It was NOT a kiss!

The panicking colt's thoughts raced only slightly slower than he was currently rushing home. Okay, he wasn't supposed to be rushing out like this, but the teachers would surely understand! He'd been infected with cooties! If he didn't get treatment, before the day was out, he'd... he'd...

... what did cooties actually do? Would he not be able to play hoofball anymore? Would his friends stop talking to him?! Oh wait he didn't have friends and didn't play hoofball... okay problem for later. First, cure cooties. Second, figure out what he'd actually lose out on if he did get it again. Third, get the things so he could lose out on them... wait... shouldn't he get those before curing the cooties...? Well too late for that.

He got home in what he was pretty sure was record time, mostly because he forgot to slow down before he crashed through the window to the kitchen.

"SIS! SIS!!" He crashed through the window and knocked his older sister over as she yelped in surprise. The silver colt and oily black mare tumbled across the ground in a heap, landing with the colt on top and his older sister beneath him. "What do cooties do?!"

"... Cooties?" The unicorn looked at him with her one remaining eye like he'd grown a second head.

Wait, could that happen?! Is that where Cerberus came from?!

"Celestia no!" He cried, grasping his head as panic overwhelmed him. "We can't afford more toothpaste! WHAT IF I GET FLEAS?! I need an inoculation!"

"Toothpa-?! How do you know what an inoculation is but not that cooties aren't real?"

"SIS THIS IS NO TIME FOR JOKES!" He grabbed her by the neck and started shaking. "DO I HAVE TO GET NEUTERED?! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS BUT IT SOUNDS-"

The one eyed mare shoved her hoof right into the young colt's mouth, which didn't stop him from talking but did mercifully take the volume down by a couple of octaves. (Mercifully for her but also for him, as he suddenly realized his ears were ringing. Had he been yelling again?)

"Back up," she said slowly. "and start from the beginning. Why are you upset?"

Star waited a moment for his big sister to remove her hoof from his mouth, then said "A girl kissed me today."

"... and that's... upsetting?"

He nodded vigorously. "She infected me!"

Big Sis' eye narrowed, and she leaned in closer. "Explain."

So he did.

As the two talked, they made their way to the couch and sat together, one adult sister with her barely old enough for schooling little brother. Over the course of his explanation, North Star's look went from concern to amusement and finally to outright laughing. She didn't want to, but she did.

He pouted. "Girls are mean."

Only when we like you, she thought to herself.

But the stallion shook his head. "No, all the time!"

Had she said that aloud? Hrm.

"If you say so." She chuckled, ruffling his mane. "Now listen, okay? 'Cooties' aren't real. They're a thing kids made up to keep away from the opposite gender."

"The what?"

"Girls."

"Then why do I look at girls and feel all funny?"

She raised the eyebrow over her eyepatch. "That's perfectly normal."

He shook his head. "No it isn't. The guys you meet-"

"-are adults, as am I." She interrupted. "You are a kid, and it's perfectly normal at your age to feel weird. It just means you're starting to notice girls."

He stared at her for a moment, then tilted his head. "In what way?"

The innocent questions of a colt that had no idea how awkward he was being right that second.

North took a deep breath to steady herself. She had not really been prepared to raise a child, at least in her own estimation, but Silver was a bright kid when he wasn't panicking. She'd found the best way to handle him was to explain things as calmly and plainly as she could.

"Remember how I said everything in life comes with time and effort?"

He nodded.

"And you see how stallions and mares like hanging out with each other when they grow up, yes?"

"Yeah," He pouted. "Seen 'em kissing, too. It's gross and weird."

"It sounds gross and weird to you right now," she corrected. "But when you're older, trust me, you'll enjoy kisses, and mare company. Possibly more than stallions."

"More than my big sis?"

She chuckled and ruffled his mane again. "Sweet of you, but yes. Kind of. It's a different kind of enjoyment from family."

"Wait..." His eyes widened. "Coral Knight kissed me! She's an adult!"

Wait WHAT?! North Star felt her muscles bulge, and a sudden surge of protective rage. OH SOMEONE AT THAT SCHOOL WAS GETTING FED INTO A WOODCHI-

"I thought you had to get a cutie mark, at least!" He yelled. "She's not much taller than I am! How can she be an adult already?!"

Oh thank goodness, it was a little girl like him, he was just being lovably dumb. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"That is not what I meant, sheriff." She said, patting his head. "Anyone can kiss. Eventually, you'll probably want to. I mean, some ponies don't, and there's nothing wrong with that, but my point is the 'cootie' phase is temporary. It's something everypony goes through."

"So why'd she kiss me, then? If she's not an adult she shouldn't enjoy it yet right?"

"I don't know for sure, I'd have to meet her. Best guess, she probably did it just to mess with you since you were teasing her." North Star said, frowning at him, "If you really don't want Coral to kiss you again, then I suggest you stop teasing her about cooties."

"She sent me into a panic just because she wanted to?" He pouted. "Girls are really mean."

North Star sighed. "Star, you messed with her first."

"Just because I was mean first, doesn't mean she wasn't mean too!"

She opened her mouth to answer, then closed it. Not exactly the lesson he was supposed to be learning, but it was a good one at least. No point in trying to shoot it down.

"So long as you understand that goes both ways. She was mean to you, but that doesn't mean you weren't mean, too. You owe her an apology."

"She kissed me so she should apologize first."

"No, you're going to apologize whether she does or not and if she doesn't do it first, you will."

"Aw, that's dumb!"

"Star." She frowned. "What have I told you?"

He stared at her for a moment, then grumbled "Do the right thing because it's right, whether it's receipt- recirp- returned or not."

"Yes."

He looked away from North for a bit, and said nothing. Just when she was beginning to think he'd refuse, he finally mumbled out, "I'll tell her I'm sorry at school tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's Saturday."

"Monday, then."

Despite herself, North snickered. "You have Monday off."

He scowled. "When I see her next then okay! Geez."

She smiled and pulled him into a hug. "Good Star."

"...Thanks sis." He returned the hug for a few moments, then his ears perked up. "Sis, I just thought of something."

"Yeah?"

"I'm Silver Star, you're North Star. We both have 'star' in our name. Calling me 'Star' but not you doesn't make any sense."

She stared at her little brother, then chuckled. "As you say, little sheriff. Now, tell me who this Coral Knight is so I can pay her parents a visit."

And apologize for my little brother being a twat.

Silver Star tilted his head. "What's a twat?"

Dammit.