From Solitude to Friendship

Clyde slept through half of the morning, as did Rainbow. The two tired each other out too much racing the other day. Clyde was the first to wake up. He sat outside enjoying the gentle autumn breeze on the porch of the cloud home. Being higher up made the weather feel so much nicer, at least he thought so. Rainbow Dash joined him shortly after.

"Morning, Clyde. We slept a little late, didn't we?" She asked, chuckling a little. "Who are you meeting today, again?" She asked.

"Rarity." Clyde responded.

"Oh boy, have fun with her. Be careful, she will try to dress you up and talk to you about fashion and other stuff I-we are too cool for." Rainbow said, with a sarcastic tone in her voice. "Nah, just kidding. Maybe since you're a stallion, she will lay off." She said, laughing. "Want me to show you where she lives?" She offered.

"Yeah, sure." Clyde said. "You want to race?" He asked, playfully.

"You know me too well already, Clyde." Rainbow said, shocked. She suddenly flared her wings. "One, two, three, go!" With that, she was off. Clyde quickly got on his hooves and flew after her. The two were neck to neck, they laughed while flying. Clyde never thought he would feel any joy in flying in his lifetime, but he enjoyed it.

"Hang on, I have to stop by Twilight's place quickly." He said as he stopped by Twilight's place for a second to drop the letter in her mailbox. The two fly off again with haste. Rainbow started to slow down when they got near a larger, white and pink colored house. The two stopped in front of it, they didn't care that they agreed to a race. The two stared at it like it's the entrance to a dungeon.

"This is her house?" Clyde asked.

"Well, it's the Carousel Boutique. She is a fashion designer. She works and lives here, so technically, it's both her work and home, sorta like Twilight." Rainbow answered.

"Thanks for showing me to here." Clyde said, and held out his hoof. Rainbow connected her hoof with his and shook it.

"Nice meeting you, Clyde, we should do this again sometime." Rainbow said.

"Nice meeting you too, and we should. See you later." Clyde said, nodding goodbye as Rainbow flew away. He walked up to the entrance of the boutique, and proceeded to knock on it. With Rainbow, he knew what to expect, with Rarity, he barely had an idea. The door was soon answered by Rarity, the unicorn with a white coat and a well styled purplish blue mane.

"Hello, dear." She greeted. "You find this place okay? I wasn't sure how to get to you since Rainbow has a cloud home, but it seems she has shown you. That was nice of her." Rarity gestured her hoof towards the inside of the boutique.

"Nice to meet you formally, Rarity." Clyde said as he entered the boutique. It was well decorated with purple curtains and other forms of formal decor. The main room was littered with different outfits and pony mannequins. Clyde figured this was the 'store portion' of the boutique.

"This is my boutique. I am a fashion designer and all of my operations are done in the comfort of my own home. For a three bedroom, 2 workroom, 2 bathroom place, it is quite big for me. I use one bedroom for me and another for my little sister when she visits. The other is just a small room I use for storage, but I fit it up with a bed so you could stay there. I would offer Sweetie Belle's room, but she is currently staying with me while our parents are on vacation." Rarity explained.

"You have a younger sister?" Clyde asked. Rarity was kind of surprised that of all things to ask, that was his question.

"Yes. We are very different in age, she is still in grade school where I am a business owner, but that doesn't mean we can't spend time together." She answered.

"That's nice." Clyde simply responded. Rarity motioned him to follow her to where he guessed was going to be his bedroom for the night. She opened a door at the end of the hall to reveal a room with several boxes, clothing material, and a bed.

"Sorry it's so small, I hope it is suitable enough for you." Rarity said, nervously. Clyde was getting used to hearing those words.

"It's more than enough, thank you." He responded, once again. As the two walked back towards the main room, he could see a smaller  filly that looked a little bit like Rarity sitting in a bedroom, reading a book. He assumed she was Rarity's sister.

"I am going to fix us up something to eat for lunch. Why don't you relax here for a bit?" She offered, as she motioned towards a couch.

"Thank you." Clyde said as he sat down. After a day of racing he needed some time off his hooves. He drifted off to a consciousness that wasn't quite sleep, but not necessarily awake, either. His state of half consciousness was cut off by the sudden appearance of a small filly. She was the same filly that was in the bedroom. Her coat was white like Rarity's with a purple and pink mane. She simply stared at Clyde, no emotion on her face.

"Hello." Clyde introduced. The filly stayed silent. "I'm Clyde, your sister probably told me about you."

"Hi." She shyly responded, barely looking up at him. Clyde could tell that she wasn't comfortable. He had to remember that his general appearance didn't look very friendly. Rarity enters the room to find the two together.

"Oh, how nice, you two have met. Lunch is ready." Rarity said happily. Sweetie Belle retreated to the kitchen quickly. "She seems kind of nervous around you. Don't worry, she'll warm up to you, trust me." Rarity gave Clyde a reassuring nod. The two enter the kitchen. The table was in a circle, and the three sat in a triangle, Sweetie Belle sat a bit closer to Rarity. Rarity prepared a few sandwiches, simple, but enough. Rarity starts the conversation. "So Clyde, how was your time with Rainbow?"

Clyde smiled when she asked that, "We raced, reminisced, and raced some more." He answered, knowing his description was vague but good enough. Sweetie Belle looked up.

"Who won?" The small filly asked.

"I did." He responded. The two unicorns stopped eating entirely and stared at Clyde.

"You beat Rainbow Dash at a race? Seriously?" Rarity asked. Sweetie simply stared at him with awe.

"Yeah, I have spent a lot of my life flying, she is a very talented flier though." He said. Sweetie Belle rubbed her hoof on her chin, being in a state of thought.

"I wonder if Scootaloo would be angry about you beating Rainbow." Sweetie though out loud as she giggled to herself.

"Who's Scootaloo?" Clyde asked, a bit more gently this time.

"Scootaloo idolizes Rainbow Dash. She is one of the my best friends and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader, along with Applebloom." Sweetie answered. Rarity chuckled.

"You just rose more questions, Sweetie." Rarity pointed out.

"Oh, right." Sweetie Belle said sheepishly. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders are sort of a secret society the three of created. Our main goal is to get our cutie marks." She answered with pride. Rarity nodded.

"Applebloom is a fellow Crusader, and sister of Applejack." Rarity confirmed.

"We're like three little sisters to three best friends, it's gotta be destiny that we met." Sweetie Belle chirped with energy. "Scootaloo isn't Rainbow's sister, but they are close as if they were sisters." Sweetie continued to talk, forgetting about her previous nervous attitude. "Do you have any siblings, Clyde?" She asked, innocently. Clyde realized that Rarity didn't tell her about his family, and she was right to do so. Rarity panicked.

"Umm.. Sweetie? That may not be the best question to ask." Rarity started to say, Clyde simply motioned for her to stop.

"Yes I did, Sweetie Belle." He answered, hoping she doesn't ask about the 'did' part.

"What are they like?" Sweetie asked. Clyde looked down for a moment before answering.

"There were my two brothers. One was older than me, the other younger. I wasn't very close to them." Clyde paused for a moment. "I also had a younger sister." He concluded, finishing his sandwich soon after.

"That's nice." Sweetie responded. Both Clyde and Rarity were glad that her questions ended there before they dived too deep into detail. Lunch ended and Sweetie Belle retreated outside. Clyde looked out the window and noticed two other fillies with her, A yellow earth pony filly with red hair, and an orange Pegasus filly with purple hair. Rarity lead Clyde to her workroom.

"So, Clyde, I couldn't help but notice your cloak that you had on when you arrived here. Do you mind showing it to me, please?" Rarity requested. Clyde nodded and left the room. He returned with the cloak and handed it to Rarity. With a closer look, she noticed a pattern on the back of the black cloak. The pattern was red, it looked like a crescent with wings. "What is this symbol, Clyde?

"It is the insignia of the Winged division of the Lunar Guard. The red color signifies me as the leader." Clyde explained. Rarity looked surprised, but amazed at the same time.

"You were the leader of the military on the moon?" She asked. Clyde looked down to the floor.

"Just the fliers. There were two other divisions, like the three pony races on Equestria." Clyde explained. Rarity admired the cloak some more then returned it to him.

"Thanks. I was interested in it the second I saw it." She admitted, a slight hint of embarrassment in her voice.

"It's nothing." Clyde simply responded. Rarity looked down.

"So, Clyde, now that Sweetie Belle isn't here, do you want to talk about anything? I noticed that her questions caused a bit of discomfort for you, and I am sorry." Rarity said.

"It is alright, she is just a child." Clyde reassured her, and realized the question was regarding his siblings. "I hated my brothers, and my parents were always distant. Under Nightmare Moon's rule, they had no motivation to be close to us." Clyde explained.

"Sweetie Belle and I get along every now and then. Sometimes we fight, but we always make up. I would never hate her." Rarity said. "What about your sister?" Rarity asked. Clyde looked down towards his hoof.

"We were close." Clyde answered, clearly uncomfortable. Rarity noticed and nodded her head.

"Sorry, Clyde. I'll stop asking questions." Rarity apologized.

"Don't worry about it, it is okay." He replied. The two looked around awkwardly for about a minute until Rarity chirped up.

"Clyde, this may be odd, but may I ask of you a favor?" Rarity asked.

"Of course. Don't forget, I am indebted to you." Clyde pointed out.

"You are not, Clyde. But.. Would it be okay if I use you as a model to test out one of my outfits? It is for male pegasi, but I do not know any nearby." Rarity requested. Clyde nodded.

"Sure, no problem." He answered. Rarity walked over to one of the displays in her workroom and hands the outfit to Clyde. She motioned towards the hallway, silently telling him to put it on out there. Clyde followed suit and returned wearing the outfit. It was a blue outfit, it was striped with purple zigzags, and had a hood. It only covered the top half of his body.

"How does it feel?" Rarity asked.

"It fits really well, and my wings don't feel limited at all. I feel like I could fly in this no problem." He answered. Rarity looked pleased.

"Very good. It is yours to keep, Clyde." Rarity told him. Clyde was taken back.

"Are you sure? I couldn't take something from you." Clyde protested.

"Please, I insist. It is perfect on you, I wouldn't part with it on any pony else." Rarity insisted. Clyde gave in.

"Thank you, Rarity." Clyde said. Somehow the sun was beginning to set outside. "How in the world is it so late already?" Clyde asked.

"Well, you got here pretty late into the day, it was a couple hours into the afternoon when you arrived." Rarity answered. Clyde chuckled quietly.

"Ah, sorry." Clyde apologized. Sweetie Belle entered the room, mane and tail ruffled from play.

"Hi Rarity, Hi Clyde." Sweetie Belle chirped at the two.

"Sweetie, you're a mess! C'mon, I'll start a bath for you." Rarity told Sweetie Belle. Before Rarity exits the workroom, she nodded to Clyde, signifying that she will be a while. He entered the storage room he was going to stay in and lied down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. After about a half hour, she knocked on the door and entered. "Sweetie Belle is in bed, and I'm going to retire to bed myself. Have a good night, Clyde." Rarity said.

"Good night, Rarity." Clyde replied. He didn't wait too long before grabbing paper and a quill.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today was a pretty uneventful day. I welcome that because yesterday was so tiring, but in a good way. Rarity is a kind pony, she gave me an outfit for no reason, and she has a never ending love for her sister. She definately represents her element of generosity. She mentioned about how they fight all the time, but they still manage to get along in the end. This is foreign to me because when I was a kid, my brothers and I were always fighting, never getting along. Her little sister also has a good heart, and I can tell that her time with Rarity has made her the kind filly that she is. I have a feeling tomorrow will be nice.

Sincerely,

Clyde.

Clyde decided to keep the letter short, and sat next to the small window in the room. He looked out to see a decent view of the local businesses in Ponyville closing for the night. He lied his head on the window sill, looking up at the moon.

"I miss you so much, sister. I would give everything to see you again. I wish I could tell you all about everything. About the Winged Army, about how I escaped the moon." Clyde started to smile, just a little. "I wish I could tell you about these kind ponies in Equestria. They are not hostile like Lunar Beings." Clyde lies back down on his bed. "I want to hold you again, protect you from our brothers, and Nightmare Moon. It has been so many years, I have lost count." Clyde's voice trails off, and before he can say anything. He was met by the stare of a young filly. She yelps quietly.

"Mister Clyde! I'm so sorry, I just heard you talking and I just.." Sweetie Belle stopped for a couple seconds. "I.. I'm sorry, Clyde." Sweetie Belle hung her head in shame. Clyde walks up to her.

"It's okay, Sweetie Belle." He reassured her. "How much did you hear?" He asked.

"All of it.." She admitted. Clyde sat back down on the bed and motioned Sweetie to sit next to him, so she did.

"I am sorry you had to hear that." Clyde apologized. Sweetie Belle looked straight into his eyes, with an expression of both empathy and sadness.

"It's okay.. I'm sure your sister misses you too." Sweetie tried to comfort Clyde, putting her small hoof in his shoulder. " I don't see Rarity often, but when I do, I am super happy. Rarity is my sister, and I love her to no end." Sweetie Belle said, almost exactly like how Rarity said it. Sweetie Belle's eyes began to tear up. "I understand she is probably on the moon, and it would be too difficult for you to see her. I couldn't imagine how painful that would be. I am so sorry." Sweetie sniffled as the hugged Clyde as much as her small body could to someone as big as Clyde. Clyde returned the hug in an attempt to comfort her.

"You remind me of her a little, except you are much more energetic. You both have a strong heart, though." Clyde pointed out. "You have a good heart, same with your sister. The fact that you are here right now, trying to comfort me, that tells me enough about who you are." Sweetie Belle smiled at his comment. "You should head back to bed." Clyde said. Sweetie Belle nodded and walked towards the door.

"Thanks, Clyde. Sweet dreams." She waved with a wide grin as she exited the room. Clyde smiled and grabbed his quill again and wrote one last note on the letter.

P.S. Her sister heard me reminiscence about my sister, depressingly. She told me about her relationship with her sister, and about how their distant relationship causes a bit of emotional turmoil between the two. She told me that my sister must miss me on the moon, waiting for me. She really has a good heart, that she definitely got from Rarity. Lunar Beings are always hostile, but ponies cannot resist to help one another. I am beginning to love it here..