taps leapt forward as he worked his magic, prancing his way across the stage. However, Apple Bloom noticed something off with his dancing; Every now and then, Tender’s taps wouldn’t make contact with the floor. IF that wasn’t happening, then his normally crisp taps would blend together. While his dancing was still the among the best of the group, Apple Bloom knew that he was slipping up.
As Tender Taps had finished tapping, the rest of the group stepped forward as Double Shuffle called out, “A five! A six! A five six seven eight!” Once she finished, everyone began to perform a series of double time steps. Finishing their time steps, the entire group struck dramatic poses, signaling they’d finished. Sure enough, the entire audience began to applaud the group, though none clapped harder than Apple Bloom and her friends.
As the dancers vacated the stage, the announcer began to speak again with, “Give ‘em a hand ladies and gentlemen. Keep your eyes peeled, because some of them will be performing again later today.” Now that the members of the audience were starting to leave, Apple Bloom stood up as she said, “Ah’m gonna try to find Tender.” Sideswipe nodded as she replied, “Ok. Marble and I were gonna look around.” She then turned to Rattrap and asked, “You wanna come along?” The scrawny teen stood up and, making sure Munchy was safely secured in his pocket, he replied, “You bet.”
And so, as Marble, Sideswipe and Rattrap left to take a look around the fair, Apple Bloom made her way towards the stage, hopeful her boyfriend was feeling better.
Backstage
Navigating her way through the other dancers, Apple Bloom found Tender Taps sitting next to Double Shuffle and Pizzelle, the worried expression on his face betraying the fact that he was still nervous. Walking up to the trio, the former farm girl greeted, “You guys were fantastic!” Double Shuffle squealed with joy as she replied, “Thank you Apple Bloom!”
Tender Taps, however, shook his head as he dejectedly replied, “Are you kidding? That was the worst performance I’ve given in years!” Shocked, Apple Bloom tried to counter, “Oh come on. You were still fantastic.” Sadly, her words fell on deaf ears as her boyfriend shot up and replied, “You saw me! I could feel that not all the taps were hitting the floor, and I was so nervous that I began to lose my balance and….” Now turning pale, the orange boy sat back down as he began to take deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. Resting her hand on his shoulder, Apple Bloom asked, “You feelin’ better?”
Shaking his head, Tender Taps gulped as he answered, “The worst part is I have another performance later today! A solo and I….” Thankfully, Pizzelle reassured him, “Calm down Tender. Your number isn’t for like two hours.” Apple Bloom then suggested, “Hey, how about you and I look around? It might distract you from your stage fright?”
Shrugging, Tender Taps replied, “It’s at least worth a shot.” Once he’d slipped off his tap shoes and slipped on his sneakers, the purple haired boy held his hand out to Apple Bloom as he playfully asked, “Shall we m’lady?” Curtsying as she blushed as red as her hair, Apple Bloom took his hand as she replied, “Ah’d love to.”
And as Apple Bloom and Tender Taps departed, Pizzelle bent down to Double Shuffle and asked, “You think she can help him?” Turning to the older girl, the blue tap dancing prodigy smiled as she replied, “If anyone can help my brother, it’s my big sis.”
The War Demonstration….
Sitting down on the grass, Apple Bloom and Tender Taps found themselves amazed as the two groups of men lined up, preparing for their mock battle. Pointing to the blue side, the former farm girl said, “There’s Uncle Ironhide.” Indeed, following her hand, the orange dancer found Ironhide standing in front of one of the blocks of reenactors, holding a sword in one hand and adopting a confident pose. On the opposite side of the field stood the reenactors dressed in gray, who were far more loosely organized than their cerulean counterparts.
After a few moments, the gray let out a terrifying yell as they charged forward. As Apple Bloom held her hands up to her face in anticipation, Ironhide turned to his fellow soldiers and called out, “Steady boys!” He then shifted his focus to the approaching enemy as he shouted, “Make ready!” The first row of men knelt down as the next row stepped one pace forward in anticipation. Ironhide then continued, “Present!” Now the first three rows of soldiers aimed their muskets.
As the gray clad men charged, Apple Bloom, Tender Taps, and the rest of the audience held their breaths in anticipation. For those brief moments while the gray rebels closed the distance, the former farm girl began to worry. ‘Ah mean, it’s all a reenactment, but why do Ah feel so scared?’ She thought to herself as she allowed her hand to grasp Tender Taps’s.
At that moment, Ironhide pointed his sword as he shouted, “FIRE!”
A great cloud emerged from the cerulean clad men’s’ muskets, many of the gray soldiers were “shot” and collapsed to the ground. Of course, a good number of those who hadn’t collapsed aimed and fired their own weapons, leading to some of the blue soldiers to fall, including Wheeljack. Despite their “losses,” Ironhide and his men held their ground, with the former soldier even calling out, “Alright boys, another volley!”
As the blue soldiers poured the gunpowder and balls down their musket barrels, Apple Bloom turned to her boyfriend and asked, “Feelin’ better?” Shrugging, Tender Taps replied, “About as much as I can watching a bunch of guys pretend to fight each other.” He then pulled his legs up to his chest as he continued, “Sorry to bother you with my stage fright Apple Bloom. Guess I’m just thinking about it all too much.”
Pulling her boyfriend into a side hug, Apple Bloom asked, “So, do you actually wanna perform again?” Without a moment’s hesitation, Tender Taps blurted out, “You bet! I love performing for people! The thrill of being on stage, knowing that you’re what makes everyone happy….” He then realized he was distracting everyone and offered a meek, “Heh, sorry everyone.”
As the rest of the audience returned their attention to the mock battle, Tender Taps let out a gentle chuckle as he finished, “Sorry, it’s just I guess I kind of need to get back into the groove, that’s all.”
At that moment, Apple Bloom’s eyes lit up as she whispered, “Wait! Ah’ve got an idea!” She then took Tender Taps by the hand and pulled him away. Once they were away from everyone else, she took her boyfriend and, placing her hands on his shoulders, gently but sternly told him, “Now you listen here. You’re the best dancer AH know, and you are gonna conquer your stage fright by goin’ on up onto that stage!”
For a moment, both teens stood there, not entirely sure of what was actually happening. Letting out an embarrassed chuckle, Apple Bloom scratched the back of her head as she asked, “That wasn’t too harsh, was it?” A surprised and awestruck Tender Taps shook his head as he replied, “Oh no, of course not!” He then took her hand as he replied, “But you’re right. If I want to do it, I’ll just need to man up and do it, right?”
Blushing, Apple Bloom held Tender’s hand in both of her hands as she replied, “Yeah.” Now it was Tender Taps’s turn to get an idea as he said, “Follow me! I need to ask Miss Hoofer Steps something.” With that, both boyfriend and girlfriend left the mock battle, not noticing as Ironhide led the blue soldiers to victory over their gray opponents.
The Stage, One Hour Later…
Apple Bloom and Tender Taps stood in the wing of the stage (Specifically stage right), watching Pizzelle perform a surprisingly complicated tap routine. The former farm girl turned to her boyfriend and remarked, “She’s actually pretty good.” Of course, the orange boy blushed as he humbly replied, “She is, but not quite as good as you.”
As Pizzelle finished her number and performed a curtsy to the audience’s applause, Apple Bloom turned to her boyfriend and said, “Here goes nothin’. You ready?” Tender Taps straightened the microphone on his shirt collar and, taking a deep breath, muttered, “As ready as ever.” The former farm girl gave him a quick kiss to his cheek for good luck and a pat to the back as she gave whispered, “Here goes nothin’. Good luck.”
Passing Pizzelle as he walked on stage, Tender Taps heard the announcer call out, “And now, tap dancing and singing to “No Girl’s Toy,” Here is Tender Taps!” As the purple haired boy stepped up to the center of the stage, Apple Bloom heard Pizzelle whisper, “You able to talk some sense into him?” The former farm girl quickly turned to the pale white dancer and replied, “As much as Ah could.”
At that moment, Tender Taps began to sing, “Well you can…..” As the music backtrack played, he stepped forward as he continued, “Push me, shove me, turn me around but I’m no girl’s toy.” He then gracefully leapt into the air as he continued, “You can tie me, toss me upside or down but I’m no girl’s toy.” Straightening himself, the orange boy sang, “I sing my own sweet melody, I go my own sweet way. I won’t beg round tomorrow for the kind of affection that was free today! Oh, you can squeeze me, tease me, say I’m your own, but I’m no girl’s toy. You can charm me, chase me, follow me home, but I won’t be coy!” He then stopped for a moment before his (to Apple Bloom at least) beautiful voice rang out, “You may not like it much, but I’m my own best boy.” He then began to walk as he shook his hips while finishing, “And not some sugar and spicy, lacey and nicey, sissy you’re gonna enjoy! No, I’m no, girl’s toy!”
Turning to the audience, Tender Taps made a goofy face, leading the audience to burst out laughing. He then leapt into the air and landed in a split before allowing his feet to fly, clicking, clacking and tapping up and down the stage. As the audience watched in amazement, Apple Bloom found an impossibly massive grin had formed on her face as watched her boyfriend sing and dance his heart’s content out.
After what seemed like an eternity (Apple Bloom had completely lost track of time), Tender Taps sang, “Well you can squeeze me, tease me, say I’m your own but I’m no girl’s toy. You can charm me, chase me, follow me home. But I won’t be coy. You may not like it much but I’m my own best boy, and not some sugar and spicey, lacey and nicey, sissy you’re gonna enjoy! No, I’m No….” Taking a deep breath, he finished, “Girl’s Tooooooooyyyyyyyy!” He then performed a simple shave and a haircut as he quipped, “Not me!”
Once he finished, the audience erupted into thunderous applause as Tender Taps Bowed and made his exit stage right. Now alone with Apple Bloom and Pizzelle, he began to pant as he asked, “So, how’d you think I did?”
Apple Bloom gave her answer when she wrapped him in a massive hug and planted a kiss right on his lips before squealing, “You were AMAZIN’!” She then picked him up and twirled him around as Pizzelle folded her arms and replied, “You did great Tender.”
Before anyone could say anything else, Hoofer Steps approached the group and asked, “If none of you vill be performing again, zen could you please leave ze stage?” Nodding, Apple Bloom took Tender Taps’s hand and said, “Come on. Let’s get you somethin’ to drink.” She then led her boyfriend away as Pizzelle went another way, all while the older dance teacher said to herself, “Zose kids.”
A Few Minutes Later…
Walking through the fair as they sipped from their drinks, Apple Bloom turned to Tender Taps as she complimented, “Ah’m serious, you were amazin’! Ah’ve never seen anyone sing or dance like you!” The orange boy blushed as he humbly replied, “Oh please. You should hear mom when she sings along to one of her records.” He then said, “Thanks for that pep talk. Guess I just needed someone to believe in me.”
Before Apple Bloom could say anything, however, both teens were distracted by the sound of Sideswipe’s voice calling out, “There you two are!” Turning around, they found the pale biker, Marble, Rattrap, and Double Shuffle running up to them.
Now surrounded by their friends, Apple Bloom and Tender Taps were bombarded by compliments, ranging from Sideswipe’s, “I gotta say, you’re singing is as good as your dancing!” to Marble’s, “I’ve never seen anyone do something like that! That was impressive!” Even Rattrap gave him a playful punch on the shoulder as he complimented, “I gotta say, that was pretty cool.”
As everyone gathered around Tender Taps, Apple Bloom found herself overtaken by emotion as she realized something. ‘They’re all here.’ She thought to herself. ‘We’re all together now.’
She was distracted from her train of thought when Double Shuffle asked, “Apple Bloom? You’re starting to tear up. You alright?” Now allowing the tears to gently fall down her cheeks, Apple Bloom simply answered, “Ah’m perfect.” The former farm girl then proceeded to scoop everyone up and wrap them in the largest group hug she’d ever given anyone.
Though everyone was momentarily put off, Marble and Double Shuffle were the first to return the hug. The next to join in were Tender Taps and Sideswipe, followed by Rattrap shrugging as he quipped, “Eh, we’re all gonna die.” Before he joined in himself. All in all, it was a rather pleasant and adorable sight.
Once she’d released everyone, Apple Bloom sniffled as she explained, “Sorry, it’s just…. We’re all here.” As everyone took this in, Sideswipe replied, “Oh yeah. I’m surprised this hasn’t happened earlier.” Marble then suggested, “WE need to take a picture of this. Anyone have a camera?” As everyone paused for a moment, Rattrap reached into his pocket and pulled out his camera as he called out, “I’ve got one.”
At that moment, a man walked by and asked, “You kids need me to take a picture of you guys?” Rattrap nodded as he handed him the camera and replied, “If you don’t mind sir.” The man took the camera and said, “Alright then. You kids get together.” Once everyone was in position, the man took the picture and handed the camera back to Rattrap. As the man left, everyone gathered around as they took in the picture.
On the picture, Apple Bloom was standing in the middle as Tender Taps stood back-to-back with her. Marble and Sideswipe were hugging each other while Rattrap waived as Munchy stood on his shoulder. And to the other side, Double Shuffle leapt into the air, striking an admittedly adorable pose. To Apple Bloom, it was absolutely perfect.
“Ah love it!” The former farm girl squealed. She then rested her hands around Tender Taps and Sideswipe as she exclaimed, “You guys are the best friends Ah’ve ever had!” The pale biker wrapped her arm around her sister as she replied, “Well it’s only because you’re my best friend.” Tender Taps then added, “And you’re my best friend as well.” HE then began to blush as he added, “and to me, a little bit more.” Both teens then shared a gentle kiss, much to everyone else’s amusement.
Marble then stepped forward and began, “Apple Bloom, I got you a little something.” She then reached into her jacket and pulled out a blue cap, one that resembled the hats many of the reenactors wore. The gray girl handed the hat to her friend as she explained, “I wanted to get you a little something to thank you for inviting me, and, well…. Gray doesn’t really suit you.”
Taking the blue hat, Apple Bloom placed it on her head, leading Sideswipe to remark, “Wow. It actually looks really good on her.” Marble turned to her girlfriend and quipped, “I told you it would.” Rattrap then added, “Nice hat.”
Smiling, Apple Bloom turned to Marble and said, “Thanks Marble.” She then asked, “So, what do we do now?” For a few moments, no one knew what to say. Thankfully, Double Shuffle suggested, “I heard a Celtic band would be performing in a bit.” Taking this in, Apple Bloom suggested, “Well, we better make sure we get the best seats in the house, right?”
As everyone nodded, Apple Bloom straightened her hat and said, “Alright then. Let’s go get our seats.” She then took Tender Taps by the hand and followed Double Shuffle, followed by Marble Pie and Sideswipe holding hands, and Rattrap handling the rear. With that, the group made their way to the Celtic musicians.
All while Apple Bloom thought to herself, ‘This has to be the best day of mah life!’
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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They're finally all in one place! At last. I've been waiting for this for a while.
11131734
Glad you’re happy. I’ll admit the hardest part is giving everyone enough dialogue and plot importance, but I think it worked out.
And worry not, this isn’t the only time the gang’s all together
Very good
With the Combaticons included, I'm surprised Blast Off and Vortex weren't there.