//------------------------------// // The Beaten Path // Story: Rainbow and Clyde // by protractror //------------------------------// Once Rainbow and Clyde had made it a safe enough distance from Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow finally slowed down and landed. It was definitely an exhilarating chase, and she was sure she even saw Clyde crack a smile or two during the flight. Understandably, she was quite surprised when she turned around too see the same dead pan expression on Clyde's face. He looked like the flight they had just endured was less exciting than making breakfast. He didn't seem mad though, so Rainbow figured she would just have to make do with it. After untying his rope, Clyde slowly started trotting off to Ponyville so that Rainbow had to quickly catch up. "So what is it about my daughter that makes you want to be with her?" Clyde finally said, not turning his head on his slow march back to town. Rainbow was caught off guard, she was used to being the conversation starter. It was probably for the best though, Clyde had shot down so many of her topics she was starting to resort to talking about the weather. Not even the cool weather like rain or sleet though, all she had left was cloud quotas and temperature guidelines at best. It was tough to be interesting when your job was the epitome of forced conversation. None of that really mattered anymore though because Clyde had just leaped over the gap from small talk to real conversing like a trained show horse. If Rainbow was ever going to win him over, this was her opportunity. She could handle this though, it wasn't like what Clyde usually did. This was what she was expecting when she agreed to spend the day with him. Awkward, but manageable. "Well, I think that Pinkie is a very kind, funny pony that I admire greatly." Rainbow knew what to do when talking to parents like this from her own experience. Lay on the schmaltz and they'll eat it up. " She has a hard work ethic and I want to treat her with the respect that she so much deserves, sir. I love being around her, and we get along great. I mean we are best friends. And if you have any doubt sir, I can show my sincerity by the fact I agreed to Rock Law." Throw in a pinch of good manners for Clyde, and boom. Nothing but a lasting impression of loyalty and honesty. Well, that is splendid to hear Miss Rainbow Dash of Cloudsdale. I am so very honoured by that explanation that I believe I shall call of this whole trial and present to you my Daughter by sundown!" Clyde stopped and turned to Rainbow Dash. "I can speak fancy too, Rainbow. Now if you don't say some words that actually mean something I'd say we can call this day done." Rainbow wasn't expecting that, especially since she meant what she had said. Albeit the words may have been a bit over the top, but she still felt that way about Pinkie Pie. "Hey, I meant everything I said!" "Really? You want to be with my daughter because she is 'a kind, funny pony'? Was it her 'hard work ethic' that made you swoon? If the best reason you can give is that you get along great than I have news for you. Pinkie gets along great with everyone! So unless you have anything more too say you have just as much chance of being with Pinkie as those trees back at the farm. Because guess what? Even they get along great with Pinkie." The truth of Clyde's statement slowly hit home with Rainbow. She basically was saying how much of a friend she was, and really everyone was a friend of Pinkie. Living in Ponyville, it wasn't even a choice to be friends with her. One hit from her welcome wagon and she'd never let up. Really, Rainbow was just one among many, a friend of Pinkie. What made her different however was that she wanted more. "Hey, that is so not true! Uhm... sir!" Rainbow quickly recovered. "Pinkie's everything I want in a pony. Its like, well, its like what my mom used to say to me. Whenever I asked her why she ended up with my dad, she always said it was because he was her best friend." Rainbow had asked her mother that on many occasions, as her dad was at times, quite the dork. Her mother had always been the cool one, always in control and ready for anything. Her dad, Celestia bless him, was a bit less focused. A clutz in the air and a jokester on the ground, Rainbow loved him, but she often wondered how anyone else could. "I never really understood what she meant by that, but they were so happy together that I just sort of believed it. Then when I started living in Ponyville I met a ton of new ponies and made a bunch of friends. Being a world class flier can do that for you." She was interrupted by a "hrrumph" from Clyde, and started again a little more reserved. " I even made a few best friends. But all that made me think was that my mom was spouting a bunch of nonsense. I didn't feel that way about any of my friends. I guess you could say I loved them, but never in that way. Plus there wasn't just one best friends and seeing how I wasn't living in Mootah I don't think I could marry them all." "But then I started hanging out with Pinkie Pie. All of a sudden it all sort of made sense, I had found my best friend. I mean, I do everything I'd do with any of my friends, but it leaves me wanting more. I want to hear her laugh, I want to have the feeling of success when we pull off a prank together. Honestly, I just want to be with her more and I don't know what that really means. But I know that it's going to be more than friends." It felt nice to actually say it out loud Rainbow realized. It was almost reaffirming. "That'll do." Clyde said, walking again as if nothing had been said. If Rainbow had just poured her soul out, than Clyde seemed to be a strainer. Rainbow couldn't help but feel ripped off with his lack of a response. Feeling cheated and just a little bit gutsy, she decided to press her luck. "If you get a question like that, then I think I get a question too." "Shoot." "Why did you take all of those apples with you when you were running off?" There was a long pause after that. "Well?" "I didn't say you'd get an answer." Meanwhile back at Sugarcube Corner, Gummy was unamused. It was well past his lunch and there was no sight of any food available. His pink companion had left out the window, and the old brown pony wasn't anywhere either. If everything continued this way Gummy would have to resort to hunting like an animal. As degrading as it was, Gummy was more worried about how ineffective he would be without teeth. His killing tools were closer to the jaws of life than anything destructive. Gummy sniffed around, trying to locate any spare cupcakes Pinkie might have left in her haste to leave. However, on examination things were worse than he thought. He smelt burnt toast. Now he was going to have a seizure and then starve to death. Doing the only thing his tiny brain could think of in a crisis situation, Gummy waddled forward at full speed before softly bumping into the walls of the bakery. He needed that, it cleared his head.However the burning toast was just all the more clear now. The room was starting to get a little darker for Gummy. This was primarily from the smoke coming in from the very real burning toast which had never been taken out, but he saw it as his life force fading. Realizing that he needed help, Gummy started his adorable, yet life threatening, waddle out of the house. It would take a while, and it wouldn't be easy, but Gummy had to do what he had to do. Back in Ponyville, Rainbow and Clyde were finally nearing the city proper. Clyde still wasn't talking beyond one or two word sentences, but Rainbow wasn't terrified of him anymore. Well, unless he said something that put her back on high alert which was surprisingly often. Right as they came into town however, Rainbow was surprised to see one of her friends heading in the opposite direction. However, she was more surprised when she saw Rarity come running up to Clyde in particular with a wide smile on her face. Clyde for his part had one of his fore legs raised for the oncoming hug. It wasn't a pinkie Pie like glomp, but instead a hug between friends. "Clyde! Well its about time you came down to Ponyville!" Rarity seemed to notice Rainbow a bit later, turning to her and then back to Clyde. "What are you doing with Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow Dash was just confused now, especially since she was apparently the odd part of this encounter. "Pinkie's out so I'm giving him a tour. Better question though, how do you know him?" Clyde took this opportunity to speak up. "What do you think we do with the rocks we farm? Eat them?" "Clyde here is single hoofedly the reason I'm still in business. I can't count the amount of times I've had a fashion line rely on his rocks and gems.And he always does it so promptly and professionally! I don't think I've ever been up there and not gotten a home-cooked meal with my shipment." "Well that's the least I could do for my favourite client." Clyde said with a glow much akin to when he talked to Pinkie. Turning to Rainbow Dash he pulled Rarity in for another hug. "This little one has been coming up to my farm ever since she got her Cutie Mark. She's like one of the girls when she comes up, I'll tell you that much. Say, is this pony the one you were always trying to convince into giving a makeover?" Clyde had a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "No, that would be Applejack. However... ooh I can just see it now!" "Whoa, whoa whoa!" Rainbow Dash interjected. She had been Rarity's fashion puppet before, and it was not an experience she felt needed repeating. "I think I'm go-" she was cut off however by a subtle kick from Clyde. He was giving her a glare, one that clearly said she was getting a makeover. Through gritted teeth, she said "Actually, I think I'd love that Rarity." Rarity wasn't stupid, but at the same time she wasn't going to let an opportunity like this pass. With a squeal she grasped Rainbow by the shoulder and dragged her off to the boutique in a cloud of dust. Clyde just let out a chuckle and slowly followed the pair. (Author's note. Chapter 4, woohoo! So remember all that stuff I said about editing in the comments? My editor/reviewer just became a pre-reader for EQD (Congrats Vimbert!), so he wont be working on this anymore. In the meantime, I'll be posting this with only my proofreading for now.)