The Ring That She Wanted
Chapter 1: The Ring That She Got
“Today is the day,” Trixie said to herself while she walked through the corridors of the school of friendship, hyping herself up to ignore the nervousness that she would never admit having.
It had been a long and bumpy road, with the wagon selling, and the bottle of pent up murderous rage, but she still felt closer to Starlight than with any other pony, even herself. Another thing that she wouldn’t admit to anypony.
That had been kind of the problem now that she thought about it. Even though they knew each other for a long time and her feelings for Starlight had started not much after the manticore incident, she never had the guts to express it openly.
“But today is the day,” she repeated to herself, smiling as best she could, which to the students passing by her looked absolutely creepy.
Today was the day because she was finally going to express her feelings for Starlight, in the only way she felt confident doing it; A marriage proposal. Because she’s The Great and Powerful Trixie, and her coping mechanism is to make a show of herself, even if it kills her. Sometimes quite literally.
So, this day she had gathered enough courage to finally declare her love to her, praying to Celestia and whatever deity birthed the soon ex-monarch for Starlight to say yes.
But there was still a missing piece in her plans; A ring.
Now, Trixie obviously knows what kind of ring her friend would want, and if you say otherwise she will feed you to the manticore, but just to be sure, she wanted to seek the help of the second most important pony in Starlight’s life.
So, she knocked on the door to the vice-head mare’s office.
“Come in!” Sunburst responded, and Trixie quickly got inside and barricaded the door with a file cabinet before turning towards him with her creepy smile.
Sunburst was understandably terrified. “Uhm, are you still mad about me being vice-head mare?” he asked, hiding behind his desk.
Realizing this, Trixie stopped smiling and took on her stage persona to deal with her nerves. “No, The Great and Powerful Trixie! … needs a favor.”
Sunburst adjusted his glasses. “Okay, why did you barricade my office then?”
Trixie walked up to the desk. “It’s something that Trixie would prefer to keep between us.”
With his fear gone, Sunburst sat on his chair with a look of apathetic annoyance. “What did you do this time?”
“What? No. How dare you?” Trixie managed to look genuinely insulted at the accusation, instead of the usual deer in headlights look. “Trixie wants to do something today.” She moved her foreleg through the air dramatically. “Something… special.” Sunburst raised an eyebrow as she got closer to him. “A proposal of love,” she said in almost a whisper.
Sunburst’s face went from orange to red in a millisecond. “Love?!” He exclaimed in surprise. He knew Trixie was very forward about what she wants but this was a bit too much for him.
Trixie smiled with excitement. “Not only love. Marriage!”
“Marriage?!”
“Yes!”
“With me?!”
“Ye- no, What? No!” Trixie took a step back, her excitement quickly fading.
“Oh… uhm…” Sunburst was trying really hard to not look too hurt on his first rejection.
Noticing this, Trixie quickly added. “I want to marry Starlight.”
“Oh! That makes more sense. Sorry for assuming.”
Trixie gave him a smug smile. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you will find a mare close to the greatness of Trixie one day. You just have to fix your obliviousness problem.”
“And you could fix your ego since we’re at it,” Sunburst deadpanned.
“Let’s call it even and continue. I need your help,” she said, her acting persona completely abandoned by now.
“Sure. What do you want me to do? Distract Starlight while you prepare something?”
“Exactly the opposite.” Sunburst raised an eyebrow. “I need you to pick a ring for me to propose to Starlight.”
“Shouldn’t you be the one choosing the ring?”
“Yeah, but you know her from much before I met her.”
“You know that I left her behind as a filly, right?”
Trixie rolled her eyes. “Yes, and she formed a cult because of it. There is nopony who knows her and haven’t heard the story. Can you do it or not?”
Sunburst took some time to think about it. “Now that you mention it, I think I saw a new jewelry open up in Ponyville. I could go and pick a ring for you and come back.”
“Great!” Trixie’s eyes were sparkling. “I will go and keep Starlight busy until you come back.”
“Wait, right now?”
“Yes!” Trixie almost screamed. “I’ve waited enough, and I’ve seen what happens when you bottled up your feelings for too long.”
Sunburst recoiled a little at the sudden outburst. “Okay okay, I just don’t know if I can just abandon my responsibilities and leave the school.”
Trixie made a raspberry. “Oh, just put a ‘don’t disturb’ sing in the door and leave. Nopony will bother you.”
“Wait, is that what you do?”
“Y- not the point. Please go and get the ring.”
Sunburst sighed. “Fine, but you owe me for this.”
“Anything you want.”
“You will do my paperwork for the next month,” he said while moving the file cabinet away from the door.
“Can it be two weeks?” Trixie asked with a smile.
Sunburst turned his head towards her with an unamused expression. “Are you going to give me money for the ring?”
“A month it is!” she declared with a hoof in the air.
Sunburst rolled his eyes as he left the office, and Trixie exited soon after.
She walked towards Starlight’s office with a huge grin that belonged in the old Our Town, scaring the students around her without noticing.
“Okay Trixie, you got everything under control. Just talk with Starlight like if it was any other day.”
She gently knocked on the door to her office but didn’t get any response. She knocked again, and still nothing.
“Did she leave for lunch or something?” She slowly opened the door, peeking inside, and saw Starlight mumbling nervously to herself while walking in circles.
“Starlight, are you okay?”
The purple unicorn almost jumped as she realized she wasn’t alone and turned towards Trixie. “Oh, hi Trixie, I’m fine. I’m just… a little nervous, that’s all.”
“I can see that. But why?” Trixie asked as she closed the door.
“Well, it’s just that…” Starlight shifted a little bit uncomfortably at the confession she was about to make. “Today is the day…” Trixie leaned in closely. “That I will propose to Sunburst!” she finished with a smile.
“That’s great!” Trixie responded with excitement while screaming inside with the power of the Royal Canterlot Voice.
Starlight looked around confused. “Do you hear somepony screaming in the distance?”
Trixie stopped her internal screaming and continued hiding her panic and despair. “Nope. You must be hearing things.”
“You’re right. I’m just so nervous! Can you imagine?” she asked trembling a little.
Trixie smiled, holding back tears. “I don’t think I can.”
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I know it’s kind of forward, but you know how Sunburst is. I’ve learned that you have to be more direct with him, so he notices.”
“Sounds like a great plan.” Trixie closed her eyes, thinking happy thoughts. “And how are you going to propose?”
“Actually, I’m missing a ring. I was just trying to decide what kind I should give him.”
“Well, there’s a new jewelry in Ponyville where you can go look for one.” ‘And find your future husband.’ She added sadly.
“Really? Thanks Trixie!” Starlight hugged her friend, and Trixie made sure to enjoy it as much as possible while it lasted. After that, she exited the office with a spring in her step.
Trixie deflated a little. “I guess it’s the lone road for me.”
“Aren’t you coming?” Starlight asked, poking her had back into the office.
Trixie looked at her confused. “What?”
“You always give me great advice; I will need it to pick a ring,” she explained with a smile.
‘Why must you torture me this way you beautiful and morally questionable mare?’ “You’re right. I will just pretend I’m the one proposing to the most beautiful mare in Equestria!”
Starlight put her hooves against her chest. “Aww, that’s was really sweet Trixie. You’re adorable when you want to.”
‘So are you when you talk about kites,’ Trixie thought as she reluctantly joined Starlight in her efforts of burning her dreams.
While inspecting the rings in the jewelry, Sunburst couldn’t help but start thinking about the idea of marriage.
It was, as many things, something he had never planned for himself, but now that he had his first ‘close encounter’ so to speak, he was trying to analyze it.
Did he desire a married life? Would he be happy being a husband? What would he like in a partner?
That last one rang a bell in his head. What was his type?
He started to think back on the ponies he knew.
‘Well, there is Starlight, who I know since we were foals. She has helped me a lot these past years, even if leaving and never responding caused her so much suffering.’ Sunburst looked down while his ears dropped a little. ‘And she’s always trying to spend time with me and seems happy when I’m around.’ He sighed. ‘And I’m usually too oblivious to notice.’ He rubbed the bridge of his nose. ‘Trixie was right. No wonder she’s the one marrying her. Getting pass her ego, hard as it may be, Trixie and Starlight are kind of similar. Ex-villains, heroes, talented in magic in their own ways, determined, fun to be around with. I’m sure they will be happy together.’
He then noticed a ring that would be perfect for Starlight and called the owner to check it out.
“Nopony has better jewels? Kind of pretentious if you ask me,” Starlight joked at the name of the jewelry before entering, Trixie barely managing to chuckle as she followed her.
“I can’t believe this is finally going to happen. Can you guess where I am planning to do the wedding?”
“In the Crystal Empire, so you can be married by the princess of love and the crystal heart makes you all sparkly and beautiful, making the moment much more especial,” Trixie responded with much less enthusiasm than when she first thought about it.
Starlight blinked twice. “Actually, yeah. But don’t worry, you will be my maid of honor and look sparkly and beautiful too. I’m kind of curious how you would look now.”
Trixie really wanted to, but she didn’t want to ruin things for her. “Look Starlight, I-”
“Oh, this one is amazing!” Starlight exclaimed pushing her face against the protective glass. “Just look at it! Isn’t it beautiful?”
Trixie walked up to her and looked at the ring with a smile. “It looks made for you.”
Suddenly, the owner took the ring away from the counter and put it in a little box before handling it over to Sunburst. “Here’s your ring sir, good luck in your proposal.”
“Thanks, but-”
“Sunburst?!” Starlight almost screamed, tears of joy in the corners of her eyes.
“Starlight! Hehe, w-what are you doing here?” he asked nervously.
“Who’s that ring for?” Starlight asked with stars in her eyes.
Sunburst looked at her and Trixie and sighed. “Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag now.” He levitated the ring in front of the magician with a smile. “It’s for Trixie.”
Starlight froze, and Trixie thought she heard somepony screaming in the distance.
“F-for Trixie?” Starlight’s eye twitched. “Since when?”
Sunburst checked the clock on the store wall. “Uhm, about an hour ago?”
Trixie was going to signal him to shut up, but Starlight was suddenly in her face, looking at her eyes intensely. “What did you do?”
The magician smiled nervously. “Trixie just-”
“Did you use a potion? A charming spell? Are you Chrysalis in disguise?!” Starlight asked, shaking her friend with each question. “Why is he marrying you?”
Trixie pushed her away. “He’s not marrying me!”
“Who is he marrying then?!” Starlight shouted.
“Nopony!” she shouted back.
“He’s not my type,” said the owner of the jewelry.
“I’m not marrying Sunburst!” Trixie explained.
Starlight was taken aback by her words. “Who are you marrying then?”
“You!” Trixie screamed.
Starlight shook her head. “What? But I’m marrying him.”
Sunburst’s eyes went wide. “You are?” His brain was having difficulty catching up to that. “Wow, and I thought Trixie’s proposal was a surprise.”
Starlight was turning red with anger. “Trixie’s what?!” The magician facehoofed as she looked at her. “Did you propose to him?!”
“It was a misunderstanding! He would never marry me!”
“I never said that.” Sunburst recoiled as both mares stared at him.
“Who of us would you marry?!” they both said in perfect synchrony.
Sunburst mumbled his response. “Well, I thought about it and you’re both talented magicians, I admire your determination after you saved Equestria, and I like to spend time with you and-”
“Okay stop!” Starlight shouted, trying to calm herself down. “Let me get this straight.”
“I would prefer you didn’t.”
“Shut up Trixie!” Starlight barked.
“Do you want my opinion?” the owner asked.
“No!” Starlight pointed at Trixie. “You wanted to marry me?”
“Yes,” she responded firmly.
“But you were willing to let me go and marry Sunburst instead?”
“Y-yes. If it makes you happy,” she responded less firmly.
Starlight now pointed at Sunburst. “I bet you didn’t think about marriage until Trixie proposed to you.”
Sunburst adjusted his glasses. “That’s correct.”
“And you would’ve said yes to any of us both if we asked?”
He looked a little embarrassed as he responded. “I mean, I know you since we were foals, and I am too dumb to realize most of the time that you have feelings for me. Which I’m honestly not sure I deserve them with everything I’ve put you through.”
“And Trixie?”
“As I said, I find both of you comparable in feats and attractiveness. And I really think you would make a good couple.”
Starlight took a moment to think before talking again. “Okay, one more question… If you had to choose a ring for somepony to marry you, which one would you choose?”
They both looked around the shop until the two of them pointed at the same ring. “That one.”
Starlight levitated a pouch of bits to the owner. “I will take it.”
Her friends looked confused. “Wait, who are you marrying then?” Sunburst asked.
“Both of you.”
“Is that legal?” Trixie asked her.
“I think it has been since the founding of Equestria.”
“Are you sure it will work?” Sunburst asked as Starlight walked towards the exit.
“I’m willing to try. If it doesn’t, I guess my options are either Twilight, or Spike once he reaches age.”
Both unicorns looked at each other.
“I’m okay with this,” Trixie said before following Starlight.
Sunburst followed her too. “Mom will freak out when I tell her.”