This was it.
Princess Celestia pranced and twirled about the dressing room with a gleeful smile. She was so full of happiness and contentment that she was certain she would either burst, or make her sun go supernova.
True, everything that was happening now was mostly an excuse to throw a party, but she didn’t care. After today, she would have full and complete custody of one Baked Bean, that delightful yellow stallion who had charmed his way into her heart and given her life a renewal she did not know it even needed.
It was perfect. So perfect, in fact, that she couldn’t help but sing about it.
“This day is going to be perfect, the kind of day of which I’ve dreamed since I was small!
“Everypony will gather ‘round, say I look lovely in my gown—”
“Your Highness?” Rarity’s voice drifted into the room with a corresponding knock. “May we come in?”
“Please enter!” Celestia called back, and she giggled furiously when Rarity and Twilight both entered the room.
“Were you singing just now?” Twilight asked.
“Indeed I was, Twilight!” She laughed out her response. “I’m so happy that I cannot help it!
“Excuse the silly smile upon my face, I can’t help feeling things will go my way!
“My heart is lighter than a song, How could anything go wrong? Today’s my wedding day!”
Rarity gave the princess an amused look, but she was forced to admonish Celestia to prevent her from being late to her own wedding. “Now, I know you are excited, Your Highness, but we need to get you ready! Your husband won’t wait all day for you, after all!”
“Oh, alright.” Celestia plopped into the chair in front of the vanity table. “I would hate to keep my precious Bean waiting. Let us begin.”
Twilight took a brush in her magic and began working on Celestia’s mane while Rarity produced a sizeable case full of cosmetics. With a small flourish of magic, she pulled a bottle of clear lip gloss out from the case, and Celestia gently took it in her own magic before Rarity moved into the eye shadows.
“I’m thinking light and airy,” Rarity remarked while Celestia puckered her lips. “To keep with the theme, of course. We only need to add subtle hints to your own natural beauty.”
“I believe that will work quite well,” Celestia replied after blotting quickly. “Baked Bean has always admired my natural beauty, so it is that which he will have.”
“Among other things, I bet.”
All three mares giggled like fillies at this, then Twilight began to offer her thoughts. “You know, when I was your student, I never even dreamed you’d find a special somepony. I thought you were happy with the ways things were, and that you had no need for romance. But ever since you found the Prince, you’ve been even more cheerful and animated than ever. I think Bean is bringing out something wonderful from deep inside you, and I have no doubt he’ll continue to do so. You and he are perfect for each other.”
“Why thank you, Twilight!” Celestia replied. “I never thought I would have a special somepony either, but now that I do you can bet all the bits in the royal coffers that I’m going to keep my Bean, no matter what. He fills every last bit of me with contentment and completeness, and that’s a feeling I never want to lose.”
“I don’t think you ever will,” Rarity offered with a deep smile. “And I bet he never wants to lose it either.”
* * ✹ * *
This was it.
Bean took another long, deep breath as he tried to steel himself. There were just a few minutes remaining before he was due to head out onto the balcony and marry Princess Celestia.
Again.
It wasn’t exactly the kind of wedding he had thought it would be when he was younger, but it was far better than anything he could have imagined.
“Just about there, sir,” Wysteria offered. “I don’t even know how that inseam got torn.”
“I’m just grateful you know how to sew,” he replied with relief. “I’m sure pulling Rarity away from Celestia’s side right now would be like trying to move Canterlot.”
“You pick up a lot of things as the secretary to the Princesses,” Wysteria offered with some pride, “including things you’d never think of. I don’t know how many torn dresses I’ve had to repair just before a formal event started.”
“I don’t doubt that,” he said with a chuckle. “Did you manage to find a plus one for today’s little event?”
“I did, sir, and it’s not Quillpoint.”
“No? Why not?”
“A royal wedding is a priority event, so he has to work. I invited an old roommate of mine, actually. She’s been pestering me for years to get her into a Grand Galloping Gala, so this is my way of making it up to her.”
“Sir?” A knock came through the door with Sergeant Pokey’s voice right behind. “It’s time.”
“Wys?”
“Oh, we’ve moved on to nicknames, have we?” She gave him a sly look. “I didn’t know you were ready to take our relationship to that level.”
“I can always go with Missus Wysteria Iris Inkwell.”
“Don’t you dare, that sounds like I’m some old nag. I’ll take Wys over that any day, and that should do it,” she replied with a quick tug of the thread to break it off. “Take a look, sir.”
Bean turned to the full length mirror and took a moment to fully appreciate his appearance. Dressed again in a blue coat with brilliant brass buttons, he was now sporting a golden sash that draped over his right shoulder and across his front instead of the white, sun-emblazoned shoulder pads of the previous version. His Celestial Crystal had been polished and cleaned until it burned with an outward fire that was but a reflection of what was in his heart for Celestia.
He could not keep from smiling.
“You look good, sir,” Wysteria offered.
“Thanks. You look good too.”
“I don’t know how Rarity managed to get so many dresses made in such a short time,” she offered with a glance back over her own green chiffon ensemble. “And it’s probably the finest dress I’ve ever owned. It’ll be nice to have this for future royal events.”
“Not to mention off hour dates with a certain somepony.”
“Yes, that too.” Wysteria laughed. “But enough about me. Celestia will tear the palace apart, brick by brick, if you fail to show. Let’s get you out there.”
“Did you happen to see her dress?” he asked while she opened the door with her magic.
“Nice try. My lips are sealed,” she replied with a teasing look. “You will love it, though.”
“I could pull rank on you. I am your boss, after all.”
“You could.”
“You still wouldn’t tell me, would you?”
“Not a chance, Your Highness.”
“Traitor. Would calling you a traitor work?” he asked with a laugh.
“Not in the slightest, sir, but nice try.”
Bean nodded and smiled all the more when he saw his loyal guards waiting for him just outside the doorway, and he took a moment to hoofbump them both. “I think you two used extra armor wax today. You seem brighter than normal.”
“Perhaps a little more spit and polish sir, yes,” Clover Leaf replied. “But it’s well worth it.”
“I bet this last week has been all sorts of fun for the guard.”
“It’s been interesting, sir,” Hokey Pokey replied, with a ruffle of his wings. “Sergeant Leaf and I have been involved in every phase of the arrangements, and while I am glad you and the Princess are getting married again, I won’t deny I’ll be glad when it’s all over.”
“I understand that completely.” Bean laughed, and he began walking with everypony as he continued. “But thank you, again, for everything you do. It really does mean a lot to me that you put yourselves through this for Celestia and me.”
“It’s our honor to do so, sir,” Pokey replied with a sly smile. “And the ‘Guard the Prince’ differential pay helps out quite a bit, too.”
“I don’t doubt that for a moment,” Bean replied. “Any word on changeling issues?”
“It’s been quiet, sir. Too quiet,” Clover replied first. “We’ve been running scans non-stop for the last two weeks and there’s been nothing. I honestly would hope they’re not dumb enough to try invading a wedding again; they have to know we’re looking for them.”
“Still, it’s good to be vigilant. Celly has only gotten the very basics of self-defence across to me so far. I’d be a dead duck if they did try anything.”
“No worries there, sir. Even if something happens, the Princess would make a flambé out of it before anypony could blink.”
“That she would. Have my parents arrived yet, Wys?”
“They’re waiting for you at the rendezvous point. They arrived about two hours ago.”
“They did?”
“Yeah. Your father wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, I suppose I can forgive them then,” he chuckled. “And everypony else is ready to go?”
“I’ll get the final go-ahead in just a minute, but yes. Everypony should be ready.”
Bean took a deep breath. “You know, I’m wondering if I was more nervous at my actual wedding or if I am now.”
“I would say the first one, sir. Your left rear leg isn’t shaking yet.”
Bean glanced back at the appendage with a smirk. “I am never playing poker with you, Wys. Ever.”
Nothing more was said as Bean walked with his small entourage through the hallways of the palace and towards the ceremony that, in honesty, he wasn’t sure he would ever experience in life. There had been times in his past when he had wondered if he would ever find a special somepony, of if the demands of the Zuerst would prevent him from ever having a life outside of cooking. There had always been so much pressure to perform, to meet the expectations of his parents and their dreams. He had honestly believed, at various points in his life, that he would never experience the warmth and companionship of a mare. He would be doomed into a forced and unwanted love of fruits and vegetables, sauces and soups.
But now he was here, at the threshold of what would, undoubtedly, be one of the greatest days of his life. The terms he was coming up with to describe how he felt about what was happening were perhaps a bit trite and beyond obvious, but it still was quite pleasing to think that he would have this moment to remember and to cherish until his dying breath. The magic of what was about to happen, the importance of what this ceremony symbolized to him, and the knowledge that he could claim, without any sort of reservation or hindrance, the Princess—no, the goddess—who was known as Celestia as his own, for now and for always, was something that filled every last inch of him with a joy indescribable. She would be his, he would be hers, and nothing would ever be able to drive them apart.
If there was a way to die of happiness, Baked Bean had found it.
Bean had to quickly dab at a tear of joy in the corner of his eye when he rounded a corner and found his parents waiting for him. Deep smiles and warm hugs were shared as they greeted each other, and Bean chuckled a bit when he noticed that his mom was on the verge of ruining her mascara.
“This is it, eh?” Garbanzo remarked. “You doing alright?”
“It is possible to feel every emotion at the same time?” Bean replied with a chuckle. “No, I feel good. I feel ready. And all of this?” He inhaled deeply. “It feels right.”
“Good. It should feel right,” Garbanzo said with a firm nod. “It did for me when I married your mother.”
“How are you two handling all this?”
“Oh, I think we’re doing all right. I personally feel proud, Bean buddy. You’ve done well, and you’re going to continue to do well. You may not be the chef I expected, but you are the Bean that I always knew you could be.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Bean smiled deeply. “How ‘bout you, Mom?”
“Wysteria has promised to keep me supplied with tissues, so I’ll manage,” she replied with a deep smile, while dabbing at the corner of her eyes with one of said tissues. “I’m proud of you too, my little Baked. You’re marrying a fantastic mare, and I’m not just saying that because she’s the Princess. She’s the one for you, I can tell. She deserves you far more than the Zuerst ever did.”
“I’ve actually been meaning to ask. What are you going to do with the restaurant now that all of this has happened?”
“We’re not sure yet,” Lima replied, and Garbanzo nodded in agreement. “We’ll still keep it going for now, but we’re not sure if we should find somepony else to take over for us when we’re ready to retire or if we should just shut it down.”
“We could always sell it, too,” Garbanzo noted.
“Oh, that would be a shame, though,” Bean said sadly. “Why not see if Mung and Chowder want to learn the ropes? I bet they’d do good with it.”
“We did toss that idea around a bit,” Lima said, “but we’re not sure if he’d want to have it. We’ll talk it over with them later, see what they think. Right now they’re both wrapped up in wedding preparations.”
“They are here, right?”
“Everypony is here, don’t worry. They’re waiting in their seats as we speak.”
“Your Highness?” Wysteria called out. “We need to move.”
“Is this what your days are like now?” Lima asked as they began walking again. “Having ponies endlessly telling you where to go?”
“No. Sometimes, they tell me how to dress, and if I ask nicely they’ll even brush my teeth.”
“You better not make anypony do that,” Wysteria called back.
Bean laughed a little. “In all honesty, my days are scheduled out pretty well, but there is time for some relaxation and non-governmental stuff. It’s actually not so bad, in a way.”
“I suppose not,” Lima replied as they rounded the last corner to the balcony.
“There he is!” Shining Armor shouted. “It’s bad to be late to your own wedding, you know!”
“Hey, at least I showed up, right?” Bean replied back with a hearty laugh. All of the Element Bearers—except Twilight—were waiting patiently with Shining and Spike, and all of them looked regal and delightful in their own ways. The mares were dressed in light and bright dresses that Rarity and Fluttershy had produced in an astonishingly short amount of time, and Spike looked quite dapper in his tailored suit and top hat. Even Shining, who was dressed in his Crystal Empire formal wear, looked a bit more royal than normal.
Or was it just because he had combed his mane? Bean wasn’t totally sure.
“So, we’re all here now, right?” Wysteria asked.
“No, we’re still missing Blueblood,” Shining replied.
“He isn’t here?!” Wysteria took a quick headcount again, grew red in the face with a low groan of severe annoyance, and then teleported away.
“So, I guess we wait?” Rainbow Dash remarked.
“I think we should get started without him,” Rarity replied with contempt and with her nose firmly in the air. “If he is uncouth enough to be late to our Princess’ wedding, he deserves to be left out.”
“Still holdin’ on to that grudge, eh Rarity?” Applejack offered with a grin.
“I am certain I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I’m with Rarity,” Spike announced to the surprise of nopony. “If he can’t be here on time, we should leave him behind!”
“If we have to, we will,” Bean replied, “but I’d hate for him to miss out. Maybe he just had a small emergency to deal with.”
Wysteria and the missing irksome prince then flashed back into the hallway, and she promptly prodded him with her horn firmly enough that it threatened to go clean through his navy blue blazer and into his ribcage.
“Move! Move, move, move!” she ordered.
“Gracious, Miss Inkwell, you don’t need to threaten me so!” Blueblood protested.
“Oh, look,” Rarity replied with a look as flat as her voice. “It’s Prince Blueblood, the pooper of parties. So nice of you to join us.”
“And you are?” Blueblood said aloofly, sending Rarity into a barely contained rage that took Rainbow and Applejack to hold her back.
“Do we really have to let him participate?” Rainbow Dash asked in a loud and hoarse whisper to Wysteria.
“I’m afraid we do. Celestia wishes to have him in attendance, so here he is.”
“I’m not sure why you are all so surprised at my presence. I always delight in taking part in the pleasant, trivial pastimes of the peasantry.”
“Why I outta…” Applejack growled, but Fluttershy stepped in front of her with her wings outstretched before a move could be made by the farmer.
“Now, Applejack,” she gently chided, “just because Prince Blueblood is being a big meanie pants doesn’t mean you should be mean too.”
“Alright, everypony,” Wysteria admonished with a heavy eye roll, “this is supposed to be a happy, joyous occasion, so let’s just pretend that we like each other until we get done with today, and then we can all go back to hating Blueblood.”
Said target of scorn let a small growl of irritation accompany his scowl, but nopony else really noticed or cared.
“Wait!” Discord suddenly intervened with no forewarning, per the norm with him. “No pony told me there was going to be a roast too! I want a turn! A-hem. That Blueblood, I tell ya!”
Fluttershy and Baked Bean both grinned at the sound of the new voice, and it only took a moment for Fluttershy to go airborne and give Discord a large hug.
“You came!” Fluttershy happily stated the obvious. “I knew you would.”
“But of course!” he replied, and with a snap of his paw, he again donned his garishly orange tuxedo and top hat. “Celestia did promise that I could be the ring bearer, after all. Bean, you were going to let me still do that, weren’t you? I’ve got them right here.”
Discord produced a heavy iron-bound chest and dumped it out with a clatter of iron chains and heavy weights that were attached to a full set of glittering steel manacles and a muzzle. “There’s yours. Let me look for your beautiful bride’s,” he added while rummaging through his pockets.
“Hold it, Discord. We have some already.”
“What? Oh, foo.” He pouted for a moment, but then brightened again. “But you will let me hold them, right?”
“I will, Discord. Just don’t lose them this time?”
“They will be treated with the utmost care, Bean-o.”
“And please don’t turn them into ringworms.”
Discord gave him an annoyed look. “Bean, I thought you knew me better than that. I would never even dream of turning them into worms. Snakes, yes, but not worms. I do have standards, you know.”
“Of course, how could I mess that up?”
“Well, I suppose I can overlook it just this once, but don’t expect a second wedding gift.”
“You gave us a first one?”
“I kept the changelings from invading, thank you very much.”
“How could they invade when nopony knew about it?”
“Are you two done?” Wysteria cut in. “We really need to get started.”
“Yeah, let’s get this going.” Discord offered a grin that nearly crackled as much as his knuckles that he was presently popping. “Pinkie promised me a chaos cake, and I am simply dying to see what she made.”
“Oh, your mind is going to be blown, Discord,” Pinkie offered with a severely devious grin. “This is going to redefine ‘chaos.’”
Sergeant Clover Leaf then held up a sizeable golden case towards Discord, but when he took it from her, it immediately dropped straight to the ground, and it took him along for the ride. There was a gasp of shock, but before any further reaction could occur Discord strained to stand straight again, and the case looked undamaged, much to everypony’s relief.
“Sweet lunar rocks, Bean!” Discord grunted. “What are these things made of, solid gold?!”
“Silver, actually. These are the same rings Luna and Star Struck exchanged when they married. Luna shot down our objections about using them, and she said it could be a new royal tradition.”
“That is so romantic!” Rarity sighed.
“That, and it takes care of the something old element. Discord, it really is an honor to me that you would do this.”
“So long as no hobbits or Gollums show up looking for them,” he remarked, and he slowly lifted the lid to inspect the goods. “I’m also not going anywhere near a volcano, no matter what kind of fellowship you put together.”
A blast of fanfare from outside cut off any further comments, and Wysteria helped everypony to hustle into their proper position. The balcony doors then swung open, and a full orchestra began to play as Shining Armor and Prince Blueblood strode out into the sunlight.
“You’re going to do just fine, sir,” Wysteria offered softly to Bean, while he took a deep breath.
“You will, too. Thanks again for everything. This couldn’t have happened without you.”
“Not a problem, sir. Just remember all this at my annual performance review.”
“I will,” he chuckled, and he gave a reassuring smile to his parents while the Element Bearers happily made their exit.
“You’re up, Your Highness,” Wysteria said with a smile. “Knock ‘em dead.”
“In other words, don’t trip?”
“You got it. Just remember to lead off with your right hoof.”
Sadly, Wysteria failed to mention which right hoof he was supposed to lead with, and he stumbled slightly when he walked out into the sunlight. Once he regained his composure, though, he managed to keep his steps even and sure as he strode down the red carpet with his parents, and they took their places behind him while he took his place at the front of the balcony. His heart was thumping hard enough in his chest that he was sure his Celestial Crystal was bouncing, but the smile of pure joy felt like it would be forever etched upon his lips.
The unicorn guards then let loose another proud fanfare, and all eyes turned upward. Bean had been told Celestia wanted to make a grand entrance, but the details on how she planned to do that had been withheld from him, mostly by his own choosing. He wanted to be as surprised as everypony else.
He was not disappointed.
From out of the midday sun, Celestia’s graceful and elegant form began to slowly and regally descend towards her beloved. To her right flew Luna, to her left was Cadence, and before her was Twilight, who played the part of flower filly quite well. Small rose petals daintily drifted out of her basket and upon the awestruck crowd as they all silently fluttered down to the awaiting Bean, and for a moment, his heart and lungs nearly stopped working.
He had heard, from time to time, about a strange phenomenon involving the slowing, or even the stoppage, of time. Reportedly, this unusual occurrence could be triggered by an event of extreme magnitude, in either the positive or negative regard, and for the participant the natural tick and tock of the seconds that made up one’s existence would become distorted, reduced, and could even be silenced for lengths that ranged anywhere from moments to eternity. He had never really put much faith or stock in these stories; the logic behind such an event was absurd. Time marched on, heedless to the pleadings of those who were subject to it and irrespective of the station, power, position, wealth, or influence any one pony may hold. Only two had ever truly escaped it’s grasp, and those two were they who led Equestria in wisdom and order.
And now, Baked Bean found he was going to be formally married to one of them.
It really shouldn’t have been a surprise to him when time did slow with her decent. Princess Celestia was every bit the goddess Bean believed her to be, and twice more besides. It was as if all of existence simply stood aside, patiently waiting for the two of them to have their moment before it would dare to intrude again.
When her bare hooves gently touched the dias in front of him, color itself bled away, leaving nothing but white for Bean to behold. Her dress was light as a cloud, gently fell off of her shoulders, and flowed like a gentle river over her barrel and over her haunches, but the sparkle it emitted from its pure-white surface would make the crystals of a fresh snowfall jealous. The smile that graced her lips would from that moment on redefine the word ‘pleased’, and the very taste of that moment was one that Baked Bean knew would defy time itself.
And then Celestia flitted her eyes open, and the pure magenta of her gaze slammed color back into existence for him with enough force to nearly take him off his hooves. The dance of the cerulean, turquoise, cobalt, and heliotrope waves filled his soul with pastel peace, and in her quiet giggle, his existence became complete. Everything he felt, everything he knew, everything that he was in that moment could be summarized in one glorious whole.
Celestia.
“Well, here we are,” Celestia softly whispered to him while Luna, Cadence, and Twilight floated into their respective positions, and a loud sob of joy escaped from Shining Armor.
“And I wish we could stay here,” Bean replied, but then he noticed something. “You’re not wearing your tiara?”
“We are equal here, my love,” she softly said. “I am not marrying you as a Princess. This union is between Baked Bean and Celestia, a stallion and a mare who are madly in love with each other. Nothing else at this point matters.”
“Nothing else ever will, I think.”
“I certainly hope so,” she replied with a quick boop of his nose.
“Dear friends!” Luna’s Royal Canterlot Voice boomed out across the assembled masses, but somehow Bean retained his hearing. “On behalf of Princess Celestia and Prince Baked Bean, it is my pleasure to welcome you all here, and to extend that welcome to all who cannot attend this ceremony. They know you are with them in spirit, and it is the earnest hope of the happy couple that the joy and happiness they now feel can extend to you, wherever you may be.
“We welcome the various dignitaries who have joined us today, both from Equestria and from lands abroad, as well as the Element Bearers of Equestria, and even Discord, even though we’re still working on a way to block his chaos magic.”
“She’s talking about me. I’m so flattered,” Discord remarked happily as he ribbed Blueblood, who scoffed in annoyance.
“This moment, my dear friends, is now the pinnacle of jubilation for my sister and for her husband. Despite the unorthodox circumstances surrounding their union, I can tell you all without reservation that the love that these two share is deep, strong, and true. They revere and admire each other, they care for one another, and from this moment onward, there will be nothing to impede the heights that they can reach together.
“However, we all know you’re here for the cake and the party, so let’s get this over with, shall we?” she called out, and a large, cheering laugh rose up from the guests. “Very well! Baked Bean, do you take Celestia as your own? Will you cherish her, will you love her? Will she be yours, for now until the end of your days, and will you do all within your power to ensure you treat her as your wife?”
“I will,” he proudly proclaimed.
“And do you do this of your own choice, with no coercement or intimidation on the part of myself?”
“I do this because I love Celestia,” he replied in joy. “I do it of my own choice.”
“Good answer,” Luna replied with a smile, and then she turned to her sister. “Celestia, do you take this Bean to be your Baked? Will you cherish him, will you love him? Will he be first and foremost in your life? Will you do all within your power to ensure you treat him as your husband, until his end?”
“I will,” she replied with enough joy to flood the whole of Equestria.
“And do you do this because you got all nosey with him?”
“Loving every moment of this, aren’t you?” she laughed back at her, and Luna nodded vigorously and with a huge smile. “I do this because I was nosey with him, and for so much more. I do this because I love him.”
“Good, ‘cause I still don’t want to mess around with that big ball of hot air you’ve got. And so! By the powers vested and invested within my most Royal Sisterliness, it is my supreme pleasure and greatest honor to proclaim Baked Bean and Celestia to be hitched, joined, connected, and/or married, and that you are now husband and wife …”
Her wings flared upward in perfect synchronization with Twilight, Cadence, and Celestia’s, and before Bean could react, her magic snagged him, pulled him to her, and she planted the most wonderful kiss upon his lips that he had ever experienced.
“... again!” Luna grandly finished.
The assembled crowd broke out into thunderous applause while Discord stepped forward and held the ring box before the newly remarried couple. Celestia gave him a quick peck on the cheek before pulling Bean’s hoof ring out with her magic, and Discord stammered with a shy blush while she slid the golden adornment onto Bean's left hoof.
Bean then gently took Celestia’s ring out from the box, and his touch was feather soft as he slid the ring down gracefully down her horn. They shared another smile, kissed again, and then turned to face the assembled crowd.
It was later said that the resounding cheer that then exploded out of Canterlot could be heard as far away as Ponyville.
Baked Bean had come to a realization.
Though he would never forget how he had felt during the ceremony, it was a virtual guarantee that he would forget a good portion of the party afterwards.
It wasn’t because he was trying to, of course, but the overwhelming rush of sensory inputs that occured after they had kissed was beyond what he could handle.
He would remember large chunks of it, thankfully. He would never forget cutting the cake, or how he somehow managed to smear it across Celestia’s muzzle. He wouldn’t ever forget her return shot either, or how he managed to eat most of it before she could properly paint his nose in retaliation. He would remember the luncheon with the dignitaries and ambassadors from the various allies of Equestria, and he was sure he would forever remember how Discord managed to get Ambassador Ghis to laugh so uproariously that he snorted, much to the amusement of all the other invited guests. He was even sure he’d remember that Blueblood, who he had expected to be irritated and annoyed with the whole of the day, actually gave a genuine smile and a short thanks to Bean as Luna’s moon had risen into the sky that evening. He would remember the feel, the aura of everything.
He would forever remember the joy.
But there was one moment in particular, towards the end of the day, that he knew would leave an indelible impression on his memory. It was during the open dance portion of the evening, just before everything was to be concluded, and Bean found himself on the floor with Celestia, his arms gently around her neck as they softly swayed to the gentle beat of the music.
“So, my love, what do you think?” Celestia asked. “Was this a fair party?”
“It’s beyond anything I could have envisioned, in all good ways. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to fully describe how I’ve felt about everything.”
“Wow?” she offered.
“Wow,” he agreed with a shared laugh. “Did Rarity design your dress too?”
“She did.”
“It’s amazing. I really like how it almost seems to glint with rainbows when you look at it. I’ve never seen a fabric so white before.”
“I’m glad you like it, but I must say I like the design of your coat too. It’s formal, dashing, debonair even. It is a small wonder that a such a charming stallion, dressed as you are, could capture my heart.”
“So long as you keep it, my love,” he softly replied. “Just as I will keep you.”
“We shall keep each other, through all of life’s trials.” She spoke with all of the authority she had as a Princess of Equestria. “Your for me, and me for you. Together, we will conquer all.”
She then rested her head on his shoulder, and Bean smiled as deeply as he possibly could from sheer glee. All he had ever wanted, all he had ever desired, he now had and held within his hooves.
He had her.
His eyes then caught sight of Luna, who was sitting off to the side of the dance floor and watching the proceedings with a happy tear in the corner of her eye. His heart broke a little as he thought about her, sitting through this, without her beloved Star Struck. She deserved to have the happiness he felt, and that her sister was producing.
But then his smile returned in full force. A waltzing couple blocked his view of Luna for a brief moment, but once they had moved aside he saw that a new pony was now sitting next to her, his arm around her barrel and her wing around his form. He was a broad and charming black stallion, with a black mane that had lightning blue streaks throughout, and he gave Baked Bean a nod of solid satisfaction before resting his head on Luna’s side. She, in turn, tilted her own head to rest on his, and Bean wiped away a tear quickly before Celestia pulled back and looked him in the eye.
“Star is here, isn’t he?”
“I hope that’s what I’m seeing,” Bean remarked.
“Even if it is just in spirit, he is here. It may be a bit trite and overused, but I am a firm believer that a loved one is never truly gone as long as they are remembered. Star will forever live in Luna’s heart, just as you will forever be in mine.”
“And when the end comes?” Bean had to ask. “When it is time to say goodbye?”
“I will cherish the memories we will make together, just as you will, but let us not dwell on that now. We have each other, and a lifetime of opportunity awaits us. Together, we shall ascend, together we shall succeed, and together we will thrive. Neither of us will ever just live again. Now, and forever more, we are alive.”
The newlywed couple then shared a kiss most worthy, and as they did so the crowd around them once again cheered and applauded. Fittingly enough, a round of fireworks then shot off into the night sky, and the blasts of light that now illuminated the sky served as the perfect visual to the feelings Baked Bean and Celestia felt within themselves and shared with each other.
Mandible watched in confusion as the distant pops of light and sound began to echo across the grassy fields were he sat. At the moment, he appeared to be a simple grey pegasus who was in the company of a svelte blue unicorn mare and two earth ponies of grey and opal blue, respectively. While the grey one cooked a simple meal over a meager campfire and the blue one gathered some nearby sticks and twigs, the unicorn sat and said nothing as the quill in her magic moved across the newspaper before her.
“Bob, I need a nine letter word that starts with a P for the outward appearance of a pony.”
“Would that be ‘phenotype’, my queen?” the grey earth pony replied.
“Ah!” the disguised Chrysalis chortled. “So it is! Good job, Bob.”
Bob smiled and stuck his tongue out at Mandible, who simply rolled his eyes and turned back to look at the fireworks in the sky.
“Still thinking about it?” the opal blue pony asked in soft tones while coming up on his right side.
“Yeah.”
“You shouldn’t. You’ll get us all in trouble.”
“Look, Thorax, we need to worry about these things.” Mandible replied in a whisper, and with a quick glance back towards his queen. “What kind of a precedent are we setting here? The biggest party in Equestria, with enough love to fuel twenty hives and here we sit like bumps on a log, waiting for who-knows-what.”
“Queen Chrysalis knows what she’s doing. We just need to follow her orders.”
“Her orders? Her orders are to sit here. What good is that going to do?”
“It sounds like you two are having a lively discussion over here,” Chrysalis offered over the top of the two changelings, and both yelped as they whirled around and bowed.
“Just idle thoughts, My Queen!” Mandible replied quickly. “Nothing your most exaltedness needs to concern herself with!”
“Oh, I think I do, Mandible,” she replied with a swat to his nose from her rolled-up newspaper. “From what I have heard, it sounds like you don’t like it here.”
“No, I love it here, my Queen. I would follow you to the ends of Equestria and back again.”
“But?” Chrysalis prodded after a moment, and she pushed up his chin with the paper to ensure his eyes were on her.
“But, my Queen, I thought you said we were going to invade.”
Chrysalis offered a low and amused chuckle, one that everyling feared. It was the cold and evil laugh of a heartless fiend who was about to demonstrate the depths of her sadism, and Thorax slowly began to slink away. He had no desire to be a part of his fellow bug’s suffering.
“Mandible, you delightful little bug you.” She bopped him on the head with the paper. “Let’s have a little review, shall we? When did we last visit Canterlot?”
“Uh…” Mandible swallowed hard. He really did not wish to answer that, but it would be far worse if he didn’t. “It was, uh, for the wedding of Princess Cadence.”
“Very good. What did we try to do?”
“You impersonated the Princess, and then we invaded.”
“Two for two, aren’t you a smart little bug.” Her fangs glistened in the moonlight, and Mandible was really beginning to regret his career choices while she stooped down low and began to whisper. “Now, here’s a tricky one: how did things end for us that day?”
“Uh ... we, uh ... we got blasted out into the Badlands by the combined power of Shining Armor and Cadence’s love.”
“Good, good. Now, for the hardest one of all: do you think that maybe, just maybe, ponies have something called memories, and that they remember all of this, too?”
Mandible didn’t answer. He was too busy watching his short and somewhat pathetic life flash before him.
“My sweet little Mandible,” Chrysalis cooed in the same way a spider would to a fly it was about to consume, and her magic took the newspaper while she pinched both of his cheeks with her hooves. “You’re not paid to think, so I would suggest you stop.”
“I will immediately do so, my Queen.”
“Mm, good,” she gave his face just a hint of a squeeze, and then she released him. “If you will recall, I said we had not been invited to the wedding. I never said anything about attending. Celestia’s guards have been scouring every square inch of Canterlot in an effort to prevent me from crashing the wedding again, and even with the hive at full strength we would not be able to overpower Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Twilight Sparkle.”
She paused, and unfurled the paper to show the bold headline Guard on High Alert for Royal Wedding before letting out a snicker. “On a very simple level, I find some glee in the fact that they spent thousands of bits in a futile effort to expose a nonexistent invasion, and I can hardly wait to see the pictures of all those snooty unicorns trying to eat their cake without their magic.”
Thorax shot a warning look to Bob. The newspaper that was being used to smack sense into Mandible had also announced Celestia’s reversal of the order to block unicorn magic. It had been carefully removed by three little changelings out of an overabundance of caution and a basic, primal desire to live. Now was definitely not the time to broach the topic.
“No, what I said, exactly, was that we needed to make arrangements to meet the new Prince, and meet him we shall,” she grandly pronounced with another newspaper-driven swat of Mandible’s nose. “I will not be denied this time, and my revenge will be all the sweeter when I corrupt Celestia’s precious little Baked Bean.
“So do not question me, my minions. We will remain here until the party is over, then we will make our move. It will take time, even more than what was required for Cadence, but have faith, my little ones. Your beloved Queen knows exactly what she is doing.”
Her lips curled back over sharp fangs, and Chrysalis chuckled. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun!”