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// Part 3 
// Story: Spot 
// by goddamnAnimal 
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By the next day, the details of their agreement had been fleshed out. He would come on the weekends and help clean or assist Rarity in her attempts to get back into dressmaking for around five to six hours a day. Spot really did not mind how long he would be working for as long as he had a dress in the end and it was a “real head turner” in his own words. The deal really did work out for the both of them, Rarity got someone to help her get back into the swing of things and Spot could get a really nice dress for his “friend” or whatever.
Spot did not come with the measurements for the dress right away like Rarity had asked. He told her that it might take a few weeks to convince his friend to let him take their measurements and that they could not come in because they were too shy. This suited Rarity just fine, the less annoyances in her house the better. He did eventually bring them to her after a couple of weeks. The proportions were very strange and they brought questions. Spot explained that they weren’t  a pony and that they suffered from some deformities. He wouldn’t say anymore beyond that and Rarity did not push the topic as she did not want to think about some of Equestria’s darker days and what they did to some of its citizens.
After this, they both got into the swing of things. In a few weeks Rarity’s Boutique began to look like a home again instead of a den of madness. Designing a new dress helped to keep her mind off of things for the most part. She still had her moments but she tried to make sure Spot was not around for them. It was a little strange at first being around a Diamond Dog as Rarity had not interacted with one in a very long time and the few she did were not pleasant experiences. She hadn’t really heard about them much in the news either except when something happens with one of their long abandoned mines, or an occasional rumor about small groups of them being sighted in one of the nations that border Equestria. Still, Spot was never quite as uncouth as the ruffians Rarity had met in the past. Well,  besides his near insatiable appetite for peanut butter.
Rarity had always enjoyed the occasional PB&J but she could never eat one in front of him as he would usually stare her down while forming a drool puddle under him. Rarity found that the boy could down a large jar of the stuff in less than twenty minutes if he could get his hands on it and Rarity found it much harder to keep it around since he started coming by. On the plus side of it, a peanut butter sandwich always appeared to cheer him whenever he arrived in a less than stellar mood.
Soon a month had past and Rarity started to relax around him. She remembered when he asked if he could bring his easel to the boutique and paint there on Fridays. Rarity could not find any reason why he couldn’t as long as he was quiet, and she soon found him at her house every Friday painting up a storm. His tongue always stuck out of the corner of his mouth when he painted, and he was always in such a deep focus that she could never distract him. Every painting that she ever saw him finish was beautiful in some way or another and she told him as much which usually garnered a bashful expressions. She really began to enjoy his company after a while and even caught herself smiling more often. Even her nightmares seemed to lessen in frequency. She still had to be careful,  Spot reminded her of him so much sometimes and that was a frightening thought.
He sometimes came to the boutique a little worse for wear. Rarity did not think of it at much at first as he seemed to be a rough and tumble kind of kid, but when he started to show up with consistent scrapes and bruises she began to worry. He would usually brush it off and act tough, never letting himself be treated for his nastier looking cuts as he refused to be touched, but she did make sure he acquainted himself with her first aid kit. She tried to not let it bother her but on one Saturday it all came to a boiling point.
He walked into the boutique that day out breath and wearing a pair of big square sunglasses. He entered Rarity’s work room and found Rarity stitching up an article of clothing on her sewing machine.
He gave the busy mare a short nod. “…Sup, Rares.How’s it hangin?” he said.
She gave Spot a sidelong glance. “You’re late,” Rarity said simply.
“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. I had some chores I had to finish at the uh… house. It made me lose track of the time.” Spot scratched the back of his head nervously before leaning against a ponykin.
“Hmm, chores huh?” said Rarity, not really believing his excuse. She stopped her work on the sewing machine looked over at Spot who was currently leaning against a ponykin with his arms folded in an attempt to look cool.
“Don’t lean against that.”
           “Oop, my bad.” He stopped leaning against the ponykin and opted to just sit on the floor.
           “Isn’t it a little cloudy to be wearing sunglasses?” said Rarity, quirking an eyebrow.
           Spot gave a small shrug. “What’s wrong with trying to look a little stylish?” said Spot.
           “They look positively droll.”
           Spot waved her off. “Eh, you’re just being a hater. You know these glasses look dope.”
Rarity rolled her eyes at that. “Well could you take them off, please? I don’t want you tripping over everything because you can’t see anything,” she said.
Spot made a face. “Um if it’s alright with you, I would like to keep them on. I’ve got a bad migraine and the light ain’t doing me any favors,” he said. Spot began poking his pointing fingers together and looked away. “Sorry ‘bout not telling you.”
“Whatever.” Rarity’s flat look became a small smile before she continued. “Just don’t come crying to me if you trip and bump your head.”
Spot gave her a toothy smile and put his paws on his hips. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said confidently.
“Alright then, if you would kindly go get me the pink fabric and the velvet from the linen closet. I would most appreciate it.” Rarity turned back to her sewing machine and began finishing the stitch she was on.
“You got it, chief!” said Spot.
“Good. Now hurry before my inspiration leaves me.” said Rarity.  Spot gave her a small salute and ran off towards the closet.
Rarity continued her work stitching the proto dress together before Spot came rushing back with large bundles of both velvet and the pink fabric. Just like Rarity predicted, he tripped over the cord to the sewing machine, causing his sunglasses to fall off his head and him dropping the fabric on the floor.
Rarity turned to him to give a “I told you so” until she noticed one of his eyes was black and swollen shut.
 “Sweet Celestia, what happened to your eye?”  She got out of her seat and rushed towards him. She stood there with concern filling her eyes.
Spot flinched back at her sudden movement and fumbled over an explanation.
Before he could finish talking Rarity had already walked off mumbling something about getting an ice pack. She walked to the kitchen and got an ice pack out of the fridge. She walked back to Spot and floated the ice pack to him. “Here, press this to your eye,” she said.
Spot stared at the ice pack and then looked back at Rarity nervously. Rarity pursed his lips. “Quit staring at it and take it,” she said curtly.
Spot grabbed the ice pack and gently pressed it to his black eye.               
“How did this happen?” Rarity leveled a look on him.
“I fell and hit my head on a door knob?” he offered.
Rarity narrowed her eyes at him. “You must have been running at it pretty fast to get a blemish of that size.”
He scratched the back of his head and averted his eyes away. “Yeah it was really dumb of me. I guess I got to try to be more careful,” he said.
“It seems like you have been coming here with some sort of small injury on your person every other week.”
Spot gave her smile like everything was okay. “What can I say? I live an adventurous lifestyle. You would collect all sorts of scuffs and scrapes if you went exploring as much as I do,” he said in a matter of fact sort of way.  Rarity felt her head get cloudy with worry and her frustration begin to rise at the little yellow drake in front of her.
“Quit lying to me, Sulfur.” Rarity's words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and her eyes became wide. A hoof shot up to her mouth but it was already too late.
“What did you call me?” Spot looked at the mare in front of him in confusion.
Her breathing became heavier and tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall. She turned and left the room without saying anything and leaving a very bewildered Diamond Dog.
Spot stood there for a few minutes running what happened through his mind.  He thought about the name he called him and something clicked inside his head. He began heading into the direction that Rarity walked to and made his way for the living room.  He found her facing an empty wall dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
He walked up to her and stood behind her for a few seconds wringing his hands.
“Are you okay?” he said finally.
Rarity turned slightly towards the boy but not enough for him to see the expression on her face.
“Yes…Yes I’m fine. Thank you for asking.” She went back to staring at the wall. There was a silence and then she began again. “I’m sorry I called you a different name. You… just reminded me of something is all.”
Spot moved to a up next to her and sat down. “Were you close?” Spot asked.
Rarity turned and looked at the child and saw the look on his face. It was full of understanding.
“Yes. Yes we were… He was very special to me,” she said softly.
“I guess you must miss him quite a bit, huh?” said Spot turning his head way and tried to find the right words.
“Every day.” Rarity scowled and stared at the creases in the hardwood floor, wishing that she could move on.
Spot watched her as he twiddled his thumbs. He bit his lip and took the plunge. 
“I lost someone too,” he finally said.
Rarity raised an eyebrow at him. “You did?”
“Yeah, he was like the grandpa I never had.” He stared down at his hands. “He was very old but he was always so full of energy that I kind of thought that he would outlive everyone, ya know?”
Rarity nodded at Spot and waited for him to continue.
“I really miss him and I don’t think I will stop be sad about him being gone,” he said. He looked up at Rarity. “But when I think of him I always remember how he was always there for me even if I wasn’t always the best and how he always pushed me to be better.  When I think about that it doesn’t hurt so much, and it makes me happy that he was in my life in the first place.” Spot smiled at the memories.
His smile was infectious and she soon found herself smiling herself. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a smart kid, Spot?” she said.
He giggled. “Once in a blue moon, I guess,” said Spot.
Rarity’s shoulders slumped and she gave an over exaggerated sigh. “I don’t know about you but I could use a break. Would you care for some lunch?”
“As long as you throw a peanut butter sandwich in the mix, I’m game.”
Rarity let out a chuckle that died on her lips when she remembered what started the whole situation. She glanced at his bruised face and made a silent note to herself.
"But of course." Rarity said with smile.