//------------------------------// // Chapter 88- The Big Day // Story: Of Flame and Shadow // by Garuda IV //------------------------------// The Crystal Empire's castle was in a bustle as most everypony in there was running round getting themselves cleaned up. From combing their manes, to a full shower, to wiping off any of the leftover stench and/or vomit from their drinking last night, they were all busy doing something. Those few who weren't, however, were waiting down by the Crystal Heart as they waited for the others. Along with Dark were Shining, Night, Fissure and Pyre, Discord, Big Mac, Gray, Saph, and Emerald, all of whom were already ready and waiting for the others. For the next fifteen minutes they waited for the crystal guards to show up. While about half of them were here, the other half were still busy getting themselves cleaned from last night. As they patiently waited, Dark started to shuffle from one side to the other. "Nervous?" Shining asked him, having noticed his movements. "Yeah," Dark admitted. "Very nervous." Night shot Dark a glare. "You better not be getting cold hooves, Dark. I will not stand for you leaving my daughter at the alter." "I promise I won't. Guess that I'm just nervouscited is all." "You're what?" Saph asked, having no idea what he was talking about. "Pinkie Pie's own word," Discord explained. "It means that somepony is both nervous and excited at the same time." Dark nodded. "Yep. Pretty much what he just said," he said before looking around, just now noticing a certain somepony he'd not seen since his time here. "Hey, where's Flash? Isn't he gonna be coming?" Shining shared a knowing, almost sad look with his captain and lieutenants before addressing Dark. "I highly doubt that he'll be coming with us, Dark." "... still upset about me and Twilight?" "Sorta. He's come to accept it, but he won't be over it for quite some time. We tried talking him into coming several times for Twilight's sake, but he's insistent that it would be a bad idea, and that it wouldn't end good for anypony there." "She's not gonna like this, but alright." Dark gave a reluctant sigh. "So then, what's he gonna go in the meantime?" "He'll be watching over the Crystal Empire while we're gone." "You sure it's a good idea to have an emotionally unstable guy watching over an entire empire?" "He won't be making any drastic changes if that's what you're worried about. All that Flash will be doing in my and Cadence's absence will be watching over the empire and keep it running for the next few days." "Okay." Another half-hour later, all of the guards who were coming with had gathered, finally allowing for them to make their way to the train station. Upon arrival, they were greeted by Cheese Sandwich, who was waving them down in front of the crystalline train. "So, you guys all ready to go?" he asked. "Looks like it," Shining replied. "Good. In that case, let's get going to Canterlot!" Following Cheese Sandwich into the train, Dark a thought came to his mind and glanced over to Shining. "Hey, Shining?" "Yeah, Dark?" "I just had a thought. You were keeping up the barrier around Canterlot before we left. So then if you're here, then who's keeping the barrier up now?" Shining chuckled. "That would be Cadence. I taught her some of my more massive shield spells, so she was willing to keep it up while I'm gone." Over in Canterlot, Twilight awoke with a small yawn as she rubbed her tired eyes. As she blinked away the sleepiness and sat up to take a look around her room, her eyes fell upon the white wedding dress on the poniequin off to the side. Recalling what today was, Twilight's eyes snapped open as she stared at the dress. Today's the day, she thought, her surprise turning to happiness. I can't believe it. I'm getting married today! Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh and laid herself back down in her bed. Smiling at the thought, Twilight opened her eyes and proceeded to gaze at her dress as feelings of joy and happiness began to wash over her. For the next twenty minutes, she laid there admiring the dress and thinking about what's to come later that day when there was a knock on the door. "Twilight, honey, are you up yet?" Recognizing her mother's voice, Twilight smiled and turned her head to look at the door. "Yes, mom, I'm up. You can come on in if you want." Hearing her response, Velvet went into Twilight's room and moved towards her bed. Seeing her sitting up, Velvet hopped up on the bed alongside Twilight and took a seat beside her. Pulling her daughter into a hug, Velvet held Twilight as the two of them looked at the wedding dress. Moments later, Velvet started to get teary-eyed. "Are you okay, mom?" Twilight asked, having heard her mom sniffling. "Yes, dear, I'm alright," she said, wiping her eyes with a hoof before hugging Twilight a little tighter. "I just can't believe that my little filly is getting married today." "I know, mom. I know." Comfortingly patting her mom's back, Twilight held onto her until Velvet calmed down enough for her to speak again. "Sorry, sweetie," Velvet apologized with a weak chuckle. "Here I am, crying already, and the wedding isn't even close to starting yet." "It's okay, mom." Pushing past her teary eyes, Velvet smiled and placed a loving, motherly kiss on Twilight's forehead. "Well now," Velvet began, clearing her throat, "I came to get you for breakfast. After all, we can't have the bride go hungry on her wedding day, can we?" "I suppose not," Twilight giggled. "Okay. Just give me a few minutes to freshen up and I'll be ready." "Okay. Take your time. I'll be waiting here until you're done." Planting a kiss on her mom's cheek, Twilight got up and went to the suite's bathroom to ready herself for the day. Several minutes later, she came out and with Velvet, the two left her room and made for the dining hall. Along the way, they passed by several of the castle staff, most of whom took a moment to pause and congratulate Twilight on her upcoming wedding before rushing off back to their duties. Coming upon the dining room, Twilight and Velvet entered to see all of her friends already there eating, along with Celestia, Luna, Spike, Soul, the Dazzlings, and the Crusaders. Once they saw her, they each greeted her with a good morning and/or wave. Returning their greeting with one of her own, Twilight and Velvet took their seats and joined the others in their breakfast. "So, Twilight, how are you feeling this morning?" Celestia asked her. "A little nervous, but otherwise, I'm really excited." "I would hope so, darling," Rares said. "Today is your big wedding day after all, a day in which I'm sure every girl has dreamed of at least once." "I'm not so sure about every girl, Rares," Dash commented. "I mean I know that you and most of our friends do or did, but not me." "Why ever not? Surely there's been at least one boy that's caught your eye... or are you into girls like Sunset and Twi are?" "Maybe she goes both ways?" Pinks guessed with a shrug. Dash waved a hoof dismissingly. "Nah. I'm just not looking to be in any sort of relationship. Besides, I have way more important things to think and worry about than that." "Like what, your sports?" AJ half-joked. "Exactly! If I'm gonna be a star athlete, then I can't spend my time with someone else." "Funny how you say that, Dash, considering that I was pretty much the same way when it came to studying science and magic," Twi commented, smirking when she saw Dash's posture crumple a little. "But I can't. What about my scholarship?!" Dash felt a hoof fall on her shoulder and saw that it belonged to Rainbow. "Hey, don't sweat it," Rainbow confidently told her. "Besides, if you're supposed to be just like me, then I'm sure that you're awesome enough to handle both." "Then does that mean that you've gotten yourself someone too? Because last I heard, you were single." "Yeah, I am, but that doesn't mean that I might not some day. After all, I can juggle my time between my friends and work, so why can't you with your sports and finding a special somepony?" "Don't you mean somebody?" Dash corrected before sighing. "But, when you put it like that, I guess it does make my excuse seem a little weak." "Yeah, it kinda does," Rainbow smirked, giving her other self a playful punch in the shoulder. "Since when did Dash start gettin' sappy on us?" AJ chuckled. "Yeah," Applejack chuckled in agreement, "Ah didn't think that y'all would start ta act like this." "Weddings do tend to let out the softer side of ponies," Luna commented. "Oh?" Celestia smirked. "Like you and your crush?" Luna glared at Celestia. "... someday, Tia, when you find somepony that you like, I'm going to return the teasing, and when I do, the teasing shall be doubled." "Of course you will," Celestia said amusingly. "But Princess Luna is right," Velvet spoke up. "Weddings do tend to bring out the more romantic side of everypony, which eventually leads us to ask questions about ourselves and of our romantic love lives." "Speaking of which," Twilight began, looking up from her plate, "how've things been going for you and Discord, Fluttershy?" Fluttershy blushed and took a moment to wipe her mouth clean before answering. "We've been doing really great, Twilight," she happily replied. "We've been spending more time together, and during that time, I feel like I've gotten to know Discord ever better." "Yeah, we've noticed by how much you've been missing lately," Rainbow commented. "Sorry, Rainbow. I didn't mean to neglect you and the girls. It's just that-" "Hey, I'm not mad at you or anything, so don't worry about it. I just meant that we've noticed that you've been spending a lot more time with him lately." "By the way, how long have you two been dating now?" Spike wondered. Fluttershy tapped her chin as she thought about it. "We should be closing in on our anniversary in a few weeks." "Oh, my. That long already?" Rarity surprisingly asked. "Yes. It'll be next month that we've been together for an entire year." A small smirk formed on Rarity's lips. "In that case, perhaps Discord's thinking about proposing to you?" Fluttershy's face lit up. "D-Do you really th-think he would?" "I would like to think so. Like you said, you two have been dating for almost a whole year, so he's bound to ask you eventually." "I'm gonna have to agree with Rarity, Fluttershy," Twilight agreed. "As it turned out, during Big Mac and Cheerilee's wedding, Dark was seriously starting to consider proposing to me." "Really?" "Yes. He told me after he proposed to me." Rainbow scratched her head. "Huh. So Fluttershy might actually be the next one of us to get hitched." "Only time will tell," Celestia said. "But for now, let's leave that be. We should finish up and get ourselves ready. No doubt that there'll be a few early arrivals." "Not to mention checking in on the guards," Luna added. "You're absolutely right, Your Highnesses," Rarity nodded in agreement. "After all, we'll need to apply some makeup to Twilight." "We'll also need to style her mane," Rares added. "Perhaps even a hooficure." "Yes, that too. Ooh, I really wish we had a spa around her to take her to." "Actually, there is one right here in the castle," Celestia spoke, causing the two Raritys to turn her attention over towards her. "Well then, that does it!" Rarity exclaimed, standing up from the table with her double. "Come along, Twilight. We're taking you to the spa to get you all pampered and ready for your big day." "Uhh, did they just forget that it's the princesses' spa?" Apple Bloom whispered to the other two Crusaders. "It's Rarity," Sweetie Belle sighed. "When it comes to spas, she can get a little bit..." "Tunnel visioned?" Scootaloo guessed. "... yeah, I guess that that'll work." Seeing Rarity and Rares going, Twilight remained and looked to Celestia, who simply smiled and waved a hoof for her to go with them. Getting a thankful hug from Twilight, Celestia watched as she ran to join the others, but not before she called out to them. "Oh, and when you get there, tell them that I said to give you the royal special! I'm sure that you'll enjoy it!" "Yes, Princess, and thank you!" Twilight called back before disappearing around the corner. Smiling from watching Twilight's excitement, Celestia stood up and began walking around the table. "You'll have to excuse me, but I'm going to head on out. I'm sure that some of the guests will be arriving early to secure themselves a good seat." "Ooh! Can we come with you?" Pinkie asked with Pinks bouncing up alongside her. "I don't see why not." With a pair of cheers, Celestia found herself between a pair of Pinkies as they bounced on both sides of her. Several minutes later, Celestia stood at the front entrance to the castle with Pinkie on her left, and Pinks on her right. "Thank you for coming. I'm actually surprised that you two wanted to accompany me," Celestia said. "Of course we did," Pinkie said. "Besides, there's somepony who should be here any second now." "Oh? And who might that be?" Before Pinkie could answer, Pinks began to bounce up and down with her hoof pointed out. "She's here! She's here!" Looking towards where Pinks was pointing, Pinkie and Celestia both saw a light-gray earth pony mare in a faded-blue frock and brown saddlebag walking towards them. As she got closer, they could better see her pale-purple mane and eyeshadow, teal eyes, and the expressionless look on her face. Once she got close enough, both Pinkie and Pinks ran ahead of Celestia and wrapped her up in a hug. "Hi, Maud!" Pinkie shouted. "Hey, Maud!" Pinks greeted. "Hello, Pinkie," Maud said in a monotone voice, hugging her sister before turning her attention to the other mare clinging to her. Looking over her for a moment, Maud wrapped her other foreleg around Pinks. "Hello to you too, other Pinkie." "Huh?! How'd you know it was me?! I'm a completely different color than what I should be." "You're still my sister," Maud shortly explained. "Oohhhhhhh. Right. I suppose that I kinda am." Letting Maud go, Pinkie and Pinks hopped alongside Maud up to Celestia, who was watching them with a look of confusion, but quickly hid it as they approached her. "Greetings, Maud Pie," Celestia greeted. "It's a pleasure to meet Pinkie's elder sister." "A pleasure," Maud returned before slowly blinking. "It's fine." "Pardon, but what are you talking about?" "I know it seems strange when compared to my sister. As you've seen, I don't show my enthusiasm like Pinkie Pie does." "Umm... yes... I've noticed. Forgive me, it's just that after meeting Pinkie so many times, I didn't quite expect for you to be so... mellow." "It's fine," Maud replied, showing no emotion in her facial expressions. Putting on a smile, Celestia motioned for Maud and the two Pinkies to follow her. "So," Celestia began, "what do you do?" "I'm a geologist." "Ah. I suppose growing up on a rock farm had something to do to that?" "Yes." ".... so then, any hobbies or pets?" Maud's gaze slowly drifted up to Celestia. "Yes. Both." "Oh?" Celestia watched confusingly as Maud reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a rock to present to Celestia. "Excuse me, but what's this?" "It's my pet rock. His name is Boulder," Maud replied. "Oh... that's... unique," Celestia awkwardly said. "As for my hobbies," she began, putting Boulder away, "I write my own poetry." "Really? Now that sounds interesting. Mind if hear some if it?" Maud gave a small nod before she began. "Rock. You are a rock. Gray. You are gray. Like a rock. Which you are. Rock." Celestia slowly blinked as she heard Maud's "poem." "I've written thousands," Maud informed her. "This next one's about rocks. They're all about rocks." As Maud continued to read her poetry, Celestia put on a pleasant face as she listened, doing her best to not be rude and awkwardly ask for Maud to stop. Several hours later, the train from the Crystal Empire pulled into the train station. Unboarding from the train, Dark and the other guys ran out of it and began stampeding down the road towards the castle. "You know," Discord began, floating alongside them, "we wouldn't be cutting it so close if you all would've just let me teleport us here." "Well how were we supposed to know that a pack of diamond dogs would suddenly pop up out of snow like daises and try hijacking the train?!" Dark shot back. "Besides, Dark and a few of the other crystal ponies get teleportation sickness," Shining added. "It's nothing that I couldn't fix with a snap of my claw," Discord reminded. "That's enough, boys," Night told them, spotting the clock as it read 4:45 P.M. "The wedding doesn't start until six, so we've still got bit of time to make it to the castle, get changed, groomed, and back to the wedding hall with time to spare." Dark let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness for that. If we were late, I wouldn't doubt that either Twilight or one of the princesses would have my hide. Whether that's literally or figuratively, I'm don't know and don't want to know." "I wouldn't worry about it," Discord dismissed. "Besides, you'll just regenerate it back." "Yeah, but that doesn't mean that I want to try it... actually, never mind. I already did that myself once before." "Look's like ye won't have to, lad," Anvil said, motioning up to the castle gates. Picking up the pace, Dark and the others closed in on the gates where six guards were letting ponies file in to get early seats for the wedding. When the guards saw them approaching, the stepped off to the side to let them all in. Once inside, Dark, Shining, Discord, Night, Fissure, Pyre, and Anvil parted from their group and went to the guest room where he and Twilight were sharing. Knocking to make sure that Twilight wasn't in there and hearing no reply, Dark opened the door and led the guys in. "Okay, let's get ourselves dressed and get over to the wedding hall," Dark told them, heading over to his suitcase. "I'm not getting dressed in some fancy clothing that I'll only be wearing once," Pyre proclaimed. "Same," Fissure nodded in agreement. "Do you even have any clothes?" Shining asked. "If they don't, then I could easily fix that," Discord said with a chuckle. "Let them be, Discord," Dark told him. "They'll be fine the way they are." Twelve minutes later after scrambling to make themselves more presentable, there was a knocking on the door. Everyone freezing in place, they each turned towards the door as another set of knocks came through. "Hello? Dark? Are you in there?" "Yes, Princess Luna, just a moment." Straightening his traditional black and white tuxedo, Dark walked over and opened the door a crack to peek through. Seeing that it was Luna standing there in a purple dress with a golden hemming, he stepped aside and held the door open for her to come in. "Thank you," she thanked. "Ponies were starting to worry since nopony has seen any sign of you or the others, myself included. At least, until the guards came to inform my sister and I of your rather hectic arrival." "Sorry about that, Princess," Dark apologized. "We had some trouble with a group of diamond dogs that boarded the train and tried to take it over." "I see. They didn't prove much trouble I take it?" "Besides having to stop the train to prevent hitting the blockade they set up in the middle of the train tracks, they weren't any problem." "Good to hear. In that case, I shall go and inform the others. See you at the alter." Leaving them be, Luna left the room and closed the door behind her. With the guys alone again, they continued to get themselves dressed up while Pyre and Fissure sat off to the side, the former groaning in boredom. "Since there's nothing for me to do here, I'm gonna go and get a seat," he announced. "Same," Fissure agreed, following after him before turning back. "See you all in a bit." "See ya soon, guys," Dark called before fiddling with his necktie with a huff of annoyance. "Okay, can somepony please help me with this thing?!" Chuckling, Night walked over and gave Dark a hoof. "Can't seem to get it, huh?" Dark groaned in annoyance. "I can beat an ursa major by myself, I can fight off an entire army, I can bring ponies back from the dead, but what I can't do is do a freaking necktie!" "We've all been there at some point." Night paused for a moment. "What about the one that you wore to the Hearth's Warming Eve Ball?" "That was a bowtie, and it was a clip-on." "Ahh, the clip-on. A stallions best cheat when it comes to fashion," Shining said with a bit of mirth. Hearing the guys laughing at Dark, Pyre smirked as he and Fissure both walked down the halls to find a guard for directions. Finding one and following his instructions, the two brothers made their way down the halls until they came across three ponies, two of whom were Pinkie and Pinks, and the third who was a complete mystery to them. "Heya, guys," Pinkie waved to them. "About time you guys showed up," Pinks commented. "We were starting to wonder if something happened." "Just some diamond dogs, nothing worth bothering with," Pyre idly dismissed. "Ohh. Well, that's good to hear," Pinkie said. "Ooh! I haven't introduced you two yet. Pyre, Fissure, this is my sister Maud! Maud, these are Pyre and Fissure." "Hello," Maud said in a monotone voice to Pyre before turning to Fissure. When she did, there was a very slight change to her eyes as she approached him. Once close enough, she lifted a hoof and glided it over his rocky chest. "... brown granite." Pyre looked at her confusingly. "What?" "He's made of granite," Maud clarified, earning her a rumbly chuckle from Fissure. "Nice catch," he complimented before changing. "Now, what am I made-" "Basalt." Fissure blinked, surprised that she already identified. Smiling inwardly, he decided to challenge her and changed again. "Sandstone." And again. "Obsidian." And again. "Marble." And again. "Shale." Impressed with how quickly she could identify the types of rocks he'd turned into, Fissure smiled outwardly as he changed once again. However, unlike the other times, it took Maud a moment before she could identify it. "Petrified wood." Having enough, Fissure chuckled as he reverted back to his normal form. "Very impressive," he commented Maud, causing the smallest spot of red to form on her cheeks. "How did you know?" Pinkie draped a hoof around Maud's shoulders. "Maud knows everything there is about rocks! Isn't that right, Maud?" Instead of verbally answering, Maud gave a small nod before looking curiously at Fissure. "What are you?" she asked. "I am Fissure, one of the six Scaleless Dragons, and the Lord of Earth," he answered her, subconsciously puffing out his chest slightly. "I am everything that is earth, be it rock or plant." Nodding, Maud tapped a hoof against Fissure and felt that the rock he was made of didn't just look and feel like it, but also had the right density as it too. "Hard as a rock," she idly said. "You've no idea," Fissure chuckled, causing Maud to crack a very small smile. "... are you going to the wedding too?" Maud asked him, getting a nod in reply. "Was on my way there." Maud nodded. "You want to go with me?" Giving her a small bow, Fissure walked alongside Maud as the two left to the wedding hall, leaving Pyre standing there, staring at them while both Pinkie and Pinks were trembling in place. "Oh my gosh! Did you see that?!" Pinkie shouted excitingly. "I did! I did! I did!" Pinkie exclaimed equally as excitingly. "What? I don't get it," Pyre said confusingly. "What?! How could you not see the look on her face?!" "She didn't look any different than when she first showed up!" Pyre said in annoyance. "She just kept up that bored look and spoke in that monotone voice the entire time!" "Are you kidding me?!" Pinkie asked in disbelief. "She was blushing up a storm there! I've never seen her look like that!" "Did you see the look in her eyes, too?!" Pinks asked her double. "I've never seen her eyes sparkle like they did there!" "Me too!" Still confused, Pyre looked over the two giggling mares. "Sooo... what's going on?" Pinkie giggled before she answered him. "Maud totally has the hots for Fissure." "Yeah," Pinks agreed. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were to ask each other out before the end of tonight." Happy with how things turned out, Pinkie and Pinks turned around and bounced back from where they came from, leaving Pyre standing alone in the hallway as he thought to himself. ... if Fissure's gonna end up like Dark, then maybe having a nice suit for a wedding isn't such a bad idea after all. The time for the wedding was near as just about everyone was ready. Inside the hall, rows of chairs were sat out with white strands of fabric tied to each chair alongside the aisle by a bouquet of violet roses. Along the walls and windows, white curtains were placed, along with flowers lining the walls. And there, where Dark waited at the alter, was an arch of red and white roses between a pair of marble pillars. Along with Dark standing up at the alter as he waited for Twilight, was Celestia, who stood patiently in her pink and golden dress, who would occasionally give Dark reassuring words to calm himself. To Dark's immediate left stood his best stallion, Shining, in his favorite uncle's military dress outfit, followed by his groomsstallions, Discord, Big Mac, and Anvil. On the other side of the alter across from him was Cadence as Twilight's best mare, and her six friends, all of whom were wearing peach colored dresses with minor changes to match their individuality. Seeing as how Twilight didn't want to pick any one of her friends over the others and make them feel bad, she went with Cadence, seeing as she's known her for much longer, is her sister-in-law, and it would be a safer choice, which her friends were alright with. Shuffling around on his hooves and claws, Dark looked out at those who've gathered for the wedding. It was easy to spot Pyre, Aques, Aero holding Aurora's egg, Soul, and Fissure, who Dark noticed was sitting rather close to a pony who was pointed out to be Pinkie's sister, Maud. Scanning the crowd again, he spotted Steel Guard, Kite Shield, and Aura Lance sitting in the front row beside the Scaleless Dragons, Granny Smith, First Strike, Gem Cutter, Snow Flower, the Dazzlings, Fancy Pants, Fleur De Lis, Gray, Emerald, Saph, and Cheese Sandwich. Looking over to the other row, Dark immediately noticed Sunset and the rest of their friends sitting at the front row, along with Velvet who was dabbing her eyes with tissues already as she held onto Skyla for Cadence, Zecora, Luna, Redheart, and Cheerilee. There were also a bunch of ponies that Dark didn't recognize, but was curious when ponies to start murmuring amongst themselves upon one pony in particular. Dark also saw that in the audience were ponies who Rainbow had told him were the Wonderbolts, all wearing their military dress outfits instead of their flight uniforms. Seeing that the entire room was packed, Dark closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. As the minutes continued to roll by, he felt increasingly nervous, which in turn caused him to start nervously sweating. "You doing alright there?" Hearing her motherly voice, Dark opened his eyes and looked up at Celestia. "Yeah. I'm fine," he replied. "Feeling a bit nervous?" "More like a lot nervous. When's she gonna be here anyway? It's starting to get kinda warm in here." "Just relax, Dark," Shining told him, having heard him and Celestia. "This is all just a normal part of getting married." Dark gave a small groan, clearly not liking having to feel like this as he waited. Seven minutes later of standing and nervously fidgeting and shifting around, the sound of music started to play. Hearing it, Dark's attention was drawn to the double-doors opening to Spike as he walked down the aisle in his black tuxedo and top hat, holding a pillow in his claws with a pair of rings on them. Soon after Spike reached the alter and stood off to the side, the Crusaders each came bouncing down the aisle in their pink dresses, spreading pink rose petals as they approached. It was when they'd made it to the alter and stood off to the side that the music changed and everyone stood up and turned their attention towards the doors as they opened. As the doors opened, Dark felt his breath catching in his throat at what he saw. There, standing in the middle of the doorway was Twilight in a dress whiter than any snow that Dark had ever seen that did very well to hid her baby bump. Along with the dress, he also noticed her hair done up in a bun, but most importantly and happily, was seeing the silver necklace that he'd gotten her for Hearth's Warming being worn around her neck. With the white veil draped over her face, and the bouquet of white roses in her magical hold, Twilight smiled and took a calming breath before she felt Night taking her hoof. Letting out one last breath, Twilight began walking down the aisle with Night escorting her. As she approached, she remembered her mom's advice about what to do if she began feeling nervous. Following her words, Twilight looked over to Dark as he stood at the alter, waiting for her. Once her eyes locked onto his, she felt her worries and nerves start to dissipate, just as Velvet told her. Time became lost as they held their gaze on each other, and before she knew it, Twilight found herself standing at that same alter. Levitating her bouquet to Cadence to hold on to, Twilight turned to Night and smiled as he pulled the veil off from over her face and laid it back before planting a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, sweetheart," Night said softly. "I love you too, dad," Twilight smiled. Wiping a tear from Twilight's eyes, Night turned to Dark and shared a quick hug with him before turning to take his seat alongside Velvet. Now just the two of them, Dark and Twilight faced each other with smiles on their faces, and tears of happiness in their eyes. Reaching out, Dark held Twilight's hoof in his claw as they turned to face Celestia, while everyone in attendance sat themselves back down. Waiting for everyone to get settled back down, Celestia looked over the two before her and waited a little longer before she began. "Well... here we finally are," she quietly said to herself before taking a calming breath and addressing everyone. "Mares and gentlecolts. We are here today to witness the union of Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Dark Flame. I must admit that I never thought that I'd see this day come. As my personal student, Twilight has spent a good deal of her life at my side, so it's easy for me to say that at times, I tend to think of her as my daughter. Of course, with that said, I also must admit that when I watched her growing up under my tutelage that I was starting to become concerned with how she was with her studies. To be honest, before I sent her to Ponyville to study the magic of friendship, I was just about convinced that she'd sooner marry a book than anypony else." The room was filled with chuckles at Celestia's comment, including Dark. "But, I'm overjoyed to see that I was wrong in that assumption. Not only did she drift away from her near-obsession with books and studying magic, but she also found friends that she trusts with her life. And now, she's found somepony special who she's wanting to share the rest of her life with." Celestia looked at Dark. "Young Dark Flame. For many years you've defended your village of Stonewall from the constant attack of King Inferno's dragon raids. And even though you were shunned and mistreated by your fellow villagers, you continued to fight to protect them until the end regardless." Celestia shook her head. "A stallion who risked so much for the safety of his village and fellow ponies, only to receive such treatment by them in the end, is not right. You deserve more than that." Her gaze softened as she continued. "And you have. When your village fell, you were left the sole survivor with lost memories. You traveled aimlessly into a world unfamiliar with you until you stumbled into a meadow and passed out. It was then that you were brought in by a stranger to you, who let you live with her, and soon became a friend worth trusting. As she helped you become familiar with Equestria and you two spent more time together, that friendship turned into something wonderful. From friendship to love, and from love to the beginnings of a family. "You, Dark, have gone through much pain, misery, and fighting in your lifetime. So, I believe that it's long overdue that you've finally received the proper acknowledgement that you've earned." Celestia turned to Twilight. "Twilight, would you like to start us off?" Nodding, Twilight took a calming breath before speaking. "Dark. For the longest time, I never bothered with friendship. Most of my life, I thought that books were the most important thing in my life. It wasn't until Princess Celestia sent me to Ponyville that I learned how wrong I was. During my time there, I learned much about friendship, and now, I have five friends that are more like sisters to me. But, despite all of that, I'd barely thought about the possibility of any sort of romantic relationship. That is, until I met you. "I admit, at first I found you to be a little unsure of whether you were trusting or not. That's why I had you stay with me at first, so that I could keep an eye on you. But, I was quick to realize that that wasn't necessary. Instead of being somepony dangerous, you turned out to be this big softy. You got along well with all of my friends and Spike, and before I knew it, I felt more comfortable with you, like you've been with us for a lot longer than what you were. Then, before I knew it, I started to have these feelings for you. I thought it might've been just a schoolfilly crush at first, but after the timberwolf attack, and when we went to the Running of the Leaves fair together, I felt more sure about it. But, the final straw for me, I think, was the morning after the attack on Ponyville when you tried asking me to be your fillyfriend." Twilight glanced over to Celestia, who's cheeks were tinted with embarrassment and was looking away. "I was worried that when my brother attacked you that it would drive you way, and later I thought that I'd lost you when you were sent through the portal and stranded on the other side." Twilight paused as she whipped her eyes with a sniffle. "But you're still here. In the end, you didn't let Shiny push you away from me and later became good friends with him, and you returned from the other side of the portal with the help of the friends that you've made there. While that's impressive in of itself, you also rescued Soul from a pack of timberwolves in the Everfree Forest, who we later adopted and gave a home to. And now, with our daughter on the way, I can say with the utmost certainty that I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. I love you, Dark, and I promise that from this day forward that I'll always stand by your side as your loving wife." There was a moment where the only sounds was some sniffling from the crowd, and a few "awwws" from Twilight's friends. Allowing a moment for everyone to calm down, Celestia gave Twilight an approving nod before turning to Dark. "Dark, if you would?" Wiping his eyes clear, Dark smiled as he gave Twilight's hoof a gentle squeeze. "Twilight. For almost all of my life I've seen struggle and fighting. While it wasn't until I was fifteen that I started the defend my old home from the dragons, I still barely knew what peace was with the threat of Inferno's dragons lurking. That is, until I met you. I know that I've said it before, but you, Twilight, have shown me peace in a lifetime of violence. You showed me what true friendship was when the only friend I had before had betrayed me to Inferno. You then went a step further in not only giving me a new place to call home, but to also share the same feelings of love that I felt for you." Dark shook his head. "When I was trapped on the other side of the portal, I was worried about how you were doing. Not only was... he, there in Ponyville, but I also couldn't get back to you, and I didn't have any way to contact you to let you know how I was doing. It got to the point once where I had almost destroyed the portal in an attempt to break through it and force it open. Thankfully, a friend that I made over there had stopped me before I did something stupid, and told me of a way to get in touch with you. And while it pained me to wait like I did, I was truly happy to see you when you and the guards came to rescue me. "You saved me and returned me home to you and our friends in Equestria. Not only that, but thanks to you, I was able to peacefully spend a Hearth's Warming with a loving family, even if they weren't my family at the time. And now, thanks to you once again, you've given me the chance to have something that I've never though possible of having; A family of my own." Dark brought a claw up and gently cupped Twilight's cheek. "You have given so much, Twilight, and I'll do whatever I can to return that to you. I'll do everything that I can to be the best father that I can be to our daughter that you're carrying, and to be the best husband that I can be to you. I'll protect our family, keep you all safe from any danger, and while I'll more than likely screw up in a few places, never forget that I'll always love you, no matter what." At this point, both Dark and Twilight were letting their tears run freely, along with almost half of those watching. Letting a moment pass, Celestia subtly used her magic to wipe her eyes before she smiled down at them. "Very good, you two," she complimented before turning to Spike. "May we have the rings?" Taking his cue, Spike walked up and presented the pillow with the two rings. Once close enough, he held it up as Celestia took the rings in her magic and turned to Twilight to give her Dark's wedding ring. "Do you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, take Dark Flame as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" Twilight was about to answer, but stopped as she and Dark both shot a curious look at Celestia. It took her a moment, but soon, Celestia recognized her mistake. Right. Lord of Death, she thought. Guess I'll have to improvise then. "Sorry. I meant... until the end of days?" See as how that was better, Twilight giggled at Celestia before turning back to Dark and slipping a golden ring on his horn. "I do." Glad that she didn't screw up, Celestia nodded before turning to Dark and giving him Twilight's wedding ring. "Do you, Dark Flame, take Princess Twilight Sparkle as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until the end of days?" With teary eyes and a smile on his face, Dark slid the ring on Twilight's horn. "I do." Glad to hear it, Celestia looked up to address everyone. "Then by the power vest in me by me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Taking a calming breath, Dark and Twilight looked into each other's eyes one more time. As they did, they both felt a sense of calmness and, with one movement, they both leaned in and shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Soon as their lips met, everyone was stood up as the cheered and applauded the new married couple. As they continued to cheer, Dark and Twilight held their kiss for a little while longer before they parted, both smiling widely and crying tears of joy. However, it wasn't quite over yet. Raising a hoof up, Celestia waited for everyone to quiet down with Luna now by her side. Once the crowd had calmed down, Celestia teleported to her Twilight's crown, and another crown, this one being a silver circlet with a red gem embedded in the center of the circlet with what appeared to be a swirl of black mist inside it. "Mares and gentlecolts," Celestia called out, holding the two crowns and placing them on Twilight's and Dark's heads. "I present to you, Mrs. Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, and Mr. Dark Flame, Prince of Flame and Shadow." The crowed cheered once again, and somewhere within the cacophony of sounds, Pinkie and Pinks both pointed at Celestia and shouted "Ah! Ah! She said it! She said it!". Glancing up, Dark briefly looked at the silver crown placed on upon his head before turning his attention to his new wife. Smiling widely, he held his claw out as she took it with her hoof. Now claw in hoof, Dark and Twilight began making their way down the aisle with Celestia, Luna, and their friends following them, as everyone continued to cheer for them. Following the plan from their rehearsal, they made their way over to one of the balconies overlooking Canterlot and walked up over to the edge to see hundreds of ponies gathered below them, all of whom started cheering as soon as they saw the new royal couple appear. Seeing them all, Dark and Twilight smiled and waved to the ponies below. Then, feeling a sense of overwhelming joy from the positive feedback of the crowd, they faced each other and shared another kiss, causing the crowd to cheer louder for them. Breaking their kiss, Dark leaned his forehead against Twilight as they stared in each other's eyes. "This day has been just perfect," he whispered. "Yeah, it has," Twilight said with a small smile. "But, it's not over just yet."