//------------------------------// // A Bond That Cannot Be Undone // Story: Little Memories // by Skijarama //------------------------------// The day had come. Twilight Sparkle stood by her brother’s side, both of them dressed in formal attire for the occasion. Her eyes swept back and forth over the rapidly-amassing crowd as a few last-minute preparations were made in the grand hall. It strongly resembled the Hall of Ceremonies back in Canterlot, albeit with a few notable differences; the most obvious of which was the fact that everything was made of crystals. Despite the warm smile she was wearing, however, Twilight was a little anxious on the inside. The organizational part of her mind was screaming at her to make one last run around the chamber to check with each of her friends and make sure that everything was ready and properly arranged. The big thing keeping her from doing that was Rarity likely having another conniption fit while trying to tidy her up in the aftermath. ...What even is a conniption? Twilight suddenly wondered. She had heard the word used a few times but had, as of yet, not actually bothered to look up its concrete definition. Questions for later, she ultimately decided, turning her attention back to Shining Armor. He appeared far calmer than she felt, but she imagined he probably felt like a stack of jelly under that calm, collected exterior. Actually, scratch that, she knew he did. The times he had come to visit in the months leading up to this day had given her more than enough time to figure out that his stoic appearance was a by-product of being in the military for so long. Honestly, he was kind of a massive dork. “Huh? What is it, Twily?” Shining asked, snapping Twilight out of her trance. He must have noticed her looking at him. She quickly looked ahead and coughed into her hoof to save face. “Sorry, just thinking, that’s all,” she told him before glancing up towards the ceiling where Fluttershy was busy doing one last check with her songbird choir. Thorax was hovering in the air behind her with an encouraging smile on his face, but was otherwise keeping silent.  “Is it alright if I ask what about?” Shining pressed carefully, and Twilight could not miss the slight edge of concern in his voice. “I mean, the wedding is about to start, so if it isn’t anything serious, it can wait.” Twilight shrugged. “Nothing in particular,” she said before glancing at him again. Her eyes locked onto the silver-colored badge he had strapped over his chest and frowned.  It was off-center. With a quick application of her magic, she adjusted the badge in its sash over his chest until it was perfectly centralized. “Heh, thanks,” Shining tapped the badge before looking ahead towards the door. His appreciative smile slowly dwindled away, and he leaned closer to his little sister, lowering his voice. “...Mind if I tell you a secret?” Twilight met his gaze and raised an eyebrow. A secret? Now? “Er… sure, I suppose. What is it?” “I’m all kinds of terrified right now.” “Ha!” Twilight thought within the privacy of her own thoughts. “I called it!” On the outside, she simply smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s a really big step you’re taking. But I know you’re going to be fine,” she assured him. Shining chuckled sheepishly before rising back to his full height. “Thanks, kiddo… that means a lot coming from you,” he replied gratefully before looking directly ahead at the doors. His expression gradually hardened with confidence once again, and he puffed out his chest to display his readiness. Twilight eyed him for a minute before movement overhead caught her eye. She looked up just in time to spot Rainbow in a dress, designed to be aerodynamic, swooping by. She darted up to Fluttershy, whispered in her ear, and then shot down to the crowd, vanishing from Twilight’s view. Her mind wandered back to that moment a few nights ago in their room after Rainbow had taught her the sunshine dance. She felt a small ping of regret in her heart yet again for shying away as she had, but was quick to swallow it down and remind herself to be patient. These things couldn’t be forced, after all, right? Her eyes drifted away from where Rainbow had disappeared to and settled once again on Shining. A question came to her mind, and after a moment or so of deliberation, she lent it her voice. “So, uh… on the topic of relationships,” she began hesitantly, drawing a questioning glance from Shining. “Huh?” Twilight pawed the floor nervously, watching the crowd for any signs of Rainbow. “...Rainbow Dash and I. How, er… What do you think?” she asked, the words briefly catching awkwardly in her throat. Shining hummed in consideration, watching for Rainbow as well. The pegasus eventually came into sight as she lifted into the air, talking quickly with somepony neither of them could see. She seemed to be getting a final confirmation. Then, with a sharp nod and a salute, she turned and vanished through one of the tall windows that lined the hall, no doubt getting ready for her part in the coming ceremony. Shining smiled. “Well… I never got to see a whole lot of it before your amnesia,” he began, turning to look at Twilight directly. “But I will say that she’s very devoted to you. As long as you’re comfortable, I think you two are really good for each other.” “The key part there being whether or not I’m comfortable,” Twilight lamented quietly, staring out the window Rainbow had gone through. “...It’s been two years, Shining. What if she’s waiting on something that’s never coming back?” The stallion paused at that, humming in thought. After a moment, he smiled and lightly nudged her shoulder. “Well, just take a few baby steps and see where you’re at. I mean, you won’t know if the water’s the right temperature unless you put your hoof in first, right?” At that moment, Thorax flew back down into the crowd himself to take a seat, and the sound of Fluttershy’s songbird choir filled the air. It was time. The wedding was beginning. Twilight nodded, her eyes focusing on the door where Cadance would be entering at any moment. “Right… baby steps.” The door opened. To say that the ceremony had been beautiful would be an egregious understatement. Between Celestia’s well-planned speech, Fluttershy’s music, Cadance’s breathtaking dress (courtesy of Rarity herself), and Rainbow’s perfectly-timed Rainboom to coincide with the kiss, everything went off without a hitch.  Well, except for the part where Pinkie set off her party cannon. That was less than ideal. But luckily, nopony seemed to mind too much. If anything, the crystal ponies relished in the sudden loud noise and the practical blizzard of confetti. Just what had they all done in the empire way back when for the locals to love something like that at a royal wedding? Twilight wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know the answer to that. After the ceremony wound down, though, everypony migrated out and into a large ballroom for the reception. They were on to the dance phase now, and classics of the Crystal Empire from a thousand years ago were played by the very musicians who wrote them, along with some more modern music provided by one ‘DJ PON-3.’ The dance floor was alive with a large mass of ponies, alternating between slow waltzes and high-energy flailing. Even the air space was occupied by pegasi performing their own unique takes on each dance, spinning and spiraling around one another. Additionally, plenty of food and drink had been laid out for those ponies not interested in dancing. Presently, Twilight found herself sitting at one of the tables set aside for just that purpose, joined by Thorax, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie was off… somewhere, doing something, and Applejack was still doing her part to manage the food.  “Well, I daresay today has been just fabulous,” Rarity determined after another sip from her wine glass, a pleasant smile on her face. “I’m just glad everything worked out so well,” Fluttershy added with a smile and a nod. “Hey, I had faith in you,” Thorax encouraged with a smile. “All of you. After everything I’ve seen you girls pull off, a wedding like this must have been easy.” “Oh, heavens no!” Rarity gasped with her hoof throwing itself over her heart, her expression one of shock and horror. “Every part of a wedding is, in its own right, an ordeal! When compared to trying to save an ancient empire a thousand years out of time, where the occasional misstep or mistake can be forgiven, not a single thing can go wrong in a wedding! Not one! It is the most important day in the lives of the betrothed, and a single mishap, a single error, could spoil the memory forever!” Thorax blinked at her tirade before turning to Twilight. “Is she exaggerating?” Twilight shrugged. “Hey, you’d know better than I would. You all remember how saving the empire went. All I’ve got is a whole lot of nothing.” That response made Thorax wince awkwardly, but Fluttershy actually managed to giggle. Rarity herself simply smiled and coughed sheepishly into her hoof. “Well, I er, perhaps have a modestly more intense opinion on weddings than some ponies,” she admitted while twirling her hoof in the air. “But what can I say? They are the height of romance, and nothing is more wondrous than a wedding going perfectly.” Twilight chuckled at that before taking another sip from her own drink. Crystal berry juice, if she remembered correctly. Pretty sweet stuff. She let out a content sigh and looked around the ballroom again, taking it all in. Eventually, her eyes latched onto one pony in particular. Rainbow Dash, to be precise. She was leaning against one of the many support pillars that held up the roof, a mug in her hoof and a content smile on her face. It was odd to see her standing all on her own, but Twilight was quick to theorize that she probably just wanted some time alone with her thoughts. It wasn’t all that uncommon, after all. But at the same time, it just didn’t feel right. Everypony else was in groups, talking happily with one another or dancing to the groove in the center of the room. Yet there she was, all on her own. Twilight watched her for a short while before turning back to Rarity and finishing off her juice. “Well, speaking of romance…” she said before standing up from her seat. “I have something to take care of.” All eyes followed her as she rose, and Rarity raised an eyebrow with a hopeful smile appearing on her face. “Twilight Sparkle, oh what, pray tell, are you up to?” she asked with a short flutter of her lashes. Twilight smiled at the question before turning away. “I’m taking baby steps,” was her simple answer before making her way from the table. She had to squeeze by a few ponies every here and there to get to her destination, but soon enough she was marching right up to Rainbow Dash with a small smile on her face. The pegasus saw her coming and smiled in greeting. “Hey, Twi,” she called over the music before taking a big swig of whatever she was drinking. Cider, if Twilight had to guess. “Sup?” Twilight came to a stop by Rainbow’s side and looked out over the dance floor. “I saw you standing all on your own. Just thought I’d come and give you some company,” she replied honestly. Rainbow hummed in response. “Ah, I gotcha.” The two stood in silence for a few minutes, watching the crowd ebb and flow back and forth with the beat of the high-energy music the DJ was putting out. Every so often, Twilight would glance at Rainbow to try and assess what she was thinking or feeling. For the most part, Rainbow seemed to be content to just stand there and be quiet. There was something else under all of that, though Twilight couldn’t be sure of what. She bit her lip, mentally psyching herself up for what she planned to do. “Ya know, Soarin came by and asked me to dance earlier,” Rainbow suddenly blurted out, making Twilight stop in her tracks.  She glanced at the pegasus in curiosity. “Soarin?” “He’s a wonderbolt,” Rainbow clarified, gesturing into the crowd at a collection of pegasi dancing together in the crowd. Among them was a white-furred stallion with a swept-back mane and tail and green eyes. “I bumped into him at the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot after we moved to Ponyville. Fun guy. Really likes pie.” Twilight nodded along slowly, trying to predict where this train of thought was going. “Alright… and what did you say?” she eventually asked. “I told him no thanks,” Rainbow replied casually before taking another swig. “He’s cute and all, and I’d totally go for him, but, well…” she glanced sideways at Twilight. “I’m… well, you know that I’m in the middle of something.” Twilight nodded slowly at that, her previous hesitation returning in full swing. After a few more seconds of indecision, she took a deep breath and steeled herself. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained…” “Well… would you still say no if I was the one who asked?” Twilight finally managed to say, barely keeping the red tint from appearing on her cheeks. Rainbow’s eyes widened, her ears standing to attention. She focused on Twilight, her jaw dropping open. “Wait… wha?” she asked with great precision and intelligence. Twilight giggled at that before facing Rainbow directly and holding out her hoof. “Rainbow, would you like to dance with me?” Rainbow eyed the hoof for a few seconds, the world around them falling quiet as the DJ’s song came to a close. She licked her lips and reluctantly lifted her own, her gaze drifting up to bore into Twilight’s. “You sure? You alright with this?” she asked carefully. Twilight smiled and nodded. “I’m sure. It’s just a dance, isn’t it?” Rainbow considered her words for a second, indecisive. That was, at least, until the next classical song began with a series of gentle, uplifting piano notes. Whatever indecision she felt in that moment evaporated from her face, and she took Twilight’s hoof in her own. “Sure. But, ah, just a heads up; you can’t dance to save your life.” Twilight rolled her eyes and playfully tugged Rainbow towards the slowly shifting crowd. “Oh, shush.” Rainbow happily did as she was told, and soon enough the two found themselves in the middle of the crowd. They received a few curious glances and warm smiles as they passed from the crystal ponies among the crowd, but neither could be bothered to give the stares much thought for the moment. Once they found a suitable space, they turned and faced each other. It was around this time that Twilight realized that Rainbow had been absolutely right. She had no idea how to dance. “This is going to be either really amazing or an amazing disaster,” Twilight decided, trying to subtly look around at the other dancers to figure out what they were doing. “Clueless, aren’t ya?” “Sh-shut up.” Rainbow laughed at that before getting in close. “Okay, okay, here,” she said in a hushed voice, lightly grabbing Twilight’s hooves and guiding them. In short order, one of Twilight’s hooves was on Rainbow’s shoulder, while the other was held firmly in the other mare’s grasp. “Like this. It’s a slow dance song.” Twilight gulped, having not been prepared for the close proximity of their faces. They were mere inches apart. “R-right…” she stammered out. “You good?” “Fine.” “Kay,” Rainbow nodded slowly before taking a breath. “Just follow my lead…” With nothing else to guide her, Twilight did as she was told, following Rainbow’s lead. The two began to move, stepping from one side, then to the other, slowly spinning around one another as they went. It felt really awkward at first, and Twilight periodically glanced over her shoulder in a bid to see if anypony was watching. There were a few amused stares, but none that lasted for long or really seemed malicious. “Hey, focus on your partner,” Rainbow lightly chastised, bringing Twilight’s attention back to her smiling face. “You can look around when the fun part begins.” Twilight resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “The fun part? You mean ragdoll time.” “The difference being…?” Twilight was not able to keep herself from giggling at that. She shook her head in bewilderment before focusing on Rainbow like instructed and working on improving her movements. After a few seconds, she mustered the courage to quietly ask a question that had slowly been building up since they started swaying. “So… when did you learn to slow dance?” “Well, for one thing, it’s pretty simple,” Rainbow pointed out quietly. “But, ah… mom taught me one or two things for events like this when I was younger.” That confession put the very interesting image of the tall princess Celestia trying to teach a small foal Rainbow Dash how to slow dance into Twilight’s mind. Her demure smile became openly entertained by that visual. “Wow. I bet that was awkward.” “When your mom is ten times taller than you? Yeah, kinda,” Rainbow rolled her eyes at the memory and playfully shuddered. She was quick to dispense with the snark and focused solely on Twilight, her expression softening into something far more heartfelt. “But hey… I’m glad she taught me that. After all… it’s letting me have this moment.” Twilight’s heart skipped a beat, and her heart fluttered in her chest. She blinked a few times and swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. “W-wow. Who would have guessed you would be this good at being mushy?” she asked before her look turned a little more mischievous. “You’re usually all about being cool and awesome.” Rainbow’s face became a tomato. “H-hey, it’s only with you,” she protested weakly, briefly glancing up at the ceiling. “Aren’t you the one who told me to focus on my partner?” “Keep it up and I’ll chuck you out a window.” Twilight giggled again. With that, the two fell quiet, happy to just continue their slow dance in peace. They became completely invested in each other as they turned and swayed, to the point they completely missed the number of ponies there were who had slowed their own dances to watch them, or the way that Cadance and Shining Armor shared a knowing, pleased glance amongst themselves from their place near the back of the room. Not like those looks meant much at the moment. For Rainbow and Twilight, all that mattered was their dance partner.