Chapters For the rest of the day, Tagalong and Orion paid close attention to the clock, waiting for the bell to ring. Orion paid attention to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle who were whispering, giggling and passing notes. When the bell rang, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom darted out of the room. Tagalong and Orion raced out of their seats trying to catch them, but Cheerilee held both of the colts after school to scold them about talking during class. They followed the fillies to the clubhouse but by the time they got there, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had told Scootaloo everything. She had skipped school that day and was in the clubhouse the whole time.
"What are you doing here, Scoot? Why weren't you at school today?" Tagalong asked. He was the one to break the ice around the situation.
Scootaloo shrugged, "I don't know. I just didn't feel like going today." she responded. She then noticed that Orion was blushing. She smiled, and giggled a bit. "I'm flattered Orion, but I don't like you like that. You're a friend; Just a friend." Orion's ears went down in disappointment. Tagalong patted him on the back.
"C'mon, buddy. Let's go back to my house. Things are getting kinda awkward here, anyways." Tagalong said, heading towards the door of the clubhouse. "Do you want to come with, Sweetie Belle?"
Sweetie Belle stood up, "Why don't we all walk with you guys?" she suggested. Tagalong and Orion looked at each other
"I don't see why not," Tagalong said with a smile. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stood up and walked to the door. As they all headed out, they heard something; a rustling. Tagalong looked to his left were the trail was, and saw somepony in a tree, but couldn't tell who it was. He turned to Scootaloo, and then whispered something to her. Everypony was trying to figure out what was happening. Suddenly, Tagalong and Scootaloo ran towards the tree and started to climb it. The other three ponies ran towards the tree as well.
"What are y'all doin'?" asked Apple Bloom, looking at both Sweetie Belle and Orion to confirm that they wanted to know the answer as well.
"Hold on, I've almost..." said Tagalong from up the tree. Then, a loud snap was heard, and three distinct screams as the tree branch fell. Scootaloo landed on her back, then got up and dusted herself off.
"Well?" she asked, "Did you find them?" Everypony looked at the yellow, blue and green maned filly that Tagalong was helping to her feet.
"Who's that?" asked Sweetie Belle. A jolt went through Orion, causing him to speak up.
"I know her! You're Aurora Dawn, right? Yeah, you're the super quiet filly that sits in the back of the class." Orion had recognized her mane, as it was the most vividly colored mane in class.
"Well, that doesn't explain why you were following us!" Tagalong said. He was raising his voice without knowing it.
"Tagalong, calm down. Why were you following us, Aurora?" asked Scootaloo. Aurora Dawn was kicking the dirt around, something some ponies do when they're nervous.
"Well... you see... I don't have any friends here, and I saw that you all are really close friends, so I thought..." the nervous filly mumbled out. Sweetie Belle gasped then walked over to Aurora.
"You can be our friend, Aurora!" she gleefully said. She looked at everypony else for confirmation. They all nodded in agreement, and all smiled. Aurora felt happy, happier than she'd ever felt.
"Well, I think we all have to go home, huh?" asked Tagalong. Scootaloo nodded in agreement.
"I take it you'll walk Sweetie Belle home as usual?" she asked. Tagalong nodded, and he and Sweetie Belle walked off.
"I guess we'll all walk you home, Apple Bloom." Orion said. The four ponies walked down the trail, up to the front of Sweet Apple Acres, waved goodbye to Apple Bloom, and headed towards Aurora's home.
"So how long have you lived in Ponyville, Aurora?" Orion asked.
"Only about a year. I moved here from Cloudsdale. What about you?"
"Two years," he responded with a smile.
"So, Orion, let's talk about your crush," said Scootaloo, quickly changing the subject and smirking at the colt. Orion tensed up, looking at Scootaloo nervously.
"I, uh, well, um..." he managed to stutter out. He quickly bolted away from the fillies. The two looked at each other and giggled.
After about an hour, Orion walked back into the house, noticing Tagalong in the living room watching TV, as always. He sat down next to him and sighed heavily.
"What's the matter?" Tagalong asked him, keeping his eyes fixed on the TV.
"Nothing," Orion said. They sat together and watched TV for about ten minutes before Scootaloo rushed into the house and quickly shut the door behind her.
"Whoa, what's the rush, sis?" asked Tagalong, hopping off the couch. Scootaloo had a look on her face of shock. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, walking closer to her. Scootaloo said nothing; she just stood in the house, quivering. Tagalong put his hooves around her shoulders, "Hey! What's wrong with you?" he started to shout at her.
"I..." she started to speak. "I had my first kiss..." she blurted out. Tagalong looked a bit surprised.
"Really? Was it Orion?" he asked. Orion stood up and walked over to them.
"It wasn't me! I was here, remember?" he stated as-a-matter-of-factly. Scootaloo shook her head quickly.
"Then who?" both the colts asked. They were both growing impatient and longed to know the answer.
"It was... Aurora..." Scootaloo managed to stutter out. Tagalong and Orion looked at each other and smiled.
"Congrats, sis," Tagalong said. Scootaloo backed up from the hoof bump Tagalong tried to give her.
"No! Don't you get it? I didn't want to be kissed by her! I'm scared, Tag!" she said, her voice quivering.
"Of what? This is a good thing, Scoot!"
"I'm scared of what Mom and Dad will think! What if they're like Sweetie Belle's parents, who aren't okay with filly-foolers?" She was on the verge of tears, "What if they hate me for this?" Tagalong tried to hug her, but she backed away again.
"I'm sure they're fine with it. Besides, you're not a filly-fooler, right?"
Scootaloo shook her head, "Of course not, but I guess Aurora is, and I don't want to hurt her feelings!" Tagalong didn't know what to do. He'd never been in this kind of situation before.
"Um..." he stuttered. Orion stopped him from continuing his sentence.
"Well, what happened exactly?" Orion asked. Scootaloo wiped a few tears away and looked at him.
"Well, I was walking with her after you left. We went to her house and she said how happy she was to have friends now. Then... she kissed me."
"Like, a peck on the cheek or something?" Orion asked. Scootaloo shook her head.
"N-no, on the lips... It was only for, like, 5 seconds, but..." she couldn't say anything else, her emotions getting the better of her. "I'm just scared of what'll happen because of this. I'm scared what my parents will think of me." Orion thought for a minute and had an idea.
"Just have Tagalong ask your parents what they think!" He had a big smile on his face. Scootaloo slowed her pace, and then looked at Tagalong.
"W-what? Why me? This is Scootaloo's problem, not mine!"
"Please? I don't want Mom or Dad to get mad at me..." she said with worry in her voice. Tagalong looked at her then let out a sigh.
"Fine, I'll ask them. But as soon as I ask them, I'm gonna tell them it's about you."
"Alright," she said. She gave him a quick hug. "Thanks, bro." Tagalong smiled a little and hugged her back.
In their room, Pam looked at Aldous as they lied in bed and he looked into her eyes.
"Hun?" she said quietly.
"Yes, dear?"
"I think we should invite that filly and her parents over for dinner tomorrow, try to sort this out," she said in a concerned tone. Aldous paused for a bit and nodded.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Pam,"
In the other room, Tagalong and Orion stayed up late again. It was Friday night, the first night of the weekend. They sat in Tagalong's bed and played video games for a couple of hours, the main light off and the television constantly flickering with game play. After a while, both colts grew bored of the game and turned it off. The room grew dark until Tagalong switched on his lamp that rested on his night stand.
They decide to try and get some sleep for the day ahead. Orion lies in his sleeping bag and Tagalong in his bed.
"You know you can sleep up here with me," Tagalong said to Orion, looking down from his bed. Orion adjusted in his sleeping bag.
"Yeah, but when it comes to beds, I'm a real hog," he said, trying to sound convincing. The truth was Orion gets cuddly when he sleeps. He usually wakes up with his pillow in his arms. He didn't want that to happen with his best friend. In his mind, it was best to avoid all awkward situations.
"Boy, that was really tense at dinner, huh?" Tagalong asked.
"Yeah, I didn't want to say anything, so I just ate," Orion replied with a small chuckle. "Tag?" he asked.
"Yeah?"
"How do you think Scootaloo feels right now?"
"I'm not sure. I'd be really anxious though." Tagalong said, sitting up in his bed more.
"Well, you are twins. Maybe she's really anxious too," Orion thought out loud.
"Maybe. Wanna go check on her?"
"Sure. But what if she's asleep?" Orion asked, also sitting up
"Then we let her sleep," Tagalong hopped out of bed and walked to his door. "C'mon," Both colts walked out of the room and down the hall. When they reached Scootaloo's room, Tagalong put his ear next to the door.
"Hear anything?" Orion asked.
"Nope," Tagalong replied. He slowly opened the door, the hinges creaking and echoing through the quiet house. They opened it even more and saw Scootaloo lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. She turned to see who had walked in and saw the two colts.
"h-hey, Scootaloo," Orion nervously said. He was also conflicted with feelings. His crush on her was eating away inside of him, screaming to tell her, even though she already knew.
"Hey guys," Scootaloo replied. She sat up on her bed and looked at them.
"We just wanted to know if you were doing okay," Tagalong said, walking more into her room. She had a look of anxiety on her face, one that could and was coupled with confusion.
"No, I'm not okay," Scootaloo replied in a low voice, her head hanging down. Tagalong walked over and sat next to her. She immediately gave him a hug, but the way she hugged him told Tagalong that she was very scared. "Tag, I don't know what to do," she cried out. Tagalong hugged his sister back.
"Me either, Scoots. You need to tell her the truth," he replied. Orion stepped closer and sat on the opposite of Scootaloo. She let go of Tagalong and looked at Orion and smiled a little.
"Thanks for trying to help me, you guys. It means a lot."
"Of course," Orion replied. He was hoping for a hug as well. Tagalong stood up and turned to Scootaloo.
"Well, we'd better let you get some rest," Tagalong said.
"N-no," Scootaloo blurted out, "why don't you guys stay? To keep me company." The colts looked at each other and nodded.
"Sure. I'll get our sleeping bags," Tagalong said, leaving the room for a minute. He came back in dragging in Orion's sleeping bag as well as his own. His was a lime green color and he only used it when he slept over at Orion's house. Tagalong set up the sleeping bags close to Scootaloo's bed. Scootaloo laid back down and wrapped herself up in her blanket. Tagalong crawled into his sleeping bag, hoof under his pillow and Orion followed suit.
"Good night, guys," Scootaloo said.
"Good night," both colts replied almost simultaneously. Minutes passed and Tagalong fell asleep. The hum of the air conditioner grew louder. The room grew colder and Tagalong gripped his blanket tighter. Orion's thin sleeping bag was no use for the freezing cold room. Scootaloo liked her room cold, really cold.
As the temperature continued to drop, Orion was faced with a problem: Who to sleep with. He could try and get under Tagalong's blanket with him, but he didn't want to snuggle with his friend. Scootaloo's bed was very warm; Orion felt the soft sheets and warm covers. He made up his mind and stood up. Shivering, he walked over to Scootaloo's bed and climbed in with her. He crawled under her thick blanket in an attempt to get warm. His arm made its way around Scootaloo's shoulder and he fell asleep.
Late Thursday night, September starting to roll around and the weather turning chilly, Tagalong and Orion are up late talking to each other.
"Well, I've never had a girlfriend" said Orion, adjusting in his sleeping bag, trying to get comfortable on Tagalong's floor. He was spending the weekend at Tagalong's house, his parents in Canterlot supporting his older brother. Tagalong and Orion had been best friends for two and a half years and Tagalong's parents considered him to be part of the family.
"Well, you know me and Sweetie Belle have been going out for two years now. Is there anypony you like?" Tagalong asked, peering down to his friend.
"Me? No, but I have this one friend that kinda has a crush on Scootaloo," Orion said nonchalantly. Tagalong looked at Orion, then started to chuckle. "What's so funny?" Orion asked.
"Well, I think your 'friend' better work up the courage to tell her!" Tagalong said, stifling laughs.
Orion sat up, "A-am I that easy to read?" he asked. Tagalong nodded then put a hoof up to his mouth.
"Shh. Do you hear that?" he whispered. There was someone up as well, as the sound of hoof-steps could be heard down the hall. Then there was a knock on the door. Tagalong always kept his door closed ever since he lived in the Manehattan orphanage.
"Are you guy still awake?" Scootaloo's hushed voice said. "You're so loud! Go to bed already!' Tagalong and Orion looked at each other.
"Alright, Scoot. Good night," Tagalong said.
"Night," she said. The sound of hoof steps and closing door meant the end of the conversation. Tagalong turned to Orion again.
"She's right, it's getting late." Orion looked at Tagalong's clock then nodded. Tagalong turned off his lamp and rolled over in his bed. Orion couldn't sleep, so he lied in his sleeping bag and simply listened to the sounds of the house. However, the only thing he could hear though Tagalong's snoring was the crickets outside the window.
The next thing he knew, Tagalong was pushing him back and forth.
"Come on, wake up! We're gonna be late!" he yelled. Orion stood up quickly and bolted out of the room. Tagalong shrugged and walked into the dining room. He sat down and started to eat his breakfast. Orion walked out of the bathroom and in the dining room and looked around.
"Where's Scootaloo? Did she already head for school?" he asked. Tagalong shrugged and mumbled "I don't know" through a mouthful of cereal. Orion kept looking around, thinking maybe he missed her sitting on the couch. It wasn't like her to go to school early. Orion drowsily sat down at the table and poured some cereal and milk into a bowl then started to eat as well.
After breakfast, the two colts grabbed their saddlebags and headed off to the schoolhouse. As they walked down the busy road, Sweetie Belle snuck up from behind Tagalong and jumped on top of him, knocking him to the ground and spreading the contents of his saddlebag all over the ground.
"Hi!" she peeped with a smile on her face. Tagalong got back up and dusted himself off.
"Hey, Sweetie." he said. They hugged and continued walking to school. When they arrived at the schoolhouse, they saw Apple Bloom waiting by the door, while other fillies and colts socialized before school started. As the group approached her, she instinctively turned around and greeted them
"Oh, hey y'all. Where's Scootaloo?" asked Apple Bloom.
"I don't know. She isn't here already?" responded Tagalong. Apple Bloom shook her head while Orion walked into the schoolhouse.
"Well, I guess we'd better head inside. Maybe Scootaloo's skipping again." suggested Sweetie Belle. She and Tagalong walked side by side into school with Apple Bloom following close behind. They entered Cheerilee's classroom, which was nearly empty due to the fact that school hadn't started yet. They all sat in their assigned seats while the other ponies slowly entered the room. Tagalong turned around in his seat to talk to Orion. It was easier now that Scootaloo wasn't in class that day.
"Do you really like Scootaloo?" he asked his friend. Orion looked around then leaned in to his friend.
"Yeah, I think she's really cute," he said. Class had officially started and Tagalong and Orion were talking over Cheerilee, who was writing the day's assignment on the chalkboard.
"I just don't believe you," Tagalong said, irritating Orion a bit. "Do you like her, or love her?" he asked. Orion sat back in his seat and without thinking about the volume of his voice, blurted out
"Yes Tagalong, I love Scootaloo!"
"Orion!" shouted Cheerilee, turning away from the chalkboard, "Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" she gruffly asked. Orion quickly turned red.
"No ma'am," he quietly said. Cheerilee turned back to the chalkboard and Orion buried his face in his hooves. Then he heard Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom giggling from across the classroom. He looked at them and they waved to him. His mind raced and he tapped Tagalong on the shoulder.
"What?" he quietly asked.
"I think Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle overheard what I said! They're gonna rat me out to Scootaloo after school, I just know it!" he frantically whispered back.
"So what?" Tagalong responded.
"So what? I don't want anypony to know that, let alone Scootaloo!"
"Fine, then we'll stop them before they get to Scootaloo." he reassured his frantic friend.
That night during dinner, Aldous walked into the dining room carrying plates for Tagalong, Scootaloo and Orion.
"Here you go, kids," he said as he placed plates in front of them and sat next to Pam. They all started eating, Tagalong eating rather slowly, pushing his food around with his fork.
"Something wrong, Tag?" Pam asked looking up from her plate.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, everything's fine. Could I ask a question?" Aldous looks up from his plate.
"Of course you can, Tag. Shoot," he said to his son. Tagalong looked at his parents then to his sister. He took a breath and asked the question.
"What are your opinions about filly-foolers and colt-cuddlers?" Pam and Aldous looked at him; their expressions were both concerned and dumbstruck. How could their son know about this kind of thing already? He was far too young to be concerned about this sort of thing. Aldous looked at Tagalong's guilty expression, then to Orion who was trying to eat his food like he didn't hear a word.
"Um, did something happen between... you and Orion?" Aldous asked, trying not to make eye contact with Tagalong. Tagalong looked confused, thinking he misheard his father. When he realized that he heard correctly, he started to worry again.
"N-no, Dad!" he exclaimed, "This isn't about me, it's about Scootaloo!"
"Tag!" Scootaloo spoke up. She looked at her parents who now turned their attention to her.
"What happened, Scootaloo?" Pam asked her. Scootaloo still never got her answer, so she didn't want to tell them about the kiss.
"N-nothing," she said. She didn't hope that her parents would buy the excuse, just that they would drop the subject momentarily.
"If you don't tell them, I will," Tagalong said. Scootaloo looked at him in disbelief, then to her parents once more.
"Fine," she said under her breath. Everyone put their undivided attention to Scootaloo as she thought of how to phrase the events. "Today, I got kissed," she muttered.
"That's great, Scoot," Aldous said.
"That's not all," Scootaloo continued, "I was kissed by... another filly," She grew silent after that and expected the worst.
"Oh," Pam said, "but do you like her?" she asked. Scootaloo looked back to Pam.
"N-no, I like colts not fillies, Mom," she replied. "I just wanted to know how you guys felt about filly-foolers, so I had Tag ask instead of me."
"Ah, I see. We just want you kids to be as happy as you can be," Aldous said in a comforting tone. He reached over and gave Scootaloo a kiss on the cheek.
"Dad, I don't know what to do. I don't like her, but if I tell her, it'll hurt her feelings, and I--"
"Give it time, Scoot. You're a smart kid; I'm positive you'll figure something out," Aldous reassured her. Scootaloo smiled and hugged Aldous.
"Thanks, Dad,"
"You're welcome. Now let's finish eating before our dinner gets cold," he said with a smile. They finished up their meals, cleared the table and all headed off to bed.