Equestria and the Machine

by SapphireRose87

20) The Ring

{Rainbow Dash}

When Oliver and I went back to our stations at work, I couldn’t help but wonder who the seekers were after. They definitely weren’t after Emily that’s for sure. But I don’t blame Diamond Tiara for being protective of her. She’s just doing everything in her power to make sure Emily is safe.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Oliver tapped me on the shoulder after handing another drunk over to the police.

“You’re wondering who they’re after aren’t you?” Oliver asked.

“Yeah,” I said, “are you worried about them?”

Oliver nodded, “Yup! Big time! I’m trying to figure out if they’re not after Emily then who? I’m guessing who they might be after but I don’t want to think about it.”

“Well if they’re after you it would definitely be because of you destroying the 7th Gate!” I said. “Or they could be after me too! Three reasons, to finish what they started after taking Jude, the next would be because I’m an element of harmony and the last reason would be because I did damage to gates 4 and 5! I’m not sure how much damage I did to them but I’m pretty sure this Lord guy isn’t too happy with me doing the damage either! I’m surprised he didn’t send the seekers after you in the first place.”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Oliver said.

“I totally agree.” I said.

* * *

{Jude}

Agent Oliver had no idea that I had my camera’s trained on him and I took a lot of special interest in him lately. Servant Ivy seemed puzzled about why I focused so much on Agent Oliver.

Servant Ivy tapped me on my shoulder to get my attention, “Your highness?”

“Yes?” I said.

“I was wondering,” said Servant Ivy, “why are you paying so much attention to Agent Oliver lately?”

I smiled and zoomed in the camera that pointed at Agent Oliver.

“You see that ring that’s inside that box that he’s playing with?” I pointed at it.

“Yeah, I see it.” Servant Ivy said after raising an eyebrow.

“Do you know what it means?” I asked.

Servant Ivy shook her head, “No.”

“It means he’s ready to propose marriage to Rainbow Dash!” I said with excitement.

“How do you know that?” Servant Ivy said.

“I did my research once I saw Agent Oliver doing that.” I smiled.

Servant Ivy smiled, “You think she’ll say yes to him?”

“Don’t know,” I replied, “it’s possible though. We’ll just have to wait and see…”

I saw Servant Ivy smiling at me. Probably because she knew that I would stop at nothing to protect Rainbow Dash. I also want Rainbow Dash to be happy.

* * *

{Rainbow Dash}

After Emily had gotten off work and Diamond Tiara and I had escorted her home I still wondered who the seekers were after. I had a suspicion that the seekers were after me or Oliver or maybe both of us. As I walked to my room as I kept thinking about this problem when I came around the corner only to hear Oliver and Gilda talking about me. I stopped to hear the conversation because to get to my room I would eventually have to pass those two along the way.

Gilda sounded excited while talking to Oliver, “I think it suits her! It doesn’t anything like the stupid thing Clara had for her that’s sure!”

I knew he was planning something! That look he’s been giving me wasn’t like the funny look he alway gives me! I might just have to take a long way around because I’m not so sure I want to know what Oliver’s gonna do.

Just like when I was inside the Machine and overheard the team that got assigned to me talking, I had to stay and listen to the conversation.

“Did you buy it from a store in the Machine?” Gilda said although I had a feeling that she already knew the answer to the question.

Oliver went into laughing hysterically, “Oh no, I’m not that stupid! I bought it from a store inside the Sixth!”

I heard Gilda laughing and I could only assume that Gilda knew exactly what Oliver was getting ready to do or something like that.

“Oh yeah,” Gilda said, “you bought from the Sixth alright! I say that you go ahead and do it today!”

I heard Oliver laughing pretty hard at what Gilda just said.

“What’s so funny?” Gilda said.

“Why do you think I asked you to meet me here today?” Oliver said.

Once again I could hear the excitement in Gilda’s voice, “Oh I see. We’ll corner her so she can’t get away! Good idea!”

“Yup,” said Oliver, “and I got Emily and Margot in on it too!”

“That’s awesome!” Gilda laughed. “Score!”

Yup, I’m taking a long way around! I’m out of here.

I started walking away but as soon as I Emily and Diamond Tiara blocked me.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Emily said with a smile.

“Seriously,” I said, “I need to get to my room! Just step aside you two!”

“Nope!” Diamond Tiara said.

“And why not?” I said.

Emily cracked up, “Zach has something he wants to say to you and then you can run if that’s what you decide to do afterwards!”

Diamond Tiara went into a fit of laughter after that.

“I didn’t say anything funny this time!” I said.

“We’re not laughing because you said something funny, Sadie!” Diamond Tiara said. “We’re laughing because something adorable is getting ready to happen! Because Zach is already down on one knee!”

“Say what now?” I said. “Down on one knee?”

“Do you not know how a man proposes?” Emily questioned.

“That would be a no,” I said, “it’s a long story and I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Just turn around already!” Diamond Tiara said.

I did what they told me to and I saw Oliver on one knee with a small box in his hand. I stood there thinking I knew what he was going to say next.

Oliver smiled at me. “Sadie, I know when this happens a lot of times there’s a long speech before it but I’m not that kind of guy.”

Oliver didn't say anything funny either and if Gilda, Diamond Tiara and Emily stop laughing it would make this easier.

“This isn’t a joke!” I said. “Knock it off!”

“As I was trying to say before these three started laughing,” said Oliver, “will you marry me?”

I knew the answer was yes but I felt speechless and stood there with my jaw dropped.

“I think her answer is yes.” Gilda laughed.

I wanted to slap her just for answering for me, “Thank you Abigail I think I can answer the question myself and she’s right the answer is yes!”

I gasped when Oliver opened the box to reveal a rose gold ring with a blue topaz stone on it. Instead of the ring being a gold chain Oliver's ring was on a silver chain. Oliver stood up, kissed me and put the necklace around my neck.

Loyalty and Kindness spoke to me and this time it was inside my head.

“Rainbow Dash,” said Loyalty, “we had a feeling something like this was going to happen sometime soon. So instead of us being around your neck with your true love ring, we’ll be around your head instead.”

“Why?” I said.

“Because it would be too much power around your neck and it could activate a power surge because of it.” Loyalty said. “We’re not sure that could happen. Remember we take our job as protectors very seriously! You won’t feel a thing when we move.”

As Loyalty said, I didn’t feel anything. I just knew that they moved to my forehead. Oliver must’ve seen what Loyalty and Kindness just did because he looked at my forehead and smiled.

“What?” I said.

Oliver didn’t say anything, he just hugged me as if trying to protect me like he always does. I guess Gilda, Diamond Tiara and Emily found Oliver's display of affection funny because they were laughing their butts off. When Agent Rarity and Levi came around the corner and gasped when they saw the engagement ring around my neck.

“It’s about time you proposed to her!” Levi said with a grin.

“Yup,” said Agent Rarity, “you’ve been planning on doing this for how long now?”

Levi laughed, “Exactly two weeks ago!”

“Hey,” said Gilda and Diamond Tiara, “why didn’t you get us in on it?”

“Probably because you two don’t know how to keep a secret,” Emily said. “I was laughing because he finally did it. Although I did suggest he do something bigger than simple, he said something like that happened the last time you had someone purpose to you and it didn’t turn out well.”

“Oh that’s right,” said Agent Rarity, “I forgot about that, and that was horrible the way it happened! I’m glad Zach did it this way instead.”

“Good thing Zach already explained to me why the ring is on a necklace instead of on her finger,” said Emily, “cause I would’ve been confused about that one myself. I do say that the whole club will be heartbroken now you two are engaged!”

“You got that one right!” Gilda said.

Emily then yawned and stretched, “Now that’s over with I think it’s time to say goodnight or good morning if you please. Margot and Sadie I do appreciate you two escorting me to my room. I don’t think I need that much protection. You two are just about as bad as Zach is with Sadie!”

Gilda rolled her eyes and laughed, “Yup, Zach is about as overprotective of Sadie as a mother would be of her child!”

“Hey!” Oliver said. I laughed at what Gilda said just because I knew it was true..

* * *

{Jude}

“It’s about time he asked her!” I said. I knew that Agent Oliver had finally proposed marriage to Rainbow Dash and she had accepted it. Because I saw Rainbow Dash wearing the engagement ring. I had also looked into how ponies wear their engagement rings and it’s usually on a necklace around their necks. I felt thankful that the gates that Rainbow Dash and Agent Oliver damaged were finally repaired. The 7th Gate took four years to repair but it's up and working now but for some reason, AI decided to keep it sealed shut for the moment. It took a few months to repair gates four and five and AI decided to do the same thing with them. For the time being Rainbow Dash and Agent Oliver are longer viewed as a threat to AI.

Since I saw that Rainbow Dash and Agent Oliver were engaged I figured now was the perfect time to meet my mother finally. It was also the perfect time to congratulate them on their engagement. I think it’s time I requested an audience with Rainbow Dash and Agent Oliver.

It made me very excited knowing that Agent Oliver finally proposed to Rainbow Dash. I also felt happy knowing that she would soon have a stable relationship and she would be happy with Agent Oliver. So I decided it was time for me to finally meet them. As always when I summoned Head Seeker Gabriel he looked surprised and honored that he was being summoned.

“Yes, your highness?” Head Seeker Gabriel said. “I don’t have any video footage for you yet this week.”

“I know that Head Seeker Gabriel,” I said, “it’s time I requested an audience with Agent Oliver and Rainbow Dash to congratulate them on their engagement!”

Head Seeker Gabriel seemed to be shocked by the news but I looked over at Servant Ivy who looked like she couldn’t think of how he would be shocked by it because he had been the one watching them for a long time now. A year to be exact.

“Yup,” I said, “as soon as those two get off work and are getting ready to escort their friend Emily home make sure Agent Diamond Tiara and Emily are paused along with the rest of the world since that’s a difficult thing to do, I will give you the remote to do so. AI seems to think that’s the best way to do that.”

“Yes, your highness…” Head Seeker Gabriel said.

“Oh and one more thing, Head Seeker Gabriel,” I said.

“Yes, Lord Jude?” Head Seeker Gabriel said.

“I have a feeling that those two will put up a good fight, especially Rainbow Dash,” I said, “since these two are the strongest agents of the Sixth I want you to do whatever you can to take them. So I’m giving stunners for these two. Yes, I’ll revive them as soon as they get to AI’s castle.”

Head Seeker Gabriel gasped when he saw the stunners. The stunner was a small blue box that looked like it held a small thunderstorm in it. Yes, the stunner did exactly what it was called. Once it was put inside a person it stunned them into a fake death but if that person is not revived within twenty-four hours of it being put in then that person dies for real. It acted a lot like the Copper but instead of being able to possibly recover from it, there's no way to recover from a stunner if that person is not woken from the fake death.

Once I sent the remote and the two stunners to Head Seeker Gabriel I nodded.

“So,” I said, “take those two as soon as possible. And at all costs, those are my orders. I expect to see those two soon.”

After I had ended the summons with Head Seeker Gabriel, I knew for a fact Head Seeker Gabriel was trying to comfort himself knowing that I would revive Agent Oliver and Rainbow Dash once they got to AI’s castle.

* * *

{Rainbow Dash}

The next night at work after Oliver and I got engaged we had escorted the tenth drunk to the police. That started to get on my nerves just as much as Luke. He seemed to be having way too much fun messing with us about our engagement.

“What is this?” I said. “Drunk night or something? Too bad Discord isn’t here, he would be heaven and probably be heaven causing chaos himself! I don’t know how much liquor he can hold! Probably every single drink we have in the club!”

Oliver raised an eyebrow, “Who’s Discord?”

“You don’t want to know!” I said. “Let’s just he’s some idiot that Fluttershy fell head over heels for when she first met him. It’s just as bad as me being with Clara! I still have no idea how that happened. Knowing her, she was probably too busy eating to have a relationship in the first place! I wonder if that’s why everyone took her side on everything she probably bribed them with food!”

I rolled my eyes at Oliver’s laughter, “Yeah I should probably do stand up comedy as a side job!”

Oliver had a grin on his face as he pointed up at the moon and the moon was full out tonight. “It’s a full moon tonight, that’s probably why the drunks are coming out to play!”

“Aww, that’s cute!” I heard Luke laughing. “You two are already fighting like you’re married! When exactly are you going to set a date for the wedding yet?”

“I thought I already told you,” said Oliver, “we don’t know yet so lay off already!”

That just made Luke laugh even harder.

“I would stop answering that question if I were you!” I said. “It’s going to give him more ammunition to tease us.”

“Let’s hope we don’t have another Roman situation,” Oliver said. “I know what that look is for, you’re still worried about what they’re after aren’t you?”

I nodded, “I have a feeling that we’re going to find out soon though.”

I didn’t know how right I was until I looked in Luke’s direction and he paused as soon he started walking away. Oliver looked in horror as he noticed the same thing.

“Uh. Sadie?” Oliver. “Did Luke just stop walking or am I crazy?”

“Yeah see it…” I said horrified.

“You know if the world stops like this that can only mean one thing…” Oliver said.

I knew exactly what Oliver was talking about because we noticed it right when the world paused and Samantha said that Pinkie had every opportunity to use her pocket dimension for us to escape into. She did notice it first but she looked surprised when Oliver looked and saw them and we escaped into Oliver’s pocket dimension instead.

As soon as Oliver and I figured out why the world had paused we both panicked.

“It’s the seekers!” Oliver and I said.

When we panicked we finally figured out who the seekers were after, they were after us this entire time!