Put a Ring on It
Scipio Smith
The train thundered towards Rainbow Falls, the rails rumbling as it made its progress.
Every rattle of the carriage sent a shiver through Sunset Shimmer. Or perhaps she was just that nervous.
"Ahh! Yes! Best day ever!" Pinkie squealed with delight as the train began to pull in to Rainbow Falls station. "We're all going to the Rainbow Falls traders' exchange!"
"I'd never have guessed," Sunset remarked. She shook her head. "Sorry, old habits die hard."
Twilight placed one hoof on Sunset's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Sunset shifted uncomfortably. "Yes. I'm okay. I'm perfectly. Why would you think that I wasn't okay?"
Twilight gave her a knowing look. "How about for starters, the way you've hardly said a word all trip. Or the way you're acting so uncomfortable now."
She knows me too well. Sunset thought quickly. "I'm...not uncomfortable. In fact I think you're the one who's uncomfortable and you're trying to hide it!"
Twilight looked at Sunset for a moment, and Sunset was afraid that her marefriend was going to call her out on such an obvious line of ponyfeathers. But then Twilight's expression softened and she looked away. "I guess. It is a little daunting, having to adjudicate all of the disputes."
Sunset would have sighed in relief if that wouldn't have given the game away. As it was, on the other set of chairs she could already see Rarity and Applejack giving her distinctly cagey looks, as if they couldn't believe that she had gotten away with it.
More important was how stricken Twilight currently looked. It wasn’t her desperation to offload the old books she’d brought along from home that was worrying her.
"Is this really bothering you?" Sunset asked. "If you didn't want to do this stuff, why did you chase the wings?"
"That's just it, I didn't set out to be a princess," Twilight replied. "It was just...something that happened to me. I understand the magic of friendship, but how will that help me to settle disputes at a traders' fair."
"What would help you?" Sunset said. "It's not like there's a book on how to get argumentative idiots to shut up and learn from their mistakes. Actually, there probably is but that isn't the point. The point is you're the best mare I know, for brains and character; you can do this."
"You think so?"
"Absolutely. I couldn't do it better myself." Sunset grinned and gave Twilight a quick kiss on the cheek. "Maybe with a pony who knows so much about friendship on the case, some ponies might not walk away from arbitration in a rage this time."
Twilight smiled. "Do you want to watch? It might be nice having you there: a friendly face and all."
"Um," Sunset looked for a way to get out of that without giving away her true intentions. "I...uh...I would love too, but I promised to spend the day with my sister. She's come up from Canterlot especially."
"Oh. Okay, that's nice," Twilight said. "I hope you have a good time."
"Yeah," Sunset said vaguely. "I really hope so too."
She didn't say anything else, and was very relieved when the discussion on what everypony was hoping to trade for passed her by. She wouldn't have liked having to lie, especially to Twilight, but equally she couldn't have told the truth, again, certainly not to Twilight.
Sunset was extremely glad when the train stopped and everypony could get off.
"Have fun," Sunset said to Twilight. "Well, don't get too bored, anyway. I'll see you later.
"See you," Twilight said. "Love you!"
Sunset blew her a kiss and winked coquettishly, before turning away and leaving Twilight in the eager hooves of Pinkie Pie. Sunset trotted off into the crowds, her eyes scanning this way and that looking for her little sister. It was still early in the day but already there were a lot of ponies out and about, browsing the various trading stalls, all bearing saddlebags weighted with goods to trade.
Sunset herself was just as laden down as any of them. It was something very special she was looking for, and she had brought along a wide variety of stuff to tempt the eye of any trader who might happen to have that special item.
"Sunset, over here!"
Sunset's head whipped round in the direction of the call, and she saw a dark blue unicorn standing beside a stall selling what appeared to be Discord lamps. Her mane was long and silver-white, worn in a bang that nearly covered one eye and a long ponytail tied back with a blue ribbon that fell down her shoulder and halfway down her right foreleg. It was Sunset's baby sister, Eclipse.
Sunset made a beeline for her, pulling Eclipse into a hug as soon as she reached her. "Great to see you, sis. How have you been? Your mane's gotten longer."
Eclipse smiled as she tossed her mane slightly. "I think it looks nice, don't you?"
"Yeah, it looks good on you," Sunset said. "I'm glad to see you're okay."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Eclipse said. "But what about you? I can't believe you're going to ask Twilight to marry you!"
"Shout it louder I don't think she heard you," Sunset said. She hesitated for a moment, then she beamed right across her face as she started bouncing up and down on her hooves. "It is amazing, isn't it?"
"Are you kidding? A part of me is still amazed you learned to love," Eclipse said. "She must really be something."
"She...I can't begin to describe how amazing she is," Sunset said. "I just...I can't imagine waking up next to anypony else."
Eclipse nodded, a fond look on her face.
"And that is why I need to find the perfect ring for the perfect mare," Sunset continued. "Thank you, for coming all the way up here to help me."
Eclipse shrugged off the compliment. "What are sisters for? Now, what have you got to trade?"
Sunset levitated her saddle bag onto the ground between the two sisters and opened it up. "I have my Power Ponies number one comic, still in pretty good condition, a photo of all four princess signed by all four princesses - when I've proposed I can explain why I needed their autographs, Twilight definitely thought it was weird - and various odds and ends in case I need to sweeten the pot." Sunset knew that it wasn't the best set of items in the world, but if Rainbow Dash could get a book for a rusty horseshoe then she could get a ring for a first edition comic, right? She had considered taking her chess set, but in the end had not been able to bear the thought of hocking a gift from Princess Celestia.
"Hmm," Eclipse murmured. "I thought you might need a bit of help in that department. That's why I brought something along as well."
Sunset's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"This," Eclipse said, levitating out of her bag a plain redwood music box with the letters ST engraved on a brass plaque on the lid.
Sunset's eyes widened. "No. No, Eclipse, you can't."
"Why not?"
"Because it's Mom's music box," Sunset said. "It's like the only piece of family history we have. Doesn't your step-daughter love that thing? I just...I can't let you trade that for me. If it was something you wanted that would be fine, your choice, but you can't give that away to get me an engagement ring."
"What if helping you out is what I want?" Eclipse asked.
"It isn't what I want," Sunset said sharply. "I spent years taking your stuff, I'm not going to go back to that."
Eclipse smiled. "You asked me here to help you, Sunset."
"To help me choose a ring, not to get it for me," Sunset said. "Don't do it, Eclipse, it isn't worth it. I'm not worth it."
"I disagree," Eclipse said firmly. "I love my husband. And the way you write to me about Twilight, I can tell that you love her just as much. That's important. That is worth it. That's worth more than a box that plays music."
"It's more than just a box that plays music," Sunset replied.
"And we both know that the perfect ring is more than just a ring," Eclipse said. "Come on, let's not fight about this. It's a last resort, with any luck it won't come up. We should start before the ring you want gets traded away."
"Yeah... you're right," Sunset said, nodding her head. "Thanks...for...I..."
"You're welcome," Eclipse said. "Do you know what you want?"
"No," Sunset said. "I figured that finding a ring would be like falling in love, I'd know the one when I saw it."
"Didn't it take you quite a while to fall in love with Twilight?"
"Okay, so maybe not falling in love but like...how did you find your wedding dress?"
"I looked in catalogues. Did you really not research this at all?"
"Look, I'll know the ring when I find it, okay?" Sunset said sharply. "Hopefully. Let's go."
They browsed the stalls around them, going past bestiaries and booksellers, lamp-stalls and chalice-sellers. They looked intently at the antiques, but Sunset didn't like the look of anything they had there and so the two sisters shuffled off just before Applejack and Rarity arrived at the same stall. There were a couple of jewellers present, but neither of them had anything that really stood out to Sunset. There was a dragon present who had a crown in front of him, but neither Sunset nor Eclipse felt like approaching him to see if he had any rings to trade. Instead, they kept to the ponies, who weren't liking to start throwing fire around if they felt the trade wasn't a good one. And then, they approached a stall run by a mustard yellow earth pony mare draped in robes and wearing a turban with an emerald in the crown. The stall was laid out with exotic treasures - a bejewelled dagger, an ornate lamp, an idol with a ruby the size of a duck's egg set in it's forehead, an ebony elephant statue with tusks of what looked like real ivory - then Sunset saw it.
The ring was white gold, and though the band was plain it seemed to sparkle when it caught the light. It had a diamond in the centre, flanked by two tiny sapphires of ocean blue. It hit Sunset like a thunderbolt, a spark travelling through her entire body: here was the ring. She could imagine it on Twilight's horn as she could no other.
"Ah, you like this ring," the earth pony said. "A treasure of Saddle Arabia like everything you see here. It once sat on the horn of the last unicorn sultana."
"It isn't cursed or anything is it?" Eclipse asked anxiously.
The earth pony rolled her eyes. "No, the ring is not cursed and there is no genie in the lamp. If there was, do you think I'd be trading it here?"
"There's no call to be like that," Sunset said. "You might have used the wishes up."
"Clearly I should have saved one to get rid of pests," the earth pony replied. "I doubt that you have anything I would take for this ring. I am only interested in rare items of age and great vintage."
"This comic is pretty old, and it's out of print," Sunset said, lifting it out of her saddle bag.
The earth pony sniffed. "Get out of here. You're wasting my time."
"Well, there must be something you want or, like you said, you wouldn't be here," Sunset replied. "So what do you want for it?"
The earth pony considered. "That griffon there has an antique cane with a cerberus-head handle. If you can get it, then I will trade the ring for it." She gestured to a stall not too far away, where a griffon with feathers black as soot was trying to trade a wide variety of old and - to be honest - slightly tatty looking curios.
"Thank you," Eclipse said. "And I'm sorry if I upset you."
The earth pony shrugged. "What do you know? I wish you luck in obtaining my cane."
"Thanks," Sunset said.
As the two sisters headed towards the griffon's curio stall, Eclipse murmured. "Sorry about that."
"We wouldn't have ended up anywhere different, don't worry about it," Sunset said. "At least I know what I want now."
"Know and can't get it."
"Maybe I'll get lucky and the griffon will want a signed photograph in exchange for his cane."
The two mares reached the stall, and Sunset noticed that most of the stuff looked in even worse shape than it had looked from a distance. There was a red sash, trimmed with gold thread, that had a hole in it and looked to be fraying in three other places that she could see. There was a set of formal robes that looked as though a goat had been chewing on them. There was a jewelled chalice where half of the jewels where missing. Sunset was half-inclined to think that the Saddle Arabian mare was interested in the cane because it was the only decent piece on display.
Not that Sunset would have particularly wanted it, it had a slightly creepy look about it. The staff was elm, varnished to a golden brown, but scratched and splintered in places, with sharp, jagged tears that it looked as though you could cut a hoof on. The bottom was tipped in brass, and practically a spike. The head of the cane, depicting Cerberus, was black as the three-headed hound himself, and each head was depicted gaping open, face contorted into a vicious snarl of rage. The heads were spaced out so that a claw could grip the cane between each head. The dogs' eyes were the smallest rubies, gleaming red in the dark, almost hellish faces of the hounds.
"Why would anypony want a thing like that?" Sunset asked.
"The same horse who has a bejewelled dagger, I guess," Eclipse replied. "Um, excuse me, sir?"
The griffon was currently asleep, snoring quietly as he rocked back and forth.
Sunset was about to yell for him to wake up, but Eclipse motioned for her to be quiet.
"Sir? Excuse me?" Eclipse said gently.
The griffon stirred lazily, one dark eye blinking open. "Mm, yes? Do you see, mmhm, anything you, mm, like?"
"This cane, please," Eclipse said.
"Ah, that," the griffon said genially. "Yes, that is very nice, isn't it? It belonged to my grandfather, back in the old country."
"Really?" Sunset said unhappily. "So I suppose you wouldn't trade it for just about anything, would you?"
"Oh no, I certainly wouldn't just give it away," the griffon said.
"Of course you wouldn't," Sunset said.
Eclipse gestured for her to calm down. "So, what kind of things would you consider trading for it?"
The griffon folded his claws across his chest. "Well, I have been looking at one of those antique Princess Celestia dolls from that antique toy stand over there, but I don't have anything that he wants to trade for. It's a pity, my grand-daughter would really like one of those."
"Why don't you just get her a new doll?" Sunset asked.
"What are you doing?" Eclipse hissed.
"I mean, um, why don't you just give her this photograph of Celestia signed by her and all the other princesses?" Sunset asked, holding it up.
The griffon peered at it. "I'm sorry, I couldn't take that. Someone's ruined the picture by writing all over it."
Sunset gritted her teeth. "Give me strength." As she and Eclipse began to trot towards the antique toy stand, she muttered, "If Twilight doesn't say yes after all this trouble then I'm going to kick off."
"Wait, you don't think she'll say yes?" Eclipse asked.
"Well I certainly hope she will," Sunset said. "But I don't know. I can't be sure."
"Really? Can't you tell how into you she is?"
"Now, maybe, but..." Sunset hesitated. "I dunno, what if that stops?"
"It won't," Eclipse said. "Sunset, you're awesome! You have to remember that. You never used to have this much trouble with confidence back when you were a jerk."
"That was why I was a jerk."
"Good point, but that's not an excuse," Eclipse said. "Come on, do you honestly believe that Twilight is going to wake up one morning and not be in love with you."
"Honestly, no," Sunset said. "But I am afraid of it all the same."
"And it's about as justified as a fear of cacti," Eclipse said. "Twilight will say yes, so stop worrying about it. How about you think about how you're going to ask her instead."
"I don't know," Sunset admitted. "I haven't even asked her parents yet."
"Seriously?" Eclipse asked.
"What?"
"It's the eleventh century and you're going to ask her parents' permission to marry Twilight. She's a princess and a smart mare, she can make her own choices."
"I know," Sunset said defensively. "But...I want to do this properly- do it right. Besides, I think Twilight would appreciate it, she's quite close with her family."
"I suppose you know your marefriend better than I do," Eclipse said. "But personally I would have flipped out if Planed had asked your permission to ask me to marry him. I live my own life."
"And yet you come running when I call," Sunset said, with a chuckle in her tone.
"Let's see how often that lasts," Eclipse said in a deadpan tone.
They got to the antique toy stall. The Princess Celestia doll in question had to be about a hundred years old, before dolls had lots of moving parts, or voice boxes or any of the other special features that you could get today. The doll was, at least, white, and though it was faded from age that hardly mattered, since Sunset was of the opinion that no doll had ever captured the bright majesty of Celestia's rich coat. Nor did it, like some old dolls, look a little bit creepy. She still couldn't see why any filly would rather have this than a new doll, but maybe the griffon was just out of touch.
Not that that was any of her concern. So long as she could get the doll to get the cane to get the ring, then that was all that mattered.
Of course, it wasn't that simple.
"This doll is very rare," the light pink pegasus mare at the stall said. "I'd only trade it for something very particular."
Sunset facehoofed.
"Like what?" Eclipse asked.
"That crown, there," the chubby pegasus said, pointing to something behind them.
Sunset and Eclipse turned around and followed the line of her pointing leg. She was gesturing at the crown that the dragon had sat in front of him while he gazed broodingly at it.
The two sisters stared silently at the dragon for a moment.
"You had to want that specific ring, didn't you?" Eclipse asked.
Sunset looked at the toy trader. "Is that really the only thing you'll give up the doll for?"
The toy trader nodded. "I'm afraid so."
"Not as afraid as you are of the dragon, obviously," Sunset replied.
"I'm not ashamed to say it," the pegasus said. "I'm sure you two young mares have no fear of anything at all."
Eclipse laughed nervously. "Yeah. No fear, that's us." To Sunset she murmured, "What are we going to do?"
"You stay here," Sunset said. "I'll go talk to him."
"No way, I can't let you go out there alone," Eclipse said. She paused for a moment. "As much as I want to."
Sunset shifted her leg a little, and Eclipse touched her hoof to Sunset's.
"I'll protect you," Sunset whispered.
They approached the dragon warily, Sunset's horn glowing a little as she prepared to cast a shield in case the dragon got angry.
Why am I acting like this?
Because it's a dragon.
Yeah, but it's not like all dragons are violent, unhinged brutes. Dragons can be cool. I know a dragon, Spike's kind of cool. In a dorky-cool sort of way. Mind you, Twilight's cool in exactly the same way so I don't know what I'm ragging on Spike for.
The thing is though, Spike is - no offense, Spike - a pipsqueak and - again, no offence - less menacing than a raccoon. That thing is...not a pipsqueak.
The dragon was probably not the largest ever-he looked as though he was growing out of adolescence- but he was still the size of a large hill, and that was muscle, not flab. His scales were white, his eyes were purple, and he had horns on his head and a vicious looking club on the end of his tail. Plus there was the matter of his general demeanour, which was muscle, not flab.
He didn't look at the two mares as they approached.
Sunset cleared her throat. "Ahem. Excuse me, uh, mister dragon."
"Mister dragon?" the dragon roared. "Mister dragon?" He lurched to his feet. "I am The Dragon! The Dragon! King Drago, third of my name, rightful king of Draconia."
Sunset frowned. "I though the Dragon King was named-"
"Speak not the Usurper's name in my presence," Drago yelled. "He is but an ant. I am the true dragon, the only dragon. I am the dragon and I will be crowned!"
"But not with that crown obviously, seeing as how you're getting rid of it," Sunset remarked.
"Do not mock me, pony!" Dragon yelled. "I am the dragon, the rightful king, and the Dragon King is not mocked by little ponies! I will be crowned one day and then I'll show them all!"
"If being crowned is so important then why are you trading your crown?" Sunset asked.
Drago looked as though he might fly into a rage, before instead he slumped down like a sulky child. "To reclaim what is mine I am prepare to make certain sacrifices. I will trade even my crown if it will help me recover my birthright. I will trade the crown, but not for these paltry baubles you little ponies delight in."
It was all Sunset could do to keep her eyes from rolling right out of her head. "What do you want?"
"Warriors to take back my throne," Drago said.
Sunset and Eclipse were speechless for a moment, before Sunset yelled, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"
"The dragon-"
"Is not mocked, I know, nor does he seem to have any sense," Sunset shouted. "This is Equestria! This is a trade fair! What possessed you to...why did you...did you seriously...where am I supposed to find warriors for you at a trade fair?"
"Will somepony please take this contract for mercenaries off my hooves?" somepony begged from behind them. "Please? Pretty please? Now?"
Sunset blinked. "I'll be right back," she said to Drago, before she and Eclipse looked around to see a skinny and bespectacled unicorn stallion holding out some kind of deed or contract from where he cowered on the ground. Behind him a score of griffons sat around a campfire looking bored.
Sunset trotted over, Eclipse following behind her, to stand over the trembling unicorn.
"Dare I ask why you have a contract for mercenaries to trade?" Sunset asked.
"I thought being a condottiere would be cool, you know?" the unicorn said, his voice high and reedy. "I read all these books about adventurers and it sounded like such a romantic life. I could see myself leading raids on ancient temples, rescuing damsels in distress, fighting necromancer lords, like in stories."
"Yeah, but the heroes of those kind of stories are buff," Sunset said. "And you're, well... no offence."
"I know," the unicorn moaned. "It was a stupid idea. But I persuaded these griffons to make me their contractor, and I haven't been able to find them a job in a whole year. If I can't get them paid or fed I'm..." his voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm afraid they're gonna eat me."
Sunset looked at the griffons. They were a pretty barbaric looking crew, festooned with weapons and scars both, wearing scraps of different types of armour held together by leather straps. An old looking griffon with a patch over one eye, whom Sunset took to be their leader, was sitting with one of his lion's legs crossed over the other, reading a book called To Serve Pony. He looked up, grinned at Sunset, and pointed at the book with one claw, giving a wicked chuckle as he did so.
"Okay," Sunset said. "What will you trade for it."
"Really? You want the contract? I'll take anything, anything at all."
"Here," Sunset passed him the autographed photo. "Tell your friends you got this as a reward for saving Equestria from a space elephant or something."
"Oh, thank you, thank you," the unicorn blubbed. "You've got no idea. You've just saved my life. Please, take the contract and Celestia bless you."
The one-eyed griffon started to get up, but Sunset waved him back down. "No, no. I am not your contractor or your employer. He is, over there. Give me a second." She galloped back to where Drago waited.
"Here is a contract for twenty griffon warriors, those warriors," Sunset said, gesturing to them. "Will that do?"
"Yes!" Drago roared, unfurling his wings as he leapt into the air. "At last, the dragon will be crowned! At last I will take what is mine! Stick with me, boys, and I'll shower you with more gold than you could spend in a lifetime! Let the Usurper tremble!"
The griffons waved their assortment of axes, swords and crossbows in the air. "Hooray!"
"Do you think they'll be okay?" Eclipse asked as the dragon and his new griffon pals flew off. "There aren't very many of them."
"Who cares? They're out of Equestria and out of our manes," Sunset said. "I think we may even have done a public service. And gotten the crown out of it. Come on, sis, things are starting to run our way."
It didn't take long for them to get back to the toy stall to trade the crown for the doll, then back to the old griffon to trade the doll for his cane. Then, triumphant, Sunset and Eclipse went back to the Saddle Arabian mare and laid the Cerberus-head cane upon her stall
Only to find that the ring was gone.
"I traded it for a brooch to that mare over there," the earth pony said, pointing to an elderly, well dressed mare of great dignity walking away from the stall in the direction of the train station.
"You…you what?" Sunset shrieked in incandescent rage. "After all the...you promised me that you'd trade me the ring if I got you this stupid cane!"
"You took too long."
Sunset screamed and would have lunged over the counter to throttle the infuriating mare if Eclipse hadn’t grabbed her round the torso and held her back.
"Sunset, calm down," Eclipse urged.
"Calm down? Calm down! After all that we went through..."
"We can still get the ring," Eclipse said. "We just have to hope that mare will trade it for something. Excuse me, ma'am?"
Eclipse dashed off, following the old mare. After a moment, Sunset followed her.
"Don't forget your cane," the earth pony reminded her mockingly.
"Keep the ugly thing!"
"I will."
"Ma'am," Eclipse called. "Please, wait just a moment."
"Hmm? Oh, where you talking to me, dear?" the old lady turned around. She was an earth pony, her white face lined with years and her mane turned grey, wearing a blue dress with a long train and a large bustle. She had a sapphire brooch pinned at her collar, and pearl earrings on her ears.
Eclipse and Sunset stopped in front of her.
"We know that you just traded for a ring," Eclipse said. "And we'd like to ask if there was anything that you'd consider trading it to us for."
"The ring I just got?" the lady asked. "Oh no, I don't think that I'd trade that for anything."
"Nothing?" Sunset asked. "Really, nothing at all?"
"I did only just obtain it, after all," the lady said reproachfully. "You can't expect me to pick up something and then just give it away."
"We're not asking you to give it away, we're asking you to trade it away," Sunset said. "Have you ever been in love? Have you ever looked at somepony and known in your gut, in your heart, that you would be with them until the day you die if they let you? This mare, she saved my life, she saved my soul, all the best parts of myself I owe to her. Just looking at her puts a smile on my face.
"I don't need a blanket to lie under because being with her warms my heart. I don't need food to eat because her love feeds my soul. I don't need light to see by, because she is the sun in my eyes. She isn't perfect, she worries too much and she lets what other ponies think about her get to her more than she ought to, but in every virtue and in every flaw I love her.
"I love her, and when I look at that ring I can see her, wearing it. It fits; it's perfect. I want to offer her that ring when I get down on my knees and ask her to be mine. Please, ma'am, I know that you don't know me from a hole in the ground and I haven't the right but, please, isn't there anything that you might take in trade?"
The old lady's expression softened a little, but she still shook her head slightly. "I'm very sorry, but I doubt that you have what I'm looking for."
"Try us," Eclipse said quickly. "What harm can there be?"
The old lady hesitated. "When I was a girl I had a music box, made of redwood. It played a song, a very pretty. I used to love it, but then I lost it and I've never been able to find another. If you had one of those...then I might consider trading you the ring."
Sunset and Eclipse looked at one another.
"Eclipse..." Sunset murmured.
"A music box like this one?" Eclipse asked, as she levitated the box out of her saddle bag and opened it up so that the tune could begin to fill the air.
The old lady smiled with delight as she heard the music. "Yes. A box exactly like that one. How extraordinary."
"Extraordinary," Sunset repeated, an ashen feeling filling her stomach. "Unfortunately that box is not for-"
"We'll make the trade," Eclipse said.
"No!" Sunset shouted. "Eclipse, you can't do this! I won't allow it!"
Eclipse smiled. "Like I told you, Sunset, I live my own life and I make my own choices."
"That doesn't mean you should make bad ones," Sunset said. "You can't do this for me, sis, I'm not worth it."
"The fact that you say that is what proves you are," Eclipse replied.
"Don't twist my words," Sunset snapped. "I don't want you to do this."
"Are you sure that you want to make this trade?" the old lady asked.
"Absolutely," Eclipse said firmly. "The music box belongs to me, not to my sister, and I am completely satisfied with this trade. Here is the box." She placed the box at the old lady's feet.
"And here is the ring," the old mare said, laying it on the ground. "I hope it brings you happiness."
"I'm sure it will," Eclipse said with a smile, her horn glowing as she levitated the ring into Sunset's saddle bag.
Sunset stood there, her legs stone and her stomach frozen, as the old lady took the music and walked away.
"I can't believe you did that," Sunset murmured. "I didn't want you to do that."
"Oh come on, be happy," Eclipse said. "You got the ring remember."
"I didn't want you to do that," Sunset repeated.
"Why is this such a big deal for you?" Eclipse asked.
"Because it belonged to mom."
"And if you cared that much you would have taken it with you when you left," Eclipse pointed out. "But you didn't, so clearly you're not upset because you loved that thing so much. So what is it?"
Sunset looked away for a moment. "When you first came to see me after I got back, when you yelled at me in front of Twilight, remember that?"
Eclipse nodded. "I'm not proud of how I acted."
"You shouldn't be ashamed, I deserved it," Sunset said quickly. "The point is, one of the things that you called me out on was taking your stuff. Taking your stuff and then losing it, or giving it away. It was one of the things that made you hate me.
"I love the fact that we are friends now, I love the fact that I can tell you that I want to ask Twilight to marry me, things that I can't tell anypony else. I love the fact that I can ask you to come all the way to Rainbow Falls to help me find an engagement ring. I don't want you to regret this and think that it was all my fault you lost the box. I don't want you to hate me again. I don't want to lose you."
Eclipse shook her head. "You won't. I'm not going to regret the trade, I'm not going to blame you for it, I'm certainly not going to hate you for it. I made the trade because I wanted to do this for you, because I know how much this means to you. I want you to be as happy as I am, and if that means getting rid of a music box, who cares? We're family."
"I love you," Sunset whispered.
"I love you too, you big softie," Eclipse said as the two of them hugged, crushing one another with the firmness of their grip. "How did you ever become a bad guy with a heart like yours?"
"I took it out, remember?" Sunset said. "Just like I told Heartwings."
"Oh, yeah, your princess gave it back to you," Eclipse said. "Should you be getting back to her?"
"Probably," Sunset said. "After all, I have what I came for, all thanks to you. Come with me, we can get the same train back as far as Ponyville."
"You sure Twilight and her friends won't mind?"
"Of course not."
They ambled back through the fair, Eclipse's foreleg over Sunset's shoulder, ignoring the trading still going on around them as they headed for the dais where Twilight was holding court. Her arbitration seemed, to Sunset's surprise, to involve Rainbow Dash, who equally surprisingly was standing next to a slobbering orthros. Still, it seemed to have been all resolved satisfactorily by the time Sunset arrived, with Rainbow and Fluttershy seeming very happy about something and Twilight looking relieved as she stepped off the dais.
"Sunset!" she said brightly as she spotted them coming. "And Eclipse, how are you?"
"Fine, thank you, your highness," Eclipse said, bowing.
"You don't have to do that, please," Twilight said. "Sunset, you're back. How did you get on?"
Sunset shrugged. "Okay. I didn't really see anything I liked the look of, but I had a good time."
"Well, that's what really matters in the end," Twilight said. "I didn't get rid of anything either, so don't worry about that."
"None of it?" Sunset asked. "No one wanted any of your old books."
"Not by the time Pinkie was done talking them up," Twilight said.
Sunset grinned. "Ah I see. And what did I just miss?"
"Oh, nothing," Twilight said casually. "Rainbow just needed to remember that nothing was more valuable than friendship."
"It sounds like everyone had an exciting day," Sunset said.
"More exciting than ours, I'm sure," Eclipse added.
"Oh, I'm sure you two had quite the time on your own," Twilight replied with such a knowing tone that for a moment Sunset was worried that she would reveal that she knew Sunset's secret. All she said, however, was, "So, Eclipse, are you leaving now as well?"
"Yes, high- Twilight," Eclipse said. "Sunset said I could ride back with you until you get off at Ponyville."
"Sure," Twilight said brightly. "That would be great. Do you mind going on ahead, I'd like a word with Sunset."
Eclipse looked warily from Twilight to Sunset.
"It's okay," Sunset whispered.
Eclipse shrugged, and went on ahead with a nod to Twilight.
Twilight frowned. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Sunset said, feigning confusion. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"
"You look...unhappy. Are you feeling alright?"
"Honestly, I'm fine," Sunset lied.
Twilight gave her an arch look.
"What?" Sunset said.
"Whatever the reason you think you have to lie to me - and I know that you're lying - you don't have to."
"How do you know I'm lying?"
"I know," Twilight said firmly.
Sunset closed her eyes. "I think Eclipse made a bad trade, that's all. Or all I can say at any rate, before you pry any further. And no fair, being able to read me better than I can read you."
"That's because I am habitually honest," Twilight said with mock primness. "It makes it harder to spot when I'm lying."
"Oh, is that so?" Sunset asked, grinning.
"Yes, it is," Twilight replied, a smile playing across her face.
Sunset chuckled, she leaned in and gave Twilight a kiss. "Shall we go home?"
"Yes, let's."
They walked to the station side by side, quickly catching up first with Eclipse and then with the rest of Twilight's friends. Being by Twilight's side could not completely banish the guilt from Sunset's gut, but her presence was a source of warmth and comfort. It reminded her that, if she had really done something wrong in allowing the trade, then she would not have been a mare worthy of Twilight's love. It didn't make it right, but it did mean that maybe Eclipse was right, and it was okay.
"Young lady! A moment, if you please."
Everypony stopped on the platform, looking around to see the old lady with whom Sunset and Eclipse had traded for the ring walking briskly towards them. She made her way through the other ponies milling on the platform and stopped in front of Eclipse.
"Ah, thank goodness I caught you before you left, dear. I was so worried that I'd miss with no idea who you were."
"Hello, ma'am," Eclipse said. "Is everything okay?"
"No," the old lady. "No, I'm afraid not." She took out the music box. "I'm afraid that, having listened to this carefully, this is not the item that I was looking for, and that being the case I find that I don't really want it after all."
Eclipse blinked. "Oh," she said softly. "I suppose you'll be wanting-"
"Oh no, dear, goodness no," the old lady said immediately. "That would be very unfair of me. We traded in good faith, and it wouldn't be right of me to demand a return. No, I just don't want this, and after a lifetime of collecting I have no room in home for things that I don't want." She winked.
Sunset's mouth dropped open. I don't believe it. Is this really happening?
Eclipse looked a little startled. "I don't think that that's fair."
"A trade is fair so long as both parties agree that it is fair," Twilight said. "If this mare wants to, effectively, trade an item for nothing then she has that right."
"I should think so too," the old lady declared. She looked at Twilight and Sunset. "Close your mouth, dear, there's another train coming." As Sunset's mouth slammed shut, she regarded Twilight and Sunset keenly and smiled. "A very handsome pair. You take care now." She disappeared into the crowd.
"What was that all about?" Twilight asked.
Sunset smiled. "Something wonderful just happened, that's all." She glanced at Eclipse, who smiled back as she put the music box away.
Sunset sat in the middle of the bench on the ride back, embracing Twilight on her right and Eclipse on her left, head back and eyes closed as she listened to Rainbow Dash reading from a Daring Do novel.
She felt happy, no she felt more than happy, she felt blessed in an excellent little sister and a wonderful marefiend.
And in such contentment, Rainbow's voice washing over her, Sunset began to fall asleep, dreaming of the proposal that was to come, and dreaming of watching Twilight walk down the aisle while Eclipse stood by her side as her best mare.
Author's Note
Drago is based on Viserys Targaryen from Game of Thrones. I'm not sure what he's doing here except that when I was coming up with the idea for this one-shot the idea for someone looking to trade for an army, Sunset asking where she was supposed to find one of those, and then somebody behind her shouting that they had an army to trade came to me and I thought it was funny.
I may write another sequel about Sunset trying to actually propose later.
