Solaris paced back and forth in his room as his mind raced, knowing that this very decision would decide the course of his life.
"What am I gonna get her?"
The 1,000 year old alicorn wondered what to do. Artemis who was watching him just sat there as he amused himself.
"It doesn't really matter what you really get her. As long as it's from the heart."
"Artemis! This isn't just some gift giving exchange. It is the second step in the Conjux Ritus. If my gift if not up to standards with a deity, then the legitimacy of the ritual will be called into question."
The Lunar Prince raised a brow at this. "What exactly makes you think that the prestige of your gift will affect the chances of your marriage anyway?"
Solaris deadpanned at his brother. "Artemis, since the beginning of time every ritual that has ever been made was conceived to appease someone or something. If a ritual made specifically for marrying divine beings, then someone must be watching over the whole thing."
"...Well alright, let's just assume that some higher entity is watching over this whole thing, crossing and checking marks, what would you get a divine being?"
"That's the thing! I don't know."
Solaris would have gone off further, but a familiar laughter interrupted his train of thought.
"Oh Solaris, you're just so amusing to watching these days."
Solaris let a out a sigh as he realized who also was in the room.
"Eris, glad I amuse you."
"Aw thanks, you really are a kindly soul." The spirit of Chaos as she manifested herself floating on a park bench.
"But honestly Solaris, I may have only known you personally for a few years of your 1,000 year existence, but even I am finding it ironic that the alicorn that beat me, his brother and ruled Equestria for a millennia is having trouble finding a gift for his girlfriend"
Solaris stared at her, but then a light went off in his head. "Well then Eris, since you seem to think so highly of yourself, since you think to know me so well, what do you think I should get her?"
The solar alicorn knew that the Lady of Chaos would never let her pride be chipped at, and if she wished to defend it, she would respond.
Eris frowned for a bit before coming up with a retort.
"Sorry sunbutt, but I got nothing."
Solaris was a little taken back. "What, really?"
"Hey, I may be older than the two of you combined but no one ever gave me anything out of affection or love. The only thing people gave me was either looks of contempt or hissing."
"...Well that doesn't come as a surprise I guess."
"But seriously, just give her something that she will cherish the rest of life, that's all I can say."
The elder prince blinked at the words that came from the draconequus mouth. "Heh, that's got to be the most sincere thing to come out of you."
"Well I can't exactly be reformed if I don't look the part every now and then."
Eris then poofed somewhere else, but her disembodied voice was still heard.
"Good luck Solaris, I mean it."
Hall of Origins
Arceus sat on her house sized pillow as she pondered her infinite memories.
Despite being older than the planet itself, and a divine Llama creature that had the power to do almost anything, she was somehow having trouble finding a gift for Solaris.
"I really should have developed some better social skills. Guess I shouldn't have overslept for a millennia.
Normally one would expect an omnipotent being to be able to give their love anything they want and just call it a day, but in the case of Arceus she wanted to give Solaris something that would expect from someone like her.
"This should be easy. Why isn't it?"
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Come in."
The door opened and a white and red incarnation of death peaked through.
"Hey Arcee, you free?"
"Umm, I guess so."
"Great!" The bird flew in and sat down on another house sized pillow that manifested next to Arceus.
"I'm curious Yveltal, I expected you to be playing your video games with Giratina."
"I did, but she had to do something with her trainer."
"Oh." this didn't surprise Arceus. Some if not most of the Prime Legendaries had a trainer that they were bonded to.
"So, whatcha doing?"
Arceus sighed, “Thinking.”
"About what?"
"Well, as stated by the traditions of the Conjux Ritus, the second act demands that we exchange gifts that symbolize our union."
"Ahhh, I see."
"....I don't know why this is so difficult."
"Love hardly ever isn't. I mean I am in love with a deer who embodies the polar opposite of my role."
"True."
"...Alright, but enough about me, let's talk about what you're gonna get for Solaris."
Arceus crossed her arms and stared.
"Well, let us talk."
Solaris looked out at the night sky as Artemis's Moon hung overhead.
"It has to be something that can last, not some jewelry cause that's to cliché. Plus it has to remind her of me, but then again it's gonna remind her of me anyway."
"Brother! I thought I might find you here."
Solaris turned to see Artemis walk up beside him.
"Still thinking about that gift?"
"Yeah, what about you?"
"I just got done giving my latest Night Guard recruits my Lunar seal of approval"
"...Lunar seal of approval?"
"Yeah, I came up with this thing where I personally brand a guard's armor with my cutie mark, this shows that they are loyal to me and will represent me wherever they go in defending Equestria."
"Ah, and where did you get that idea?"
"Remember 1,000 years ago when we would give the most esteemed and powerful unicorns a cutie mark brand on their chest as a way of letting them have access to a sliver of our power? We did it because we trusted them enough to share some of our power and use it as a force for good."
"Ah yes I remember now, we only gave those brands to those we considered to closest of friends..."
"Indeed, thought it's a shame we don't do that anymore, although it surprises me you didn't brand Dusk Shine. If anypony is worthy it's him."
"Oh don't worry brother," Solaris said with a grin on his face. "I believe I may know how to bring that tradition into the modern era."
"The Jewel of life?"
"Hmmm, while I trust him with my life or life force in this case, I really can't be separated from five of my plates for very long."
"Okay, how about a set of fake plates?"
"Besides that fact that I'd be giving him the equivalent of fake jewlery those cheap knock offs only last for so long."
"Yeah, I wonder whoever made those in the first place clearly did not realize the elemental plates are not rectangles."
"Its was probably some human trying to play maker."
"Most likely, oh I know what about the Azure Flute? That way he could call you anytime he wants."
"Good idea, except it only works if you're at Spear Pillar."
"...Right....well, that's all I got. Ya sure you can't will into existence something that would qualify?"
Before Arceus could respond, Yveltal's body began to glow.
"Oh it's Serena! She must be in trouble!"
"Ah, so you finally made a Bond Seal with her then?" Arceus knew of this. Long ago before the invention of Pokeballs, Bond Seals where a mark on a human's hand that appears whenever a legendary Pokémon deems them worthy to be their trainer. Using a Bond Seal one could call upon their legendary Pokémon to their aid no matter where they were in the world.
"Yeah sorry about this Arcee," Yveltal said with her eyes closed. "Serena is dealing with one of Team Rocket's combiner robots and she needs backup. See ya later."
And with that Yveltal disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Arceus alone with her thoughts.
And yet the creator of the Pokémon found herself with a light going off in her head.
Peak of Canterlot
It was Arceus's idea that the place where they were engaged would also be the place where they would exchange gifts.
As Solaris stood there waiting, for the first time he wasn't unsure about this whole thing. He knew that the gift he had would be more than enough to satisfy the divine tradition.
A flash of light appeared and the creator of the Pokémon stood before her fiancée.
"Hey."
"Hey."
..............
"This seems way more casual than it should be."
"Heh, that's the understatement of the week."
A small chuckle was shared between the two.
"Should the lady go first?"
"Oh no, you go. I want to see yours first."
"Okay then."
The alicorn took a deep breath before composing himself.
"Before I do this, just how does you body work?"
"How does it work?"
"I mean, can it be affected by magic or are you immune to mana?"
"Well, no I can be affected by magic although I can build defenses if needed."
"Okay, then this will work."
Solaris held up a small box in his hoof.
"What I am about to do is not something I have done in centuries."
The box opened, and inside was a glowing brand that resembled Solaris's cutie mark.
"I use to give these brands to my personal students when they gained my trust to the point that I would gift then with some of my solar power."
The brand floated out and levitated in the air.
"It may not be much since you could probably create suns on your own, but with this brand on you we will both be connected on a spiritual level. I will be able sense you even across worlds."
Arceus was speechless as brand floated over to her and rested on her own hoof.
"But on top of all than, this brand is special, I infused this with a special aspect of my magic that allows you to sense when I am in danger."
Arceus looked up from the brand and into Solaris's eyes.
"Arcee, in a way, I am trusting you with my life and that you will always be there for me."
The Alpha Pokémon took all this in, before making a warm smile.
"Solaris..it's wonderful! Truly a well thought out and meaningful gift, I accept it."
Solaris beamed at this. "That's great! I'm so glad you like it."
The alicorn walked up to the Alpha mon and put one of his hooves on hers.
"Here, let me put it on."
Arceus nodded as Solaris grabbed the brand with his magic, and slowly rested it against her chest. The glowing 2D sun slowly began to sink in, glowing brighter as it faded away into her chest.
"I will cherish it forever."
Arceus then held up her own hoof.
"Now let me give you my present."
As she finished her sentence, a glowing circle manifested in her hoof.
Solaris took a good look at what she was holding. The circle had a number of unknown symbols rotating inside it but in the center was a glow arch that looked exactly like the one that surrounded Arceus's waist.
"This is a Bond Seal. It was conceived as a way to brings humans and legendary Pokémon closer together. When a legendary has chosen a trainer who is worthy to command its power, they will mark them with a seal that connects them on a spiritual and mental level. With this seal, a trainer will be able to summon its Legendary Pokémon wherever they are in the world as well as have access to other powers."
Solaris somewhat stunned, not because of what this seal could do, but because it sounded oddly similar to what he had just given Arceus.
"Wow, I guess we both got the idea of stamping each other huh?"
"Well, it is said that couples eventually start to resemble each other."
"True, but in any case, I accept. Put it here."
Solaris took off his neck garment as Arceus pressed the seal against it, glowing brightly before it faded from view.
When all was said and done, the two beings now had each other's marks on them, claiming each other as their own for the rest of their lives.
"Well, that was easier then I expected."
"Same here."
"Alright, so the next step is disclose right?"
"Yes, it is a sign of humility and means that we would tell each other anything."
"Okay then, see you soon?"
Arceus smiled before kissing him on the nose.
"Yes, until then."