Rainbow Dash placed a pair of shades over her eyes. She then reached into her saddle bag and pulled out another pair for Roseluck.
“What are these for?”
“You’ll see.”
At this exact time, it was sunset in Ponyville. Ordinarily this would mean nothing to the denizens of the space station, a place that was actually designed to muddle the distinction between day and night. Tonight, however, was an exception. Hours ago, Twilight had positioned the space station so that the planet would eclipse them simultaneous to nightfall.
What they saw was indeed brighter then the traditional sunset, and calling it an eclipse is technically more accurate. It was not dangerously bright, though off in the distance, Daisy strained her eyes to watch, and wished she’d thought to bring sunglasses.
There was a path leading into the breezie village. It was known as the path of champions. The path was also a yellow brick road for whatever reason. If they had kept following the path, then it would take them to Discords castle. They would have to challenge the draconequus in order to stop the wedding.
Roseluck briefly wondered if you had the option to choose between a riddle and literally fighting Discord.
Rainbow Dash looked towards an open bar in the reception area. “Hey! Am I reading that menu right?” She spoke loudly. “It says they have cider made from zap apples.” To all ponies/breezies there, this appeared to be the single reason she strayed from the path of champions and abandoned her quest. We all know better of course.
Roseluck continued down the path, saying bye to Rainbow Dash as they parted. On the way, Daisy joined her. Daisy was finished with her floral arrangements, and had been alternating between waiting for Roseluck and searching for her other friend Lily. The two made their way towards the Jabberwocky’s siege fortress.
In the meantime, Rainbow Dash met with Applejack and Pinkie Pie at the bar. Once she got there, she immediately ordered herself one zap apple cider.
She was a little disappointed that it came in a smaller mug then the cider you get at sweet apple acres.
“You don’t wanna drink more then that,” Applejack told her, “stuff packs a mighty fine punch.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Don’t drink it too fast,” Pinkie warned as Rainbow downed her first mug.
Her pupils dilated while the iris of her eyes seemed to expand and multiply into concentric moving multicoloured circles. A huge grin plastered itself upon her face. Applejack smirked and Pinkie chuckled as they watched her reaction.
“Hey AJ,” Pinkie asked, “how come you never thought to make cider out of zap apples?”
“We did! Zap apple supply was so limited, it was better ponies didn’t know what they were missing. I still wanna know how Twilight got them to grow year round.”
“So have any of you girls seen Fluttershy?” As Rainbow Dash asked, the bartender refilled her mug.
Fluttershy was just sipping some camomile tea and listening to the chirp of the crickets to calm her nerves.
Chirp-Chirp-Quack
“Oh my! That last one didn’t sound quite right.”
Chirp-Quack-Quack
“There it is again.” She listened one more time.
Quack-Quack-Quack
Flutters rushed out side to see what the racket was. What she saw was ducks, as far as her eyes could see. Her tent was located in a field of that fine short grass you find in the putting area of a golf course. You would never know this because the land was carpeted with ducks.
This defied logic. The duck must have been shrunken somehow, because she was currently the size of a breezie. Big or small, they were everywhere.
“How?” She called out. “Who could have done this?”
“It was me!”
Fluttershy looked up. She stood above the tent, her chest puffed out, and poised with pride. It was Screwball.
Fluttershy looked back and forth. She looked again at the ducks. They were everywhere.
“This is… Amazing!”
“Really.”
“Absolutely, why there’s a duck here for every pony, maybe two.”
It just so happens, and Screwball was well aware, that in a traditional breezie wedding ceremony the guests form a circle around the marrying couple. With all these ducks, they could move the ceremony over to the edge of the lake/puddle and still complete this circle.
Fluttershy was about to step towards Screwball. She stopped to let five baby ducklings pass, then took her step. The bride to be told her exactly what she was planning, and praised Screwball for bringing all these wonderful friends to her special day.
“Youse really like’ em?” She asked.
“I absolutely do.” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “I’m sorry, your accent is familiar.”
Screwy giggled.
“I’m the one that wove them flow-a’s inta yer mane. I disguised myself cause I wanted to see what sort of lady youse were. Ya see, the stud yer getting hitched to, he’s my dad.”
“Oh My! Your Discords daughter!”
“That I am.”
What was Fluttershy to make of this? Though she had been whisked to the future in mere moments, Discord arrived here the long way. She fully understood that he lived many lifetimes without her. Discord had even dropped news about past wives as though it might have just been a joke. If he has a daughter then maybe it wasn’t.
“That’s amazing! I have so many questions.”
“Well, ask away.”
Roseluck pulled back the knocker on the Castle Playsets entrance. She didn’t force it against the door, she merely dropped it and the metal hit the wood with a thud. The door was made of wood btw. Even in the future ponies never did discover plastic. They discovered oil, only to them having it on your land actually lowered property values.
The door slowly creaked itself open. A voice from inside welcomed them then it seemed to whisper directly into their ears “Please enter the lair of the Jabberwocky.”
A red carpet led to a throne, were sat Discord. The room was dark except for light focused on the red carpet and on Discord himself. If they strained their eyes, Daisy and Roseluck could see Spike and Big Mac off to the side. They were taking an intermission from their Ogres and Oubliettes game, so that Discord could do his thing.
Discord was actually a nervous. He was starting to think everypony had forgotten about the riddle game, and come for the wedding instead. Moreover, Daisy was one of the ponies he faced. He remembered Daisy from almost a thousand years ago. She was the one who first sparked his long time interest in riddles. Daisy would solve all his riddles, and she stumped him with her own. He could never beat her. Just once he wanted to beat her.
Daisy was definitely scared. She entered the contest thinking it would be easy. It wasn’t. She hadn’t solved a riddle all day. That’s because this was a much younger Daisy then the one whom Discord remembered.
“Are you here to rescue the princess?”
Daisy trembled at Discords imposing voice, yet Roseluck seemed unusually confident.
“You could say we’re here for ‘our’ princess,” said Roseluck. “Our friend Lily is missing. Rainbow Dash said we should challenge you to get her back.”
“Interesting,” the draconequus pressed his digits together in way he hoped looked menacing. “And what of my princess? What of Fluttershy?”
“We don’t want Lily to miss the wedding. She loves weddings.”
Discord paused time for a second, and breathed a sigh of relief. He then took back his composure, and faced the challengers.
“All right then, same rules as the maze. We can battle, or you can answer a riddle. Fail and you shall never see your friend again…Or you know, I won’t just poof her here for you right this instant.”
“Riddle please.” Roseluck answered.
Voiceless it cries,
Featherless it flutters,
Toothless bites,
Mouthless mutters.
Daisy held back her fear and thought for a moment.
A howling wind cries.
A gentle breeze flutters.
A cold wind bites.
A choppy wind mutters.
Wait, Daisy thought. That’s the common answer. She only knew it because she’s heard that riddle before. Last time she heard that riddle it wasn’t ‘Featherless if flutters’ it was ‘Wingless it flutters.’ Why the change? Discord never accepts commonly accepted answers. What’s Discords answer?…Discords answer. Discord loves the unexpected. Does he even have an answer, or does he just want an unexpected one that fits the riddle? Discord will never accept the common answer, just like he won’t accept common sense. Come on Daisy, think of something else.
“So what is your answer?” Discord did that thing again with his fingers.
“A mosquito!”
“Where!” Discord jumped.
“No thats my answer. The sound a mosquito makes come from its wings not its voice, it has wings but no feathers, and ponies say they bite, but it’s more of a sting.”
Discord thought for a second. “That’s pretty good.” The draconequus laughed. He poofed himself closer and patted Daisy on the head. “You’ve still got it old friend. I guess a thousand years isn’t long enough for me to beat you. Oh well, maybe at Twilights two-thousandth birthday.”
Discord snapped his fingers, and Lily appeared. Even Discord seemed surprised that she was roped up and gagged. The two flower ponies rushed to untie her. Roseluck massaged her legs, which had fallen asleep, then Lily rushed off to the bathroom.
Eventually Disocord just laughed off what happened. “Oh Screwball, you little scamp.”
The eclipse reached its mdipoint, and all agreed it was time to make way towards the ceremony.
Discord poofed back into his tuxedo, and presented what he thought was a winning hand to finish his game of Ogres and Oubliettes. Spike then surprised him with the actual winning hand. Discord kicked over the table. He did that often, though at least he learned to wait until the game was finished.
Following Twilights coaching on what to do, all the breezies (lets just stick to calling them breezies) formed a semi circle around the shore. Ducks completed the circle by spreading out over the water.
There were of course a few stragglers and late comers. Twilight took the duty of leading them to their places. The mane six already knew where to stand.
Rainbow Dash was late so Pinkie and Applejack just told her to stay between them.
The flower trio was given a place 180 degrees to the mane six members in the circle. Both were still placed close to the shore.
“You know Twilight,” Celestia spoke, “you haven’t seen me in over four hundred years.”
“Really! Thats a relief.”
“A relief.”
“Yes, I don’t know what I’d do if you’d been gone for a long time Princess.” Twilight put a hoof to her temple and thought. “Last time I remember seeing you, we we’re baking a cake together. I hope I didn’t leave the oven running in your castle.”
Outwardly Celestia smiled. There were many things wrong with what she just said, yet Celestia didn’t need to correct Twilight, it was just good that they were together again.
There was a whirring sound as Screwball passed them. She turned and winked conspiratorially at Celestia.
“What was that about?”
“Oh, I had a little chat with Screwball earlier this evening. We’re going to be exchanging letters just like you and I used to do.”
“Really? That’s great! I wish it was me, but I’m so glad that after all this time Screwball is finally finishing her friendship lessons.” Twilight had genuine tears in her eyes.
“Well, it might evolve into friendship lessons, maybe.” Celestia spoke in the tone she uses when something feels awkward to say. “By the way Twilight, I can’t quite place the accent with which she speaks.”
“Oh that, it’s just modern grammar. I use it too, when I’m among modern ponies of course.”
“Excuse me! Do you mean that everypony in the future talks like she does.”
Celestia’s eyes begged Twilight to tell her that’s not what she meant.
Twilight looked up to see how far along the eclipse was. She then slapped Celestia on the rump.
“Youse better shake a hoof doll-face. We got a hitch’n party to get to.”
Luna laughed.
Celestia and Luna were led to a spot facing the water. Twilight was the one to lead them to their place.
Once all were in the circle, Screwball began passing out flowers. A single flower was given to each breezie to hold during the ceremony. Even the ducks held the stems in their beaks. This was something Screwball had taught them, and the ducklings did so because they loved her very much. Fluttershy nodded in approval, proud to be inviting this girl into her family.
When it came time to give flowers to the flower ponies Lily glared at her. It was a venomous angry glare that seemed to say, ‘You bound and gagged me in a hotel room.’
Screwball swerved back for a moment, then gave her the nicest flower she could find, and whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry toots, I’ll make it up to youse.”
This was the closest Lily was going to get to an apology.
Daisy whispered to Lily, “So it was her I was with in the maze, not you.”
“Yes.”
“We had such a lovely time together.”
Now Lily glared at Daisy.
At long last, the ceremony began.
Fluttershy, who was currently a breezie, with Lilies woven into her hair, touched one antennae to discords horn, and the other antennae to Discords antler. This placed their muzzles in close proximity.
Twilight descended between them, dressed as a princess, which she was currently in the habit of doing anyhow.
“My Little Ponies, we are gathered here today to unite this loving couple in the bonds of Celestial Matrimony.”
“First the couple would like to give their vows.”
Fluttershy squeaked nervously. Discord held her hoof as if to tell her, all is okay, and she only had to do this if she wanted to.
She only gave the traditional vows, yet the natural born breezies in the audience were moved to tears. Her delivery was flawless. What Fluttershy said was poetic, profound, and utterly moving.
She spoke in ancient Breez-ish so no pony actually understood her. Even Discord who had previously had two breezie wives didn’t understand ancient breez-ish. He gave a look towards Twilight, who grinned slightly because she did understand the vows.
What Discord said was also very nice. He expunged on Fluttershy’s many virtues, and credited her for teaching him the value of not just friendship, she taught him the value of love; then Discord began making promises about all the dedication and affection he would lavish upon her.
Aside from one really awkward part about promising he would try really hard not to confuse her with other ponies, and suggesting she wear a nametag, most thought that he did a good job.
Twilight continued.
“Do you Fluttershy take Discord to be your lawful wedded husband.”
“I do.”
“Do you Discord take Fluttershy to be your lawful wedded wife.”
Discord stopped time, then slipped away from Fluttershy, and stepped off to the side, as though addressing some unseen audience.
“Geez, I dunno, it’s kinda a big decision isn’t it. I mean I always said if I ever did it, I was gonna do it once and that was it.”
Annoyed, and not time froze, Twilight poofed him back to Fluttershy’s side and started time without any warning.
“I do.”
“You may now…”
Before Twilight could finish the two kissed. The crowd erupted with cheering and quacking.
Next came the reception.
Applejack and Rarity impressed everyone with dance moves nopony had ever seen them use before.
Roseluck asked Lily Valley if she thought they’d ever be able to dance like that. She told her, “If we stick to our lessons, then I’m sure we will.”
Rainbow Dash went to get more Zap apple cider. Daisy joined her. Talking to Rainbow Dash seemed inconceivably frightening before, now it was only the second scariest thing she did today.
Rainbow Dash admitted to knowing how pretty much all of her life was going to turn out. She also told her that she could think exactly like her if she wanted to.
“So do you want to talk with your future self.”
“No thank-you, I imagine I’ll be putting up with her soon enough.”
Pinkie Pie took control of the DJ booth. She was doing good, except later in the evening, Twilight suggested she do at least one slow dance song.
Fluttershy and Discord decided to take that dance.
“So did you know we were getting married today.”
“Not a clue; did you?”
“No.”
“If it’s happening too fast we can…”
“I asked Twilight to move us to a double room in her hotel. She says she has a special sweet all picked out.”
Discord moved a little closer to her. “All right then.”