//------------------------------//
// One straying foal, or two? 
// Story: A loving Family 
// by Lethrael 
//------------------------------//

One straying foal, or two?

Slight walked through Ponyville and a long yawn escaped him. His hooves scuffled over the ground, as he turned around the next corner and trudged slowly through mist and tried to orient himself.  Was he on the right way at all?
“Do you want, that we go along with you to Sugarcube Corner?”
Dad Star's question floated in his head again and he sighed. He should have listened to him and nothing of this would have happened. He would be with Lily right now and wouldn't wander through mist and...

“Hey short stuff, are you lost?”
The raspy voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked out for the source. A shadow whooshed over him, blew away the mist around him and cleared the whole alley with a few flaps. A hoof tried to touch his mane, but Slight flinched away quickly and bumped into a wall with his backside. 
“Ow...”, was all what he could say. A pale blue mare with a rainbow coloured mane...the colt stared at the hovering mare with really huge eyes. This was Rainbow Dash. He knew her of course, she was the one who had made a Sonic Rainboom and... he didn't know much more about her actually. He marvelled at her anyway and stayed where he had bumped into the wall. The mare stared back with a grin and waved at him.
“Say, do you want to stay there the whole time and gape at me, or would you like to say something, kid?”
Rainbow glanced over him and smirked a little, but flew closer anyway. She cocked her head with an inquiring expression on her face.
“Hey, aren't you the latest friend of Scootaloo?”
The colt opened his mouth, but just stammered around. Finally he was able to speak.
“Uhm. I...”
He drew circles on the ground and blushed a little bit, as the grin of the mares face widened. She landed, bent over and whispered to him.
“Spill it...”
Far away a school bell rang and Slight got frightened. He looked up, scurried and tried to push his way through the mare, but she didn't move and didn't let him escape. She looked down the alley and her smile widened.
“You're a little late, aren't you?
Maybe I could bring you...”

“Slight, there you are. I...have looked out for you everywhere!”
The voice of another filly stopped the mare, first almost as loud as a scream, than she softened. The filly lifted the mare out of the way with her small hooves and set her aside in a second. The grown up mare babbled, but Slight didn't listen after her first question.
“What...how did you?”
The colt stared into a friendly smile, that was broken by a sorrowful glimmer in the blue eyes. The two pigtails on both sides of the smile made it easy to recognise the filly.
“L...Lily?”
He questioned with a calm voice and Lily blushed a little bit. She started to twist her pigtails again, but as the school bell rang again the filly turned and put a hoof around Slight. She pulled the blushing colt with her and passed the blabbering mare.
“Come on, Slight. We're...”

“You're late.”
Cheerilee stood in the school door and looked out for the running foals. They panted heavily, as they ran into the classroom and headed at their desks. They were sitting down and blushed under the whispering sound of the other foals. Slight pulled out his books from his saddle bag and tried to miss out every comment or snickering of them.
Cheerilee stayed in the door for a few moments and looked outside.
“Have you seen, Scootaloo?”
Slight raised his head, tried to calm down his heavy breathing, but failed and looked to Miss Cheerilee. He turned his head again and faced the fillies on his left side, but there was only Sweetie Belle. Scootaloos desk was empty.
“W...We haven't seen her Miss Cheerilee.”
Lily replied very low and the mare closed the door with a sigh. She walked slowly through the classroom and faced every whispering pony as crossed the classroom. Every single one fell silent and their eyes were following her. Finally she stood in front of Slights desk, the colt hadn't recover from his sprint and still tried to calm down his breath. She smiled gently and looked at him.
“Well, after all it's your second day at school, so...”
Somepony pushed the door open and galloped into the room. Every foal turned around and heard a hasty apology.
“I'm sorry, Miss Cheerilee.
I...”
It was Scootaloo and before she was able to explain, why she was late, she was overwhelmed by a very long yawn. Slight was astonished how...different the filly looked in comparison to yesterday. Scootaloo had formidable dark circles around her eyes and her mane, well it was a total mess of knots and ruffled streaks. She appeared to be very precariously and even began to stumble over her tiredly hooves on her way to the desk. As she arrived it finally, she rubbed her eyes multiple times to get the sleep out of it and yawned again. Slight copied her yawn instantly and peeked apologetic to Cheerilee. The mare rolled her eyes and looked to each of the three tardy foals.
“Very well then.
We should start with...”
A hoof was raised behind Slight and somepony snorted clearly. Slight recognized the voice and drooped his ears, as Diamond Tiara spoke tartly, or more precisely snippy.
“But Miss Cheerilee, they were late and...”
The mare sighed and took a deep breath.
“Alright.
Scootaloo you're way too late, so you will stay in detention for an hour and you do blackboard duty today, you understand?”
Scootaloo raised her head and tried to open her mouth for an explanation, but just a yawn escaped her and she put a hoof on her mouth.
Cheerilee carried on.
“Lily and Slight, you're both late and I want an explanation, why you're late.”
Slight took a deep breath and stood up. He drew circles on the ground and answered with a low tone.
“I'm really sorry. I couldn't find the way to school today and I've become even lost. I had wanted to meet Lily at Sugarcube Corner, so we could go to school together, but I couldn't find it and she started to get worried about me and looked out for me.”
Slight dropped his head quickly and closed his eyes.
“I think, that I'm the only one to blame, so please don't be mad at Lily. She had only tried to...”
The colt stepped forwards and stroked gently over his left hoof with his right one. His speech became more and more hasty and he blushed deeply, as he finished. Finally he ducked his head and squinted his eyes to make sure, that he could stand the expected yelling. Cheerilee raised her hoof and stepped closer to the colt, who ducked even more and looked out for a firmer stand. The mare cocked her head with an inquiring expression and put her hoof down again. She glanced over the colt and cleared her throat.
“Very well then.
Please write me an essay, how you become lost in the first place, and please meet Lily at your place tomorrow, will you. I think this will prevent more delay, don't you think?”
Slight raised his head and opened his eyes, as he heard the low tone of the mare.
“But I...”
The mare smiled gently and pointed to his desk. She turned his side to him and took a deep breath.
“Please sit down. You know, it isn't necessary to stand up, when I call you. Just when I say stand up, you should do it.”
Slight nodded confused, smiled and turned around. He faced a very confused staring crowd of foals and blushed heavily. The colt went slowly back to the desk and sat down with ears flat on his ducked head. They were staring at him and a few were even laughing and whispering about him. He had made a fool out of himself again. Slight sighed and preferred to hide behind a book for the rest of the lesson and just listen to Miss Cheerilee.
“Well, today's lesson is...”

“Scootaloo are you listening?”
The seat in the first row wasn't any kind of favour for her right now. Slight looked to the filly and saw, that she had fallen asleep again. A few ponies laughed behind him and he looked back to Miss Cheerilee. As the laughter continued, he ducked down. He was used to be a laughing stock way too much, that this kind of laughter couldn't affect him. Slight sighed and listened closely.
“If you continue to fall asleep during my lesson, I surely have to speak with...”
Cheerilee stopped and sighed on her own. Scootaloo startled and hit her own face with one hoof to wake up and to stay awake this time. At the same time she faced Cheerilee with an entreating expression and the shook her head vividly. The mare shook her head and returned to her lesson.

Soon after this the bell rang for the morning break. This time Slight wasn't the centre of everyponys attention, or for the whispering schoolyard. No, Scootaloo was it today, she left her closest friends as she galloped out of the classroom and ran to the wash room alone. There she stayed for the rest of the break. Slight looked after her, but was distracted by Lily and the rest of his new friends. They were eating breakfast together, were playing the rest of the break and returned to the classroom, as the break was over. Scootaloo looked a little bit better, but was still fighting against her tiredness. The next lessons were over very quickly and so the school was over by no time. 

Most of the foals were rushing so fast out of the classroom as the bell rang, that it even caused a trail of dust on the outside. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Slight and Lily stayed back with Scootaloo, even if the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't have to. Scootaloo had laid his head on the desk and sighed to the table. She yawned again and muttered something to her friends.
“I'm sorry.
I can't come with you for the Cutie Mark gaining session today.
I'm way too wiped out.
I'll join in tomorrow, alright?”
Slight put his last book back into the saddle bag and overheard, what Scootaloo whispered. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle frowned a little bit, but nodded finally. 
“I see, but tell us what have you done yesterday?
You stayed at Slight's place, didn't you?
Did it become so late?
I thought they were strict at your place with the bed...”
Before Sweetie was able to finish, Scootaloo almost yelled at her.
“Yeah...yeah, I have, uhm...read you know...Daring Do and...”
The unicorn flinched one step away and raised both hooves in an appeasing way. She smiled gently.
“All right, all right. I didn't mean to...”
Scootaloo sighed quietly and rubbed her neck. Another yawn escaped her and she laid a hoof on her mouth.
“I'm sorry Sweetie.
I didn't mean to yell at you either, but I'm so tired...”
Cheerilee thumped on her desk once and Scootaloo stood up slowly.
“That's enough my little ponies. Scootaloo has blackboard duties to fulfil. As you see, I haven't used the blackboard at all, so you're done! You can go now and you should go home. Go to sleep a little bit earlier today and get to school on time tomorrow, do you understand?”
Scootaloo looked at the mare with a gratefully and pulled herself on the hooves finally.
“I...thanks, Miss Cheerilee.
I do.”
Her murmur brought a gentle smile back onto the mare's face and she made a discarding wave.
“Don't tell anypony, would you.	Especially not Miss Rich. All of you should go now, school is over. See you tomorrow.”
All foals were following her last order quickly and stepped outside into the bright sunlight.
Before Slight knew what happened, a hoof patted over his head and a gentle voice asked him:
“How was school today, Slight?”
Daddy Gentle? Slight cheered and hugged him quickly. The stallion answered with a nuzzle over Slight's side and hugged him too. He looked over the other fillys and glanced finally at Scootaloo. The filly turned her head away and stammered something inaudible.
“I came to check on you. But it seemed, that you aren't hurt Scootaloo, or are you?”
The filly sighed with a little bugged undertone and shook herself shortly. She jumped down the stairs and started to run off. Gentle looked after the filly, who started to pat and became much slower lately. As she was out of sight he sighed and turned to the foals. He put on a friendly smile and stopped the hug..
“So, would you like some pizza?”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had to ask their families, but both Granny Smith and Rarity didn't have any objections.
The matriarch of the Apple family looked over Gentle very estimating and he smiled back reluctant.
“Uhm nice to meet you.”
The elderly mare snorted and took a deep breath. Apple Bloom glanced at her very worried, but started to loose her worries, as Granny herself smiled.
“I think, I have heard from you and your family.
You're the ones who moved in at Sweet Lips old place, don't ya?”
Gentle thought for a while and nodded finally. Now a real smile returned on the mare's face and she pushed herself back onto the hooves slowly .
“Just wait here, will ya'?”
She left and puttered around in the next room. The four foals were now intent upon a discussion of pizza toppings and everyone tried to persuade the other for his, or her favourite one. But one filly didn't, Lily didn't speak up for her favourite, but smiled and listened instead.
“I tell you, nothing compares to pineapple.”
Sweetie Belle squeaked almost, but Apple Bloom drowned her out easily..
“Yuck, a real pizza had only tomatoes and cheese, you know.”
Slight grinned and tried to speak up for his topping of choice.
“Mushrooms...mushrooms I tell you...”
“Hey, that's enough seedlings.”
Granny Smith returned with a basket full of goodies. She pushed it slowly to Gentle and smiled  friendly.
“Very welcome for you, your stallion.”
Granny stopped right now and her smile become more knowingly then before. The surprised stallion opened his mouth, but found nothing to say. Granny raised her hoof and fondled over Slight's head. The colt looked to the mare with huge eyes and dropped his head shyly. He blushed a little bit and tried to suppress a shiver. Gentle smiled too and laid a hoof on his side.
“And for your colt. He is a real handsome one by the way.”
Slight blushed more and rubbed over his nose with a hoof. Granny smiled gently and looked back to Gentle, who fondled further over the blushing colts head.
“I hope you'll become comfortable here and will make many friends.
You're good ponies.
I can sense you truly are. So this is my welcome present for you.”
Never mind how hard Gentle tried to refuse it, Granny insisted upon that he took the basket and put it finally on Gentle's back with a bidding expression on her face. 
“I insist, Gentle Light!”
Gentle sighed, nodded and followed the foals back to Ponyville.

Rarity was insisting on her gifts as well. She insisted on a whole collection of matching clothes for the family and even started to levitate fabrics, tapes and other things for the creation of it. Gentle smiled, but Slight flinched back behind his front hooves and peeked out to Rarity from under him. The mare chocked her head and smiled as friendly as she could, but the colt just didn't leave the security of his daddy. Even as Rarity knelt down in front of the stallion and tried to lure him out with a gentle smile and her best expression, Slight stayed behind daddy's hooves. Rarity sighed finally and stood up.
“Fine, I'll try it later, when you are feeling more comfortable.”
Gentle nodded and tried to leave the boutique with a tripping Slight under him, but they weren't half way out of the boutique, as Rarity released an almost miffed comment and looked so huffish to the colt, that he hid even more under his fathers belly. 
“Very well, uhm Slight. I wouldn't bite you, you know.”
A whispered answer from Sweetie Belle stopped her and the sisters started to whisper for a few minutes, only interrupted by astonished exhalation and a few louder words from Rarity, like:
“No...that couldn't be real...Oh dear...”

Gentle led Slight out of the boutique slowly and sighed gently as he closed the door behind him.
“Slight, would you please come out?
She didn't mean to be...”
The colt crawled slowly out from the security of his belly and tried to look in his eyes. Gentle saw a glimpse of fear and a notion of a memory in his eyes and he took a deep breath.	Slight nestled up against him and sniffed very wary. Gentle sighed, turned his head to him and nuzzled him encouraging. Finally he whispered.
“She didn't mean to scare you, you know?
Not every mare is like...”
The stallion stopped, as the other three fillies went out of the boutique. He nudged him encouraging and smiled. Sweetie Belle carried a small package on her back and looked worried to Slight. The blushing colt jumped away from his daddy and drew circles on the ground.
“Rarity is very sorry about that.	So, if you want to, we can make a sleepover at her place whenever we want. Oh and she had  made this for you.”
Slight blushed even more and nodded. Sweetie Belle squeaked and hugged the colt. Slight was deep red right now and squeaked almost like her. Gentle smiled at him and cocked his head. He turned away and spotted an orange head with a cerise mane on top, but it drew back quickly around the next corner. Gentle pretended to act, as he hadn't seen it and looked to Lily instead.
“Did your mother read the letter, I gave you?”
The filly sighed and shook her head.
“If she had, she hadn't mentioned it. She didn't forbid me to go with you either, so...”
Gentle nodded and went off. He led the foals back home and noticed, that they were followed by an orange filly, but he didn't want to show that he had spotted her. Instead he waited in front of the house, as the foals had entered and thought what he should do. Finally he left the door ajar and called to nopony in particular on the alley.
“If you want to, we're making pizza. Come on in.”