Wedding Party

by bigbear


Chapter 1 - The Road To Las Pegasus

“A chance to stretch your legs, everyone.” Sunset Shimmer pulled Fluttershy’s van into the parking lot. She turned the motor off and stretched. 

The rest area on the road to Las Pegasus included restrooms and a grassy area with one picnic table and one tree. It included a lookout point with an amazing view of the valley and mountains that ran to the horizon. The only other vehicle in the parking lot was Applejack’s truck with the rest of the wedding party.

Flash Sentry opened the van’s passenger door. Spike leaped out of the door and scampered urgently toward the grass. Flash grabbed an empty plastic grocery bag and moved to follow him.

“Thanks, Flash,” Twilight Sparkle said from the middle row of the van. “After all our delays, I hope this stop won’t make us late for the wedding.” She reached her hand forward, engagement ring sparkling in the fading sunlight. 

Flash reached his hand back and they brushed fingertips. His matching ring sparkled just as brightly. “Nothings going to stop there being a wedding today,” he said.

Flash set off after Spike. He may be able to talk, but Spike still had a dog’s needs and so Flash watched out for him. 

By the time Flash got to the picnic table, Spike was calmer. Flash showed the bag and raised an eyebrow. Spike shook his head ‘no’, so Flash knew that nothing more need be said on that subject.

Spike bounded up onto the picnic table. “I wanted to finish our conversation from the car. What did you mean by the girls having four classes of magic?”

Flash leaned against the tree and looked back. None of the girls had come this way. Spike was also the only other boy in the group, so sometimes they bonded over ‘guy talk’.

“Let’s take as a given that these are seven amazing girls,” Flash said. “Beautiful. Heroic. Always trying to do the right thing.”

“And they smell nice,” Spike interjected. 

Flash gave him a quizzical look. 

“Smell means a lot more to me than what I see,” Spike said. “I don’t see color like you do. To me, Fluttershy and Pinkie are about the same shade. But they smell very different.”

“Fair point,” Flash replied. “Everyone brings their point of view to the discussion.” After hanging with Twilight and the girls through high school and beyond, he’d learned to roll with the situation. Flash didn’t let a little thing like species dictate his friendships. 

“Class one is when the girls use their powers but don’t transform,” Flash continued. “Class two is when they ‘pony up’, but don’t go full superhero.”

“So class three is when they get the costumes?” Spike asked.

“And a bunch more powers,” Flash said. He sat down at the picnic table and held up fingers one at a time. “Flight. Strength. Supercharged magic powers. I saw a robot attack blow all the girls through a wall when they were in costume and it barely phased them. So class three is full-blown comic book superhero.”

Spike wrinkled his nose. He leaned in, gave Flash a sniff. and looked quizzically at him, “And class three means more to you than just them getting powers?”

“You caught me.” Flash rolled his eyes and scratched Spike behind the ears. “They all look super hot in costume. Like them, but super-them.”

Spike shook his head and looked like he’d bit a lemon.

“I’m a guy,” Flash said. “I admit to being shallow. It's one of my superpowers. Anyway, my bride-to-be is one of those super hot girls, my ex is another, and I get to be friends with all seven.”

“I don’t think of them like that, especially Twilight.“ Spike shuddered. “But they do smell extra special when they pony up or are in costume. Like you said, them... but better.”

Flash and Spike were lost in the thoughts of the people they cared about. Flash absently pet Spike and he let himself be petted.

Spike finally broke the silence. “I see where you’re going with this. I gotta tell you I don’t like to think about class four. We almost lost Twilight when she went class four at the Friendship Games.”

“We almost lost Sunset at the Fall Formal,” Flash said. “And Gloriosa at Camp Everfree, and Jupiter what’s-her-name at the mall. It can be scary when someone goes to class four. It’s like all that magic goes to their heads. They can get larger than life and lose touch with reality.” 

Spike gave a bit of a whimper but didn't say anything.

“But Sunset was like an angel when she went class four at the games,” Flash continued. “She saved Twilight. And I’ve got a theory about why.”

“Hit me,” Spike said. He looked relieved.

“Sunset went demon at the Fall Formal because she had no friends, no connections to others,” Flash said. “She was acting for herself. Twilight went all scary at the games for the same reason.”

“But Sunset did the angel thing at the games because by that time she had friends. Her first instinct was to help and protect people. When she got all that magic, she was still a hero,” Flash said. “Twilight’s connection with you was what gave Sunset an opening to save her at the games.”

“Twilight has friends now,” Spike said. “She always had me, but now she’s got all the girls, and you, and lots of others. And she’s a hero too. They all are.” 

Flash smiled. “That’s why if Twilight or any of the girls ever go class four again, Everything will be ok.”

Spike grinned and held up a front paw. Flash tapped the paw to complete the high five.

“Hey everybody, check this out!” Rainbow Dash was standing at the short wall of the lookout point and pointing. They all rushed to see. About a mile down the road, a dust cloud was rising from a pile of rocks blocking the road that lay ahead of them. Pebbles rained down from a gash in the side of the mountain where the rockslide had begun.

“Is anyone hurt?” Sunset asked. 

“No cars passed that way in the last few minutes,” Flash said.

Rainbow shielded her eyes and ‘looked’ at the slide. Her pegasus magic gave her amazing eyesight. “No cars under the slide or coming the other way.”

“I’m going to be late for my own wedding,” Twilight cried. 

Fluttershy put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Twilight. We’ll work it out. Everything will be OK.”

“Come on girls,” Applejack said. “We’ve got powers. We’re not gonna let some little old rock slide stop us.” She thrust her hand into the center of the group. 

All the girls joined hands. Magical rainbow motes emerged from their geodes and swirled about them. Within the swirling colors, the girl’s silhouettes got taller and bolder. They all assumed colorful costumes, pony ears, and ankle-length hair that waved in an unfelt breeze. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow spouted small wings.

Flash took a half step back. It was always good to know the girls could respond when there was trouble. 

But even though she’d transformed, Flash could see Twilight was still upset. He had to find a way to help too. “Maybe Twilight and I should stay here,’ he said. “I’ll look for another route as a backup.” He held up his phone with the GPS map.

Applejack sized up the situation and took the lead. “Rainbow, Rarity, Pinkie, let’s go clear that slide.”

Sunset glanced at Flash, nodded to AJ, and pulled out her phone as well.

Fluttershy took Twilight’s hands. “Let your friends take care of this.” She led Twilight over to the picnic table to sit down. AJ, Rainbow, Rarity, and Pinkie took to the sky and flew toward the slide.

Flash poked at his phone. “There’s got to be an alternate route,” he said to Sunset.

She checked her phone, grimaced, then put it away. “My reception is terrible up in the mountains.” 

Flash was heads down, swiping on his phone. “Do you want to go help the others?”

“Empathy isn’t much use when clearing rocks,” Sunset said. “But you’ve been a big help. Twilight may have her checklists, but you've done most of the work in setting up this wedding.”

“Once Twilight said yes, I wanted to make things as easy on her as possible.” Flash held up his cell phone to show Sunset. “I got something, do you think this route will work?”

Sunset reached for the phone and brushed Flash’s hand. Her eyes went white as Flash's memories of helping Twilight played out for both of them. Flash bringing Twilight a treat when she had forgotten to eat. Helping Twilight get to bed when she fell asleep on her lab bench. Driving her to appointments and school interviews. And a hundred other times when Flash helped Twilight keep her life on track. 

But interspersed with these images were also many times when others stepped in to help. They were the ones that listened when Twilight was lecturing. They talked her down when she was ‘Twilighting’. And they touched, held hands, and hugged Twilight while Flash was engaged in running errands.

Flash pulled his hand away from Sunset and took a step away. He fumbled his phone into a pants pocket then rubbed his hand like it was dirty.

Sunset retreated half a step and put her hands up to shoulder height. She held her palms out like someone surrendering. The color returned to her eyes. “I’m sorry, Flash. I didn't mean to…” Sunset's voice faded. “My control is usually better than that. I’m so sorry.”

Flash looked at where he was rubbing his hands. “No, Sunset, I don’t think it was you. All those things had been running through my mind.” Flash took a deep breath. “I just kept distracting myself from them by doing chores and errands for people, like I always do.”

Flash raised his glance to find his fiancee. Twilight and Fluttershy were embracing platonically. Their wings were mutually raised as if ready to fly together. Twilight was smiling again. 

In Flash’s trip down memory lane, the person who gave Twilight emotional support more than all the others combined was Fluttershy.

Flash couldn’t hold his gaze and had to look away. He made a heavy sigh. 

“Maybe proposing to Twilight was going a step too far,” Flash said. “When Twilight’s relationship with Timber cratered, I stepped in because she needed someone. And there may have been some residual crush that I transferred from the Princess.” 

Flash stopped and took a deep breath. Sunset let him talk.

“Twilight was so new to having people in her life and she wanted a partner really badly.” Flash looked out across the fabulous mountain vistas. Anywhere but into the eyes of any of the girls. “Going from supportive friend, to boyfriend, to fiance seemed like the next step in our relationship.”

“I’d hoped you two would buck the odds against coming together on the rebound,” Sunset replied.

“I thought we were happy,” Flash said, “I thought I made her happy.”

“You did, and she was.” Sunset stepped up next to Flash but didn’t touch him. “But maybe there needs to be more to a relationship than making someone's life easier. Real harmony is making each other happier and fulfilled on every level.” 

Before Flash could reply, four colorful figures alighted from the sky, heralding the return of AJ, Rainbow, Rarity, and Pinkie. “The road’s all clear,” Applejack called.

“It was really cool,” Rainbow said. “Applejack was all ‘grunt’ while clearing the big boulders. I was all ‘zoom’ cleaning away the smaller ones. Rarity was all ‘zoosh’ sweeping with brooms of light to make sure the road was clean and as good as new.”

“What were you doing, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked.

“I checked out the gash on the side of the mountain where the rocks fell,” Pinkie replied. “I’ve been on lots of rock hunts with Maude and I have some idea what to look for.” Pinkie screwed up her face in deep thought. “That rock slide wasn’t caused by erosion. Something pushed those boulders. And not one at a time, but all at once across a fifty-yard swath.”

“That would either mean a whole gang of people with power tools…” Applejack said.

“Or it was magic.” Rainbow sighed. “Who’d want to stop our road trip?”