Chapter 21 – Wedding Gifts and The Best Gift of All
As the classical quartet left the stage, Rainbow and her musicians took the spotlight. Shortly, she stood at the front and picked up her Fender Stratocaster and turned up the amp.
“Ponies! Griffins! Are you ready to rock? Classically!” she shouted into the mic and began playing. The griffins and ponies with her followed her lead and started on a heavy metal version of "Pachelbel’s Canon."
(Heavy metal Pachelbel’s canon- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNmcLKXPGSg )
The younger ponies in the group began dancing. After a few songs she turned the music over to Daisy Cutter and Grongor, and the combined pony and griffin bands began a heavy metal duet of the Beatles’ All You Need Is Love. Rainbow stopped and slowly turned around, watching as pony and griffin looked adoringly into each other’s eyes as they sang their duet into a single microphone.
“Cadance, if you ruined two of my favorite bands, you’re in so much trouble,” she grumbled.
As Rainbow mingled, she was met by one of Twilight's servants with the request to meet with the princesses in the library. Shortly she stood in the library along with the bride and groom, and Grandpa Gruff. When Celestia and Nightmare arrived, Twilight magically sealed the door.
“Friends,” Princess Celestia said, smiling at them. “This was a lovely occasion. Thank you all so much for allowing us to attend. There are some gifts we wish to bestow. It was implied to me that the couple has concerns about their child. If you so desire, I can show you what your child will look like.”
Fullbright smiled and shook his head. “We’re honored, your highness, but we saw the picture you sent. From what Twilight told us, we already have an idea.”
“You misunderstand. I mean I can literally show you what your child is going to look like, from birth to adulthood.”
The others looked at each other in surprise.
“Really?” Fullbright asked.
“Really. Does the mother wish to know?”
“Yeah, sure,” Gilda replied.
Celestia’s horn glowed and she closed her eyes. After nearly a minute of preparation she opened her eyes and she stepped back as a ghostly glowing form began to materialize in the middle of the room and the others gathered around. Soon a small image materialized and there stood a little male hippogriff, its front half an eagle with the feathers on his head having a rainbowish tint while his equine rear half was light blue like his father's. The form began to age and soon there stood a stout and handsome fellow.
Gilda looked to her grandfather. “Well, Grandpa, what do you think?”
He walked around the figure several times, looked to Gilda and smiled. “I’d be proud to call him family."
Gilda let out a sigh of relief and hugged her grandfather. “Thanks, Grandpa! You don’t know how much that means to me.”
Rainbow knew he was lying, but he loved Gilda too much to hurt her and he’d force a smile for the rest of his life to hide the truth. She then looked to her father and smiled as she noted his trained flyers eye, judging his future son’s flying capabilities.
Nightmare Moon now stepped forward and stood before the couple. “We have given great thought to what would be a worthy gift. We know that thee are a child of Griffinstone. I have been told of the misfortunes that have befallen your land.” Nightmare’s horn glowed and a scroll appeared in the air. “For the couple, we give thee this." The scroll floated over to Gilda and she took it in her claws and opened it.
“A map?” Gilda asked.
“That is a map to the lost treasure of Griffinstone. With that you can recover your beloved Idol of Boreas and return honor and glory to your people.”
Grandpa Gruff rushed over and looked at it, studying the landmarks. “I-I know where that is! We can find the idol!”
Nightmare nodded. “It will be a perilous descent into the abyss to retrieve it, so be sure of yourselves and your valor. I give this to thee in private, so none may try to claim it before you.”
Gilda looked to Gruff and then to her husband. “Mind if we cut the honeymoon short? Take a raincheck. I don't think Grandpa would like to wait on this one.”
Grandpa Gruff folded his arms and glared at Fullbright. "It's not like I've been waiting more than sixty years for this day or anything. Besides, you already got her pregnant, so there's not much point to a honeymoon, is there?"
Fullbright nodded then turned to his wife, smiled and hugged her. “For you, my dear, anything.”
Gilda laughed and hugged her husband, then her grandfather. “We wouldn’t dream of it, Grandpa.”
Rainbow nodded. “I guess I'd better get my gear together for the climb.”
“You’re going into the Abysmal Abyss?” Grandpa Gruff asked, clearly surprised.
“Sure thing, old timer. Like any of you know anything about rock climbing. I’ve climbed to the top of Canterlot Mountain, and when I got to the top I jumped off it. We’ll make Griffinstone awesome again in no time.”
With lots of hugs and a few tears, the new couple said their goodbyes and Celestia sent them off to Canterlot on her personal chariot to spend their honeymoon night at a suite at her castle, with plans to meet at the Canterlot train station bright and early the next morning to begin their journey.
With that business taken care of, Rainbow set out to find Scootaloo. Ponyville was a mass of celebrating ponies—singing, dancing, partying, gaming, eating. She eventually found Scootaloo with her new friends Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Silver Spoon and Diamond Rich, apparently having the time of her life. The matron was protectively nearby, but at the same time was actually enjoying herself as well.
As night fell, the celebration went up a notch and the bands Rainbow had brought in also kicked things up another notch. The whole town was rockin’—the air itself seemed to vibrate with the power of the music.
Everypony partied through the night until the first hint of dawn approached. Rainbow had to wake Scootaloo, who’d drifted off to sleep, but she wanted to make sure she saw the highlight of the holiday. The kids all watched with awe as Nightmare Moon lowered the moon and Celestia raised the sun. When the festivities had concluded, Rainbow picked up the sleepy Scootaloo, who snuggled against her. She smiled down at the little pony in her arms.
"Sweet dreams, Scoot," she said and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
Rainbow hosted the Matron and Scootaloo at her place, due to the rest of Ponyville being packed with visitors for the holiday. She showed the weary matron to her room and Rainbow went to another door. Rainbow took the sign off the door, went inside and tucked Scootaloo in. She hung the sign on the wall opposite the bed.
The next day, Rainbow sat at very late breakfast with the matron when she heard the thump of Scootaloo leaping out of bed. They both winced when they heard the pony galloping down the stairs, trip and tumble down the rest of the way, then get up and charge into the kitchen, slipping and sliding across the freshly waxed floor till she was at Rainbow’s chair.
“Good morning, Scootaloo. Sleep well?” Rainbow said, smiling at the performance.
It was a battle which was bigger—Scootaloo's eyes or her smile. “Rainbow… am I dreaming?”
Rainbow looked around. “I don’t see any clowns or spiders, so I don’t think so.”
“But… but… that thing on the wall. M-my room?” she stammered, tears starting to run down her cheeks.
“That’s up to you, kiddo. Lady Golden Meadow and I already took care of most of the paperwork. Just one last signature. I just wanted to make sure you’re cool with this. Is this what you want?”
Scooaloo leaped up onto Rainbow's lap. “Do you even have to ask?”
“You’ve got to understand, Scoot, my life's a dangerous one. I take risks and even though I’ll be looking after you, I’ll still have to take risks. I have a very important job. Can you accept that my life will at times be in danger?”
“Yes, Rainbow. I understand. I wouldn’t be here if you were afraid of a little danger.”
“I already talked to Dad and Gilda—if anything should ever happen to me, they’ll look after you. I hate to say it, but there may even be times where you might be put in danger just because of my work. Do you understand that, Scootaloo?”
“Yes, I understand, Rainbow. Do you promise to come rescue me if I end up in danger?” the little pony replied, shaking with excitement.
"Of course!"
"Then I accept the danger."
“You ready for this? To be mother and daughter?”
The little pony hugged her, totally happy. “Yes, yes, yes, Rainbow!” Scootaloo sobbed.
With Scootaloo still clinging to her, Rainbow lifted her pen and signed her name to the last document.
“That makes it official,” the matron said, with a few tears of her own. “Congratulations to both of you! May you always be a happy family."
Scootaloo was too overcome to respond, just burying her face against Rainbow and crying tears of joy. Rainbow smiled, wiped her eyes and hugged her new daughter.
"Scootaloo, I had all kinds of cool bonding stuff planned for our first day as a family, but adventure calls. We've got to pack for a trip to Griffinstone. There's some lost treasure we have to find to make Griffinstone awesome again, so I'm going to need my climbing gear and stuff. You up for adventure, kiddo? I know it's a big surprise, so if you want you can stay with the Apples until I get back."
"Are you kidding? I'm ready for anything!" the little pony responded with a big smile.
Rainbow laughed and hugged her daughter. "That's my girl!"
***
Lady Golden Meadow just smiled as she watched the two begin hashing out plans for the trip. Two peas in a pod, she thought to herself as she smiled and sipped her tea.