“That certainly is true.” He sat by Caliber. “You’re taller than me, even,” he pouted.
“Yeah… S’pretty great I guess…” He frowns, “So… What did you come over here for?”
He paused for a moment. “Well, your father wanted me to talk to you…”
His voice was somewhat hushed. “Caliber…?! You— You look… Well… Different.”
“Hm… You don’t say…” He dips his head a bit and smiles, still looking at Quill, “I kinda grew up on you.”
“That certainly is true.” He sat by Caliber. “You’re taller than me, even,” he pouted.
Quilliam walked inside, closing the door slowly behind him. “H- Hello…? Who’s there?”
“Right here.” Sitting behind him, sits Caliber, now older than he once was.
His voice was somewhat hushed. “Caliber…?! You— You look… Well… Different.”
“Um… Hello…?” Quilliam stepped forward cautiously. “Anypony home…?”
An teen sounding voice calls him in, “Get in here!“
Quilliam walked inside, closing the door slowly behind him. “H- Hello…? Who’s there?”
Quilliam trotted toward Ampere’s house. He reached the door and gave a sigh. Well, let’s do this. He knocked somewhat quietly on the door.
Caliber opens the door carefully, then steps out of the way of the door as it opens, making sure Quill doesn’t see him.
“Um… Hello…?” Quilliam stepped forward cautiously. “Anypony home…?”
He wrapped his forelegs around Ampere. “Thank you for being understanding…”
“It’s no problem… Oh, and when you go see Caliber… Uhm… No, nevermind, you’ll know when you see him.”
“Hm? Oh— Well— Okay, then! I’ll talk to him right away.”
“I will. You can trust me.” A smile once again shone on his face. “It’s nice that he found a coltfriend, though, and that he was able to come to terms with himself so well. It— Well— It didn’t come as easily to me…”
“Good-good.” Ampere places the money back in Quilliam’s hooves, “You’ve earned this.”
He wrapped his forelegs around Ampere. “Thank you for being understanding…”
His voice was somber. “I’m fine… I’m fine…” He wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m so, so sorry, Ampere… I don’t deserve your money…” He took the bag of bits and set it between them.
Ampere looked down at the money, then back up to Quilliam, “…No. Listen, I’m not angry at all. All I wanted to find out was what sparked Caliber’s interest. Besides, he found himself a little coltfriend, and as far as I can tell, both me and Stratus are okay with that. But… There is another thing. Since he seemed to look up to you before, I want you to go talk to him, and set him straight about sexuality. ‘Tia knows what those colts told him.”
“I will. You can trust me.” A smile once again shone on his face. “It’s nice that he found a coltfriend, though, and that he was able to come to terms with himself so well. It— Well— It didn’t come as easily to me…”
Quilliam stood still, mouth slightly agape. “I… I…” He burned with a sense of guilt. He was solely responsible, he thought, for introducing Caliber to the idea of homosexuality. A lump caught itself in his throat as he fought for a way out. “It… It was me…” His eyes were watery, as if he were about to cry. “I mentioned something about Ignus, and it caught his attention, so I explained it very briefly… I didn’t think it’d escalate like that…!”
Ampere started to look a bit worried, “A-are you okay Quill, you look like you’re about to cr—”
His voice was somber. “I’m fine… I’m fine…” He wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m so, so sorry, Ampere… I don’t deserve your money…” He took the bag of bits and set it between them.
Quilliam backed up slightly at Ampere’s advance. “Not at all! Are— Are you accusing me of something…? I have no clue what’s going on…!”
“No, no… You just seem tense.” Ampere backs away, “But yes, me and Stratus have been wondering if you talked to Caliber about anything specific. Apparently a couple of colts allowed him to kiss them, after he claimed that he was trying to find out how somepony starts to like the same gender. It got worse, because those same colts told him about the more intimate parts of liking the same gender, AND they exposed themselves to Caliber.”
Quilliam stood still, mouth slightly agape. “I… I…” He burned with a sense of guilt. He was solely responsible, he thought, for introducing Caliber to the idea of homosexuality. A lump caught itself in his throat as he fought for a way out. “It… It was me…” His eyes were watery, as if he were about to cry. “I mentioned something about Ignus, and it caught his attention, so I explained it very briefly… I didn’t think it’d escalate like that…!”
