"Hey! Thunderlane!! What's up?" Lyra trotted over.

"Hmm? Nothing is wrong. Why?" The grey pegasus mumbled.

"You're acting all weird. Especially around Mistress." Bonbon walked over, along with Cloudkicker. The turquoise unicorn grinned madly.

"You like Rainbow Dash, don't you?" Lyra teased.

"What?!" Thunderlane jumped up. "N-No I don't!! What gave you that idea?"

"So why are you acting weird around her then? Huh?" Cloudkicker asked.

"I'm....I'm just worried for her. Okay? I'm just worried." He huffed.

"We all are." Lyra placed her hoof on Thunderlane's shoulder. "Tell us the truth. Okay. We're all friends. We're all family."

"Yeah. Not biologically, but we're all together. We're part of a commity that not only protects, but loves each other. We may not have any proper relatives, except for the odd brother and sister, but we are a family. And you can trust us with anything." The mares beamed smiles towards the stallion.

"Okay...I like Rainbow." He admitted.

"See! I knew it!" Lyra cheered.

"Calm down Lyra!" Bonbon scowled. "Now, Thunderlane. Why do you like her?"

"We mean, she's bossy, she's mean, she's a loud mouth, brash, arrogant, big headed, a show off." Clodkicker complained.

"Kind, funny, loyal, supportive, protective, generous, honest. I know she acts all tough, but really, she's just a scared, crying filly."

"Aren't we all?" Lyra said mindlessly. Bonbon glared at the unicorn. before hitting her. "Ow! Bonbon!"

"She may not show it, but she's a mare screaming out for love. And I love her being a show off. It shows that she's confident in what she does and she wants to prove the world how good she is."

"How long have you liked her?"

"Ever since I joined The Creed." He sighed.

"Yeaah, but still. There is something else, isn't there?" Cloudkicker winked. Bonbon now glared at the pegasus mare, and whipped her hoof around her head. "Sweet Celestia, Bonbon!! Stop it!"

Thunderlane started to blush.
"Err-uhm-y-yeah. T-There is."

Cloudkicker and Lyra both hooted and awwed while Bonbon just rolled her eyes, and smoothed out her cloak. The four assassins, awaiting there leader, were completely unaware of the pony listening in.

~~~~~~

"Woo! Thanks guys. Dismiss. Go and do whatever you want." Rainbow waved her hoof as she placed her dagger back in it's holder.

"Thank you ma'am." The four ponies panted as they began to exit the arena.

"Damn! She just gets better and better." Lyra muttered.

"I swear, I nearly lost my hoof and my tail!" Bonbon coughed as she wiggled her tail. Just in case.

"Oh! Thunderlane!" Rainbow called.

"Err...yes ma'am." Thunderlane stuttered as he feared that he might have done something wrong.

"Come here. Girls, go and tell Celestia that I allowed you to the lunch table." Rainbow smiled as the three mares' eyes lit up with hunger, before zipping off for food.

"Umm, Have I done something wrong ma'am?"

"What? No! Of course you haven't. You've been the best so far."

Thunderlane trotted up to Rainbow.
"So, why did you call me? I mean that, you let the girls go off and I'm kinda hungry. So whatever it is, can it-mmmm!" Thunderlane's sentence was cut short as Rainbow pushed her lips against his. His mind fluttered with confusion, but he blocked his thoughts out as he let the mare of his dreams continue to kiss him. After awhile, Rainbow pushed herself away from him, gasping slightly.

Thunderlane-still confused-spoke up.
"Why?" He asked breathless.

"Why do you think?"

"I-I-errr..." He stuttered as he blushed furiously.

Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"I came by the arena, early. And I over-heard you. How I'm funny, kind, loyal, supportive, protective." She gently brushed her hoof on his dark grey cheek. "How you love me being a show off, as you love my confidence."

"Y-You heard all that?"

"Yep! That I'm a mare thats screaming for love. Which I am."

"But wait!" Thunderlane pushed her away. "Do you even like me?"

"Of course. Why do you think I kissed you? Just for fun. I have always had a crush on you since school."

"What?!"

"When you joined my school in Cloudsdale, from Ponyville, I've always had a crush on you. You were funny, cocky, always had a grin on your face, stood up for others, annnd, you are pretty hot." Her cheeks began to burn. Thunderlane smiled. "I wanted to tell you but...I couldn't. I didn't want you to reject me. So I hid my feelings from everypony. Even from...my parents...before they died." Rainbow Dash turned away. But Thunderlane used his wing to turn the mare's head.

"Don't be sad, Dash."

"Thunderlane. I don't know. I shouldn't have done this."

"What?! Why?" He widened his eyes in surprise.

"I'm going to die tomorrow. The leader is most likely to kill me. And...I will fail to protect Equestria and Twilight." Tears began to form in her rose eyes.

"Hey hey. Don't cry. Please. I can't stand it when you cry." He used the tip of his feathers to wipe away her tears.

"But-"

"But nothing, Rainbow. You are going to win. You are going to beat them. I know you can because I believe in you. I just hope that you don't hurt yourself. You're a pretty mare not to be messed with." He used his wing to bring her face closer to his.

"Hey! Rainbow! Are you here, cause I- O-oh." Twilight quickly jumped behind a barrel by the door. She watched as the two ponies shared their love through kiss.

~~~~~~

"Twilight. What took you so long? I thought you went to get Rainbow." Celestia said as she munched on a slice of cake. Twilight just carried on to slowly walk into the lunch hall. Secretly smiling to herself.

"Twilight, dear. Are you okay?" Rarity asked.

"Of course. I'm just really happy for somepony." She giggled.

"Who? What? Why? How? And where?" Pinkie jbbered as she bounced circles around the alicorn. Twilight opened her mouth to answer when the door opened.

"Rainbow! There ya are! We were waitin for ya!" Applejack waved as she pointed to the table full of delicious snacks.

"Yea, ma'am." Bonbon muffled as she took another bite of her sandwich.

"And what did you want with Thunderlane? Was he in trouble?" Lyra questioned. The teal unicorn sat by Fluttershy and Rarity, discussing the latest gossip. Rainbow deeply blushed at the mention of his name, and Twilight smirked.

"J-Just something about his skills." Her smiled wavered as she lied through her teeth. Applejack eyed her as she saw the signs of a liar.

"Oh, okay ma'am. If you say so. Would you like some lunch with us?" Cloudkicker asked.

"Hmmm, no ta. I shouldn't really." Rainbow shook her head. "I'm just going to...sort...something out." She lied yet again.

"Okay then." Pinkie grinned as she face planted her lunch. Rainbow just stared at the pink pony's method of eating, and then remembering her time in the hospital.

~~~~~~

Rainbow shut the door of the lunch hall and began to trot down the corridor. She sighed as she slowly flapped her injured wing. She began to quicken her pace, but stopped abruptly as a flash of bright purple light appeared in front of her.

"T-Twilight?! What the hell?" She yelled.

"Rainbow." She hushed.

"What?!"

"Rainbow! Tha ain't no way ta talk ta tha princess." Applejack sniggered as she came through the door.

"AJ? What is going on?" Rainbow began to flutter her wings in frustration.

"Rainbow. You have a secret." Twilight hissed.

"Of course I do. I have many secrets."

"Wha abou Thunderlane?" Applejack smirked as she walked up to the pegasus.

"What about him?" Rainbow began to panic. And it clearly showed as she began to slightly shake. Her eyes shrunk and her wings buzzed.

"What's the matter, Rainbow? Why so panicked?" The princess began to tease.

"...Err...n-no reason." She smiled.

"Admit it Rainbow!! I saw you!!"

"Saw what?"

"Don't play dumb. I saw you and Thunderlane!! In the arena!! Kissing!!"

Rainbow's eyes widened and her cheeks began to glow bright red.
"Y-Y-you s-saw us." She squeaked as she lowered her head. Applejack walked over and placed her hoof on the assassin's shoulder.

"Now now. There's nothin ta be ashamed of."

"There is, AJ. I'm an assassin. By being in a relationship is just endangering more lives. It will distract us from our work. That and there's a chance I might die tomorrow. I knew it was stupid of me. Stupid Rainbow Dash." She began to quickly trot away. Twilight and Applejack shared a look of concern.

"No. It's not stupid. You've found love, Rainbow."

"Great. I'm most likely to die tomorrow. And what will happen then, huh? The reason I kept it secret from Thunderlane was to protect him. I didn't want to break his heart. But this afternoon, the others and Thunderlane were talking. They found out that Thunderlane had a crush on me. While they all said that I was bossy, arrogant, a show off, Thunderlane said I was kind, funny, protective, supportive." Rainbow sat on the floor. "Nopony has never complemented me like that before. A few ponies may have said, "Wow! Awesome flying skills!" and "Great work!"....but nopony has ever said that. Not even my parents. He said I was pretty." Twilight and Applejack sat next to the pegasus. Not noticing the ponies entering the corridor.

"I've never thought that I was pretty. I mean, come on. When ponies say pretty, I think of Rarity. Or Fluttershy. Or you guys. But not me." She sniffed.

"Don't cry, Rainbow." Twilight said.

"Ah. Look at me. I'm an assassin. Not a sniffiling filly." She wiped her eyes with her hoof. Rainbow's ear twitched as she got up. She turned around and faced six mares and two princesses. "Oh crap." She flared out her wings and bolted out the door.

"Woah. She moves fast for an injured pegasus." Lyra gawped.

"Aww! That's so cute!! Dashie has a special somepony!!" Pinkie pranced around everypony.

"Well, Thunderlane worked quickly."

"Shut up, Cloudkicker." Bonbon muttered as punched the pegasus in the ribs.

Author's Notes:

Credit to the artist of the Celestia Eating Cake pic. And yes it was necessary.