//------------------------------// // 54. Going Native // Story: Divine Entertainment // by Orthoros //------------------------------// Scholar Arc Year 11, Month 6, Day 28 Atlas looked at himself in the mirror. His mane had been neatly combed back by Crimson just minutes ago and the look was pretty off-putting for him. He’d gotten used to the unruly mess that he called a hairstyle and usually didn’t bother fighting it, aside from the occasional sweep with a comb. Further weirding him out was the bright green suit he wore. As he’d found out, it was tradition for stallions to wear a suit matching their magical affinity in color. Atlas, of course, had the privilege of being able to choose, but ended up with green as his only choice. Belle vetoed the pink suit because it made him look silly, apparently, while he didn't want to pick red because it would clash with Crimson's fur, who would stand next to him as his best stallion. Then there was the issue of keeping his fourth affinity a secret, so he couldn't pick orange, which left him with the green suit. "Nervous?" Crimson asked, sitting next to him. "Like you wouldn't believe," Atlas answered, fidgeting with his hooves. "Oh trust me, I do," Crimson chuckled. "After all, our roles were reversed a few years back, remember?" "Oh yeah..." "Took you long enough to finally step up to the plate, though," Crimson said. "Why the sudden change of mind?" "It's because of my cutie mark," Atlas said, and they both looked down at his flank. "You and Belle are the only ones who really know about my... situation. I know I never outright told you, but I wasn't always a pony and I think that's been holding me back. But now that I've got this... It made me realize that's just what I am now, no two ways about it." Crimson mulled over Atlas' words for a few moments, looking at his cutie mark with a thoughtful look. "So, I know you told everyone that the thing on your mark is the same as the cover image from one of those rune books... but, is that what you actually were before becoming a pony?" Crimson asked cautiously. Atlas sighed. "Well, I guess it's okay if you know. Yeah, that's exactly what I was before. A human." He stared at the pony looking back at him from the mirror, feeling strange. The memories of Earth were still present, but they just seemed so far off, like an entire lifetime was between then and now. It was doubtful that he'd return willingly at this point. After all, he had established a comfortable life here, let alone the fact that he was about to get married. "Ah well, at this point what is one more odd thing about you," Crimson said. "Not like it makes a difference at this point. It's pretty weird to think about though." "That's just me," Atlas laughed. "A weird collection of oddities with a bit of luck sprinkled in between." "Yeah, it's actually quite hard to believe that you're supposed to be a god, seeing how you act like a regular pony all the time." Atlas and Crimson shared a laugh, Atlas' nervousness momentarily forgotten. The door opened and Amethyst stuck his head through the gap. "You guys ready?" he asked them. "It's time." Atlas' veins turned to ice as his nerves returned with full force. Crimson reassuringly patted him on the shoulder a few times and went towards the door. "Come on, Belle's waiting for you," he said with a smile. Atlas got up and went after his two friends on shaky legs, before proceeding to follow them down the hall. Ponies didn't have churches like back on Earth; instead, unicorns erected special buildings on so-called places of power. The mana concentration was higher than usual in those places, and they believed that the pair would be blessed if they entered the bond of marriage at such a place. The trio stopped, Atlas in the center, before a closed ornate set of doors. There was already an official inside, addressing the gathered guests much as a priest would have on Earth. Now all he had to do was wait; the doors would open up once it was time for him to enter. "You ready?" Amethyst asked. "No," Atlas replied as the door slowly opened before him. They walked into a great hall. Rows upon rows of wooden benches filled with friends that came to see Atlas and Belle on their big day lined the rectangular room. Usually, family would be present as well, but that was somewhat of an issue for both of them. They made their way past smiling faces, towards the official at the very front: a blue unicorn with a white mane, wearing a golden suit himself, representing their current King. Atlas could have sworn he saw Doc Brown in the last row, tinkering with some weird contraption. The casual disinterest of his boss and partner cheered him up a bit and he took up his position on the right side of the dais, with Crimson and Amethyst behind him. A large mural framed the background behind them, depicting two unicorns getting married at the base of the lonely mountain; an aurora in the colors of the six magic schools filled the sky in a breathtaking display. "Today, Atlas has appeared under the watchful eyes of the gods and his king, to enter the sacred bond of marriage," the official droned on. Atlas chuckled at the line, since it was probably truer than everypony present believed, which earned him a reprimanding look from the blue pony. "Now, let Charity Belle enter," he called out to two ponies standing next to the doors. Atlas was able to hear a small amount of disdain in his voice when he said Belle's name. It was possible that his officiator was of the common belief that unicorns should only marry other unicorns, but as long as he did his job, Atlas wasn't about to call him out on it. The doors opened once again and in walked Belle, followed by Blue Current and White Mallow. Belle wore a beautiful white dress with golden highlights, her smile even more radiant than usual. The sight of the dress caused Atlas to momentarily recall the day he’d asked her to marry him. As soon as Atlas had popped the question, she immediately said yes. Much to his surprise she then proceeded to pull out comprehensive plans for their wedding, including a guest list and location. The most baffling thing, though, was when she proceeded to pull her wedding dress from a hidden department in their closet. It was at that moment that Atlas realized just how long he had forced her to wait on him, even though she clearly loved him beyond belief. That wasn't even a month ago, and now they already stood at the altar. Apparently she had asked the place to keep a spot open. Just in case. Belle took up her position on the other side of the official and flashed Atlas a happy grin, as if to say that she wouldn't let him go now, no matter what. Atlas simply smiled back before refocusing his attention on the official before them. "Today, Charity Belle has appeared under the watchful eyes of the gods and her king, to enter the sacred bond of marriage," he said. Atlas let his gaze wander over their gathered audience as the official pony droned on about traditions and other nonsense. He had already heard most of it at the rehearsal, so he knew that the only important part was at the end. Lots of unicorns had gathered on Atlas' side, mainly his colleagues, former friends from school and even a few of the higher-ups. It seemed that Atlas was becoming even more of a small-time celebrity, as he could see a few unicorns who were most likely just there to get into his good graces. He had to stifle a laugh when he saw that Doc Brown was frantically trying to extinguish a small fire hidden by the ponies in front of him. Belle’s side represented a stark contrast, as it was mostly filled with earth ponies and pegasi. He knew a lot of them through Belle who had introduced most of them over the years, but there were many faces he didn't recognize as well. Most likely some of her clients at White Mallow's clinic. "...they came to be, when one of the six heavenly beings stepped on them..." Yup, still spewing complete nonsense. Atlas spent some time looking deep into Belle’s eyes, momentarily getting lost in them. They were always enthralling to look at, but today they seemed lovelier than usual. It definitely helped that ponies had huge eyes, compared to humans. Before he really knew how it happened they were holding a staring contest. Atlas’ eyes began to water, since Belle proved to be a formidable opponent, when Amethyst lightly tapped his shoulder. "What?" Atlas hissed, his focus taken away from Belle. "You're supposed to say 'I do', you idiot!" Amethyst hissed back. The audience shared a laugh at Atlas' expense before the official cleared his throat once. "I will ask once again," he said, slightly annoyed. "Will you, Atlas, take Charity Belle as your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to treat her right in accordance with the laws of the heavenly beings and myself representing the king as your witness?" Atlas looked back into Belle’s eyes. "I do." "Then, will you, Charity Belle, take Atlas as your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to treat him right in accordance with the laws of the heavenly beings and myself representing the king as your witness?" "I do," Belle responded. The official nodded once in acknowledgment of their vows. "Then, you may now exchange the rings." Crimson trotted over to Atlas, presenting him with a necklace that had a golden ring attached. He lifted it up with his hooves, as was tradition, and slid it over Belle’s head. The piece of jewelry complemented Belle well, making her look even more beautiful in his eyes. In a similar fashion, Belle was presented with a ring by White Mallow, although this one didn't have a necklace attached. She took the ring and slid it over Atlas' horn. The rings were, of course, only symbolic, and they wouldn't have to wear them all the time compared to human customs. "By the power vested in me by our gracious King, I now declare you husband and wife," the official finished. Apparently, the ponies didn't have a custom of kissing the bride when the wedding was complete. That didn't stop Belle from doing it, though. The crowd cheered as Belle kissed Atlas like she had never before, completely taking Atlas by surprise. He melted into the kiss, though, once the initial shock wore off. They separated and faced their gathered friends before Atlas addressed them. "Now, who's ready to party?" he asked, as happy as can be. His question was met with another round of applause, as he had to fight the urge to tear off the stuffy suit he was wearing. Wearing clothes felt weird.