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// 56 - Announcements 
// Story: Fading Suns: A New World 
// by David Silver 
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The three mares trot back into the awaiting arena. Many were the eyes, watching them curiously. Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Why was there a cherry floating there held in the air above the three of them? What did it mean?!

The balloon that had carried the mayor off came in for a landing and she hopped free, trotting to meet them at the podium that the contest had begun in. "Welcome back," she greeted with a smile. "I'm happy to report that no signs of cheating were detected. A good show from all three of you."

"Only as much cheating as unicorns do naturally," joked Lyra, her tongue poking free a little. "But we both had that going on."

Mayor Mare waved it away. "Now, who is presenting this cherry and claiming the hoof of the stallion?" She waved the same hoof up at the expectant crowd. "They all want to know. The cherry was the final item to be obtained."

Twilight took a step forward. "I have invited Lyra and Bon Bon to join my herd."

Bon Bon stepped up beside her formally, her eyes on the mayor. "And we accepted."

Lyra did not join them, instead waving a hoof wildly. "How could we not? We all worked so hard in this contest, it's obvious we'd all do a great job taking care of Laud."

Mayor Mare nodded softly, a soft smile worn. "Well, if you've formed one herd, then this contest is concluded." She cleared her throat softly, turning to the crowd. "Historically, this is not an unusual outcome. When the mares of a community collided over the hoof of a stallion, there were often only two ways it could go, in the end. They either remained bitter rivals to the end, or realized they could share and put aside their quarrel. I'm quite pleased to see we've born witness to the latter."

Laud did not turn his head, but spoke to Paul easily enough, "Am I being wed to all three of them?"

"Certainly appears that way." He crossed his arms on his chest. "And I wouldn't raise a fuss about it."

"That sounds like an order."

"Are you noble?" He lowered one hand to his knee, one finger tapping. "Being told to marry is an occupational hazard. On the plus side, the wives being hoisted on you happen to actually like you. Down side, they're also four-legged. Can't be perfect, in the end."

"Easy for you to say, Sir. You're already married." Laud looked from one mare to the next. "We will need to talk."

Mayor Mare waved towards Laud. "If the stallion would step forward, kindly. It is time to end this and start a new and exciting chapter."

Laud rose to his feet and approached the podium. His walk was stiff and formal, but without hesitation. He had a duty, and one he meant to see to the end.

Mayor Mare nodded at him. "Laud Mountbatten, of the Hawkwoods, your mares have agreed to support and protect you as one unified herd. Do you accept this protection?"

The marriage was right then? He hesitated a moment, catching up quickly. "I... do."

"Do you promise to return their love and stand by their side until the end?"

He looked at his would-be wives. Their eyes were on him intently. Lyra looked excited. Bon Bon and Twilight looked determined. All were together, ready to move forward. "I do," he said, crossing a hand over his chest. "I will not shy from my duties."

"Now now," chastised the older mare. "Let us not have a dour marriage of duties." She turned towards the mares. "Do you, Lyra Heartstrings, agree to be part of Princess Twilight Sparkle's herd, to support her and love your stallion?"

Lyra bobbed her head, cheeks warming. "If they'll have me."

Bon Bon squeezed Lyra close. "As if that was in question."

The mare's eyes flicked the small space to look at Bon Bon. "Do you accept joining Princess Twilight Sparkle's herd, to support her and love your stallion?"

Bon Bon raised the hoof not busy hugging Lyra to point at herself. "I will do my part to protect them all and I will..." She hesitated a moment. "Love... them all."

Mayor Mare turned at last to Twilight. "Do you accept responsibility for two mares and one stallion? Their happiness rests in your hooves. Will you love and care for them all?"

Twilight's ears went straight up. "O-oh, of course! As princess, I have responsibility for many more ponies already. I mean... I do."

Mayor Mare nodded lightly, turning back towards expectant crowd. "Then I announce you wed, with plenty of witnesses to go around. With that, I declare this competition satisfactorily complete. May your lives be long and full of love. May your trials never be beyond your abilities. I pronounce you husband and wife and wife and wife." She pointed at each as the called their title.

The crowd was a bit on edge. That was not the ending they had expected, but it was an ending, and not an unhappy one.

"Can you do that?" asked one human to another.

"They just did," pointed out that human's friend.

"Good to be a noble, I guess."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "If she was going to join a herd anyway, she really should have consulted someone with some refinement."

"Aw, don't be that way." Pinkie flopped back into her seat, just reaching it from flying the mayor around. "If you like the ideas of herds so much, we can be one!"

Rarity went pink in her cheeks instantly. "Oh, well, thank you, dear Pinkie. I'll... consider it."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "One mare, one stallion, let's keep it civil, iffin ya don't mind."

Fluttershy glanced between her friends and across the seats to the newly married ponies and human below. "This is... very unusual, isn't it? I mean, no offense intended to them..."

Rainbow threw a hoof towards the mayor who was already walking away from the others. "She said it, and she had the alright from Celestia, so that's that. Besides, you heard the mare, this isn't the, uh, first time this ever happened."

"Just recently," completed Rarity. "It's almost charmingly antiquated, except it involves a friend of ours."





The crowd slowly dispersed, some coming down to greet the newlyweds, but just as many going off to their other duties and distractions. The humans proved more formal, greeting Laud and the newest members of the Hawkwoods by way of the Mountbattens.

Paul slapped down a hand on Twilight's withers. "You've made a firm and bold statement. None can call the ponies of Equestria inhuman or unworthy of concern, at least without declaring outright war with the Hawkwoods. Such an insult is not one we'd accept. If you go down, we'll be riding the tracks with you."

Twilight's wings spread as her eyes widened. "But it won't come to that, right?" She smiled nervously. "Nopony, or human, would want to declare war on Equestria. I mean, why would they?"

Laud glanced towards the sky and the unseen menaces it held. "While we hope against it, we prepare. Paul, I have an idea."

"Already?" Paul crossed his arms. "You've recovered nicely. Is this an idea that can be spoken here, or would you rather privacy?"

"The specifics of it are already well known among us." He waved towards the town, past the others who enjoyed the reception of his sudden wedding. "The ponies, they understand technology and do not fear it. That could work against us, for sake of the church, or we could use it as a weapon. I want word spread to the guilds, seeking the highest bidder with a wish for an educated and eager workforce that can propel them ahead of the competition. Think of it, an entire nation where this is taken for granted. This is the delusional mad dream to most of them. Let us charge them dearly for the privilege of joining our side of the coming conflict."

Twilight's ears twitched, dancing between the two humans. "Kindly inform me what these 'guilds' are in relation to your society. I am going to safely assume they're not equivalent to the actor's union or other organizations to safeguard their workers."

Bon Bon shook her head. "I can read between the lines. You're luring friends out of greed."

"Precisely so," agreed the young noble. "It can be the surest honey to draw these flies. If they feel there is profit to be had here, they will join us in protecting it. The church is powerful, frightfully so, but even it is not eager to take on a royal house or a guild. The two side-by-side? This planet may simply be forgotten in their eyes, an annoyance they ignore as best they can rather than mobilize sufficient force to show their displeasure."

Paul slapped Laud across the back in a firm thud. "You're making me proud. I'm glad you've spent some time reading books aside from flying that little ship of yours. Really, a noble pilot, I'm glad you've put those days behind you."

Laud grit his teeth mildly in reply. "I was not a bad pilot, Sir."

"I'm sure you weren't." He waved the objection away as he nodded at a passing soldier. "Doesn't mean I'm happy with the idea of young nobles willing to toss their lives away trying to look good instead of doing important work."

"Sir..." Laud gestured towards the larger ship that peeked over the buildings. "You risk the same thing every time you lift off. Life is never without risks. I never intended to throw mine away easily."

Paul nodded even as he turned. "I'm sure you didn't. Now, if you don't mind, I must be going. Congratulations on entering the married life. Tell me how it works out."

Lyra watched him go before looking back to Laud. "He really annoyed you, didn't he?"

"Am I that easy to read?" Laud held out a hand and Lyra was soon at it, nuzzling into it. "He isn't entirely wrong."

Twilight nodded and made small talk with another pony that wandered past before looking back to Laud. "He isn't entirely right. Besides, if you hadn't done what you had, who knows how things might have turned out."

Bon Bon nudged Lyra away from Laud's hand. "Petting us like domesticated animals may send the wrong idea. Regardless of how you ended up here, you did, and things are moving as a result of it. Let's ensure that this is a good direction."

Lyra extended her tongue in a loud raspberry. "If my stallion wants to pet me in public, he can do that." Her horn glowed as an arcane hand appeared above Laud and stroked once through his hair, returning the favor. "It goes both ways."

Laud jumped at the sensation, taking a moment to figure out the glowing horn as the source of it. "Maybe Bon Bon has a point..." Being pet in turn put things in a new focus.

Bon Bon smirked victoriously, but said nothing else.

"Sir," started a soldier as he approached. "Are you...  having a honeymoon?"

Laud blanched. "What?"

"I mean, you are newly married, Sir..." He looked awkward, but didn't flee from the question posed. "Should we expect you to take leave of public duty for a time?"

Lyra grinned loud enough for her cheeks to squeak. "That sounds fun! Can we do that?!"

Twilight coughed softly into a hoof, looking towards the soldier. "That isn't... strictly required, seeing as we are all familiar with one another, and... we can't even assume anything would come of it."

"That is not something easy to tell," spoke a newly arriving female. "What exactly results from wedding bells." The striped form of Zecora emerged from the crowd. "Much has happened while I was away. Can someone tell me what occured this day?"

Twilight smiled brightly at her exotic friend. "Zecora! Nice to see you. It's a bit of a long story, but meet my husband, Laud Mountbattan, of the Hawkwoods." She swung her hoof around. "My wife, Bon Bon, and my wife, Lyra Heartstrings."

Zecora went quiet, taking in the married four, ponies and human all.