//------------------------------// // Chapter 50: Greatest Day Ever // Story: A Shadow Brought to Light // by k12314 //------------------------------// CHAPTER 50 I know, I know, this took forever, and it's really short. I'm sorry... I really am. It's just... Have you ever played a new video game, and you just kept playing it and playing it until you burnt yourself out and couldn't do it anymore? That's basically what I did with writing. But now I'm getting myself back in the groove, so don't worry about it. Again, I'm so sorry this took so long. Without further ado, A Shadow Brought to Light: Chapter 50. Well... This wasn't how I expected myself to react at all. "Somepony help me. I think I'm having a panic attack." I tugged at the collar of my suit. I was sweating a little. That's right: It's my wedding day. I was having a complete mental breakdown, and I couldn't get myself to relax. Mr. Cake and I were standing in the dressing room of the courthouse, which was pretty much always used for weddings, seeing as to how there was never any crime in Ponyville. I was freaking out, and Mr. Cake was trying to calm me down. Sounds fun, huh? "Shadow, calm down!" Mr. Cake gave me a little slap on the side of the head. "Sheesh... You don't need to get so worked up. Like my father always said, 'marriage is just like dating, only more official.'" "... Your dad doesn't sound very responsible, Mr. Cake." "Oh, no, he was very responsible. Laid back, but responsible." "... Right." I took a few deep breaths, and managed to calm myself down just a little bit. I was still really nervous, though. "I'm just afraid I may do something stupid or clumsy and mess things up." "Stop thinking like that, then! Think positive. It's what I do!" Mr. Cake smiled widely. He was right, and I knew it, but I couldn't help but be nervous. There were a million things that could go wrong, and they all wouldn't get out of my head. "OK. I'll stop..." Can't. "And try to calm down." Also can't. Ain't life just grand sometimes? It's as if Celestia herself was watching me suffer for her own entertainment. I hope not. "Good. And there aren't that many ponies out there. Only..." Mr. Cake walked over to the door, and peeked out. "... All of Ponyville. That must be Pinkie's doing." "That mare is trying to kill me." I slumped down into the small couch in the corner, and tried to at least stop sweating. "I swear, this is the most stressful thing I've ever had to do in my life..." "What about all those things you did before?" "At least I was good at that! I've never even been to a wedding, I have no idea what I'm doing!" I then realized that the whole wedding could have been a bad idea. After that, I realized that was a very stupid thought. I was having a bit of a hard time controlling my thoughts, all things considered. "Oh, come on. It's not that bad! It isn't like you're doing something completely insane." I stared at him for a moment, mulling over his words. He was right, I wasn't doing anything insane, just important. But that's why I was so nervous, because marriage isn't something to take lightly. At all. "No, but I still have a right to be nervous. I think this is one of those things you want to do, but you only feel great about it afterwards..." "That..." Mr. Cake raised his hoof, but paused for a moment, thinking. "Is actually a very accurate description." "Yeah, I know that." I ran a hoof through my hair. "Oh jeez... I feel like I'm gonna pass out." Oh, and it gets even worse right here. I heard a knock on the door. "Shadow, Darling? It's about ready to start, are you finished?" That's right. I was running out of time to calm down, and Rarity just put the pressure of that fact on me. Wonderful, right? "Celestia help me..." I felt woozy all of a sudden, and almost lost my balance. Mr. Cake caught me. "Shadow, just calm down! Sheesh, I was scared during my wedding too, but this is just ridiculous!" "You aren't the one marrying Pinks." Mr. Cake looked absolutely shocked I'd said that. "How could you say that?" "I love her, but she's a handful, you know? I know what I'm getting myself into, it's just... I can't explain it. I don't like not being able to explain things, especially when they freak me out." "I can understand that." Rarity suddenly barged in unexpectedly. "Shadow! No more dilly-dallying, you have to come! Now! There's no time to waste!" "... Erm..." I sighed, wishing I had a little more time to calm myself. "Fine... Lets go." I trotted along behind her, and I walked down the aisle, most of Ponyville in the audience. There were a couple ponies I didn't recognize sitting in the back. Two younger ponies, and an old one, who looked pretty wise and kind. I payed them no mind, they were probably just Ponyvillians I'd not met before. I headed to the altar, and almost immediately, the mare at the organ started playing "Here Comes the Bride." "... Oh my Celestia..." And there came Pinks, in an amazing dress. It was, of course, very pink. But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't beautiful in every way I could think of. She slowly approached, each step she took making my heart race even faster. "So, whaddya think?" "..." I had no idea of what to say to her. I was stunned, to say the least. "You look... Brilliant." That got me one of her little giggles. The priest cleared his throat, a polite way of telling us to shut up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I do." Those words came out of her mouth like nothing, but there was so much behind them that I can't even explain it now. "I now pronounce you stallion and wife, you may kiss the bride." The priest smiled warmly. I felt my face go beet red as I leaned in to kiss Pinks, but she practically tackled me to the ground before I could even say "mwah." Which sucks, because I really wanted to do that. I would just say "oh well, maybe next time" but there isn't going to be a next time... Hopefully. As I trotted down the aisle with Pinks, massive smiles on both our faces, that old stallion with the bodyguards motioned me over. I was sure he was just going to congratulate me, so I decided to listen. Besides, it would've been mean to just blow him off. "Sit down, Shadow." "How does he know my name...? Maybe Pinks told him." I sat down next to him, and he looked at me with his old, tired eyes. He looked... Sad, for some reason. "You know who I am?" I shook my head. "Sorry, I don't." He closed his eyes, and let out a stressed sigh. "You know those fellas you owe a lot of money to?" I felt my blood run cold. "W-Wait... How do you- Who are you?" I was afraid I already knew. "Well... Think of me as their "owner" of sorts... Now, I know you're thinking I'm here to have you dragged off and killed or something, but... I have something else in mind." "Torture? Free labor? Blackmailing my new family? Oh Celestia help me..." I was absolutely terrified, if you can't tell. And for a good reason, obviously. This was a very powerful stallion, and I owed him a lot of money. Those two aren't a good combo. And now I was face-to-face with this stallion. Heck, I was scared I'd wake up with Gummy's head in my bed the next morning. "Well... I heard about your wedding here today, and first, congratulations... I remember my wedding day. My wife is dead and gone now, and seeing this... Well, it's nice. And you know what? You remind me of me when I was your age. Young, confident, not willing to go down without a fight..." "Oh he's so gonna try to kill me." "I respect that. You're a good kid. A trouble maker, but a good kid. And it looks like you've got quite a life ahead of you. I'm not gonna take that away from you over some money. I can't just let you off scot-free, I need that money, but... Maybe we can hash out some terms." I blinked, trying to register what I'd just heard. "You mean... I can just... Go? I'm not in the deep end anymore?" "Well, you need to pay what you owe, but I'm willing to let you pay whatever you can, whenever you can. I would suggest you don't forget. Otherwise things might not be so... Peaceful for you." I swallowed hard, knowing what he meant. But he was giving me a chance, and that? That was just... Wonderful. I felt like the luckiest stallion alive. I most likely was at that moment. Even luckier than that stallion with the three four leaf clovers as a Cutie Mark. "Th-Thank you... I'm grateful. I mean it. This is very kind of you." He waved a hoof dismissively. "Like I said, you remind me of me. Besides, you're still young. I can't just take the gift of youth from you. I'll let you do that yourself." "Uh... What?" He laughed a bit, and shook his head. "Nothing. You'll see what I mean in a few years... You can go now. I won't bother you anymore, if you don't do anything to upset me." I still couldn't believe it, even as I stood up and walked outside to a crowd of ponies waiting for me. Pinks, her family, the Cakes, and everypony else, like Twilight, and Rainbow. I felt a massive smile break across my face as I joined them all in heading off to some fancy restaurant for an after-party. Pinks, of course, was by my side. "Hey, who was that old stallion?" I shrugged. "Just an old friend. He had a few words for me. In fact, you know that debt I have?" "Yeah...?" She cocked her eyebrow curiously. "Well... Lets just say I'm not in a ton of trouble anymore. I still have to pay, but they're going to be much less... Forceful about it." Pinks' eyes widened as she smiled ear to ear. "You mean no more scary things happening? No more fighting, no more of you going to the hospital...?" "Yeah. It's finally over, more or less. I just gotta find a way to pay off this debt, bit by bit. I'm pretty sure working at Sugarcube Corner'll work out. And if not, I can always get another job." Pinks pulled me into a hug while we kept walking, everypony else just chatting away in the background. "I'm glad you worked that out, Shadow... Now maybe you can start fresh. You know, forget all that bad stuff you did and start all over again. With me!" I let out a small laugh, and considered that for a second. "You know, maybe it is time to just lock all that stuff away... Even if it doesn't bug me anymore, it's gotta go completely... You're right. Time to start all over again. You and me... Bring this Shadow to light." THE END Bet you weren't expecting that, huh? Ha ha ha ha... Please don't murder me with a rusty spoon.