//------------------------------// // The Only Thing That Matters // Story: Feathers Are in Style // by Void Chicken //------------------------------// The party huddled in the center of the lobby. The sound of the howling wind reverberated throughout. Every gust splattered more rain against the windows. Only the dim light of the hotel's meagre fireplaces provided any illumination. Rainbow Dash drove her hoof into a support column. This isn't fair! She punched it again. This was going to be the happiest day of my life! And again. It'll be months before we can get everypony back together! And again. I was going to wear that dress! And see Rarity in hers! And tell her how much I love her! And swear to be with her forever! She was going to be my wife! This isn't fair this isn't fair THIS ISN'T FAIR! She panted through gritted teeth, her hoof tingling from the impacts. She leaned her forehead against the column. "This isn't fair," she whispered. The wind gusted outside. Rainbow turned around and slumped against the column, placing her face in her hooves. She didn't know how long she had sat there before she heard the sound of approaching hoofsteps, which stopped just in front of her. Rainbow lowered her hooves just enough to look up and see a beautiful white shape standing over her. Rarity's makeup left thick lines below her eyes. "You've been crying," she said. Rainbow sniffled and wiped the moisture from her cheeks. "No I haven't." Rarity lay on her stomach just in front of her. A white hoof pushed its way under Rainbow's chin and lifted her head. Rainbow couldn't help but make eye contact with the pony she loved. "I once met a mare," Rarity said, "who told me that the only thing that ever mattered to her was that she was with the pony she loved. She said that it didn't matter where or how, only whom." Rainbow looked at her cutie mark, still hanging from Rarity's ear. "She sounds like a pretty cool pony." "And she's with her love right now, isn't she?" "Yeah. She is." Rainbow raised her head a little. "No storm is going to change how we feel about each other. Whether we call each other marefriend, fiancée, or wife, we're still together. And we have everything we need right here." When Rarity smiled like that, Rainbow could never be upset. Rarity extended her hoof and Rainbow laid hers across it. Outside, the wind howled. Rarity stood up. "We do have everything we need right here. Let's do it." She got that determined smile on her face. "Do what?" "Get married. Everypony's here. Let's have the ceremony here, right now." She stood tall. Rainbow pushed herself up onto shaky hooves. "You're right," she said softly. Then louder, "You're right. We do have everything we need. But we need to get everything in place." Rarity looked to the rest of the crowd. "I'll tell Twilight. She'll get everypony organized. Go talk to Fluttershy and Pinkie and have them get our things ready. You can use the west bathroom to clean yourself up and get dressed." "All right, babe. I'll see you at the altar." Rainbow smiled. She moved out, searching the assembled ponies for signs of pink. Rainbow ran past Pinkie Pie, tossing a "follow me" behind her. She soon located Fluttershy in a corner. "Rainbow!" Fluttershy said. "I'm so sorry about—" Rainbow cut her off. "Yeah yeah whatever. The wedding's on." Fluttershy lept to her hooves. "What?" "Go get Applejack, Scootaloo, our dresses, and the ring and meet me in the west bathroom. Pinkie,"—of course Pinkie had followed her—"get Rarity's stuff. She'll probably be in the other bathroom." The building shuddered in the wind. --- Rainbow wiped her face off with a paper towel. Outside, Twilight's muffled voice made announcements and gave orders. She looked at her mane in the mirror. What a mess. She rubbed her hooves through it in an attempt to make herself look presentable. She twisted around and rubbed her tail down, flicking it back and forth several times. Once her mane and tail were somewhat acceptable, she turned her attention to her wings. Her feathers splayed every which way. Guided by the instincts held by every pegasus, she put her mouth to her wing and sorted each individual feather out. She opened and closed her wings in front of the mirror and reorganized her feathers until she was satisfied with what she saw. She let out a breath and looked in the mirror again. Rainbow saw Rarity's cutie mark swinging from her ear. She looked into her own eyes, the rose eyes that Rarity always spoke so highly of. Rainbow never could work out what was so special about them. She could only guess that her eyes looked better through Rarity's. At the moment her eyes reflected worry. She turned the faucet on and splashed some water on her face before wiping it off again. The door swung open behind her. Fluttershy, Scootaloo, and Applejack entered. Applejack had her own dress draped on her back. Fluttershy held hers, Scootaloo's, and Rainbow's. Scootaloo's back held the pillow with the real wedding ring, a golden band lined with strips of blue topaz, yellow citrine, and red rubies. Fluttershy looked more upset than usual. She hesitated, then said, "Um, Rainbow? There's uh, been a problem." "What? What happened?" "Um..." she hesitated. "I'm sorry..." Applejack stepped forwards. "One of the upstairs windows blew in. The rain poured through the ducts and drenched Rarity's storage room. Her dress is completely ruined. Pinkie's and Sweetie Belle's too. Even Spike's little suit ain't nothing but a pile of wet rags no more. Don't even ask about the bouquet." "I'm sorry," Fluttershy repeated. Rainbow looked back in the mirror. "How'd Rarity take it?" "Pinkie went to tell her," Applejack's reflection said. "I wasn't brave enough to follow." Rainbow closed her eyes, rubbed her face, thought for a moment, and took a breath. "All right. Put the dresses back." "Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked. She looked back up at her reflection. "If Rarity's not wearing a dress, I'm not either. Put them back." "All right, Rainbow." Applejack took the dresses from Fluttershy and left the room. Fluttershy spoke up. "And there's one more thing." Rainbow could only sigh. "What is it?" "I don't think any of the bird choir made it inside. They would have fled when the storm rolled in, so I'm sure they've found somewhere safe." Fluttershy looked a bit hopeful. Rainbow couldn't even feel upset anymore. "We'll make do." A minute passed before Applejack poked her head in. "Fluttershy, it's time for us to get in place." "Oh, yes." Fluttershy hurried towards the door. "I'll see you there, Rainbow." Once Fluttershy was gone, Scootaloo approached Rainbow. "Are you nervous?" She returned an empty laugh. "The wedding's already a mess. What's left to worry about?" "What if I drop the ring and we lose it in the dark?" Rainbow tousled her mane. "I already said you won't, squirt. You did great in the rehearsals. Come on, I believe in you." A short time later, her father poked his head in the door. "Rainbow. Scootaloo. It's time." Rainbow took a deep breath and patted Scootaloo on the back with her wing before setting the pillow down there. "All right, squirt. Let's have a wedding." --- Rainbow stood in the lobby, wearing no dress. She saw that the crowd had arranged themselves roughly into a triangle. The collective light spells of the reception's unicorns illuminated the room, in addition to the bright light emitted from the alicorn ahead. Next to the princess stood Rainbow's and Rarity's bridesmaids and bridesdragon. Of the procession, only Twilight was wearing anything. Twilight's voice echoed through the room. "Ladies and gentlecolts, I present to you Rarity and Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo walked forwards. Rainbow counted in her head. One, two, three— Next to her, her father loudly hummed the wedding march and stepped forwards. Rainbow hurried to keep pace, then smiled and hummed along. A pegasus in the audience joined in and before they were a third of the way there, the entire hall was humming along. At about the halfway point, the music faltered as Rainbow realized she didn't remember how the middle went. She kept walking regardless. As she reached Twilight and the makeshift altar made from a speech podium, the hummed music swelled and came to a halt. Her and Rarity's fathers stood at the front of the audience next to their mothers. Rainbow looked into Rarity's eyes. Twilight looked between them, then raised her book and read from it to the audience. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Rarity and Rainbow Dash. It is before you here, and before all of Equestria, that they will be joined." The wind outside intensified for a moment. Twilight looked again to the couple. "Rarity, Rainbow Dash. The bond you are about to make is a sacred pledge to each other. When you speak your vows, do so with all seriousness, and with all joy, for they are your commitment to each other, bound forever in the magic of love. "Rainbow Dash, do you take Rarity to be your wedded wife, in the presence of all assembled here? Will you make your continuing love for her forever a part of your life? Will you stay with her, in sickness and in health, in prosperity or poverty, for as long as you both shall live?" On the side of her mouth away from the audience, Rainbow flashed a smirk, then paused for just a fraction of a second. "I do." Twilight turned to Rarity. "Rarity, do you take Rainbow Dash to be your wedded wife, with the same pledge I just spoke to her?" Rarity smiled. It might have been Rainbow's imagination, but she thought she saw relief. "I do." The two little cards floated out of Twilight's book and each hovered ahead of one of the brides. Rainbow glanced at hers, just to be sure Twilight hadn't gotten them backwards. "Then Rainbow Dash, please read your vow to Rarity." Rainbow took a breath. "I love you, Rarity. I love you like I've never loved any pony before. I take you to be my wife, and I swear that I will have you and hold you. In good times and bad, whether it be bright sun or, hah, driving rain. As long as my heart beats, it will beat for you, now and forever." Twilight turned to Rarity. "Rarity, please read your vow to Rainbow Dash." Rarity looked down to read. "My dear Rainbow Dash, you are the only color in my world. I take you to be my wife, and I will show my love for you every day. I will love you when we are together and when we are apart. I will follow your dreams as I follow my own. For as long as I have the power, I will do everything in it to preserve our love." Twilight took the cards back. "Ring bearers, step forwards." Scootaloo advanced to Rainbow's side, pillow and ring perched on her back. Ahead of her, Sweetie Belle stood next to Rarity. Rainbow noticed that Sweetie's pillow was dripping. "Rainbow Dash, Rarity, remove your earrings." Rainbow reached up and detached Rarity's cutie mark from her ear, then gently set it on the pillow. See ya, she thought. She looked back up at Rarity, who had done the same. "Please place your wedding bands upon each other." Rainbow opened her left wing. Rarity's magic gripped a silver band lined with sapphires. It floated onto the base of Rainbow's wing and clamped shut around it. The band felt cold and slightly damp. Rarity lowered her head. Rainbow then delicately took the ring from Scootaloo's pillow and placed it around Rarity's horn. Rainbow resumed her eye contact with the most beautiful pony in Equestria. Twilight called out to the audience, "Assembled ponies, who here approves of the union of these two mares?" The crowd raised their voices in assent. Outside, the winds gusted stronger than ever. Twilight stood up straight and spoke loudly. "Then in my power vested in me as a Princess of Equestria, I declare these two ponies wives! You may now kiss." Rainbow moved into the kiss a little quicker than she was planning to, but their lips met all the same. She held the kiss, feeling Rarity's lips upon hers, burning the memory into her mind. After all too short of a time, she felt Rarity disengage and had to back away herself. Rainbow took a breath to steady herself. She saw that look in Rarity's eyes that she made whenever she was trying not to cry. Twilight spoke one more time. "Ladies and Gentlecolts, I present to you Misses Rarity and Misses Rainbow Dash! May their union be long and joyous!" The crowd cheered. Rainbow stepped forwards and Rarity turned. The two walked side by side up the aisle. Rainbow tried to keep her eyes straight ahead and ignore the spots in her eyes from the bright camera flashes in the dim light. The newlywed couple reached the end of the aisle and kept walking, leaving the reception behind. Unsure of where exactly to turn, Rainbow guided Rarity down a promising-looking corridor. After they'd left earshot of the congregation, Rarity asked, "Rainbow, where are we going?" Rainbow held her head high. "To the rest of our lives, babe!" They proceeded several more yards down the hall. Rarity turned. "I'm serious, Rainbow. There won't be a carriage in this weather. Where are we going?" Rainbow stopped. "I have no idea." She motioned to the wall and sat against it. Rarity sat herself down at her side. Rainbow opened her right wing and wrapped it around her wife. "Well," Rainbow said, "this wasn't what I was expecting when I woke up this morning." Rarity leaned into her. "I think today went wonderfully." "Yeah, check it out. We're wives now." Rainbow admired her wedding band. "I wish I could have seen your dress, though. I bet you would have looked amazing." Rarity sighed wistfully. "It was going to be wonderful. However, Pinkie told me that yours is intact, and I still want to see you in it." "Sure thing. But I gotta warn you, it's pretty simple." She set her head back against the wall and listened to the wind and the rain outside. She felt Rarity breathe under her wing. For just a moment, the only thing in Equestria was the only thing that ever mattered. Rainbow looked at Rarity. "Do you think they're wondering where we went?" "Hm. I'd imagine so." Rainbow stood up, stretched herself out, then led the way back to the reception. "Come on, babe. I bet Pinkie's got a sweet party started."