Chapters From Solitude to Friendship
The Librarian and a Dragon
It was a sleepless night for Clyde. His thoughts were constantly rushing through him. The feeling of pure disbelief wasn't going to leave him soon. The sun rose before he could catch some sleep, much to his annoyance. He didn't mind too much, since he knew he would be fine. He could hear some steps from upstairs, Clyde assumed Twilight was also awake. He left the spare bedroom and expected to be greeted by Twilight, but he as instead greeted by a small, purple dragon. The two just stared at each other for about a minute. The dragon finally broke the silence.
"Um.. You're new." He said. "Twilight told me some colt was staying here for a day, but I wasn't expecting some pony so.. big." The dragon looked at him with awe.
"I'm only about as big as any other pony." Clyde said as the dragon shrugged and held out his claw.
"The name's Spike, what's yours?" Spike asked.
Clyde tried his best to shake his claw with his hoof. "Clyde. Nice to be of your acquaintance." He said. Spike continued to look at him with awe and bombarded him with questions.
"So it is true that you are from the moon? That you were Nightmare Moon's Servant? That you are Twilight's boyfriend? Can you give me relationship advice?" Spike looked at him with buggy eyes, folding his claws together. Clyde sighed, remembering he was only a child.
"Yes, yes, no, and no." Clyde simply answered. "What gave you those ideas?" He asked.
"Oh, I may have eavesdropped a little, and made a few assumptions that could maybe lead me to Rarity. A lover has got to try." Spike said, clearly in another world. Twilight entered the room, and just in time too.
"Leave him alone, Spike." Twilight said, laughing. "How did you sleep, Clyde?
"Fine." Clyde lied. Twilight started to walk to the kitchen.
"I'm going to make some breakfast for us, why don't you two chat for a bit?" Twilight said.
"Oh, you don't need to make me anything." Clyde said. Spike looked at him funny.
"What will you eat?" Spike asked. Clyde looked away.
"I can fend for myself. I don't want to be a burden." Clyde said.
Twilight laughed, as Spike got more confused. "You don't need to worry, Clyde. Please, accept my offer." Twilight asked. "I'm sure you enjoy pancakes, right?" She asked. Clyde looked at her funny.
"I've never had pancakes. I've only eaten hay and rice for the past many years." Clyde said. Spike looked at him with horror.
"What!? You haven't had pancakes? Let alone any other food that actually tastes good! This is an emergency!" Spike yelled. Twilight laughed.
"Just more of a reason to make you something nice, Clyde. Sit down and relax." Twilight said as she went into the kitchen. Spike continued to look at Clyde in utter shock.
"You okay there, Spike?" Clyde asked.
Spike looked at him in astonishment. "I'm fine, but what about you? You haven't enjoyed all the different types of food out there!" Spike said, snapping out of his shock. "I'm sure Pinkie Pie will be all over it." Spike said, chuckling a little. "I have to warn you about Twilight though.." Spike said, playfully.
"What do you mean?" Clyde asked, clearly confused. "She is the most level headed of her friends in my opinion." As Clyde said that, Spike had to hold back his laughter.
"Well, she may not be as 'level headed' as you say. She is obsessed in books, she is obsessed in meeting Celestia's expectations, she is just obsessive." Spike said.
Twilight's voice can be heard from the kitchen. "I am also obsessed in my friends, because they are the most important ponies in my life. You know what else I am obsessed with Spike?" She asked. Spike didn't answer, just gulped nervously. "I am also obsessed in a certain dragon being quiet about my over compulsive behavior. I may also be obsessive of cutting off sugar in a certain dragon's pancake. Who is obsessive now, Spike?" She asked, audibly laughing.
Clyde looked at Spike, curiously. "I figured you two were just classmates or something, but she seems more of a mother to you." Clyde said.
"I'm more like a brother, thank you." Spike said, clearly embarrassed. Twilight announced that breakfast was ready and the two entered the kitchen to be greeted by a tower of at least 15 pancakes. Spike looked at the tower in awe. "Whoa, Twilight, what is this all about?" He asked.
"I just wanted to treat Clyde for his second day in Ponyville." Twilight said with a proud smile. Spike shrugged and starting eating his first of many pancakes.
"You didn't have to do all this Twilight, but.. Thanks." Clyde said as he sat down in the open seat next to Spike. He began eating his first pancake along with Spike and Twilight.
"This is just a demo for Pinkie Pie. No pony knows what she has planned..." Spike said, shivering. "All I can say is good luck." Spike laughed, so did Twilight.
"Pinkie Pie is.. Something." Clyde said. The other two cracked up some more. "She is kind of annoying too, to be honest." Clyde said, Twilight calmed down a little.
"You will get used to her. Well, as much as any pony can, I'm not even used to her yet." Twilight said. All three of them were laughing at this point. The three continued to share small talk and enjoyed their breakfast. Clyde seemed to enjoy his time with these two. After breakfast, Spike went upstairs so Twilight and Clyde were left alone.
"So Clyde, do you enjoy reading?" She asked.
"Sure, I haven't had much time to read on the moon for obvious reasons, but I have read a few tomes to learn how to get to Equestria." Clyde answered.
"Really? How did you get here anyway?" Twilight asked.
Clyde took a deep breath He was comfortable telling her, but he knew it would take a long time. "Well, I first got information from a few elderly Lunar Beings. I had to work around Nightmare Moon as well. I was her communicator, where I would fly from colony to colony exchanging information. I got a few books on the way. One explained the spell used to barricade Nightmare Moon on the moon, another talked of the Celestial being, sister of Nightmare Moon, and another spoke of portals and how to create them. When I finally got together the materials necessary to create the portal, I needed a Lunar Being who could cast magic. We are much like ponies, where there are pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies, just adapted to the moon. When I found her, she wanted to come with me. Sadly, when we began the spell to breach the barricade, Nightmare Moon tried to stop us. She defended me, using herself as a wall to block Nightmare Moon as I made it through the portal. And that is when I transported here on Equestria, years ago. It took me a very long time to find Canterlot, considering I had to move very slowly, and stay as inconspicuous as possible." Clyde explained, taking a long, deep breath. Twilight just looked at him, no words, just looked at him. She then looked down at the ground.
"It sounds like you have had a very hard time." She finally managed to say. "I am sorry, Clyde."
"It is alright. It was you and your friends that ended it all." Clyde said.
Twilight blushed, "Clyde, we just used the elements of harmony, we really didn't do that much." She said. Clyde looked at her with very serious expression.
"Twilight, you don't get it. Nightmare moon tortured us. Lunar Being were being taken away and locked up with no food until the inevitable happens. She destroyed what she believed didn't work." Clyde began to tear up. "She took away my family, first hand." Clyde wiped away his tears and continued talking. "My parents, brothers, and my younger sister. They are gone. I hated her so much, I still do. Every Lunar Being feared and hated her at the same time. You six eliminated the one that caused all of that fear and hatred." Clyde explained, with sincerity in his voice. "When I first found out, I was too dumbfounded to react properly. Twilight, on behalf of all of the Lunar Beings, I thank you." He said, looking straight into her eyes. Twilight couldn't help but to stare back, she could see the sincerity in his eyes.
"Clyde.." Twilight started to say. "You are very welcome. I am very happy to hear what kind of impact we have had on an entire population." She said, not sure of what to say. The tow stayed silent for about a minute. Clyde looked down.
"Twilight, what kind of books do you read?" Clyde asked, clearly off topic. Twilight perked up.
"Oh, I read all kinds of books. I love reading to research magic, but bedsides that, I read many fantasy novels for fun. There is hardly a day where I don't read." She answered. "Why do you ask?"
Clyde continued to look down. "I would like to start reading again. It's something I haven't properly done since I was a kid." Clyde answered.
Twilight beamed. "I would love to give you a few books, I have many recommendations." Twilight said. She started to show Clyde many different types of books ranging from nonfiction to fiction, history to adventure. She gave him a spare saddlebag to carry some of the books she gave him. The time passed quickly as the two read in silence. The sun was beginning to set. Clyde looked up from the book.
"Twilight, what kind of relationship do you have with Spike?" He asked.
"With Spike? Why do you ask?" She asked.
"I noticed that you two are very close, like mother and child." Clyde responded.
Twilight blushed. "Well, I am sort of like his mother. I hatched him when I was taking my entrance exam to Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. We then bonded together and he helped me along my time as her student. He would always grab me a book I wanted from my bookshelf, he would always surprise me with gifts. He was one of my best friends." She said. "I was sent to Ponyville to study friendship, and that is when I met the other five ponies you met yesterday. He was always by my side through hard times. He is always there to help me, and I am very grateful for him. He may not admit it, but he is definitely like a son to me." She answered.
"That's nice." Clyde answered. "It's interesting how you two are like mother and son, even though you are of different blood and species." Clyde said.
"I've never thought of it that way." Twilight said, tilting her head towards the window. The moon was already up, shining as usual. "It's getting late, we should probably head to bed. It was nice getting to know you Clyde, I hope you have a good time with Rainbow Dash tomorrow." Twilight said.
"Yeah, that's a good idea. I enjoyed my stay. Thanks for having me around, Twilight." Clyde said.
"No problem, Clyde. You need Spike to send your letter to Celestia, so you can leave it on the desk in the living room and I'll have him send it tomorrow. In the next five days you will need to put it in my mailbox. have a good night, Clyde." She said.
"Good night, Twilight." Clyde responded. Twilight went upstairs and Clyde proceeded to enter the spare bedroom. He sat on the bed for a few minuted before grabbing a quill and paper. He began to write his first letter.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I had a very nice time at Twilight's. I met her assistant, Spike, and I was very impressed to see how close they were. She said they bond like mother and son, which I found interesting because they are so different from each other. I also told her about how I got here, and she expressed interest and never seemed bored or uninterested. She is a very polite and kindhearted pony and I am sure you are proud to have her as your student. She has also got me back into reading, I am actually about to finish a chapter of this book she showed me before I go to bed. I had a very good time speaking with her, she is very wise. You should also be proud of Spike, he is a very smart child, and will grow to be very wise as well. Twilight has risen him that way, and I know she is proud of that. I hope to be able to report this well about Rainbow Dash tomorrow. Have a good night.
Yours Truly,
Clyde.
From Solitude to Friendship
For once, Clyde managed to get some sleep. It wasn't much, but it was something. He had no idea what to expect for the day since he knew nothing about Rainbow Dash. From what Twilight told him, she loves to fly, and that is something he can do, so he had no worries that they won't get along. Clyde woke up to the sun beaming in his face, joined with the sound of some pony walking down the stairs. Clyde got up and left the spare bedroom, entering the living room. He was greeted by Twilight and Spike, both relaxing, reading on the couch.
"Oh, hey Clyde, I sent your letter to Celestia. It was nice." Spike said with pride. Twilight looked confused.
"You read it?" She asked Spike. "I didn't bother, you can tell her highness what ever you want to as far as I'm concerned." Twilight added.
"I don't mind, Twilight." Clyde said. Twilight got up from the couch.
"Well, you should probably head off to find Rainbow Dash, I'm sure I know what she has planned for you. I wonder where she would be right now.." Twilight said as she looked at Spike, confused. Just in time, there was a knock on the door. Since Clyde was right by it, he answered it. As expected, the cyan colored mare was standing right there.
"You must be Rainbow." Clyde said.
"What was your first hint? The awesome mane? The awesome pose? My awesome personality?" Rainbow asked.
"I would say it was mostly your mane, not to mention we were introduced yesterday." Clyde pointed out. Twilight and Spike both laughed.
"You guys have a good time, I'll see you both later!" Twilight said as she smiled and waved along with Spike as the duo left the library. Rainbow perked up as soon as the library door closed.
"First thing's first, I am testing your ability to fly!" Rainbow said, flaring her wings. Clyde just stared at her.
"Already? Well, that's fine with me. What do you want to do to... test my ability?" Clyde asked, not sure what to say.
"My house is right on the edge of town in this general direction. It's a big place on a cloud, you cannot miss it, how about a race to there?" Rainbow asked, taking a ready stance. Clyde followed suit.
"I'm warning you, I have never raced in my life, but I have flown for hours at a time." Clyde said with a sudden hint of confidence in his voice.
"Good, means I'll have a challenge!" With that, Rainbow started flying, and Clyde quickly got off his feet and began to fly. Clyde's form was different from Rainbow's. Clyde used brute strength in his flapping motion, where Rainbow used a very quick, agile flapping motion. Nevertheless, Clyde kept up. The two flown at ridiculous speeds for about a minute until a large house on a cloud appeared on the horizon. It was then that Rainbow began to speed up, giving her all. Clyde's wing speed barely sped up, but he put more strength into it, and he surpassed Rainbow, beating her to the house by around 5 seconds. Rainbow was out of breath, but Clyde still had plenty of energy.
"That was.. Amazing.." Rainbow managed to say. "You could seriously be a Wonderbolt." Clyde looked at her, confused.
"What's a Wonderbolt?" Clyde asked.
"I should've known you would have no idea what they are. The Wonderbolts are the strongest fliers in Equestria, and are the leaders of the Equestrian Pegasus Military Force. I will be a part of them some day." Rainbow said, not hiding her pride.
"That sounds interesting. Your flying is impressive, I don't see why you wouldn't become one some day." Clyde said, nodding.
"My flying? What about yours? We have to find out what your wing power is! C'mon, I have a wing power tester in the back of my place." Rainbow said as she flew over to the back side of her house. Clyde followed to be met by a small, fan-like machine. Rainbow flared her wings once again. "This is how it is done." She said as she began to fly at the small machine. When she passed it, the fan spun, and she quickly looked at the dial connected to the machine. "17.5? Nice! Not my record of 18, but close enough!" She shouted. She motioned for Clyde to try. Clyde flew at the machine, working up his speed as powerfully as he could, as Rainbow demonstrated. When he passed the machine and Rainbow looked at the dial, her jaw dropped.
"How did I do? Clyde asked, genuinely curious. Rainbow stepped away from the machine.
"You got a 26. Clyde, those wings can slice through time itself." She said, jokingly but still very impressed. "I'm already beat, Why don't I show you where you will be staying tonight so we can each catch our breath?" Rainbow asked.
"Sure." Clyde answered, not even tired. The two enter the huge house which had a lot of white and cyan colored walls, littered with posters and decor relating to the Wonderbolts and Rainbow herself. Rainbow directed Clyde towards a room close to the entrance of the house.
"This is the room. It is small and only has a bed and desk, I hope it's enough." Rainbow said, sheepishly.
"It's more than enough." Clyde said with no hesitation. Clyde noticed a picture of Rainbow from when she was a filly, standing next to a yellow filly with a pink mane. "Who is this pony standing next to you?" Clyde asked.
"Oh, that's Fluttershy, she was my best friend in school." Rainbow answered.
"Fluttershy? The quiet one?" Clyde asked.
"Yep. are you surprised that we were friends back then?" Rainbow asked, with a nostalgic smile.
"Sort of, is she a great flier or something?" Clyde asked. Rainbow couldn't help but to giggle at the question.
"Quite the opposite, she struggled a lot with flying as a filly, and isn't that strong of a flier today." Rainbow said, her expression less excited, but rather reminiscent. "I always saw Fluttershy being bullied, and she did nothing to defend herself. I could not stand for it. I pushed her bullies when she wouldn't push them herself. We got to know each other very well." Rainbow said, mind clearly going back in time. "I remember one night when she was outside, crying outside of her house. It was on our first day of middle school, so I figured she was just scared. It was then when her mother stopped me. I asked her why, and her mother began to cry." Rainbow was struggling to tell the story. "One of her bullies went too far and told her that she was worthless and a whole bunch of things like that. If it were me, I would shrug it off as some pony trying to bring me down.With Fluttershy, it brought her down, hard." Rainbow took a deep breath. "I protected her. I hate bullies because of what he did to her. That is why she is so introverted, because of bullying." Rainbow's words trailed off. Clyde put his hoof on her shoulder.
"You care for her a lot, don't you?" Clyde asked, knowing the answer.
"Fluttershy always kept me in check, making sure my cocky attitude didn't go too far. Even though she was in a great deal of pain, she still wasted her time on me. She really deserves that element of kindness." Rainbow said. Clyde took his hoof off her shoulder.
"You stood by her side no matter what. As far as I'm concerned, you deserve your element of loyalty as well." Clyde pointed out. Rainbow chuckled.
"You have good memory, I'm surprised you remembered I had that element. It doesn't suit me well at times." Rainbow admitted.
"I disagree. You have five friends that who you have stood by through tough times, never leaving them for your own ideals." Clyde said with a reassuring smile.
"I have been tempted. I won't lie, I have wanted to leave them at times. But I didn't, mostly because of my element. I am not perfect, Clyde. I say I am all the time, but I know I'm not. These ponies need to see me as perfect if I m ever to be a Wonderbolt." Rainbow said, looking down.
"If you are required to look perfect to be a Wonderbolt, then it sounds like the worst job ever. No pony is perfect, nor will they ever be perfect." Clyde said. "Also, it is not just because of your element. I can tell you love your friends." Clyde said. "And, Rainbow, you didn't stay with them because of your element, you stayed because you care about them." Clyde concluded.
"Thanks, Clyde. It's nice to hear some pony say that." Rainbow said, genuinely. The two stood around for a while, neither sure what to say, until Rainbow broke the silence. "Why don't we go for another race? I want to study your form a little more. But first, tell me how you learned to fly." Rainbow requested. Clyde wasn't surprised at the question.
"It's quite a long story. When I was young, my family was taken from me by Nightmare Moon. I was filled with so much hatred, but I had to stay rational in my decisions. I decided to join her small, but powerful military. There were three branches, magic users, fliers, and the strength brigade. The three were divided entirely by race. Lunar Beings are just adapted versions of ponies. I was made to fly, and fly, and fly. I got better quickly, and I moved up the ranks. I became her head flier before I reached adulthood. It was then that I spent 70% of my life flying, 10% information retrieving, 10% sleeping, and 10% hiding from Nightmare Moon's radar. My wings got powerful, and I can go days without sleep." Clyde explained. Rainbow looked at him with awe.
"That is so.. cool." She finally managed to say. "I mean, I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. It must've been very tough.
"Yeah, it was, but it is all over now." Clyde said, and it felt good saying it. "So, how about that race you offered?" Clyde asked with a confident smile.
"Wow, that's a surprise coming from you. Are you getting competitive on me?" She asked.
"Well, since I've spent years practicing, it is time to test my skills." Clyde said, with a new form of determination in his voice. Rainbow was more than happy to test his skills. With that, the two departed the house and started various races through Ponyville. The entire town could see the two soaring the sky. After many hours of tiring races, Rainbow got tired from both constant flying and repetitive losing. She seemed to have enjoyed every minute of it, though. As the sun began to set, the duo flew back to Rainbow's cloud home.
"You are an impressive flier, Clyde. What you told me couldn't have been a lie. I am completely beat, but you look like you can go for another ten races." She said, laughing.
"Honestly, I am pretty beat myself. The competitive nature of racing is tiring." Clyde said with a hint of tiredness in his voice. "you are a great flier yourself. I'm sure the Wonderbolts won't hesitate to have you." He said, reassuringly. Rainbow yawned.
"Thanks, Clyde. Well, I'm heading to bed early, have a good night, it was fun." Rainbow said, yawning once more.
"Good night, Rainbow. I agree, it was fun." Clyde concluded. Rainbow departed to her room and Clyde to the spare bedroom. Clyde lied down on the bed to restore some energy before writing the letter to Celestia. He grabbed a quill and paper and began writing.
Dear Princess Celestia,
At first, I thought Rainbow was an egotistical jerk who only thought of herself. I was very wrong. She told me about her relationship with Fluttershy. Apparently Fluttershy was bullied harshly as a kid, and Rainbow was always there for her. Rainbow told me about how she hated bullies. I think she acts so big to make up for Fluttershy, which is pointless, but thoughtful. She has a big heart to make up for her big ego. She has the potential to become a powerful flier some day. She has genuine love for her friends, I can tell. She also admitted to her own flaws, which I was impressed by. She taught me that first impressions mean nothing. She has taught me how to have a friendly competitive nature, which I barely knew existed until today. I am looking forward to writing to you tomorrow.
Yours Truly,
Clyde
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..
From Solitude to Friendship
Cutie Marks and Lost Guardians
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.
From Solitude to Friendship
Autumn was at it's beginning, so the winds were becoming colder. The sky was dark and the moon shined as bright as it always had. A dark colored pony wearing a black cloak covering most of his body was standing on a flat plain that watched over a nearby village. The village was quiet due to the presence of the moon above. The cloak covered most of his body except a dark gray, masculine muzzle, and a black tail. His eyes were of a dark blue shade, like the ocean. The cloak itself had a mysterious red pattern on it that shined in the moonlight.
He looked down towards the small town. "Ponyville... It will only be a matter of time now." He whispered to himself. He turned around and trotted towards a lone tree on the plain. He lied down next to the tree for cover. It took him a while to close his eyes and rest, The moonlight didn't seem to comfort him very well. It wasn't long until the sun rose and the town began to become more active. Ponies were opening shops and going on about their day. the cloaked pony woke up to the sound of various chatter and business activity coming from the town. He trotted to the town. The pony noticed different signs that read various business names such as "Sugar Cube Corner," "Carousel Boutique," and "Ponyville Theater."
"Isn't there a train station, or anything?" The pony asked in frustration to no one. He was casually greeted by the residents, whom he ignored. He seemed cold towards other ponies, but he just didn't want to engage any pony. It didn't take long until a pink earth pony appeared next to him, seemingly out of nowhere. She had a frizzly pink mane with a lighter pink coat. Her tail was a mess of curls, almost looking like pink cotton candy.
The pink mare waved at him. "Hi, are you new here?" She asked with energy. Her voice was high, and it clearly annoyed Clyde."My name is Pinkie Pie, what's yours?" She asked. The cloaked pony winced at her never ending amount of energy.
"I have no time to waste, what is the strongest method of transportation in town?" He asked, unintentionally rude. This didn't seem to bother Pinkie Pie.
Her expression grew curious. "Oh? Where are you headed, mister?" She asked, tilting her head a little. His expression was growing annoyed.
"I need to find a town called Canterlot." He said, hoping she at least knew which way to go.
"We have trains that go to Canterlot all the time. I love Canterlot! What kind of business do you have there, sir?" Pinkie asked, excitedly.
"I have no reason to tell you." He said. "But, if you'll leave me alone if I tell you, I need to speak to your ruler, Celestia." Clyde hoped that would make her leave.
Pinkie's expression lit up "Princess Celestia?" She asked. "Why don't you talk to my friend, Twilight? She is Celestia's most prized student. She lives here in town." Pinkie said as she started to bounce around the pony. Her bouncing annoyed Clyde, but it also fascinated him. Her energy was endless. "Why don't I take you to her library? It's actually that tree over there." Pinkie said as she points to a tree barely 100 feet away. "By the way, you never gave me your name."
"It's Clyde." He said, a bit friendlier.
"Clyde? That's an odd name." Pinkie giggled. He chose to ignore her comment. Clyde trotted normally as Pinkie bounced cheerfully towards the tree. Clyde noticed a sign in front of it that read "Golden Oaks Library." Pinkie looked over towards Clyde. "Clyde, why do you wear that big cloak? It's not that cold, is it?" She asked, quizzically looking at his cloak. Clyde didn't respond, instead he flipped up the hood revealing the rest of his head. He had a long black mane that flowed freely with the wind.
"Any more questions?" He asked, less annoyed, but still impatient.
"Oh, I have millions of questions! But I don't want to overwhelm you." Pinkie said, still bouncing. Clyde sighed loudly as they approached the front door of the library. Clyde was about to knock, but Pinkie just opened up the door. "I know her very well, she wont mind!" She said, grinning. "Twilight?" Pinkie shouted. A purple coated pony trotted out of the room adjacent to the entrance. Her mane was a darker shade of purple with a pink streak. She was a unicorn.
"Hello Pinkie, what brings you to the library?" The pony asked. She turned her head to look at her friend to notice an unknown pony standing next to her. "Who is this, a new resident?" She asked.
The mare examined him casually. "Are you Twilight?" Clyde asked.
"Yes I am, what's your name?" Twilight asked, very politely. Pinkie started to walk towards the kitchen.
"I'm Clyde." He responded, relieved that Twilight was a much calmer pony. "I have a very important request for you. Is it true that you are one of Celestia's trusted students?" He asked.
Twilight was taken back by the sudden nature of the question. "Why yes, why do you ask?" Twilight asked, smiling.
"I need to speak to her, immediately. Can you help me contact her?" Clyde asked. Twilight's expression shifted from excited to serious.
"Why?" She asked. Pinkie had already made herself comfortable on Twilight's couch, eating popcorn.
Clyde turned very serious. "There is a serious threat that I'm sure she is aware of. But she has to know the severity of the situation. I have been searching for her for a long time." Clyde said. Twilight stepped back.
"What's the danger?" She asked, worried.
Clyde was reluctant to answer. "I don't know how well you would understand. But you know of Nightmare Moon's banishment to the moon, right?" Clyde asked. Twilight looked at him, confused. Clyde continued to speak, "She is going to return soon, we need to take immediate action, she is far more dangerous than you think!" Clyde was almost yelling, unintentionally.
Twilight paused and looked at Clyde as if he were crazy. "Clyde.." Twilight started to say, but her growing laughter interrupted her. Pinkie started to giggle as well.
"Why are you laughing? I told you you wouldn't understand. Can you bring me to Celestia or not?" Clyde asked angrily.
Pinkie raised her hoof. "You know, Twilight, why don't you let Celestia explain it all to him?" Pinkie jumped in, laughing uncontrollably. Clyde was growing angrier.
Twilight shifted her attention to Pinkie's idea. "Sure, that is a good idea, Pinkie." Twilight turned her head towards Clyde. "Clyde, I'll send a letter to her, why don't you sit in the spare bedroom for now? You look very tired." Twilight offered. She wasn't wrong, Clyde's eyes were baggy and his overall expression was droopy. It looked as if he hasn't slept in days, even weeks.
Clyde shook his head. "Thanks, but no thanks, I'll be fine waiting outside." He quickly responded.
"Please, it would be my pleasure." Twilight pursued. "By the way, that is a very interesting cloak you have on, where did it come from?" She asked.
Clyde turned his attention towards his own Cloak, wondering what was so fascinating about it. "I have no reason to tell you." Clyde said.
"That's fine, we all have our secrets. Now, why don't you go relax in the bedroom?" Twilight offered. Clyde seemed relieved that she didn't pursue him for answers.
"No thanks. I can't be a burden to you. I'll be outside if you need me. Thanks for the offer." Clyde said, and swiftly left the library.
"What could his problem be?" Twilight asked.
Pinkie shrugged. "I don't know, maybe he just needs some muffins or cookies. Those always help me in a bad mood." Pinkie said.
Twilight laughed. "Pinkie, why don't you gather the rest of the gang, I'll get Celestia over here, I am very curious as to who Clyde is, exactly." Twilight said. Pinkie nodded and left the library excitedly.
The sun was beginning to set. Clyde was sitting in front of the library, relaxing, but not really sleeping. He noticed various ponies entering and leaving the library but he paid them no mind. Twilight Exited the library and trotted towards him.
"Are you ready to talk with her, Clyde?" Twilight asked.
Clyde got up from the ground. "Yes. Thanks again for doing this." Clyde said. They both entered the library and Clyde was immediately greeted by 6 ponies that were already inside. One of them was Pinkie Pie, the others were an orange earth pony with a yellow mane wearing a cowboy hat, a yellow pegasus with a flowing pink mane, a white unicorn with a well-groomed blue mane, and a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail. The tallest of the six was the one who caught Clyde's attention the most. The taller pony had a white coat, with an aura-like mane of many bright colors.
Twilight started the conversation. "These five are my friends. You have already met Pinkie. The white one is Rarity, the rainbow one is Rainbow dash, The yellow one is Fluttershy, and the orange one is Applejack." Twilight said, pointing to each pony respectively. "And the tallest one, if you didn't already guess, is Princess Celestia." Everyone bowed except for Clyde, who quickly bowed to follow suit.
"Howdy." Applejack greeted.
"Sup?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Nice to meet you, darling." Rarity said with a cheery expression. Fluttershy waved, saying nothing.
"It's nice to meet you all, and it is especially nice to meet you, Celestia." Clyde said. He trotted up to the royal pony.
Celestia looked down to him with concern. "I heard there was a problem you needed to discuss with me, sir Clyde?" Celestia said, her voice calm, but stern.
Clyde closed his eyes for a second before speaking. "Yes. I have been in Equestria for over a year now, searching for you." Clyde said, with relief in his voice.
"Ah, where are you from?" Celestia asked.
"Well, that's where the story begins. This will be hard for you to believe, but I was not born in Equestria, or anywhere in the world." Clyde pointed his hoof up towards the ceiling. "I was born and raised on the moon." Clyde said.
Silence filled the room. "Come again?" Applejack finally asked. Clyde continued to speak.
"There is life on the moon. We refer to ourselves as 'Lunar Beings.' Over a thousand years ago, a group of ponies were brought to the moon by Nightmare Moon herself. They created a community and thrived from it. When Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon, she became the ruler of the Lunar Beings. They have evolved into generations of powerful ponies, and has become a community of war and tyranny, due to Nightmare Moon's horrid dictatorship. There are at least 500 of us scattered all over the moon." Clyde said. Every single pony in the room was in shock, excluding Celestia. No pony knew whether to believe him or think he was crazy.
Celestia, however, nodded her head. "I have always known of the Lunar Beings, but I had no idea one would be able to reach Equestria. So, how did you get here?" Celestia asked, voice very stern. Every other pony in the room were shocked. Their doubts were confirmed to be true.
Clyde stepped back. "I was Nightmare's Moon's top flier and communication source." Clyde took off his cloak, and tossed it on the floor revealing two large, powerful looking wings, matching the color of his coat. He had a strong build. "I flew from colony to colony, sending messages and communicating in her place, delivering messages to her. I hate Nightmare Moon, so much so that I used my position to meet Lunar Beings who knew of ways to break the barrier and make it to Equestria. The barrier, your spell, was not easy to bypass. Legends talked about the Celestial princess, how she would save us all. After reading many books and collecting materials avoiding her vision and using her trust, I made a portal to Equestria. I barely escaped, and Nightmare moon has caused so much suffering to all of us. We need your help. Please help us, Princess of the Sun, ruler of Equestria, Savior of the Lunar Beings." Clyde bowed down to Celestia. The princess as well as every pony else was in shock.
"Clyde, there is so much I need to tell you." Celestia said. "Nightmare Moon has already returned." Clyde's expression went from calm, to scared, to confused, then finally to hysterical.
"What? How it that possible? Equestria isn't in ruin or anything!" Clyde yelled. Celestia looked at him with a knowing expression, smiling.
"These six ponies you see here have summoned the six elements of harmony. Twilight represents Magic and friendship, Pinkie represents laughter, Applejack Honesty, Fluttershy kindness, Rarity generosity, and Rainbow Dash represented loyalty." Celestia said as the six bowed their heads as each name was mentioned. "Using the elements, they returned Nightmare Moon to her previous state, as my sister, Luna." Clyde almost fell on his back out of surprise. His mouth gaping wide.
"So... Nightmare moon is gone?" Clyde asked, in disbelief.
"Yes." Celestia confirmed. Clyde fell to the ground, all four hooves barely keeping him up.
"I don't believe you, I can't believe you!" Clyde yelled, not caring who he was yelling at.
"Do you wish to meet my sister, as proof?" Celestia asked.
"Please." Clyde answered with no hesitation. Celestia then knocked on a door, which was opened from the other side to reveal a pony with a similar structure to Celestia. She had a blue and black coat with flowing blue hair.
"You must be Clyde." The pony said, motioning towards Clyde. He stepped back.
"Are you Luna? You look so much like Nightmare Moon. Except you give off a different vibe." Clyde looked at her, quizzically. "You seem much calmer." Clyde said, keeping his guard up nevertheless.
The blue mare nodded her head. "I am Luna, and I was once Nightmare Moon. I have little memory of my time as her, so forgive me for not recognizing you. However, I do feel as if I have met you before. It must be because I am indeed the same pony." Luna said, trying to comfort Clyde. "I promise you, that part of me, Nightmare Moon, is gone." Luna said with a reassuring smile. Clyde sat stepped back, taken by too much surprise. Every pony stared at him as he was slowly processing all of this information.
"It's all over. Years of suffering, agony, all of it, over." Clyde's eyes began to water up. He flailed is hooves in the air, laughing. "It's over! Praise the elements of harmony! It's all over!" Clyde bowed down to every one of the six ponies. "Praise all of you!" The six were almost disturbed by his reaction.
Twilight spoke up. "It was nothing, we did what we had to." Twilight said. "Now that you are free, you probably want to head back home. Do you have a family at home?' She asked.
"My family was.. Taken away when I was young. I have nothing to live for there. I was Nightmare Moon's servant, and nothing else. I have no reason to ever return." Clyde said, almost somber.
"So, what will you do now, Clyde?" Celestia asked. Every pony had curious expressions.
"I... I don't know." Clyde responded. He honestly had no idea, this whole situation was too much to bear.
The overall mood in the library was pretty bittersweet. Every pony exchanged awkward looks until Twilight finally spoke up. "Clyde, why don't you stay in Ponyville for a while? You should get to know some of the residents, and get to learn a little about yourself." Twilight offered
Clyde looked right into Twilight's eyes, they were sincere. "I think I will, for now. I promise I will not burden you for long, I just need to figure out what to do." Clyde said, much calmer.
Twilight smiled, "Oh, it's no problem at all! We would be happy to have you around." Twilight said, as every pony else in the room nodded.
"I promise I will repay all of you for what you have done. You have no idea what you guys did for the Lunar Beings, and we will forever be grateful." Clyde said, bowing once more.
Applejack was the one to speak up. "C'mon sugar cube, it's nothing. You owe us no debt." Applejack said, as every pony nodded once more. Pinkie chirped up.
"I have a great idea!" Pinkie shouted. "Why don't we have Clyde stay with all six of us, one at a time, for six nights. That gives him one week to try different things, and find out what he will want to do!" Pinkie jumped for joy at her idea.
Celestia walked towards Clyde. "That is actually a wonderful idea, and if every pony else agrees, then I have a small favor for you, Clyde." Celestia said, voice a lot less stern, but more friendly.
"It is a fine idea." Rarity said.
"Sounds good to me!" Applejack said, with high optimism.
"That would be fine, as long as he can handle flying!" Rainbow Dash said, with enthusiasm.
"That's fine.." Fluttershy said, quietly, still keeping her distance. That was the first time Clyde has heard her speak. She had a very soft voice that you had to listen closely for.
"Is it okay with you, Clyde?" Twilight asked.
He nodded. "That's fine. If it will help me repay my debt to you all, then I have no problem with it." Clyde said. Celestia nodded and looked at him.
"Since every pony agrees, like I promised, I have a request for you. Consider it your way of repaying your debt to me." Celestia said, with a smirk. Luna looked at her sister, confused.
"Sister? What is it that you have planned?" Luna asked.
Celestia giggled, "Clyde, I want you to write to me every night, after spending time with one of Twilight's friends, and her included. I want you to tell me how they demonstrate friendship, and how they helped you in any way. Anything you want to write about them, go ahead." Celestia glazed her vision around the six other ponies. "Consider this a test of friendship, I trust you will not fail." Celestia said, chuckling.
"Such a simple task? That's how you want to to repay you, Celestia?" Clyde asked. Celestia grinned.
"Absolutely." She said plainly. "Twilight, I trust you to organize this agreement however you like, as long as I get a letter sometime, there wont be any issues." Celestia said to her prized student.
"Yes, ma'am!" Twilight said, happily.
Luna spoke up. "Sister, we should get going, we have business to attend to." Luna said.
Celestia gave one last look to the seven ponies. "Very well, I will see all of you later. I look forward to you letters, Clyde." Celestia said. Every pony waved goodbye. Celestia and Luna teleported away. Clyde took a moment to sit down, and stared at nothing.
Rainbow Dash hovered in the air next to him, waving her hoof in front of his eyes. "Still in shock there?" Rainbow Dash asked. "You'll get used to us sooner or later. I know we are pretty amazing, but we are still normal ponies." She said, every pony giggled at her remark.
Twilight spoke up. "So, should we discuss in what order Clyde should stay with us? Twilight asked.
"You should be first darling, after all, you are basically the leader of our little group." Rarity said.
Twilight rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Sure. Rainbow should be second then, because she seems to be dying to see what his wings can do." Twilight giggled.
"How did you know?" Rainbow asked. Every pony looked at her with annoyed expressions. "Okay, okay, maybe I was a bit obvious.." She finally said.
Twilight looked around the room. "Any takes for third?"
"I'll take him. After Rainbow Dash, he will need a break from all of that activity." Rarity offered. Applejack chuckled.
"Then I'll take him fourth, since he will need a break from... you." Applejack said, giving a playful nudge to Rarity.
Twilight nodded at both Rarity and Applejack. "Okay, and then I think he should stay with Pinkie next, because what ever she has planned for him, Fluttershy will remedy it." Twilight said laughing. Every pony was laughing at this point.
Clyde looked around at every pony. "You are all so close, it's amazing. All of your personalities clash, yet, you get along so well. I look forward to meeting you all." Clyde said, bowing.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Okay, enough with the bowing, please!" Rainbow said, almost annoyed.
"Sorry, just used to it, that's all." Clyde said. Every pony was thinking about what they would do with a pony that hasn't experienced anything more than Nightmare Moon's tyranny. Every pony was excited.
"Well, it is late, We should all head home. Well, you guys should, I'm already here." Twilight said, laughing. "Clyde, you can stay in the spare bedroom I offered you before, and I will not take no for an answer!" Twilight demanded. Clyde simply nodded, too exhausted to care. The other five ponies said their goodbyes and headed home.
Twilight walked Clyde over to the spare bedroom. "Well, good night, Clyde, it has been quite a day." Twilight said.
"It has." Clyde said, not sure what t say. "And, hey, I'm sorry for being so impolite before. I can't thank you enough for what you girls did." Clyde said.
Twilight shook her head. "It is nothing. Have a good night Clyde, see you tomorrow." Twilight said as she began to head upstairs.
"Good night." Clyde responded. Clyde entered the bedroom. All it had was a bed, which was more than enough for him. "It is so unreal... All of those years of terror, over... It can't be real." Clyde whispered to no pony but himself. He couldn't sleep, All he did was lay in bed, deep in thought.
