The rest of the day passed without any further troubles. They'd played a game, which Scootaloo won of course and after that Scootaloo and Lilly snuggled into a few pillows on the ground and listened to a blushing Slight. He read the introduction and two chapters from the Little Lord Sorrel to them and Scootaloo understand directly as he started, why Lilly liked it so much.
The colt was really good with that, she closed the eyes, let his calm voice create the pictures of the scenes in her mind and followed them into a time, as somepony else read out for her. All three foals startled up, as somepony knocked at the door and Gentle's voice woke them out of their imagination or reading. He sounded low through the wood.
“I've got juice and cake for you, if you would like.”
He opened the door carefully with a small lit of his horn and entered the room. The stallion looked in the room and saw, that Scootaloo jumped quickly back on her hooves and tried to put her expression back to order. But a small trail of tears stayed on her cheeks, before she could brush it off and put on a fake smile.
Lilly just stayed laying down, held her eyes closed and seemed to be far away.
Slight raised his head out of the book and simply grinned to Gentle.
“I didn't want to interrupt, but you were very silent and stayed in the room for a long time.
So I've to check up on you, you know?”
Slight jumped off his bed, trotted to Daddy Gentle and stroke a pose. He spoke full of pride and grinned happily.
“I...I've read a little bit from the Little Lord Sorrel, Daddy. Lilly has said, she does really like that and Scootaloo...”
He looked from one filly to the other, but fell silent, as he saw Scootaloo's forced smile and continued to stammer almost incomprehensible words.
“But...didn't you like it too, Scootaloo?”
The filly frowned appalled, as she saw the disappointment of the colt and approached him slowly. At the same time she tried to find a good answer and just nuzzled him.
“I...I really do!
You're really good. And...well...”
She looked almost begging to Gentle and the stallion nodded quickly. He laid one hoof on both foals and pulled them closer quickly.
He snuggled both on different sides and nuzzled Slight first. Gentle whispered something to him.
“Eventually this reminded her on something.”
The colt opened his mouth in a well understanding way, bit his lips and nodded. Gentle turned his head after that and nudged Scootaloo encouraging. The filly nestled her cheek closely on his side and closed the eyes.
“If you want to, I can tell them, that I want to ask you something and we will go into the living room.”
The gentle voice whispered so quietly, that Scootaloo was sure, that she was the only one, who could hear the words. She shook her head quickly, rubbed over her eyes with one hoof and jumped away from the stallion.
She smiled confident and her eyes were darting through the room. Her answer was loud, but got faster and faster.
“No...no...I do like it, but I've thought, that we could eventually, uhm...”
Somepony knocked on the main door and Scootaloo took this for her own sake. She raised one hoof and pointed out of the window.
“Go outside and play?”
Gentle smiled, levitated three glasses and the plates with the cake slices to the ground and turned to the main door. He mumbled an answer.
“Well it's a little too late for that and we have to walk Lilly home a little bit earlier.
So we can talk with you two, before you're going to bed. So...”
He walked to the door, opened it with his magic and faced two nervously smiling fillies on the doorstep.
Sweetie Belle licked her lips and started to speak first.
“We...we want to ask, if Slight would come outside to play?
And if you know what happens to Scootaloo?”
Gentle smiled to the filly and turned his head. He looked directly to Scootaloo, who answered with a sudden gasp and a surprised blush.
“I think Slight simply can't right now.
It's a little too late, you know?
But if you want to please come in.”
A small sigh stopped Gentle's friendly suggestion and Scootaloo came slowly closer. She left the room and tried to consider, what she should say.
Slight smiled and wanted to follow her, but Lilly stopped him. First she drew circles on the ground, but hugged Slight finally. She squeaked loud, as the colt blushed deeply, but didn't let him loose.
The colt turned very confused to her, but her worried expression was enough to let him stay. Gentle shied away from the door and looked to the skulking filly in the corridor. He smiled and both fillies entered quickly. The stallion raised a hoof, but put it back on the ground and closed the door with a quick flash of his magic. He turned finally to the kitchen and mumbled something.
“I'll bring more juice shortly.
Uh and I hope you two like marble cake. I've got a few slices left somewhere...”
The closing kitchen door cut off his voice and so the three Cutie Mark Crusaders just stayed alone in the corridor. Sweetie Belle closed the distance to Scootaloo quickly, hugged her and nestled closely to her. Apple Bloom was a little bit subtler, but she was snuggling her cheek on Scootaloo's and nuzzled her gently.
“What did happen to you, Scootaloo?
Why didn't you be in school today?”
We were worried sick, you know?”
Sweetie squeaked the worried sick and had to fight down a shiver. Scootaloo sighed and hugged the smaller unicorn tighter. She looked quickly to the only open door and sighed louder. Her eyes stayed locked on Lilly and seemed to plea her for a little bit alone time. The other filly nodded, smiled and approached the door. She raised a hoof and closed it quickly.
Lilly turned around to a confused Slight again and smiled gently.
“We should let Scootaloo talk to them alone, right?”
The colt nodded and pondered on his own. He approached Lilly slowly, sighed and chewed on his lips. He looked back to the door, opened his mouth, but just another sigh escaped his throat. The colt fought for while, he even started to tremble, but was finally able to speak again.
“May I...well do I have to tell you the whole story, why I'm afraid of mares?”
There was so much fear in his voice, that Lilly flinched one step away and shook her head quickly. She played with her pigtails shortly and stammered an answer.
“Just if you really, really want to, Slight.
I...I don't want to push you, or...”
The colt took a deep breath, sniffed for once and took another deep breath. He approached Lilly again, pulled her with her to his bed and laid there down nestling into his pillow. She thought for a moment, but stayed beside him, as the small colt nuzzled his pillow closer and dried the forming tears on it. He whispered so silently, that Lilly had to lean forward her head and her ears to understand him properly.
“I...I'm from Canterlot, you know.
And my Mummy was...”
Scootaloo just stayed silently in the hug to consider what to say next. Both friends just hugged her and waited, till Scootaloo would continue to talk. They hugged her tightly for a few minutes, but finally Scootaloo was able to move on and whispered.
“I just live here for a few days.
Tangleweed doesn't feel so good.
And D...uhm Gentle wanted to see, if she get better much faster, when she has only take care for Red Beet.”
Sweetie raised her head and looked into Scootaloo's eyes for minutes. She almost rayed her head, examined her feelings and thoughts, as she always did. Sweetie's expression changed finally from inquiring to confused.
“Why didn't you stay with Rainbow Dash than?”
Scootaloo shivered and sighed, as she heard this whispered question. She sounded very hounded and pushed her friends away.
“I can't fly to her Cloudhouse, remember?
And...”
She turned away, drew nervously lines on the ground and looked imploring to the kitchen door, but Gentle didn't come back. Sweetie flashed a glance to Apple Bloom, who just nodded and stepped one step closer to Scootaloo. First the filly wanted to shy away to keep the distance, but the elder earthpony didn't let her and caught her with one strong hoof.
“You could sleep in my room, Scootaloo.
I know Applejack wouldn't mind.”
Scootaloo squirmed out off the hug and flinched one step away from Apple Bloom. She felt the door of Slight's room behind her waving tail and stopped. She looked into the soft smiling faces of her oldest friends and sighed. She took one step, stamped her hoof on the ground and looked around hastily. Almost as she wanted to be sure, that no other pony would hear her next words.
“Promise, that you won't tell anypony!”
Both fillies looked at each other, nodded and approached her. Apple Bloom cocked her head first, but Sweetie Belle squeaked and smiled seriously. Both fillies sighed and raise a hoof, as Scootaloo put on her best bidding face. They took a deep breath and pondered for the right thing to say. Finally Sweetie Belle's expression softened and she started to speak. Apple Bloom joined in quickly.
“Cross my heart, hop to fly,
stick a cupcake in my eye.”
They started to giggle, but Scootaloo didn't join them, but drew circles on the ground instead. She leaned her head closer to the friends and whispered:
“Cutie Mark Crusader Promise?”
Apple Bloom looked to her, as she had say something wrong or even stupid and cocked her head. She snorted and answered very irritated.
“You know, what this is, don't you, Scootaloo?
We have made a Pinkie Promise and that's..”
Sweetie Belle nudged her with one hoof and nodded. She sounded more patient and calmer than Apple Bloom. But in her answer was also a little bit of denial. Scootaloo bit her lips and pressed her ears against the head.
“Alright, Cutie Mark Crusader Promise. We wouldn't tell anypony.
Spit it out, Scootaloo.”
The filly chewed on her lips for a while, fought back a shiver and looked again to the kitchen door for a few minuets. But the door didn't open and Gentle didn't saved her.
So she had to talk on her own and finally she did.
“Do you remember, as I came to Sweet Apple Acres and saw Big Mac for the first time .
As I ran away and you two have to search for me?”
Both friends thought shortly, nodded and just said:
“Uh Hm.”
Scootaloo sighed, as both fillies looked confused to her, but continued.
“I'd told you, that I had a nightmare about a great scary stallion and he reminded me of that.”
Both friends just stared more confused to her as she continued with her story. They gazed to each other and Sweetie Belle interrupted Scootaloo with one sentence.
“But this is more than two years ago and you're way laid back with Big Mac nowadays.”
She wanted to say more words, but Scootaloo started to tremble and pressed her ears firmer against her head. So Sweetie Belle stopped and smiled just encouraging.
“I'm just getting better to hide my fear!”
Apple Bloom stopped her right now and sounded almost angry. She even thumped once on the ground.
“Just hold on to your hooves. You are afraid of Big Mac?
But why? He is a very shy and friendly stallion.
Heck you have helped to make him Miss Cheerilee's very special somepony.”
Scootaloo sniffed once and had to shut her eyes close. She felt her wing shot open and started to tremble. She fought for her self composure, but it was an impossible fight. She took a deep breath and almost yelled.
“I'm afraid, that he will hurt me.
Like father did!”
Now it was out off her mouth and the filly trembled harder. Her wings unfolded completely and her hooves tried to gallop away, but she pressed her belly down on them to stay on place.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked confused to each other and the smaller unicorn raised one hoof very slowly.
She hugged the shivering filly and squeaked, as the Scootaloo hugged back her tightly. The bigger pegasus filly sobbed and stammered low tuned apologies.
“I wanted to tell you long time ago.
But...but I was afraid, that you...”
Sweetie stroke her mane gently and tried to calm her down with that, but Scootaloo didn't have it right now. Her sobs just intensified and she nestled closer into her friends hug. Sweetie turned her head to Apple Bloom and whispered one question.
“Do you know what's wrong with her?”
The earthpony looked confused from one friend to the other and shook her head. She took a deep breath, put a hoof on Scootaloo's side and hugged her too. She whispered an answer.
“Nope.
But I don't care, you know?”
Both nodded and hugged Scootaloo as long as she wanted. The filly sobbed almost relieved and hugged her friends very tightly.