Like in a few of my other stories, this story will include some clothing (not as normal wear).

Dylan was sitting on his couch. It was mid-day, he hadn't eaten lunch yet as he waited, knowing something would happen soon.

A knock was at the door. Dylan got up to answer it. As he opened the door he saw a cyan-colored Pegasus with a rainbow colored mane and tail. "Hey Rainbow Dash," Dylan said.

"Hey Dylan," she responded, "I got a surprise to show you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, follow me to my house," Rainbow flew off.

Dylan walked out and closed the door behind him. He opened his wings and flew after her, his white fur rustling in the wind, his dirty-blonde mane and tail flowing behind him.

As they reached her house they walked in. "Now, close your eyes," said Rainbow.

Dylan did so. After a few minutes of waiting he heard the mare say "Alright, open them."

His eyes opened, and his jaw dropped. Rainbow was wearing a Wonderbolt outfit. "You're kidding me..."

"Nope."

"They made you a Wonderbolt?!"

"Was there any doubt? I'm awesome!"

"That's great! We should celebrate," Dylan said, he then said something he didn't want to, "like maybe we should go out or something." realizing he said this, Dylan blushed and said "I didn't mean that."

Rainbow chuckled, "You're so funny Dylan."

Dylan sighed, he always had a crush on her but could never tell her.

While Dylan was off in wonderland he didn't realize Rainbow was trying to talk to him. "Dylan are you there?" she said waving a hoof in front of his face.

Dylan blinked a few times and said "Huh, what?"

"Don't space out of me Dylan. I was saying did you see that news article about the Lone Thief?"

"The Lone Thief? Wait, you read the news?"

"What?! No!" Rainbow blushed badly, "I only read the exciting stuff."

"Relax Rainbow, I'm not making fun of you or anything. Anyway, what news article?"

Rainbow tossed a paper in front of Dylan, "Equestria Daily huh? It seems like this newspaper is everywhere."

"Just open up to the article."

Dylan did so and saw the article about the Lone Thief. "'The Lone Thief has made another steal. Nopony knows who the Lone Thief is, but this pony is known to steal at night wearing a black outfit with a black hoodie jacket.'" Dylan had read out loud, he looked at the picture in the article, the Lone Thief was standing on a building seeming like the pony was escaping.

"So who do you think the Lone Thief is?"

Dylan looked at her, he knew who the Lone Thief was, but couldn't tell her, "I have no idea, it's a mystery to us all." Dylan hated himself for keeping this from Rainbow, Dylan knew who was in the picture, he knew who the Lone Thief was. It was him.

He had almost shed a tear because of keeping it from her. "Dylan?" asked Rainbow, "Are you crying?"

Dylan wiped his eyes, "No, something was in my eyes."

"Dylan if you were crying you could tell me, it's not like I'm gonna make fun of you."

"I wasn't crying, something got in my eye."

"Well alright then." Rainbow took a few seconds before saying, "You wanna stay over for lunch?"

"Wha-What?" Dylan said nervously, starting to blush.

"You know, lunch, would you like to eat here, in my house, with me?"

"Uh... Sure...? I guess."

"Dylan, what's with the nervous tone, I mean sure it's the first time I've asked you to stay over for lunch but it's not like it's a big deal, we're friends, not strangers."

Rainbow went to take off her outfit. 'We're friends' played over and over in Dylan's head. Hearing this from his crush made Dylan tear up.

"Something in your eye again Dylan?"

"Huh?" Dylan said, then beginning to wipe his eyes, "Oh, yeah."

Rainbow made lunch for them and sat in on the table, the both of them sitting down beginning to eat.

As they finished Rainbow began to clean up everything, "That was some good cooking," said Dylan, making Rainbow blush.

"It wasn't all that good. I'm sure your food is better."

"You would think that, I'm not the best chef."

"Well then maybe you should stay for lunch more, so you can eat better food."

"I couldn't, I wouldn't want to impose."

"No, it's fine, we could have a picnic tomorrow, just the two of us."

"Really?" Dylan said excitedly, "I mean, uh, sure, I guess that could work."

Rainbow proceeded to chuckle again.

After a few seconds Dylan said, "You know, you look good in the Wonderbolt outfit, I can't wait to see you along side Soarin' and Spitfire."

Rainbow sat down at the table again, her blush clearly visible, "Dylan you don't need to say that just make me smile."

"I wasn't saying it just make you smile, I actually think you look good in the outfit."

Rainbow's blush brightened, "Do you think we could change the topic?"

"Sure, about what?"

"I don't really know, it's just you complimenting me about the outfit is making feel embarrassed."

"I didn't mean to make you embarrassed," Dylan said standing up, he walked over to the side of Rainbow, "I just thought you would like my opinion."

"Well I'm flattered that you say that but," Rainbow turned to walked to the table, her muzzle reaching inches from Dylan's not realizing that he moved. They both blushed badly as Rainbow took a step back.

Dylan looked down and kicked his hoof, "So, uh, what were you saying? 'but' what?"

"I uh, don't even remember what I was going to say."

"Oh, um, okay, I'll go, uh, sit back at the table now," Dylan then proceeded to sit at the table.

After a few seconds Rainbow said, "You don't have to stay if you don't want to, you can leave if you want."

"Nah it's fine, I like hanging out with you," Dylan's blush hadn't gone away. "Unless, do you want me to leave?" asked Dylan.

"What? No, I never said that. I like having you around too. You're like somepony that I can really talk to you know? I don't have to hide anything from you, I can tell you anything."

Dylan's blush darkened, "So... Would you like to, um," Dylan began to ask a question, thinking now might be a good time, "to go out to a restaurant with me tonight?"

Rainbow thought for a few seconds then said, "Are you, asking me out on a date?"

"I, um, uh," Dylan looked down, "I... Yes," he looked back at her, "I am asking you out on a date."

"Well, Dylan I, hmm, I guess one date wouldn't be so bad... right?" Rainbow said with a weak smile afterwards.

Dylan smiled, "It shouldn't be bad."

"But Dylan, I don't have any money at the moment..."

"It's fine, my treat."

"Oh, okay." after a few seconds Rainbow said, "Dylan, are you telling me the truth about everything? I just want to know."

"Well, yeah of course, anything you ask me I'll do my best to answer honestly."

"Alright, I just wanted to know in-case I thought of a question to ask you tonight. By the way, when are we gonna go to that restaurant you were talking about?"

"I don't really know, how about 8?"

"Alright, that's cool."

Dylan kicked his hoof slight in the silence. "Well, I'm gonna head back home, it is 1 after all."

"Oh, alright, see ya later then."

"Why did I say that..." Dylan thought. He turned to the door and left.

He was beating himself up on the inside for saying that. He wanted to stay with her, for as long as he could. "Why did I have to go and say that!" Dylan screamed in his mind as he flew back home, dropping tears onto the ground below him, "Why couldn't I have just stayed there until it was time to go! Jeez, Dylan, why are you so stupid!"

Dylan arrived home, the first thing he did was go to his room. He looked at an old picture of him and Rainbow. It was only 3 years old, both of them being 15. Dylan sniffled letting out another tear, this one being his last.

Rainbow grabbed herself a glass of water, "Why did Dylan ask me out, out of the blue like that?" Rainbow asked herself, thinking out loud. "I mean, I've known him for 3 years. Even if he did like me he would have asked probably about 2 years ago wouldn't he? And why did I say yes anyway? I don't even like him that way..." Rainbow looked at her reflection in her glass, "Do I?"

Before they both knew it, it was already 6:55. Dylan quickly changed into an outfit with pockets and put his bits in his pocket. He then flew to Rainbow's house.

As Rainbow heard a knock on the door and went to answer it. After seeing Dylan she said, "Dylan, you're here already?"

"Well, it is 7..."

"Oh, yeah. If I knew you were going to be wearing something I would have put on at least something cool."

"You didn't need to, I just needed some way to keep my bits on me. So, are you ready?"

"Yeah I guess," Rainbow noticed something about what Dylan was wearing. His outfit seem oddly familiar, she just couldn't put her hoof on it.

The two walked to the restaurant. It was a bit odd for Rainbow because she was so used to flying everywhere.

They had already got into the restaurant and ordered several minutes later. "So..." said Rainbow, "what do you think the Lone Thief is gonna steal next time? That pony has been at work recently."

"I, don't know. Couldn't tell you, but I've noticed that everything the pony stole, the rightful owners seem to be very upset over it," Dylan responded. He knew what he was going to steal tonight, it was Rainbow Dash's Wonderbolt outfit. When he is the Lone Thief, it doesn't matter who he steals from, as long as he steals something very special to them.

"Really? You've noticed that?"

"Yeah I have. I am wondering though, why do you think the Lone Thief was named that name?"

"As you read in the news, they say the Lone Thief was named that way because he is the only thief in Ponyville. Do you have a different view on it?"

"Yeah I do actually, I don't think it's because the pony is the only thief. I think that it's because the pony is lonely, nopony else in the pony's life. Probably the pony doesn't have anything cherishable in it's life so it seeks what's cherishable to other ponies and hopes it satisfies. From that point of view I don't think the thief is that bad, the pony is just misunderstood, only wanting somepony else in his life. Who knows, could be a sibling or even a mate."

"Well, that does make it seem like the pony isn't that bad. Maybe I should meet the pony, see why it steals. Who knows, maybe it will be like one of those books that Twilight tells me about, where a mare meets a criminal and they fall in love."

"Maybe... you never know."

After their food arrived Rainbow asked, "So... why did you ask me out on this date?"

"Well, uh..." Dylan began to blush, but trying to keep his word to the best of his ability he responded, "I've always had a crush on you, ever since we met. It's not one of those, 'I like you just because you're cute' things. I had a crush on you because of your personality." after a few seconds he then asked, "Why did you say yes?"

Rainbow kept silent for a few seconds as she chewed her food, once she swallowed she said, "Well... I don't know, actually. When you asked I was basically stunned at the question. I even asked myself after you went home why you asked me, and why I said yes."

Dylan was taken back a bit by what she said, "O-Oh... okay then..."

For a few minutes they ate quietly, then they both heard, "Rainbow? Is that you?"

The both of them looking at the voice, seeing Soarin'. Rainbow grunted at the sight of him, "What do you want Soarin'?"

"What, aren't you happy to see me?"

"No, not really."

"Oh come on, I know you are," Soarin' took notice of Dylan, "Who's this nerd?"

"Don't call him a nerd Soarin', We've been friends for 3 years."

"3 years? I was with you for longer then that."

"You never told me why you're here Soarin'..." Rainbow said, knowing how Soarin' gets at times.

"You're 18 now right?" Soarin' grabbed one of Rainbow's forelegs, "Why don't we go back my place?"

"Soarin' let go of me."

Soarin' began to pull, "Come on ditch this loser."

Dylan got up, not liking to see violence right in front of his eyes. "Please, just leave her alone. Rainbow doesn't want to go with you, you should respect that."

"Oh, now your nerdy boyfriend is gonna fight your battles for you?" Soarin' said teasingly to Rainbow.

Dylan grabbed his foreleg and tried to disconnect it from Rainbow's. After miserably failing Soarin' took his other hoof and hooked it into Dylan's jaw, who fell over with his mouth bleeding. "Dylan!" screamed Rainbow.

Dylan, being able to take a few punches, stood back up. "I said, let go of her," Dylan successfully disconnected his foreleg as he tried to ram into Soarin'.

Soarin', whom only just took a step back, pushed Dylan off of him and threw two hits to his chest and another to his face, his glasses falling off. "You're so weak, why am I bothering with you," said Soarin', he looked at Rainbow, "I wish I could see you at practice, but looks like I have to go." Soarin' then left.

Rainbow went up to Dylan, "Dylan, are you alright?"

Dylan was breathing heavily from the two blows to his chest. Rainbow picked him up and took him outside, leaning him against the side of the building, "Dylan, are you alright?" she asked very concerned, "Speak to me."

Taking breathes in between some words, he first spit blood from his mouth onto the ground, "It's alright... I'm fine..."

"What do you mean you're fine? You're spitting up blood, you got hit twice in your face and your chest. You're barely breathing!"

"Don't be... so worried... about me... please..."

"Dylan, you just got beat up by Soarin', you knew that he was kicked off the team 2 years ago because of that behavior."

"Stop worrying... please Rainbow... I can't stand... to see you... like this..." Dylan's breathing started to get slower.

"What do you mean Dylan?"

Dylan's eyes closed as his breathing got even slower, eventually stopping.

"Dylan? Dylan can you hear me?" Rainbow didn't hear him breathing, she put her head to his chest and didn't hear a heart beat. Without another thought in her the first thing she thought of was CPR.

She laid him on the ground, tilted his head back, took a deep breath, and blew as much air as she could into Dylan's lungs. Trying this several times over and over.

After the fifth time she gave up and grabbed him, running him to the nearest hospital.

After several minutes she arrived in the emergency room of the hospital, nopony else besides the doctors and nurses were there so they took Dylan. Seeing his current condition they took him to an operating room to check on him.

A doctor ran up to Rainbow and started asking questions, "Can you please tell me about the stallion, like his name?"

"His name is Dylan," she said with a tear.

"Okay, and your name?"

"Rainbow Dash."

"Okay, can you tell me what happened?"

"Well, me and him were at a restaurant making small talk when my ex-boyfriend, Soarin' came along and interrupted us. He grabbed my arm and told me to go back with him to his place and then made a joke about Dylan. Seeing what Soarin' was doing to me, Dylan got up to try to stop it, where Soarin' retaliated with a punch to Dylan's jaw. After Dylan got up Soarin' threw two punches into his chest then another into his jaw before leaving. I took him outside to check on him and he could barely breathe, after a minute of talking he stopped breathing all together," Rainbow ended the story with water-filled eyes.

"Alright, thank you, I'll be sure to tell this to the other doctors," the doctor then ran off.

Rainbow sat there with tearful eyes, praying Dylan would be alright.

After a few hours have past the doctor finally came out to her. "Your friend is fine, he has a few cracked ribs and a slightly bruised jaw. After a week or two in the hospital he should be fine and back to normal. If you would like you can see him now.

Rainbow slightly nodded as she got up and followed him to Dylan's room. As they got there the doctor left her alone with Dylan.

Rainbow sat on a chair next to Dylan's bed, he's passed out. Rainbow looked over to another chair and saw Dylan's outfit he was wearing, the doctors must have stripped him before doing anything.

Rainbow took notice of a blood stain on the left side of the shirt.

After a couple minutes passed the doctor came in saying, "I'm sorry Miss, but you're going to have to leave."

"No, please. Let me stay here for the night, I don't want to leave him."

"It's hospital policy, you can't stay here over night."

Rainbow looked at the doctor, it's obvious she had been crying even since she got in the room. "Please, just let me stay here, I don't want to leave him." Rainbow looked down, "I don't want to leave him ever again."

The doctor thought hard for a minute then said, "Fine, but just for tonight." the doctor then walked of.

Rainbow looked back at Dylan with a weak smile, glad that she could stay. She fell asleep hours later.

As Dylan slowly woke up, he took notice of his surroundings... everything blurry, like usual when he first wakes up. The first thing he does notice in this blurry vision was a rainbow colored mane on the edge of the bed. Dylan reached over slowly and grabbed his glasses.

After putting them on he noticed he was in a hospital room. He lifted the blanket up a bit to see a bandage wrapped around his abdomen. He looked over at Rainbow and nudged her lightly, she woke up in a shock.

"What? Oh, Dylan, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, like I always am."

"Last night, you were saying something, telling me not to worry, why? What did you mean?"

"I figured it would have been a bit obvious to you Rainbow. I was saying that I didn't want you to worry, I don't like seeing you worry. I was trying to get you to stop."

"Oh. Why did you do what you did last night with Soarin'?"

"I saw how you looked when he was holding your foreleg like that. You didn't seem too happy about it so I figured I should try to stop it."

"The doctor said that you have a few cracked ribs and a bruised jaw, but you don't seem like you're in pain..."

"I have a high tolerance for pain, that's why after the first hit Soarin' made I was able to get back up so easily, not to mention that I didn't want him to bother you like that anymore."

Rainbow unknowingly had moved herself closer to Dylan, "After what you've done last night, I don't really know if I could ever leave your side anymore, you didn't have to protect me anyway, you know I can handle myself."

"Yeah I do, you didn't seem to be doing anything about it, that's why I stepped in. Just because I'm not strong, doesn't mean I don't try to do anything."

Rainbow was inches away from Dylan's muzzle, "I feel like I should thank you, for what you did, but I don't know how."

"You don't need to thank me. I'm glad that you're alright. That is all I care about."

"But, you didn't need to do that."

"If Soarin', or anypony else, treats you like that, I'll stick up for you, no matter how strong the pony is."

"I wish I could stay, but I have Wonderbolt practice to go to." Rainbow said looking down.

"Go, I don't want to keep you from that. I'll be fine."

"Alright, I'll be back in a few hours." Rainbow left the hospital.

[Enter lame excuse to pass time just after Dylan left the hospital here.]

Rainbow and Dylan walked into her house, "I'm glad you're out of the hospital and all, but you wanna know something that I've noticed?"

"Umm, okay?"

"In the newspaper, Equestria Daily. There hasn't been a news article about the Lone Thief."

"Really?" Dylan knew that was obvious, but acted like he didn't have a clue.

"Yeah, it's really strange. I mean a few months ago he was almost nonstop stealing, and now nothing, what do you suppose happened?"

"Who knows, anything could have happened. The thief could have simply stopped stealing, or got injured. Maybe even, he is planning something big."

"He? What makes you think the thief is a stallion?"

"I'm just used to saying 'he' when the gender is unnamed, I guess."

"Hmm, alright."

"Anyway, I should head home and get some dinner."

"You can eat here, I wouldn't mind making something for you."

"It's fine, I haven't made myself something since the hospital. So I should get back into that. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright, see ya."

Dylan left to his house.

Once he got home, he immediately started making himself food. Cooking something that would most likely be from a 3 star restaurant.

Though it took a while to actually cook, he didn't mind the wait. Once his food finished cooking, he proceeded to eat it.

It took him a few hours to prepare and cook, not to mention eat it. He looked at the clock in his living room, 2 in the morning.

He looked towards the couch, his thief outfit laying on it. He noticed a bloodstain on it. It's too late to wash it now, it'd take an hour or two before it would come off, then it would be too late.

He got up and grabbed his outfit, he took into his bedroom to change.

Dylan looked inside the window of Rainbow's house, he had put his mask on. "She isn't home, not even sleeping in bed... This is gonna be easy."

Dylan opened up the window to her bedroom. After climbing in he took a quick look around. He went to the closet that Rainbow had her Wonderbolt outfit.

He heard the door open. He quickly looked towards the door, the bedroom door was now opened.

Rainbow was sweating, Dylan predicted that she was up late practicing. Dylan quickly left the house the same way he came in with Rainbow's outfit. Rainbow ran to the window screaming, "My Wonderbolts outfit!" she quickly followed.

Dylan did his best to evade her, eventually he finally did. He quickly returned home. He took off the thief outfit and put it away, hiding the Wonderbolt outfit. Then there was a knock at the door.

Dylan took off his glasses and walked to the door, he put on his glasses as he opened it. "Rainbow, what are you doing here this late?" Dylan made his voice sound tired.

"Dylan, you know the Lone Thief right? He just stole my Wonderbolt outfit."

"What? Out of all ponies, why did he pick you?"

"I don't know. I swear I saw him fly in this direction, after your house, he disappeared."

"Wait, are you suspecting me of being the Lone Thief?"

"I never said that, I just wanna make sure he isn't here."

"Um, sure, come in, I guess."

Rainbow walked into his house and started snooping around.

She eventually got to his room and saw the outfit, "Isn't that what you were wearing the night of the accident?"

Dylan had been following her, "Yeah, why?"

She looked at the outfit, seeing the bloodstain on it. She whispered after a gasp, "The bloodstain." Her mind had a flashback to when the thief was standing with her outfit, there was a bloodstain on the left side of the outfit, same as right now. It looked the exact same too.

Rainbow looked at Dylan, "That, that looks exactly like the outfit that the Lone Thief was wearing."

"Alright?" Dylan started wondering what she was getting at.

"Are, Are you, the Lone Thief?"

"Well..."

"Dylan, don't lie to me. You promised me, any question that I had you were to answer it as truthfully as possible."

Dylan looked down, "Alright, fine. You got me. I am the Lone Thief."

"Why did you steal my outfit? You know how important that is to me."

"You're right," Dylan looked at her, "I do know how important that is to you. Don't you remember? The Lone Thief seems to be stealing a lot of items that mean a lot to the owner."

"But why me?"

"When I'm wearing that outfit, it doesn't matter who I steal from. Just as long as it means something to the owner. So yeah, you were wondering why the 'Lone Thief' wasn't stealing in those months. Now you know why."

"You were lying right to my face."

"No I wasn't. You have never asked me if I was Lone Thief. Rainbow, you have to remember something from months ago. Remember what I said."

"What are you talking about?"

"I've told you that I had a crush on you. I've also said that the 'Lone Thief' probably steals what he does just because he doesn't have something like that for himself. Just misunderstood, only wanting somepony else in his life, probably a sibling or mate. I don't do it because I want to, I do it to fill a void. I have nothing special in my life, unlike everypony else. Like I said, the 'Lone Thief' is probably lonely, and I doubt I'd get anything wrong about myself."

"I'd never imagined the thief would be you, Dylan."

"Well it is. Now remember what you said. About meeting the thief, seeing why he steals, and it might end up like one of Twilight's books, where the mare falls in love with the criminal. The first two have already happened. I'm not saying the last one will come true, but you got what wanted, do you feel happy now?" Dylan had turned around in the middle of his comments.

"Dylan, are you, crying?"

"I might be, but why would you care?"

"We've known each other for 3 years, why wouldn't I care?"

Dylan turned to face her, his eyes swollen with tears streaming down his face. "You got what you've wanted. You found out who the thief was and why he stole. Go ahead, report me to the guards, have me thrown in jail. I don't care what you do. I'd suggest you leave."

Dylan quickly left the room and came back seconds later, throwing Rainbow's outfit to her. "There, you have your outfit back."

Rainbow tossed her outfit to the side, "I'm not going to report you, after everything you've done for me. Especially with Soarin'. I understand what you meant, I know that you're misunderstood."

"Stop lying."

"I'm not lying to you, I have no reason to."

"You have every reason to lie to me I mean seriously I-" Dylan was cut off.

Rainbow kissed him, one of the reasons being to shut him up. Once she broke the kiss she started hugging him, she said, "Listen to me. I'm not going to turn you in. I won't lie to you, just like how you won't lie to me. I don't care that you're the Lone Thief. There is only one thing I care about..."

"What is it?"

"You."