//------------------------------// // Dawn // Story: From Dusk to Night // by KuroiTsubasaTenshi //------------------------------// There have been many times in my life I ended up alone in a strange room, but never had I been so happy. Besides, this was more of a tent in the middle of a field. For all Terra’s talk about losing that urge to travel, she still had that knack for outdoor stuff. I’d waffled a bit on whether or not the field on the outskirts of Ponyville would be an appropriate venue. The general lack of facilities was a major concern, even though we were barely outside of the city limits. But Terra insisted that if it held that much sentimental value to me, then the guests could stand to shoulder a little inconvenience. The only other real competitor was Myrtail, where Night’s and my first steps together had officially begun. However, my memories of there were a bit more mixed and ultimately, something that felt like home was more important. Beyond that, the decisions came easily, my notes from Terra’s wedding serving as a good general springboard for all the major touchpoints. I think Terra was a little disappointed she couldn’t say, “I told you so”, but at the same time, making enough adjustments to ensure half the wedding wouldn’t blow away when the wind picked up was challenging enough that had I been more indecisive, she probably would have lost her mind. The tent was rather sizable, the long, rectangular perimeter easily able to fit someone’s living room inside. The fact that about two-thirds of the space was completely empty made me half-suspect that Terra panicked and overbought. The other half, however, looked up to the plastic sky light. The sun fell perfectly in the middle of the tent, fully highlighting the fold-out tables and standing mirror that we’d been using to get dressed up. It was nice to have that level of lighting without needing to open up the side windows. I couldn’t help but chuckle a little at myself and the notion, though: the greater majority of our population typically wandered around pretty much butt naked. What was there really to hide? Sauntering up to the mirror, I gave myself one last onceover. Traditional wasn’t exactly my thing, so I’d forgone the whole white wedding dress for something a little more modern. It was slimmer, easier to move around in, yet still flattering. I’d still indulged in a longer skirt, though hardly anything close to the traditional train: risking tripping over myself without needing someone to carry part of my dress did not sound like fun. Still, it had a number of folds that played into the silvery blue colour, giving it a sort of wavy nature that made the whole thing look bigger than it was. There was one more indulgence, of course: about my neck was a cross between a collar and a scarf, the thick, blue-green base growing lighter as it worked its way toward the ends, until it was the same silvery blue as the rest of the dress. Terra had raised a little bit of an eyebrow at that request, but when I’d grinned and said, “Hey, my day, my comfort,” she'd just laughed and wrote it down. Not that either of us thought it much of a problem—Carousel Boutique thrives on that sort of customization. In all honesty, the oddest feeling thing was my mane. Even though I’d found a style that essentially boiled down to a fancier ponytail, the weight of the braid that crowned my head threw me off kilter. It was just enough shy of uncomfortable that I kept questioning whether it was or not. Granted, at that point there was no use thinking about it, since I couldn’t exactly turn back. A rustling at the side of the tent pulled my eyes away from the mirror. It seemed too soon for Terra to be coming to get me, but perhaps I’d simply let my mind wander for too long. In trotted my mother. Her red-and-white headband was absent, but a flowing burgundy dress complemented her side-braided lavender mane. A moderately wide sash kept the dress from getting too wild, giving the whole thing a robe-like quality. Even in formal wear, she managed to look like a martial arts instructor. A bit of a lopsided grin spread across her face as she simply eyed me up and down. When it went on a little long, I shifted hoof to hoof. “Uh, Mom? Are you alright? This isn’t about to turn into an impromptu test, is it?” She let out a long laugh. “Of course not. Can’t a mother admire how beautiful her daughter looks on her wedding day?” “Er, yeah, but…” I shook my head. “You always told me to be prepared.” “On a normal day, yes. Not that I think you should let your guard down entirely, but,” my mother frowned, “I told you, Nobes and I have security handled. Your job is to have fun. Ours it to make sure it stays that way.” “I know. And it’s not that I don’t appreciate that, but didn’t I also tell you I’d feel guilty if you had to spend all your time away from the wedding?” While I was ninety-percent sure I had, the hustle and bustle of the past few months had things blending together so much that there was a part of me that wondered if I’d simply dreamed some of the things I’d said or done. “Yes, and your father and I both discussed that with Nobes. Nobes brought along quite a few of his buddies so that we’ll have plenty of opportunities to be proud of you two.” Her mouth turned up into a grin again. “You must have made a hell of an impression, too. Some of those Solar Company Guards even volunteered. This is the wrong party for anyone to crash, I’ll tell you that.” I couldn’t help but giggle a little. “I suspect that was more Feather’s doing than anything.” My mother shrugged. “I didn’t say who you made the impression on. Regardless, it’s notable.” “Right.” I smirked. “Thanks, Mom.” She nodded. “You know, you’ve grown into a beautiful, capable young mare. I’d hoped you wouldn’t inherit my ability to find trouble, but since I failed you there, I’m just glad you grew into someone who could handle it all.” “Comes with the territory of inheriting your sense of justice, I guess,” I smiled broadly. “Besides, it’s not like you stuck your hooves in your ears and ignored the possibility. The very core of what has carried me this far is what you and Dad taught me.” “Good, so you understand I wasn’t being strict just for kicks.” “I think I always did. I just couldn’t have dreamed of how far things would escalate.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “I assumed you were training me in case of some jerk in a bar, not a full-on civil war.” “You were right.” My mother’s expression was some odd mix between amused and proud. “Actually, maybe a little more than the first, since you do live next door to the Everfree. But the second? You figured that out on your own.” “Thanks, Mom. I still used your training as a foundation, though.” “I guess I shouldn’t keep you much longer or your Mare of Honour might have a meltdown. By the by, did you know she was so tightly wound? I just about had to throw her down to see my own daughter.” I blinked. “Mom, you didn’t…” “Of course not.” She smirked at me. “She’s just surprisingly obstinate for someone who otherwise shares a lot of background with you.” “It’s a tough job.” I shrugged. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I got a little tunnel visioned when I did that for her.” As if on cue, Terra’s head poked through the tent flap. “By Celestia, are you two still talking? Come on! The ceremony is starting!” Then she was gone again, my mother giving me an expression that said, “See?” as she motioned to where Terra had been. My only response was uncontrollable giggling. --- Even though I’d already seen the decorations over a dozen times, I still thought Terra had outdone herself. Pink silken chair slips with sizable bows on the back hid the fold-out nature of their hosts. And somehow she’d gotten her hooves on one of those heavy, red velvet rollout carpets—the expensive kind they use at events in Canterlot. The beginning of the aisle was flanked by two tall, white vases. The one on the left had my gear-and-pencil cutie mark painted on it, while the right had Night’s snowflake-emblazoned star. Both vases were overflowing with vibrant purple orchids, courtesy of Aster. As I began to walk the aisle, my parents in tow, the procession all turned to watch. The feeling was a little bizarre. I wasn’t exactly basking in the attention, but I also wasn’t about to shy away. I guess in that way, it just felt natural, which general wisdom regarding weddings would have me believe was very unnatural. There were too many faces to process and the crowd began to blend together, though I could at least pick out the blue of Blizzard’s and Dash’s coats. Night’s family was up near the front and I thought I caught Feather’s golden coat just before that on my side. And there, waiting under an arch made of silky, blue-white curtains, was Night and our friends. On my side stood Terra, Twilight, Ivory and Blaze, all wearing airy teal dresses that were in the same approximate spectrum as my pseudo-scarf. While Terra and Twilight seemed at home enough in their dresses, Ivory stood as though she’d been waiting ages to wear one of these. In a sense, it was probably true. Meanwhile, Blaze’s stance was a little… edgy, so to speak. To be fair, we’d known from the start that it really wasn’t her thing, but she’d insisted she’d never turn down being a bridesmaid over something so trivial. On Night’s side, we had Mahogany, Icicle, Star and Merri. While Merri preferred the same teal dress as the other mares, Star declared she would adhere to the tradition of the stallion’s side and wear the same white tux as Mahogany and Icicle. Funnily enough, Star seemed to be more at ease in the tux than the stallions. My parents broke away as I stepped up onto the broad wooden platform that served as our dais. Night and I exchanged smiles and I took my place beside him. I let my gaze linger a bit. I saw everything we’d been through together, the unbreakable support we’d given each other to carry us through the darkest of times. Pinkie Pie slid up to us, an uncharacteristically grey dress on. When I’d asked her about it at rehearsal, she’d simply replied that this was her official officiant dress and she takes the title very seriously. With book in hoof, she cleared her throat. At the moment, I probably should have been nervous, but in truth, it was more like a sweet serenity had washed over me. If mobsters, ghosts and two wars couldn’t stop this, then I had a feeling we’d be fine.