Dancing and Deception by DCFTEF

(Granny Smith / Apple Bloom)

 

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In Ponyville, the first few weeks of summer were always a busy time. From the moment the final school bell rang and Miss Cheerilee released her students for 3 months of summer break the foals worked as hard as they could to pack as much fun as possible into their limited time of freedom. It never lasted of course; after the third week every pony settled into the lazy rhythm that would define the rest of summer vacation. But for those first three weeks there was a lot planned.

 

"Hurry up you slowpokes!" admonished Apple Bloom, "if we don't get our names on the list we ain't gonna get free tickets fer the dance recital!"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle rolled their eyes, but went along without complaint. "Calm down Apple Bloom, I'm sure your friend set aside some free passes for us. You're the reason Tender Taps got his cutie mark after all."

Scoots added "Yeah, doesn't he like owe you free tickets to all his shows for life or something?" Their teasing was good-natured, but Bloom ignored them anyway.

 

"There he is!" exclaimed the pale yellow filly, spotting her little colt friend "Let's go ask him! HEY! TENDER TAPS! OVER HERE!"

The young dancer was just coming out of Sugar Cube Corner, but he didn't look very happy. That seemed strange to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who thought it impossible to leave Sugar Cube Corner without a smile on your face (Pinkie Pie guaranteed it personally). "Oh...hi Apple Bloom."

"We're all real excited about seeing ya in the big recital this Saturday." It was Apple Bloom's crude segue into asking about free tickets.

"Yeah...that" sighed Tender Taps, "I hope you all have fun, but I'm not gonna be in it."

The three fillies were flabbergasted; he had talked about nothing else for a month.

"What's the problem?" asked Apple Bloom, "It isn't stage-fright again, is it? I thought you had that licked."

Tender had a melancholy look on his face; obviously he didn't want to discuss it but he felt he owed Apple Bloom and her friends some explanation. "No, it's nothing like that."

"What then?" demanded Scootaloo.

"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" Sweetie inquired with concern.

 

With a sigh Tender Taps admitted "I'm not allowed. My Dad said I couldn't be in any more dance shows...or even take any more lessons."

"What!?" exclaimed all three fillies in unison.

He flushed red with embarrassment and replied "Keep it down!" Looking for a little privacy Tender shuffled his friends into the alley beside the sweet shop where he could explain. "My Dad doesn't want me dancing anymore...he says it's making me...you know...funny."

The fillies did not understand what he was saying right away. "My dancing was funny" chuckled Apple Bloom, "but only because it was awful."

"No, you don't get it" replied Tender, "he says it's making me queer...you know, gay."

All three Cutie Mark Crusaders recoiled in surprise. "That's a bunch of nonsense!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed too loud for Tender's taste, "Dancing doesn't make a pony gay! Didn't you tell your father that?"

 

The look on Tender Taps face got even sadder. He sat down on his rump and scratched at the dirt with his hoof before saying "But that's the thing...I am gay."

That surprised the fillies, especially Apple Bloom, who had a little bit of a crush on the colt which she did a poor job of keeping secret from her friends...but they recovered quickly. "Well okay...but so what if you are gay? That ain't a big deal. Mah cousin Braeburn is gay...plenty a'ponies are."

"Well my Dad says he doesn't want a colt-cuddler for a son. He caught me reading a magazine with stallions doing...you know, grown-up stuff...and he got really mad. He asked me if that was what I liked and I said 'yes'. I didn't know it was wrong."

"It isn't wrong!" snapped Scootaloo, flapping her wings angrily, hard enough to gain a few inches of altitude.

Tender sniffled and replied "Well my Dad says it's wrong. He gave me an awful whipping on the behind and made me take down all my dancing posters from my room. Even the ones with mares!" Apple Bloom put a comforting arm around his shoulders as he continued; "Worst of all my Dad doesn't like me anymore. He doesn't want to play catch, or read stories. Before, he'd always give me a kiss before I went to sleep at night but since I told him I'm gay he doesn't do that anymore...not even once!" A few tears ran down his muzzle and fell in the dust.

 

Sweetie Belle stamped her little hoof. "Well that's just not right! He's being a big jerk!"

Tender's reaction surprised her though; "Don't talk about my Dad that way!" he snapped at her, "He's still my father and I love him! If it's the only way to make him love me again then I'll just...I'll just stop being gay!" His anger spent, Tender Taps slumped back down and began to weep again.

The fillies were silent for a long time; finally Scootaloo offered in a soft voice "I'm not sure that's something you can just choose." None of them were sure, they'd never really thought about it. Some ponies liked stallions, some ponies liked mares...none of them had ever been taught that one way or another was right or wrong.

 

"Are ya sure yer gay?" inquired Apple Bloom, "Mah big sis told me yer sexualishness..."

"Sexuality" corrected Sweetie Belle.

"What are you, a dictionary?" Bloom muttered before continuing; "Applejack said 'yer sexuality is like a cutie mark. Yer never gonna know what it's gonna be until it arrives."

Tender explained "All my life, whenever I imagined what things were going to be like when I was older, when I found my Very Special Somepony and we lived together and shared a bed I always imagined that pony as a stallion. I like playing with fillies in a group, but when it's just one-on-one I prefer to spend time with another colt."

Apple Bloom recalled something and added "Come to think of it, the card you gave me last Hearts & Hooves Day was about half the size of the one ya gave Featherweight."

"Well it doesn't matter!" snorted Tender Taps, wiping away his tears, "If it's what I've gotta do to make my Dad like me again then I'm just gonna stop being gay and stop dancing! That's final!"

 

"Whoa! Not so fast!" objected Sweetie Belle "You can't just give up on either of those things...you'll never be happy denying who you are."

"What choice do I have?" answered the colt "He's my Dad, I want him to love me! This last week has been the worst of my life, I just want things to go back to the way things were before...before he knew I was gay."

"But what if he thought you weren't gay?" suggested Sweetie. Tender Taps and the other two fillies looked at her with puzzled expressions. "Where does your daddy work, Tender?"

"Different places" answered the confused colt, "he works construction. Right now he's building a new house over on Hackney Avenue."

"And when does he come home?"

"5 o'clock, on the dot every day" Taps explained "they have this great big steam whistle that tells them all it's quitting time."

Sweetie Belle got a devious look on her face and suggested "So what would he think if he was walking home down Hackney Avenue at 5 o'clock and saw you kissing a filly?"

 

All four foals were silent for a moment as they let Sweetie's plan sink in. "He'd...he'd maybe think I wasn't gay anymore."

"And then he'd let you dance again" said Sweetie Belle, "and things could go back to the way they were before. You'd have to keep it a secret that you still really are gay, but it could buy you some time. In a few years you'll be older, and maybe you can convince him it's okay for you to love a stallion. I know it's not a perfect plan, but..."

"But it just might work!" exclaimed Tender Taps. "Where am I gonna find a filly to kiss though, even if it's just pretend?"

The other two Crusaders took a step back, leaving Apple Bloom front and center. "You are the logical choice, Bloom" said Scootaloo, "you've been friends with him longer than we have."

Tender didn't want to force his friend into anything she was uncomfortable with. "Are you okay with that, Apple Bloom? Just say no if you don't want to...I'll understand."

The Apple filly blushed and scratched at the dirt nervously "Umm...yeah, I suppose it is okay, and yer right Scootaloo, if it's anypony it ought ta be me." Before commiting she took a deep breath and added "But there's one little thing I'm worried about..."

 

"What are you worried about?" asked Sweetie Belle "This plan is perfect!

"None of our plans are ever perfect" muttered Scootaloo, earning a dirty look from her Unicorn friend. The others did not respond.

 

Apple Bloom explained her concern; "I ain't gonna lie...I'm kinda afraid a'my Granny findin' out. We sorta got a rule in my family about kissin' and goin' out with colts. I ain't allowed until I'm at least 15 years old and even then Granny Smith needs to know and approve of him. It was the same fer Applejack...and our Momma...an' Granny says it's been that way ever since the family wuz travelin' seed collectors."

"Well that's just silly!" protested Scootaloo, but Sweetie Belle took Bloom's side.

"Ummm...I sorta understand. I don't think my Mom would be too happy if she found out I was making out with a colt-friend...and Daddy would probably pound him into jelly. They were both pretty strict with Rarity when she was a teenager...always wanting to know who she was with and when she was going to be home. Oh boy did she whine and complain about that, until Daddy warned her the next time she missed curfew she'd get the belt across her rear-end."

Scootaloo snorted in annoyance. "Alright, fine! I'll do it instead. My folks will both be passed out drunk by 5 o'clock anyway. They won't care."

But Tender Taps saw the problem with that option. "Eh, begging your pardon Scootaloo, but you...well, I don't know how to say this..."

"Well just out with it then!"

"You sorta look...and act like a boy" Tender confessed, "I think if my Dad saw me kissing you it might make things worse."

 

Scootaloo had an annoyed grimace on her face while her two filly friends giggled a bit at her expense. "Tender's right...it should be me" Apple Bloom finally declared. "Granny Smith is regular as clockwork, she'll be at the farm, gettin' dinner ready at 5 o'clock. She won't see me."

"What about your brother & sister?" inquired a cautious Sweetie Belle.

"They won't tell on me...at least not before hearin' my side of the story." She turned to Tender Taps and warned "But if Big MacIntosh sees us you just run, okay? He might not take kindly to seein' some colt he don't know kissin' on his little sister, so just hide real good until I can explain to him what's going on." Tender agreed; Apple Bloom's big brother was a mild-mannered young stallion, but he didn't want to risk getting on Mac's bad side.

 

"Alright, so it's a plan?" asked Scootaloo, "We just wait on Hackney Avenue until Tender's Pop comes walking down the street and you two start smooching. Wanna hang out at the playground until then?"

"Are you crazy!?" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, "There's only a few hours! You two need to practice!" Tender and Bloom looked at each other, blushing. "Have either of you ever kissed anypony yet? I'm not talking about a good-night kiss or a peck on the cheek, I mean for realzies." She was right; neither of them ever had. "Well, get to it then!"

 

The colt and filly stared into each other's faces awkwardly, neither knowing where to start. "So, I suppose we should count to three?" That sounded good, but then Tender began counting up from one and Apple Bloom counted down from three. They both got confused and screwed up, not even making lip contact on the first attempt.

"Ugh!" muttered Sweetie Belle, "Haven't either of you ever seen a romance movie?" Rarity took her to a lot of them. "The boy is supposed to lead!"

"That's sexist" complained Scootaloo.

Again, Sweetie groaned in frustration, "Yeah, but we're trying to convince Tender's father he's not gay. He has to look like he's really into it, not just following Apple Bloom's lead!" She had a point. They tried again. This time Bloom stayed still and waited while Tender Taps leaned in and delivered a quick, unconvincing kiss on the cheek. "Lips, Tender, LIPS!" snapped Sweetie Belle like a drill sergeant of the Royal Guard.

 

This time Tender took a deep breath and went straight for it. They bumped muzzles, he fumbled a bit but finally made contact and completely overdid it this time, slobbering all over her in an attempt to slip his tongue in her mouth. Apple Bloom recoiled in shock, leaving the young dancer blushing crimson red and apologizing "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, that was my fault!"

Bloom wiped the spittle off her mouth and replied "No, it's okay...I just wasn't expectin' yer tongue. You had a peanut butter & banana sandwich, didn't ya?"

"Sorry, is that a problem?"

"No, no, we're good" answered the Apple filly, "I just never tasted somepony's lunch like that before." She sat up, smiled prettily and announced "Ah'm ready to try again."

 

Terribly embarrassed by his last attempt, Tender decided no tongue this time. He leaned in, made gentle contact with his friend's lips and something clicked. Both he and Apple Bloom knew it felt right this time. It was innocent and sincere; Tender felt bold enough to continue for just the right amount of time while Apple Bloom felt safe enough to surrender to him. Genuine love flowed between them...not romantic love but a warm feeling of contentment and trust between two friends exploring something new together.

 

When their lips finally parted the two remained close, rubbing muzzles and staring into each others eyes with deep satisfaction and gratitude. If this was indeed to be remembered as their first kiss it had been a good one.

Sweetie Belle agreed. "Great job!" she exclaimed, green magic sparking around her horn. "Now do it again!" Apple Bloom and Tender Taps each looked to their partner nervously. They weren't sure they could capture that magic twice, but Sweetie insisted; "Rarity always says; if you get something right once that's luck. You aren't good at it until you can do it right every time." She pushed Apple Bloom forward and repeated "Now do it again!"

 

Scootaloo gave her a suspicious glance and muttered "Sweetie Belle, are you getting off on this?" She took a subtle peek at her friend's hindquarters, her private parts in particular, which were indeed glistening. Sweetie shot her a dirty look and tucked her tail down demurely, obstructing the view.

Sweetie Belle may have been a little pervy, but she was right. Apple Bloom and Tender Taps knew they needed more practice if they were to fool his father.

 

"Ready?"

"Yeah...ready."

The colt and filly locked lips again...and right at that instant the world came spinning apart.

"APPLE BLOOM what in TAR-nation do you think you're doin' young filly!"

 

All four foals jumped back in horror, Bloom's worst fear had come true. While Granny Smith could reliably be expected to be home, preparing dinner at 5 o'clock it was now barely 2 o'clock and she had come to town to pick up some things at the market. When she looked down the alley near Sugar Cube Corner and saw a group of foals making out she grumbled something cliché under her breath about parents these days not supervising their foals properly...until she recognized one of those foals was her own grand-daughter.

 

"Granny Smith, it isn't what it looks like!" Scootaloo tried to explain but Granny was on the warpath and stomped straight past, ignoring her. Apple Bloom could only stand there, babbling, unable to form words...Tender Taps was frozen in place. They all expected the elder mare to start whacking away at Bloom's rear-end right away but all she did was push the two supposed love-birds apart and place herself between them.

Still in an angry, but measured voice Granny Smith said "Alrighty, you two got this one chance to tell me what's going on here. Apple Bloom, you know the rules about goin' around with colts...and you..." she turned on Tender Taps "...I don't figure yer folks are gonna be too happy about this either!"

Tender would have explained everything and accepted responsibility but Apple Bloom locked eyes with him and shook her head. "Granny, please! I can't rightly explain...but you gotta believe me. I wuzn't kissin' him fer real...it was...it was..." In these frantic seconds there was no good explanation she could come up with. Getting caught smooching a colt was bad, but in her mind the truth was worse. Even if Tender's father was wrong he was still an adult, and trying to deceive an adult was tantamount to lying. Apple Bloom had no doubt that would guarantee she wouldn't be able to sit down for a very long time.

 

Granny waited as her youngest grandfoal stammered and tried to produce an answer but at last her patience expired. "Young mare, what is the rule? You know what I'm talking about."

The pale yellow filly cringed but answered "I ain't supposed to have a Very Special coltfriend 'till I'm fifteen...but Tender ain't that!"

"Well if you got a better explanation fer what I just seen with my own eyes then out with it!" The others wanted to rush to her defense and explain everything, but it was Apple Bloom in trouble, they had to follow her lead. For her part, all Bloom could do was look down at the ground and whimper. "I thought so" muttered Granny. "Now get yer little rear moving! We're goin' straight home for a serious talk missy." Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Tender all gulped. They knew what that meant. As she led poor Apple Bloom away to her doom Granny turned to Tender Taps and growled "And you, Mister, I got a good mind to have a talk with yer father, ye little Coltsanova!"

"Actually, m-ma'am" stammered Tender Taps "that might help."

"SKEEDADDLE! All of you!"

The other foals had no choice, they ran, leaving Apple Bloom to certain doom.

 

Every step of the walk back to Sweet Apple Acres was pure torture. Granny wasn't in a mood to say much more than "Keep up!" when Apple Bloom lagged behind; a sure sign Bloom was in serious trouble. She wanted desperately to pour out the truth, to lay out everything and show Granny her intentions had been noble; but each time she built up the courage to speak the words got stuck in her throat. This was just the sort of predicament Apple Bloom and her friends always seemed to get in trouble for...

They were presented with a problem.

They resolved to do something about it.

They made a plan that seemed good.

The plan blew up in their face.

And more often than not they ended up getting punished for their plotting in spite of the good intentions they'd begun with. Apple Bloom decided to learn from those previous incidents, many of which had led to painful time spent over Granny's knee...something the filly desperately wanted to avoid today! So as much as she feared the scolding she'd get and the punishment for breaking the rule about smooching colts ('Oh please let it be just a grounding, please let it be just a grounding') it was far better than what would happen if Granny found out about their whole screwy plan to deceive Tender Taps' father. That revelation was sure to earn her a terrible spanking...the hairbrush at minimum!

"Keep up!" snapped Granny Smith again and Bloom obediently fell into step behind her, hoping obedience was enough to ameliorate the circumstances she was in.

 

Thankfully Big MacIntosh & Applejack were not home when they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres because the moment Granny slammed the kitchen door she began reading Bloom the riot act:

"Young filly what in Equestria has gotten into you? And don't try to play innocent neither; you knew perfectly well you wuz breakin' the rule about no coltfriends until fifteen or else you wouldn't have been hidin' in an alley like a common...well, I ain't even gonna say it!"

Blushing and cringing under her rebuke, Apple Bloom struggled to give an explanation that would assuage her Grand-mare's anger but wouldn't get her into even worse trouble. It was a slippery slope and no matter what she did Bloom felt herself losing grip with each passing moment. "I'm s-sorry Granny! Please believe me it wuzn't what it looked like. Tender Taps is just a friend...not a Very Special Somepony kinda friend!"

"Then wuz he blackmailin' ye fer somethin'? Somethin' you don't wanna tell me?"

"No ma'am, nothing like that! Tender is a nice colt!"

"Then I am still waitin' fer an explanation" growled the elder mare "and I better not find out you wuz sellin' kisses fer money."

 

Whoa nelly...that was a big deal to Granny. Once, over a year ago the family had been brainstorming ways to make a little extra money during the Ponyville Days festival and Applejack had innocently proposed a kissing booth. To everyone's shock Granny ripped into her, declaring that under no circumstances would any Apple Family member ever trade affection for money...she would let the farm fall into rubble before that. Applejack hadn't meant anything indecent by her suggestion but in Granny's estimation it was only two steps from outright prostitution. So vehement was her scolding that poor Applejack was silent for the rest of the evening, blushing as red as Big Mac's coat. Apple Bloom felt awful for her big sister...even as a grown-up young mare she'd narrowly avoided going to bed with a rump as red as her face!

 

"No Granny! I promise, I never done anything like that!" promised Bloom, "And I swear I never will!"

"Well then, we're right back where we started." Granny Smith's patience was running out. "This is yer final chance, little lady, you say this wasn't what it looked like, now's your opportunity to tell me the truth...I'm waiting."

Tears puddled up in Apple Bloom's big eyes. She just couldn't. "I'm sorry Granny...I just can't explain...please believe me."

 

Granny Smith sighed. "Bloomy, you ain't leavin' me no choice. If yer mouth won't tell me the truth then I just gotta have a talk with the other end." Apple Bloom's knees began to knock as her Grandmother pushed her over to the kitchen stool; it wasn't going to be just a grounding. The filly gulped as Granny rummaged through the drawers; at last she found what she was looking for.

"Ooohhh, Granny, please no!"

It wasn't just a wooden spoon...it was the wooden spoon. Easily twice the weight and size of a regular spoon, this was the stout implement used for stirring thick jellies and jams as they simmered on the stove. All the Apple young'uns had good reason to fear this nasty stinger; Bloom even had memories of it chasing Big Mac around the kitchen during his teenage years. Anything that could reduce her powerful big brother to terrified tears and piteous pleading was something to be dreaded.

 

Granny did not negotiate. Against her youngest grand-foal's sobbing protests she took her place on the stool and scooped the filly up onto her lap. The green mare may have been old, but she still knew how to handle a squirming filly, begging for reprieve...or at least a smaller spoon. "Please, please, please! Granny I didn't mean to break the rule! Honest! Please don't whup me with that!"

"Bloom, yer a big girl now with yer cutie mark an' you been gettin' a little too big fer yer britches. This is just what you're gonna get every time you think yer too old to follow the rules...unless you got something else t'tell me?"

Poor Apple Bloom gulped as salty tears ran down her muzzle. She just couldn't. As she felt her tail being lifted out of the way the filly tensed up, awaiting the inevitable...

 

*WHACK*

"OOOWWwwWOOoowWW!"

Apple Bloom certainly was getting older, she nearly twisted free when that first awful spank fell. Granny was in control though. Four more pink rectangles appeared next to the first on on Bloom's rear-end before the filly even had time to howl.

 

The heavy spoon did its work efficiently. Thick and stout for pushing its way through viscous liquids, it did not bend or budge, striking with a hard stinging smack on every contact. Since it had a long handle it struck with lightning speed too...the worst elements of a switch and a hairbrush rolled into one...and Granny was an expert with it. She followed her regular pattern, well practiced on the rumps of numerous naughty colts & fillies over the decades...most her own progeny, some of them not. Beginning with a fast salvo of spanks to get the miscreant crying she then settled into a steady, maintainable pace. Simply beating the tar out of a foal was cruel and counterproductive, Granny Smith did what worked, applying just what she judged would help the crying foal across her lap remember the rules and not a bit more. But to that misbehaving foal's dismay the intensity increased as the spanking went on. That first flurry of fast smacks had been delivered with only a flick of her wrist. Now, as the punishment continued, Granny began really laying on the heat.

 

Bawling and hiccuping, poor Apple Bloom had little time to appreciate her Grandmare's skillful performance. Each time the terrible stinging spoon whacked her tender bottom she yelped, twisting and squirming on Granny's lap. With every new jolt of sharp pain she felt she could not endure another, that she'd have to blurt out the whole truth because her suffering fanny just would not survive another; but before she could surrender the next spank fell, even worse than all the rest and all Apple Bloom could do was shriek.

*WHACK*

*WHACK*

*WHACK*

It wasn't just Apple Bloom's imagination, or the building fire consuming her rear. Granny really was increasing the intensity with each spank. By now every square inch of the filly's formerly pale yellow buttocks had taken multiple smacks, so she was concentrating on the most delicate spots, down at the bottom near Bloom's thighs. "WhhhaaaAAAHHH! Granny p-p-please, I'm...WHAHHH...I'm sooooorrrryyyyyy!"

"Missy, unless you got some new infer'mashun that might change things we are gonna keep this up until I decide you've learned yer lesson!"

*WHACK*

*WHACK*

*WHACK*

"YES! Yes Granny! I'll tell you...PLEASE, PLEASE STOP!"

 

Granny Smith put the spanking on hold, but did not set down the wooden spoon or let the bawling filly off her lap. She was patient; Apple Bloom needed time to stop crying and catch her breath but finally the youngest Apple was able to speak.

"We, *hiccup* we wuz not kissin' fer real..."

"That sure ain't what I saw, little lady" growled Granny, lifting the awful spoon again.

"No! Please no more!" cried Bloom, "It was a t-trick! We were gonna kiss in front of Tender Taps' daddy so he w-wouldn't think Tender was gay. We thought if *hic* his father thought he wasn't g-gay he'd let him dance again."

 

Apple Bloom had said her piece but now began to cry in fear. She was sure she'd just traded a bit of temporary relief for a far worse punishment. Lying and deception were not tolerated in the Apple Family...poor Apple Bloom worried she'd be dragged straight to the parlour where the dreaded paddle was kept, there to receive the spanking of her life. But what happened was a complete surprise.

 

"Oh Half-Pint, you meant well all the time!" exclaimed Granny Smith scooping Bloom up off her lap and into a tight, comforting hug. "But what you did was still plumb stupid!" She punctuated that admonishment with one final hoof-spank to the filly's already throbbing rump before letting Apple Bloom nestle in for a long embrace.

 

Gradually the whole story came out...

"Tender's daddy found out he was g-gay, and said *sniffle* he didn't want no colt-cuddler fer a son.

"And we thought maybe if he saw Tender an' me kissin' he wouldn't think Tender wuz gay anymore so he'd love him again and let him keep dancin'...which he loves!

"You just saw us practicing, Granny *sob* honest!

"I didn't mean to break the rule about colt-friends...and Tender didn't mean any harm, he don't even like fillies!"

 

Granny listened to her grand-daughter's every word, holding her and stroking her mane but notably, never apologizing for the spanking Bloom had just gotten. The filly had gotten herself into this predicament and still had a lesson to learn from it. "Oh Bloomy, what possessed you to try a hare-brained scheme like that?"

"Well, we wanted *sniffle* to help."

"And that's noble of ye, but did you even think to ask someone a little older fer advice?" Granny asked. Apple Bloom blushed, though her face was not as red as her backside. "You could'a talked to yer big brother or sister...or to me or Miss Cheerilee...heck, Mrs. Cake was right next door, did any of you think to tell her what was goin' on?"

Now Apple Bloom felt really silly. "Umm, no ma'am."

"No indeed!" scolded Granny gently, "And look where it got ya. Instead a'slowin' down and askin' fer help when a problem was too big for ya you came up with some crazy half-cocked scheme."

"I'm sorry..."

"You meant well, Half-Pint" Granny Smith replied, renewing the hug "you and yer little friends always try to help, it's what you got yer Cutie Marks fer. I'm right proud a'you fer that but sometimes helpin' means knowin' when to ask fer help yerself. This is the kind of problem grown-folks need to deal with, okay? How much trouble could you have saved yerself if you'd come to one of us first?"

"A lot of trouble" admitted Bloom, "and a lot of pain." She giggled nervously at that, and Granny tussled her mane, signaling she had no more to fear; the punishment was over.

 

What happened next happened fast, and did not involve Apple Bloom. When Applejack came in from her day's work in the orchard Granny Smith pulled her aside and explained all that had happened. After dinner she sent AJ into town to speak with her friend Princess Twilight about the matter. Twilight Sparkle, a Princess of the Realm and an enthusiastic meddler quickly sprang into action and the next day a small delegation of Ponyville citizens, led by Granny Smith, payed a visit to Tender Taps' father. Without lecturing or being preachy they explained to him that every foal in Equestria has the right to follow his own heart.

Miss Cheerilee the schoolteacher told him that Tender was at a point where he was just discovering his identity, and stifling that now could put him on a path to a lifetime of conflict and unhappiness.

Tender's dance instructor explained how talented his son was, and what a great career he might have if he could stick with his great passion.

Twilight Sparkle had been able to get a message to her friend Rainbow Dash at the Wonderbolt headquarters, and she arrived with a surprise guest; Soarin, who was bisexual and candidly admitted that he took a groupie stallion back to his dressing room after a show as often as he chose a mare...and no pony in Equestria thought of him as sissy, or less of a stallion.

 

They listened to the concerns of Tender's father too. It turned out he did love his son very much but was worried about how being gay would effect his life. He feared that by being overly affectionate, or by kissing his son good-night this was his fault. He also wanted grand-foals someday, so Princess Twilight gladly explained that there were many ways that could still happen.

In the end, Tender's father agreed that though it would be hard, he would make the effort to accept & support his colt no matter what. It was not too late to work Tender Taps into the program for Saturday's dance recital. Though he initially cringed to see his son dance a duet with another colt, seeing the other ponies in the audience cheer and clop their hooves began to melt his resistance. By the end of the show, Tender Tap's father was cheering loudest of all.

 

END