From Solitude to Friendship

Clyde woke up to the sound of something crashing outside. His entire body jerked up causing him to become lightheaded. After recovering he quickly trotted to the window to find the source of the crash. Unfortunately, the window faced another nearby business and was too small to see anything else so his vision of the outside was impaired. It was still night time, and the clock read 2:00. He stealthily exited the room and went downstairs. He was met by Rarity who was already at the front door.

"You heard it too, Clyde?" Rarity asked. Clyde simply nodded and joined her in front of the door. Rarity was obviously scared, but she put on a brave face. Clyde began to open the door but his hoof was slapped away by Rarity. "Are you nuts?" She asked with an obvious hint of fear in her voice.

"There could be trouble. I'm going." Before Rarity could protest, Clyde has already forced open the door and began walking out. All she was able to do was peer through the door, making sure she can see enough without being seen. Clyde searched for the source of the noise but found nothing. "Is this some sort of joke?" All of a sudden, another crash emits from the distance, this time behind the boutique. Clyde hastily runs towards the back with skilled stealth. He peered over the corner to see a shadow of another pony.

"Yes, this is her place."

"How do we get inside?"

"Through the window, duh!"

"Are you sure this is safe?"

"Of course. She deserves it anyway."

"She will regret ever being in Ponyville, just watch."

"If her sister appears, we ambush her, got it?"

"Won't we get in trouble?"

"You worry too much, you know that?" Clyde had enough and jumped out of hiding to ambush the two scheming ponies.

"State your purpose of being here immediately!" Clyde yelled. He could see the ponies clearly now. They were both young school age fillies around Sweetie Belle's age. One filly had a pink coat with a purple and white mane, she was wearing a tiara. The other had a gray coat with white hair, she wore glasses.

"We got caught!" The gray filly shouted.

"Wait.. Who is this?" The pink filly asked. Clyde glared at them.

"Tell me your purpose of being here, now!" Clyde shouted once more.

"Run for it, Silver! C'mon!" The pink filly shouted as the pair tried to run away. Since they ran right towards him, Clyde had them both captured at his hooves.

"Why don't I take you two to the mare you are so interested in?" Clyde offered. He was already leading them to the front door without waiting for a response.

"You know Sweetie Belle?" The grey filly asked. Clyde ignored her and opened the door to find Rarity standing right at the doorway. Rarity's expression went from scared to shocked.

Rarity looked over towards the grey coated filly, "Silver Spoon?" She shifted her head towards the other filly. "Diamond Tiara, what on earth are you two doing out so late?" Rarity demanded.

"Um.. We wanted to play with Sweetie Belle?" Diamond Tiara lied as she smiled sheepishly. Silver Spoon sighed and looked towards the floor.

"We were trying to get revenge on Sweetie Belle by setting off these awesome firecrackers outside her window. Since we have no idea which room is hers in this building, we just set two off in different spots. Since she never opened her window to take our wrath of water  balloons, we were going to break in and just throw one at her!" Silver Spoon admitted. Diamond looked at her with utter disgust and betrayal.

"Seriously, you told her everything!?" Diamond angrily shouted. The two fillies were quickly hushed by Rarity.

"Now, now, girls. Quiet now." Rarity demanded. "Do your parents know you two are out?"

Diamond Tiara scoffed. "Duh, it's 2 AM, what do you think?" She asked angrily. Rarity grunted, annoyed. Clyde simply stared down the fillies.

"You two need to hurry up and explain yourself, right now!" Clyde shouted so loud he intimidated both fillies. Rarity nudged Clyde to the side and positioned her head near his hear.

"They are just children. Leave them to me." Rarity told Clyde, quietly. She faced back towards the fillies. "Now, you two. Why do you hold a grudge against Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara both look towards the ground.

Diamond Tiara was the one to speak up. "She and her idiot crusader friends threw rocks at us!" The filly flailed her hooves. "ROCKS! Can you believe that? My elegant, rich fur, being hit by something so volatile, so gross, especially from those three..." Diamond's expression was nothing short of disgust.

Rarity sighed, annoyed. "Well, I have to get you both home, I will have a talk with Sweetie." She shifted her head towards the inside of the boutique towards Clyde, "Can you watch this place for a little bit, Clyde? I'll be back as soon as I can." Clyde nodded his head. "Thank you so much, dear." Rarity proceeded to guide the two fillies and she shut the door behind her, leaving Clyde alone in the entrance of the boutique.

He angrily mumbled to himself as he walked towards the couch. "I understand not enjoying having rocks thrown at you, but those reasons... That filly has no idea how easy her life is. Her parents are stupid for raising her that way... I almost feel bad for her because of that." Clyde mumbled to himself some more. He noticed a small figure moving at the top of the stairs. He immediately knew who it was. "Sweetie Belle? Are you okay?" He called out to her. No response. "Sweetie Belle?"

"I'm sorry.." A small voice cracked from upstairs. It almost sounded like she was in pain.

"Sweetie? Are you okay?" Clyde asked, noticing the painful tone. He proceeded to trot up the stairs and noticed that Sweetie Belle has already retreated to her room and closed the door. He looked up at the hallway clock that read 2:30, and looked back at the door. He knocked, "Sweetie Belle, may I come in?"

"Yeah.." She responded. Her voice stuttered causing concern from Clyde. He opened the door to find Sweetie Belle under her covers. Her room matched the design of the rest of the boutique except the carpet had a large floral pattern on it. Clyde could hear her sniffling from under the covers. Clyde sat down next to her on her bed.

"Sweetie? What's the matter? He asked with genuine concern. She removed her covers a little bit only revealing her face, which revealed that her eyes were baggy and slightly red. "Are you okay, Sweetie Belle? You look like you've been crying for hours." He put his hoof on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She was barely able to say. She was crying furiously, but was trying too hard to hold it back so she mostly just shivered.

"Why are you apologizing? Throwing rocks?" Clyde asked.

"No." Sweetie Belle responded.

"Then why are you apologizing?" Clyde asked as he got closer to her, signifying that he is not angry. Sweetie Belle rubbed her tears away before speaking.

"I read your letter to Princess Celestia." She admitted.

"I don't mind. Spike read Twilight's too. It doesn't bother me." He explained.

"I'm not as nice as you wrote about me. I pretty much lied to you." Sweetie Belle sniffled. "I just wanted to make a nice first impression, since every pony else knows I'm insane.." Sweetie Belle was breathing heavily as she cried.

"You're not insane. As far as I'm concerned, they probably earned those rocks being thrown at them." Clyde tried his best to comfort her. "It wasn't the right thing to do, and you will get in trouble, but it serves those spoiled fillies right." He scratched his head before continuing, "I'm not justifying what you did, I'm just giving my two cents." He said. Sweetie Belle couldn't help but to chuckle.

"You are the only pony that will ever say that, you know that right?" She said with a sad smile. "Diamond and Silver's families are well respected in town, which means they will never forgive me." She lowered her head onto the bed so her body lay flat. "It isn't fair, Clyde."

"What did they do to cause you to throw rocks at them?" Clyde asked, not sure what to say otherwise.

"Well, they have been bullying me, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo for a very long time now. We just wanted some payback."Sweetie Belle explained. Clyde suddenly got angry. He remembered how Rainbow Dash talked to him about bullying, about how these kids made her friend suffer. He didn't want someone like Sweetie Belle going through that.

"Have you gone to Rarity about this?" Clyde asked sternly, looking her right in the eye.

"Sort of. She found out about some instances, but I never asked for help. My parents are clueless." She explained, shuffling her hooves.

"You need to get help. You need to go to Rarity and your parents." Clyde demanded, both hooves on both of Sweetie Belle's shoulders, not in a controlling way, but in a caring way.

"But I'm afraid of what those two will do to me if I tell some pony." She admitted, looking towards the floor. Clyde's expression went from angry to sad almost immediately. He was imagining Sweetie Belle in the same hooves as Fluttershy. It would break his heart to see Sweetie Belle scarred from years of torment. Without saying anything, he pulled her in to a close embrace.

"Clyde?" She accepted the hug and returned it. She somehow felt safe even though she has known him for less than 24 hours.

"Don't let them hurt you." He said with a large amount of care in his voice. The two exit their embrace and look towards the wall, staring at nothing. "They aren't worth your sorrow." He said.

"Clyde.." Sweetie Belle said, not sure what to say. "Thanks for coming here, and comforting me." She finally managed to say.

"It's nothing, really. You should get some rest. I'll see you later, okay?" He said as he got off the bed and motioned towards the door.

"Yep. I'll see you later. Thanks Clyde!" She replied, with a hint of cheer in her voice. This caused Clyde to smile and he slowly shut her door.

"You're welcome.." He whispered. He turned around towards the storage room and slowly trotted to the room. He stopped and looked towards the stairs. "You know, your sister has a big heart. She has learned so much from you, and you have probably learned much from her, I know I have." Clyde said, seemingly to no pony. Rarity appeared from the corner of the hallway connecting to the stairs.

"How did you know I was here?" Rarity asked, surprised.

"You weren't hiding, were you?" He asked.

"Not in particular. I just didn't want you to think I was spying on you and Sweetie Belle." She admitted.

"Spying? She's your sister. You are justified to listen in when a stranger is talking to your sister." Clyde said.

"Fair enough." Rarity said, chuckling quietly. "You are a very sweet pony, Clyde. I can tell that you have a big heart as well." She said with a caring expression.

"Yeah.." Clyde responded, looking towards the ground with a sad expression. He looked up at the clock that read 3:00, and looked back towards Rarity. "We should head back to sleep." He said.

"Sounds good to me. Sorry for the hectic morning. See you in a few hours." She waved as she entered her own room. Clyde turned back around and entered the storage room. He sat on the edge of the bed for a few minutes before lying back down to sleep. The night dragged on, it seemed like the moon would never set to allow the sun to rise. Clyde only slept about an hour. He put his letter in the envelope, and exited the room, heading towards the stairs. He grabs the key next to the front door, and opened the door to exit the boutique. After he locked the door, he flew towards Twilight's library. The sunrise was beginning as the sky turned more red as the minutes went by. Clyde landed right in front of the Library's mailbox, and before he dropped the letter in, he was met by a small filly who was near the Library. Clyde recognized the filly as one of the two children Sweetie Belle played with the previous night. Her coat was yellow, and her mane was red, it was naturally groomed and decorated with a large, red bow.

"Hello mister." She waved towards Clyde. "You must be mister Clyde. I'm Apple Bloom, Applejack's sister, and proud Cutie Mark Crusader. How're you?" She had a strong southern accent.

"Um.. I'm fine, thanks." He said, confused. "Why are you out so early? The sun has barely risen." He asked. Apple Bloom scoffed.

"Hmph! I got in trouble for showin' some nasty bullies who's boss, and now I gotta set up the apple stand an hour early today!" She said, angrily.

"On your own?" He asked, concerned.

"Nah, my brother is with me, he's right over there, setting up the stand." Clyde looked over where she was pointing and saw a pony around his size. He had a red coat, with a short, orange mane. "He's the oldest of us three siblings." She explained. Clyde walked towards the stand to greet the pony.

"Hello, I'm Clyde. I'm actually going to be spending the day with Applejack. How are you?" Clyde asked, holding out his hoof towards the pony. The stallion nodded and shook Clyde's hoof.

"A pleasure. Big Mac." He replied, his voice was deep, but gentle.

"I'll let you two set up. I have to go to Rarity's and grab my things. I'll see you two later." Clyde said as he began to take flight. Apple Bloom and Big Mac waved him goodbye as he flew. Clyde arrived back at the boutique at the same moment the moon had finished setting. he opened the door to be immediately greeted by Rarity and Sweetie Belle.

"Mister Clyde!" Sweetie Belle greeted him. "We were just going to go out for breakfast!" She said.

"Do you want to join us, Clyde?" Rarity offered.

Clyde shook his head. "Thanks, but I'll have to refuse. I have to meet up with Applejack today." He declined. Sweetie Belle looked disappointed.

"Aww, but my friends are gonna be there." Sweetie Belle said, with a sad expression. Rarity nodded.

"Applejack's family will be there as well. We invited them so you could formally meet the Apple family." Rarity assured Clyde. "Please join us."

Clyde laughed and nodded his head, "Alright, I'll come." He finally gave in. Sweetie Belle Jumped for joy as the three made for the restaurant. Rarity pointed out different businesses and what they specialize in. It wasn't long until they approached a restaurant with a sign on the building reading 'Ponyville Pancake Palooza.' "How convenient" Clyde commented on the name. Clyde noticed a small family standing towards the entrance. He recognized Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Big Mac, but they were joined by an older mare with a green coat and white hair, signifying her older age. Applejack waved towards Clyde and the two sisters next to him.

"Good to see you made it." Applejack laughed. "Name's Applejack, nice to formally meet you." She gestured her hoof towards Clyde, whom accepted her gesture and shook her hoof. "I see you have already met my sister and brother. This is my grandmother, Granny Smith." Applejack introduced the older mare.

"Nice to meet you, Granny Smith." Clyde introduced.

"Mister Clyde, I've heard a little about you. Glad to hear things are goin' a little better for you." Granny Smith said, her southern accent stronger than the rest of the Apple Family. Clyde noticed Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom excitedly talking with another filly, who he recognized as one of Sweetie Belle's friends. She had an orange coat with a purple mane.

"Who's your friend, Sweetie Belle?" Clyde asked. The pony simply walked up to him and gestured her hoof towards him. "The name is Scootaloo. I heard you beat Rainbow Dash at a race. Pretty impressive, but she can still beat you at other things for sure!" Scootaloo excitedly talked about her idol as Clyde shook her hoof. Apple Bloom laughed at her.

"You need to lay off the 'Rainbow Dash' obsessive behavior you have, Scootaloo. Where are your parents at, anyway?" Apple Bloom asked.

"They had to work. Sucks for them I guess." Scootaloo laughed. Clyde noticed her difference with Sweetie Belle and was surprised of how close they were. The group of ponies entered the restaurant and sat down at a large table. Before Clyde could sit down, Apple Bloom trotted towards Clyde, examined him, and gasped.

"Girls! You won't believe this! Clyde has no cutie mark!" Apple Bloom shouted. The two other fillies surrounded Clyde with expressions of awe and confusion. Clyde shared their looks of confusion.

"I've been meaning to ask. What is a cutie mark?" Clyde asked, clueless. This resulted in the silence of every pony, including the crusaders.

"A cutie mark is what makes you... you." Rarity tried to explain. "It is a symbol on your flank that appears when you find out what your talent is. It can be really deep and meaningful, or just really simple." Rarity finished, stuttering as she spoke.

Applejack spoke up, realizing Rarity was having a hard time. "My Cutie Mark is three apples, signifying my ability to work the apple farm." She explained. "Do Lunar Beings have cutie marks, Clyde?" She asked.

"No. Not one at all. I never really realized that that's what those meant. I just figured that it was a form of Equestrian culture or something." Clyde said, laughing.  Sweetie Belle chuckled.

"Does this mean that no Lunar Being has a special talent?" Sweetie Belle asked. Rarity hushed her.

"It's safe to assume that they simply cannot get cutie marks. I find that peculiar, but there's nothing truly wrong with that." Rarity said.

Everypony placed their orders as the waiter finished writing on his small notebook. Scootaloo layed her hooves on the table and looked defeated. "I guess this is it. We have found some pony who can't get a cutie mark. What do you propose we, as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, do?" Scootaloo asked.

"We don't need to worry about it. Clyde is old enough to know what he is good at by now, right Clyde?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Umm...." Clyde stuttered. "Other than excessive flying and... um... survival skills, maybe. I got nothing." Clyde admitted. The crusaders looked no less than shocked. The other ponies at the table just stared at the four as they spoke of cutie marks.

"There's still a chance! Clyde can still learn his special talent!" Sweetie Belle said, excitedly.

"How do you think we should start?" Apple Bloom asked. Just as she said that, the waiter arrived with their food and placed each dish in front of the each respective pony.

"I propose that we eat first!" Scootaloo announced, causing every pony at the table to laugh. They all enjoyed their lunchtime breakfast as they chatted about business and other casual topics. Scootaloo kept bringing up Rainbow Dash, Rarity insisted on table manners, and Clyde simply ate and nodded his head. They all had a great time.

Once the brunch was over, every pony left the restaurant and said their goodbyes. Instead of joining Rarity, Clyde went with Applejack to the apple farm. As they approached the farm, which was in the outskirts of the town, Clyde read a sign reading 'Sweet Apple Acres.' It was a couple hours into the afternoon and Clyde still had a whole day ahead of him. Apple Bloom excitedly trotted talking of cutie marks and Clyde.

"What do you suppose we try first, Clyde? Perhaps mountain climbing, leaf collecting, oh! I should ask Sweetie Belle for ideas!" Apple Bloom chattered on.

Applejack hushed her little sister, " Now, now, Apple Bloom. Watch your manners!" She scolded. Apple Bloom smiled sheepishly and apologetically. Granny Smith and Big Mac chuckle at the small scene. Clyde could see a chicken coop in the distance as well as a large series of barns surrounded by an endless stream of trees. The farm's centerpiece was a large red barn-style house. Applejack opens the front door and waves her hoof, motioning Clyde inside. "Come inside, Clyde. Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, our home." Clyde entered the home along with the rest of the family. The interior was decorated with dark orange and blue walls and various apple related decoration. Granny Smith took a seat on a rocking chair and began to casually knit. Apple Bloom ran up the stairs. Applejack leads Clyde and Big Mac through the kitchen to the back door, which led to the orchard of trees.

Big Mac took the lead. "We need to harvest the apples on the east end. Care to join us, Clyde?" He asked.

"Sure, but, I'm not sure what to do." Clyde admitted.

Applejack spoke up. "It's nothing. I'll tell you what to do, and we can go from there." Applejack reassured Clyde. The three head towards the orchard with a goal of harvesting the entire east end. Both Applejack and Big Mac bucked trees causing apples to fall into carefully placed baskets. Applejack had Clyde carry the buckets to the barn, using his ability to fly. It took a couple hours of placing, bucking, and carrying to finish the job. "Thanks a lot, Clyde. I gotta say, that easily could've taken another two hours if it weren't for your help. I'm impressed that you are able to haul two buckets at once while flying!" Applejack said, clearly impressed. Big mac simply responded with a quiet "eeyup." Bid Mac walked off to clean up as Applejack and Clyde walked back to the house.

"So, Applejack, I've been meaning to ask you something." Clyde stated at the two took a seat on two lawn chairs on the patio. Applejack nodded. "I've noticed that it is just you, your two siblings, and your grandmother. If you don't mind me asking, where are your parents?" Clyde asked, hoping he wasn't entering sensitive ground. Applejack looked down and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer." Clyde quickly said.

Applejack quickly responded. "No, it is a fair question. I will answer you, but first, I must ask you this; what kind of relationship did you have with your parents?" She asked.

"My... Parents?" Clyde asked, with a confused expression on his face. "My mother was always busy making sure my brothers weren't getting in too much trouble, and dealing with my father. He was a factory worker. I never liked either of them." Clyde explained.

Applejack nodded, "I see." She looked around, making sure no pony else was around. "My mother was a caring woman, who loved working on the farm, like me. My father was a tough, strict stallion. He ran the farm better than any generation of the Apples. When Apple Bloom was born, something went wrong and she died shortly after the birth." Applejack stopped for a moment, it was clearly difficult for her.

Clyde put is hoof on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Applejack nodded, "yes, sorry. After that, my dad grew sick from grief. He fell too ill.." Applejack tried to explain. Her memories were flooding back like a dam collapsing, causing a river to flow.

"No, it can't be! You're lying to me!" A younger Applejack yelled at her brother. "Daddy can't be dead!" She began to hit her brother with fury and grief. "Shut up! Shut up! Just... Shut up!" She kept yelling. Despite her wrath, Big Mac held her close. "It isn't fair..." Applejack cried in despair. Big Mac didn't let his sister go. He was holding back his tears. He believed he had to be strong for his two sisters and his grandmother. He wanted to cry, he wanted to yell just like his sister, but in the end he had a role to play: The role of the eldest brother.

Granny Smith entered the room the two siblings were in. Her eyes were baggy from crying. In her arms was a young foal, no older than a month old. The foal was Apple Bloom. "It's going to be okay." The elder gained the strength to say, not only for the two siblings, but for herself as well. Applejack was crying too hard and Big Mac continued to hold her close. The three ponies plus the foal all sat together on the bed, grieving.

Big Mac let applejack go for a moment. "Grandma?" The stallion asked. "Can I hold Apple Bloom for a minute?" He requested. The old mare nodded and carefully handed her to him. Big Mac looked down at the foal, who was sleeping soundly. "You are a beautiful foal. You're going to grow up strong and beautiful, just like your sister and mother. I'll protect you through anything, no matter how old you are, I will always be there for you." The young stallion said to Apple Bloom, who couldn't understand nor hear him in her slumber, but the words still had effect. "Our mother gave us one last blessing..."

Clyde was holding Applejack at this point, since she was crying hard. "It was the hardest part of my life. I'm just glad I had my brother and grandmother." She said between sobs. After a while, she calmed down and Clyde released her from his caring embrace. "You are a kind pony, Clyde. Thank you. I needed that.

Clyde nodded, "You have needed it for a long time." He said. The two looked out towards the meadow of apple trees. Big mac was returning, finished with the cleaning.

Applejack smiled, "you know, he was right. Apple Bloom is a strong, beautiful filly." she said with a sentimental smile.

Big Mac arrived next to Clyde and Applejack. "We should get inside and prepare dinner. It's getting dark." He said. Applejack nodded as the three entered the home. Applejack prepared a dinner consisting of apple related dishes, as well as some basic sandwiches. The family as well as Clyde enjoyed their dinner. Once it was over, Applejack sent her sister to get ready for bed, and lead Clyde upstairs.

She opened a door at the end of the hall. "Here is the guest bedroom, Clyde. I'm going to tuck Apple Bloom in and head off to bed myself. Thanks for everything, Clyde. Have a good night." She said as she exited the room. The room was of the same decor of the rest of the house, but it had no windows. It had a simple bed, and that's Clyde needed. Sitting in silence, he could hear Applejack talking to Apple Bloom. "Good night Apple Bloom. I know I don't say this every day but, I love you." Clyde smiled when he heard her say that. After a couple of minutes in thought, he grabbed a paper and quill, and proceeded to write his fourth letter.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today was an interesting day. It started very early in the morning. There was a loud crash outside of Rarity's boutique because some fillies were trying to attack Sweetie Belle. Rarity stopped me before I could scold the fillies myself. After a talk with Sweetie Belle, we went to breakfast with the Apple family. After that, I helped out with the farm work. Applejack's family seemed nice, but I noticed something off. There were three siblings and a grandmother, but no parents. I took the risk of asking Applejack about this. She told me about their death, but she asked me an interesting question. She wanted to know what my relationship with my parents was like. I don't know why she asked me this, but it made me realize something. Parents are more than just caretakers and providers. They are guardians, protectors, and most importantly, their child's friend. I guess I never got that concept since my parents were so distant. This actually makes me want to be a guardian some day. The ability to make someone who is vulnerable feel safe is something I would love to do. Being a flight guard and communication source is not my "super special talent" or however Apple Bloom put it. Speaking of, I need to do research on cutie marks. I'll ask Twilight for a book. I look forward to sending you another letter tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Clyde.