//------------------------------// // 25: Sleep on It [Romance] // Story: Thirty Days, Thirty Twilights // by Esle Ynopemos //------------------------------// ((Prompt: “What is the wish that you will pay for with your soul?”)) “Ma and Pa never got rings,” said Applejack. She hefted a bale of hay onto the wagon. “Never?” Twilight tightened the twine on the next bale with her magic, levitating it to where Applejack could reach. The farm pony shrugged. “Whole town already knew they were married. I reckon they figured, why waste bits on some shiny piece of metal that's just gonna get caught on somethin' and broken in a couple years.” She grabbed the bale and stacked it with the others, then hopped down to sit on the edge. “Thanks for the help, honeybun.” “Of course.” Twilight gave her a light peck on the nose. “Anything for the best marefriend in Equestria.” “Just in Equestria?” Applejack chuckled. “You sayin' you got another sweetheart outside the borders? Come to think of it, you did seem awful comfy with that gryphon ambassador. What was her name, again?” She poked Twilight in the ribs. Twilight giggled. “Gloria. And technically, since female gryphons aren't mares, she wouldn't be anypony's marefriend.” Applejack helped her up to sit with her in the wagon. “I guess rings are a bigger deal among unicorns.” “Makes sense.” Applejack picked up a stalk of hay that had fallen out of the bales and chewed on the end of it. “Us earth ponies ain't got horns to put 'em on, and not everypony wants to string 'em on a necklace. Ain't worth the trouble just to have somethin' shiny to show off.” Twilight nodded. “But the significance goes beyond just something flashy to indicate a pony is married.” Applejack blinked. “Ain't that what a weddin' ring means?” “It's not the original purpose of them, no.” Twilight shook her head. “I guess I understand now why your brother was ready to just dash in and out of the jeweler's shop when your sister and her friends hit him with that love potion.” “Oof, that one was a real mess.” Applejack covered her face with a hoof. “Good thing Gem Face was nice enough to let him return the ring once we explained everything.” “He might not have if Big Mac had been using the ring correctly.” “Correctly?” Applejack raised her eyebrow. “What do you mean?” “Well, you're supposed to sleep on it,” Twilight said. “The ring, I mean. According to tradition, you're supposed to put the ring under your pillow every night for a month before you give it to your betrothed. Gem Face might not have wanted it back if Mac had done that.” Applejack scratched her head. “Huh. Why would that matter?” Twilight's face took on the excited smile she got when she got to explain something she felt was very neat to somepony. She leaned in closer to her marefriend. “See, the old stories say that sleeping on the ring like that traps a little bit of your soul inside. So after a month, you're not just giving somepony a piece of jewelry. You're trusting them with a part of who you are, so that wherever they go, you'll be with them.” “Is that so?” Applejack looked at Twilight. “You believe that, hon?” Twilight shrugged. “I don't know if I really believe it's true, but I think it's a nice symbol, at least. Applejack frowned in thought for a moment, then nodded her head. “Yeah... I reckon that does sound nice enough.” Twilight pushed off of the wagon and onto her hooves. “Well, I'd better get back to the library,” she said. “Say hello to your family for me.” Applejack came down after her and planted a kiss on her lips. “Yep. See ya tomorrow.” * Twilight made her way up the stairs to her bedroom. She lifted up her pillow and smiled at the little metal hoop underneath. She turned to her calendar, levitating a pen. There were twenty nine days crossed out on it, and Twilight crossed out the thirtieth. “Tomorrow,” she said to herself, snuggling under the covers.