When I woke up the next morning, the sun wasn't shining through the window as it normally does. Don't worry... not because it hasn't risen, but rather all the rain from the night before had left a thick fog over all Ponyville including my house on the eastern edge. For that reason I actually opened my eyes a little later then I planned, and once they were open I shot up off the ground.

I had slept on the rug. Thunderlane was still stretched out over the loveseat, and Clear Skies and Buddy each took one edge of the couch. As soon as I stood up and came into consciousness it was abundantly clear that thankfully I had fallen asleep before them, apparently, as they were all snoring loudly in their own unique way. I couldn't help but feel much better seeing them sleeping there. My new beloved friends. They actually did manage to make me have a little fun last night. We had pillow fights, played cards, and told stories, among other things. It was almost enough to forget some of that stuff from just before.

With all that fog outside it was pretty dark in the house but I kept the lights off to let them sleep. I made my way quietly over to the food cabinet and took out a few apples. Heh... Four of them were missing from last night. What time is it? I looked around for a second but then remembered I didn't have clock yet. Normally I'm pretty good at estimating the time but the darkness from the fog had thrown me off; it couldn't have been that late though because once the sun gets up over the horizon the fog clears up quick. My mind was focused almost solely on what to bring Rainbow for breakfast, and I sure didn't want to be late. I've just got to make her feel better. That's my only job today.

The thought of her that morning was bittersweet. On one hand it was impossible for me to think her without feeling horrible given everything that happened last night, much less the image of her stuck grounded and in a hospital bed, even if for just a couple days. Nothing is more joy-inducing than her company along with virtually everything else about her, but the sight of Rainbow Dash hurt is a feeling just as powerful the other way. I prefer happy, laughing Rainbow Dash... That's what I want to see today. Now what can I bring to her besides breakfast? Anything to cheer her up. I started running through anything that she'd like. I know she mentioned something about the Daring Do books. Do they have those at the hospital?

if I'm gonna make her feel better today, then the last thing I would do is tell her what happened after that fateful day ten years ago. I thought about it for a moment - it felt weird since I thought I'd went to bed pretty set on this. But as I thought about it, this was an unpleasant thing that I really dreaded, and would much prefer to just set it aside again. After all, it's not like she was going anywhere. The odds someone was gonna recognize me and then spill the beans on my orphaned status in a part of Equestria I'd lived far away from started to seem pretty out there, even if I did do a lot moving around. Maybe wanting to tell her today was just sort of a knee-jerk reaction to that thought that someone might recognize me.

She wasn't going to be stuck with just hospital food on my watch. I remembered her confessing to me her favorite breakfast when she was a filly. I wasn't sure if it was still the same, but I figured it couldn't hurt to try. Still standing in the doorway, I looked over to the stove. Sunnyside up eggs over fried potatoes. It was time to ignore the past and make some new memories with her.

Before the potatoes even started cackling in the pan as I stood there watching them, Thunderlane's voice came from beside me. He'd gotten up and was walking towards the cupboards rubbing his eyes tiredly with his wings.

"Who'da thought she of all mares can swing a pillow like that," he remarked, shaking his head.

"Well good morning," I called to him.

"You mind if I snag an apple or two? I'll pay you back, promise," he said, as he threw one into his mouth. "Jeez... that was the first time I ever spent the night with those two," he continued, motioning back to them. "Gotta love those guys, but my gosh..." he said, shaking his head with a smile before he walked towards the doorway for a breath of fresh air.

"What?" I whispered with a teasing smirk, wondering exactly what he meant.

He basically ignored the question as I saw something catch his gaze at my doorstep. He sat down on his rear and lifted something up in his hooves. His eyes got big and his mouth hung open in some kind of horrified disbelief. Of course I was curious.

"They can't be serious... how early do they get up and write this stuff?" he muttered to himself, putting his hoof on his forehead distressingly.

"What is it?" I asked, somewhat worried. Without moving his head, even looking from the side I could see him turn his eyes toward me. Suddenly he broke into a nervous chuckle and flipped the page.

"Oh, nothing," he said, shamelessly trying to play it off. I had a bad a feeling about this as I abandoned the food on the stove and walked towards him. I came to halt behind him and started reading over his shoulder. He was reading some third page article about a scheduled visit from the Princess that was still four weeks away. Didn't seem to be anything too sinister, but I knew there was something on the front page.

"Alright Thunder. Let me see it," I told him. He nervously looked back for a moment and continued his blatant acting.

"Dude come on, I'm reading this, don't be rude," he said, pretending to be glued to it.

"Thunderlane..." I remarked gently, "I don't think you really care about 'Princess Celestia's afternoon tea schedule during visit' or 'Aloe and Lotus to extend Sunday spa hours'," I told him as I stood right behind him.

"It's a guilty pleasure," he responded.

"Can I please see the frontpage?"

"Front pages are overrated," he said, turning his head up and around at me with that hiding smile, to which I just looked at him with my eyebrows extended, my best attempt at some kinda puppy dog look. He tried me for a moment, but I guess I won the staring contest, as he caved in a few seconds later, rolling his eyes sadly and handing me the paper.

I flipped back to the front page as he stood up with a sigh. I found myself staring straight into my own depressed and heartbroken eyes as they looked ashamedly around at a crowd of disappointed pegasi at the reservoir. Right above that huge picture of me read the headline "New Pegasus Ruins Reservoir Lift Attempt". I didn't move a muscle and any trace of gratitude or joy that I had recovered from last night was drained out of me just like that. My wings made their way over my eyes. I was embarrassed by it enough as it was, but that wasn't even the worst of it. The worst thought was that what if Rainbow saw it?

"It's ridiculous how they splash this stuff all over the newspaper," said Thunderlane, facehoofing himself as I took a deep, depressed sigh. I know it what it feels like to be ignored and an afterthought, but to be directly and consciously despised by many.... He kept going. "I mean what is going through these ponies' minds? Only journalists pull this kinda stuff. Hey, come on... get those ears up. Don't worry about this, it'll be forgotten by tomorrow."

"You know," I remarked, staring blankly into the fog out the front door as I recalled the past. "It wasn't always the easiest for me before I got here. Gosh though, I had this run of luck to beat the devil," I proclaimed as all the good times from such a short time before last night played through my head. "I mean, you and Rainbow just happened to be here..."

"We still are," he said, flashing his soft side. "You got us. And... those two," he said, motioning back to Clear Skies and Buddy, who were neighing with every breath. "I don't know if luck is the right word."

"I know," I said, looking away. The truth is, I was thinking about basically what'd I'd said the night earlier, about how I couldn't help but notice all things Rainbow is and all the things that I'm not. If anything that was always in the back of my mind even as I was sleeping by myself in a field... the feeling that I'm simply not at her level. I knew he'd tell me again that she puts her status aside when it comes to who she loves, but it still just feels like she deserves more than this. "I just hope Rainbow isn't too depressed about this whole thing, that's all."

"You know... this is a little strange coming from you."

Right as he said that, the a gentle breeze cut its way through the fog and in through the doorway flipping over the paper to page four. Just as Thunderlane started talking again, something caught my eyes near the top of the page that halted my unhappiness.

"That's one thing about you, you always looked at the good. Heck, I know I complain too much. I wish I could be more like that. I mean listen to me, I'm complaining about me complaining..."

I looked down at the floor and in the corner of my eye I saw something on page four that halted everything that was going on inside me. It was a picture of the most beautiful mare in the world soaking wet besides Ponyville Reservoir, smiling brightly as several of her admirers looked on from all directions. Now this was a picture of a mare who's love for the ponies around her could be found just beneath the surface of eyes that emanated a unique level of happiness and confidence. This was beyond even the sort of image I imagined to myself before I would fade to sleep at night in the long years away from her. Above her read the words "Rainbow Dash Leads Local, Underhanded Team in Timely Assembly of Thunderstorm."

Thunderlane saw my enchantment and looked down at the paper for himself, then back at me, and a smile slowly made it's way onto his face.

"Now if only I could find a mare who looks at pictures of me like you do at her," he remarked.

"She's gonna love this. I gotta cut this out for her," I said, looking back to the kitchen area.

"That's the Sonic I know," he said, as he headed started heading back towards the other two. Sitting there watching him, unbeknownst to him I threw him a huge and loving smile. "I'm gonna wake them up. That snoring is ridiculous."

I was probably a sight to see on the pathway into town that morning; I trotted my way down the path pretty fast with a plate of uncovered breakfast on my shoulder blades, held place by my folded wings, and a cutout of newspaper in my mouth. The fog was still thick and ground level but it was lifting more and more with each minute as bits of blue sky were just starting to get visible overhead. I had no problem with it as I was hoping to slip to the hospital unnoticed and avoid any hostile glares from ponies just getting out and about. Keeping the paper dry was proving to be a bit of a struggle, though. Come on, saliva... you're never this bad when something's not in my mouth.

I know this sounds strange, but some odd spiritual feeling seemed to follow me around stronger than usual this morning. Whereas normally these kinds of feelings are strongest when I look at the stars or even sometimes when I think of Rainbow, this was a bit more noticeable. As to how exactly to describe it, I don't know that I can. The only thing I can think to put on paper is that it felt like something significant is about to happen, whether it's good or bad I don't know. Whether or not this feeling even meant anything I don't know either, so I may end up scrapping this from this entry altogether. Though something about it was weird.

Trotting through a bend in the path I saw the shadows of a few ponies in my close proximity. I clearly made out Lyra Heartstrings near the river path, but by and by I was slipping right through the fog with no disturbances. At that point I was doing my best to set aside anything that wasn't positive so I could just walk into that room with a smile for Rainbow. I eventually got there and bumped open the door with my head, and there was a very young and friendly-looking receptionist, a light blue mare with a white mane, at the front desk in the middle of the main hallway who seemed to be just gathering herself.

"Well look at that! I'm just barely sitting down after walking back from unlocking that front door and you got a plate of breakfast on your back. I wish I was whoever you're here for," she remarked, which I smiled to while keeping the paper in my mouth.

"Sanks," I said through my teeth.

"Just sign in right here for me," she said pointing to a piece of paper on the front her desk. I spat the paper clipping out into my hoof and signed my name with the pen in my mouth.

"You see the paper this morning?" I asked her.

"No I didn't," she replied curiously with a smile. "I get up too early for that, unfortunately."

"Good," I replied, and she eyed the piece in my hoof. I held it up to show her, and she nodded. "Didn't talk to anyone last night either, huh?"

"Well, I heard about the reservoir thing, I guess the night shift had a few patients in here last night because of it. Some new stallion's fault is what they said," she said, and I wonder if it occurred to her then or ever that she had never seen me around before.

"Yeah, well don't go too hard on him. I'm sure he didn't mean, and who knows, maybe he's innocent," I said, trying to hide my dejectedness. "Thanks."

I grabbed the paper and put it back in my mouth, and trotted down the hall to Rainbow Dash's room.

I used my nose and pressed down on the door handle, then gave it a gentle nudge with my head. I turned my head in and saw her laying away from the door on her side. I guess the fog was just about lifted because rays of sunlight was shining welcomingly through the window on her. I walked up quietly and was going to set the plate down on the little bedside stand.

"Sonic?" Rainbow said, suddenly flipping back around.

"Whoa!" I screamed. I reared back startled, and judging by Rainbow's eyes and her simultaneous gasp I knew exactly where the plate was. In a nick of time I whipped around and saw it barely skimming the ceiling and starting it's way down. Instinctively I leapt forward and reached my hooves out; somehow it had stayed upright in air and the bottom part came to land right on the top of my hooves as I crashed to the ground on my stomach. I heard the joints in my front legs and a couple in my back crack, but that was some temporary pain I could live with; Rainbow's laughter was well worth it.

"That was awesome!" she cried. I was just happy it was still intact. I stood up off the floor smiling and went to lay it to rest on her stomach, but she was still getting over the giggling, so I held it a little longer and beamed at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- you scare too easy!" she exclaimed as I set it down on her (she was now leaning her back up against the back of the bed). I realized just then the yoke of the eggs had broken in that little fiasco and were now all over the potatoes.

"Oh," I said, noticing it. She didn't seem to care though.

"But seriously, that was awesome," she affirmed, to which I chuckled proudly. "What have we got here? Eggs and potatoes? You remembered! Aw, and you even broke the yoke for me!"

"The yoke bit may or may not have just happened," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Sonic, you have no idea how boring it was here last night. I tried to fall asleep, but I was too depressed about everything, and then I thought about how bad you must have felt, and then I got even more depressed, but then I remembered how this just gives me an excuse to read the Daring Do books, and then I got happy-"

"What time did you wake up?" I asked her, raising my eyebrow. Whenever she went into hyper mode like that and was talking a million words a minute I was so tickled that I was afraid I'd start laughing at how adorable it was. As sad and hurt as we were when we parted last night, it was already a night and day difference - figuratively and literally I guess - and we were back to happy.

"Actually? I just woke up a few minutes ago as soon as the sun hit me, so perfect timing," she said with a wink. She observed my reaction and suddenly had a kind of blushing smile. "No, please stop that," she said, and I was startled. "The ears! Your ears going down," she continued, and naturally they fell right back down. "Nooo!!!" she cried, before she took a deep breath. "Uh, who am I kidding, I love it when you do that."

"I love you," I blurted out loud. Now it was her ears that fell down as she looked away with another blush.

"I know you do," she said as her tender side shined through her eyes.

"Oh, I almost forgot," I said, as I reached down and picked up and newspaper I had carried here in my mouth. I was now grinning in anticipation of her reaction when I handed her the paper. "This was in the newspaper this morning, I thought you might like to see it. I'm sorry if it's a little- I carried it here in my -" I started, pointing to my mouth.

"I'm actually a lot more ok with that then you might think," she said with a sly smile as she figured out what I was saying. I placed it down in her hooves and she got visibly excited when she saw herself there, which was absurdly pleasing to me.

"I made the paper??" she cried. "Alright! Heh, who's that awesome mare?" she asked proudly.

"Her name's Rainbow Dash," I said, returning her sly smile. "Fastest creature in Equestria. Coolest personality. And whether she likes it or not..." I waited until she looked up at me to say the last part, "the prettiest eyes."

"Hey.. you know something?" she asked gently as we enjoyed each other's gaze.

"What's that?"

"You never gave me a good morning hug," she said, and my heart spluttered. I leaned over the bed and reached around her, and I was suddenly swimming in a pool of comfort as the warmth of her body and heart made it's way onto mine. I know we both thought of the day before as we hugged even if we didn't say anything, but we laid it all out for each other silently and made it alright. I could forget anything in the arms of Rainbow Dash. We stayed like that for a while, until she spoke up again.

"Hey," she said, putting her hooves on my stomach to push me back, and so I leaned away to see her. She put her hooves on my legs and looked back behind me to see if anyone was watching, then looked out the window. Then with a blushing smile she continued. "I'm up for a little more than hug right now, actually."

I took her initiative and leaned in as she leaned forward, and my mouth came to rest on hers. If hugging Rainbow Dash is indescribably comforting, then I'm not even going to try to describe kissing her. For another moment that morning, all my dreams came true as I was carried away into the heavens. When we kiss I forget everything in the world and ascend to a level of happiness that it knows is unparalleled by any force or feeling in this world.

After the longest and most sensual kiss we'd shared thus far, she drew back and continued loving me in her stare. I was now chuckling with such embarrassment and happiness that I couldn't bother to hide it.

"What is it?" she asked, amused though curious.

"I know you don't like sappy, so I won't try to be some poet and tell you what it feels like when we kiss, but uh," I said, looking back at her as she broke into a wider smile.

"Gosh darn it," she said, facehoofing herself as she shook her head with delight. "Now I wanna do it again. Come here."

So I sat back down on the bed and leaned in again, and this time we hugged each other a little tighter, and far from any less special then it was a moment ago, this one somehow was just as joyful if not moreso.

After a moment we parted again, and she rolled her eyes happily.

"Alright, we better stop before Doc comes in and sees us," she said. She looked at me with a divinely inspired expression for a brief moment before she suddenly turned away towards the window, rather angrily, as though her love itself fueled it. "I'm so sorry about yesterday, Sonic. When I get better... I will take care of those ponies," she said, and a flicker of rage was visible in her eyes and hearable in her voice. I'd be lying if I said I didn't appreciate her desire to protect and avenge me, but the feeling was all I needed. I don't need her to carry out vengeance for me on anyone.

"It's alright Rainbow, I'm just sad you got hurt," I told her. She looked back and asserted confidently that I had no reason to worry.

"Rarity will clear your name. She's actually really good at this kind of stuff. I had my doubts at first, but it works. Don't worry, Sonic. She's gonna clear your name and everyone will know it was those four."

"Well, I'm not gonna say I don't hope so," I said, looking away sadly.

"Hey, we don't need to dwell on that stuff. I can read you Daring Do now! Whatcha think Sonic, you feeling it?"

"Are you kidding? I can't wait," I told her truthfully.

She opened the drawer to her bedstand but reacted with disappointment. She started looking around fruitlessly for a copy of the book but couldn't find anything. Finally she gasped and facehoofed herself.

"Ugh, that's right, there's no copies here! Sonic, do you mind doing me a favor?"

"Do I mind?" I asked teasingly, excited for the task.

"Can you fly up to my house and grab my copy of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone? I think it's in my cloudstand right next to my bed, bottom drawer. Just go right in and grab it. That way I can down this awesome breakfast you gave me here, you distractor!" she teased playfully.

"Well, when you put it that way," I shot back to her with a beam, and made my way for the door.

"Sonic, wait," she called, in a much softer voice that commanded my heart to halt. Her expression was filled with some kind of benevolent anticipation, like she had some gift for me or something. "We're gonna need a bookmark. Grab the one I have on the top of the nightstand next to the bed. I think you'll like that one."

I exited the hospital door and excitedly made my way down the hallway. As I trotted down it and turned the corner so I was headed back towards the front desk, a young yellow black-maned pegasus stallion with a wrapped ankle walked out of a hospital room. He saw me and threw me a nasty look. My mood dipped, but I was better equipped for it. Just ignore it. I was emotionally disrupted for a very short period, but I had forgotten by the time I burst through the hospital front door.

I leapt off the path as soon as I was outside and flapped myself high into the air towards Rainbow's cloud house. Being a pegasus makes landmarking and mental mapping so much easier, but it took me a second to get on the right track. All clouds look exactly alike, after all. I flew fast through the air and played with the image of Rainbow sitting there reading me a book. Now this is an activity that I didn't even dream up in all those years away, but I was excited nonetheless. I of course also thought about how nice that kiss was and happily relived it in my mind.

I made an abrupt landing on her puffy front porch and made my way into her main room where her bed was. Even her nightstand was made of clouds. I trotted up the bed recalling to myself what she said. Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone, bottom drawer. I pulled it open; there it was, the first book in the series. It looked interesting enough; the cover had a yellow mare with a safari hat escaping the clutches of a crocodile's mouth. She had a colorless mane and tail, but her streaking of dark grey to light grey was actually very similar to the streaking on mine and Rainbow's mane and tails. I tucked it in my right front leg and made for the door when I remembered the last thing. Oh that's right... bookmark.

On the top of the nightstand wrapped delicately in a cloth, I caught a glimpse of something that I could recognize from miles away. I stood perfectly still and my soul was as silent as the grave. I took the cloth in my hooves and opened it, and there on the inside a dirty blue and worn out feather from the wing of a young filly.

In a flash I was ten years old again, watching heartbrokenly as I was pulled away from my best friend for good. I finally escaped my parents' grip and met her for one last goodbye. She looked at me, and then gently pulled off from her wing the only thing she could think to give me. From that moment on, I've been madly in love with her. Eventually, as I came back to the present, it made it's way into my chest where it felt most natural, and ten years of memories came flooding back as this was suddenly a much more emotional errand than I expected.

Aside from the doctor coming in to her room while I was gone and confirming a grade two, everything pretty much went as expected after that; I brought the book back to the hospital and for the next several hours I sat at Rainbow's bedside as she did a breathless and highly energetic narration of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone. As you can imagine I'm not going to write in this entry a detailed plot summary of the book (you'll have to just go and read it for yourself). Without spoiling I will say that it's an excellent story that has Rainbow Dash written *all over it*. The action, the suspense (that temple scene, especially), even the characters are intriguing.

As I was sitting there listening to her read it, I think the both of us were taken back to the glory days of our foalhood. I managed to read a hooffull of books in the years after the bad day, and as fun as a good book can be, there's nothing like having Rainbow Dash read you one. We had a couple of brief romantic moments - we took a couple short breaks at my insistence to let her catch her breath where we talked about what we just read, and sometimes she'd stop in the middle to explain something with (with adorable enthusiasm, I would add) - but besides that we pretty much went straight through it. When she finished the last line, she put the book down and stared me down with terrible curiosity.

"So... what did you think???" she asked, but I think my facial expression probably told her everything.

"I think I have a new favorite book," I replied, and she giggled fanatically.

"I told you she's awesome!" she proclaimed. "They're my favorite books too!" she settled down for a moment to take in the joy of finishing it, and for the record, she'd read this book before more than once. "Can I confess something to you?" she suddenly said, embarrassed.

"Go right ahead," I responded immediately, and her eyes moved towards the window.

"These are actually the *only* books I've ever read. I always thought that reading was, well... for eggheads. I mean I'd be willing to read more now that I know how cool they can be. You wanna maybe look for a new series with me and we can read them together? But it has to be something like Daring Do. We're not reading any of the stuff that Rarity reads," she said, and I laughed.

"I couldn't draw up a better idea if I tried," I asked, and her head popped up gladly. "But let's talk Daring for a second," I continued, and she reacted positively. She was clearly happy to see my interest.

"Alright," she replied, impressed.

"So we just finished it, and I loved it. What do you think the theme in that book we just read is?"

"The theme?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Yeah, you know, like what's the main idea we're supposed to take from it?"

I actually had no real reason for asking this particular question other than to get us both thinking so we could talk about it.

"Geez, Sonic," she said, chuckling. "Going all egghead on me, huh? You sure you never met my friend Twilight?" she asked.

"What?" I said, returning the giggle. "I was just wondering what you thought is all."

"You know? That's a good question," she said, thinking to herself with her hoof on her chin. "I think the main theme or whatever of the book is that you never give up. Ever," she said, and honestly I was pretty impressed. I hadn't come to that conclusion in my own head, but I agree wholeheartedly. It was fitting that she should say that when I see so much of her in the character of Daring Do.

"How many ponies do you think actually do that?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"How many ponies do you think give everything a genuine effort?"

"Not a lot. I mean think about it, how many ponies do you know that give it their all in what they do? But that's why it's so important," she continued.

"Are you Rainbow Dash or Rainbow Deep?" I asked, raising my eyebrow in a tease.

"Now you're gonna get it, egghead!" she said, throwing off the covers and sitting up out of the bed, the bottom of her back hooves hitting the floor and staring me down with a smirk.

"Whoa! Whoa! You have to be resting! This is against the rules," I cried stepping back, scared and having fun.

"I know, I just wanted to see you get scared," she said chuckling, bringing her legs back up to the bed. "You push me enough, and you're gonna get it."

"I have to admit whatever 'it' is, it sounds fun," I said, and she smiled.

"The two of us having fun is pretty much a given at this point, no matter what we're doing," she replied as I walked back and stood at her bedside while she leaned back on the bed. I went to have a seat next to her bed, letting my rump hit the ground. "Why don't you come up here?"

"Do you think the bed's strong enough to hold me too?" I asked.

"Let's find out!" she said daringly. She moved aside and so I climbed my way on, front legs first, then flipped over on my side so we were both facing each other with only a few inches of space in between us. I was right at home in friendly magenta right in front of my eyes.

"Rainbow?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"How are you such a good leader?" I asked her, and she beamed with pride. "I mean, I know that you're naturally charismatic, and that everything you say is so full of energy, but I'm just wondering, is there anything you think is especially important that you know you do? The way you inspired all those ponies yesterday..."

"Well," she muttered, smirking. Her right cheek was against the bed and the tip of her nose was just inches from mine.

"And what are the elements of harmony?" I asked, as I suddenly remembered. If I had forgotten to ask her about that a second longer from when I remembered I don't know what I would've done to myself. The joy of being around her made me forget my curiosity I guess.

When I asked, her eyes widened and she pushed herself up with her front hooves. She then broke into a proud smile, and naturally I leaned up as well so we were eye level. The treasure of knowledge she was getting ready to share was almost glowing through her eyes, and the fact that she knew a lot that I didn't was quite eminent.

"You better get comfortable," she told me, so excitedly I slid over on my back and leaned up while she pulled herself up so she was sitting up completely, facing me with the bottom of her legs just over the top of mine. She couldn't stop beaming from ear to ear as she stared at a spot on the floor, thinking of where to begin while I watched with anticipation. It's about time, I know.

"Alright, so you know the six elements of friendship, right?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied, though I was struggling to remember a couple of them, which was now a source of anxiety for me as I searched my memory frantically for them. "Let's see, there's loyalty," I started, and she giggled. "Honesty, generosity, kindness," I continued, and every last bit of my energy now scoured my mind for the last two. "Laughter," I got miraculously, "and... hmmm," I said to myself. What was that third last element? After a second I gave up and sighed. "You're gonna have to help me on the last one."

"Magic," she said, and then she raised her eyebrow as though impressed. "For someone who's not from Ponyville, that's not bad! I knew you were gonna say loyalty first," she continued with a smirk, even blushing for a moment, and then went into thought about how to begin her next explaining. "I'm gonna feel like an egghead again explaining this, but... so there are six elements of friendship, and each element has like a ... special... artifact thingy representing it, are you with me so far?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "I think so. It's news to me that there are, but I got it," I continued, desperate for more. Who knew that part of the legend was true? I heard of something about it when I was young foal, but I always thought it was just that; a legend. In the last few years though, listening to ponies on the streets it was clear that some kind of resurrection had happened, as the elements were said to be real and were somehow responsible for stopping Discord.

"Well, here's where it gets interesting," she continued, and her eyes filled with wonder and pride. "Each artifact is like ... supernatural, but they can only work if all of their true wielders are present."

"Ok," I said, trying to wrap my mind around that. "I could use a little more help," I muttered, embarrassed. Thankfully she seemed to find it amusing and laughed. She seemed happy to be explaining all this. She can thank my embarrassing ignorance.

"No problem! So, each of the artifacts has real magic... the most powerful magic the world has ever seen, but in order for them to work all of their true wielders need to be present," she said energetically, using hoof motions. I was so eager to embrace all this, and I thought hard to make sense of it all. I had everything so far but the true wielders part.

"What do you mean true wielders?" I asked, deeply engrossed. "You're saying there's a wielder for each of them? Like a pony?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," she continued. Her eyes were loving me, and it was adding to the thrill of this new information. There was not an inch of doubt in my mind that she was telling the truth about all of this. If any poor stallion or mare out there who comes from a similar background as mine is reading this unaware, then let me be clear that all of this is nothing but the truth.

"Each one of those elements is represented by ponies in real life bearing the trait their element represents. In other words, it's like... it's like the pony that element is the strongest with in all Equestria. That pony has the power to unite with the other five elements and their true wielders to create the elements of harmony."

This was all hitting me at once, more than I could really handle. I was trying to make sense of it, if only based on statements I'd heard in the streets. Comments from passerbys on how the six elements conquered one of Equestria's greatest threats, but then I'd hear six mares, and it didn't make sense to me. As this flooded my mind though I was making connections so fast it was triggering an avalanche of emotions. Suddenly, one dot connected to another based on what I'd already heard from everypony in town. No way...

"You're telling the truth," I whispered in breathless amazement.

"Well yeah," she said as she rubbed the back of her neck with her hoof and blushed, flattered beyond measure while I struggled to comprehend just who I've had a crush on all this time. I couldn't believe it, but at the same time, I knew it all along, because I saw it in her from the first time I met her.

"You're the element of loyalty, aren't you?"

When I asked that question her expression hit me with a kind of smile that told me that there was more she had to tell me, there was more she knew, and that whatever this was had to do with me somehow, and her next comment confirmed it. "The reason I can't stop smiling, is... well, if this - that is, me and you - if we keep going the way that... well, I'll just tell you about that later. But yeah... I guess you're the boyfriend of an element of harmony."

It's hard to think of all the words to describe how I felt at this revelation. Amazed. Astounded. Awestruck. Impressed. Fascinated. Of course I was all of those things. All of those things to the maximum that they can be felt or experienced. She proceeded to tell me the details of how she discovered she was an element of harmony with her five other friends, how they stopped Nightmare Moon, Discord, and others. I heard it all, the details and everything. Her friendship with Princess Celestia. She's practically more important than the princess. I was just simply at a loss.

"I don't know what to say," I said, and she cackled with pride. "I am just so proud of you I can't think of how to put it."

"No one ever looked up to me like you did," she said appreciatively.

I knew with all of my heart that she was going to make magnificent accomplishments, but I can't say that even I expected it to this level of legendary. It was finally clear to me just who Rainbow Dash was. I was so happy for her.

"Rainbow," I muttered, "I always knew you were destined for greatness, but..."

"So are you!" she enforced, hitting me in the chest with her hoof. "You wanna know how I know?" as she smirked proudly. "We all know I'm destined for greatness. As long as you're with me, that's the only place you can go."

"I'm not off to a very good start," I remarked, looking sadly to the side.

"Sonic!" she cried, as though I should know better.

As these thoughts were swelling up inside me, I thought it best to get up off the bed and walk to the window. I didn't want her looking into my eyes and seeing it all. It was embarrassing that she had to explain all of this stuff to me, even if I had a decent reason for not knowing, which was that I was living by myself for the most part. I stood at the window and looked out into the green hills, fresh off their evening drink from the night before. As light from the sun surrounded me I remembered my focus. What am I doing? I'm supposed to be keeping her happy. Stop it. It didn't help that there were reminders everywhere. The newspaper, the townsfolk... Ugh... why do I have to think about this stuff now?

"Sonic?" she asked in a soft, caring voice. I turned my head around quickly and threw her a smile. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," I shot back to her. Her eyes were suddenly shimmering with caring curiosity.

"I don't understand how a stallion like you can lack confidence. I mean, you're amazing flier, and Sonic, I'm talking like top 5 in Equestria," she said.

"That's not it," I retorted in a whisper to myself, though I immediately regretted it and worst of all she heard it.

"You're so nice, you're so fun, you're hard-working," she rolled off, her stare deep and penetrating. "I've never met anyone like you. I just don't understand how you don't have confidence, I can see it in your eyes sometimes. Is there something you're not telling me?"

I actually broke into a faint smile at first, if not because I couldn't help but smile at my inability to hide it, if not the most devastatingly and unbelievably bad luck in the world. I turned back around slowly and stared out the window away from her, disgusted with myself. Wow... I had one job. One job, and I screwed it up. Why couldn't I be better at hiding my feelings? Or why couldn't I have just told her exactly what happened sooner so I didn't have to tell her now? The memories flooded back and taunted me, knowing full well she was sitting on the bed behind me waiting to hear all about it. I begged myself not to get emotional in front of her, but I couldn't hardly help it. The empty forest, the lonesome nights... they were all right there. Be strong, Sonic, be strong... Come on. Not in front of her...

I took a deep breath and honed in simply on saving this conversation and this day.

"I'm not gonna bother you with my problems, Rainbow," I said to the window. "I think that's topic for another day. I just want you to be happy today, and everyday for that matter."

I heard the sound of rustling on the bed and turned my head around to find her getting out of bed, walking towards me. In my mind and in my expression I questioned her getting out of bed but she ignored it. She was walking fine and looking straight at me with that concerned look on her face.

"You've done an awesome job of that, Sonic. Really," she said, walking right up the window alongside me. "I may be the toughest pony around here, but I'm not beyond helping my friends, much less my boyfriend. You can talk to me about these things. What's the matter?"

She came to a halt at the window and stood right alongside me. I remained glued as I stared into my memories playing outside the window, but I could see her staring at me right there which made it that much harder. I think she was quickly gathering just how serious this was, too, with every second she looked into me.

"You had a rough night. If I can make you feel better, I will," I said.

"Sonic, let me help you. Please tell me," she said, with much more seriousness and urgency in her voice this time. When I glanced my eyes over to her and saw the desire in her eyes, I knew right then that I couldn't refuse her. That this was the day after all. And that made me feel all the worse. I couldn't refuse her, which meant I knew how much pain I was about to put her through, which was the last thing I could want.

"Do you really want the truth? Right now? My heart is at your command."

She started shaking her head in denial, obviously figuring out the magnitude of what was coming was far more than she realized, quickly looking horrified, saddened, and scared.

"Sonic... what happened to you?" she whispered, all joy gone from her voice.

"Do you really want to hear it?" I asked, sadly.

"W-well... if you really don't want to-"

I realized we had reached the point of no return. She knew something terrible happened and it was going to be on her mind at all times until I told her, so I felt like I had no other choice but to tell her now. I closed my eyes and turned my head back to the window. Just looking out I dropped my head in shame and fought tears at my inability to prevent this on this day and the sorrow that was to come. I don't think anyone likes to tell someone they love something depressing, much less something about themselves. At least I know I don't, even though I know she just wants to help. I didn't know how much it would bother her, but I knew it was going to upset her to some degree.

I took a deep breath and let it out for a long time. How do I even start this? I refused to look her in the eyes at first though I knew so well they were locked on me. Reaching up to my ear I grabbed the same thing that gave me the strength to carry on the previous ten years. In my hooves was a filly's blue feather that I drew strength from so many years. Rainbow was moved and stirred at the sight of my holding it. It was the first time she ever saw me really looking at it, since the time she gave it to me my eyes were still on her till the moment she wasn't seeable by my eyes anymore.

"We flew for a long time," I muttered, and that was the most difficult part. "I rode on their backs, we flew west towards the ocean for a long time. You know... after we left Cloudsdale. After... this," I continued, looking down at the feather. Rainbow was now fully aware that something truly awful was coming, it was as visible in her eyes as the streaks in her mane. "We flew for so long. We were in the middle of a forest, and my father had set up a place to sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about you. I was already in love with this blue feather," I said, and her reacted to the final part.

"Anyway, my father prepared a place for us to sleep in the forest, and we went to bed together," I continued, as I knew this next sentence was going to be the bombshell. I paused for a moment, and buried my face in my hooves. It didn't feel like I could do it after all. Turning my head completely away from her and biting my lip, I took another deep breath and gazed out at the blue skies through the water in my eyes.

"When I woke the next morning," I started, before coming to a halt. Now I just wanted over with, but I couldn't take the plunge. By some instinct I turned my head and looked into her eyes as I delivered the line.

"It's pretty straightforward... Rainbow... I woke up the next morning, and... and there was no one there."

It didn't hit her like a brick wall. It was more like a slow draining of her life and soul. I watched her eyes react to this information with devastating disbelief that grew and grew, every second that went by she registered more and more of what I'd said and it ate away at her. She understood, but only half understood. If the memories themselves weren't bad enough, this image of her just sealed my misery.

"W-what?" she muttered. "W-what d-do you mean?"

Telling her this was the most difficult thing I've ever done. The only consolation I could give her was to look into her eyes and let her know how much I love her, that I know how special she is. But it didn't seem to help much.

"There was no one there, Rainbow."

"What do you mean there was no one there. Where were they?" she said, shaking her head angrily as she fought to understand.

"I don't know. I never saw them again."

She took a step back from me and covered her mouth with her hoof. Tears swirled around in her and she started breathing heavily and gulping. I'd never seen her reduced to anything like this before, and it was quickly ripping my soul to shreds. She began shaking her head in disbelief as her legs began quivering. Her eyes darted in several different directions.

"No," she whispered. "NO!" she said, forcefully and angrily rejecting it.

"Rainbow," I whispered, stepping towards her. "I'm ok now, I promise..."

I reached up for a hug, and she threw herself around me and squeezed tightly, burying her face in my shoulder. Her body was shaking. After a few moments she pushed herself off and stared at me in hysterical disbelief as new emotions hit her from every direction. She grabbed the top of her mane with her hooves and began shaking her head, and then she turned her eyes to the window with rage. Whipping her head back to me she slammed her hoof on the floor several times in tearful frustration. Then, without warning, she turned around and ran straight out the hospital door. Anxiety swept over me like a shadow as I buried my hooves in my forehead.

"What have I done?"

After the short delay I took off in a gallop myself and burst through the doorway behind her. I looked down the hallway and just caught her turning the corner down the main hallway. I sprinted down and made the turn myself to see her going out the front door. Desperately I blasted down the hallway blowing right by the front desk in pursuit. I headbutted through the door and turned to see her running down the path towards town, still in her hospital gown and everything. For both our sakes I bolted down the path after her.

"Rainbow!!!" I called desperately. As my legs kicked up the path I spread my wings and took off, gliding up a few feet in pursuit. She was running so fast it felt like I was barely gaining on her at first, so I flapped harder and picked up the speed. "Rainbow!" I called to her again from the sky as I looked down at her just in front of me. Where is she going??? She was headed straight for town, and was practically there already, but I couldn't figure out why. Other ponies were looking on with bewilderment, clearing out of her way or else she would've bowled them over.

When she entered the market square where entire crowds were dispersing rapidly in front of her, I descended back to the ground and galloped right behind her. She finally stopped in the middle of the market and whipped her head around in every direction as though looking for someone or something. Right as I got to her she spotted it and broke into a run again.

"Rainbow, wait!!" I begged, but she ignored it. Clearly, this revelation had rocked her world. After a few more steps I realized who she was running towards; some one hundred yards in front of us on the other side of the markets near the path's edge were Hoops and Dumbbell, unaware of who was sprinting straight towards them. Suddenly running up right beside me was an orange country mare with a golden mane looking concerned.

"What's a goin' on here?" she asked over the sound of our hooves. I couldn't answer her, but given my expression and Rainbow it was clear to her something was wrong.

When Rainbow was thirty yards or so in front of them she broke into a fast walk. The mare (who I had a feeling was Applejack) and I ran up beside her, but it was no use. There was an unstoppable anger on her expression that I could only stay away from. She completely ignored us and walked straight towards the two of them, who finally saw us.

"What's up with you Rainbow Crash?" asked Dumbbell at first glance, but his expression quickly melted into fear. "Huh? What the- No! NO!" he cried stepping back, but she'd covered the ground so quickly that it didn't matter. As his eyes widened with terror she reared up and slammed him in the chin with an uppercut from her right hoof. He fell back on his back, moaning lackadaisically.

"Rainbow!" called the country mare.

Hoops looked at his friend dumbstruck, his eyes and mouth hanging open before his frozen face of flabbergast lifted slowly to see Rainbow's one of unrestrained fury before he too was met with her hoof and was on the ground as well. I was a total basket case.

Silence fell over the whole marketplace, with all eyes descended on right in front of me. Rainbow stood over the two of them with her head down in between her front legs, breathing heavily and staring blankly and despondently as she sucked wind in and out of her nostrils, what was really the only sound in the entire marketplace. Her eyes to me almost reflected the unfocused gaze that a battle-weary soldier is said to exhibit after long days of fighting. Applejack still had no idea what was going on, as she looked from me to her friend in horror. The state of my heart as I saw it all unfold is difficult to describe. Applejack stayed put while I walked up hoping beyond hope to provide any kind of relief.

I came to a halt beside her not really knowing what to do. I reached my left hoof out and placed it on her shoulder, but she was unresponsive. I walked out in front of her to see if I could get her to look at me, but her eyes remained directly in front of her, staring vacantly as she breathed in and out. She finally looked up at me, sadness filling her eyes before they went back to a tearful rage.

"What is your father's name?" she asked quietly, seething.

"W-what?" I whimpered.

"WHERE ARE THEY?"

"R-Rainbow, I-I... I don't -"

She went from desperately waiting for my answer to looking up at the sky and around her as though overwhelmed with angst, then to suddenly turning around and addressing the crowd in an emotional frenzy of tears and anger.

"I am so disappointed... IN ALL OF YOU!!! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO KNOW HIM!!!" she screamed to the silent crowd as she pounded the ground with her hoof.

She glared violently at the speechless crowd for several seconds. Finally, after several breaths, her eyebrows loosened, and she lowered her head in defeat. Another moment and her eyes lifted to me, and I saw just how much pain, pity, and sympathy that two eyes can hold. It seemed they were begging me to comfort her somehow, but before I could do anything she turned around and was gone, took off running over the hill in the direction of Everfree Forest.

I trekked through the forest an emotional mess. I was looking in all directions quickly and desperately, but Rainbow had left me to enter a forest I'd never been in at a location I didn't know. I'd lost her hoofprints some time ago and was now just running across in all directions. My mind was churning over what just happened, what it meant, and what the implications would be. Balancing this was my heart's burning need to be reunited with Rainbow to the point that every second that passed without her drained it so deeply that it was reducing down to a lifeless raisin. I knew she was in pain and I felt like it was at least partially my fault. This is something I simply cannot handle, in every sense of the phrase. Not my body, my spirit... It feels as though my soul is bound to her.

We were all silent at first. Slowly and quietly, the ponies behind me slowly and quietly returned to their business with whispering and hushed chattering eventually giving way to more conventional talking. But not me. I was glued where I stood, as were my eyes where I watched. My body, my thoughts, everything was frozen by what I'd just witnessed. The only thing I can say for certain is that my mouth was open and I saw everything through water. I remember Applejack attempting to comfort me. I heard the voice of a young male behind me panting and asking her if everything was alright. I heard the voice of Rarity. Then my legs went to work, I galloped through the woods for several minutes, and that brought me to here.

"Rainbow?" I called through the trees looking around in all directions, but to no avail. I darted through the lush greenery, not losing a beat. Where are you? I halted and snapped my head around, giving each section of forest a quick glance. No sign of the color cyan anywhere. Why did I tell her this today? Why? I inhaled rapidly and took off yet again.

"Rainbow!" I called, getting more desperate. I had lost all track of where I was in the forest. The state of our hearts was that if I didn't find her soon, we both were going to be in serious trouble. I broke into another run, this time with noticeably less energy. My heart was crying out for her, but I could not satisfy it. I wondered where she was and what she was thinking about. Finally I noticed a small opening in the forest ahead where rays of sun penetrated down in rays through on a small pool of water that was surrounded by trees and wildflowers on all side. Then, as I whizzed up and went to head away from it, I glanced over and caught a flash of the light blue I was looking for.

I halted my hooves and reversed as my heart stood still. I looked breathlessly through the trees. There she was, sitting gownless - the only article of anything on her was the white cast around her wing - at the pool's edge with her back to me. Her body was as still, brooding, and pensive, and that was without access to her eyes and face, for if there was ever an example of body language denoting sadness without any view of the face, this was as textbook as I have ever seen. Despite that, and the host of other things going on inside me, my heart breathed some sigh of relief at the sight of her.

My hooves cropped along the forest floor, slowly and one after the other as I walked up from behind her. I could feel my body relaxing, but inside I was restless. Eventually standing still right beside her, I looked down and saw her staring into the clear waters. There was a small waterfall with gentle cascades emptying into the pool that I didn't quite see or heart at first. Eventually I sat down just beside her so my shoulder was against hers, looking out into the water alongside her.

She leaned against me and rested her head on my shoulder, and I set my heart at relaxing her and taking as much pain from her as I could. For a long time neither of us said anything. Her gaze remained locked in one location as deep thought swirled within her. She almost looked numb on the inside and outside. Finally - after several minutes and the rest of her state of expression unchanged - two words escaped her mouth.

"I'm sorry."

I was filled with loving appreciation. Part of me was just happy to hear her talk, though I sensed strongly the weariness that remained in her heart. I turned my head to her and saw the slightest movement in her pupils towards my direction. After a deep breath I went back to the water.

"Thank you."

Of course I knew she had nothing to be sorry about. She was the one who got me through it all. We went another long time before she said anything again, our heads rested on the other.

"I had such a bad feeling when your parents were taking you away," she finally stated. She was so quiet in everything she said. "I wanted to give you so much more than a feather from my wing."

"It's not your fault," I assured her.

"I still want to find your parents," she whispered.

"Rainbow," I replied softly, and it seemed we finally disagreed on something. "I appreciate your sense of justice. And I get that you're angry. But I just don't see the point. We were so happy before this came out, I just want that to continue."

Clearly it wasn't really the answer she wanted, but after a time she seemed to soften and I think deep down though she understood. She looked away again, staring sadly into the pond. I could feel the torment in her heart, and I wished so fiercely that I could just do something to alleviate her pain. Help her, dear heaven, help her somehow.

"I just want you to be happy," I said, starting to sob. "That's all I've ever wanted since I met you."

Something woke in Rainbow and she grabbed me tightly and buried her embrace.

"I could only ever be happy with you," she said, and she rocked me back for a long time, until the two of us felt better.

"Were you able... to find a home? You know, after you left?" she asked some time later. She seemed to be in a much better place now, which meant I was as well. Regarding her question, of course the first couple years I had the hut of Zecora - my mother- but in the years after I had no home, as I've mentioned.

"Actually, yes. For a while."

"A while?" she asked worried. Now I knew I was stuck, and hesitated. Maybe I can make it sound alright.

"Ok, Rainbow... I'm gonna say something here, and I just want you to - " I started, searching everywhere for the right words. "This is the truth, and I mean nothing but the truth, so just... hear me out, ok? Sleeping outside, is, really... not that bad. A patch of grass on a starry night, you can't-"

I had to stop mid-sentence. It wasn't the answer she wanted, no matter how attractive I could make it sound. She held her head down and closed her eyes, breathing slowly. My own heart dipped even further into depression at the sight of it, and I turned my wistful eyes away and stared dispiritedly into the trees, breathing deeply. Why can't I give her better answers?

"Were you ever... hungry?" I heard her voice ask, and glanced over to see her looking up at me with a fragile face desperately hoping the answer was no. Now it was just unbearably painful for me, because I couldn't provide a single answer I wanted to without being dishonest. I thought back to the several times I scoured the arid western landscape for greens and let out a deep sigh. If only I'd traveled east sooner and had access to the lush meadows, I wouldn't have had those few years where I would occasionally go to bed unsuccessful at finding enough food.

Now if there was just some way I could not answer this question... but not answering would answer it, and if anything my hesitation probably said enough as it was. With no other options I muttered my answer just quietly enough to the side she wasn't sitting on.

"Sometimes."

Her head dropped lower than it had ever been and her hooves buried themselves in her face, which shot through me. We were in this now so I knew we were going to get through it together, and then come out on top on the other side.

"I'm so sorry," she muttered.

"It's not your fault," I replied, choking. "If anything, I'm the one who should be-"

"No Sonic," she replied fiercely, and suddenly she threw herself around me for a tight embrace that I returned with equal enthusiasm, fighting herself. "It's not your fault. Nothing is your fault. Just, please... d-don't-"

"Ok," I whispered as I rocked her in my forelimbs.

Somehow our feelings were so heightened in each other's grasp that it seemed like we felt both better and worse at the same time, intensely comforted yet somehow cripplingly disheartened as well. I knew it was gonna take several of these to get through this. After a few moments she drew her head from my shoulder and with piercing eyes she pleaded with reality.

"GRRR!!!" she growled, standing up for a quick release. Then she sat back down promptly returned to my chest, where I accepted her with as much love as I could muster in my heart. It felt like I had no other responsibility at that moment other than to ease her back and fourth in my arms until she returned to a manageable state, and I daresay that in her tight grasp she balanced that same responsibility for me. I never dreamed of feeling so miserable in her embrace as she struggled to calm herself in my grasp.

After a long while - maybe more than ten minutes, perhaps - when our feelings had died down somewhat and she was comfortable on her own again, she withdrew herself from me and we returned to sitting by side. Her eyes returned to the cool waters just beyond our hooves, swimming in contemplation. Both of us were calmed down now, though hints of melancholy remained.

"My dad and I, we never really moved around or anything," she finally said, reflecting on her past as I turned and listened attentively. "We never left Cloudsdale, at least not for anything long enough worth mentioning. We changed houses a couple times, but nothing big, you know... no radical changes or anything," she continued. She kept on staring at one spot on the water's surface while reflection radiated from her eyes. She seemed to be lost in her own memories, and based on her expressions I didn't think this was a particularly happy one. "There was this one time not too long after you left - maybe a year or so - my dad took me to Fillydelphia during the summer. Of course I was wide-eyed and all over the place, hopping off my dad's shoulders here and there to chase after stuff that interested me. We were in this one part of town... it was evening, and the sky was orange. Lots of shops, restaurants... and lots of ponies.

"On this one street looking out over the crowd on my dad's shoulders I saw this really funny-looking dog turn the corner down one of the back alleyways. Though my dad had told me to stay with him this part of town, I couldn't resist. I jumped off and ran through and between the crowd to chase after it. When I got to the alley, I ran right in after it. It was dark and dirty, and just as I turned another corner it had ran down I bumped into a young colt, probably only a couple years older than me at the time. He was just as startled as I was. I took one look at him - I had never seen anyone so... miserable. Now, my dad and I, he did ok for himself and me, and there's not really any of this type of thing in Cloudsdale. I was shocked. I saw his tattered clothes, worn down face, filthy mane, and without really thinking or anything, I just turned around and ran.

"As I galloped away though I remembered the look on his face as I was turning away to run. I only saw it for just a second, but it was sad, though like he was used to it. It was like this kind of thing happened to him to all the time, and he'd just come to accept it and take the misery whenever it came. I wasn't able to put all that together then as a filly, but as I ran away I thought about how scared his face was at first and then how pitiful he looked when I started to run away. I ran into my dad's wings right as these things started occurring to me, and then I thought of you for some reason. I remembered when we met that one day, when I stood up for you and how you looked up to me, and suddenly I felt really bad for having run away like that. I felt like if you were there, you would've been disappointed in me."

Listening to this I was immersed in wonder. On one hand I was filled with a kind of enthrallment that was completely submersed in her storytelling. I saw every feeling on her, and each one that came through her seemed to make it's way into me, coupled with my own arsenal of reactions to this tale. Mostly I was fixated on her and how she dealt with the situation, as well as feelings of deep sympathy and sorrow for the colt in this story, whoever he is. I can't say fillies used to bump into me and run away all the time, but I get the used-to-being ignored part. When that last part with me was mentioned, I covered my mouth with my hoof.

"I explained to my dad what happened and I begged him to take me back there so I could say I was sorry. He walked me into the alley on his shoulders, but when we got there, the colt was gone. I felt so bad, Sonic. My dad told me that it was my desire that counted, but-"

"But he was right," I interrupted, lost in her. She looked like she was almost ashamed or something, and it captivated me to see her in such a thoughtful state. "You were just a filly. You were scared. But when you realized it was nothing to be afraid of, that it was just a pony - with feelings, a history, everything- and you're remorseful. I can see it all over you. Most ponies wouldn't have turned around and went back."

She turned her head up and I saw the gravity on her face. Her mouth was slightly open, and I saw that she hoped everything I said was the truth.

"Why do you remember that story?" I asked her softly. I wasn't asking because I wasn't sure. I wanted to provoke her into thinking about the answer for herself. She took a deep breath glanced away. "You know, there's something else you should know," I continued, knowing that this was better news at last, and she quickly looked back. "I wasn't on my own the whole time."

"No?" she asked, and her ears perked up, forcing a small smile on me.

"Nope. A zebra took me in for a few years."

"A what?" she asked astonished.

"A zebra," I reassured her, shaking my head. "I stayed with her for three years. She really prepared me for being on my own. Among other stuff, she helped me learn how to love the simple things. Of course I could never shake you, though."

She finally cracked a smile.

"A zebra?" she asked, almost impressed. "I know a zebra." Before I could respond I saw something cross her mind, as though she remembered something. I'm not sure what it was, but it seemed to have her intrigued.

"Really?" I asked, surprised and somewhat excited. "I'd like to meet that zebra."

"So... you don't do the rhyming thing, huh?" she asked, and I knew she was finally feeling better now since she said it with an almost teasing smirk. Maybe she really was returning to her old self. I had never met another zebra, I suspected that most or all of them rhymed but this just confirmed it.

"No, I don't do the rhyming thing," I looking down with an embarrassed smile and unable to help myself.

It's strange then to think that my next thought was my emotional goodbye from Zecora herself, and how grateful I am to have had her. I left her after three years because I knew she's a solitary creature who doing her duty for me. Three years of motherly love and instruction were helpful, no matter how difficult it got afterward. As my mind went past the days of Zecora to my teenage years when I really was on my own, and at times not so far off from the colt in that story, I stupidly said it out loud as I gazed away.

"The hardest years were after that," I muttered, and looking back I saw it knocked her back to a more depressed, thoughtful state.

"To answer your question," she started, "I guess I remember that story because in the years after that, you know I came here and really just learned to love my life here. I made friends, got this great job, the ponies love me... but somewhere in the back of my mind I still wondered where you were and how you were doing. But now..." She bit her lip struggling to keep herself together. "Now I know what you were doing, and I can't help but remember that one time in Fillydelphia, and to think that you were-"

She had to stop again, with a weary sigh she closed her eyes, but I had had enough of this.

"What would you say, Rainbow, if I told you that one little blue feather made it all ok?" I asked, swelling with love, and I lifted her chin our eyes were inches apart. "Every night when I laid my head, no matter how weary, worn, and sad I was, I found a resting place in you that made me count myself among the most blessed... Because I knew that somewhere out there the greatest pony I ever met believed in me. The memories with you were enough."

"I don't deserve this," she whispered, as tears returned falling freely down her cheeks.

"You're right," I replied softly, and this I believe with all of my heart. "You deserve so much more."

She rested her good wing on my shoulder and raised her hooves up my limbs, sending surges of warmth through my entire body. She leaned in even closer so our eyes were in front of one another, and with enslaving desperation my soul awaited her command before we were swept away to the great beyond in our own feelings.

"Then Sonic... p-promise m that you will believe in yourself. I promise you that one day... everyone is going to see what I see in you. And more than a-anything, you need to k-know that I-" she stuttered, and I was paralyzed in agony that only her answer could satisfy. "I love you, Sonic."

Suddenly I felt her front limbs on my shoulders, and her lips breathed life into me. I wrapped myself around her, our souls were revived, and our restless hearts came to rest in each other. We put everything behind us and the sorrows of this day had finally reached a loving conclusion.