Fashionable Justice #1

The time had finally come. Fluttershy was out of intensive care and was in stable condition. This meant Rarity and the other elements would be able to see her. The nurse insisted Rarity be escorted to Fluttershy's room in a wheelchair. Rarity saw no need to object as it still hurt to stand. Once they had Rarity in a chair, the elements made their way to the wing of the hospital Fluttershy was in.

Rarity took notice of the fact that the wing Fluttershy was in looked much more severe. Instead of having ponies with broken bones and other assorted non-life threatening afflictions. All the ponies Rarity saw here looked as if they had one hoof in the grave so to speak. This entire wing made Rarity feel ill. She imagined her friends were not fairing any better. One look on any of their faces would confirm this theory. Even Pinkie with her naturally cheerful nature looked as if she was a different pony, with her normally curly pink hair falling down around her shoulders. Rainbow Dash was putting on a brave face as she would, but anypony could tell even she was nearly at the breaking point. Princess Twilight looked much more presentable but seemed just as concerned as anypony else.

When they finally arrived at Fluttershy's room they all hesitated. They were all afraid of what they were about to see. All they could assume was that her condition was bad, very bad. Twilight finally stepped forward to open the door to the room, and everypony entered. What they saw was worse then they could have possibly imagined. Fluttershy looked very pale and sickly, her mane was frazzled and unkempt, and she was covered in bruises and cuts. There was nary a dry eye in the room. The elements could do nothing but stare in woeful awe at the sight of their broken and helpless friend. After a few minutes of agonizing silence, Rainbow Dash couldn't stand it anymore and decided to leave the room. Pinkie Pie followed behind her thinking it was best for her to comfort her friend.

Only Twilight and Rarity remained. Rarity couldn't stand to see sweet innocent Fluttershy unconscious, and hooked to all these ugly machines. But at the same time she felt as if she could not leave, as if she were transfixed. Twilight put a hoof on Rarity's shoulder for comfort, but it had no effect. Rarity had tears streaming down her face completely smearing all of her eye makeup, but Rarity at the moment could care less. All that mattered to her was that her friend was nearly killed and is now in the hospital. Rarity could also not help but feel a sense of guilt.

Could I have done something to save her? Did I not try hard enough to help her? Rarity began to ask herself all these questions an couldn't help but believe the answer to them was yes. Fluttershy is here because of my ineptitude Rarity thought. My ineffectiveness in any sort of confrontation has lead to this. These thoughts made Rarity weep all the harder.

Twilight finally spoke up "Rarity, this is not going to help anypony. Why don't we just head back to your room?" Twilight suggested. Rarity thought this over momentarily before speaking.

"I want to go home." she said after some thought.

Twilight was taken aback by this statement. "Rarity, you were attacked just last night you cant just leave after a few hours." Twilight stated plainly.

"I am an adult, and they cannot hold me here against my will." Rarity said "Therefore I want to leave this awful place so I can go home and sleep in my own bed in my own home." Rarity stated. Twilight looked disconcerted by this but she finally sighed and gave her answer.

"I suppose your right, Ill ask the doctor to fill out your discharge papers." Twilight said. "It might take some convincing to get him to discharge you this early, but I am a princess so I think he'll come around." Twilight said with a smile. Rarity couldn't help but give a small smile at this before her gaze returned to her fallen friend. Twilight then left Rarity's side for a few minutes to get her release papers leaving Rarity alone.

Rarity continued to gaze at her friend. All of a sudden Rarity had the urge to rise from her chair to stand by her friends bedside. Rarity began to gently stroke Fluttershy's mane while thinking to herself. It's my fault your here Rarity thought. Rarity then began to think about Chain and this supposed gang the cloud-nine. She thought about how many other ponies had gotten this same treatment from them. How many ponies had they hurt or killed? Fluttershy alone seemed far to many to Rarity. Rarity then began to consider her options, she could stand by and let the authorities handle things. Of course the authorities have been unsuccessful at stopping these "cloud-nines".

Rarity then thought about another option she had come up with. What if she didn't just sit back and let the authorities handle it? What if she decided to take the law into her own hands? But all these thoughts were flawed in their logic. How could a fashion designer ever be taken seriously as a threat? Everypony in Ponyville know who Rarity was and what her personality was like, so what would these gang members have to fear from her? This question stumped Rarity. Rarity also thought about how absurd the idea was, becoming some kind of vigilante for justice seemed borderline insane. But then a memory came to Rarity.

The memory was of Rainbow Dash letting her ego get the better of her. Rainbow became unbearably braggadocios and the other elements of harmony devised a plan to teach her a lesson. They came up with a hero persona and asked Rarity to make the costumes. The plan worked well enough and things went back to nomal. Rarity's friends had no desire to keep their costumes so they gave them back to Rarity to recycle for future designs. Rarity remembered taking them all apart to use later. All but one. Rarity decided to keep one costume for nostalgia's sake. This gave Rarity an idea. Not one of her usual ideas that involved dress design but a very dangerous an potentially life-threatening idea.

Rarity then began to ponder all the times she was useless to help. She couldn't help Ponyville during the Parasprite infestation. She couldn't help Equestria from the sleeping dragons smoke. She couldn't help Swetie Belle when she was bullied. She couldn't help her friends against Discord. She couldn't even help herself when she was abducted by Diamond dogs. No longer thought Rarity. No longer shall I stand to the side and do nothing to help ponies in need she thought. If evil-doers like this Chain aren't scared of my face I'll wear a new one.

Rarity then quietly spoke to Fluttershy "Fluttershy, I don't know if you can hear me. But I promise you that I will find who did this." she paused to find the right words "I couldn't protect you, that feels absolutely unacceptable and I shall not rest until I make things right." Rarity paused again this time to blink back tears. "I realize you would never approve of such actions, but I have to bring Chain and all of these wretched gang members down to protect you and everypony else I care about from harm."

Just as she finished her statement Twilight returned followed by a doctor. He carried papers on a clipboard in his mouth. Twilight explained Rarity would need to fill these out before she could leave. Rarity took the clipboard and pen and filled out the form. She then returned it to the doctor who looked it over and tried one last appeal to Rarity.

"Miss Rarity I ask you to reconsider, you still have a considerable amount of bruising and-" he was cut off.

"Doctor I very much appreciate your sympathy but I believe I could heal best in my home." she continued "Now is that all, am I free to leave now?"

The doctor frowned but answered nonetheless "Yes, you may leave whenever you wish." he then made for the door "I have other patients to attend to, good day ladies." he said before leaving. Twilight then spoke to Rarity.

"I'm guessing you'll want to leave immediately so I would be happy to walk you home." Twilight said with a somber smile. Rarity nodded and tried unsuccessfully to return the smile. Twilight then made for the door but Rarity stopped.

"Twilight, before we depart could I have a private moment with Fluttershy?" Rarity asked. Twilight nodded and waited outside the door. Rarity approached the bed once more.

She gently nuzzled Fluttershy's mane and whispered in her ear. "I will keep my promise." When Rarity was finished embracing her friend, she exited the room. Leaving the room silent save for the sound of the ugly machines Fluttershy was attached to.

Upon exiting the room Rarity rejoined Twilight. Rarity desperately wanted to leave this place so she tried to make her walk look normal so as not to let people on about the pain she was in. This seemed almost an exercise in futility as the pain in her back and chest were immense. Rarity did not see Rainbow or Pinkie so she assumed they had found seeing their friend like this was to much. Rarity for one did not blame them.

The conversation on the way to the carousel boutique was kept to a minimum. Partly due to the situation with Fluttershy partly due to Rarity being in pain from walking. When they arrived at the carousel boutique Twilight had one last thing to say.

"Rarity I cant imagine whats going through your head right now. But just know were all here for you Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie, and myself were all here for you. Were your friends let us help you." Twilight said this and embraced Rarity. Rarity returned the embrace and thanked Twilight one last time before she left Rarity to her own devices.

Once inside the boutique Rarity spoke to herself. "Believe me Twilight  I know you are all hear to help me." She began to make her way up the stairs to her work room. "But the question right now is, can I help any of you?" She entered the work room and made her way to the closet in the corner and began to dig through it. "I am the Element of Generosity after all." She finally found what she was looking for a small box containing the one costume she had saved. She used her magic to pull the costume out and observe it. She would have to make some alterations here and there but it would serve its purpose.

"I am the Element of Generosity." she repeated.

"And it's time for me to prove it."