A month later...
Dear Equinox,
I don't know if this letter will get through to you. I sure hope it does. I've heard of what happened in the Gryphon Empire. Are you and Storm okay? If so, thank Celestia. If I found out you two were dead, I wouldn't know what to do.

Enclosed in the envelope in which this letter came in are the two tickets for an airship to Cloudsdale that you asked me to send, one for you and one for Storm This is your chance to move to Equestria, Equi. Once you come back, you and Storm can live with me if you want, until you get back on your hooves. I hope to see you and Storm soon.

Yours sincerely,
High Wind

A slight smile begun to form on Equinox's face as she finished reading the letter from her old friend and ex-coltfriend High Wind. Although she kept in touch with him ever since she and Blazefire arrived in the Gryphon Empire almost 11 years ago, she begun to write to him almost on a daily basis after Blaze's tragic death on the battlefield. Despite cheating on her in high school with a more down-to-earth and 'modern' mare, he genuinely cared about her and liked her a lot, and after some time, he dumped the mare (who turned out to be a selfish snob who cared about nopony other than herself) and tried his hardest to apologize to Equinox. He succeeded and tried his hardest to become her coltfriend again, but failed after realizing that she already had Blaze. However, the two remained friends even after she moved to the Gryphon Empire and sent letters to one another regularly.

Equinox shook the envelope and spilled out its contents onto the kitchen table; two airship tickets for Equestrian Air, which less than a month ago resumed connecting flights to the Gryphon Empire, after Equestria promised to help the country recover and rebuild after the war and failed coup, which led to the Griffon emperor Longclaw stepping down from the throne and being replaced by Sharpfang, his eldest son, on the condition that the Empire improves it's standard of living and international relations. She examined the tickets carefully, which had her and Storm's personal and flight details printed on them in big block letters. The airship was meant to take off from Gryfino Airport, which lay around 50 miles to the southwest of where they were currently staying. Where were they staying, you may ask. Well, after the bombing of Gryffsvale, in which more than a quarter of the town lay in ruins, including their house, Ava and Vortex took them to live with them in their holiday home, around forty miles north of Gryffsvale near another city, for the time being, until they managed to either find a home or move back to Equestria. Storm still went to school, like usual, but went to school in an old, abandoned warehouse, which proved to be highly uncomfortable, unpleasant and even quite creepy at times. Sharpbeak and Rainwynd's homes were also damaged by the bombings, and their families were also forced to relocate. Rainwynd lived the closest to Storm and he frequently visited her after school and even begun to walk with her to school at times when her parents were at work or helping clean up the damage in Gryffsvale. Sharpbeak lived a few miles from where Storm lived, so it was much harder for them both to see each other.

Equinox dropped the tickets she was holding in her hooves, scattering them across the table and sighed. She had no idea what to expect from moving back to Equestria or what Storm would think of the move, but realized something. They were homeless and stayed at Ava and Vortex's house while their house was being rebuilt. She felt like a burden for Ava, who did all she could for them to get their own house in places like Gryfino, Greffors or the capital city of Avion. The homes in those places simply costed way too much and if Ava did buy them a house in either of those places, she and Vortex would probably go broke. Equinox sighed. It was time for them to move back to where they came from. They couldn't stay at the holiday home for longer.

Just then, the front door opened and Storm trotted into the house.

"Hey mom!" he said, putting his backpack down on an armchair in the living room, before walking into the kitchen where Equinox was sitting.

"Hey son." Equinox replied and nuzzled him before putting the letter down on the table.

"Who's the letter from if you don't mind me asking?" asked Storm, looking curiously at the envelope.

"An old friend of mine. His name is High Wind and he lives in Equestria." explained Equinox. "Storm, sweetie?"

"Yeah?" asked Storm.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" asked Equinox.

"Sure." he replied and sat down beside the table.

"We're finally moving back to Equestria, sweetie!" she explained, grinning. "High sent me this letter because he got the tickets for our airship to Equestria."

"That's nice and all..." Storm said, his smile slowly fading away from his face. "But I want to stay here..."

"Son, we can't keep living here with Ava and Vortex, and a home for us costs lots..." she explained.

"And what if we can live with them?" Storm countered.

"We just can't." Equinox begun. "It's their home, not ours."

"But if we move..." Storm replied. "What will happen to my friends?"

"I'm sorry, son..." she begun. "You'll just have to find new ones."

"Can I just keep in touch with them?" he asked.

"Sure." Equinox replied. "If you want, you can write to them on a daily basis."

"I don't know... This is all too sudden, mom." he replied. She sighed and nuzzled him gently.

"It's sudden for me as well, son..." she started. "But let's face it. We can't live at the holiday home forever."

Just then, Stormfire realized his mom was right. Vortex and Ava were being very kind to them by giving them shelter and Storm begun to feel like they were taking advantage of them. But he didn't want to leave his friends behind, especially Rainwynd, who he was closest to. Their friendship grew stronger and stronger everyday, eventually reaching a point where the other foals at school begun to think that they were coltfriend and marefriend. Both of them were good friends, but they weren't THAT close. For now, that is...

Ever since the bombing of Gryffsvale a month ago, Storm and Lightning Wing have become fairly good friends. Both frequently visited each other, and did "colt" stuff like playing video games, watching Saddle Arabia or Bitaly play against the Gryphon Empire in a friendly game of hoofball or playing pranks on unsuspecting strangers. Ovet time, Storm learned that even though he may seem mean and threatening on the outside, Lightning Wing is soft on the inside.

As Sharpbeak lived quite far from where Storm lived, the two only saw each other at "school" or bumped into each other at times when in town. Even though they didn't see one another as much as they used to before the bombing, they still were good friends with one another.

"I guess you're right, mom..." he replied, nuzzling her. "I just don't want to leave them behind..."

"I understand, son." she replied, stroking his mane. "I felt the same way when we moved to the Gryphon Empire. Before I moved here with your dad, I didn't want to move and leave behind my best friends... but then I realized that they stay with you forever if you hold them in your heart."

"Wow. That's pretty deep." Storm said. "I never thought of it like that."

"Yep." she replied. "So, as long as you think of them and keep them in your heart, they're never away."

"I never thought of it like that, mom..." Storm said and hugged her. "Thanks for the advice."

"No probs, son." she replied, returning the hug. "I'll always be there for you."

"Thank you, mom." Storm replied and smiled, but his smile shortly gave way to an unsure expression. "But how can I explain to my friends?"

The next day...
Storm and Rainwynd walked down the road towards their respective homes after a long day of school. Every once in a while, he turned to face her, trying to tell her about the move to Equestria, but he could never get the words out. As much as he wanted to explain to her where they were moving and why, he was worried about her reaction and that the fact that it could end up damaging their friendship, maybe forever. But, he decided to take a chance and at least try to explain it to her.

"So, Storm..." she begun. "Are you excited for the big game between Gryfino and Aerozon?"

"Uh, yeah..." he replied. "I'm really hoping for Aerozon to win. They have one of the best players on the entire league."

"Who is it?" asked Rainwynd.

"I can never pronounce his name properly..." admitted Storm. "It's a very Gryphon name. I think it's like Aviazil Talonjiy or something."

"Okay then." giggled Rainwynd. "That's a funny name, don't you think? I hope Aerozon win as well..."

"Hey, Rain?" asked Storm.

"Yeah?" she asked in reply.

"I don't know how to tell you this, but..." Storm begun. "I'm moving to Equestria..."

Just then, Rainwynd's smile faded away and turned into a confused expression.

"Woah." she begun. "You're leaving, just like that?"

"No..." replied Storm. "As soon as we found out our home was destroyed, mom's been trying her hardest for us to either get a home here or move back to Equestria."

"And?" she asked.

"We couldn't find a suitable home for us anywhere in the country..." Storm explained. "So, we have to move back home."

Rain's previously confused expression slowly changed into a glare, just as Storm expected.

"Well, it looks like you don't care about me or Sharp anymore, don't ya?!" she barked. "What kind of a friend are you?!"

"Are you kidding?!" Storm retaliated. "Of course I care about you both! We just can't stay here anymore..."

"Yeah, right!" sobbed Rainwynd. "You're only saying that because you want to hang out with that crook Lightning Wing."

"For your information, Lightning Wing is not a crook!" Storm shouted, so loud that Rainwynd jumped into the nearest bush and covered her ears with her hooves. "You're the one that's acting like a crook, you whiny little brat!"

"Excuse me?!" she barked from inside the bush. "How am I a crook?! Oh, and how am I a brat?!"

Did I really just say that? he asked himself. Oh buck... he cursed under his breath and mentally facehoofed himself.

"Just go away, Storm..." she shouted, sobbing.

"Look, Rain... I'm sorry, okay?!" he shouted after her, but at this point, it was too late.

"No, Storm. You're not." she simply replied, and trotted towards her home, sobbing. Storm sighed and turned towards his home, which was just across the road. A tear rolled out of his eye as Storm tried his hardest to process what in the hay just happened. He had lost the first friend he ever made, all because he explained to her that he was moving home. Did he explain it to her wrong? Did she misinterpret it? Storm had no idea. All he knew was that he lost the first and possibly the greatest friend he ever made.

He opened the door to the holiday home and walked into it, head hung low. He looked into the living room to see Equinox listening to the news on the radio and sighed. How was he going to explain what happened to his mom?

"Hey mom..." he said in a depressed voice, before trotting upstairs.

"Hey, son." she replied. "How was your day?"

After not getting a reply, she got off the armchair and went to see where Storm could have went.

"Son?" she asked, again not getting a reply. "Son, where are you?"

Just then, she heard some crying coming from upstairs, quiet, but still audible. Equinox trotted upstairs to check on her son, and her heart literally sunk when she saw him crying into his bed.

"Son..." she said, before coming up to him and sitting beside him on the bed.

"Hi mom..." was all he said in reply, still crying into the now-drenched bed sheets.

"Rough day, huh?" she asked, stroking his mane gently with her hoof.

"Yeah..." he replied. "You don't know the half of it..."

"What happened, son?" she asked.

"I lost my best friend today, all because of that stupid move..." he explained, hitting the mattress with his hoof in order to emphasize his point. The words he spoke struck her heart harder than an arrow from a crossbow. She had no idea the move was going to be such a hard thing for him to go through, but she knew the feeling herself...

"Stormy..." Equinox begun, also tearing up. "I'm sorry we have to move... but we have no choice."

"Yeah, right..." he replied.

"Do you think I'm lying or something, Storm?" she asked in a stern voice. "Look around you. This isn't your room, the room where I sleep isn't my room. This isn't our house, for crying out loud. The only reason why we're here and not living on the streets is because Vortex and Ava have been kind enough to let us live here until we get back on our hooves. Understand me?" Equinox didn't get a response, only more crying. She sighed and sat down beside him. Storm moved himself towards her and snuggled against her wing, which she opened and wrapped around him.

"Look, Storm, sweetie..." Equinox begun. "We just can't take Ava and Vortex's kindness for granted, okay? We need to find our own place in the world, and I know it's hard for you. It's hard for me as well, believe it or not."

"It is?" asked Storm, turning to face her, his face drenched in tears.

"In fact, it's very hard for me." she replied. "I haven't been in Equestria for over a decade now. I don't know what it's like nowadays and I really don't know anyone there..."

"What about the guy who you write to?" asked Storm.

"Ponies change. He may have changed since the last time I saw him in person..." Equinox replied. "For better or for worse... I don't really know."

"What was he like the last time you saw him?" asked Storm.

"He was a little gruff and tough at times on the outside, but inside he was as much of a gentlepony as your dad was." she explained to him. "I loved both of them to bits, but in the end, I chose your dad."

"Mom?" asked Storm.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"What was it like moving for you?" asked Storm.

"It was a bit hard... my friends all thought that I was betraying them and Equestria as a whole, and so did some of the more conservative, more traditionalist members of my family." Equinox explained. "In fact, the only pony who seemed supportive of my move to the Gryphon Empire was my mom or your grandma, who told me to follow my heart and not what ponies say. My friends and family all came to their senses eventually, and I'm sure Rainwynd will come to her senses as well."

"But, it wasn't Rainwynd's fault exactly..." Storm explained. "It was sorta my fault..."

"Yes?" asked Equinox. "What exactly happened between you two?"

"Well, we were coming back home from school and were talking about who should win the next Griffonian League ice hockey game..." begun Storm. "And then I tried to explain to her that I'm going to be moving to Equestria and then she said that I didn't care about her and Sharp and that I'm starting to hang out with Lightning Wing..."

"I see." she replied.

"I don't get it, mom." he begun. "Did I say something wrong to her or something?"

"No, son." his mother replied. "She probably misunderstood you, son."

"Maybe." Storm replied.

"You two like each other, don't you?" asked Equinox, a smile forming on her face. A small, barely noticeable blush formed on Storm's face, but he quickly hid it.

"Mom, we're just friends..." Storm replied. "That is... we were."

"Just talk to her, Storm." Equinox said. "Try explaining it to her again when you meet her at school tomorrow. Maybe she'll come to her senses... who knows?"

"What if she doesn't?" asked Storm.

"True friends always listen and understand, sweetie." Equinox explained.

Meanwhile, Rainwynd was having the exact same conversation with her parents.

"Mom?" asked Rainwynd.

"Yeah, sweetie?" her mother, a medium-sized Pegasus mare by the name of Gale, responded.

"I--I lost a friend today..." Rain explained, rather awkwardly.

"Is it that Stormfire kid?" asked her father, a rather tall and muscular Pegasus stallion by the name of Skyclean.

"The very same one." Rain replied.

"What happened between you two?" Gale asked.

"Well, him and his mom are moving to Equestria... and I guess I overreacted a bit and thought he was lying." Rainwynd explained. "And then I shouted at him and stuff... and now, I want him to be my friend again."

"Did you learn your lesson, Rain?" asked her father.

"Yes daddy..." she replied. "I'm sorry for overreacting."

"It's not me you should be apologizing to." explained her father. "You should apologize to Storm."

"What if he doesn't want to forgive me?" she asked.

"He definitely would..." replied her mother. "Just don't doubt yourself, sweetie and everything will be alright."

The next day, Storm walked down the road towards the warehouse which served as the school building until the one in Gryffsvale would be rebuilt. Although he seemed happy on the outside and eager to start a new day at school, inside he felt nervous, not just because he was going to school, but because of Rainwynd. He cringed as he thought of what happened between the two last night and hoped that he could get things sorted out between them soon.

Not watching where he was going, he bumped into Lightning Wing, who was arguing with Sharpbeak.

"I'm telling you, Sharpbeak---Oh, hey Storm." Lightning Wing said.

"Hey, Storm." said Sharpbeak.

"Hey guys." replied Storm. "What are you arguing about?"

"Who should win the next hockey game." he explained. "Who do you think?"

"Aerozon." replied Storm. "No question."

"Well, I think Gryfino should win." Sharpbeak explained. "Aerozon simply try too hard, and Gryfino isn't that bad of a team when you think about it. They're actually pretty good."

"Gryfino is the worst ice hockey team in the entire league!" shouted Lightning Wing. "I mean, why would you like a team that's lost five games in a row?"

"You mean four games, right?" answered Sharpbeak. "That game a month ago between Gryffsvale and Gryfino... that was a tie!"

"Whatever. They still suck." replied Lightning Wing.

"Guys, cam we please stop arguing?" asked Storm, slowly growing more and more nervous.

"Alright... I do admit, they aren't as good as they used to be in the past." replied Sharpbeak. "But they're still not that bad..."

"Dude, just stop talking about ice hockey for once!" shouted Storm, getting the attention of passers-by on the street. Even Sharpbeak and Lightning Wing raised their eyebrows at their friend's little outburst. "Look, sorry guys. I'm just a bit peeved."

"What happened?" asked Sharpbeak.

"Anything bad?" asked Lightning Wing.

"Well, you could say that..." replied Storm. "It's about Rainwynd."

Just then, Lightning Wing hid behind Sharpbeak...

"Don't you mention her name again!" he shouted. "She hates me..."

"She does?" asked Storm.

"Yep." he replied. "Whenever Sharp talks about me, she acts all strange and whenever she sees me she gives me a creepy glare..."

"It's like she hates him..." Sharpbeak replied, before turning to glare at Lightning Wing. "Though I can't say that I disagree with her."

"Dude, that was over a month ago! Chillax bro." said Lightning Wing.

"Damn it, you guys." cursed Storm. "I thought I was talking about Rain."

"You were but Lightning Ding here distracted you." Sharpbeak replied, giving Lightning Wing another glare.

"Ugh..." replied Lightning Wing, a glare forming on his face.

"Storm was talking about Rain, you doofus." Sharpbeak replied.

"GUYS!" Storm shouted.

"Yeah?" they both asked, turning their attention to Storm.

"Rainwynd isn't my friend anymore..." he replied. "We had a huge argument after school yesterday."

"What exactly happened?" asked Sharpbeak.

"I explained to her something..." Storm begun.

"What did you explain?" asked Lightning Wing.

"That I'm moving to Equestria in a little while..." Storm replied, somewhat reluctantly.

After hearing that, Sharpbeak and Lightning Wing's jaws both dropped.

"You're moving, just like that?" asked Lightning Wing.

Oh, no... here we go again. thought Storm to himself.

"Yes." he replied. "I'm sorry, but we can't stay here."

"We'll miss you, buddy..." explained Sharp, putting his wing on Storm's shoulder.

"Yeah... It's a shame you guys have to move." Lightning Wing said. "And maybe Rain just doesn't understand."

"It's sorta my fault as well." Storm confessed. "I insulted her a bit..."

"The logical thing would be to apologize." explained Sharpbeak.

"I guess so..." said Storm. "But what if she doesn't want to be my friend?"

"She's been your friend for the past five years, Storm. Why won't she want to be your friend?" asked Sharpbeak.

"Mainly because I insulted her..." replied Storm.

"Wow..." both of them replied.

"Yeah... wow." Storm said sarcastically.

"Just apologize to her, dude." explained Lightning Wing.

"You sure it'll work?" asked Storm.

"Positive." replied Sharpbeak.

Suddenly, the school bell rang, which meant that the three friends had to literally trot like the wind in order to make it to the school on time. The school day didn't go as smoothly for Storm as he expected it to go, mainly because he kept getting distracted by thoughts of Rainwynd during lessons. He then realized that it wasn't entirely Rainwynd's fault that they aren't friends anymore. It was more of his fault. He remembered the insults he hurled at her, how he called her a "whiny brat", or even better, a "crook". Storm sighed as he thought of her. Their friendship was seemingly damaged beyond repair.

"So, can anybody tell me when the Gryphon Empire was founded?" Storm's teacher asked and looked around the class for someone to answer. Eventually, she set her eyes on Storm, who was playing with a pencil. "Stormfire?"

At the mere mention of his name, Storm dropped the pencil onto the table and turned towards the teacher. Everyone, including Sharpbeak and Lightning Wing were looking at Storm and waiting for him to answer the teacher's question.

"Yes ma'am?" he asked.

"I asked you when the Gryphon Empire was founded." the teacher replied. Storm looked around and saw that several of his classmates were laughing at him, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Uh..." Storm begun hesitantly, trying to remember when the Gryphon Empire was founded. The class was currently learning about the history of the Gryphon Empire, from it's founding around a thousand years ago to it's breakup just after the Gryphon War, and while Storm enjoyed learning about history, it wasn't his strongest subject at school, especially since instead of concentrating on his lessons, he was busy thinking about Rain... "I don't know, ma'am."

Some more classmates begun to snicker at Storm, which made him want to trot out of the classroom as fast as he could, but he knew that if he did try to get out of the classroom before the bell for recess rang, then he'd most likely get into huge trouble with the teacher. Storm simply sighed and tried his hardest to ignore the constant snickering and name calling coming from his classmates.

"Were you listening, Storm?" asked the teacher.

"No ma'am." Storm replied. "I was too busy messing around."

"Alright, next time, I'm putting you in detention, alright?" asked the teacher.

"Yes ma'am." replied Storm, rather sadly.

"Good. Can anyone else tell me when the Gryphon Empire was founded?" the teacher asked, again looking around the class to find someone to answer. This time, she set her eyes on Rainwynd, who was sitting beside Sharpbeak and some other Gryphons.

"It was founded in the Gryphon year 740, by the four tribes of the Gryphon lands." replied Rainwynd. Storm smiled after hearing her answer, but his grin turned into a frown shortly after.

"Excellent, Rainwynd." the teacher replied and opened a small chest lying just beside her desk. A moment or two later, she took out a sticker with a star printed on it and the words "WELL DONE!" written in Gryphon surrounding it. She gave the sticker to Rainwynd, who peeled it off and stuck it on one of her schoolbooks.

Storm turned to look at her and sighed. He wanted to apologize to her so badly, but he couldn't. He was too scared to even come near her after their little argument yesterday. He sighed sadly and turned to look at his history book, before turning to look at Rainwynd again. He needed to sort things out between them, before he left for Equestria.

After lunch, while most other kids were playing tag or hide n' seek, Storm was sitting on one of the vacant benches dotted around the playground. He was busy thinking about how he could apologize and be her friend again. However, as much as he wanted to apologize to her, he was scared. What if she didn't accept his apology? What if she found herself another friend?

Just then, Sharpbeak and Lightning Wing came over to Storm and sat down beside him, Lightning Wing holding a hoofball in his talons.

"Hey Storm." Sharpbeak said, putting his wing on Storm's shoulder.

"What's the matter?" asked Lightning Wing, trying his hardest not to pierce the hoofball with his talons.

"Not much..." answered Storm. "I'm wanting to apologize to Rain without screwing up."

"You still haven't?" asked Sharpbeak.

"I was trying to do it at recess, but I was too nervous." Storm explained. "My dad would probably think I'm a coward."

"Is he STILL not back from his business trip?" asked Lightning Wing, still trying to keep the hoofball in place.

"Uhh... he's not on a business trip, dude." explained Sharpbeak.

"Then where is he?" asked Lightning Wing.

"Dead." replied Storm, a frown forming on his face. "He's been dead for the past ten-eleven years."

"He has?" Lightning Wing asked. "I'm sorry for your loss, dude."

"It's okay, I guess..." Storm explained. "Stuff like that happens..."

"What happened to him if you do mind me asking?" asked Sharp.

"He was killed in battle..." replied Storm, a tear dropping from his left eye. "And if he were here today, he'd say I'm a good-for-nothing coward..."

Just then, Lightning Wing and Sharpbeak pulled Stormfire into a short, but tight hug, something that he'd only expect his mom to do.

"You're not a coward, Storm." explained Lightning Wing.

"Exactly." replied Sharpbeak. "You're the bravest pony I've ever met."

"But..." Storm begun. "I can't apologize to Rain..."

"Storm, yes you can." replied Sharpbeak. "We'll come with you."

"No..." replied Storm, feeling slightly awkward.

"What would your dad say?" asked Lightning Wing, leaving the hug along with Sharpbeak.

Just then, Storm's frown slowly turned into a grin as he tried to think of things his dad would tell him to do. His dad was a military pony and he was taught to always laugh fear in the face, and if Storm was going to apologize to Rain, then he'd have to do just that.

"My dad..." Storm begun. "Would tell me to look fear in the face... and laugh at it. And if I'm going to apologize to Rainy, then I'd have to do just that."

"I think that's a good idea..." replied Sharpbeak. "Face your fears, Storm and go and apologize to her."

Storm nodded and walked across the playground, looking for Rainwynd. Eventually, he noticed her, perched on a tree branch. She was busy reading a magazine.

"Uh, Rain?" he begun, rather awkwardly.

Just then, she turned to look at him, with a look of regret on her face. She then flew off the branch she was perched on and landed in front of Storm, obviously sad and afraid.

"Hey, it's okay..." replied Storm, trying his best to comfort her. "I'm sorry, Rainy, for everything, especially for insulting you. I said the wrong things, and I accept my responsibility. Will you forgive me?"

Her sad frown slowly faded away from her face and was replaced by a grin.

"Yes, Stormy." she replied and ruffled his mane playfully. "And I'm sorry for saying that you'd rather hang out with Lightning Wing than me or Sharp. It's just that you were such a great friend over the past few years... I just wanted you to stay and be my BFF."

"BFF?" Storm asked, not knowing what it stands for.

"Best friend forever, silly." replied Rain, chuckling a bit.

"Oh, right..." Storm replied, also chuckling a bit. Just then, Sharpbeak and Lightning Wing (who was pretty reluctant about meeting Rainwynd.) walked up to them. "Apology accepted, Rain."

Rainwynd then noticed Sharpbeak and a very shy Lightning Wing approaching them.

"Hey Sharp..." she said, waving at him, before turning to look at Lightning Wing, who jumped behind Sharpbeak in fear. Rainwynd sighed and went to talk to Lightning Wing, who backed away towards a tree.

"Lightning Wing..." she begun. "Is it still about what happened a month ago?"

"Are you still mad at me for that?" he asked, frantically. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I'm really, really sorry!"

"Apology accepted." she replied and smiled at him. Lightning Wing sighed in relief and a smile of his own formed on his face.

"So, after school... do you guys want to go to the park to practice some flying?" asked Lightning Wing.

"Uh, I can't fly..." replied Storm.

"You what?!" asked Lightning Wing, his lower beak dropping to the ground in shock.

"You heard him, Lightning." explained Sharpbeak. "Storm's not the best at flying..."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he's a horrible pony." said Rainwynd. "In fact, he's one of the best ponies I know." she explained, putting her hoof on his shoulder.

"Did I say he's a horrible pony?" asked Lightning Wing, visibly confused.

"Uh, no. I'm just saying." explained Rainwynd. "He doesn't need to know how to fly in order to be a true Pegasus. It's his heart that makes him a true Pegasus. And Storm has a heart of gold." She replied, leaning slightly against him.

"Thanks Rain." Storm replied, turning to smile at her. "But I'm gonna need to learn how to fly soon enough, especially since I'm moving to a place where I'm gonna need to fly very well."

"Where exactly are you moving?" asked Sharpbeak.

"Cloudsdale." replied Storm. "I'm moving to Cloudsdale."

"What's Cloudsdale?" asked Lightning Wing.

"It's this huge cloud city in Equestria." replied Storm.

"Oh, Cloudsdale!" begun Rainwynd. "I've heard of that place. Supposedly only Pegasi live there."

"Really?" asked Storm. "Only Pegasi?"

"Yep. It's a city in the clouds, silly." she replied and giggled.

"Oh yeah." replied Storm, also smiling.

"So, what do you guys want to do after school?" asked Sharpbeak.

"Go to the park?" said Lightning Wing.

"Sure!" replied Rainwynd.

"Maybe." replied Storm. "I'm gonna need to check with my mom first."

That afternoon, Storm came home with a small, but still visible grin on his face. He had finally sorted things out between him and Rainwynd and felt pretty good about himself. However, he then realized that he wasn't going to stay Rainwynd's friend for long as he was moving back to Equestria soon.

Storm sighed and his grin faded away from his face. As much as he wanted to move back to Equestria and see Cloudsdale before his own eyes, he didn't want to leave Rainwynd and the rest of his friends behind. It hurt him deep inside to have to leave them, but he also knew he had no choice.

He stepped into the holiday home and dumped his backpack beside the front door.

"Mom! I'm home!" said Storm.

"Hey sweetie!" she shouted from the kitchen. "Care to join us for lunch?"

"Sure!" he replied and trotted into the kitchen, where his mom was sitting at the table, in front of Ava and Vortex. They were eating one of Storm's favorite fast foods, hay fries and Equinox got up and passed him a plate full of them.

"So, how was school today son?" asked Equinox.

Storm's smile returned to his face, as he remembered what happened between him and Rain.

"It was great!" replied Storm, stuffing his mouth with hay fries.

"Oh really?" asked Vortex.

"You've got to tell us all about it." said Ava.

So, Storm told everyone gathered around the table about what happened between him and Rainwynd.

"So, did you enjoy your hay fries?" asked Ava.

"Yep." replied Storm. "Thanks, ma'am."

"You're such a well mannered colt." Ava replied, smiling at him. "But I would prefer you calling me Ava."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" asked Storm, knowing that in Gryphon society, it can be highly disrespectful calling adults by their names.

"Yeah. Go ahead." she replied.

"Okay, Ava." said Storm. "Thanks for the fries."

"No problem." she replied, grinning.

"Storm, do you have any homework, sweetie?" asked Equinox.

"Yep. I'll go do it now." he replied, trotting to get his backpack.

"They grow up so fast, don't they?" said Vortex, still eating his hay fries. "I remember when he was a tiny foal, and now he's got himself a marefriend."

"Hey, I heard that!" shouted Storm, from his bedroom upstairs. "Rainwynd isn't my marefriend!"

"I'm just worried..." replied Equinox, her warm, friendly grin being replaced by an emotionless stare. "Worried that he won't fit in Cloudsdale... I mean, Storm can't fly yet!" she shouted, as quietly as she could so that Storm won't be able to hear.

"Hey, relax." said Vortex, trying his best to calm her down.

"I'm sure that High Wind will teach him how to fly." explained Ava.

"I highly doubt that, Ava..." she replied. "I highly doubt that..."

That Saturday...
It was the night of the big move to Equestria and while Equinox and Vortex were packing his belongings into a suitcase, Storm lay on the sofa downstairs. He was scared, not only of moving to a place that he had only heard of from his mom, but also of losing the first friends he's ever made. A tear rolled out of his eye as he thought of Sharpbeak, Lightning Wing and Rainwynd and all the times they've spent together. He didn't want to leave them behind in the Empire, but he knew that he'd find new friends in Cloudsdale.

"Storm, sweetie?" asked his mom from upstairs, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Can you take your suitcase to the carriage?"

"Sure thing, mom." he replied, getting off the couch and trotting upstairs.

Storm looked into his bedroom and his jaw dropped at the sight. Everything that belonged to him was either packed in boxes which were stacked up to the ceiling or in his suitcase. The room almost seemed alien to Storm, who usually left it in a huge mess.

"Woah..." he said, looking at the now-clean room.

"It looks different, doesn't it?" said a voice. Storm gasped and looked to see where the voice came from. It was Vortex, who was standing behind him.

"Vortex, did you tidy this up?" he asked.

"Yep." Vortex replied, holding a vacuum cleaner in one of his talons. "It took a lot of effort to tidy this room up, but it looks much better now, don't you think?"

"Yeah." replied Storm, looking pretty unsure.

"What's wrong, little guy?" asked Vortex. "Aren't you excited about moving to Equestria?"

"Yeah... sort of." he replied, rather awkwardly. "I'm just scared."

"Scared of what?" asked Vortex.

"Moving to Equestria." Storm explained. "I'm just worried I won't fit in or make any friends..."

"You will fit in, Stormfire." Vortex comforted him. "What kid won't want to be your friend?"

"I'm just scared..." he explained, almost shedding a tear.

"Don't be..." Vortex replied. "There'll always be somepony to be by your side, Storm."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Positive." Vortex said, winking at him. "Now, go help your mom with packing."

"Oh, right." Storm replied, remembering what he was sent up here to do in the first place. He slowly pulled the wheeled suitcase down the stairs, and out of the front door, where a large, yellow, pony-drawn carriage was waiting. From what Storm saw, the stallions pulling the carriage seemed very impatient. He placed the suitcase beside the carriage door and trotted back home.

"Mom?" shouted Storm.

"Just a moment, sweetie!" she shouted from upstairs. "I should be ready in about fifteen minutes."

"Alright!" replied Storm. "Should I get anything else?"

"You can help Vortex take the rest of the boxes from your room." she said.

"Alright, mom." Storm replied and went upstairs to his room, where Vortex was carrying several boxes in his talons, being extremely careful to not rip the cardboard with them.

"Hey, Vortex." Storm begun. "Is there anything left in the room for me to take?"

"Yeah, your ice hockey magazines." Vortex replied, holding onto the stack of boxes as tightly as he could. "They're lying on the bed."

"Alright then." replied Storm, trotting into his room and picking up the ice hockey magazines lying on the bed sheets, before trotting down the stairs and outside. He unzipped the suitcase, which was lying beside the carriage, while Ava was putting a box into the back of it and stuffed his magazines into the suitcase, before zipping it back up. I hope that's everything... thought Storm to himself.

Just then, he looked down the pathway to see Rainwynd, Lightning Wing and Sharpbeak walking down it.

"Hey guys!" Storm shouted, waving at them.

"Stormy!" shouted Rainwynd, trotting down the path towards Storm and jumping playfully around him.

"Hey Storm." said Sharpbeak.

"Hi." said Lightning Wing. "So, you're leaving in a little while?"

"Yeah..." replied Storm, his grin turning into a glum face. "I don't want to leave you guys behind, but I have to."

"We understand..." replied Rainwynd, putting her hoof on his shoulder, which comforted him noticeably.

"You do?" asked Storm, his ears perking up.

"Yep." replied Sharpbeak. "As much as we don't want you to leave, we know you have to, buddy..."

"Yeah..." said Lightning Wing. "How long do you have left before you go?"

"I'm thinking around fifteen-twenty minutes." Storm replied, turning around and checking to see if his mom was coming out of the house. "I'm gonna have to ask mom just to be sure."

"Alright." said the three friends in unison. Storm trotted into the house and up the stairs, before knocking on his mom's room. A moment later, the door opened, revealing his mom, who had her mane tied into a bun.

"Hey mom." he said.

"Hey son." she said, smiling down at him. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, about that." replied Storm. "Can I play with Rainwynd and the others before we leave?"

"I don't know, sweetie..." she said, before turning to look at a digital clock lying on the dresser. It was 7:30 PM and their carriage was scheduled to leave at eight, which meant that they still had half an hour to get ready.

"All right..." she said. "You can play with them for fifteen-twenty minutes. Our carriage has to leave for the airport in half an hour, alright?"

"Okay." replied Storm. "Thanks mom!"

"You're welcome, son." she replied, smiling brightly at him. "Remember, be back before eight. Okay?"

"Okay!" replied Storm, trotting downstairs and outside, where Rainwynd and the rest of his friends were waiting.

"So, what did your mom say?" asked Rain.

"She said that we can play for twenty minutes maximum. Then, we have to go." he explained, with a sad tone in his voice. "As much as I don't want to go, I have to..."

"It's okay, Storm..." replied Sharpbeak. "We'll try and write to you."

"We won't forget about you, Storm." explained Lightning Wing.

"Yeah..." said Rainwynd. "It's a shame you have to leave, but we know you have to."

"Guys..." replied Storm, almost shedding a tear knowing that he had to leave them. "Thank you for being my friends..." he explained, pulling all three of them into a short hug.

"No problem bro." replied Sharpbeak.

"Yeah, you're an awesome pony." said Lightning Wing. "Hanging out with you was great."

"And thank you Storm, for being the best friend we could ever ask for." explained Rainwynd, grinning widely.

"No problem, Rainy." Storm replied and smiled at her, before returning to his original expression. "Anyways, enough of this mush. Let's go to the park, we're wasting enough time."

"Alright." they replied in unison.

"What are we going to do at the park?" asked Sharpbeak.

"Hang around the playground?" asked Storm.

The three friends nodded in reply and followed Storm to the park, which lay two blocks away. A few minutes later, they reached the park (which was almost completely deserted) and begun to play their usual game of hide n' seek. This time, Storm was seeking, and while the rest of them went to hide, Storm counted to ten. After his little countdown, he went to look for his friends, but little did he know that he was being watched...

"He's coming, you guys." whispered Rainwynd, from the top of the jungle gym. While Storm was looking around the entire playground for them, they got off the jungle gym and slid down the slide, before walking quietly by Storm and jumping into some nearby bushes. They chuckled in between themselves as they watched their friend look for them.

"Come on, guys..." said Storm, close to giving up. "Where are you, for Pete's sake?"

"We should tell him..." said Lightning Wing, trying to get out of the bushes, before being pulled back by Sharpbeak.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Sharpbeak. "You want to give away our location?"

"No..." replied Lightning Wing.

"Exactly..." said Rainwynd. "Just keep quiet, both of you."

"Yes ma'am." they both replied, and saluted her like Gryphon soldiers.

"Who knows? Maybe he's listening into our conversation right now..." she whispered to them, before peeking out of the bushes to see where Storm was. What she didn't know was that Storm was looking down at them from the top of a tall tree...

Gotcha now... he thought to himself, as he looked down at the bush where his friends were hiding in. It was time to catch them all...

He slid down the tree and trotted up to the bush, before pulling it away to reveal Sharpbeak, Lightning Wing and Rainwynd curled up. He smirked to himself, knowing that one of them would be caught by him.

"HAH!" he shouted, grinning.

The two Gryphons and the filly groaned, knowing that they've been caught, and stepped out of the bushes.

"Darn it, Storm..." shouted Lightning Wing. "How did you find us?"

"I just did..." he replied smugly. "And it's now Lightning Wing's turn to seek; wait..."

"What is it?" asked Sharpbeak.

"Ugh... I don't have much time left, guys..." explained Storm, remembering that he was to be back home at eight. He looked around and noticed a large, digital clock hanging beside the gate to the park. The clock read 7:45 PM, which meant that they had fifteen minutes left before Storm had to leave for Equestria. Fifteen minutes to enjoy their friendship... How Storm didn't want to leave for Equestria, but he knew that it wasn't his choice, nor was it his mom's choice. They just couldn't stay in the Empire anymore. It was time for them to go back to where they came from.

"So, what can we do?" asked Lightning Wing.

"I have a great idea!" replied Rainwynd, with a huge grin on her face.

"What is it Rainy?" asked Storm, looking rather curious.

"You know how you're moving to Cloudsdale?" asked Rainwynd.

"Yeah?" asked Storm.

"Well, we'll show you how to fly!" replied Rainwynd, grinning widely.

Storm's heart stopped and his jaw dropped to the ground in shock. As much as he wanted to learn how to fly, he couldn't. No matter who taught him, no matter how many lessons he had before, he could never master the art of flying. He even had thoughts of giving up his dream of flying, but he knew that he couldn't give up on that dream, especially since he was moving to a place in which everybody flew. He had to learn how to fly soon... he just had to.

"Look Rainwynd, I know you want to help me, but still... I can't fly, and it's unlikely I ever will!" he shouted.

"No it's not." she replied, putting her hoof on his shoulder, which calmed him down noticeably. "Stop doubting yourself, Storm."

"Yeah, stop doubting yourself." said Sharpbeak. "It's not gonna get you anywhere."

"Yeah. What he said." said Lightning Wing. Storm sighed. What harm could some flight practice do? It's not like they can properly teach me how to fly or anything...

"Alright. You guys win." Storm explained. "It's time for some flight practice."

"Yay!" Sharpbeak, Lightning Wing and Rainwynd cheered and trotted towards a nearby field, which faced the setting sun. Storm trotted after them, and a few moments later, arrived. The field sloped downwards and extended towards some nearby trees, behind which was the railway station.

"Stand here, Stormy." said Rainwynd, standing beside a tree. Storm went up to the tree and stood there, facing the setting sun with a stance similar to that of an army pony. "Now, do what I'm doing." she explained, unfolding her wings and trotting down the field flapping them as fast as she could. She begun to pull off the ground shortly after and flew back to where Storm was standing. He could only watch in astonishment as she flew towards him, with grace and gentleness. A moment or two later, she landed in front of Storm, whose jaw was hanging open.

"You should see the look on your face, Stormy." she said, chuckling a bit. "Now, it's your turn."

Storm gulped and walked up to where she was standing, and unfolded his wings.

"Do you think I'll do good?" asked Storm, looking at the field nervously.

"Absolutely." she replied. "Now go!"

"Go Storm, go!" shouted Sharpbeak and Lightning Wing. Storm did as he was told and trotted down the field towards the trees, flapping his wings as fast as he could. To his surprise, he begun to pull off the ground slightly, but he fell back down again.

"Ugh..." he said, dusting himself off. "Oh, my gosh... RAIN, I FLEW!"

Just then, Rainwynd and Sharpbeak and Lightning Wing trotted down the field to meet Storm.

"See?" she asked. "I knew you could do it, buddy. Now, try again..."

"You got it!" replied Storm, trotting down the field again and flapping his wings harder. He pulled off the ground and stayed in the air for around ten seconds, managing to get a clear view of most of the park, before dropping back down to the ground. His friends ran up to him and patted him on the back, including Rainwynd, who seemed to be the most proud of them all.

"Well done, Storm!" she said, ruffling his mane. "You actually flew properly."

"We knew you could do it buddy." said Sharpbeak, putting his wing on Storm's back.

"I couldn't have done it without you guys." replied Storm. "Thank you."

"No problem, dude." said Lightning Wing.

"Hey, what's the time?" asked Storm.

"I'll check." replied Sharpbeak, flying off towards the digital clock beside the gate to the park. A few moments later, he landed back at the field where Storm and the others were. "It's 7:56. We better hurry..."

"Yeah. Let's go." replied Storm. "Come on, you guys."

Storm and the rest of his friends trotted out of the park and headed for the holiday home. They made it back home just in time for Storm to leave for Equestria. Everything was packed into the carriage and his mom was sitting in it, waiting for Storm to say goodbye one last time to his friends.

"Bye guys." waved Ava. "Send us a postcard from Equestria!"

"We'll miss you." said Vortex. "Bye guys."

"We will, don't worry!" replied Equinox from inside the carriage. "We'll miss you all too!"

"Say hello to Buttermilk for us!" said Ava.

"Will do!" replied Equinox. "Coming Storm?"

"Just a second!" he replied, before turning to face Rainwynd and his other friends. "Well... this is it, you guys." Storm said, shrugging sadly. "It's time to go to Equestria..."

"It's a shame you can't stay, Storm..." explained Rainwynd. "You were such a great friend."

"Yeah..." said Sharpbeak. "We're gonna miss you, buddy."

"What he said." chimed in Lightning Wing.

"But hey, we can always write to one another, right?" asked Storm.

"Yeah, I guess so..." replied Rainwynd. "But it won't be the same."

"I guess so..." said Storm. "But you know what my mom said?"

"What?" asked Sharpbeak.

"If you keep your friends in your heart, they're never truly away..." he replied, almost shedding a tear. "You were the best friends I could ever hope for."

"And you were the best friend WE could ever hope for." said Lightning Wing, hugging him, along with Sharpbeak.

"Thank you, Storm." said Rainwynd, joining in the hug. "For everything."

"My pleasure." replied Storm, giving them all a friendly, yet sad smile. "So long, guys." he said, opening the door to the carriage and sitting down beside his mom. The carriage then pulled away into the distance, leaving Sharpbeak, Lightning Wing and Rainwynd alone.

"Well..." begun Sharpbeak. "So, what do we do now?"

"I don't know..." replied Rainwynd, looking quite miserable. "It's a shame he had to leave..."

"Yeah." said Lightning Wing, also looking quite depressed. "He made me a better Gryphon."

"He was the first friend I ever made." replied Rainwynd.

"But he said he'll write to us..." chimed in Sharpbeak. "At least we'll still be able to keep in touch with Storm, right?"

"Yeah..." replied Lightning Wing. "But like Rainy here said, it's not the same."

"What other option do we have in keeping touch with Storm, huh?" asked Sharp. "Tell me, Lightning."

"There isn't any other option." replied Lightning Wing, a tear rolling out of his eye. "Let's just go home, you guys..."

"Yeah..." said Sharpbeak. "You coming, Rain?" he asked, looking to see Rainwynd stare into the distance. He had never seen her so depressed before, and so he decided to talk to her. "You alright?"

"Does it look like I'm alright, Sharp?" she asked, tears streaming down her face. "I just lost the first friend I ever made..."

"I know how you feel..." he replied, putting his wing on her back. "And Storm was lucky to have a friend like you."

"Thank you..." she replied, giving him a pleasant, yet obviously depressed smile. "I'm just going to miss him."

"Yeah." he replied, trying his best to comfort her. "But look on the bright side. You still have me and Lightning Wing."

"Yeah." Lightning Wing said. "Don't forget about us."

"I won't..." she replied. "But we can't forget about Storm."

"I guess so." Sharpbeak said. "Come on, let's all go home."

Meanwhile...
The carriage was already on the road between Gryfino and Featherburg, the city where Storm and Equinox had stayed. As the carriage got ever nearer to Gryfino Airport, Equinox couldn't help but notice that Storm was looking depressed.

"Son, are you okay?" she asked, putting down a book she was reading on the seat.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." he replied, with an emotionless tone in his voice.

"Is it about Sharpbeak and Rainwynd?" Equinox asked.

"Yeah..." Storm replied. "I don't want to leave them behind... they mean far too much to me. They were my best friends mom..."

"I understand, son." Equinox said. "I know how you feel... but like I said, if you keep them in your heart, they're never truly away."

"I guess so, mom..." he replied, shedding a few tears. "They've been the best friends I could ever ask for..."

"Hey, it'll be alright." Equinox said, wrapping her wing around him. "It'll all be alright, Stormy. Hush now." He moved closer to where Equinox was sitting and snuggled against her.

Around an hour later, the carriage reached the airport. After checking in their baggage and undergoing extensive security scans by machines Storm has never seen before, they were finally allowed to board the airship, which was still tied to the ground and being filled up with helium gas. Storm sat down beside the window (as he wanted to see what a take-off looked like) and Equinox sat down beside him, reading the same book she was reading on the carriage.

"So, what's Cloudsdale like, mom?" Storm asked.

"You'll just have to wait and see, son." she replied. "And trust me, you'll love it."

"Do you think I'll fit in at school and make any friends?" he asked. "I mean, I made several friends here... but I don't know if anypony would want to be my friend."

"Yep." Equinox replied. "Who wouldn't want to be your friend?"

"I don't know..." said Storm, seeming pretty unsure.

Just then, a loud "ping" sounded through the cockpit of the airship, getting the attention of everyone on board.

Fillies and gentlecolts, welcome aboard EQAir Charter Flight 242 to Manechester in Great Bridlain, from where we will be able to connect to Cloudsdale International. said a rather smooth voice through the loudspeakers. This portion of the flight will take approximately 5 hours and 45 minutes, whilst the Antlertic crossing will take eight hours and ten minutes...

So, over thirteen hours? Storm groaned, thinking to himself what he could do for 13 hours straight.

...we hope you have a nice flight and join us on another EQAir flight.

Just then, the lights in the cockpit switched off and the airship was slowly, but surely pulled towards one of the main runways of the airport.

"What's happening mommy?" asked Storm, unsure of what's going on.

"We're being pulled to one of the main runways of the airport so we can take off properly." she explained, putting down her book on the tray-table.

"Who's pulling us? Or what?" he asked frantically.

"Some airport stallions, son." Equinox simply replied.

A few minutes later, they reached the main runway of the airport. Storm looked out of the window he was sitting at, noticing a large tower (which he presumed had something to do with the flights at the airport) sticking out of the main terminal building. Behind that tower were the tall buildings of downtown Gryfino, illuminating the night sky with their lights. Storm's jaw dropped looking at the shining lights of the big city, which was both the capital city of the region as well as it's largest metropolitan area with a population of 2.3 million. He had never seen anything like it before (while Gryffsvale was a major city in the Griffon state of Griffonia, it was nowhere near as magnificent as Gryfino was) and thought to himself what it would be like to live in one of those buildings. His thoughts were interrupted by the airship being pulled again, this time moving faster and faster every second.

A moment or so later, the airship's speed was high enough for the stallions to let go of it and let it fly into the air. Storm looked out of the window and his jaw dropped, seeing the expansive lights of Gryfino stretch miles into the surrounding countryside. The city lights looked like sparkling jewels in the night, far more beautiful than anything Storm had ever seen before.

"Beautiful, isn't it son?" asked Equinox.

"Yep." he replied, still staring down at the lights, which slowly faded away into the distance. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Why don't you get some sleep, son?" asked Equinox. "This is going to be a long flight..."

"I can imagine." he replied. "Good night, mom."

"Night night, son." she said, kissing him goodnight and putting away her book.

Well, that night we left Aerovis for a new life in Equestria. While I was excited about moving, I was also pretty sad about doing so. I didn't want to leave my best friends in Aerovis, and even though I knew that I'll find new friends in Equestria, I still felt that they were the most realest friends I could ever make. I mean, one of them even tried to teach me how to properly fly. I'll definitely miss her the most...

What awaited me in Equestria, I didn't know, but I was soon going to find out. But was I going to like it? Nope. Not a chance.

Author's Notes:

Looks like this chapter broke 10,000 words. Whew... I hope my upcoming chapters don't get as long as this one got, and I hope you've enjoyed this one.

Stay tuned for Chapter 5, folks, which will be much easier and much quicker to write than this one.