Apple Bloom trotted along, reaching out with that odd sense the tree had given her. She felt plants growing all around, she felt the grass surge and thrust from the ground, then she heard a voice say, "Uh, hi Apple Bloom." Tender Taps smiled at the filly. Every time he saw her his heart thundered, when he tried to talk to her his voice struggled to find a pitch.

"Hi there Tender, uh…" Apple Bloom looked around—and seeing the coast was clear—leaned in to give the colt a little kiss on the cheek. "We should go somewhere, my sister's busy on the farm, and she has Gel and Twi to help her."

Tender blushed hotly at the kiss on his cheek. Ever since the dance recital he had felt amazed by the filly, when she had saved all the foals of Ponyville from the craziness it had only cemented his feelings. He was in love…

"Equestria to Tender Taps, come in Tender Taps…" Apple Bloom waved a hoof in front of the colt's face until he blinked. "Oh, you are awake, I thought you might have become some kinda zombie!"

"We could go fishing!" Tender blurted the words out all over each other, it had been something he had wanted to ask the filly for a while, but hadn't been able to work up the nerve. "That is, if you want to?"

"Silly, of course I want to, let's just ask my fellow Crusaders first!" Apple Bloom led the way, a slightly confused colt trotting along behind her. "We can ask Sweetie Belle first!" For a moment Tender was caught, watching the filly move. She was an earth pony like him, and she moved amazingly. Since his debut, they had both grown a bit and he couldn't help but admit that she was going to be a strong and agile mare, like her big sis.

The colt shook his head. "Oh, Sweetie Belle will be at work with her sister, right?" Tender trotted quickly to catch up, his hooves bringing him alongside Apple Bloom. "I heard she got to go to one of the big parties up at the castle."

"She got to stay up late for it." Apple Bloom tilted her head, watching Tender trot beside her, a swarm of fluttery butterflies seemed to take up a nest in her chest. "But Scootaloo and I hid out late in the tree-house so she could tell us everything." Tilting her head back, she could see Carousel Boutique ahead. "There was a lot of dancing… that's all she said."

Tender had heard rumors, from other foals. "I." He paused a moment, trying to work out how to say it. "I heard ponies kiss there."

"Silly, they probably do more'n that there. I heard that it was after one of them that my nieces got…" Apple Bloom was a filly from a farm, she knew that the birds and the bees didn't do anything together, but only with their own kind. Boy did she know. "That is when a lot of things happen between a stallion and a mare."

"What-" Tender was cut off when Apple Bloom lifted her hoof and opened the door. He had missed his chance to ask!

"Apple Bloom, darling!" The big fuzzy diamond dog that Bloom knew was Rarity came padding over on two legs. "And who is your little friend?" Rarity's eyes danced, she knew the look the colt was giving Apple Bloom, part of her knew she would have to go and tell Applejack, another part applauded the filly for stepping onto a new path.

"This here is Tender Taps, he's muh," Apple Bloom blushed, she almost added the word 'colt', "friend."

Tender stepped up beside Apple Bloom, giving a bow. Rarity was the mare to know if you wanted an outfit to perform in. "Hello Miss. Rarity."

"Such a gentlecolt, I am pleased to meet you Tender." Lifting a paw, Rarity half turned, offering it to Tender. Having spent enough time now on stage, the colt knew just what to do. Bowing low over the paw, giving it the most gentle of kisses on the top. "Oh my!"

A green flash passed over Apple Blooms eyes before she shook her head. "Tender… what're you doing?"

"Uh… I…" Without thinking, Tender stepped up close to Apple Bloom. "We wanted to know if Sweetie Belle wanted to join us to do some fishing." He rapidly shook his head, while Apple was caught looking forward.

Chuckling at the colt's antics, Rarity looked over at her mirror duplicate. "Rarity, Sweetie was still working on those things out back, wasn't she?"

Mirror Rarity turned from the sewing machine, the whole time the foals and her other self had been talking, she had her ears swiveled back and had a huge grin plastered on her snout. "Oh indeed, poor thing simply can't leave, I am sure she will be-"

"I can go!" Sweetie Belle practically launched herself from the back room, landing beside her big and fuzzy sister. "I mean, please can I go?" She looked up at Rarity, a pleading look on her face. Something caught her attention, though. Tender was shaking his head, looking like he was going to panic. "Err, I mean…"

"No, Sweetie, you need to stay here and work. Tomorrow you can go and play with your friends." Rarity reached a paw down to rub the withers of her sister.

She had an out, Sweetie tried to look dejected and sad, but she saw the happiness on Tender's face. "Sorry Bloom, guess I can't join you."

Apple Bloom finally looked to Tender and saw that he was looking forward, the picture of innocence. "Ah guess. We should go ask Scootaloo as well. Thanks for having us, Rarity!"

"Run along now, I bet Scootaloo would just love to help you." Rarity stepped over to the door and opened it, only to reveal the pegasus filly in question, flapping along with a very distinctive unicorn at her side. "Is that… Fleur Dis Lee?"

"Oh darn, she looks busy too." Apple Bloom felt a little lost, her friends all seeming to have so much to do. Looking down at the ground, she was surprised when a leg reached over her back and squeezed her a little. "What?" Apple Bloom saw the colt at her side was looking to her, a sad and slightly guilty expression on his face.

"I am sorry, it's all my fault! I was asking Rarity to not let Sweetie come with us… I would have probably done the same with Scootaloo too…" Tender bared it all, he couldn't keep this deception up, not to Apple Bloom. "Lying isn't fun, not like in a stage show…"

Things connected in Apple Bloom's head, she leaned a little closer, into the hug. "Well, you wanted me all to yourself?" The colt nodded, it made the butterflies go crazy. "Let's get the fishing gear." The moment the words were out the filly's snout, a kiss landed on her cheek.

"I'll go get them!" Tender Taps gave another little squeeze and practically galloped off.

Blinking a few times at the colt, Apple Bloom realized two things: the butterflies got quieter when Tender was getting further away; and she really liked butterflies. Giving chase, she laughed happily as she chased the colt all the way back to his house. He beat her inside, of course, and by the time she got to his front door he was coming back out with two fishing poles and a net.

"You ready?" Tender wore a smile from ear to ear, the fact that Apple Bloom had come with him made him tingle happily all over. "Things may get a bit muddy down by the river."

"Careful who you talk to about getting' muddy! I am a farm filly, ah was wallowin' with the pigs before I could talk!" Apple Bloom reached out to take a pole, only to have Tender pull it from her reach.

"I'll carry all the things, if you find us some apples to take, from the market. I can pay for them…" Tender adjusted where the fishing gear was, passing over a few bits to his fillyfriend. The word, even in his mind, rattled and echoed around, needing to get out. "No fillyfriend of mine will have to pay for her first date!"

Apple Bloom's eyes were like saucers. The butterflies had mutated into giant, body-thudding dragons and she found herself nodding and taking the bits. "F-F-Fillyfriend?" The word felt… good. Tender nodded to her, smiling uncertainly. "Then that would make you my coltfriend." She saw the look of terror and delight mix on the colt's face.

"Guess it does." Tender blinked and, finally, nodded. "Let's go!"

The two wandered toward the town market, finding Braeburn at the Apple family stand. "Hiya Brae! Still helping out?" Apple Bloom's cousin grinned and nodded. "I need four apples, if you could."

"Aww, li'l Bloom, ah got the four shiniest apples for ya." Braeburn was reaching for a bag of apples when the colt beside his 'cuz' waved frantically. "What's the matter?"

"Can we have two that are… rotten?" Tender blushed a little at asking, it was practically like asking Rarity for an outfit that was nice, but not great.

"Why'n… oh! Yer goin' fishin'?" Braeburn smiled wide, understanding. "Ah saw some worms hidin' out in a few of these… here!" Along with the bag, a small sack of what was likely to be the worst apples ever was passed over. "Aww, no charge Bloom, Apples gotta stick tagether!"

Tender took the bits that Apple Bloom was about to pass back to him anyway. "I insist!" He put the three bits on the cart.

Braeburn could tell what way the wind was blowing. "O'course, a stallion always pays for his mare's dates." They were the right words, Brae knew, when the little colt practically inflated and blew away. "What'n tarnation is all that noise from up at the castle?"

Apple Bloom turned to look but was staring right at Tender again, she blushed. "I don't hear anything…" She got another peck on the cheek for her support in Tender's attempt to make sure the date was a success.

"C'mon!" Tender marched forward, very pleased that Apple Bloom was at his side. They walked in a comfortable silence, each mulling over the thoughts of what they had 'sort-of', 'kinda', and 'maybe' agreed to.

"Does this mean we are special someponies?" Tender blushed as he asked it, but they were well away from anypony else, the river bank ahead.

"Nah, let's just be coltfriend and fillyfriend for now. Ah don't think Ah'm big enough for that yet." Apple Bloom stepped up close to the bank and settled down.

Tender nodded to her summation. "Right… but I just… I want to tell you. If… when! When we are a bit bigger, I want to be your special somepony." If there was more blush in the colt's cheek, he would have been crimson.

"Later." Apple Bloom gave a firm nod, but smiled. "But that would be nice."

"What…" Twilight looked between the two Fleurs. "Which one is the changeling?" She rubbed at her eyes.

"They are!" Each of the two Fleurs both shouted at the same time, pointing a hoof. One of them continued. "They cast a spell on me, I can't… I can't remember… ugh, who are you?"

"They are lying!" The other Fleur looked furious and was already leaping forward to attack, when an orchid-colored sphere wrapped around each, lifting them up.

"Sunset, can you go and get Muffins. She was good friends with Fleur, she will be able to sort this out." Twilight glared at the two ponies she had trapped. "And neither of you are to try to fight your way free, got it?" Both were glaring at each other, their expressions a perfect mirror of each other. "I hope she can, at least..."

Author's Note

I mean, come on, cliffhangers cannot be solved too quickly, there needs to be a sugar-coma-inducing sweet story to break it up.

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