//------------------------------//
// Final Offer 
// Story: Spike's Greatest Endeavor 
// by Troyjan 
//------------------------------//

The afternoon went on as one would expect. Rarity and Spike continued conversing as they slowly ate. They conversation ranged from oil paintings, to flower varieties, to stone architecture, to hoof-ball. While Rarity had enjoyed the few dishes that she tried, she only served herself meager amounts of each. It was a practice of hers that she had made a firm habit of in her earlier years. One of the last things Rarity would ever want to be seen doing in public, was ungraciously gorging an excessive amount of food. Spike, however, did not have any such concerns. While he showed his best etiquette, Spike consumed nearly his full body’s weight worth in one sitting, which, despite his small physique, was still an exceptional amount. After all that, there was still plenty of food left. Some of the dishes Spike made were still completely untouched.
Now satisfied with her meal, Rarity stood up, wiper her mouth one last time, stepped away from her place mat, and used her magic to teleport one her favorite lounging sofas from her home. In just a second, the piece of furniture materialized in front of her on the mountain top. She had learned the teleportation spell from the Great and Powerful Trixie herself, who had learned it from Starlight Glimmer. While convenient, it was a very difficult spell that required a deep focus and tons of magic. Now thoroughly exhausted, Rarity lied down onto the comfortable piece of furniture. Spike, feeling rather sluggish himself, lied down onto the grass on his backside.
“That was certainly a fine lunch, wasn’t it Spike,” mentioned Rarity.
“Yeah, I should do this again sometimes.”
“If you do, I suggest making less food and avoid climbing over mountaintops.”
“Got it.”
After that exchange, the two of them said nothing as they continued to look out into the cloud filled skies in a silent peace. They stayed that way for another long while, neither one having a reason or desire to do or say anything else. Soon enough, the signs of late noon were becoming visible. The sun was slowly guided along a downward path towards the horizon. Thinking about the rest of her day, Rarity admitted to herself that she had not planned to have spent so much of her day with Spike. There would still be plenty of work waiting for her for later today and then even more tomorrow. And that didn’t even account for the time the return trip would take. Rarity internally groaned at the idea of walking back to Ponyville. She could use the teleportation spell to return to her abode directly, but teleporting oneself far distances was far more difficult and riskier than teleporting rigid objects. Walking was still the preferable choice. There were still several more hours of daylight remaining to do so. With that in mind, Rarity was about ready to mention how late it was getting.
“It’s getting kind of late Rarity,” mentioned Spike, breaking the silence, almost as if he had just read Rarity’s mind. “I suppose we should think about heading back soon.”
“I completely agree. I have other plans for today, and they won’t get accomplished loaving around here.” Rarity made a small effort to move but then immediately decided that she just lay in place on her sofa instead. “Shall we leave in a few more minutes?,” suggested Rarity.
“Sure,” said Spike, as he rolled off his back and onto his frontside.
Spike got up onto his feet and began to gather the used plates, glassware, and utensils. With several small motions, Rarity slid off her sofa and stood on all four hooves. She put on her saddle bags, adjusted her hat, and used her teleportation spell to return the furniture she summoned, back to her home. With any luck, the sofa ended up on somewhere on her property. As she did that, Spike was just finishing gathering everything he had brought with them. “Do you want to take anything with you Rarity,” asked Spike, eyeing her saddle bags.
“No, that’s quite alright Spike.”
“Alright then,” said Spike, as he folded the red and white checkered blanket. Another minute later, Spike finished packing everything inside the large wicker basket. Everything, except for that small, oddly shaped vase that Spike had left out.
“Everything accounted for?,” asked Rarity, ogling the bizarre decoration again.
“Actually…no…,” Spike said hesitantly. “There’s still something I wanted to give you… before we leave.” Spike turned and grabbed the vase that he deliberately had not yet packed. Spike closed his eyes for a moment before letting out a deep breath. Spike was now as ready as he possibly could be, for what he was about to do. He had carefully considered every rational consequence for the action he planned to take. No matter what outcome became reality, Spike was confident that he was ready for anything.
Grabbing the vase in one hand, Spike inverted it. He then struck its base with his claw. From the motion, a particularly large, precisely cut, and well-polished, turquoise sapphire dropped out of the vase, and onto other Spike’s hand. Having served its purpose, Spike placed the empty vase back into the basket, before turning back to face Rarity.
“Rarity, you and I both have come across numerous different gemstones in the past. While I usually eat most gems I can get ahold of, some are far too valuable to lose. This one is particularly special to me. I coveted it for years as one of my finest possessions. But now, after today, I have decided that I want to give this back to you. Rarity, will you accept this token of my appreciation for you?”
Rarity paused for a moment, admittedly a bit mystified by the sudden offer. Rarity walked up to Spike and extended her foreleg. “How thoughtful… of you Spike,” said Rarity inquisitively. “This is rather… unexpected, but… I guess I can accept your gift.”
A wide smile formed across Spike’s face as he placed the Sapphire on Rarity’s hoof. She eyed the shiny rock, trying to see if there was some hidden meaning to it. It was certainly a large specimen, clean, and well cut too. This specimen would certainly have a considerable market value. But Rarity knew that they both owned other gemstones that were far more valuable than this one. And yet, Spike claimed that this one was one of his most coveted possessions. Rarity thought that perhaps that there had been some sentimental value to the Saphire. Rarity then carefully reconsidered what Spike had just said to her.
“Spike, what exactly do you mean by ‘give this back to you’? Did this once belong to me?”
“Yes, it did.”
Rarity lifted the rock into the air with her magic, and gazed into its polyhedral surfaces. She apparently once owned it before. She must have given it away or left it behind at some point. Rarity held the gemstone closer to her face, close enough to see her reflection in each of its faces amongst the late afternoon sun. Suddenly, Rarity recalled where it was from. 
Years ago, not long after she first met Spike, was one of their first times gem hunting together. Rarity and Spike had started their day, scavenging for precious minerals around the local gem caves. Rarity would use her magic to locate gems, and Spike would be dig up and carry anything of value. As a token of gratitude for helping her, Rarity gave Spike the largest Sapphire from her haul. 
Immediately after that exchange was the whole fiasco with her getting abducted and forced into servitude by the Diamond Dogs, and Spike rallying together all of their friends to form a search party to go rescue her. After that whole ordeal, Rarity never bothered to ever think back about her incident with the Diamond Dogs. And never had she even considered the possibility of ever seeing that Saphire again. It was just a casual gesture. But what Spike had received that day was far more than a large gemstone. It was a token of gratitude from the finest mare that he knew, and one of the finest gifts he had ever received. And now Spike was returning it to her.
Rarity’s realization of what she just received was vividly expressed through the astonishment on her face. Spike’s smile spread wider. Imaginary stars formed within his dilated pupils.
“I’m glad you remembered Rarity,” said Spike eagerly.
“Spike… how utterly selfless of you. I had no idea that this Saphire meant so much to you. I’m sorry, but I can’t possibly accept this. It would be wrong of me to take back something like that. It wouldn’t be right of me to do that to such a dear friend.”
“Rarity, you’re the own who made that Saphire special to me. Without you, it’s just a shiny rock. That’s why I want you to have it. It’s far more valuable to me in your hooves than it is in my claws.”
Rarity gazed into the Sapphire again, and bunch of miniature reflections of her troubled expressions now stared back at her. “Spike, I can’t accept this unless I know for certain that this is what you truly want.”
“This is what I want,” said Spike adamantly, standing up straight. “And Rarity, there is something that I need to confess to you.”
Rarity froze, caught off guard. She knew exactly what Spike was going to confess. “Spike, please, you don’t have to do this. What we have already is more than nice enough,” Rarity pleaded.
“Rarity, this is more important than that. I have to tell you this.”
“Spike…”
“I love you Rarity. I know that love at first sight isn’t real, but I am more sure than ever that I love you now. I’d still love you, even if I knew that you will never love me back. No other mare, no other creature, can compare to you in my eyes. How I feel for you simply cannot be expressed through my words. You’re the only one I want to be with. You’re only one I want to go on dates with, get gifts for, and care for each day. So long as you want me around, I never want us to be apart. Rarity, if you would truly have me as your gentle-drake, will you want to be my mare-friend?”
The Sapphire that Rarity was holding in the air with her magic suddenly felt significantly heavier. Staring back at Spike, Rarity noticed that his claws were trembling. The tip of his short tail swayed back and forth. Tiny beads of sweat formed on top of his head. Spike’s green eyes were staring back into her own, complimented by a now crooked smile, and reddened cheeks. Spike’s spontaneous bravado, wherever it had come from, had already begun to falter as he waited for Rarity’s answer.
Now it was time for Rarity to make her choice. She decided that the saying plain truth was simply the best thing that she had to offer. After all the trouble Spike must had gone through for her that day for, the very least she could do was be honest with him. No more lies, and no more deception. Rarity cut her magic, letting the Sapphire fall to the ground, and then let out a brief sigh.

“No Spike, absolutely not. I don’t want a gentle-drake, and I certainly don’t want to be your mare-friend. You don’t have what I desire from a proper stallion, and you never will."

Rarity’s eyes widened, immediately taken back by her own words upon hearing them aloud. Every muscle in Spike’s body reactively slackened, as he looked down at the ground. “I understand how you feel Rarity. I already knew that this could have happened,” mumbled Spike.
“Spike, please, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that,” pleaded Rarity.
Spike’s entire body began trembling. His claws dug into the soil beneath his feet. Spike sniffled, and exhaled with a gasp. “I’ll be okay Rarity, I must be. I knew that this could have happened. And I knew that I had to be ready. I was… I was supposed to be ready… ready for anything…,” said Spike, between taking gasps of air.
“Spike…,” Rarity said softly.
Spike looked up to face Rarity again, failing to keep a neutral face. “Rarity, I must leave now.”
“Wait, Spike, you don’t have to go.”
“Don’t worry about my stuff, I’ll come back for it later. I’m sure that you can find your way back to Ponyville on your own. You don’t need me Rarity. You never needed me.”
Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but was unable to come up with anything to say. Spike quickly turned away again. He walked over to the edge of the mountain peak, spread his wings, crouched, jumped over the edge, and flew off into the cloudy skies as quickly as he could. Rarity stared at Spike as he soared further and further away. Even from such a distance, Rarity saw tiny clear specs which sparkled in the afternoon sky, trail behind Spike as they fell through the air. Rarity grit her teeth as she immediately noticed similar drops of clear liquid form in front of her own eyes. She watched Spike through her blurred vision until he was out of sight.