"Looks like a grade-two wing sprain, but an x-ray in the morning will confirm it," said the doctor, a yellowish gold stallion with a brown mane. He had on a white doctor's coat and a stethoscope around his neck. Rarity and I stood side by side at Rainbow's bed. All three of us were trying to not look too defeated, and I think of the three I was probably doing the worst job.

After Rarity and I found her we brought her to the hospital where the lights were on and the staff was busy. Rainbow wasn't the only one there after the tornado disaster. Several ponies, if not more than half of us, were dealing with some sort of bruise or ache, and a handful had minor injuries, none of them less serious than Rainbow's, who had the worst outcome of any pegasi in the accident. It was during that time I briefly tried to explain to the two of them exactly what happened, upon hearing which and seeing me in shambles just made an already difficult situation for her even harder.

"Ohhhh, I knew it, I knew it!!!" Rainbow cried sadly to the ceiling with her lower half submerged under the covers. She was already in her hospital gown and her wing was wrapped in a white bandage. "Why me, why me?!?" she moaned, when suddenly her mouth dropped and her eyes widened at the two of us in some sort of realization; probably realizing she had to keep her cool around us, and maybe wasn't doing quite the best job of that. She looked down to the bottom of the bed sadly, taking a deep breath and looking up at the Doc with humble, hopeful eyes. "Just... how long do I have to stay here and when can I fly again?"

"Again," he said, raising his eyebrow. "Depends on the x-ray, but grade-two's in healthy mares like you are generally four weeks before you can fly again and six weeks before you're back to full spee-"

"Six weeks? SIX WEEK UNTIL I CAN GO FAST AGAIN?!?" she shouted to heaven, burying her eyes in her hooves as darkness squeezed his grip on my heart. I wanted so badly to just look away from her and ease my pain, but I couldn't. I should've dodged Hoops and picked my way through. I should've shouted when I first suspected something. To this day I'm still disappointed in myself, though according to Rainbow there wasn't much I could've done. I knew it was coming, and I hesitated...

Meanwhile, the doctor shook his head pitifully at her, trying to appeal to anything.

"Four weeks of no flying isn't that bad is i-?"

"Four weeks is like four months!!!" she started, turning over on her side with horror. "Flying is everything to a pegasus!" she screamed, flipping back over on her back. "Tell him, Sonic. Flying is everything to a pegasus!"

She pounded her hooves into the bed frustratedly a few times before looking defeatedly straight ahead. At this point I hadn't really done anything except stand there depressed. I was trying desperately to think of some way to comfort her somehow. She then looked over at me and our eyes met again.

"You know, on second thought... this isn't so bad," she said, managing a smile. I was supposed to be the one cheering her up, yet now it was the other way around. "This just gives us an excuse for me to read you the Daring Do books!"

Seeing her cheering up, it just started having the same effect on me when the voice of a female nurse came from behind Rarity, the Doc and I.

"Doc, we got one more, looks like a mild concussion," said the white mare nurse with the pink main from the door who had popped her head in.

"Alright, be there in a second," he said, rubbing his eyes with a sigh. "That's four mild concussions, three sprained ankles, and a grade-two wingsprain."

He suddenly lifted his eyes and looked directly at me, not exactly what I would call a look of approval.

"You know from what I hear, sounds like this is your fault?" he remarked.

For a second my mouth fell open in disbelief before I hung my head in shame, ears coming down and all. Rarity and Rainbow Dash gasped. It was worse then before, because now Rainbow was there to see it - all the bitterness and anger directed straight at me from those ponies' faces as they walked off the track into Ponyville.

"Yeah, it is his fault," said a disgruntled pegasi getting her ankle wrapped on the bed beside Rainbow before her or Rarity could respond. These were just one dagger in my side after another. I blanked out my vision with my hoof and shook my head. Please stop...

"You better shut your mouth!!!" snarled Rainbow Dash ferociously, trembling with fury. She threw her covers off and got of bed, ignoring her twinging pain and glaring them down, much to the protests of the doctor and a gasping Rarity.

"It's the testimony of four stallions," said the mare, and an enraged Rainbow began walking menacingly towards her. The doctor, and suddenly two nurses who were out of sight coming over from the other side of the curtain, moved in and subdued her, and initially she just outright ignored them.

"Four highly unreliable stallions," growled Rarity.

"No, no, Rainbow! Come on, get back in bed, you need your rest," urged the alarmed doctor. She kept pretending they weren't even there and continued glaring at the other mare. "Come on Rainbow, don't make me call security on the first night," added the doctor. That comment seemed to slowly defeat her, as she eventually stopped moving as a look of helpless frustration and betrayal seemed to overpower the look of rage on her expression. Rainbow shoved away the doctor and nurses and reluctantly slipped back into bed, turning away from all of us.

"Those cowards... when I get out of here," she whispered to herself.

"I must say that was most unprofessional of you, Doctor," said an angry Rarity. "And that goes for you too, Cloud Kicker. Not only were you not there and you didn't see what happened, you act like he meant to do this! As if your berating him is just what this poor stallion needs right now. I am profoundly disappointed. I expected better from a lady such as yourself."

"I suppose you could be right," remarked the doctor. "Excuse me," he continued, looking at me for less than half a second before he looked away and sighed. "Either way, I'm afraid you two need to leave now. You're not supposed to be in here this late as it is."

"Don't worry about them Sonic. They'll be sorry... they'll know how wrong they are," uttered Rainbow, seething hatefully, a sight I never ever wanted to see. "I will show them... when I get out of here..."

"Doctor," I muttered quietly, looking up and asking for one thing. "I'd *really* like to stay with her tonight."

"Can't you pleeeeaase make an exception?" begged Rainbow, hearing me. The doctor turned around distressingly, looking down and away from us.

"I can't," he replied, shaking his head. "If I make one exception then I have to make all exceptions. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even let you two in here this late. You should consider yourself lucky."

She sunk into her bed and shut the rest of us out again, pouting frustratedly to herself. I was flattered that she wanted me there but that much more deeply wounded that I had to leave. I needed her as much she needed me, that much I definitely knew. If there was any consolation at all it was that we couldn't be defeated anymore for one night.

"What time can I be here in the morning?" I asked.

"8 am," he replied. The doctor made his way over to the door and waited there for us, signaling us to leave. I stood there for one more difficult moment. Admittedly, I wanted to say goodbye to her a little more formally, but she didn't seem to want it. She was angry and upset. My heart said stay but my mind knew I had to leave or get security called on me.

"I'll be here when you wake up," I told her backside. Eventually I turned and started to walk dejectedly over towards the door. Before I got far, though, she called out to me.

"Sonic, wait!"

I turned around to find her sitting up with an expression and body language that called me back to her bed. She reached out and wrapped her legs around me, burying her head in my side. We might've gone a tad further had they not been standing there, but this was enough. Being with her reminded me I had so much to be thankful for.

"Rarity," she said, drawing back and motioning her friend over to us. Rarity promptly trotted up to the bedside so all three of us where huddled together. The doctor seemed mildly annoyed at the delay, but he could wait. She looked directly at her friend and pleaded with all of her strength in just two words. "Clear his name."

"Thank you for walking me home, Sonic. You are a true gentleman. Though I don't understand why you didn't keep the umbrella under both of us when I offered to make room for you," remarked Rarity as we arrived at her boutique where she lives now - it was a round, fancy looking building with a steeple in the middle. She had this frilly umbrella, maybe not the most visible at night, but it was probably a sight just a couple hours earlier. I didn't stand under it, even though she offered.

"I don't mind the rain. It's in my name," I replied. She was now standing just inside the open door out of the rain, while I remained outside and in it.

"You know, if it was just those two lugheads Hoops and Dumbbell, they wouldn't have a case against you at all. It's those other two they must've convinced to help them, those two are the real problem," she said. I explained everything to her on the way home, and she harped me on the details.

"Yeah," I sighed sadly, looking down and away from her.

"Don't worry about it darling," she assured me, reaching her hoof out and taking pity on me. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I'm gonna start first thing tomorrow morning and work harder than Applejack on a Monday. If I can just talk to enough ponies that were flying around you I'm sure I can get a contradiction out of those four that will clear your good name. It's just such a shame that those four would blame someone as nice as you are. Those traitors to friendship!"

"Well I can't say I hope that doesn't happen. Thank you for doing this, Rarity," I said in reply, though I was gonna hurt until it she cleared me and probably beyond.

"Just do me a favor darling and let me handle this my way, will you? Rainbow never trusted my methods when I did the same thing for her," she remarked, much more firmly. Hearing that and my head came up curiously.

"You did this same thing with Rainbow? What was she accused of?" I asked.

"Oh yes, darling! I'll let her tell you all about it," she said, giving me wink and a smile. I tried to smile back, but it didn't help much, and her smile didn't last long when she picked up on that. I looked up into the darkness above, occasionally lit with lightning. I realized I didn't really have much to say, either. In that case, it's best to just wrap it up.

"Well, I appreciate you doing this. Let me help you anyway I can with it. I owe you a lot more than a walk home in the rain," I told her.

"Anytime, sweetheart," she replied affectionately but pitifully. "I'd offer you to stay here for the night, I don't want to give those ponies anything more to speculate."

"No," I replied and shaking my head, "I definitely agree with you there. Thanks for the offer though."

"Sonic?"

"Yes?"

"Please feel better."

I didn't say anything but I gave her the most unenthusiastic nod ever given. I turned my head around and walked away from her, and now I was really alone with my thoughts. The rain was much steadier and relaxed now unlike the downpours at the beginning of the storm just before sunset. Each step down the road made a splash- something I usually love - and if it weren't the streetlights I wouldn't have seen where to go at all. In several town houses as I walked there were angry and disappointed faces of all kinds staring out at me, ranging from unicorn to earth pony.

Even in a thunderstorm, word of what happened had obviously spread through the town like wildfire. Usually the faces were followed by closing blinds or shutting windows. Each one was like knocking back a shot of pure depression in a glass. I was used to being an outcast and a loner, but the feeling of resentment this strong from an entire town of ponies was entirely new to me. I had nothing left but to walk down the dark, misty road, slow and alone with my fresh failures.

I should've seen that coming, I thought to myself as I crossed the bridge where it's extra foggy at nighttime. The days leading up to this - heck, even today right before that tornado - I don't think I could've dreamt up a better scenario. It was stupid to think that a turnaround like that was gonna last. I made my way down the road away from the center of town where most houses are. Down here there were no more street lights, so I had to pretty much watch my hooves to make sure I was still on the path since it was too dark to see anything else. That and I would look up and let the occasional lightning show me where to go. It's a strange and wondrous feeling to see the valley lit up in the dark, but I had no one to share it with. All I could think about was that my first chance at finally belonging somewhere has been shattered and everypony in the town I was desperate to impress now hates me.

It was the slowest I've ever walked home. Every step was heavy, like lifting up some weight strapped to each hoof with all of my thoughts bent on hoping for a better outcome. I finally came up to the doorstep of my pitch-black home. I popped open the door and laid down on my stomach in the little doorway as I wasn't ready to part with the rain. My lower half was in the house and the front of me was outside, looking out across the valley under the protection of the branches stretching out over the house's front walkway. I looked up and saw the lightning through the little spaces in the leaves overhead of my lonely treehouse. I remembered putting the clouds right over me just a few hours before. Out across the valley far in front of my house there wasn't any thunderstorm, just a few clouds across the sky and the moon shining bright down on the other end of the black horizon. With a sigh I laid my chin in on the ground.

I couldn't close my eyes, but I tried to give the rest of my body a rest. The ground here was particularly cold, but it felt like where I belonged. It was just like the not-so-old days when I spent many nights laying in a patch of grass or dirt somewhere far away from Cloudsdale, from Ponyville, and from Canterlot, looking up at the sky and dreaming of meeting her again in a better life someday. Her feather was always tucked warmly underneath me, and somewhere in the deepest recesses of my heart was a glimmer of hope as I prayed to the stars. First as a child, then as a teenager, then as a young adult. And here I am now.

I took a deep breath and let the smell of rain flood my nostrils. Rarity is gonna clear my name, I told myself. I'm not sure if Rarity will or not, but I have to believe she will. But I don't know what all she has in store for her own personal investigation, and for now that investigation is going to happen off the scene from this account.

Instead of dwelling on the night's events, I decided to do what I always do when I'm depressed. Memories from the previous days started playing in my head. We already had plenty of nice ones for me to go swimming in. I smiled faintly at the recollection of when Rainbow stumbled into me the time we finally spoke for the first time after she tricked Pinkie into leaving. Then I remembered when she and I made our confessions as we ascended into the sky together after eating hog slops at the local lunch stand. We have plenty more to make, too... I think maybe the one I loved best of all was just a few hours ago in the pouring rain, just before we went and did our trials at the reservoir.

Our team that was assigned to the thunderstorm still raining all this time later had just finished getting all the clouds delivered and set in place. All eight of us descended into the streets, our wings beating desperately with the last bit of energy they had, and we collapsed as a group in the main square. The storm was just about ready to start as it all came together, and most ponies were inside for good as the winds just started to pick up. Not us, though. We were all breathing so hard, most of us lying down as we as got over our physical exhaustion... After all, we'd spent the last two hours flying at high speeds non-stop back and fourth, pushing rain-packed clouds. Nobody thought we could do it, and we finished early.

Rainbow was the least tired of us all, and the most determined. She stood up on her legs and held her head high, taking several steps away from us as she let the breeze flow freely through her mane. She stayed there for a moment just to take it all in. Then she turned her head around. On her face you could find the expression of a victory-loving mare who was so deeply proud of her team that succeeded only because she was there to lead and encourage us.

"How many ponies can say they put their heart into something as much as we did today, huh?" she said in an exhausted raspy voice facing us. To my utter bliss, the rest of them applauded my hero - who, I was discovering, had become their hero - who now boasted a bold smile. "First you did what was necessary. Then you did what was possible. Then, suddenly, you did the impossible!! You guys are one heck of a team, even if you're not quite as good as me."

A large drop of water landed right on my nose, and just like that there was water everywhere as the rain came crashing down. It was relief from heaven, and we all joyfully bathed in it. I rolled over on my back and spread my legs out, letting each drop tickle me everywhere while I stirred around on the ground like a happy dog rolling in the grass. I was playing with serenity itself. I completed my first weather job with Rainbow as my boss and so, so much more than that. A splash of water drenched my face and the sound of Thunderlane's laughter filled my ears.

As those guys played and splashed I rolled back around happily and sat up, looking around for her since I wanted to share this with her. She wasn't where was she was a second ago. I looked around and spotted that beautiful blue mare at the edge of the hill across from the town square. She was looking straight at me with a contented smile that went from ear to ear while water dripped off her body. I galloped over to her playfully and danced around her.

"You haven't changed a bit, do you know that?" she called to me, and I came to a halt right in front of her. She looked me over and shook her head in admiration. If there was such thing as divine happiness, this was it. "You were just as cute when you played in the rain as a colt."

Yeah... That one felt pretty good as I remembered it laying down in the doorway. I couldn't keep from smiling as I stared out into the valley. I thought about how all the pegasi looked up to her, not just our team of eight. She rallied them all, and the way she fed off their positive energy and just addressed them all with such confidence in herself and them. Somehow she knew exactly what to say and what to do. It all seemed so natural for her. She's so strong. So loved. So admired... and what am I?

That was a particularly disheartening thought that I wanted nothing more than to send away for good thoug it really wanted to linger. She's all of that, and what am I but a poor orphan, abandoned by his parents? I rested my foreleg on over my eyes and fought with myself. That's not true. You see the look in her eyes whenever she looks at you. What would she say if she heard your heart right now? She would be insulted. Either way I couldn't escape the reality that since that fateful day, she's gone on to become an ultra-important part of Equestria, and a hero. My road, as you well know, has been much different.

The thought of telling her everything, which I knew I had to, was suddenly a little bit more daunting. I couldn't let a scenario like the one that popped into my head on the track right before my wingpower trial happen. Having someone else say something before me would be horrible. In the end though that night, Rainbow's loving, radiant smile was the dominant image in my mind, and it eased the pain of feeling less than worthy of her, because I had seen the same love in her eyes beneath the surface of her toughness that was there when we were foals.

Speaking of children, I then thought of Scootaloo and how badly I wanted to understand her friendship with Rainbow, and add to it if I could. With Rainbow's wing injured, there's no way we can go to that concert in the Crystal Empire with Scootaloo. Those concerts are intense, with everyone bouncing around and into each other. Another long sigh. I really didn't want to think this was my fault, that I could've avoided that plot to frame me somehow. I covered my eyes with leg again. The saddest thought was knowing Rainbow now had to deal with being closely associated with me now that I was universally despised.

Suddenly, my ears picked up the sound of something behind me, from inside my house. I gasped and jumped up and away from my door, looking horrified into the darkness of my own home. It sounded like stuff falling over, maybe coming from the kitchen, like pots and pans or something.

"Hello?" I muttered, turning my head and looking for any sign of movement or any kind of dark outline. I really didn't want to investigate. Why can't fearless Rainbow be here? I was almost tempted to just walk away and sleep outside, but I knew couldn't just leave my house unattended. I took a reluctant step forward and gulped nervously. Maybe it's raccoons? Yeah... that's not so bad. No reason to leave the house. I slowly entered through the doorway and looked around again. Nothing, no movement, when suddenly there was the sound of scrambling hooves followed by a crash sound.

"Oooof... right in the shin," moaned the hurting voice of a stallion.

Knowing there was at least a stallion in here skyrocketed my heart rate and terrified me. A lightning bolt flash through the door and the windows lit up a clear path from me to the big chandelier with the candles, where one strike of a match would light the whole lower floor. I shook my head in regret knowing I could solve this quickly if I wanted to. Come on, for Rainbow... Sweating with fear, I somehow charged myself forward at the next flash and struck a match, half expecting a deadly blow to the head while I did it. Once the first candle lit up and worked it's way around the whole ring of them, I jumped down and sped back to the front door where I turned around and looked across. What the-??

Laying on the ground next to the coffee table in the middle rubbing his front left shin with a guilty smile was none other than Thunderlane. Standing side by side over him was Buddy, with an equally embarrassed smile and eyes turned up and away, and Clear Skies, who was looking friendlily at me as though nothing was wrong whatsoever.

Oh, I realize this is maybe not the best time to explain this, but let me clear up my house's layout really quick; so the lower floor is pretty much one big room - on the side closest to the front door you've got your kitchen, with a sink and cupboards on the wall there just to your left and a little table on the wall just to the right of the front door. The side of the room away from the door is just like a lounge room with a couch, a chair, and a coffee table in the center of that part of the room. And then you've got pictures of the landscape and stuff on the walls. Pretty quaint, I know. It was all here when the Princess gave it to me.

Anyway, I was of course confused for a second, but at least I wasn't scared anymore. After a couple seconds I walked back up to that part of the room.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked with a very faint smirk, raising my eyebrow.

"Well," started Thunderlane, still laughing softly. "Since you were taking forever to come in here..."

"We were wondering i-if, y-you... " started Buddy, smiling but making eye contact only for a second.

"Wanted to have a sleepover?" said Clear Skies hopefully.

"And... let us take any food you might be willing to share with us. Well, with me at least," added Thunderlane.

I was still somewhat confused, but after a second I realized they were trying to cheer me up. It seemed to work to some degree as I was chuckling in appreciation.

"A what?" I asked to make sure.

"A sleep over, you know," started Thunderlane, talking fast, thinking hard, and relying on hoof motions. "We do that here, you know like we play games, and talk, hang out, that sort of thing. I don't know what you've heard in other places, but... it's not weird or anything like that, it's just... something we do around here. The young folks at least."

The smile on my face got a little bit wider.

"We asked a couple more ponies to come but pretty much the whole rest of the town hates you right now," said Clear Skies, smiling at first but then looking away with a frown as she finished out the comment. The cheering up stopped there and I sighed sadly, turning my head away, ears coming down and all. Thunderlane let out a strange noise his eyes twitching. He stood up with crazy eyes and put himself directly in front of her.

"Cleary," he muttered, chuckling softly. "Do you remember that little talk we had about being more aware of how all of your words will be received?" he asked, and she thought honestly for a moment.

"Oh," she replied frowning. "I wasn't sup-"

"IT'S TOO LATE NOW!" he shouted while her and Buddy both shuttered. "You already hurt his feelings!"

"I'm so sorry," she said to me embarrassed.

"She wasn't wrong," I said quietly. I know she didn't mean it, though I was still reeling with sadness. He turned around and tried to put on a smile for me though it was really more of an embarrassed attempt to explain something I was clearly not around for.

"I know that," he said, chuckling, "it's just we had this talk like three weeks ago, and-" he stopped mid-sentence and looked me over as I stood there with my head down, before he let out a deep, sad sigh as he couldn't hide his emotions anymore. "I'm sorry, buddy."

"Huh?" said Buddy.

"Not you," said Thunderlane, facehoofing himself. "I should've come alone."

"Actually, we were wondering, uh... what exactly happened?" asked the green stallion, and the other two looked up curiously. I was eager to clear myself, but I hated revisiting and retelling this story, having to live through it again. I knew they just wanted the truth, and I was just happy they seemed to believe me.

"Dumbbell trapped me from the front. Hoops and Thorn on the side. Hoops rammed me into Thorn, who ran into some mare to make it look like I started it," I muttered, standing still.

"Called it," said Buddy to the other two as Thunderlane growled.

"I knew it was something like that, those lying snakes in the grass," he said shaking his head.

"So you guys believe me?" I asked, surprised - well, not surprised that Thunderlane believed me, moreso the other two.

"Dude, come on. Of course," he said, to which I smiled graciously.

"I believe you!" said Clear Skies. "I flew with you all afternoon, you seem like a great flier to me. You seem so nice, and those guys are jerks anyway."

"See this is why I don't like flying with a bunch of ponies. What if one of them tries to frame you for something?" said Buddy.

"What? How does that logic work?" asked Thunderlane, raising his eyebrow. He was still standing between the two of them. "Why would someone frame you?"

"Why would someone frame Sonic?" he shot back.

"Well you can't take that attitude Buddy. If you think like that then how can you ever have an adventure like the mane six?" piped in Clear Skies, looking over Thunderlane's head, who rolled his eyes.

"Look," he started, "I know you admire them, we all do, but get this idea that we're ever gonna be as - er, that we're ever gonna go on 'adventures' like they do out of your head," he said, and she looked a little rejected. "Except Sonic. He and Rainbow have something in front of them that we can only dream about."

"I never said we'd go on adventures just like them," she said, speaking upwards with her down in disappointment. Thunderlane raised his eyebrow while looking down at her and suddenly a little smirk came over him.

"I know what you meant," he said, playfully wrapping his arm around her neck, and she seemed to respond well to it as her frown started to fade away into her usual innocent beam that is quite adorable if I must say so myself.

"Just that maybe we can go on some lesser adventures sometimes. Because adventures are, you know - fun!"

"And dangerous," remarked Buddy nervously.

"Which makes them fun," said Thunderlane, raising his eyebrow the other way. The poor guy was just going back and fourth between those two.

While those three continued talking, I made my way over to the window and pushed it open to let the cool, rainy air in. I stuck my nose outside and inhaled to make sure I got one more good breath of it. A brief image of a happy Rainbow Dash lifted my mood slightly, and I already had a special fondness for those three, even though I was still saddened about the rest of the town. When I looked back I suddenly noticed they were silent and looking at me.

"Have a seat on the couch, or the seat. I'll get us some hay," I told them welcomingly, and they all happily found a spot. Thunderlane took the chair, Buddy and Clear Skies took the couch. I brought back a plate for each of them then laid myself down on my stomach on the rug that side of the room, just beside the coffee table where they were standing.

"You guys should let him take the couch," whispered Thunderlane to them, and they looked afraid. I didn't care though, I was perfectly comfortable.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine right here," I told them. They left it there and they're faces relaxed, so I think they believed me. Thunderlane buried his snout in his hay, the other two were much gentler. "So you three going to that Thunderhooves concert?"

"Nah, that's more of a foal thing, those concerts. Maybe if it was closer instead of the Crystal Empire," remarked Thunderlane.

"What? Come on," I replied in disbelief. "And hey, you guys aren't gonna become outcasts now that you're hanging out with me, are you?" I asked them teasingly, though they took it seriously.

"Well," said Buddy, rolling his hoof around on the floor with the rest of his body laid out across the couch. "We're maybe not the most popular ponies in this town," he said, before Thunderlane took him on.

"Oh come on, you've got plenty of friends. So does Cleary," he said, looking over from his chair.

"You're probably the most popular pony here, Thunder," she replied, to which an embarrassed Thunderlane smiled.

"I think you're that guy who is friends with everyone," I said, smirking.

"Nah, Sonic, we don't really care what other ponies think anyway," he said, going back to my original question.

"I tell you who's awful odd about that is Rainbow Dash," said Clear Skies, smiling in thought. Thunderlane seemed nervous as to where she was gonna take this, I think he was probably afraid she'd say something that might accidentally offend me.

"Um, Clear-" he started quietly, but I cut him off.

"Wait, it's ok Thunder. I wanna hear this," I told him, and he gave a conceded nod. I looked back over at Clear Skies and watched her attentively.

"I was just saying... I think it's weird, 'cause Rainbow Dash really seems to care a lot about what ponies think of her," she started, and my breathing started to slow. I knew it was partially true. I mean after all, what pony doesn't care at least a tiny bit about their image? It frightened me to think that maybe my current status hurt her image, and therefore herself. It just aided the idea that I'm simply not worthy of Rainbow Dash, that she deserves someone much more than me. I'm sure I was visibly afraid as I laid there and watched her, but she started to smile as she looked in recollection, as though she was admiring the image of Rainbow herself in her mind.

"But at the same time, she never goes back on her friends. Like this one time, there was this Griffon who came here. An old friend of Rainbow's. This griffon was like... uh, help me out here Thunderlane," she said, pausing.

"This griffon was like the textbook 'I'm cooler than you' and 'too cool for you' types, if you know what I mean," he said to me, and I nodded my head in understanding. "She thought she and Rainbow were too good for the ponies in this town."

"But Rainbow," continued Clear Skies, smiling once again. "She didn't take none of that from this griffon. She didn't care how cool she or this griffon was. She stood right by her friends and told her to beat it. That's why I just think it's weird. She cares about her image but when pushed Rainbow never chooses her image over her friends. I just think that's so cool," she said.

At the beginning I was frightened, but by the end my heart was warm with love. As she finished out her story, I couldn't help but smile. That sure did sound like Rainbow.

"And this other time, during the Equestrian Games, Rainbow was the leader of Ponyville's aerial relay team," she continued.

"We were all in the air sprinting events, and she was left with, well... not the best two fliers around here for her relay team," said Buddy.

"Yeah! Spitfire and Fleetfoot offered her the spot on their team that woulda kicked all the other team's butt. Rainbow loves those Wonderbolts too, let me tell you," Clear Skies continued, though she certainly didn't have to tell me about that last part. "And Rainbow loves to win."

"But she chose her first team - her friends - over certain victory," finished Thunderlane, and all three of them followed up with three bright smiles that filled me with encouragement. I love that mare...

"See that face, guys?" said a smirking Thunderlane to those two. "That's what a Casanova looks like."

I stood up and walked to the window, leaving those three to watch me with curiosity. Whenever I was filled with hope I had a tendency to look up at the sky in deep thought, whether it was the stars, the daytime clouds, or a gentle thunderstorm. I guess I haven't changed in that regard.

"You alright dude?" asked Thunder concernedly. I stared up into the black, flashing sky. On top of being in love with that mare I knew I had to tell her the absolute truth about that day, and the years that followed. I can't run away from it forever. There was something about that story that stirred me. Maybe I felt a little more confident knowing that she is who she is; she always chooses her friends over anything else, but I was still self-conscious about it. You don't get over something like that overnight. Or during a story.

"Yeah," I told him without looking back. Of course, they didn't know the details either. Nobody really did, except the Princess when I mentioned I was homeless before she sent me here.

Day by day, minute by minute I was learning more about my situation. In my heart, I knew Thunderlane was right. There is something in front of us for me and Rainbow, but I don't know what. All I knew right then is that if our love was going to take the next step, it had to start with me telling her all the details of my life thus far, and not just the ones that would impress her. On the other hand, this is going to upset her so much...

I felt Thunderlane's hoof on my shoulder and found the other two standing behind me as well, looking friendlily at me. They had proven that Rainbow wasn't the only in the world that cared about me, and I knew I had a duty to love and serve them until they left, which would be enough to distract me.