//------------------------------// // Under a Starry Sky // Story: Amor Vincit Omnia // by BRyeMC //------------------------------// Rarity stepped out of the SUV and gave a smile at the familiar building in front of her as the sun was beginning its decline in the early July sky. She was finally home. After being stuck in the passenger seat of her family's car from a long drive from Manehattan, Rarity gave a stretch and walked towards the back of the car. She popped open the trunk and reached for her many suitcases and bags. "I'll carry your stuff in," said Magnum, "you can go rest some more if you want and get familiarized with home again. Plus, your mother is inside dying to see you." Rarity grinned. "Thank you, father!" She hugged him and kissed his cheek before running into their home. She ran by the shop section of the store, which hadn't been touched in over a year other than the normal dust cleaning, and entered the kitchen. The sound of her boots hitting the kitchen floor caused a woman to turn around. Her face was lit up with tremendous joy. "Rarity, my beautiful daughter is home!" stated Pearl with excitement. She ran up to her and hugged her tightly. "I missed you too," said Rarity softly. She felt tears in her eyes and could hear her mother sniffling. "Leaving you all again after Christmas was harder than leaving the first time." Pearl leaned back and smiled. She held onto Rarity's arms for a moment and hugged her again. "We are just happy you are home safe. I know you probably got annoyed at your father and I for calling you every week, but it's a parent thing." "I didn't mind," said Rarity with a smile, "I loved hearing your voices. Is Sweetie Belle home?" "I'm afraid not. She went to that new horror movie her with friends. She wanted me to tell you she's sorry she couldn't be here, but the tickets for the movie was hard to come by and they had them for weeks." Rarity frowned but gave an understanding nod. "That's fine. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, so tomorrow will be perfectly fine for us to reunite!" The sound of the shop door opening and a loud thud was soon heard and Rarity and Pearl peeked into the room. Magnum stood above all of Rarity's luggage that was piled up in the middle of the room. "I hope nothing delicate was in those bags," said Magnum worryingly. Rarity walked up to the mountain of bags and grabbed the top bag. Out of all of them, it was the smallest one. "I made sure Clyde's console was protected when I packed it in, but I mostly have clothes in these bags except for this one." She moved the other bags aside and opened the largest bag on the the bottom. After giving a smile, she pulled out the giant white colored stuffed bear from the giant duffel bag. "Sorry about that, Melo. I shouldn't have suffocated you in there." She quickly hugged him. "Is this the stuffed bear Clyde gave you for Christmas?" asked Pearl. Rarity nodded. "I named him Marshmelo, or Melo for short, since he is pure white and perfectly soft." She gave a loving giggle. "He helped me through the cold winter." "Speaking of Clyde, did he tell you when he's coming home?" Rarity looked at her mother and sadly frowned. "No, he never said which day..." Her frown quickly evaporated and a smile formed. "However, he did say July was the month he would be home, so I just have to keep waiting!" Her eyes sparkled in anticipation. Pearl looked over at Magnum and the two of them grinned. Magnum walked over to the luggage mountain and looked down at a bag. "Would you like help carrying this upstairs to your room, too?" "If you want to, but I can carry it up in trips. It's not a difficult climb to my room." Rarity gave a smile. "Alright, we'll leave you to it. Opal is probably sleeping in your room anyway." "Opal!" exclaimed Rarity, "I can't believe I forgot to visit Opal!" She turned towards the stairs and charged up them. At the top of the stairs, she slightly turned left to open the door and enter her room. She gushed when she saw her lovely cat sleeping on her neat and made bed that probably wasn't touched since Christmas. "Hello, Opal! Mommy is home!" Opal opened one of her eyes and flicked her tail before returning to sleep. Rarity ignored her "lazy" attitude and sat down beside her, petting her head on the spot only Clyde and her knew Opal liked. Opal purred as she kept her eyes closed. "Clyde is coming home soon, too, Opal." Opal opened both her eyes and suddenly rubbed her head into Rarity's leg. She looked up at her and gave a small meow. "I know we both can't wait for him to come back." Rarity smiled and looked around her room. Everything was the same at first glance from the last she was in it, but there was a blank space on her wall beside one of the collages she made for Clyde and her. Remembering where it was, she quickly ran downstairs to pick up the smallest bag of luggage. She carried it upstairs and opened it up. She dug out the console and gently placed it on one of her shelves. The bottom of the duffel bag had a particular frame that she carefully took it out. After looking at it and noting that no repairs were needed, Rarity smiled and put it on her wall beside the other one. For the next half hour, Rarity unpacked her bags and put all of her clothing back into the appropriate dresser. It took longer than she would have liked, but it felt amazing to her seeing empty luggage bags and knowing that all her clothes were safely stored in her room. She gave a sigh of relief and crashed down on her bed. "I missed this bed so much," she cooed. Her eyes eventually drifted away from the ceiling and onto the wall with the collages. Sad thoughts of being lonely began to creep into her mind and she quickly got up and ran out of her room. While she wasn't completely depressed like her time in Manehattan early on in her year internship, she still missed him even though she was home and he was coming soon. She thought it would be best just to walk around to ease her mind. "What's wrong?" asked Pearl when Rarity reached the shop floor. Both Magnum and her was looking at their saddened daughter. "Nothing is wrong, I just want to walk around the city for some fresh Canterlot air," said Rarity looking out the main door. "Don't get into trouble," commented Magnum with a chuckle. "I know you're old enough so we don't have to watch out for you, but it's getting late." "Just promise us that you won't be too late, dear," said Pearl. "You're probably still tired and we don't want to go searching all over the town for you in the morning in case you fall asleep somewhere." Rarity laughed. "I'll be home in an hour or so. Don't worry!" She gave them a smile and headed out the door. Canterlot always looked pretty at the time of sunset. Unlit buildings, trees, and people were completely in shadow unless a glow from the streetlights came into contact with them. She looked down at her boots and was surprised that she could see all the detail on the sidewalks and streets. Canterlot and Manehattan were two complete different worlds, but for some reason, Rarity enjoyed the simple life of Canterlot more. There was no chaos in the streets with traffic jams or hordes of people walking and shoving others. After a few blocks, Rarity pulled out her phone and opened up her text messages. Clyde never replied from a few hours ago when she was still in the car on her way back to Canterlot. Seeing how it would be early morning instead of the break of dusk for him, she assumed he was sleeping. She got out of his conversation to open up the group chat with her friends. She quickly typed to see if any of them were home. Within a few minutes, Rarity frowned to see all of them were either busy or simply not in town. Applejack was at one of the few Apple family meetings that wasn't at Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie was at some anime convention with her "Swifty", Fluttershy was working the night shift at the animal rescue, Rainbow Dash was at some professional soccer game a few hours away, and Sunset was at one of her summer classes for school. Discouraged, Rarity sighed and stopped her walk that was to no particular destination. She looked around and noticed she was standing in front of the Sweet Shoppe. It was the middle of summer so the shop itself stayed open longer compared to the winter months. Rarity gave a smile and walked inside. There were a few customers inside sitting at the small tables or booths sharing milkshakes or laughing. All of them were likely younger than Sweetie Belle, so Rarity didn't know any of them. She walked up to the counter and looked up at the menu. She didn't really know why she was looking at the menu as her and her friends sat in this shop many times during their friendship. "Well, look who it is!" cheered a feminine voice. Rarity looked down and saw Mrs. Cake walking up from behind the counter. "Pinkie didn't tell me you came home already!" "I just got back not even an hour ago," replied Rarity. "How've you and Mr. Cake been?" "Oh, you know, same old I suppose. Our shop is still running so we can't complain." Mrs. Cake laughed. "I'm glad to see you survive the big city. Pinkie told us you were having troubles early in December, but we didn't know exactly how to help you." "I'm fine now, but thank you for your concern. I really have to thank Pinkie and the others. They helped me greatly." "Wonderful! Give me a moment, I want to give you something!" Mrs. Cake quickly turned around and pulled out a cup. Rarity tried watching her, but with Mrs. Cake's back to her, she couldn't exactly see. After a minute, Mrs. Cake turned back around and handed Rarity a caramel macchiato, her favorite drink. "Have a treat on me! Welcome back!" Rarity flashed a large smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Cake!" "No problem! It's the least I can do for one of my Pinkie's friends! I know she isn't home, but remember, we love seeing you girls hang out here!" "I'll be sure to visit soon along with the others! We simply love it here." Rarity sipped on the drink and closed her eyes in pleasure. While it was the same drink she got in Manehattan, the Sweet Shoppe's was more tasty in her opinion. The Cakes' drinks always tasted better because they cared about both their customers' satisfactions and their products with delicacy, something a mass coffee store couldn't replicate. "Anyway, I probably should be going. I still want to walk around while the sky is a mix of pretty colors. Thanks again!" Mrs. Cake gave her a wave. "My pleasure. Enjoy your homecoming night! I'm glad to see you again and are safe at home!" Rarity smiled before leaving the shop. She sipped on her drink and looked at the sky. It was a mix of blues and purples now, but it was a great sight to see. It was extremely hard to see the sky in its natural colors with all the lights from the buildings in the city. She thought of something else to do before she continued her lovely walk. After a brief moment of looking at the sky, she decided to visit the park. By the time she would reach it, she knew the stars would be easily seen in the sky. She sipped on her drink and began the trek. It was near the halfway point of the journey to the park where Rarity walked by the restaurant Clyde and her had their first official date. She gave a smile at the whole thought of that night. At first, she thought it would be a simple movie date in which two friends would go together. Clyde was the only option as all of her friends were busy with other plans that night and she really did want to see the new movie at the time. However, after eating at the restaurant and watching the movie, which really reminded her of the growing relationship with Clyde due to the similarities, she began feeling much different towards him. He was truly different compared to the other boys, but for some reason, she felt peaceful whenever he was around. He wasn't really popular at the time nor was he exactly rich, but Rarity didn't care about those things with him. She loved his caring and compassionate side that not many boys showed her when they were trying to impress her, even though Clyde never tried to woo her. Of course, she knew about his many blushes whenever she was around him, but because she kept teasing him about, he began to act more calm. While most boys in high school wanted to act tough or cool, Clyde stayed true to himself and avoided the spotlight. He even treated her as if she was the only girl in the world to him, which was true since he had no sisters and his mother was unfortunately not around anymore. Even after knowing him for nearly three years now, Clyde still was the same person she fell in love with; a loving boy who only wanted his "princess" to be loved and happy. After a few more minutes of walking, Rarity found herself at the park. She threw away her empty cup in the trash bin and walked down the stone-bricked path towards the heart of the park. She glanced at the basketball courts that was a nearby the entrance she took and was surprised to see someone shooting around, even in the darkness of the night. The park and its paths were lit up by streetlights and the giant fountain in the middle, but the courts were always dark because it was supposed to be closed at dusk. Apparently for that person, they didn't care. Rarity tried to see who it was, but since she was so far away and the person was just a silhouette, she had no idea who it could have been. The person didn't know she was even there until Rarity accidentally stepped on a branch from one of the trees that grew along the path. The person turned towards the source and Rarity adjusted her pace towards the fountain, hoping the person didn't see her or even knew her to bother her. She just wanted time alone on a beautiful night. Within a minute, Rarity eventually found herself at the heart of the park. The large fountain's central spout illuminated the stone-bricked pathways leading to the basketball and tennis courts, the small pond that housed ducks and fish, the soccer and baseball fields, and finally the park stage that bands played on during concerts. The smaller spouts and their lights helped brighten the area as well. Rarity sat down on the fountain's edge across from the pond and looked up at the now blackened sky. The stars were fully out now and shone brightly down on the surface of the pond, along with the beautiful moon. Rarity saw a few people walk on the bridge above the pond as she pulled out her phone to capture the lovely scenery. After taking a quick picture, she turned her body around to look at the fountain. After taking a picture of the bright fountain and its many spouts, Rarity leaned down and dipped her hand in the pool of water. She flinched as the cool water rushed up her hand. The fountain wasn't extremely deep, but since the base of it spanned a large area, there was a few feet of water to support all of the spouts. A normal tradition for visitors of the park was to throw spare pennies in the fountain to make a wish. She didn't bring any money with her, so Rarity looked on the ground and luckily found a penny near her foot. She didn't want to take away any pennies from the fountain as she would feel guilty of breaking someone's wish. Rarity closed her eyes and gave a smile before flicking the bronze coin into the fountain. She felt a small drop of water splash up at her face and she quickly turned back around to look up at the sky. Rarity tried looking for constellations, but the activity was short-lived as she couldn't exactly remember any. Clyde would've helped her since she knew he was into stargazing, but since he wasn't there to help, she had to pretend she knew them. She gave a content sigh and closed her eyes, feeling only a small breeze flow through her hair. The wind felt amazing as it seemed to flow through her entire body and the sound of the fountain behind her completely enclosed her from every outside source. She felt a total state of calmness and one with nature, something that was impossible to accomplish while living in a bustling city. It felt great for her to find her mind acting calm especially after her minor depression in the winter of feeling alone. She would've stayed sitting on the fountain's edge in absolute harmony longer if a voice hadn't suddenly spoke to her. "Hey there, beautiful. Mind if I join you?" Rarity's eyes shot open as she knew that voice as well as any of her friends or family members. Her eyes first saw dark sweatpants and a black shirt, and as her eyes came into contact with a pair of teal ones, Rarity felt her eyes flood with tears of happiness and joy before she quickly launched off of the fountain's edge and ran over to hug the boy in front of her. "Clyde!" she cried. Clyde never replied, but Rarity felt him accept the hug by hugging her tighter and pulling her closer to him. Rarity wrapped her arms around his neck as Clyde held onto her around her hips. She leaned her head near his for a few moments before moving it away from his to look at him directly with eye contact. The two smiled away at each other. It was so long since she had smiled that happily, but Rarity felt the stars somehow twinkle brighter above her at the reunion of two lovers. She could smile all night. "How are you, Rarity?" asked Clyde awkwardly. He was still smiling and Rarity could tell he was just as excited to see her as she was to see him. Rarity touched his forehead with hers. "Absolutely divine, especially since you are here." "That's good to hear." Clyde slightly adjusted his grip on her hips and smirked. "It's been so long since the last I've seen you in person that I'm actually feeling nervous." "Nervous about what, darling?" giggled Rarity. "Being around your girlfriend?" "An amazingly beautiful girlfriend." Rarity smiled at the comment and snuggled her head into his shoulder. Her body, mind, and heart was filled with so much emotion, she didn't know what to do. She only knew she was in his arms and she didn't want to leave them. "I've missed you so much, Clyde. I never realized how much being this close to you would make me feel this happy again. I never want to be that far away from you ever again. This feeling of completeness is truly wonderful." Clyde rested his chin atop her head and hugged her even tighter. It still wasn't a complete bear hug, so Rarity wasn't in pain, but if she did feel anything, she wouldn't have cared. "I agree." He looked around the park for a brief scan and then returned his eyes to her. "Would you like to sit down instead of just standing here all night?" he asked with a laugh. Rarity smiled. "It doesn't matter to me in the slightest, but I think sitting would be easier for us to look at each other and talk." Clyde nodded and grinned before moving his hands completely away from her hips. He gently wrapped his arms and clasped them together around her "delightful and cute derrière" as Rarity called it, and he lifted her straight off the ground so that her feet hovered a fair amount of inches from the ground. Rarity giggled as she towered over him by a few inches. She looked down at him with a smile and rested both her hands under his jaw before wrapping her arms around his neck as he walked over to the fountain carefully, looking up at her and trying not to trip on the way there. Once he reached the fountain, Clyde gently lowered her and placed her on the fountain's edge and sat down next to her. Rarity grabbed his hand and smiled in bliss as she looked into his eyes. The two of them didn't speak for a few seconds as looking at each other was more important for them. Like her own image, Rarity noticed Clyde didn't really have a major change in appearance since last June. He may have gained a few more pounds in muscle for playing on the team, but it was hardly noticeable and it didn't concern her. While she did enjoy having the feeling of someone strong protecting her, she knew Clyde would protect her no matter how muscled he was, like he had since she has known him. His face was shaved, but she could see his stubble was busy growing in, which she adored. "How was the flight home?" asked Rarity breaking the silence between them. "Did you just arrive in town?" Clyde shook his head. "My flight arrived in Baltimare early this morning. Coach, I mean, Iron Will, picked me up from the airport and he drove me back here around noon. I know you were texting me in the morning, but my phone died and I forgot my charger on the plane." Rarity nodded and knew now the reason for no texts from him on her way home. "Noon? That's the same time I left Manehattan!" Rarity looked at him with a puzzled expression. "But you say Coach Iron Will picked you up?" Clyde chuckled and smiled. "Yeah. Other than you, the person I talked to the most overseas was Iron Will. We talked about basketball and whatnot and discussed how T was playing stellar for his college team. Speaking if T, I can't believe he got drafted to a professional team in the first round. I'm proud of him." Clyde shook his head with a grin. "But back to me, I told Iron Will when I was coming back and he said he would pick me up so I could surprise you." "Coach was always such a swell guy," stated Rarity sweetly. "I'm glad he always had us girls not have to play the sports in gym class if we didn't want to. All those boys were savages in gym class and I'm extremely pleased to know you always wanted to walk the track with me and Applejack instead." Clyde laughed and nodded. "Anyway, after getting home and unpacking, I waited until this evening to visit you at your house, but when I walked over, your parents told me you left not even five minutes ago. I decided to come visit the courts again and wait another hour and there you came by." "I guess it was our fate to meet here again tonight," stated Rarity playfully with a flirty wink. "Maybe," replied Clyde. He looked up at the sky and smiled. "Although, I'm not sure if fate has anything to do with us anymore. Fate lost its connection to us over love in the past few years." Rarity laughed and rested her head on Clyde's shoulder. It did seem weird and fateful that the two of them reunited at a unplanned location, but she knew he was right about love being more important to them. If two people loved each other, they would always find their way back to each other eventually, no matter the situation. "So, how are your friends and sister doing? Your parents said Sweetie Belle wasn't home so I didn't get to see her." Rarity kept her head on his shoulder and looked out towards the moonlit pond. "They are all doing well. My friends aren't home tonight as they all have plans, as does Sweetie Belle. I still can hardly believe my little sister is a senior this year! I feel so old..." Clyde laughed. "I mean, you are turning 20 in a few weeks..." "Clyde!" gasped Rarity, sitting up, "this is no time for making fun of me at getting older! I might be six months older than you, but you will be 20 eventually, too!" She gave him a playful smile before laughing with him. "Nothing's wrong with turning 20. That just means I'll have to buy you 20 things on that day." He smirked and turned his face back to serious and nonchalant. "I'm not joking either. I'll do it." "You certainly don't have to buy me that many things," said Rarity with a large smile. "Having you home and you joining me and my family at our annual beach trip again during my birthday week is all I want this year." "Alright then... I offered," he said sadly with a shrug. Rarity giggled and hugged him at his torso. "But thank you for having that much dedication to me," she cooed. Clyde hugged her back and the two of them remained silent again for a few moments, just enjoying the embrace since so many days had passed without one. Rarity strangely had trouble thinking of something to say. She always loved how Clyde would listen and try to care at her problems or town gossip when they were in high school and when they talked over the phone or web, but maybe because she was so excited to see him again, she had no interest in talking. "How did that contest go?" asked Clyde after a minute of silence went by. "I know you have been working on your entry for the past few months, but did you win? You never told me yet." "Honestly, I didn't tell anyone yet." Rarity sat upright and looked down at the stone bricks around the fountain. "I wanted to make an announcement in a few days around my family and friends as it is something that is important to me." "Ah, I see." Rarity smiled and looked over at him. "Although, I'll tell you tonight at this very moment if you want to know since you are the one person that I can trust without a single doubt. Just don't tell anyone yet." She gave a wink. "If it makes you feel better, I can wait along with the others," said Clyde politely with a loving smile. Rarity shook her head. "That's no fun. I don't mind telling you early. I want to tell you early. I want to hear your thoughts." "Alright," replied Clyde with a nod. "I'll keep this between us for a few days." Rarity gave a grin and cleared her throat. "As you know, darling, my time at Manehattan was mostly preparing me for this special contest. I worked super hard on a fashionable clothing line to present to Hoity Toity and Prim Hemline. After weeks of planning, designing, and crafting, I finally finished a line that was classy and stylish." Rarity paused. "Do you remember that picture of that one dress I sent you a week or two ago?" Clyde scratched his head. "Uhh... Was it that one that looked like an off-shoulder leather-trimmed torso piece, but with a lace skirt or something?" "It was! That was one of dresses in my showcase for the contest. I also had others, but I focused solely on incorporating the stylish look of leather with the elegant look of lace. Both of them combined are truly fabulous if someone can pull it off." "But knowing you, I'm sure you pulled it off," said Clyde sweetly. Rarity smiled at compliment like she always would do. "Actually... I tied for first." "Tied?" questioned Clyde confused, "they let an important contest end in a draw?" "Both Hoity Toity and Prim Hemline never saw a tie before, and they were just as confused as you." Rarity placed her hands on the inside ledge of the fountain's edge she sat on and leaned back. "Both myself and the other girl who won, Suri, tied so that meant we both should've won the prize of staying at the Manehattan studio permanently and the Fashion Week showcase." Clyde frowned. "You didn't win the prize?" Rarity shook her head. "Suri did, but I declined the whole offer. I only wanted the Fashion Week showcases." "Why?" Rarity give a smile and looked at him. "I know it would be incredible to keep learning from some of fashion's best designers and critics, but I don't want them to design clothes for me. I want to do it myself like I had all my life. That's how I got there in the first place." Rarity looked up at the stars and flashed a big grin as she saw some stars twinkle back at her. "The best part about fashion is that it's a way to show people your heart. No matter what I design in the past, the present, or the future, people can look at anything I made and know I spent my time and heart working on it and that's what is most important to me. Doing something that makes you happy is all a person needs to do to have a wonderful life." Rarity glanced at him and grabbed his hand again. Clyde looked over at her and nodded. He also looked up at the sky for a moment, watching the stars carefully. A short chuckle soon came out of his mouth. "Look how much you've grown up. You gave up the luxurious city life you always craved to stay true to your heart. I'm happy you were so strong during your time there." Rarity gave a fake smile at first. She wanted to tell him the early struggles she had to go through, but decided not to. "I'm not entirely giving up Manehattan, as I do have to go there twice a year for both Fashion Weeks," said Rarity with a coquettish smile this time. "Those showcases are important to really promote my small business I created from the ground up! Hopefully I will have you joining me this time." She squeezed his hand, but quickly frowned at the realization of something. "Unless... You won't be in town that week..." Clyde looked away at her and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" "Father told me on the way home that he was keeping up with basketball news for the past few months and even watched some of your games through streams. He told me the Kneighs' interest in a true point guard was growing as the season went on and your name managed to be on the list because of your season overseas. He told me the Kneighs had no draft picks so they were trying to find potential players from all over." Clyde looked at her and gave a laugh. "That's really interesting, but I haven't paid much attention to the media or player reports all year. That's too much outside noise for me. I just wanted to play." "So, you aren't going to play for Manehattan?" Clyde was silent and looked at the ground. "I decided a few weeks ago that I'm not going to play for any team. I'm done playing professional basketball." Rarity gasped. "But Clyde, isn't that your dream? You're giving up that easily?" "It was my dream at one point, or so I thought." Clyde adjusted himself on the fountain's edge and gave Rarity a warm smile. "Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy playing all year. It was amazing to play at a higher level and meet new people while learning a whole new culture, but those road trips really burned me out. At times, we were on the road for twenty hours a day. Some nights I would get in the hotel room and instantly crash, just to wake up the next morning getting ready to practice all day or play. It was almost like an endless cycle and was really exhausting." "I see..." said Rarity with a frown. She knew at times whenever she did have the opportunity to talk to him over the phone or web during her Manehattan stay that he sounded extremely tired. She always told him to just go to sleep instead of staying up to talk to her, but Clyde would refuse saying he needed to hear her voice. She could only imagine the constant fatigue he must have went through. "I won't ever forget my time over there, but I needed to see if playing basketball at the time was my true passion in life." "I'm sorry, darling," said Rarity sadly. She squeezed his hand and Clyde responded with a smile. "I did learn how to speak some of the language, however." He grinned. "Oh? Like what?" Clyde looked up to the sky for a few moments to ponder and think of what to say. It wasn't long until he looked back at Rarity and gave her a sly smile. "Je t'aimerai toujours." Rarity giggled and she snuggled her head back on his shoulder and gave a content sigh. While she was extremely happy about her Clyde being back, she couldn't help but feel sad his dream of playing basketball didn't work out as well as hers did. "Clyde, do not worry. I will help you find your new dream." Clyde chuckled and smirked. "I appreciate it, but I have already found it." Rarity instantly sat up confused. "But you said–" "I did say playing basketball didn't work out and I have no interest in playing, but I'm not shutting it out completely." Clyde laughed. "It's one of the only things I'm good at." Rarity continued looking confused. "I don't understand..." "I said before that I kept in touch with Iron Will. On the way back to Canterlot from the airport, I told him all the things I just told you about my time playing overseas, so he asked me a question." "And what was it?" Clyde shook his head. "I doubt you'll ever guess it." "I probably won't unless you tell me." "I mean, I probably wouldn't even guess it if I was you." Rarity felt her eye twitch and she felt slightly annoyed. Of course, she wasn't going to yell at him, but all she wanted to know was a simple question. "Clyde," she said in a threatening tone, "just tell me." Clyde gave her a laugh. "Alright. Anyway, he asked me how much interest I would have on being an assistant coach for Canterlot High, eventually becoming the head coach after he finally retires." Rarity blinked. "A coach? You were correct. I would have never imagined you being a coach, but somehow, I believe you would be a good one." "You do?" asked Clyde surprised. "Of course! I know how much you enjoy playing basketball, and you always were good at getting your teammates going during the games. Even Rainbow Dash told me that one night." Rarity smiled at him. "She said you were the best floor general she played with, whatever that means." "I'm not that good, but Iron Will said the same thing," said Clyde modestly and embarrassed. "I like seeing people play good and it was my job to make the team play as one. However, Iron Will also wants me to help him with football as well." "Football? You never even played. I can see basketball, but football?" Clyde gave her a look. "You didn't want me to." Rarity sheepish grinned. "I was just trying to keep you safe from injury, Clyde. I didn't want you to get hurt, even though any sport is prone to injury. I was just being extra cautious." She pouted at him. "Yeah, I know," said Clyde soothingly with a smile at the return of his favorite pout, "I'm not mad you didn't let me play, but I would only be a guy who helps Iron Will with practice drills and come up with defensive zones or plays with Coach Rider. It would keep be busy until the basketball season comes up. Plus, I can't complain I'm getting paid for all of this, even though I'm on the assistant salary for now." "So, would you be at school all day then? You could always spy on Sweetie Belle for me and make sure she isn't skipping class or making out with a boy." Rarity elegantly laughed. Clyde laughed with her. "I'm not sure yet, I haven't actually accepted the offer, but I probably will call him up tomorrow." Clyde moved forward on the edge and stretched his back. "My guess would be I would sit in the small office in the locker room or maybe the office in the weight room and chill out all day. I'm not a gym teacher, so I think I could manage to find something to do. Maybe Iron Will will even let me work on plays from home until the after school meetings or practice." "That would be lovely!" exclaimed Rarity while beaming a huge smile. "You can always spend days with me at my shop, well, home in case you don't have to attend a meeting or practice that day." Clyde slyly gave her an agreeing smirk. "I planned on doing that anyway." Rarity squeezed his hand with hers and stared into his eyes. This was truly one of the best nights of her life as she returned home for good, Clyde reunited with her, and she learned Clyde would be in Canterlot with her and join her for her two yearly Manehattan trips. She lost count of how many times Clyde and her smiled on this night, but it felt so magical to be able to smile this much again. She let go of his hand to scoot closer to him, hugging at his torso again and leaning her forehead against the side of his face and shoulder. "Tonight has been so amazing, my darling. I'm so happy we were both able to follow our dreams of being a designer, and now a new coach for the high school, even after being apart for a year. To make it even more special, and we both are living back in the town we fell in love in." Rarity dreamily sighed in bliss. Clyde looked down at his shoulder with a loving smile before a laugh escaped him. Confused, Rarity tilted her head to look slightly up to see him. "What's so funny, Clyde?" She had no idea what he was laughing about. She worried if she said something wrong or a bug was crawling through her hair. "My dream isn't being a new coach." He stopped laughing to keep the conversation serious. "Huh? You just said-" "My dream isn't anything to do with basketball," he said with a smile, "being this new assistant is just my occupation." "Then you still didn't find it?" asked Rarity with a frown. Clyde shook his head and smiled brightly. "My dream involves you." "What?" Clyde instantly used his hands to launch himself off of the fountain's edge to stand up. He turned around and looked down at Rarity. With a quick motion, he grabbed her two hands with his and gave her a smile. Once eye contact was made, Rarity found herself blushing. Ever since forming a romantic relationship with him, blushing became uncommon for them as years went by and the two of them became extremely comfortable with one another. Both of them only seemed to blush whenever an embarrassing moment occurred, a nervous moment occurred, or before, during, or after an intimate moment. Rarity didn't quite understand why she felt nervous looking at him, but she knew there was nothing to worry about as Clyde was literally standing just a few inches from her. "Rarity?" "What is it, my love?" Clyde's smile grew. "I figured out my dream a year ago and it has nothing to do with basketball or music. What really drove me everyday while I was overseas was constantly thinking of you, even though I felt extremely lonely and worried at times knowing you were living in a giant city by yourself working hard." "You too?!" gasped Rarity. Clyde acted confused as Rarity looked away for a moment. She really wanted to keep that moment hidden from him, but if Clyde himself had the same troubles, there was no point. Plus, she never hid anything from him before so she decided not to start now. "Clyde, around winter I felt the same way about you. I worried every night about you since I couldn't see or talk to you most nights. I guess I just wanted you to be beside me again so I could sleep better without a worry in the world." Rarity gave a teary smile. "I prayed every night since I couldn't sleep that you wouldn't get hurt or play badly that you would've gotten cut from the team." "As I prayed that you would be successful in your fashion designs," stated Clyde with his eyes closed. "Being so far away from you really made my choice of playing overseas much harder, but I had to do it. I did it because I love you so much that the only way to show it was to go overseas for a year. I know it was hard for both of us not seeing each other in person for over thirteen months, but at the same time, I feel our relationship grew stronger. We as people grew stronger, too. We never really had any struggles or tests during our time together, but if we managed to survive this long without seeing each other, I'm sure we can do anything now." Clyde chuckled. Rarity smiled at him and gave a confident nod. Clyde opened his eyes and looked down into hers. Rarity instantly felt the contact of two hearts and souls connect with each other. Clyde gently squeezed her hands with his and smiled brightly and proudly. "I told you, my brother, and your parents so many times how much you mean to me, but I just want to tell you again that you are the most beautiful angel I've ever met, and I'm super lucky to not only be best friends with her, but also be loved by her." Clyde's smile continued to grow and Rarity felt herself even mimic it. "Before I met you, I never knew what it was like to be able to look at someone and smile for no reason. The one thing I missed everyday while overseas was seeing you, that beautiful smile, and those alluring eyes of yours that always could cheer me up. You will always be my motivation and I never want to be that far away from you again as my mind is filled with an incredible sense of euphoria when you are near me that I refuse to let go." "I simply can't imagine being far away from you again either, Clyde. You, too, bring me a sense of happiness, protection, and love that helps me get through any hard time in my life. Hearing your voice while I was in Manehattan after I got back to my apartment from a long and tough day always made my night." Rarity felt her eyes fill with tears, but she didn't want to cry in front of him now. She looked down at her hands that were held in his for a brief moment before giving him a warm smile. "Clyde. You made my life a living fairy tale that I had always dreamed about and thought was only possible in movies. I love you more than the stars love the clear nights." Clyde smirked as he gave a slight chuckle. "I promise I will continue being the prince you always wanted in your life." "You are the best prince I could ever ask for," said Rarity with a flirty wink. "Please don't change. You don't need to impress me anymore nor do you have to. The same boy I fell in love with nearly three years ago is still the same boy who stands in front of me now. Although, now, that boy is now a man with his eyes set on keeping his girlfriend happy. I cannot detest that, and I shall make sure I treat him with the same amount of love as he treats me with his." "Seeing you happy is all I need to see for me to be happy." "And you are doing a wonderful job, darling." Clyde laughed before looking up at the sky. He kept his smile before looking at Rarity. She could see a slight glimmer in his eyes that she never saw before. "Do you remember what I wrote in that note attached to that stuffed bear I sent you for Christmas?" Rarity sat there for a few moments thinking before the sudden thought of the note came to her at once. "Why, yes. You told me to stay strong and that my other presents were sent to my house for when I returned." "And that I also had another gift–" "–that you wanted to give me in person." Rarity looked at him with a sly smirk as she cut him off. Clyde nodded before giving a laugh. Without saying anything, Clyde gently released his grip on her hands and used his right hand to reach into the pockets of his sweatpants. Rarity watched him carefully and as she saw Clyde pull out a certain object from his pocket, she quickly placed her hand over her mouth and she felt tears grow in her eyes again. In one fluent motion, Clyde gave her a loving smile as he dropped on his knee and reached out his arms to present the small black box she always saw in romantic movies. As he opened the box, Rarity felt a gentle stream of happy tears slowly flow down her cheeks as she looked at the diamond ring in front of her. The ring itself was absolutely gorgeous. It was a 18 karat white gold band that had numerous smaller diamond studs and diamond-trimmed details that wrapped around and up the band, eventually meeting at the central and main diamond of the ring. The diamond itself was princess cut, Rarity’s dream style of a ring. She didn’t know if Clyde had the diamond cut like that just to be cute, or that he secretly knew her favorite style even though she never told him, but at this very special moment, she could care less. The diamond shone brightly with the help from the lights from the fountain behind her. She finally looked away from the dazzling ring before her and looked up to Clyde's eyes. His teary smile made her cry more tears of happiness. Her body was completely paralyzed and the only commands she could give her body was to cry and look around. “Rarity,” spoke Clyde with a shaken voice full of pent-up emotion. “I could be here all night retelling you how much I love you, but I feel like I could just tell you everyday from now on instead. You made my life amazing whenever you entered it and I can’t wait to make more memories in the future with my one true love. Rarity, will you marry me?” Rarity still was frozen due to the power of emotions coming at her at once. Without any hesitation, and while still crying happily, she gave a nod and flashed him the smile he loved talking about. “Y-Yes! Of course!” she rejoiced. Her body instantly moved on her own as she lunged forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hugged him as tightly as possible. Clyde put his head on her shoulder and returned the hug. Rarity sniffled in complete bliss and knew this night was the most magical and wonderful night in her life. Clyde moved away from her after a few moments and smiled at her. "May I have your hand for a second?" he asked politely. Rarity nodded and lifted her left hand. She held it in air close to him as she watched in joy, a large grin on her face to depict her current mood. Clyde gently took the engagement ring out of the small box and gently moved it around her left hand's ring finger. With a loving smile, he got off of the ground and sat down beside her on the fountain's edge. Rarity was still admiring the diamond around her finger and didn't say anything to him. By looking at the ring, Rarity began to think about all the symbolism it brought. Just one ring could show how much Clyde and her felt complete whenever they were near each other and how now they were officially committed to one another for eternity. To top it off, the diamond was the most romantic of gems and it showed that their love was as clear as a diamond. She knew by just looking at it, the ring costed a few thousands. Clyde always would be generous around her, so she wasn't completely surprised with the luxurious ring, but she couldn't help feel a little worried about the price. "What's wrong?" asked Clyde concerned. Rarity looked at him. "Hmm? Nothing at all! I just never expected a ring this gorgeous! I hope you didn't spent too much of your money from overseas on just this ring..." Clyde shrugged with a grin. "I still have plenty of money left for us until school starts up again, so don't fret. Since the team paid for my hotel rooms, transportation, and food, I just saved up money. I didn't have anything to buy from overseas, so I decided to use it for you. I worried if you wouldn't think the ring would be good enough..." "Good enough!" gasped Rarity, "Clyde, darling, it's perfect! I wouldn't ask for anything else!" Rarity gave him another hug. "I'm surprised you didn't take a picture and send it to your social media accounts," joked Clyde. "Don't worry. I will tomorrow," laughed Rarity outstretching her hand so the lights from the fountain behind them hit the diamond. "I might take one real quick to my friends and my parents soon, though." "Go ahead," said Clyde with a sly smile. "Although, you won't need to send a picture to your parents at this very moment. They already saw it." Rarity looked at him with a confused look. "They did?" She instantly gave a gasp. "Did you show them when you went over earlier?!" "I did," said Clyde with a nod. "Although, I asked them if I could marry you way earlier." Clyde leaned back on the fountain's edge to stretch his back again. "The day of graduation is when I asked them. While you were getting ready for the party, I was telling them how I was going to play overseas for a year to get enough money to propose to you and have money left over so I could take care of you whenever I returned. I'm so glad they approved of the decision, even though the decision might have made you cry when I first told you." "Really?" asked Rarity in disbelief. "I can't believe they held that conversation away from me for over a year." Rarity smiled as she thought of her parents. They always wanted her to be happy, as for Sweetie Belle too, but Clyde showed them through the past few years that she would be the happiest girl in the world when he was with her. "How did they react at first?" she curiously asked. Clyde gave a laugh. "Your dad was pretty calm. He shook my hand and told me he had faith in me to take care of you and he had no argument against me. Your mother wanted me to make a promise first, though." "A promise?" wondered Rarity. "She said I could marry you only if I promised her that I would keep you close by, and not in another country or city, so she could see her grandchildren anytime she wanted in the future." Clyde gave another laugh. Rarity rolled her eyes and gave a sigh. "Mother would only care about that..." Rarity soon gave a giggle and looked up at the stars. "Other than both Fashion Weeks in Manehattan or other vacation or trips we plan to go to, I plan to stay in Canterlot." "That's what I told her," agreed Clyde. "Canterlot is a special place to us and I wasn't planning on taking you far away from your family. I know how much you guys are close." Rarity looked over at him with a small smile. "Soon you will officially be part of my family." Rarity looked at the ground and quickly back to Clyde. She hesitated, but eventually spoke again. "I know my parents couldn't ever replace yours, but they do care about you, Clyde." Clyde gave her a teary smile. "I know." Clyde grabbed her hand with his as a Rarity gave him a bigger smile. After a short amount of time, Clyde looked down at her other hand that bore her new ring. "So, is it picture time yet?" "You know I love taking pictures of us, Clyde. I'll take one of the ring and then the both of us." Rarity smirked as she leaned down and took her phone out of her boot. She saw her friends were chatting with each other in the group chat so she knew it was a perfect time for her to surprise them with a picture or two. First, she held out her hand and moved it around to find a good location for where the lights from the fountain shone on the ring. She zoomed in on the ring to capture more detail and quickly snapped the picture. After making sure the picture was clear enough, she quickly shoved her head close to Clyde's and moves her phone away from her. "Oh no, not a selfie," grumbled Clyde. Rarity kept her eyes fixed on her phone's screen. She could see Clyde was shaking his head. "Darling, please smile. I know you aren't a fan of pictures, but it's only one. Besides, I haven't seen you in so long, so we are way behind in our picture quota for our next collage." Clyde gave a long sigh and cracked a smile. "Tonight is a special night, so I'm fine with it," said Clyde sweetly. He adjusted his head by leaning it against the side of Rarity's. They both fidgeted around as Rarity moved her phone in various angles. She eventually decided the best picture was for her to lift her hand up to show the ring as she pretended she was kissing his cheek. Clyde sat there with a large smile as he was ordered to. After viewing it and agreeing it was perfect, Rarity sent both pictures in her group chat with a smiley face emoticon and a heart. "I wonder who will reply first," questioned Rarity as she looked down at her phone. Clyde wasn't able to answer her as they both saw five messages suddenly pop up on the screen nearly simultaneously. "Awesome! About time! Congrats!" read Rainbow Dash's text. "Aww, how sweet! Congratulations, Rarity! I love the ring! I'm happy for the both of you!" read Sunset's. "Congrats, Rares! I'm happy for ya both," read Applejack's. "Yay! You two and that ring look so perfect!" read Fluttershy's. "Woohoo! Congrats, you guys! Do you know what this means?! I have so many parties to plan, especially the bachelorette party!!! :D Also, tell Clyde hello and welcome home!" read the last message from Pinkie. Rarity found a tremendous joy of reading their messages. All of them supported and cared about her efforts of trying to find her true prince in life, and because of Pinkie's balloon pop fundraiser after the junior year Fall Formal, she managed to somehow match up with Clyde. They also helped her get back on her feet for that year's Spring Fling and even her Manehattan struggles. She quickly wrote back a small thank you text and telling them she would meet up with them tomorrow afternoon so she could talk. She did, after all, just return to Canterlot earlier in the day like Clyde, so she hadn't seen them in months. "I won't post anything until the morning," said Rarity to Clyde as she put her phone back into her boot. "Tonight my attention rests only on you, not the amount of likes we get." "I'm sure I'll get notified of all the messages whenever you do," laughed Clyde. Rarity smiled at him and the two of them found each other staring into each other's eyes once more. A sudden thought occurred to Rarity after she looked away from Clyde's eyes and briefly took focus on his mouth. She was about to say something before he spoke up. "You know... We haven't kissed yet tonight. Even after all that has happened so far. I'm really surprised about that, especially since I know you love kissing me." Rarity coquettishly giggled. "I was about to say something about that. Normally I would have kissed you multiple times already, but since you surprised me, I must have been too busy thinking about you and looking at you and I didn't want to act extremely needy." Rarity batted her eyelashes at him and grinned. "We have plenty of time to kiss now, however. You are mine." "And I wouldn't want it any other way," simpered Clyde. He scooted closer to her and held her by her waist. Rarity giggled as she leaned forward, her nose and mouth only an inch or two from his. They exchanged a loving gaze and smile before Rarity closed her eyes in anticipation and finally felt contact with Clyde's mouth once again. Unlike the very first kiss they shared, Rarity kissed at Clyde's mouth with a completely faster pace. She had no interest in a gentle kiss. She only wanted to keep attacking his mouth with hers with love and playful force. She missed him so much, and it had been so long since she kissed him that Rarity felt her face burning with passion. She wrapped her arms around his back and used her hands to clamp down on him, her nails almost attempting to dig through his shirt to touch skin. Rarity felt Clyde's grip around her waist tighten so she decided to make the pace of her kissing even faster. As she kissed the love of her life for the first time in over a year, she could tell that lust was overcoming love for the both of them. "I-I missed you so much," panted Rarity as she withdrew from his mouth for a few seconds before she began the second round. She felt a smile grow on his lips with hers and before she knew it, Clyde gently pushed her body down onto the fountain's edge. He carefully moved on top of her as she laid on her back. With a fluent motion, Clyde adjusted his hands and placed them on her hips as Rarity moved her hands under his shoulders so she could grip them. Everything was a blur as both of them continued their fast paced kissing as they laid on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the park. It was a good five minutes of making out before Clyde broke the kiss and hovered his head above hers to stare straight into her eyes. He kissed her mouth, and then her chin, before he kissed Rarity up and down her neck. While she loved neck kisses, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "Clyde," she moaned softly with a slight giggle, "not here." "Nobody is here. It's been just us for the past hour," retorted Clyde. He kissed her neck again in various spots until Rarity squirmed from under him and tried to sit up. As much as she wanted to have him keep the teasing kisses, she didn't want lust to completely take over her body in a public park, even if they were alone. Clyde quickly helped her sit up and gave her a playful smirk. He gave her one last peck on the lips before stroking her cheek with his hand. "I could kiss you all night. You are amazing." "As are you, darling," purred Rarity. She rubbed her neck and instantly giggled. "I know no one is here, but I much prefer neck kisses during our more intimate moments." "Of course. I just wanted to get you in the mood." Clyde gave her a playful smirk. "Oh, Clyde... What will I do with you?" she sarcastically asked before dropping him a flirty wink. Clyde shrugged. "I'm not sure, but you'll have to figure something out since you're stuck with me forever now." Rarity gave a light-hearted chuckle and kept a smile on him. "I know a year went by and I imagine you feel as sex-deprived as I do, but tonight I just want to cuddle with you and fall asleep in your arms instead of cuddling with a stuffed bear." "I understand," replied Clyde, "you know I wouldn't force you to do anything you don't want to. You get the last word on conversations and plans, not me." Clyde gave a nod. Rarity grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to her before she planted a kiss on his mouth. She lowered her eyes as she stared at him and grinned. "Don't get me wrong, darling, I am in the mood, but just not tonight. However, while we are on topic, I have some new outfits to show you too that I bought and made in Manehattan..." Clyde blushed ferociously. "You bought and made?" "What else was I going to do in my free time? I wanted to make outfits to especially please you. Some are more revealing than others, but I'm sure you don't mind..." She winked and kissed his burning cheek. "I sure did fall in love with the right girl," rejoiced Clyde with a grin. "Yes, you did..." Rarity gently placed her hands on his jaw, and soon, the two were kissing each other again. This time was more slowly, but Rarity knew pure love was the motive for it. Never in her life had she felt this happy before. Never in her life had she felt this in love before either. She knew people could still fall in love with each other even after dating or getting married with one another, but everyday both Clyde and her would fall even more in love, and she never wanted to escape the feeling. The two of them were far from perfect people, but when together, they felt they could accomplish anything with their undying love. After they separated from each other, Rarity rested her head on Clyde's shoulder and the two of them looked at the stars together. She asked Clyde for help in finding certain constellations. He took her hand and pointed with it to one constellation in particular, Aquila. Rarity remembered Clyde telling her years ago that Aquila was always his favorite constellation due to the story of one of Aquila's stars, Altair, and the star Vega, that shone brightly in the nearby constellation Lyra, in Eastern cultures. He told her the two stars represented lovers that crossed a bridge to meet each other, the bridge being the whole galaxy, on a certain day. Like the stars themselves, Rarity smiled as she realized Clyde and her could relate to the love story. After a few minutes of stargazing, Clyde looked over at Rarity. "So, would you like me to walk you home now? It's getting late and your parents are probably waiting for you to get home." Rarity nodded with a smile. "We can leave momentarily." Clyde got off of the fountain and stretched before turning around and holding out his hand. Rarity looked at him and kept her peaceful smile. "Clyde, I can't move." "What? What do you mean?" asked Clyde extremely confused. "My body is feeling so much happiness that I don't want to leave this park. This park has made me so happy tonight. It brought my wonderful boyfriend, or shall I say new fiancé, home to me." Rarity felt gentle tears roll down her cheek. "I just want to hold onto you all night." Clyde looked at the pond across from them before nodding and smiling. He turned his back to Rarity and crouched down in front of her. He gently moved her arms and wrapped them around his neck. After both arms were secured, he slowly stood up and lifted up her legs. He looked over his shoulder and gave her a smirk. "How about this? I haven't carried you on my back in a long time." Rarity tightened her grip on him and nodded. She snuggled her head close to his and smiled. "Perfect." On cue, Clyde looked ahead and began the trek out of the park and back towards Rarity's home. Rarity tried her best to keep her gaze forward on the way home, but every now and again she would find herself glancing down at her new ring around her finger. It was unreal to her that just an hour or so ago she ventured out to find a peace of mind. Now she was engaged to her best friend and the love of her life. While being engaged brought lots of celebration from friends and family, Rarity knew this was just one chapter to her life. The best part about it, however, was from now on, it was their life. Rarity gently kissed Clyde's cheek, earning her a quick smile from him before she closed her eyes in bliss. She couldn't wait to see what the future has in store for them as their love could conquer anything.