“…and then, when I tried to tell him that… well… that I like him… he…”

“He what?” Scootaloo asked, cocking her head. “Wait, you don’t mean he…?”

“Yeah, he said no,” Flight grumbled, averting her gaze. “He said that he already knew, and that he couldn’t.”

“Did he say why?” Cotton asked, raising an eyebrow. “I could have sworn that colt was into you… like, really into you.”

“That’s the weirdest part,” Flight replied, gazing off into the distance. “He said he still liked me, too. Just that we couldn’t… be together, for some reason.”

“Hm,” Scootaloo murmured, glancing over at the tree around which Mochi and Kaylee had trotted away. “Maybe Mochi can find out more from him. That doesn’t seem like him at all. Like, I guess I’ve only known him for a bit, but who just tosses away a pony they have feelings for? Something doesn’t quite add up…”

“Maybe he does have a reason,” Cotton Fluff said. “I mean, maybe he just doesn’t feel like that about you anymore.”

Flight shook her head. “No, he actually said that he liked me and that he wanted… he wished that we could work out.”

“Well, I'm really sorry, and I hope it works out," Scootaloo said. "For your sake, and for the sake of this stupid mission. We can't do anything if we can't even talk to each other."