I looked at Rainbow Dash, her eyes solemn. Princess Celestia leaves, smiling. It hit me, she really was interested in me. She blushes. I was wondering what was going through her mind right now. Her friend, the white unicorn, looked at her with an expression of scandalous realization.

"Rainbow Dash, are you saying that you are... INTERESTED in him... as in, ROMANTICALLY?" Her friend gasped. Rainbow Dash glared at her and pouted.

"Um... well, I mean... um..." Rainbow Dash stuttered to find the words to explain her feelings. She stalls in order for me to respond. I hold my hand up and sigh.

"Would you be interested in a dragon slayer, an ex secret agent, and a retired private investigator?" All were dangerous professions. I thought it would turn her off. Instead...

"Well, I mean... YEAH. What's more awesome than that?" She took me by surprise, I didn't expect her to answer positively, especially to the fact that my professions involved killing others at one point or another.

"And if I wasn't all that?" I ask with a quiet tone. She took a while to answer...

"You're still a great... dancer?" she said hesitantly. She was probably thinking of why she was interested in me in the first place.

"I only learned to dance like that as my days as a secret agent. Heh... by now it's not a secret anymore," I say, pouring myself a cup of tea. She had a look like she made a mistake.

"Tell me, Rainbow Dash, what do you look for in a man?" I finish off the last slice of sashimi, taking a long, gingerly sip of the warm tea. She bit her lower lip, nervous about what to say next.

"I... don't know..." she admitted, letting out a heavy sigh. She drops her head on the table, a sad expression on her face now.

"It's okay not to know, but it always helps to be sure of what you really want." She thinks about what I said, her face showing signs of panic and confrontation. She then stands and pushes her plate away.

"Well, he-he, look at the time... I have to... um... water the fish?" She says with an uneasy grin, "SEE YA!" She then flew out the door in a hurry. I sigh and take another sip, looking at the other ponies sitting there, I raise an eyebrow.

"Water the fish?" I ask.

"It's what the French call a 'distraction'," the white unicorn explained, "Rainbow has never been the best at... emotional things..."

'I don't think it was that...' I thought to myself, "I never got your name, Mademoiselle."

"Rarity," she said, holding out a hoof.

"Aoi, as you might have heard," I say, shaking her hoof in kind. Twilight then looks out the door.

"Uughh, I better go find her..." she says, walking out the room to look for Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy looked at me with a nervous expression. As soon as I made eye-contact with her, she hides behind her pink mane. I look back down at my cup, the tea leaves starting to surface.

"About Rainbow Dash..." I look at each of the others, I'm guessing supposed friends, "What was she like when you all met her?" I wanted to know a bit about her. Rarity started first.

"Well, when I first met her, she was rowdy, uncouth of a proper lady, with that messy mane of hers," I take it she wasn't really into fashion.

"Well then, why'd she wear a kimono to the Gala?" It didn't make sense.

"Well..." Rarity seemed embarrassed, and a little guilty. Just then, Pinkie Pie interrupted.

"When I met her, SHE WAS SO MUCH FUN, she loved a good prank," she said before stuffing more donuts into her muzzle.

"Ah met 'er when Ah was haulin' a cartload 'o apples up ta the train station to be sent to Canterlot. Ah tripped in the mud and she had a good laugh 'fore dryin' me off and helpin' me pick up the apples," Apple jack said with pride.

"I... well, um... she saved me from meanies at flight camp..." Fluttershy said meekly. I looked down at my cup, deep in thought. Rainbow Dash must be torn up inside about what I said, I probably shouldn't have pressured her into answering.

"How old is Rainbow Dash?" I ask everyone at the table, to my surprise, Fluttershy speaks up.

"Well... she's... 22..." Just out of her teens, love struck. But there was something about her, something that reminded me of someone I knew.

"Gochisousama," I bow slightly, stand up and walk out the door.

=Rainbow Dash=

"Well, he-he, look at the time... I have to... um... water the fish?" I bolt out the door as fast as I could, so nopony could see the tears coming from my eyes.

'I'm such an idiot. Of course he doesn't like me. And he had to ask all those tough questions. How the hay am I suppose to know?' I fly out towards the morning sky, busting through clouds out of frustration, 'Stupid Aoi!' I kept on flying to get far away from the castle, but crash into a large cumulus. Sick of everything, I flattened out the cumulus into a bed and plopped down onto it, looking up into the sky.

"What did he mean anyway?" I think back to the questions he asked me in order. His words run through my mind, clear as a stream.

'Would you be interested in a dragon-slayer, an ex secret agent, and a retired private investigator?'

'What did that have to do with anything?' I kept thinking and thinking. I put my hoof over my eyes to keep the sunlight out of them. 'I mean, all of those things are AWESOME! What could be cooler than being interested in...' my mind rolled to the next question he asked.

'And if I wasn't all that?' I thought about it.

'I was interested in him before he told me all that stuff, so why did I panic, why didn't I just tell him?' I curled up the silver lining of the cloud like a blanket, 'And why did he dance with me? He didn't know who I was, my reputation for being the best flier in Equestria, but nopony else but him wanted to dance with me. Why did he?' I started to cry again, tears leaving gray stains in the clouds.

'Why doesn't anything make sense?' My head started to hurt, until I thought about his last question.

'Tell me, Rainbow Dash, What do you look for in a man?' I tried to think how that question made any sense at all.

'Why couldn't he just tell me he liked me? What do I look for in a guy? Coolness, Awesomeness, Radicalness.' I thought back to when I was choosing a pet, who needed to have the same qualities. In the end, Tank was the one who came through for me, even though I was looking for something else.

It hit me...

'Aoi's just like Tank. He's not a turtle, but he is kinda awesome. But he wasn't just awesome...' Memories of last night started to play though my mind: us arriving at the Gala, all the stuck up fancy-pants not even noticing, the Wonderbolts being crowded like last year, and me trying too hard to stand out, 'He was the only one who cared...' The tears came out in waterfalls now, turning the entire cloud gray. I started to smile.

"Now I can answer him the right way."

"Answer who?" I looked over the edge of the cloud to see Twilight Sparkle, she looked at me funny, "Have you been... crying?" I slunk back behind the cover of the cloud and wiped away my tears.

"Umm... no, I've been uh... watering the fish! See?" I hopped on the cloud, dumping water into the ocean.

"Right, well are you coming back in to finish breakfast? You left your plate with food still on it," Twilight said.

'Breakfast! I forgot, Maybe I can still catch him in time.' I zoomed past Twilight, making her spin, and flew through the castle hallway until I got to the corridor where Aoi was in. I immediately crept back behind the corner.

'Did he see me?' I sighed, 'Okay Dash, play it cool.' I looked at him, reading the inscription below the stain glass window. Something else came back to my mind.

'... dragon-slayer... man...' Only one other person talks like that.' It suddenly came to me, 'Oh my Gosh!'

=Aoi=

I walked through the halls, various stain glass windows retelling the history of Equestria, each with a small inscription below. One stood out among the rest.

It was a stain glass window of six ponies, all of which looked exactly like the six ponies I met: Pinkie Pie, Apple Jack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. I look down at the inscription, about how the Elements of harmony defeated Discord, who threatened to plunge Equestria into total chaos. I remember what Griffin said last night about them.

'Those six mares are national heroes,' I guess that why they were invited to the Gala. I read a part of the Inscription out loud.

"Rainbow Dash, wielder of the Element of..."

"Loyalty..." I turn around to see Rainbow Dash standing there. She had been crying, her face wet with tears that she had smeared away. She looked at me with a gaze of shock.

"So, is it true, are you really a h-h-h..." She looked at me, trying to utter the word. From the way she looked at me to the way she was stuttering, she knew.

"... Human? Yes... just like Griffin..." I say with a soft tone. I turn around and lift myself up to sit on the windowsill.

"Although unlike him, I know almost nothing about this world..." She simply continued to stare at me.

"Are all humans idiots?" I glared at her, causing her to tense up. I shake my head and answer.

"Some act like it, others are so smart they're dangerous, and even more are what I would describe as socially inept..." She then trotted till she could look at me face to face.

"Back there... why did you have to answer my question with another question? You should have said no and have been done with it instead of getting my hopes up. I'm not... good with sentimental stuff, and I don't always say the right thing, but dang it... I like you, Aoi! Why did you have to make things so complicated?" She said, tears coming to her eyes. What she said gave me all the information I needed. I sighed and leaned back on the fragile stain glass, the sunlight shining through it, radiating a disoriented rainbow onto the marble flooring.

"I thought we had fun at the gala, and I was at least willing to give it a chance..." I did have fun at the Gala, why would she think that? I only wanted to make sure...

"Because I wanted to make sure... and who said I didn't like you?" The words came out of my mouth before I could take them back. I pursed my lips and heard something slam into the window behind me. I look back to see Knightmare and Princess Celestia stuck onto the glass, slowly sliding down the window. I blink twice, dumbfounded.

'I guess that glass wasn't so fragile at all...' I shake my head and look back at Rainbow Dash, who now had a look of mixed emotion.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO?!" Her wings drooped to the ground. I sighed.

'Well, the cat's out of the bag, Aoi...'

"Like I said... I wanted to make sure that... you liked me too... and then I talked to your friends about you after you went to... water the fish..." I said nonchalantly.

"What did they say?" She asked, sniffling.

"You care for your friends, as if they were your family..." I lean back onto the glass window, "... from one who lost his... I respect that..." I looked at her with sincerity. She blushed and sighed.

"You're just being nice..." she said, looking away from me.

"No really, I'm being sincere..." I looked at her with a serious expression. She wasn't buying it. I tapped the back of my head against the window and decided to change the subject. "Rainbow Dash, what is it that you live for?"

"Heh, there you go, asking the tough questions again," she said sarcastically, "The one thing I live for... I used to thing it was my dreams: becoming a Wonderbolt, a start, being famous,, all that attention..." She looked back at me, "... But, a long time ago, on Griffin's ship, he started talking, asking hard questions... just like you are now..." She raised her eyes toward me, looking straight in my eye, with a look of determination, "I realized something back then, if I became a Wonderbolt, I might have to leave my friends behind, and NOTHING was worth doing that. I made a Pinkie Promise to myself that if I ever did reach my dream, I'd MAKE it work. So, if there's one thing I live for, I'd say it's for my friends. Because they mean more than the world to me."

I gave a wide smile, relaxing my expression to one that was more calming.

"What I live for, I still don't know. I think I might be coming close to my answer, but I'm not sure. Did you see those two Diamond dogs that came in there with me?" She nodded at my question.

"The silver one's name is Ubi, the gray one with the spot over his left eye is Eol. They're my family," I changed the subject and continued, "Just like Griffin, we're trying to save those held in slavery by corrupt Alphas and Dragons." She thought about what I said for a few moments before replying.

"What is it with me and falling for you humans?" She asked. I merely gave a slight shrug. "When I met Griffin on board his ship, I was determined. He was a criminal, and I was going to catch him. Then, the dragons attacked. In the blink of an eye, he commanded his entire group, then flew out all alone... well, Trixie was with him too. He beat them like it was nothing. I was watching from the bridge, and when I saw him, all I could do was stare in awe." She chuckled wryly. "I realized later that it was just a stupid crush . After all, him and Gilda are already, affa-affi- what did you call it?"

"Affianced."

"Yeah that. Besides, we already had a bad history from the first time we met in Ponyville." I listened closely as she explained.

"Now, you come along and make me feel... I don't know how to describe it.. You made me feel... UGH, Why is this so HARD? I was having FUN at the stupid Gala. The singing, the dancing, even the way you looked at me... you treated me like somepony special..." Her eyes drooped down towards the floor, "I guess that's why I wanted to be a Wonderbolt, so I'd be somepony special. Last night, you made me feel special." I understood what she meant. She felt unnoticed, wanting to be in the spotlight.

"I see what you're getting at, being a daredevil so you'd get your moment in the spotlight."

"Yeah, always flying higher, faster, more daring, just so somepony would notice me," she said, rubbing her leg shyly, "Then, out of nowhere, you notice me, not when I’m performing, not for when I'm showing off, but when I'm just... being me." She looked at me with a soft gaze. I break out in a warm smile.

"It's ironic really..." I think about all the time complete strangers fawned for my attention, "I don't like attention..." She had a look of confusion, "In fact... I hated it..."

"Well of course you would, secret agents don't go around getting noticed..." I looked at the ceiling, the chandeliers reflecting a warm light across the corridor.

"I don't mean that..." I looked back at her, her head tilting in question. "You see, back in my world, I was a bit of a celebrity..." I lost my smile, my tone turning bitter and sarcastic, "'Heir to the living national treasure, they said, 'The Next Sherlock Holmes' said the police department, some circles even dubbed me 'Sengo Muramasa' even..."

"And you didn't like it?" She asked, drawing closer to me.

"Heh, I fucking hated it..." I looked away, seeing nothing in the corridor except a few cooks and bakers coming out of the kitchen side door. "Remember the song I sang last night?"

"Yeah? It was in some weird language right?"

"Japanese..." I said abruptly, "Well, the meaning behind the song is how the world looks at you... judges you... labels you on what they see on the outside," I turn back to Rainbow Dash, "... Taking no account of your emotions, troubles, or past..." out of the corner of my eye, I see two nobles looking at us, but I pay them no mind.

"The refrain of the song is the turning point, where one whose live his entire life under the scrutiny of others finally asks himself, 'Ore no nedan o dare ga kimeta'. In other words, 'Who was the one who decided what my life is worth?'. People looked at me, judged me by my appearance, and what I did rather than who I really was. I didn't want labels, titles, or honorifics. They were a waste of time. Accepting them basically means you are willing to let others tell you who you really are. One might argue that it's a reward for the good you do, but more than likely, it's just a publicity stunt. Do you understand?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I think I know the feeling. When I was at flight camp, I was just the runt of the litter. Everypony made fun of me for being so small, saying that I'd never amount to anything. When I challenged them to a race to defend Fluttershy, I managed to do something only heard of in legends and suddenly I'm the best flier in Equestria. Everypony wanted to know me after that. But then, when I couldn't do it again..."

"They went back to treating you like a nobody..." I said softly. She nodded, her expression turned teary-eyed.

"They all came to expect it from me, and when I couldn't repeat it, they all just... left. There was so much pressure to perform, to impress, to be the very BEST, only to fail and have it start all over again. Pretty soon, they forgot about it, to the point of even saying that I made the whole thing up, like some kind of phony. Soon, the only people who believed that I could do it were my friends..." Her lip quivered in sadness.

"I trained so hard, every day, just so I could show those bullies up. But when I finally did it again, it wasn't them who mattered anymore. It was the ones who had been there the whole time while I trained, the ones who cheered for me and helped me get better: my friends..." She rubbed her eyes and wiped away her tears, suddenly curling up her lips in a grin, "They were the ones that mattered most. I guess that makes them the ones who decide what my life is really worth then... because they matter to me."

"Exactly, What matters to you decides what your life is worth, and what they are is what makes life worth living." my smile slowly returned. "So now that you see what makes your life worth living, what's next?" She sniffled and looked at me.

"I don't know... I guess that depends on you..." I take a few moments to understand what she meant. I brace my paws on my knees and lean forward, looking deep into her eyes, a bold fuchsia outlining black pearls. Remembering the inscription, I see in her eyes why she was called the element of loyalty. After a few seconds I lean back and pinch my fingers together, as if holding a camera, closing one eye to see Rainbow Dash as if in an old photograph.

'I am the machine that reveals the world to you as only I alone am able to see it.' The world is not simply color or gray-scale, but a fusion of both. What I see can only be seen by me, so my thoughts and opinions are based not only on what I see, but what I think and know. Thus births perception.

"Who I see is one of unwavering loyalty..." I lower my hand and open my other eye again, "It'd be a shame if you proved me otherwise..." I gave her my answer, what she did next was all up to her.

"What? I don't get it..."

"I merely stated what I see in front of me, a loyal person who has found what she lives for and what makes her life worth living. Is it a label, or is it a truth?" Now, the million bit question, "If it is a truth, your own truth based on what you have learned, then What does your loyalty say for you to do?" She pauses for a moment before answering.

"It says..." She closes her eyes, letting her head droop towards the ground. "It says you have your own life to live, and that I cannot go with you. And I can't tear you away from what you're meant to do." A single tear falls from the corner of her eye, slowly traveling down her muzzle before falling off and dripping audibly onto the cold marble floor. I let loose a small sigh.

"As with me as well, now that you've found exactly what you live for, I can't let you tear yourself away
from it..." I smile, reaching over and tilting her chin up, "But what else does your loyalty say?" She started to smile softly, meeting my gaze.

"It says that when you're done, when you've done what you needed you do, that your loyalty will bring you back here." She reaches out her hoof and places it over my heart. I look down at her hoof, then back to her, and soften my gaze.

"And maybe, have another dance?" She slowly eases her hoof into my paw, grabbing it. I slide off the window sill and give a large smile.

"Like no other..." I slowly let go and walk backwards away from her, "'Til then, fly forth in life on wings lined with the silver lining of clouds..." She smiles and lets go...

"'Til then, stay awesome..." She turns around, about to take off back to her friends. I watch her as she lifts off and glides down the corridor, leaving nothing but the wind and small trails of spectral light in her midst.