Pinkie nestled closer into a pillow and started to wake up as a warm ray of sunlight drifted slowly over her face.
She frowned and tried to move away, but it shone finally directly into her shut closed eyes and she had to turn her head completely.
She bumped with her nose into something very soft, as she moved it and heard a surprised squeak. It was quickly followed by a loud thud.
Pinkie opened her eyes quickly and tried to spot the source of the thud. The only thing she could see was a yellow sleeping bag.
A moving sleeping bag in which a small pony struggled to get out.
But it wasn't quite as easy as it sound. Pinkie couldn't suppress a snicker, yawned and crawled out of her own sleeping bag slowly.
The filly aside her tried to free herself once again, but she stayed stuck and just struggled to find the exit.
She didn't find it and just managed to push herself through the room. Finally she banged her head against the first thing in the way, the couch.
Scootaloo mumbled a curse and tried to move in a different direction.
First Pinkie continued with the giggling, but as the filly moved closer to the nearest wall the mare stopped quickly.
Pinkie took a deep breath and bounced aside the struggling filly. She pulled Scootaloo on her hooves with a quick grip and freed her from the sleeping bag.
So she was able to eye up the small tousled filly and couldn't suppress a grin, how hard she tried otherwise.
Fortunately Scootaloo couldn't see it, because she petted her mane with one hoof and yawned with shut closed eyes.
Pinkie yawned too and lolled herself a little bit.
“What's the matter?”
The filly was so tired, that she almost lost the the and her hoof rubbed over her eyes. Pinkie giggled, rubbed her own nose with one hoof and whispered an answer.
“I didn't mean to wake you, Scootaloo.
I just wanted to turn away from the sunlight, you know?”
The filly opened her eyes and stared to Pinkie confused, as she heard the first few words. She mumbled one sentence and shook her head.
“Right, I stay with Pinkie this night.”
Scootaloo rubbed over her patched up nose and shut her eyes closed as the hoof touched her new gotten bump.
Pinkie cocked her head, as she saw the bump on her own and whispered an apology.
“I really didn't want to wake you up.”
The filly yawned again, rubbed her eyes and smacked her lips. She sighed quietly, lolled her body and shook her head finally.
Pinkie looked to the clock and had to suppress her own yawn. She closed the gap to Scootaloo and hugged her gently.
“If you like you can get back to bed and sleep for a little bit longer.”
Scootaloo looked down to her sleeping bag sighed again and frowned disappointed. She fought down another yawn, but just could hinder it by biting her lips.
Pinkie cocked her head even further, leaned closer to the filly and whispered another offer.
“You could sleep in my bed. It's more comfortably and cuddly and...”
Scootaloo sprawled her front hooves, yawned again and sighed deeply.
First she shook her head, but the pleading expression on Pinkie's face let her change her mind and she nodded.
Scootaloo took a deep breath through her nose and licked her lips.
Pinkie's smiled widened and she wanted to push the filly closer to the bed, but Scootaloo was already on her way.
She sneaked to the bed, crawled quickly under the blanket, nestled into the pillow and yawned again.
She smacked her lips after that, smiled gently and closed her eyes finally. Pinkie breathed in relived, petted over the filly's mane and smiled gently on her own.
Scootaloo yawned again, nuzzled the pillow and snuffled on it. The gentle smell on it let her yawn anew and she whispered a very quiet question.
“But where...do you sleep?”
The filly tried to open her eyes again, but she simply couldn't. She drifted away, back into her dreams. Pinkie petted her mane once again and whispered.
“Don't worry, Scootaloo.
I have to go and make breakfast for you.”
The mare crept out of the room as silently as she could and let Scootaloo sleep a little bit longer. But this time in a comfortable and cuddly bed.
The filly slept for two more hours and Pinkie got some time to prepare the breakfast and to answer a few questions from the Cakes.
She told them the dream of course and both grown up ponies stared at her for a long time. The twins on the other hoof were just babbling and playing in their seats.
Finally Miss Cake was able to answer and cleared her throat. A few hooves went upstairs in the middle of her answer and she fell silent for a few seconds.
“I think you shouldn't tell Scootaloo about it and...
Well I think Scootaloo would love the chocolate sprinkles, don't you?”
The mare changed the subject quickly, before Scootaloo would hear, what they were talking about.
The bleary and tousled filly sneaked into the kitchen slowly and put a hoof on her yawning mouth.
Scootaloo heard a good morning in three different voices and answered with a low mumbled one of her own.
Then she raised her head, looked to Pinkie and smiled apologetic. She sniffed and licked her lips.
“This...this is smelling pretty good, Pinkie.”
The filly looked surprised, as she saw the table completely settled and stepped closer slowly. But she didn't sit down, but stood directly beside her seat.
She yawned again and sprawled herself. Finally she looked to the Cakes, petted nervously over her mane and mumbled another question.
“What's for breakfast?”
Pinkie smile widened, she bounced from her own seat and landed beside the filly. Her smile got even wider and she kneeled down where she had landed.
“Oh, I've just thought you do like pancakes, don't you?
So I've made some and...”
The mare glanced over Scootaloo tousled mane and the even messier feathers on the sides of her back.
The filly tried to straighten up her mane again, but for no avail. She sighed and looked away finally.
Scootaloo looked around in the room and spotted another glance from Miss Cake and blushed.
Pinkie sensed the dissatisfied glance on her own and cleared her throat,
“But first you should go and take a bath.
Do you have a bath towel?”
Scootaloo opened the mouth, blushed even more and shook her head finally. She flattened her ears, pressed them closer to her head and sighed.
Pinkie smiled gently, before the filly could answer and tried to hug her encouraging.
But the filly squeaked surprised, glanced to the other grown up ponies on the table and ducked down under Pinkie's hoof completely.
She stammered an answer and her eyes stayed locked on the Cakes.
“I thought I wouldn't need one.
And...”
The Cakes looked to each other, turned both to her two foals and started to feed them. Pinkie shook her head and whispered an answer quickly.
She tried to smile encouraging and raised her hoof again, but Scootaloo jumped away from her this time. The filly shook her head and looked away.
“You can have one of mine, or doesn't she Misses Cake?”
The other mare just nodded and smiled. She lowered the spoon and whispered an answer.
“Of course she can, Pinkie.”
Pumpkin grabbed the spoon and got the attention from the mare again. So she started to feed him again.
Pinkie grinned widely to Scootaloo and the filly just sighed.
“Just take a bath, okay?”
Scootaloo blushed again, shook her head hastily and mumbled a quick answer.
“But I should really take a shower in the orphanage instead, so...”
Pinkie stopped the filly just right now and pushed her closer to the door. First Scootaloo tried to fight against her, but the mare was way to strong and the exciting voice of her overruled her objection quite easily.
“Fiddlesticks. You can take a bath right now.
How about a nice bubble bath to wake up?”
Scootaloo sighed bugged, but stopped fighting and let herself pushed into the bathroom finally.
There she looked around and stammered.
“I...don't know.
I do fall asleep in Sweetie's bubble bath all the time.
And...the Cakes are very friendly.
But I don't need to...”
Scootaloo fell silent and waved over her mane again. She glanced into the near mirror and sighed finally.
Pinkie had bounced closer to the tub and was turning on the tap already. Then she turned to Scootaloo and grinned widely.
“Okay, then without bubbles, okay?
I think you will like it.
And I can do wash your mane and brush it!”
Scootaloo sighed bugged again and tried to disagree with her, but the pink bundle of joy bounced excited around her and almost cried.
"I always wanted to do that,
My mummy had done it all the time and...”
Scootaloo sighed again and even snuffled once. This stopped Pinkie's excited bouncing ans she stared confused to the filly.
Scootaloo rubbed her nose with one hoof, shut her eyes close and drew circles on the floor. She whispered a few words and swallowed a small lump in her throat.
“Mine too.”
The little filly dropped her head and looked gloomily to her hooves. She seemed to thing about something bad and even trembled.
She rubbed both front hooves over each other and shook herself finally.
Pinkie took a surprised breath, thought for a right answer and looked around fanatically, but didn't find any one.
She bounced closer to the trembling filly, nuzzled her cheek nervously and turned her head around.
She kneeled down in front of Scootaloo and look directly into her lowered face.
”Hey, I don't mean to.
I'm sor...”
Scootaloo shook her head, before she could finish her apology and mumbled one of her own.
She put on an almost convincing smile, but again Pinkie saw right through it and realised, that the filly just played the brave and had to fight back her bad feelings.
“No, I'm sorry.
But you know?”
Scootaloo stopped, glanced to the door and snuggled her head on Pinkie's chest. She took a deep breath and nuzzled the soft fluff.
The mare froze on place and raised one hoof slowly, but before she was able to hug the filly, she continued whispering.
“I have to ask you something...since yesterday.
I think...”
The filly took a step back, drew a circle on the ground with one hoof and sighed finally. Pinkie hugged her again, pulled her closer and petted her mane.
The little body trembled again and Scootaloo nuzzled her warm chest again. She whispered along at the same time.
“I think maybe, so I mean.
You know...”
The filly blushed and mumbled more inaudible words. She raised one of her own hooves and laid it slowly around Pinkie to hug her hesitantly back.
Scootaloo looked out for more words, but shook her head again and again. She wasn't daunted, but rather really really nervous.
Pinkie cocked her head, smiled gently and petted her mane again. She whispered an answer and tried to sound encouraging.
“Don't worry.
I won't laugh, I promise.”
Scootaloo raised her head again and looked to the mare very confused. She tried to answer something, but even after another encouraging smile from Pinkie, she couldn't calm herself enough for that and snuggled into her chest again.
The filly needed a few more minutes to calm down a little bit and stayed closely to Pinkie.
The mare turned to the tub from time to time and looked out for the water, but after that she focused back to the trembling filly.
Scootaloo stammered and her words were inaudible the whole time. She simply couldn't say what she wanted to say, but hemmed and hawed every time she tried.
Pinkie listened with open ears, but wasn't able to understand much more than:
“I...like you, Pinkie.”
Something was off here and Pinkie lost her smile. She moved her head from the left to the right and mulled over the little filly.
Why was she so nervous?
Had she done something wrong?
Pinkie thought about it for a long time and recalled any little thing she had done. But she had to separate the reality from the dream and just shook her head very confused.
What was Scootaloo trying to say?
Finally she cocked her head and waited for the stammering filly, as her thoughts drifted around her last question.
But she couldn't find a satisfying answer at first.
“Maybe, that she hadn't anypony to...but what's about Caring?
Maybe, that I should find a house quickly?
Oh or, that she likes my hugs...but I do know that already.
Maybe...”
The thoughts just came slowly, like they were dipped in syrup and Pinkie sighed. This tone woke Scootaloo finally and she rubbed her cheek on the warm fluffy coat.
She raised her deep blushing head slowly and smiled to Pinkie.
“Do you think we could meet again next week?
Some time in the afternoon, I don't know, maybe Tuesday?”
Pinkie just smiled gently and nodded. The filly really wanted to see her again and. Scootaloo pushed herself away from Pinkie and whispered a few words more.
“Pinkie, you know, I want...think....
I think you're really n...nice and...”
Scootaloo fell silent, as the mare looked to the tub again and finally turned off the water. She cleared her throat and smiled.
The filly blushed a little bit more, sighed again and climbed slowly into the warm water.
First Pinkie wanted to help her, but Scootaloo shook her head quickly, mumbled an I can do this on my own and asked Pinkie to leave her alone.
Pinkie tried to reply something and frowned a little bit, but Scootaloo had turned around already and plunged her head into the water.
Pinkie sighed, but nodded finally and closed the door. She looked confused and agape around.
Scootaloo hadn't told her the thing she was fuzzy about.
What was it?
Pinkie frowned and thought about it for a long time.
She paced around in the room meanwhile, mumbled the options to herself and raised her head finally.
The Cakes, all four of them, even the little foals were looking confused to her and had watched her pacing around.
She bounced closer quickly to tell them, ask them, if...
It was way too late for that. The filly had finished her bath and pushed the bathroom door open already.
Scootaloo returned to the kitchen with a wet mane and a bath towel on her back.
She turned around multiple times to catch her dripping wet tail, but she was so nervous or seemed to be, that it slipped from her hooves every time she could grab it.
She gave up finally, turned to Pinkie, blushed heavily and hemmed and hawed even more than before.
“Could...could you, well, help me?
I...I can't...reach my tail so easily and...”
She blushed even more as she whispered the question. Her voice even got lower, as she continued.
“Usually Blue would help me...or Caring...”
She even blushed more, was already dark red and glanced to Mister Cake shortly.
The stallion cleared his throat, turned the head away and pretended to not hear what she had said.
He looked to the chuckling twins, both foals faces were covered with food.
Carrot Cake just mumbled something about a bath for the foals, smiled to his wife and nodded.
He took both foals on his hooves and walked to the bathroom, without even looking at Scootaloo.
The filly squeaked, made way quickly and tried to hide her back under the nearest table.
But he didn't look once to her, but stayed looking to the bathroom.
Scootaloo approached the table not until the door was closed. She took the towel from her back, blushed again and spun it around nervously in the hooves.
Pinkie bounced closer slowly, took the towel out of her hooves and smiled finally.
To dry the tail of a nervous filly was a strange thing to start a day. Pinkie finished the embarrassing task without any snicker and smiled into Scootaloo's face finally.
The filly rubbed her hooves over another, as she noticed Pinkie's look and stammered an apology.
“I...usually my tail isn't so wet.
I shook myself in the shower before, well...
But I don't want to make a mess in the bathroom and...”
The filly sped up, that Pinkie had to put a hoof onto her mouth and tried to calm her down with a smile.
“It's alright, Scootaloo.
Maud, my older sister you know, had dried my tail every time for me.
As long as you don't feel too embarrassed by...”
Miss Cake cleared her throat right now and both turned to her.
“You should eat before it get much colder. After that Carrot would have finished the bath.
Than you can brush her mane, Pinkie.
Just if you want to, Scootaloo.”
The filly frowned, stroke her half way ordered mane with one hoof and mumbled an answer.
“I have already brushed it and...”
She stopped and sighed loudly, as she saw how pleading Pinkie looked at her.
The filly tried to avoid Pinkie's gaze and tried to stammer a few more sentences, but her stomach growled so loud, that she just fell silent quickly.
Pinkie giggled and pushed her to the table again.
The filly sat down at least, stroke her mane and glanced over the cold pile of pancakes.
“I didn't have pancakes for a long time, Pinkie.
Do you have some with apples?”
Pinkie shook her head, took a seat beside her and put a few pancakes on the filly's plate.
“No, but if you like, I can make some...”
Scootaloo shook her head quickly, looked around for something on the table, till she found a jar of bramble jam and cheered satisfied.
She reached out for the small jar, looked to Miss Cake and seemed to ask silently for permission. The mare smiled gently and pushed the jar closer to the filly.
She nodded and Scootaloo cheered even louder.
“Uh, I do love bramble jam.
But at home...I mean in the orphanage we don't get it often.
They did always say, that it is too...expensive.”
The filly's voice faded more and more away and she fell silent finally. She blushed again, her ears flattened and her hooves started to rub over another.
She pushed the jar away finally and fumbled for a bigger jar with redder jam.
Pinkie cocked her head with an inquiring expression and Cup Cake cleared her throat.
She looked to the clock, stood up quickly and said something about opening the bakery. She smiled to Scootaloo and walked out of the kitchen slowly.
Pinkie didn't wait till Scootaloo would put the strawberry jam on her pancake, but pushed the jar with the bramble jam closer to her instead.
“If you like take the bramble jam, Scootaloo.
I'm sure the Cakes wouldn't mind...”
The filly just shook her head quickly and took a knife into her mouth. She sighed and took a huge slice of jam.
She pressed the ears closer to her head, as she smelled the half warm pancakes mixed with the one of warm strawberries.
She finished the first pancake, rolled it up and laid the knife on the one below.
“I don't want to eat all the jam, Pinkie.
So I do like strawberries well enough to...”
Pinkie shook her head, cocked it and looked to the filly. She smiled finally, grabbed the bramble jam with a quick hoof and put a few pancakes on her own plate.
The filly sighed again, as she saw that and grabbed her own pancake. She stammered another sentence.
“Well especially when you like it so much...”
Pinkie finished her pancake and rolled it up herself.
But with a quick move she put it into Scootaloo's open mouth and silenced her. She grabbed the filly's strawberry pancake and grinned widely.
First Scootaloo glanced scarred to her, but she raised her hooves quickly before the pancake would fall out her mouth and took a bite.
Pinkie spun the other pancake roll in her hooves and mumbled an answer on her own.
“I love strawberry jam.
But at home they're very rare and expensive. So nopony made jam out of them.
But mummy knew, that I love it and brought a jar every time, when she was in town.
Every, every time she returned from the town, she had bought a jar full of jam or me and...”
Pinkie fell silent and smiled gently, as she saw what Scootaloo had done, while she reminisced.
Scootaloo had shut her eyes closed, sighed relieved while she chewed and let the taste of bramble fill every corner of her mouth.
She savoured every little bit of taste as long as she could, before she took the next bite.
Pinkie copied her slow pace eating and both just enjoyed their favourite taste with the sweet baked goods as slowly as they could.