Chocolate Sun limped to the train station and bought a ticket to Ponyville, none of the jewelers in Canterlot were affordable for him, the two jobs did not pay that well, two bits an hour even with all the ungodly hours a week didn't add up to that much. Ponyville might be a better option. He got a third-class ticket and sat in the cab with three other people, sopping wet and shivering. A little filly stared at him with concern.
"Are you okay mister?"
He Didn't answer, instead, staring out the window, worried Rarity wouldn't take him. The train arrived at Ponyville station and they all got off, it was raining here as well. He groaned at this as he walked into the cold rain and limped off to the jewelers. He had trouble finding it, but after a few limps around the town he found it, he walked in, slipping a little as he walked in.
"Are you okay sir?!" The mare behind the counter yelled in surprise, she trotted out over to him and grabbed his leg helping him to the counter. "Jeez guy, you look like you've been in a street fight."
"Not quite, just a long day", he muttered, "I'd like to buy a ring…" he huffed in exhaustion.
"Oh, well if you insist then, come take a look at what I've got!" She said happily, trotting behind the counter.
Chocolate Sun looked at her wares, things were expensive here too, for him at least. He had around five hundred bits, he didn't even get a paycheck for this week yet, and likely wouldn't either. He sighed, he took out a sack filled with all his bits, "how much will five hundred bits get me?"
"Hm, five hundred bits, not much", she went into the display and took out a simple silver ring with a small diamond on it. "It's the best you're getting for five hundred bits."
He sighed and nodded, "I'll take it." She took his bits and he was given the ring and he left. He went to a flower stand and got some flowers, well, a flower, the shopkeeper felt sorry for him and gave him a fake rose. He made his way to Rarities boutique after asking for directions. He was now coming up to the boutique, he gulped nervously as he tried to open the door, desperate to get out of the rain, it was locked, he groaned in annoyance as he banged on the door viciously, "Rarity! Rarity open up please, I'm begging you!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.
The door opened and Rarity stood inside staring at him in surprise, "Chocolate Sun?! What are you doing?! "
"I'm here to see you, please let me in", he yelled pushing by her into the boutique getting a humph in response from Rarity.
"Thank you so much."
"I didn't exactly let you in, but whatever, what are you even doing here? I thought you had forgotten me!"
He turned to her limping up smiling sadly, "oh Rarity, I could never forget you-" he tried to put a hoof on her but she smacked it away, giving him a nasty glare. "Um, Rarity-"
"You've got some nerve coming here after all this time, no writing, no visiting, telling me not to come and visit you, do you know how hard these nine months have been for me?!"
He sighed, "I don't, but I can imagine dearest" he held the rose to her, even as a fake it was wilted and ruined from the heavy rain." She gave it a look of disgust and smacked it away like an angry cat.
"Get that horrid thing out of my face. You look horrible, what happened to you?!" She demanded.
"I- I've been busy", he got on a knee, cringing at his sore leg throbbing as he did so, he took out a box with his magic, a desperate smile on his face, "Rarity, my love-"
"Seriously?"
"I-I um…. I've been working my butt off for you-" she rolled her eyes at this- he gulped, and opened the box, "Rarity, will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife-"
As soon as he finished his sentence she slapped the shit out of him. "How dare you!" She yelled at him in anger. The slap made his head snap back viciously, he turned to her, ears down and his eyes welling up with tears, he struggled to hold them back, however, he got no sympathy.
"You've got some nerve coming here proposing to me after everything, you ghosted me for almost a year and then ask me to marry you!" He looked to the ground in shame, not responding because he didn't know how to, "and look at you, you look horrible!"
"It's raining, I-"
"It's not just the rain Chocolate Sun", she levitated a mirror to him, "look at you, you look horrible!"
He stared in shock, he did, he was dirty, and his mane was unkempt, he thought about it and he realized he had barely showered in the last two weeks at least, he was too tired to remember. His mane was everywhere, and he had deep bags under his bloodshot eyes, he was skinnier than he used to be, he wasn't eating as much, his hair clung to his face from the rain and looked greasier than fast-food fries.
"Good gracious you're right."
"Chocolate Sun", Rarity started, glaring at him, "are you a drug addict?"
"What?! No!"
"Gambling?"
"Of course not, I haven't done that since I was a kid!"
"Uh-huh, then why is your watch missing?"
His eyes widened in surprise and fear, "my...watch?"
"Yes Chocolate Sun, your watch, you think I didn't notice it missing from your wrist?!" You always had it on whenever we went anywhere, you don't have it anymore, do you?!"
He stared at her mouth agape, she was good. "Rarity, I'm sorry but, it's personal…"
"No, no! You don't have the right to say it's personal, either you talk to me and tell me what is going on, or you get out and never come back ever again!" She shouted getting red-faced, veins were popping up on her neck in her rage, he'd never seen her like this before.
He sighed, "okay. You win, I'll tell you."
"Everything?"
"Everything." And he did just that, he told her how he spent most of his money trying to help his father, how he was nearly bankrupt and why his wife left him, he told him of Blue Blood and how he stole his watch. He told her how he worked two demeaning and demoralizing jobs for minimum wage, sometimes not even getting paid fully. He told her how he injured his leg and got fired, and how he hit his manager, and got fired by default. Rarity stood there listening to everything intently and with patients, her face blank, a perfect poker face, it was impossible to figure out what was going on in that pretty head of hers. By the end of it, he was crying, letting out all the pent-up emotion, she put a hoof on his back rubbing it.
"And that's that", he said to her.
She nodded, "good, go upstairs and take a shower you smell like a dead animal."
He looked up at her, "really?"
"Well, yes, I don't mean to be rude but you really do stink."
"No, I mean I can stay?"
"Of course, now go and take a shower."
He nodded and he limped towards the stairs.
She silently pushed herself under him helping to support him as she helped him up the stairs and to the bathroom, he showered and got out feeling refreshed. He limped out, Rarity was waiting for him, "are you hungry?"
He nodded, "yes", he was ravenous and proved it when he scarfed down an entire pie. She made him brush his teeth and they sat in the living room talking, after a few hours Rarity sighed, "you need to get to bed, we have a long day tomorrow."
"What are we doing?"
"We are getting your watch back", she said with conviction.
Chocolate Sun was woken up early by Rarity, she had fixed his suit and they left on the first train to Canterlot, he didn't know how she was going to get the watch back, however she assured him she'd make it happen. They made it to Canterlot and later on that day they went to a party, they looked around for Blue Blood. Eventually they found him, he was talking to somebody, and she walked up to him.
"Blue Blood, hello."
He turned to her, "do I know you?"
"Apparently not, but I believe you know Chocolate Sun, your cousin whom you robbed." She spat.
He stared at her in mild surprise, then laughed, "So you're the woman he's dating, did he come running to you after we made our agreement?"
She didn't respond to the question, "you will give it back or I'll tell Celestia what you did."
He scoffed, "go ahead, I'm the prince! She'd never believe a common pony like you over me!"
"Oh really?"
Blue Blood's face went pale, which considering he's white as snow says a lot. Everyone gasped and bowed as Celestia stepped forward. "Auntie! How nice to see you!"
"Do you know who this is?" She asked coldly.
"Um....", he looked to Rarity and back to Celestia a few times and gulped, "no...."
"She's Rarity, the element of generosity, vetter known as one of the bearers of the elements of harmony. She wrote to me, telling me what you did. And for the record I do believe her. His eyes widened in horror, "you have five seconds to give it back to Chocolate Sun, before I put you in the dungeons." Blue Blood quickly gave it back and slinked off. Chocolate Sun beamed at it in happiness. She smiled at Chocolate Sun, "so you're the man I've heard so much about."
He nodded, "I am, your highness."
She smiled at him, "I've heard of you, you went to my school alongside Blue Blood. And your twin brothers." She said the last part with distaste.
He smiled amused at this, "I did."
"Your father was a great man", she said with a hoof on his shoulder.
"I know he was."
She went down to his ear, "you've got a keeper", she murmured to him as she left.
"Thank you Rarity, '' he said, turning to her.
"You're welcome, and yes."
"Yes? Yes, what?"
"Yes, I will marry you." She said with a loving smile, he laughed at this and picked her up twirling her around and kissed her.
THE END