Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were in their rooms, patiently waiting for Apple Bloom to come back. They'd had a long talk and they'd decided that their friend needed to have a chat. Sweetie Belle wanted to know just what her problem was with Pip and Featherweight, she'd been angry and callous ever since she'd seen the two on the train. Not only that, but Scootaloo, being the sneaky filly she was, managed to get into AB's luggage and find her personal diary. With a little arguing, they'd decided it was time to get to the bottom of why their friend loathed Pip.
"Should we really read this?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I mean, this is really personal and she might be kinda mad."
"Y'all are right, I would be." Apple Bloom stormed in and took her diary off of them, seemingly calm.
She hopped into bed, tired from her midnight escapade. She closed her eyes, ready to go to sleep.
"No way!" Scootaloo barked, jumping onto the bed with Apple Bloom. "You have been a total jerk since we got here and I want to get to the bottom of it!"
"What? I haven't done nothin' wrong!"
"Okay, sorry to say it Apple Bloom, but did you really think that you were able to just sneak into Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's suite?" The filly held up a bobby pin. "No offense, but you're not all that good with sneaking around."
The junior farmhand turned a shade of red, furious. "I coulda' done all of that myself! And why did you help me anyways!"
"So that you could see you are the only party pooper that has anything against couples ‘like that'."
"But it's wrong isn't it!?"
Sweetie Belle broke in. "Who the hay told you it was wrong in the first place?"
"My Granny Smith told me! She said that it was an 'abomination' ta nature and that if you saw such things it is your job to ‘set them straight' and Granny Smith is always right!"
"But Apple Bloom, I don't understand. Why be so... zealot-y if you know that you're the only one who feels this way?"
"’Cuz my family feels this way!" She countered.
"Oh gods," Scootaloo groaned, "I can't take this anymore." The filly took a deep lungful of air, ready to rock her friend's worldview. She knew that this was going to break the filly's heart, but it just had to be done.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, Apple Bloom, but I caught Apple Jack and Rainbow making out behind the barn once. I sat there and watched for like five minutes. And I read your brother's mail before; he was sending Caramel love letters before you scared him away by literally burning his house down. Whatever Granny Smith told you, the rest of your family had nothing against being gay. As a matter of fact I'm fairly sure that your brother is a colt-cuddler and your sister is a filly-fooler. Sorry if this totally rocks your world, but somepony needed to tell you that before things got too out of hoof."
Shock hung over the room. Nopony moved, most tried not to breathe. They watched as Apple Bloom's head tried to work out that she was the one who was wrong, not them. She couldn't hate her sister and her brother no matter how attracted to the same gender they were. No matter what she was told by her peers or her other schoolmates she couldn't hate her own kin. She turned to look at Scootaloo, stunned and confused.
"You mean that I've been puttin' my own family down?"
"Yes, Apple Bloom, and I'm sorry to blow your mind out your ears, but yeah, you're being a total jerk to everypony."
Again the room lapsed into a long, tense silence, filled only with Scootaloo scuffing her hoof and Apple Bloom's heavy breathing. It took a few minutes for any words to be spoken.
"I, er, I need to think." Apple Bloom got up and rushed into the washroom, locking the door behind her.
Sweetie turned to Scootaloo . "Think we made a difference?'
"I think she'll think twice before dissing on her own family again." Scootaloo picked up Apple Bloom's diary, flipping to the page she wanted.
"What the hay are you doing?! That's private!"
"So? I've read through it before, Belles. She has a massive crush on Pip, by the way."
"Is that part of the reason she hates him for liking Feathers?"
"Yeah, she's just mad because she's never had the guts to tell him. Now she's jealous of Feathers and angry at herself so she takes it out on other ponies. You really don't need a Masters Degree, Belles."
"Oh... so what now?"
"Now we go to bed," Scootaloo yawned. "It's past midnight and I'm beat."
Scootaloo jumped onto her bed, putting the sheets and pillows all out of order, just how she liked it. The filly put her head down, ready to get an amazing night's sleep before the tour of Canterlot tomorrow. In fact, she was just about asleep when Sweetie Belle prodded her in the side.
"What?"
"Remember on the train when I asked you why we couldn't snuggle in our sleep?"
After a brief pause, Scootaloo smiled. "Get in here."
The unicorn jumped in next to her friend, glad to have a buddy to weather the night with. I didn't take long for their hooves to find each other in the darkness, and even less to find themselves in a comfortable embrace, warm and snug in their room, snow falling outside their window, a light dusting on the sill. It didn't take long for the atmosphere to get the better of Sweetie Belle.
"Hey Scoots? Can I tell you something?"
"I love you too Belles, you don't have to say it."
"So is it okay if I-"
Scootaloo rolled over and kissed Sweetie Belle on the lips, blushing. Hiding her flushed cheeks from her bedmate, she rolled back over, tired and cozy against her new mare-friend. They didn't say anything, but wrapped their hooves around each other and passed out with their heads resting on each other's shoulders.
"So is that an 'I love you'?'" Sweetie Belle whispered.
"Don't rub it in."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the hotel, Pip closed the door to his suite, getting ready to come out to Featherweight. He was so nervous the fudge mocha that he had just drank was churning in his stomach like a ship in a storm. He untied his bandanna.
"Just don't overthink it," he told himself. "Just like Caramel said."
He walked into the kitchen to find a large pot of tea made on the counter with a little note next to it. Pip jumped up to read it. 'To the kid with the bandanna.' Pip smiled. It was from Caramel. Pouring two glasses, he set both of them down on the coffee table, slightly more confident in himself. It was going to be a good night and he knew it.
Once he tasted the tea, a super-sweet blend of calming herbal Chamomile and sugary goodness, he got up and trotted over to Featherweight's door. He lifted his shaking, nervous hoof to knock. He didn't put much effort into it; he moreover let his hoof fall into the door. Despite being as gentle as he could, the resulting boom echoed in his ears like the sound of drums.
"Who is it?" Featherweight asked.
"It's... me. Can we talk out here? I have tea."
It took a few moments for Featherweight to come to the door, and once he opened it Pip felt awful for stalling to long. His best friend looked awful, red rings around his eyes from crying and a red nose from wiping it so many times. The miserable-looking colt sighed and cantered over to the coffee table. He took a sip of tea, hiding his face behind the glass.
"So, er, Feathers, I was thinking about earlier today and I wanted to know if y-"
"I know, I'm sorry Pip! I just kinda didn't know how to react and you were so nice to me and I was kinda lonely and...."
"Why are you sorry?"
"I... you acted like you didn't want me to do that and I just thought after what had just happened on the couch that it would be okay, I mean I thought but then you acted like it was a bad thing and then I went into my room and I guess I overthought it and the I thought that you would be mad so I just decided that it would just be best if I didn't talk to you until morning and just avoid you once this whole trip was over and we could put it all behind us because after all I'd think that you'd be the forgiving type and you're nice and so I just thought that it would go sorta like that but then I started to put together these scenarios there you were so mad that you weren't friends with me anymore an-"
"Featherweight!!!" Pip screamed.
The young pegasus cringed, unprepared for his friend's sudden outburst. At first Pip was a little irritated that at his friend was so nervous he was rambling, but then that feeling disappeared when he saw the look on his the colt's face. He looked very sorry and terrified, tears in his eyes.
"Look... Feathers, I wanted to tell you that really I'm okay with this. You can like me in that way all you want, I won't mind, because I feel that way too. If you, er, think that this is too sudden or somethin' like that I could maybe wait a bit or-"
"Pip?"
"What?"
"I've always felt that way about you, even before this trip. I thought that maybe you'd be angry that I was a colt-cuddler or that I'd have to find a new best friend."
"Oh, Feathers. I would never do that! I mean... you're my best and first mate, and I would never abandon you."
"Really?"
Pip looked at his best friend and thought about his past with this shy, awkward, rather skinny pegasus. "You were the first pony that I talked to in Ponyville, ever. I didn't talk because I didn't want anypony to notice my accent. I only talked to you because you seemed to understand what it was like to be the odd on out. I thought we had so much in common, and then you warmed up to me and we became friends with the Cutie Mark Crusaders and all that... but you were the only pony I ever really trusted."
" I remember on Nightmare Night when you dressed as a pirate... I had to admit you were pretty... well, handsome."
Pip smiled. "Thanks."
"So... what do we do now that we-"
The colt was tackled off the couch by the Brit, landing on the plush carpet. Pip gave his love a smile, removing his bandanna. He just sat there on top of Featherweight, their muzzles mere centimeters from each other’s. The smaller pegasus couldn't help but blush so intensely his cheeks burned. The larger colt tied his bandanna around Featherweight's neck, smiling and blushing.
The two didn't remember much of what happened after that, but the night was a blur of smiling, kissing and laughing over stories of their adventures. Pip was especially merry, considering he had his life in Trottingham to tell his new colt-friend about. The night ended at around two in the morning with them crawling into bed next to each other, planting a long, loving kiss on each other's lips, and falling asleep almost right after, still together in a cozy embrace.