Is it too late?
Never Too Late...
By EightBitBrony
The rain continued to fall. All over the road it left puddles and sent ponies scattering for cover under awnings and in homes. All but one who walked slowly in the rain, her mane unkempt and messy, her coat having seen better days. She had no feeling, no care for the rain. Not even any care for her appearence. What did it matter?
It was over...
*******
Rarity smiled as she looked over her newest design. Her favorite dragon, Spike, floated with his wings to make it easier to work with the fabric. He smiled as he watched her work. He always smiled. Always did whatever Rarity wanted.
Soon Rarity casually took the dress off of Spike and let it go on dispkay. She began to put her materials away and walked back to her friend.
"Spike, thank you for helping me. Now please be a dear and carry these down to the display area?"
"Anything for you Rarity." Spike replied. He began to haul the heavy displays down while Rarity freshened up. She never understood why Spike was such a good help but she was glad for it. It made the more boring work of her trade go so much better. She finished freshening up and was about to head down when...
*CRASH!!!*
The sound of an immense amount of items falling over made her hurry. She ran down to tue main shop area of Carousel Boutique, and beheld a rather terrible sight, for there lay Spike, pinned under the display mannequins, wincing in pain around his leg. She gasped and went to him....
.... abd fortunately the dresses were only mildly damaged. Nothing to hard to repair. She then eyed Spike.
"What. Happened."
Spike went to speak but yelped as he grabbed his knee. Rarity knew then something was wrong.
But she was to upset to even care.
*********
The door opened to the Boutique... or what WAS the Boutique. Everything was packed up these days and the walls were beginning to gather dust. She walked in and did not even shake off her coat. She let her mane drip drip drip on the floor, and let her heavy form sink to the puddle she had made. She then began to weep.
Nothing mattered now. It had all been her fault. Generosity indeed...
********
"I'm sorry Princess Twilight. But the knee was very badly damaged. Apparently one of the bases had broken and imapled his leg. The damage is too severe."
"But I thought dragons could be able to withstand a lot!" Twilight said. "What with their scales and hard hides and all..."
"Princess, even dragons have their soft spots. And actually most dragons are not as hard as you think. When that mannequin stand broke it had a sharpened metal edge that peirced behind his left knee. It was enough to push his leg bone loose. Normally it would mend.... but peices of it broke off inside, and we could not remove them all. The risk was too great."
Twilight gasped. "So.... what are you saying?"
The doctor sighed. "I'm afriad we cannot fix the leg. He will not walk ever again. I'm sorry."
Spike heard the prognosis and furiously went to stand, but found himself falling forward. Twilight went to help him but Spike pushed her aside.
"Leave me alone!" He said angrily, moreso than Twilight ever saw her assistant ever be. He stood up and went to walk but fell again and again. "I gotta get back to Rarity! I almost messed up everything!"
Twilght helped him up once more and shook her head. "What you need to do is sit. You heard the doctor. You'll have to..."
"HE IS WRONG, SO BUCKING LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Spike shouted, then collapsed and began to cry. "Why did I let her down?! I failed her! I should have not been so clumsy!"
Twiight sighed. "You dd not see what happened Twilight. She was so mad I ruined some of her dresses, said she didn't want me helping anymore! The only mare I love and I almost ruined everything."
Twilight comfoted him while out in the hall a mare had eavesdroped on the whole thing. She felt bad about what she said to Spike and wanted to apologize, then she heard the diagnosis. She could not go in and see him, knowing that. She walked back out of the hospital and began to throw herself at her work. She began to work on new dress designs immediately, but as she did she remembered that terrible moment when she yelled at Spike for his clumsiness.
He was trying to help her. He helped her like he always did, selflessly and without question. And it got his leg broken.
Immediately she threwbthe designs away and began to weep. What had she done?
*********
The headlines in the morning paper mentioned her again. "Fashionista Gives up Fashion" it said. It was weird. When she closed the Botique down she expected her friends to question. She never expected them to ask why. Besides they should have already known. Maybe they did and tried not to bring it up. She gave Pinkie Pie credit, after all she had tried really hard to cheer her up.
But there was no more cheer for her. She had lost him. And it was all her fault. She went over to one of those damnnable mannequins and bucked it against the wall, smashing it to peices. She screamed and stamped in her anger and sadness. Why had she done this?! Why had she done that to her Spike when he did all he did?
WHEN HE LOVED HER SO MUCH?!
********
That realization came three days after. Rarity had been so ashamed shebhad not seen Spike once. She wanted to but knew her friends would lecfure her about what had happened. Rightfully so, but she was still in no mood for a lecture. She focused her attention on work but it was nowhere near as good as it was. It looked haphazard and thrown together, and the customers said stright out that something seemed to be wrong.
As she worked she found something that she had forgotten. In a drawer of gems she found a large heart shaped fire ruby. She picked it up and thought of Spike.
She had called him a clumsy fool and a horrid helper for letting the dresses get damaged. She was so angry at all her work wasted shebhad not seen how hurt, physically and emotionally, he was. She had been so selfish and mean in that moment.
But then she thought back. Spike had given and given to her. He made that horrid pie, gave her gems he could have kept, even been a pin cushion just for her. A pin cushion! She gasped at the sudden realization. Why would someone do all that for another?
Unless...
She set the gem down. She had to go see him. Now. Right now. She rushed out the door and ran as fast as she could. All the time she knew Spike and not once had she seen the obvious, beyond how nice he had been. He.... he loved her. And she really loved him. She was going to go apologize right now and she did not care anymore what her friends would say.
She would tell them all the truth.
She would tell them all what happened and how the whole thing had been her fault. And how she should have been mlre caring for one she loved.
And she would be. She would spoil and dote on Spike and love him like never before. She would love him like she should have for a long time.
But then she got to the hospital. And she saw that Spike's bed was empty. She looked everywhere but did not see him. She finally asked a doctor where he was.
"He checked himself out." The doctor said simply. "Tried to stop him but he insisted. And baby dragon or no I was not into the idea of becoming a pony flambé."
Rarity ran as fast as her legs could carry her, until she saw a saddening sight. It was Spike, rolling down the street in a wheelchair. His look was a mix of anger and sadness. His left leg was in a permenant cast.
"Spikey?" She said. Spike stopped but did not face her. "Spikey... I..."
"Don't. " the dragon said. "I know it's my fault and I know you want my help again. But I cannot help you. Not anymore. So just go away."
Rarity walked closer. "Spike.... it's all my fault. I..."
"Yeah.... it is." Spike said coldly. Rarity gasped. "I thought you were my special somepony. But you cared more about your dresses. You always did I guess... I juet never saw it until now. So just.... leave me alone. I'm going back to the palace." He chuckled. "You know the saddest part? I'm just a baby dragon. So I shouldn't be able to fall in love. But yet here I was. In love with you. Shows how naive I was huh?"
Rarity watched as he rolled away, her eyes getting watery at words that were somewhat true. She had just used him. Yet.... she did love him. But now it was too late. She had hurt him too much and now he was gone.
And fittingly, at that moment it began to rain.
*********
Rarity closed up the shop a few days later. She was heartbroken and ashamed, and had no place here anymore. With sadness in her heart she prepared to head to Manehatten. Beside her a few of her belongings, far less than she usually had on trips. She sniffled a little and went to leave.
"Rarity."
Rarity stopped as she saw Spike before her, still in a wheelchair, but now with a sad look. Rarity began to whimper and ran to him, sobbing.
"Spike I'm sorry! I used you for so long! I never once thanked you or said anything about your feelings... Spikey please forgive me!"
Spike held her and let her cry, stroking her mane. "I forgive you Rarity. I just.... don't want you to go... I'm sorry what I said made you quit making dresses.... please don't. I.... I want to help."
Rarity, tears pouring from her eyes, sniffled as she looked at him. "But I said horrible things when you got hurt.... I didn't even see you in the hospital...."
Spike stroked her cheek. "But you know better now right?"
Rarity nodded.
"Rarity you give to everyone, and that includes me. I know how hard it is to make the clothes, I see how stressed you get. But I also know you would have kept going if you didn't care. Don't stop. I want you to keep creating. Because when you do.... you make everything beautiful. Even me."
Rarity sobbed a little at his words. "Spike.... I love you...."
"And I love you. I will do everything I can... wheelchair or no."
Rarity chuckled some and went to the door of her boutique, unlocking it. "Then let's get to work."
************
By the week's end word spread of Rarity's revival as a fashionista. She created styles for every occasion, every race, every day, every color, while even getting a new line for handicapped and injured, with Spike as the model. Word also spread of their relationship, no longer a secret. Some, like Primrose, even praised it in Fashion Week with the headline "Dragon Captures Heart of the Princess of Fashion."
At night, Rarity waited on Spike like he had for her for so long. And they were both happier every day.
And one day...
"Rarity.... could you please hand me that box on the counter?"
"Of course Spike."
"Rarity.... can you open it."
"Spike.... is this.....?!"
Proof it was never too late to show your love.
The End.