The Only Mark That Matters

Spats straightened the lapels of Radish’s dress uniform jacket and brushed lint off his shoulder. He admired his reflection in Radish’s buttons.

“Am I doing the right thing, Spats? Glimmer could attack our wedding.”

“Or your honeymoon, or your first anniversary, or your fiftieth. You gonna let her dictate your life?”

“I gave that same question to Twilight, and she won that argument. She’s sworn off love, and maybe she’s right. Maybe ponies who live dangerously shouldn’t love.”

“These are just nerves, Rad. Once you’re up there with her, the champagne, and the ring, it’ll all seem a lot more clear.”

“Thanks, Spats. Oh yeah, if she says yes-”

“You already know she’s going to say yes.”

“-will you be my best stallion?”

“I’d be honored, Rad. I’d hug you, but I don’t want to wrinkle the jacket.”

“Thanks. Well, here goes.”

Radish walked up to one of the towers along Canterlot’s outer wall. Though they had fallen into disuse years prior, they had been refurbished at Radish’s suggestion, and were now serving not only as lookout towers, but barracks and training centers for new guards. A private guarding the door saluted him.

“Sir!”

“Surprise inspection, private.”

“Oh, uh, come on in, sir.”

Radish inspected the tower from the bottom to the top. Upon reaching the top, he took the ceiling hatch out onto the roof. Light Fantastic dropped down onto the roof next to him with a picnic basket. She passed Radish a bottle of sparkling wine. He popped the cork and poured it into the two wine flutes she held. He took one.

“You sure this is okay, Rad?”

“Hey, it’s just an old building nopony cares about.”

“Well, I said that, but knowing how easily Glimmer can blow holes in defenses, I kind of have a new appreciation for them.”

“She won’t get this one, or any others. We’ve worked long and hard to prepare Equestria’s defenses against her. She shows up anywhere near Canterlot, or Ponyville, or any other city, town, outpost, or summer camp, she’ll go down hard. I don’t care how much power she has under her hood.”

Radish looked at Light. His face softened. He took a sip.

“But today’s not about her. It’s about us.”

He finished his glass. So did Light. They set them down. Radish took Light’s hoof in his.

“Do you remember what I said to you the last time we were up here?”

“I do. You said ever since we met, you couldn’t stop thinking about me.”

“I had been bogged down by feelings for someone else for so long. It was like you pulled me out of the bog. Set me on solid earth for the first time. I didn’t know I’d be lucky enough to get another date with you, much less years of being with you. And, if you’d let me, I’d like to be with you forever.”

Radish got on one knee. He pulled out a small hinged box. He opened it. Inside was a ring, fitted for a pegasus wing, size eight. It had a dark green tourmaline and a neo-classical flourish on the hinge.

“Light Fantastic, will you marry me?”

She smiled.

“Yes,” she said, sweetly and softly.

They hugged. They kissed. They fell against the wall, holding each other. Light held out her right wing, and Radish placed the ring on her metacarpal, closing it between her longest primary feathers.

Light flipped her wing over to look at it from all sides.

“Wow, it’s beautiful. Spats and Rarity helped, right?”

“Yeah. They work well together.”

“Tell them thanks.”

“I will.”

“Underglaze helped with this one. Wasn’t even sarcastic about it. He just wanted to make something nice for us.”

Light Fantastic pulled out a small box of her own, and opened it. It contained a gold ring on a chain. Radish dipped his head forward, and she placed it around his neck. He admired it. It had an inlay colored with a pleasing swirl of Radish’s and Light’s own colors. An inscription inside read, “Together, no matter whatever.”

“Wow. Tell him thanks. Can’t beat Midlo artists for designing something that looks great. Oh yeah- I had one other thing. This is more of a gift for both of us.”

Radish gave her a wrapped box. She tore off the wrapping and opened it. Inside was Radish’s cutie mark, contained inside a piece of crystal.

“Rad?”

“They found it on Glimmer. I haven’t told anypony yet. I was still deciding what to do with it. Now I know.”

He looked her in the eyes.

“This is yours now, to do with it what you will. You can lock it away, throw it in the ocean, put it on your shelf, whatever you want. You’ll never have to worry about it coming between us again.”

She held it in her hooves and smiled. “Wow. Thank you, Radish. I have just the place for it.”

They kissed again. Light put Radish’s cutie mark down and patted the little Celestia on her head.

“Sorry, ‘stia. I locked this one down. Go find somepony else to do that with.”

“Be nice to her. She always encouraged me to find another girl.”

“Yeah. She’s the best third wheel a gal could ask for.”

Light refilled the glasses, and held hers up for a toast. “Here’s to us, to Celestia, to all those other crazy mares that complicate our lives.”

They clinked their glasses.

“Speaking of which, should we tell them all right away, or let this be our little secret for a while?” she asked.

“Oh, they probably already know.”

“How?”

“Let’s see. Spike and Rarity knew about the ring. Twilight has a telescope on her balcony, and Fluttershy can read lips.”

“So…”

Radish motioned to the spotting scope on the tower’s edge. Light pointed it at Ponyville and adjusted the focus. She got Twilight’s castle in her sight.

On a balcony of the castle, Twilight and her friends were crowded around her telescope. Fluttershy was at the eyepiece, saying something to the rest of the group.

Radish stood up and faced them. He smiled and said, “She said yes.”

Fluttershy repeated it to the group. The others cheered and hugged. Twilight excitedly trotted in place, then made a hoof signal to Light. Light repeated the motion to Radish and asked what it meant.

“There’s no Ranger signal for ‘Congratulations’, so she signed the closest thing. It means, ‘All is well’.”